The Sohma Institute
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that. I hope. I do own this story, and all the plot twists it contains.
Dedication: To all the really nice people who take the time to review. I really do appreciate it.
Chapter Thirteen
The Delinquent and the Doctor
Tohru made her way down the hall, her thoughts still in turmoil. As she neared Kyou's room, she forced herself to take a few deep breaths. She needed to push her questions and worries to the back of her mind until she finished her work for the night. If she didn't, she would be distracted from her duties, which would be unfair to Kyou. He deserved her full attention, especially since this was to be their first one on one meeting.
Reaching her destination, she raised a hand to knock. She paused afterwards, but there was no response. Her knuckles rapped the wood again. But there was still nothing but silence from the room beyond. For a brief moment, the knowledge of what was expected of her and the manners she had been taught warred with each other. In the end, duty won out.
The memory of the accident in the lunchroom earlier made her a bit more cautious than before. This time, she refrained from just sticking her head inside for a look around. Tohru waited until the door was fully pen before she stepped out from behind its shielding thickness. As soon as her feet crossed the threshold her eyes were scanning the room for Kyou.
It didn't take long to find him since he stood, legs spread and arms crossed over his chest, just a few steps in front of her. Narrowing his eyes just a little, he looked her straight in the face.
"What do you want?"
Tohru had always dealt with hard situations and difficult people in basically the same way. When there was a task that you really didn't want to handle, putting it off would only make it worse in the end. It was usually best to just jump right in with a bright smile and a sunny attitude.
With the apparently grumpy Kyou still staring at her as he waited for an answer, it took a moment for Tohru to pull herself together. She quickly thought of all the reasons why she was there, in that room, with that boy.
She had been given a wonderful opportunity at an interesting job. There were four people who were going to rely on her soon. By getting to know them, she was really meeting four new friends whose lives she was going to try her hardest to improve.
With all those thoughts in mind, she summoned her biggest smile and pulled the door closed behind her. Her tone was equally upbeat when she replied to his earlier question.
Good evening, Kyou! I was just playing a board game with Momiji and Haru, but now Ms. Almont is getting them settled for the night. Since I don't have any other duties for tonight, she suggested that I come and sit with you for a while. You're the only one I haven't really gotten to know yet, so this will give us a chance to learn some more about each other."
Kyou didn't move. He just continued looking at her with eyes so much older seeming than t hey should have been. Tohru felt her smile start to falter. She blinked nervously, and then almost jumped when he finally spoke.
"'Learn more about each other'? That's why you're here? If so, then you should just leave right now because all this will just be a waste of both our time." Dropping his arms to his sides, he crossed to the bed and stretched out on it. With his hands folded behind his head, he stared at the ceiling.
Although his actions just about screamed "end of conversation", Tohru wasn't about to give up so easily. There had been something in his words, an underlying bitterness, almost, that had caught her attention. He didn't want to get to know her, but why? What made him so sure it would be a waste of time?
Since it was obviously going to take awhile, Tohru helped herself to a seat across from Kyou. The chair squeaked a bit as she sat, causing the orange haired boy's eyes to flicker in her direction and then quickly dart away.
"Didn't I tell you to leave?"
"Um, actually you just said I might as well leave, since this would all be a waste of time. That's a bit different. And since I don't agree, I thought it would be all right to stay." His head rolled to the side long enough to give her an incredulous look. She answered with a serene smile.
Kyou flopped over onto his other side, presenting her with his back. He was either really interested in the beige paint or he intended to ignore her until she left. Tohru squared her shoulders. She knew that she didn't have a lot of time before Dr. Hatori Sohma showed up and she would have to leave, so she fully intended to make good use of the minutes she did have.
"So, Momiji mentioned that you sometimes don't get along with Haru." He "humphed", and Tohru almost winced at her own foolishness. When you wanted to get someone to talk to you, you didn't bring up things or people that they didn't like. You found something that they enjoyed and would want to talk about, like Yuki and his apparent fondness for plants or gardening.
The problem was that she didn't know anything about Kyou's interests and he wasn't exactly eager to fill her in. She looked around the room, hoping there might be some clue to help her along, but the room was just as bare and impersonal as the one belonging to Yuki. Kyou himself was no help. He wore a simple long-sleeved black shirt and khaki pants, neither with any logos or pictures on them.
'Nothing to do but dive in the deep end,' Tohru thought to herself. She took a deep breath as she prepared for the battle, such as it would be. "Momiji also said that Ms. Almont brings in movies for all of you to watch. Have you seen any interesting ones lately?"
No response came from across the room, so Tohru kept going. "No? Okay, so do you have a favorite movie or genre? I like romantic comedies or almost anything with a happy ending. Sad movies always make me cry, which is really embarrassing when you're at a theater. But not as embarrassing as some other things can be. I once had my skirt rip in public . . ."
Kyou finally turned to face her, an unreadable expression on his face. "If this is some kind of punishment for this morning, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to hit you. I was aiming at someone else, and you just came out of nowhere."
Tohru was horrified. Of all the things that she had thought might occur from her rambling, making Kyou feel guilty or punished wasn't on the list.
"No! This isn't any sort of reprimand or revenge. I just wanted to get to know you a little. This morning was an accident, nothing more, and I understand that." Another part of his statement sank in belatedly and she gave him a confused look. "You were aiming at someone else? You mean that you actually wanted to hit someone?"
Kyou raised an eyebrow before voicing his one word reply very slowly and clearly. "Yes."
"But why?"
"Uh, because I was angry and I really don't like him?" His sarcastic response seemed more question than statement.
"But who could you possibly want to . . ." Tohru cut herself off as she recalled both the notes she had read and Momiji's comments that sometimes Kyou and Haru didn't get along all that well. Plus there had been a mention of a fight between Kyou and Yuki, although she assumed that must have occurred before Yuki slid as deeply into his depression as he currently was.
"Well, anger and dislike aside, it's not nice to throw things at people. I know you might get a little stir-crazy and cranky in here, but that's no reason to . . ."
This time it was Kyou who cut her off in the middle of her sentence. "'Stir-crazy and cranky'? That doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about being stuck in here. But it's not like you could possibly understand any of this. You'll be just like all the others, here for awhile until you leave without a backwards glance."
"I don't know about any others, but I think you're being unfair. I really want to help all of you."
He sneered. "I hate to break it to you, but you're really in the wrong place if you want to be one of the good guys. This building and a lot of the people in it or less 'helpful' than you might think." His sarcastic emphasis on the word was blatantly mocking.
Tohru could feel her anger rising, an uncommon occurrence given her usual placid attitude. Even if she had her own questions about the Institute, the things Kyou was saying were too mean to be allowed to pass without rebuttal.
"You might not see it the way that I do, but the people who work here are doing a lot of good things. Their research and testing are famous for advancing treatments by leaps and bound. I'm not exactly sure why you're here, but I am sure that it's for your benefit."
Kyou swung his legs over the side of the bed and took several steps toward her so quickly that her heart seemed to skip a beat in fear. But instead of striking out physically, he planted his hands on his hips and leaned forward. With his face only inches from hers, he spit his next words out with a lot of vehemence.
"Oh, this floor and the people on it are benefiting someone, you're right. But it sure as hell isn't us." That said, he turned and stormed back to the bed.
Tohru sat perfectly still, stunned by the barely restrained violence that her had just shown. She swallowed hard, squeezing her shaking hands together. It took several moments and a stern lecture to herself before she felt, if not calm, then at least in control. She stood, fully intending to ask him what he had meant by his comments.
Before she could do more than take a breath, however, the door opened. The man who stepped inside was tall, pale, and wearing a pristine lab coat. His dark hair was neatly parted, although one hank of his bangs hung nearly into his eyes. Even without a nametag, Tohru knew that he had to be Hatori Sohma, exclusive doctor to the patients on the twelfth floor.
"You may leave now." Hardly sparing her a glance as he issued the cool command, he crossed to the empty desk. It was only as he sat it on the surface that she realized he had been carrying small case.
Knowing an order when she heard one, Tohru obediently started for the exit. As she turned to pull the door closed behind her, she caught an unexpected look at the people inside. Dr. Sohma had removed something from the case and started toward Kyou. Kyou stood in the same spot, but he had shoved one of his shirtsleeves up past his elbow.
"Let's get this over with." The click of the door seemed to punctuate Kyou's low voiced words.
