A/N: Wow, I seem to take longer and longer to put out each new chappy… Stupid real life is starting to get in the way of my real job. Not to worry though, this will be finished one way or the other- promise! So yes, as usual Houjun isn't my own character and Hana is. Tears as usual so the more sensitive readers beware. Here we go then….
Max and Alex exchanged worried looks. Hana had been sitting silently across from them for three and a half hours now, staring at her hands.
"H-hana?" Alex ventured "You alright sweetheart?"
The young nurse looked up at him, forcing a tiny smile. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." she reassured him. "I'm just worried about Houjun is all."
The guard nodded. "If you're sure…"
Silence fell over the small room once more and Hana's hands tightened in her lap, a heavy sigh pushing past her defenses and giving her melancholy state away.
"Y'know, if somethin' is wrong you c'n talk to us." Max tried again "We won't tell a soul."
Hana shook her head. "It's okay, really- I'm fine!" she insisted. The flame haired guard gave her a suspicious look and she sighed again. "Alright, I give up. If you're really that concerned about me, I'll tell you what's wrong. It's Johnston…when I went to his office he-"the nurse cut herself off as confused tears started in her eyes.
She took a deep breath and was about to go on, when a sudden flash of movement caught her attention. She looked up and saw that Houjun was finally awake.
He was sitting straight up, his deep mahogany eyes wide with fear as the combined shock of being in a strange place and facing two men, who at the moment, he didn't recognize slowly settled in around him. Hana immediately flew to his side, frantically motioning for Alex and Max to leave the room as she tried to reassure Houjun before he panicked. The two guards hurriedly left the small room and shut the door behind them.
"It's alright, they won't hurt you." Hana said soothingly, running one hand up and down the young man's back. "It's going to be okay, I promise you…"
Houjun turned his head slowly and looked into Hana's emerald eyes. His face showed real fear and he pulled away from the young woman's touch.
The nurse's eyes widened in shock at the young man's reaction. "H-Houjun," she started shakily "I-it's me, Hana… Don't you remember?"
The frightened youth shook his head fervently and backed away from the nurse. He pushed himself back against the wall behind him and pulled his knees to his chest. He started to tremble and Hana could make out tears on Houjun's face through the small space between his knees and his arms.
She backed away a little and tried again to reach the fearful young man. "Houjun, it's alright." she said slowly, trying to fight back her own rising apprehension. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise everything is okay. Please, try and remember who I am… I know you're afraid, but you have to try!"
The young man cautiously lifted his head so that his eyes were no longer hidden and stared at the young nurse. For a minute it looked as if he would fall into hysterics as his trembling worsened and his breaths became short, fast sobs then he reached out a shaking hand and put it on the nurse's cheek.
Hana covered his hand with her own and nodded slowly, her green eyes never leaving the other's mahogany orbs. "That's right, it's me… You don't have to be afraid anymore- I won't let him hurt you."
Houjun nodded once to show he understood and moved a few inches closer to the young nurse. Hana carefully reached out with her other hand and Houjun flinched, drawing back a little. The nurse quickly withdrew her hand and sighed miserably.
"What did that man do to you, my Houjun?" she said softly. "You're even afraid of me…"
The young man before her bowed his head, tears splashing from his cheeks and falling onto his blood-stained shirt. His hand tightened around Hana's and he pulled the young woman's hand towards his chest. The nurse crawled forwards until she was only a few inches away from Houjun, then reached out again. The young man shivered and his trembling worsened as his grip on Hana became almost painful.
"I won't hurt you." she tried again "I promise, I'm trying to help alright?"
Houjun looked up at her and nodded, his face screwed up in a mix of fear and pain. He raised his free hand and, little by little, brought it closer to Hana. The nurse brought her own hand forwards, her eyes still looking deep into Houjun's, and their hands met.
For a second, time froze; Houjun's eyes widened and his breathing quickened as fear once again threatened to overtake him. Hana made to pull back, but the other pushed his fingers between the young woman's and held on.
"Don't…" he choked around sobs, his voice barely audible even in the crushing silence of the small room.
Hana nodded once and moved closer to Houjun so that the two were barely four inches apart. "If I try to move my hands, will you be afraid?" she asked, her emerald eyes shining with emotion though no tears had gathered in them.
The youth next to her nodded, closing his eyes briefly to block a sudden flash of pain in his heart.
Hana thought for a second, then swallowed hard. "Okay, I'm going to let go of you for a second and put my arms under yours. You don't have to be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to hold you, alright?"
Houjun's eyes flashed with fear, but the youth nodded in agreement and Hana gently lowered his hands into his lap. The young man tensed and his tears fell faster than ever, but he remained motionless, letting Hana slide her arms around him and draw him to her. She gently ran her hand up and down the young man's back, her other hand sliding up to find it's usual place behind Houjun's head. "It's okay…" Hana whispered, closing her eyes for a minute, trying to fight back the tears beginning to sting at her eyes. "You're safe now my angel, you don't have to hide anymore… Shh…"
The young nurse was being especially careful to avoid the gashes on Houjun's arms but the youth she held seemed to have forgotten they were there. He wrapped his arms around Hana and pulled her roughly into his lap, grabbing her shirtsleeves with both hands and sobbing into her shoulder.
"He did it again…" he wept "H-he did it a-again!"
"I know…" Hana whispered, the tears in her eyes finally breaking through her defenses and slipping down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry I couldn't stop him. I tried and I wasn't able to keep him away from you…"
Houjun shook his head against her shoulder. "Y-you tried… I-I saw you. H-he… he just…just…" His words trailed off and he shook his head again, pulling Hana closer to him and crushed his face into her shirt, sobbing worse than ever. Hana gently slid her hand from behind his head and wrapped both arms around him, telling him over and over that it would be okay and that she would find a way to fix it.
The two sat together in silence, the only sounds being Houjun's soft sobs and Hana's caring voice whispering words of comfort to the youth she held. Houjun calmed after awhile and his broken sobbing lessened to silent tears, still holding Hana as tightly as he could without hurting the tiny woman.
"I failed you…" the nurse said quietly, breaking the silence and pulling twin fistfuls of the other's shirt into her hands. "I was supposed to keep you safe but you ended up hurt because I can't be big enough to take care of you… I promise you though, this will never happen again. I won't ever let that man near you. I don't know what good someone like me can be against someone like him, but I'll find a way to stop him!"
"Y-you can't!" Houjun cried, pushing the nurse back and looking her straight in the face. "N-nobody can! He… he won't let you stop him!"
Hana shook her head. "I couldn't protect you this time," she repeated, passing a hand over her eyes as determination flared inside her. "But I swear to you, right here and now, that he won't lay a hand on you ever again. I'll find a way, I promise."
"He won't let you." the other insisted, his voice full of dejected certainty. "He'll find a way to make it look like you're the one hurting me…"
"Not if I can help it." the nurse reassured. Her eyes softened and she looked straight into Houjun's mahogany coloured eyes. "Just leave Johnston to me, alright? I promise everything's going to work out in the end."
The young man nodded and squeezed Hana's shoulder. "As long as you don't leave me alone…"
The other smiled at him and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. "Not for anything or anyone."
Houjun nodded again and closed his eyes for a second, feeling the last of his fear being pushed aside by the overwhelming feeling of safety Hana always sparked inside of him. He gently brought Hana to him again, wrapping his arms around her and putting a hand behind her head in loving gratitude.
"Y-you saved my life you know." he said hesitantly "I never could have made it through if I hadn't known you were waiting for me…protecting me."
Hana smiled softly up at her young charge, sleep growing heavy on her as the days events finally caught up with her. "I told you, as long as you need me…"
"You'll be here with me." Houjun finished for her. He felt Hana's slight form starting to get heavier in his arms and gently lifted her up. "And I promise, I'll take care of you too."
The young man carefully set the nurse down on the bed and covered her with a blanket.
The nurse passed a hand over her eyes, trying to get up again only to have Houjun push her back down. "I'm fine…" she protested weakly "You don't have to take care of me."
"But I do." Houjun told her, settling himself on the floor next to the bed. "You don't do it, so someone's got to." He brushed a stray lock of soft brown hair from her cheek. "I'll be okay. Besides, if something happened to you because of me I could never forgive myself…"
Hana smiled a little, her emerald eyes shining with amusement. "Alright you win this time- but just this once."
"Just this once." Houjun agreed quietly.
Hana watched the young man beside her pull his knees to his chest and put his head down on them, letting her eyes slide shut as sleep finally took her into its gentle arms.
A/N: So here we are with mirror 14. Sorry it took so long all, it's the usual blend of life, school and my own ongoing book that's kept me so long. Not my best work,I know, but I wanted this up and it is now four minutes to one am and Ihave an eight thirty class tomorrow morning. Shall edit later.Anyhow, hope you all liked it and as usual I want to know what you thought.
Cheers then,
Tenshi Kitsune