CHAPTER 5

"Ow." Usagi whined as Zhang straightened her arm.

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "I am really starting to hate your parents."

"Join the club." Usagi grumbled. "But why do you hate them?"

"Because of this, and things like this. I swear your parents messed up since the beginning, they never should have trusted Shingo into your hands."

"Are you saying I'm unfit to handle him or myself."

"That's not what I'm saying at all and you know it." He winced as she hissed in pain. "Sorry. It isn't your responsibility."

Usagi fell silent and thought about what he was saying. It wasn't quite what he thought it was, it hadn't been a snap decision to entrust Shingo's care to her, it had taken time. "But at least the treatment's working." She pointed out ruefully.

"Is it?"

And that was the question she had the most trouble dealing with.

She'd had false starts before, but it looked as if this treatment was finally working. He'd only had two relapses since the treatment began so far and it was already December, and he was doing so much better. She breathed a deep sigh of relief as she realized he might yet have a normal life. He deserved it, he was one of those people that do really well in most situations.

He was even able to walk around the streets without anybody with him and it pleased her immensely. Today he had missed a treatment and had a relapse. His body had resisted most medications and combined to having a low sugar level leaving him tired after each episode.

The new treatment that they had learned of this year had been viewed as a possibility but they were getting used to the normality of events and they didn't want to get their hopes up.

When he was an infant she had watched him, not even two years his senior, but she could still remember his body stiffening up almost a hundred times a day. She hadn't understood it then, but it scared her and she had known it was wrong that it was happening.

"He's able to stop the tremors at the first sight of onslaught."

"The seizures haven't stopped yet. I know I said there weren't any guarantees but he should have been able to get the medicine released in time to stop this last one. Besides that's the use of the device, to not have you watching over him constantly. It is suppose to regulate him and release the medicine into his system before anything occurs." Zhang reiterated as he wrapped the wet bandage around her wrist.

"He's only had it a month and a half, there's still time for it to start to work properly, besides before he'd have a seizure periodically. He's only had two in the last two months."

"That's what you say, but he could have had more. There's only been two injuries where you've needed to come in to get help with." Zhang watched her bit back a gasp as he corrected another shift of her bone. "He's too big for you to handle."

"That's unfair, I've been in the hospital several times before he physically out weighed me." She shook her head at the incoming comment she knew he'd direct at her. "I know, I know, all right?" She had been thinking it too. The bruise the other month had been her first sign, usually she could wrestle it out with him and dodge flying limbs but somewhere along the line her little brother got big.

The second sign was when she needed to move him in November away from the table before he hurt himself and doing so she fell into it because she hadn't expected a shift at the same time she was trying to counterbalance his weight.

Now she had tried to get him off the stairs before he seriously hurt himself when a swipe to the stomach, which usually resulted in her being a little winded but not even moved physically had knocked her off her feet and sent her flying a few inches before there was nothing under her to stop her downward decent down the stairs. She had landed and broken her arm in a few places.

"Then tell your mother you can't handle it any more and that if she and your father aren't willing to stay at home to look after him then they need to have professional help. I mean hire. They do need help mentally too to put a small child in the hands of an equally small child."

"I'm two years older than him." Usagi defended. "I hadn't started to learn how to help him until I was five and a good height and weight when he was only still very small."

"It should have never been placed upon you." Zhang refuted. "You should have had at least a semi-normal childhood with this hanging over you but not being responsible for a child when you yourself were still a child."

"You mean by having a stranger in our home almost every day and taking care of a child that wasn't theirs and making my parents believe they are unfit?"

"Now I know they have you brainwashed. You tell me almost every day how unfit your parents are at raising children but when the suggestion is made by somebody else you refuse to believe it." Zhang's volume was rising, he and Usagi had become good friends over the last few months and he still couldn't believe how ignorant she could be.

Usagi turned her head and refused to listen to him. She knew he was right but couldn't accept it at the moment. She needed a break from her brother's problems so she could focus on her own difficulties. Mamoru was going to have a fit. But at least that would be some reaction out of him when she hadn't had any for the last week but absolute silence.

She blamed most of that on her work schedule and his, she didn't need a job with her parents throwing money at her left and right because that was the only way they could deal with her but she liked working. Mamoru's schedule had escalated in the last month with the holiday season and everybody had to work double time in his place of employment.

She supposed she could have bought herself a car and not be carted around by the bus or Mamoru's new used vehicle. But… while she liked driving she wasn't 18 yet and so couldn't have her license until then and she didn't mind the bus, it got her out walking and she could talk to people without worrying about crashing on the narrow streets already jam packed.

The rest of the silence though was eerie. They had classes together and she'd walk over to him with a smile and he'd nod coolly at her in return and then go back to his homework or his conversation like they weren't crowned best couple. He didn't even talk to her any more; she hadn't heard a syllable out of him. Even at the arcade when they both happened to be there visiting Motoki and hanging out, he ignored her and any attempts she tried in having a conversation.

Yesterday she broke down crying after school when she was with Rei at the temple. She had gone there seeking a person to talk to and have fun but once Rei opened the door, the tears gushed out. She cried that she didn't understand what she had done to make Mamoru so upset with her.

Rei pulled her into the comfort of her arms and soothed her by whispering encouragements and soft sounds. When Usagi finally settled down enough hear the words Rei was saying, Rei offered her a large smile and a few more comforting words before saying what stuck with Usagi. "It could be nothing." Rei had shrugged. "But if it is something he will tell you once he's calmed down and thought about it. The distance is his way of not blowing up at you and ruining any chance at salvation between the two of you."

Usagi had known the truth from the statement though. Mamoru had put up a wall and would not break it off with her until he knew for sure that no emotion would leak out and he could be perceived as anything but absolute aloof and detached from the real world. No chinks in his armor and nothing could hurt him.

When Usagi sniffed Rei instantly back tracked. "But it really could be nothing and your blowing it out of proportion." But even as Rei said it Usagi could tell she knew it wasn't the truth, but didn't know any other way to help one of her best friends.

"Thank you Rei." Usagi said tears still in her eyes. "You have helped me, you were there for me, thank you."

"Any time Usa-chan, any time, you know you can count on me." Rei gave her another hug and watched as she walked out of the door and down the temple stairs.

Later that day Usagi had found out quite bluntly that Minako and Motoki were having problems too. Makoto had informed her of that fact and was confused how she could be so oblivious to the steaming arguments the two had almost constantly. Usagi had sheepishly replied that she hadn't seen any of them and was concerned about her relationship at that moment.

Usagi still didn't understand what was going on between the other couple, they were as in love as Mamoru and she had been and both relationships had been strained at the same time too.

Usagi groaned, as the last bone was adjusted and cased into place. "Must it be so painful?"

"I offered some drugs to numb the pain." Zhang reminded her.

"How's the pursuit of Ami going?" She was another one Usagi had not spoken to in over a week; actually they had not spoken since the day they ran into each other at the hospital.

"Not well, I see her often and she shoots me down before I even open my mouth. You were right, she really is a hard one."

"But worth the effort." Usagi changed positions getting into the conversation. "Now what have you used to try and seduce her over into your hands and melt like butter?"

"I don't know if I should use you, after all it is cheating to use an inside source." He tipped his head in amusement.

"It isn't cheating, it's ensuring that she'll be happy. Now, what have you used?" Usagi insisted.

"I asked her if she'd like to get coffee almost a month ago."

"And she said…?"

"I was getting to that." He chided but there was laughter in his eyes. "She said not even when hell freezes over. Does she not like coffee or something?"

"She adores coffee and never gives up a free cup." Usagi frowned. "How did you lead up to it?"

"Hi I'm Zhang, do you remember me? Usagi introduced us. -Here I thought I'd get big points because it's you and it was a best friend that introduced us. Anyways Ami looked at me with burning hatred in her eyes and I finished by asking her if she would like to get a cup of coffee with me sometime and talk. That's when she refused me." He told her as he added more cemented cloth around her cotton ball covered arm.

"What did you try after that?" Usagi's eyes narrowed not in pain this time but in slight confusion over her friend's antics, Ami was generally so much more polite even in her refusals.

"A few small overtures that I won't get into right now and she threw each away. Whenever I see her she also either turns right around, doesn't talk to me or says a spiting comment at me."

"You might have to try the direct approach, ask why she hates you and if she says she doesn't hate you ask her why she won't give you the time or day to ask her out. Hopefully that will shock her enough into silence and you can move in then."

"And if she tells me why she hates me?"

"She won't and nobody can hate you, you're too lovable to hate." Usagi cooed teasing him.

"You better stop that before I repay you back because I still have to finish this." He nodded towards her broken arm and she stopped her funny faces.

"All right." She pouted and leaned back against the thin paper covered mat.

Zhang's head popped up. "You know, your really good at changing subjects."

"Don't start it again." Usagi warned.

"Or what?" He asked lifting a blond brow away from his jade green eyes.

"Or I'll take this fix to a real doctor."

"You wouldn't do it because then it wouldn't be free and it'd go on your permanent record with all of the others and since your not eighteen your parents would get involved."

"Fine, just don't." She grumbled.

"I won't. I was just reminding you that while your good at distracting, I'm good at remembering." Zhang soaked another strip before applying it. "When this is done I still need to look you over for other injuries. This was the only break from the scans but they didn't show us other injuries."

"All right, but before you do I'll need to call Mamoru and tell him I have to break the date for tonight." She hadn't wanted to say it, hadn't wanted to believe that anything was wrong but they had made the date before the freeze out and she wasn't sure if they'd still be going but she didn't want to tempt fate by not getting prepared any way and now she was loathed to break it but she couldn't handle seeing him when he was bound to freak about the arm. Because even though he was for some reason angry with her, he still cared for her, their relationship didn't die out with the lightest breeze overnight.

"Usa-chan." Zhang frowned at her. "You'll have to do that afterwards because I'm not risking you to the weather before I know you are perfectly ok besides this arm."

"We'll see." Usagi muttered to herself.

"Fiery women are all around me it seems." He shook his head, the long dirty blond hair breaking free from his low ponytail.

"At least you're never bored." Usagi reminded playfully.

"With you alone I could never be bored, sick and tired of always fixing you up maybe but never bored."