Hey, thanks for the reviews, guys! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but I get really bad writer's block, and sometimes I just need a break. I don't know how much longer I can keep writing this story, so I may have to wrap it up in the next couple chapters unless I get a lot of reviews telling me to keep writing. Okay, well, I'll stop boring you!
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
After watching Hoshi with interest, Sailor Moon remembered what was going on. She rushed over to Tuxedo Kamen's side, while Hoshi took care of Jupiter.
"Oh, Tuxedo Kamen! Are you alright? We've got to get you to a hospital! Please, you must detransform," she pleaded, forgetting all of his previous offenses.
At the sound of her voice he reached up and touched her face, running his hands over it as if to make a mental picture of who was talking.
Oh my gosh, she thought, he's blind! What am I gonna do! This is all my fault! If only I had attacked the youma instead of him, he'd still be able to see!
"Tuxedo Kamen, you must detransform! You have to get to the hospital, and fast! Maybe they can restore your eyesight!" she practically screamed with fright. But, sensing the urgency of the situation, he slowly reached inside his cape and took hold of a single red rose. And before she realized what was happening, it was no longer Tuxedo Kamen in her arms, but Mamoru.
"Oh, Mamu-chan, we must hurry! Can you stand?" she was relieved that he had detransformed for her, but she knew they still had to hurry. He slowly rose to his feet, but he had to lean heavily on her shoulders, which caused her to bend like a willow tree under his weight.
Slowly, she managed to get him to his car, and put him in the passenger's seat. She ran around the car, hopped into the driver's seat, buckled up and floored it.
Oh, I wish I knew how to get to the hospital! Think hard, Usagi...it's...this way! She thought, turning sharply right. Fortunately, she guessed correctly, and there was the hospital at the end of the street.
Oh, thank God! She thought, getting out and dragging Mamoru with her. She pulled him into the emergency room, and the receptionist gave them one look and ran off to find a doctor.
"Everything's gonna be alright, Mamoru, they're getting a doctor for you," she said comfortingly as she eased him into a chair.
Soon, a doctor motioned them into an examination room.
"How did this happen?" He asked after examining the strange material covering Mamoru's eyes.
"I don't know. I just found him like that on the ground in the park," she lied, hoping the doctor couldn't tell.
"Well, I'm afraid it's very serious. He could be blind forever unless..." the doctor trailed off.
"Unless what?" Usagi questioned, panic in her voice.
"Well, we've got an experimental procedure that we could try on him, but there's not guarantee that it would work or even help. But at this point, it's the only thing we could do. If you like, I'll give you a couple minutes alone with him to talk and decide what you would like to do from here," the doctor said, glancing at the blind Mamoru.
"Yes, I would like that, please."
"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes."
As soon as the doctor left, Mamoru beckoned Usagi over to him.
"Usagi, I want that procedure. I don't want to be blind for the rest of my life. Whatever the risks, I'm willing to do it, and I don't want any arguments from you or anyone else," Mamoru stated with such finality, that she didn't dare question him.
Oh no! She thought, he hates me! He thinks this is all my fault because he went blind trying to protect me! What have I done?
She started to sob silently, but he seemed to sense her discomfort.
"Usagi, what's wrong?" he quietly asked.
"You hate me!" she managed to sob out.
"Hate you? Why would I hate you? Usagi, I -mumff-" he couldn't finish his sentence because his mouth was covered by her shoulder when she threw herself, sobbing, at him in a giant bear hug.
"Mamoru, this-what's happened to you-it's all my fault, and I'm so sorry!" she cried.
"Usagi, what happened to me is no one's fault, and I don't want you to kick yourself about it. The doctor said it could be fixed by this proceedure. I want to try it. It can't be any worse than right now, could it? And if it works, thousands of blind people could possibly have the chance to see! That'd be great, wouldn't it? I don't mind being a guinea pig in this instance," he chuckled.
Usagi looked up at him and gave him a soggy smile, before hicupping.
There! I finally got this chapter out! I've been so insanely busy! Gosh, guys, I'm so sorry! Thanks for reviewing the last chapter, and I hope this one is okay...I wrote most of it one day, and got severe writers block and finished it about 2 weeks later. I'm gonna try to wrap up this story soon. Well, please review, and feel free to flame me for taking so long! Although it may take a bit for me to get the next chapter out again, too, because I'm really busy with school and stuff.