Disclaimer: I own my own people.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – Flowers of Life
Dedicated to: My special group of four friends (not including me) who are currently going through a bad patch – friendship wise (that includes me…eep)
A/N: YAY OVER 200 REVIEWS!
So BIG BIG BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed any of the chapters I've written. WOOHOOO!
Okay…VERY VERY VERY VERY sorry for not updating in like a month! I had no energy or enthusiasm to write and the amount of work I've had has been…a lot! So I want to say thank you to everyone who has waited for this chapter. I hope you like it….please review anyway!
"Thank god you're here!" Fung said when Shang and Tiao Zao arrived next to them outside Chien-Po's room. There were 11 people clustered around the door, anxiously waiting for any news.
The whole Gang, except Chien-Po, were there as were the Emperor, Ming Hua, Fa Li, Grandma Fa and, surprisingly, Shang's brother, Jun Dui.
"Jun Dui?" Shang said, ignoring Fung and moving past the pack to his elder brother. "How come you're here?"
"I heard about Chien-Po's illness,"
"Huh? I didn't even know you knew Chien-Po,"
Jun Dui raised his eyebrows. "Shang…I'm married to his sister,"
Shang flushed and the Gang sniggered, despite the serious situation. "Oh yeah…"
"You didn't know the wife of your brother?" Yao smirked.
"Shut up," Shang growled. He looked back at Jun Dui. "How come you're here?" He repeated.
"Tian Shi asked me to bring her here," Jun Dui said. "She's in there now with Chien-Po and her parents,"
"Oh," Shang said. He looked around him. "Angel…what a name,"
Jun Dui looked tired, his shoulders were slumped and he was leaning heavily against the wall. Tiao Zao was still crying and he was being cradled by Fung. Yao was standing by Fung's elbow, his bottom lip quivering. Shui Jing was leaning against Ling; she was crying quietly and Ling's face was pale. Ming Hua and the Emperor looked…normal. They looked exactly the same as they did on the day of the Hun executions (A/N: Chapter 9).
"It's probably the royalty's way of dealing with death," Shang thought to himself. He looked over at Mulan's mother and grandmother. They were pale-faced and Fa Li was sitting down on the floor. "Speaking of Mulan…" He looked around. "Where the hell is she?" "Where's Mulan?" He asked.
"Mulan? I thought she was with you!" Yao said.
"She was!" Shang replied. "Oi, Flea Boy!" He demanded.
Tiao Zao looked up and glared at Shang. "What?" He snapped, through his tears.
"Mulan came with us, didn't she?"
"How the hell am I meant to know?" Tiao Zao argued. "I was with you!"
"Did you see her?" Shui Jing asked. Tiao Zao turned to her.
"I only saw her running behind us. Then Shang started to pick up speed and I lost sight of her," He said.
"Of all the times to get lost!" Shang snapped, striding off.
"Where are you going?" Shui Jing called after him.
"I'm going to find her, what do you think?" He snapped again.
Jun Dui rolled his eyes at his younger brother before hurrying after him.
-
"Mulan!" Shang yelled. He ran down the corridor, his breath coming out in pants and his fists swinging. He show down corridors, swerved around corners whilst yelling his head off. Just when he had given up hope of finding her, he caught sight of her, kneeling on a balcony and staring up at the sky. "Mulan!"
She turned to look at him. "Shang?" She half-whispered.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He yelled, running down the corridor towards her. "Chien-Po's dying! What are you doing?"
"I'm thinking. I'm thinking about…time," She said, stroking the flowers and smiling. Shang's eyebrows shot up.
"Time? There is no time to think about time! We don't have the time!" Shang snapped, grabbing her arm and hauling her up. Laughter drifted to their ears and they both turned to see Jun Dui, leaning against the wall and laughing.
"Jun Dui?" Mulan asked, astonished. "How come you're here?"
Ignoring her, Jun Dui turned to Shang. "What was that?"
"What?"
"The thing about time!"
"What?"
Jun Dui shook his head. "You've changed so much, little brother,"
Shang glared at him and then his attention was caught by two white flowers that Mulan was holding. He snatched them from her hand.
"Hey!" She yelled, reaching out to take them back.
"What are these?" He demanded, waving the flowers in her face.
"They're flowers, arse! What else could they be?"
"Where did you get them from?"
"They were lying on the balcony!" She yelled. She reached over to grab them but Shang moved them out of her grasp.
"So? What's so special about them?"
"I don't know!"
"Snap out of it Mulan! One of your best friends is dying and you're sitting on a balcony and admiring two flowers! For god's sake!" Shang shouted, throwing the flowers over the balcony.
To Mulan, they took an age to fall, just like the blade at the Hun execution. Her mouth fell open and as the flowers disappeared from view, she ran over to the side of the balcony and watched them fall, her hand outstretched.
"They're flowers Mulan! I didn't think you were that girly!"
Mulan turned to him, furious. "If they're just flowers, why did you chuck them over the fucking balcony?" She reached up to him and slapped his cheek, leaving a red hand mark. Her fingers were printed on his cheek. Jun Dui sniggered.
"Excuse me!" Shang yelled.
"Listen to me! Ever since you became General you've become so up-yourself it's been horrible to be around you! You're head's so swollen I'm surprised you haven't fallen over with the weight of it! You always think you're right, you always think violence solves any problem! There are other solutions, Shang and you're not always right! You don't listen to people either!" She yelled.
Shang froze to the spot.
"Those flowers were special! They were from Tao! They could save Chien-Po!" She went on.
Shang's blood boiled at Tao's name. The competition between the two of them for Mulan's heart was, at the moment, only known to Shang but Shang was, now,determined to find the man and solve their problem, once and for all.
"Tao! How can you trust him? He was a Hun! That could be some sort of poison!"
"He was a Hun! Note the past tense, Shang! He's not anymore! He's an Imperial! He's always been an Imperial; he was just kidnapped when he was young! How would you like that Shang? What if you were just taken from your family, your friends and your life? I don't think you'd care; you'd just like the idea of being a big man with a title and swaggering around with your sword and saying 'How great am I?' You're such a jerk, Shang! You disgust me!" She yelled before storming off the balcony and down the corridor.
Shang's face was bright red, angry at her and embarrassed at having his faults made public to the upper floors as her voice was incredibly loud for such a small person.
Furious, he turned to Jun Dui, who's eyebrows were raised. He had not moved from his slouching position.
"Did you hear that?" He demanded.
Jun Dui's eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "No, I didn't Shang,"
Shang punched Jun Dui in the face. "Do you think I'm in the mood for your flipping sarcasm?"
-
"Mama! Mama!" Mulan skidded to a half infront of her mother and flung herself into her mother's outstretched arms, almost crushing the ball in front of her.
"Careful, you're squashing the baby," Fa Li said, gently pushing Mulan away from her. Mulan ignored her mother's comment and looked around to the little crowd of people who had surged towards and around her.
"Mulan? Where were you?" Yao rasped. He had been crying; his throat was partially blocked and his eyes were red.
Mulan shook her head, not wanting to go into details. "I was busy. How is he?"
When no one answered, she began to freak.
"Is he okay? Oh my god, he's died! He's all alone and he's died! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh god! Someone help him! Go and get help him! I have to go! He needs me!" Mulan blurted out, running for the door. Ling and Shui Jing grabbed her arms and Fung scooped her up, one arm around her waist. Mulan let out a wail.
"Put me down!"Mulan said, hitting Fung with her fists.
"Calm down!" Fung said, placing her back on her feet. "You're just a little hysterical,"
"'Little'?" Yao remarked. Tiao Zao kicked his shin. "Ow! Son of a bitch!"
"Shut it Yao," Shui Jing snapped.
"Your grief is making you hysterical," Ming Hua said, clutching Tiao Zao's hand. "You have to breathe and calm down,"
"Easier said than done," Mulan said. Her face was taken over by a woebegone look. Fung put his arm around her.
"Be brave," The Emperor spoke up. "We all have to,"
"How can we?" Ling asked.
"I do not know. We can all be brave in different ways," The Emperor said. "You have to find your own way,"
Mulan walked off. She wandered aimlessly down the corridor, ignoring Fung's protests for her to come back. At the end of corridor, she turned right and stood out on another balcony, letting the air cool her down. Then something white caught her eye.
Sitting on the balcony rail, were two white flowers with three petals each.
Mulan walked over to them, unsure whether they were real or it was just her mind playing tricks on her. "I thought Shang threw these over the side of the balcony," She thought. She reached out and ran her fingers over the petals of one of them. They felt smooth and rubbery at the same time.
Scooping them up, she ran down the corridor, around the corner and squeezed through the crowd of people outside Chien-Po's door. She pushed the door open and burst into the room.
-
The doctor looked up, his face angry.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded. Mulan ignored him, her gaze drawn to the lump on the bed.
Chien-Po was lying there, wearing no shirt and his blanket came up to his chest. His face was white, actual chalk-white. His eyes were swollen and his forehead glistened with sweat.
"Chien-Po…" She whispered, the two flowers being crushed in her grasp.
"What are you doing here? No one is allowed in here except family!" The doctor hissed.
"Mulan, get the hell out of there!" Fung snapped, from the doorway. The rest of the group, except Ming Hua and the Emperor, were clustered around the door-frame, wanting to get a glimpse of their friend.
"Chien-Po!" Tiao Zao yelled, frantically. He rushed forward but was held back by a sobbing Shui Jing.
"Please!" The doctor snapped. "Everybody out!"
"No…" Mulan whispered.
"Mulan, for god's sake!" Ling said.
"Mulan, get back!" Ming Hua said.
"Give these to him," Mulan said, holding out the flowers to the doctor. He raised his eyebrows and looked doubtfully at them.
"What are they?"
"I don't know. Just give them to him, please!"
"What are they?" He repeated.
"I don't fucking know!" Mulan yelled. "Are you deaf?"
"Mulan!" Shui Jing cried.
"Please!" She said, her voice faltering. "They were given to me by a friend, they can help him, I know they can…"
The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, no. He's far too ill and I have no idea what they're going to do to him,"
Mulan burst into tears. Grandma Fa went over to comfort her while Fung strode into the room, took the flowers from Mulan's hand hand and forced them into the doctor's hand. "Just do it, okay?"
The doctor was far more frightened by Fung than Mulan. He, like most of the male population, thought that men were superior to women and didn't like it that Mulan could sometimes order him around. He was not the same doctor as the one who had treated Mulan after the Hun battle, that doctor had left soon after for family purposes.
He took the flowers and walked over to the furthest corner of the room. He placed the flowers in a bowl, added some water and placed it over the fire to boil slowly. (A/N: I don't know if this actually boils them, but go with me)
"Please hurry," Shui Jing begged. She was being cradled by Ling, as was Mulan by her grandmother. Fa Li stood by herself, running her hands over her unborn child. Fung stood next to Tiao Zao, who was sobbing loudly. The Emperor and Ming Hua remained outside.
-
"Didn't you hear the insults she yelled at me?"
"Yes I did, Shang," Jun Dui said. "I don't think you should worry about them,"
"What! Why not?"
"I'll tell you why. It's because your best friend is dying. It's because you're worried about you and Mulan's relationship while he's struggling for life. It's because you can do all your arguing with her and me later but you can't afford to now. It's because you may have a chance of having a future with Mulan, however slight you think that is, while Chien-Po will have no future within an hour. His parents will have no son, his sister, my wife, will have no brother and his friends would have lost him forever," Jun Dui said.
Shang didn't say anything but turned on his heel and sprinted back up the corridor. Jun Dui let a smile drift briefly over his face before following him.
-
The doctor dipped a cloth into the flower mixture and gently wiped Chien-Po's forehead with it. Minutes passed while the doctor rubbed the mixture into Chien-Po's face, neck and chest.
Mulan's tears had stopped and she was now in the hiccoughing stage. However, Tiao Zao's had redoubled as had Shui Jing's. The crying was now starting to get slightly on Fung's nerves but he kept his opinions hidden.
"Now we wait," The doctor said. He settled back down in his chair. Mulan sank down onto a sofa while Fung and Tiao Zao settledeither side of her.
"What do you reckon is going to happen?" Yao said.
"He'll get better," Mulan stubbornly replied.
Yao looked over at Fung, who shrugged slightly. "She's getting false hopes," Yao thought. "I don't think there'll be a morning for Chien-Po now,"
"Stop being so bloody negative!" Mulan snapped, elbowing him.
"Did I just say that out loud?" Yao wondered.
"I'm not a fucking mind-reader, am I?" Mulan demanded. Her stress and grief for Chien-Po was giving her severe mood swings.
"Mulan, shut up," Fung snapped, glaring at her. "That goes for you two, as well," Fung said, frowning at the wailing Shui Jing and Tiao Zao.
"It's not her fault!" Ling snapped, standing up for her.
"I know it isn't but look, none of us are wailing like cats being drowned," Fung replied, waspishly.
Ling was about to insult Fung with a variety of different names but, thankfully, Shang and Jun Dui burst into the room.
"What's going on?" Jun Dui demanded. He looked around. "Where's his family? Where's Tian Shi?" He demanded, fear mounting inside him for his wife.
"They went for a walk," Ming Hua said. He had finally allowed his curiosity to get the better of him and was edging into the room.
"A walk? What? At a time like this?" Jun Dui said, disbelievingly. "You're kidding!"
"Please!" The doctor demanded. "I must insist on silence! You shouldn't even be here so please can you go outside if you wish to talk or, if you are to remain here, you must be silent!"
"Sorry," They all whispered. They settled down in various chairs while Fa Li took up more than one space on a sofa because of her growing stomach. Mulan still felt sick whenever she saw it.
Minutes passed and Chien-Po's family came back. Jun Dui jumped up and enveloped his wife in a bear-hug, her tears pouring down onto his shoulders. Fung had to resist from rolling his eyes.
Chien-Po's parents remained outside with the Emperor as the Emperor was talking to them about dealing with the grief. They were both taking it well, in Fung's opinion. They both looked shocked, obviously, but neither were crying. But what they lacked in tears, their daughter made up for. She was louder than Tiao Zao and Shui Jing together.
The atmosphere had been full of tension but ever since Tian Shi arrived, it had gone from being a relatively thoughtful state to a crying and emotional one as Shui Jing and Tiao Zao had started crying again. Fung sighed.
Shang looked over at Chien-Po and could feel tears pricking in the corners of his eyes. He never realised how much he was going to miss Chien-Po, he was such a big part of all their lives.
Shang looked around at everyone clustered into the tiny room and began to wonder how his life would be without them.
Tian Shi…he didn't know her at all so he would not miss hermuch if she left.
Jun Dui…he'd be lost without his older brother…his mentor, his role-model…his best friend (A/N: In the family way)
Shui Jing…despite all the remorse he was feeling towards her for taking the mickey out of him and generally annoying him, he knew that he would miss her a lot. "I'd probably get over it in a few months," He thought.
Ling…the crazy, girl-chasing man…he'd miss Ling a lot if he left. He'd probably get over him in about a year but he'd be miserable without him. He had seen beneath Ling's loud-mouth shell and knew that Ling had an emotional and personal side to him also. That single thing made him relate to Shang more than any one else in the group.
Yao…he'd miss Yao, full stop. The violence part of him made him similar to Shang but he had a kind side to him also. He'd be lonely without Yao.
Tiao Zao…like Shui Jing, he found Tiao Zao annoying but knew he'd miss him tremendously if he was gone. He brought an element of liveliness to the group with his childish habits that they couldn't get anywhere else. He was so care-free; he had almost no worries and could cheer them all up with his sunny personality.
Ming Hua…he did not know Ming Hua, almost at all so he'd miss him in the political way, not personal. He'd feel a loss for the Empire but not for himself.
Fa Li…he didn't know Fa Li very well either, but he knew that Mulan would be heart-broken for the loss of her mother so he'd feel sorry for her too. He'd get over her in a few months.
Grandma Fa…she was insane, that's all. That's what he loved most about her.
Fung…he felt a stabbing pain, just thinking about it. He'd be torn without Fung...he was the best friend any one could ever ask for.
Mulan…he tried to think of her gone-but he couldn't. It was unimaginable; he couldn't imagine life without her, he'd just…die or fade away.
Thinking of how his life would be without Mulan made a whole reel of images flash into his head: marrying someone he didn't love, having a child that was born to parents who did not love each other and dying as an old man without his steady Mulan with him. That was it…an image of him standing by himself with a blank space next to him…where Mulan should be.
"I love her," He told himself. "Everyone's right...you have to tell her before she slips through your fingers and goes with someone else,"
He looked over at Chien-Po and frowned. "What?" He peered at his friend's face, which was losing it's whiteness.
"What?" Fung said, looking over.
"What's happening to him?" Shang said, pointing to Chien-Po's face.
"It's clearing!" Mulan cried.
"Out the way!" The doctor demanded, pushing people out the way. He leaned forward and listened to Chien-Po's heartbeat and began to smile. "His heartbeat is growing stronger and more rapid…I think he's getting better,"
Mulan let out a whoop and crushed Fung in a bear-hug. Tiao Zao clung to Fung's hip and began to cheer, as well as the rest of the room.
Shang looked over at Mulan and marvelled at the difference of her face. The dull look that had previously in her eyes was replaced by the normal dancing lights and her face was slowly going back it's natural colour: peachy skin and rosy cheeks.
"Shh!" The doctor said, a finger to his lips.
They crowded around the bed and watched in amazement as Chien-Po's eyelids fluttered open.
"Oh my god…" Shui Jing whispered. "You're all right! You're okay!" She breathed, tears again streaming down his cheeks.
"How are you?" Fung asked Chien-Po. Chien-Po gave a weak smile, hidden underneath people who were hugging him.
"I feel as if I've been in a dream and all I've done is woken up," He said quietly. "It's very surreal…I can speak now when I couldn't before," He smiled again, weakly.
"You're okay…" Mulan repeated, her face embedded in Chien-Po's body. "Thank you Tao…"
A/N: What a short chapter…and almost nothing happened in it! Oh well! I'm sorry if this chapter was a big disappointment if you've been waiting long…I'm really sorry… : (
So please leave a review and any comments, good or bad, would be very nice. Thanks – Ellie xxx
