Thank you crazedcandie, you are my ever faithful reviewer, so here you go, another chapter dedicated just to you! I shall explain the languae later!
Standard disclaimer applies
Chapter Eleven
(Jiro)
Leading the young man with the unconscious lady in his arms to a pair of empty beds I motioned for him to set her down on one while I set the badly abused white haired girl on the other. Bending over the one with green streaked orange hair I pulled out a portable scanner and did a quick check to make sure she was clean and not tainted.
"What's her name? What happened to her? Does she have any relatives?" I demanded of the black haired man next to me as I checked her pulse, breathing and her pupil dilation.
"Orino, she was possessed by Zinan and she doesn't have any relatives, I'm the only one she considers family." He told me his tone neutral as I checked her for any mental or physical damage, there was nothing, the reason why she was like this was she had her energy drained.
"She's fine, a little rest is all she needs, I would like to keep her here over night to make sure that my diagnosis is correct," I felt her forehead with the back of my hand. "Is that alright with you?" I began filling out her chart on the clipboard at the end of the bed.
"Yes, do you have a patient here named Akiko?" He asked me stroking a few stray strands of hair out of Orino's face.
"Yes, she is in bed 15 over there, do you happen to know what happen to the lady over there?" I stuck the clipboard into the holder at the end of Orino's bed and turned to the woman who I had carried in.
"That's Reiko, she's another one of Zinan's victims, that's all I know about her." The man told me and I nodded more to myself than to him.
"Thank you for your help you may leave after you have had yourself checked out for any taint from that slug Zinan." I put him from my mind and focused on the unconscious apparition in front of me, she was clean as if she had just taken a bath. Placing a finger on her forehead I scanned inside of her to see if there were any complications that might need to be taken care of before she was moved, what I saw horrified me. Her organs were twisted, eaten at and grossly injured; the damage could only have been done by some of the most dangerous and illegal drugs ever sold through the underground. Drawing out of her, I quickly made note of all I had seen on her chart so Genkai could handle it before doing a thorough external examination marking down everything from cuts to bruises. When I tried to enter her mind to see if she had sustained any mental damage I was unable to get past the very strong barrier she had erected. After making a few more observations on the chart I picked her up and took her to where the Spirit Detectives were waiting outside my door.
"When you transporting her I want you to remember that she is in a very delicate condition and all damage to her has not been fully ascertained. Give the clipboard to Genkai it has all the information I was able to get on her in the short amount of time I was given. I also want you to tell her that Jiro says she needs time, lots of time and don't push her too hard, she might break." I passed Reiko off to the black-haired man with slashing blood red eyes. "Take extreme care with her." I watched them walk off with my patient as I said a quick prayer for her for I knew her road to recovery was not going to be an easy one.
Re-entering the hospital building I made the rounds checking on all of my patients, talking to their family and making notes on their charts. Most of them were ready to go home so I signed their release forms. Pausing near one set of beds I watched two fraternal twins hug their mother and receive hugs from other family members. The twins were Yoko and Wakana, their mother was Tora and her brothers and their wives Taro and Midori and Toru and Nishi with their son Toshi were there. In the next bed was Akiko, she was still floating a foot off the bed with her siblings Sayo, Drake, Oki and Dundrogo around the bed with Leiko and Dai also they were partners to two of them. Off to the side stood the man who had brought in Orino shadows surrounding him almost obscuring him from sight as he waited for the family to leave I believe.
On my way back to my desk to start on the load of paperwork I was going to have I spotted my only patient who had no one there for her, her name was Miyuki. She had long pink hair that was just about as dirty as her clothing and her eyes were a deep dark murky blue that seemed to reflect sadness. My heart went out to her for I knew what it was like to sit alone wishing for someone to come and hold me close. Grabbing a passing nurse I ordered a hot bath and a new set of clothes for the girl.
"How are you doing?" I queried sitting on the edge of the bed next to her and felt her forehead with the back of hand, she still had a rather high temperature.
"I feel like shit, can I have a cigarette?" She muttered locking eyes with me as she began to cough hard.
"I think that would be your answer," I smiled at her as she gave a snort of slight humor. "How would you like a bath?"
"Are you kidding me? I would love a bath and even that is an understatement." She struggled to sit up but was still too weak from the disease that was ravaging her body at the moment.
"Let me help you up, there will be a nurse there to assist you along with a nice new pair of lounge clothes." I informed her pulling back the heavy covers and helping her to her feet, I knew that she would feel humiliated if I carried her so instead I let her lean on me. "If you need anything at all feel free to give a call." We had reached the room with the bath but to my surprise I found it empty, that was right, all the nurses would be on call tonight and I was to be the only on here.
"Where's the nurse?" Miyuki questioned cocking an eyebrow at me as I set her down next to the tub.
"Obviously not here leaving me in a very nasty predicament," I rubbed the back of my neck while I tried to figure out what to do. "How about this, you get undressed and wrap a towel around yourself, then I'll pick you up and set you in the tub, you'll hand me the towel while I keep my eyes averted and we repeat the procedure at the end?"
"Sounds fine to me," Miyuki said dismissively. "It's not like you're some random guy, you're some sort of doctor which means you see people starkers everyday." With that she began to unbutton her top and I averted my eyes and deemed her still in shock from her time in Zinan's prison with the fever talking for her. "God it feels good to be out of those skanky clothes, I have been wearing them for about two months…yuck… where's the towel?" Coughing politely I held the towel out to her my head turned away from her. "A little closer…" I inched toward her, "Keep coming…thank you," the towel was taken from me and I folded my arms waiting for her to wrap it around herself.
"Are you ready to get in the tub?" I inquired after a moment or two.
"Yup," she replied and turned to find her lying on the floor the towel wrapped haphazardly around her body. "Come and get me into that bath." Very carefully I helped her up and into the tub hearing her splash around and sigh contentedly, "There's even soap and shampoo, I must be dreaming."
"Um…the towel?" I held out my hand for it but instead it hit me right on the head before falling down onto my shoulder as Miyuki broke out into gales of giggles and I retreated from the room. Once outside I heaved a sigh of relief, taking care of women was not a specialty of mine, whenever I do try to take care of them I usually do something wrong.
"Excuse me Doctor, we're going to the relative wing, if there is any change, please contact us," it was Akiko's younger sister Oki, she had her arms wrapped around her fiancé Dai.
"But of course," I inclined my head as she and the rest of the family departed leaving me alone with all of my patients. Making my way to the laundry area I dumped the sopping wet towel and gathered three more just in case something should happen.
About fifteen minutes later I re-entered the room where Miyuki was bathing to find her sound asleep in the now lukewarm water. Reaching under the water I pulled the plug and watched the water quickly drain from the tub before I gently lifted her from the bath and dried her off. Once that was done I dressed her and then picked her up and left the small chamber heading for her assigned bed. Standing over the bed I made a sound of disgust at the dirty sheets and carried her instead to clean bed that was closer to my desk so I could keep an eye on her. Tugging the covers down I laid her down and covered her, smoothing her wet hair away from her face and started toward my desk.
"Don't leave me," she slurred grabbing my hand. "I don't want to be alone." Glancing down at her I found myself entranced by her blue eyes so I grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to the bed not letting go of her hand.
"I won't let go and you're not alone, I'm right here." I squeezed her hand and settled in for a long night.
(Chai)
Finally Akiko's family left and I was all alone with the girl who had helped me save the only person I had left to call family or friend. Stepping out of the shadows that had concealed me for so long I sat down in one of the vacated chairs next to her bed and just looked at her. She was floating about a foot off the bed her bright red hair was floating around her face making it look like she was suspended underwater not in the air. Coming out of her back was a pair of beautiful feathered wings that were the color of fire a wonderful blend of orange, yellow and red. Her body was still clad in the dirty shift we had found her in and her skin was marred with bruises, dirt and blood. She looked like an angel of war. After freeing Orino she had withdrawn from my mind and was nowhere to be found.
Shutting my eyes I searched for the path that she had used to talk to me, it was easy to find for it was a bright white just like the light she had filled me with. Gathering courage I ventured onto the path and followed it right into Akiko's mind where I hoped to find her and thank her. When I entered her psyche I found her inner reflection of herself in this form chained up in a small dark room crying out for someone to help her. Collapsed on the floor in front of her was her other form its blond hair matted with blood, her pale blue eyes staring straight ahead.
'Chai, you came! The young girl said you would!' The Akiko hanging on the wall looked up to meet my eyes with her brilliant green ones. 'Zinan's power still holds me here, I need you to help me get out!'
'What do I need to do?' I approached her and stood in front of her.
'You have to help me accept what happened to me, you need to get me down so I can merge with my other self. I was never meant to be separated from her.' Akiko explained to me. Nodding to show I understood I wrapped my hands around the shackle around her right wrist, as soon as I touched it I was thrown into a memory.
"How's business little sister?" Akiko asked propping herself against the doorjamb to a studio where a woman with purple hair was swinging a pipe with a partially finished piece of glass on the end in a circle.
"Peachy, how's life?" She grunted as she stopped and stuck the end of the pipe with the cooling glass into a piece of equipment that's insides were glowing bright orange with heat.
"Pretty good, I think-" abruptly Akiko cut herself off and flipped her red hair over her shoulder. "Pretty good."
"What were you going to say?" The woman turned to look at her sister and I recognized Sayo the one who had been extremely emotional over Akiko being kidnapped.
"Oh nothing," she waved off what she was going to say as she entered the shop and looked around. "Always as clean as usual, eh Sayo?"
"Don't you know it." Sayo quipped smashing the barely formed piece into a metal bucket.
"Excuse me," a dark sinister voice whispered causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. "I'm looking for Akiko, is she here?" Snapping my head to the side I saw Zinan standing in the doorway where Akiko had just been his black eyes shinning with malice.
"No, I'm sorry, I believe you have the wrong address," Akiko told him haughtily not allowing Sayo to speak and give away who she was.
"No, I think I have the right address," he smirked evilly and approached Akiko as she swallowed hard and backed away.
"I remember that," turning I saw the chained up Akiko. "I was going to tell Sayo that I thought someone was stalking me but I couldn't get the courage to do so…I didn't want to bother her." She looked back at the scene unfolding in front of us and I followed her gaze in time to see Zinan pin Sayo up against the wall and freeze Akiko in place. She was trembling hard as she struggled to free herself but was unable to before Zinan grabbed her and they sank into the shadows.
"It wasn't your fault, you didn't think it was important but it was, you made a mistake, all people do that, no one is perfect." I turned to look at Akiko as she observed her sister fall to the floor and begin screaming as she clasped her hands to her head. "What's going on with her?"
"Zinan's telling her exactly what he's going to do to me, he's rubbing it in that she can't do anything to save me." She ripped her gaze away from the screaming Sayo and instantly the memory stopped.
"He was wrong, Sayo was able to do something, she helped free many of the prisoners including you, she didn't let anyone down and neither did you." I told her reaching out to touch her face, "There was no way you could have known what he was planning to do." Her eyes met mine before we were pulled back to her mind.
The shackle around her wrist faded into nothingness, as did the chains that were connected to it leaving her one step closer to being free with three restraints left. Without a word I bent down and clasped the one on her right ankle this time prepared for what was going to happen.
"I have heard tell that you can see into the future Akiko, is this true? If it is I would like you to tell me my own future." Zinan trailed a finger down the side of her face as he spoke causing her to jerk away from him hate blazing in her eyes.
"Kiss my ass!" She spat out venom dripping off those three words.
"Why do you people always insist on taking the hard way every single time? It's not that hard to just say yes or no is it?" Zinan arched an eyebrow before he grabbed her by the front of her clothes and hauled her up close so their noses were scant millimeters apart. "Answer me!"
"Never!" Akiko spat right in his face her face twisted in her hatred.
"Fine, I will pull the information from you!" He grabbed her by the head and a few minutes later she collapsed her hair turning blond as she hit the floor her eyes half open.
"They will come for you…they'll take it all away…prison…torture…" she began muttering seemingly more to herself than to Zinan.
"That's when he separated us." It was the bound Akiko, "It hurt so much, I wasn't strong enough to fight him. He was just suddenly in my mind crushing any fight I might have been able to put up; he ripped me apart so he could get his predictions. When I was born my mother knew that I would be clairvoyant, she didn't want me to suffer from knowing what would happen before it even occurred. So what she did was she changed me in a way that I would have all of my predictions while I was asleep but when I woke up I wouldn't be able to remember them. She placed the burden of my all knowing powers on my 'human' form, the one with blond hair, since I was one with her when I went into that form I wouldn't recall the premonitions and she would completely forget them."
"It wasn't your fault, any assault on the mind is a difficult battle to fight and win, and it's amazing you even lasted for the small amount of time you did. Some of the strongest fighters in the world can't last a moment under a mental barrage, that's why those who can manipulate the mind are so dangerous. You hadn't had any previous exposure to attacks on your psyche." I told her this and she raised her eyes to mine bringing us back.
The manacle disappeared along with the connected chains leaving only her left side supported causing her to list to that side her green eyes looking just a little weary. I couldn't imagine the toll the whole thing was taking on her but I was sure it was immense from the lines of strain beginning to appear around her mouth and eyes.
'Only two more,' I reassured her taking the third ones in my hands.
It was pitch black, there was nothing, nothing at all. The oppressive darkness was smothering me as insanity crept closer. Where were they? Where were my saviors? When would I get out of this hell? None of my visions would tell me, none of them; they just showed Zinan wrapped up in chains of light. Were they what was to come or my own fantasies? I didn't know. I wanted to know.
"They will come for you, you will be freed." I spoke out loud for I had figured out that I was inside of Akiko's mind during the time of her imprisonment. "Your siblings are on their way with the rest."
Will he come? Will the warrior of darkness that the girl spoke of come? Will he save me?
"Yes, the warrior of darkness with come," I answered her truthfully because seeing as how I was an apparition of darkness that made me a warrior of darkness of sorts and I had been there.
Are you sure? They won't leave me? I won't be alone?
"You are never alone, your family's love follows you wherever you go." It felt really odd to be the one saying all these things because I usually hated sap like this but it worked well and I found myself standing in front of Akiko.
The chains disappeared leaving her hanging by one arm, one memory left, one more test, one more obstacle until we were finished and she could return to how she once was.
"Here we go." I grasped the last remaining iron letting myself be pitted into the memory.
I found myself standing in front of Zinan himself, he grinned at me showing as many teeth as possible. He looked immaculate as possible, not a greasy strand of black hair out of place not a wrinkle in his dark robes, his eyes glittered like gems but they were harder than diamond.
"Welcome to my realm Chai, I'm impressed you managed to get this far with such a weakling like Akiko, she was never able to do anything." Zinan casually motioned to the setting around him bringing my attention to it. If there was ever a place that looked any more like hell than this place I would have been surprised, the place was inhabited by his nasty inner reflections and there was fire and lava pits everywhere.
"Thanks ever so much for rolling out the red carpet for me, I'm honored," I snarled at him longing more than anything to just rip his throat out.
"Why, anytime," he gave me a slight mocking bow. "This is test that includes both you and Akiko with you being the more active participant. What is going to happen is you are going to be given a choice of two things, and depending on which one you choose Akiko will either be scarred for life or weeping with joy."
"Alright what are the choices?" I demanded ready to do anything to help Akiko get out of this psychopathic delinquent's grasp.
"You can either kill me right here, right now or save Akiko from certain death, here are the rules, you can choose one and only one option. You cannot kill me than save her or save her and then kill me because as soon as you start to do one of the options the other will, in Akiko's case die and in mine, I shall disappear." He enlightened me, "Shall we begin? Oh and once we start you have one minute to make up your mind, any hesitation past that point and Akiko dies and I disappear without a trace."
"I'm ready," I told him, my mind was made up, I knew what I was going to choose, but did he?
hee hee! My first real cliffie! Be afraid and review!
