Chapter 13 Surprise Comeback
A/N Sorry for the really long update, but good news, my computer ban has finally been lifted! My exams are also all over, so I'll be updating more frequently from now on. Many of you have asked me in reviews about what happened to Athrun's malicious father, Patrick Zala, as he suddenly just disappeared from the fanfic, but not to worry, I didn't forget about him. Its all in the plot! Enjoy!
"How's Athrun? Is his condition improving or deteriorating?" questioned Cagalli, the very moment she set foot outside the ward, sounding half impatient and anxious at the same time. The blonde girl looked rather worn out as her face had little colour in it and her hair was sticking out in odd directions, like a duck's tail feathers.
"It's hard to say for now, since he was hospitalised only two days ago, but look on the bright side, I'm sure he'll put through." replied Dr. Murrue Ramius, her lips breaking into an even-toothed smile as she gazed at Cagalli, who was looking in such a haggard state.
"I'm just so distraught. You, Kira, Miriallia and my mother constantly say that Athrun is strong, and will definitely pull through this rough patch, but what if he doesn't?" stated Cagalli, wrapping her arms around herself as she felt goosebumps form on her skin.
Murrue sighed before grinning gently down at the blonde girl, who certainly looked rather perturbed by the situation she was trapped in, with no source of comfort or escape.
"Cagalli, you should really stop behaving in this apprehensive way. Don't stress yourself out by worrying about things that you have no control over, or about things you can't change. Why don't you take some time off today, and go and take a breather? You look kind of weary." suggested Murrue, placing a warm hand on Cagalli's shoulder.
"No, I'd rather not. I wouldn't be able to stop worrying for Athrun if I were to leave this ward. Athrun needs me now, he wakes up every now and then, shivering and breaking out into cold sweats, sometimes even throwing up what he ate minutes before." remarked Cagalli, her voice cracking up just thinking about the suffering Athrun was experiencing.
"Cagalli, don't you have faith and trust in Kira, Miriallia and your mother's words? They're your friends and family, I'm sure they're equally worried for Athrun as you are. Take my advice, go and give yourself a break today, what say you?" asked Murrue, smiling widely at Cagalli, before patting the blonde girl encouragingly on the back, and returning to her duties.
Cagalli returned to the ward, to find a sleeping Athrun sweating profusely, his eyebrows furrowing every now and then as he groaned tossing and turning on the hospital bed. His bedsheets were twisted tightly around his waist and legs, and his pillow had fallen off his bed onto the floor.
Cagalli couldn't help but feel the pearly tears cloud her vision as she reached down and picked his pillow up, before sitting down on the side of his bed. With a hard tug, she managed to hoist Athrun's body up onto her lap as she cradled him gently.
Tears fell from her honey-brown orbs as she reached for the wet towel in a bowl of ice water, on his bedside table, and began wiping his sweat and sponging his forehead. She gently bent down and planted little kisses onto Athrun's forehead, as he groaned a little more, nestling further into her arms.
"I guess we're square, huh? First you left me, and I suffered, and then I left you, and now you're suffering. Anyhow, I'm so sorry Athrun, I hate it so much to see you this way. You're so weak now you can barely even open your eyes, and it's all my fault. I should've given you a chance to explain yourself, but I didn't, and this is the result." snivelled Cagalli, brushing aside his fringe, which was drenched in his sweat.
Athrun squirmed a little before his emerald orbs fluttered open, as he gazed debilitatedly up at Cagalli, who bent down and gave his nose a gentle lick. Athrun's nose twitched slightly, and he twisted his head a little before returning his gaze to Cagalli.
"Just seeing you in this helpless state, it's a shot through my heart. Promise me you'll hold on, stay strong and pull through, ok?" asked Cagalli, stroking his cheek gently and lovingly with her index finger.
The teenage blonde girl sniffed loudly, feeling more tears fall from her eyes, as she bent down another time. This time, taking his lips in her own and kissing him ardently and pasionately.
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Mia fell on top of Yuuna on the couch, as she nipped at his face lustfully. The taste of champagne still fresh in her mouth. The indigo-haired man just lay where he was, enjoying the feeling of his lover planting kisses all over his face and neck, and showering him with lovebites.
"You don't seem inexperienced at this at all," complemented Yuuna, arching his neck backward as Mia started biting him playfully.
"I'll take that as a complement, thank you." replied Mia, although her voice came out muffled, as she was still engrossed in biting and nipping at the folds of skin on Yuuna's neck.
However, the pair of lovebirds' little make-out session was interrupted by the sound of the latch of the front door. Although it was merely just a sound, it seemed to have paralysed and petrified the pair of lovers.
"Oh shit, it can't be Athrun he's still at the hospital, but no one else has the keys except he and I." Mia thought to herself, as her eyes fixed onto the front door itself, feeling very anxious and curious all at once.
As expected the front door swung open, revealing a tall man in his forties with greying hair. The sight triggered Mia to let out a high-pitched, glass-shattering scream, the piercing sound ringing through the entire house and bouncing off the walls.
There, at the front door of the house, stood none other than, Patrick Zala! He walked briskly into the house, glaring at Mia and Yuuna, whom to him was some unknown gay looking man.
"Where's Athrun?" boomed Patrick, settling his laptop on the dining table and approaching Mia who was now sittign beside Yuuna, an absolutely horrified look on her face.
"Uh well, Athrun is, err, he's umm, at the... hospital." squeaked Mia, her voice getting softer with each word that erupted from her vocal cords.
"He's at where? The hospital?" epeated Patrick, raising an eyebrow, and sounding not at all worried for his one and only, flesh and blood son.
"Yes, Mr... I mean, father." acknowledged Mia, suddenly remembering that she was still a married woman, and married to none other than, Athrun.
"Now let me see, what are the possible reasons and causes that would land my son in the hospital?" questioned Patrick sarcastically, eyeing Mia ferociously, a threatening glint in his eye, that made even Yuuna gulp down hard.
"It's a long story father, but don't take it out on Athrun, it's my fault." whimpered Mia, retreating into the shadows of the couch.
"And why wuld it be, of all people, your fault?" asked the senior Zala, rasing his voice and tone by a notch, making Mia squeal in fear.
"HowaboutI'djustsaythatIgavehimdrugsandI'drathernotexplainortalkaboutit?" rambled Mia, speaking so fast the words came out sounding like a mixture of English and some other alien language.
Patrick Zala slammed his hand onto the glass table beside him, making a few glasses of champagne topple over and spill all over the table and onto the carpetted floor.
"I gave him drugs! Heroin, I didn't mean to, really I didn't! I was just at a loss of what to do! He was always pining for that natural girlfriend of his!" wailed Mia, bursting into a fit of crocodile tears.
"This is outrageous, prepostrous and ridiculous! I come back from a business trip, to find my DAUGHTER-IN-LAW smooching with some unknown man, and later I hear from her that MY SON is in hospital because SHE gave him HEROIN!" bellowed Patrick Zala, letting out a loud and ferocious roar. "GET OUT! I DON'T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU OR YOUR LOVER'S FACE AGAIN!"
Mia and Yuuna managed to scuttle away unscathed from the senior Zala, but there was no doubt that the senior Zala was absolutely outraged and fuming.
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"Go on with them Cagalli, you need a break. Go have a nice meal and maybe go for a facial or a spa treatement?" suggested Murrue, gesturing to Cagalli to join Miriallia and Kira for lunch.
Cagalli looked hesitantly back at a sleeping Athrun, who seemed to be sleeping soundly for the meantime.
"Go on dear, he's in good hands. Besides, you've grown thinner, you still need energy to look after Athrun, you know?" stated Ochika knowingly, giving her daughter a gently push toward Miriallia and Kira.
"I don't want to leave Athrun alone, he needs me. Besides, I don't want to play gooseberry." said Cagalli bluntly, looking at Miriallia and Kira who were holding hands.
"Don't talk poppycock! You're coming with us, and we're not on a date so there's no way you'll be playing gooseberry!" remarked Miriallia sternly, sounding awfully like a mother who was lecturing her child.
Miriallia dragged Cagalli off and out of the ward, despite the blonde girl's protests to be released.
"Cagalli, to get the energy to stay by Athrun's side and look after him, you need to eat. Think of all the sushi, yakitori dons, tempuras, and all the other yummy stuff you could pamper your tastebuds with." urged Kira, sounding like a chef rather than a young doctor.
Cagalli kept her lips sewn up, her eyes swimming in tears as she was dragged away by her two friends. Miriallia coaxed Cagalli into the backseat of Kira's black convertable Porche, before getting in herself.
Throughout the entire journey while Kira drove them to the nearest shopping outlet, Cagalli's lips remained tight shut and pursed.
"Oh Cagalli, don't behave this way will you? We're just as worried as you are about Athrun. It's just that you can't keep yourself cooped up by his side in the hospital the entire time, can you? You really need a break, and by the looks of it a nice good makeover." remarked Miriallia, looking at Cagalli's messy hair and the worn look on her face.
"You know what, Mirre? You just gave me a brilliant idea," Kira suddenly said, looking at the duo in the backseat through his rear view mirror. "Since I've got the rest of the day off, after lunch you could take Cagalli to the hairdresser's, do her up a little and at the same time, I could go for a haircut. This hair of mine is getting in the way a little,"
Kira blew his fringe upwards, before brushing it aside and returning his attention to the road.
An hour later, even while they were at lunch, Cagalli had not spoken a word since they left the hospital grounds. The blonde girl just sat where she was, staring at her half-eaten plate of food.
"Cagalli, Athrun's in good hands! You've got your mother and Dr. Murrue Ramius, monitoring and watching over him!" exclaimed Miriallia desperately, seeing that Cagalli was not about to give in to physical force.
"I know how it's like being in pain and the one you're longing to see isn't there with you! I know how it feels, Mirre! It's a terrible feeling, and at that point of time, you just want to feel the love and care from that person! You just want to feel the person hold you in their arms comfort you!" hollered Cagalli, catapulting to her feet at the table.
Apparently the din Cagalli was making had distracted some other visitors to the restaurant, and they were all staring appalled and wide eyed at her.
"Now do you understand! That is why I simply cannot bear and simply refuse to leave Athrun's side!" bellowed Cagalli, turning on heel and storming off towards the girls' room.
Miriallia looked apprehensively at Kira before slowly getting up and jogging after Cagalli, who had disappeared into the ladies'. Meanwhile, Kira was busy apologising on Cagalli's behalf, to the people who had been disrupted from their meal.
Once Miriallia had managed to coax Cagalli into leaving the ladies', Kira signaled to Miriallia not to push the blonde girl any further than they already had, as it was clear that Cagalli was not about to succumb to their deeds.
Once back at the hospital, Cagalli hurried over to Athrun's ward. But the sight she saw, nearly gave her a heart attack.
There in the ward were many nurses crowded in a corner, and beside Athrun's bed stood Patrick Zala who had practically pinned Athrun up against the wall.
"You weakling! You can't even decide things for yourself or keep your wife by your side! Nevertheless, all this has landed you here in the town hospital!" bellowed the senior Zala, tightening his grip on his son's collar.
"Sir, please calm yourself! He's a patient here at this hospital who needs medical attention!" exclaimed Murrue, trying to defend her patient.
"So what! He may be a patient with a critical condition, but it doesn't change the fact that he is still my son, and I have the right to do what I want with him!" the senior Zala shouted in reply.
"STOP IT! PUT HIM DOWN! IS THIS HOW A FATHER SHOULD TREAT HIS SON! BY CALLING HIM A WEAKLING AND INJURING HIM FURTHER THAN HE ALREADY IS!" yelled Cagalli, mustering all her courage to face the malicious man, and storming into the ward.
"WHY YOU INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT OF A NATURAL!" hollered Patrick, dropping his son onto the floor and heading toward Cagalli, a threatening glint in his eyes.
Nurses swarmed around Athrun ending to him, but even as Cagalli longed to dart forward and help, she knew she was trapped for good. Patrick Zala wouldn't let her off easily, and Cagalli didn't want to think of what would happen in minutes to come...
A/N Ok, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Really, I hated writing the Mia and Yuuna part, but nonetheless, I had to. Anyway, pls review! Until next time, ja!