ACT 17

OoOoOoO

Stage.

The young captain held his mop in its place with a pail filled with detergent and water. The place was quiet for the girls retired early this afternoon. He smiled bitterly to himself thinking about the event last night with Sakura. 'I wonder what happened.'

While cleaning, he noticed a script lying on a nearby chair. He gently picked it up and studied it. 'Who could have left this here?' he wondered.

Ohgami decided to ask the girls later on after his janitorial work. He held his mop again and resumed cleaning the floor.

"Ohgami-san?" a familiar voice called from backstage.

"Huh?" The young captain turned his head to the speaker. "Oh, Sakura-kun. Hello."

"Um. . . Ohgami-san, can I have the script?" she said, walking towards him.

Ohgami paused, not sure if he had heard her clearly.

"Ohgami-san?" Sakura repeated.

"Oh. . . ah. . . what is it?"

Sakura looked at him warmly. "Ohgami-san can I have the script please?" she said as she let out a smile.

Ohgami appeared even more confused. "Aah! Oh, yes. Pardon me," as he handed the script. "Here you go."

Sakura gave him a cheery look.

Ohgami didn't know how to react on that. 'She's smiling at me?'

"Why do you look surprised?" Sakura asked naively.

"It's just seems unusual," Ohgami said. He gave a weak smile of his own. "Because you've been giving me nothing but frowns lately."

"I've been mean to you," Sakura said as she bowed down. "I'm sorry about that."

"Ah. . . no. Don't do that. I quite understand how you feel," he said.

Sakura stared at the floor. "Hmmmmm. . . ." The girl raised her head to him. "Ohgami-san, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Why did you allow me to visit Maria-san even though it was forbidden?"

"Uh . . . " Ohgami was left with nothing to say. "I-ah . . ."

"You lied to me." Sakura looked into his dark eyes again. "But, in spite of that, I thank you for it. I really do."

Ohgami gave her a weak smile and placed the mop into the pail. "Maria needs someone who can make her feel better and I believe that you're the best one for the job." Ohgami dipped the mop to wash all the dirt out. Sakura stared at him.

"Probably," she said, almost in a whisper.

"Probably?" He stopped as he glanced back to Sakura. "Did something happen?"

Sakura shook her head and excused herself. Watching her, Ohgami wondered what had happened last night.

OoOoOoO

The next afternoon. At the stage.

"As much as I detest this casting, I have no choice but to fulfill my job as the top actress. Doing a male role is no mean feat to the incomparable skills of Sumire Kanzaki," Sumire declared.

"So I guess that's a 'yes' for Pyramus, huh?" Kohran whispered to Kanna. The redhead smiled back with a wink.

"Sakura-san? Are you ready?" Sumire's voice was deeper than usual as she turned to the raven-haired girl's location.

Sakura was engrossed in her script.

"Ah, Thisbe, Thisbe…. Where art thou?" She tried to impersonate a man as much as she could to get Sakura's attention.

Sakura was caught by surprise. She had never seen Sumire act like that before, nor heard her speak that way.

Kohran and Kanna couldn't help it too. Iris stared at them with a confused face.

Sumire raised an eyebrow. "What are you laughing at?"

"It's just strange to see you taking the role of the man," Kanna said, trying to hold back her laughter. "It makes me wonder if we are doing a tragedy or a comedy."

Sumire crossed her arms. "Are you trying to question my skills as an actress?"

"No, it just seems unusual. I think you look better in the female roles," Kohran said as she giggled.

"ARE you also saying that I don't look better as a man? Hahaha, I just might be much better at this type of role than Maria-san is."

Everyone fell silent at her remark.

Sakura's cheery face disappeared. Sumire noticed the sudden change in her mood and the others' muted reaction.

The brown-haired lady cleared her throat, realizing her blunder. ". . . but I think Maria-san is still best for male roles.

"Yeah, I bet she is," Kanna agreed.

"Besides, do I look like a 'guy' to you, Sakura-san?" Sumire added.

Sakura looked at Sumire and silently shook her head.

"We know how much you miss her," Kohran said while placing her hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura-han, please cheer up."

"Everyone, you don't have to worry about me. We all miss her," Sakura said with a forced smile. "Let's just practice."

Sumire cast a sidelong glance at Kanna. The redhead heaved a sigh.

OoOoOoO

ICU room.

"So what's the new production all about?" Maria asked.

Ayame smiled as she gave her the script. "Here, I know you can hold it."

Maria stared first at the title as the script was handed down to her. 'Pyramus and Thisbe.'

"See who's in the cast."

Maria flipped the page.

"Oh." The Russian felt her eyebrows rising.

Ayame chuckled as she saw Maria's reaction. "So?"

Maria closed the script. "I would like to see the rehearsals."

"I knew you would say that," Ayame said taking back the script from Maria. "But I'm afraid you can't."

"So, how long do I have to stay in here?"

"Only the doctor knows."

Ayame swore that she heard Maria groan after she said that.

"I have an idea," the brown-haired woman said with a smile.

"What?"

"Since you started accepting visitors, why not let the others come to you here?"

Maria was silent for a while.

"Yes?" Ayame insisted.

"It seems that you've given me no choice," Maria said flatly.

Ayame gave her a cheery look before she left.

OoOoOoO

Salon.

The Flower Troupe gathered around at the center table together with Ayame.

"So we can see her now?" Kanna said enthusiastically.

Ayame nodded. "But don't stress her out." The assistant manager gave a meaningful glance at Sakura and Ohgami. "A little visit would be nice but don't make her feel tired. She needs enough rest to recover."

"We understand, Ayame-san," Ohgami replied.

"So what are we waiting for?" Kanna said as she turned to open the door.

"YAY! We are going to see Maria." Iris followed with her Jean Paul.

"Can't wait to try my potion to her!" Kohran said gleefully.

Kanna paused for a while. "What potion?"

Kohran's spectacles sparkled as she tilted it. "It works wonders in restoring health and fixing people's ailments. Not many people know this, but it also makes a great herbal shampoo!"

Kanna sweatdropped. "Oh."

"That's nice Kohran. I think Maria would appreciate that," Ayame said with her hands together.

Ohgami looked at Ayame with some confusion. 'I thought she was the one who told us not to stress her out.'

"Okay, let's go!" Kanna yelled to the other girls.

Kanna, Iris and Kohran were quickly out of sight as they raced to the ICU.

Sumire smiled as she held her fan. "Perhaps I will be able to get some good tips from Maria-san for my role." She followed the three, leaving Sakura, Ohgami and Ayame in the salon.

Ayame looked at the two of them. "So are the two of you going or not?"

"Um…." Ohgami looked at Sakura as if asking for permission.

Ayame raised a confused eyebrow.

"Ohgami-san, why are you looking at me like that?" Sakura said as she hid her true emotions from him.

"Is it alright with you?" Ohgami asked.

"O-of course! Why would it not be? You're the commander here, not me," Sakura said, her voice almost faltering.

"Okay, then." Ohgami proceeded and left the salon.

Ayame looked at Sakura in silence. She could see Sakura's hands clenched into fists. Sakura's jaw trembled as she raced towards her own room.

Though the Lieutenant General was unable to do anything to alleviate the situation, she didn't regret that. She knew that the words had to come from Maria, not her.

OoOoOoO

ICU.

"MARIA!" Kanna opened the door with a slam.

The Russian squinted her eyes from the noise. The blond woman turned to the familiar figures walking toward her. 'I didn't expect them here THIS soon.'

The redhead was grinning. "Hah, you looked like you need a lift."

"No. Thank you, Kanna," the Russian replied.

"Hi, Maria! How are you doing?" It was Iris.

"I'm getting fine."

Iris gave her a cheery look, showing her teddy bear. "Jean Paul missed you."

"I missed Jean-Paul too."

"Maria-han, look what I have for you," Kohran said while showing her a bottle of liquid.

"What is that?" Maria asked.

"It's my great great great grandmother's herbal medicine from China. This is a powerful potion that will help you cure from all kinds of injury."

Maria raised an eyebrow. 'And you want me to drink that?' she said to herself.

"Why don't you try it? It's ninety-nine percent effective," Kohran said with a spoon automatically appearing in her hand.

Maria looked at Kanna for some help. The redhead smiled with a sweatdrop falling from her head.

'Uh-oh, here goes.' Maria said as the spoon filled with weird liquid went nearer to her mouth.

The Russian probably gulped the most horrendous tasting medicine on earth. She didn't comment on it though.

"I know it has an awful taste, but trust me, it is very effective," Kohran said as she closed the bottle. "You need to take this at least twice a day."

Maria felt her temperature rising. "Thank you, Kohran. I can feel it kicking in already."

Kohran was pleased at that and gave her a nod.

"Hey, Maria. I have news for you," Kanna said with a grin.

"Hmm?" Maria turned to her.

"Sumire is performing a man's role in the play. Can you imagine that?" Kanna said, forcing herself not to laugh. But she couldn't help it.

"Did someone mention my name?" Sumire stepped in through the door.

"Oh, no! The snake queen has arrived!" Kanna said with mock astonishment.

"I am not a snake!" Sumire said while gritting her teeth.

"Yes, you are!" Kanna replied, wearing an annoying smile.

"HAH! And you are such an uncivilized fellow. That's why you're always having to play those wild animal roles. Ohohohohohoho!" Sumire mocked back.

"Don't tell me that, you over-acting witch."

"Over-acting? You just simply don't know how professionals perform, you stupid oaf."

"Old hag!"

"Gargantuan beast!"

"Hey, guys, will you stop that," Ohgami intervened. Usually, it was Maria's role to stop them.

Kanna and Sumire stopped and tried to compose themselves. They didn't speak at all after that.

Maria was amused. 'Nice going, captain.'

Ohgami turned her eyes to the Russian and smiled warmly to her. "Hi."

"Hello, Taichou," Maria said in her usual unemotional tone.

The young man approached her slowly. "It's been a while. How are you doing?"

"Quite fine. I guess."

Ohgami just nodded at nothing particular and remained silent.

Maria noticed someone missing. "Where is Sakura?"

"That's right. Where is she?" Iris asked.

'I thought she was right behind me,' Ohgami thought as he looked back.

The Russian glanced at the window. 'I see Sakura. Is this too much for you to see?'