CLOSED DOORS
A Ranma 1/2 Alternate Universe
Story by:
Kristin-a-dette
Characters, trademark and inspiration by: Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2

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Chapter 7: A Hidden Secret

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"Hello, Akane? What's wrong?"

"Dr. Gen, thank God! Please, Doctor, come quickly. My father just had another heart attack!" Akane cried out on the phone.

Dr. Genma Saotome shot up from his chair and gripped his phone tightly. "OK, Akane. I don't want you to panic or anything." She began to whimper. "Here's what I want you to do. Hang up right now and call the ambulance. I'll meet you there at the hospital."

"B-but..."

"Call the ambulance. NOW."

Akane hanged up hastily and Dr. Genma grabbed his car keys and stalked outside his room. He climbed down the stairs towards the basement and saw Ranma kick a punchbag.

"Ranma, you're coming with me."

His father stood at the exercise room door, his doctor's bag in one hand and his car keys in the other. Ranma frowned at him.

"Where?" He asked as he resumed his activity.

"To the hospital. One of my patients just had another heart attack and I want you to come with me."

Ranma spun around as he gave the dummy another hard kick. "Why do you need me there? I'm no use to you." He could feel his blood boiling as he spoke. He was never the pride of his father or his family, he knew, because all he was good at was sports, martial arts, and flirting with girls.

Dr. Genma Saotome glared at his youngest son. "I want you to stay with his daughters and comfort them. I don't want to hear your excuses. You're coming. Let's go now" He left the room, leaving Ranma to cry out in indignation. "WHAT!"

What the he-ll is his problem! What am I supposed to do with his daughters? Stupid dad! ARGH! Ranma fumed as he scratched his head in anger and irritation. He left the exercise room and bounded down the stairs. Shampoo appeared, handing him a blue lightweight jacket. Ranma smiled appreciatively at her, and winked. He ran towards his father's van and sat down in the front seat.

As his father backed out from the driveway, he told his son, "Why are you still in your sweats?"

Ranma glared. "You told me to get ready in one minute! How do you expect me to change my clothes with that amount of time?"

"Don't you dare talk back at me, Ranma Saotome." Dr. Genma replied angrily, his hands gripping the wheel hard. "Fix your hair! Look at it! I don't know why you bother growing your hair that long. You want to become a woman or something?"

Ranma frozed as he heard his father's words. He turned towards his father with fire in his eyes. "Maybe you should ask the person who made me do it, Dad. If it wasn't for her d---" The car suddenly got chilly and tense.

"Just shut up, Ranma. For crying out loud, just shut up." Dr. Genma said in a neutral voice.

Ranma had just broken one of his father's unspoken rules. Never to mention her or the accident ever again.

He leaned back and could feel his eyes burning. It was always like this. Everytime he was left alone with his father, they would always argue. At least when Tofou was there, they would slightly be polite with each other. He can't remember the last time Dr. Genma was ever proud of him. Even during the time he got his black belt at martial arts, or when he won the Most Athletic Male award five times in a row at his old school. Was it too much for his father to even say one good word about his achievements, even though it doesn't involve anything with medical stuff or getting good grades? They had never gotten along before, and two years ago, it gotten even worse. Especially after the accident and his parents' divorce...

He scratched his eyes. Real men don't cry. He watched as they reached the hospital and parked in the his father's designated spot. Dr. Genma got out from the car, and Ranma followed suit. They rushed inside the hospital and Dr. Genma quickly walked towards the emergency area, and stopped in front of a trio of girls crying outside the ER.

Ranma frowned as he watched his father pull out a reassuring hand towards one of them, and then beckoned him to come forward. Ranma grudgingly followed, and paused as he noticed someone familiar.

"A... Akane..."

Akane gasped, and raised her tear-stricken face towards the voice. She wished she didn't. It was that darn Ranma!

Dr. Genma and her sisters didn't noticed the tension that began to radiated from the two youngsters, and Dr. Genma immediately stood up to go inside the ER. Her sisters hugged each other in comfort, leaving Akane alone to fend herself off from Ranma.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

He frowned at her. "My dad told me to come."

"To do what? Laugh at us?"

"Akane!" Kasumi gasped at her. "How rude!" Her older sister immediately stood up and placed a hand on Ranma's arm. "This is Tofou's younger brother, Akane. Please don't be rude to him."

Akane's mouth gaped at her. "What are you talking about? Did you forget that he was the one who insulted Ukyou?"

"Oh for crying out loud." Nabiki cried. "Who the frig cares about that stupid rich brat? Daddy is in there, suffering, and all you're doing right now is having a tantrum fit! What the he-ll is your problem!"

"I don't have a problem!" Akane yelled back. "Why are you always so mean to me?"

"Because you are an IDIOT!"

Ranma watched in shock as the two sisters looked ready to kill each other, but then Kasumi stepped in and slapped the both of them.

"Enough." Both Nabiki and Akane stared at her. Kasumi had never raised a hand at them, or even show a tiny hint of anger. "The both of you are always screaming and fighting each other. You're both selfish! Did you know that one of the reasons Father never gets any better is because the two of you never cease your constant fighting! I've had enough!" She began to cry. "I don't know what to do anymore. It seems like you guys will never stop hating each other. What is it with you two? Maybe things will be more different if Mother was still here... but I don't know! I don't know anymore!"

She ran off, leaving Akane and Nabiki looking down the hospital floor in shame.

Ranma stood in uncertainty, and then mumbled, "I'll go get her..."

He found Kasumi sitting in front of the hospital steps, sobbing. Ranma approached her and tapped her shoulder. She looked up and smiled bitterly.

"Hi, Ranma."

Ranma bit his lips. "Um... I... um..."

Kasumi laughed softly and patted the space beside her. "Come sit with me, Tofou's little brother."

Ranma hurriedly sat down. They sat in silence for a few seconds, and then Kasumi began to talk.

"... Everytime I watch the two of them arguing, I couldn't help but feel sad because I can't... I can't stop them. I used to remember Mother breaking up their fights when we were little, and then after that, they were the bestest friends and even Mother couldn't separate them apart. But then, it all came apart when our mother died..." Kasumi wiped a tear, and Ranma clumsily looked for something clean to wipe it away, and came up with his sweater sleeve.

Kasumi laughed. "You're so sweet. I don't know why Akane hates you so much."

Ranma fiddled with his thumb. "It was my fault actually."

She smiled. "It doesn't matter, does it? I mean, Akane explained to us what happened, and I don't really think it's that big a deal. But you have to excuse my sister. She grew up with that petty temper of hers after our mother died."

Ranma frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kasumi looked up at the sky with a sad expression. "Mother died of breast cancer eleven years ago. Well, at least, that's what we told Akane."

"Huh?"

"To be brutally honest, Mother did have breast cancer. But she didn't die because of that." Kasumi looked down. "Akane was playing alone on the streets that day, when a truck came by and didn't see her. My mother..." she gulped. "My mother was coming back from the grocery store, and when she saw Akane was about to get hit by the truck, she just... she just ran forward and knocked Akane out of the way and got hit instead." Kasumi's eyes began to tear.

Ranma stared at her, stunned. He didn't know what to say. "Um... and Akane...?"

"Oh, Akane was fine." Kasumi smiled sadly. "She was unconscious for a day, but our mother was dead by then. Akane lost her memory before the accident. All she remembered was me and her telling Mother to come home quickly and buy us presents. She didn't remember the rest."

"So... Akane doesn't remember the accident?"

"No. And you can't tell her. That's why we told her that Mother died of breast cancer. Imagine the pain a five-year old girl would feel if she thought that it was her fault that her mother died. And of course Father and I don't think that. But Nabiki is a different story..." Kasumi sighed.

He frowned. "But wouldn't Akane know about that by now? Maybe someone told her already...?"

Kasumi bit her lips. "I hope she doesn't. I don't want to see her getting hurt. It wasn't her fault, but Akane is the type of person who keeps everything inside and obsesses about if for a long time. That's why she still doesn't like you."

Ranma looked around and mused about what he just learned about Akane Tendou. Then he looked back at her older sister. "Why did you tell me about this? What if I'm not really a trustworthy person to keep this... big secret?"

Kasumi smiled and stood up. "You're a Saotome. You guys can keep a secret and will never tell a single soul even if someone tortures you for it. Besides," she shrugged. "I've been keeping this inside for a long time. I needed to vent out a little bit. But promise never to tell Akane. Ever."

Ranma scoffed. "Like there will ever be a chance of us talking. Properly."

Kasumi grinned. "Oh, I doubt that."

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When they got back, they found Akane and Nabiki sitting on either end of the bench. Akane glanced up at Ranma, glared at him, and quickly looked away. Kasumi smiled reassuringly at him and sat in the middle of the bench. Ranma scratched his head, and was about to talk when the ER doors suddenly opened. In an instant, the Tendou girls stood up and huddled closer to each other, despite of a newly-past heated argument.

Dr. Genma stood in front of the doors and looked at them. Ranma watched his father give the girls a once-over, and then scolded them for crying, and thriumpantly announced, "Your father's OK now. Don't worry too much over his little heart attack. Come, I'll take you guys to his room."

The girls cried out in joy and hugged each other. They hugged Dr. Genma, and Kasumi then hugged Ranma, followed by Nabiki. Ranma noticed that Akane didn't move a muscle towards him, but instead held onto his father's arm, as he guided them towards Soun Tendou's room.

Ranma shrugged. He didn't wanted to be hugged by her anyways. Not really.

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