Nurse Ito wheeled Kyoko into the operating theatre. The surgeon explained that they were going to make a small incision just above her navel, insert a small tube that would guide the cutting tools and cut her appendix out. They would remove it via the tube and cauterise the cut inside. That was it. There would be some bruising, maybe a slight scar.
"It's unlikely there will be a scar. Keyhole surgery is simple. We shouldn't take more than an hour. The incision will be sealed with steri-strips and within a few weeks you should be fully fit."
He introduced his anesthetist. He explained she would feel a little groggy when she awoke and a little sore but she would be fine.
The nurse helped Kyoko settle onto the bed. The anesthetist placed the mask on her face.
"Please count backwards from 100"
"100, 99, 98, 97 fairies sitting on the wall."
Kyoko fell into the embrace of the gas, dreaming of fairies.
Mio swatted at the fairies.
"Well Mistress certainly does entertain some... interesting notions"
Kuon looked amused.
"She does, but that's just what she's like. Surely there is a bigger issue here."
"And what is that, brat?"
"Ummm... duh. She heard Ren confess and she's not freaking out! She'd normally be over thinking all of it and convincing herself otherwise and, well, everything she usually does."
Natsu raised her hand.
"That would be me. I shut down her over reaction circuit. Boss lady is very ill at the moment and I was going to have her freak out over something as stupid as Ren confessing."
Mio glared at her.
" YOU INTERFERED?!"
Natsu just flicked her hair.
"YES I DID! Without her we wouldn't even exist! I was trying to do something nice for her! She does barely anything but work and she gave us life! Letting her get through this one thing without an over reaction seemed like the least we could do!"
Kuon, Mio and Setsu looked stunned. Bo squawked.
Natsu wasn't usually so outward with nice.
Mio gave a very unladylike huff.
"Well there's nothing we can do now. We shall just have to wait and see how it goes."
Kyoko slowly opened her eyes, then quickly closed them again. There appeared to be a witch and wizard in the room. It was in fact the President and Maria. Today was witch and wizard day.
"Uhh, what day is it?"
"It is Thursday Kyoko-san. You have been out for a little over 12 hours. You apparently needed the sleep. The operation was a complete success"
The witch Maria (with a very pointy hat on) carefully sat on the end of Kyoko's bed. She had tears in her eyes.
"Onee-san! Are you okay?!"
"I'm okay Maria-chan. A little sore so no hug I'm afraid but I'll give you two when I'm feeling better okay?"
Maria nodded.
"I love you Onee-san! Will you come and see me off on Saturday? But only on the condition that you are feeling better"
"O-o-of course Maria-chan." Kyoko was in shock. Maria loved her?
The president looked at Maria.
"You have now seen that she is okay and getting better. May I have a few moments with her now?"
Maria looked at Kyoko who nodded weakly. She whispered something in Lory's ear. He nodded and she jumped off the bed.
"Bye Onee-san!"
"Bye Maria-chan"
Kyoko smiled as the small girl flounced out of the room. When the door had closed behind her, Kyoko bowed as low as she could within the confines of the bed and with her incision.
"I am so sorry for being so troublesome President. I did not mean to. I will return to work tomorrow!"
The president gave her a look she could only describe as disappointment.
She got ready to bow and apologise again but the president stopped her.
"Kyoko-san I'm not angry with you that you are in here. You could not help getting appendicitis. It's hardly your fault. We're just all worried about you"
"But I've caused so much trouble and I'm not wor..."
"MOGAMI KYOKO THAT IS ENOUGH!"
Kyoko was stunned. She had seen the president angry before, but never this angry and never directed at her.
"You collapse, are rushed to hospital and have emergency surgery and you think I'm angry because you're not at work?! I am not such a slave driver. I care for all my talents. You just get a little extra because my Maria loves you very much. We are worried. We are your friends! Maria considers you family! I am fed up with you putting yourself down. Debasing yourself and blaming yourself for every little thing. Continously apologising, though most of the time we're not even sure what you're apologising for!
If you do not stop this, or at least try to and try to see yourself as we do. To try and stop blaming yourself for everything. If you don't I'm afraid I will have no choice but to put you on hiatus"
"What does that mean?" Kyoko almost didnt want to ask.
"It means that until I see otherwise you will not be allowed to take on any new work. You will still be able to accept LoveMe tasks, but nothing that involves being in front of a camera. Menial work only. You will be able to continue with your work now. The new drama... Well that hangs in the balance."
Kyokos jaw dropped. He was talking about stopping her from working! How could she surpass Ren if she couldn't act!
"S-s-so if I try to be a better person," she caught the look on his face.
"Okay not a better person, but I try not to do all that you said... I can keep working?"
"As long as you are actively trying to work on the issue then yes. But you actually have to try. I will know if you're lying to me"
"I will try sir" she said with a slight bow.
"That's all I ask Kyoko-san. That's all I ask."
He looked at his watch.
"Now I must take my leave."
He swept out of the room.
Kyoko laid back and close her eyes. So, basically, she had to stop blaming herself for everything, stop apologising so much and to have more confidence in herself and her work.
She ran over the previous conversation. Maria loved her? The thought made her feel warm inside. She'd never had someone tell her that before.
Yes, Ren and Kanae had said it, but they had had no idea she was awake, so they weren't really saying it to her.
She vaguely wondered if that meant that the president was some kind of honorary grandfather. She smirked. It would be fabulous to have such an ostentatious man as a grandfather. She thought about all the people in her life. She greatly respected the Taisho and Okami. She saw them as parental figures. Kanae and always being there for advice when she needed it .
She felt guilty as she thought about all the trouble she had caused. A dark cloud settled over her. Dire thoughts started swirling through her mind.
She shook her head. Positive! She must be positive! She tried to find the silver lining to this dark cloud.
As she thought it over she realised that they were always there for her no matter what. How had she never seen it before!
She remembered having heard Kanae talk about how Kyoko made her strive to be a better person.
~I have to become the person that Moko-san sees me as. Moko-san makes me strive to be better~
(The author would like to point out that yes, she has come to this conclusion... She is however completely blocking out what Ren said. She is still our Kyoko after all)
She opened her eyes, slight smile on her face, as a light knock came on the door. It was Nurse Ito.
"Would you like some food Mogami-san?"
Kyokos stomach growled.
"I'll take that as a yes then," she laughed, "but you can only have a light dinner. No heavy foods. Would some rice and miso be okay?"
Kyoko said it would and Nurse Ito turned to leave. As she opened the door she found Okami and Taisho stood outside.
"Is it okay if we visit with her?"
" As long as Mogami-san feels up to it"
Kyoko smiled.
"Yes please, come in. I'm so happy to see you !"
Okami came over to the bed and started inspecting Kyoko for damage.
"I am fine Okami-san. The surgery went fine with no complications. I should be out of here in a day or two"
Taisho, who was stood at the foot of the bed visibly relaxed. He allowed a small smile on his face. Okami was sat in the chair by Kyoko's bed, fussing over her, asking if she needed anything.
"I'm really okay Okami-san," Kyoko said with a laugh.
"The nurse is bringing me some food, I am comfortable and I already feel a lot better."
Okami eyed her shrewdly. Kyoko squirmed undr her gaze.
"Okay, maybe not a lot but considering how I did feel, I feel fantastic"
Kyoko looked at the older couple and bowed to them as best she could.
"I-I have something I would like to say if I may and I hope you won't think me forward"
She glanced at them and they both nodded.
"I would like to thank you both from the very depth of my heart. You took me in when I had nowhere else to go. You've helped me, guided me, strengthened me. You respect my decision to be an actress and do all you can to support me in it. I can never ever thank you enough for what you have done for me."
Kyoko took a deep breath.
"To me, you Taisho and you Okami. To me you are like the mother and father I never had. I imagine that this must be what it feels like to have parents. I mean I have Otou-sama but that's not the same thing. He's more like a step-father. It's not the same" Kyoko finished somewhat lamely.
She looked up expecting glares and denials. What she actually saw was entirely unexpected. Okami was crying. Even Taisho had a tear in his eye.
Kyoko threw herself into the best approximation of a dogzea she could do while still being in the bed. Well she attempted to. Taisho stopped her.
"She's not crying because she is upset child. She is crying because she is happy. We've long thought of you as a daughter. Why else do you think I let you in my kitchen?"
"Really?" Kyoko asked really quietly.
Okami nodded. Kyoko burst into tears and Okami swept her into a hug. Taisho patted her head.
"We will always be here for you Kyoko. Always."
After another hug, Taisho escorted Okami out. Kyoko needed her rest and so did they. She laid back and tried to digest what had just happened.
She smiled, knowing that she had made some progress. She'd been able to make Taisho and Okami happy and fell asleep with a sense that this is what it felt like to be loved by parents.
Their words echoed in her head.
We will always be here for you Kyoko. Always.
