Chapter 2- The Incident
*Trigger warning. School violence.*
"Dr. Tanaka. You claimed that my schizophrenia started four months ago in a school incident. I would like to see the newspapers." I sat down, across from my psychologist.
"Ami, how much do you remember before waking up in this hospital? It's been a while since you are so coherent. I would like to know more about you." The woman smiled warmly at me, encouraging me.
"I am not at liberty to share that with you. You are either an innocent human under the spell of the enemy, or you are the enemy. The fact that I am your prisoner means you figured out who I am." Ami was sure this was one of Nehelenia's attacks. The last thing she remembered was pushing Sailor Moon out of the way, and then a painful blast to her chest. Where we fighting Nehelenia? That detail remained fuzzy. She remembered seeing the scouts rushing to her side…and she remembered Makoto. My sweet Jupiter. She was crying….that was the last thing I saw before I passed out.
"You called yourself Sailor Mercury. You mentioned that in your previous sessions." The therapist peeked back a few pages and wrote something down on the notes. "Do you still believe you are Sailor Mercury? "
"I….I don't know anymore. So I want to read the newspaper. Maybe it will prove one way or another." I decided to play along.
"Okay, if you feel you are ready. The details covered in the story might be painful. Just bear in mind, you are safe now. Nothing can hurt you here. This was in the past and you did what you could. You tried to save your whole class…You were the only one that tried. So, here." Dr. Tanaka handed the newspaper to Ami
Teacher Gone Mad. 3 Dead and 10 Injured.
Last night at 5:30 pm, a local teacher brought a machete to her cram class. There were twenty- five students in the classroom. Survivors reported that they were studying on their computers when all of a sudden, their teacher screamed. The teacher started to hack at people randomly using her machete. One particular student fought back and helped the escape of most of the students in the classroom. Mizuno Ami was severely hurt in the process.
The teacher was arrested at the scene. Police arrived and evacuated the building. Final casualty count was 3 dead and 10 injured.
This sounded like the cram school I was attacked in, except the teacher was a youma and Sailor Moon and I defeated it. My very first battle.
I jolted when I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Just want to see how you are. You have been staring at that paper for a while now. How are you feeling?" Dr. Tanaka said warmly.
"This sounds plausible," I replied, void of emotion.
"I know it's painful to acknowledge what happened. I know this is more of an illusion to you than your Sailor Moon world. The key to your recovery might be to face the reality. Combined with the right medication, perhaps you could get back to the real world." The therapist looked back at me with real concern on her face. I was surprised to feel such warmth from her.
"Anyway, that's all the time we have for today, Ami. I will see you again this afternoon during group therapy. " Dr. Tanaka stood up and opened the door. She stepped back and waited for me to exit the room.
"Oh, and Ami, good work today. I am proud of you." She said as I left the room.
Ever since my "awakening" from my fugue state, I had been nothing more than a model patient. I did everything I was told to do. I went to all the therapy sessions and I participated in all of them. I ate all my meals and I "took" all my medications. I never have another rage outburst and I was eventually released out of the solitary rooms. Being a model citizen meant getting privileges. The first one was an extra 15 minutes to go outside. The second one was choosing the movie for movie nights. The third one was using the telephone. The fourth one was using the computer and limited access to the internet. The final one was a half day outing while under supervision.
So one night, I got my telephone privilege. I tried dialing Usagi's number. It rang.
"Hello?" A familiar voice said.
For some reason, relief flood through me, even though I was sure this Usagi was part of the illusion. "Hi, it's Ami. " I miss Usagi so very much, and all my friends.
"Ami-san. How are you? I've been trying to visit you in the hospital but I didn't get a chance. They said you were not ready to see people yet. I just want to thank you face to face. Can I see you yet?"
At that point, I couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears poured out of my eyes. A drowning wave of sadness washed over me. I had been away from them for five months now. Why was I still here? Hearing Usagi's voice was painful.
"Ami-san, are you crying? It's okay, I cry too. I still get scared and wake up from nightmares every night. I am seeing a psychologist now too, so I can get better. You know what, I will come see you after school tomorrow. I want to meet my hero."
I wiped my tears away. "Visitation hours end at six. I will tell them about you visiting tomorrow and put you on the approve list." I was actually anxious to see "Usagi". I missed my friends.
I had been in this trap for five months now. Unlike Nehelenia's illusion last time, this one seemed impossible to wake up from. As if, I was trapped in a parallel world, the world without Sailor Senshi.