Chapter 7
Mamoru woke up that morning with his left eyebrow twitching. Ignoring the mild annoyance, he had gotten out of the shower just as his first model showed up, a cheerful smile on his face and a bag of groceries in his arms, "You are just skin and bones, Mamoru." Andrew tsked as he put away his bag of food.
"That's why you're the model and I'm the artist." Mamoru's voice was muffled as he pulled the sweater over his lean body. Heaving the easel out of his room, his eyebrows shot up when he say Andrew's black and blue body. "What happened to you?" His left eye was blacken, his lips swollen and his usual pale body was covered with scratches as well as black and blue bruised spots.
The blonde man pouted beautifully, wincing as the muscle on his cheek protested against this small abuse, "Got into a bar fight."
Mamoru nodded and wisely did not say more, recognizing Andrew's growl as a sign to back off.
Andrew shrugged as he took off his pants, his lips turning up as he tried his dandiest to look sexy, "Will you nurse me back to health?" He cooed.
The amused artist raised his twitching eyebrow, "Yeah right."
"Is that a yes I hear?" Andrew starting moving towards Mamoru, "Come over to the dark side, Mamoru-chan."
An image of his long blonde-haired model flashed through his mind at that moment, "No." Mamoru's voice was firm and low, closing the subject as neatly as it came up, "Let's get started."
Andrew laid face down on Victorian burgundy couch, his head resting on his shoulder, one hand close to his lips, creating the very picture of vulnerability. "How's this?" He murmured quietly, wondering why Mamoru didn't laugh off his usual come-on.
Mamoru did not answer him as he started to sketch the outline of Andrew's pose. In his mind, it was Serena's body that he saw, lying on his bed, her face flushed from crying. Although he had not seen her as a romantic interest, his mind had traced every curve and he knew every contour of her body well as he drew, painted, and whittled her form onto paper, canvas and wood alike, rendering her the only woman and person to have ever drew his attention so absolutely, with the exception of two others – the little girl from his days in the orphanage and a girl that he had gone to school with. As his eyes drew in Andrew's pose and his hand translated it onto paper, Mamoru's mind started to wander.
Serena had confided in him. A secret he was sure that she had never told to anyone else. He had held her in his arms when she broke down crying, the words spilling from her lips like a dam that had burst open and until the last word was out, she couldn't stop. He listened quietly, murmuring soft nothings until she was finally done. Her story finished, she stayed in his arms, drained to the core.
"I don't know why I just told you all of that." She had whispered as her eyes fluttered closed, "It's," The edge of her lips quirked up, "It's almost as if something compelled me to do so."
"Mamoru?"
Andrew's quiet voice surprised Mamoru out of his musings. He stared down at his drawing and was unsurprised to find that he had drawn Serena in place of Andrew. "Sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me."
"Is it her?" Andrew had quietly dressed when he noticed that Mamoru wasn't really seeing him and sat across from him, just watching Mamoru sketch an image that he saw only in his mind.
Mamoru looked down at his drawing. Serena was lying on his bed, her face flushed from crying and her hair covering her like a blanket. The white dress had bunched up around her thighs and the bare of her legs were shown - vulnerable and striking all at once. He wondered what he was doing.
Andrew smiled when Mamoru became lost in his thoughts once more, "I have to get going, Mamoru." He picked up his jacket and made for the door, "Come over for dinner Friday, I'll make your favorite." He didn't wait for Mamoru's affirmation as he shut the door behind him, leaving Mamoru with his thoughts swirling around him.
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243.
Room 243. Second floor. Inside was her brother. She stared at the room number, her hand on the door knob, ready to turn it. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to move. She turned her head towards the hand on her shoulder. Safe and reassuring, Seiya's hand was steady as he took her hand away from the door knob and opened the door for her.
"It's up to you whether you want to enter or not." He gripped her hand softly before letting go, "I'm going to the cafeteria, give me a call when you want to leave."
She watched him go, his figure disappearing at the end of the long corridor. Taking a deep breath, she turned back towards the door. The soft beeping sound of the heart monitor filled her ears. It's been two years since she laid eyes on her sleeping brother. In the beginning, Seiya would give her weekly updates. He would try to convince her to go visit, but she turned away from him, pretending to not hear a word he spoke. Now she stood in front of the opened door. Can she face him now?
Soft whispering drew her attention and she quickly stepped inside to find Diamond looming over her brother. Surprised showed in her eyes. She didn't know how Diamond had been able to get in, but in a way, she was glad she didn't have to face Shingo alone.
"She'll be well taken care of."
"Who will?"
Diamond whirled around, "Serena!"
"Surprised to see me?" Serena sidestepped him and looked down at her brother. "He's different now." She murmured. His usual short hair was almost past his ears. His features were sharper, all his baby fat gone.
"It has been almost three years, Serena." Diamond made no move to comfort her. He stood in the sidelines as she moved closer.
Slowly, hesitantly, Serena reached out for Shingo's hand. "Hey Squirt." She tried to put some cheer into her voice, but it came out as a choked sob. "Your bigger and beautiful sister's here to see you? Are you just going to lay there?"
He didn't answer her. She knew he wasn't going to. Shaky hands reached towards his ear lobe, "I still have the stud if you want to get it pierced."
She pressed a hand against her mouth, closing her eyes as she tried to rein in the tears, one hand gripping her brother's tightly. When she felt that she's gotten a better grip on her emotions, she looked at her brother again, "I'm sorry that I haven't come as much as I should, but you know I don't like to… no." She laughed to herself, "I guess it's not true. I always talk too much."
Diamond kept his eyes on the blinking monitor, his eyes narrowing when he saw them spiking, "I'm going to be outside if you need me, Serena." He wasn't sure if she heard him, then he saw her small nod. "Give a shout if you need me."
A few minutes after Diamond left, there was a knock on the door. Quickly wiping her tears, Serena stood up, "Hi." She cursed herself for the trembling tone in her voice.
"Hello." The man smiled at her, "I'm Dr. Robert Mason, in charge of Samuel's case." He reached out his hand and gently shook hers, "You are?"
"Serena, his sister."
He hesitated, "Is this the first time you've come to see him?"
Serena nodded, not knowing what else to say.
Dr. Mason turned to look at Shingo, "There's been something I wanted to talk to you about, but I don't know if this is a good time."
"What is it?" Serena stood to attention. Dr. Mason seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden.
"Well," He cleared his throat, "As you know, Samuel…"
"Shingo."
"Pardon?"
"His name is Shingo."
"Ok. As you know, Shingo has been in a coma for almost three years and with each passing year, the chances of a patient waking up drops exponentially." He cleared his throat, not knowing how to break it to her.
"What are you talking about?" Fear gripped her. She's only now had the courage to come. Is it too late? "Shingo's fine, I mean, there is still brain activity, isn't there?"
"Yes," he drew out slowly, "But his brain activity grows weaker each day and your brother was admitted with several injuries to the head. If he wakes up, we are unsure in what condition he will be in."
"You mean…?"
"There is a high chance that he may be retarded when he wakes up, if at all."
Retarded.
If at all.
Serena felt her knees grow weak and gripped the post of the bed to steady herself.
Dr. Mason bowed his head, "I'm sorry to be the harbinger of such news, especially since this is the first time you've been able to see him."
She heard the hidden admonishment, "I…"
"I'll leave you some time to decide on the best course to do. We could treat him with Zolpidem, a drug that causes patients like your brother to regain some brain function, or," He cleared his throat again, "Or we can pull the plug."
"Pull the plug?" She echoed weakly.
"In cases where a patient has been in a coma for more than a year, we approach the patient's family with this option in cases of a living will. Once again, I'm sorry to be the harbinger of such news." He started to say more, but Diamond chose that instant to come in.
"Bunny?" He rushed to Serena's side.
"If you need to contact me about anything, Mr. Furuhata has my number, Ms. Tsukino." With a nod of his head, Dr. Mason left them alone.
Diamond waited until the door was closed before he turned back to "Bunny, talk to me, are you okay?"
She clung to him, "They… they want me to pull the plug."
"What? Why?"
"He's not waking up." Serena turned her head towards Shingo, "They say if he wakes up, he may be retarded."
There was a long pause, "Maybe… maybe you should."
"What?" Serena pulled back to look at Diamond, "What are you saying?"
"Serena," Diamond tried to reason with her, "I don't want to do it as much as you, but think about Shingo. It's been three years. He's suffering like that."
"No!" Serena broke away from his attempt to hold her, "I won't! He's my brother, Diamond!"
"It's because he's your brother that I'm even suggesting this! He hates being confined when he was alive, but that's what he is right now! Confined!"
"He's not dead yet!" Serena screamed, catching the attention of Seiya as he returned from his trip to the cafeteria. Looking around, she shook her head, "I refuse to think that he can't pull through. Miracles happen!"
"Serena, you're living in a dream if you think that's going to happen."
She backed away from him, staring at him in disbelief. After two years of longing to be with him, of hoping to see him again, Serena couldn't believe how much he's changed. Could this be the Diamond she fell in love with?
"What's going on?" Seiya tried to take Serena's hand, but she shook him off.
"I can't deal with this right now." She turned away from them, running away before he could stop her. She bolted out of the hospital; her only thought was to get away. She ignored both men's cry for her to stop and quickly hailed a taxi. Between sobs, she managed to choke out, "Shellmound Circle, please."
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Mamoru stared at the drawing in his hand, why did she linger in his mind? Of all the models that he had worked with, she was not the most beautiful or the most intellectual, and yet, she's all that he thinks about. "Why you?"
Angry knocks emitted from his door and he rose to open it, "Listen, you, I… Serena?"
"I didn't know where to go. This was the first place that I can think of. Oh!" She brushed past him and started pacing, "I don't know what to do!"
Mamoru gently closed the door and turned towards her, noting her tense posture and her turmoil eyes. Not knowing what to do or what to say, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out to his patio, "Hold out your hand."
"What?"
"Hold out your hand." When she continued to stare at him blankly, he grabbed her hand roughly and grabbed a tube of paint. Squeezing a neat blue chunk onto her otherwise clean hand, he gestured towards the paint incrusted brick wall, "Throw."
Understanding dawned on her and with a furious scream, hurled the paint glob onto the wall, satisfied with the neat splat. "More!" She demanded.
Bemused, Mamoru opened his collection of old paints and paintbrushes and gave her free rein. Smiling a little, he watched as she splashed and slashed paint onto the wall, creating angry marks all across the wall. His smile grew wider as he watched the paint found itself onto her clothes, her face and even her hair. Looking away when she turned towards him, he cleared his throat only to feel something cold, wet and slimy splashing onto his back, "Oh, you're in for it now!"
For what seemed like hours, they chased each other with paintbrushes and buckets of paint, laughter filling the once solemn patio. Finally the two sat back to back, each wearing a bright smile on their face. "Kami, I don't know how I'm going to get all this paint off me." Serena laughed as she picked at the peeling purple paint that was stuck on her nails.
"Turpentine." Mamoru answered easily as he stood, "Your clothes are a goner." Offering her a hand up, he laughed at his own colorful arm, "Go take a shower inside."
Serena nodded as she got up. Half-way through the door, she turned back, "I don't know what it is about you or this place, Mamoru but I don't have any fears or worries when I'm here."
Mamoru smiled as he also go up, "Must be my talkative nature."
Serena laughed, "Yes, that must be it."
While she was in the shower, Mamoru readied the ingredients to make tea, thinking all the while who she reminded him of. It didn't hurt to ask.
Sipping his cup of tea, he looked up when he heard his bathroom door open. She looked flushed as she walked nimbly out. Dressed out in one of his black t-shirts, it came down mid-thigh, showing all of her many scars. Mamoru's eyes darkened when he saw the a deep gouging scar on the outside of her thigh. He handed her a cup of tea, "Are you Serenity Moon?"
Startled at the name, Serena opened her mouth to object, but her head nodded as she took a seat opposite of him, "Yes." There didn't seem to be any need to hide anything from him. After all, she told him everything else about herself, why not this tidbit?
"I thought so." He smiled mirthfully, "I'm one of your fans."
Serena smiled a little at his admission, "Do you want an autograph?" She teased softly, not knowing what else to say.
He chuckled and shook his head, "No, there's no need for an autograph. I was just wondering." When she yawned, he took the cup from her, "Go take a nap, you look like you need it."
Mamoru watched Serena enter his bedroom, pausing to utter a small thanks, his heart beating faster at the thought of her slender body on his bed. Shaking away feelings that he didn't care to analyze, he pulled out a chair and stared at the mahogany wood block before him, silently begging it to show him its inner figure and allow him to start bringing it forth.
The sun was just about to set when a knock on the door stole Mamoru's attention from his carving. He tried to ignore it, but the knocking grew insistently louder. With a soft curse, he abandoned his post to give his visitor a piece of his mind. Just when everything had calmed down and he was able to think, there's always some kind of interruption. His mind drifted to the woman in his bed. Who was he trying to kid? How can he think when his every thought was of her? Angry at this sudden intrusion, he yanked open the door, his anger intensifying when he saw who it was, "Fighter."
A/N – It's been awhile hasn't it? Life has gotten away with me. Dealing with finances isn't always the best mood setter, but I do try. I'm going to be taking this story into a new direction. Is it just me or does this story read like a movie script? This story is a rough draft. Let me know if it's publishable. Or if I should continue letting this be a hobby
As always, thank you for your reviews and support!