Title: Etude in E Major
Summary: One-shots, relationships of various Hamtaro characters (Total number of one-shots: 4)
Author's feelings of second section of piece: Fast and slightly joyous then slow and dragging, repetitively
Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro nor do I own the Chopin's Etude in E Major
The hospital…
A place where doctors and nurses help sickly patients with their needs…
Is where new lives are born…
Broken minds are mended by gentle hands…
Is confirmation to show you that life can be 'restarted' and 'renewed'…
All this is what Hamtaro thought; helping patients, mingling with patients, talking with patients, and saving patients. That is the life of Hamtaro Hamutarou.
Until he met one specific patient,
Who showed him that a hospital does not always confirm a new beginning…
It's a joyous place to work at. I love this place entirely; I get to meet new people every day, talk to different sorts of people, and experience the thrill of being a doctor. I get to help others with their sicknesses, and watch them going home to their loving family all healthy and energized.
I was just on my way to another patient's room when a nurse stopped me.
"Dr. Hamtaro, do you mind taking this up to Dr. Maxwell when you're done with this patient?" She handed me a folder, and smiled graciously.
I accepted; I can't reject a request from a pretty face.
I entered the room I was going to, before I was interrupted. I saw a tiny girl holding her teddy bear tightly, and she stared back at me in the same fashion. I examined her body, and told her in simple words that she was going to be fine.
I didn't like to use the 'doctor' language where no patient can understand me. I like to be understood.
When I was done with her, I exited the room and told the child's nurse that she was healthy and was ready to be discharged. I walked to the nearest elevator and entered.
I knew that I still had to deliver the folder I was requested to do so before. I gripped the folder tightly. Just to make sure of that I wouldn't drop it. I know that Mr. Maxwell works on the sixth floor. I pushed the button on the elevator wall, and felt elevation rising. When the doors opened, I exited.
Truth be told, I've never been to the sixth floor. I never had a reason to come here, being that my business was always elsewhere.
When I exited, I had a sudden chill that ran down my spine. Like the feeling when you enter a haunted house or something. It was odd; the floor had a very comfortable look; and yet it had an eerie feeling.
I walked to the end of the hallway; knowing that Maxwell's office was at the end. I looked inside the patients' rooms, since their doors were open. Curiousness got to me. No one was in their rooms, but I knew that people occupied them, seeing that there were personal belongings on the drawer tops.
I reached the last patient's room and looked inside. Someone was in there then I realized that I wasn't supposed to be looking.
"Sorry…" I muttered softly and excused myself.
The person inside the room was a female. I'd say she was around the end of her high school years. It seems that she couldn't care less if I was there or not; all she did was stare at me lazily with her emerald eyes when I entered and left.
I decided to ignore the patient I, if I can really say, 'met' on my way to Maxwell's office. I finally reached my destination and knocked.
"Come in."
I entered, handed the folder to him, had a short chat, and left.
"Simple enough"I muttered, when I left the office. I wasn't really that friendly with Maxwell. Even though I knew him the longest at the hospital, I didn't know him very well. Either way, I didn't care.
I slowly walked past the patient's room I looked in earlier. I looked through the crack of the door and found her staring out the window. She seemed to be at daze when she suddenly said,
"You should just enter if you have something to say."
I was discovered. I didn't really want to talk to her or anything, but I entered the room anyways. I couldn't excuse myself out of this one. But I really wonder how she knew that I was watching. I wonder if I made a noise…
"Ah, sorry about earlier and now as well…" I said, slightly embarrassed.
She didn't reply.
"Um… I'm Dr. Hamtaro. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said, trying to get her attention.
She left me hanging. How rude.
From my perspective, she seemed to be quite an individual. I only saw her face once, and that was when I accidently was caught peeking into her room. Great… I just realized that she might be taking me as a pervert.
She gently pushed her whitish hair behind her shoulder and fiddled with the blue ribbons she was holding. I felt as if my presence was annoying her, so I decided to leave. I was just about to reach the door when…
"Are… are you going to come back tomorrow?" She suddenly asked, flustered with her words.
I smiled. "If I can find an excuse to come back up here" Then I left.
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The next day, I finished all of my visits to my patients. I ended early actually. I didn't feel like talking or having fun with the nurses either, so I decided to head out. I was just about to grab my car keys from my desk drawer, when I remembered about the girl I met yesterday.
I didn't particularly want to meet her, but heck, since I remembered; I decided to go visit her. I entered the empty elevator and rode it up the sixth floor. When the doors opened, I exited; revisiting the floor where chills ran down my spine.
I walked to the girl's room and knocked. I didn't want to intrude like I did before.
"Come in." I heard a weak voice say.
I entered the room and smiled. "Afternoon"
She looked at me and then looked away, uninterested. She didn't seem to care if I was there. But this time, I decided to stay so I pulled up a chair and sat next to her bed.
All I did was sit there for several minutes; I observed her involuntary actions, seeing that I had nothing else to do.
"Can I help you with something?" She suddenly asked me. I was slightly surprised with the sudden conversation she started. "There must be a reason why you came here… you don't work on this floor."
"Oh… I…" I didn't know what to say. I only visited because I remembered about her. But I can't really tell her that, it'll make me sound like a fool. "It's because I found an excuse to come up here!" I proudly commented, remembering what I said before I left yesterday.
"Really?" She asked in a sarcastic tone, still looking away from me. "What's the excuse?"
She got me there. I didn't really think up of the excuse. But it doesn't hurt to be honest. "To see how you're doing." I answered. It was truth; well, partially anyways.
I could tell that she blushed for a minute there. It was actually kind of cute. We didn't exchange a lot of words that day; all she did was stare out that window. I wonder what she's staring at.
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Her name is Bijou Ribon, she's 18 years old, AB blood type, and she's been admitted, hospitalized and discharged repetitively from the hospital for more than 5 years.
This is what I found out when I looked up the folder about this girl. She definitely looks younger than her age; including how she does her hair, her clothes, and her attitude.
I haven't visited her in several days. I've been busy with work. I just saved someone from cancer, it was no biggie. Every patient I ever had went home safety after treatment. Ah, the joy of healing someone successfully; there is no illness that can't be cured.
So back to Bijou Ribon, today I decided to check up on her. Knowing her name and all sorts; I might learn more about her now. I knocked and entered her room. Surprisingly, she was out of bed, sitting on the same chair I sit when I visit her; but she was still looking outside the window.
It was raining, so the sound of splashing rain drops rang in the silent room. When I first entered, we didn't talk; like usual. I looked at her, and she stared aimlessly outside the window.
"If you want to go outside, why don't you?" I asked. I thought this was the best way to learn why she was always staring outside.
"Who said that I wanted to?"
I was stuck; those were not words I expected to hear. "Um… no one?"
"It doesn't matter, I'm not allowed outside."
"…Why?" I dared to ask.
"Because of my illness"
The answer she gave me, made my question sound like a fool's; coming from a doctor that is. But, what kind of illness can't be cured? It's a hospital, in the last twenty years; worldwide doctors and assistants found cures for the deadliest diseases and sicknesses.
"Haven't the doctors here cured your illness, yet?"
She smiled for the first time. "No." She replied, like it was nothing. "My illness can't be healed."
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I've been visiting Bijou for several weeks now. We've been exchanging conversations, but it's been slow. I still barely know her. So I decided to do something nice for her.
I reached for my phone and dialed a number. "Yes, I'd like them delivered today at three o' clock. Yes, thank you very much." Now, I bet you're wondering what I ordered. But it's an obvious answer; I got Bijou…
"Flowers?" Bijou asked, looking at the nurse who was holding up a bouquet of flowers.
"Yes, it doesn't say who it's from though." The nurse said as she handed the patient the flowers.
I was outside the door, listening to the conversation Bijou and the nurse was exchanging. After awhile, the nurse left and I entered.
Bijou didn't seem to recognize my appearance when I entered, since I saw her holding the flowers she received tightly around her arms. She held the flowers as she walked toward the room's window and stared outside. The colorful flowers that were specially ordered in her delicate arms really made my day.
She looked beautiful standing there. Her white hair that comfortably rests on her shoulders, her sea green eyes she has, and the flowers she was holding. It was a stunning view; and what's more is that she was smiling.
I felt heat running throughout my whole body. I knew my face was flushed. I tried to move, but my body didn't correspond with my brain. I slowly regained myself and walked towards her. I moved my arms and found them wrapping them around Bijou. I hugged her tightly.
She slightly jerked, but I didn't let go. "Who-?" She started to ask.
"It's just me." I interrupted, hugging her tighter, but this time she didn't move; she let me stay where I was. I felt relaxed when I embraced her this way. She stood there and she didn't complain or say anything. I felt a strong erg to do this more often…
By the way, she smelled like blueberries and vanilla.
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"Morning Bijou!" I greeted when I walked into her room. I wanted Bijou to be the first person I saw that day.
"Oh, it's just you." She said, but this time she was giving me eye contact.
I felt relieved; she didn't seem effected by what I did yesterday. I saw the flowers I gave her in a vase on her night stand. "Do you like the flowers?" I asked, pulling up a chair beside her.
"…" No reply.
We didn't talk. I just observed her actions like I usually did. But, I could tell that she glanced in my direction once in awhile with a blush. It was cute.
"I'll be taking my leave then. I have lots of work to do." I said, standing up. I felt motivated for work since I got to see her this early in the morning. I was just about to step out of the room when…
"Thank you…" She said.
I smiled and I left.
I came back after all my work was done. We didn't talk, all we did was keep each other's company; the flowers in the vase, Bijou playing with her ribbons, me sitting next to her, and the setting sun. I really enjoy the unique way we spend time together, and I really think she's getting used to me now. She didn't always have her guard up and smiled occasionally.
It would've been great if it stayed like this forever…
I walked to the elevator; it was time to visit her again. Suddenly, a nurse stopped me.
"Where have you been going now a-days?" She asked in her playful tone, putting her hand on my shoulder. "I haven't seen you in awhile." She flirted, tossing her hair behind her.
I guess no one really knew where I was.
"I've been visiting a patient on the sixth floor." I replied, brushing her hand off of me.
"Oh, I see." She said, in a disappointed tone. "Then it is my position to tell you this." She looked at me with stern eyes. "Do not get familiar with any patients on that floor."
That's all she said before she left. I decided to ignore what I learned from her; it's too late anyways. I've been visiting Bijou for more than a month, and it's hard to change a daily routine.
I walked into her room. She stared at me, I stared back, she looked away, and we had a short conversation; without any eye contact. Then she looked at me with a blush once in a while, and I laughed. Yup…the same old daily routine. I loved it.
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One day, when I was visiting her, I asked her out. I guess it was a sudden question to her, because my reply was just two wide surprised eyes. I decided to take it as a no, and I dropped the subject.
But she brought it back up by saying, "I'm not allowed to leave."
"I can find a way for you to leave." I said.
"Then… I guess…"
I was really happy. I wasn't planning to ask her this question, but the look on her expressionless face pulled me to ask her.
When the day came, I waltzed in a regular old fashion. I was still in my white doctor's jacket and I had my name tag on. My plan was to pretend that she was relative of one the patients up here (if anyone asks) and take her out of the hospital building. Yeah, it wasn't the brightest plan but it was the simplest.
I waited until she was ready; I took off my doctor's jacket and tag, revealing my button-down shirt and slacks. She came out from behind the curtain that separated me and her when she was getting dressed.
She was in a white skirt and blue top; her hair was in two pigtails with the blue ribbons she always played with. A very simple outfit, but still adorable. When she was ready, I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room. I could tell that she was scared and tried to hide her face several times from passer bys. We finally left the building (without any problems, of course).
The blue stretched across the whole cloudless sky. I stared up and then at Bijou. "Where do you want to go?" I asked.
She looked at me. "Weren't you the one who invited me out?" That was true; I haven't really planned on the whole date. I had to improvise.
I held her hand and smiled, "Then I guess you have to follow me until I figure out what we're going to do for the rest of the day."
First, I took her out to lunch. We both didn't eat anything since breakfast. Then after eating, I decided that we'd go shopping. When we did, I ended up buying her a pair of new silky pink ribbons for her hair; seeing that she liked this kind of stuff.
Well, for the rest of the day we did… I don't know, just date stuff. We shopped, visited the park, ate ice cream, and went out on a boat ride. And I decided to top off the day by watching the sunset from the bridge.
We waited for the view, sitting on a white bench that was at the edge of the bridge, facing the water. The sun finally set, painting the sky with brilliant colors of oranges, pinks, and yellows. It was a fantastic sight, but the sight of her was even more fantastic.
I got to see her clear green eyes wide open, and her lips curved into a great smile. I was tempted to see what they, her lips, tasted like, so I grabbed her hand and leaned in; then I kissed her lightly.
She responded by kissing me back; then she pulled back and smiled. I felt like I was melting with her gaze on me.
I ended our date by walking her back to her hospital room. Bijou seemed content with the day and I was happy to see that she was. When she closed the door, I suddenly started to wonder about her sickness and the nurse's warning.
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It was the same old usual visit. Even with what we did yesterday, it didn't seem to have a very big effect on her. All we did was sit next to each other and exchange very few words from time to time.
Those same green eyes were staring out the window, but this time, her eyes seemed to have targeted a subject; seeing that her eyes didn't look out the window aimlessly. She had her hair in pigtails, held together by the pink ribbons I bought her. The sun started to set. The same orange and pink colors we saw yesterday brighten the room with natural lighting.
"Can I ask you something?" I suddenly asked.
"…"
I was in hesitation. I didn't really want to ask, but my mind's been urging me for awhile, ever since the date we went on.
I held her hand, making her turn towards me; and I locked my gaze with those emerald orbs. I took a deep breath and finally asked, "What is your sickness?"
She looked away and didn't speak for while. She stared at that window again, this time, aimlessly. "I'll let you on a secret." She suddenly said. It was the first time she said anything voluntarily.
I looked at her anxiously. I wanted to know what she was talking about. She shifted her body that made her pigtails sway, and brushed her bangs away from her eyes. Then she looked at me.
"You're not supposed to know. But I'll tell you anyways…" She started to say. Her voice was stern but hoarse at the same time. "The patients on the sixth floor… we're just waiting…"
Waiting? Waiting for what? Questions started to flow throughout my whole mind. I didn't what came over me first; concern or curiousness.
"We're waiting for…" She looked at me with mixed emotions. Swirls of sadness and scared feelings were roaming in her eyes, but a smile ran across her lips. "For death…"
Bijou quickly turned her head after those words, away from my face. I could tell that tears started to flow down her cheeks. "The sixth floor… is like an isolation area until our time is up. We're not allowed home or outside." She explained.
"The patients on the sixth floor, we don't know what our illness is, all we know is that it's cheating our life away; one minute after another." She said. "It's confirmation for our ending…"
She finally turned to me, after her explanation. Her eyes swollen from her tears, tears that still ran down her face, her face that made me hold her tight. I embraced her tightly and didn't let her go. "There's always a cure for every illness." I said, positive with my words.
I could tell that she was forcing a smile, while I was holding her. "Don't be so childish Hamtaro… This is the real world, there's not a cure for everything. That's how the world is… humans aren't meant to know everything."
I held onto Bijou until she fell asleep.
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I went to go visit Bijou the very next day. I wanted to know she was doing. When I entered the hallway her room was, I heard nurses yelling and doctors giving orders. I quickly ran to Bijou's room, hoping everything's alright. But my mind already knew that something was wrong.
The nurses, pushed Bijou's bed, carrying her away when I was about to enter her room. I saw a glimpse of her when she left; she had an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving. I saw Maxwell in her room; and quickly ran towards him.
I grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled hard. "Is she going to be alright?!" I started yelling. "Is she going to make it?!"
Maxwell made no effort to move. He pulled my hands away and smoothed out his shirt and collar. "We can't be sure yet, she's getting weaker."
"No way…don't you have the cure?!"
"I'm sure she told you by now, seeing that you're so close to the patient; that we don't know what the patients' illnesses are or the cure." Maxwell explained as he walked away.
I knew he was right. The nurse warned me before, and even Bijou told me personally. I walked over to the window she always stared out at.
For several hours, I was standing, staring aimlessly out the window. I get it now… why she always stared outside. It was because, I… we… don't have anything to expect. We don't know what's going to happen. My eyes didn't have a specific area that it was staring at; it was staring at the whole view; the other side of the building, the garden with the fountain, the setting sun…
"Hey…" I heard a familiar voice say. I turned around to see Bijou lying down on the bed, being pushed by two nurses. I nodded in gratitude to the nurses, and they left.
I turned to her, and knelt beside her bed. I held her hand, finding it that it was frail and cold, "How are you?"
"The doctors said that I'm not going to last. They wanted me to stay in the emergency room, but I asked them to bring me back in my room." She brought her hand up to my face. "I wanted to see you for the last time."
I felt her cold hand on my face. But I felt her warmth aura around her. "Bijou… I promise to find a cure… please, just give me some time." I said, nearly begging; tears rolled down my face.
She smiled as tears rolled down her face as well. "There's not a cure for everything Hamtaro… humans aren't meant to know everything." Then she rose from her bed and told me to lean in.
I obeyed. I felt two hands wrapping around my neck and soft lips on mine. It was so sweet, just like 'diamonds of sugar'. Then she broke free and stared into my eyes. "Bijou…" I started to say. "I'm in love with you; I don't want to see you go."
"I love you too, but life's not fair like that." Then she lied back down and rested her head on the pillow. "Hamtaro… thank you…" Then she closed her eyes…
And never opened them again
It was my first time losing someone like that. It was hard for me as a doctor to lose a patient,
But
It was harder for me as a lover to lose a loved one.
Thanks you for reading the second one-shot of Etude in E Major!
Thanks to the reviewers who reviewed the first chapter.
Special thanks to Crystalgurl101 (for beta-reading), Peach the Hedgehog (for reading the beginning, and grammar check), and AthiraGKassia (for telling me her opinion, she's actually been a great friend for more than 3 years!!) A/N: If anyone is interested in beta-reading my next chapter, don't hesitate to PM me.
Thanks to all my readers also!
But don't forget to review!!