Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. It belongs to Hiro Mashima.
A/N: I'm so sorry for not continuing the story for about 2 months! I'll try to upload a new chapter once in 3 weeks.
Lucy was tired, it was written all over her face. But she was still waiting. So was everyone else. "What time is it?" Gray asked, stifling a yawn.
Lisanna checked her cellphone. "12:30 a.m. The operation should be almost..." Before Lisanna could finish her sentence, she finally gave in to her drowsiness and fell asleep. Her head slowly began sliding down, and landed on Lucy's shoulder. Lucy patted Lisanna's head, not particularly minding her head on her shoulder.
Finally, the doors of the emergency operation room opened. Everyone tensed up and tried to keep up with the quick pace of the surgeons as they pushed Natsu's bed. Even Lisanna woke up, as if she sensed that Natsu had came out. "How's Natsu?" Lucy asked Dr. Jellal.
"He made it through the operation, but... I will tell you the details later. Now, we need to get Mr. Natsu to a hospital room and check a few more things about his body condition," Dr. Jellal informed. Everyone rushed after Natsu, following Dr. Jellal and the other surgeons to an empty hospital room. "Meldy, get the nurses. Ultear, the equipment."
"What's happening? I thought the operation was over?" Mirajane asked worriedly.
"He made it through the operation, as I had told Miss Lucy earlier, but there's still something wrong. His major injury, the stabbed wound, had been taken cared of. All his other injuries are, well, minor. And right now I am thinking about why his heart rate and breathing rate are dropping to dangerously low levels. I would appreciate it if you gave us surgeons some time to think about this. Thank you," Dr. Jellal said, basically forcing them out of the room. He then shut the door in their faces.
"Natsu... No, he can't be-!" Lisanna said, alarmed. Everyone started to worry, and even the previously calm and composed Lisanna was starting to panic.
"Lisanna, calm down. We don't know for sure," Elfman said quietly. The usually loud Elfman who kept on shouting "MAN!" was being strangely soft.
Lucy stood in front of the door of the hospital room. Tears were falling one after another from her eyes. "Natsu... Natsu!" She sobbed. She slammed a clenched fist against the door. "Y-you better *hiccup* not die! I'll kill you if you die!" Erza laughed, crying as well.
"That doesn't make sense, Lucy," she said, trying to wipe her own tears. The others were silent, some holding back tears and others comforting them.
"It's mean..." Lucy hoarsely whispered. "To try to leave the world, just when you changed mine. I was happy, and I knew that happiness never comes without a price. But I didn't expect this. Natsu, you can hear me right? If you don't leave this room alive, I'll go with you too, to the other side... So you better wake up!"
Yukino rubbed Lucy's back soothingly, and a few other classmates stepped up to comfort her too.
Another hour later, the surgeons came out of the room. They nodded their heads at everyone, and had exhausted but relieved smiles on their faces.
Everyone gasped, and quickly ran in, some scolding Natsu for making them worry and others just saying that they were glad he was alive.
As everyone crowded around Natsu, it was hard for Lucy to get closer to him. But there was a few seconds where their eyes met. Natsu grinned, and mouthed to her, "I heard you." Lucy sighed in relief and started crying tears of joy. There was no need for any other words to be exchanged between them, thus, she left the room.
When she was outside and just about to turn around the corner to the other hallway, she saw Erza talking with Dr. Jellal. They both seemed happy, but at the same time, sad. Lucy quickly hid behind the wall, beside the corner, and peeked at them. Erza and Dr. Jellal suddenly embraced. Lucy's eyes widened and she stifled a shocked gasp with her hand.
But now that she had a closer look... Dr. Jellal didn't look like an adult. In fact, he looked about the same age as Erza. Lucy inched a little bit closer to get a better look at them...
"Lucy?" A familiar, girly voice called out to her. She froze, thinking for a second that the voice belonged to Erza. "It's really you! Ha, I almost didn't recognise you in your current ugly body shape and the rags you're wearing." Lucy turned around. It wasn't Erza. Her voice was too high-pitched, and Erza would never insult her.
Lucy met face-to-face with her ex-best friend, Takada Akari. Her brown hair was tied in a neat braid, and her eyes black, just like the colour of her heart. Lucy always wondered why she used to think her eyes were beautiful, like black pearls. As usual, Akari had a ton of make-up on, as well as many jewelleries. Diamond necklaces, diamond earings, diamond bracelets. You name it, she has it.
Akari laughed a high-pitched, hyena-like laugh. "Cat got your tongue, my best friend?" She said sarcastically. The two shorter girls behind her laughed as well, as if anything Akari said was funny.
Lucy gritted her teeth and took in a deep breath. She had prepared for this moment, when -and if- Akari ever spoke to her again after that incident. Trying to keep calm, Lucy began to walk past them. Ignore her. Keep calm. Don't utter a word. Ignore her. Keep calm. Don't utter a word. Lucy thought repeatedly to herself.
Just as she was about to finally walk away from them, one of the short girls ran up to her and blocked her. "You aren't escaping, Lucy! Sana and I won't forgive you for being mean to Akari!" She said furiously.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Lucy asked, confused. She had never been mean to Akari. In fact, it was the opposite. "I never-"
"Don't try to lie!" The other short girl, who Lucy assumed was Sana, said, running up to her too. "We know everything! And this is the perfect timing, actually. Akari had been planning for months to tell your father what you did to her! Now, she has gathered all the evidence she needs. All she needs to do is go to the Heartfilia Mansion, and you will finally be able to get what you deserve!"
"What in the world are you talking about?" Lucy said, even more confused than ever. What she deserved? She did nothing wrong! And what is the "evidence" of her supposedly wrongdoings?
Akari smirked smugly. "It's a shame. This will most probably be the last time I'm seeing you, Lucy Heartfilia. I had always wanted to get back at you, but I didn't know evidence would fall into my hands, just like that. Well, I have to go. I hope you're miserable for the rest of your life!" Akari said, laughing like a hyena once again as she strutted off.
What was Akari doing in the hospital at 1 a.m. anyway? Well, nevermind. She had more important things to worry about than someone insignificant like her. Like Natsu, Erza and Dr. Jellal.
Lucy went back to the other hallway, and as she had guessed, the two were already gone. The one who made Erza feel so much pain might just be Dr. Jellal. No, he doesn't deserve to be called a professional doctor. Jellal... Who was he to Erza?
She walked back to Natsu's hospital room, and snuck a peek at him and the others through the rectangular transparent plastic at the door. In the span of a few minutes, most of them were already sleeping. On the couch, beside Natsu, even on the floor. Only Levy, Lisanna, Erza, Sting and Yukino were still awake.
Natsu seemed tired enough after his long operation, and the people who were still awake looked like they wanted to leave soon, so Lucy didn't bother going back inside the room. She went to the carpark, where she realised she had no way of returning home. It would take at least 20 minutes for her to walk back to the Heartfilia Mansion by foot, and with her current exhaustion, she was pretty sure she won't make it.
She was about to take her cellphone from her school bag when she realised that she had left her cellphone and school bag at Natsu's house. What now? As she was thinking up possible ways to get back home (she thought about zombie-walking there, but it was not going to work too), she saw a familiar red car zooming towards her. She panicked for a moment and let out a startled scream before moving out of the way.
As soon as she had ran across to her left to move out of the car's way, she felt a throbbing pain at her leg, near her ankle. Her legs gave way and she fell to the ground. Her leg... It hurt terribly. Still sitting on the floor, she took a look at the area of here leg where it hurt. She was... bleeding?
She noticed a few deep tooth marks on her wound, and remembered how she got her injury. The blue cat at Natsu's house bit her. She tried getting up, but she couldn't move. It was hurting too badly. Perharps she hadn't realised she was bleeding until now because she had to run when she saw the car coming towards her, and she did not run until that time.
The person in the red car parked the car in a parking space, and started getting out of the car. Who was the horrid person who almost knocked her down? Lucy focused at the car as a woman got out. Someone very familiar. ...Minerva?
"My baby, Lucy. I am so sorry for almost hitting you with my car! I was texting your father as I drove so I did not notice you there! Are you all right?" Minerva asked as she walked towards Lucy, obviously exaggerating her care for Lucy. She saw Lucy's face twisted in pain, and a small smile stretched across her face. She looked down and saw her wound. "Oh dear me! Let me get the first-aid kit right away!"
"I'm not your child, Miss Minerva. I would appreciate it if you didn't call me names like 'baby', 'sweetheart' and such. Also, I do not need your help. I can walk just fine," Lucy muttered quietly. Feelings of hatred suddenly overwhelmed Lucy. She was not letting this woman try to replce her real mother. Minerva was probably just after her father's money. Minerva actually loving her father, like her mother did, was not possible. Minerva was lying to her father, she was not going to marry him.
Minerva continued walking back to her car, as if she didn't hear a thing Lucy said. She took something from her car, and as she walked towards Lucy, Lucy noticed a knife clutched in Minerva's hand, and a first-aid kit on her other hand.
Why would she need a knife to treat her wound? Lucy backed away by pushing herself backwards, staring nervously at the knife. Minerva had a wide, creepy smile on her face.
Out of the blue, Minerva ran towards Lucy and almost stabbed it through Lucy's forehead. It missed by an inch, hitting the pillar beside her instead. The knife went through the pillar. Lucy's eyes were widened, her whole body trembling. She was so shocked she her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "What...?"
Minerva pulled the knife out, laughing hysterically. She threw the knife onto the basement floor, along with the first-aid kit. "Little girl, you don't tell me what to do. I can kill if I want to, I have murdered a few, certain people before. So behave like the goody-two-shoes you are, and don't you dare talk back to me," Minerva hissed.
Lucy didn't say anything, just staring into Minerva's hatred-filled eyes. Then, Minerva smiled once again. A normal smile. "Well then, shall we treat your wound?" She asked, grabbing the first-aid kit. Minerva... was unpredictable.
Lucy backed away once again, she did not want a woman like her to even touch her. Seeing this, Minerva growled and lunged at Lucy, knife in hand. Lucy let out a bloodcurling scream.
"MUM! STOP!" A voice shouted. Minerva stopped for a moment, her hand in the air, about to murder Lucy. Yukino ran to Lucy and hugged her.
"Lucy, calm down. I'm here. Are you okay?" She asked anxiously. She felt Lucy trembling in fear and shock, and gently patted her back. "No one is going to harm you. We'll protect you." Lucy hugged Yukino back and burst into tears.
"Mum," Sting warned threatningly, "Never touch Lucy, or anyone precious to me ever again. I will kill you if you touch my sisters. Leave now, before I call the cops."
Minerva was astounded for a few seconds, staring at her fierce-looking son. Then, she broke into hysterical laughter, and said, "It's amusing, your little game of friendship and love. But, you see, I'm tired of just watching. I'm going to take action, after I marry Jude. I will crush your stupid game under my foot, with my good friend. But for now..."
Minerva waved to the three and walked off, into the hospital. She threw the first aid kit and the knife near Lucy as she was walking to the elevator. Then, she went up to the first floor of the hospital.
The three stayed silent for a few seconds before Lucy began to cry again. "St-Sting..." Lucy said. She moved closer to him and tugged at his shirt.
Sting bent down and hugged his sisters. "I'm sorry our mother is like that. Don't worry, I'll protect you two," Sting whispered. He had to stay strong and stand up for them, no matter what. "Sorry in advance... If I have to risk my life," he said quietly to the two.