OUT OF THE STORM

By Towairaito


CHAPTER THREE – Welcome to Dinner

When Rabbit woke up again, outside was dark. Physically, she felt much better, but mentally, her mind was drawing a blank. Her identity, her home, her family…all blank. It was terrifying; nothing in her mind could come up with anything. It was frustrating! If she had a family, wouldn't they look for her by now? Wasn't she missed? She felt tears sting her eyes and she wiped them away. Getting up from the bed, she made her way towards the bathroom, the house's old floorboards squeaking beneath her. As soon as she reached the bathroom door, a tall shadow blocked her light.

"You're awake," Dr. Yuy stated, switching on the light.

Rabbit's eyes dilated from the sudden glare, "I thought there was no electricity here."

"Generator." In his hands, he held out a dressing gown to her. "Wear this, Rabbit, if you don't want to walk around like that."

Did he just insult me? She wondered as she took the garment from the doctor, and walked into the bathroom.

The doctor turned, and before leaving, he said, "There's a spare toothbrush there. As for makeup…I don't think any is needed."

She flushed, Now he's complimenting me? She was about to open her mouth to speak when the doctor spoke again, "Dinner will be ready shortly, Rabbit. Don't take too long."

With that, Dr. Yuy left, leaving Rabbit to do her own thing.

She eyed the bathtub longingly while brushing her teeth. Her need to wash and clean flooded her mind, and she filled the tub, only finding soap to relieve her cleaning needs.

The bath water was slightly brownish, but to her it was all she needed to relax her nerves. Her body, she noticed, included bruises that would probably drive any man away, let alone a doctor. Her breasts were slightly smaller than she had hoped. I guess it goes with the thin body. Rabbit got out of the bath and rubbed her bruised down with ointment, she found in the cabinet behind the mirror. It hurt a little, but it was a small price to pay for the comfort she needed in the long run. She took a seat back down into the tub again and plunged her head in the water. Rabbit contemplated whether or not to shampoo her hair, concerning her gash. But in the end, she washed her hair anyway, wincing from the pain. Her head spun and throbbed, while she sat and willed it to go away. Climbing out of the bath, Rabbit turned off the taps shaking slightly, but feeling amazingly fresh.

Drying herself, Rabbit wrapped herself up in one of the towels piled on the wicker stand around her body, sighing in relief. She was concerned again for her wound, so she wrapped another towel around her head without drying her long hair. Within a few minutes, Rabbit was able to dress into her barrowed dressing gown and was startled to hear a rough knock on the door.

"Rabbit?" Dr. Yuy called.

She opened the door, smiling, "Sorry Doctor, I couldn't help but take a bath."

"A bath?" He cursed beneath his breath and gave a slight shove to sit Rabbit down and began to un-wrap the towel that was draped on her head.

"Wh-what?" She felt the blood rise to her cheeks

The doctor opened the bathroom cabinet and took out fresh dressing and antiseptic for her gash. "You're giving me the trouble to rewrap your wound, Rabbit. You could have caused an infection."

"I'm sorry." She held her eyes downcast with her hands in her lap and twiddled her thumbs, embarrassed. She sat still while Dr. Yuy expertly fixed her bandaged.

Finishing up, Dr. Yuy instructed Rabbit. "Keep this dry until the stitches can be removed. Now, since you washed that hair of yours, you'll have to wear a towel while we eat."

Nodding, Rabbit followed the man out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. She sat down while he turned and rummaged in a chest. "You'll need these to keep warm if you're going to walk around my home. I'd rather not have you sick again. Is that clear?"

She peeped out a "yes" as she was handed a pair of large socks and putting them on, "I'm so sorry that I'm a bother so much. But, thank you."

Dr. Yuy put a finger under her chin and turned her face up to his, "You're wrong. You needed help and you still need it now. I'm a doctor. End of story."

"Right." She wondered if he was mad and got up only to trip over the flapping toe of one of the socks.

Heero sighed and picked her up, and walked with her to the doorway.

"Ah! You can put me down! I can manage on my own."

"Shut up and stop fussing." He said forcibly, breaking away any eye contact with her.

She crossed her arms and lay rigid in his arms as he strolled down the stairs with practiced ease. "Tomorrow," she said sharply, "I hope to be away from here and on my way back to where I came from."

He ignored her, reaching the bottom of the staircase into the living room. "I doubt it." Heero suddenly said, "Even with your memory intact, the forecast predicts a hellish March storm for some time."

She stared as she absorbed the news. If he was right, there was no alternative but to stay put in the same house as the stoic man himself. At least she now knew it was March.

She turned her attention to the room. An iron fire stove occupied the hearth of a big stone fireplace at one end. The rest of the room was filled with worn out comfortable chairs and couches, stuffed with pillows, small tables held lamps, oil lamps, and candles. There were shelves full of books and cassettes, papers piled in an unruly fashion on a side table.

"This looks comfy." She awed sincerely, and smiled shyly at Dr. Yuy.

He only grunted as a reply, "Sit near the stove."

"I can help you with that." As she moved to follow him, Rabbit wobbled. Dr. Yuy turned around to face her and held her arm as he sat her on the couch. Rabbit swung her legs up on the couch, grumbling about men with sticks up their asses as Heero left for the kitchen. The towel she had wrapped around her shoulders was place on the arm of the couch to lay her throbbing head, and listened to the wind howl outside the windows. It's scary to think that only a window separates me and that storm. The pattering against the window pane stopped, concluding the storm had ceased, but the gale continued on stronger than ever. Rabbit knew the mainland was near, but the thought of crossing the sea made her heartbeat panic furiously. She wished she could just rip away the fog in her mind and see who she really was and how she ended up beached on Dr. Yuy's island. It should be obvious that someone was looking for her. Missing her. If only she know who it was. Who she was!

Thankfully, Heero walked in bringing a tray holding two hot bowls of soup. He set it down on one of the high coffee tables nearby where Rabbit was sitting. He gave Rabbit her bowl with a napkin and a spoon and fork before he grabbed his own to eat opposite of her.

She looked down to find it was soup, but she didn't know what it was. She glared at it and glanced at Dr. Yuy under her eyelids and dipped her spoon in the soup. She examined her spoonful of whatever it was and was about to ask when Heero beat her to it. "Cawl."

"What?" Rabbit was surprised.

"Soup made of lamb, vegetables, and leeks. Cawl." Heero defined it; short and simple. Rabbit could only stare. "You look surprised."

"I hate leeks." She muttered. "My friend used to make it with dumplings. No leeks." She stared again, stumped. "I did it again. I know my friend makes it, whoever they are, and I can't remember my own name!"

Heero continued eating, unmoved. "In time. As soon as the wind drops I'm going to get you over to the mainland for x-rays at St. Mary's. You may only have a concussion now, but fractures are possible."

"St. Mary's?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Do I have an echo in here?" He earned a glare at the comment. "St. Mary's is a nursing home. I do a clinic there once a week."

Rabbit took in the small news as she ate her cawl. The food was wonderful! "Dr. Yuy, your cooking is delicious!" Her bowl was finally half empty when she finally looked up to examine that her keeper wore a white shirt and denims. Rabbit flashed a smile at a thought of a green tank and black spandex shorts, but squashed the thought. Quickly, she fitted herself onto another matter, "What will happen to me when I can't remember anything? Or if no one reports me missing?"

"You'll stay here with me." He was still eating, unabashed. "Marooned on the island until the weather changes. Just don't think much. Memories tend to come faster that way." Dr. Yuy stood and put the empty bowls on the dray with the utensils. He looked at her, "Drink?"

"Tea, thanks." She was left listening to the wind again as Heero put away the dishes and prepared the tea in the kitchen. Intently, she strained her ear to Heero talk shortly as if on the phone. She didn't hear anything since the sound was muffled by the door to the kitchen left ajar. Rabbit supposed the call wasn't really that important since he took his time. She sighed and ran her fingers through her bangs to find her hair was a lighter blonde she had expected. Was that a tint of silver in her hair? She couldn't delve further into the matter when Dr. Yuy stepped in with the tea. She turned her eyes towards Heero, "Has anyone reported me missing yet?"

Heero could only shake his head and handed her a cup. "No. It's too early to tell. I've only found you this morning. I called the ferry docks. No one's missing."

Rabbit could only turn and stare harder at the strands of hair she still held. She could swear it was silver. "What if I fell out of a plane?"

He snorted. "Impossible. One possibility is that you may have been making your way to one of the islands out here in a boat. You may have been with others."

"They could have contacted the police! Or the coast guards!" She was excited. Now they were going somewhere!

Dr. Yuy rubbed his chin in thought. "Possibly. But not everyone owns a radio telephone or other ways of contacting shore. Meaning the wind would have to die down before they could return to shore."

"So…I wait?" She asked. Dr. Yuy nodded. Rabbit felt a little down knowing she would not be found so soon, but the thought of being found at all lifted her spirits up a bit. Just a bit.

"Don't get your hopes up too high. Whoever may be your companion may not have made it at all."

"Did you have to say that?" Rabbit paled and felt queasy as if she were on board a boat again. "Will my things be ready tomorrow?" She asked after gulping down air.

She saw him nod. "Dr. Yuy–"

"Heero. I'm not older than you are, supposedly." He sipped at his tea some more.

Rabbit was startled, but a smile curled at her lips. She figured that even with her mind blank, at least she had someone who supported her in a way. "Heero."


CHAPTER 4: THE EVENING INSTILLED IS NEXT!


Author's Notes: I workeda little shorton this chapter, only introducing Rabbit's situation to the readers. The next chapter will be about Heero's character. Well, my faithful readers I already have a twist in the story in the later chapters that I have in mind. Do you care to guess? I will not tell! Bwahaha! Please read and review!

Thank you!

Towairaito