-1Chapter 2

Hatori had never seen so many scars.

No, wait. He took that back. Yuki had more than this, from Akito's abuse.

But this was the first time he had seen so many on another person. Someone outside the Souma family. Her face was recognizable. Where had he seen her from? He shook his head, and studied the x-rays. Broken ribs, arm, and a few fingers weren't the worst. He could tell by the bruising that she had some internal bleeding.

"N-no mom...don't...hit...Me...gumi..." she whimpered. Hatori's eyes widened slightly. So her mother was abusive? Maybe it was a dream...or a nightmare, he should say. But something about the scars told him, that the new ones couldn't be by the same person. Previous scars showed a sluggish look to them, a difference in sizes. The new ones were made by a fast hit, not a sluggish one.

"Tohru...I'm...sorry...Kyoko-chan...I fail...ed...you..." the young girl turned her head to the side, before her eyes began to open slowly. Hatori's eyes widened more. This girl knew Tohru?

"You didn't come for your check up, so naturally I came to you. You'd better be glad that I did and not Akito. He was running another one of his fevers again, so he stayed home. Doctor's orders." Hatori took the scope off of Yuki's chest, the young man's asthma seemed to be getting active. Slight wheezing could be heard, but Hatori decided that it may just be the noise in the room. Standing, they were immediately surrounded by girls, all asking if Hatori and Momiji were relatives of Yuki's and Kyo's.

"You must be Tohru Honda. You're an ordinary looking girl." A sight of black caught Hatori's eyes and he, for a moment, thought that Hatsuharu had "mysteriously" shown up. Hatori looked and met eyes with a young woman with dark eyes and braided black hair. Her eyes seemed to see past him, to his soul. A sudden jolt shot through his chest and stomach.

So that was where he recognized her from...the Festival Day at Yuki's school. He had gone there to check on Yuki's asthma, and had seen, not only Tohru, but this young girl.

The girl's head turned slowly his direction, and their eyes met once more.

"Where...am I?" her eyes seeped to his soul once more, and he felt like he was caged, surrounded. All these emotions came to him in a flood. Her emotions.

"I nearly hit you while I was driving. I stopped, climbed out of my car, and noticed you were injured. You fell unconcious, and I wasn't going to leave you there. I brought you with me to my clinic. One of my female assitants was still here, she grabbed a kimono for you to wear, and took your dirty school uniform to be washed and dried." Hatori stepped away from her, breaking eye contact, and went to busying himself with a file.

Hana sat up. She did not expect to see this man again. Hatori, wasn't it? All these emotions loomed over his heart.
My mind shield! It's fallen!
Hana mentally shielded her thoughts and emotions from intrusion, and sensed a sudden change in Hatori's waves.
He was reading them! How could I have let my shield down!

Hana took a deep breath, the pain in her side, shoulder, and certain fingers suddenly shook her, and she collapsed back onto the table.

Why can't I seem to hold myself together today? This never hurts me! It's not the first time I've had broken ribs or broken fingers or a broken arm! Why am I feeling all this now? Oh, I see. I normally have Megumi to look after...to make sure he doesn't see my pain...or get hurt himself. He always looks out for me, why can I never seem to repay him?

With these thoughts, Hana's pain resided into a dull throb.

Hatori watched her eyes fill with unshed tears, and her body slam into the table. Her eyes clouded with dark thoughts, and while she was distracted, Hatori gently slid a needle in her arm and injected the pain killer into her system.

"You're a friend of Tohru's?" Hatori asked, his cool demeanor seemed to be slipping from his voice today. Especially when she looked at him like she was. The pain was obvious, but she wasn't letting it get to her mentally as it used to. Her eyes had turned to him, and his stomach knotted itself. He was being foolish.

"Yes...you're Hatori Souma, correct?" The pain killer was taking effect. Her eyes began to droop.

"Yes, shall I call Tohru and tell her you're here? I can take you to Shigure's if needed..." Hatori reached for the phone, but her hand grabbed his. The girl had pulled the cast off! Hatori growled and set to putting it back on.

"You're to keep still and leave bandages and casts on!" Hatori finished and rolled his office chair to his desk, where he wrote some stuff down.

"No, Tohru must not find out about this...it would upset her too badly...she needs to worry about someone else for a change in her life...not me..." Hana's eyes drooped a little more, but they shot back open as some pain seared in her side.

"Are you sure?" Hana nodded and Hatori put the phone off to the side.

"What's your name?" Hatori slid his chair back to the bed's side and looked down on Hana.

"Hanajima Saki...why do you ask?" Hana looked away from him. His eyes held a look of age, though he appeared to be only 27 years of age. The eyes of someone who has suffered greatly...

"You mentioned Megumi, is he your brother?" A nod was all he recieved as Hana finally dozed back off.

Hatori's hand lifted from his lap, up towards Hana's face. It brushed the hair from her eyes, before Hatori snapped it right back into his lap. Stepping out of his office, he went to the desk of his assistant.

"Should she wake, I will be getting a coffee from the cafe across the street." He grabbed his coat and left.