Chapter 17: Back to School

Sakura's tongue felt like sand paper. It stuck to the roof of her mouth annoyingly. What she wanted most right now was a nice cool glass of water. She rolled over, intending to crawl out of her bed and go to the washroom to sate her thirst. A cold metal bar pressed against her skin through a thin paper-like robe. She opened her eyes to see the sterile white of a hospital room. It was not the room she was used to having when she or Syaoran were in the hospital. Across the room, Syaoran was in a bed similar to hers, but his arms and legs were tied with leather cuffs to the metal bars.

Sakura tried to sit up. Her head swam with the movement and her muscles felt weak. The level of exertion was painfully obvious in her muscles. She collapsed down on the bed, feeling the uncomfortable tug of an intravenous needle in her arm. Near her head, there was a little controller with a button attached to a cord. It was the nurse call button. Sakura stretched her arm out and let her palm fall on the button, hearing a reassuring ping come from outside the door.

A few minutes passed and then a large man, an orderly not a nurse, entered the room. He smiled pleasantly.

"How are you doing? Can I get you anything?" The man asked pleasantly, showing more bedside manner than nurses usually did. His soft calming tone seemed to be in blatant contrast to the man's body-builder physique.

Sakura tried to speak, but the dryness in her mouth and throat prevented it. She mimed holding a glass to her lips and drinking.

"You're thirsty," the orderly smiled at her again as if to assure her of his good intentions. "I'll bring you something right away. I'll also send for your doctor."

Sakura nodded passively at the orderly. Usually the hospital employees were business-like in their, usually rare, interactions It was one of the benefits to having a private family doctor, which was a necessity for maintaining secrecy.

The orderly walked out of sight and into the bathroom. The tap ran for a moment. He came back a moment later with a soft, plastic, disposable cup that was three quarters full of water. He placed the water carefully on a nearby table.

"Now let's get you up. We wouldn't want you to choke." Using a crank at the end of the bed, The orderly adjusted the angle of the head of the bed until Sakura was in a relatively seated position.

"Now let's go slowly. We don't want you to choke." The repeated phrase seemed practiced, almost an instinctual addition to his actions as he placed the glass to her lips and gently tilted it so a small sip of water flowed into her mouth. The dry stickiness in her mouth was washed away.

"Thank you," Sakura rasped, reaching up to tilt the glass again. After another sip, her strength had returned to the point that she was able to clasp the vessel in her own hands. She was very grateful to the nice man who seemed so concerned about her, "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all. It's a pleasure to work with someone so polite. I'll go and send for someone to see you now." The orderly left, humming a faint, pleasantly calming, tune as he went.

Sakura saw the scene outside the door when it opened. There were some patients walking the halls aimlessly, and others huddled in corners. There were a few orderlies but no nurses in sight. In the patients, Sakura recognized the desperate and jittery look of recovering drug addicts. They had put her in the addiction ward. She was suddenly overcome with concern for Syaoran as she recalled the mysterious substance that had been in his drink.

Sakura sat up under her own power and swung her legs over the metal bars of the bed. It was much easier than when she had first woken up. She stood up. Her legs almost buckled under her. She grabbed the edge of the bed to keep herself steady. After a few moments, the strength of her legs seemed to grow powerful enough to hold herself up. She stepped towards Syaoran.

The needle in her arm tugged as it reached the end of the tube that attached it to a stand holding a bag of clear liquid marked 'saline'. She pulled off the tape holding the needle in, making sure that the needle did not get pulled to the side. Then she carefully slid the needle out of her arm.

She then took the few wobbly steps to cross the room to Syaoran's bed. She lay down next to him, exhausted from the short trip. He didn't seem to be doing too bad right now. His eyes opened, looking at her.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked.

"I'm fine," Syaoran replied, "but your leg is making the restraint pull a bit."

"Sorry," Sakura replied abashedly. She rolled over a bit so that she was laying half on top of Syaoran who began to blush.

"Are you doing okay?" Syaoran asked.

"Just really tired," Sakura replied. She reached across the bed and began picking at the strap that held Syaoran's arm.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Syaoran asked, "It's not easy right now. You can't know what I'll do."

"I don't have anything you want, and outside that door are some rather large men who will stop you from looking for it elsewhere," Sakura replied, "You don't need this, do you?" The strap came undone and Syaoran wrapped his arm around Sakura.

"You're wrong about one thing at least," he murmured as he ran a finger along the slit in the back of the hospital robe, "You definitely have what I want."

Sakura shivered, suppressing a giggle as the tickle of his light touch trailed along her spine. He leaned forward to kiss Sakura, but was interrupted with the door burst open and the doctor walked in, followed by the orderly.

"Hello," the doctor said, not bothering to introduce himself. He quirked a thick, black eyebrow at the position Sakura and Syaoran were currently in. He scratched his wild black hair, just behind his rapidly receding hairline and then pushed his small wire-framed spectacles up the bridge of his nose.

Syaoran quickly, but reluctantly, rolled Sakura off of himself so that her back would not be visible, giving the doctor a quick glare.

"Let's see what we have to say about you two," the doctor declared after Syaoran's shuffling stopped. He held the two folders in front of him. He took a red pen from his pocket and tapped it along the edge of the paper and mumbled incoherently as he rapidly read the files. "Kinomoto Sakura," he said as he read from the first chart, "Extreme exhaustion and dehydration. You're free to go as soon as you're feeling up to it."

"So, I am fine then."

"Nothing a bit of water and a good nap won't cure," the doctor replied.

"What about Syaoran? Did you find out what was in that bottle?" She grabbed on to Syaoran's hand and squeezed it worriedly.

"Li Syaoran... His case is a little more difficult. We don't know what was in that drink, though several compounds in it resembled heroine and other opiates. It seems to be blended specifically to make cravings for itself. All the drugs seem to last only a short time, but the time it will take to detox varies from a few hours to months. We've never seen anything like this before. It's quite an impressive cocktail."

"Will he be okay?" Sakura asked, slightly upset by the doctor's dismissive and insensitive behavior.

"We gave him opiate inhibitors, which should help him to detox quicker, but we can't be sure how long it will be. I would recommend having him remain here for a long-term addiction program since his chart says that he has a history of abusing prescription opiates."

There was a brief pause.

"Any other questions?" the doctor finally said.

"Can we go home now?" Sakura asked hopefully.

The doctor had been quite reluctant to release Syaoran from the hospital's care, but couldn't force him to stay, especially after a call from Dr. Ling assuring him that Syaoran would be receiveing the best care possible at home, and that anything less than releasing him into family custody would result in a rather nasty lawsuit, if he wasn't fired first.. A few hours later, Sakura and Syaoran were both dressed and had been driven home by Wei.

"I'm sorry..." Syaoran said to Sakura once they were alone in his room.

"It wasn't your fault," Sakura told him, "You didn't know what was in it."

"I still shouldn't have acted the way I did. I hurt you."

"You scared me, but I'm not hurt," Sakura replied, "Just promise me that you won't eat anything she gives you."

"I can't," Syaoran replied guiltily, "I could have before, but now... I don't want to, but if she shows up again and just hands the drugs to me... I will probably use them if you don't stop me. I don't think I can stop myself."

"It will be okay. I believe in you," Sakura said reassuringly, "But since it is that difficult for you, I am worried. School starts tomorrow."

"Let's just stay home; we can get tutors to catch us up later."

"We can't. We have a responsibility to go, and to learn. It wouldn't be appropriate to chain ourselves together either."

"I won't leave your side if I can help it," Syaoran promised.

"Is it that hard to stay with me?" Sakura asked coyly.

"No, but if I have to use the washrooms, it would be impolite to the other boys if I brought you with me."

"And if I had to go?"

"I'd only look at you so it shouldn't bother anyone else."

Sakura shoved him playfully, "I'm more worried about them looking at you."

A black sedan awaited Tomoyo outside of her house. Without thinking, she climbed into the back seat and the car took off towards school.

"I didn't expect you to come so easily. You usually resist spending time with me." Eriol said from the driver's seat, startling Tomoyo.

"I thought," Tomoyo paused and then scowled, "Let me out."

"We're almost to school. It's my first day, so why don't you come with me and show me around. It shouldn't be too hard, we have all the same classes." Eriol asked, sounding almost like he as begging, despite the smile on his face.

"I suppose you'd know that wouldn't you?" Tomoyo said, acting disinterested.

"Sakura and Syaoran are in the same classes as well." Eriol said ominously.

"But I chose different-"

"It seems the registrar's office had a little accident and confused the electives of a few students. It's not so bad though, you are just continuing the same courses you took last year." Eriol promised lightly, "I am sure you can find a way to get along with them."

"Just take me home. I'll apply to go to a different school."

"I don't think that would be right. The only other school here is the government school, and that is horribly underfunded. You would never get a proper education."

"Then I'll hire a tutor," Tomoyo argued

"You'd have no social life, no friends, you'd be all alone."

"Just let me out of the car!"

"As you wish." Eriol turned the vehicle into a parking space and got out, waiting for Tomoyo to do the same. When she did not, Eriol opened the door for her with a bow. "Please Tomoyo, walk of your own accord. You would be embarrassed beyond belief if I had to carry you to class."

"What gives you the right to do anything to me?" Tomyo asked angrily, her brow furrowed into a glare that was only slightly less potent than a Li's.

"Because I got the job."

"What job?

"I am your new personal bodyguard," Eriol replied, "Didn't your mother tell you?"

Tomoyo vaguely remembered a hurried call about having found a replacement. She had not expected it to be him. She wanted it to be anyone other than him.

"Why you?" Tomoyo scowled childlishly.

"I was strong enough to fight the other bodyguards and win, I am able to stay by your side inconspicuously, even in school, and your mother is not quite as resistant as you are to my roguish good looks and charm." Eriol ran his fingers through his hair with flair.

"So you hypnotized her into doing it,"

"It sounds better the way I said it," Eriol said flatly. He reached in and unbuckled Tomoyo's seatbelt for her.

"Hey what are you doing?" Tomoyo struggled as Eriol picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

"I am doing what any good bodyguard would do, protecting you from being tardy."

Sakura made sure that she and Syaoran arrived at school early. She wanted to make sure that there were not too many people at first, just in case there was a problem. Luckily, Syaoran seemed to be having little trouble. Just to be sure, they claimed the seats in the back of the classroom by the window.

The classroom was pretty standard. Here were four white walls, slightly yellowed with age. At the front was a large wooden desk which was impeccably eat, especially compared to the blackboard that could be seen above it and had been tagged by many students who wanted to make their mark on the class in the first day. One wall was lined with cupboards with doors at the front and back of the classroom. The other wall was mostly windows overlooking the school yard and a line of low shelving units running below to a larger metal cabinet that contained the room's cleaning supplies. He back wall was mostly covered by an empty bulletin board, waiting to showcase any exceptional work, as well as the duty roster and other important information.

Rika was the first of their friends to arrive. Her delicate steps were not quite soft enough to stop the slight wave in the bottom of her shoulder-length hair from bobbing pleasantly as she walked.

"Sakura!" Rika greeted with reserved excitement, "I thought you would be studying in Japan this year."

"Syaoran hired my father to do some work here, just so I could be here." Sakura replied.

"I'm glad you're back."

Naoko was next to arrive with her nose buried in a horror novel, she didn't even notice anyone else. Sakura decided to wait until later to talk to her since she did not want any discussion of scary topics.

"I didn't make that up!" Takashi burst into the room, chased by his long time girlfriend Chiharu.

"Like I can believe anything that comes out of your mouth."

"Chiharu, Sakura is back." Rika interrupted the lover's quarrel.

"Sakura, we missed you!" Chiharu bounded over, temporarily forgetting about Takashi, "We barely saw you at the end of semester last year, and then we thought that you'd be gone for a year."

"Hopefully things will be better this year," Sakura replied, "It's good to see you all again."

Just before the bell rang, Sakura saw Eriol strut into the classroom carrying a struggling Tomoyo over his shoulder. Several people snickered. Sakura couldn't tell whether Tomoyo was blushing from embarrassment or because being slung over Eriol's shoulder had made the blood rush to her head.

"Morning Tomoyo," Sakura called out, only to be ignored. She felt disappointed, but was encouraged that Tomoyo had gone from lashing out at her to ignoring her. It seemed like a step in the right direction.

Terada-sensei followed Eriol and Tomoyo in, sparing a not-well-concealed smile for Rika who blushed. The relationship between the two was obvious to pretty much everyone, but they still had to avoid any impropriety for the sake of his job, at least for one more year.

"Good morning everyone," Terada said, glancing around the room, "It's good to see you all again. The first thing I'd like to do today is introduce the new students who will be joining us this year. You all probably remember Sakura. Though she transferred out at the end of last year, she's back for another year with us. As for students who are actually new, the first you already see here. The young man carrying your classmate here is Hiiragizawa Eriol. Please introduce yourself."

"It is good to be here. Please call me Eriol. I am from England where it is customary to call people by their given names. I am here, not just for school as you can see." Eriol finally put Tomoyo down, ignoring the scowl she was giving him, "I was hired to protect this lovely lady as her main bodyguard, so please be on your best behavior, even if she isn't." When she tried to elbow him for his comment, he caught her arm, "Well shall we sit down? I see there's a pair of seats right over there."

Eriol dragged Tomoyo to a pair of desks second from the back and a row away from the windows, forcing Tomoyo to sit within arm's reach of Sakura's desk.

"Let me go," She hissed, "There's another seat over there." Eriol pushed her firmly down into the seat he had chosen for her.

"I'm sorry, but for your safety, I must remain by your side at all times," Eriol replied with mock seriousness, "We wouldn't want any more of my careful planning to go to waste."

"I couldn't care less about your planning."

"The sooner you get used to this, the sooner you'll start enjoying yourself," Eriol whispered, "Besides, you know what happened last time I changed my plans."

Tomoyo froze in shock, remembering the conversation from the martial arts tournament. Before Tomoyo could think of a scathing reply, the teacher began talking again.

"Our other new student is called Rusaki Akila. Some of you may remember her brother who died in an accident last year. We are especially glad to have her join our class because she has skipped two grades."

The door opened and Akila entered, smiling directly at Syaoran.

"Please welcome her to our class," Terada said.

"Hello, as you have already heard, my name is Rusaki Akila. I am here to take Syaoran away from Sakura because I am stronger, smarter, and simply more qualified to be the next head of the Li family than she is," She stated directly. The room went deathly quiet.

Sakura took Syaoran's hand in her own and squeezed it.

"Well she's honest at least," Syaoran said, easily heard over the silence of the rest of the class. The tension dissipated slightly and hushed whispers were exchanged.

"Please take a seat." Terada said. Even he seemed put off by the strange introduction.

Luckily for Sakura and Syaoran, the only available seat was half way across the classroom.

Surprisingly, despite the various sources of tension, the morning seemed to go by rather peacefully. Tomoyo and Eriol would occasionally bicker when Eriol tried to 'help' Tomoyo with her work, but overall the class was civil. It was on the way to lunch that the first incident occurred. As Sakura and Syaoran were leaving the classroom, they had to pass by Akila who was highlighting her notes from class.

In a moment when Sakura's eyes glanced away, Syaoran felt a hand dip into his pocket for a moment. His head whipped around to look at Akila. She smiled at him and continued working.

"Something wrong?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran put his hand into his pocket and felt two small rounded objects. He shrugged and continued walking.

"I need to go to the washroom," Syaoran said, breaking away from Sakura.

"Okay, but please hurry up. I was so worried that I didn't eat much this morning."

"I'll be back in a minute." He pushed through the door and then headed into the first stall. He took out the objects in his pocket. It was two oblong pills, mostly white with brown specks. He glanced at the pills and then the toilet. He stood there for several seconds before he finally popped the pills into his mouth then flushed the toilet.

After washing his hands, Syaoran returned to Sakura. Akila was standing outside the classroom door, leaning against the wall. When he looked at her, she mimed taking a pill and then blew him a kiss before walking away down the hallway. Sakura had not seen what Akila had done, but noticed the odd, vacant look on Syaoran's face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"I guess coming to school was a little harder on me than we expected." He glanced down at the ground, trying to hide his shame.

"Let's go out to eat then," Sakura suggested.

Tomoyo watched enviously as Sakura and Syaoran walked off of the school property. Eriol had forced her to join him for lunch, saying that it was his duty to keep an eye on her. To be fair, the food he had prepared looked delicious, but Tomyo was loathe to give him the satisfaction of making her eat it.

"I didn't go to the trouble of making food so that you could just drool on it," Eriol remarked.

"You know that in some cultures, drooling on food is a compliment to the chef." Takashi announced as he approached them, in imminent danger of being attacked by Chiharu.

"Of course," Eriol replied before Chiharu could strangle Takashi, "I do appreciate the compliment, but the people of those countries tend to get ritual tongue piercings. It helps them to produce saliva to use when thanking the chef. Personally, I don't think that would look very flattering on Tomoyo."

"How about it Chiharu, do you want a tongue piercing? I think it would look hot."

"I'll pierce something alright," she replied with a glare, "And don't you dare encourage his lies, especially around Sakura and Syaoran. Those two are just too gullible."

"Nice to meet you," Takashi said, ignoring Chiharu's outburst, "I'm Yamazaki Takashi." He held out his hand. Eriol cordially shook it.

"Hiiragizawa Eriol. I am sure that we will get along well," He returned the greeting congenially.

Takashi turned toward Tomoyo and held open his arms as if he were expecting a hug. When no reaction was forthcoming, he sighed and said, "I don't see a friend for two months, and this is how I'm greeted? No love?"

"No hugs allowed, actually," Eriol said, "You might damage her ability to brood, and as her bodyguard, I can't allow that."

"And neither can I," Chiharu said, shooting another glare at her boyfriend.

Tomoyo sighed and picked up a sandwich. After all, it was better to at least get some gourmet food out of being forced to spend time with Eriol than nothing at all. He had even cut the crusts off.

After lunch, Syaoran discovered that more pills had been left, hidden in a fold of paper, on his desk. He palmed them as discreetly as he could and leaned his face on his hand. No one seemed to notice the minor deception, except for Akila who smirked at him, then turned to pay attention to the teacher.

Syaoran blinked his eyes when the classroom began to look warped. All of a sudden, he found himself lying huddled on the floor.

"Syaoran!" Sakura exclaimed, jumping from her seat and kneeling over him. The teacher approached as well and Syaoran sat up.

"Sorry for the disturbance," he muttered, "The last few days were difficult and I'm still a little tired." He avoided eye contact, sure that his deception would be noticed if either the teacher or Sakura got a good look.

"Go lie down in the nurses office," the teacher told Syaoran. Syaoran nodded quickly and walked unsteadily out of the classroom.

"Sakura, can I talk to you for a moment?" Terada asked when the last bell had rung, "I'm a little concerned for Syaoran, he isn't looking... well."

"Everything is under control, Terada-sensei." Sakura tried to assure him.

"Are you sure? If you need to talk about anything, then please come to me."

"Syaoran's still recovering from what happened last year. We have the best doctors looking after him. Everything will be alright... I hope."

Syaoran stopped outside the classroom as the last bell rang. He had a powerful headache. His head was throbbing like a giant drum, and his hands were beginning to shake. The drugs had been strong initially, but had not lasted long.

Akila came out of the classroom and walked up to him with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Did you like them? It's not exactly what you're used to, but..."

"Are there more?" Syaoran asked.

"Yes, but no more freebies. You want some you have to do something for me."

"What do you want me to do?" Syaoran asked.

"We'll make the first one easy, all you have to do is take it from me, but you're only allowed to use your mouth." Akila took a pill out and placed it on her tongue.

Syaoran glared at her and she just smirked as she waited for him to make a decision.

Sakura was shocked at what she saw the moment she left the classroom. Syaoran leaned over and kissed Akila.