Okay, more... and I hear there is a hunting party being created... I do suggest joining... I think it is going to be a larf. To the guest reviewer, my rebuttal is at the end. Finally translation time 'Xióng' means bear.
Chapter 17:
The Xiao Long's and Weiss sat in comfort watching some television show. It was some show Ruby offhandedly suggested to Yang a while back. But a phone started to ring causing Summer to groan. She began to look between the people in the room, ready to scold whoever didn't agree to the 'turning their phone on silent' rule.
That was until Yang spoke while standing up, "Mom, it is the house phone." She quickly grabbed the phone as Weiss paused the movie. She wasn't sure who would be calling at ten at night, but figured that they had a good reason. Or Ruby needed a ride back home and couldn't get hold of their normal phones.
"Hello?" Yang asked into the phone as she walked back into the living room to grab the popcorn bowl and quickly back into the kitchen to make more. "Yang? Thank god. Get your parents and get down here."
"Elie? What? Get down where?" Yang asked placing the bowl on the counter. Just in case something terrible happened. Ruby hadn't responded to any of the texts that were sent to check to see if she got to Cinder's in one piece. Nor did she respond to Yang when she asked what that show she mentioned back at the start of November was. Everyone had assumed that Ruby was just asleep or someone pissed her off again and didn't want to respond to anyone.
She could hear some panting coming from the other end of the phone. "Ruby has been in a crash. They just brought her in. She is slightly delirious." Elie got out as Yang barely could brace herself against the counter. "We'll be there as soon as we can." Yang got out as she hung up her phone.
The panic that began to set in as she feebly walked towards the living room. "What did Elie want?" Summer asked, letting out a yawn. She had done far too many late nights for her to stay up this late, but something just felt wrong to her.
"Ruby... she was in a crash... they just brought her in..." Yang spoke softly. She was tempted to smack herself but the fact both her parents were up and already out of the room. "Yang, We are going ahead. Grab her Xióng and Hǎi Tún. Don't be far." Tai yelled back as Summer was already nearly falling over trying to get her shoes on.
Summer slammed into a wall, that she then used to pull her final shoe on. Before anyone could even get out of the room to ask them anything they heard some movement in the bowl filled with the keys and the front door slamming.
Yang walked over to the couch and fell down. She felt a hug as she heard some soft mutterings, as Weiss spoke up, "I'll go get those. Just get ready to leave." Weiss spoke kissing the top of her head.
"I'm fine! Just sore. Now can we stop these annoying ass exams!?" Ruby yelled trying to wave the nurses and doctors off. She felt fine. Some limbs were hard to move, but she was confident enough there was no major bone damage except her broken ankle. "What about the Internal bleeding? You were in that ditch at an awkward angle thrown about ten feet down into it." Elie tried to reason with Ruby who rolled her eyes.
She knew it was just protocol after a crash, but Ruby also knew from personal experience and reading about it in medical dictionaries, she had pieced together what certain traumas felt like. "I'm telling you Elie, I feel fine. There was no damage to my neck... which by the way I need a new helmet now... and at this point, I'm like ninety percent sure I'm fine." Ruby complained as she felt being pushed down once more.
"We need to make sure you are okay. That girl that was with you has already gone into surgery to repair her shattered leg. Now will you come peacefully for a full body scan? Or do I need to drug you. Tai and Summer are on their way, but I would rather have the scans done before that. So which are we going to do?" Elie asked waiting for a response as Ruby attempted crossed to her arms, wincing from her chest contracting.
"I don't want to and you can't make me"
Elie walked closer and smiled, "Tell you what, if I poke your collarbone, and you don't scream in pain, we can wait for your parents. If you do, even wince we go for the scans." Elie offered as Ruby smiled. She knew once she had enough time to brace herself, she would be fine. "Sure."
The doctor reached over and barely touched Ruby's collarbone causing her to bite into cheek to scream. "A deal is a deal, you just didn't want to scream. Nice trick with the biting your cheek, but you now have to go and get the scans." She spoke removing her finger and gestured some nurses to come in.
They begun to whisper between each other. Ruby already knowing that it was probably to get the crap she would have to stomach so they could see her organs. As well as making sure Ruby wouldn't leave. 'Hobble out of one exam and they mark you for life... like yes, it was only a couple of weeks ago but come on.' Ruby thought as she debated whether or not to attempt to rub her collarbone.
The painful throbbing thankfully had subsided quickly. But it was replaced with a dull throb, something akin to if they were pushing the bone down with extreme force, but intentionally not enough to cause the bone to break.
Deciding it wasn't worth it she leaned back, desperately praying the urge to cough was imaginary. She had learned since she was fading in and out of consciousness that coughing which already hurt her, hurt infinitely more.
She closed her eyes and tried to calm the urge to cough with simply controlling her breathing, something that seemed harder and harder. Added with her constant worrying about Cinder right now, and the pain her ankle was in... she was in pain central.
'I hope Cinder is okay... I don't think she has regained consciousness. But to be fair, she did hit her head hard...'
"Ruby, can you keep your eyes open? You may have some brain damage as well. Helmets can only protect so much." Elie asked sticking her head back into the room.
"I'm in too much pain to fall asleep. And I'm not sure if I've pissed some deity off or what... but again... a lot of pain." Ruby spoke opening her eyes to see a nurse walking in with a small paper cup.
"Once we make sure there isn't anything wrong with your spine or blood, we will give you something for that. Don't want to give you any permanent damage." Elie continued as Ruby took the cup and swallowed the liquid inside.
She made a face of disgust as she felt the liquid travel into her gullet. She had never gotten used to swallowing that revolting thing. "Fine... now can we get this out of the way? We all know I hate being in this white walled hell." Ruby asked as a wheelchair was brought in and she was helped into it.
Just as a nurse began to push Ruby down the hall, a smile gracing her lips as she saw her parents running down the corridor to meet her. "I'll explain later... getting scanned... apparently getting flung into a ditch after a crash is bad... or something." Ruby joked as summer pushed the nurse out of the way and began to push Ruby to follow her friend.
"Or you can give me the bullet points now. I would like to know how you got into a crash this time." Summer demanded as Ruby pouted more. 'Crash one car intentionally... and they type cast you for life.'
"Some prick clipped Cinder causing us to crash. We weren't even going that fast when it happened... thinking prick may also be too good of a term. Didn't even have headlights on. I'm more worried about Cinder... she took more of a beating. I just got flung." Ruby spoke, really wanting to cross her arms and pout, but she only needed to make that mistake once a night.
Summer looked down at the back of her daughter's head, noticing some blood tainting her otherwise flawless hair. "I'm more worried about you... so let's make sure you are alright, and if we have time we can worry about her. I'm sure her dad was notified, so let him do the worrying for now."
"Fine mom... where are the rest?"
"On their way. Care if I ask why it took you this long to go get a full body scan?" Summer asked as Ruby began to pout more. "I feel relatively fine. Pretty sure my ankle is broken... maybe a couple of dislocation... but there was no degloving... sorry for wanting others who may need it more than I do."
Summer frowned at her daughter, "Ruby... you don't need to be a martyr. Do you know what symptoms there are of internal bleeding?" Summer asked, stopping her pushing of the wheelchair to stare at her daughter dead in the eyes.
Ruby's pout deepened as silver stared into silver. "I know according to yours and dad's medical text books there are none... and due to the fact I was flung a fair bit I'm at higher risks... but I also know that the damned dye tastes terrible."
Summer began to chuckle at Ruby. "It isn't meant to taste good. It is meant to make it so we can see your circulatory system easier. It is just because you are awake it is a lot easier on your body if you ingest it. We give the same thing to children if we need to."
"Doesn't mean it doesn't suck... and if you get the chance... can you check on Cinder... as far as I've been told, she is yet to come to... and I'm worried. All Elie told me was she is in surgery. Apparently the motorcycle slammed down onto her leg." Ruby asked as Summer smiled, walking around again and began to push the chair once more.
"Promise me, you won't fight the staff this time and I'll get your dad to check."
The deal seemed almost too good to Ruby. But instead of looking the gift horse in the mouth she decided to let out a groan followed by, "Define 'fighting' because if it means I don't get to be sarcastic... I'm having some trouble agreeing..."
"You know what I mean Little Rose." Summer scolded turning the corner. Smiling as Elie held the door open. "Fine mom. I agree, but I'm going to be even more sarcastic while I'm in pain." Ruby countered as she was helped onto the small pseudo moveable bed.
She laid down and closed her eyes. She rested her arms next to her as she heard the radiologist begin the mandatory speech before the machine is turned on. She felt the bed like platform move back into the mouth of the mechanical beast.
She already felt like she made a deal with the devil but knew like all deals with the devil, it would pay off for her really. Once she heard the large machine begin to work, she began to hum to try and pass the time. She figured it would also help her stay awake.
"Ruby... can you stop humming? We won't be much longer."
"Just so very bored... also have I mentioned recently how much pain I'm in? Plus I think I may get sick..."
"Well if you feel any more nauseous, give us a sign and we'll get you out of there."
Ruby began to laugh when she began to wince at the pain. "Ow... and this isn't my first CAT scan... not even my first one this year."
Ruby smiled as Yang tossed her a small red and black stuffed bear. 'Xióng... what are you doing here? I shouldn't be here that long.' Ruby thought as she hugged the bear tightly to her chest. She was slightly pissed that Yang and Weiss had been staring at her in the chair.
Weiss held the blue dolphin out that Ruby took. "You look remarkably okay..." Weiss spoke as Ruby frowned. She had no idea why Weiss concern felt fake to her. "I'm in a lot of pain... they won't give me anything to numb the pain right now because they are waiting for an MRI room to free up... something about some crap on the CAT scan seemed off. I'm call bullshit."
Summer flicked the back off Ruby's head. "We are just being sure. It is only an extra ten minutes. Don't want you to accidentally get spinal damage, or thin your blood with the wrong painkillers to cause a problem where there was none, or a bunch of other things. Better be sure." Summer spoke as she pushed Ruby to Yang who took over.
Ruby began to lightly held out one of the bear's arms as she batted the same arm with a finger. 'Welp, looks like we are in for another long one. I hope you both don't mind... I may need to separate you two... I don't want Cinder to get lonely...' Ruby thought to herself, as she leaned back and tried really hard to suppress the urge to cough.
A fight she lost, one that caused her untold pain. As she pulled back, she frowned. It had been the one time Ruby expected blood to be inside the crook of her elbow but all that stared back was her rather clean elbow. She had no idea why this had been the one time as of late that she didn't cough blood.
She frowned as she felt the slightest of smiles from Weiss. "Well, I hope that is at least a good sign... it is after all the first time since I knew that I haven't seen blood." Weiss tried to joke as Ruby rolled her eyes, and began to stare into the plastic that made her stuffed animals eyes.
'Sorry Hǎi Tún... but Xióng was here first... but Xióng kinda would make Cinder smile more... and make it seem less daunting. She isn't used to hospitals like I am.'
Weiss frowned as Ruby didn't respond. Instead she just stared into the plastic that made up the eyes of the two animals she had always had with her whenever she had seen her friend in the hospital. She looked towards the blonde woman who shrugged.
"Yang, I need to go talk to your dad, and Elie. Your sister is at the room at the end of the hall... next to the room you were in when you broke your hand. You know the one... right?" Summer asked as Yang held up a thumb to signify that she did in fact know about the room her mom was talking about. Summer smiled as she saw her daughters turn the corner.
She frowned at the sheer thought of the glaring image that had been on the monitor when Ruby was getting a CAT scan. The abnormality that had been present was what had been worrying her. It hadn't been larger than the size of her thumbnail, but it was more than enough to warrant her worry.
Summer began to jog down one corridor knowing her husband was down there making good on the other end of Ruby's promise. She hoped that Cinder was at least partially alright, if just so Summer can throttle her for injuring her little rose.
She came to a stop as she saw Tai standing in the room talking to who Summer could assume was Cinder's father. In front of her the woman covered in stitches and bruises. Summer knocked on the door causing the two fathers to stop their conversation midway to look at her.
"Tai, we got something we need to talk about... and get Oncology to take a second look." Summer spoke causing the blonde man to tense up. "Roman was it? We need to get going, if she wakes up please get a doctor, or a nurse. But she should be in the clear once she is awake." Tai spoke quickly as they shook each other's hands.
"Thanks again Doctor Xiao Long... and... Mrs Red..." Roman spoke walking to the newcomer and grabbed her hand. "It is Rose, also Doctor... but I'm so sorry to cut this short, I just need to get a second opinion on some scans."
"Sorry, you just look a lot like someone I know..." Roman spoke rubbing the back of his neck, hoping to make this go by as fast as possible.
Summer frowned as this conversation was going on longer than she had wanted. She wanted someone to tell her she was wrong. She wanted the what she saw on the scans to be wrong. Hence why she demanded the MRI. If it appeared there, then she knew she was right.
Tai sensing something involving their daughter was the cause to her appearance, nodded towards the red haired father and followed his wife out of the room. He was brought behind the counter in an open room. He was curious as to why he was being brought into the nurse station, but assume it meant something.
"Excuse us for a second," Summer asked as she quickly brought up a file and scrolled down to the part that was causing her concern. "Look at that scan of Ruby's brain... please tell me I'm just seeing things..."
Tai's heart froze when he saw what he assumed was causing Summer to worry. "This has to be wrong... something has to be up with the machine... she gets scans almost every couple of months... granted the last one was August, but that still would have shown up."
Summer frowned as the nurses had gathered around. The ones who were close enough to the family knew how devastating this looked. "I already placed her a time slot for the MRI and sent Jim a copy... even sent one to her first Oncologist... but we won't know for another hour... and even then."
A pair of arms wrapped around Summer and held her tight. Neither wanted to even entertain this idea. Even though it was the source of many nightmares of theirs, they had always pushed the idea as far back as they could. But what they were staring at now, the small growth that really could have been many different things, even down to a stray glitch in the transfer of data from the machine to the computer terminal. It could have been a loose wire causing this worry, the only way to know is to not only get an experts opinion and even a second image from a different machine.
"It is going to be okay Summer... this is all a massive mistake. We would have noticed any sign of her getting worse... and if her chemo got any more aggressive, it would have killed her... any weaker and she wasn't responding. So this has to be a mistake." Tai spoke rubbing Summer's back hoping it would soothe her.
Ruby winced again as she coughed once more. She was in pain. Slightly cranky, and her sister constantly flicking through her chart trying to show Weiss how it was meant to be read. "Dear god Ruby... how are you not screaming in agony? It seems like you have broken bones everywhere." Weiss asked as Ruby groaned.
"What do you think I've been doing? It is either complain, or start screaming... I'm not even allowed to huff the gas oxygen combination. Something about it will mess with my blood too much right now... all I know is if I'm not on painkillers soon, I'm going to kill someone." Ruby managed between the sharp sting of pain in her leg as she pulled herself up a little more.
"I'd say get some sleep... but according to this, you may have a concussion... so that is out... can't take pain killers... damn... I think this is really karma... but at least it seems like your end of karma is fulfilled. so... up hill from here." Yang joked as Ruby held up a middle finger to her.
Weiss almost laughed at Ruby and Yang. They way the sisters interacted so casually, but didn't when Ruby began to laugh, laughter that was almost immediately stopped when she let out a pained scream. Only slightly being stifled by her biting her lip. "It hurts to laugh... and breathe... and cough... pretty much anything humans do. And how much longer is it going to take to get a freaking MRI... I need to either use something to kill the pain, or I need someone to kill me."
Yang grabbed the pillow Ruby had been using and began to drift it over Ruby's face. Only stopping when they heard a throat clear, Yang craned her neck to see her parents standing in the doorway. "I know this looks bad... but she literally asked for it." Yang joked as she dropped the pillow and taking her seat she once occupied.
Weiss shook her head as she held the chart Yang had given her to Tai who quickly took a look at it before placing it just at the base of his daughter's bed. "Where is your Nǎinai?" Summer asked as Ruby groaned sitting up a little so her mother could place the pillow she picked up behind her. "She said she couldn't stand to see me or Rubes in hospital... and instead wanted to stay back. I'm sure we won't be here all night... well Rubes may be... and one of you... but other than that? We'll be home." Yang shrugged as Ruby began to cough once more.
She wasn't sure if it was because her shoulder hurt, or if she just didn't notice from the pain in her chest, but she didn't cover her mouth. She felt the blood and saliva leave her mouth and hit the gown she was wearing.
She felt some concern from the people in the room. Weiss and Yang both weren't sure if it was from internal damages, but knew from Ruby's wheezing that it was painful. Ruby closed her eyes as she tried to regain some semblance of a naturally painless feeling in her chest.
She felt her bed dip next to her and felt a cloth dab against her lips, wiping away what blood the person could. "Yang, go with Weiss back to our house... or hers. Your mother and I want to make sure Ruby is well looked after, as well as make sure Cinder is well enough... can't strangle a dead person for nearly killing Ruby." Tai spoke as he took the tissue he was using to wipe Ruby's mouth away and held onto it, just so he can throw it away in the proper garbage bin.
"It wasn't Cinder's fault. She got clipped and the guy drove off. If anything she is a safer driver than Weiss." Ruby spoke opening her eyes once she felt most of the pain subside. "But that aside, I agree with dad, it is late, go home. Tell Nǎinai I'm alright." Ruby spoke laying back down to try and ease any remaining pain.
"I'll go if mom and dad promise not to fight. I don't want you to worry about that as well." Yang declared as Ruby just closed her eyes once more. "Yang, they promise. If they start, I'll send one to go check on Cinder... speaking of which, how is she?" Ruby asked, hoping her amber eyed girlfriend was alright.
Tai smiled at his daughter's unshakeable determination to always put herself second when it came to another person's well being. "Well she isn't awake yet, but she was under anaesthetic as they were resetting her left leg. So she'll probably be up in a few hours, in pain, but awake."
"Xièxiè bàba, māmā"
Author's Note:
Quick edit, snack then rest... followed by waking up and getting another chapter started.
Now onto the guest reviewer, one Tai did not take most of the blame, nor did Summer, neither were in the right. All Tai did was not hide behind some word manipulation which Summer kind of did. So if anything she is worse. Two, there has been other male characters, such as the girls' teachers, Ren and Jaune, and what child trusts and likes their parents at the same time when they are teenagers. It is either one or the other. Teenagers don't know or don't understand they kind of suffering parents go through to give them what they want. Thirdly, if I wanted the story to go longer, I wouldn't have done a cop out and made some long subarc about them trying to get their grandmother's approval. But from a statistical standpoint, women are more neutering and more willing to change to keep their kin happy. So claiming that it is only males causing them problems is off base, their problems are self imposed predominantly. Finally, no, it is only the first one. The first crash in the story was as some people do, an intentional crash. The risk to themselves is minimal at worst. So if you want to act like you know my own story better than me, by all means continue to rant, but that crash served a purpose.