Her heart thrummed. Her chest ached from the organ that was beating so rapidly against her rib cage. The panic-filled voice still echoed a constant in her mind as she drove toward the hospital. The sound rang in her ears as she circled up the multilevel parking garage, looking for an empty space. Background noises, people talking, babies crying, dinging elevator doors, everything reached her in a distorted hum as she headed for the Intensive Care Unit.
As soon as the door opened to her, a shell shocked Minako immediately turned, like she sensed her friend's presence in the room. The fellow blonde jumped from the chair in one jerky movement, almost a twitch, and leapt into Usagi's arms, crying. Maybe if Usagi could remember what tears were in that moment, she would've cried too. Her brain, instead, was shutting down.
"Usagi, I found her. I was just going to bug her, you know, because she was meditating but when I got there," Minako choked on her own words, and could say no more. She trembled against Usagi and sobbed, while she finally realized what had happened. Rei. Something had happened to her best friend. That's when she spotted Yuuichiro, silent, in the chair next to Minako's abandoned one. He sat very still, his face as white as a sheet, and neglected acknowledgement that he knew anyone else was there with him.
"Are you Ms. Tsukino?" Usagi's head turned toward the timid looking girl who addressed her. Though she didn't act it, her white coat indicated her to be the head doctor on call. The red smears across her uniform made Usagi's stomach do a somersault as she nodded. "Rei Hino has you listed as her first emergency contact, so I can update you on her condition."
"Wait," Usagi sputtered. She never knew that Rei had done that. "I have no idea what happened."
"Oh," the doctor appeared even more uncomfortable than before. Minako still sobbed violently against her shoulder, the woman glanced at her, before she began to relay the information as though reading from a particularly boring text book. The blonde thought she didn't feel that detached, but it was the only way she could cope. "Rei Hino was found earlier today with a very violent stab wound in her stomach. By the time the paramedics reached her she was unconscious from blood loss. We've been working on her since. The wound itself is patched up, her condition is stable, but..."
It was the kind of drift off that meant nothing good. The doctor avoided her eyes more than ever. Minako quieted somewhat, probably waiting for the news, for what happened to Rei. Finally the doctor regained professional composure. Usagi wondered why she became a doctor if she knew she couldn't handle this part of the job. "She's in a coma."
Minako emitted a strangled noise before her hands clenched around Usagi even tighter. Yuuichiro didn't move an inch, as though he was so out of it he had heard nothing of what was said. Makoto and Ami exploded through the doors in that second, the last two to arrive. Still the blue-eyed girl did not move an inch. She let Minako cling to her. When her other two friends asked what had happened, she told them in the same fashion she had berated the doctor for.
She couldn't cry. The doctor said she would be able to see her alone, the others following one at a time. Usagi followed the woman down the hallway, past scurrying nurses and beeping machines and endless chaos. She vaguely heard about the dark haired girl being kept in ICU while her wound healed, and if she wasn't out of the coma she would be moved to another floor.
Finally they stopped. Usagi slipped past the doctor, into the room, and let her blue eyes fall on the most painful sight she'd ever seen. The most vivacious, strong-willed woman she ever knew; one Rei Hino and her best friend in the world. That same person lay limply in the hospital bed, her skin pallid, and her face slack and lifeless. It was not the same person at all.
Her feet brought her to the bedside. Fingers reached out slowly to touch her face, to make sure this wasn't an illusion.
"Ms. Tsukino?" Usagi visibly jumped, retracted her hand as though scalded. Her blue eyes fell on the person in the doorway. He was a young man, maybe a few years older than herself, with wildly dark hair and even darker eyes. He smiled politely as he walked to her, extending his hand. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm Detective Arashi, and I'll be heading your case from now on."
Usagi shook his hand numbly as he continued talking. "We believe strongly with these new developments that someone may be after your life. I understand you've moved into an apartment on your own these past few days."
"I have," she was shocked to find her vocal chords still in working order.
"Perhaps you'll agree now that maybe that's not the best idea?" If the objective of this detective was to scare the holy hell out of her, he was doing a great job. The next movement in the room she barely caught, but suddenly she knew someone was standing beside her, and her new detective looked a bit shaken as well.
"Usagi, darling," Yohji smiled down at her in his usual way. The gesture sent a flood of relief through her. Her new detective twisted his face into a frown as he sized up the tall blonde man now presented to him.
"Yohji, dearest," Usagi managed to say, trying to mimic their usually flippancy. She failed, and instead explained, "Um, this is Detective Arashi. He's the lead detective on my case now."
"So I heard." Yohji glanced over the scowling detective and then looked over at the raven haired girl in the bed. A tense silence drifted between them for several moments, until the blonde girl cleared her throat softly. She gathered the attention of the room easily.
"Um, could you both, please," she found herself stumbling over words, a trait unlike herself. The two seemed to understand; the detective left first and Yohji gave her a look she couldn't quite read before he followed. She let it pass, not dwelling, and turned instead to the hospital bed. The silence of the room constricted around her wholly. Not even the machines beeped, they just flashed numbers and stats at her that meant absolutely nothing.
Subconsciously Usagi walked toward the still form of her best friend and fellow senshi. Her fingers brushed lightly against Rei's pale cheek, her oddly peaceful expression. Still silent, she didn't cry. Her body could not react to the deeply cutting emotion that spilled through her.
"I'm so sorry. Forgive me." Usagi imagined if Rei were conscious, she might say, I already have. Yet she wasn't, so the blonde found no comfort.
It took commanding strength and will to walk back through the ICU with her chin up, most that she didn't think she possessed. The nurse took Minako away next, the other blonde mostly composed now, and Usagi approached Yuuichiro. He didn't look at her to begin with, but when she bowed, his dazed eyes seemed to shift toward her. She could hardly tell under his wild brown hair.
"I'm so sorry, Yuuichiro. This is my fault." Her voice wavered, almost crumbled into nothing, but she managed to reel it back. She waited, thinking maybe he would say something. He never did, and she couldn't say anything else.
xXx
"What are you trying to achieve?" Usagi stood at the window of her apartment, letting the silence wrap around her in comfort, a harsh contrast to the chaotic hospital she had been in earlier that day. Her mind still reeled, she tried to force the image of her lifeless friend but it appeared seared into the back of her eyelids. "What have I done to make you hate me?"
It fell that the only solution she could entertain was this; someone she had unknowingly spited now sought revenge, and they knew the best way to get to her. They knew that going after her would do no good, so they went after her loved ones instead. Usagi felt her heart twist in her chest, and thought maybe it was breaking.
"On the contrary," the blonde went completely rigid. Did I just hear that? She kept her blue eyes locked on the glass, her focus wavering between the reflection on the glass and the scenes on the other side of the translucent material.
When she saw the movement behind her, her body automatically jerked. She stared at the empty room behind her, her heart pounding so loud she could hear it echo across the apartment. Her breathing was so labored it might have been junior high again and she just burst into homeroom, late as usual. Her trembling hands felt for the door knob.
In a flash, Usagi slammed the door behind her and took the stairs two at a time. She took no notice of the people that stared as she whipped past them on the sidewalk. Panic gripped her, but she could see her destination now. Her feet nearly skidded over the concrete as she stopped in front of the glass door. The closed sign can't have been flipped more than ten minutes ago, the streets were mostly quiet, but Usagi beat her hand against the glass frantically.
When she spotted the familiar form of Omi appear, and he flicked the lights back on in the shop, the relief flooded her so completely that she burst into tears. The blonde boy rushed to the door and opened it for her. With no more strength to hold her legs up, she fell forward. Omi caught her, with more strength than he appeared to posses, and hauled her back to her feet with relative ease.
Usagi leaned against him, sobbing, hysterical. Some part of her remained sane, wanted her to pull her emotions together, but the other part won over easily. She trembled and shook all over while Omi relocked the door, and then turned back to her. His normally kind face was twisted into a frown as he supported her weight, leading her over to the table she normally made her arrangements at and sat her down.
"Usagi, what's wrong?" The blonde wrapped her arms around her torso, trying desperately to control her shivering. Her teeth chattered as though she were cold, tears still squeezed from the corners of her eyes. Ken arrived at the top of the stairs to ask Omi what was up. He spotted the frenzied blonde then, with Omi knelt in front of her trying his best to calm her down.
The brunette crossed the room to Usagi, pulled her from the chair, and put his arms around her, saying, "Usagi, calm down. You're safe."
When he said this, she believed him. No one could get to her here, now. Her tears subsided first, then her trembling, until she managed to get her breathing steady. Ken released her, though he remained close, still concerned. "What happened?"
"He was there, in my apartment." She heard herself say. The fear came back to her, but she wavered with doubt. Wasn't he? Am I going crazy? What if I imagined it?
"Who was, Usagi?" Omi asked this time. He seemed to have drawn closer to her as well, his hand placed on her arm to grab her attention. She kept spacing out. Tangling her fingers in her hair, she focused on the question.
"The killer. He was in my apartment." Ken and Omi shared a look. God, I am crazy and they know it. She massaged her temples, trying to dispel the oncoming migraine. Then she reached for her pocket, where her cell phone rested, "I need to call the police, that detective."
They both agreed with her. She was put through to Detective Arashi, who she'd met that morning in Rei's Hospital room. As she relayed the details of what happened, her stomach did flip flops inside of her. He's probably long gone by now. I must look insane.
She flipped the phone closed, aware of Ken and Omi still looking at her. It was Omi who spoke first, "Usagi, I think you should stay with us. It's too dangerous to be by yourself with all of this happening."
The way he spoke, slow and deliberate, told Usagi he was choosing his words carefully. She bit her lip as Ken nodded his assent. "Omi is right. You'll be safe here."
"I don't think I should," the blonde responded, her voice just above a whisper. She kept her blue eyes on the floor. "I mean, you're probably in danger already, and staying here would just make it worse." As an afterthought, she added softly, "Everyone is in danger because of me."
"Hey, we can take care of ourselves." Omi assured, touching her arm again to bring her out of her reverie. "I won't take no for an answer. You can have my room, okay? Please."
Between his pleading eyes and Ken's stubborn frown, she caved. "Alright. Detective Arashi said I can't go back tonight anyway while they comb for any evidence he might have left. I'll stay for now."
xXx
He'd followed her.
She was quick, given; easily lived up to her namesake of a rabbit. That made him the wolf, he thought, grinning. He watched the scene unfold with the kittens. Though he didn't exactly relish in the situation, he knew she would be running there. It was only a minor setback, really.
He held the cell phone in his hand, his eye flickering with something anyone might consider maniacal. One finger traced the circle of the camera lens, and he resisted the urge to laugh out loud. His only regret, he wouldn't be able to see her face when she saw what he had in store.
But that couldn't be helped. Everything was running smoothly now. He was slowly breaking her, breaking her halo, ripping off those perfect angel wings. He stared across the street at those eyes, dimming, etched in pain and doubt.
He loved it.
xXx
Usagi stepped from the shower, the steam in the bathroom thick all around her. She'd stood under the torrent of scalding water until it ran cold, until her creamy pale skin shone an angry red. Yet as she wrapped the towel around her, she still didn't feel clean. Wiping at the mirror until she could make out her slightly blurry reflection, she grimaced back at herself.
"What are you turning into, Usagi?" She asked the blonde in the mirror. Her lips puckered in an unrelenting frown, and her eyes echoed nothing but sadness. The opposite of her usual personality, she noted. Whoever this person after her was, he did a great job of tearing her apart.
A noise from the adjoining bedroom brought her mind back to reality. The cell phone she left lying on the nightstand next to Omi's bed emitted its musical tone, alerting her to a message. Still clad in only a towel, she slid the bathroom door open to check for any of the guys, and stepped in the room when she knew the coast was clear.
The small LCD screen flashed merrily at her. She picked up the pink cell phone and flipped it open. One new picture message from Pyro. Usagi felt her hands start to tremble. She remembered the day that Rei went cell phone shopping with her. They both wanted a camera phone; it was the coolest new thing. When they programmed each other's numbers, Rei had typed in Meatball Head, so she had countered with Pyro.
Her head swam with thoughts of Mamoru's phantom voicemail. Maybe this was along the same lines. Maybe she should call her cell phone service provider and ask why this was happening. Her finger hovered over the key to open the message for a moment, before she finally pressed it.
Her free hand slapped over her mouth to muffle the scream that emanated from her throat. Usagi thought she would never get over the image of Rei lying helpless in her hospital bed, but she was terribly wrong. Horrified, she still couldn't look away until her hand snapped the phone shut and she tossed it away from her as though it had burned her.
Her trembling legs managed to get her to the bathroom as she threw up what little she had managed to eat that day. The image floated there, at the front of her mind, of Rei covered in blood, her dead violet eyes turned forcibly toward the camera. She vomited until there was nothing but her own stomach bile left. Then Usagi curled in the corner of the bathroom, crying all the tears that wouldn't come to her before.
xXx
Oh dear. Well you know the next victim. If it's any consolation, she didn't die. At least not yet. Things get a little more intense. What will become of our poor little Usagi? Tune in to find out! Review!
♥SachiNyoko♥