Ohayou! This is Frau,
special thanks to my beta-chan, Blackfang64-chan~ who take efforts and precious time to proofread my fic.
Also, sorry to all reader that this chapter takes time to post. Many things happen and I some kind having author mind block and many many events happened. In the process of writing this fic, I'm having lots of problem recalling back all the feeling I have when i was hospitalised, when I first meet Yaa-chan, and when I was in emergency room. All those feeling seems so distance now that I am happy. thats where my problem come because these chapter need all those feeling to expanded the story line.
therefore, happy reading minna-san!
"With you, there is no past, only future"
-Shuu
Chapter 8 - Return
Beep...beep...beep...
Natsuki could barely registered the unfamiliar sound around her. Trying to raise her arm, it felt strangely painful and restrained. Groaning deeply in her mind, she tried to open her eyes, only to be met with a white ceiling absent from the bright light. Blinking again to clear the blurry vision, she inhaled slowly. Something was attached to her face, more accurately in her mouth as she coughed fiercely. She could feel a surge of pain in her chest.
What the... what happened to me? Where am I?
Suddenly she felt a small sting on her left arm. Ouch! She grimace, yet no word could escape from her.
Turning her head to the side, she could trace a silhoutte outline of someone. Again blinking, she still tried to trace the figure in front of her.
"Sleep...you need to rest" with the calm voice from the silhoutte, her vision turn to darkness again.
Chirp...chirp...chirp...
A smooth and calming wind blew across her cheek, an eerie chill awoke her senses from her slumber. Slowly she opened her eyes, regretting the decision afterward as the lights were too bright and blinding her. She felt her head splitting in two from the pain and ringing in her ears. "Urgggggghhhh!" a hoarse voice emerge from her.
"Pfttt... Ara..." a faint voice came from beside her.
"..."
"Wait, ne." the voice cooed softly.
Under the close eyelid, she could see the room dimmed a little as the curtain was being drawn. Again, trying her luck, she opened her eyes slowly this time, afraid of getting the same brightness attack. Her vision was still blurry, blinking a few times to clear them.
"Ohayou..." the same voice greet with a more cheerful tilting tone.
... hurmm...
Natsuki was trying to process her surroundings as her vision slowly became clearer.
"Ara...no answer, ne.." that voice mockingly said to her, obviously the person was enjoying teasing her.
Hmmm...Who the hell is disturbing me now? I'm in no mood to play around. She grumbled in her mind.
She felt something shuffling next to her, only to then be greeted by something cold and smooth touching her face. Not long after, a face came into view. Red eyes.
"O...ha...you...Nat..su...ki..." this time the devil dare to close the distance and greet her in such a tempting tone.
"...?" Ohayou? Natsuki?
1...
2...
3... minutes went by.
"Ei...eiyaaaaakk...uhuk..uhuk..." her shriek cut short by a cough. Painfully, she grab her chest.
"Ma..ma...calm down.." a hand came to reach her but she slapped it aside. I can manage this myself. She wince.
Still, those soft hands masagged her back as Natsuki sat herself up in a sitting position. A cup of water came into view as she was quick to reach for it, slowly she drank unaware of the person next to her and the hand that was holding it.
"eer..A..arigatou...anoo" raising her head, she was now facing the other person in the room. "...fuKK..." her eyes widen at the mystery person as no words were coming off her tongue.
"Welcome..." the other person smile sweetly. "You can call me Shizuru or Dr. Fujino since nobody has called me with the abbreviation form 'FuKK' before. And if i didn't know any better, it sounds like its... strangely provoking something"
Eyes twitching. That's because its YOU who's again disturbing me.
"Let see...hmmmm..." the said doctor now putting a stethoscope ready for checking her. "Breath in..." she asked, her hand reaching for Natsuki's chest.
"W-where the hell are you touching me!?" she question her doctor, a slight blush arising on her cheeks.
"Where? On your chest of course." the doctor said indefferently.
"But..." Natsuki's brow twitched, felt as though she was ready to break the Doctor's hand any second now.
"What...? I am a doctor... so I know what I'm doing. Now breath in..." the doctor just nonchalantly ignored the cobalt haired girl's discomfort.
"I know you're a doctor..." Natsuki's tone now lower than her ordinary conversation level. She could feel the heat rising to her head and she could swear by now her face was drenched in a crimson colour.
"Ara..Ookini.."
"But I've also seen a doctor checking on a patient's breathing, so I know how the process goes." now her tone was slowly rising, almost sounding more treatening.
"Hai..hai..." again the doctor answered nonchalantly
"But... Dr. Fujino-san..." that ticked her patience.
"Nani?" the doctor just raised her left brow questioning like nothing she had done is wrong.
"Its look to me more like you're... molesting me!" this time Natsuki raised her voice while pointing to a hand that was obviously plastering on her breast
"Tehee... gomen ne... I was just... appreciating the softness of God's creation. Nothing else"
"LIKE HELL YOU ARE, WOMAN!" now Natsuki was pointing accusingly at her doctor's forehead but her hand was pushed aside calmly.
"Ma..ma... Now breath in... I need to record your health today."
"Hmpppffft..." Natsuki tightly locked her arms around her chest, guarding them from her obvious molester.
Knowing that Natsuki will not move from her stance, she decided to skip the process and clip the pulse oximeter to Natsuki's fingertip. Fortunately it will serve the same purpose for now, placing the stethostope in her pocket, she started writing the patient status on the medical card.
"Natsuki..."
"Didn't I told you to call me Kuga-sensei" Natsuki sneered.
"Hai, hai... Kuga-sensei. It seem like you're fine today. You can have a proper solid meal and I can now detached the IV from you."
"What happened to me?" Natsuki look seriously at her doctor.
"You don't remember?"
It took long for her to think and remember back on what had happened. For all she remembers, she was in her office finishing her work, and then she was ready to leave when suddenly...
"...Another attack." she said slowly. Sadness was evidence in her tone.
"Yes." her doctor stated in matter of factly.
"How did... I get here?" she look at her doctor.
It took some time for the doctor to answer. "You called me..."
"I... called you?"
"Yes... you called me. Although you didn't say a word, I received a call from you and... using a GPS tracking to find your location to find you."
"..."
"When I reached your office... you were already unconscious."
"..." Natsuki glanced at the IV attach to her arm. "Doctor... why?"
"Why what?"
"Why am I in this condition?"
"Thats..." the doctor sigh. "Natsuki... I deeply appologize. I can't give you the answer for now. For the last five days..."
Her eyes widen as Natsuki abrubtly faced her doctor "Five days? What do you mean five days?"
"You have been asleep for five days." again the room fell into silence before Shizuru decided to continue. "I have been trying all I can, from MRI, blood tests everything... yet... I can't figure it out."
"What!? Haven't you ask any other doctors or professionals about this?"
"Unfortunately, my mentor, the professional is not here. I wish she was here now. And right now, I am the second in charge of this special case unit. So, that makes me the referred person, not the other way around " reaching for Natsuki's hand, she hold firmly. "Gaman ne, I will do my best to save you..." with those said words, green eyes turned to face red orbs. There was a hope flickered in those eyes.
"Believe in me... Natsuki." for now, Natsuki just absentmindly disregard the changed in their calling name. Natsuki was speechless on her doctor's passion to save her. Those fierry red eyes that bore into her, strangely burning her heart and drowning her as if consuming her very soul. Inhaling deeply, she could feel her face burning up from the interaction.
...
Its been a week since Doctor Fujino came to check on her. Today she got a visit from the other doctor, making her wondering where the hell was Doctor Fujino. She had promised her that she will be trying her best to cure her, and yet... she was absent for a week already. She had asked the other doctor, but all they said is was taking a vacation for personal reasons.
After all those promises she gave to me, she takes a vacation? Such an irresponsible person. Again...
Again and again...
People...betrayed me...
Again...
I am being abandoned.
Why giveme hope if you want to abandon me afterward.
Why gave me promises when all you do is betray them later.
You are just the same as everybody.
Everybody...
Mom
So called friends
Piers
Peoples around me...
They are all the same...
Fake smiles
Lies
False hopes
Only taking advantage, giving a false hope and empty promises
Leaving and abandoning me when they feel satisfied and relieved by getting rid of their guilt.
Selfish...
She could feel a sting lingering in her eyes and a drop of water fall on the page of the book on her lap, soaking the written words. Book... this is all I got... in the end, this is all I have.
A knock could be heard from the door. She turned her gaze towards the door and wipe her eyes with her pajama's sleeve. Without being welcomed, the door open and another unfamiliar doctor walked into the room.
"Hello, Kuga...errrmmmmm..." the doctor reached for her file, flapping it open "...Natsuki...chan"
chan?
She just ignored the doctor and continue reading the book. Sadness, angry and fury was still burning in her heart from her short self thinking about .
Looking briefly at her, the doctor chuckled and continued reading her file. "You are juuuuusstt how she told me."
Whatever... Natsuki ignored the comment, feeling more annoyed.
"But..." the doctor looked again at her much longer this time. Maybe analyzing her. "Yes, you really are something... I could see why my dear apprentice had gone that far to look for me... aaaand... Looks like her heart was blinding her wisdom. Fallen angel... such an unlucky being" the doctor chuckled before she continued to talk to herself. "I am very shocked she couldn't find the so obvious symptom for your illness. aaahhh! Shizuru... you are on your way to disaster road if you continue to refrain yourself. "
At that familiar name, Natsuki abruptly looked at her doctor. "What!?"
"Huh?" her doctor look at her quizically.
"What... did you said earlier?" Natsuki repeated the question.
"Oh... I'm very shocked she couldn't..."
"No... you said... Shizuru.. I mean ?"
"Hmm?" The doctor raise her brow. "Shizuru...yes. I said Shizuru on her way to disaster road if she continue to-" again her patient cut her sentences.
"W...why?"
"Why?..." the doctor continued writing something on her file. "Well, for one thing, she was a talented and good doctor. That is why I'm taking her as my apprentice and raising her to her current position. I believe in her judgement and accuracy in diagnosis...but..." the doctor paused, taking a deep breath.
"But?" Natsuki was impatient to know what has happened to her doctor. Was her doctor.
"You see..." putting down her file, the doctor now taking a seat at the chair next to her. "Kuga-san. I am not as... soft and kind as Shizuru...so.. I will tell you bluntly what is your illness and what you will be going through from now on."
Natsuki swallowed hard, calling some strength before looking straight at the doctor, feeling nervous on what will the doctor tell her. "Tell me"
"Obviously, you have agnogenic myeloid metaplasia. Have you by chance having a little accident or bleeding and then you have them aid yourself as you are too lazy to go to hospital?"
"Hmm... I guess. A few months ago, I was injured when as my knees we're bleeding during exercise"
"That's explain it. You have a bacteria infection and your auto immune system is reacting to that infection, hence producing white cells to fight them. But... I think at that time you also had a fever. That fever is caused by this agnogenic myeloid metaplasia. When your bone marrow is trying to produce white cells to fight of the infection, it ends up in wrong way around. Instead of producing B-cells, it release T-cells and attack on the new cells that react to your bleeding and fever. Each time your body produces new cells, it will attack them, resulting in auto immune reaction like an electric surge. Your body will shut down, hence the unconscious events. Your white cells choose different cells to attacked and does not recognise the bacteria. So your body react to restore the blood cells by storing the cells in your lympomatic system. Thats why the blood count is being effected not so obviously. So we will give you some penicillins shot and medication afterward, that will stop your body from triggering the auto immune reaction from you, in the meantime, I will transfer you to a quarantine room for now. After that, we will still need to find you a donor. Luckily, its still in the early stage, so its just a surgery involving replacing a part of your bone marrow is with what is needed to cure it. The only problem is, finding a bone marrow donor that is compatible with you and here, your file states that you have no family members that I could find to test the compability for donor. That means, we have to find some non related donor, which are less than 50 percent compatible with you. The bad news is, if we couldn't find a donor for you as soon as possible... face it, you will eventually be in a critical stage of the disease. A frequent visit to quarantine room is needed from time to time as I don't want you to have auto immune blackout too much. Are you sure you don't have any blood related family left?"
"Well... I... I do have my mother but, I don't know how to find her."
"Well that is one good step forward. We can move from finding your mother from your civil record and insurance. Can you grant me an access to your civil record?"
"Yes."
"Nice. Well then, I should take my leave." the doctor rose from her seat and walked towards the exit.
"Urmm...doctor.."
"Yes?" at Natsuki's words, she stopped in her track.
"Shi... ..."
"Hmm?"
"Where is ?"
The doctor smiled at the mention of the name. "She's in the lab. Still working her ass finding your illness, where it just takes me a few minutes reading your record to detect them."
"Huh?"
The doctor chuckled. "Right now, that stupid apprentice of mine is blindingly looking for your illness... as soon as she comes back from endless days without rest" As the doctor opened the door she continue again "She even stupidly went as far as going to Egypt to look for me..."
Egypt?