Chapter 15 - What's wrong with Chrys?

Slowly she awoke.

"What-t?" she managed to splutter before the nurse shushed her. Blurred conversation could be heard, but she couldn't tell who was talking or were they were talking from. When memories of her team mates leaving on a mission without her returned, she made yet another attempt at talking. But it just came out as a moan and was ignored by the several people that seemed to be standing in the room. It was almost as if they were having some sort of conference.

"Hmm, it appears as if something has poisoned her.." she managed to translate one of the nurses' distant voices. Poisoned? When could that have happned?

"I've never seen anything like it!" Another exclamed.

Breathless and tired from clambering down the enormous mountain, all they wanted to do was rest, although they all strove on to the hospital. The double doors were gently guided open as the three staggered in after the hard completion of their latest acheivement.

"Hello there, can I help you?" A kind receptionist elegantly walked over.

"Yes, we came to visit a patient. Also, my friend Ichigo's arm has been severed by our last opponent." Fudo attempted to sound intelligent.

"Hmm, let me see your friend's arm." She said almost judgementally. Ichigo stepped forward and feebley held out his bloody wound.

"That looks quite bad. I'll see if any of the nurses are available. You see their discussing something rather important through in room 169."

"169... That's Chrys' room!" Nova exclamed.

"Has something bad happened?" Fudo joined.

"Oww, my arm!" Ichigo complained.

"That's your friend?" the shocked nurse enquired, leading the injured Ichigo to a hospital room. "Hard luck... They're saying there may not be much they can do."

"What?!" Fudo yelled furiously as the four entered a room, where Ichigo was asked to sit down on the bed.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing much I can do either."
"Let us visit her!"

"I'm not sure I'll be allowed, but I can definately check." She calmly replied, wrapping the remainder of Ichigo's bandages around his arm.

The celestial mage began to get worried. What if she'd been out for a while? What if they weren't coming back? The faded converation could still be heard from within the room, which slightly stressed her out. As if there wasn't enough going on already, there was a sharp knock on the door.

"Excuse me, would it be okay for the patient's friends to visit her?"

"I'm not sure, she's awake, but she seems to be in a daze and unsure what's happening."
"I guess it should be okay. We can always discuss her condition in another room while they're talking to her."

Finnally something she wanted to hear. Well, that's if she hadn't misheard what they were saying. Familier murmering could be heard from behind the door. It was probably one of their stupid little arguments again. What she heard was right! Footsteps could be heard as the convention of nurses cleared out and conferred in another room, whilst the niggling of her commrades got louder and louder as they got closer and closer, until the three of them were soon perched on the stools next to her bed.

"Hello!?" Ichigo shouted in her face. The urge to tell him to shut up was almost overwhelming. The only thing that was stopping her was the fact that she couldn't actually talk proparly.

"Ichigo, be quiet! She's just got up!" Nova yelled. Just as that was said, Chrys' eyes slowly, but surely opened completely to reveal her run-down commrades, all wrapped in blankets.

"H-Hi... Guys..." She almost whispered.

"Hey! I'm soooo glad your'e awake!" Ichigo cried. This time, there was nothing stopping her.

"Urgh... Shut up, Ichigo..." she murmered from under her blanket. "But I guess I'm glad you're here..." she added as she saw tears form near his tear ducts. She decided to blame her moment of affection on the operation.

"We're fine, thanks. And we took down the demon, thanks for asking." Nova lifted her nose.

"You're welcome." She tried to use the same sarcastic tone back but it ended up sounding like a feeble whimper.

"So, do they know what's wrong with youuu?" the light mage somehow managed to sound happy.

"I'm not sure... All I heard was mumbling something about a poison."
"Have you been in contact with anything unusual recently?"

"Not that I know of," It was after that sentence that the pain re-surfaced. She let it build up inside her at first, but let out a piercing scream when it got too much for her.

"It's happening again!" Fudo yelled.

Chrysanthemum couldn't control her breathing, with every inhale came with an agonising stab in the back of her lungs, and with every exhale, more and more black vomit oozed through any availabe gaps between her teath.

"I'll go get a nurse!" Fudo added before sprinting out the room.

"It's going to be alright, I'm here." Ichigo knelt beside her trembling figure and grasped her hand tightly. Soon enough, five nurses burst through the door along with Fudo who was trying to remain cool.

"I think you'd all better leave!" one of the nurses shouted, getting ready for yet another operation. The sting of the needle was the last thing the celestial mage felt before falling back to sleep.

After being shooed out of the room, the three sat in the waiting room, each more concerned than the next.

"I can't take this!" Ichigo sniffled before bursting out into tears. "You guys were my first friends and now one of them is in trouble and I can't help!"

"Erm... It's okay, Ichigo..." Nova awkwardly tried to comfort him as she clung onto Fudo's arm, trying not to let the tears roll down her cheeks.

"Excuse me," Another nurse came running up to them, "Are you patient 169's friends?"
"Yes." Fudo answered.

"We may need your help in analising this sample." she quickly beckoned them to follow her and scurried off into another room. The three soon stood up and entered it. It was like a mini-science lab, the wallpaper completely contrasted with the pale blue colour that was on the other walls of the hospital. In the centre of it was a table, where a microscope and several samples of black vomit were situated. A crowd of nurses shrowded the other areas so there wasn't much else that could be seen. The nurse that showed them all in directed them to the centre of the table and asked them to look down the microscope. Nova was first. She peered down the slender lense and focused it onto the black sludge dwelling at the bottom. At first, it appeared to be nothing more than this, but as she looked closer, particles of magic energy came into view.

"That's wierd..." she commented as she drew back and allowed the other two to take a glance. They also noticed it.

"Can you think of anything this might be linked too?" the nurse asked frantically, "I'm afraid that if we don't find the answer soon, your friend will die."

Panic swept over the three mages, which only caused Ichigo to cry harder.

"Have you got a communication lacrima?" Fudo finnally asked.

"Yes, do you wish to borrow it?"

"Yeah, I need to phone a guild member!"

A shiny blue substance was passed to him and he dialed the number. "Hibiki! Can you hear me?" the dragon slayer yelled into it.

"Yes I can her you! You're shouting at me! Now what's the problem?"

"Chrys is ill and we don't know what to do about it. It's like a magic poison has made it's way into her."

"Hmmm, Where are you?"
"The hospital in Galascia!"
"I can never deny a lady help, I'll be on my way." he ensured before disconnecting.