Chapter Thirteen: Rico

Seishou Academy Infirmary, Undisclosed Location, Japan

Rico woke with a shock. She sat up, sweat running down her face and body. She had the same horrible dream again: two people arguing, her "waking up" to find that she had no more body, and Jean telling her she was useless. Thus the first thing she did was to check if her body was there. She removed the blanket and saw she had her limbs. She flexed her feet and toes as well as her arms and fingers. She felt relieved and smiled. Rico hugged the blanket and pillow tighter. She looked at the clothes she was wearing: white scrubs. She noticed she had no underwear. Rico looked around and she figured out she was in the infirmary.

"You're awake, Rico," a voice said. She looked at the source. It was Dr. SK46 and she was smiling, "Do you recognize me?"

"Hai! SK46-sensei."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Hai! In the school infirmary."

"Good, it seems your memory is intact," the doctor said, "you suffered moderate to severe wounds, Rico. Madame Olga explained several things to me and gave me manuals and, uhm, parts, in case of an emergency. So we were able to operate you.

"But we've called your, uhm, house, and informed them of what happened to you. They want you home immediately but we insisted you recover for at least a week. So…your exchange student program will end earlier as scheduled…some people from Italy, including your doctor, will pick you up and perform a follow-up check-up and surgery on your way home. I think that's all you need to know Rico. Do you have questions?"

"How are Funko and the others, sensei?"

"They are fine, Rico. Don't worry about them. All they had were mild to moderate injuries and they recovered fast."

"Can I see them?"

"Are you in a condition to do so?"

"Hai!"

"Well, if you insist…but thirty minutes only, okay? And don't overdo it!" Dr. SK46 walked towards her office. Some minutes later, Funko, Sixteen, and Elle entered the room. Funko dashed towards Rico and embraced her tightly, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Daijobou, Rico?" Funko choked as she fought back tears while asking.

"Hai! Funko-chan! Sorry to make you worry," Rico said while patting Funko's back.

"Yokatta! We were so worried Rico. Demo, I'm glad you're okay already. Uhm, thank you for saving us back there, Rico!"

"It's nothing. I would do it for my friends," Rico beamed widely.

"That was some serious stuff out there, Rico. You really fought well!" Sixteen said. And so the girls talked for some minutes, Rico asking what happened to the other girls and the attackers. Sixteen reported that the attackers' bodies were "disposed of" and the other girls recovered as well, all thanks to Rico. Sixteen also relayed that apparently, the attackers' motive was to kidnap a student from the Seishou and use her for research and as a hostage to get funds. Finally, Elle handed down to Rico (after she came back from leaving the room) her Amati case containing her newly repaired and furnished SVD, CZ-75, and combat knife. Rico became brighter and thanked everyone.

Dr. SK46 finally came and asked them to let Rico rest. Sixteen asked when Rico will be discharged. "From what I saw…tomorrow!" the doctor replied. Funko and the others cheered so loud that the doctor became stern and showed them off.

"Take care and rest well, Rico!" shouted Funko.

"Hai!" Rico called back as she lied down on her bed again.

On Rico's last day…

"It's your last day, Rico," Funko said, her eyes not hiding the sadness. Rico nodded, she was partly sad too. "Too bad we weren't able to throw a party for you…" Funko muttered. Outside, really heavy dark clouds were forming. Thunder was rumbling. A storm was undoubtedly coming.

Sixteen suddenly dashed inside the room. "Rico! A call for you at the SATCOM line! Looks urgent, hayaku!" and so Rico ran. After a few minutes, she was back.

"So, uhm, what was it, Rico?" asked Funko.

Rico smiled, "It was my superior back home. They said a heavy storm was coming up. Their plane cannot leave yet so—"

"which means you have still one day to go!" Sixteen shouted that everyone looked at her. Rico nodded and smiled, "I know! Let's throw a hot pot party tonight! At my place! Hot pots are perfect for cold weather!"

"Yosh! Let's go out later and buy the ingredients!" Funko beamed.

Later that day…

Torrential rain and thunder were pounding outside Sixteen's place. From time to time, lightning also flickered. But the girls were warmly snuggled beside the table in the floor, their feet under it, blankets covering them, and a hot pot boiling in the table.

"Have you eaten hot pot, Rico?" asked Sixteen. Rico shook her head. "Oh, good! It's sooo good! You're lucky Elle is the one cooking, she's a great cook!"

Elle merely blushed as she stirred the beef hot pot. Soon, the food was ready and Elle poured the soup and some beef and vegetables into Rico's and the other's bowl. The others started to eat but Rico just looked at them: she didn't know how to use the chopsticks!

"Whaf's wong Wico? Can'f ufe the chofstif?" asked Sixteen as she chewed the beef. Rico nodded. "Yo! Funko! Why don't you teach her?"

Funko nodded and smile and she dropped placed down her pot and went beside Rico. She grabbed Rico's hand and placed the chopsticks in it. As she held out Rico's hand, Funko blushed.

"Yiee! Funko is enjoying it too much! HAHA!" Sixteen burst into laughter. Elle can't suppress hers either. Funko pouted and shouted, "Shut up! I'm trying to teach Rico!"

And that's what Funko did. Rico failed in getting the beef several times. So Funko held her hand again and guided her until Rico was able to eat.

"How is the taste?" Sixteen asked. Rico swallowed the food and said out loud, "Oishii!Arigatou,Elle, you're a great cook! And arigatou, Funko, for teaching me chopsticks!" Elle blushed and served more food. And they ate, Rico now able to use the chopsticks well. They also talked about tactics and asked Rico about other battle tips.

After some minutes of talking, Sixteen gave Rico a challenge. "Yo! Rico! You seem good at chopsticks already! Let's test it!" Rico nodded. But Funko shook her head. Knowing Sixteen, she knows she is up to no good again. "Okay! Now Rico…I want you…to feed Funko using the sticks!"

Rico bobbed her head and beamed. "No problem!" Funko was starting to protest how embarrassing it would be but Sixteen gave her a shove, "Don't be such a killjoy!"

Rico grabbed a meat and blew it until it was cold enough. She put her other hand at Funko's chin and asked her to open her mouth which she did. Rico gently put the beef inside her mouth and Funko chewed. Funko turned red and started gagging. "Is it hot, Funko?" asked Rico, worried. Funko shook her head wildly, her cheeks red and she swallowed.

"Look at Ms. Ecchi!" teased Sixteen. Funko gave a pout, "Enough already, Sixteen! It's embarrassing!"

"But we only just started! And Rico wants to do it more, right?" Rico nodded and smiled. "See! I know! I'm sure Rico wants to be fed by you too! You take turns feeding each other!" grinned Sixteen maliciously.

"EH?! You! You pervert!" Funko protested. But Rico was already holding her chin and the chopsticks holding the vegetables were on their way. Funko ate them. After that, she fed Rico using her chopsticks. Rico ate happily. All the while, Funko blushed. Sixteen took out her camera and recorded the scene. After the food was finished, Funko fell on her back.

"You really are an old pervert, Sixteen! Dirty old pervert!" Funko shouted.

"But you enjoyed it, didn't you? Just like when you kissed Rico!" at the mention of that, Funko sat up straight and turned red again. "You remember that, didn't you, Rico?"

"Hai!" Rico replied innocently, still smiling widely.

"Has anyone kissed you, Rico?" Sixteen asked. Rico shook her head. "Oh! You're first kiss then! Naughty Funko stole Rico's virgin lips! HAHAHA!" Sixteen was literally thumping her fist in the ground while laughing. Even Elle couldn't stifle her laugh and started giggling.

"Why you!" Funko griped as she threw a pillow at Sixteen who dodged it. Sixteen threw it back and hit Funko squarely in the face.

"So how did you feel back then, Rico? How was your first kiss?" Sixteen continued the questioning, dodging Funko's pillows and ignoring her objections.

"Uhm, it was…strange! I've never felt anything like it!" at the beginning of Rico's response, even Funko fell quiet and listened, "even though I was confused and crying because of panic…Funko's kiss calmed me…it was so good and gentle…yet it made my heartbeat rise really fast! So fast! And it made me warm and fuzzy all over…I really like Funko's lips!"

"WOOHOO! It must be love!" chuckled Sixteen out loud. Elle bowed her head and clapped. Funko was getting redder and redder by the moment. Then Funko asked, "So you aren't angry that I kissed you suddenly? I…I just saw how panicked you were and I felt sorry…and I was really grateful you saved me…I wanted to do something to comfort you and that's what I suddenly did…" Funko stammered and stuttered.

Rico put her finger in Funko's lips to quiet her down. Then she shook her head. "I am not angry, Funko-chan! In fact, thank you for the kiss! It made me feel better!" and then, Rico hugged her. Funko even got redder.

"You know what, Rico? It's disrespectful not to return a kiss!" Sixteen chortled but stopped herself, "Really, it is! You should return it! It's only good manners!"

Funko pushed Rico away and shouted, "NO! Don't listen to her! She's lying! There's no such thing! You couldn't…shouldn't!"

But Rico was already looking clueless, as if thinking. Sixteen readied her camera. "Even if there was no such thing…I would really want to thank Funko and return what she did…after all, I love Funko!" Without warning, Rico kissed Funko tenderly, her lips pressed tight against Funko's. Before Funko knew it, she felt some sort of "kick" inside her and she realized her hammer just fired! And what a fire it was!

After ten seconds, Rico pulled away from Funko. She was redder than she ever was in her life and a dreamy and oblivious look filled her eyes. Finally, she shrieked, "AIIIEEEE!" before she fell to the floor.

Sixteen kept on cackling and Elle was giggling so hard. Meanwhile, Rico regarded everywhere with an innocent and clueless stare. All she could say was, "Eh?"

The next day, the storm cleared already and a JASDF Sea Dragon was already parked and waiting in the Seishou Helipads. Inside it, Rico saw Doctors Giliani and Donato as well as Olga. But it wasn't the Russian who went to fetch her, rather it was the cheery Priscilla.

"Wow! What cute girls! Are they your friends, Rico?" Priscilla exclaimed. Rico nodded. Upon mentioning that they were cute, the girls blushed. Elle bowed, Sixteen scratched her head, and Funko gave an uncertain smile. "Everyone, thank you for being good friends to Rico!"

Funko shook her head, "Uhm! We should be the one thanking you for allowing Rico to stay here! She is a very good friend and she saved our lives!"

Priscilla smiled and gave each one of them a welcome-and-farewell hug. "Do you have a picture together already, Rico?" Priscilla asked. Rico shook her head. "Let's have some! Group together! I'll use my ultra-clear and high-tech camera!"

And so they took pictures. After some time, Priscilla asked if Rico was ready to go but she asked for some minutes. Rico headed towards Funko, held her hand, and kissed her again. Priscilla was too shocked and bamboozled to say anything. Rico can do that?! She screamed in her mind.

Instead of a hammer firing, tears went down Funko's face. She hugged Rico. Everyone else joined the group hug. "Everyone, thank you so much for being good friends!" Rico said, she herself crying.

"And thank you for saving us and being a good friend too!" Funko choked, stifling tears in vain.

"Please feel free to come back anytime, we're here to welcome you!" Sixteen added.

"Hai! I will come back and bring my friends as well!" Rico replied. The group then released her and Rico walked towards the helicopter.

"Goodbye Rico! Take care!" her friends waved and shouted as Rico boarded the helicopter. Rico waved behind the window as the Sea Dragon took off. Her friends continued to wave until the chopper disappeared from their sight.

On the way home…

Aboard the gigantic Italian Lockheed Martin C-130 J Super Hercules, Doctors Giliani and Donato just finished the follow-up check-up and surgery. They found the previous operation satisfactory and just made improvements. Both were impressed at the skill of the Seishou's doctor. Rico finally came into and she saw Priscilla sitting by her side.

"Feeling okay, Rico?" Priscilla asked. Rico nodded. Priscilla took out a photo and handed it to Rico who looked at it. It was the picture of Funko, Elle, and Sixteen with her. "Do you remember them?" asked Priscilla.

"I do! How can I forget them, they're good friends," Rico replied. Priscilla was relieved; her memory was well after the operation by the two doctors. She thought it would be sad if Rico forgot her experience, seeing how happy she was.

"Indeed they are, Rico," smiled Priscilla, "rest now, the flight is still long."

Rico nodded and hugged the picture. She drifted into sleep, tears of joy and sadness streaming from her eyes.