Chapter Three
The ride to the hospital seemed to drag on forever in Naru's mind. It happened again, Mai injured. How many times will I allow this to happen before I put an end to all of this? Gazing down at Mai, Naru continued to let his thoughts run rampant. I love you so much, but everyone I love usually ends up hurt. It's like I'm cursed.
"We're here! I'll park while you're getting her into the E.R." Said Lin; as he pulled under the hospital's awning.
"Good call." Replied Naru, opening the van door, he slid himself out and scooped Mai into his arms. Rushing through the automatic doors, Naru gave the front desk's nurse a look that immediately caused her to pale. Great..: just what we need a nurse in the E.R. who's scared of blood. This is just perfect.
"She has a contusion on the back of her head, and she has floated in and out of consciousness." Naru told the nurse.
The nurse stared uncomprehendingly at Naru. Is this going to happen every time I go to a hospital? It's either stalker-like harassment or sheer stupidity.
"Are you going to page the doctor? Or are you just going to stand there like an idiot?"
"Humph. I'll go get the doctor when I think that there's an injury that calls for such haste. Now let me see her head, most of these are minor, but people like you exaggerate because it bleeds a lot." Said the nurse, in what seemed to be the most irritating voice Naru had ever heard.
"Suit yourself." Said Naru, while he watched the haughty nurse examine Mai's head; eliciting a greenish color to appear on the nurse's face, just before she fainted.
Naru was just about to attempt paging the doctor from the front desk, when the doctor appeared with three other nurses and a gurney. "I saw you come in, when I was walking through the hallway. I apologize for the nurse", announced the doctor. He continued, using a faint tone of contempt, while gesturing to the crumpled mass on the floor, "She's new; and apparently doesn't have the stomach for this job. We will take care of your friend now. The hospital will need you to fill out these forms."
The doctor talking briskly to the 3 nurse's, motioned with his hand toward the
nurse on the floor, "use the smelling salts to get her up, take her to the
employee lounge, and arrange for a replacement at the front desk."
Turning to Mai, he said in a kind voice, "Let's take a look at you now…"
"I appreciate it." Replied Naru as he turned to the nurse holding the forms. The forms were tedious and repetitive to Naru, but knowing that the sooner he completed and turned them in, the sooner he'd see Mai. Looking around the vacant sitting room Naru noted the cream walls, the wooden chairs with cream colored upholstery. Everything seemed so pale and lifeless. Rising out of his chair, Naru swiftly crossed the floor; eager to see Mai.
The nurse comes back, while looking over the paperwork. "Okay, everything's fine, only you didn't fill out what you are to her; so I can't let you see her until much later, unless you are her family." She stated.
He hesitated for a second, "I'm her…. fiancé." He told her. Wincing silently he hoped it wouldn't come back to haunt him like Gene.
"Oh, well then, that's fine." Said the nurse, as she circled the relation that was supposed to be an accurate description of the role Naru played in Mai's life. "She's in room 304."
Naru walked quickly down the hall towards the elevator. I can't believe she fell for that. Mai's not even wearing a ring.
Well technically, it's not lying, because it's going to happen sooner or later. Said Gene snarkily.
Shut up Gene.
I always get what I want Noll. I want you to be happy and Mai is the only person that does that for you. I'll let you guys handle things by yourselves, but if push comes to shove, I will get involved. Of course, if I do, said Gene with a smirk. Maybe I'll finally get those nieces and nephews I've always wanted. I know it'd make mom happy. She's always wanted to be grandmother, needled Gene.
Again; shut up Gene.
Naru stepped quickly out of the elevator doors when it indicated he had reached the third floor. He walked down the hallway reading, 301, 302, 303, 304, finally! Here we are. Opening and shutting the door as quietly as possible, Naru slipped in. Seeing Mai like this always made him feel ill. It's like they were connected somehow. She always knew when he needed her. Moving towards her bed, Naru listened to the shrill ticking sound of the heart monitor, the beeping seemed to give him a sense of urgency; like he was running out of time with her. He placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. "Your cold." He whispered to her. Naru then went and got a blanket from the closet. He silently moved back to the bed and lay down next to Mai, while placing the blanket over both of them.
"Why is it that I only get to show you how I feel when you are passed out and injured?" he asked her bruised and bandaged head. Wrapping his arms gently around her, he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of holding Mai safely in his arms, if only for a little while.
Naru having dozed off, woke abruptly, when the doctor walked in and loudly cleared his throat, to announce his presence.
"Normally, we only allow one patient to a bed, but from looking at her paperwork, I assume you are her finance'?" Asked the doctor with a raised eyebrow.
Naru, raised a finger to his lips, and nodded his head, hoping to keep Mai from waking up.
"We tend to discourage patients from sharing their beds, but seeing as you two are engaged, we'll make an exception." Continued the doctor loudly. Mai started to rouse, mumbling tiredly" What engagement? To who or is whom?"
Naru, rubbing her back, shushed her. "Shhh, honey go back to sleep, it's okay, you're just confused. "What's the prognosis doctor? We can't have her losing her mind any more than she already has, she already gets confused easily." he said with a smirk.
"Well I can't say anything about her losing her mind, but she does have a mild concussion, with significant blood loss. So we are going to keep your finance overnight to ensure that there won't be any further issues with continued bleeding." Replied the doctor, now with both eyebrows raised.
Mai realized that she hadn't been imaging things. Naru must have used this as an excuse to stay in the room with her, thought to herself, "Losing my mind indeed; hmm, I could use this to my advantage." Looking up at him with wide, twinkling eyes and a little smile, she asked, "Anata, would you rub my back some more and give me a long kiss?"
Relieved that she was truly okay and irresistibly tempted, Naru gently began to caress her back. Slowly he leaned in to kiss her, savoring the moment, their lips just about to touch… When, in barge Lin and Yashuhara.
"And who are you two?" demanded the doctor, "she needs her rest!"
Shrugging him off, Lin asked. "Having a good time, are we?"
"Yes, yes we were. Thank you for asking." Replied Naru.
"And what exactly were you two doing?" He asked.
"Clearly, I was helping Mai rest."
"Oh, resting. So that's what they're calling it these days." Said Yashuhara, wiggling his eyebrows. "So, If, I get injured on the job will you help me rest?" He asked mischievously.
"Of course, but in your case it would probably involve a pinewood box." Naru responded calmly."
"Again I ask, who are you and what are you doing here?" Inquired the doctor, while gazing disapprovingly at the couple in the bed.
Nodding his head in Naru's direction, Lin said, "We work for him and so does she."
"I thought you were her fiancé?"
Naru decided to use an age old dodge, by answering a question with a question. "What? She can't be my fiancé and my employee? Don't tell me you've never asked one of your co-workers out?" The best defense and all that, he thought.
Blushing slightly, the doctor mumbled. "That's irrelevant."
"Was she a cougar? " Asked Yashuhara, winking, while he nudged the doctor.
"Okay." Said the doctor, clearly growing impatient. "Visiting hours are over, it's time for you to go. All of you."
Ignoring the dirty look from the doctor, Naru slid off the bed and tucked Mai in. When she looked comfortable with his absence he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back first thing in the morning."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Mayaha: sorry for the wait. we had to rewrite the last bit of the chapter because it got accidentaly deleted.