Chapter 42

Viktor looked at the two girls, who were now looking at him. He blinked for a moment, having a vague feeling of deja vu. A wide grin formed on his face.

"Please, please. Don't stop on my account." he told them. "Go on, kiss!"

Hitomi and Leifang gave him a deadpan look. The Chinese climbed from the bed and started straightening herself as best as she could, given her disheveled appearance in the first place.

"Funny." She said and Hitomi could only chuckle.

"What's it with you and coming in at the worst possible time?" Hitomi asked.

"It's a gift." Viktor said

"Being a buzz kill? Yeah I believe that." She saw that he was holding something behind his back. "What you got there?"

"Ah this?" he pulled out a bouquet of flowers and walked over, before handing it to her. "A get well present."

"Aww, but I have no vase to put them in."

"Don't worry. They're real plastic."

"How thoughtful." She placed the bouquet onto the table.

"Slept well I see." he said to Leifang who had just finished making herself a bit more presentable.

"Yes. But it was worth it." Leifang said and Hitomi felt her face flush a little. She changed the subject immediately.

"Anyway. So you two are talking again?" she asked, looking from one to the other. The two of them glanced at each other, then gave Hitomi a smile.

"Yeah, we kinda got to talk yesterday while you were..." he trailed off.

"It helped clear the air and we came to the conclusion that we were both at fault. So we agreed to start over." Leifang explained to her.

Viktor shrugged. "We're cool again. So...don't kick our asses once you're better?"

Hitomi looked at them as if she was seriously considering it, then gave them a smile. "Alright, I'll let you off the hook THIS time. You pull this again then the chips are down." she said and then stuck out her tongue.

They all shared a laugh at that.

"So, how are you holding up?" Viktor asked.

"I feel strangely fine. Aside from some dull pain here and there, especially at the side," she pointed to where her stab wound was. "Feels kind of weird."

"No wonder, they have you on pain killer since this morning." Leifang said and pointed to the dripping IV. "I was there when they switched it with your last transfusion."

"Transfusion?" Hitomi asked. She looked down at her folded hands. "Was it really that bad?"

Leifang could have slapped herself for letting that slip. But she couldn't take it back anymore, so she might as well just tell it to her before the doctors did.

"Pretty bad." she said and sat down in the chair again, instantly taking hold of one of the Karateka's hands. "Your kidney was damaged and they had to take it out. You also lost a lot of blood. I was so worried..."

Hitomi kept her gaze low. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. If anyone should do that it's me. If I hadn't started that fight with Viktor it wouldn't have come to this in the first place."

"No." Hitomi said and now locked her gaze with Leifang's. "Don't say that. Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have foreseen that and it was me who just ran off."

The German didn't want to think what might have happened if she hadn't been where she had. Ayane might be dead now.

Also, she thought. It turned out okay in the end.

"But-"

"No buts. It doesn't matter. That we're here, together, is what matters." Hitomi didn't believe she could ever grow tired of that beautiful smile that her girlfriend presented her with.

Viktor coughed. "Please tell me you're gonna make out again."

"Shut it, we're having a moment."

"I think I have one too."

Both girls let out a sigh. "Men." they muttered.

There was a knock on the door before it opened and a doctor walked in, a clipboard in his hand. He was a slim man and had a precisely trimmed beard.

"Quite a crowd in here already." he joked then proceeded to introduce himself. "I'm Dr. Fresner. I'll be the doctor in charge during your stay here."

"Nice to meet you."

"Yes. Now how are you feeling?"

"Well aside from missing a kidney and some pain I'm actually feeling pretty good." Hitomi said as the doctor used a sphygmomanometer to measure her blood pressure.

"No feeling dizzy or weak in general?"

"Nope."

"Hmm." he muttered as he read her blood pressure. "Low blood pressure, but that's to be expected with all those sedatives."

"Now," he said and put the medical tool away, before clearing his throat. I'd like to take a look at your bandages. But before that I have to ask your friends to leave."

"We'll be waiting outside." Viktor said and both of them left the room.

"Ok then, bandages?" She asked as the door closed behind them. He doctor was putting on some disposable gloves. She lifted the sheet so that he could get to work.

"Before that we need to check on something else."

"WHAT IS THAT!?" Hitomi all but shouted as she saw the sack filled with...was that pee!?

And to make matters worse the tube attached to it lead directly between her legs. Oh you got to be kidding me.

"That's a catheter. It's standard procedure in that kind of surgery. Good thing your friends are outside right now or they might've seen this. Now let's see." he leaned over and inspected the bag. Hitomi just wished the ground would open and swallow her. "Hmm."

"Hmm?"

"Looks good. I believe we can take it out." Hitomi's eyes widened. Take it out, just like that? He took hold of the tube. "On three."

Hitomi swallowed hard and managed to nod.

"One."

Hitomi licked her lips, which had suddenly gone dry, and it suddenly got very hot in here despite the window being open.

"Two." And without finishing to count the doctor started to pull.

Leifang and Viktor were standing outside in the hallway, leaning against the wall opposite of the door.

"I wonder why he sent us out?"

Viktor rubbed his chin, which had grown some stubble that he needed to take care of later. He totally forgot to shave this morning because he wanted to check in with the two of them. "Beats me, really. It's probably some kind of privacy thing."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right."

Suddenly they heard a yelp coming out of Hitomi's room. Both of them blinked, then looked at each other, then back at the door.

"You said on three!" Hitomi complained and rubbed her legs together in an attempt to lessen the sore feeling.

"It's not as bad if you don't expect it. Now Miss Buchfink, let's sit up and get your circulation to ginger up." he said and helped her sit upright. Hitomi turned a little to the side so that her legs dangled down the side of the bed.

The door opened and Leifang all but ran in. "What's wrong? I heard a strange noise."

"It's nothing. It has been taken care of." Hitomi said and glared at Dr. Fresner when he chuckled at that while checking on her bandages.

"Good. Everything looks fine. Now, I want you to take it easy and drink a lot. I'll have the nurses bring you a lot of water. It's important for your body to stay hydrated so it can get used to working with only one kidney." He wrote onto his clipboard. "If you think you can manage you may go to the toilet. But only if one of your friends accompanies you to help you get there. You can also ask a nurse. And tomorrow we'll try without the help after changing those bandages."

"All right, doctor." Hitomi said and was already annoyed by the fact that she wasn't even allowed to go to the toilet without help. What was she, three?

Dr. Fresner gave each of them a smile, gathered his things and said goodbye, adding: "I'll have a nurse come by to pick that up."

He nodded to Viktor as he passed them in the door.

Hitomi looked at her girlfriend, who in turn looked at the bag with furrowed eyebrows. "What is that?"

The Karateka let out a sigh and threw her pillow at the laughing Viktor.

Later that evening Hitomi was looking out of the window. She was alone in the room after having sent Leifang back home. The Chinese protested of course but she had managed to convince her.

"I'll be fine." she had said. "Now go home, get a good night's rest and come here in the afternoon. I'm gonna be sleeping soon anyway with all the painkillers in my system.

Leifang had sighed at that but nodded. "Ok. But I'm gonna be here first thing after classes."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." And Hitomi gave her a goodbye kiss.

Truth was though that she wasn't getting a wink of sleep right now. She couldn't believe how close she brushed with death. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that she might ever get into a situation like that. And with Ninjas of all people.

When she had called her father earlier today she didn't even know what she should tell him. So she told him that someone had taken her by surprise and that she couldn't make out who it had been. It hurt her to lie to her father, but it was better that way.

Maybe one day she would tell it to him, but for now only Leifang would get the truth out of her.

Out of the corner of her eye she registered movement in the room and, a smile forming on her lips, instantly knew who it was.

"You can come out." she said and Hayate came out of the shadows, clad in the same Ninja clothes he had worn during the tournament.

"Hitomi, how are you?" he asked her in his calm voice that was so familiar to her.

"I'm fine. Well as fine as I can be after losing a kidney. Good thing I have another one, huh?" she attempted a joke but was only met with his monotone stare. She sighed and got herself into a sitting position. "Really, I'm fine. I would've thought that I'd be in more pain. And when I got out of bed I wasn't the least bit wobbly on my legs."

"That's what I wanted to hear. Ryu and I had sent someone to check up on you yesterday. She made sure that you'll make a full recovery," he looked to where her stitches were located. "Won't even leave a scar."

"Wow that's...uh thank you?" she said.

"It's the least we could do. You saved Ayane. For that I thank you." he averted his gaze. "And I'm sorry for getting you involved."

Hitomi shook her head. "You couldn't have foreseen that I would be there and it was my decision to help. I couldn't just leave her there."

"Just like you couldn't leave me on that day in the Black Forest."

"Exactly. How's Ayane?"

"She's making a quick recovery."

"You Ninjas have some pretty good medicine." Hitomi commented and Hayate chuckled quietly.

"She sends her thanks. She would've come in person but she didn't want to take any chances with her arm and...well saying thanks isn't one of her strong suits."

That's how Ayane is Hitomi thought. "What was all that about anyway? Who were those guys?"

Hayate walked over to the window, leaning against the wall and looking out into the night. "They are the Black Spider Clan. A sworn enemy of the Hayabusa Clan. And as an ally to the Hayabusa my Clan is their enemy as well." he explained to her. "They had been quiet for a while, but shortly after the tournament they started to act again. We've been tracking their movements ever since until we arrived here."

"And what did they want here? There is nothing here except..." Her eyes widened as it dawned to her. "The Black Forest."

"That's right. I'm sure you're familiar about the legends concerning the forest."

"Of course. Everyone here knows the stories. How it had been home to witches, devils and werewolves and that they held rituals at those old Germanic cult sites." She looked at him in disbelief. "So you're telling me those legends are true?"

"Yes. And the Black Spider wanted to summon a mighty fiend who had a vast army at his command to unleash upon the Hayabusa." Hayate said and turned to look at her, his eyes hard.

"The Wutesheer..." she said in a whisper. It was the old-german name for wrath army, but was actually derived from Wodan so it actually meant Wodan's Army and was the host that led... "The Wild Hunt."

Huh, never thought German studies would ever come in handy in my life.

"But there is nothing to worry. We defeated the Black Spider and strengthened the seals that held the fiend in check. They won't be able to do this again."

Hitomi led out a sigh of relief. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that those stories were true. But then again, they lived in a very strange world.

"Good."

"Mhm."

They both looked at one another and Hitomi couldn't help but think back to how it used to be years ago. A few months back she had wanted to say so many things to him, but now it didn't seem to be important anymore. He would always be an important part of her life and they understood each other without words.

Hayate pushed himself of the wall and handed her something. "You lost this."

"My cellphone!" She looked it over for a moment then opened it. A missing call?

"If it hadn't rung when it did we might have not made it in time." he said and Hitomi could only smile as she read the name shown under missed calls.

Leifang.

"Thanks." Hitomi said and looked up at Hayate, placing the cell on top of the table and then hold out her arms.

Hayate gave her a questioning look. "What?"

Hitomi grinned. "Come on silly. Give your old friend a hug before you just vanish again."

He was taken aback for just a moment, but then a small smile formed on his lips and he leaned down, giving her a hesitant hug.

"Take care, you hear me?" she told him as she let go of him.

"Mhm, you too." he said and backed up so that he had enough space.

"And Hayate?"

"Yes?"

She gave him a teasing smile. "Pay Ayane some attention, will you?"

He gave her a questioning look and Hitomi could only laugh at the expression.

"Nevermind." she said and wished Ayane luck to get through his thick skull.

"Goodbye, Hayate."

"Goodbye, Hitomi."

And with one movement he was gone, vanishing into thin air. Hitomi smiled to herself and laid back down, nestling herself into the pillow.

"I'd love to travel like that."

Think about all the time she could save like that.

Silly Hitomi, don't you know that Hayate and Ayane are related? Or is that directly what you had in mind?
On second thought let's not go down that road.

So yeah, that's the explanation for what happened (and you all know it's also a convenient excuse for her not to have a scar when it's time to return to Zack Island :P)and I really had to look up some of the Black Forest folklore since, ironically, you don't find that much on the internet. One of these days I have to write a story where my research is actually relevant. But hey, who said some evil Ninjas would only rely on Japanese fiends?

But that's that and I'll see you all next week!