Chapter 2
When I woke up, the young man who had saved me five months ago—though I couldn't recall his name—was sitting beside my bed, speaking softly with the orphanage owner, who appeared to have been crying. At that moment, I had no idea that I was the reason for her tears. It wasn't because I had hurt her in my fit of anger, but rather because she had never been able to protect me. I slowly sat up, blinking my eyes to clear the gunk that had accumulated.
"Fuyuko, are you alright?" the young man asked, reaching out to hold my hand, attempting to offer some comfort. I quickly pulled my hand away, looking at him with confusion, unsure why he would be there. Just as I was about to speak, both the young man and the orphanage owner handed me a glass of water. I reached out and took the glass from the orphanage owner, keeping a watchful eye on the young man.
"I'm glad you woke up, Fuyuko. The doctors said that your body experienced a significant amount of stress and shock simultaneously, which overwhelmed your brain and caused it to shut down. They also advised that you avoid any stressful activities for the next few days," the young man explained once I had settled back against the pillows behind me. I glanced around the room, realizing that I was once again in the hospital, not in my room at the orphanage. Slowly, I began to process everything around me. The last thing I remembered was having a disagreement with the orphanage owner, but whenever I tried to recall the details, my head throbbed intensely. I let out a sigh, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples with my fingers in an attempt to ease the tension, only to feel a hand on my shoulder. Startled would be an understatement—I nearly jolted myself off the hospital bed if it weren't for the safety bars keeping me in place.
"Why do you even care?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. I didn't mean to be rude, but I was afraid that he might cause me harm if I let him in. I shrunk away from him and his hand, simultaneously trying to hide the fact that I was trembling in fear.
"Because you deserve a loving home and family, and I want to provide that for you," the young man replied, reaching out to hold my hand, but I quickly pulled away, curling up into a ball in the far corner of the hospital bed, consumed by fear.
"I'm sorry if that startled you, Fuyuko. Do you remember my name?" the young man asked, retracting his hand. I shook my head quickly, unable to find my voice due to the overwhelming fear gripping me.
"Mr. Kogami, I think Fuyuko has had enough for one day," the orphanage owner intervened, placing her hand on the young man's shoulder. I watched as he slowly rose from his seat and left the room. The orphanage owner took his place, offering me a sad smile but remaining silent. We sat in silence for about five minutes until she retrieved my Petite dragon from her bag. I reached out for it immediately, holding the small stuffed animal tightly against my chest.
"I thought you would want to have Petite with you," the owner said, reaching through the bars of the hospital bed to pet my leg. I jerked away from her touch, my need for safety overpowering any desire for physical contact.
"Okay, no touching," the owner said, raising her hands in a gesture of peace, attempting to respect my boundaries.
"That young man, he was my surprise, right?" I asked after a few minutes of listening to the ticking of the clock on the wall, my fingers gently stroking the soft fabric of my Petite dragon.
"Yes, he is your surprise," the owner confirmed, smiling softly at me. I looked at her, puzzled. Typically, when people discovered the burdens I carried, they would immediately withdraw any adoption plans.
"You mean in the past tense, right?" I asked, turning to face the orphanage owner. I didn't want to get my hopes up again, but a small part of me refused to listen to reason. That small part of me longed to believe that I might finally find a good home where I would be cared for. However, my optimism was short-lived as my case worker entered the room, her displeasure evident. Instantly, I curled up at the head of the hospital bed, clutching my stuffed dragon tightly against my chest. I couldn't help but cower in fear every time I saw my case worker, though I couldn't quite explain why.
"Fuyuko Fujiki, get up. I'm moving you to the next home," my case worker said, placing a pile of clothes just out of reach at the end of the bed. From my spot, I could tell that they were oversized t-shirts and sweatpants, despite the approaching summer heat. There was no point in arguing with the unpleasant woman, so I slowly rose from the hospital bed, unaware that I was still hooked up to an IV. As I stood, I immediately crashed to the floor, triggering an alarm and alerting the doctors and nurses at the nearby nurse's station that something was wrong. The impact with the floor coupled with the sharp sound of the alarm sent a pounding sensation through my head.
"Fuyuko, are you okay?" the orphanage owner asked, rushing around the bed to my side, but my case worker pushed her away. It seemed that my case worker didn't even care that I had been in the hospital for a reason, although the specifics of why I was there weren't clear to me. I slowly reached out with both hands to retrieve my Petite dragon, which I had dropped during the fall.
"Oh, stop acting like a baby. Get up, we have to go now," my case worker said, stepping on my outstretched left hand, just inches from my stuffed dragon, causing me to scream out in pain.
"Stop it. Fuyuko is sick, and she needs to rest," the owner said, pushing my case worker away from me. At that moment, a nurse entered the room, accompanied by two police officers, just as chaos erupted. It took three orderlies, six nurses, and the two police officers to separate my case worker and the orphanage owner from their physical altercation. During the commotion, I had crawled into the far corner, holding my Petite dragon tightly while tears silently streamed down my face.
"Okay, that's enough. This is a hospital," the larger officer with a scar said, intervening and pushing my case worker and the orphanage owner apart. The other police officer squatted down next to me, his jacket wrapped around my shoulders. The three orderlies escorted the two women out of the room to allow them time to calm down before questioning them about the incident.
"Fuyuko, are you okay?" the scarred officer asked, while his partner helped me to my feet. I couldn't tell if it was due to fear or the stress I had just endured, but my body was shaking uncontrollably. It was then that I noticed the IV line hanging next to the bed. Slowly, I glanced down at my arm and saw a sizable chunk missing from the crook of my elbow. I had never been comfortable with blood, so seeing the thick stream flowing from the injury was deeply unsettling. If it hadn't been for the officer holding onto me, my head would have met the floor for a second time. I tried to downplay the severity, despite feeling on the verge of passing out.
"Oh, yeah, you'll be fine... Nurse, can I get a nurse in here? A patient is bleeding out," the other officer said as everything started to fade into darkness. I could feel hands on me before the stress and blood loss overtook me. When I regained consciousness, I was back in a hospital bed, an IV in the back of my hand, and my elbow wrapped in a heavy bandage. My head and arm throbbed with pain. A nurse sat beside my bed, watching me as if I were back on suicide watch.
"Hello, Ms. Fujiki. Do you understand what I'm saying?" the nurse asked, her gaze fixed on me. I sat up slowly, being cautious of my right arm.
"Yes, I can understand you," I replied, rubbing my eyes with my left hand. It was then that I realized I wasn't in the hospital room anymore. Instead, I found myself in a dimly lit gray room, with heavy window coverings blocking out the light. My mouth went dry, and breathing became difficult, or at least it felt that way until the nurse beside the bed closed her book with unnecessary force.
"I'll inform the doctor that you've woken up. He'll probably see you sometime tonight," the nurse said, getting up from her seat. I watched her leave the room, and then I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. I had been deemed unadoptable and mentally unstable, leading to my placement in a long-term mental facility. I wasn't allowed to dwell on the fact that I might never leave this place when another nurse entered the room, carrying a tray of food.
"Hello, Ms. Fujiki. How are you feeling today?" the second nurse asked, placing the tray on the table in front of me. I looked away from her, gripping the blanket tightly over my legs.
"I'm fine... thank you for asking," I said, trying to convince both of us that I truly was fine. However, the frown on the nurse's face made it clear that she didn't believe me at all.
"You don't have to lie, Ms. Fujiki," the second nurse said, sitting at the foot of the bed with her arms resting at her side, attempting to put me at ease. Slowly, I relaxed my body in response to the nurse's calming presence.
"I swear I'm fine... I'm not crazy or unstable. I don't belong here," I said, grasping the nurse's arm as I tried to convey that nothing was wrong with me. To my surprise, she didn't pull away but instead began patting my hand softly, as if trying to soothe me. I slowly released my grip and curled up into a tight ball, attempting to process everything. The bed was uncomfortable and rigid, and the covers felt heavy and scratchy against my skin. I was frightened and just wanted to go home, even if it meant returning to the house overlooking the ocean or entering a foster home.
"Fuyuko, why do you believe you were brought here?" the second nurse asked, leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees. I looked up at her, perplexed, as everyone had been referring to me by my last name. I unfolded myself from the ball and mirrored her sitting position. Although it caused discomfort to rest my right elbow on my knee, I kept both arms folded neatly in front of me.
"It's because I've been deemed unadoptable and mentally unstable to the point where the government decided it wasn't worth the effort to take care of me or find me a good home," I said, delivering the words without even blinking. I couldn't help but notice the second nurse's widening eyes, unsure if it was due to what I said or how I said it.
"Oh, Fuyuko, that's not true. The reason you're here is much simpler than you think. Several nurses and doctors reported to the social care office when they noticed that you weren't eating well. The orphanage owner and your potential adoptive father agreed that it would be best for you to receive treatment here," the second nurse explained, reaching out to take my hand, but I quickly withdrew. I wasn't fond of people touching me without my initiation.
"Okay, no touching... um... let's see here. Oh, here's something that the orphanage owner wanted me to give you. She said it was your favorite toy when you were a little girl," the second nurse said, retrieving a petite dragon from beneath her top. I moved quickly, in a flash, as one moment the second nurse held Petite, and the next, I was rubbing him against my cheek.
"Petite, I'm glad you came with me," I said, looking down at the little green dragon and running my fingers over its soft fabric.
"So, his name is Petite. It's cute," the second nurse commented, sliding closer to me on the bed. However, as soon as I looked up at her, she abruptly stopped and averted her gaze, as if trying to hide the fact that she had been attempting to get closer. I inched a little closer to her and extended my stuffed animal towards her.
"This is a duel monster named Petite Dragon, which is why we call him Petite. But when I was a little girl, I used to call him Pete Dragon because I couldn't say petite," I explained, resting my head on her shoulder. I didn't know why, but around this woman, I felt safe, and for once in a long time, I felt sane. We stayed like that for about fifteen minutes before a doctor and the first nurse entered the room. The second nurse promptly got up from the bed and began tidying up.
"Naomi, what are you doing?" the first nurse asked, crossing her arms over her chest. From her body language, I could tell that she didn't really care about what the second nurse was doing. However, her expression changed from indifference to fury when she noticed that I was holding my Petite Dragon. The first nurse rushed forward, attempting to take Petite out of my hands, but I refused to let go. I didn't hear the fabric tear before Petite Dragon's head went flying towards the doctor, who caught it with one hand. Witnessing this, I couldn't help but bite my bottom lip, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Ms. Sora, I think you went a little too far. Naomi, can you please fix her toy? Now, Ms. Fujiki..." the doctor began to say, but I cut him off with my sobs, as the situation became overwhelming. I struggled to breathe, feeling as though my heart was about to burst out of my chest. I don't remember what happened next, as the pressure became too much for me to maintain consciousness. I succumbed to the darkness.