Author's Note: I advise you to listen to a sad anime song as you read this for more immersion. Anyways thank you for being here! Enjoy!
Chapter 19 - Your Brother and My Son
[Ooarai Field Hospital - 9PM]
(Gero is still unconscious and have been in that state for about 9 Hours already without any signs of waking up. Miho and the rest were in his hospital room ever since the event ended. Miho and Maho were sitting at both sides of the bed and were holding Gero's hands)
"Has Gero-dono been like this all afternoon?" Yukari asked
"Yeah..Matsu-kun hasn't woken at all" Ken said
"Miporin..I brought you and Maho-san some food..both of you haven't eaten anything right?" Saori said
"Thank you Saori-san..we couldn't leave Gero alone here.."
"What is Gero-san's condition right now?" Hana asked
"The doctor said that…"
[3 Hours Ago]
(Maho and Miho headed for the hospital right away after the event to check on Gero's condition)
"Excuse me, we are looking for a patient named Gero Matsumoto" Maho said
"He is staying at room 107, down the hall then last room to your right" the nurse said
"Thank you!"
(A doctor suddenly left Gero's room and told them his current state)
"Doctor! What is Gero-kun's condition? How is he?"
"Are you his tankery comrades?" asked the Doctor
"Yes we are, please tell us he is going to be alright!" Miho said
"Do not worry, your friend is out of critical condition, rest assured."
"T-That's good to hear.." Maho said
"But..he is still unconscious and we don't know when he will wake up.."
(Miho and Maho was shocked to hear that their brother is in a coma)
"He lost a lot of blood due to his wound, and suffered a severe concussion. His fever is gone now but according to our checkups he is also sleep deprived. He must have had sleepless nights before the competition and then his body couldn't handle the burden anymore along with the fatigue"
"For..how long do you think he wasn't able to get any sleep doctor?" Maho asked
"Based on his condition when he was brought here about 2 weeks.."
"2 weeks..that long..is there anything that we can do to help him? Anything at all?" Miho said
"We have done the best we could, all we can do now is to wait until he wakes up.."
"Thank you very much for saving his life doctor!" Maho said and bowed
"You are very welcome, he is the commander of that White Tiger right?"
"Yes he is..how did you know?"
"I was watching the event..he has grown quite well!" said the doctor with a smile
(Both were confused at what the doctor said but ignored it. The doctor left them and both entered the room to see their brother lying in bed asleep with a bandage over his wound and they never left him alone)
"So..that's his current condition..no changes since we got here.." Miho said
"2 weeks of no sleep..must have been hell.." Mako said
"Back in Tokyo Gero always overslept and I had to come by his house to pick him up every morning before we go to school..it was weird for him to get no sleep" Ono said
"Ever since we heard about boys being allowed in Senshado..Matsu-kun had been having headaches frequently..before we left for Ooarai he also lost consciousness the night his father showed us our tank.." Ken said
"Wasn't Gero-kun just excited for Senshado that he couldn't sleep?" Saori said
"That's not it..he told me that he had been getting nightmares..about memories he didn't know..I think that made him Insomniac.." Maho said
"He always had a smile and was always hyper when we were at the castle..seeing him now like this..its like he isn't the Bakatora that we know.." Erika said
"I hope Gero-dono recovers quickly so that we can ride tanks again.." Yukari said
(The girls and boys heard a knock on the door then Ami Chouno came in the room with Shiho)
"Hello girls and boy good evening!" Chouno said
"Instructor Chouno! Came to check on Gero-kun?" Saori asked
"Yes Takebe-kun and also on you guys of course.."
"Hey Mako-chan who is that lady in the black with instructor Chouno?" Ken asked
"Hmm? Oh that's Nishizumi-san's mother.." Mako said in a sleepy voice
"Miho-san's mother? What is she doing here?" Ono asked
"Probably to check on her two daughters.." Hajime said
(Shiho walked over to Gero's bed and look at her daughters)
"Okaa-sama.." Maho said
"Okaa-san.." Miho said quietly because she was still scared of her mother
"Chouno-kun..can you please give me and my daughters some time alone..take the kids and get them some dinner..it's my treat.."
"Of course..come on guys let's give them some time..I will take you to a very nice place!"
"Yay! Food! Thank you very much Headmistress Nishizumi!" Hana said
(Everyone else bowed as thanks and then left the room with Chouno. Now leaving the Nishizumi family alone in the room. It was quiet at first but it was soon broken by Maho)
"Okaa-sama..why did you keep this from us?" Maho said
"..."
"Please..tell me that it's really him..look at us and tell us that Gero-kun is...is our.."
(Shiho walked towards the bed and place her hand on Gero's face)
"This boy..lying on this very bed..this boy that fought through so many hardships on his own..is none other than..your long lost older brother.." Shiho said
(Miho and Maho started to cry and both squeezed their brother's hands. All of their doubts and fears have now been cleansed by their mother's words. They have now truly reunited with their brother)
"Onii-chan...I've missed you so much onii-chan.." Miho said crying
"Onii-sama...onii-sama.." Maho said crying
"A-Are you sure Okaa-san? That he is our onii-chan?" Miho asked
"I could never forget my son's beautiful face..my beautiful son..he has grown into such a fine young man" Shiho said with a tear in her eye
"I see..but you told us to forget about him..did you have a reason for that?"
"You also said that he was just a random kid and he wasn't coming back" Maho said
"It will be a long and painful story.." Shiho said
"Okaa-sama..no matter what it is..Miho and I are prepared to be with our brother.." Maho said
(Shiho hesitated for a bit but then decided to tell the story to her daughters. It was the least she could do for them because she has kept it a secret for so long from them. They have earned the right to know about their brother now that they are now together)
"12 years ago..when you're brother was just 7 years old..had gifts that only a handful of people have..he was exceptionally smart and loves Senshado..he would play with you two in our backyard and he would always take care of you no matter what.."
"I remember me and Onee-chan where always with him..no matter where he'd be we would also be there.." Miho said
"Yes..you were both stuck to him like glue..you three were inseparable..until that dreadful night"
"What happened Okaa-sama?" Maho asked
"Your brother had a bright future ahead of him..I planned to make him the successor of the family because I knew that he could change how Senshado was from the inside..some saw your brother a prodigy, a natural genius.."
"But others saw him an abomination..other people saw him not worthy of participating in Senshado because he was a boy..he was treated as an outcast at school because he was the first boy to ever go to a tank school at his age.."
"Onii-sama…" Maho cried while holding her brother's hand as she listened
"But that never stopped him from smiling everyday..because he had the both of you..his life was filled with pain and sorrow but both of you were his light to keep him going.."
"At the age of 7 he already knew how to drive and shoot a tank way faster than the others..when he got home he would always go straight to your old Tiger I Miho..and he would sit inside and play when both of you were asleep.."
"So that white tiger he is using..really is my tank from when I was in Kuromorimine.." Miho said
"We would go out and ride the Tiger I when I had time..he already knew the tank inside and out in just a few days.."
"Onii-chan is amazing..he has amazing memorization skills..the time he went to Ooarai he was able to memorize all of our names in a day..and he also comes up with strategies that we don't understand how he thinks of it.." Miho said
"You are only half right with his memorization skills Miho..your brother has a Photographic Memory." Shiho said
(Miho and Maho were shocked about this reveal and did not respond. They just continued to listen to their mother's story)
"That was one of your brother's gifts..a photographic memory..he could memorize maps, blueprints, notes, anything he reads he remembers completely. This made him be levels above other students..and a very capable commander.."
"So before he even met the team..onii-chan already knew their names?"
"I'd say he read your names from articles about your school and that's why he knows you all and just pretended to not know so that he could interact with you all better.."
"I didn't know photographic memory was this amazing.." Maho said
"It is indeed..but it is only amazing when used correctly..which brings us to another skill your brother has..with the use of his photographic memory..he uses it to scout an area and he will remember every little detail..from a stone to single tree..and use it to his advantage either physically or psychologically..an example would be the match between you and Saunders.."
"How can he use it psychologically?" Maho asked
"Before the match started..didn't the crew of the white tiger purposely showed their tank while Saunders kept it hidden?"
"Yes they told us that Onii-chan ordered them to do that.." Miho said
"It wasn't just an ordinary show of force or a way to brag or to show appeal to the crowd..it was to show Saunders that their tank was a heavy tank.."
"Let me ask you this..if your enemy showed you that their secret tank was a heavy tank, how would your approach be?" Shiho asked
"Normally you would think that a heavy tank will be part of the main group because it is slow and I wouldn't worry about it till much later in the match-"
(Maho remembered what had happened during the early minutes of the Saunders match)
"That's right! Onii-chan went ahead and did recon for as cause he said he had a hunch where the enemy will be!" Miho said
"Your devious brother here showed their tank to implant a psychological image on Saunders which lowered their guard for a sudden ambush by him..Saunders thought that if someone would scout from your team it would be that Type 89B cause it is the fastest..but instead they got a surprise welcome shot by their White Tiger.." Shiho said with a smile
"Unbelievable..onii-sama was thinking several plans ahead..but made it look like they were just fooling around.." Maho said
"The reason why he was also able to execute that ambush perfectly was because he had memorized the layout of the field..he must have done advanced recon before the start of the match..did he mention anything to you Miho?"
"I don't think so..but he was late before the match started and barely made it-"
(Miho remembered what Gero said why he was late)
"No wait..he said he was late because he got lost on the way to the garage and ended up in the tournament field before being escorted by a staff member.." Miho said
"I'd say he got late by doing advanced recon..which allowed him to see the quickest route a tank can traverse through without dropping in speed..and used that to cut the time of travel in half and catch Saunders in a very open field without cover.."
"Now I understand why that situation looked too convenient.." Maho said
"The perfect timing and the perfect place for a perfect ambush..wouldn't you say?"
(Both Miho and Maho were so amazed that they couldn't speak..they just wanted to learn more about their brother from their mother. This was the longest conversation the three of them had in such a long time)
"I don't have to mention what an outstanding marksman your brother is..you both have seen how he handles that White Tiger..he is a smart and capable commander, a marksman in the field, a devious strategist..a caring and kind person to everyone..that is the kind of person your brother..my son..Nishizumi Gero..is.."
(Miho and Maho were smiling at how much an amazing person their brother is. Maho then noticed her brother's bandaged up scar on his head)
"Okaa-sama..thank you for telling us about our onii-sama..we now want to know what gave our dear onii-sama this scar.."
(Shiho took a deep breath and told them the story)
"Now that you know how one of a kind your brother is..to the both of you he is your shining brother..but like I said..to others your brother was an embarrassment..something they despised because of what he is capable of..they were scared that your brother would tip the balance of their world and destroy it.."
"But how could a small boy be capable of doing such a thing?!" Maho asked
"In our current Senshado only girls are allowed until recently right? Have you ever thought of why?" Shiho asked
"They said its to make a lady out of the young girls and teach them how to become strong and independent..at least that's how they publicized it.." Miho said
"True..but that is only one side of the coin..the other side is because girls are easier to control and you are less aggressive than boys..what do you think will happen when a boy like your brother becomes a beacon of hope for other boys and he encourages them to join Senshado?"
(Miho and Maho now knows what their mother is trying to tell them and the reason why their brother was hated)
"If that happens..the ratio of boy tankers will surpass that of the girls..they would want to experience the fun and enjoyment, not to mention the amount of freedom that beacon of hope gives.." Miho said
"Another thing they fear is that if the boys rallied together because of a disagreement in the future matches of Senshado..they won't be able to stop a Coup d'etat from happening and overthrow the current system they spent billions to maintain." Maho said
"Well said my daughters..and that is why..on that dreadful night..someone had attempted to take the life of your brother.." Shiho said with an angry expression
(Miho and Maho once again held their brothers hands out of fear that their brother might be targeted again)
"One night you both had a fever and was sleeping..your brother was late in coming home..then suddenly one of the guards came running inside carrying your brother with a gunshot wound on his head..it was only a flesh wound but it was still pretty deep..he was bleeding so much and I got so scared.." Shiho said
(Miho and Maho saw the expression of their mother turn into fear and sadness. Then they held each of their mother's hands)
"We took him to a trusted doctor of the family in secret because going to the hospital would be too dangerous..the doctor managed to save him from his critical state..any second later and he would've died he said.."
"We better thank that doctor for saving onii-chan..do you know where he is now Okaa-san?" Miho asked
"He is the same doctor that treated your brother today.." Shiho said
(Miho and Maho remembered what the doctor said "he has grown quite well" and they finally understood what he meant by that)
"Then what happened Okaa-sama?" Maho asked
"I made the hardest decision of my life..I couldn't risk dragging the both of you in a very dangerous world..so I had to give him away to hide him from the people that are after him..I entrusted your brother to a good friend of mine..he was the old maintenance chief of my tank when I was in the university. I told him to hide your brother and never allow him to join the world of Senshado ever."
"I see..so that must have been the father that onii-chan was telling us about.." Miho said
"I fought hard for 12 years to prevent boys from joining Senshado..so that your brother will never be introduced into this world filled with corruption..so that he can live his life safely and be what he wants to be..but then it was suddenly announced that boys will be allowed to participate..then I saw the White Tiger with Miho's tank number..I knew right away that it was your brother.."
(Shiho couldn't hold her tears anymore and cried in front of her daughters. The Headmistress of the feared Nishizumi Style is nothing more than a mother fighting to protect her children just like any other mother out there)
"I..I'm so sorry that I had to hide away your brother from you..I'm so sorry the both of you had to experience so much painful things..I'm so sorry that your mother is an awful person.." Shiho said crying her heart out
(Shiho suddenly was surprised by a hug coming from both her daughters that are crying as well. This is the first time they had seen their mother be honest with her feelings and apologize to them.)
"It's alright Okaa-sama..we don't blame you for what you did to onii-sama.." Maho said
"Onee-chan is right..thank you for protecting onii-chan all these years..okaa-san.."
"B-But..I have done so many horrible things.." Shiho said
"I have never blamed you..for anything you did..Okaa-san"
"I didn't mean it when I said I'd disown you Miho..I just.." Shiho said as she hugged her daughters tighter
"I know..you did that so I could be free..and that I wouldn't get hated on by the others.." Miho said
"Even if you did horrible things that others will never forgive you for.."
"We forgive you Okaa-sama.." Maho said with Miho
"And I'm sure onii-sama will forgive you too." Maho said
"You think so?" Shiho asked
"Without a doubt.." Miho said with a smile
"Thank you..the both of you.."
"It's a shame that onii-chan can't join our hug" Miho said
"Not to worry..I know he will wake up soon..you brother is very strong.."
"We know..onii-sama just embarrassed a boy from Pravda this afternoon.." Maho said
"That boy is the reason why onii-chan got hurt in the head.." Miho said with an angry expression
"I'll make him regret hurting my son.." Shiho said
"You don't need to..Ono-kun already beat him and even almost killed him..good thing onii-sama's friends were there to stop him.." Maho said
"Ono-kun? Is he your brother's friend?" Shiho asked
"Yes they are best friends, he is the loader of the white tiger.." Miho said
"Well then, I better show my gratitude to them for being good friends with my son.."
"I'm sure onii-sama will introduce them to you soon.." Maho said
(Time flew by quickly as the three continued to bond with each other)
[Ooarai Field Hospital - 12MN]
(All three fell asleep while guarding Gero. Miho and Maho were sleeping while sitting next to Gero's bed. Shiho slept by the window on a couch. The first one to wake up was Shiho)
"...I must've dozed off while chatting with the girls.." Shiho said
"Finally you're awake.." a voice from the bed called out
(As Shiho looked at the direction of the voice. The moonlight slowly lit up the bedside to reveal that Gero was now awake. Shiho wasn't able to speak right away because she didn't expect it)
"Yo Okaa-chan.." Gero said with a smile
(Shiho suddenly hugged Gero as tight as she could)
"Okaa-chan I can't breath.."
"I'm so glad..that you are alright..my son.." Shiho said while crying
"Yes yes..I'm fine Okaa-chan.."
(Miho and Maho got woken up by the their voices)
"Onii-sama?"
"O-Onii-chan?"
(Both of them couldn't process yet that their brother has now woken up and they are now looking at each other face to face, not as friends but as family, after 12 years)
"Miho-chan..Maho-chan"
(Gero placed his bandaged hands on both his sister's heads and patted them. They both started to cry and move closer to Gero and their mother)
"My cute little sisters have grown so much..your big brother is very happy.."
"We are also happy that you have returned to us.." Shiho said
"Okaeri Onii-sama.." Maho said
"Okaeri Onii-chan.." Miho said
(Gero just smiled as he looked at his family that he had forgotten for so long..and now they have reunited and will never be apart again)
"Tadaima.."
Coming Up Next : Chapter 20 - Purple Rookie
Author's Note:
Hi guys! How was the chapter? When I wrote this I got so emotional. I hope you all did too!
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