Finding a Voice
By
DrummondType2
Chapter One: Silenced
Shizuru Fujino had come to the conclusion that she didn't much care for hospitals. It was a recent recognition, achieved in the last few minutes, but it was a definite one. The chairs in the waiting room were stiff and uncomfortable, the lighting was stark and unflattering, with a faint electric buzz, there was a persistent and unpleasant antiseptic smell in the air, masking a deeper, sickly smell that Shizuru's delicate nostrils could just barely discern. Every so often she would hear someone coughing in the background.
Then there was the fact that Shizuru was not here for herself. She was waiting for a word, any word, on how Natsuki was doing.
Sitting across from her, looking down at her loafers with a pained and guilty expression, was Mai Tokiha. It was Mai who had called her, urging her to come to the hospital quickly.
"Tokiha-han," Shizuru's tone was gentle, but she noticed that Mai flinched at hearing her voice.
"Y-yeah?"
"I'm very grateful to you for calling me," Shizuru spoke in precise words, a skill she'd mastered long before becoming the Student Council President or even making top marks in her grade, "But all you told me over the phone was that Natsuki had been hurt and that I needed to come to the hospital. Can you tell me…what happened?"
Shizuru had seen a good deal of Mai Tokiha in her home and life of late, ever since the end of the Festival. Natsuki had fully emerged from her shell, and had actually made friends and expanded her social circle. Shizuru couldn't begrudge her those things, even if it had been the wild, loner of a girl who had first caught her attention. And Shizuru had to accept the fact that Mai was, for all intents and purposes, Natsuki's best friend now that Shizuru and Natsuki were lovers.
She also had to accept that Mai was a bit uncomfortable around her. Oh, not for her sexuality. Tokiha took a decidedly laissez-faire attitude about orientation. Nor was it even about the fact that not that long ago, Shizuru had felt up Tokiha for a bit of sport at Natsuki's favorite lingerie shop (though Natsuki had made it abundantly clear from the inception of their relationship that from now on Shizuru's hands were not to wander to anyone other than Natsuki). No, it was because Tokiha knew that it hadn't been that long ago that Shizuru slew many men because they worked for the self-same organization that had taken Natsuki's mother from her. And thus Tokiha was concerned that something affecting Natsuki's well-being would bring out that part of her once again. Shizuru , for her part, was being cautious around Tokiha. The redhead had slain a god. She wasn't one to be trifled with, either.
"We…she wanted to buy you an anniversary present," Mai fidgeted, "We took the bus to Tsukimori, because I didn't want to ride on the back of her motorcycle."
That, Shizuru reflected silently, was probably for the best. Nevermind the idea of some girl with a large bosom clinging to her Natsuki. Shizuru herself had ridden on the back of that bike and found it to be a harrowing experience from time to time, though she'd never show it on her face or admit it out loud.
"Go on," Shizuru prompted gently.
"We were passing by Rorschach," Mai looked downward again, "And Natsuki said she had to settle a debt there. We went in, and Natsuki told the bar tender that she wanted to close out her tab. And that's when the fight broke out."
"Fight?"
"We weren't involved…at first," Mai exhaled shakily. This guy comes in and starts shouting at a couple at a booth. They start shouting back at him. Honestly, I just wanted to get out of there. The smoke…"
Shizuru felt her own nostrils crinkle in disgust. Natsuki herself didn't smoke, but every time she'd gone to that bar to meet her informant, she had come home reeking of stale beer and cigarette smoke.
"Then the guy who started it pulls out a knife and starts swinging it around. Natsuki pushed me towards the exit, and the guy sitting with the girl, he gets cut on the arm, trying to stop the knife, and the girl, she screamed and she picked up the ashtray. It was one of those old glass ones, dark green. The same green as Natsuki's eyes. She threw it like a discus at the guy with the knife, only her aim was way off. And the ashtray, it flew and it caught Natsuki in the throat. If she hadn't been trying to look out for me, she'd have seen it coming. She could have ducked it. But she didn't, because she was worried about me, and it hit her, and oh, God, Fujino-san, it…she fell to her knees, clutching her throat, and the sounds she was making, like she couldn't breathe right…"
Shizuru rose from her seat and took the seat beside Tokiha. She gently pressed Tokiha's head to her own chest, and cradled her delicately.
"Tokiha-han, the fault is not yours. It is with the person who threw the ashtray in the first place."
"The ashtray shattered, Fujino-san," Mai trembled with raw emotion, "There was blood. Oh…Natsuki…"
A man in a white coat approached them, "Are you the ones here for Kuga?"
"Shizuru Fujino," Shizuru bowed her head, "I have power of attorney for emergency situations. Is she…?"
"She's going to make it," The doctor said, "Come with me. I'll explain on the way to her room."
Mai and Shizuru followed him as he led the way through a heavy swinging door, "The shards of glass were a problem, of course, but we were able to remove them without difficulty. Superficial lacerations, really. Skin deep only, and no major arteries or veins were cut. Now, her trachea suffered from a major contusion, so we administered analgesics for the pain, and she can take high dose ibuprofen when she's released, and used ice packs to help reduce the swelling . The real issue is with her larynx. The impact fractured the larynx. We were able to repair the fracture, but there is a strong possibility of nerve damage, but we'll need to schedule a CT scan to be certain."
Shizuru paused, "Doctor, are you saying…?"
"We won't know for sure until the swelling goes down, but there is a very real possibility that Kuga will be left permanently mute."
Natsuki was laying in her hospital bed. There was a bandage over her throat, and she suspected that if they didn't have her on some very powerful painkillers, it would be on fire. As it was her mouth felt dry, and the nurse had given her a cup of ice chips, with the instructions that she melt them slowly in her mouth.
The painkillers were making her drowsy, but she fought to stay conscious. When she'd been scraped up after fighting an Orphan that had crashed a bus, she'd done as the doctor had instructed as far as keeping the wounds clean and disinfected, but refused the painkillers because they slowed her down. And now, now she didn't have large toothy monsters to fight, but instead a rather handsy girlfriend to reassure, and she wanted…needed to be awake for that.
Her emerald eyes lit up when she saw Shizuru and Mai come in the room, and she opened her mouth to speak, only for her throat to suddenly scream at her with fresh songs of agony that overrode her pain medications. The doctor had already warned her that she might be permanently mute, though he'd added they'd need to do a CT scan in the morning to be sure.
Contrary to what Mai had reported, the ashtray hadn't shattered on Natsuki's throat, but on the edge of the bar counter just past Natsuki. It was slivers from the backlash that had ended up piercing and slashing her. But it had happened so quickly that to Mai's vision, it had appeared as though the thing had shattered on Natsuki's throat. Not that she was any better off than if it had. The impact was still devastating. The EMTs who'd come to the bar to haul her away in an ambulance had intubated her, and when the swelling had gone down and the tube had been removed, that had hurt just as badly, like running a bandsaw through her throat.
And now, here she was, facing Shizuru and Mai, and she was in tremendous pain, but she forced herself to smile, despite a tell-tale wince from her initial attempt to speak that neither her girlfriend nor her BFF had missed.
"Natsuki?" Shizuru knelt beside her, "Are you alright?"
Natsuki had just received a painful reminder that she couldn't speak, so she smiled and gave the OK gesture.
"We had to repair the larynx," the doctor said, nodding to the bandages, "But the incision was very small and the stitches were nice and tight, so any scarring will be in the folds under her jawline and hairline thin, at that."
Natsuki rolled her eyes.
"She's never been one to care about scarring, doctor," Mai smiled a bit.
"Now, the drugs will make her very drowsy, and she does need her rest. First thing in the morning, we'll do the CT scan and see about possible nerve damage to the larynx. I'm hoping that the mutism is caused solely by the pain and swelling, but there is a very real possibility that she's going to be permanently mute. We'll know more after the scan. I'll leave you alone, now. Please see to it that she's allowed to rest, though."
As soon as the doctor was out of the room, Mai started crying, "Natsuki, I'm so sorry! I should have told you to duck or pushed you out of the way or…"
Natsuki shook her head. Then she made a motion with her hands, indicating she wanted a pen and paper.
Shizuru found a memo pad in her purse and a pen. She handed them to Natsuki, who wrote quickly. Shizuru sighed inwardly as she received the top sheet from her girlfriend. Natsuki's handwriting on a good day could be described as "chicken scratches". Under the influence of medications, pain, and stress, it was akin to deciphering hieroglyphics.
"'My own…fault. Shouldn't…have…ah, the word is taken, shouldn't have taken you into a place like that to begin with. Should have gotten us out before the fight got good and going.'"
"Still…" Mai fidgeted.
Natsuki rolled her eyes, and wrote quickly again.
"'You are such a Mom. Thought you learned after Takumi not to put everything on yourself'," Shizuru read, then gave Natsuki a mildly reproachful look, "Dearest, do I need to provide more tactful translations for your words? She's understandably worried about you."
Natsuki's eyes narrowed at Shizuru, and while it wasn't quite the Kuga Death Glare, it conveyed her irritation handily. Again with the quick writing.
"'Read 'em like I write 'em'?" Shizuru now sighed outwardly, "Yes dear. Now, you rest. Tokiha-han, would you…" Shizuru paused as she felt Natsuki pat her arm. She turned to see Natsuki shaking her head a bit, then gesturing in an upward motion from her throat towards Mai, then patted her own lips. Shizuru had known Natsuki longer than anyone, and so she realized she understood the meaning immediately. She nodded, then turned back to Mai, "Mai, would you please fetch a change of clothes for Natsuki? She'll need something to wear when they release her. I'll stay here and keep her company."
"Sure thing, Fuji…" Mai caught a glare from Natsuki, "Er, Shizuru. May I borrow your key?"
After Mai left, Shizuru gave Natsuki a semi-amused smile, "Am I to use yobisute with all of your acquaintances, now? Would you like me to address Yuuki-han as 'Nao-chan' from now on?"
Natsuki gave Shizuru an eyeroll that practically screamed, "Idiot."