Here it is, Volume Two, Part Four! For this and any of my other
works, visit my Web Site at:
http://www.oocities.com/coutuva
As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.
Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.
Secrets: Volume Two Part Four
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Miyoko hugged her pillow and moaned softly as she settled
in, looking forward to her first good night's sleep in days.
Yoriko lay beside her, already nestled snugly against her back
and apparently asleep.
It had been a rough couple of days, particularly for
Yoriko. Her experiences had left her so shaken she had actually
missed work, something unprecedented in all the time Miyoko had
known her. In fact, the entire situation seemed, for a time, to
have thrown her back to almost the same frightened, defeated state
she had been in when Miyoko first met her.
Worried for her, Miyoko had also booked off a couple of
days, staying by her girlfriend's side to help her cope with her
shock. Now, however, Yoriko finally seemed to be shaking it off
and getting back to her new self again, despite the fact that they
hadn't really discussed what had transpired.
Yawning, Miyoko could feel herself starting to drift out,
at least until Yoriko moved her arm up and placed a hand on her
shoulder.
"Miyoko-chan?" she asked, quietly.
"Haaaaiii?" Miyoko replied, sleepily.
"Why did my father want to talk to you?" she asked, her
tone indicating that the question had apparently been bothering
her.
Miyoko rolled on her back before answering, which prompted
Yoriko to settle her head on the redhead's shoulder, her forehead
just at Miyoko's jawline.
"Ano... He had some baka idea," she responded, stretching
as much as she could without moving Yoriko. "He knows all about my
curse, and figured since I could turn into a man, you'd be willing
to have a baby with me. Figured it'd get him an heir," she
explained sarcastically, wrapping an arm around Yoriko's shoulders.
Yoriko gasped quietly, trying to conceal it. "He... Really
said that?" she responded, unable to hide the shock in her voice.
"Hai... Can you believe it? I was so blown away I had to
fight to keep from letting him know *exactly* what I thought," she
grumbled, dourly.
"Ahh... What... Did you say?" Yoriko prodded, nervously.
"Not as much as I shoulda, but I let him know that I didn't
think you'd even consider it. And I told him I'd never ask it of
you. Has a lot of damned nerve, I figure," she stated, frowning.
"Trying to get you to save his butt after what he did to you," she
added, yawning again.
"Hai..." Yoriko replied, her voice again fading.
"Ano... You okay, Yori-chan?" Miyoko abruptly asked,
noticing her reaction.
"Hai. I'm fine. I was just wondering, that's all," she
deflected casually, nestling in and resting her hand on Miyoko's
breast.
"Okay... As long as you're sure," she replied warily,
getting the annoying feeling that she wasn't.
After waiting a few seconds to see if anything more was
forthcoming, she found she couldn't resist her body's rather
insistent demands for sleep, and yawned yet again. "You're sure
you're okay?" she asked again, looking over at the snuggled
blonde head on her shoulder.
"Hai. No problem," she grinned, looking in fact better
than she had sounded a few minutes ago.
"Okay then. Oyasumi, Yori-chan... Suki da yo," she smiled,
kissing the girl's forehead. Within a few moments, she was
snoozing away contentedly.
Yoriko, meantime, slowly opened her eyes and sighed,
knowing she wouldn't be getting much sleep this night.
"Not you, too?" Akane groaned, shaking her head at the
surprised Amazon.
"Not me what?" Shampoo blinked, unsure of what Akane was
upset about.
"Trying to get me to call 'Miyoko'. Nodoka and Kasumi
have been on me steady about that, and if you're planning on doing
the same, then there's the door," she replied, her face darkening.
"Iya! I only hadn't heard what happened since you came
back from Kyoto. I wanted to know if you fixed it up," Shampoo
protested, shaking her purple mane vigorously.
Akane studied her large eyes for a moment, then sighed and
dropped her shoulders. "Gomen, Shampoo. I've been under a lot
of stress lately," she muttered, rising from the table and starting
to pace around.
"That's okay. So how did it go?" the Amazon pressed, her
curiosity getting to her even more in view of Akane's reaction.
"It didn't. He doesn't want to be Kei's father. He wants
to be 'Auntie Miyoko' instead. And I don't want his fluffy little
hentai 'girlfriend' anywhere near my son," Akane grumbled, her face
darkening. "I just packed Kei up and got the hell out of there.
I'd heard enough," she added, shooting Shampoo a look.
"Aiyah... That seems strange. He loves children," Shampoo
blinked, cocking her head as she considered the situation. "There
must have been a reason..."
"Hmp. He had lots of reasons, but I think it was just
to keep from... Kuso...! Just a minute," she snapped, heading
over to where she had left the now ringing cordless.
"Yes, this is Tendou Akane... Chikusho! What happened?
Which one? Maaa... I'll be right there!" she suddenly shrieked,
hanging up the phone and tossing it at the stunned Amazon. By the
time Shampoo caught it, she was already in the yard.
"What happened?" Shampoo called, having started after her.
She stopped as she saw Akane reappear from the Dojo, walking her
motorcycle.
"Kei's in the hospital! He had some kind of seizure at
School!" Akane yelled back as she wedged on her helmet. "Close
up for me!" she added quickly, firing up the bike and patching the
rear end around. "Call Nodoka... Tell her I'll call when I find
out how he is!" she indicated, then vanished in a cloud of blue
smoke.
Shampoo jacked her jaw back into place and dashed back
into the house, instantly calling Nodoka to fill her in. Just as
she was about to leave, she stopped in her tracks and looked over
at the phone again. Nodding sharply, she kicked her shoes off
and went back over to it. Dialing the operator, she cleared her
throat.
"May I please have the number for the 'Happy Spatula' in
Kyoto? Yes, I'll hold."
"Masaka..." Ukyou gasped as she slowly hung up the phone.
"What?" Ryouga prodded, noticing her face draining.
"Something happened to Ra - Miyoko's son. He took some
kind of seizure in school, and was rushed to the hospital," she
responded, worriedly. "That was Shampoo... She wanted to make
sure Miyoko knew," she added, looking back at Ryouga searchingly.
He frowned back at her. "What was the name of that School
she teaches at?" he responded, picking up the phone book.
Miyoko lowered an eyebrow at Atsuko, who was waving
frantically at her through the glass of the classroom door. She
was midway through a demonstration of the form she was about to
teach, and didn't appreciate the interruption.
Ignoring the highly animated girl, she forced her
concentration back into the form, only to have Atsuko finally come
right in the room after her.
Miyoko heard her come in and stopped in mid-form, holding
the pose as she glared at the nervous girl. "This had better be
important, Atsuko-chan," she indicated ominously, reminding her
with a look that disturbing an instructor in mid-class was nigh-on
unforgivable.
"Hai, Miyoko-sensei. It is. It concerns your family,"
the girl blurted, quickly.
Miyoko erked. "My... Family?" she gasped, slowly settling
back to both feet.
"Hai, hai! They said it was urgent!" she added, nodding
emphatically.
"Masaka... Class, fifteenth kata. Begin," she ordered,
as the class groaned at the 53 forms in it.
"Takara Miyoko desu... Ryouga? What the hell...?
Sonova...! Is he...? Kuso. Okay... Okay... Thanks, buddy...
Ja," she gasped, hanging up the phone slowly.
"Is... Everything okay, Miyoko-sensei?" Atsuko finally
asked, after waiting a few seconds for Miyoko to say something.
"Ano... Iya. I have to go... Atsuko-chan, I need you to
make a phone call for me, and then tell my class to finish their
kata and go home. There's been an emergency, and I have to leave
for a while," she explained, numbly.
"Ano... Hai, Miyoko-sensei. How long will you be
gone?" the wide-eyed girl asked as she reached for her phone.
"I... Don't know," she replied, worriedly.
Striding back into the outer office after showering and
changing, Miyoko actually startled Atsuko, who was just getting
off the phone. "Did you get hold of Yoriko?" she asked, checking
to see that she got her skirt on the right way around.
"Hai, Miyoko-Sensei... She said she'd be right here,"
the gasping girl replied, waving a hand before her face.
"Nani? How would she...?" she began, but was interrupted
by the arrival of a taxi right outside the School. Its door
opened, and out stepped a very worried looking Yoriko.
The girl headed straight in the door, her face immediately
brightening as soon as she saw Miyoko.
"Miyoko-chan... What happened? What did they tell you?"
she blurted, breathlessly.
"Ano... Not much. I just know he had some kind of
seizure, and he's in the hospital in Nerima. The school called
Akane, and Shampoo relayed the message," she responded quickly,
then regarded Yoriko questioningly. "Why did you come? I only
asked Atsuko to tell you I had to go. I didn't expect you to
leave work, especially after already booking a couple days,"
she finally asked, regarding her questioningly.
"I wanted to go with you -- to be there for you," she
responded quietly, touching her arm gently.
Miyoko looked back at her for a second, then smiled. "Baka
ne... Arigato," she quipped, winking. "Well, that only leaves
one problem -- how do we get there? The train takes forever, and
we don't have a car," she mused, frowning.
Yoriko went silent for a moment, then looked at Miyoko
nervously. "Ano... Let's go home and pack, Miyoko-chan. Just
in case we have to spend a few days there," she put forward,
looking at her proddingly.
Miyoko looked back questioningly, then caught the hint.
"Hai... Might as well. I'll let you know what's happening
as soon as I can, Atsuko-chan," she redirected, flashing the
girl a thin smile.
"Good luck... I hope everything is okay," Atsuko
responded, waving as the girls stepped out the door.
"What have you got in mind, Yori-chan?" Miyoko immediately
asked, as they tried to flag down a taxi.
"I was thinking... There's someone who owes me something,"
she replied, quietly.
"I hope you don't mean..." Miyoko almost gasped, blinking.
"Hai. I could... Call him," she suggested, almost
cringing.
Miyoko remained speechless for a moment, then sighed
resignedly. "Kuso. Well... It's up to you, Yori-chan... I'd
sooner walk, but we ain't got that kinda time," she grumbled,
shaking her head. "I'm surprised you'd even suggest that," she
added, looking back at her again.
Yoriko lowered her head for a moment, then stepped up close
to Miyoko and held her arm. "I'd do anything to make sure you were
there for your son," she stated, flashing a small smile and
squeezing Miyoko's arm.
Miyoko could only smile appreciatively. "You never cease
to amaze me, Yori-chan. Are you really sure about this, though?
He could think you've forgiven him because of it," she noted, her
smile fading.
Yoriko only shook her head. "Iya. I'll make sure he
knows better," she countered, solemnly.
After they had arrived home, Yoriko took the cordless and
called a number she knew off by heart, and told Miyoko to go and
pack. Miyoko agreed, but left the bedroom door open a crack anyway.
"Ano... Hello, Father," Yoriko began, her eyes downcast.
"No... I'm not calling about that. I... Will, but not right now.
Hai... I know. I miss her too," she continued, her voice
cracking slightly.
Miyoko, listening at the door, had to swallow the lump in her
throat.
"Father... I must... Put that aside," she continued,
sniffing and steadying herself. "I am calling you... Only because
Miyoko-chan has a family emergency. Hai. In Nerima Ward. Her
son was rushed to hospital with some kind of seizures. We have
no way to get there, and Miyoko-chan is very worried about him,"
she indicated, forcing her voice calm. "I wanted to... To... Ask
for a car to take her there. Hai... I know my license is gone, but
I don't care... This is too urgent," she responded, her face
darkening slightly. She listened quietly for several seconds,
then brightened slightly. "Arigato... For helping Miyoko-chan.
A little bit... Ja," she concluded, then sighed, wiped her eyes
and slumped onto the couch. "Miy-o-ko-chan... I did it...!" she
called out, her voice far from happy.
"Ano... Did he give you any hassle? Make you promise
anything?" she asked, noting Yori's drained face.
"Iya... He tried though... Wanted me to meet him
somewhere for a 'talk'," she frowned, sadly. "I'm... Not ready for
that yet," she added, quietly.
Miyoko walked up and kneeled in front of her, then took the
girl's hands in hers. "Yori-chan... I don't want you to do this if
you're uncomfortable with it. We can find another way," she
offered earnestly, feeling bad about not just having vetoed the
idea earlier.
Yoriko just shook her head. "It's okay... You're worth
it," she smiled, running her fingers through Miyoko's hair.
"Domo arigato, Yori-chan," Miyoko bowed, reverently. "I
can't tell you how much I appreciate this. And I'll make it up
to you -- somehow," she promised, adamantly.
"Iya, Miyoko-chan... I'm still trying to repay you," she
responded, shaking her head.
Within fifteen minutes, a black Mercedes limo had picked the
girls up, and was on its way to White Consolidated Industries.
Miyoko looked over at Yoriko, who sat quietly on the sumptuous seat
with her hands meshed in her lap, quietly gazing out at the street.
"Yori-chan? Why are we going to the office?" she finally
asked, wondering why they weren't just heading for the highway.
"Ano... He said to leave it up to him, and he'd get us
something that would get us there quick," she replied, quietly.
A few minutes and a long elevator ride later, Miyoko gasped
as the elevator doors parted to reveal a 10 passenger Bell JetRanger
helicopter warming up on the rooftop helipad.
"Chikusho...! He wasn't kidding, was he?" she yelled
above the noise, as the ground crew ushered them toward the chopper.
Once they were belted in and their gear stowed, the chopper
wasted no time in taking off, sweeping a fast arc out over the city
and heading directly for Nerima Ward.
"Masaka... You had no idea about this, Yori-chan?" Miyoko
gasped, flabbergasted at the entire affair.
"I didn't. I actually asked for the use of a car to drive
there. This was all his idea," she replied, somewhat overwhelmed
herself.
"Kuso... He doesn't do things half-way, does he? Well, at
least we can take the train home after," she noted, only to be
greeted by Yoriko shaking her head.
"Iya... This will come back for us. The ground crew said
it's already arranged," she replied, sheepishly.
Miyoko frowned as she nodded, hoping their good fortune
wouldn't end up coming back to haunt them.
Their arrival in Nerima was to say the least, a spectacle.
The pilots located the correct hospital and guided the big bird
onto the facility's backyard helipad, the massive craft taking up
virtually all of the available space.
It seemed as if every person that heard or saw the approach
had crowded around the pad, wondering what all the fuss was about.
Miyoko didn't stop to explain as she and Yoriko dashed into the
building, too worried about her son to even think about it.
Once inside, Miyoko guided Yoriko through the maze of halls
expertly, soon coming to the main floor desk.
"Tendou Kei. Where is he right now?" she asked the duty
nurse, urgency strong through her voice.
"Ara... He is in room 1223, first floor, to your..." she
began, but Miyoko cut her off.
"Got it!" she smirked, then lit off down the hallway,
dragging the bewildered Yoriko behind.
"Miyoko-chan? How do you know this place so well? Did
you work here?" she asked breathlessly, trying to keep up to her
girlfriend.
"Iya... I used to spend a lot of time in here.
Recovering, mostly," she shot back, making a face. A few seconds
later, they arrived outside the indicated room. Miyoko stopped,
straightened her blouse, then turned to Yoriko with concern on her
face. "Yori-chan... If she's in there..." she began, but Yoriko
just shook her head and touched Miyoko's lips to close them.
"I know... I'm ready for it," she assured, tipping her
head toward the door. "Get in there," she smirked, flashing a smile.
Taking a deep breath, Miyoko pushed open the door. Akane's
reaction was predictable.
"You! What the hell are you doing here?" she snarled,
glaring at the frowning redhead. Before Miyoko could even think of
answering however, Akane suddenly exploded. "NO!! Get *her* the
hell out of here!"
"Hey! She's with me, and I'm stayin'!" Miyoko growled,
taking a stance.
"Iya, iya!" Yoriko interjected, waving her hands
frantically. "I'll leave... I... Should arrange for a room,"
she offered, then quickly bowed. "Gomen... I didn't mean to upset
you," she apologized quickly, turning and ducking out the door.
Despite her efforts to cover it, Miyoko could see how upset
the outburst had made Yoriko, and turned around to glare at Akane
menacingly. "Don't you *ever* do that again," she snarled, her
eyes and tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Then just keep that fluffy little hentai away from me, and
I won't have to," she snarled back, noting with a slight
satisfaction how rage flashed through Miyoko's sapphire blues.
Out in the hall, Yoriko managed about three steps from the
door before slumping against the wall, burying her face in her hands
and breaking out in tears.
Back in the room, Miyoko valiantly resisted the building
urge to wipe the smug smirk off of Akane's face, and stepped around
her to check on her son. He was sleeping peacefully, and looked
absolutely none the worse for the wear. No casts, no bandages, no
IV, and no electronics. She couldn't see anything that would
indicate as severe a problem as she had thought there was.
Akane noticed her consternation, and huffed indignantly.
"He took some kind of seizure in class today. Scared the hell
out of his teacher and the Principal. But, by the time they got
him here, he was right back to normal. Absolutely nothing wrong,"
she explained, shaking her head.
"What did the Doc say?" Miyoko countered, glancing back
at her.
"He doesn't know yet. That's why we're still here. He
wants to run tests, since they didn't see any of the seizure," she
noted, turning and walking away from the bed. "Scared the hell out
of me when they called. And that reminds me -- how did you find
out?" she abruptly asked, turning to face her directly.
"I got a call at work. Evidently someone thinks I should
be told about things like this," she shot back, glad to get a jibe
in.
Akane opened her mouth to respond in kind, but they were
disturbed by the arrival of the doctor. He glanced at the two of
them in turn, then walked up to Akane and cleared his throat.
"We are still not sure what caused his episode, Miss
Tendou. We have a few theories, but we can't be specific until
we can do some other tests," he indicated, clinically.
"Can you... At least tell me your theories?" she responded,
nervously.
The doctor sighed. "We suspect Epilepsy. Based on your
description of his prior behaviors, and the description of his
episode at school, it would seem the most logical conclusion.
Unfortunately, we have nothing more to go on as of yet. Once the
remaining tests are completed, we will know more," he stated,
frowning slightly.
"Masaka..." the two women responded in stereo, both of
their faces draining. The doctor noticed Miyoko's reaction, and
looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Are you a relative?" he asked, regarding her
questioningly.
"Hai... I'm his... Aunt Miyoko. He's my brother's son,"
she recovered quickly, bowing.
"I see... That explains the resemblance. Well, we won't
know more until tomorrow, so you may as well go home. Miss Tendou,
I can arrange a cot if you'd like," he indicated, turning back
toward Akane.
"Thank you, Doctor. I would like that very much," she
responded, shooting a smug glance at Miyoko as she bowed politely.
"Done, then. He should awaken shortly -- the medications
were only short term. If you need anything, please contact my
office," he smiled, then bowed and left the room.
"Kuso... Epilepsy..." Miyoko choked, momentarily losing
her composure. Looking over at the child's reposing form, she
fought back sudden tears that grew out of the knot forming in her
gut. "Poor kid... Must be from *your* side of the family," she
recovered, stepping toward Kei's bed quietly, then leaning her arms
on the siderail and looking down at him remorsefully.
"Shut up, Ranma. Until I hear it from the Doctor
officially, I'm not accepting that. Even if it is, they can
control it now... Right?" Akane retorted, her voice becoming a
bit nervous despite her bluster.
Miyoko puffed out an exasperated breath. "Hai... Depends
on how bad. What kind of seizure did he take? And the name's
Miyoko, by the way," she responded, looking up at Akane as she
fixed the sleeping child's hair.
"Nani? What *kind*? How the hell should I know?" she
snapped, hands going to her hips.
Miyoko only shot her a glare. "You better learn.
Epileptics have two main kinds: 'Grand Mal' and 'Petite Mal'.
The first one is the really violent kind. Thrashing, kicking,
shuddering... They can even swallow their tongues if you're not
ready for it. The other is sorta like a trance they go into.
They 'blank out' for a few seconds, even into minutes. They
sometimes feel like they're vibrating, too," she indicated
seriously, as Akane's jaw dropped.
"He's done both, then," she gasped, stunned at the
descriptions. "Ano... How would you know, anyway?" she added,
blinking.
"I met someone who had it while I was on the road. He
used to take 'Grand Mals' when he got off his medications.
Damned gruesome sight," she explained, shuddering at the memory.
"Scared the crap out of me when it happened the first time."
Akane had heard enough. Stepping back, she sank into a
chair and shook her head. "Kei-chan..." she breathed, her eyes
starting to tear up.
Just at that moment, the door opened slowly to admit
Nodoka, who promptly gasped as she spotted Miyoko. "Ano...
Miyoko-chan?" she asked, taking a second look.
"Hai, okaasan. I got a call telling me about this, and
came as fast as I could. Did you see Yoriko in the hallway?"
she bowed quickly, wanting to get out of the room before the
waterworks started... And before she felt any worse.
"Iya, Miyoko-chan... She wasn't there. I just came in...
Perhaps I missed her," she responded, smiling.
"Okay... I'll go look for her. I think Akane needs
someone to talk to... Other than me," she winked, stepping toward
the door.
"Hai... It's nice to see you. I hope we can talk before
you have to go home," Nodoka suggested, reaching over and
touching the redhead's shoulder.
"Hai... I'd like that," she smiled quickly, then bowed
and took her leave.
She managed to catch up to Yoriko in the waiting room,
where she found her standing before the windows, arms crossed and
staring at nothing. She could tell, even from across the room,
that she was still shaken.
Quietly, she walked up behind her and snaked her arms around
her waist, nestling against her.
"Ah! Miyoko-chan!" Yoriko gasped, then relaxed into the
embrace.
"Gomen nasai, Yori-chan. I didn't expect her to go off
like that. Are you okay?"
"Hai... I'm okay... She just... Startled me. How's your
son?"
"He's sedated... And... They think he's an Epileptic,"
she responded, sadly. "He's fine now. The seizure passed and
he came right back," she added, the relief in her voice unable
to hide how worried and scared she actually was.
"Oh, Miyoko-chan... I'm so sorry. He doesn't deserve
that," Yoriko gasped, turning in Miyoko's arms and hugging
her back. "That's awful for him..."
"Hai... It sure as hell is. I just hope that if he is,
they can control it. I knew a guy once that was, and he was so
bad he couldn't ride a bike," she noted, her voice so quiet it was
barely above a whisper.
Yoriko swore she heard a waver in it, but didn't mention it,
only hugging the redhead a bit tighter.
They remained in their embrace for several minutes,
neither saying a word. Finally, Miyoko turned her head, looked
deep into Yoriko's eyes and smiled. "Thank you... For being
here," she whispered, leaning forward and kissing her lovingly.
The next morning, Miyoko and Yoriko sat next to each other
in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting the results of the testing.
Miyoko had finally spoken to Kei when she first arrived, and was
pleased to find him in great spirits, chattering away as if
nothing was wrong.
He remembered her from their brief few minutes in the
restaurant, and immediately started interrogating her about his
father.
She deflected the issue as best she could, but when she
glanced at Akane, her glare indicated her thoughts on the
matter -- and the fact that she'd be hearing about them before
long.
Akane had also seen Yoriko again, but this time all that
was exchanged was a withering glare. Miyoko had made sure she was
on hand, ensuring that her feelings were also made known.
Later, Yoriko, feeling extremely guilty about the tension
being created in what was a serious family matter, actually asked
Miyoko if she should either stay in the hotel room, or even go back
home.
Miyoko would have none of it. She was adamant that Yoriko
remain at her side, indicating she wasn't about to let Akane run
her life. Her response lifted Yoriko's spirits, but didn't make
her feel any better.
Nodoka stayed with Akane, also sensing the tension and
trying her best to keep Akane from any further outbursts.
After what felt like an eternity, the doctor walked in
and asked for all members of the family to meet in the waiting
room. Miyoko had a feeling she knew what was coming, and so did
Akane.
"Our tests have determined that it is indeed Epilepsy, but
that is about all we can conclude. More determination will be
needed to ascertain a course of action, and we simply do not have
the expertise or the proper equipment. I'm going to have to
recommend that he be sent to a better facility, after which we can
continue to monitor him," he stated, as gently as possible.
The responses were predictable. Akane started to cry,
Miyoko went silent, and Nodoka was shocked. Yoriko, seeing the
look on Miyoko's face, immediately moved closer to her and tried
to comfort her, while Akane turned to Nodoka.
As the doctor looked on sadly, he was about to mention that
he was open for questions when he was paged to the front desk. As
he took his leave, Nodoka and Akane went back to Kei's room, while
Miyoko sank back into the couch in the waiting room, Yoriko still
at her side.
"Yori-chan... I've cursed my son!" she abruptly cried out,
then buried her face in Yoriko's shoulder -- and wept.
"Iya, Miyoko-chan... Don't say that! It's nothing you
did," Yoriko protested, her heart sinking at her girlfriend's
words.
Miyoko however, wasn't listening.
"I did... I'm cursed... I'm... Flawed somehow... And
now... And now I've passed it on to him!" she sobbed, unable
to stop her tears. Yoriko, fearing she was watching Miyoko crack,
did the only thing she could think of.
"Miyoko-chan... Look at me," she commanded, lifting the
redhead away from her. When Miyoko raised her tear-soaked eyes,
Yoriko hauled off and slapped her right across the face. "NO!!
You are *NOT* flawed!! You had *nothing* to do with what happened
to him!" she yelled, glaring at her girlfriend so intensely that
she started to cry. "I *won't* have you blaming yourself!" she
added, her sea-green eyes flashing. "You... Are the most
wonderful, selfless, loving person I know... I won't let you
destroy yourself over guilt!" she sobbed, grabbing Miyoko's hands
and squeezing them tightly.
Miyoko stopped crying instantly, the stinging impact
snapping her back to reality. As she took in Yoriko's words, she
looked at her sobbing girlfriend for several moments, then
sniffed and wiped her eyes.
"Thanks, Yori-chan... I guess... I needed that," she
finally remarked quietly, lowering her face. "Gomen... I didn't
mean to lose it like that," she sniffed again, raising her
reddened eyes briefly.
"Why, Miyoko-chan? Why would you blame yourself for this?"
Yoriko blurted, still somewhat worked up.
"Ano... I... I've always worried... That if I had
children, they'd be affected by this damned curse somehow. When
they suggested Epilepsy, it added up. My screwed-up body screwed
*his* up," she breathed, painfully.
"No... That's not true... Your curse has nothing to do
with it... I'd bet my life on it!" Yoriko urged, her eyes
locking into Miyoko's. "You'll see... Wait till those other
Doctors see him... They'll tell you that!" she added
insistently, her tone edging on panic.
Miyoko went to respond, but when she saw the worried,
frightened look in Yoriko's eyes, she clamped her mouth shut and
lowered her eyes. A second later, she raised them again, a smirk
working across her visage. "How am I supposed to feel sorry for
myself if you keep looking at me like that?" she asked, bluntly.
Yoriko blinked for a few seconds, then sniffed and dove
into her arms, hugging her as tightly as she could. Miyoko
sniffed again, returning the hug gratefully. "Yori-chan... I
don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come. I swear
you must be psychic," she breathed, appreciatively.
"Iya... Not psychic... Just in love," Yoriko replied,
tightening her hug.
The two stayed in their embrace until their tears dried,
Miyoko more than a little embarrassed about her wellspring eyes.
As she dug the last tissue out of her purse, she dabbed her face
and looked over at Yoriko thoughtfully.
Yoriko noticed almost immediately, and worried that
something was still bothering her.
"Ano... What is it, Miyoko-chan?" she asked, taking
Miyoko's hand.
"Yori-chan... Something just occurred to me. Remember
when we were in the Happy Spatula... And I caught Akane's mallet?"
she asked, looking into her eyes. Yoriko nodded, although she
had no clue where Miyoko was heading.
"Good. And do you remember me telling you why I could?"
Again, Yoriko nodded, her confusion deepening.
Miyoko smiled. "Yori-chan... *Nobody* hits me if I don't
let them -- but you just did. Why do you think that happened?"
she asked, her face softening.
Yoriko was about to ask when Miyoko's point suddenly jumped
up and bit her. "You mean... Because you love me?" she asked,
breaking out in a bright smile.
"Hai... But not just *because*... I think it also
shows -- how much," Miyoko breathed, reaching out and touching
Yoriko's face gently. "Only one thing bothers me, though," she
noted, moving her jaw around exploratively. "Did you have to hit
me so damned hard?"
A short while later, Miyoko decided to go see Kei, still
very worried about how he was faring.
Yoriko opted to wait where she was, and was the only one in
the waiting room when the doctor returned, a strange look on his
face.
She redirected him to Kei's room, then sat chewing her lip,
wondering what was going on.
Akane and Nodoka were still hugging each other when Miyoko
entered the room, while Kei was watching them nervously from his
bed. Miyoko nodded to the adults as she passed, but headed
straight for her son's bed.
"How ya doin', Kei-chan?" she asked brightly, noting the
smile that crossed the youngster's face.
"I'm okay. What's wrong with Mom?" he asked, his large
eyes full of concern.
Just as Miyoko was going to try to answer him, the doctor
walked through the door, the strange look still on his face. He
wasted no time in getting to the point.
"I was just on the phone with the Hospital Administrator.
It seems that through some series of fortuitous occurrences, Japan's
foremost Specialist in Epilepsy is on his way here... To see your
son. His arrival is confirmed for 4:00pm this afternoon. He's
being backed up by a portable diagnostic facility, which is also
enroute. I can't tell you how good this is... Your son is in the
best possible hands," he announced, proudly. "I just wish I
knew how it happened," he added, scratching his head as he turned
to leave.
Akane, Nodoka and Miyoko all looked at each other in
surprise, until Akane's eyes narrowed. "This is *your* doing.
First, I hear you were the one in that helicopter, then the best
Doctor in the country just *happens* to come to see *your* son?
What the hell are you doing? Trying to prove me unfit now?"
she abruptly snarled, getting to her feet and clenching her fists.
Miyoko was stunned. "Get a grip, Baka... I don't know
anything about this," she protested, but Akane was implacable.
"Bullshit! I'm warning you, if you try *anything* like
that, so help me, I'll take you out!" she shouted, glancing at
Kei as she chose her words.
Miyoko threw her hands in the air. "Masaka... Let me know
when you're back on Earth, Akane. Maybe then you'll see how much
of an idiot you're being," she snapped, turning back toward Kei
and smiling at him. "Seeya, buddy -- I have to leave now. Let me
know how things go, ne?" she winked, then leaned over and kissed his
forehead. "Ja Ne!" she smiled again, then turned and walked for
the door.
Nodoka was now on her feet and calming Akane, which spared
Miyoko the parting shot she had been anticipating.
Nodding to Nodoka and rolling her eyes at Akane, she
slipped out the door and promptly scowled angrily. Contrary to
what she had just said, she had a pretty good idea why the
specialist was coming, and wasn't sure she liked it.
Rounding the corner to enter the waiting room, she was
greeted by Yoriko racing into her arms, a concerned look on her
face.
"Miyoko-chan! What is it? Did the Doctor say something bad?"
she fretted, clutching at Miyoko's blouse.
"Ano... Iya. He said that the best Specialist in Japan is
coming to see my son... Only *he* didn't refer Kei to anyone. It
came to him as a surprise," she noted, eyeing Yoriko suspiciously.
Yoriko gasped. "Ano... I didn't... I swear it!" she
panicked, stepping back and waving her arms. Miyoko studied her
eyes for a moment, then sighed.
"Damn... I was hoping it was your idea... Cause if it
wasn't..." she trailed off, shaking her head.
"Oh no -- you think my father did it on his own?" she
gasped, her eyes widening.
"Hai. The only thing that bothers me is his motive," she
Miyoko replied, her face darkening.
"His motive?"
"Hai... Either he feels guilty, or he wants me to *owe*
him. And if it turns out that he did send this Doctor, and his
motive *is* to make me to owe him one... Well, let's just say that
what I owe him won't be pleasant," she glowered, darkly.
===================================================================
END - Secrets V2P4 A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva
Comments Welcomed - Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com
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