HARD TO SAY GOODBYE
~By Kayu-chan~
k-chan@rocketmail.com
*Ranma 1/2 characters are copywrited to the ingenius of Rumiko Takahashi
and company. I _own nothing_ on these characters or their "unusual"
situations. Ranma 1/2 characters used without permission.*
~Be warned, this will be a sadfic but as for a bitter ending? You'll just
have to find out... ^_~
~I'm taking this from the manga, so no Sasuke in this one.~
~I recommend reading the previous chapters before reading this one. Or
getting a detailed synopsis. It will be pretty confusing, otherwise. Just
reply to this address or the above addy for more info.~
Chapter 8: A Reflection in the Shattered Glass
12 July 1998
Snow fell on the moist dew of the morning grass in Tokyo. The cold
weather again became more than bitter temperatures. White covered and
enveloped the pollution and the concrete, almost cleansing the city clean.
After a short absence, true winter had finally returned and replaced its
lukewarm substitute. The sky was a mixture of soft white snowfall, creamy
sunlight and lurking wisps of unwelcome murky grey.
* * * *
Nabiki lay in her hospital bed, resting her head back on the cool
cotton pillow after a series of tests. She closed her eyelids as they
pressed heavily against her eyes. But she refused to fall asleep and let
that darkness capture her again. Constantly monitored by doctors and nurses
she felt like a prisoner who was too weak to escape. Weak, she hated that
word. But lethargy, dizziness and an awful headache with throbbing pain
that grew by the hour mocked her inability to move much.
Soon, the police would be asking her questions about the fire. They
knew it was arson and were probably hoping that Nabiki had seen who did do
it. And she did know thanks to some jogged memories and a bit of reasoning:
that stupid idiot Kuno. It was his house on fire, it was he who was near
enough to rescue her and he had even apologised for it. He was the reason
she was in this disinfectant-soaked institution with a headache that
darkened her mood with each passing moment. His actions caused her to be
surrounded by smoke and flames, on the verge of death. He made her scream
and panic to the point of madness.
She growled to herself as her anger increased. How dare he think he
can make it up with a few empty words! How dare he!
"Tendo-san is still asleep, I am afraid, Detective Enjoji," Nabiki
heard a voice whisper and snapped her eyes open to see male nurse and a
policewoman standing at her open door.
"No, I'm not," Nabiki announced loudly, the words grating her
sensitive throat.
"Are you sure you are up to this?" asked the nurse.
"Yeah, let's get this over with," Nabiki replied edgily. The nurse
let the tall policewoman into the room and closed the door, watching as
Enjoji pulled up a chair next to Nabiki. She wondered if this was the
normal way for interviews to go. It seemed slightly unconventional but,
then again, this was Nerima and unconventionality was...well, conventional.
"My name is Detective Enjoji of the Nerima police. I understand how
much this must have shaken you," she said compassionately.
"No, you don't," Nabiki bluntly snapped. Enjoji merely took out her
tape recorder and pressed the record button.
"Now, just for record, state your name please." The detective placed
the recorder on Nabiki's bedside table.
"Nabiki Tendo, age 17, daughter of Soun Tendo, anything else?"
"That's fine. Now, if you could please try and remember anything you
can about the fire, starting from the beginning..."
Nabiki sighed impatiently and spoke in a calm, steady voice, "I went
out for a walk early one morning and passed by the old Kuno place.
Curiosity took over me and I ventured past the barriers. Next thing I know
I'm lying on the floor of this pitch-black room and I can't move. Then, I
passed out." She stopped talking and coughed painfully. Oh, her throat was
getting sore again! She reached over for a glass of water but couldn't lift
the jug up to pour it, her wrists giving way.
"Here, let me h- "
"No!" Nabiki refused Enjoji's help and shakily lifted the jug up,
her face creasing in determination. The water splashed over the table as
she poured, a small fraction making it to the glass. Grasping her hand
tightly around the cup, she slid the drink over towards the bed, lifting it
into the air towards her mouth and sipped gently. The cool liquid refreshed
her dry throat. She fumed silently as the nurse wiped the dribbled water
away from her chin and put the empty glass back on the white table for her.
"It's okay, Nabiki-san," the male nurse said quietly. "You have not
been long out of a coma and your body is still weak and recovering. It's
perfectly normal for this to happen, give it time."
Give it time?! Give it time?! It was alright for him to say that, he
wasn't stuck in this hospital bed with all these tubes stuck in his skin
and bandages wrapped around him! "Now," she said calmly to Detective
Enjoji, "I'll continue." Her chest tensed up as she recalled the memories
now so vivid in her mind. Kuno would pay for this... "I woke up and heard
someone splashing liquid all around the place." Inwardly, Nabiki bitterly
laughed at herself. "How was I to know that it was petroleum they were
splashing...? Then, whoever it was came into the room I lay in."
"Did you see who it was?" Enjoji asked with great interest.
Nabiki paused for a moment before replying, "No. It was too dark to
see anyone and they didn't seem to see me either. I have no idea who
started the fire."
"Do you know anyone who might have had motive to set fire to the
remains of the Kuno house?"
"Nope, none at all," Nabiki spoke flatly, "All I remember after that
are the flames, the smoke and me screaming for help. Then I woke up here."
Her memories, though clear, did not arouse much emotion from her apart from
bitterness and anger at Kuno. Funny that. "Is that all? I'm tired."
Detective Enjoji flicked her long hair over her shoulder and clicked
the recorder off and sighed in disappointment. "No, that's fine. Thank you
for your help. If you have any further information- "
"Yeah, whatever."
* * * *
So cold. Oh, how cold and uninviting the world really was. Outside,
wandering aimlessly through the urban nightmare of endless streets and
traffic, Tatewaki did not know what to do, to think. The invisible fog of
toxic gas wrapped around his lungs but he didn't seem to notice. Truth was
that he cared not. What was there to care for? He had alienated the one
person who had been there for him when no-one else had cared. She hated him
and rightly so.
Just like those images of Kodachi or the word of his mother taunted
him for his failures so, Nabiki's frosty look was scratched painfully into
his memories. Her cold eyes, bitter smile and pale face were carved into
his memory like an ice sculpture trapped in forever winter. And all over
the sculpture the word "failure". Failure failure failure failure failure
failure failure
No!
Failure, that's all you are!
No!
That's all you can ever be!
I hate that word!
Do you not hate yourself more?
I am that word, that is all I am!
But did you not once think otherwise of yourself?
I was wrong, so wrong! Blind and scared of reality!
Why are you still here? No-one cares for you, anymore.
Tatewaki stopped in his stride as a realisation came to him and he
stared straight in front of him, looking at nothing inparticular. Why was
he still here? Why had he kept going on through this fallacy of a life?
Why? Was there still some part of him that wanted to live, that would not
let him die? Why why why why why why wouldn't it let him die??!
'Smash!'
Staring at the small hole in the wall he created, Tatewaki drew back
his bleeding, broken fist. Yet the bleeding and the pain did not matter.
The hole in the wall did not matter. "WHY??!" he howled to no-one and
everyone. "WHY ME???! WHYYY?!!"
* * * *
Kasumi stepped gently into the small room, having rested after a long
night. Now, the afternoon was creeping by and cloudy sunlight peeked
through the white curtains. She sat down by a weary, sleepy Nabiki and
smiled a 'hello'.
"Hey, Sis, where's the rest of the troupe?"
"Well, the doctors asked me to persuade them not to come all at
once," Kasumi said, "since you need your rest. The hospital staff hadn't
been able to persuade us early this morning before but they thought that
since it wasn't so urgent now..."
"Right. Got you." Nabiki became silent after this, resting her
sensitive throat. The medicine for her headache made her so tired and
sleepy. But she couldn't go to sleep, couldn't go to...
Kasumi took out a few books from a plastic bag, placing them on the
bedside table. "I thought you might be getting bored so I took some novels
from your bookcase for you to read...if you can."
"Of course I can read, I'm not brain-damaged," Nabiki snapped and
watched guiltily as Kasumi's hopeful face fell. She wanted to say sorry
but...for some reason she let too much time pass for the apology to have
any impact.
Her older sister sat on the seat, shifting uncomfortably. Didn't
Kasumi ever get angry for herself? Suddenly, she stared at Nabiki but with
regret and relief, not anger, in her eyes. The stare refused to break.
Nabiki couldn't take the intense emotion barely hidden in her sister's
eyes, threatening to break free like a torrent. So much pain was being
wound up that her sister looked irrevocably tense.
"You don't have to put up a front for my sake," she told Kasumi, a
certain sparkle in her voice as she realised it herself.
"I'm so glad you're alive," Kasumi whispered fiercely. "I was so
worried about you, I thought that-that you...might...might not..." She
gulped back sobs. "When Akane told me that you were in...in...hospital, I-I
just couldn't take it... I wanted to cry but I couldn't, not in front of
her ... it was hard to look at her unhappy, frightened face, it broke my
h-heart..." She took Nabiki's hand and squeezed it tenderly. "I had to be
strong for the family, father couldn't...he just broke down." A few tears
made their hard, slow journey down Kasumi's cheeks. Nabiki diverted her
eyes away from her sister's face to where her clasped hand lay, entwined
with Kasumi's.
As abruptly as the pain came to Kasumi, it left to be replaced with
happiness and relief and Kasumi put her free hand to her chest. "Little
sister, I'm so happy you're alive, I hope that you...you..."
"I will get out of here, Kasumi, I'm not gonna spend the rest of my
life being spoon-fed and watched over like a fragile little doll."
"There is nothing wrong with being weak sometimes," Kasumi softly
replied. "There is nothing wrong with admitting it."
As much as she loved Kasumi, Nabiki couldn't take being spoon-fed
morals, either. Her views on her life were her own and they'd lasted her
quite well. No point being sensitive or caring as look where it put you: in
hospital one way or the other, dead or alive. She knew that now and
wouldn't waste any more time on compassion.
Looking at her sister's happy, tear-stained face, Nabiki hesitated in
her decision. It was so cathartic to empty the troubles that lie heavy in
the heart but...it wasn't something she was cut out to do. She couldn't be
warm and open like her big sister and her mother. She didn't feel
traumatised by her accident and didn't linger on her near-death. The
accident happened roughly half-a-day ago but...still, no fear, no shock.
All she felt was anger at herself, for being so stupid to wander out so
early and leave no note, and at Kuno - what had gotten into him?
Nabiki had to watch out for her family but beyond that...was her
limit. Truly, it was.
"Hey, Kasumi, how's everyone doing?" A nice, vague, change-the-topic,
eases the tension type of question.
"Well, last time I saw them they were still waking up." Kasumi
smiled.
"Ooh, darn, I could have got some good blackmail pictures done,"
Nabiki replied, half-jokingly. She saw Kasumi giggle at her last comment
and wished that she could feel so at ease.
* * * *
Tatewaki stared up at the hospital as he walked towards it; his
painful
hand ignored for the moment. In the grey and cloudy sky, he saw the hidden
sun that was like faded wallpaper - its intensity diminished by time and
reality. There was something he had to do in order to atone for his sins,
even though she had said that she had not wanted to see him, again. She had
to understand, if not forgive, his action.
"All I want," he announced to the sky, "is for someone to
understand. That is all." He bowed his head down and fingered the object in
his hands, continuing to walk slowly to the reception doors.
* * * *
"Miss Tendo?" A nurse opened the door and stepped into her room.
Kasumi had long ago left and Akane would be here soon.
"What is it? More tests?" At least that headache had faded slightly.
Now, it was only a big annoyance rather than hell itself. Her grumpiness
faded ever so slightly, too.
The nurse held their hand up to show a few scrap pieces of paper. "A
letter came for you. Do you feel up to reading it?" Nabiki nodded and the
nurse stepped over to the bed.
"Who is it from?" Nabiki took the letter, held together by a
paperclip.
"He did not say. The boy just sat in reception and started writing,
then handed it over to us. Quite weird." The male nurse frowned. "But then,
he seemed quite odd himself."
"I bet he did," Nabiki muttered, having guessed the writer. Slowly
she started to sit up but winced as her broken leg protested painfully and
she flopped her head onto the pillow. Nice view of the ceiling though ...
"Can I have that letter, now?"
"Oh, yes, sorry," the nurse replied absent-mindedly and cautiously
placed the papers in Nabiki's outstretched hand.
"I'm not a piece of china," Nabiki said flatly. "I'm not going to
break in two 'cause of the weight of some flimsy bits of paper."
"Of course," the nurse said nervously and promptly left.
"Finally," Nabiki sighed in relief, alone in her room if only for a
few short moments. The writing on the crumpled letter was surprisingly neat
but still recognisable. Kuno -- what did he want? Hadn't she told him that
she didn't care? Stubborn till the end. Oh well, nothing else to do, may as
well read it and chuck it in the bin...
To Nabiki-san,
I know what you said but please read this humble letter
of mine. I shall start by offering my grievous apologies and
though I ask not for forgiveness; understanding I must have...
Feh, what was there to understand? She'd given him help and he'd
thrown it back in her face! Then he recklessly started a fire that nearly
cost her her life! Sure, he'd saved her but she still had to deal with the
physical pain and, worst of all, pity and sympathy.
...You must know my motive for what I did and why I was
so cowardly and ran away at the funeral. You have done so much
for me, given me your attention and money when no-one else
cared. For this, I am grateful and I am sorry that my thanks were so
inadequate. At the time, I was so in denial of my own failure to
save my own family that I was often rude to you. Haunted by the
disturbing memories of my sister that haunt me still, I did not want
to face the pain and the guilt that was so rightly mine to suffer.
You need not worry, I have suffered for this night and day...
Nabiki flinched away from the writing and studied the white, plain
ceiling as she thought. The idiot, trying to make her feel sorry for him!
She was the one in pain, not him! He was just wrapped in pathetic
self-pity. All he wanted to do was alleviate his guilt, that's all!
...At the funeral, my old self died, finally revealing the fallacy my
life was. Kodachi's headstone: irredeemable proof that my arrogant
self could not deny. The tragedy was literally written in stone,
seared into my mind. All I wanted to do was say sorry, to cry and
grieve and make up for my littleness. I felt so claustrophobic, I felt
I could not breathe and all I wanted to do was escape...
Sighing involuntarily as she stared at the piece of paper held
infront of her face, Nabiki was unsure of what to think of it. She knew the
feeling, knew how pride kept one from crying until it was too late, till
one could no longer cry ... She didn't know whether she envied or pitied
Kuno for breaking free - did she want to feel such pain and grief over her
mother? Would it be a release or a trap? "Which was it for you, Kuno...?"
she whispered curiously to the empty room.
...For days I wandered, not knowing where I was going, alone and
wanting to end all this but too cowardly to draw the knife. After I
was attacked, the idea came into my being that I could end all of this
by destroying my past. I took that to mean that I should destroy
what was left of my old abode, my once home that scraped at my heart
and my conscience every time I glanced upon it. If it was gone, if it
was finally gone, then I could put to rest the ghosts of my past. I
thought it would make my dear mother, up with Kami-sama and the rest
of my family, happy and proud. All I desired was her forgiveness for
my cowardice that cost three lives. They would forgive me for all my
faults. I realised how little I truly was, how weak and inferior...
Man, Kuno must have gone crazy with grief! Did he really think that
his family's deaths were all his fault? From what she heard, he'd rushed
straight into the house without hesitation, at the risk of his own life,
and brought out his sister, claiming to have followed her screams. He'd
given her over to the ambulance men but there was nothing they could do to
save her. Apparently, he then screamed at them to keep trying to revive
her, all the way to the hospital. When she was finally pronounced dead, he
went all quiet...
Shifting uncomfortably in the white sheets, Nabiki unhappily recalled
her first meeting with Kuno after the fire and her mood darkened further.
No, she didn't feel sad like this; she was finished with caring and weak
sentimentality! But the disturbing image of the newly made orphan, having
been forced to watch his sister die, seeming far too composed for sanity,
did not budge from her mind...
But, no, she would not forgive him! These were only words and nothing
more! Nothing more...
'Knock! Knock!'
"Come in," Nabiki wearily greeted, not really caring who it was and
shoved back the sadness that threatened her calmness and cool.
"Your sister and her fianc� are here to see you," the nurse said. "Do
you want them to come back later or are you rested?"
"I guess they can see me, now." Now, what was she going to do with
this letter? She couldn't let Akane or Ranma see it. Even if it was that
jerk Kuno, it was still a very personal letter and she respected that.
Moving her tired hand over, she slipped the papers underneath her pillow.
Not that she cared...but she was going to finish it, she just had to.
"Heya Sis!" Akane smiled happily and moved over beside Nabiki. Did
she have to speak that loud? At least Ranma was keeping quiet, quite odd
for him.
"Hi," Nabiki answered weakly.
"We can't stay too long as the doctors said so," Akane announced.
"But, look, I brought you this." She fished around in her bag and took out
Nabiki's CD player, placing it on the crowded bedside table. Great. A CD
Player.
"Thanks," Nabiki replied flatly. That's all she needed with a
headache like this. Couldn't Akane speak more quietly?
Edgy silence took the room as no-one could think of anything to say.
"So, has the detective spoken to you, yet?" Akane asked.
"Yes."
"And...and how did it go?"
"Fine, I guess."
"Do you know who started it?"
"No." Geez, what was it with all these questions? Nabiki's body
tensed as a sudden sharp pain attacked her head. She hated this! How much
longer could she go on without having to worry her sister too much?
"How are you feeling?" Akane asked her nervously.
Nabiki looked up at her sister's face and saw concern, worry and
anxiety there that could break a person's heart. It was worse to see it on
a usually so outgoing and feisty girl . "A lot better, thanks."
"Really?" Akane looked hopeful.
"Really, I am." Yet as she spoke, the pain in Nabiki's head
intensified so badly that she wanted to scream and yell as agony slashed
through her brain. "Well, it's time to say good-bye."
"Oh...kay." Akane seemed surprised and hurt. "I'll come back
tomorrow."
"No you won't," Nabiki replied distantly, fighting off the screams.
Black blotches started to swarm in her vision. She couldn't keep up this
facade every day and soon it would show. "You've got school; you have to
go to that."
"If you're sure that- "
"Oh, I'm sure. Now, could you please leave?" Nabiki said through
clenched teeth as biology began to win through pride. Her clammy hand
shakily pressed a button near her bed to call a doctor or nurse.
Akane's face dropped in disappointment.
"C'mon, Akane, Nabiki's just tired, that's all." Ranma guided Akane
to the door and opened it. "Let's grab some lunch while we're here, eh?"
The door clicked closed behind him and ten seconds later the male nurse,
who'd given her the letter, came rushing in.
"What is the matter?" he asked worriedly.
"My head, my head hurts real bad," she gasped. Grinding her teeth, a
small squeal of pain escaped and she grabbed her head. "I...I...can't ...
It hurts so damn much!" Screwing her eyes up as the torture continued,
tears involuntary streamed down her face and her face paled to a deathly
white. "Aaahh!" she screamed and suddenly grabbed his shirt into her fist.
"Stop it! Stop it now! Stop it! STOP THIS PAIN!!"
The nurse untangled her hand from his shirt and said soothingly,
"Hold on, I'll just get a doctor." He rushed to the door, barely dodging a
dumbfounded Ranma who was standing at the entrance. Ranma stared at the
crying, pale Nabiki with morbid horror.
"I...just came to get Akane's ba-bag, she...she f-forgot it," he
stammered in shock.
Nabiki met his stare with an icy glare and, breathing heavily,
firmly ordered: "Keep Akane away from me. I can't let her see all this ...
You - aaaargh! - understand, right?!"
Ranma nodded numbly and left, watching as doctors raced into Nabiki's
room. He flinched as he paced down the corridor - he could hear her screams
and cries but he couldn't tell if they were real or in his head.
* * * *
Days passed by, and with them so did Nabiki's headache. The doctors
gave her some medicine that took the pain away. Unfortunately, they also
made her very sleepy. The only way she knew if anyone had come to see her
was to ask the hospital staff. Apparently, Kuno had visited but since he
wasn't family...he couldn't stay. Good.
From a note left at her table by Kasumi, it seemed that Ranma went on
a training trip with his dad and Akane had tagged along. Training trip -
yeah, right. But secretly Nabiki thanked Ranma for making sticky situation
less so.
Now, the pain of her broken leg and of her bruised ribs was slowly,
very slowly, leaving her. No more headaches meant also no more doziness and
she could finally sit up in bed. Lucidity was so refreshing and alive but,
frankly, lonely. Kasumi would be visiting her this afternoon and then Mrs.
Saotome at night. But that still left so much time just to sit in bed and
do nothing. The tingling, itchy sensation, like insects crawling inside the
plaster covering her broken leg, delayed the passing of time like no
torture ever conceived.
She could read the rest of Kuno's letter but kept finding reasons not
to. As a hand would reach back to take it, hesitation stopped her. Why,
though? That letter held no fright for her. Yeah, that was right! She had
nothing to fear! ...Huh? Where was it? Her eyes gazed over the room and
inspected the small table. Underneath a paperweight the scraps of paper
lay. Reaching over, she took the letter away with confidence, and opened it
up to read.
...I realised how little I truly was, how weak and inferior. Could not
there have been some other, less tragic route to lead me to such
self-truths or was I so enraptured by the fantasy I had created after
my mother had died that only death would bring me the truth about
myself? I blanche as I wander through my memories and realise how
laughable I had acted in my arrogance - used only to prevent my grief
over my mother. Perhaps, if I had trained harder instead of trying to
pathetically woo the hearts of those who only laughed at me, I would
have been quick enough to save my sister and my father, even though I
respected him barely. I now do not know who I am, only that it is less
than a criminal. A part of me still desires to live and breathe but, in
my heart of hearts, I cannot fathom why...
"Fool, it wasn't your fault," Nabiki hissed, but with little strength
in her malice and hate. How could she hate someone so pathetic and messed
up? He wasn't smart or canny enough to manipulate her so this must be the
truth. Perhaps she should forgive him. Perhaps...
Minutes passed by her as she stared at the letter. Scrunching it up,
she tossed it pathetically away from the bed. She wouldn't let the letter
weaken her! As much as she wanted to forgive the idiot, an ever irrational
anger burned in her. So angry...
Through her half-shuttered window, she saw someone stop outside her
room and the clatter of metal as they placed something on the floor with a
long stick jutting into her view. Oh, a cleaner. She'd been too out of it
for these past few days to notice them. With nothing else to do, she
watched as the cleaner took the stick and heard a loud sloshing sound as
they dipped into what must be a bucket of liquid. They started to splash
and mop the liquid down the echoing hallway floors.
Nabiki felt her heart tighten as she continued to listen to the
splashing liquid, just like the petrol. But...but...the fire was over with
now. Why...did she feel so scared, so frightened? There was nothing to be
frightened by! She shuddered despite herself and felt her breath quicken
and gasp erratically. Why was this happening to her? Why?! She clutched her
stomach as nausea gripped it.
"I...oh, nononono...I'm not sad!" But an overwhelming depression
swept
and captured her body and mind like a bleak wind. No, this heavy ache that
dragged itself over her wasn't real. She didn't feel sad or unhappy, just
mad, remember? But that anger was slowly dissipating like leaves in a
breeze and leaving a strong will to cry over and over. She wanted to fight
it but the mysterious despair muffled her pride and tears broke free,
winding down her reddening cheeks. She bowed her head down just so no-one
could see her crying. She couldn't let them see.
"No," she gasped hoarsely as stifled sobs choked her throat. "No!"
Why was she so sad?! The more she cried, the worse she felt. Her fists
scrunched into little balls as she fought back against the passionate grief
and misery submerging her personality...but it wasn't working. What was
going on?!
"Nabiki...!"
She lifted her head up as she instantly recognised the shocked voice:
Kuno. He stood by the open door, closing it behind him. How did he get past
security? What did it matter anymore? What did anything matter?
Nabiki tried to stop crying but it was as if something else
controlled her body. She just couldn't stop...
"What do you want?" she angrily snapped, though her heart was no
longer in it. "Look at me." She pointed to her crying face and bandaged
head. "L-Look what you've done to me, 'sniff' I'm pathetic." He remained
silent but slowly moved closer, guilt stricken across his face as he
watched her cry. "I r-read...your letter, y'know. Are you happy now?"
"Did my letter do this to you?" he asked quietly and regretfully.
"I don't know, okay?" she irritably answered, her eyes boring into
his fiercely. "I don't know why I'm like this. Me, the streetwise Nabiki,
doesn't know something. It just started, all right?! It won't stop! I just,
I just-"
"Had to," Tatewaki interrupted, with a melancholic smile. "You just
had to cry. No matter how hard you tried, the pain still engulfed you with
grief and despair."
For a moment, Nabiki was silent, taking in what he said, what the
letter said. "Yes, but why?"
"Because you need it to."
"That's it?! That's all you can say?!"
Tatewaki nodded. "That is all I know."
She looked away and stray wisps of hair that hung from her head
bandage tickled her face. What did she have to grieve for? The fire. Why?
Because it scared her, because she thought she was going to die and she
nearly did... Oh god, she nearly died!
Tatewaki rushed towards Nabiki as her crying increased and she choked
on her sobs. Looking up at him, she said firmly, "But I still don't want to
cry. It isn't me and if you tell anyone, I'll- "
"I have no reason to betray you."
"I still hate you," she retorted with fading bitterness.
"Quite rightly so."
"But I understand you, now," she replied in a normal voice, the tears
flowing becoming fewer and fewer. A small smile flickered on her lips and
he barely caught it, holding onto it like a lifeline.
He smiled back briefly. "Thank you."
End of Chapter 8...
Welcomed are criticisms, comments and praise (of course.) Information
regarding the medical and police aspects of this are gratefully taken so
that I can bend the rules - ahem, I mean so I can adjust the fic to those
rules. Please tell me if the Kuno letter idea worked and any other aspects
of this fic, especially the ending.
The next chapter will be delayed because of resits (in summer, too!) and,
knowing me, writer's block. ^_^
And sorry to anyone who was reading my "Eve" fic. I'm afraid it's delayed
until I can find the spark and drive to write more - a little quirk of mine
- and have confidence in it. The problem is that I know exactly where I'm
going with it - doesn't make much sense, huh? I'm about half-way through a
new chapter and if anyone wants to rip it to shreds, just ask, please.
Really. I really need help with it. :)
Ja matta and I hope you're having a nice summer (or winter) unlike me stuck
in wet ol' Scotland. :)