Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Coda ❯ Impact ( Prologue )

Author's Note: I loved the Fruits Basket anime. I finished watching episode 26 and immediately wanted to start writing, pairing off people and exploring what-happens-next. Then I started talking about ideas with the one other FB fan that I know, and she pointed out that the manga has a lot of plot elements that the anime doesn't, including pairing off some people I had plans for. So, I thought about, tried to see if I could find translations or summaries or something that would be the equivalent of reading all the manga and knowing all there was to know about it... And didn't find much that would put together a coherent picture. Rather than never write, though, I decided I would go ahead and pretend the manga did not exist in the universe that this fic takes place in. Therefore, all I have to worry about is the anime continuity, and not making guesses at what the manga has to say. I apologize in advance for any apoplexies this attitude may cause, along with the fact that, being a gaijin and not having a beta reader, I am bound to make mistakes in the use of honorifics and the way things work in Japan. And now, our feature presentation.

Coda

by Sharlene

Tohru Honda felt the brake pedal go all the way to the floor and saw the same intersection where her mother had died looming in front of her and felt she was going to die. There was a clarity in the moment, a perfect calm that seemed to exist outside of time. She said a prayer, not for survival but of thanks for all that she had been given in life and that her death would happen without anyone else being hurt. Her hands automatically worked the wheel in the way she had been taught, but she felt no real hope of survival, and was prepared for the outcome. At least she would see her beloved mother again.

The impact was horrifying, the noise magnified until it was beyond sound, a physical presence. Oddly, she noted that the radio had paused for a moment and then resumed, the singer cheerily exhorting her to do her best and live life to the fullest. She reflexively muttered the words along with the singer while she leaned back on the headrest and closed her eyes, trying to pull herself together enough to think. She was dizzy, and thirstier than she could ever remember being, but otherwise did not feel hurt. She couldn't feel her body at all.

Something in the back of her mind reminded her that she had been sent on an emergency errand, to bring the package on the seat next to her to Akito Souma immediately. It was important, she thought, I have to do it or everybody will be disappointed in me. The door wouldn't open at first, but she shoved it with all the strength of her desperation and it gave. Fumbling, she undid the catch of her seatbelt and retrieved the package before stepping out of the car.

She had taken three steps before she fell, three wobbling, uneven steps born of pure strength of will before her leg buckled and collapsed and would not hold her up. She crawled then, dragging her useless leg behind her, not feeling the bite of the asphalt into her skin as she used one hand and one leg to propel herself forward. A voice called out to her and then was lost in the noise of an explosion, and she felt a wave of heat on her back before she fell, her mind unable to cope any longer.

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"How is she?" The waiting room was crowded, full to bursting with the people who loved Tohru Honda. It was Yuki who had spoken, his voice soft to hide the tremble he knew would be in it. Kyou was standing beside him, his tense form almost vibrating from the desire to shout, to punch something, to DO something other than stand here and wait to see if the sun really had fallen out of the sky. The rest of the Soumas were scattered around the room. Kisa's face buried in Haru's chest while her hand was tucked firmly into Hiro's. Ayame sat as close to Hatori as he could, occasionally patting Momiji's hand and slightly envying the small boy's ability to curl up in Hatori's lap and bawl. Ritsu sat next to Kagura, sobbing and apologizing to the world for not having been in Tohru's place while Kagura patted his hand and kept up a steady stream of tissues and shushing noises. Shigure sat slightly apart from the rest of the family, his elbows resting on spread knees, his face buried in his hands.

The doctor looked up from the form he had been studying. "Who are Suki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani?"

The two girls stood and walked forward stiffly, holding hands against the tension of waiting to hear what the doctor had to say. The yankee was the one who spoke, her tone rough as she said, "That's us. How is she?"

"Very lucky." The doctor's tone was sympathetic but professional as he said, "Her leg was broken by the impact, and that's the worst of the damage, compounded by her attempt to walk on it when fleeing the wreckage. Several ribs were cracked on impact with the seat belt, but none were broken. She has various burns on the back of her legs from the explosion, mostly minor, as well as some bruising and lacerations. We'll be watching her for concussion overnight, as she suffered some head trauma during impact, but she regained consciousness for a few minutes and was quite lucid. Her main concern was that someone named Akito-san get his package."

A ripple of reaction went through the assembled Juunishi, but the doctor went on. "There are some procedures I would like to administer and tests I would like to run, but I need authorization. Since the two of you are listed as her next of kin, you alone can sign the necessary paperwork."

Hana's knees weakened at the words 'next of kin', but she said firmly, "Whatever is necessary for Tohru-kun must be done."

The doctor noted, then looked slightly embarrassed as he handed over a stack of forms. "Ms. Honda did not have a medical insurance card with her, so one of the things we will need is a guarantee of payment--"

"The best of care, whatever she needs, it will be paid for." Yuki spoke firmly, his voice stronger than it had been, now that he knew Tohru would survive. One thing about being the rat, and the son of parents who had died too young. Money was not an issue, and never would be.

The doctor nodded gravely. "That will help immensely."

"I want to see Tohru-kun! When can I see her?" Momiji looked at the doctor with all the pleading and heartbreak and cuteness that he could pour into his eyes.

"I'm afraid she can't have visitors until she's transferred to a room, and then she should only see a few people at a time to keep her from overtaxing herself." He patted Momiji on the head, thoughts of his own little ones making him speak more gently. "I'm sure she would love to see you very soon, but you must make sure to be sweet to her, yes?"

"I will! I love Tohru-kun!" Momiji smiled brightly and might have said more if Hatori's hand hadn't descended onto his shoulder, calming the flighty rabbit. The two exchanged a look and Momiji nodded and returned to sit next to Ayame. Hatori and the doctor stepped apart from the group to converse in low tones, and some of the tension in the room ebbed as everyone in the room let themselves believe that Tohru would really be all right.

"Who is Akito?" Hana's voice was still soft, but those who were used to her speaking tones recognized the harshness of it. She looked around, her eyes seeming to spark as she concentrated on Shigure. "You know something. You know why she was hurt."

Shigure looked up tiredly, shaking his head. "I know nothing, but I suspect…" He took a deep breath and pushed his hair away from his eyes. "I suspect I should have made sure Tohru-kun go to a college far away."

Hana glided over to where he sat and took his chin firmly in her hand, pulling his face to where she could look into his eyes. Her own eyes glowed violet as she looked at him intently, then abruptly dropped her hand and turned away. "We will talk about this later."

Gracefully, ignoring the stares from the others in the room, she stalked to where Uo-chan was struggling with the paperwork while sniping half-heartedly at Kyou about nothing in particular. Hatori intercepted her, and spoke to both of the girls in his customary calm tones. "Since the two of you are officially her family, you will have to give permission before any of us are allowed to see her, and I would need permission to see her in my professional capacity. Doctor Kawadoki has said that she can receive visitors now if I supervise her condition and limit the number of people in the room to no more than two at once."

The yankee brushed her bangs aside and looked at him levelly. "Hana and I will go in and see her now, and you can follow. We'll discuss the rest after we see her." Hatori nodded, thinking that he'd never felt so much under judgment and in danger of failing.

"Oi! Why do you go in first?" Kyou seemed to be gearing up for some shouting when Yuki glared at him.

"Stupid cat! They go in first because if they don't give permission, we can't go in at all. They're officially Honda-san's family since her grandfather died." Yuki almost welcomed the chance to fight with Kyou, to do something normal when his brain was screaming at him that everything wasn't.

Kyou made a growling noise, but did not interfere with the girls leaving the room with Hatori. "We should be her family." Blushing slightly, the boy threw himself down into a nearby chair and scowled at everyone in the world.

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Tohru was awake when they reached her room, but just barely. She tried to sit up and Uo-chan was instantly at her side, scolding her for making the effort while arranging pillows for propping her up with. Hana walked calmly to the far side of the bed, pulled up a chair and held Tohru's hand. Then and only then did she allow herself the luxury of a single tear, her voice wobbling as she said, "We almost lost our Tohru-chan."

Tohru smiled, which somehow made her seem even more frail while it also made her look more like her normal self. "I was very lucky that Mom was looking out for me, but I'm sorry to have worried everyone."

Uo-chan took Tohru's other hand and pressed it, briefly. "Don't be sorry, just get better so that I can scold you later." Tohru laughed and said yes, and the Uo-chan continued. "In the meantime, this guy says he's a doctor, and the waiting room's been invaded by Soumas. You want them here or gone?"

"Oh, Hatori-san! Thank you so very much for coming, although I'm sorry to trouble you." The girl struggled to pull herself together, to be the genki girl who kept house for renegade Soumas.

"Just lie down, Honda-san. You can be the least trouble by resting and getting well." He moved up to take her temperature, check her vital signs, and generally do useless medical checks to reassure himself that she really was going to get better.

"Yes, of course." Tohru sank back to rest on the pillows. "Is everyone else okay? Did Akito-san get the medicine he needed right away?" His hesitation was slight, but enough. "He didn't need medicine at all, did he?"

"Honda-san… Akito-san has had much pain in his short life, and it makes him do things, things that are wrong but he cannot control himself to stop." Hatori sighed and touched the eye that had been hurt so long ago, in another of Akito's rages. That time had cost him his sight in that eye, and any chance of following his dream to become a surgeon. This time had almost cost Tohru her life.

Uo-chan looked at the haze of tension on Hana's face, and the wounded, wondering look on Tohru's and stood abruptly. "You, Doctor. Go sit down in the corner while I go get the first batch of Soumas. Hana and I will stay to help supervise."

He wasn't given time to protest that this wasn't the agreement. Her long skirt flapped behind her as she walked to the elevators that would take her to the waiting room. She allowed herself one moment, just one moment in the privacy of the elevator where no one would see, to bite her knuckle and feel the pain of almost losing her best friend, in the same way and the same place she had lost the mother figure she'd adored. Then she pulled herself together and strode from the elevator in her accustomed loping strides.

"Oi, Prince, Kyon-Kyon. You first. The rest of you sort it out so you don't come more than two at a time." She turned briskly on her heel and went back to the elevators, leaving them to catch up. They rode in silence, only broken on the threshold of Tohru's room. "You upset her and all of you will be kept out."

The boys nodded and filed silently into the room.