Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Extra ❯ Chapter 4

Lila watched the door and saw a tall man come in, recognized the way her sensei moved at home that marked him as an accomplished martial artist. He looked at her first, then Kyo, then back at her again. “So how is she?”

“Better,” Kyo replied. “she can hear and understand, but she can't reply in human language.” He glanced up. “Why? I can.”

“Female bakemono…at least from what I've heard…are a bit different. They have no smell, as well as what you mentioned. They can't form human words.” He crouched near Lila, bringing his face close to hers. “How did this happen? Do you know?”

“No, when I found her she was lying just like that. Curled up with her neck arched and covered in sand and rotten mud.”

“Where?”

“It was at the edge of the brackish swamp behind your house, where the path crosses from your property to the forest.”

“Hmmm.”

“Shishou, how did this happen? There wasn't supposed to be another bakemono on this earth…right?”

The man stared out the window. “I don't know. But first thing's first, I'll show you how to take care of her. If she dies it's no use.” He drew the covers back and started removing Lila's bandages. “Wounds and bruises. Several things might be broken and bleeding inside too.” He picked up her head and stretched her neck (I'm working with the manga version) out, causing Lila to yelp.

LILA'S POINT-OF-VIEW

“Sorry, I didn't see that bruise.” Shishou started unraveling the bandages that had been wound over my wounds. “You're hurt pretty badly. Did someone do this to you?” I tried to shake my head but that just made me dizzy. I tried to say “no.”

“Nnroww.”

“No?” He paused at a particularly deep wound. “This may need stitches in your human form.”

“Stitches?” I glanced back and saw Kyo lean in, trying to get a closer look.

“Yes, you can make out differing tissues which means it will probably have to be sewn up. Not in her current form though, they'd only burst.” he finished taking the last bandage off and looked around. “Do you have the bracelet?”

“Yeah, right here.” Kyo handed it to him.

“Hmmm. Okay, this will work. Can you call Hatori? He'll be able to do more than I can.”

END LILA'S POINT OF VIEW

The door opened to reveal Hatori. He stood there in plain scrubs, carrying his bag in one hand and a plastic sack in the other. Shigure shot a questioning look at the bag.

“Extra bandages.”

“Ah. Right this way…”

He led the doctor into an empty room except for the form on the bed and the teacher. He'd already spread the covers over the whole bed and when he saw them, picked up the bracelet. He slipped it onto her paw beneath the covers and stepped back as the change occurred. “Okay, go ahead.” then he left.

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The first thing she felt was fresh pain. What little had healed in her original form was now ripped back open and apart, bones had shifted in the change and those that had been broken were now even worse. Trying to keep her head Lila focused on the sheet fabric, then on the doctor's face. She tried hard to pretend she didn't know him as he sat down and began to peel off the now bloodstained sheets. She tried so hard to stare as if she didn't even know his name as he stitched up the wounds that ran across her body. Her back had been laid wide open by a rock, a small wound for the bakemono but a huge gash in this form. She was glad there was no one else in the room, and that she managed not to scream even though she wasn't given anything for pain until afterward. By that time, she had a headache from blood loss and from clenching her teeth. Her jaw hurt, her mouth hurt, heck, everything hurt all at once in concert! But the good thing about the pain medication was that she'd be asleep soon, and until then she could close her eyes and listen as the hurt tapered off.

“So?” she recognized Kyo's voice.

“Human. Female. About…fourteen, fifteen years old.”

“Anything else?” Shigure's.

“Well, no, not really.” she heard the shrug in Hatori's words easily, almost smiling that she could automatically understand Japanese. But could she speak it? “She can't sleep in here though…it's too drafty. Honestly Kyo, do you ever stop breaking windows…?”

“How about the living room?”

“She can stay in my room, I'll stay on the floor so I can check on her. Alright?”

“That's a good idea, Tohru. Thanks.” she was asleep before the girl could reply.

 

 

But, she was awake a moment later. someone was shaking her awake.

“Ko-onna? Ko-onna, wake up. Come on, wake up…” Her head lolled to the side. Mistake number one.

“Oy! Yamete! Itai. Itai….” Stop, she thought frantically. It hurts…what did I do for this? by the time she remembered, the world had stopped moving and she realized that the words coming out of her mouth were Japanese. Which was strange, because she still thought in English.

“What hurts?” asked Tohru. Gradually Lila opened her eyes. The light wasn't so bad.

“Everything. I'm sorry, but…what's going on?”

“You have a concussion,” explained Tohru. Lila recognized the term from bio class. “We have to wake you up every two hours and make sure nothing's wrong.” she paused. “You seem coherent enough. What was the weather like today?”

“Rainy.”

“What do you like to eat?”

“I like ramen.”

“Can you see me clearly? Are there any fuzzy spots?”

“…No.” Tohru flipped the lights on, then off. “what the--?!”

“Your pupils are fine. They respond to light changing. Thank you!”

“You're welcome?” Lila fell back onto the bed, pulled the covers up and closed her eyes.

“Your little sister is fine, Kyo.”

“She's not—never mind. You're sure?”

“Yes. And I think she is.” Pause. Lila could barely hear Tohru's voice. “She has your eyes, Kyo-kun.”