Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Here Without You ❯ The Cat is Created ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

The Cat is Created

The next night, Hatori was busy at work with his medical files. It was his monthly review of patients, past and current, inside and outside the Sohma family. He pulled Yuki's file out of the cabinet and read it over. This month's check up wasn't so good; his health had dropped since Tohru had been missing from school and Shigure's house. Out of curiosity, he went back a few years ago and studied Yuki's health from the time Tohru arrived to last month's check up. His health had increased little by little since Tohru had come. Yuki was in good condition through out the whole thing, besides that asthma attack during the endurance run a few years ago when Tohru met Hatsuharu.

He put Yuki's file away, closing off the thoughts that didn't have to do with work, and pulled out the next file. He read the name and frozen in his chair. It was Kana's. He opened it and saw it was colored red, meaning she was a private patient. While he reviewed it, he read it to himself quietly.

"Kana Sohma," he said to himself. "Blood type, O. Height, 1.5 meters, 15.2 centimeters. Weight, 56.7 kilograms. Condition... Left lower-lobe ammonia." He looked down at his lap, file still in hand, and turned his head towards the outside, seeing the moon's reflection in the water, he remembered that night...

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"Are you okay, Kana," Hatori asked.

"It's probably just a meaningless cough," Kana replied, smiling, but only to start a coughing fit into a white handkerchief. When she was done, she still leaned over, looking at the now yellow-orange stain on her handkerchief.

"Kana..." Hatori leaned over to look at Kana's face. "Let me take a look at you, please."

Kana nodded and Hatori left to get his supplies. He had measured her, weighed her, gathered some blood for a couple of blood tests (to be sure nothing else was wrong besides a cough), and checked her breathing; there was something about her left lung in the lower part. He checked repeatedly until he finally recognized it to be left lower-lobe ammonia. It wasn't deadly, but if it wasn't treated, it could get worse.

Hatori put all his supplies away and Kana watched him. There was an awkward silence until Kana finally spoke up; "Well... what is it?"

"You have left lower-lobe ammonia," he responded, trying to sound at serious as possible.

"Will I have to be hospitalized?"

"No..." Hatori rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out two bottles of medication. "Take one of each every day and you'll be fine. Don't forget, it might get worse." Hatori knew her memory span, knowing she'd probably forget the next morning.

"I won't forget, I don't want to have to leave you all alone here." Kana blushed as she said this, taking the bottles.

"I don't want you to leave me alone here either." He smiled at her and she smiled back, going into another coughing fit.

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Hatori sighed and shut the file. There was nothing else Hatori wanted to see or remember because after that came the incident with Akito. That's when Akito tore Kana apart, and it was the same with Tohru now. Except, this didn't only affect Yuki or Kyo, it affected everyone because Tohru had touched them all in some way--even Hiro whether he wants to admit it or not.

Hearing a creak from inside the room, he turned quickly to see Tohru standing there. She wore black pants, a white tank top, and a blue jacket that was similar to Kyo's. Tohru didn't have any shoes on, just a pair of white, cotton socks that kept her feet snug and warm.

"What are you doing out of bed," Hatori asked.

Tohru smiled and said in her perky, cheerful voice: "I'm feeling a lot better, so, I was hoping I could go home and see everyone! I miss them so much, and I'm sure they miss me. Plus, the house is probably a mess--"

Hatori interrupted her prepared speech. "I'm afraid I can't let you go home. Akito hasn't approved of you leaving."

"Oh..." Tohru looked down, her smile becoming a frown, her joy turning into sadness.

Seeing this forlorn Tohru, he looked down at his desk, trying to ignore the pain he felt for her and work on reviewing his files. But, everything was interrupted by a voice at the door.

"Why is little Tohru out of bed," the voice said in its chilling tone.

Tohru jumped and went to the middle of Hatori's office. When she saw it was Akito who had said this, not Hatsuharu, she got down on the floor and bowed, waiting for Akito to say something else.

"She was stretching her legs," Hatori replied for Tohru.

Akito didn't really bother listening to Hatori's excuse. "Follow me, I want to see both of you."

Tohru and Hatori stood up and followed Akito to his room, Tohru being hidden with the jacket she wore. Once inside, Hatori and Tohru sat beside each other, bowing and sitting up, looking at Akito. The two pondered why Akito would want to see them both. But, Hatori knew one thing, he wouldn't let Akito attack Tohru again.

A bird flew in from Akito's window and perched itself on Akito's finger. He stood by the window and said, "How is Tohru's health, Hatori?"

"Better," Hatori replied. "Her weight is normal and the amount of fluids in her body is normal as well. There's no brain damage from the head injury, and the bones in her finger are repairing themselves properly."

"Good... so, tell me, Tohru... do you know much about having the Sohma curse?"

Tohru kept her eyes at the floor, replying in a normal tone voice. "I know that a member of the curse can't be hugged by the opposite sex unless they have the curse as well or else they turn into an animal of the zodiac."

"Do you know what if feels like to be cursed?"

"No."

Akito casually walked up to Tohru and he stood there for a moment. "No one in the Sohma family can have a relationship without my consent and I will always know and find out if anyone does... If anyone denies my commands, they'll be severely punished..." He grasped her forehead and screamed. "Feel the pain of the curse! You will know from now on and I will rule you, along with the other Sohma's!" A burst of light came from between Akito's hand and Tohru's forehead.

Tohru was knocked back and she fell back on to the ground. Akito smirked and Hatori ran over to Tohru. "What did you do, Akito," Hatori asked, a little panicked.

"Tohru is now cursed... I'm head of the family, I can curse anyone I want! This girl will now be under my command as you, Shigure, Yuki, Kyo, and everyone else are! She's a member of the zodiac now... Akito chuckled. "Go, hug her, and see..."

Hatori felt anger rushing through him, but knew better then to anger Akito more or even deny him. Hatori grabbed Tohru and hugged her. He closed his eyes and waited, but there was no "poof", nor did he feel any change of size. Hatori opened his eyes, still hugging Tohru. He was still human, and Tohru was still human as well.

Akito chuckled evilly, and grinned. "You see? She's a member of the zodiac... I heard she was a fan of the cat, so, now, she lives with the rejection and loneliness that Kyo suffers everyday... along with the cat's true form. She can go home when she pleases now, but she must report back her when I command her to."

Hatori put Tohru's hood up and left Akito with his success of causing more pain, more drama, and causing less hope for everyone. Hatori felt so much pain right now for Tohru. How could Akito do this to her? He thought. She doesn't deserve this... she doesn't deserve to live with this curse... Why?

Hatori set Tohru in her bed and put extra blankets over her to be sure she wouldn't get cold. Hatori had to hurry, with all the pain that Tohru's been through, she could turn into the cat's true form at anytime. He rushed to Kazuma's home, hoping that he came back for a visit. He knocked repeatedly, catching his breath. To his luck, Kazuma was there.

"Hatori, what's wrong," he asked.

"Tohru... cursed..." Hatori said, gasping for breath. "Need... bracelet..."

"Cursed?"

"Yes..."

"Does that mean Kyo's... dead?"

"No, no... Kyo's alive, it's different with Akito cursing her. I need a bracelet!"

Kazuma invited Akito in and Kazuma rummaged through his belongings, looking for the extra bracelet he made incase Kyo's broke or was misplaced by accident. "What's Tohru doing here," Kazuma asked while searching.

"Akito kidnapped her," Hatori replied, now relaxed, but still eager to get that bracelet. "She had been stuck in a dungeon for a week, until Akito requested her presence. He attacked her and Hatsuharu brought her to me. She was injured with a broken finger, sprained wrist, cuts at the face and neck, and a cracked skull. Hatsuharu told me Akito kidnapped Tohru because he wanted everyone to depend on him, not her.

"Tohru's health had improved greatly over the time she was with me, and Akito came for us just a while ago. He cursed her, making her the cat, like Kyo and your grandfather."

"I see..." Kazuma pulled out a white and black beaded bracelet. "Hurry back to her, the injury may cause her to turn into her true form at any moment."

Hatori nodded and ran back to his place, unlocking Tohru's door. Tohru lay in bed, eyes clenched shut, apparently in pain. He rushed over to her, slipping the bracelet on to her wrist. Tohru's pain subsided and she blinked, looking up at Hatori.

"Ha... Hatori..." she said. "What's wrong with me?"

"This is going to be hard to believe, but Akito cursed you." Hatori said, sitting in a chair next to her.

"What?"

"You're the cat now, I'm afraid."

"But, what about Kyo?"

"He's still the cat... Kyo is still alive and well, it's just you have become the cat as well, making you the second, excluded member of the zodiac, the Cat."

Tohru blinked and looked at her wrist. "W-was I turning into the true form?"

"You were, and thankfully, I got here in time to give the bracelet to you. Kazuma apparently kept an extra one in case Kyo's broke or was misplaced."

"Oh... so, I can go home?"

"Yes, but you must break this to the others carefully, and warn them not to attack Akito. He will only pain you more." Akito tried to sound calm, but serious. "It's hard to take in, but it's the truth. You must always where this bracelet, no matter what."

Tohru nodded and stood up. "I want to go home now, please. I want to see Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure. Please."

"As you wish." Hatori stood up and walked Tohru out of the room.

They walked in silence as they headed to Hatori's car. He put on his glasses, putting the key in the ignition, starting the car, and beginning to drive out of the Sohma residence. Tohru sat in silence the whole time, taking in what had just happened to her. She was cursed now? She couldn't hug anyone but Uo, Hana, and the other members of the zodiac? This was going to be hard... very hard.

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Yuki was doing his usual activity, watching the phone, waiting for it to ring. Shigure sat in his office, working on his latest novel that was due tomorrow. Kyo sat on the roof and looked at the sky. He blinked a little when he heard a car. He looked down at saw two people get out of the car. One was Hatori, but who was the second person.

"Drop the hood, drop the hood," Kyo whispered, and like the person heard him, the second person had dropped the hood. "Tohru!" Kyo exclaimed.

Kyo dashed off the roof, inside through his room, down the hall, down the stairs, past Shigure's office, past Yuki, and out the door. He rushed up to Tohru and not caring if he changed, he pulled her into a hug. But, there was something different, Kyo didn't change.

He blinked and looked down, he was still human, but he was definitely hugging Tohru. "Wh-what? How!" Kyo released the hug, looked Tohru up and down to make sure it was Tohru. He hugged her again and still didn't change. He released the hug again, and said a little loud. "Did you break the curse? Is the curse broken?"

"What's with all the noise?" Yuki asked, walking outside. He paused when he saw Tohru. Her pretty smile, her long brown hair, her wonderful eyes. She was all here and it wasn't her imagination. "Miss Honda...?"

Tohru nodded and smiled, "I've missed you two so much, it's so great to see you both."

Kyo, still confused, hugged her again and Yuki was about to yell at him for being stupid, except Kyo didn't change. "Miss Honda," Yuki said with a small, nervous tone in his voice, "what happened when you were gone?"

"Where'd you get that!" Kyo pointed out the bracelet on her wrist that looked exactly like Kyo's.

"Let's go inside, it's a little chilly out here..." Tohru walked inside and Shigure stood there.

"Ah, our lovely flower has finally returned! Such emptiness came upon this house while you were gone and it always felt cold! But, now that you have returned, it has become warm once more!" Shigure said in his cheerful voice. "Where have you been? Who took you? Where'd you get that bracelet? Why do you look so sad?"

Kyo and Yuki hit Shigure on the head, and they both said in unison: "Shut up!"

Shigure whined, holding his head: "What did I do?"

Tohru sat down and everyone followed, Hatori sat next to Tohru, taking a sip of tea that had been set out by Shigure.

"So, what happened?" Kyo finally asked.

"Well..." Tohru looked down, and then up at Hatori. He nodded and Tohru took a deep breath. "I was attacked while coming home from work by Akito... I didn't know it was he at first, but I woke up in a concrete room with a bed, a toilet, a sink, a table, and a chair. He kept me in there for a week. I didn't eat because I was afraid of poison, and I drank water only when I needed it most.

"At the end of one week, Akito requested to see me. He then attacked me again and someone saved me, bringing me to Hatori. Hatori took care of me and my heroine kept me company. He brought me food, told me stories and jokes, and he took the risk of disobeying Akito's orders. Hatori took the risk as well, knowing that my heroine came to see me frequently, even though only Hatori and Akito were the only ones to see me.

"After recovering some from my injuries, Akito requested to see Hatori and I. After that, I'm not exactly sure what happened. I just remember waking up, this bracelet on my wrist, and Hatori told me that Akito cursed me."

"Cursed you?" Yuki said, a little confused.

"Yes, he... he made me a member of the zodiac..."

"But, how can that be?"

Hatori decided to say something now. "Akito, as head of the family, is apparently born with the ability to curse others. No one knew of this, not even myself, until tonight. Even if there's already a member of the zodiac that's alive, he can curse them to be that animal as well. Tohru has been cursed to be the cat, like Kyo, which is why she has Kazuma's extra bracelet."

Tohru looked down, staring at her lap.

"Where'd you get those scars? And that wrist brace?" Shigure asked, sounding serious now.

"Akito," Hatori replied.

"Oh, Ha'ri! Our Tohru was in your care, and you didn't tell us!"

"I didn't want Yuki and Kyo to go after Akito. Don't go after him now either, he could still go after Tohru. Since Tohru is now under the curse, she has to see Akito when he requests it, no matter what. He would attack her again, and she would be back in my medical care."

Kyo and Yuki looked down, angry, frustrated, annoyed, and provoked. They both wanted to go after Akito, but they didn't want Tohru to get attacked again. Kyo looked up at Tohru and said: "Well, guess we all have to be more careful now since we'll be traveling together."

"Tohru will be starting school tomorrow," Hatori said in a serious voice. "She's missed nearly two weeks of school. She has work to catch up on and house work as well."

Tohru stood up and began to walk up the stairs in silence. When she reached her room, she slid the door open and slid it shut once she walked in. She only knew of one thing to do right now... and that was just to cry. Tohru lay on her side on her bed, crying, her salty tears falling on to her pillow.

Yuki went upstairs after a few minutes of silence at the table and he paused at Tohru's door. He heard her sobs of misery and despair. Sliding the door open quietly, he saw her back to him, shoulders shaking. "Miss Honda," Yuki said calmly, "what's wrong?" He closed the door behind him, taking a seat on her bed.

Tohru sat up and looked at him with teary eyes and said quietly: "I didn't want to be any trouble... I just wanted to stay friends with you. It's all my fault. It's all my fault that everyone worried and that you and Kyo are failing school--"

"It's not your fault, Miss Honda, it's Akito's..."

"But--"

"Sh..." Yuk said, petting her head. "Don't cry, Princess Tohru." He kissed the top of her head and there was an audible poof. Yuki inspected his arms, clothes were hanging on his arms and he looked down, seeing a blushing, brow, blue-eyed cat. The cat sat there, obviously very embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Miss Honda." He looked down at the cat while saying this.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Tohru exclaimed, "Don't be sorry!"

Kyo slid the door up loudly and shouted: "What's all this racket about!" Kyo saw Tohru's clothes, and then a brown cat.

Tohru, more embarrassed then ever now, grabbed her clothes with her mouth and dashed to the bathroom. But, on the way there, she bumped into Shigure--who was reading a newspaper at the moment--in the hall. He blinked, looked around, and looked down at the floor, recognizing it was Tohru, he smiled; "Oh, sorry, Tohru!"

Tohru dropped her clothes to apologize, but there a "poof" and Tohru became her human self again. Shigure, still holding the newspaper, froze in the spot out of shock. He stared, his eyes wandering up and down, like any man would in Shigure's situation. Tohru picked up her clothes and ran to the bathroom, completely red in the face. He blinked a couple times until a goofy smile formed on Shigure's face.

Yuki and Kyo came out of Tohru's room and saw Shigure's face. And, Shigure being Shigure, Yuki and Kyo's automatic reaction was: "You pervert!" The two, high school age cousins began to beat up the older, perverted novelist while Tohru dressed herself in the bathroom, unable to lighten her skin tone to it's normal color.

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Later that night, after both Tohru and Shigure had recovered from their experience upstairs. Hatori pulled out a file with Tohru's name on it. He clicked the pen and set the file on the table prepared to write. "Now that you are a member of our curse, I have to make a file for you. How tall are you? I believe they measure you in your physical education class still."

Tohru nodded, "I'm 156.7."

"Your weight?"

"46 kg."

"Blood type?"

"My blood type is O."

"Sign," Shigure chirped in.

"Taurus--wait..." Tohru got rather confused.

"I'll ask the questions, Shigure. This isn't a dating show." Hatori kept his eyes on the paper, but he was mentally glaring at Shigure.

"Have you ever been hospitalized for an illness?"

"No."

"Have you ever been hospitalized for surgery?"

"No."

"Have you ever broken a bone besides your finger?

The list of questions went on and on and on, each one telling more and more about her life. After this was all through, she went upstairs, dressed herself into her pajamas, and lay in her bed. Her memories of her unwillingly staying at the Sohma House caught up with her and she cried herself to sleep, but she did it silently. She didn't want to wake Yuki, Kyo, or Shigure. Tomorrow was going to be a long, long day…