Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Strawberries and Skinny-Dipping: Hatori's Remedy ❯ Promises ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: bugaboo107
She sniffled, her eyes brimming with tears. She went to the bathroom, and locked herself in a stall. She covered the set with the provided sanitary sheets and sat down. She let the tears run. Run down her face. It¡¯s my entire fault. If I had been there, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen! I am so selfish.

Anime/Manga: Fruits Basket Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.08.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 309 | Status: Work In Progress

Standard Disclaimer applies
Sorry for the delay, my dear readers.
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Hatori's Remedy presents
Chapter 14 Promises
Tohru finished the morning at the garden patch. She picked out all the weeds and put them in her basket to dump in the secret compost-bin at home.
She delicately selected the ripe fruits and vegetables before returning home. She boiled some noodles topped with a simple vegetable medley. After she finished, she sat at the table, her cheeks positioned on the backs of her folded hands. She looked outside, wistfully. Her eyes were sparkling with… verve. She had found something in her life that she looked forward to everyday, a little craving.
She snapped out of her reverie, to the ringing phone. Hatori!
She picked up on the second ring, breathless, “Ha-san?”
“Tohru? This is auntie. Your grandfather isn't doing so well. He slipped down the stairs. The arthritis is really a pain, I told him to take his medicine this morning! We're at hospital across from your high school. Come quickly. He's going into surgery in two hours. He wants you to be here.”
Tohru was surprised that her grandfather was in the hospital. He had never shown any sign of sickness or weakness. She was also surprised at the fact that her aunt was speaking to her so civilly, that lady had always called her a free-spirited, senseless sprite, comparing her to Tohru's mom. Something was definitely wrong.
Tohru cried aloud, “Grandfather can't be hurt! H-he's always been so careful. It's all my fault. I am so stupid. I've been so caught up with myself that I haven't visited him since finals started! Foolish me! I should have told him to be careful! Ai-ya!” as she paced in a circle around the kitchen.
She stopped before she was too dizzy, and ran upstairs to change. She put on a pair of navy track shorts and a tank top, grabbed her cell-phone and wallet on her desk, put on her flip-flops, and was out the door. She left a message on Hatori's cell-phone. She ran along the dirt path, until she reached the streets. She was heaving heavily when she boarded the public bus.
An elderly man sitting beside her said, “Are you okay, miss?”
She stared into his clear, thoughtful eyes, and instantly burst into silent sobs. She blamed herself for not being by her grandfather's side the past few years. She knew he was getting old, and hadn't bothered to be by his side. She should have visited him everyday after school, instead of three times a week. She should have…
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The bus arrived a block away from the hospital and Tohru got off. She thanked the elderly man, and the bus driver.
She ran to the entrance, and ran to the front desk. The lady directed her to the emergency room lobby, and she ran through the hallway. She met another front desk.
“Excuse me, do you know where Jiisan Honda is?”
“What is your relation to him?”
“I-I'm his granddaughter. He's going into surgery soon, and-and…”
The lady noticed Tohru's pleading tone, and quickly turned to her motherly side, instead of the monotone- receptionist.
“I'm sorry honey. Let me take you there.” The lady saw her own daughter in Tohru. The lady called over a ward nurse to take over for the time being, and brought Tohru to the room.
“Here you go, dear. If you have any questions or need anything, don't hesitate to call me over, okay?”
Tohru nodded, and bowed gracefully, “Thank you, ma'am.”
Tohru tiptoed into the three patient room. Her grandfather was surrounded by her aunt and two cousins.
“Grandfather?” Tohru whispered.
His eyes were closed, and Tohru saw all the tubes and cables he was hooked up to. She suppressed a sob, even though her body was trembling. Her boy cousin spun his head around and spat, “What are you doing here, you-you, girl?!” as he fixed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, moving them closer to his black, beady eyes.
The boy wasn't what he built himself up to be. He couldn't even come up with a decent sentence for Tohru's arrival. His sister slapped him on the back, “What's that supposed to mean?!”
“I mean, what is the long-lost orphan, doing here? She doesn't care abouthim. She just wantsin on the inheritance!”
The bored fashion diva of a sister on his right, blowing on her drying nail polish said, “Grandpa doesn't have much inheritance. Only that bicycle he cherishes so much. He says it's an antique. Yeah right. My plastic tiara is worth more than that piece of crap. Plus--”
Tears singed Tohru's eyes, blurring her vision, but she dared not let her cousins see. Her cheeks burned too. They were so insincere and bitter. They were saying horrible things about grandpa. After all he did for them… taking him into his house, buying them gifts, when they didn't even say `thank you'…
Her aunt added, “Enough already. The nurses are going to ask questions. Let's make this a family affair.”
Both children gave eye-rolls.
For once (guiltily), Tohru was happy that her aunt interrupted a conversation.
Tohru went to her grandfather's bedside, and knelt down on the cold floor. It hurt, but nothing hurt as much as the pain in her heart right then.
Holding his limp hand, she said softly, “I'm sorry Grandfather. I haven't been by your side the past few months. I promise when you get better, I will be my your side, I will make your favorite dish, we will go to the park and feed the ducks, and the pigeons too, if you'd like-- I'm so sorry. I love you. The surgery will go just fine, okay?”
Her boy cousin said, in his cocky voice, “He's anesthetized, about ten minutes before you got here; for your thick head that means that he's been put to sleep so that he won't suffer during the painful surgery.” He was more acerbic that Hiro. At least the younger boy had a heart; the love he possessed for Kisa was pure.
Before the tears streamed down her face, she felt his hands squeeze hers, just enough. Even if it was an involuntary flinch, it was something. She knew, that everything was going to be alright.
A small, slow smile spread across her ashen face.
“Hey, what are you smiling at, you twit! Someone's dying here!--” he added, in his malicious tone.
His aunt interjected, “No one's dying here. Your grandfather will be fine.”
The bespectacled boy mumbled: “I should be out with Tetsuo playing videogames. Mom should not have let the stupid fashion freak cook yesterday's dinner. That was what got to the old man, all the oil and spices used to cover up the sick taste of the fish somehow got into the joints and screwed up everything. I'm training to be a detective. I know these things.”
As his sister yelled at him, Tohru slipped into the hallway for a deep breath. The air in the room was stifling. She hoped it didn't wake the other patients. She pulled up a chair from an open closet, and moved in to the window just outside the room. It would be better if she kept her distance from them.
She folded her arms together, and laid her head on her arms, watching her grandfather. She promised that tomorrow, or the day after, or whenever he got out, she would go back to her old home to cook, and clean, until he was fully recovered. She owed it to him.
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Hatori finished up checking everyone around the estate. Hatsuharu had pneumonia, the mad cow! How did the boy get himself into these predicaments! Where was his girlfriend to watch over his back? Ai-ya!
He didn't even bother to find lunch, plowing through his work like a farmer plowing through the yellow fields. The quicker, the better. At two, after not hearing from his young lover at lunch, he allowed his harried self to call her. She was his ecstasy as much as she was his agony.
He felt a surge of emotion flood his system when no one answered after the last ring. Sleeping? Gardening? Cleaning? Shopping? What?!
He took a deep breath and told himself not to worry. Tohru has a strong girl, she wouldn't allow anyone to take advantage of her, right? No, No, NO—she is safe! Don't worry. He growled.
He racked his mind and didn't hear a young blonde boy tiptoe in and tap him on the shoulder. “Ha-san, is everything alright?”
“Uh?”
“You just growled like a crazed man.”
“I did. I'm sorry. I've been thinking about To—, someone lately,” he said, mumbling the last few words.
“Tohru?” the boy responded, nonchalantly, sitting in a seat across from the doctor.
“How-how did you know,” he stuttered, “I-I mean, what makes you think I was `growling' over Tohru.”
“Ha-san. Let me enlighten you. I've seen the ways you look at her. I'm not blind you know. It's the same as when you looked at Kana, all those years ago, if not more love-sick. Poor little dragon.”
Hatori had nothing to say to that, choosing to look at the wall behind the young boy.
Momiji continued, “I love Tohru, more than a sister, if you know what I mean, but by all mean, go ahead. Have you told her you love her yet?”
“No,” Hatori said, tentatively.
There was a long pause.
“Figures, a guy like you.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Hatori retorted, defensively.
“You had your heart broken once after you said the three words to her. You think that if you say it now, it might end up badly. But you should really prove it to Tohru. She's very special to us. The Sohmas. Except for Akito. He doesn't like outsiders. Or us.”
“I know that. I care about her very much,” he said reflectively, “but I don't know how to tell her. I can't.”
“You don't have to though. Tohru understands everything. Trust me, Hatori, Tohru understands how much you love her.”
Hatori mumbled, “Boy, do I hope so. She's my light.”
Momiji suddenly changed to his normal self, “I'm quite fond of her myself. If you don't take this opportunity, I might. Finder's keepers, losers weepers.”
Hatori gave a rare smile and retorted, “Don't even think about it. Tohru is not a possession.”
“I see you are a very love-sick doctor. Let me prescribe you a little something,” Momiji said, jokingly, getting to his feet and moving to the cabinets and pretending to retrieve medicine.
“Ah, get out of here,” Hatori said, jokingly (something very, very rare).
“O-kay,” responded the young boy in a sing-song, high-pitched voice, “Remember though show her your love though actions. She will understand. She's a big, fluffy, forgiving bunny!”
Hatori winced at the last comment. What an odd little boy.
When Momiji left, Hatori slumped in his chair. I hope she does. I love her so much. I know I won't have lasted if she hadn't said `I love you', but Tohru's different.
Her heart is carved out of the finest, purest gold.
And I will do anything to make it up to her. I promise.
---
Back at the hospital, Tohru's eyes focused languidly on the elderly man inside. Her eyes widened when nurses pulled him away. Her cousins were already fast asleep on the couch, and Tohru arose from her stiff fold-up chair. She followed the rolling bed, and kissed her grandfather's hand before the doors closed behind him.
She sniffled, her eyes brimming with tears. She went to the bathroom, and locked herself in a stall. She covered the set with the provided sanitary sheets and sat down. She let the tears run. Run down her face. It's my entire fault. If I had been there, he wouldn't have fallen! I am so selfish.
He had been the only one by her side when her mother died, and she hadn't been my his.
She promised, that she would spend more time at the house, albeit the cousins were going to torture her to no extent.
She tried her eyes with toilet paper, flushed the toilet and went out. She looked at herself in the mirror, her face was drained of color. She looked like one of those waif-like runway models, their cheekbones jutting out of their skin.
She washed her hands, and went outside.
She passed by the front counter and thanked the kind woman again before going downstairs. The elevator was on floor 14, and she didn't feel like waiting, so she went to the stairs. She felt faint as her grip tightened on the cold iron railing. She took a few labored breaths, feeling a knot in her chest. Vivid blotches of yellow and green came into her vision. The stairway became claustrophobic, as it began to swirl around her, the vertical line patterns on the wall seemed to morph into an optical illusion—spinning, spinning. She sat down on a step before she blacked out, sliding down the remainder of the steps, onto the rectangular platform.
I'm sorry for being so weak.
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A/N: Tohru's getting all worked up over her grandpa's fall, that she had one of her own. Poor girl. Sorry this chapter didn't have much TxH interaction. Did Tohru's grandfather have a name in the manga? It's been awhile… I don't recall. I'm sorry. Please tell me if he does. Thanks. I hope everyone understood that the boy cousin's italized `monologue' illustrates his stupidity. What a big meanie!
New post: I've found Tohru's grandpa's name: Jiisan Honda. Thanks to SinnersAngel for the 'push'.
Also: BIG thanks to all the wonderful readers who have left marvelous reviews. You are all f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s! There are so many TohruxHatori lovers out there! Never knew; I thought I was some odd little child who fancied a certain white-clad, lean prickly doctor, with silky black hair, a sad smile, soft bedroom eyes…
Please review.
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Anonymous: Thanks so much! Glad you are enjoying the progression.
Angels Fallen: Your review made me feel all warm and happy inside. Thanks! About the hug… OOPS. Sometimes I fail to explain that the `hug' is not an `actual' hug, but a sideways one. Hatori shifts his body, so the side of his body touches Tohru's chest. Sorry.