Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Distance ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

He swam through darkness to the lights dancing in front of him. Groaning, he squinted and tried to put his hand over his eyes, but found that it wouldn't move. “What the fuck…?” Ranma questioned, his voice hoarse. He felt like someone had rubbed glass on the inside of his muscles, and his mouth tasted like a boot.

“You're awake! Just relax, you're strapped down to keep from falling out of bed - you were seizing.” A blurry face, Akane's face, came into view sideways, and Ranma groaned and turned away.

“Can you… shut off… the lights…?” he gasped out. There was a rustling sound, and then the room was plunged into blessed darkness. Ranma sighed in relief and relaxed.

“How are you? I should go get the doctor!” Ranma's hand snapped out to the limits the straps would allow and grabbed for Akane's wrist. He caught it and held it.

“Please, don' leave,” she stopped and he felt her sit down on the edge of the bed, “can you unstrap me?” He opened his eyes and saw her silhouette nod in the darkness. She moved around and unstrapped his arms and legs, and helped him sit up against the pillows. When he was settled, he glanced around the room briefly, registered the familiar shapes of a hospital room - he'd spent plenty of time in them after his more difficult fights. Akane reached behind him and pushed the call button for the nurse. “What day is it? What happened to me?”

“It's Monday afternoon… um… you were poisoned.” Akane said softly. There was silence for a time, a time during which Ranma didn't look at her. He was remembering something, something that made his eyes narrow.

“The doctor said the poison was… tetrodotoxin, I think. I called Kasumi, because the doctor was vague; she said you… could get it from a fugu fish.” Ranma nodded, slowly. Akane took in a breath, and let it out. “Ryouga got a little sick, but he could even handle my cooking back in the day, so— Ranma, please, say something!” she grabbed his arm and he turned, slowly, to look at her.

“Do you love him, Akane?” She tried to turn away, “Look me in the eye. Tell me you love him.” Akane looked him dead in the face, glaring.

“It's none of your business.” She stood and left the room. Ranma sighed and let his chin fall to his chest with defeat. Footsteps returned, but he could tell that they weren't Akane's.

“Hoo, you wanna keep it dark in here?” Ranma nodded at who he assumed was the nurse. It was a man, shorter than him and skinny. “Doctor'll be along in a minute.” He said after an extended silence, and then left the room as well.

Ranma waited, and remembered. Remembered that Ichiro's last name was Arai, remembered that Takahiro's last name was Arai. Ranma remembered, and remembering made his fists clench into the sheets so hard he heard them tear a little. “No forgiveness.” He said quietly to the darkness.