Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Saving Grace ❯ Confrontations and Releases ( Chapter 6 )

I would like to thank each and everyone who has reviewed this so far. I totally appreciate it. Mara Jade, Nope the quote is not from Star Wars, though with how much I love the show, you would have thought it was. Grins. Good guess though. Beth, sorry I made you think that. I just needed a break. I have every intention of finishing this. In fact the rest of it is already typed up. It just needs proofed and altered somewhat to my liking. ^_~ Skywolf, thank you for your kind words. Nightfall, the mysterious voice that Rowen heard was Sage. Yeah I know it's weird but they are connected on a level that neither realize at this time. Sage could tell that Rowen was close to giving up, even though he himself was trapped. Plus, Rowen wanted to see Sage so badly that it made it easier for it to come true. Does that make any sense? Or have I just confused you worse? Youkai Fire Fox, You have no idea how much you cheered me up with your review and here's the next chapter for you, so now pray tell, where is the next one to Blood Moon Rising? Hmmm? Hint Hint Nudge Nudge. Giggles.

And the Grand Prize goes to Thorne who correctly guessed where my quote came from, Transformers - The Movie. I have been a fan of the original Transformers ever since I was a little girl. Man, though I had hoped it would be harder to guess than that. Oh well. Anyway, email me at bhollan2@hotmail.com with what kind of fic you would like and I will do my very best to comply. ^_~

Now onto the story. Oh and have a Happy Easter everyone. ^_^

Chapter 6:

Rowen awoke from his healing sleep several days later, but it felt like mere hours to the archer's slowly recuperating body. However, from the way his body ached and protested, he wished he hadn't. His neck was stiff, his eyes gritty, and his arms throbbed in pain. He really didn't have any idea what his lower body felt like since all he could feel was pins and needles shooting through his previously numb system. It was like his body was only just now reawakening after a long sleep. It caused Rowen to shift uncomfortably on his bed, his mind trying to figure out what happened to him.

Opening one blue eye groggily, he glanced to his left and frowned. There was a window there but he couldn't see anything out of it since the blinds were drawn. All he knew was that the window was not familiar. A knot of dread began to coil low in his belly. 'Where am I?' He couldn't remember what had happened. Everything was a mix of jumbled images.

Coming fully awake almost immediately, he sat up, abruptly putting weight on his damaged wrists. A startled cry wrenched itself from the depths of his soul as all his color fled. He fell back weakly against the pale pillows, his body shuddering at the pain that seared across his senses.

"Rowen?"

Rowen turned his head with a wince. "Mia?" he asked curiously as his memory flooded back in at a chaotic pace. 'Blood, heavy and cloying dragging him down, Mia's horror-stricken face, tubes attached to his body, more pain, a man's face, Dr. Samuels? Sage, darkness, peace, pain.' He shook his head trying to sort out the disjointed images.

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

"Like I have just been vaped by Kayura's sure-kill," he mumbled half-heartedly and no less confused.

Mia smiled wryly at the archer's words before smacking him lightly on the arm. "Don't you ever dare scare me like that again!!"

Rowen looked away ashamed. "You should have let me die," he muttered uneasily.

Mia narrowed her eyes at the surly man in front of her. "Yeah Rowen. That's what I have always wanted to do. Let my friends die. I didn't save your sorry ass from that Temple so that you could take the easy way out. DAMN IT ROWEN!! What were you thinking?!"

Mia knew her voice was rising in pitch but after the stress of the last few years, coupled with the past several days of sheer torment, she didn't know how much more she could take. She was tired, angry, and worried. She hadn't really rested since . . . well since the last night she spent in the arms of Ryo, three years ago. And it had only gotten worse in the last several days as she remained by Rowen's bedside. His thin body racked with chills and shakes as a fever took root. Her worry skyrocketed with each toss of his head, sweat soaking his brow. She had taken it upon herself to keep his temperature down, even though the nurses were there like clockwork. She was taking no chances on losing him.

The only time she ever left his side was to get a quick bite to eat or to go the restroom. She had even bought a set of new clothes to wear since she refused to go home. Dr. Samuels had tried to get her to leave, but she firmly stood her ground and eventually the doctor gave up and left her be. She was grateful for that since if he had succeeded, she wouldn't have been there when Rowen's fever finally broke, nor would she have seen the pale blue lashes fluttering open in confusion.

"Answer me, Rowen! Why did you do this?" The last of her question came out in a hoarse whisper as she tried to choke back the tears that threatened to fall.

Rowen turned away from her, not answering. He was being selfish, and he knew it, but it hurt to think that he had been so close to Sage even if it had only been a dream. To lose him all over again once the dream finished was something Rowen wasn't equipped to handle at the moment. It wasn't fair and Rowen was going to take it out on the closest thing, that being Mia, of course.

Mia sighed at Rowen's stubborn behavior. "Rowen." The boy still refused to face her causing Mia to become exasperated. "Rowen . . . please talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about. I wasn't worth saving," he said quietly with an eerie sense of detachment.

Mia stood angrily, her chair skidding back with the force of her temper. Grabbing Rowen's chin in her right hand, she forced the archer to face her. "Yes, you were. Rowen, you're important to me and to the guys. What would they think if they knew about this? You know Sage would be devastated."

Rowen laughed bitterly. "Yeah right. He doesn't even see me. He wouldn't care if I was gone. He'd probably be glad." The words came easily from his mouth though his mind balked at saying them. Ever since the dream he had while in a coma, he wasn't so sure. Maybe Sage did care . . . Then again, maybe it was just wishful thinking. It 'was' only a dream, right? Rowen couldn't tell and at the moment he didn't know what to think, so it was better to stick with what he had believed before his attempt on his life.

"ROWEN!! I'm surprised at you. You know that's not true. We all care about you. And we can't free the others without you. You know this isn't what they would have wanted."

Rowen snorted derivatively. "You should talk."

"And what exactly does that mean?"

Rowen just raised an eyebrow at her and Mia flushed.

"So, I haven't exactly been eating real well or sleeping, but at least I haven't tried to . . . to . . ."

"What? Kill yourself?"

Mia nodded miserably.

"You're being a hypocrite."

"What?!" she asked in honest surprise.

Rowen shook his head, wincing slightly at the lightheadedness he was feeling. "You may not have actively tried to kill yourself, but you are nevertheless."

Mia threw her hands up in the air. "I am not!!" She yelled at the reclining boy.

Rowen just smirked at her.

Mia groaned in defeat. "All right, fine. Have it your way, blue-boy. I just can't win with you, can I?"

Rowen grinned sardonically at her. "No."

Mia smiled slightly. "I give up Rowen, but please promise me you won't do this again. I need you here with me."

Rowen gave her a noncommital shrug, without meeting her eyes. "Fine."

"No, Rowen. I want you to swear on your armor that you won't do this again. It would devastate me." Tears began to slide down over her cheeks like a cascading waterfall. The droplets stuck to her lashes causing her to blink rapidly in an effort to get the moisture out of her eyes.

Rowen blinked at her. "Mia?" he asked uncertainly. His mind not really comprehending why she cared so much. But if it would stop her tears, he would promise her anything. Besides, if his dream was actually real, then he shouldn't be giving up. Sage wouldn't want him too, and he would do anything to get the blonde's attention.

"What Rowen?" she sniffled.

"I . . . I swear on Strata that I won't ever do this again."

Mia smiled a full wattage smile and hugged him tight. "I promise I'll be around more often. I won't leave you alone as often as before."

Rowen smiled into her embrace, a bit uncomfortable. "Thanks, Mia. I appreciate it."

Mia glanced up at him and brushed away the tears that were forming in his eyes. "You rest now. I'll go see what I can do to get you out of here."

Rowen nodded sleepily, closing his eyes. He didn't really want to rest, only his body seemed to be demanding it. Idly, he thought that sleep suddenly sounded like a wonderful idea. He never felt the feather like kiss on his brow as he sank into the void.

Mia gave him one last look before going in search of the doctor. Finding him a few minutes later, she grinned up at him. "Rowen woke up for a little while. We talked and I would like to take him home."

The doctor raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "He just tried to kill himself and you want to take him home?"

"Yes. He won't do it again."

"You don't know that. He's unstable."

Mia sighed. "I understand where you are coming from sir, but I know my 'brother'. He promised me he wouldn't try to kill himself again, and I believe him. He won't do it."

"Be that as it may, Miss Koji. He still needs to stay here for observation . . ."

"I will observe him. I have taken time off from work to be with him. Everything will be fine. You can even have a nurse come and check on us if it would make you feel better. Please . . . He can't stay here. He hates hospitals . . . He will only get worse if he has to stay here. Please, let me take him home." Mia paused, realizing that she was not above begging if it would get her what she wanted.

The doctor stared at her earnest eyes in resignation. Sighing, he said softly "if I feel that he is doing better when I come check on him, I will allow you to take him home tonight. But only if his fever is gone and if you promise to meet with our social worker. Does that suit you?"

Mia frowned slightly at the last part of the doctor's request only to quickly nod her head anyway, knowing instinctively that if she refused then Rowen would be stuck in the hospital under their close supervision.

"All right. I will be down to check on him in about half an hour. I have one other patient to check on first."

"See you then." Mia headed down the hall, certain Rowen would be coming home. After all, the doctor was in for a surprise. Spying the hospital gift shop, she grinned. Going inside, she picked up a dark blue long sleeved cotton shirt with a v-neck and a matching pair of sweat pants with a golden streak down each leg. Walking up to pay for it, she paused as something else caught her eye. On impulse she grabbed it too and told the lady behind the register to wrap it up. She was whistling happily when she reached Rowen's hospital room. Entering, she sat beside the still sleeping archer. Pulling her knees up on the chair, she folded her arms on them and waited.

She was still in that position twenty minutes later when the doctor entered quietly.

"How is he?"

"Asleep."

The doctor nodded and began to check Rowen's vitals, frowning slightly as he did so. Both the boy's pulse rate and breathing were normal. His fever was gone and he didn't seem to be having any more tremors that had plagued him earlier. If not for the bandages wrapped around his wrists, the doctor would have thought that nothing had happened to the boy. Reaching down to the end of the bed, the doctor flipped open Rowen's chart; his gaze rapidly gliding over it. Sighing, he turned to Mia in slight bewilderment. "He can go home with you. His vitals appear to be stable, and in fact there is a remarkable improvement in all areas, especially his color. His fever is even gone without a trace."

Mia smiled happily. "Thank you."

"I will have a wheelchair sent down for him. Here is a prescription for his depression, make sure he takes them all. And if he shows any misgiving signs, bring him back in immediately. Oh and there may be periods of time where he will be groggy. Don't worry about those, it is just a side effect of his meds," he said while disconnecting Rowen from the iv that was still in his arm.

Mia nodded, laughing as she watched the doctor wander out of the room, muttering under his breath something about how was it possible? Still smiling, she touched Rowen's shoulder gently. "Rowen? Wake up."

The boy's eyes flickered uneasily before focusing on her. "Mia? Whaz happenin?" he asked, his voice slurred by sleep.

"You are coming home."

"I am?"

"Yes. I talked the doctor into letting you come home."

Rowen sat up straighter, wincing as he did so. Muscles he didn't even know he had, seemed cramped and stiff. If this is what dying felt like, then he wanted no more part of it. He was definitely a poor sight, almost ghostlike in his appearance, which was a striking contrast to his vibrant blue hair. "And how did you manage that? Promise him a date?" he asked between clenched teeth.

Mia blushed scarlet. "No!! I just told him I would look after you. I do have the next two weeks off, you know."

Rowen blinked. "You do?"

"Yes, I do. I thought we could spend some time together. We haven't been doing much of that lately and I think there are some things we need to start working on together, don't you?"

Rowen nodded, knowing instinctively what 'things' she was talking about. "I would like that."

Their conversation was interrupted by the wheelchair arriving. Mia and one of the orderlies helped dress Rowen in the new shirt and sweat pants Mia had bought from the hospital gift shop. When Rowen had looked at her oddly, she shrugged. "I didn't think you would want to wear the clothes from before."

He nodded and allowed the articles of clothing to be slipped over his thin frame. A moment later, he was being transferred to the wheelchair and the two of them were descending to the first floor of the hospital where Mia called a cab to take them home. Absently, she began to tap her foot in impatience while they waited in the hospital lobby for the cab. Rowen glanced at her from under his fringe of hair and sighed.

He hadn't realized how much the auburn-haired girl cared about him. It was obvious in her every movement, now that he was actually looking for it. Reaching up, he gently took Mia's hand in his, smiling when she looked down in surprise.

"Thank you Mia, for not giving up on me. Dr. Samuels says that I should owe you my life. Guess that means I am in debt to you again." He was thinking of the time when he and the other Ronins were all held in chains by Netherspirits and weren't able to get free until Mia appeared with the Ancient's staff in hand.

Mia smiled back at the archer. "You don't owe me a thing, Rowen. I am just glad that I had sense enough to come home early the other day."

Rowen blinked. "Early? Other day? Just how long was I out Mia?"

Mia shrugged as the taxi pulled up. "Around three or four days. You kept swimming in and out of consciousness, so I am not surprised you don't remember."

Rowen sat shocked. No wonder he felt so much better today than that first day. He had been sleeping almost steadily since his attempt. He lost his train of thought when he felt strong hands lifting him gently into the cab and saw the wheelchair being folded up and placed in the trunk of the cab. He could hear the orderly that lifted him up telling Mia that she could have use of the wheelchair until Rowen was strong enough to walk on his own.

Mia accepted the chair with a wry grin, knowing full well that Rowen would protest any use of the chair. He was steadily gaining his strength back and could most likely support his own weight by now, though Mia would prefer it if he would stay in bed for a few more days. The memory of his high fever was still prevalent in her thoughts.

Rowen shot her an inquisitive look when she climbed into the cab. Mia smiled reassuringly at him while turning to the driver to give him directions to her house. A few moments later, they were on their way. Turning back to Rowen, she said softly, "I was simply humoring the staff. You know they can't know that you have most of your strength back. They would wonder why and it would be too hard to explain."

Rowen nodded. "I know. I guess I was just curious about it."

Mia nodded as she looked out the window at the passing scenery. "You know we have to see the hospital social worker, don't you?"

Rowen blanched. "What? Why?!"

Mia turned to him with an arched brow causing Rowen to flush.

"Okay, so I understand why but do we really have too?"

Mia shrugged. "I don't see any way out of it. They know where we live, Rowen. We'll have to go."

Rowen glared. He did not want to talk about why he tried to do what he did. It was over. He wanted to put it behind him and how could he do that with someone poking and prodding him with questions he knew he couldn't answer. Letting out his breath with a hiss, he asked, "will you be joining me?"

Mia smiled and nodded, patting him on the knee. "Of course I will. I told you I would be here for you more often and I meant it Rowen. I love you. We all do."

Rowen sat stunned for a moment at Mia's words. She loved him? But what about Ryo? "Mia?" he asked while taking her hand in his.

Mia looked at him curiously. "Yes?"

"What about Ryo?"

Mia blinked. "What about him?"

"Don't you still love him?"

Mia laughed softly when she realized what had gotten Rowen so upset. "Of course I do. He's who I am going to marry but the rest of you are family. I love each and every one of you, just in different ways."

Rowen nodded in understanding. It made sense. He thought of the other guys as family as well, especially Sage. He closed his eyes tightly as an image of the blonde glowing gently swirled around his mind. Unconsciously his grip on Mia's hand tightened.

Mia froze when she felt Rowen's tight grip, her heart beating in overtime. "Rowen! Rowen, answer me!! Are you in pain? Rowen!!"

The cab driver heard her worried cries and started to slow down. He glanced in his rear view mirror at the two in the backseat and wondered about them. "Miss? Would you like me to take you back to the hospital?" he asked kindly, worry reflecting in his emerald gaze.

Mia turned to him with wide eyes. "Yes, I think you had best. He seems to be in pain again."

"Very well, Miss."

"NO!!" Rowen's midnight blue eyes shot open at Mia's answer. "I'm fine. Really I am. Just keep going. I want to go home."

"Rowen?" Mia asked quietly.

Rowen turned his blue gaze on her. "Really Mia. I'm all right. Trust me on this, ok?"

Mia nodded. "Keep on going, driver. We will be going home after all."

"Whatever you say, Miss. But I think the boy needs to see a doctor."

Rowen raised his head to stare at the man. "Thanks, but no thanks. I've seen enough doctors to last me a lifetime."

"Suit yourself."

Rowen nodded and turned back to Mia who was still peering at him worriedly. Reaching up, he touched her cheek gently, surprised to find tears there. "I'm fine, Mia. Don't cry."

Mia hastily wiped her face free of tears. "I thought you were going to slip away again."

Rowen shook his head. "Not a chance. I'd miss your smiling face too much."

Mia laughed at that. "You're impossible."

Rowen nodded in agreement. "I know."

"So what happened?" she asked once more, too quiet for the cab driver to hear.

Rowen shrugged. "I got caught up in a memory flash of Sage. It unnerved me some, that's all."

Mia nodded in understanding. She sometimes had those moments when she thought about Ryo. "You miss him, don't you?"

Rowen's face turned guarded. "What do you mean? I miss all of them."

Mia nodded. "Of course you do, but you miss Sage the most, don't you? I remember how easily the two of you talked. You could tell him anything. He was your best friend and still is."

Rowen smiled slightly, turning to look out the window. "Yeah, I guess he is at that." He was quiet for a moment and Mia let him think. "We shouldn't have even been there . . . It's my fault that they are trapped."

Mia turned his face toward her. "No, it's not. Rowen, you just wanted to explore. They all agreed with you. You couldn't have known what would happen. Just as I couldn't have known that by pulling you out first, I would be sealing the Temple doors. It was no one's fault."

Rowen sighed and pulled her close. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am just being too harsh on myself."

Mia nodded into his chest. She knew why he was being hard on himself. He was in love with Sage but had yet to admit it, even to himself. They stayed like that for the rest of the ride, Rowen holding Mia loosely in his arms, his white bandages peaking out from under the long sleeved shirt he wore.

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