Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Walk to my lovers arms ❯ chaper two ( Chapter 2 )

A Walk to my lovers arms

By sugargurl

Give them a chance though they're pale as can be

Don't take them away, 'cause they're a part of me,

For in order to walk, my legs play a role

So make the right choice to help me reach my goal

CHAPTER 2

"Beep, beep, beep." Went the heart monitor as Usagi regained consciousness with groan.

'Where am I?' She wondered, looking around the white room that smelled of disinfectant. It was filled with strange, scary looking equipment.
Slowly she tried to sit up, but found that she couldn't seem to make her body respond the way she wanted it too.
Footsteps sounded, and she turned her head towards the noise "Shingo?" she questioned, looking at her brother. "Where am I?"

"MOM! She's awake!" Shingo yelled as he plopped down in the chair beside the bed.
"How are you feeling?" He asked her.
"Ergh… not too good." Usagi responded ruefully as her mother dashed in.
"Usagi-chan! Thank goodness!!" Her mother exclaimed, rushing to the bedside to give her a kiss.
"Mom! Where am I?" She questioned, looking around her. Then she looked down at her arm, which seemed to be stuck full of needles.
"Usagi, are you okay? Do you hurt? Do you want me to call a nurse?" Her mother asked her, seeming to avoid Usagi's question.
"No, I don't hurt and yes, I'm okay." replied Usagi
"Okay....Well, if you do hurt, just push this little red button and a nurse will come. Okay, honey?"
"Yes mom. Where am I?" Usagi asked again, hoping to get an answer.
"Usa, do you remember what happened?" Questioned her mother, trying to avoid the question for now.
Usagi concentrated hard, trying to remember what possibly could have happened to get her mother so worried.
"No. Please, no." She breathed as the memory of the accident came to her. Everything flashed through on fast-forward....the party, Seiya, truck… the accident… everything.
Usagi tried hard to remain strong; she didn't want to worry her mother even more, but she couldn't help it. Slowly, the tears just seemed to leak out, no matter how hard she tried to hold them back.
"Shhh. Usa, it's okay…" Soothed her mother, placing her arms gently about her daughter.
"Mom, what happened to me? How...how long has it been…?" Usagi asked, as the paramedics final words sifted into her brain… "So young… it really is a pity…"
"Shh Usa… shh… you're fine. Usagi...nothing...too bad happened, it's just that..." Began her mother, then turning to Shingo. "Shingo…. could you, if you don't mind...?" Shingo took the hint and left, closing the door softly behind him.
"Oh Mama...it's my legs, isn't it? I....I can't move them at all…… and they don't hurt or anything"
"Yes, Usa...Your legs, they're hurt badly…but it's nothing physiotherapy can't fix. We'll have you back on your feet in no time."
"Back on my feet?" Usagi exclaimed, disbelieving. "There's nothing WRONG with my legs!!" She insisted, pushing her mother away. "I could walk now if I wanted too!!"
A water smile graced her mothers face, but she didn't dare tell her daughter otherwise. The doctors' had warned her that Usagi may react similarly at first, and that she shouldn't push her.
"Mama, where's dad?" Usagi asked, yearning to see him.
"Right outside. I'll go get him." Ikuko replied, passing her hand over Usagi's head as she stood to retrieve Kenji.

Grateful, Usagi slumped back onto the cushions, desperately pushing away all thoughts of her accident. By the time her dad entered, she was fast asleep.

The next few weeks were hard on the Tuskino family, for another infection had crept up on Usa, and none of them were prepared for it.
Usagi was delirious, thrashing about in her sleep and crying out, "NO! NO!! Don't let me die…"
She battled hard against the infection, undergoing more operations until the infection only remained in her legs. Her parents now faced one of the hardest choices they would ever have to make: whether or not to give consent for the amputation of Usagi's legs.

The doctors were divided; some said that she could keep her legs, that eventually she'd be able to walk again. Others, however, maintained the opinion that Usagi's legs should be amputated, that not only would she never walk again, but the infection would, in the end, kill her. Ikuko was torn: on one hand, she may choose amputation, and Usagi would never be able to walk again. However, if she chose to let Usagi keep her legs, there was the chance that she may die. After many hours of praying and debating, Usagi was allowed to keep her legs.

The battle against the infection carried on, even after the operation. It wasn't looking too good for Usagi, but when it seemed as if she had given up, a single cry escaped her lips, startling the nurse who had come to give her some medication.
"Wait!! Wait for me!" She screamed, her voice loud, insistent. Then her eyes opened wide, before slamming shut…

It was two days before Usagi regained total consciousness, or at least as conscious as you can get through a fog of painkillers.
Her luminous blue orbs opened once again, to the sight of her father resting peacefully in the chair at her bedside, which was now covered with many cards, ballons, and flowers.
"Dad?" Her soft voice questioned.
"Usagi?" He whispered, turning to face her, a huge smile of relief on his face "Usagi, it's so good to see you awake!!"
"DAd, what are you talking about? I must have just drifted off for a nap."
"Usagi, it's been a week… since then." He gently corrected her.
"A week??"
Her father nodded in reply.
"Oh…" she mouthed. "What happened to me…?"
"You got an infection, and it took you a week to battle it off…"
"Then it really was a dream…" Usagi muttered to herself before asking,
"Dad… where are all my friends? Why haven't they been to see me?"
"Usa..you're in the ICU"
"ICU? Why?" she questioned thinking…. 'I can't be.. that's where really sick people go…deathly sick people..' she thought
"I'm GOING TO DIE!" she stated fiercely…
Her father smiled at her then said, "That's the spirit… I always knew you were a fighter…"
"Dad, is there anything to drink? I'm thirsty." Asked Usagi, watching as her father stood up and handed her a glass of water.
"Arigatou"
"Stay put… I'm going to get your mother." Stated her father as he handed her the glass.
"Hai.."
But it was not her mother whom entered the door a few moments later, it was a doctor.
"Tuskino-san..?"
"Who are you?" Usagi demanded
"I'm Dr. Lawrence, and I just wanted to let you know that you are one lucky little lady."
'Huh?' She thought, 'What's he talking about?'
"Usagi.. you are very lucky that your parents decided against amputation because my colleagues and I think that you have a very good chance of being able to walk again."
'Walk again? Amputaion?' Usagi thought 'Must be someone else, you're fine, there's nothing wrong with you. You have two arms, two legs… everything is here. It's not you...' Out loud she said, "What do you mean by that? I already know how to walk!"
"Yes...well..you're going to have to go for some rehab. And I have suggested that your parents place you at Cherry Hollow Rehabilitation Center, to give you the chance to walk again."
"Excuse me, sir, but I believe you have the wrong person! My legs are fine, I am fine!! I know how to walk and I don't need to go to any rehabilitation center!" Usagi stated, her voice rising to a shout.

"GET OUT!" she yelled at him, pointing to the door. "LEAVE ME ALONE! I AM FINE!"
The doctor obeyed her wishes… giving her a pitying glance as he was about to leave. "You can't walk right now, Usagi. Your legs are too weak…"
Defiantly Usagi glared back at him…

"I can too walk!" She told herself, then very carefully tried to lift a leg, to swing it over the side of the bed.
Her leg didn't budge. 'Oh my god!.... I can't move it!' She thought, worried that perhaps the doctor was right. 'It's okay, it's probably nothing. You're just tired.' She told herself, and then leaned back against the pillows to doze until her mother arrived.

Two days later Usagi was moved out of the ICU and to another floor. Her new room was bright and sunny, and painted a pale yellow.
She was excited, her friends had phoned the night before and had promised to come and visit her. She could hardly wait to see everyone, especially Seiya, having decided that the party that night had been a mistake, and that he must have been drunk, or high.
Her friends entered the room around 11:00am to find Usagi still asleep…
Seiya, who had come along against Rei's wishes, leaned over and gave Usagi a kiss on the forehead. Groggily Usagi opened her eyes.
"Hello, Odango." Whispered Seiya, looking at his girlfriend lying pale and helpless on the bed.
"Seiya, Rei, Mina, AMI!" squealed Usagi, excited to see them.
"How are you doing?" Mina asked
"Not too bad." She replied, watching the way her friends moved about the room.
"Great!" Said Seiya…
"So, what's been happening?" Demanded Usagi, and she listened patiently as her friends brought her up to date on all the local gossip, leaving out everything that had to do with Seiya and Janice. Deciding that their friend was in enough pain, and didn't need to learn about them just yet, they put it off for now. By the time that they had finished it was near lunch time.
"Usagi, how would you feel about some pizza?" asked Minako, her stomach rumbling audibly.
"Pizza! That sounds great!" squealed Usagi, relieved at the idea of eating something other than purple "fake" grape flavoured jello.
"Okay! I'll go get some!"
"I'll come help" said Ami, following Minako out of the room leaving Usagi and Rei together.
"So, how are you feeling?" asked Rei, walking to the window.
"Well...everyone here says I can't walk, but that's silly. And they want me to go to a rehab center." Usagi began.
"Usa-chan...I know it's hard.." Began Rei.. thinking back to when she broke her leg and had to hobble around for a month, "But…What they're saying is probably true."
"No, it's not Hino Rei! Get that thought out of your head!" Stated Usagi. "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong!"
"Usagi, come on! Face the facts! Your legs, you can't feel them.. and have you tried to move them?" stated Rei, impatient with her friends inability to face the light of reason.
"Yes, I have, and..and.." Sputtered Usagi. Then she suddenly broke into tears. "Rei, I don't..I can't.."
"Usagi-chan..." whispered Rei, giving her friend a hug. "Everything will be fine…."

Later that evening…
"Mom, what do they look like?" asked Usagi… thinking of how her legs used to look, long, muscular… stretching out in front of her from beneath a short skirt as she sat on the grass.
"Um...They're fine Usagi, just a lot thinner then they used to be." Stated Usagi's mom, telling her daughter a half truth.
"Really?" asked Usagi hopefully. "I want to see them."
"Honey, I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Mom, I have to see them before I go to rehab. I want to know what it is I have to live with."
Just then the doctor entered on his routine check.
"How are you feeling Usagi?" He asked her.
"Fine. But, I want to see my legs"
"Um, I don't think that's a good idea…" stated the Doctor.
"Why not? They're my legs, and I want to see." She turned to her mother.

"If there really isn't anything too different about them, then why won't you let me see them? You said that the only change was that they were a little skinnier."
Seeing the determined look in her eyes, the doctor sent a helpless look at Mrs. Tuskino. When she just shrugged, the doctor sighed…
"Let me go and get some help. I'll be right back."

"Are you sure about this, Usa?" asked her mother.
"Yes, mom; I have to know."

The two doctors returned five minutes later with a bag of clean bandages.
"You still sure you want to do this?" Questioned Dr. Lawrence
"Hai!" she replied, and sat up ready to look and see what her legs looked like.
The two doctors worked carefully to remove the bandages, hands gentle as they lifted and lowered her legs to release them from their white shrouds. Yards and yards of the stuff seemed to come off, and her legs got thinner and thinner; then, on the count of three, the doctors removed the last constricting layers.

Taking a deep breath, Usagi looked down at her legs.
They were white, so white. Thin and scrawny, with red "zipper marks" stretching up them.
They were hideous, and Usagi blanched just looking at them. Tears sprouted from her eyes as she choked out,
"Cover them…"
The doctors worked quickly, but before they were through Usagi had lost all hope of ever being able to stand on her own again.

The next day her friends visited, and she loathed them. She hated them because they had the use of their legs, and they just took it for granted.
Every sun-browned, strong limb mocked her and drove her further into depression. Her thoughts turned to ways of escape, for there was no way that she, Tuskino Usagi, was ever going to live in a wheel chair for the rest of her life.

That night after everyone had left, the nurse came to give Usagi her nightly dosage of painkiller. Carefully Usagi placed the pill in her mouth, and made a huge show out of swallowing it, when really she had hidden it under her tongue.
As the nurse turned around to leave, Usagi took the pill out of her mouth and wrapped it in a tissue.
"One down," she said as she closed the top drawer of her nightstand.

"But I wonder how many I need to go?"