Rehab, Ch. 4
Milly’s reaction was to wolf whistle at the small musician; Minako’s was to gape like an idiot.
Minako had at first been distracted by the familiar school uniform, only to be struck dumb when she looked at the face of the “local musician”.
Tomoe Hotaru.
Hotaru was currently bowing gracefully to her audience; flute clutched in one white-knuckled hand. It was clear to Minako that the shy-looking girl was nervous, but as Hotaru was doing her best “Graceful Michiru” face, she doubted that anyone other than herself noticed.
Knowing that if Hotaru caught a glimpse of her now-she might put the poor girl off-balance for her performance- Minako shrank back in her seat a little. As dire her straights, she would not wish to ruin this moment for Hotaru.
The concert was very good: Hotaru already very proficient at her instrument. Minako enjoyed her pieces and thought they suited Hotaru well: light but with an undertone of seriousness. The audience gave her a standing ovation, Minako joining in enthusiastically. As Hotaru bowed to the assembly, Milly threw a rose that Hotaru caught, bringing her attention to Milly, and, due to her proximity, to Minako.
Minako watched as Hotaru’s eyes widened in shock as she noticed her, clearly a patient at the clinic. Minako almost glowed with leader pride as she noticed Hotaru regain her composure quickly, eyes silently questioning Minako. Minako managed what she hoped was a reassuring smile, though it may have been more of a wince. Hotaru descended from the makeshift stage and made toward Minako, before being stopped by the too-smiley nurse.
“Tomoe-san, I am afraid you cannot approach the patients. Though they are mostly harmless, we do not wish anything to happen to you.”
Minako could see Hotaru look over at her, Minako sent her a look back that said “Stall”, and looked around for a reason to approach Hotaru.
Minako could feel the triumphant gleam in her eye as she spotted her answer.
Milly was standing near the stage, eyes fixed on Hotaru.
Minako approached her like a cat that had the canary in its sights.
“Seiya-san? Don’t you think you should introduce yourself to such an aspiring musician? I think Tomoe-san could benefit from your professional expertise.”
Milly turned to look at her, arrogance alighting her expression.
“You’re absolutely right, Minako-chan! Though I shall not need to introduce myself, I am quite famous, after all.”
More like infamous, Minako thought. Putting on her cheeriest smile, she grabbed Milly’s hand and flounced over to where Hotaru was standing with the too-smiley nurse.
She was three steps away when she hit another roadblock.
“Aino-san, Kou-san, you should know better than to approach a visitor.”
Make that a mountain. A mountain she wanted to blow up.
Putting on her most shamefaced expression, Minako appealed to the good doctor.
“Gomen, Dr. Shodo, but I thought young Tomoe-san would benefit from the advice of someone as famous as Kou Seiya.”
His expression clearly told her that he was not buying her act and scolded her for attempting to use his own trick against her.
As he opened his mouth to politely tell her and Milly to leave, Minako blazed on with phase two.
“I can see that you are a little uncomfortable, so why don’t you stay right here as we converse with Tomoe-san? I am sure that nothing can happen while you’re around.”
Kaboom!
She decided that she really liked his dumbfounded glare.
Milly took the initiative, after all Tomoe-san could desperately use advice from one such as herself.
“Tomoe-san, I, Kou Seiya, would like to give you some advice. First off, ditch the school uniform. You want to be unique, ne? Next, find a trademark, something that will make you easily recognizable,” she whipped another rose out and handed it to Hotaru, “especially to the ladies.”
A wink followed this latest remark, with Hotaru nodding sagely at her advice.
Minako smiled along with the conversation, desperately trying to think of a way to get a message to the other Senshi via Hotaru.
The answer came to her like a bolt from the blue.
Or, in this case like a black pen tucked inside the good Doctor’s right hand pocket.
Now to wait for an opportune moment, and pray Hotaru forgives her.
This is it!
As Doctor Shodo turned his head to speak to a colleague, Minako snatched the pen from his pocket, and uncapped it, Milly forgotten. Grabbing Hotaru’s hand, she started to gouge a word into it, while at the same time muttering under her breath to Hotaru, who had given out a faint cry of surprise and pain at Minako’s drastic move.
“Tell the others that he’s back. That they are back.”
The whole incident lasted only a few seconds, with Doctor Shodo turning at Hotaru’s cry before ripping Minako away from her as several orderlies came forward to protect young Hotaru, who was grasping her slightly bleeding hand.
As Minako struggled in the Doctor’s hold, she made eye contact for the last time with Hotaru, who was being led away to get her hand patched up. Hotaru nodded once to show her confirmation of Minako’s warning.
Returning to her present predicament, Minako struggled further as she noticed an orderly approaching with a syringe. She hardly registered her captor’s defiant shout and attempt to turn her away from the syringe, but it was too late. Minako felt the needle prick her skin, and, much as she fought it, the grey haze soon clouded the edges of her vision, slowly turning her world to black.
She never felt her body being carried inside by the same Doctor she despised so much.
Nor did she see the murderous look his eyes held for the orderly who committed the act.
Minako had at first been distracted by the familiar school uniform, only to be struck dumb when she looked at the face of the “local musician”.
Tomoe Hotaru.
Hotaru was currently bowing gracefully to her audience; flute clutched in one white-knuckled hand. It was clear to Minako that the shy-looking girl was nervous, but as Hotaru was doing her best “Graceful Michiru” face, she doubted that anyone other than herself noticed.
Knowing that if Hotaru caught a glimpse of her now-she might put the poor girl off-balance for her performance- Minako shrank back in her seat a little. As dire her straights, she would not wish to ruin this moment for Hotaru.
The concert was very good: Hotaru already very proficient at her instrument. Minako enjoyed her pieces and thought they suited Hotaru well: light but with an undertone of seriousness. The audience gave her a standing ovation, Minako joining in enthusiastically. As Hotaru bowed to the assembly, Milly threw a rose that Hotaru caught, bringing her attention to Milly, and, due to her proximity, to Minako.
Minako watched as Hotaru’s eyes widened in shock as she noticed her, clearly a patient at the clinic. Minako almost glowed with leader pride as she noticed Hotaru regain her composure quickly, eyes silently questioning Minako. Minako managed what she hoped was a reassuring smile, though it may have been more of a wince. Hotaru descended from the makeshift stage and made toward Minako, before being stopped by the too-smiley nurse.
“Tomoe-san, I am afraid you cannot approach the patients. Though they are mostly harmless, we do not wish anything to happen to you.”
Minako could see Hotaru look over at her, Minako sent her a look back that said “Stall”, and looked around for a reason to approach Hotaru.
Minako could feel the triumphant gleam in her eye as she spotted her answer.
Milly was standing near the stage, eyes fixed on Hotaru.
Minako approached her like a cat that had the canary in its sights.
“Seiya-san? Don’t you think you should introduce yourself to such an aspiring musician? I think Tomoe-san could benefit from your professional expertise.”
Milly turned to look at her, arrogance alighting her expression.
“You’re absolutely right, Minako-chan! Though I shall not need to introduce myself, I am quite famous, after all.”
More like infamous, Minako thought. Putting on her cheeriest smile, she grabbed Milly’s hand and flounced over to where Hotaru was standing with the too-smiley nurse.
She was three steps away when she hit another roadblock.
“Aino-san, Kou-san, you should know better than to approach a visitor.”
Make that a mountain. A mountain she wanted to blow up.
Putting on her most shamefaced expression, Minako appealed to the good doctor.
“Gomen, Dr. Shodo, but I thought young Tomoe-san would benefit from the advice of someone as famous as Kou Seiya.”
His expression clearly told her that he was not buying her act and scolded her for attempting to use his own trick against her.
As he opened his mouth to politely tell her and Milly to leave, Minako blazed on with phase two.
“I can see that you are a little uncomfortable, so why don’t you stay right here as we converse with Tomoe-san? I am sure that nothing can happen while you’re around.”
Kaboom!
She decided that she really liked his dumbfounded glare.
Milly took the initiative, after all Tomoe-san could desperately use advice from one such as herself.
“Tomoe-san, I, Kou Seiya, would like to give you some advice. First off, ditch the school uniform. You want to be unique, ne? Next, find a trademark, something that will make you easily recognizable,” she whipped another rose out and handed it to Hotaru, “especially to the ladies.”
A wink followed this latest remark, with Hotaru nodding sagely at her advice.
Minako smiled along with the conversation, desperately trying to think of a way to get a message to the other Senshi via Hotaru.
The answer came to her like a bolt from the blue.
Or, in this case like a black pen tucked inside the good Doctor’s right hand pocket.
Now to wait for an opportune moment, and pray Hotaru forgives her.
This is it!
As Doctor Shodo turned his head to speak to a colleague, Minako snatched the pen from his pocket, and uncapped it, Milly forgotten. Grabbing Hotaru’s hand, she started to gouge a word into it, while at the same time muttering under her breath to Hotaru, who had given out a faint cry of surprise and pain at Minako’s drastic move.
“Tell the others that he’s back. That they are back.”
The whole incident lasted only a few seconds, with Doctor Shodo turning at Hotaru’s cry before ripping Minako away from her as several orderlies came forward to protect young Hotaru, who was grasping her slightly bleeding hand.
As Minako struggled in the Doctor’s hold, she made eye contact for the last time with Hotaru, who was being led away to get her hand patched up. Hotaru nodded once to show her confirmation of Minako’s warning.
Returning to her present predicament, Minako struggled further as she noticed an orderly approaching with a syringe. She hardly registered her captor’s defiant shout and attempt to turn her away from the syringe, but it was too late. Minako felt the needle prick her skin, and, much as she fought it, the grey haze soon clouded the edges of her vision, slowly turning her world to black.
She never felt her body being carried inside by the same Doctor she despised so much.
Nor did she see the murderous look his eyes held for the orderly who committed the act.