Legal Disclaimers (my lawyer made me:) Sailor Moon is property of Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, DiC, Bandai, Mixxine and a lot more probably. Bottom line is: Sailor Moon and it's characters are not mine so don't sue me. You should be use to the disclaimers by now. ______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ | Visit my homepage at: | | http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/temple/9286 | | Official site of Lady Jupiter's stories. | --------------------------------------------------- Remember When? (1) Falling Apart Lady Jupiter (ladyjupiter@sailorjupiter.com) The woman just stood there with her lips drawn in a grim line. She was plump, but not disfiguring so. Her plumpness was quaint, like a little cottage in the middle of a friendly forest. Her cheeks were round and rosy. She looked like much younger version of Mrs Claus. She had unusually bright aqua eyes and her graying brown hair was pulled back in a neat bun without a hair out of place. "I can't remember," he said again, hoping she would give him a hint as to who he was and what he was doing here. "You can't even remember your own name?" She asked in disbelief. He shook his head. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate, nothing would come up. "Who are you?" "I think the most important thing right now is, who are you?" The woman said in return. "So who am I?" "Are you sure you don't remember?" He shook his head again. This conversation was getting nowhere. "Do you remember how you got here?" She asked. For a moment of silence, he concentrated long and hard. He could remember shadows. Someone driving him here. Helping him walk upstairs, putting him into this room....and a click? He told the woman what he remembered. "And do you know your name now?" She asked, as if remembering how he got here would make him remember who he was. Concentrating twice as hard, he forced his brain to narrow down to a name, a first name, a last name, a nick name, anything. "John," The woman said at last. "We can call you John Doe." "That's not my name," he refused. "But it's just a term-" "I want a name! I don't want a term!" he said forcefully. Did he have a temper like that usually? He couldn't remember. The woman almost smiled if her lips were pulled so taut. She closed her eyes, then opened them again. "We'll call you Robert then." "No," He refused again. "Why not?" "That's not my name," he replied. He didn't know how he knew, but it just didn't feel right that he was named Robert. "What do you want me to call you then?" "You know my name. Why don't you just tell me? It'll be easier for the both of us." He didn't know where this confidence came from. "Kennedy?" She revealed. It was close, but not quite there. He shook his head. "Kenneth?" She tried again. A light bulb went on in his head. He remembered now. It was as if a undecipherable book now had a familiar word on it. He nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! Ken. That's my name." "Last name?" Why was she doing this? Why was she playing this game with him and making him guess. He didn't find this too amusing. "You tell me," he shot back. "Your job is to tell us. That's the only way you'll get better. Trust me." She was undaunted by his tone. "Us?" he asked, "Who is us? And get better from what?" "Kenneth, you've been very sick." The woman said gravely. Ken shook his head, "Not Kenneth. My name is Ken. I remember. That's all I can remember. Who are you?" "You may call me Nurse for now," she replied unenthusiastically. "What's wrong with me? Where did my mind go?" he demanded. "Shh," Nurse put her fingers to her lips, "You'll wake up the other patients." "Patients?! Where am I? A hospital?" Ken tried to bolt up from the bed and get a good look out the window. Unfortunately, as soon as he got up, he sank back down. Wave after wave of nausea flooded him and his head was a balloon tethered onto a small pole. "Sit down!" she pushed him down and tucked him in again. "There is no need for this kind of behavior. Just do what everyone tells you and you will be out of here in no time." "Out of where? Am I in a hospital? What's wrong with me? Why can't I remember?" Ken shouted at her, struggling. The nurse was incredibly strong and Ken knew he shouldn't struggle too hard and hurt her. Finally, he gave up and laid still on the bed. From the bed side, the nurse pressed a button which resulted in a buzzing noise. Not long after, a large male attendant came in a white starched uniform. "Trouble?" He huffed. "Yes, strap him down. He's not stable enough to have the privileges." The nurse ordered. She had a strange look in her eyes that he couldn't exactly identify. Hell, about the only thing he could identify then was that his name was Ken and he was in some sort of hospital. At first, Ken rejected being strapped down with leather straps to the bed, but as more and more male nurses came to hold him down, his resolution wore down and at last, he was strapped tightly onto the bed. The nurse looked at him with a sympathetic shrug. She held a buzzer and put it into his now immobile hand. "If you need anything, just buzz. We'll be here in sufficient time. And until you can control yourself, you will be strapped to the bed." "What do you mean control myself? I have perfect self control! If you people would just tell me what's going on and what I'm doing here, I'll show you how much self control I have!" Ken hollered at the top of his lungs. A voice he couldn't recognize, like all the other unfamiliar things around here, shocked him. Was that his voice screaming? "Tranquilize him," The nurse told the male attendant. A large syringe was revealed and Ken's eyes bugged at it. "I don't really want to do this, but it's the only choice." The nurse sadly shook her head at him. "Until you can control your outbursts, I will have to put you on a tranq." After the male attendant had injected the fluid into his veins, Ken felt more light headed than he did already. His eyelids felt heavy, but he felt as if floating in a bowl of fluffy marshmallows. "The doctor will see you later this afternoon when you wake," The nurse said on her way out. The last thing Ken heard was the nurse ordering one of the male attendants to stand by his door. When Ken opened his eyes next, a bright white and glaring light stared back at him. He struggled to blink, but couldn't find the strength to close his eyes. It wasn't until he realized someone was holding his eyelids open until he saw there was someone else in the room. A man in about his middle forties and a white uniform stood over him shining a small flashlight into his pupils. "Pupils are in perfect order," the man spoke into a small recorder in his pocket. "What the-" Ken tried sitting up, but the leather straps dug into his chest. "Just sit still, Kennedy." The doctor said, with a questioning gaze. Ken shook his head, "Why can't you get it right?! It's Ken! Not Kenneth, not Kennedy, just Ken!" Strange how everything else was a blank except for his name. "Okay, Ken. Sorry about the mistake. I am the doctor in charge of your case-" "What's my case? What am I doing here? Is this a hospital? It sure is a pretty strange hospital if you have bars on the windows. Why are you here? What's my case?" Ken fired question after question at the doctor. Sitting comfortably in a chair, the doctor didn't seem abashed or even the least disturbed by the sudden outburst. He just nodded like he expected this all along. "Well?" Ken asked impatiently. "Do you know where you are?" "No, I don't. Why won't you tell me?" Ken asked. "This is the mental clinic-" "I'm crazy aren't I? That's why I'm here. That's why all I can remember is my name?" He came to a sudden conclusion. He struggled against the leather straps, but they still didn't budge even a little bit. "Don't try, you'll only tire yourself." The doctor said. "So doc, am I crazy?" He asked. "Please, we don't use that term around here. Mentally disturbed is what we use." "Crazy, mentally disturbed, whatever you call it. Why am I here?" Ken asked. "How do you feel?" The doctor questioned. "What do you mean? After your nurse drugged me? How do you think I feel?" "What can you remember?" He fired another question at Ken. "My name, and the fact that when I woke up in the morning, they drugged me and I went back to sleep." Ken replied. "You have a disorder called psychological amnesia," the doctor finally gave him that parcel of information. "Why? Did I get hit in the head?" Ken asked. He knew what amnesia was. But he couldn't remember any previous accident. In fact, he couldn't remember anything at all. "No, that's another kind of amnesia." "Great, how many different kinds of amnesia's are there?" Ken moaned. "We're only going to talk about psychological amnesia, what you have. You see, you didn't have any physical injury. But something that happened must have sent you into a mental coma and disturbed you. Can you recall what that is?" The doctor asked. "No. You're the one with the Ph.D., why don't you tell me?" Ken said in reply. "I'm the one with the nervous breakdown." "It wasn't a nervous breakdown," the doctor corrected. "You're body still functions properly and you seem to remember what you learned in school. Can you read that sign across the room?" Ken squinted and nodded, "Treat others as you would like to be treated." "Yes, you can still read." The doctor confirmed. "So why can't I remember anything else?!" Ken demanded. "Calm down, Ken. Don't get too worked up. It will only slow down the healing process. If you take it nice and easy, everything will come back on it's own. We can't rush this or it might blow your mind back into an even further blackness." the doctor warned. "So am I just supposed to wait here for my mind to come back?" Ken asked dryly. "At least you have your sense of humor," the doctor joked. He stood up, "Well, I have other patients to attend to. Compared to them, you are very well off. Someday, you will be back to your normal self." "Why don't you tell me everything I don't know and I can just get out of here?" Ken suggested. "No, that won't be for the best. We have to let your mind set the pace. If not, bad things will happen." The doctor toned it down a little and started to leave. Before he closed the door, he said, "If you cooperate with the nurse, you won't have to be strapped down. Dinner will be at your room soon." Sighing, Ken tried again to squirm out of the firm bindings of the straps, but he just couldn't budge. He closed his eyes, searching through the mass of blackness in his mind. Once in a while, he would see a fleeting picture, but as soon as he spotted it, the picture would burst. They were like tiny bubbles with moments inside. As soon as he touched one, they would pop and disappear. He didn't know if he fell asleep or was just lying there, but the next time he heard the door open, it was dinner time. Looking around, he realized there wasn't a clock in sight and the window was at a particular window which only allowed him to see the light shining in but nothing else. "Working up an appetite?" the nurse asked, bringing him a lap table full of food. It was the same nurse that had ordered him strapped down in the morning. Ken looked at it then at the nurse. Oat meal wasn't exactly his favorite, but now that she mentioned it, he did feel famished. He smiled, knowing what she would have to do in order for him to eat. "You know, I can't eat tied down like this." The nurse nodded and started to set the small table in his lap. Ken almost jumped for joy since she would have to untie his hands in order for him to feed himself. To his surprise, instead of reaching over to undo the buckle, the nurse brought the back of the bed up so he as in a sitting position, but still tied down. "Hey-" "Sorry. You won't cooperate, so this is how it's going to be." The nurse replied at his glare. "But how am I supposed to eat?" Ken demanded. "Say ah," the nurse said, holding a spoon of oatmeal up to his mouth. "I refuse to be fed," Ken stated, closing his mouth shut. "Then I guess you'll starve," the nurse answered non-chalantly. Then, she smiled, "C'mon. Don't be such a spoiled brat. Are you going to eat or not? I have patients who are worse off than you who need attending to." "Fine then," Ken gave in and opened his mouth. Despite the situation he was in, the food was pretty good, unless it was his appetite that was making it good. Halfway through the meal, Ken saw something flash by. He remembered when he was sick and someone spoon fed him chicken soup. Was it his mother? He couldn't see past the cloaking shadows. "What's wrong? Too hot?" the nurse started to blow on the spoon of oatmeal. "No," Ken shook his head. "I remembered something, someone." The nurse smiled, "See, you're on the road to recovery. Before you know it, you'll be out of here. Now eat up so you can have strength." "For what? I'm only going to be strapped into the bed anyway." he told her. She shook her head, "If tomorrow morning, you cooperate, then I will unstrap you and show you around the facilities." For the first time, Ken genuinely smiled at the woman, "Thanks. I'll cooperate, I promise." "Sometimes, you have to do what you don't want to." The nurse said to Ken as she cleaned up and left. The next morning was bright and sunny. Just the thought of getting free from the bed made Ken brighten up. He buzzed the buzzer and waited for someone to come. Unexpectedly, the doctor came. He may not remember much, but he knew that doctors didn't usually respond to petty buzzes from patients. "What are you doing here?" Ken asked. "I was making my rounds and heard your buzzer. What's wrong?" "Nurse said I could get out of bed this morning if I cooperated with her," Ken told him. "Yes, I was aware of that. But first, you have to get some breakfast. I heard that you had a remembrance last night," the doctor said, "Yes, that's what the nurse said. It means you're getting better. At this rate, you'll be out of here in no time." It was encouraging to think of that, but Ken still wasn't sure he was doing too well. So far, all he could remember was his name and someone feeding him chicken soup. "Are you hungry?" The doctor asked, starting to unstrap the leather straps across Ken's wrists. "Starved. Can I feed myself this time?" Ken asked. "I have a better idea. I'll take you to the patient's cafeteria and you can get whatever you want down there." He undid the last strap and stepped back. "Really? Thanks." Ken said. He hadn't noticed they were not on the first floor, but now that it was mentioned, it felt right. Downstairs, Ken saw the doctor and nurse weren't kidding when they said he was better off than some of the other patients. While walking through the halls, he could hear caterwauling, moaning and groaning, insane laughter, and even gurgling noises from some of the rooms. "Those are some of our less fortunate patients," the doctor explained. So far, Ken had made it by himself to the top of the stairs without falling. His knees felt like rubber, but he managed to keep up. From the impression he got from the first floor, Ken would say this wasn't much of a mental institution than a quaint little rehabilitating home. Everything seemed cozy enough, with maybe a bit too much sterilization. If he ignored the medical gadgets here and there in the halls, he could even calls this a hotel. "Here we are," Ken didn't realize they were standing in the middle of the cafeteria until the doctor said that. All eyes were on them. In total, there were about twenty or so people Ken's age, whichever that happened to be. Some looked normal enough, while other distinctly had something wrong in their heads. "Everyone, this is Ken. He will be with us for a short time until he gets better. I want everyone to make him feel at home." The doctor spoke as if to a group of preschoolers instead of highschoolers. He stated every syllable distinctively and to emphasize his point, waved his arms around. "The line is there for the food. Feel free to request anything you'd like, favorite dishes or the such as long as it's negotiable and not too extravagant. This is your home for now, so don't be too shy." The doctor pointed him into the right direction, "I have rounds to make. I'll see you at one in the afternoon for our next session." Left alone in the middle of the cafeteria with eyes still on him, Ken felt abashed with all the attention. Thankfully, half of the eyes on him were vacant and unfocused, but the rest looked at him with interest. Slowly, Ken shuffled his way to the small buffet table and took a small sample of everything. He took his tray and looked around, searching for somewhere to sit. Maybe he should have taken his lunch upstairs afterall. On one table, four girls were seated. Two of them had on bibs, although they were obviously too old for them, despite the drool dribbling down the chins. The other two girls were busy talking nonsense to each other. At another table, a boy sat alone, rocking back and forth and humming to himself, not caring about his cold breakfast. Three girls and two boys sat at another table silently staring vacantly at each other. One girl at that table kept looking at him and breaking out in an annoying giggle. "Hey, over here!" Someone waved a hand that caught Ken's attention. Gratefully, Ken started to walk toward the girl waving her hand frantically. He was about to sit down with but suddenly, she frowned. "I'm not waving at you! Get out!" She shrieked. She pulled her chair out and seemed satisfied with the "person" who sat down in it. Insanely, the girl chatted away with her imaginary friend, leaving Ken standing there still with is tray in his hands. "Over here," a hand caught Ken's elbow and spun him around. Almost toppling over, Ken looked around at his attacker and came face to face with a boy. Ken studied the face for a while. It looked as if the boy's eyes couldn't decide whether they should be green or brown and was a mix of in-between colors. "You can sit with me," the boy said and led him over to an empty table. He started to explain everything as if he and Ken were old acquaintances, "Margerie is still at a session with her doctor, but she doesn't like to be called that. We were told we have to if it's going to make her feel better. Sandy and Randy didn't feel like coming down for breakfast today so I'm all alone. I think they're acting up again." Silently, Ken sat down, unsure of what else to do and let the boy talk on and on. Finally, the boy quieted down and said, "I'm Max Jamison, who are you?" How nice it would be to have a nice name to tie in with is first name. Ken picked at his food. All of a sudden, he didn't feel as hungry anymore. he thought to himself. "What's your name?" Max repeated, looking expectantly at him. Despite how hot he felt, Ken started to shiver uncontrollably. He was shivering so hard, he dropped his spoon with a clatter onto the floor. "What's your name?!" Max shouted to him. Convulsion after convulsion, Ken couldn't stop them. He kept shaking and shivering, making the whole table vibrate. He wasn't sure what did it, but after a couple more seconds, he blacked out. Once again, Ken found himself in his bed by the time he woke. At first, he thought he was alone, but shuffling around the room was another person. Ken moaned at the ache in his head. It felt like someone hit him by a two by four. "Don't worry, it'll go away once you get up and walk around." It was the same nurse that he had seen the first time he woke up. "I have to use the rest room," Ken said in between his chattering teeth. "Go right ahead. It's that door right over there." When the nurse saw he wouldn't move, she said again, "Go ahead. You're not tied down anymore." Oddly, Ken was now craving the protection of the straps binding him to the bed. He didn't want to get off the bed, but still, nature was calling him. "What happened to me?" He asked the nurse. "What do you mean?" "How did I get here?" "Well, we miscalculated your stability and let you out of your room too soon. You kind of fainted after a couple minutes of social interaction." She said in technical terms. Bit by bit, Ken shuffled his way to the rest room. After he did his business, he washed his hands with cold water. When he looked up over the sink at the small mirror, he almost screamed. A face was looking back at him. Yet, even though it was his own face, he couldn't recognize it. Raising his hands to go over his cheeks and chin, it felt like a face of a stranger's, someone he couldn't recognize. "Are you okay in there?" The nurse called to him, knocking on the door. With a deep breath in his lungs, Ken walked out of the rest room back onto the bed. Before he got onto the bed he took a glimpse outside and saw it was maybe close to mid-day. Surprisingly, he felt sleepy. The nurse was still dusting this and that around the room and fiddling around. He wished she would leave and let him have some piece and quiet for a while. "The doctor will be here shortly for another session with you," she said before she left. Just when Ken was about to fall asleep, the door opened again and the doctor came in. He had a clipboard and pen with him and looked like he was getting ready for a job interview. "So, Ken, had a little trouble in the morning? I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I overestimated your stability. That's okay, that sort of thing won't happen again. I will keep a closer and more careful watch on you. Tell me, what do you remember?" The doctor took over all the talking as he pulled a chair over. All Ken could remember and tell him was the figure feeding him Chicken soup while he was sick on some day. The doctor questioned about how he was feeling, what he was thinking, and did a few quick routine check ups and it was over. "I'll be back on Friday," the doctor told him as he slid the chair back to it's place. "What day is today?" Ken asked. He hadn't seen a single calendar or clock yet. "Sunday." Finally, Ken got his much needed and uninterrupted sleep. He felt like Rip Van Winkle. Outside, the nurse and the doctor were having a small conversation about the patient. "Do you know what triggered his fainting spell?" "His mind is in a fragile state and anything too traumatic can cause his brain to overload and shut down. You see, the human brain has a fuse too and if it gets too active, it will shut down by itself." "Will it happen again?" "It's not unlikely. We'll just keep him in his room and gradually help him build up. Just don't mention anything about his past until he can remember it by himself." The doctor advised. It was already one in the afternoon, and Lita was still in her pajamas around the house. She absentmindedly fumbled an earring as she wandered around the house. Already, she had cleaned it into a spotless shine and even had time to do her laundry. Everything she did felt mechanical to her. The phone rang and Lita went to get the receiver. It was probably Mina calling. "Hello, Mina." Lita said as soon as she picked it up. "How'd you know it's me?" "You always call on Sundays." "Yeah, that's true. So are you up to it?" Mina asked cautiously. Ever since they had met, every Sunday, they would go shopping together, even if they were broke, they enjoyed going from store to store and trying on new fashions. "Of course. It's a tradition," Lita expressed. She sounded more cheery than she was. "Are you sure. I mean, if you don't want to, you don't have to." "Mina! I'm fine. I need something to get my mind off him anyway." Lita assured her. "Okay, I'll meet you at your house in half an hour," and she hung up the phone. "Half an hour," Lita reminded herself. She should start dressing and take a shower. As she passed the living room to the rest room, she couldn't help but look at the pictures on the wall. On the top, it was the framed wedding picture of her parents. Below that was a picture of a baby Lita and her mother on a white Victorian like swing and her father leaning against the back of it. "Why?" Lita asked them. In the middle of all the frames was the one she had looked at the most. It was a amateur and natural picture of her and Ken. Ken in a baseball cap and Lita next to him holding a bat. "Why?" Lita asked him. She bit on her bottom lip absently, staring at the picture. Finally, she sighed and forced her legs to move to the rest room. Just as she stepped out of the restroom with her hair tied up and her clothes on, the doorbell rang. Grabbing her wallet from the coffee table, Lita started for the door. Instead of Mina standing there, it was Ken's father. "Mr Miyake?!" Lita gasped, "What are you doing here? Ken? Is he alright?" "Lita, calm down or you'll end up in an institution too. I called you yesterday and we talked about this. He still can't remember a thing other than his name. I just dropped by to say that it's okay for you to visit him now. But remember, don't tell him anything about the two of you. Pretend to be a volunteer to give the patients some company or some other thing. He has to remember everything on his own." Mr Miyake told her. He was still holding his briefcase, which held his notes, clipboard, and his favorite pen. "How soon can I see him?" "You can go today if you'd like. Just tell them who you are and they'll let you in." Mr Miyake answered. "Today?" Lita asked, her face fallen. She couldn't go today. She had promised Mina that she'd go shopping together. Sunday was always the day when friends had fun with friends. Even Darien knew never to take Serena out for a date on Sundays. Those were usually the girls' night out. "What's wrong? You don't look too thrilled." Mr Miyake asked. "It's just that, I promised a friend of mine I'd go shopping with her. Sunday's always been reserved for friends, my female friends." Lita replied sadly. "That's okay. There's no pressure on you going today. Now that I think of it, I think it would be better if you didn't come today. He looked pretty tired." "How is he handling it?" "He's frustrated and isn't too stable. Other than that, he's fine physically anyway." Mr Miyake said. "Thanks for dropping by. I know how busy you can get," Lita said as soon as she saw Mr Miyake start to fidget. "No problem. I'll be going now." "Thanks again," Lita said before closing the door. When she was alone, she leaned against the frame of the front door and let out a long sigh of relief. Deep in her heart of hearts, she knew that she needed Ken to be alright. He had to be alright. With her eyes closed, Lita could see his carefree smile, the way he would cock his head to the left and look at her, everything. Once again, the doorbell rang, preventing her from going into deeper thoughts. Putting on her best cheery face, she threw open the door to let Mina in. "Hi Mina," Lita beamed her a toothpaste smile. "Wow," Mina commented, "You look and sound much cheerier than when- oh, I'm sorry Lita. I didn't mean to mention that. Gosh, I'm such a typical blonde. I'm sorry I reminded you. I forgot-" A genuine laugh came from Lita's mouth, "Mina, you're so funny. It's okay. Not like any of that is top secret." "Did you get a word about Ken yet?" It was as if Mina was cautiously picking her way through thin ice. She was careful not to tread on too thin of a surface. "Yeah, he's awake now. They said I could go visit him now." "I'll go with you and keep him company," Mina offered. "Actually," Lita tried to break it to her as easy as possible, "They said only I can visit. That was bending the rules enough to let me see him. I have to pretend we've never met before and I'm just a volunteer to keep patients company. He has to regain all the memories with little help because they said if someone fed him all the information, it might be too much for him to handle and he might relapse into an even deeper condition." Lita couldn't believe she could remember all that information, all that Mr Miyake had told her when she inquired about him. It had shocked them all to hear how Ken had a nervous breakdown, but the even more shocking thing she heard was that he lost his memory too. If only Lita could figure out what made it happen, she would have done something to prevent it. "You're starting to sound like Ami," Mina said, shaking her head. She shrugged, "Well, since I can't go with you to visit Ken, call me when they are letting visitors in. To tell you the truth, I don't like hospitals all that much anyway." "You're not offended?" "Ofcourse not, why should I be? Rules are rules," Mina said with a mischievous grin. "Mina, what are you thinking?" Lita asked suspiciously. "There's a half off sale at the mall. Let's go and break our shopping record!" Mina said and pulled Lita out the front door almost the whole way to the shopping center. Although shopping was often a pastime for the two girls, both were too preoccupied to enjoy it and were trying their best to pretend. Aimlessly, they walked from shop to shop, not really paying attention to where they were heading. Once in a while, they would catch themselves in the middle of a men's store or a book store and walk right out. "Do you still feel like shopping?" Mina asked, after what seemed like two hours of silence, when it was only about an hour. "Sorry I'm not being much of a talker today, Mina." Lita apologized. She switched the handle on her purse and held it with her other hand. "I'm not being much help either," Mina admitted. "So what's on your mind?" "I was wondering," Mina started, unsure of how to explain what she was thinking without Lita taking offense, "What if Ken does get his memory back, but not about the scouts? What if he can't transform anymore?" A blank look came to Lita's eyes as she stared across. For the moment, Lita silently chewed her lower lip and thought. Then, she shrugged and looked back at Mina. In her most carefree voice, she said, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see." "Since neither of us feel like shopping, let's just head back." Mina suggested, lightening the burden on the both of them. "Hey!" A voice made the two of them turn their heads. "Rei, what are you doing here?" Lita asked, searching through the shoppers and finding a certain raven haired priestess. "I got this afternoon off and decided to go by some new shoes," Rei explained. "Funny I should meet you and Mina here." "New shoes? Like, you bought the whole store, totally!" A voice coming from stacks and stacks of boxes spoke out behind Rei. "Hi, Chad. Do you need some help with that?" Mina laughed. "That would be groovy," Chad rattled. Lita and Mina took some of the load off the top. "Great, now you sound like some hippie. It's not bad enough you sound like an obnoxious rocker, but now a hippie too?!" Rei kidded, slapping herself on the forehead. "At least I don't sound like a crazy oracle or some crap. You'd think being the priest's granddaughter, you'd get at least some of your predictions right some of the time." Chad fired back. The two other girls rolled their eyes. They were use to Rei and Chad's constant teasing and maybe even a little tired of it. Rei and Chad exchanged some kind of glaring look at each other, then turned their attention to Lita. "Okay, you two. Don't you think it's about time you stop picking on each other? It's kind of obvious how you both feel about each other," Lita insinuated smugly. "What may that be?" Rei asked while giving her a warning look. Lita didn't have to answer that because Mina burst in, "You two are crazy about each other. Everyone can see how madly in love the two of you are!" It was hard to tell who was redder, Chad or Rei. Both of them looked ready to burst with steam. "Hi guys," It was a good thing Ami had been at the book store across them and spotted the four people standing there, two of which were blushing embarassedly. "Ami, what a surprise meeting you here!" Lita decided to switch on the subject and not embarrass Rei anymore or she'll never hear the end of it. "I heard there was a new and improved Latin dictionary with all the scientific terms so I just had to get it. I know, I have a weakness." Ami admitted. Glad to be off the hook, Rei patted Ami on the back while a sweatdrop appeared on her head, "Ami, if that's what you call a weakness, we would be in big trouble. Geeze, a Latin dictionary? What do you need that for?" "Yeah," Mina agreed, "There's no one I know that even speaks Latinese." Confused and bewildered stares came from all around them. Mina looked around and shrugged. "Did I say something wrong?" Late into the night, Mina, Ami, and Rei finished helping Lita with the dishes. Their deal was, whenever they went to Lita's apartment, ofcourse she would cook, but whoever ate would have to help her with the dishes. There were plenty of dishes to go around, since Lita didn't believe in saving space on dishes. "That was wonderful," Mina said, patting her stomach. "Artemis is sure to start whining now about me not staying in shape." "Can't blame you. Let's all blame Lita." Rei kidded, "Lita, why'd you have to be such a good cook?" "You have to write the recipe down for me, Lita. I'd like to take it home and make it with my mother." Ami told her. "It's all in here," Lita pointed to her head. "I don't think I can write it down if I even tried." "Where's Serena today?" Mina suddenly said. "You know Serena. Since she somehow managed to wake up on time this past week, she's getting that lost sleep today. I won't be surprised to hear she slept the whole day away." Rei said, shaking her head. "Lighten up on her. She has a lot of things weighing her down." Lita defended the pig tailed girl. "She's right. There's a lot of stress from Luna to her on being a good princess and responsible." Ami agreed. "Stress? I wouldn't say Luna gives stress, but she sure can nag the hell out of you." A male voice came form Lita's window. The startled girls looked up to see a handsome white cat perched by the open window. "Artemis! What are you doing here?" Mina asked, picking her cat up. "You'd better get home. You're mother's getting worried and she's about to call the police." Artemis advised. "Okay," Mina showed herself out. At the door, she turned to Lita and said, "If it's possible, tell Ken I said Hi." Both Rei and Ami looked at Lita. She had forgotten to tell them that little tidbit. After Mina left with Artemis, Ami spoke up, "So is Ken doing better?" "He's awake and he's talking coherently now," Lita told them. She explained what Ken's father had told her when he called and stopped by. "When are you going to visit him?" Rei asked. She knew how much Lita was dying to go visit Ken. She could just feel it around her. "I don't know if I should. If I do, I'll have to pretend we've never met before," Lita admitted. "But you'll still get to see him," Ami reminded her. "What if I do the wrong thing? He's on the edge of insanity and reality almost, standing on a tightrope as thin as a hair. What if I do something wrong and he snaps?" Lita asked. "Are you saying you're not going to visit him?" Lita shrugged, "I don't know what I'm saying." She looked at Ami, "Maybe you should go. You know more about the medical stuff than I do and you're less likely to mess him up." "But you know Ken much better than any of us. He'll feel more comfortable around you. Trust me, you should go." Ami persuaded. "Well..." Lita looked from Ami to Rei, then back, "Okay, I guess I'll visit him tomorrow." The next morning, Lita was a mess. She was so nervous at going to visit Ken. She didn't know why she should be, but her stomach was twisting and turning and she kept forgetting everything. "Let's see," Lita looked herself over in her mirror. She was wearing her black corduroy overalls and a white tank top. Her hair was tied in its usual pony tail and her pink rose earrings were as shiny as ever. "Everything's check," Lita said. Before walking out, she grabbed a board game off the shelf and went on her way. Something inside of Ken went off like an alarm and made him wake. At first, he wanted to scream, not knowing his surroundings. Then, everything he had accumulated into his brain for the past few days rushed back in. He was in his same room, on the same bed, still strapped in from the waist down. The pillow under his head was wet with sweat and the sheets were twisted about him. "Rise and shine!" A cheerful voice said as the nurse barged into the room. She threw open the curtains, letting the rays of morning light burn into the room. Ken cringed as the woman walked in. He was slowly retreating into a solitary shell, where no one could penetrate or ever hurt him again. The nurse went over to the still shivering Ken and unstrapped him. She looked at him expectantly while she crossed her arms under her bosom. Without a movement, Ken's eyes slowly wandered around the room. A cold sweat had broken out on his forehead and his teeth were chattering uncontrollably. "Well, go the restroom and do what you have to do. You're not going to get better by lying in bed and being an invalid." The nurse finally said. Ken shook his head harshly. Stepping over the now fallen sheets, the nurse placed a cool hand on his forehead. He had no high temperature so he wasn't sick. "C'mon, go do what you have to in the rest room or I'll have to move you upstairs, where the people who can't take care of themselves are." The nurse threatened. She didn't like doing this, but it would be the only way to make him well again. Slowly and almost agonizingly, Ken inched his way to the restroom, staying close to the wall and keeping one eye on the nurse like she was some sort of assassin. When he came back, he had at least washed his face, and he found his bed sheets were changed and looked inviting. He hoped into the bed. The nurse came back in with a lap table of breakfast. She found him sitting up and just staring blankly at his hands. When Ken tried to feed himself, he couldn't keep his hands from shaking and spilled nearly all of his cereal around the tray. In the end, the nurse ended up feeding him. Right after the meal, the doctor came in on the dot. He had his usual clip board with him and his glasses hanging from his coat. The usual questions were said, with a couple of grunts and one word answers from Ken. He was retreating further and further into his own little corner. Outside, with the door closed, the doctor and the nurse were exchanging words. "He's getting worse," the nurse worried. "You have to get worse before getting better." "But what if he doesn't get better? He hardly even talks now. Before, he was almost normal. But now, look." "Don't worry. He's just scared of coming out. Letting his true self out." The doctor assured her. "But-" "His visitor is supposed to come around now. He'll have someone to keep him company and you'll be able to tend to the other patients." "But I want to tend to him. He's our-" "Don't worry about him. He will get better. Most of these cases do." "Most, but not all," The nurse reminded. "Just go get the wheelchair in case he wants to go out later in the day. I can't have him walking and fainting. He's not strong enough to walk on his own. The same thing that happened the other day might happen." The doctor said. Back in the room, Ken watched silently as the wheelchair was being wheeled in. He closed his hands on each other in his lap and chewed on his lower lip. "You're going to have a visitor today, Ken." The doctor said in a calm soothing voice. A voice one would use to an infant. "N-no!" Ken rejected. "Why?" "I don't want to see anyone," Ken replied. "But it's for the better." "I don't want to," Ken said again. "You'll like her. She's a volunteer from the hospital and she'll keep you company." the nurse offered. "It's a girl?" "Yes, Ken, it's a girl. Her name is Lita. She'll be your friend while you're in here." "I don't want a friend!" Ken shouted, although not as sure of himself now. "Where are my parents? Why haven't they seen me since I've been here?" "Well," the doctor lied, "They're on a business trip. They send their warming regards that you'll get better." "What do they do for a living?" Ken asked. "That's for you to tell us," The doctor said as he started to leave. "Be polite to the visitor. Remember, she's a volunteer." "I don't want a visitor!" Ken cried but it was in vain. The nurse and the doctor had left him alone. Sitting in the starched white bed, Ken rocked back and forth before finally leaning back into a lounging position. He didn't want any visitor. They were all to scary, too pressing, too demanding of him. A knock at the door almost made him hide under the bed. Slowly, bit by bit, the doorknob turned until it opened and a girl walked in. At first, as Ken looked at the face, he thought she was cute. But then, when his eyes went along her whole body, he saw that she was more than cute. She was beautiful. It was for just half a second before he looked away at his hands in his lap again. With her most sincere smile and her hands clasped behind her back, Lita walked in. She hated to admit it, but she had some fantasy that the minute she walked in, Ken would realize who she was and everything would work out fine. But long ago, she had given up on dreaming the impossible. Now, she stayed close and with her feet planted firmly on the ground, not bothering to reach the skies anymore. "Hi, there. I'm Lita." She introduced. Lita couldn't help but notice now vulnerable Ken looked like that. Where was the strong protecting Ken she had grown to love? Who was this really on the white starched bed? Ken couldn't keep his hands from shaking. He tried not to look at her, in hopes that she would give up on him and leave him alone. Deep in a corner of his mind, though, there was a nagging feeling that he was attracted to her. Lita pulled a chair over to his bedside and sat down. For a moment, she just looked at him. His light brown hair was messy and wild, giving him an innocent tosseled look. Those gorgeous blue eyes of his looked wide with fright like a deer trapped between head lights. His hands were clasped in his lap and his fingers were trembling ever so slightly. Lita wondered. She didn't know much about how became like that. It was just one day, she was called by his father to say that he had been put in the hospital because of some mental condition. They had found him wandering the streets and mumbling nonsense to anything. "What's your name?" she questioned. "Ken," he mumbled. "Hi, Ken. Look, I brought Monopoly if you'd like to play. I know it gets kind of dull sitting in bed all day." Lita offered. With a slight shake of the head, Ken refused. He continued to stare down at his hands while chewing on his lower lip. Once in a while, he would look up, meeting his gaze with Lita's, then immediately look down abashedly and turning crimson. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" Lita asked after the long silence. She wished he would say more than two words to him. "I can leave if you want." "No, stay." Ken blurted out, not understanding why he wanted her to. True, it was boring lying about the bed all day. "So tell me about yourself," she said leaning on the chair. Silence. "Oh, that's right. You have amnesia. Sorry, I forgot." Lita almost slapped herself on the forehead for being so dense. It took all of her will to keep from hugging him and giving him all the comfort he was so desperately looking for. She wanted to tell him everything that he had forgotten so she could have her Ken back. After about three and a half hours, about twenty words were exchanged between them. The nurse came in saying visiting hours were over. Lita said her good-bye and left. She had left behind the Monopoly game with Ken just incase he wanted to play with it himself. On the way into her apartment, she noticed two police cars in front of the complex. She bounded up the stairs and started for her hallway when she saw two police men waiting for her at the door. Her steps slowed down as she neared them. Keeping her shoulders back, she tried to look firm and self reliant to the two police. "Excuse me, officer. Is there something wrong?" She asked to the shorter and younger police. "Are you Lita M. Kino who lives in this apartment?" The short one asked. His badge said Jonen on it. "I'm officer Craig and this is Jonen," the tall one introduced. His head was mighty long and he had a growing bald spot on the top of his head that was spreading. He had thin rubber band lips and a slight twist on one of the ends. "Are your parents home, Lita?" the short one, Jonen, asked. "Well...not exactly," Lita replied. Craig sighed. He had a leering grin as he spoke, "Let's just cut to the chase. We know you've been living by yourself in this apartment for a while. We're here to take you in." "What?!" Lita demanded. Her face had lost all its color and she felt dizzy all of a sudden. "Oh, don't act so surprised. We've been keeping a close eye on you and we know for a fact your parents or guardians to don't live here." Craig said. His smiled showed that he was almost enjoying this, "Give her the facts, Jonen." Obediently, the younger one took out a small handy-dandy notebook and started to read off it. "Your parents, Mr and Mrs Kino died in a plane crash about five years ago. Their bodies are buried in the West Tokyo Cemetery. You have no living relatives in Japan and the apartment you are now staying in is registered to another Mr Kino, supposedly your uncle. Is that true?" Lita nodded. No use lying now. If they knew all that, then they could undoubtfully obtain more. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe it was all a dream. "According to law, you are not yet of legal age to live on your own. What amazes me is how well you managed." Jonen remarked. He tucked his small notebook into his side pocket. "Pack your bags and get ready to leave in the morning," Craig reminded her. No sense in hitting around the bush. "Leave to where?" "We're taking you into the orphanage," Jonen answered. "No!" Lita shouted. She shook her head fiercely, giving herself a severe brain scrambling. "Sorry, I don't make the rules. I just enforce them," but Craig looked as if he enjoyed them too. "But my Uncle, he sends me money for all this. I'm doing good in school. Why are you taking me in?!" Lita demanded. "You're under eighteen and living without a guardian or parent. You have none of the legal papers for this and until you have them, you will be in the orphanage." Craig taunted. He spun on his heels and called for the shorter one to follow. "We'll be back in the morning. Don't try to run away, because that will only get you into bigger trouble." After the warning, Lita slipped into her apartment and shut the door behind her. She leaned on the strong frame and took a deep breath. Slowly, she slid down the floor. With her head in her arms, she started to cry. Her life was falling apart right before her eyes. "Why? I've never been truly bad? Why do you have to repay me like this? Isn't it bad enough my parents died? Now, you take Ken away? That's not enough? You have to snatch away the last thing I have? My home? What's next?" Lita whispered to the ceiling. Immediately, she got up. Every second was sacred. She didn't have a second to lose. First, she would call her uncle and ask about the legal papers the two rude policemen were taunting at her. When she found the number in a drawer and dialed, she was disappointed to hear the secretary pick it up. "Sorry, he's on a business trip in Europe." She replied in a high nasal tone after Lita asked where her uncle was. "Do you know how I can reach him?" Lita asked frantically. "Unless this is an emergency-" "This *is* an emergency!" she shouted. The secretary gave her the number to the cellular and hung up without a word. With trembling fingers, Lita dialed the number, praying that her uncle would pick up. "Hello, Drake here." A low business like voice said after the fourth ring. "Uncle Drake!" Lita yelped thankfully at the voice. "Uncle Drake, I'm sorry to interrupt you-" "Lita, calm down. I can't hear a thing you're saying. Slow down a bit, hon." "The police were here-" "What did you do? Are you in trouble?" A warning tone started to come from her uncle. "No, I didn't do anything. They're going to put me in an orphanage because they found out I live alone. What am I going to do? One of the policemen said that I didn't have any legal papers or something. What do I do? I don't want to go live in an orphanage! I'm doing fine here, I don't want to move-" Lita was rattling on and on, pleading to her uncle for advice. "Papers? I know I have the legal papers in my office somewhere around there," Drake calmed her. "Can you send them over? I really need it now. They're going to come and take me in the morning." Lita asked. There was a frightening silence at the other end before Drake continued, "I'm sort of on a trip here and I can't get into my office right this moment." "So tell your secretary to do it." "No can do. It's in a safe in the office and only I know the combination. I can't tell her because it won't be safe and the box needs both the combination the a key. I have the key with me right now." Her uncle exclaimed. A sinking feeling came over Lita. She felt like she was fighting useless battle. But she couldn't give up. She learned while she was a scout that one should never give up no matter how great the odds were. "I know!" Drake suddenly exclaimed. "When your parents died, I signed some papers for the apartment. It's under my name. So technically, the apartment is mine. How old are you?" "Fifteen, almost sixteen," Lita replied. She didn't know where this was heading. Maybe another dead end idea. "Just tell them that you live with me and that I'm off on a trip. You're old enough to stay home and legally, I can leave you alone for a month." Her uncle said. "Uncle Drake, is this one of your crazy ideas? I've never heard of that law before," Lita asked. "No, no, this is true." Drake promised. "But what if the month is over? Then what?" "I'll drop by in three weeks with the legal papers saying you can live by yourself. I should be off the trip by then. Don't worry, it's only a matter of time." "I don't think it'll work. It's too suspicious. They won't believe me," Lita answered. "Okay, I'll call Betty." "Who's Betty?" Lita asked, wondering where this woman fit into what they were talking about. "She's someone I used to know. I think she still lives in Tokyo. I'll call her to go over and watch you until I come. She used to be my nanny," Drake laughed. "Uncle, I don't think this is laughing matter," Lita said seriously. "Don't you worry. Betty will be there in the morning. She can live in the in the spare room in the apartment until I come, then she can go live in her own house. Gee, I hope she's still alive." "Are you sure this is going to work?" Lita asked. "Won't know for sure until we try. I have to go now, so you get a good night's sleep and don't worry about it." Drake soothed. "Thank you for everything, Uncle Drake." Lita said sincerely from the bottom of her heart. It was settled. The old nanny named Betty would arrive in the morning, hopefully before the two police men did. Lita would say that she lived with her uncle, who's currently on a business trip then and that he left a "baby-sitter" for Lita. Then, in three months, when her uncle came back, he would bring her the papers stating she was legally allotted to live by herself in the apartment and all would be better. With everything worked out, Lita thought she would have a peaceful sleep. But her dreams were disturbed by dark and brooding shadows warning of the troubles looming on the horizon. ************************************************************************* I don't think there's going to be much action in this one. I'm writing this mainly to portray how Lita would act as a normal person under critical circumstances. Don't worry, more on what happened to make Ken like he is right now will be revealed when I write more. Ladyjupiter@sailorjupiter.com **********Copyright 1998 Lady Jupiter (All Rights Reserved)*************