Kiss with a Fist

It had been almost a week since she was admitted to the hospital, and her injuries were still sore. After being moved from the ICU, Usagi felt much better physically, but her mind was still a jumbled, guilt-ridden mess. She knew it was time now that she face one of her biggest fears – seeing Makoto. From her friends, she learned that Makoto was alive and healing, but that it would take a while for her to get back to her usual strength.

Usagi felt unbelievably guilty over Makoto’s state, which was why she avoided seeing her until now.

Sneaking out of her room, she moved down the hallways and came across Makoto’s room. Holding her gown close to her lithe form, the blonde gently opened the door and held her breath as she caught sight of the brunette in her bed.

She just happened to be awake as Usagi entered, the clicking of the door’s latch being easy to catch among the serenade of beeping monitors. Shifting slightly, her breath hitched. At first she thought it was a nurse, but the voice said otherwise.

Even after Makoto asked that terrible question, Ami found herself unable to answer for several moments as she fiddled with her fingers in her lap and bit her lip.  Taking a deep breath, she did her best to hold back her own tears and speak calmly.  With everything that happened today, it was difficult, but she managed.

“Mako-chan…” she stared at her own lap.  "The doppelgangers are closely linked wtih their counterparts.  Did you know that?“ she asked quietly.  "We- We certainly did not, and we attacked much like we normally would,” she took another deep breath.  "Nothing was held back, and your doppelganger suffered several injuries.  Fatal injuries.  Those same injuries were inflicted on you as well.  So none of it was your fault,“ she sighed as she kept her eyes wide to hold back any tears.

“Ami-chan...Don’t..blame yourself. Please..”

The brunette’s body trembled as she sat up completely. Her hand moved, placing itself over her friend’s and holding it with as much strength as she could muster. Her voice was strained and her breathing haggard as she pushed her. A smile, genuine and true, appeared on her pale, bandaged face. Her heart monitor beeped loudly at an odd pace. 

“The key...is in the mailbox outside my d-door..” She began, letting out a cough. She wasn’t allowed to physically eat or drink and her voice was suffering from lack of moisture. It cracked slightly and sounded so hoarse, despite how quiet it was.

“There’s a...false bottom..”

The girl fell quiet for a few moments, catching her breath and breathing slowly to make the stars she was seeing go away.

“Shh…  That wasn’t your fault…” she trailed off and looked away.  At the time, when Mercury, Venus and Pluto had been fighting the doppelganger, they had no idea any damage dealt to the doppel would be afflicted onto the actual person as well.  Now, she would have to explain to Makoto why her failure wasn’t her fault.

Makoto’s already pale face went white as a sheet as she heard her friend’s words. Out of pure instinct, she sat up quickly, but didn’t get very far before pain surged through her. She bit her lower lip, suppressing a scream as she fell back to the bed, beads of sweat forming on her face. Her eyes shut tightly, her breath heavy as the heart monitor beeped a bit erratically, no doubt setting off an alarm in the nurse’s station.

“Wh...what..!? Usagi-chan is here..?” Her tears began to flow faster and faster. “I really..did fail..”

Ami became quiet once more, uncertain of what to say as she looked away.  The beeping machines filled the otherwise silent room once again.  They were obnoxious and annoying, and the bluenette was tempted to turn the volume down, but legally she wasn’t allowed to do that.  An on-duty nurse or doctor was responsible for that.  These beeps just made her more aware of any silent moment.

“I...I couldn’t protect Usagi-chan. I fell...before the enemy was defeated. Th...that means I’ve f-failed..”

She took another deep breath in an effort to control her emotions.  Now was not the time to overwhelm Makoto with her own guilt.  "Mako-chan,“ she smiled, "I didn’t expect you to be awake quite yet.  I thought that the surgery would leave you sleeping for most- most of the day.  You must be hungry.  I should find a nurse,” she was rambling.

“I don’t know...if I can eat..”

The girl replies weakly, slowly trying to clench her right fist. She kept her index finger pointed, the heart monitor clipped there. She was able to close her hand, but there was so little strength in her body that she couldn’t even make a fist. As she laid there, her memories of what happened came back. She was fighting Queen Serenity. She got a massive wound in her side from the queen. Sailor Moon was there, and Jadeite and Kunzite. Then everything had gone red and she was laying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. She remembered her vision going blurry as she tried to stop the Queen from going closer to the princess. Then darkness.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, feeling a huge wave of sadness wash over her. Her tears rolled down her cheeks as she took sharp inhales of air to try and stop her tears.

While she didn’t want to leave Taiki, she needed to see for herself that Makoto was okay.  That the damage she Venus, and Pluto had inflicted on her doppelganger hadn’t…  She couldn’t allow herself to think that way.  Makoto would be okay.  According to her mother, as vague as the response was, Makoto’s surgery was a success, but as far as she knew, she hadn’t awakened quite yet.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the curtain back enough before stepping through.  From what she could tell, Makoto was asleep.  Or in a coma.  She wasn’t quite sure of which.  Her mother hadn’t been more specific than that, and any updates Dr. Mizuno may have gotten during the last several hours had not been relayed to Ami.

Ami had meant to greet Makoto immediately, but seeing her in this state…  A sickening feeling settled into the pit of her stomach.  "Mako-chan,“ she gaspd quietly.  No, she needed to put on a brave face.  She could handle this.  Set her emotions aside.

She could hear a voice speaking nearby, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. But it didn’t matter, as the words weren’t directed to her. For all she knew, it was the tv and she was just asleep on the couch. Perhaps some medical show had come on and when she opened her eyes, she would be in her apartment and everything was going to be just fine. But that didn’t explain all the pain she felt.

Hearing the movement of a curtain, she heard a small gasp before the stranger began to speak. While it was quiet, she recognized the voice immediately as her best friend. Her eyes slowly began to open, finding herself in a hospital room. She blinked slowly, gazing up at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face. Her eyes, which usually were so bright and full of fire, were blank and lacking much life.

“I honestly...have no idea what happened to me. I remember..being burned by Queen Serenity..and getting hit a few times...but then I just...burst with wounds. I feel bad...for Jadeite’s apartment. It’s covered with..my blood.” She breathed, shifting what little bit she could. She did her best to keep her muscles working, despite her limited mobility. But she knew that her rehab was going to be the worst.

She took in the scene before her and had to fight back tears. Michiru had never been an overall emotional person before. She’d never had anyone close to her before she’d met Haruka and the other Senshi. She hadn’t cared. But she cared now and to see the two senshi so wounded made her heart hurt. She should have been there, she might have stopped all this from happening if she’d…..

There was slight movement from the second bed and Michiru rushed to Makoto’s side. “Makoto-chan. Can you hear me? I’m so sorry, Makoto,” Michiru said, taking the brunettes hand in her own, hoping she’d respond to her voice or touch.

Letting out a small groan, her dull green eyes slowly opened, wincing slightly due to the sun. She’d have to ask Dr. Mizuno to close the blinds a bit the next time she came to perform a check up. Once her eyes adjusted to the blinding light of the setting sun, she saw a familiar head of hair that made her heart attempt to soar.