In Meiji healing bay,
Tenji paced about the corridor leading to the VIP ward section of the building.
He had his shaky hands clasped behind him while counting the number of white marble tiles he stepped on with every anxious step.
The smell of the building brought back memories of his last visit to the very ward and he shut his eyes momentarily.
When he was a child, he had never gotten ill nor sustained any damage that needed the help of healers, he had taken pride in this, and enjoyed relative ease throughout his teenage years, not until his grandfather's death had he visited the city's healthcare for the first time.
'Here I am, again?!' He thought in self-denial.
It had been twenty-six minutes since they had moved Maiyu and Rumi into separate wards and yet there was no response from the healers.
"Brother Tenji!" A timid voice called out ahead.
Raising his head to the voice Aki, he froze with guilt and dropped his head to avoid eye contact.
Aki had tears brimming in her eyes and had bandages wrapped around her arm from the ordeal.
Giving all hope of reconciliation, Tenji had wanted to turn and excuse himself but the approaching steps of Aki made him stop and wait for what she planned on doing.
Letting out a gasp when he felt her body slam him with a back hug, at that instant, he bit on his bottom lip.
"I'm sorry for going overboard with my words, it was insensitive of–"
She paused in her words when she felt his body shake and he had his hand wiping his face.
Pulling away from him, she made use of the opportunity to sneak a peek at what had happened to him.
Her eyes doubled in size when she saw his teary eyes and his whimsical attempt at wiping the tears, before she could speak about it, he pulled her into a hug.
"I'm glad you're okay." He cried and stroked her hair, "I'm sorry for putting you in danger."
Aki's heart stung at his words, she was the one at fault for using his dark history against him.
In an attempt to make light of the situation, she laughed and said, "I deserved what I got, but I'm still alive, right?"
Pulling slightly away so he could take a look at her and her hand, he nodded. "You couldn't get healing treatment, I hope you're okay with that?"
"Pfft!" She blew at his words and waved her right arm to make a point. "Just because I don't have mana and can't get healed doesn't mean I can't naturally."
Flashing a smile his way, Tenji slowly had his mood elevated.
"How about beauty? How is she?" Aki pouted and batted her lashes in an attempt to be cute while she asked.
Pulling away from her, he folded his arms and clicked his tongue, "first off I had told you she has a name, second I know you are only acting this way because you couldn't get the answers yourself."
"Did you?"Aki countered.
Clearing his throat, he took three steps back and turned his attention towards the ward in which Rumi was.
His hand on the metal door with a wooden door tag of 0014, he let out a sigh and dragged his palm down while trailing the spiral pattern that was designed as a midriff.
"She had brought Mai to help and saved her when she had her mana drained to a critical level while trying to fix my–"
Aki placed her hand on his shoulder, "it's alright, they would be fine, grandfather was beyond saving."
'Beyond saving!' He repeated in his thoughts and had a clench his fists with popping veins bulging from his suppressed anguish as the memory flashed before him.
Click!
Taking a step back, he watched as a lady dressed in a black-fitted medical scrub and gold buttons, stepped out with a serious face.
Her red hair was pulled into a messy bun with two tendrils framing her face–they looked more like it had gone through a bad hair day, her pale eyes glowing with triggered rage.
"Are you Professor Tenji?" She questioned coldly.
"I am, is there a problem?"
Beckoning him to follow her into Rumi's ward, she restricted Aki from following when she couldn't pass through a ripple effect barrier placed at the entrance.
Slam!
"Great! More prejudice!" She harrumphed and stormed to a metal bench at the corner of the corridor.
*****
Inside ward 0014,
Tenji had expected to see Rumi on her bed but was given a light shock with it empty.
The dip in the bed did confirm someone had laid on it before, but the scattered peach patterned bed cover, tossed pillow on the floor, and litter of paper were a little strange and unexpected.
His eyes immediately searched for where she could be and tugged at the short-sleeved scrub of the healer, "where is my student?"
The healer looked back at him and had her gaze drawn to the sleeve he had his grip on which forced him to retract his hand and apologize for any rude behavior.
"As soon as she got healed, your student," she made a hard emphasis on the latter and her body shook with the accentuated word.
Tenji could already sense the news wasn't going to be a pleasant experience and let out a sigh as he prepared himself for the sort of explanation that would be given.
"She whispered your name and her eyes glowed, it was at that moment I understood it was a terrible idea to have gotten close to check on her."
Tenji had his lips drawn into a thin line, understanding why she had her hair messy when she had come out to inquire about him.
"She teleported a gust of wind to cause a ruckus here and jumped into another saying she would return when her professor comes to see her personally."
Tenji internally facepalmed when he heard that cringe excuse, the fact that she had misused her ability augmented by Artiquem had him reconsidering his training. 'Rumi, when would you give up on this?!'
"Here I am, so how is it she hasn't returned?" Tenji complained.
A warping sound could be heard before Rumi stepped out with a smirk. "I knew you'd come for me!"
Running towards him for a hug, Tenji had his hands awkwardly raised so he wouldn't unintentionally return the gesture.
The healer scoffed and muttered incoherent words at the display before her.
"It's best if you take this out of the wards!" She coughed at the two to break up the moment.
Tenji quickly caught on to what the healer meant and tried to amicably pull Rumi away from himself. "You're giving out the wrong signals."
"You will be mine, I will make it a reality even if I have to let you use me like you–"
Covering her mouth before she creates a misunderstanding and complicate issues more than it already was, he looked to the healer to explain Rumi's words but she had her eyes wide with horror.
*****
A/N
I would really appreciate your comments and support of this novel with your power stones. Your active comments would motivate me to write more chapters.
¶ What do you think the healer thought about Rumi's words?