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1 This is my first Sailor Moon fic. Not sure exactly how good it is, but I
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2 figured I might as well submit it for being read. I took a few liberties
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3 with the characters, not very many though, IE giving the already sickly
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4 Hotaru asthma. Time frame is of normal, Hotaru being 12-13. You can email me
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5 at Saturn_Knight@hotmail.com with comments/questions.
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6
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7
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8
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9 "Toujours"
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10 By Saturn Knight
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11
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12 Forcing herself along the icy street, near midnight, fighting the cold,
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13 which gnawed at her with relentless force, Hotaru pulls the purple sweater
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14 around her tighter; though it did nothing to keep the bitter caress of the
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15 wind from violating her body. In the back of her mind, playing like a broken
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16 record, the question 'Why did I agree to come to America!?' made her think
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17 of her warm, safe bed back home. 'Home…' Hotaru said to herself, just as the
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18 first snow began to fall, fluttering gently from the sky and landing on her
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19 shoulder. Turning to look at it, her body shaking violently from the cold,
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20 she frowned, wondering where she was, where were the others, and why did bad
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21 things always happen to her?
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22 "Because you're the Soldier of Death…that's why," she mumbled to herself,
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23 turning her gaze to the sky as the snow picked up, now falling regularly. A
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24 shuddering breath trailed into the sky, mingling with the frigid air before
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25 finally succumbing to the relentless chill of the night. "God, it's
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26 beautiful…" The faint light seeping through the clouds backlit the scene to
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27 perfection, something no artist could ever replicate. Tearing her gaze from
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28 the sky, back down to the snow covered ground, Hotaru felt fear rising in
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29 the back of her throat…she had been walking for the good part of an hour,
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30 and had come across nothing more than bare trees, rocks, and now snow.
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31 "I wanna go home…" she said to herself, the simple act of talking causing
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32 another plume of vapor to rise from her lips. Though her hands were numb,
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33 the muscles ached under her skin with every movement. She was very glad now
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34 that had she listened to Haruka's advice, on wearing her snow boots when she
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35 went out into the cold, otherwise, she would have lost the ability, and the
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36 will, to walk long before. Then she sneezed… a single, violent sneeze. The
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37 sudden loss of breath began a coughing fit that drove her to the ground, the
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38 snow crunching under her weight as she went down to her knees … Reaching
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39 into her pocket for her inhaler, she shakily threw the top off it and took a
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40 breath as best as she could and tried to hold it. Forcing herself not to
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41 cough as the world spun, she exhaled quickly and repeated, her body giving
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42 violent spasms from her refusal to cough.
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43 Unable to hold her fit any longer, she surrendered to her body and began
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44 coughing violently, trying to stand only caused the world to black out for a
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45 moment. Staggering, fighting with all the strength she could muster, but she
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46 was at war with something she could never beat; no matter how hard she
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47 tried, no matter how strong her will. She was fighting herself. As her body
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48 hit the ground, her eyes looked up to the sky as the snow continued to fall,
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49 making her already-numb face sting anew with the ice that was now settling
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50 in. As her body gave into shock, she felt the world slowly start to slip
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51 away from her conscious mind. Her last coherent thought as she looked to the
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52 sky, and it's dangerous beauty, was "It's hard to believe something so
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53 beautiful could be so deadly…" then all was darkness.
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54
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55 "I'm worried about Hotaru," Chibi Usa said to Usagi, as they sat in their
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56 hotel room in Maine. "She should have been back a long time ago." Chibi sat
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57 with her back against the bed, with Usagi behind her, brushing out her pink
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58 hair. "Do you think she's ok?" She twisted her body to look at Usagi, who
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59 was too busy watching the American soap opera on TV to pay much attention.
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60 "USAGI!"
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61 "What?! Huh?" Usagi jumped, literally, as Chibi yelled, just about falling
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62 off the bed and onto the floor. "What now?" she blushed light red,
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63 embarrassed that she wasn't paying attention. Her own hair was let
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64 completely down, not in the usual dual ponytails. "I'm sorry… What did you
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65 say Chibi?"
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66 "UGH, you never listen!" Chibi took the remote and promptly switched off
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67 the TV, tossing the remote under the bed where she believed Usagi couldn't
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68 get it. Turning her eyes to Usagi, who was already on all fours, halfway
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69 under the bed attempting to fish the remote out, she shouted as loudly as
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70 she could, "USAGI!!" This caused Usagi to jump again, hitting her head on
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71 the under board of the bed, with a yelp and a wince, she quickly worm her
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72 way out, with the remote of course.
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73 "OW! What, Chibi Usa? WHAT?" Usagi's eyes were watering from the sting of
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74 the pain. "What is so important?" Reaching out her right hand to gingerly
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75 touch the fresh bump, her left hand extended with the remote to switch the
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76 TV back on, but met with a slap from Chibi's hand, knocking the remote away.
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77 "It's HOTARU! She's late! She said she'd be back 2 hours ago." Chibi
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78 glanced at the clock over Usagi's shoulder, "I'm worried about her…she
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79 doesn't know this place, WE don't even know this place…it's cold outside,
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80 and snowing, and it's dark, and it's lonely, an--"
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81 "…And you worry too much…" Usagi rolled her eyes and glanced longingly at
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82 the remote.
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83 "SOMEBODY around here has gotta worry. The only thing you worry about is
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84 how you look to Mamou Chan, and your shows on the TV!" Chibi stood, being
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85 short enough to look the sitting Usagi in the eye, "Hotaru is late…she's
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86 normally on time, unlike some other senshi I could name… Aren't you
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87 worried?" This struck a chord with Usagi, and she was about to protest, but
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88 as she moved to grab the remote from the floor, her eyes wandered to the
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89 window. There was roughly a foot of snow blanketing the ground, and the
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90 dark, thick clouds had suffocated the faint light that the moon provided.
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91 "Yeah, she's ok…" Usagi said, more in an effort to convince herself, rather
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92 than Chibi Usa, who was now at the windowsill, on her tip-toes peeking out
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93 from the 10th floor room. "Just stay off the phone in case she has to call
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94 and ask for our help." Almost as if on cue the phone rang, and both girls
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95 looked at each other. Before the end of the second ring, Chibi had vaulted
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96 over the bed and tore the phone receiver off the hook and, placed it to her
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97 ear. Usagi wasn't too far behind her, trying to maintain a bit of dignity,
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98 rather than throwing herself on the bed she had recently been crawling
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99 under.
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100 "Hotaru?" Chibi said, hopefully, but was greeted with the voice of a man on
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101 the other end.
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102 "Uh…no, this is Lieutenant Grey of the Maine PD. We found a girl out in a
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103 run down part of Oak Street, off the highway. She was unconscious, and
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104 covered in snow. She had a card key to this hotel, and this room. Purple
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105 hair, about five fe--"
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106 "HOTARU!!" Chibi shrieked, dropping the phone on the floor, her face going
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107 pale as she heard. Usagi quickly picked up the phone, placing it to her ear.
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108 "Hotaru is that you?" Usagi said into the phone, not sure what she was
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109 supposed to hear, but thought it would be bad news. She sighed, gazing to
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110 Chibi was sitting on the floor with her knees to her chest crying like the
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111 world was going to end.
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112 "No….This is Lieutenant Grey, of the Maine PD. A patrol had located a girl
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113 lying in the snow near the highway…we believe it's a friend of yours, since
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114 she had the key to this room in her pocket." The voice paused a moment,
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115 "She's currently at Memorial Hospital, south of Main Street."
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116 "Oh Hotaru…." Usagi reached down and placed her hand on Chibi's shoulder.
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117 "How do we get there from the hotel? The hotels on…" Usagi grabbed the pad
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118 off the desk near the phone, with the little pencil they provide, "It's on
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119 Greenway parkway."
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120
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121
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122 Arriving at the hospital, via the car Usagi had rented for their vacation,
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123 miraculously in one piece, in spite of the horrid driving conditions, the
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124 two entered the warm hospital and headed directly for the information desk.
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125 The sterile, cold feeling of the hospital sent chills down Chibi Usa's spine
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126 as she looked over the sparkling white tile, and stoic white walls of the
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127 entry way. The counter was vacant at the time they arrived, and Chibi Usa
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128 began an incessant attack on the bell, before having her hand removed by
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129 Usagi, who sternly shook her head. Removing her pink earmuffs, and staring
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130 out a nearby window, Chibi's heart sank. It was still snowing badly, and
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131 only grew more intense with every passing second.
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132 Turning back to the counter, Chibi was about to hit the bell again, when a
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133 woman emerged from the back area. Her white nurse's uniform was wrinkled,
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134 and fit her a bit too tightly, and the blue knit sweater she wore was
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135 stretched to its limit. "Yeah?" the red haired nurse asked. Usagi noted
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136 immediately that the woman smelled sickeningly of cigarette smoke.
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137 "Hi, we're looking for the girl who was found…" Usagi swallowed hard at
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138 this. She was used to visiting Hotaru in hospitals, but never for something
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139 like this. "She was found by the highwa--" The nurse cut her off with a
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140 sigh, rolling her eyes.
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141 "Room 415…fourth floor." The nurse then turned around and started back to
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142 the back, but paused. Reaching to the counter and taking the bell off the
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143 top, and placing it in her pocket, the woman gave Chibi Usa a steely glare.
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144 "My, isn't she the friendly one?" Chibi asked, taking Usagi's hand and
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145 pulling her towards the two massive steel doors of the elevator. Pushing the
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146 button a few times, Chibi waited impatiently for the lift to arrive. Her
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147 mind was cluttered with thoughts, assuming the worst…'I can't live without
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148 my best friend,' Chibi thought, trembling and blinking back the tears that
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149 made their way to eyes. 'If anything happens to Hotaru, I don't know what
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150 I'll do…I...I want to see her…I want to see her now!' With a red-eyed glare
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151 at the button, Chibi demanded, "What is TAKING this thing so long?!"
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152 "I don't know…I guess they're busy or something?" Usagi too, was wondering
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153 exactly what was keeping the lift from taking them to the fourth floor. She
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154 looked to her left and viewed the staircase, but dismissed it; there was a
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155 fire alarm on the door. Sighing, she pushed the button again…the elevator
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156 sounded in the silence of the lobby and opened it's metal jaws.
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157
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158 Entering the room was one of the hardest things Chibi had ever had to do in
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159 her life. She and Usagi crept into the eerily quiet room, only to see their
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160 friend laying there, hooked up to machines that kept her alive. Chibi gasped
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161 and ran to her best friend, shakily reaching out and taking Hotaru's hand as
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162 carefully as she could, afraid she was going to hurt the girl by her touch.
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163 "Oh Hotaru…" Chibi whispered, as she felt Usagi's hand on her shoulder
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164 giving it a gentle squeeze. The purple haired girl made no response to the
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165 touch. Her eyes were closed, a tube in her mouth to keep her breathing, with
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166 an IV in the back of her hand. Chibi Usa slowly reached out to move some of
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167 the matted purple hair from over Hotaru's eyes, in a vain, almost sadistic
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168 hope that the she would see violet orbs flicker to life.
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169 "It'll be ok," Usagi said reassuringly, not only for Chibi's benefit, but
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170 her own as well. It pained her to see Hotaru in this condition, as so often
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171 seemed the case. Another gentle squeeze of Chibi's shoulder, before the door
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172 opened and the doctor stepped into the room. He was dressed in green
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173 S.C.R.U.B.s, and had a stethoscope hanging around the collar of his white
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174 coat.
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175 "You must be the ones the officer called," the doctor said, picking up the
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176 chart from the door and giving it a glance over as he rubbed his slightly
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177 stubbled chin. "I guess we start off with the basic's, what's her name? We
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178 have Jane Do-" Chibi cut him off, looking up at the man who was at least
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179 twice her size.
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180 "Is she going to be ok?" her red eyes brimming with tears as she asks him
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181 the question, swallowing hard and waiting for the worst news. A faint hope
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182 whispered reassurance, but was swiftly drowned by the cackling of reality…
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183 Usagi was soon behind her, but cast a glance over her shoulder to Hotaru,
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184 who was lying as still as death.
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185 "We don't know, we don't have her medical history, insurance information,
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186 or any--" This time Usagi cut him off, stating the facts quickly.
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187 "Her name is Hotaru Tomoe… H-o-t-a-r-u T-o-m-o-e." Usagi paused as the
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188 doctor scribbled down the name then continued, "Look under Haruka Tenou for
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189 the insurance information, H-a-r-u-k-a T-e-n-o-u." She was now glad that
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190 Michi had insisted that they had health insurance for their trip; even if it
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191 was an expensive, and only temporary policy, it sure did come in handy right
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192 now.
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193 "Alright. I'll have my nurse check it out…" he turned to head away, but
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194 Chibi grabbed his shirt to keep him from going anywhere, and pushed the
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195 nurse's call buzzer a few times… not releasing her grip, she looked up at
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196 him, shaking her head.
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197 "Something else I can do for you?" the doctor asked, looking down at the
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198 short pink-haired girl.
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199 "What's wrong with Hotaru?" A single tear ran down Chibi Usa's face as she
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200 all the horrid possibilities floated through her head.
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201 "First off she's got hypothermia, secondly she was barely breathing when
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202 they brought her in. She's lucky she had her inhaler in her hand or she
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203 probably would have died." The doctor's cold tone caused Chibi to sob a
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204 single time. This was her FRIEND he was talking about, not just a patient!!
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205 The doctor sighed and looked toward the door, grateful that one of the
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206 nurses came to see why the buzzer was being rung. Stepping over to her, he
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207 handed her the paper with the names on it and whispered something, then
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208 looked back the two standing by the bed, and nodded curtly to the nurse.
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209 "Visiting hours are over. They have been for about 4 hours or so, but
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210 seeing as how this is an emergency, you can stay. Plus, all the roads are
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211 snowed in… unless you're walking, you're not going to be able to get home.
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212 I've arranged for another bed to be brought in. I'm afraid we can only spare
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213 up to two beds per room, and your friend has one…" He stopped turned to the
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214 door, "I'll be back as soon as I get the information. She'll be fine until
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215 then." And with that, he headed out to gather the records of the girl.
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216 "She'll be fine, Chibi…I promise," Usagi said, glancing at her watch. It
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217 was almost 1 in the morning now. "I'm going to get some hot chocolate for
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218 us, down at the cafeteria. You can stay here if you want." Usagi said,
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219 moving to the door as Chibi Usa headed directly for Hotaru's bed and took
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220 her hand again, letting that be Usagi's answer. "I'll be right back, ok?"
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221 Usagi watched the two for a moment, feeling a sharp stab of pain as she
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222 realized this really could be it. Shaking it off, she turned on her heal and
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223 walked out of the room.
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224 Staring at her friend, Chibi Usa reached out again, running the back of her
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225 fingers gently down Hotaru's cheek, ignoring the tears that fell from her
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226 eyes. "The soldier of death…" Chibi whispered softly, feeling her heart
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227 breaking as she saw Hotaru in such a horrid condition. "The one who can
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228 destroy the world…" the pink haired girl murmured as she leaned down and
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229 placed a kiss on Hotaru's cheek, saying to herself. "It's hard to believe
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230 that someone so beautiful could be so deadly…"
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231
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