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     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,595 @@
     1.4 +Learning To Fly: Chapter 2
     1.5 +
     1.6 +by:
     1.7 +The Amazoness Duo 
     1.8 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
     1.9 +
    1.10 +G.P. 
    1.11 +pearsong1954@yahoo.com
    1.12 +
    1.13 +=====
    1.14 +
    1.15 +Shifting uneasily in his chair, the hospital administrator glanced
    1.16 +at the two young women while shuffling distractedly through the
    1.17 +paperwork on his massive desk. He had seen the one girl many times
    1.18 +before, assisting her mother in charity work. As Acting Director of
    1.19 +the Tokyo Medical Center Children's Hospital, he was fully aware that
    1.20 +the presents for pediatric patients were but a tiny fraction of the
    1.21 +Daidouji Foundation's generous contributions. Very generous
    1.22 +contributions. He knew the younger Daidouji as quiet, sensible and
    1.23 +hard working. But her companion was something new altogether. He
    1.24 +peeked sideways at her, as if to confirm just what he was seeing. She
    1.25 +was young, rather pretty, and looked deeply embarrassed. Embarrassed,
    1.26 +no doubt, by the outlandish costume in which she was dressed. 
    1.27 +
    1.28 +Her blouse was tightly wrapped and bare at the shoulders, leaving
    1.29 +little to the imagination. Made of a curious fabric, she shimmered
    1.30 +all the colors of the rainbow with every hesitant movement. Her
    1.31 +skirt, made of glossy white taffeta, was distressingly short,
    1.32 +revealing a pair of athletic legs clad in silvery pantyhose and
    1.33 +lavender garters. Her hair was bedecked with ribbons and bows, and on
    1.34 +her back were…wings. She had to lean forward to keep from crushing
    1.35 +her delicate, diaphanous butterfly wings against the chair. Most
    1.36 +peculiar of all they seemed to flutter now and then all on their own.
    1.37 +It was of little comfort that the girl seemed as embarrassed as he
    1.38 +was, though their mutual emotion seemed to make little impression on
    1.39 +the cheerful Daidouji woman. In a reluctant voice he spoke,
    1.40 +
    1.41 +"Ehhh, well, it is a bit unusual, you see. The children, are, well,
    1.42 +easily upset by changes in their routine."
    1.43 +
    1.44 +Oblivious to his concerns, the dark-haired woman sang out, "But
    1.45 +we're merely delivering the presents, so there really is no change to
    1.46 +the routine. And I'm sure they would be delighted by Sakura's
    1.47 +costume, don't you think?"
    1.48 +
    1.49 +This allowed him the chance to look directly at the young brunette,
    1.50 +though he quickly looked away with a blush. Haltingly, he spoke
    1.51 +again, "Perhaps, umm, if I had some of the nurses deliver the
    1.52 +presents…"
    1.53 +
    1.54 +Tomoyo replied with a sweet smile, "I wouldn't want to trouble your
    1.55 +staff with such a little thing. I'm sure they are very busy with
    1.56 +their regular duties. Perhaps, if there is a problem, you and my
    1.57 +mother would be the best ones to work it out?"
    1.58 +
    1.59 +This hit home. The last thing he wanted was to explain to the Board
    1.60 +of Directors why the primary donor of the Hospital was upset. Almost
    1.61 +too hastily he answered, "Oh, no, no, no, I'm sure there is no need
    1.62 +for that, heh-heh. Umm, yes, well, why don't you and, umm,  Kinomoto
    1.63 +san go ahead with your good work, then?"
    1.64 +
    1.65 +"Splendid!" The Daidouji woman rose and bowed, pulling up the still
    1.66 +dazed Sakura by her bare arm. "I believe we are scheduled for the
    1.67 +second floor today."
    1.68 +
    1.69 +"Yes, well, the best of luck to you both." The Acting Director
    1.70 +slumped back in his chair, watching the peculiar pair exit the door.
    1.71 +Holding his head in his hands he slumped back, longing for the life
    1.72 +of a simple ward doctor working 48 hours straight.
    1.73 +
    1.74 +Sakura and Tomoyo strained to pull the wagon full of gaily decorated
    1.75 +packages. Passing nurses and orderlies doing their utmost not to
    1.76 +stare, Sakura mumbled, "Tomoyo chan, he's right, you know. Why am I
    1.77 +dressed up in this….costume?
    1.78 +
    1.79 +Tomoyo, amazed as ever at Sakura's strength, replied cheerily,
    1.80 +"Because Sakura looks very cute in it, and if it makes the children
    1.81 +half as happy as it makes Tomoyo, they will be ecstatic."
    1.82 +
    1.83 + After trundling down the long 1st floor hallway, the girls stopped
    1.84 +in front of a massive freight elevator. Tomoyo pressed the "2" button
    1.85 +and waited. With a mechanical ka-chunk the doors opened, and the cart
    1.86 +was wheeled in. As the doors shut, Sakura marveled,
    1.87 +
    1.88 +"It's sooooo big! Do they use it as a freight elevator?"
    1.89 +
    1.90 +Tomoyo nodded and answered quietly, "Yes, and it has to be big for
    1.91 +the gurneys, for carrying children to and from the operating rooms.
    1.92 +That happens on the third floor."
    1.93 +
    1.94 +Sakura was silent as the elevator stopped with a little jolt, and
    1.95 +the doors opened. Operations, she thought with a shudder. It must so
    1.96 +scary for the poor children. She realized Tomoyo was struggling to
    1.97 +get the cart over a little bump between the doors, so she helped
    1.98 +muscle the cart onto the second floor. The hospital was impeccably
    1.99 +clean, characterized by a distinct antiseptic odor. But this smell
   1.100 +was somehow sharper and less cheery than the scent of a freshly
   1.101 +cleaned house. Sakura felt an odd sense of unease, but she shook it
   1.102 +off as the cart rolled forward. Finally, Tomoyo gasped out
   1.103 +breathlessly, "This is it, 21, the first Ward. Oh, my, I'm so glad
   1.104 +you came, Sakura-chan. This is much harder to do without Oka-sama."
   1.105 +Tomoyo opened the door and the two pushed the heavily laden cart into
   1.106 +the large room. 
   1.107 +
   1.108 +Sakura looked up from her labors and saw a long room, with beds on
   1.109 +either side. Suddenly, the boys and girls rose up amid squeals and
   1.110 +chatter, nearly overwhelming the nurse in their eagerness.
   1.111 +
   1.112 +Contrary to Sakura's expectations, Tomoyo proved to be exactly
   1.113 +right. The children were more excited by Sakura and her fairy costume
   1.114 +even than the cartload of presents. They huddled around her, gaping
   1.115 +in awe at the remarkable sight, a few brave ones reaching out
   1.116 +tentative hands to touch her. At first overwhelmed, she quickly
   1.117 +adapted to being the center of attention, and was soon chatting
   1.118 +merrily with her appreciative audience. They showed her scars and
   1.119 +hurts, some healed, some not. They peppered her with questions,
   1.120 +unable to suppress their astonishment at such a fantastic sight.
   1.121 +Tomoyo and the nurse struggled to bring order out of the happy chaos,
   1.122 +finally managing at least a modicum of order. Tomoyo organized some
   1.123 +quiet games, and a sing along, including one song about fairies that
   1.124 +the children found especially delightful. Sakura again found herself
   1.125 +the center of attention, blushing as the children laughed and sang.
   1.126 +Finally, when it was time to go, the children rushed forward and
   1.127 +hugged her, reluctant to loose the magic she had brought. With waves
   1.128 +and smiles and shouts of goodbye, the two girls, with the grateful
   1.129 +nurse's help, pushed the slightly less heavy cart out into the
   1.130 +hallway.
   1.131 +
   1.132 +And so it went for 5 other wards on the 2nd floor. By the time they
   1.133 +entered Ward 26, both girls were exhausted, but the excited children
   1.134 +somehow gave them the giddy energy to continue. As Tomoyo passed out
   1.135 +the last of the presents, Sakura wended her way to the bed-ridden
   1.136 +children near the large window at the end of the ward. Finally she
   1.137 +came to one boy, about 12 years old,  who stared at her curiously
   1.138 +with dark, watchful eyes. She smiled and asked his name, but he
   1.139 +frowned at her hatefully and turned away. Startled, she opened her
   1.140 +mouth to say something, but found herself at a total loss for words.
   1.141 +A little girl with a cast on both legs managed an apologetic smile
   1.142 +and said quietly,
   1.143 +
   1.144 +"Don't mind him.. He's always grumpy about things," 
   1.145 +
   1.146 +"I'm not grumpy. I just hate her," he spat out.
   1.147 +
   1.148 +Sakura was taken aback, and whispered, "I'm sorry."
   1.149 +
   1.150 +Suddenly the boy spun around and glared at her angrily. In a venom-
   1.151 +laced voice laced he shouted,
   1.152 +
   1.153 +"You should be sorry! Running around in that pathetic outfit,
   1.154 +pretending to be something that doesn't even exist."
   1.155 +
   1.156 +The little girl in the cast recoiled and answered in a trembling
   1.157 +voice, "That's not true. Fairies do so exist."
   1.158 +
   1.159 +The boy turned on her with an ugly scowl and shot back, "Don't be
   1.160 +stupid. Fairies don't exist, and even if they did, she's just a
   1.161 +stupid girl in a stupid costume." Suddenly, he reached out and
   1.162 +tightly grabbed a diaphanous wing. With a smirk he brutally ripped
   1.163 +off the shimmering wing, tearing the costume and leaving a flap of
   1.164 +satin loose on Sakura's back. Triumphantly the boy held up his trophy
   1.165 +and called out in a mocking voice, 
   1.166 +
   1.167 +"See? See? It's just a fake outfit. She's just a fake!" Then,
   1.168 +turning Sakura he hissed, "Go back to your stupid cosplay, you
   1.169 +stupid, lame, fake."
   1.170 +
   1.171 +With that, he hurled the severed wing at Sakura and lay down,
   1.172 +turning his back to the room. She stood stunned and paralyzed, her
   1.173 +mouth open in disbelief. She heard sobs and one child nearly
   1.174 +shrieking. Suddenly she felt a gentle touch on her arm, and saw
   1.175 +Tomoyo bending down to retrieve the fallen wing. Calmly, the dark
   1.176 +haired young woman escorted her out into the hall, leaving the nurse
   1.177 +to try and restore order. As the door closed, Sakura's composure
   1.178 +finally shattered, and in a furry of tears she slumped to the floor.
   1.179 +
   1.180 +Tomoyo's suffered her own agony as she cradled her sobbing friend.
   1.181 +Sakura's pain was always her own, amplified by the intense love the
   1.182 +Daidouji woman bore her. Worse was knowing that she was responsible
   1.183 +for bringing her dear friend into all this. Unaware of her tears that
   1.184 +fell silently on Sakura's soft brown hair, Tomoyo struggled to keep
   1.185 +from completely breaking down. Time enough for tears later, she
   1.186 +scolded herself. Feeling the head burrowing into her breast, Tomoyo
   1.187 +cooed reassurance, desperately trying to mask her own shattered
   1.188 +heart. For a long time they hugged each other, oblivious to the
   1.189 +figure that stood beside them. Finally, Sakura glimpsed the neatly
   1.190 +starched white skirt, and struggled to her feet. Wiping away the
   1.191 +tears, she rose unsteadily, helped by the Tomoyo. The woman offered a
   1.192 +handkerchief that she thankfully accepted. Sakura stammered  an
   1.193 +apology, but the nurse cut her short,
   1.194 +
   1.195 +"Please, it's my fault for not warning you about him. He's, well,
   1.196 +he's a bit of a problem child here, and there's no way to predict
   1.197 +just how he will react."
   1.198 +
   1.199 +Sakura looked at her, verging on tears again. Confused and hurt,
   1.200 +Sakura felt a stirring of anger at the injustice of it all, "But
   1.201 +why/? Why did he do that? Why is he so mean? What a horrible boy." 
   1.202 +
   1.203 +The nurse let out a heavy sigh, and stared at the wall, looking for
   1.204 +the answer there.
   1.205 +
   1.206 +"He didn't use to be like that. He was actually one of our
   1.207 +favorites: bright, curious, and always so helpful."
   1.208 +
   1.209 +Sakura looked at her, genuinely baffled. The nurse answered the
   1.210 +girl's pained question before she asked it,
   1.211 +
   1.212 +"Well, I suppose no one really knows why. But last winter, he got a
   1.213 +hold of his medical file. We never let the children see their files,
   1.214 +of course, especially children like him. But he was always the
   1.215 +curious one, and clever enough to find a way."
   1.216 +
   1.217 +Sakura and Tomoyo gazed at the woman, her features clouded in silent
   1.218 +pain, an echo of some past storm of agonized regret. She smiled
   1.219 +bitterly and continued, "I'm the one who left the charts out where he
   1.220 +could get them. So all this really is my fault."
   1.221 +
   1.222 +Sakura's voice shook as she asked, 'But why…" Her voice trailed off,
   1.223 +as if she dared not ask. The nurse answered in a detached, clinical
   1.224 +manner,
   1.225 +
   1.226 +"Because he's terminal. And now he knows." 
   1.227 +
   1.228 +Tomoyo looked at the brightly polished floor, eyes fixed on the
   1.229 +black and white checkerboard tiles. Terminal. The nurse said the word
   1.230 +as her Mother once said it, when describing what it was like when
   1.231 +Nadeshiko was in the hospital. Terminal. The cold, metal finality of
   1.232 +the word cut the heart like a dagger of ice.
   1.233 +
   1.234 +Sakura stared, the slow comprehension mirrored in her tear-streaked
   1.235 +face. Again the nurse spoke in her best professional monotone,
   1.236 +
   1.237 +"He has maybe 6 months, at most a year."
   1.238 +
   1.239 +A dipping sun painting the hallway shades of pink and orange. Three
   1.240 +figures standing silent. Nothing more to say.
   1.241 +
   1.242 +II.    
   1.243 +
   1.244 +Sonomi served the tea herself. Eager to hear how the first day went
   1.245 +for the new member of Daidouji Foundation, she had urged Tomoyo to
   1.246 +bring Sakura over for dinner. When she heard her daughter's
   1.247 +reluctance over the phone, she insisted. No one knows a daughter like
   1.248 +her mother, and no one knew the enigmatic Tomoyo better than Sonomi.
   1.249 +Something was wrong, and she would find out what.
   1.250 +
   1.251 +Dinner had been delicious, but strained. Both girls tried to put on
   1.252 +a stolid front, but it was apparent the day had not gone well.
   1.253 +Normally a gratifyingly hearty eater, Sakura picked at her food with
   1.254 +distracted disinterest. Tomoyo bravely kept up a stream of
   1.255 +conversation on every imaginable topic but the day at the hospital.
   1.256 +Sonomi let her ramble, sometimes nudging the conversation in
   1.257 +directions her daughter did not want it to go, watching for her
   1.258 +reaction, probing, testing, reconnoitering. The older woman was
   1.259 +anxious to know, but patient as a cat by a rat hole. She bided her
   1.260 +time and waited for dessert.
   1.261 +
   1.262 +Chirping crickets made more noise than the sad little party of three
   1.263 +sipping their tea in the massive Daidouji Estates garden. Finally,
   1.264 +Tomoyo broke the silence and announced that they should be leaving.
   1.265 +Her voice sounded relieved that the night was over, and whatever
   1.266 +secrets lay hidden would stay that way. But Sonomi, with an inward
   1.267 +smile, pounced. In a purring voice she asked,
   1.268 +
   1.269 +"Yes, I'm sure you two are exhausted after your big day at the
   1.270 +Hospital."
   1.271 +
   1.272 +At this, Sakura stiffened, and Tomoyo glanced to the side, all hope
   1.273 +of avoiding discovery dashed. Sonomi regarded the two with cat's
   1.274 +eyes, inwardly smiling at their discomfort, knowing she had hit close
   1.275 +to the mark. With her daughter, as well as the daughter of her
   1.276 +beloved cousin, she was a typical mother, all love and affection. But
   1.277 +when their welfare was at stake, she turned into a deadly predator.
   1.278 +Sometimes love had to hurt before it could help. Sonomi let the
   1.279 +uncomfortable silence do it's work until her daughter struggled to
   1.280 +break it,
   1.281 +
   1.282 +"Well, it was, eh, very interesting for Sakura." As soon as she
   1.283 +spoke, Tomoyo regretted her words. Her mother's eyes turned to Sakura
   1.284 +as she blandly asked,
   1.285 +
   1.286 +"Oh, and what was so interesting today, Sakura-chan?"
   1.287 +
   1.288 +The girl stared at her for a moment, then her lip trembled and she
   1.289 +began to cry. Not the wild sobbing of late afternoon, but a slow,
   1.290 +soft, sad sort of sorrow, the sorrow of regret and loss. The sorrow
   1.291 +that comes with the night. Tomoyo enfolded her friend in her arms,
   1.292 +looking at her mother, silently begging her to stop. Sonomi's voice
   1.293 +was kind but insistent,
   1.294 +
   1.295 +"Tomoyo-chan, what happened?" 
   1.296 +
   1.297 +Before she could speak, Sakura broke in, "It's all my fault. I'm
   1.298 +sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Slipping from her chair she fell to her
   1.299 +knees, bowing her head to the ground like a suppliant. Sonomi stood
   1.300 +up, walked over, bent down, and gently lifted the girl to her feet.
   1.301 +Holding her close, gently stroking her hair and back, the woman spoke
   1.302 +in a motherly voice that Sakura only dimly remembered,
   1.303 +
   1.304 +"It's all right now. It's all right."  
   1.305 +
   1.306 +It took time, and some gently probing questions, for Sonomi to find
   1.307 +it all out. She gave the girls time to calm down and talk among
   1.308 +themselves when she went out to make more tea. Upon returning, she
   1.309 +poured the steaming liquid into cute little yellow cups. Finally,
   1.310 +Sakura whispered resignedly, 
   1.311 +
   1.312 +"It really is my fault. I made such a scene. I'm deeply sorry. I
   1.313 +will of course resign from my duties at the Daidouji Foundation."
   1.314 +Tomoyo looked stricken, but Sonomi replied calmly after a pause,
   1.315 +
   1.316 +"Of course, you are free to resign anytime, as you are under no
   1.317 +contractual obligation. But the Foundation," and here Sonomi spoke in
   1.318 +her most dignified, Voice-Of-The-Foundation tone, "Sees nothing wrong
   1.319 +in your actions."
   1.320 +
   1.321 +Sakura looked at her with surprise, "But I…"
   1.322 +
   1.323 +"But you did everything right". Sonomi smiled, placing her arm on
   1.324 +the beautiful girl's shoulder. Her voice was almost mirthful, "You
   1.325 +didn't break down in front of the children, and further upset them.
   1.326 +You got out of the room and then started to cry. There's nothing
   1.327 +wrong with crying, dear."
   1.328 +
   1.329 +Sakura stared into the woman's crystal blue eyes, and felt all the
   1.330 +hurts of the day wash away. For the first time in many hours, Sakura
   1.331 +managed a genuine smile.
   1.332 +
   1.333 +And so they talked, the three of them, sipping tea late into the
   1.334 +night. A crescent moon swung into view, dancing amid the far away
   1.335 +stars. The crickets stopped, and a cool breeze caused Sakura and
   1.336 +Tomoyo to huddle together. Shortly after midnight Sonomi suddenly
   1.337 +spoke up from the shadows in a voice fraught with emotion,
   1.338 +
   1.339 +"Just now, the moon reminded me of her. It was that sort moon on
   1.340 +that night. No, it was that moon exactly." She sounded distant, her
   1.341 +voice strange and far off. And so it was, for she was lost in memory.
   1.342 +Still and faceless in the darkness, she spoke like a ghost from the
   1.343 +long past,
   1.344 +
   1.345 +"It affects everyone differently, those it takes and those it leaves
   1.346 +behind. Some are afraid, so very afraid. Some are sad, overfull with
   1.347 +regrets. Some are so in pain that's all they know. Some are angry,
   1.348 +cursing the hospitals, and the doctors and nurses who can't do
   1.349 +anything, and all the living that walk about as if nothing had
   1.350 +happened. As if no one had gone forever, as if no bright light had
   1.351 +been extinguished in the filthy darkness. As if everything was just
   1.352 +the same, even though it will never be the same again. I was angry
   1.353 +like that. I guess I still am. But she wasn't."
   1.354 +
   1.355 +Sonomi paused, and Sakura could hear her own heart beating. Tomoyo
   1.356 +listened, her heart breaking for her beloved mother. But Sonomi only
   1.357 +laughed,
   1.358 +
   1.359 +"She wasn't angry. Not once, not ever in her whole life. At least
   1.360 +not that I remember. She wasn't afraid at all. They always said she
   1.361 +was too stupid to be afraid, climbing up trees and skiing down
   1.362 +professional-only slopes. But it wasn't that she was stupid. It was
   1.363 +just that she didn't care. About the danger, I mean. Nothing ever
   1.364 +frightened her. She loved the whole world." Here the woman paused,
   1.365 +and when she started again her voice was filled with wonder, "She
   1.366 +even loved leaving it." 
   1.367 +
   1.368 +"She told me, near the end, not to be afraid, or sad, or angry. She
   1.369 +said she'd had a wonderful little visit. That was exactly what she
   1.370 +called it, that short, sweet life of hers: the little visit. She said
   1.371 +she had had a fascinating career, two wonderful children, and a
   1.372 +cousin who adored her." Sonomi paused her, straining to keep the
   1.373 +loathing out of her voice, 
   1.374 +
   1.375 +"Oh, yes, and a wonderful husband, too. Anyway, she said with all
   1.376 +these things, her life felt very complete. And she was curious about
   1.377 +what came next. She really was. But I was still angry. So very, very
   1.378 +angry. And anger is a terrible master. It makes you say and do things
   1.379 +you don't really mean, things that hurt and break. You hurt so bad
   1.380 +yourself that's all you want to do: hurt and break."
   1.381 +
   1.382 +Sonomi leaned closer to Sakura, gently taking her hand. In the dim
   1.383 +light the woman's face seemed to Sakura almost ghostly, but she was
   1.384 +too entranced to be afraid. The woman smiled and broke the spell,
   1.385 +then she spoke in a plain, matter of fact voice,
   1.386 +
   1.387 +"Try not to blame the boy. He's probably afraid, and full of regret,
   1.388 +and very angry. But he doesn't mean the hurt he causes. It's just
   1.389 +that, when you have no hope…"
   1.390 +
   1.391 +Sonomi smiled a sad, knowing smile. Sakura nodded, and suddenly felt
   1.392 +very, very tired.
   1.393 +
   1.394 +III. 
   1.395 +
   1.396 +The next night, Sakura and Tomoyo stayed up late studying together.
   1.397 +Even going to different schools, their classes were similar, so
   1.398 +mutual study was a helpful exercise, especially for the frequently
   1.399 +perplexed Sakura. Taking a break, Tomoyo brought out the torn fairy
   1.400 +costume and began to sew. Sakura sat on the floor at the seamstress'
   1.401 +feet, knees brought up together under her chin. The dark-haired girl
   1.402 +knew her friend was deep in thought, so she worked quietly. Sakura
   1.403 +looked up and saw the pale girl, her nimble fingers deftly stitching
   1.404 +the torn material. Entranced, she watched the silver needle slip
   1.405 +through the satiny fabric, every stitch perfect and precise. Tomoyo
   1.406 +had always been a marvelous seamstress, garnering praise and
   1.407 +attention all through school. She would kid that with all the
   1.408 +practice sewing costumes for the Card Mistress, anyone would be good.
   1.409 +Sakura was unable to look away from the slender fingers, the smooth
   1.410 +flow of flawless craft. Tomoyo used a little desk lamp to light her
   1.411 +work. The room was dim, save for the glow that bathed the costume on
   1.412 +her lap. Sakura's green eyes wandered, beholding Tomoyo's placid
   1.413 +face, illuminated by the little glow. She felt her heart flutter at
   1.414 +the sight. 
   1.415 +
   1.416 +Tomoyo had always been pretty, the prettiest girl she knew. But
   1.417 +tonight, she was exquisite. Her violet eyes were fixed on her task,
   1.418 +long lashes fluttering now and then. A cute little nose, pale, fair
   1.419 +skin, and little ears shrouded in that mysterious hair, sometimes
   1.420 +black, sometimes gray, sometimes almost violet. An ever present smile
   1.421 +hovered on  delicate cherry lips, making her seem as enigmatic as the
   1.422 +Mona Lisa. Suddenly, Sakura was sweetly shaken by this ethereal
   1.423 +vision of the girl she knew so well. A strange tugging at her heart,
   1.424 +and a dizziness, like being on a great height looking down. Sakura
   1.425 +felt an aching surge, a longing, an incomprehensible desire. She
   1.426 +trembled like a fawn in the chill early dawn.  She felt her body
   1.427 +floating like a little cloud, far above the world below. Slowly, as
   1.428 +if she were underwater, Tomoyo lifted her eyes and gazed at the
   1.429 +countenance below. Sakura felt her face on fire, a furious blush
   1.430 +covering her entire body. But she could not look away from those
   1.431 +eyes, those deep, violet eyes. Tomoyo's smile widened ever so
   1.432 +slightly. She tilted her head, looking at her friend with a
   1.433 +quizzical, elfin curiosity. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but no
   1.434 +words came. Suddenly, she tore her gaze away, staring at the floor,
   1.435 +breathing raggedly. As if from some far off place, she heard Tomoyo's
   1.436 +voice.
   1.437 +
   1.438 +"Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan, are you OK?"
   1.439 +
   1.440 +I was going to say I love you. 
   1.441 +
   1.442 +Had she actually said it out loud? Sakura's mind raced and wheeled
   1.443 +in shock and confusion. No. No, but I was going to say it. I was
   1.444 +going to say I love you.  It sounded like the strangest three words
   1.445 +ever uttered by human tongue: I love you. What had happened to her?
   1.446 +As if an explosion had gone off near her head, she was disoriented,
   1.447 +torn from her normal, cozy world. Tomoyo's voice again, shot through
   1.448 +with worry and concern.
   1.449 +
   1.450 +"Sakura-chan, are you all right?"
   1.451 +
   1.452 +With a violent shake of her head, Sakura fought to regain her
   1.453 +composure. She somehow managed a disjointed, "Ummm hmmm," nodding her
   1.454 +head furiously. What had happened? She was afraid to look up, afraid
   1.455 +she might again go spinning wildly out of control if she saw Tomoyo.
   1.456 +Calm came gradually, haltingly, and brought a numb, fragile peace to
   1.457 +her thudding heart. Tomoyo, masking her concern, sat back and
   1.458 +continued her sewing. Time passed like a lazy river between them,
   1.459 +until Tomoyo at last broke the silence,
   1.460 +
   1.461 +"Sakura-chan, what were you thinking of back then?"
   1.462 +
   1.463 +"Umm, that boy. That boy in the hospital," Sakura lied. Well, not
   1.464 +precisely a lie. The boy had been on her mind ever since. 
   1.465 +
   1.466 +"Ah, so," Tomoyo graciously replied. Her silence begged Sakura to
   1.467 +continue.
   1.468 +
   1.469 +"I was so surprised, and then so hurt, and then so angry at him. I
   1.470 +feel awful about that."
   1.471 +Sakura remembered her righteous rage at the child, and the sickness
   1.472 +that followed the nurse's revelation.
   1.473 +
   1.474 +"But Sakura-chan didn't know about the boy's condition. If she had,
   1.475 +she would never have felt anger," Tomoyo looked intently at the
   1.476 +fabric in her lap as she spoke; it was a delicate point in the
   1.477 +mending.
   1.478 +
   1.479 +Sakura thought about this for a moment, and then replied, "Still, I
   1.480 +shouldn't have gotten so angry." Then, mumbling to herself, "I wish
   1.481 +there was something I could do."
   1.482 +
   1.483 +"There." A note of pride and triumph in Tomoyo's voice as she held
   1.484 +the outfit aloft for Sakura's inspection, "As good as new."
   1.485 +
   1.486 +Sakura looked at the shimmering fairy costume. Tomoyo's work was
   1.487 +impeccable: the tear neatly sewn and barely perceptible, the severed
   1.488 +wing restored. Restored. Healed, fixed. Made whole again. 
   1.489 +
   1.490 +Made well.
   1.491 +
   1.492 +Sakura's smile froze, and then broadened into a crazy grin. Leaping
   1.493 +to her feet she took the outfit in both hands, holding it aloft.
   1.494 +Then, she turned to her friend with a beaming smile,
   1.495 +
   1.496 +"No, Tomoyo-chan. It's better. Better than new!"
   1.497 +
   1.498 +The boy woke slowly from his dream. A sound? A knocking somewhere?
   1.499 +Bleary-eyed, he stared at the ceiling. Then he heard it again, an
   1.500 +unmistakable rapping. Startled, he sat up in bed and turned to the
   1.501 +side, towards the window. There, hovering with great, beating wings,
   1.502 +was the woman from before, the one in the costume. With her was the
   1.503 +lady who always delivered the presents, and both were astride a long,
   1.504 +slender staff with a marvelous star at the top. His mouth opened in
   1.505 +surprise, for they were floating, no, flying in the air. He let out a
   1.506 +startled cry, rousing the other children. Instinctively he crawled
   1.507 +away to a corner of his bed as the other children moved to the window
   1.508 +with oooo's and ahhhhhh's. The costumed woman was smiling, pointing
   1.509 +to the handles on the inside of the window. A girl tried to open it,
   1.510 +but it was stuck fast. Pleadingly she looked at him, and with a frown
   1.511 +he moved to the window and undid the lock. The children were starting
   1.512 +to get loud, but the costumed woman placed her finger to her lips and
   1.513 +that quieted them somewhat. 
   1.514 +   
   1.515 +She floated into the room, great wings beating, a flurry of wind and
   1.516 +feathers announcing her arrival. The dark-haired one slipped off the
   1.517 +staff, video camera in hand, filming the proceedings. The feet of the
   1.518 +other woman, clad in little beribboned slippers, finally touched the
   1.519 +floor. The children encircled her in awe, but she came before the boy
   1.520 +and stood straight and still. Then, bowing low before him, she spoke
   1.521 +in a musical voice,
   1.522 +
   1.523 +'Gomenesai. I'm very sorry if I disturbed you the other day. Please
   1.524 +accept my apologies."
   1.525 +
   1.526 +He stood there, unable to reply. The fairy figure straightened up,
   1.527 +tilting her head and smiling. Then she said,
   1.528 +
   1.529 +"You may be right. There may be no real fairies in this world. But
   1.530 +there is magic, and it is real."
   1.531 +
   1.532 +With that she swung her staff, and a riot of colors lit up the room.
   1.533 +Her voice rang out as she flipped a card into the air, " ***Sakura's
   1.534 +chant here****
   1.535 +
   1.536 +Suddenly, a beautiful flower-clad woman appeared. She looked around
   1.537 +the room, and with a wave of her arms showered the surprised children
   1.538 +in a blizzard of sweetly scented petals.  Then she began to dance,
   1.539 +with the giggling children, with Sakura, and finally, with the still-
   1.540 +startled boy. In a giddy whirl they danced, she smiling, he blushing,
   1.541 +both spinning away. Finally, she stepped lightly before the dark-
   1.542 +haired girl with the camera. The woman dressed as a fairy giggled,
   1.543 +"She wants to dance with you, too, Tomoyo-chan."
   1.544 +
   1.545 +Slowly the woman lowered her camera, looking a bit uncertain. She
   1.546 +glanced at Sakura, who was busy with a gaggle of young children.
   1.547 +Then, with a smile, she walked to the boy and leaned forward, "Would
   1.548 +you please hold it for me?"
   1.549 +
   1.550 +He gazed at her sparkling eyes and felt his heart pound. Taking the
   1.551 +camera, he watched her return to the mysterious flower woman, curtsey
   1.552 +prettily, and begin to dance. Distressed to think such a beautiful
   1.553 +sight might be lost forever, he swung the camera up and began
   1.554 +filming. Through the viewfinder he watched her, graceful and fluid,
   1.555 +her body flowing in rhythm to the music. Music? What music? Where was
   1.556 +it coming from? He didn't know, but he could hear. And see.
   1.557 +
   1.558 +There were other amazing sights to see that night as the fairy woman
   1.559 +tossed her cards and waved her staff: a bouncing plush toy, a
   1.560 +mysterious, shadowy figure, and a strange flying teddy bear that kept
   1.561 +up an incessant chatter about himself. Finally, one of the girl
   1.562 +patients pulled on Sakura's sleeve, and whispered that it was nearly
   1.563 +time for the night nurse to check up on them. The fairy girl looked
   1.564 +panicky, but the one called Tomoyo calmly began tidying up, tucking
   1.565 +the children in bed, and escorting Sakura to the window. The boy
   1.566 +followed, feeling a mix of emotions. Wonder and awe clashed with
   1.567 +shame for his past behavior. Clearing his throat, he watched the
   1.568 +fairy girl,  Tomoyo, and the teddy bear stop and face him,
   1.569 +
   1.570 +"Excuse me. I….I ," It was hard to say. He could just let it go,
   1.571 +but… "I'm very sorry that I tore up your costume. I…I would like to
   1.572 +help pay for the new one you bought."
   1.573 +
   1.574 +The fairy girl looked confused, but Tomoyo smiled as she arched over
   1.575 +him, "It's the same costume. I just sewed it up."
   1.576 +
   1.577 +Astonished, he turned and glimpsed her pale face, the color of
   1.578 +radiant moonlight. He bowed and stammered, "Thank you for fixing it."
   1.579 +
   1.580 +She nodded and then slipped through the window onto the staff, aided
   1.581 +by the fairy girl. The children gathered around, straining to keep
   1.582 +their gleeful voices down. He waved, and thought he saw the beautiful
   1.583 +dark-haired girl wave back. The pair swung into the starry night, and
   1.584 +he watched them until they vanished. He stood and stared into the
   1.585 +dark sky. 
   1.586 +
   1.587 +"Tomoyo," he whispered her name to himself, "Tomoyo."
   1.588 +
   1.589 +The little girl in the adjacent bed poked him in the ribs. With a
   1.590 +mischievous grin she giggled, "See, fairies are real."
   1.591 +
   1.592 +He looked down ate her and smiled wryly, "Well, I don't know about
   1.593 +that. But I guess magic is."
   1.594 +
   1.595 +The next morning, Sakura and Tomoyo slept late and missed all their
   1.596 +early classes At that same time, the Acting Director of the Tokyo
   1.597 +Medical Center Children's Hospital began his day by trying to figure
   1.598 +out how to dispose of 12 bushels of flower petals in Ward 26.
   1.599 \ No newline at end of file