Sousuke walked over to Kaname and handed her the bag of food. She was so hungry, she didn't notice Sousuke walk over and place a brown canvas satchel in the chair.
"Kaname?"
"Mrrf, mrrf, mmm..." she started, while chewing. "Yes, what is it?"
"Will you be alright here by yourself? I have an errand to run."
"Mrrf, mmm...I'll be just fine Sousuke. As long as you don't take the food." She took a long sip of tea. When she looked up, Sousuke was gone.
Kaname finished the meal, and lay back utterly contented. That was good! Maybe there was something good about being in a hospital, after all!
Just as she finished that thought, Sousuke returned. He was pushing a rather large cart, literally overflowing with flowers. "These are for you Kaname. No one was using them."
"S o u s u k e . . . they're absolutely beautiful. And so many." She got gingerly out of bead and walked over to inspect the blossoms. "Sousuke, you *really* shouldn't have." She smiled but did not answer when he asked "Why not?"
Her elation subsiding, Kaname noticed something. Cards. Lots of small cards attached to the flowers. She read the cards out loud "To Mabel...to Suzuki...to Enre...to My dearest," she blushed before continuing "to Izo...to Randi." She looked up at Sousuke and said "Sousuke...YOU REALLY **SHOULDN'T** HAVE!!!"
"Is something wrong, Kaname? I thought you liked flowers, so I got you LOTS of flowers" he said, confused.
Kaname looked at Sousuke, and then at the flowers. She looked at Sousuke again, then started collecting the cards, dropping them in the trash when she was done. "No, Sousuke, no problem. They're beautiful."
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After Kaname made it a point to smell each and every flower, the two of them chatted for a while. Sousuke noticed Kaname looking at the clock. "Is there something wrong, Kaname. Are you waiting for something? Hopefully not another hospital meal!"
"I was just hoping I would have heard something back from the doctors by now. The doctor who stopped in earlier said the laboratory would probably have word back by now."
"Are you worried about something?" Sousuke asked. "Would it mean that much for you to know at this time?"
"It's not a big deal, Sousuke. If I find out that my appendix really was abnormal, we would all have an answer, and they wouldn't need to run anymore tests. And I could get ready to go home." She sighed every so slightly.
"I see." Sosuske started to walk towards the door.
"Sousuke, where are you going?! I hope you are not going to start more trouble...." Kaname was curious AND concerned.
Remembering something Kaname had once said to him, Sousuke replied "Kaname, is that something you really ask a man. I'm going to the rest room...."
"Oh. Sorry." Kaname said, not initially picking up on the reference.
Sousuke was not lying. He really did go to the rest room. He had no need to...he just didn't like to lie if he didn't have to. He took some moments to organize his thoughts. There were people to see. Answers to find.
When Sousuke returned, he was carrying a torniquet, a 25cc syringe, an alcohol swab, a cotton ball, a red-topped tube, a grey-topped tube, and a capped 20 guage needle. He also had a very intense look on his face.
At first, Kaname smiled, seeing he was back. Then she saw his face. And she saw what he had brought back with him. "Soususke...what do you think you are going to do with THOSE?!!!"
"Kaname, please remain calm. I am a professional. I need to draw your blood. For necessary tests. I will place the tourniquet...swab your arm with alcohol...set the needle in place..." He was interupted before he could finish.
"Sousuke, you are NOT a doctor!"
"We cannot trust the doctors here, Kaname."
"What are you talking about? What idea has crawled into that cramped and cluttered moronic military mind of yours! I would REALLY like to know, Sousuke! And you will NOT be taking any more of my blood. I already feel like a pincushion, " she finished, showing Sousuke the bandages on each arm.
"Kaname, relax. I will explain. I wanted to find the answers for you. The nurse would not tell me. She said to check with one of the attending physicians. I checked with them all, and none would tell me. They told me to check with the lab. I asked three different hospital employees how to get to the lab, and they each gave me bad directions. Do you see where this is headed, Kaname?"
"No Sousuke, and I am beginning to get a bit concerned. Maybe y o u should have some tests done..."
"Kaname, be patient. Finally, I reached the lab and asked about your specimen. They would tell me nothing until I said I was your husband, just as I had needed to tell the doctors and nurses." Kaname blushed.
Sousuke detailed his encounters:
"When they would give me results, they would only give me information about bloodwork."
"When I raised my voice, they told me that I could not find what I wanted in the Clinical Laboratory, even though I had been told by professionals that I should go to the lab!"
"I was very unhappy, and only after I raised my voice again did they answer my question and tell me to where to go."
"I got to the Anatomic Pathology department, and the secretary would not tell me the results."
"Transcriptionists refrerred me to a Pathologist's Assistant, who only said the gross specimen looked abnormal, but he would not give a definite answer. He told me the name of the Pathologist to talk to...the professional!"
"The Pathologist said he could not give me an answer because the specimen hadn't come off the tissue coverslipper yet. This, despite the fact that your doctor said the specimen would be ready."
"Everywhere I looked, I was sent on to somewhere else. Finally, when I realized that two different professionals had given conflicting anwers, I realized it was wise to consider the possibility of a conspiracy. You are Whispered, Kaname...you are of interest to different organizations."
"I understand that, and I appreciate your concern, Sousuke. I just think you are over-reacting. This is just the way hospitals work. So many rules and red tape. And things take time. Besides, the people here don't know what you've been through. You're young to them. Not an adult yet." Kaname said reasonably. "Why do you want to draw my blood anyway?"
"Toxicological studies"
"Toxicological?" Kaname asked.
"Yes. To be certain you were not given any drugs without knowing or remembering."
"I see...I will make a deal with you Sousuke," Kaname said. "If we do not have an answer by the end of the day, you can draw my blood."
"Agreed."
"And Sousuke?" Kaname asked.
"Yes?"
"If I do have an answer later today, you will take me on a date." She looked at his face in a very serious manner.
"Uh--"
"Do we have a deal?" She asked.
"Uh--"
"Sousuke, take it or leave it!" She started to sound angry.
"Agreed."
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more coming
[FIC] In Sickness and In Health, Section C {Chapter 18}
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