Cinders6
Cinders
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by June "KaraOhki" Geraci
December 23, 2000
Ranma 1/2 and its universe was created by Rumiko Takahashi, and belongs to her. This work of fiction was written for entertainment only, and is not intended for commercial purposes.
Chapter 6
�Are you going to kiss her or not?�
Ranma froze, Nabiki�s question ringing in his ears. Kissing Akane when they were alone was one thing. Kissing her in front of her sisters and his mother was another. He was about to stammer out an excuse when the look on his bride�s face stopped him.
Akane was looking at him expectantly. There was no way he could disappoint her, and the room filled with murmurs of approval as he touched his lips to hers. Then there was no one else in the world except him and Akane, that is, until Ranma was brought back to reality when the sound of enthusiastic applause finally got through to him. Both he and Akane were blushing profusely when they pulled apart.
�Well done, my son! How manly you are!� Nodoka�s words and the twinkle in hers eyes showed just how happy she was, and for a moment Ranma was sorry he couldn't see his mother's smile behind the mask. �Just be gentle with Akane, dear. She�s still not well.�
Ranma got even redder. �Mom! I know that better than anyone!�
�That�s true, little brother. Remember how I caught the two of you when I walked in on you the other day? Perhaps the two of you need advice on how to �manage� things.�
The words �little brother� were enough to get Ranma�s attention. The remainder of Nabiki's speech was enough to turn him into jelly. Thankfully for him, it didn't have that effect on Akane.
"Would you mind your own business, Sis? Ranma and I can manage just fine without your help, thank you!"
"Oh, I'm quite sure you can, little sister."
That was when embarrassment overcame Akane and she chose the nearest object, which happened to be Ranma's shoulder, to hide her face. That was enough to bring Ranma back to life.
"Hey, give us a break, would you?"
Nabiki had the grace to drop the subject, and after Ranma whispered a few encouraging words in Akane's ear she sat back and faced their wedding guests again. There was a slight tinge of redness in her cheeks, but it was difficult to discern whether that was the burn medication or a blush.
*****
The little scene had effectively killed all conversation in the room, and Kasumi soon came to the rescue. She picked up a bag that she had set in a corner of the room, and brought it to Ranma's tray table.
"We can't share this with you because of the masks, so I only made a little one. I wanted you to have a real wedding cake."
As she spoke, Kasumi took a small box out of the bag and opened it. Inside was a perfect miniature wedding cake--just enough for two. She removed the cake from the box, reached into the bag again, and produced a tiny bride and an equally tiny groom to set on top of the cake.
The bag also held two plates, two forks, and a knife, which Kasumi handed to Akane. "Go ahead and cut it."
"Wait! Let me get the camera!" Nabiki came forward and took a picture of Ranma and Akane sitting close together behind the cake, and then another shot of Akane slicing it. The next pictures were of the newlyweds feeding each other, and receiving hugs from everyone in the room.
*****
Ranma winced as his mother hugged him and glanced over at Akane, who had just received the same treatment. She looked a little bit pale, and her smile was forced. He glanced back at his wife's pump and saw that it was time for another dose of pain medication, so he pushed the button for her.
"Is it bad, Akane?"
Akane shook her head, but Ranma saw that little beads of perspiration had broken out on her brow.
"Maybe you need to lie down."
Kasumi immediately began to clear away the dirty dishes. She wiped the frosting off of the bride and groom figurines, and placed them in the drawer of Akane's bedside table.
"We'd better go and let the two of you get some rest."
Ranma and Akane started to protest but were overruled. Everyone gathered their things together and headed for the door. As Nabiki had her hand on the knob, Ranma spoke.
"Nabiki."
"Yes?"
"Thank you, sister."
Nabiki's eyes opened wide, and Ranma could see that her composure was disturbed, despite the mask that hid most of her face. "No problem, little brother. I owed you."
*****
Mr. Nakazawa hurried back to his office, ignoring the attempts of the department secretary to get his attention. He was fifteen minutes late, and his boss demanded punctuality.
The secretary opened his office door and ran into the room just as he was putting his briefcase down.
"Call home right now! Your wife has been calling every five minutes looking for you."
He was on the phone before the door closed again.
"Honey? Yes?" Nakazawa turned pale and rose from his chair. "Pack a suitcase for us. I'll call the airline for tickets. Be ready when I get home."
He stopped long enough to tell the secretary that his mother was seriously ill and ran out of the building. Unfortunately, Mr. Nakazawa didn't remember the unprocessed marriage certificate until he was on the plane.
*****
"I wish you hadn't been so quick to push the button for me," said Akane.
"Why not? I can tell when you're hurting, and don't tell me you weren't!"
"I was, I was! But now I have to get to the bathroom, and I'm too dizzy to walk!"
Ranma's response was to get out of bed and push his IV pole around to Akane's side. He held out his hand to her, and smiled. "C'mon. I'll help you get there."
Akane swung her legs over the side of the bed, and slowly got to her feet. She swayed a little, and Ranma put his arm around her. In doing so, he brushed the areas on her back that had already been irritated by repeated hugs from her family, and Akane gasped.
"Careful!"
Ranma immediately adjusted his grip. "Sorry! I can't see the burns." He helped Akane into the bathroom and stood just outside the door, thinking hard.
*****
Akane looked at herself in the mirror. She looked a little thinner than usual, and didn�t like the dark circles under her eyes. Her wedding outfit was adorable, but the burns on her face spoiled it. She wondered how the pictures Nabiki had taken would come out. "She'll probably retouch them," she murmured.
"Did you call me?" asked Ranma from the other side of the door.
"No."
Akane put a hand to her face, gently touching the burns. To her they were the ugliest things on earth, but Ranma looked at her as if the weren't there. Now they were married - for real. When night came, would Ranma want�Akane couldn't take the thought any further. Then she forced herself to be honest. She wanted Ranma, and from the way he looked at her, he felt the same way about her. How were they going to manage with their injuries? Besides that, there was very little privacy in a place like a hospital. The brave front she'd put on for Nabiki had already crumbled.
"Are you okay in there?"
"Yes, I'll be right out."
Akane pushed the door open and shuffled out of the bathroom. Ranma wasn't there, but at the opposite end of the room, locking the door. When he saw her, he returned to her side and helped her into bed.
"Why did you lock the door?"
"I don't want anyone to interrupt us."
"Interrupt us? What do you mean?" Akane stiffened and tried not to look frightened. Was her husband in that much of a hurry?
Evidently Ranma noticed her expression, because he smiled reassuringly. "I just need a favor, that's all." As he spoke, he unbuttoned his silk wedding shirt. Then he took it off, folded it neatly, and set it aside. "My burns itch like crazy." He took his salve off the bedside table, unscrewed the jar, and handed it to Akane. "Would you?"
"S-sure." Akane took the jar and scooped out some salve. She began with Ranma's arms and shoulders, gently smoothing the medication into the burns.
"That feels better. Thank you."
Akane nodded, and held out the jar.
"What? You're not going to do my chest?"
Akane didn't know where to start. When she didn't move, Ranma took her hand, stuck it in the jar, and placed it against his chest. "You won't hurt me. Don't worry."
*****
Ranma wasn't quite prepared for his reaction to Akane's hand on his chest. His entire being was concentrated on her touch, and he had to exert considerable self-control to keep his hands off her. He was disappointed when she finished and returned the medicine to him.
Akane's hands trembled as she handed the jar back to Ranma. He grabbed the jar before she could drop it and returned it to its place.
"Thank you."
*****
Akane didn't trust herself to speak. She was still overwhelmed by the feeling of Ranma's heart beating beneath her fingertips and unnerved by the way his breathing quickened when she touched him. She felt the acceleration of her own pulse and the combination of the medication and her own nervousness and excitement made her feel a little light-headed. The feeling intensified when Ranma picked up Akane's medicine jar and unscrewed the lid. He didn't say a word, but she knew what he had in mind.
Turning her back on Ranma, Akane began unbuttoning her jacket. She slid it off her shoulders, and slipped her arms out of the sleeves. Then she sat there, waiting for Ranma to start putting the medication on her back. However, after at least a minute, he hadn't moved.
"Ranma?"
"Yes?"
"What are you doing?"
There was a slight delay before Ranma responded. "Memorizing."
Akane turned slightly, and looked at Ranma over one shoulder. He was sitting there with the jar in his hand and a look of intense concentration on his face. "What are you talking about?"
Ranma put out one hand and gently turned Akane around again. "Let me finish. I'm memorizing exactly where the burns are on your back. Then I'll know where to touch, and where not to touch." As he spoke, Ranma began smoothing the salve on Akane's burns. She trembled under his touch but sat there quietly and let him finish. Then a gentle hand on her shoulder let her know that Ranma wanted her to turn around.
Akane felt her face getting hot as she turned around in response to Ranma's touch, and she couldn't meet his eyes. She felt a little silly for being so embarrassed - after all Ranma had been looking at her without her clothes on since the trip in the ambulance, and he had even held her in his arms when she had no top on, but she couldn't help it. She forced herself to raise her eyes to Ranma's face, and discovered that he was looking at her body with the same expression as before.
"You're memorizing again?"
Ranma merely nodded. Then he dipped his hand into the jar, reached out, and stopped. "I - ahh - " Evidently he was as unsure of himself as she had been.
Akane's hand shot out and grasped Ranma's wrist. She brought his hand forward until it touched her. "It's okay."
Ranma's eyes left Akane's body and met hers. "Okay." Then he began treating her burns. His touch was feather light, making contact just enough to get the medication where it belonged, but it was enough to make Akane's heartbeat start to race again. By the time he was finished she all but fell into his arms.
He held her gently, avoiding the worst of the burns, and kissed her. Akane's whole world turned over as the feelings Ranma's kiss caused combined with her weariness and the light-headedness she was already experiencing from the pain medication.
[Damn, not now,] she thought, then she passed out.
*****
"Akane?"
One second Akane was responding to Ranma's kiss, and the next she went limp in his arms. He lowered her to her pillow and tried not to panic.
"Akane? Oh damn, what did I do?" Ranma grabbed the call button only to put it down again. He folded Akane's wedding jacket and put it aside, and found a pajama top. He put it on his wife and had it nearly fastened when her eyelids fluttered.
"Ran-ma?"
"Shh, it's okay. You fainted."
"I'm sorry. Dizzy."
The guilty look on Akane's face was too much for Ranma. He leaned over and kissed his wife's forehead. "Don't worry about it. Go to sleep."
Akane put her hand to Ranma's cheek and brought his lips down to hers. She kissed him, and whispered, "hold me".
"Just a sec."
Ranma got up and unlocked the door. Then he got back into his bed and moved over into Akane's bed, getting as close to her as he could. Trying to touch her only where it wouldn't hurt, he moved her into his arms, and watched her go to sleep. A few minutes later he was asleep himself.
*****
The door opened, and a young woman entered the room. The skirt of her nurse's uniform was a little shorter than hospital regulation allowed, she wore her long hair in a ponytail, and a mask hid her face. She closed the door behind her and approached Akane, studying her intently. Her eyes narrowed with anger when she realized that Ranma was not in his own bed, but in Akane's, and that they were holding one another. Even worse, Akane had her cheek pillowed on Ranma's bare chest.
The hallways of the hospital rang with the echo of Kodachi's screech.
*****
Ukyo was stepping out of the elevator when someone rammed into her from the side, nearly causing her to drop the jars of salve she was carrying.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
"Sorry! Oh, hi Ukyo!"
"Ryoga? What are you doing here?"
Ryoga looked around, and scratched his head.
"Where's here?"
His confused look made Ukyo laugh. "You're in Nerima General. Right down the hall from Ranma and Akane's room."
It took a couple of seconds for what Ukyo had said to sink in, and then Ryoga's jaw dropped nearly to the floor. "They're in the same room?"
"Yeah. I thought it was kind of weird until I saw them together. You'd almost think the wedding had worked out, 'cause I don't think they could be closer."
As Ukyo spoke she saw Ryoga's expression change, and braced herself.
"What are YOU doing here anyway? After what you and Shampoo did I'm surprised you're allowed in the hospital!"
Ryoga's words stung, but no more than what Ukyo had been getting from Ranma and Akane's friends since the wedding.
"Cologne dragged me and Shampoo here and made us face Ranma and Akane. It was really hard. I didn't think they'd ever forgive us, but they did."
"I can't believe that! You tried to kill them!"
"NO!" Ukyo forced herself to calm down, and started again in a milder tone of voice. "No. I really didn't want to hurt anybody. I still can't believe what happened." Ukyo held up the jars of salve. "This is something I'm doing to make up for it. Cologne makes salve every day. I was taking turns with Shampoo bringing it here, but Shampoo went back to China so now I'll have to do it myself."
"She what? I didn't think she'd ever leave Ranma!"
Ukyo smiled sadly. "Why should she stay? She'd have to be more blind than Mousse to miss the way they look at each other." The pair had been walking as they spoke, and arrived at the door to Ranma and Akane's room. "If you're coming in with me, you have to put this stuff on. Akane has an infection and we have to be really careful." The pair went through the first door into the alcove between the rooms, where Ukyo put the jars on a shelf and got the gowns and masks. She handed a set to Ryoga and began to put on her own.
"Infection? But - " Ryoga's question was interrupted by the sound of a scream from within the room. The pair dropped the gowns and masks, and flew inside.
*****
The scream woke Ranma, he saw something flying toward him and Akane, and barely managed to cover her with his own body before impact. Someone landed on his back, and he found himself sandwiched between two women. After that several things happened at once. Akane woke up, moaning with pain, the door to the room flew open, and he heard people running in. Then he heard a most unwelcome voice.
"Ranma-sama, did I hurt you?"
"Kodachi? Get the hell offa me!"
Kodachi tried to get up and in the process leaned on Akane, who burst into tears. That was too much for Ranma. He sat up, knocked his water pitcher onto himself and Akane, and threw Kodachi across the room. She would have impacted with the wall if Ryoga had not caught her.
*****
Down the hall a young man carrying a bouquet of flowers was very disappointed when the nurses informed him that he would not be permitted to bring them into the room of the patients he was on his way to visit.
"Take them, then. Such lovely ladies as yourselves deserve flowers."
Kuno left the flowers on the counter of the nurses' station and continued down the hallway. He was grateful that Nabiki had added his name to the list of approved visitors, for he was quite worried about Akane's condition. He was also concerned about Ranma, but seeing Akane was his first priority. The sound of a scream coming from his destination made him start running.
[That was my sister! Is Saotome molesting her?]
*****
One moment Kodachi was on the bed, the next moment she was flying through the air. She looked back, and saw something that made her scream again. Her beloved Ranma was shrinking, changing into someone else. Someone who was quite familiar to her.
[He told me. My brother told me, and I didn't believe him.] Those were her last thoughts before she passed out.
*****
Ryoga saw Kodachi's body hurtling towards him, and reacted instinctively. He caught her. Unfortunately, her uniform, which was short enough to begin with, had ridden up and he found himself in a very unfamiliar position as far as women were concerned. He had his hands somewhere they had never been before, and his reaction was to collapse in a dead faint. He never even heard Kodachi's scream, or the arrival of yet another person in the room.
*****
"Don't cry, Akane." Ranma pulled Akane into his arms, and suddenly realized the two of them were soaking wet, and he was no longer male. He let her go and was reaching for a pajama top to cover himself when the door was nearly torn from its hinges by the force of Kuno's entrance.
"Pig tailed - I mean - Ranma! What is going on in here?"
"Do me a favor, Kuno. Just be quiet until I can get Akane some help! Your sister hurt her!"
Ranma picked up the call button and pushed it before putting on a pajama top. Akane had curled herself into a fetal position and refused to look at him. Her sobs tore at his heart.
The room became much more crowded when two nurses, a security guard, and the doctor came in.
"What is going on in here?" demanded the doctor.
"She came back." Ranma pointed to Kodachi as he spoke. The girl was just beginning to regain consciousness, and she looked in confusion at the face of the young man who was holding her.
"How dare you!"
Ryoga opened one eye. "Huh?"
"Well, it seems my sister has chosen another young man. I approve!"
Kodachi tried to disentangle herself from Ryoga. "What? What did you say?"
"Come now, sister. This shyness is not becoming. Surely you see now that I spoke the truth about Saotome's curse, and that has caused you to turn to another."
Ryoga looked at Kodachi, and back at her brother. "No way." He was gone before anyone could blink.
"Come back! How dare you abandon my sister?" Kuno ran after Ryoga, followed by his sister, who was still trying to get him to listen to her. The security guard followed behind.
The doctor had ignored everything in the room except the condition of his patients. He was at Akane's side examining her before Kodachi had risen from the floor.
"What happened?"
"That crazy girl tried to attack us."
The doctor looked at Ranma for a moment, his eyes opening wide. "I knew about your problem, but I didn't believe it." He turned to the nurses and requested hot water.
"Doc! Akane needs you more than I need hot water!"
The doctor nodded. "I think you're going to have a couple of bruises, Akane. Other than that no real harm was done."
"But - but it hurts so much!"
Ranma reached out with the arm that wasn't around Akane, and lifted the doctor off the floor. "You've gotta do something for her!"
"I'll see what we can do. Could you put me down?"
Ranma set the doctor back on his feet.
"Don't 'see' what you can do. Do it."
The doctor ran for his life.
*****
Cologne was tired. She had spent most of the day packing boxes in preparation for her and Mousse's departure for China. When the phone rang, she ignored it. After a few rings Mousse got up and walked to the phone, and was picking it up when Cologne tried to stop him.
"It's probably another idiot who wants delivery. Just leave it alone!"
It was too late. Mousse was already listening to the person on the line, and when Cologne realized who he was speaking to she got up.
"She's right here, Ranma. Hold on."
"What's wrong, Ranma?"
Cologne couldn't help smiling when she heard the confusion in Ranma's voice.
"How did you know something was wrong?"
"Simple. You wouldn't call me unless there was a problem."
"Yeah. Akane got hurt, and we've been waiting forever for them to DO something for her. The doctor hasn't been back, and nobody's answering the call button. If somebody doesn't help her soon I'm going out there!"
"Ranma! Calm down!" Cologne closed her eyes, and tried to think of something that would help. She could hear sniffling noises in the background and realized that Akane was crying. "You're not going to do Akane any good if you yell like that. I'll be there as soon as I can to see what I can do. In the meantime I want you to stay calm and take care of Akane."
"Take care of her? How? I don't know what to do! That's why I called YOU!"
Cologne suppressed the desire to reach through the phone and strangle Ranma. "Just comfort her. I'm on my way." She hung up the phone and realized she hadn't asked Ranma how Akane got hurt. She would find out when she got there. She turned around and nearly bumped into Mousse.
"Don't go yet."
"I'm not ready to leave, Mousse. I need to go through my herbs to see what I can bring with me that might help."
Mousse held out his hand. "Use this."
*****
Ryoga collapsed onto the grass and tried to catch his breath. He hadn't heard Kuno's voice behind him for a while now, and hopefully he'd outrun him.
Once Ryoga felt better he looked up, trying to get his bearings. He had been in Nerima. This was most definitely not Nerima. The cows looking at him were a pretty good indication of that.
"I think this is the first time I was ever glad I got lost!"
*****
Ranma hung up the phone and looked at Akane. She was lying down, holding tight to one of his hands. Ukyo held Akane�s other hand, and judging from her expression Ranma was afraid that if the situation didn�t improve soon he would be stuck with two crying women.
"Akane, Cologne's coming. She's going to help." Akane didn't answer, and Ranma worried. She hadn't looked well all day, and he had thought it was just the excitement of the wedding, but now he wasn't so sure. She was very pale, and to his eyes, a little thinner than she had been a few days ago. He squeezed her hand, and kissed her forehead.
"Just rest."
As Akane closed her eyes, Ranma's looked at Ukyo. Her worried eyes peered back over the top of the mask, and he restrained himself from running out into the hallway to demand help.
It wasn't necessary. Two nurses came in, and one went directly to Akane's side. She had a couple of syringes on a tray, and began making preparations on inject them into her IV tubing.
"What's that?" asked Ranma.
"A painkiller and a sedative. The doctor wants Akane to sleep for a little while."
"I don't want a sedative." Akane opened her eyes and looked at the nurse. "Please."
"That's what you said last time. It helped, didn't it?"
The only answer she got was a nod. The nurse took that as acceptance, and dispensed the medication. While she was doing so the other nurse took hold of Ranma's IV tubing.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"The doctor ordered you a sedative too. He said you needed to calm down."
Ranma started to object but Ukyo cleared her throat to get his attention. "Shut up and take it," was all she said.
"But what if Kodachi comes back? What if Akane needs me?"
"I'll stay here. Go to sleep."
*****
"Akito, what happened?"
The doctor turned around at the sound of Cologne's voice. She was hurrying down the hallway. "Several things. Come with me." He led the way to a small conference room and led Cologne inside.
"Akane isn't responding to the antibiotics. She's weak, and getting weaker. The nurses reported to me that her appetite is poor, and she spends most of her time sleeping." The doctor stopped and looked out the window, his expression somewhere between sadness and anger. "I lost a burn patient a couple of days ago. She had the same symptoms. I'm NOT going to lose this one!"
"When Ranma phoned me he said that Akane had been hurt. Did she fall out of bed?"
"No. The same young lady who tried to attack her before came back. We've notified the authorities. Ranma protected his wife, but she did sustain some bruises."
"Wife? They're married?"
"You weren't aware of that?"
"No, but it's about time." Cologne shrugged. "That's not important right now. I want to explain to you what I want to try. It's risky, but from what you tell me you're run out of options."
*****
Ukyo discovered that it was very difficult to stay awake when you were watching over sleeping people. Ranma had accepted his sedative, put his arm around Akane, and they had drifted off soon after. Now just listening to their quiet breathing was making her yawn.
She became instantly and fully awake when the doorknob turned and jumped to her feet, ready to defend her friends if necessary. Her combative stance relaxed when she saw that it was the doctor and Cologne. A nurse followed behind, pushing a scale.
Cologne smiled at Ukyo. "Don't worry, it's just us. Would you mind moving aside so that I can look at Akane?" Cologne moved to Akane's side and took her hand. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a while and when she opened them she looked quite serious. "It's not good. We need to wake them and talk."
"But they just went to sleep!"
"Child, this is more important than sleep."
*****
"Akane, wake up." Ranma's voice got through the drug-induced haze in Akane's mind, and she opened her eyes.
"What?"
Ranma gestured to Akane's other side. "Cologne is here."
"Sleepy."
"She says it's important." As he spoke Ranma raised Akane's bed so that she was sitting up. She was still very groggy, and tried to fight the urge to fall asleep again.
"Are you able to get up, Akane?"
"I don't know." Akane pushed aside the sheets and brought her legs over the side of the bed. She stood up and swayed a little. Cologne took her arm.
"We just want to weigh you. It'll only take a few seconds." The nurse came forward, rolling the scale, and they helped Akane step onto it. Then they got her back into bed.
The doctor looked at the results and at his chart. "I thought so. You've lost a lot of weight. That's not good."
"I haven't been hungry."
Ranma nodded his head. "That's right. I can't get her to finish anything, and most of the time she won't eat her snacks."
Between the doctor's stern look and Ranma's exasperated one, Akane found herself feeling a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. "Well I can't help it! I don�t feel well!�
�Akane, you can�t afford to get any weaker than you already are, and - �
�Akito, I think you�d better let me talk to them,� interrupted Cologne. The doctor nodded, and Cologne pulled a chair close to Akane and took both of her hands. The solemn look on her face made Akane a little nervous, and she suddenly realized that the old woman wasn�t wearing a mask.
�What - �
�No,� said Cologne. �I don�t want you to interrupt me, and I want you and Ranma to listen to me very carefully, because this is serious business.�
Cologne let go of Akane's hands, and Akane took the opportunity to reach over and hold onto her husband. Whatever Cologne had to say, it was evident that it wasn't going to be pleasant.
*****
Once Cologne was certain she had Akane's full attention (and Ranma's as well), she began.
"Akito showed me the results of your last tests, Akane. Your infection isn't any better, and you're starting to become dehydrated. He's worried about you.
"Before Shampoo left for home, she gave Mousse something I didn't know she had." Cologne reached into her bag and pulled out a small pouch. "It's more of the healing powder I used on the two of you when you were first admitted." Cologne saw Akane's eyes fill with hope. "Don't jump to conclusions. Magic can't fix everything.
"If I am to use this powder, and I said IF, you must be fully informed of the risks you are taking. This magic is normally used only once on a person, and there's a good reason for that. Have you two noticed how tired you are?"
"Yes," responded Ranma before Akane had a chance to speak. "I thought it was the painkillers."
"That's only part of it. This magic merges with the energy you carry within you to accelerate healing, and sometimes it has the tendency to drain that energy to dangerously low levels. That's why our people are so hesitant to use it twice."
Cologne paused, and glanced at Ranma. His jaw was set, and the look in his eyes told her that he didn't like what he was hearing. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to get any better.
"I have seen people recover from devastating injuries or illnesses and then slip into a sleep from which they never awaken. I would not see that happen to you."
Before she had even finished, Cologne knew what Ranma was going to say.
"No. I'm not willing to take that chance"
"Ranma, I hadn't finished telling the two of you - "
"I said NO!" Ranma wrapped his arms around Akane and glared at Cologne. "You can't take her away from me!"
Cologne sighed. "Akito, talk to them. Tell them what I didn't."
*****
The doctor took Cologne's place next to Akane. She could see the concern on his face and felt as frightened as she had when she first arrived in the hospital.
"Akane, do you remember the patient that Yui wanted to take you to meet?"
"Yes. Why?"
"She came down with the same infection you have. I couldn't save her."
Akane couldn't stop the tears. She wept for the woman she never had a chance to meet, she wept for herself, and she wept for Ranma.
"Does that mean you can't help me?"
"I don't know. The infection is resisting the antibiotics, and we haven't been able to find one that is able to control it."
"And what about Cologne's magic?"
"Akane!! I don't want you taking the chance!"
Akane turned around and looked into Ranma's eyes. She saw the anger, but she also saw he fear that he was trying to hide. "I don't know if I have a choice," she said softly. Then she turned back to the doctor. "Tell me everything."