Author's Notes: Someone order a part 4? Order's up! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What's a peg tube?" asked Minako innocently, cuddling against her girlfriend. They had told the others and were now reveling in the freedom allotted to them. The rest of the group murmured their agreed confusion. "It's a feeding tube. They open up her stomach a tiny bit and put a tube in that allows the doctors to get nutrition to her without the use of the throat or mouth," explained Setsuna. "What I don't know is what this says about the doctors' future hopes for Michiru's recovery." Of course, everyone turned to Ami, who cleared her throat and said, "Well, there's not much to really infer from that. They probably think that she'll wake up, but not any time soon. A peg tube operation is a difficult one because you're cutting open a vital organ with a lot of acid involved, so they don't usually do it unless it's very needed or they have hope for the patient, but only in the long-run." Everyone looked hesitant to speak. Luckily, Haruka and Hotaru weren't there; they were with Michiru but had already heard the news. Finally, Makoto looked at her lover, speaking without reservations. "So they think she'll live?" "Most likely. But remember, she'll probably be comatose for a while, and we have no control when she's in a coma. It's beyond our reach." The blue-haired girl's voice dropped in volume. "Anything could happen," she finished quietly. Silence blanketed the room, everyone buried in their own thoughts. Minako was just about to suggest dinner when a loud cry broke through the stillness of the room. "Michiru-chan! Where are you! Michiru-chaaaaaan!!" The owner of the voice was a middle-aged woman with familiar blue-green hair. She was wearing clothes that made the girls think that she was quite rich, most likely. Following the woman was a tall man with worried greenish blue eyes that darted everywhere, looking for something. Or someone. Seeing Ami's doctor uniform, the woman hurried over and practically shouted, "Where is my daughter?!" She began to glare, making Ami feel partly annoyed, partly insulted. "Her name is Kaioh Michiru. Where are you hiding her?" "M'am, please calm down. I'll take you to her," said Ami evenly. She turned to nod at her friends, giving Makoto's hand a quick squeeze before letting it go and walking down the hall. "Right this way, please." "That's Michiru-san's parents?" asked Minako, astonished. "What a bitch," muttered Rei. Minako elbowed her in the side. "Be nice," she scolded. The hospital room was just as Ami had left it last time, with Haruka holding Michiru's hand lightly and Hotaru sitting on the end of the bed with a faraway look in her eyes. Except both women directed their gaze to the two adults that now rushed into the room. Surprise overtook Haruka's demeanor and she stood immediately to allow the older woman through, bumping against her daughter in the process. Instinctively, she reached out to capture Hotaru in a protective, one-armed hug, pulling her roughly against her side. "H-hello, Ms. Kaioh, Mr. Kaioh," she stammered out. Haruka had never exactly been on the best terms with Michiru's parents. In fact, they hated her. "Don't address me, you dirty girl. This is entirely your fault. I'd bet my life on it," shot back Kaioh Eiko. "Then you would have to die, because all Haruka ever did was try to protect your daughter!" intervened Setsuna from the doorway. "Yeah, well, she failed, didn't she?" The old woman's voice was cold and reminded Hotaru of a villain she had seen on Buffy. Even as she thought that, though, her papa's eyes dropped and her gaze avoided the two new people in the room. Immediately, Hotaru shoved her elbow into her papa's side. Feeling brave, Hotaru stated firmly, "It wasn't Haruka-papa's fault, and if you blame her, I'll have to--" "Please," croaked out Kaioh Takashi, who hadn't spoken at all yet. "Please, the last thing Michiru-chan would want right now would be fighting. Not amongst her family." Silence returned, and Eiko took Haruka's seat at Michiru's side and began to sob quietly. Takashi awkwardly tried to pat her on the back, but she swatted his hand away. He shrugged and walked out of the room. Hotaru watched him go with a glare. The comforting weight on her shoulder disappeared when Haruka followed the old man out, brushing past Setsuna. She caught the old man at the soda machine down the hall. He had just finished putting his change in and was pressing the button. Haruka stood off to the side as he knelt, took his can of soda, opened it with one hand, and took a large swig. "You want anything?" he asked gruffly, waving his hand at the snack machine. "No," answered the blonde simply. Takashi regarded her with mild interest. "So," he started at length, "what have you got to say for yourself?" "I refuse to defend myself while Michiru is in this state. Not even to her parents." Her gaze was even and her expression determined. "I need her, Mr. Kaioh. I'm a part of her life and she's a part of mine, and if you can't accept that, if you can't see that, then I'd say you were a bad parent." "And who are you to tell me about parenting?" he challenged, but his voice betrayed his true feelings. "I have a daughter and I love her as much as I love Michiru. Because of that love I have for her, I would never shun her because of--" "I know," cut in the old man, polishing off his can of soda. "I know, Tenoh. I'm not blind like Eiko in there." Haruka raised an eyebrow. "The woman refuses to see how much Michiru-chan loves you. It's practically tearing our marriage apart." Hesitantly, he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I... I support you, Tenoh. I see how happy you make my little girl. Hell, you raised a daughter together. That's something to be said, even if the girl does hate me." "She doesn't hate you," interrupted Haruka immediately. "She doesn't hate anyone." He chuckled remorsefully. "Well, she certainly doesn't love me." "But she would like to, I'm sure. Hotaru-chan's never turned down an offer to get to know someone a little better. Certainly not one from a potential grandparent." Smiling slightly at the old man, she seemed to make something of peace with the guy. Smiling back, Takashi moved his hand from the woman's shoulder. "We'll have to do something together. You, Michiru-chan, Hotaru-chan and me." "Indeed, we will." Neither seemed to think, at that moment, that there was any possibility of that not happening. At that moment, they were never surer that Michiru would recover. "And you could show me some of those race cars of yours, eh, Tenoh?" the old man prodded. The smile turned more boyish, and Haruka said, "Oh yeah, I would have done that anyway." ------------------------------------------------------------ Michiru's parents left later that day with a handshake from Takashi and a glare from Eiko. By the time all the girls stopped talking about the events of the day, the secretary shooed them out of the waiting room, insisting that visiting hours were over and the waiting room was closing. The only people that didn't go home were Haruka, Hotaru and Setsuna, who spent the night in the hospital room. Hotaru feel asleep early on, curled up on Setsuna's lap on a chair beside the bed. Haruka was settled on the large windowsill, looking down at the city at nighttime, thinking of time spent on the windowsill that overlooked the Tokyo skyline in their old apartment. *Flashback* Haruka came home to an empty apartment. Empty indeed. Her luggage wasn't even unpacked yet, and the furniture was yet to be delivered. There was a race on later that the blonde had wanted to watch, but their TV was still in the truck, which was Kami knows where. Michiru, her new roommate and partner in Senshi business, was probably down taking a swim. As the Senshi of the sea, the aqua-haired teen had a knack for swimming. Which was fine by Haruka. She actually enjoyed accompanying her new partner to the pool and just lounging around as Michiru did laps. Sometimes she even kept time. They had great conversations there, too, and Haruka found herself immediately charmed by the other girl's innocent outer shell and flirtatious nature. Growing up, Haruka had always been called a flirt, but Michiru was every bit as rambunctious as herself. Just on a smaller scale. But that wasn't it. Every time the blonde thought of her new partner, something ached. She didn't want a "partner" out of Michiru. She didn't even want a friend. The selfish side of her wanted to pull the girl into her arms and keep her all to herself. It was more than a silly attraction. This was love. She was sure of it. And the funny thing was, Haruka knew that Michiru was a lesbian. The topic of conversation had come up one day at the pool. If anything, Michiru had more interest in women than Haruka herself did. She was just less open about it. "Haruka?" came a quiet voice from the doorway of the bedroom. It had been determined that because their combined salaries could only afford a one-bedroom apartment, they would alternate weeks on the couch. The blonde, who had been sitting on the windowsill, watching a plane fly over the city and thinking, was startled out of her revere. "Oh? Oh, hey Michiru. I thought you were out swimming," she said half-heartedly. Shifting so that she was sitting on the windowsill as she would on a chair, with her back on the window and feet on the floor, she asked, "What are you up to?" Settling down next to the taller girl, she smiled a dazzling smile that practically floored Haruka. "Nothing. Just looking around the bedroom. Later you should help me think how we want to arrange the furniture." "Ok." The conversation died down for a minute, and Haruka's eyes became distant again. "Are you alright?" asked Michiru cautiously. She knew how cold the blonde could be, and was still rather new at judging her sudden mood swings, but it seemed that Haruka was thinking about something that was troubling her. "Yeah, I'm alright. I mean, I'm okay. I could be better though." Kind of true, kind of a lie. Very tactful, decided Haruka. She was about to slip into another trance when she felt a warm, soft hand enclose her own. "Haruka," started Michiru, "in these times, in our life, if there's something that would make you feel better, you should do your best to make sure you get it." 'Fine then,' thought Michiru. 'If she won't say it, I'll draw it out of her.' "I know that. But certain things, no matter how happy they might make you, have the potential to make you even sadder." "That wouldn't happen," argued Michiru. "You don't know that." Green eyes bore desperately into aqua ones. "There's no way to know." 'Plan B,' decided Michiru. Reaching up, she placed one hand on Haruka's shoulder and placed the other gently on the back of her neck. A chill went up and down Haruka's spine, a chill that was amplified when Michiru placed her lips lightly on Haruka's. 'That's it for me,' thought Michiru before all conscious thought left her as the other girl responded with fervor, wrapping strong arms around the aqua-haired girl's waist. Somehow, the taller girl got the shorter girl pressed up against the side of the windowsill. Eventually, they broke apart, both somewhat flushed. Looking her squarely in the eye, Haruka said, "I love you, Michiru. So much." A sweet smile graced the other girl's lips. "And I love you, my Haruka." After placing a quick kiss on the other girl's lips, she joked, "This means you're stuck with me, Senshi business or not." "I should think it's the other way around," replied Haruka, grinning in a very flirtatious manner. "Good." *End Flashback* Closing her eyes against the tears that welled once again in her eyes, the Haruka accepted the temptations of sleep for the first time in four days.
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