Nodoka slowly rocked her child in her arms while her mind
attempted to process the horrors of the last 12 hours. Looking down
at Ranma, her only child who had just now managed to fall asleep in
the security of his mother's arms, Nodoka finally allowed the tears
and later the soft crying escape her...
...because no child, whatever their age, should ever utter such
a terrible prayer...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A Child's Prayer
written: 01/16/2001
This short scene is not part of any fan fiction, nor is it
planned to be. I just simply had to write it down because I wasn't
going to get any sleep otherwise. Should someone want to use it, or
write a fan fiction based off of it, please let me know as I might
have more to add to it at that time.
And, of course, this was not written for profit and all
character's of note are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. Also, since I am
still new to writing, any C&C would be accepted.
--- Tabyk (tknight@europa.com) (http://home.dal.net/tabyk)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She had answered the door that morning thinking that it was her
neighbor wanting company on her usual Sunday shopping. An event which
she had grown to anticipate in her lonely life. Which is why, upon
opening the door and finding two uniformed policemen waiting for her,
her confusion was total.
"Mrs. Saotome?"
Pushing herself into speech she replied, "Yes. How can I help
you Officers?"
"Mrs. Saotome, I was hoping we might be able to get your help on
a matter. We've found a young boy and there is a possibility that
it's your son, but we aren't able to confirm his identity with 100%
accuracy. We were hoping that you could take a look at him."
Shocked into silence, all she could do was stare at the two men
as the possibilities of such a statement ran through her mind. Almost
as if he knew what she was thinking the second officer added, "The
boy is alive and is being taken care of at the Tokyo Main Hospital, we
just need help in identifying him."
"Of... of course... certainly. Um... let me get my things and
I'll be right out."
Due to traffic the ride was long, which she tried to ignore while
talking with the officers.
"Mrs. Saotome, do you know where your husband and son are at
this time?"
"No, I'm afraid I don't. My husband left 4 years ago on a
training trip to teach our son the family school of martial arts. It
was a very important matter of honor. I've occasionally gotten post
cards from them, but that is all."
Finally, she couldn't keep it within herself any longer. "If...
if you don't mind me asking, where did you find this child?"
Grimacing at the traffic, the officer driving answered. "He was
found about 15 kilometers outside of town headed in this direction.
He'd been obviously injured, and looked to have not eaten in several
days. We managed to bring him in, however, three officers managed to
get injured in the proc-" only to get cut off as his partner
discreetly jabbed him in the ribs. The motion was not lost on her.
Giving his partner a glare the second officer finished saying,
"The boy was delirious when we found him, and considering his
condition that is not surprising. That was four days ago."
"We did some checking up in the area where we found him, along
with any possible towns or villages that he may have passed
travelling, and we eventually found a missing child report that had
been filed by your husband 6 days ago."
Turning sympathetic eyes towards her he continued, "As it turns
out your husband was shortly afterward picked up on charges of petty
theft, vagrancy, and possible child abuse. He escaped custody less
then 12 hours later and is still at large."
Her hand covering her mouth in shock, Nodoka was unable to say
anything further. If the officer had added anything else, it wasn't
registered.
When they finally reached the hospital, it took everything within
her just to stand on her own two legs as they helped her out of the
vehicle. The short walk through the main lobby and the quick trip up
the elevator only served to agitate her more as she noticed that they
were getting off at the psychiatric ward.
Following the two officers she waited as one of them caught a
passing nurse for a status update of the child in room 413. She
cringed as the nurse answered with, "He's still in a catatonic state
at this time, just staring at the wall. However, the delusional
feline complex hasn't come back either, so we don't know if that's
good or bad."
She practically jumped as one of the officers gently took her arm
and led her to one of the rooms. Pushing the door open, they both
stepped inside blocking the view momentarily. Attempting to steel her
nerves, she stepped inside.
And was confronted by the site of her son. His gaunt face and
form a screaming contradiction with the memory in her mind. Bandages
covered a large majority of his body and multiple IV drips were hooked
up to him, almost concealing the large white straps that held him
rigid to the bed. The dark shadows of his face spoke volumes of the
rest he obviously had not been getting, and his eyes...
At that point she collapsed, the nurse conveniently standing
behind her catching her on her way down to the floor. Covering her
face with her hands, she shook her head in rejection of the site in
front of her. Denying the evidence so clearly displayed.
Eventually taking several deep breaths, she slowly stood back up
and in taking several hesitant steps made her way to the side of the
bed.
"Mrs. Saotome?"
The officer's voice cutting through the room almost made her yell
in surprise. Taking her gaze from her son, she looked at him.
"Mrs. Saotome? Is this your son Saotome Ranma?"
Moving her gaze back to the bed she finally managed to choke out
a quiet "Yes. Yes, this is my son."
"Thank you Mrs. Saotome," the officer concluded and with a bow
they left.
Finally alone in the room she reached out and with a shaky hand
touched her son's cheek softly saying, "Ranma? Can you hear me?"
For several moments nothing happened, but finally the boy's head
turned and he looked directly at her. Caressing him face gently she
said, "That's right, I'm here. It's me. It's Mom..." but stopped
from saying more as her voice broke.
Gently taking his hand the two of them continued to stare at each
other and several minutes later the boy's eyes slowly closed and his
breathing deepened, signaling his fall into slumber.
Hearing the gentle knock on the door, Nodoka looked up to see the
nurse who'd caught her earlier standing in the doorway. Walking in,
she glanced down at Ranma and asked, "Is he sleeping?"
Trying to smile, and failing miserably, Nodoka said, "Yes."
"Finally," the nurse replied. Catching the look the boy's
mother shot him she said, "this is probably the first natural sleep
the boy has had since he was admitted here." Taking a quick look
around the room she added, "I'll bring in a nice chair for you," and
left.
The hours crawled by as Nodoka sat by her son's bed, holding his
hand while watching his easy breathing, as every so often a nurse came
by to check up on them.
She was half-asleep herself when Ranma woke up screaming.
Jerked awake, Nodoka just sat there staring at her son as he
screamed at some horror that only he could see. Finally snapping
herself out of the daze that she was in, she leaned over the bed and
caught Ranma's face between her hands forcing him to look at her.
"Ranma! It's me! Do you hear me? You're safe now, do you
hear? You're safe now. It's Mom. I'm here."
The boy continued to yell for another couple of seconds, before
cutting off suddenly. Staring at her face, she watched as his eyes
really looked at her for the first time, and then tears began to fill
them.
"Mom?" The tiny voice, weak like a small child's, reached out
to her.
"It's me, Ranma, I'm here."
Right then a nurse and four orderlies ran into the room, only to
find the sight before them. Nodoka turned to face them and said,
"Everything's fine, we're both fine."
Turning back towards her son she watched as he began a moaning
cry, the only word even intelligible being "mother." Holding onto
him as best she could, she started to rock a little while trying to
sooth him. Several minutes later when the crying had died off, she
turned towards the nurse and orderlies whom were still standing in the
doorway and in a demanding voice said, "I would like my son released
from these restraints."
"Mrs. Saotome, I don't think that would be wise. Your son-"
"My son is going to be just fine, and I am going to watch over
him. Right now I'd like to see these restraints removed,
immediately."
With a sigh the nurse spoke with the orderlies, and a few minutes
later the boy's arms and legs were once more free. Carefully crawling
onto the bed, Nodoka gathered her son up in her arms and held him.
"I've got you now, Ranma. Everything is going to be fine."
Moments later, Ranma's tiny voice spoke. "Mom, I'm tired. I'm
really tired."
"Then go back to sleep. I'll hold you; you're safe now. Go
back to sleep, and when you wake up, I'll still be here. I promise."
The boy shifted a little bit before settling in. Just when she
thought he'd already fallen asleep, however, she heard him speak.
"And now I lay me down to sleep..."
Nodoka almost laughed. Memories of teaching Ranma that silly
night prayer because of his fear of the dark momentarily flashed
through her mind.
"I give to Cat my soul to keep..."
And suddenly the smile on her face vanished. This wasn't the-
"And should I dream before I wake..."
...
"I pray to Cat that death me take."