Xiao

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Part 13: Revelation

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The saline in the medium-sized plastic pouch connected to my I.V. dripped slowly every three seconds- I counted because I had nothing else better to do but sit here in an all white room void of any life and wait until I was well enough to be released from this psycho-ward people call a hospital. I hardly get any sleep around here and when I do manage to drift off, I am either awoken by the sounds of passing stretchers rushing over the waxed tiles of the long I.C.U. corridor to get a fatally ill patient to an appropriate room for complete health care, or the sudden intrusion and self-violating nurses and doctors that poke me with the sharp needle edges of shots every night before two A.M.. The beds are lumpy and the blankets feel itchy and scratchy. Not to mention the fact that they have a limited amount of cable channels I can watch due to censorship to avoid mental corruption of children from the trash played on modern-day television. I got a small laugh out of that one.

Another drip fell into a pool of clear as the soft murmurs of the electronic device that recorded my heart rate, breathing rate, and all other sorts of health information beeped to signal that I was still living. I couldn't take the silence and pressed the button on the side of my bed that had the words 'Nurse' written in capital letters. If I couldn't watch decent television or get a good nights rest without being disturbed, I could at least order some food from the hospital kitchen. They stayed open late on Fridays.

"Yes Miss Ling?" It was my usual night-shift nurse, Ming-Ming, a slender, petite, five foot one Chinese woman that looked no older than twenty-five. She told me she was in her thirties and had five kids that was in the care of her divorced husband, but I didn't believe her. "Anything you need?"

"Can I order something from the kitchen? I am so starved."

She smiled and retrieved a folded pocket menu containing the choice items of downstairs eatery, giving it to me to look over. I already knew the menu by heart ,thanks to the many times I looked over the laminated spread sheet in indecisiveness in what I wanted to eat, but it never hurts to look again. They could have added something new to the list of food options on the past twenty-four hours.

"Anything in particular?"

I shook my head and read over the list once more to make a final decision. "I just want something that is good but yet low on fat, carbs, and sodium. I have a figure to maintain."

The woman chuckled lowly and began to complete her nightly check-up on my health since she was alrady in the room and equipped to do the physical examination. "You get released Sunday."

Wasn't expecting that one. "Huh?"

She nodded after opening my loosely fitted hospital gown and placing a icy cold stethoscope to my chest to heart my heart and lungs. "Doctor's told me this afternoon. You'll be released in the care of Mr.Wang and will be on the first flight to China by noon."

I get to go home? But what about the tournament? I have yet to fight my round of selected opponents and make it to finals to see Jin. What about Jin? He promised me he would be back in time to see me, where we could finally be together and begin raising and developing a soon-to-be family. I wanted to get out of this lifeless place but I certainly wasn't planning on heading to an airport and being flown home to become the domestic servant for my ignorant grandfather.

"Home...as in Hong-Kong home?"

Ming-Ming nodded and began buttoning my garmet back to its respectable state to shield me from the prying eyes of wanton peeping Toms that scatter around the Hospital every now and then. They would always peep and look in women's room to get a small glimpse of skin or any other feminine goodies to fulfill their needs of lust and passion. "That's where you want to go right?"

"I thought I could go back to the King of Iron Fist tournament to be honest. I have friends and people who want to see me. Not to mention I have..."

"I'm sorry Miss Ling," she cut me off with a short but stony smile, "but the doctors forbade you from doing any extraineous activity that would harm your health. The tournament is simply out of the question."

"But...I feel fine."

"I know, but they won't allow it. Your flight is already booked and, since you are known to be a little rebellious, security is going to be at the airport to make sure you get on your flight and not go off into Kami knows where."

Shit. Shit. Double Shit! "But I HAVE to see Jin Kazama. He is waiting for me! He promised! He said the sixth tournament. I HAVE to see him! He promised!"

I could not hold back the burning, stinging sensation in my eyes anylonger and tried to mask it with the fierce grip of the plain cotton sheets. I allowed soft streams of tears to trickle down my rosied cheeks and glide down onto the matted wool blanket, but wished I would have been emotionally stronger so I wouldn't look so weak and helpless in front of the Hospital staff. After one drop fell, then came another, and then another, and then another, until a line of countless small salty raindrops fell with the inaudible thud of their weight onto my wooled thigh. I couldn't allow my wait on Jin to end just because of a health scare. He promised me he would come back. He promised.

"Xiao." It was all the nurse's soft voice could mumble as she embraced me in a tight hug. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her and spill out everything that happened through the course of this epidemic. Everything from when I told Jin I loved him, to my overdose on pain-killers, it all spilt out and all my heart and soul was in the hands of a nurse I didn't even know well enough to call an associate. I just couldn't allow all those emotions and heartache to simmer inside anymore. I had to tell someone. "It's alright. Jin will come back. He's probably on his way to see you now."

"I doubt it." I sniffed "He's waiting for me at the tournament. He loves me. He loves me!"

"If someone truly loves you Ling, they wouldn't wait for you to come to them, they' come to you first."

"He's off fighting his father or grandfather. I know he is waiting." I grasped the locket Jin had bought for me on my seventeenth birthday with enough force to make my knuckles turn a new shade of crimson. It with held the picture he and I had taken in the SillyGOOFY photobooth where, for the first time, Jin had truly smiled and laughed. He was like a normal person and that in itself was enough to make me smile.

"Xiao, did you call him?"

"Numerous of times. After about eight months, I just stopped calling altogther."

"So you think he's waiting for you at the tournament and not here by your bedside anticipating your better health?"

I had to look at Ming-Ming for that. She made Jin seem so heartless and...uncaring of me and my well being. Jin was not like that! He was kind, sweet, loving, caring, and compassionate when it came to me. He loved me. He didn't know I was sick. He is waiting. What the hell does she know!?

"Out."

"Ling..."

"Out. Now."

"Ling..."

"OUT!" I screamed until my throat got sore. I saw her step away a full ten steps and rush out the door to call for some much needed assistance. She could not handle a crazy person."...Jin loves me. Jin loves me. Jin loves me."

I kept repeating that to myself as I grabbed my hidden scapel from underneath my mattress and began to break the peach colored barrier of my skin to allow the sinfully red source of my being to break free from its prison.

One drop...

Two..

Three...

A small stream fell to the floor.

Jin is waiting for me. I just know it.