Sweet Memories Gone

A/N: Hello all, I have returned to the writing scene, this time ending my hiatus with my first Love Hina fic! Note, Love Hina and everything else related to it are not my property, as they belong to Ken Akamatsu, however I do own the plot to this story as well as any original characters I decide to throw in if necessary. Well, sit back, relax and enjoy the story!

Chapter 3: Difficult Road to Recovery

It is the end of the fourth week since Keitaro was hospitalized and for the most part, he was doing well. Naru was told that he will be well enough to go home today. The doctor had told her that she should take care not to take things too fast with the fact that Keitaro still has amnesia. "Miss Narusegawa, it is best for him to take things in slowly as you have been doing, making him more comfortable with you and those that have come to visit him. Basically what I'm saying is that too much intake at once about his past might put him into psychological shock and that's a condition that's best avoided for now." Naru nodded, understanding the situation. "What about his other injuries doctor?"

The doctor flipped the page in Keitaro's medical chart and let out a quiet sigh. "He has partial paralysis and although he was healing, there's a possible chance that some areas of his body will be permanently paralyzed. Nerve tissue at this point, with our current medical science, once damaged, it's hard for the body to restore the damage nerves." Flipping the chart over, the doctor resumed, "His left leg was broken pretty badly, and that's how some of the nerves were damaged. Whenever his leg heals, he will probably have limited use of that leg, or none at all."

Naru took a moment to let whatever she heard sink in. A tear started to form on her eye, as she tried to suppress her sadness. "Thank you, doctor. I'll make sure he is taken care of properly." She then stood up, bowed her head and walked out when the doctor excused her. As soon as she's out in the hallway, she walked briskly to the nearest rest room and stopped in front of the mirror. Looking at herself, she started to cry. "He's all fucked up…why? Why did he have to risk his life? Why didn't he jump in the alley with me?! He wouldn't be in this situation! Why?!" She thought to herself as she stared at herself in the mirror, tears flowing freely and her breathing labored. "He may never be the same again. Oh Keitaro…I wish you weren't hurt…I wish you were the way you were…" She calmed herself down later. "I can't lose hope…I can't. He's alive, that's all that matters. Whatever difficulties, I'll help him overcome them." Wiping away her tears, she put on a smile and spoke to no one in particular. "Keitaro, let's go home…"

Keitaro sat in his bed, enjoying the soup and meal that Naru brought for him a few minutes ago. The past few days have been rough, but he was starting to trust in Naru's care. He wondered what did he do to deserve such care from a girl he doesn't seem to remember, especially a really beautiful one such as her. "Wow, I've must be really lucky or something." Flipping on the TV with the remote, he watched the news. "…in other news, the owners of the convenience store on Nagasaki Street file charges against the drunk driver who crashed into their store and injured 3 people…" the news anchor said as it caught Keitaro's attention. Keitaro suddenly closed his eyes as he felt some sort of sharp pain in his head.

"Naru! Watch out!" Keitaro screamed as he shoved Naru into a nearby alley. His eyes turned towards the blinding lights of the speeding sports car coming towards him. "This is it…" He thought to himself just prior to impact. Within the next moment, he was hit. Keitaro uttered a sound of pain when he felt the car struck him, pushing towards the windshield. The force of the impact forced his face into the windshield as his back came into contact with the glass windows of the convenience store behind him. The car came to a stop abruptly inside the store as Keitaro was smashed into several shelves, their metal frames puncturing his skin, the impact bending his left leg in the wrong direction and breaking it. For a moment, he was covered from head to toe in excruciating pain. His pain subsided when he felt a pleasant, soft grip on his right hand. Looking over weakly, he noticed Naru standing over him. "You idiot! Why do you have to do that?" He heard her speak. He told her that he wanted to protect her before his vision started to black out. "…stay with me! Please!" Her pleading started to sound fainter and fainter until she couldn't be heard anymore.

Keitaro gasped as his eyes opened. "What was that?!" He didn't understand that flashback so well. Although it was really clear to him when it was replayed in his mind, something in his brain still prevented him from fully comprehending the memory. "It felt so strong, and…unpleasant." He was covered in a film of cold sweat as he wondered just what it was that he saw. Just then, he noticed Naru walk in. "Oh hey there, Naru. So what did my doctor say?" He asked, ignoring what he just felt.

"Oh he said that you are doing fine enough to go home now." Naru replied, trying to mask her sadness about knowing that he may never walk on two legs again. She felt that it would be very difficult right now to tell him he might be crippled for the rest of his life. She tried to smile and spoke, "let's get home so Shinobu could cook you a delicious homecoming meal! Hey…are you sweating?" She asked as she noticed he was sweating all over. The room was rather cool, so she wondered why he was covered in sweat all over. "Are you alright?" She asked as she sat down next to him. "Is everything okay?"

Keitaro smiled meekly and spoke, "Yea, I think so. I saw something in my head…I don't know what it was…but it was weird, it felt like something I didn't want to re-experience ever again…" He noticed Naru staring blankly at a corner of the room when he told her what he saw. "Are you alright, Naru?" She realized he asked her a question and nodded at him. "Okay then, when can I leave? I'm really looking forward to going home to this Hinata Apartment you keep telling me about." He said and then started chuckled nervously a little, trying to cheer up the atmosphere.

Naru smiled. "Well, whenever you want to go, Keitaro…" She said. "Did he?" She thought as she suddenly heard something on the TV, "The driver was going to stand trial today at…" the anchor spoke as Naru realized what is going on. "He had a flashback…" She thought as she looked at him with those brown, worry filled eyes. "He looked a little rattled…poor thing. I wish he would tell me how he felt…I feel so helpless here while he is suffering." She broke her train of thought when she heard him call her name again. "Oh I'm sorry. I must have wandered off again." He asked her about his change of clothes. "Oh, I'm almost forgot, I brought them…" He would need some help with putting his clothes on and the thought of that actually made her blush a little.

"What's wrong? You're blushing Naru." He asked the seemingly embarrassed girl. He sees her smile embarrassingly as she took out a bag filled with some clean clothes. "oh I see…have you…have you ever…" He stuttered as he try to ask her something. She started to blush more as her face turn redder. "Oh never mind, I don't want to embarrass you any further." She handed him the bag and then abruptly turned around. "Okay…don't peek now." He undid the top half of his gown and put one of his shirts on. He tried to put his pants on, but was having trouble with the cast and also the limpness he feels in that leg. "Umm, sorry but I need help with my pants."

She gasped as she heard his request, blushing even more now. She backed herself up while still facing away from him and reached her arm back to lend him a hand. Realizing that this is going nowhere, she turned around quickly and helped him pull his pants up. She then turned away as she bowed her head in embarrassment. "That was so embarrassing, sorry Keitaro." She said as she sat down on his bed next to him, her back to him. She felt him place her hand on her shoulder and then he spoke some words of encouragement.

Keitaro smiled, "That's quite okay, Naru. I didn't mean to make you embarrassed. Thank you, for everything, coming in every day to see me, even when I'm not awake." Naru bowed her head as her face got redder. "Without you, I would be so lost on just what happened to me and what I would do to get my life back together." Naru turned around quickly, a tear streaming down her eye as she quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek, leaving Keitaro pleasantly surprised. She held his hand right after and held it to her face.

Naru spoke a moment later, "Even though you don't remember me, you're still so sweet to me…" She muttered. "I…in case you haven't realized, you mean a lot to me. And those words you said…" She couldn't finish what she was saying as she started to cry a little. She felt a little bit more hope. Perhaps just the Keitaro she knows will be coming back to her side before she knows it. She composed herself and then replied, "I hope that didn't felt too weird." She watched Keitaro laugh a little and smiled back at her. He told her it was just fine, in fact, he told her that it felt…right. She then stood up, "Well, I'd better call the nurse to get a wheelchair for you. I'll be right back."

Keitaro watched the auburn haired beauty walk out of the hospital room. He breathed loudly as he felt a strange sense of satisfaction rush through his mind. "I must be the luckiest man in the word to have someone like her caring for me like that." He spoke to himself. While waiting, he tried to move his leg. "I thought it was broken…but I don't feel the slightest pain from it…in fact, I can barely feel the leg at all…" He thought out loud. He started to wonder about just what the extent of his injuries are. "Well, obviously I'm pretty much FUBAR'ed." He thought. He noticed Naru come back with a nurse pushing a wheel chair. With the help of the Nurse and Naru, he got into the wheel chair, held on to his things and said thank you to the medical personnel that were caring for him over the past month since he was hospitalized.

Naru pushed him out of the hospital slowly, talking with him as they proceeded to the train station. Rolling him onto the handicapped ramp, they boarded the train when it arrived. The pair finally returned to the apartment grounds a few minutes later. She looked up at the huge stairway and gasped. "I forgot about the stairway…" She then saw Keitaro try to stand up, loosing quite a bit of balance. She gasped and quickly ducked under his left arm, offering him her support. "Careful…" She looked at him worriedly. He apologized for the sudden move and said his thanks. Keitaro and Naru started to walk up the stairs, with her supporting him with every step. By the time they got to the top, he thanked her again. Naru called out to the residents, "Keitaro's back! Give us a hand!!!!"

Within moments the other Hinata girls run out to greet them. Shinobu was the first one out. "Sempai!!!" She got under his right arm and hugged him tightly. "You're home!" Keitaro smiled and nodded. The others greeted him affectionately as if they were welcoming back an important member of the family from war. Naru sent Su down the steps to bring up Keitaro's wheel chair as the others helped her get Keitaro inside. Later that night, they had a delicious dinner to celebrate the fortunate turn of events that Keitaro is able to rejoin everyone back home, as their manager. Even though he is still unsure of his ability or his responsibilities that he had, the others encouraged him that in due time, he will regain everything. After all, they can't lose hope, especially not now.

After the meal, Naru helped him move to the garn to stare at the night sky. He smiled as he looked up at the stars. "I had a good day today, Naru." He spoke. Naru smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You showed me just how important my extended family here really is." He spoke a moment later. He smiled for a brief moment and then leaned in to kiss Naru on the cheek, taking her by surprise, making her blush instantly. "That's for earlier today. I must be the luckiest guy to have someone like you staying by my side all the time, even when I don't think I deserve it." He smiled and thought to himself, "I'm really starting to like her…"

Naru felt her face get hot as she got red. She couldn't hold back some of the tears of joy as she laid her head down on his shoulder. "He's starting to come back in one way or another…it almost seems…he's sweeter than ever…or is it…because I love him a lot more?" Her thoughts asked herself. Whatever the situation, she feels like the two of them can push through and overcome the obstacles that stand before them. "We'll be fine, as long as I continue to love him and take care of him, he will be alright. I know he will." The pair just stared up into the sky, looking at the stars above them, with Naru thinking of the long road ahead.

A/N: Well, I certainly hope you enjoyed this chapter. See how Naru and Keitaro fare in his difficult challenges ahead, in the next chapter! Note, the next few chapters may take a few weeks to be posted, all at once, as I am preparing to move to my new job site and it might take me some time to settle down and have internet restored.