Rehab Ch. 7:

Minako did not see the unnerving Dr. Shodo again for several days. In the meantime, she was beginning to make progress convincing her new doctor that she was well on her road to "recovery": her parents were even coming to congratulate her on her supposed "improvement" in two days. Her new doctor also was certainly more polite than the piercing Dr. Shodo, he had actually asked if it was all right for her to be monitored today by a visiting doctor, who was showing an interest in reparative brain surgery for mental patients.

She should have known something was up the moment they said that the doctor was a brain surgeon.

For not five minutes later, Dr. Chiba Mamoru walked through the door, the hopeful light in his eyes too blatant to ignore, and not for the first time she wondered if being with Usagi-with her expressive eyes and open heart- had not done more damage than good to her handsome prince. True, he had come out of his shell in recent years, but she would be the first to know that expressing emotions was dangerous: it made one vulnerable to attacks, both physical and emotional.

She was so focused in her contemplation that she only caught the last of the cursory introductions that only doctors seemed to enjoy.

"Aino-san, this is Doctor Chiba, he is interested in interviewing you for his research."

She could not quite help the baleful smile she gave Doctor Chiba.

"Ah yes, Doctor Chiba, how nice to see you."

She was pleased to see Mamoru flinch a little. She was glad he finally learned that she could sic her senshi on him if he made her angry. And she was angry. Though Minako was a little unsure as to why.

Her new doctor turned back to Mamoru, an apologetic smile on his face.

"I'm sorry I cannot give you more word on her condition. She is apparently suffering from severe delusions, but-"

Mamoru interrupted him, using his "King of the World" voice.

"Thank you, Doctor Kanzaki, but, if you do not mind, I would like to conduct my own interview with the patient. Alone."

Her poor new doctor almost stuttered in his attempt to acquiesce Doctor Chiba's request.

Once the door closed behind him, she immediately opened her mouth to scold him, but he beat her to it, availing her with questions she was not prepared to answer.

"Where is he, Minako-chan? Is he here?"

Minako could only gape at his stupidity, and answered him in a tone none too polite.

"No, he isn't! And a good thing, too! He is starting to regain his memories! If he sees you, he may remember everything!"

Mamoru looked at her with confusion.

"And how is that a bad thing? I understand the memories will be painful, but if it gets him back-"

"Mamoru! We do not yet know if he is evil! Leave at once!" Actually, Minako knew that he probably wasn't evil, but like hell was she going to trust her gut when it came to him again.

Mamoru's eyes narrowed, and Minako knew she had gone too far.

"Who does not know yet? You or us? Also, Venus-san, you may feel that he is a threat to your Princess, but he is my Shitennou. Do not question my actions regarding him again."

Minako wisely shut up on that subject, and progressed to another topic, while pretending to look idly at her nails.

"So, how soon can you get me out of here? Obviously the others figured out that having me conveniently disappear was not the wisest idea."

Mamoru glanced at her with the expression Usagi claimed used to make her blood boil when they fought at the arcade. Minako could suddenly understand why her liege would get so frustrated. The knowing look and sardonic grin were certainly worthy of blood boiling.

"Yes. Hotaru-chan was quite worried for you, and Rei-chan and Mako-chan had to be held back by force. I did not realize that Ami-chan had such a grip."

Minako could not help the proud smile that adorned her lips, but soon she felt the smile slip away as she bit her lip nervously.

"And Usagi-chan?"

Mamoru sighed, all previous levity forgotten at the mention of the person they both loved so much.

"Usako was upset, that much you could have guessed. She snuck out shortly after the meeting to confront your parents. We do not know what they said to her, but when we found her she had snuck back in your house and was sitting on your bed in senshi form and crying her eyes out."

Mianko swore for the thousandth time to kill Usagi for her carelessness. Sailor Moon sitting on her bed crying was not a sight her parents needed to see.

"The Outers have only vague recollections of my Shittennou, and so did not understand what made the inners so upset when they read the mark on Hotaru-chan's hand. Oh, and Haruka-san says you will pay for hurting her girl, by the way."

Minako gave a tight-lipped smile.

"Let her think of something better, then."

Minako bit her lip, agonizing over whether she really wanted to know the answer to this question.

"Have their been any sightings of the others?"

"No."

The answer was so clipped that Minako knew he was either lying or that there had not been, despite his attempts to find them.

"I am going to speak with the doctor in charge, get you released into my care. I already got your family's permission. This facility would release you to pretty much anyone with the credentials to back it up. And I already got permission to use you in a case study."

Minako smirked at the thought of her Doctor Shodo returning to find she was gone. He would be furious.

"Thanks, Mamoru-san. How long is this going to take? I want a milkshake."

Mamoru rolled his eyes, all previous tension dissolving.

"A day or so. I already have most of the paperwork. It will be a little while because I am circumventing getting your current doctor's permission."

*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h*h

The next day Minako was as fidgety as Usagi on Free Chocolate Day at her favorite candy store. She was anxious to get out, and had a feeling that the sooner this happened the better.

Mamoru arrived at precisely nine o' clock in the morning to release Minako. It all went fairly smoothly, that is, it went smoothly until her old doctor spotted her as he was coming out of his office.

She quickly glanced at Mamoru to see him light up like the child he must have been at some point, maybe, smiling as he looked at his shitennou. Minako wanted to puke.

Her doctor was clearly preoccupied with the release documents in Mamoru's hand. Dr. Shodo's well-defined face quickly turned into what could only be described as a professional–looking scowl. Mamoru was also clearly not so far gone in his magical land of reunion that he failed to notice this scowl.

Minako was then a witness to the best nonverbal pissing contest ever as both men glared at each other before whipping out cell phones and retiring into separate offices: Dr. Shodo back to his own, and Mamoru to a convenient one nearby. She briefly wondered if other doctors were territorial about their offices.

Minako herself, after receiving a roguish wink from Mamoru, was led into a waiting room and given back the clothes she had arrived in, but not her 'jewelry'.

Half an hour or so later, Minako was getting concerned. She had faith in Mamoru, of course, but he had only recently received his medical license. Dr. Shodo was obviously more experienced in the ways of the medical field.

Just then, Mamoru walked in, and Minako leapt up brightly from where she had been splayed across the uncomfortable furniture in an attempt to make it more comfortable.

"Well, Doctor Chiba", she purposely drew out the syllables in his name, "am I to be released?"

Doctor Chiba opened his mouth to reply, but was beaten to the punch. Though, by his expression, punching might be the result of this reunion after all. It just wouldn't be Minako doing the deed.

"Actually, you are, Aino-san. But as Doctor Chiba is lacking experience, you will be released into my care, and he will be able to conduct supervised visits with you."

Minako managed to gape and glower at the same time, each expression reserved for the men in the room, though it was unclear which was for whom.

She surveyed them with growing anger. Dr. Shodo looked less like road kill and more like the general who had swept her off her feet. Literally. And usually up a tree. Minako blushed and hated herself for it.

She wondered briefly if he had noticed. She hated herself more upon that thought.

The self-hate continued when she jerked upon feeling his warm hand on her shoulder to lead her out of the facility.

Minako was now convinced that this was a step backwards. Disappearing was beginning to look more appealing by the second, especially as Mamoru lifted his cell phone as she passed with the look of a man walking to his own execution.

Strange, that was how Minako felt, too.