[Ranma][FanFic] A Child's Prayer
Tabyk
mind attempted to process the horrors and realizations of
the last few 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
revised: 06/03/2001
This short fanfic is not part of any other stories,
though it may be used as a basis of another future story
I'm working on. The idea for this came from no specific
source, it just appeared one night and I had to write it
down because I wasn't going to get any sleep otherwise.
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 fairly new to writing, any C&C will
be gladly accepted.
--- Tabyk (ta...@qwest.net) (http://home.dal.net/tabyk)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She 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, she paused
in confusion.
"Mrs. Saotome?"
Pushing herself into speech she replied, "Yes. Can I
help you gentlemen?"
"Mrs. Saotome, we were hoping 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 at this time. We were hoping that you could come
with us to take a look at him."
Shocked now 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 identifying him."
"Of... of course... certainly. Um... let me get my
things and I'll be right out." After grabbing her purse
and coat she followed the uniformed officers to their car,
and quickly found herself underway through the noon rush.
"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."
Silence was their only reply, and after waiting for
several minutes she took a deep breath and finally asked,
"If... if you don't mind me asking, where did you find the
child?"
Grimacing at the traffic, the officer driving answered
with, "He was found about 15 kilometers outside of town
headed in this general 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-" 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
by saying, "The boy was delirious when we found him, though
considering his condition that was not surprising. That
was four days ago. We've been trying to identify him
since, and he's currently getting the best medical care we
can provide."
"We did some checking up in the area where we found
him, along with any possible towns or villages that he may
have passed while moving, and we eventually found a missing
child report that had been filed by your husband, Saotome
Genma, 6 days ago."
Turning sympathetic eyes towards her he continued, "As
the investigation was started, however, your husband was
shortly afterward picked up on charges of petty theft,
vagrancy, assault, and... and 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 didn't register.
When they finally reached the hospital, a feeling of
absolute fear suddenly grabbed her and 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 and she started to shake when she noticed
that they were getting off at the psychiatric ward.
Slowly following the two officers onto the floor she
waited as one of them caught a passing nurse and asked 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
think of this as good at this point in time."
She jerked when one of officers gently touch her
shoulder, the shaking almost uncontrollable at this point.
Pausing to look at her the officer finally said, "When you
are ready, Mrs. Saotome."
Closing her eyes she took several deep breaths as she
tried to collect herself. After a couple moments she
finally looked at the officer and nodded her head, not
trusting herself to speak at that particular moment.
A quick walk later she found herself standing before
the doorway of room 413, her view inside momentarily
blocked by the two officers as they talked with a third
officer who appeared to be standing guard there. After a
few words were exchanged the two entered the room. Taking
another moment to steel herself, she also stepped inside.
And was confronted by the sight of a boy whom she
already knew had to be her son. Bandages covered a large
portion of his body and multiple IV drips were hooked up to
him, though these did not conceal the large white straps
that tied both his arms and legs down to the bed. His face
was as gaunt as the rest of his body, and dark shadows
surrounded his eyes as testimony of the rest he obviously
had not been getting. And then there were the boy's vacant
eyes...
Taking a single trembling step forward she suddenly
found herself falling to the floor, her legs no longer able
to hold her. Strong hands grabbed under her arms from
behind, and she found herself being supported by the
officer who had been standing outside when they'd arrived.
Getting back to her feet took more effort then she'd
anticipated, and approaching the bed itself turned into
possibly the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life.
"Mrs. Saotome?"
The officer's voice cut through the room startling
her. Slowly taking her gaze away from her son, she looked
at him.
"Mrs. Saotome? Is this your son Saotome Ranma?"
Moving her gaze back to the bed as the memory of a
smiling 5 year old boy was totally destroyed, she finally
managed to choke out a quiet "Yes. Yes, this is my son."
"Thank you Mrs. Saotome," said the officer, and with a
bow they left.
Suddenly 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 long minutes nothing happened, but finally
the boy's head slowly turned and he looked directly at her,
though no recognition showed in his eyes. Caressing his
face once more she said, "Ranma? It's me. It's Mom.
Don't you recognize me?" but stopped from saying more as
her voice broke.
Gently taking one of his hands 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. Carefully lowering his
hand back to the bed she closed her eyes as shock, despair,
and anger warred within her. It had taken a moment to
notice them, but once she had...
The scratches were everywhere, covering every inch of
exposed flesh that she could see. Most were tiny, shallow,
though there were many deep scarring ones as well. What
had he done, the man who called himself her husband, to
cause such a thing to their only son?
Hearing the gentle knock on the door, Nodoka looked up
to see a nurse 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 suddenly shot her she added, "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,
often 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, the
restraints tying him to the bed straining to hold him in
place. Finally shaking 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. He stared at her
face, and she watched as his eyes really looked at her for
the first time, and then tears began to fill them.
"Momma?" The tiny voice, weak like a small child's,
reached out to her and twisted her heart.
"It's me, Ranma, I'm here."
Right then the officer stationed outside her door and
four orderlies ran into the room, only to stop at the sight
before them. Nodoka turned to face them, tears threatening
the corners of her eyes, and said in a shaky voice,
"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 "momma."
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
officer who was 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." When he failed to move, she practically screamed
"IMMEDIATELY!"
With a sigh the officer 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.
You're safe. Everything is going to be fine."
Moments later Ranma started to shake his head and in
that same tiny voice said, "I don't want to go back into
the pit again Momma. I don't want to anymore... I don't
want to..."
Holding him tightly she beat down the furious anger
that those simple words caused her and in as soothing voice
as she could muster said, "You don't have to anymore Ranma.
You're safe now. You don't have to go anywhere you don't
want to. I've got you now. You're safe."
His tears soaking through her shirt he clung to her,
shaking, while she held him. It was some time before he
shifted a little into a more comfortable position and
relaxed. And just when she thought he'd finally fallen
back asleep she hear him whisper.
"And now I lay me down to sleep..."
It took everything in her to not suddenly laugh out
loud as 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 just as suddenly the joyful moment vanished.
This wasn't the-
"And should I dream, before I wake..."
...
"I pray to Cat that death me take."