Illusion

Mamouru frowned when he heard that Talia didn't have any mouth injuries. Maybe his suspicions were just that? He was about to shrug it off. At least, maybe, he wouldn't have to worry about the situation that knowledge might have put him in. Then the doctor took a minute to look over his charts. Mamouru's eyes widened as the doctor spoke.

'There's no way it can't be her.' Mamouru thought.

He was busy thinking it over when the doctor asked him how he knew. Mamouru shook his head. "Just a hunch." He added and tilted his head at the doctor's last words. "Those ones aren't usually the ones who get hurt. The ones who are out there just to entertain would never risk so much. If a wrestler is in your care, it's definitely for a different reason than failing at exhibitionism."

"Thank you for the information." Mamouru said and bowed. "I'll let you get back to your duties. Thank you for taking care of Talia-chan."

***********

Mercy was not prepared for Aurora's verbal assault when she answered the phone. "What do you mean, what the hell happened!?" She snapped back. "Isn't it pretty obvious?" Mercy wasn't a doctor but the signs of an ass beating were pretty universal.

Mercy shook her head. She was trying to be calm because she knew Aurora was out of sorts but at the same time, she was not fond of being questioned so thoroughly. "Listen, Aurora," Mercy said, trying to use a calmer tone and a more personable name. "Talia wasn't in a mixed match." Mercy pressed her head into her hands and then ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't mean to sound rude, but... you really DON'T know?"

Mercy sighed audibly into the phone. "Someone around here will love me telling you this, I'm sure. I'D like it more if the circumstances were different, but really I am just saying this because It's too painful for me to hear you like this. Talia was in an ambulance match. The only way her opponent could win was to put her in the hospital. Like, everyone saw it... it's just... no one knows who Talia is..." Mercy said, hoping Aurora would finally put it together.

Mamouru was back suddenly with his hand on Aurora's shoulder. "Is everything ok?"

"A-an ambulance match?" she asked hesitantly. Did she really just hear that? "Th-that's absurd!" Why would a girl as small as Talia ever do such a crazy match like that? She couldn't believe it. Mamouru placed his hand on her shoulder and it made her nearly drop her phone. "N-no...it's not..." she barely said before the swinging doors of the operating room opened up. She looked at what was carted in at first didn't really take notice. Then she looked again. The girl had brown hair...but it was her sister. This time, Aurora did drop her phone and her hands shook in horror.

On a hospital stretcher was the mangled form of her sister. All her clothes had been ripped off and replaced by a hospital gown. Her hair was a little bit wet from when they had to clean the blood out of it. A tube entered her mouth and was connected to a machine that a nurse pushed along beside her. The girl's chest was wrapped up very tightly in already red-stained bandages. But it was that lifeless look on Talia's face that made Aurora feel horrifically bad. Her hands immediately covered her mouth and she let out a pained gasp like she had just been stabbed in the heart. She watched speechlessly as they carted Talia into one of the rooms where the doctor and several nurses discussed a few things.

Aurora just stood there outside the room looking in at her sister's unconscious form. She managed to brave up and enter the room as the nurses finished setting up the devices and left. She looked to the doctor then back at her sister. "Is...is she in pain?" she asked to him.

He looked up at her and shook his head. "There's no way to tell for sure unless she tells us."

"Can't you give her something just to be sure?" she asked with a pained look on her face.

"We want her to wake up. Painkillers would only delay that." Aurora understood him but the crippled body of her sister was just too much to look at. As the doctor left, she collapsed into a seat and in no time started crying. She felt entirely responsibly. She should've been there for her sister. Not just for the match, but a whole year ago too when she left for Japan. If she had been there to support Talia, the girl would never have been put into any situation that would've left her like this.

Mercy grimaced at Aurora's helpless tone. "W-Well, she did sign the contract!" Mercy tried to say. It was all plain as day for Talia. Unless the girl was stupid enough to sign the contract without reading? ESPECIALLY in a place like AFW. But who was THAT dumb? "So... she must have known what she was getting into?" Mercy didn't know if that was going to help or not, but it was the only thing she could say. Then she heard the phone clack and crackle on the other end. She pulled the phone away from her ear. "What... the hell!?" She muttered. Mercy sighed. She was terrible at this sort of thing and leaned back into her chair, swiveling in her chair while she waited patiently for Aurora to come back on the line. She could forgive the girl considering the circumstances.

Mamouru watched the grizzly scene as Talia was pulled from the operating room. His eyes widened and he stared at the girl. She was definitely Talia but she also looked nothing like her in that state. Cassie had done good work on the girl and the heaviness of the situation was the only thing that kept him from smile. As much as he hated the girl, he didn't want her to die or never wake up. But... he hated her even more as he watched Aurora begin to crumble. Even as an unconscious bag of broken flesh, Talia was still out to hurt the people he cared for. His fists clenched tightly and he looked down to Aurora who was sobbing uncontrollably.

Mamouru knelt in front of her and took her hands in both of hers. "Aurora-chan." He said with a sorrowful look in his eyes. "She'll get better. She has to." He said, trying to soothe her. "I know she knows her onee-chan is with her now, watching over her and she'll feel your love. She'll get better, you'll see." He said, tilting his head and looking up at her with wide eyes.

Aurora cried as if she was alone in the room and no one could see her. She wanted to think that everything would be alright. She really did. Even though the doctor did remark how lucky Talia had been that they saved her life, the image of the injury in her head made Aurora think her sister would never be the same. Injuries like hers seemed traumatic and life altering. Why did this have to happen to her? Why Talia over everyone else? She opened her eyes and looked up at Mamouru when he knelt in front of her. Her tears had run the makeup on her face; two clearish gray streaks went down from her eyes.

Aurora leaned forward and grabbed ahold of him very tightly in a hug. She placed her face into his shoulder and continuing crying. "...why did it have to happen to her? What kind of person would do this?" she asked muffled by his shoulder between sobs. Something else crossed her thoughts as she asked that question just out of distress. Who did this? Her sobs slowed down and she opened her eyes again. Despite how peaceful Talia looked, Aurora could only think about how much pain she was in. How much it hurt everytime she breathed. "Mamouru...can you find who did this?" she suddenly asked somewhat grimly.

Mamouru stayed close, watching Aurora tear up was heartbreaking. And when she hugged him tightly, He returned her embrace with equal fervor. He hugged her tightly and his hand pressed against her head and his arms cradled her body. His free hand soothingly ran up and down her back. "Aurora-chan." He whispered softly into her ear.

When Aurora looked at him and asked her question, Mamouru froze. He turned his head and stared hard into the distance. He made sure to keep a firm grip on Aurora though. Finally after a long moment, he inhaled sharply. He turned back and stared into Aurora's eyes. "Aurora-chan...." He began, saying her name almost methodically. "I'm afraid that... I already know..." He said in a slow and steady tone.

"It was my former client, Cassandra Elliot..."

Aurora's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Cassandra Elliot?" He had mentioned her before. They never mentioned anything other than that however. "But...how do you already know? Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" She was more than just a little confused too. "Why did...why did...what kind of person was she? Why would she do this?" Aurora sighed and leaned her head against Mamouru. She wasn't sure what she would do with this information. It's not like she could just go out and get revenge or something. But at least she had another name to blame.

Then she suddenly backed her head away. "Didn't you say they were friends?" She asked almost offended by the realization.

Mamouru was assaulted by the sudden questions. Of course he had to expect something along the lines that Aurora was speaking but it was still a lot to process with how rapidly she questioned and accused him. He tried to remain stoic though.

"A-Aurora-chan, please..." He said, setting a firm hand on her shoulder. "I only just figured it out myself." He said. "Cassie-san... was not the sort of person who would ever do something like this to Talia-chan." Was that the right word? was? Was Cassie NOW the sort of girl who WOULD do that? And if she was, Mamouru knew that it was, at least, partially his fault. He clenched his free hand and looked away from Aurora. He had given Cassie the tools to succeed. And then? Well, now she was gone. It had been such an easy thing for her to do too. At least, it seemed that way. He knew it couldn't have been. or hoped.

"Cassie-san and Talia-chan were friends yes. But... " Aurora couldn't know THAT much. At least, Mamouru couldn't bring himself to tell Aurora that her precious imoutou was a horrid bitch who deserved what she got. He doubted that even if Aurora understood that much, that she might not accept it. Mamouru slipped his hands into Aurora's and squeezed them tightly. "Aurora-chan, let's focus on Talia-chan. On her recovery and making sure that she has support while she's recovering. Isn't that the most important thing?

***

Mercy had waited long enough. The girl had not even said hold on or wait a minute and she had heard fuzzy voices int he distance. She slammed her receiver down and growled. After turning up her music to a loud volume and tapping her foot to a song, she pulled the receive back up and redialed Aurora's cell phone, hoping that she could get it to ring. This girl was really aggravating Mercy and using her sister's unfortunate injuries as a way to just be a rude bitch. Mercy was having a hard time just letting it all pass.

As emotional as she was, Aurora closed her eyes and pulled Mamouru close again. As upset as she was that he seemed to be defending Cassie, he was right about one thing. Everything like payback or justice or whatever you wanted to call it could wait. At the moment, Aurora needed to be there for her sister. She gently pushed Mamouru off her and got to her feet. She slowly walked over to the bed and looked at her sister. The brown hair was a surprise. She wondered if she'd seen Talia already once and simply hadn't realized it was her because of it.

Aurora slipped her hand into Talia's and squeezed it. Some part of her hoped it would suddenly wake her little sister up. But it didn't. In fact, if it wasn't for the constant beeping of the EKG next to her, Aurora may have thought she was actually dead. Her eyes watered up again and tears ran down her face though she didn't sob. She had to be strong for her sister. There was a chair nearby and she pulled it up beside the bed. She sat down and held Talia's hand between hers and gently rubbed it. "Hang in there Tal..."

All the while her phone vibrated on the floor in the hallway as Mercy called back.

Mamouru held Aurora tightly for as long as she needed to. It was strange. They had really only just met and Mamouru couldn't help but wonder how they were already sharing so much with one another. He'd never felt so instantly bonded with another girl... except maybe...

Mamouru held Aurora for as long as she needed and when she pulled away, he let her go. He watched her turn and look to Talia and he stepped up next to her. The girl actually looked sort of peaceful despite the tubes and that were sticking out of her. It was hard to get angry but he felt himself squeezing the rail of her bed tightly. She'd nearly ruined his life... Mamouru turned and looked at Aurora. And... in some ways might have possibly saved it. Still... what she had done to Cassie and everyone he cared about. That was unforgivable.

Mamouru sighed when Aurora spoke. He turned and looked at her and rubbed her back gently. "I'll give you some time alone." He said. "Let me know when you're ready."

Mamouru squeezed Aurora's shoulder and stepped out of the room. She looked down and saw Aurora's phone buzzing in the hallway. He leaned down, picked it up and pushed the on button, lifting the phone to his ear. "Wrenn-san?"

"MERCY!" She screamed into the phone as soon as she heard Mamouru's voice. She panted into the phone, pressing her hand against her chest. "S-Sorry." She apologized. "I-I've just been trying to call back for like ten minutes. Id everything ok!?"

Mamouru smiled. "Talia-chan is stable. Aurora's in there now. I think that there's not much more that can be done. Arigatou."

"Yeah, well. I hope she gets better. Thanks for not leaving me hanging. Sorry I yelled. I..." Mercy paused. "Yeah, ok, bye."

"Sayonara."