*Disclaimer: I didn't create Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon.
BSSM is worth millions and if I had that kind of cash, I'd
buy a house in the Berkeley area so that I wouldn't be
stuck in the dorm with an evil roommate. *shudders*

Medical Miracle
Chapter 3: The Sand in the Hourglass Slips By Unnoticed...
By: The Rose Society
Rating: PG-13
email: EtrlSlrMn@aol.com

	'Shimatta! I was supposed to have Nanami in the
chemo room 40 minutes ago. Dr. Hongo is going to think that
I'm irresponsible and can't handle patients. She looks mad
enough to yell.' Mamoru looked at the expression on Dr.
Hongo's face. 'Change that. She's mad enough to kill me!'
	Scowling, Dr. Hongo stepped right in front of
Mamoru. Planting her hands on her hips, she raised herself
to her full height, towering over Mamoru angrily. Mamoru
shrank back in fear. The flames of Hell roared behind the
doctor, an indication of how incensed she was.
	"Where in the world is Nanami? She's missed her
appointed chemo treatment," growled Dr. Hongo. "A nurse
paged me to inform me that my patient, who I thought was
being treated by my intern, was," Dr. Hongo pauses her rant
to glance at her watch, "forty-three minutes and 52 seconds
late. Care to explain as to why you are out here and not in
the chemo room with a sick little girl? Don't just stand
there like some useless moron, answer me CHIBA!" Dr. Hongo's
eyes narrowed as she glared at Mamoru. Despite her anger,
she could tell that there was something different about her
young intern. If she could only put her finger on it...
	Meanwhile, Mamoru could feel the flames emanating
from Dr. Hongo lick at his face, waiting to consume him.
"I...I...I..." stuttered Mamoru, face completely ashen in
the face of Dr. Hongo's wrath.
	Just then, a tenshi saved Mamoru from being burned
at the stake. "Chotto matte, Hongo-san," Usagi interrupted.
"Nanami-chan was really frightened of the chemo room and
Chiba-san had to wait until I arrived before Nanami-chan
would agree to go with him. Gomen nasai, Hongo-san. It was
my fault that she missed her appointment time," Usagi lowered
her head as she apologized.
	Mouth agape, Mamoru stared at Usagi in surprise. Why
was she doing this? She was only a volunteer. Dr. Hongo could
easily tell her not to come back again. Mamoru thought. If
his own shortcomings caused Usagi to be banned from the
hospital, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. Afterall,
patients needed Usagi's kindness. Didn't Nanami prove his
theory? He couldn't believe that Usagi was trying to protect
him. True, they had just decided to become friends, but when
had he ever done anything for Usagi that would warrant such
devotion and camaraderie from her? Even if it meant risking
his own neck, he couldn't let Usagi sacrifice her volunteer
position at the hospital. 'Well, I can kiss the dream of
becoming a doctor good bye. Once I tell Dr. Hongo the truth,
I won't even have a chance of obtaining a residency anywhere
in the world, let alone Tokyo Hospital. I just hope that
Motoki can get me a job at the Crown Arcade.'
	But before Mamoru could tell the truth behind the
whole situation, Tenshi Usagi performed another miracle that
day. Stunned, Mamoru's mouth flew open for the second time
this past hour.  For the first time since Mamoru first met
Dr. Hongo, her icy veneer cracked. That expression on her
face...it wasn't a grimace or even a smirk. It was a
honest-to-Kami-sama smile. She looked...happy? 
	"Oh, Usagi-chan, it's you," Dr. Hongo's face, which
had looked like a sinister gargoyle when she was yelling at
Mamoru, softened and took on a much more calmer and friendlier
look. "So Nanami got scared again. But I trust that you were
more than able to placate her, ne?"
	Lifting her bowed head, Usagi flashed a quick smile
at Dr. Hongo's compliment. "Hai, Hongo-san. I made a little
deal with Nanami-chan and she agreed. There shouldn't be any
more problems with future treatments. But I should have been
here sooner so that Nanami-chan wouldn't be late for her
treatment. I--"
	Before Usagi could apologize any further, Dr. Hongo
cut her off. "No need to apologize, Usagi-chan. I know how
your work can make you late from your normally scheduled
volunteering shift. Demo, you always try your best to make
the patients happy. You're always able to cheer the patients
up. That's why a colleague of mine asked that you visit a
patient of hers after you're done taking care of Nanami. Don't
worry about this incident. Now," Dr. Hongo commented as she
turned her attention back on Mamoru. "Chiba, I trust that with
Usagi-chan's help, you'll be able to complete your task
efficiently. You might want to become friends with her, Chiba.
She'll teach you more about being a doctor than I could." With
those mysterious words, Dr. Hongo walked back to finish her
rounds, heels clicking off into the distance.
	Slowly coming out of the temporary coma that he was
in after the shock of Dr. Hongo's sudden change in temperament,
Mamoru turned his head back toward Usagi. She had gone into
Nanami's room and was now coaxing Nanami into a wheelchair.
	"Come on, Nanami-chan. I know that you can walk fine,
demo it's hospital policy. Every patient going to the chemo room
has to be put into a wheelchair," wheedled Usagi.
	Groaning, Nanami reluctantly sat in the wheelchair. "I
feel dumb. Everyone is going to see me with no hair.
Usagi-onee-chan, what if they laugh?" she asked in a quiet voice.
	Kneeling in front of Nanami, Usagi took the girl's
small hands into her own. "Oh Nanami-chan. That's why you never
leave the hospital room. You're afraid the other kids will make
fun of you. Listen to me, Nanami-chan. Some kids can be cruel.
Your parents told me about some of those classmates of yours.
Demo their opinions mean nothing. They don't understand these
things. Not having hair is a beautiful thing too."
	"But your hair is beautiful. I just have a bald head,"
sniffled Nanami.
	Frowning at the girl's depression, Usagi tried once
more to reason with the child. "Iie. Hair is just hair. Many
people made fun of my hair. Your doctor for example. He used
to always called me 'Odango Atama'. You heard him just a little
while ago. Those comments used to make me so angry. Sometimes
they still do, like just then. But they made me sad too. I felt
like I was weird, different from everyone else. I was even going
to cut my hair short, like my friend Ami-chan's or Haruka-san."
	Completely forgetting to feel sorry for herself, Nanami
gasped. "Cut your hair? But it's so pretty." The little girl
picked up some of Usagi's golden strands and let them glide
through her fingers. At the doorway, Mamoru felt a sharp twinge
of guilt. He had said so many hurtful things to Usagi in the
past. He never thought of how much he had hurt the girl. And
here was Usagi trying to save his career by sacrificing one of
the few joys in her life. Usagi was so kind and forgiving.
Mamoru vowed to himself to make himself worthy of her immense
gift of friendship.
	Smiling, Usagi continued her story. "Arigato,
Nanami-chan. I'm glad that I didn't cut it. I began to see it
as a badge of courage. No matter what people said or did to
discourage me, I promised myself to always keep my hairstyle the
way I liked it to be. I was going to prove to the world that
they couldn't break my will. Your bald head is a badge of courage
as well. It shows that you are fighting the cancer, no matter
what it tries to do."
	Nanami once again grinned at Usagi's words of comfort.
"You are right, Usagi-onee-chan. It's my badge of courage. I'll
be strong, just like you, onee-chan, and prove to the world that
it can't defeat me." Returning Nanami's grin, Usagi stood and
started to push the wheelchair towards the door.
	Mamoru glanced at Usagi as she pushed Nanami's wheelchair
by him. Her smile that had been present during her talk with Nanami
had disappeared again. She seemed so sad. Something during her
conversation with Nanami had affected her, deeply. Mamoru fell
into step by Usagi's side, deep in thought over Usagi's behavior.
	"My Odango Atama has changed so much. She never stopped
smiling before," contemplated Mamoru.
	*snort* 'Except when she yelled at you for calling her
that abhorrent nickname.'
	*sigh* "You're back? Where's Self-Control?"
	'He won't be back for awhile. HAHAHA!' laughed the Voice,
with devilish glee. A mental image formed of poor Self-Control,
with swirls instead of eyes, tied up, gagged, and unconscious in
a corner of Mamoru's mind.
	Mamoru mentally sweatdropped at the Voice's antics. He must
be going insane, especially if he was conversing with himself. Iie.
He WAS insane because the voice in his head not only had a mind of
it's own, it was also cackling like some bad anime character.

(A.N. Think Emeraude, Zoicite (DiC version)...I could go on, but
this story isn't about that. =)

	Losing his mind would be the only explanation as to why
Usagi was able to bring out all these emotions in him. Never had
any other human being made Mamoru feel compassion or sympathy. His
heart had been encased in ice and steel of Mamoru's own making. Too
many years alone and friendless had almost crushed Mamoru. But he
had fought back and paid the price. Before he met Usagi, he was ice
personified. Perhaps he was even crueler than Dr. Hongo. At least
she seemed to be able to melt once in awhile. No, the Mamoru of
nine years ago always wore an arrogant smirk, as if he was laughing
everyone else who felt emotions. Even with Motoki, Mamoru had never
told him everything. Mamoru never went with Motoki to those various
extracurricular activities that Motoki was so fond of. Mamoru was
aware of his own good looks, even back then. How could he not notice
how girls would follow him around, whispering things like, "Check
out that luscious black hair!", "What I wouldn't give to be held in
those muscular arms?" or other such nonsense? But Mamoru would only
sniff in disdain and ignore the little looks, notes or gifts from
the flirtatious girls.
	Only a few girls ever extracted a response out of Chiba
Mamoru. Hino Rei annoyed Mamoru with her incessant clinging and her
talk of eternal devotion. Even Mamoru's icy comments and angry glares
had done nothing to convince the girl that he was not interested. A
little girl with golden curls, one of Mamoru's first memories after
the accident, elicited a feeling of comfort and companionship. 

*Flashback*

	Right after the car accident, Mamoru remembered waking up in
a strange bed. The hospital room was sterile and barren, completely
frightening the poor child. A doctor came and told him of his
situation. "Your parents are dead. You have no living relatives.
You'll be sent to an orphanage once you have recovered." After the
doctor left, Mamoru sat up at the edge of the hard mattress and
stared at his feet dangling above the brown tile floor. Lifting a
tiny hand to his head, he could feel the strange bandage covering
his head. Closing his eyes, Mamoru tried to remember what had
happened. But everything, his parents, his childhood, the feeling
of being loved and wanted, was gone. Suddenly, Mamoru could feel hot
tears fall from his eyes and onto his thin blue hospital pants. His
eyesight blurred as more tears slid down his face.
	Suddenly, Mamoru felt something warm being placed on his
lap. Startled, Mamoru peered between his hands that had been
covering his face as he cried. At first, all he could see was a
shiny gold object. But as he blinked his tears away, he realized
that the golden object was really a head. A tiny girl, only three
years old compared to his 5 and a half, had placed her head in his
lap in an effort to comfort him. Seeing that he had stopped crying
and was now staring at her in wonderment, the golden child in a
purple dress lifted up her head and looked into Mamoru's
tear-filled eyes.
	"Why are you sad? My okaa-san just had a baby. I'm going
to be a onee-chan. It's a special day today," said the golden girl.
Her hair was in the oddest style. There were two little balls, one
on each side of her head. "My parents died. I'm all alone." Mamoru
replied with a teary sniff. The girl looked down at the bouquet she
held in her hands. After a bit of a struggle since the bouquet was
half her size, the girl pulled out a single rose and held it out to
Mamoru.
	Looking at the rose, Mamoru was shocked. Holding out a
shaking hand, he took the offered gift. "Arigato," he said, shyly.
Smiling brightly, the girl gently set the rest of the bouquet down
and scrambled onto Mamoru's hospital bed. Giving him an impulsive
hug and a peck on the cheek, she asked, "Do you feel better?"
	Mamoru looked at the girl in surprise. She had shown him
so much love and understanding and she didn't even know him. "Hai.
Arigato. Gomen nasai, demo, who are you?" Giggling, the little
girl slid off the bed. Patting Mamoru's knee, she replied, "Your
new family. You don't have your parents. My parents are adding
to our family. Why not add you as well? You can be my onii-san."
Before he could respond, Mamoru heard a deep male voice calling
for his mesume outside in the hallway. The little girl picked up
the bouquet and skipped toward the door. Before she left though,
she turned once more toward Mamoru. "You're never alone. You'll
always have me as your family." With that, the little girl skipped
right out of Mamoru's life.

*End Flashback*

	This was one of Mamoru's most pleasant memories. In fact,
it was his only pleasant memory of the hospital or his childhood.
The hospital staff only looked at him in pity. When Mamoru arrived
at the orphanage, the children wouldn't play with him. He just
didn't fit in. While the other children had some memories of their
parents, Mamoru couldn't remember anything, not even a kiss
goodnight. Some of the other children made fun of him because of
his head injury, calling him all sorts of mean names. It was during
this time that Mamoru began building walls around himself. But
despite his cold exterior to the other orphanage children, Mamoru
never forgot the golden child from the hospital.
	'And what about Tsukino Usagi?' the Voice questioned.
	"What about her?" thought Mamoru.
	'What feelings does she bring out in you? Friendship?
Attraction? Lust? Or could it be something purer, more enduring?
What if it's Love?' taunted the Voice.
	But for once Mamoru had no biting retort for the Voice.
Tsukino Usagi was someone special to him, had been ever since she
had hit him with that wadded up test paper. That much he knew for
certain. But exactly how special, Mamoru didn't know or care to
discover at this moment. Feelings were a messy business and they
required extensive time and effort. Dr. Hongo held him to high
standards, which meant putting in extra time and energy into his
internship. He had been extremely lucky that Harvard had allowed
him to return to Tokyo to finish his internship and still receive
his medical degree from them. His excellent academic record had
to be maintained and Mamoru couldn't let his grades drop, no
matter how tired he was after working at the hospital. Luckily
for him, Mamoru only had classes a few days a week. But with
these two responsibilities looming over him, Mamoru knew he did
NOT want a girlfriend to juggle as well. A friend, yes, Mamoru
had time for a friend. He would talk to Odango at the hospital.
He would be more considerate when he talked to her and no longer
would he insult her or hurt her in any way. Mamoru would turn
himself into a good friend for Odango and maybe help ease her
sadness by doing so. After all, that was the least he could do
after the whole episode with Dr. Hongo. Maybe, Usagi would be
that rare person Mamoru could really talk to. Perhaps that's
what Mamoru felt for Usagi. Perhaps his odd feelings, emotions
he had never felt before, were a indication that she could be
a true best friend, a confidante that he never had. After all,
her compassion in dealing with Nanami just now proved that she
was a willing listener and a understanding soul.
	'Confidante? You love her, you BAKA!' screamed the
Voice. The Voice, preoccupied with trying to make Mamoru
realize the truth in front of his face, didn't realize that
the now-conscious Self-Control had a feral gleam in it's eyes
as it wiggled suspiciously in the corner.
	The four-lettered word threw Mamoru for a loop. Love?
That wasn't possible. Usagi was special to him, but it wasn't
love. But deep in Mamoru's heart, something felt wrong when he
thought those words. Confused, Mamoru thought, "What do I really
feel for Odango? Could it be..."
	*WHAM* *SQUISH* An enraged Self-Control, who had just
freed itself from the Voice's bindings, mercilessly squashed
Mamoru's train of thought. Self-Control reigned supreme once
again. Mentally shaking himself, Mamoru reprimanded himself,
recalling that he didn't have time to waste figuring out his
feelings for Odango Atama.
	As Mamoru began the chemotherapy treatment for Nanami,
Usagi clasped Nanami's hands in her own. Unseen by all mortals,
Time appeared and looked upon the scene with it's eternal and
wise eyes.
	"Unfortunately for you, young man, your words hold
truth. Both Chiba Mamoru and Tsukino Usagi have no time to
waste," Time intoned. "But it shall be wasted nonetheless..."
Time whispered sadly as it disappeared.

Translations:
	tenshi-angel
	chotto matte-wait a minute
	mesume-daughter
	arigato-thanks
	gomen nasai-I'm sorry
	demo-but

Author Notes:

	Um...good, bad, indifferent? Please send all questions,
comments, and constructive criticisms. 
Until the next chapter...

~The moonlight carries the message of love.~
~Tsuki no hikari wa ai no message.~ (Thanks to MG from SMRFF for this quote.)