Angel With No Wings

Part 5

No matter how tired he was, Genji wouldn't stop staring at the girl. He began to play with her golden hair and he placed his thumb on her forehead, rubbing the pad of his thumb in circles. Based on the look of the room, he knew this family was very rich, and rich families mean a father finding his daughter sleeping next to the patient she begged him to let under isn't exactly ideal. He decided, although he would have loved for her to stay longer, he needed to take her somewhere else.

Trying not to wake her, he placed her lying on the bed and stood up, his legs wobbling underneath him. He stared over the beautiful woman and bent over, kissing her lightly on the forehead. Taking his arms, he scooped her up, with his wounds on fire and barely able to hold her, he pulled her close to him bridal-style. Keeping the door open beforehand, he carried her out of the room and into the closest empty one. The halls were big and dark, but he could tell in natural lighting they would glow and show all of their expensive wonders. He saw a door, and pressed down on the handle to open the door. A bathroom. He went to the next door, and the next, and the next. At one point, opening the door to her father and mother's.

He finally found an empty room and placed her on the bed. He pulled the covers up and wrapped her up. He was surprised the woman stayed asleep. With another kiss on the forehead and a fluff of a pillow, he left the room, went back to his own, and passed out on the bed.

Waking up, Angela found herself in one of the many guest rooms. One that is usually given to younger couples. The sheets were warm, contrasting the cold air. She pulled up the blanket to her chin and closed her eyes again, but before she had the chance, Hana came into the room, holding one of her morning dresses.

"Good morning, M'lady! I must have checked every room for you! Your special day is almost here! Are you ready? Many suitors are coming from hundreds of miles away just for the chance of marrying you! You must be very special." Angela turned over in her bed

"I'm not. I'm just a normal girl who happened to be born into a rich family." Hana sat down at the foot of the bed. She rubbed her hand up and down Angela's ankle to relieve her.

"I know, this is such a challenging issue. I know you just want to live your life without having a husband forced onto you. If I could, I'd do anything to help you, but that is something I cannot help with. You, however, can change your own fate. You can make your future special, but first, we need to get dressed." Angela smiled at the young woman,

"For someone so young, you have quite the wise mind" Angela kicked off the covers and sat up. "I'll do it. I'll make this better. I can change my future!"

Genji rose from the bed, in pain and agony, but he knew the only way he was going to get better was to stay active. He stretched his body and began walking around the room, admiring the intricate interior. Everything he had been staring at from the bed, he could finally touch and feel. Small, framed pictures of what he assumed was Angela's family, paintings by popular artists, wardrobes and vanities carved in beautiful patterns. The curtains filtering the morning sun and only letting some light in to glow. This room was beautiful indeed, but he wanted to get out of there.

He opened the door with a creak and peaked his head out. The hall was empty. There was no sound, no movement, it looked as if it was a picture. He tip-toed out of the room and closed the door behind him as quietly as he could. He turned to his left and began walking down the long hall, long it was. You couldn't see where it ended. On his left were rows of doors that seemed to never end. On his right, a banister, when peaked you could see the floor down below, in which he assumed was the main hallway. He dragged his leathery hand down the banister as he walked. The farther down the hall he went, the clearer he could hear voices. They got louder and more distinct. He could tell they were two women.

"I just don't know what to do, Hana. Yes, my mother needs me to go tomorrow, but I need to tend to Genji. I made a promise that I'd see his health through. Father doesn't even want me near him. He said I must tend the ball tomorrow night or he will cast Genji out without hesitation. I can't let that happen, but I also can't keep away from him all day," Genji listened in on the conversation, and he realized he was a burden on the young girl.

"Well, m'lady,"

"Angela,"

"Sorry, Angela, you have to go to the ball tomorrow night. Maybe it's best if you let him recover for a day. Let him be, Dr. O'Deorain will take care of him for tonight."

"I know, I just don't think I'm ready to be courted. I'm too young, but I have no choice in the matter, do I?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but the solemn truth is, you don't. Your father has everything planned out and rea-"

"Maybe I don't want everything 'planned out', maybe I just want a day with no rules, no expectations, where I can just be free! Sorry Hana, I didn't mean to lash out on you. I'm just so tired of this pretentious life."

"Don't apologize m'la- Angela, I understand." Genji stepped away from the door. He felt as if he was weighing her down. He shouldn't be here, her father doesn't even want him here. Maybe, just maybe, he could prove to both of them he's worth keeping around. He wasn't ready to let go of such a wonderful person, so he has to prove to her father, maybe he's worth keeping.

Although Genji's hopes are high, word of his survival spread across the town faster than a slice from a blade. Once the news got to his childhood home, Hanzo set out to hunt him down, and kill him for good.

"Good morning, Mr.Shimada. It's time to take your medication," Moira woke him up with her swift and clear words. She had her normal clipboard with her. A black button-up shirt sloppily tucked into her pants and a purple tie under her brown vest. As usual, her vibrant red hair was slicked back and shiny, a few strands falling down to her sharp cheekbones. Genji knew she had at least some sense of style based on her daily attire, so before she handed him a handful of pills and a glass of lukewarm water, he asked one question.

"Dr. O'Deorain, are you going to the ball?"

"Uhm, I don't see how this is relevant to anything, but yes, I was cordially invited as a guest of the Zieglers."

"Is there a way I could go?" Moira looked up from her clipboard and her eyes grew wide.

"I-I'm not sure, I don't think you can, m-maybe it's for the best." Genji sighed.

"What are you not telling me, doctor?" Moira refused to make eye contact with the man. She poured the medication in her hand, and prepared a needle.

"Nothing, I just think it's in your best interest not to go."

"Am I allowed?"

"...Yes... well, no. Mr. Zeigler has personally asked me to not let you attend."

"And why not?"

"... It's time to take your medicine. Hurry up now, before you get tired."

"But I'm not-" Moira stuck a needle in his arm and he immediately felt drowsy. Moira forced the medication down as he dozed off into a deep slumber.