The Geek's Game | NaLu Fan Fiction [3rd place in FTWattyAwards Romance]

A Change of the Mind a Change of the Heart

Chapter 6 - recap

Natsu burst out of the locker room. He scooped me up in his arms and nodded to Gildarts. They took me outside to Gildart's car where they laid me in the backseat, resting my head on Natsu's lap.

"What's the matter Lucy?" Natsu whispered.

I put all of my will into moving my arm, and though it took me a minute I placed it to my head before it dropped again. Then new waves of pain broke out and I screamed in agony. Natsu and Gildarts visibly winced. That's when we arrived at the hospital.

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Chapter 7 - A Change of the Mind, A Change of the Heart

We got into the hospital and as they told the nurse what had happened I was being placed on a gurney and wheeled down to the ER. A doctor came in and began asking me yes or no questions. He eventually figured out the pain was in my head. They immediately took me to get a CAT scan and an MRI.

After we finished all of those they gave me painkillers and put me in a hospital room so they could monitor me while we waited for the results. I fell asleep almost immediately. I only woke up when I felt a warm sensation on my forehead before someone whispered, "I'll be right back, I promise." I fell back into a dreamless sleep, too tired to open my eyes and see who it was.

A little while later I woke up, the kiss on my forehead forgotten. I look around and see Natsu sitting in the chair next to the bed that I was currently inhabiting. The second I moved Natsu looked at me. He gave me a halfhearted smile.

"Hey Luce," he greeted me.

I smiled at him, finally being able to move my muscles again, "..hey," I reply in a scratchy voice.

"How are you feeling?" He glances over me.

"Do I really need to answer that?" I stutter a laugh.

"No I guess not," he shakes his head.

"You know," Natsu turns to face me as I speak, "I thought I'd be the one visiting you in the hospital - with how careless you are." I manage to speak with my mutilated voice.

He laughs, "Looks like I'm just good at what I do."

"There goes that ego," I shake my head, "Mr. Basketball Star."

Then the door opens. A doctor steps in and silently closes the door.

"We have your test results back Ms. Heartfilia," she stands by my bed.

"It seems you have a small tumor growing on your brain, and lucky for you it's right in an area that is easiest and safest to remove it from." she tells me.

I stare at her having gone paler than paper. She notices it and leans down to my level. "Everything will be fine, the surgeons are preparing an operation for you. They are going to completely remove it and you will continue life as normal," she assures me.

"Thank you," I breathe and she turns and leaves. I look at Natsu. He is staring right as me and my eyes widen for a second and I quickly look away. I glance at him again and realize he is wearing his lucky basketball jacket. He must be nervous and worried to be wearing it, since it's not a game.

I put head in my hands and silent tears fall. Then I feel Natsu grab my hand and hold it tightly. I close my eyes and cry quietly. All my built up stress and emotions just spilled over, and let loose like a torrent from my eyes.

"Tears are just oceans of emotion, unspoken words of the soul." that's what my mom used to say when I cried. I eventually simmered down and Natsu let go of my hand. I almost reached out to stop him but I sat there letting my bangs cover my eyes. Then I fell back into my pillow and hummed the tune of my song before drifting off, being carried through a dreamless sleep. When I awoke again I found it much more difficult to stay awake.

I was barely conscious, but I could make out the spiky pink hair of the person in the chair next to me. As I slowly gained awareness the room became clear. Natsu was passed out in the chair beside me. Wendy was on the couch against the wall. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply.

I knew I would be okay after it was gone. For now the painkillers where doing their job, and I couldn't feel it anymore. The silence of the room was unfamiliar. The soft beeping of the monitoring machine was keeping time to a perfect beat, so I softly began to hum the tune of the song I was writing. Right as the last note died away the door opened and Natsu woke up. The doctor came in along with a nurse.

"Miss Heartfilia, are you ready?" The doctor asked standing next to the bed. I nodded slowly, growing nervous. Natsu blinked and stared at me, and then got up.

"It's time?" He questioned the doctor.

"Yes, we are ready to start her surgery."

They put me in a wheel chair and took me to get changed into a hospital gown. Then I reached the operation area. It was one giant room, with lots of little rooms sectioned off in the walls, and inside of them you could see people going into surgery or coming out, while others where closed and some empty. I took a nervous breath. I was about to have my head cut open alien movie style.

I was hoisted onto the table and the anesthesiologist came in and prepared the anesthesia while the surgeon began prepping. Before I knew it I was out and then coming too. My head hurt like it had been whacked with a metal bat. I winced but then the nurse injected pain killer into my arm. The pain eased a little after that. They had cut into the side of my head behind my ear, a little piece of my hair had been shaved away but other than that it was fine.

I was wheeled out of the room and back to my own where Natsu was the only one waiting. The nurses sat me on the bed and told me I could leave within twenty four hours. After they left Natsu got on the bed with me. He stared at me. He reached his hand up to my cheek and I winced as I felt a little pain as he ran his hand over it.

"I guess they had to cut pretty far down," he says kinda spacey.

"Natsu, it's fine," I tell him.

"You sure Luce?" He looks me dead in the eye. I nod my head but as I do he pulls me towards him and into his chest. My head rests against his shoulder and I was curled up in his lap. At that moment I didn't care about him and Lisanna. Right now, it was about me and him. And that's all I really wanted.

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Chapter 8 - Returned, and Ready for Battle! - preview

Levy gave me a flying tackle hug. She had small tears running down her cheeks as she embraced me tightly, as if too keep me from ever leaving her - or escaping death via Levy Hug.

"Levy, Levy it's okay now," I reassure her.

"Well Lu, you won't believe what happened while you and Natsu where gone!" She exclaimed.

"What, what happened?" I wonder.

Levy looks around before leaning close to my ear, "Lisanna kis-" she was cut off by Natsu who had Lissanna clinging to him.