"Finally resting, huh?" Fate had been watching a rerun of Mononoke Hime on low volume, relying on subtitles to follow the movie. Glancing up, she saw it was Ginga and she gave a small nod, "She tried to fight it, but once her medications hit, she was gone."
The bodyguard leaned over the guard railing to study the resting executive. Her verdant green gaze was soft and full of unhidden longing, and Fate pondered if she should give them time alone. Then, Ginga reached over to gently brush back the woman's fringe and Fate was shocked at the dark streak of possessiveness that raced through her to see someone else touching her boss like that. Perplexed at her visceral reaction, she leaned back and crossed her arms, fingers gripping the inside of her elbows. All thoughts of leaving the two alone had left her mind.
"Will we be remaining until dinner?" Ginga asked, eyes still on the sleeping woman.
Fate ducked her head, embarrassed but firm, "Sorry to be a bother, I would like to stay until visiting hours are over."
The bodyguard nodded, "I will let Rein know to bring something for the both of you. Any preferences?"
Thinking for a moment, Fate nodded, "Sushi, if you please."
Her request had apparently surprised Ginga, and the blonde twirled a strand of gold around one finger, "I figure it would be easier for Nanoha-san if she could eat with her hand."
Dipping her head, the bodyguard departed, presumably to text Rein.
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Nanoha woke to another pounding headache. The room was darkened, and it felt as if evening had fallen. She tried to draw in a deeper breath and found herself stymied by the bindings still around her waist and torso. A familiar frustration settled over her. As someone who prided herself in being fit and independent, who put in great efforts to remain in good condition, it was the most mortifying thing to lay here, helpless, with Ginga, of all people, being one of those tasked with her safety.
These were the consequences of her actions, and she would just have to grow up and deal with it. She didn't have to enjoy it, though. Again, a warmth blanketed her right arm, and a quick glance confirmed that the blonde had once again dozed off on the side of her hospital bed. The woman's face was turned towards her and Nanoha felt some of the jackhammers in her brain recede while she studied the angel.
Tendrils of flaxen silk had fallen over her eyes while she slept, and Nanoha was gratified to see that Fate's rest appeared peaceful. Her breathing was easy, drawn through a straight nose with a bridge that Nanoha knew crinkled adorably whenever the woman gave a real, heartfelt smile. The gentle curve of her jaw swept up to sculpted cheekbones that emphasised the timelessly classic shape of her face. Sandy gold lashes lay thick on the princess' cheeks, framing eyes shaded with the finest crimson hues that entranced the Japanese woman whenever she saw them.
Nanoha felt her arm moving of its own volition to slip out from under the warm fall of the woman's hair. Fully cognisant that she was far from regaining her fine motor control, Nanoha only dared comb aside the soft strands of gold covering the woman's eyes. It was still clumsy and the executive cursed when even that was enough to prompt those thick lashes to flutter, eventually lifting to reveal softly sleepy eyes that took a while to focus.
"That cannot be comfortable," Nanoha looked on guiltily when Fate slowly rose to sit up with a wince. Yawning, Fate reached up, stretching her long torso, still not all awake and missing the sudden flash of desire in the Japanese woman's eyes. "It's comfortable enough," Fate argued in a sleep-muddied soprano. Glancing down, eyes hidden under the curtain of her too-long fringe, Nanoha held out the hand that she could use, "May I borrow your phone a moment, please?"
Rubbing her eyes and looking far too cute for Nanoha's own good, the blonde absently used her thumbprint to unlock her phone and passed it to the executive. A long silence finally pulled Fate into the waking present and she blinked blearily at the supine form who was staring up at the phone's screen in pure bafflement.
'...Oh shit, oh no, oh fuck!' Remembering the last thing she'd been looking at, Fate hastily snatched her phone back and silently groaned. The image of her boss that her past self had taken was right there, and her head fell, mouth working but nothing intelligible coming out. "I… uh, I don't…"
Nanoha simply lay there, dumbfounded to find herself from a week ago in the blonde's phone. She hadn't even known that Fate had snapped a picture of her then. Old Fate. This Fate was floundering like a beached dolphin, lost and struggling for a satisfactory answer for the actions of her past self. Nanoha wished she had an answer for the spluttering blonde, but she simply did not.
"You… uh," Fate could see the other woman licking nervously at her Cupid's bow lips, obviously trying to find an answer she didn't appear to have, either. "I mean, before you lost your memories… Y-You did mention you liked that, uh," Nanoha cleared her throat awkwardly, "That kind of look." Her cast-encased arm lifted to scritch awkwardly at her cheek, "M-Maybe you… she… took it for reference." 'Kami, could this get any weirder?!'
Seizing the lifeline the executive had so kindly lowered for Fate, she nodded almost too enthusiastically, "Th-That makes sense. Yes. Y-You did look good. Perhaps she pl-planned to purchase something similar for h-herself. Ahaha. Hahaha. Haha…" The excuse sounded lame as hell but it was better than anything else either woman could think of. Both had cheeks that felt too warm and neither could look at the other, finding extreme interest in mundane things like bed covers and the ceiling.
It was into this ungainly silence of epic proportions that Ginga walked in, carrying a takeout baggie with their dinners. Coming to a stop near the bed, she glanced from one blushing woman to the other, green eyes squinting suspiciously, "Is everything all right?"
"FINE!" Fate chirped, voice a tad too high.
"YES!" Nanoha yelped, alto strained.
Both stared at the other before Nanoha cleared her throat again, tearing her eyes away from Fate's to belatedly greet the bodyguard. "Konbanwa, Ginga-san." Good evening. The bodyguard's smile was tight. "Rein brought dinner since Fate-san wished to stay." Nanoha nodded stiffly and felt around for the remote button to raise the incline of her bed. "Domo~," she thanked Ginga before glancing at the blonde who was plucking apprehensively at a fold in the bed covers.
"Fate-san, apologies, I still need to borrow your phone."
The blonde straightened from her embarrassed study of her feet, "Oh! Yes, sorry." Unlocking her phone out of Ginga's sight, she quickly swiped away the offending image and handed it to Nanoha.
Pulling up the contact list, the executive found Hayashibara and hit call. While the executive was occupied, Fate made to get the overbed table only to find Ginga anticipating what she had planned to do. She thanked the bodyguard softly, the woman simply nodding and placing the takeout bag on the table's surface. With one last look over her shoulder at Nanoha, Ginga left the room.
Rein studied her subordinate's speculative expression and made a secret bet with herself. "Rein, you said that client two had lost her memory?" 'Bingo.'
"Mhm. Why?" Eyes that missed little continued to watch the lavender-haired woman who seemed to be trying to wrap her mind around something. "I don't know. It doesn't feel like they're strangers." Rein merely dug into her Oyako Don or chicken and egg rice bowl for a moment, enjoying the excellent melding of tastes in her mouth. "Perhaps she had some qualities that Miss Takamachi felt were compatible with herself. Who knows?"
"I suppose…" This blonde was seeming to be more than a simple acquisition from a random account and it worried Ginga. Nanoha's reticence was one thing, but if she was going to have competition from a client she'd been contracted to guard, that would complicate things greatly. "Don't forget your own dinner," Rein reminded her. Nodding, Ginga wandered off to the basement cafeteria now that it was her turn for a break.
Rein watched her subordinate's departure with a faint measure of amusement. 'Well, no one said the things worth having would be easy to get.'
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"Hayashibara-san."
"T-Takamachi-san! How may I serve you?" Rumours had been swirling in the company when an extended leave of absence had been filed for both Operations executives from Yagami's own office and the man had feared that their most competent leader was in trouble.
"I want the most comfortable portable bed available installed in an ICU ward in St. Luke's. Get the exact ward number from Miss Yagami's office. Also, send an Aeron chair to the same ward. Run it through Miss Yagami's office if you encounter any roadblocks. I request that you keep this under wraps."
Slouching in relief to hear that this was all under the auspices of the CEO herself, Hayashibara bowed even though the EVP couldn't see him, "Hai, at once Takamachi-san."
"Thank you, Hayashibara-san. Have a good evening." Killing the call, Nanoha dialled a different number by heart. Fate had left to find some wet wipes for them and the executive had to strike while the iron was still hot.
"Hai, Fate-san?"
"Haya-chan."
"Nano-chan! You sound so much better. How are you feeling?"
"Better." The executive's abbreviated answer was frustratingly typical of the woman and Hayate wanted to reach through the phone to strangle the woman. "Nanoha… we almost lost you and that's the best you can give me?"
"It's not important." Hayate seemed about to argue just what was and wasn't important but the auburn-haired woman ploughed through, time was short. "I need you to contact Alph of Testarossa Inc., Erio Mondial and Caro Ru Lushe and explain what I told you about not telling Feito-chan anything. Tea or Subaru should be able to get their contact deets for you."
"...Nano-chan." Ignoring the fist squeezing the life out of her heart, Nanoha's voice hardened, "Haya-chan, please. You didn't see the state she was in. You…" Her throat bobbed, "You didn't hear her… her screams." Those screams would haunt the executive for a lifetime and beyond. "Promise me you'll do this. Please."
Nanoha hated asking for anything. For her to beg like this was unprecedented and Hayate had already heard from Momoko how the woman's last desperate plea had sent her right back into surgery.
"Gods damn it, Nanoha…"
"It's too much of a risk, Haya-chan." Her friend sounded more dead than when she had woken to discover Yuuno was gone and it hurt Hayate in the soul to hear it. The two of them had sounded so alive just a week ago. It wasn't fair!
"Do it for me, and for her. She's returning, I can't speak any longer. Promise me, Haya-chan."
"Fucking hell, okay, okay I promise," the brunette could be heard growling over the line. Nanoha's eyes closed in relief. At least those loose ends would be tied. "Thank you. Also, Hayashibara will be fulfilling a few requests for me. Please see that he doesn't get harassed for it. Matta~." Later.
Hayate glared at her phone, wishing it was her friend she was glaring at. Or better, hitting and yelling at. "Gods damn it, Nano-chan…" She repeated, punching irritably at her screen to get in touch with Nanoha's ex-interns.
Fate returned with a pack of antibacterial wet wipes, rather pleased with her success, only to find Nanoha sitting with her phone laying in her one usable hand, brows drawn and eyes staring holes into the blankets covering her lap. The brilliant blue of those eyes were dulled and the set of her jaw was deathly grim, as if she had just gotten off of the worst call of her life.
"Is everything okay?" Fate asked worriedly.
Nudged out of her dark thoughts, Nanoha forced a small smile and shook her head. "Just needed to take care of some stuff. Thank you." Fate accepted her phone back from Nanoha. "All riiiight, I hope it has nothing to do with work. Miss Yag… um, Hayate told me you are not allowed to work until I think you are well enough."
"Oh she did, did she?" The woman's low voice sounded almost dangerous and Fate took a moment to appreciate how the seemingly helpless executive was able to project such an intense air of danger. It felt akin to sitting next to a wild leopard who was licking her wounds but far from being defenseless.
Lifting her chin, much like how she did the first time she came face to face with Nanoha, not that Fate remembered, she nodded, "Y-Yes. That is what she told me. And I mean to make good on my word." That familiar look of defiance almost ended Nanoha right there and then, and it took every iota of the Japanese woman's self-control not to break down.
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"I'll have to speak with her about giving my AVP impossible tasks," Nanoha drawled lightly instead.
For a moment, Fate sensed something volatile brewing just beneath the surface of the executive's cool facade, and she instinctively braced herself, only to get more evidence of sass from the woman. Was this some form of self-defense? What was the woman being defensive about? Layers upon layers, and her boss dared claim to be boring. 'More like utterly fascinating.' Fate thought to herself.
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"Na-chan, you can't be serious." Momoko had been called by Nanoha's doctor who'd been fighting a losing battle with the executive who was demanding to be discharged a mere eight days after major surgeries. Doctor Takeda knew it'd been a mistake to let the woman out of bed a day early. Now she wanted out of the hospital weeks early.
Fate was in the kitchen with Momoko this morning to lend a hand with the day's bento boxes. That was, until the house phone rang and Momoko answered. The blonde was still unable to catch the more complicated japanese phrases, but the agitated voice of the doctor whose voice she recognised easily caught the woman's attention. Had something happened to her boss? Momoko's worried frown surely didn't bode well.
"As a heart-attack," Nanoha replied quietly. "Kaa-san, it's either this, or I call the TSAB offices and do it anyway."
"Na-chan!" Voice raised, Momoko slammed down the ladle she had been using to scoop out the rice, and Fate jumped.
"Please, Kaa-san. Rein and Ginga are having to sit outside my damned door around the clock. Fei… Fate-san is wasting her entire day visiting me…" The woman's voice cracked at the last, "I'm off of the ventilator. There is no reason for me to continue inconveniencing everyone." 'Please, I can't spend another day alone with Feito-chan.'
Momoko could hear the unspoken plea in Nanoha's voice and her eyes slid over to the angelic blonde helping her in the kitchen. The woman had been vigilant in keeping her youngest company, leaving in the mornings to arrive when visiting hours began and returning only after they ended. She truly appreciated the blonde's dedication to the unreasonable requests she had received from the Takamachi clan, but it appeared it was more than Na-chan could take.
A long sigh came through the phone. "Can you promise you won't overdo it when you're back home?"
"...You know I cannot."
Momoko rubbed at her temple with her free hand, "Can you at least promise to tell someone if something hurts too much?"
"That, I can."
"Sigh, get the doctor back on."
"Takamachi-san, I'm sure you've made your daughter see reason…"
"Doctor Takeda, thank you for taking care of my daughter. Please proceed to begin her discharge procedure. We will fetch her home in a few hours."
"...Madam!"
"We will engage someone to check on her regularly, and she will fulfill whatever recovery regimen you and your esteemed colleagues prepare for her."
Nanoha kept to herself, not meeting the incredulous doctor's stare. As much as she hated leaning on clan connections, this was one thing she was not above using it for. She had to get out of this situation before it irreparably destroyed her. This was merely prolonging the eventual departure of the angel from her life and Nanoha had always been the sort to rip off the band-aid.
Fate's uncompromising sweetness was much too addictive and trying to catch herself from falling back into the habits of their past relationship was wearing her to the point where rest was impossible. Silently, she clenched her right hand into a shaking fist, feeling the tug of muscle working against bone. The ache was bearable. She could get the casts switched to braces and find a walking stick. It would work. It had to work. Any less would be unacceptable.
She met Doctor Takeda's eyes, preparing for her next battle.
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Slowly helped along by her mother on one side and Fate on the other, Nanoha got used to the feel of having her feet back under her again. She couldn't take issue with her mother roping the blonde in to help haul her sorry arse back to the clan compound. Her unreasonable demand on a weekday morning was already throwing a multitude of people's schedules out of whack.
Fate had a thick vanilla envelope tucked carefully under her free arm; printed instructions from the various doctors who had been part of her boss' treatment. Her other was wrapped around the woman's waist, supporting Nanoha on her left side. Momoko had brought along a change of clothes for her daughter, and standing next to the woman in her jeans, sneakers and baggy pink sweater, the blonde realised the Japanese woman was much taller than she'd appeared. Perhaps because she was either in bed or a wheelchair for all the time that Fate had known her.
Being the shortest of the three, Momoko was under Nanoha's right arm, lending her support on that side. The woman had somehow finagled her way out of wearing casts and instead had braces on both of her arms. If it weren't for the fact that she was as unsteady as a newborn lamb, Nanoha could've passed for any college student on the street.
The walk to the parking lot seemed interminably long and Nanoha's jaw was cast in stone as she made her laborious way there with the aid of the two women assisting her. Much to Momoko's chagrin, her youngest's steps were getting firmer with every passing minute and she knew Nanoha was pushing herself to inhuman lengths. The same lengths she'd pushed herself to the night that Fate had been taken.
Nanoha was panting and perspiring by the time she'd been settled into the back seat of the car, though she had refused to make a sound the entire walk there. A wheelchair had been rejected outright. She was walking out of St. Luke's or would die trying. Fate wanted to scold the woman but felt uncertain of her place to do so, and so merely went along to help as best as she could.
Leaning over to help buckle the sweating executive in, she turned concerned eyes to the pale figure. The urge to ask if she was all right was on her lips, stayed by the determined thousand yard stare Nanoha sported. Instead, she drew in a long breath and twitched the sling on Nanoha's shoulder straight. Blue eyes flickered gratefully to her for her silence and help. Patting that same shoulder, Fate closed the door and got into the other side of the back seat to keep an eye on the woman while Momoko drove.
Arriving at the clan compound, Shiro met them at the back where the garage area was located. Wordlessly, he waited for Nanoha to exit before handing her a shinai, the bamboo sword typically used in kendo practice, for the woman to use as a walking aid. Already steadier, Nanoha nodded thanks to her father who simply turned and walked back to the dojo, his stiff hakama, the traditional japanese trousers typically worn over a kimono, rustling with his movements.
Rein had arrived with Ginga, the women tailing Momoko's vehicle in their own on the way back to the Takamachi clan compound. "Ginga-san," Nanoha's mother addressed the lavender-haired bodyguard politely, "Please show Feito-san to the dojo. I would like her to pass the doctors' instructions to Kyo-chan or Mi-chan." Fate blinked. It appeared Nanoha's family had a passing familiarity with her boss' ex. The woman merely bowed and said, "This way, Fate-san."
Eyes of shadowed blue followed the departure of her ex-flame and current (unknowing)tormentor before Nanoha's mother cleared her throat, pulling the executive's attention back to her. "Rein-san, if I could trouble you?" She asked in japanese, having been informed that Rein had a decent grasp of the language, "I would like to get Na-chan into bed as soon as possible. My stubborn child likes to act tough around the pretty girls but perhaps she will be more honest around you, hai?"
'Oh boy, Kaa-san is pissed.' Meekly submitting to her mother's firm suggestion, Nanoha allowed herself to be helped to one of the main building's ground level rooms. It had originally been the ceremonial tea room, but now was repurposed to be Nanoha's temporary bedroom. Its tatami floor had been cleared to make space for a bed and kotatsu. Folded and stacked neatly against the opposite wall was a futon clearly meant for Rein's use.
The bodyguard kept a straight face at Momoko's words and could've simply carried the gaunt woman to the room, though she was certain that wouldn't have won her any points from client #1. So all she did was keep a hand under the woman's armpit, providing additional support whenever the recovering woman's legs faltered over a step or entryway.
Fate meanwhile was learning her way around the compound. The past few days, she'd simply been around to wash up, rest, or help in the kitchens, and hadn't really explored the various buildings scattered around the central courtyard. Curiously peeking into the dojo, she found a group of around twenty students in full kendo gear of varying ages pairing off and going at each other with the same thing Nanoha had been given. A taller form to the side peeled off and approached her.
Recognising the man as Nanoha's older brother, she bowed, "Kyoya-san, Momoko-san asked that I should give this to you or Miyuki-san." Cocking a raven brow at the blonde, the man pulled out the sheaf of papers, "I see." He frowned while flipping through the printouts, "I'll share this with Mi-chan."
At the blonde's curious look, he grinned, "We're both qualified physical therapists. Kaa-chan's side of the family have been imperial physicians for centuries, too. I'm sure she has the most bitter herbal teas planned for Na-chan seeing that she's weaselled her way out of the hospital so early." Nodding a greeting to Ginga, he turned back to his students, waving farewell to Fate and her guard with the sheaf of papers.
Heading back to the main building, Fate offered Ginga a curious glance. "You… know the family?" Remaining half a pace behind her client, the bodyguard nodded shortly. "I used to be a student in this dojo." A piece of the puzzle fell into place with that bit of information and Fate simply continued along the peacefully winding path.
"Ow! A little gentler?!" Half growling, half yelping, Fate could hear Nanoha before they had reached the main building.
"Urusai!" Silence! "If I were gentle this would not be effective." Momoko's words, spoken in japanese, were pert and lacking in patience with her youngest child.
Fate and Ginga found Rein stationed outside a half-open shoji door on the ground floor, the woman looking torn between amusement and professional detachment while she stood guard, arms crossed.
A pile of used bandages lay on the tatami by the bed. Inside, the arriving women could see Nanoha seated on the side of her bed in her underwear while Momoko applied a spicy scented ointment to one of the huge, ugly, hand-sized bruises on her torso. Contrary to the words being spoken, Momoko was actually being very careful with her application, knowing there were hairline cracks under what she was spreading the balm over.
If Rein had been any less professional, she would've burst out laughing at the twin dropped jaws she could see now. True, the executive had lost some mass from her injuries and subsequent surgeries, but that merely meant her sinews and muscles stood out in even starker relief, lean lines that all the bruises and stitches were unable to hide.
"Ah, Feito-san, please get wash pan of hot water from pool in baths." In full physician mode, Momoko paid no mind to the contracted guards since they were simply there to fulfill their job. Swallowing a throat gone dry, Fate nodded and practically ran off, her gazelle-like steps taking her far away from the disconcertingly sexy sight of her undressed boss.
'Close your mouth.' Rein silently mouthed to Ginga whose eyes were still riveted to her former lover's body. Spinning on her heel with her colour high, Ginga quickly followed after her client, plait whipping through the air with how fast she was moving. Gods, all that puppy fat from when they were teens had melted away into goddess-like proportions.
Fate had easily found one of the many wash basins in the women's bath area and knelt by the pool to fill it with a hand pail. The water gave off a warm, humid steam, and it still felt cool on her flushed face. 'Fate, you've been gay for a while now, okay? Just because you just realised it before you lost your memories does not mean you have to ogle the first beautiful woman you meet. Stop it before you embarrass yourself.'
Done with her stern, self-directed pep talk, Fate took a deep breath and made her way back to the executive's room. She had grabbed a few wash clothes from the shelf near the bath's entrance just in case, something Momoko smiled and thanked her for when she returned. "Healing onsen," she explained to Fate when the blonde reappeared.
"Father says it's the only reason mother was interested in him." Nanoha drawled. Momoko giggled and swatted her daughter lightly in the side, causing the executive to wince, "Ow!"
"Oh, sorry, forget you hurt." Momoko switched to slathering the spicy ointment over the other bruise. "Feito-san can please leave water on table. Need help for Na-chan to stand." Fate had slowly been sidling her way out of the room since surely she wasn't needed here. Her eyes were casting every which way and Nanoha knew the ugly wounds were more than the sheltered princess would want to see.
"Kaa-san, don't trouble her…"
"I-It's not that," Fate stammered, "I just thought that you would like to get dressed…"
"How I clean stitches if she dress?" Momoko asked, voice dripping with amusement. She'd caught Fate's reaction to her daughter and giggled quietly to herself. 'Icy gaijin is not so icy around my Na-chan.' Nanoha may have escaped the jail of her hospital bed, not so the machinations of a mother wanting her daughter to find happiness.
"Come, come, put shoulder under arm," Momoko bossed Fate into service. The heat of Nanoha's barely clad form burned itself into Fate's side as she complied with her host's request. Fate was at a loss over where to place her hand, eventually settling on the executive's tight waist. The sensation of velvet soft skin over taut muscle sent Fate's heart rate spiking to the point where everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
"You don't have to look… I know it's not pleasant." That low burr in her ear only served to turn her knees to jelly and the blonde shook her head, "There is nothing u-unpleasant," she mumbled. To prove her point, she held her breath and met the executive's eyes, showing herself looking at the woman from head to toe and back up again. 'Oh gods, it's even more amazing up close…' The blonde bit hard on the inside of one cheek.
Azure eyes looked searchingly into the blonde's crimson pools, finding only admiration and… something more? Unwilling to examine what that 'more' was, Nanoha hnghed in faint amusement, "Fate-san is too kind."
'Feito-chan is too kind…' A memory of those words being addressed to her before tugged insistently at Fate and her brow furrowed against the sudden, stabbing pain behind her eyes.
"Ugh…" Swaying slightly, the blonde stumbled. Sensing her support disappearing, Nanoha's eyes widened. With a hard, instinctive twist of her torso, she grunted painfully and used her good arm to send the taller woman onto her bed's surface before she herself lost her balance and fell atop of the blonde. Her body screamed in agony but Nanoha only had one thought on her mind as she propped herself up on her right elbow and patted at the blonde's cheek. She was whiter than the sheets beneath her. "Fate-san? Fate!"
"Kaa-san, call Rein and Ginga to help," Nanoha said urgently. Levering herself off of the blonde to get out of the way, Nanoha hunched into the pain that had exploded all over her chest and waist. "Shiiiiit…" She hissed.
Momoko had been preoccupied with cleaning out the exit wounds on her daughter's back when the blonde appeared to lose consciousness. Yelping in alarm, she did her best to soften both women's landing but knew even this little jolt must have cost Nanoha dearly. "Rein-san! Ginga-san! Some assistance please!" The two guards burst in, shoji door shoved aside in a flash. Taking stock of the situation, Rein quickly shifted Fate into a recovery position, leaving Nanoha to Ginga to deal with.
"Never a dull moment with you, huh?" Ginga murmured as she helped shift the hurting executive further down the bed to give Fate more room to lie on. She tried not to feel grateful for the chance to be helping Nanoha, easily sensing the amount of pain she had to have been in to be cursing aloud like so. Momoko made a quick inspection of her daughter' stitches, relieved to see nothing had torn open.
"Na-chan! You promised not to overexert yourself!" The executive batted irritably at her fussing parent, "What was I supposed to do?" She panted acidly, "Let her split her head open on the kotatsu?"
Ginga snorted lightly and Nanoha threw her ex a narrow-eyed look, "Just help me into this yukata and sling…" Chuckling, Ginga did so, knotting the sash much lower than one normally would to avoid the wounds in the woman's waist. "Thank you both for the help," Nanoha finally found the grace to say once it appeared that Fate was breathing normally. "Kaa-san, could you call St. Luke's and check with Fate-san's doctor if this is normal? I can watch her. I just need help getting into the chair."
Heaving a sigh, Momoko nodded and left to find the house phone. With both bodyguards helping, Nanoha sank gratefully into the chair. Bowing, the women stepped outside, sliding the shoji door closed behind them.