Post by Jessica Matthews on Sept 29, 2017 0:02:22 GMT -5
J e s s i c a | N i t o h
G e k i | N i t o h
Sonkei Senshi, One More Time!
The Finale: Goodbye | Auf Wiedersehen | Zàijiàn
She’s walked this hallway many times over the last year. It was a short distance between the living room and the master bedroom. It should have been second nature to maneuver.
So why did this hallway feel endless tonight?
Jessica Nitoh walked on the plush carpet floor, posters of Sailor Moon and Super Sentai creatively scattered along the walls. Attached to them were photos of her and her husband Geki, their memories full of joy and happiness.
A Mario Kart Monday Charity Event. San Diego Comic-Con. Power Morphicon.
Pilot Light in Johnstown, Sapling in Northville, Fall Classic I in North Adams, Fright Night in Castleton, Unthankful in Amherst, Holiday Havok in Potsdam.
New York Comic-Con. Martin and Xaria Karloff’s Halloween Wedding. Thanksgiving in Toronto. Christmas in Queens.
Their wedding proposal on Ascension.
Their very first Valentine’s Day in a relationship.
Her 21st birthday on April 2nd.
Their beautiful spring wedding in May.
His 21st birthday on June 5th.
She placed a hand on one of their comical wedding photos. Her touch was gentle as if the photograph was delicate and her eyes lulled halfway. She loved him, she loved him more than life itself, but tonight there was a new possibility, a new reality setting in...
Realizing she was taking too much time to reminisce, she drew her hand away and continued down the hall. She stopped before the door of the master bedroom and placed her hand on the doorknob. She thought of what led them here and took into consideration their Twitter conversation just moments ago.
‘Hmm?’
‘Having fun?’
‘I am. Why?’
‘Good. : )’
‘Honey, are you okay?’
‘The pain is a little more inconsiderate today. Otherwise, I’m fine.’
‘I see…’
‘Does something concern you?’
‘You’ve been a little distant lately.’
‘Have I?’
‘Yes…’
‘...Come here.’
Slowly she opened the door and the light from the nightstand cascaded over her husband on their bed, reading a book in his left hand, his fractured right arm supported by the sling. A weak yet warm smile crossed her face as she walked inside.
“Mein Liebe…?”
Ah, the sound of her voice captured his attention. He raised his head to watch her as she entered their room and he offered a tiny smile.
“My love.”
Carefully, he turned his body and set the book on the nightstand to his right. He lifted his left hand and patted the spot on the bed next to him.
“Come here.”
She took a silent breath and made her way to the bed. She climbed on from the left side and he moved his hand away so she could make herself comfortable. A tiny gasp escaped her parted lips as he wrapped his left arm around her waist and gently guided her to lean against him. She’s careful not to apply too much pressure, resting her head against him and settling her left hand over his heart. Her wedding ring sparkled softly in the ceiling light. He lifted his left hand a little and she could feel his own wedding ring brush just above her hip. Tilting his head down, he kissed the top of her head.
They stayed like this, without words, without music, for a few minutes. Just the sound of their steady breathing, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, and her heart pounding against her chest. She didn’t want to move, afraid that something terrible would happen if she did. She did, however, dare to speak softly to him.
“We haven’t been like this in a while…”
He breathed in slowly, closed his eyes, and sighed softly.
“Forgive me, Jessica.”
That was unexpected. She decided to move now, if only a little, and she looked up towards him. He hasn’t addressed her by her first name in a long time. He only ever called her Jessica in moments of deep-seated love or great pain. Before she could say anything, he continued.
“With this injury, I can’t be a professional wrestler. I can’t be a stuntman. Worst of all, I can’t protect you and provide for you… I am weak and powerless to do anything. I have dishonored you and that is unacceptable.”
He sounded apologetic, but there was something else. She couldn’t tell what it was, but when he opened his eyes to look at her, she offered him a warm smile.
“Gekiryu, it’s alright.”
His first name, it rang through his ears, but he continued to listen to her. She moved her left hand so it rested right over his steady-beating heart.
“Your fractured humerus is only a temporary injury. Don’t worry, you’re going to get better. Dr. Edwards is a longtime friend of my father’s. He’s going to help you. In a few short months, you’ll be back in the ring and back to doing stunts. Everything is going to be okay!”
She was enthusiastic. She always did her best to be positive. He taught her that. He showed her the way of optimism. Slowly, Geki shook his head and frowned, his left hand drawing away from her body. The sudden absence of his hand, the flesh to flesh contact, caused her to shiver.
“You do not understand…”
His hand moved up to gently touch her left cheek. He turned his head and looked into her eyes, a few strands of raven black hair falling in front of his right eye.
“I spoke to Dr. Edwards last week. There is more than just a fracture. He has recently detected mild to severe nerve damage throughout my arm. That’s why the pain medication he prescribed to me has not been very effective in my recovery. The myelin sheath has been weakened and my nerve impulses are becoming slower and less efficient. There is a possibility that the nerve fibers in my arm are damaged or even destroyed. The recovery time for all of this…”
His facial features hardened and his eyes focused.
“The fracture may heal in a few months, but the nerve damage may take years.”
It was the first time she was hearing about all of this and she was lost for words. Jessica didn’t realize how severe his injury was. She was never informed. In her mind, she could hear the sound of slow, painful crackling. Something was about to break and she was trying so desperately to keep it together.
“...Then we’ll ask for help. We’ll ask Dr. Andrews for his assistance. He and Dr. Edwards can aid you in your recovery. They can help you apply for disability and we can find a more affordable place to live. I’ll work harder, I’ll protect you, I’ll provide for the both of us. I’ll--”
“Méiyǒu!”
That cold, sharp yell.
‘No!’
It froze her, her eyes widening in shock and her body growing still. She felt his left hand clenched tightly into a fist next to her cheek before he slowly pulled away. A single tear fell down her cheek and her eyes welled up.
“...Gekiryu-sama…”
Tears were filling her eyes. They weren’t tears of joy, but of sorrow and grief. It agonized him to see her cry, especially if he was the cause of it, but he needed to be forward with her. She deserved to know the reality of the scenario before them.
“...I will not sit idly by while you suffer. I am not going to burden you with my weakness anymore. I will no longer dishonor you. You deserve better than that, Jessica.”
He could feel her heart breaking from here and it was destroying him.
“You deserve better than me. That is why I…”
Another tear rolled down her cheek.
Then another.
She raised her left hand to tuck his locks behind his right ear. She looked into his dark eyes, her beautiful soft blue eyes slowly becoming vulnerable and stinging with red. Her trembling hand rested on his cheek and she shook her head. He couldn’t bear it. His right arm be damned, he moved himself to face her completely, and he kissed her with as much passion as he could muster. In their kiss, he forced his arms around her in a tight, painful, and loving embrace. The agony shooting through his right arm was nothing compared to the agony of her heartbreaking and her tears falling. He kept her locked in that kiss, her trembling body in her arms, for as long as he could before the physical pain caught up to him.
The kiss was finally broken, and despite her shock, she was quick to check on him. She reached over to the nightstand and retrieved one of the bottles of the pain medication. Before she could do anything else, he placed his left hand over the one holding the bottle and he shook his head.
“Promise me…”
He winced a little, trying to suppress the pain while he spoke to her.
“I want you to keep your ring and my last name until you are ready to love again.”
He lifted his left hand from hers, holding it up with his ring facing her. It shimmered softly in the light and he extended to her a sad, sweet smile.
“I will keep my ring forever, Jessica. You are my Princess Serenity. You are my Neo Queen Serenity. That will never… ever change. What will change is you will love again. You will be happy again. Please...”
Everything ached. It was the end of what she thought was going to eternity. But as much as it hurt, she wanted to honor him and his promise. Leaning in, she kissed him softly, sweetly, and finally, she allowed herself to breathe.
“...I promise.”
“Xièxiè.”
He thanked her in Chinese and leaned in with a kiss of his own. He was still composed. He had to be. He needed to be strong for her one last time. Where he was going, there was the great possibility that he would never see her again. Despite the pain, he raised his right hand and wiped the tears from her left eye. It was a sign of his pure-hearted devotion. Using his left hand as a guide and with her help, they moved his right arm back in the sling and he leaned back against the pillows with a soft groan.
“Jessica…”
She placed her right forefinger on his lips to kindly shush him and she reached over to grab the pain medication.
“Just relax. I’ll get you a glass of water so you can take your medication. I’ll order delivery and we can watch Season Three of Sailor Moon Crystal together.”
The corners of his lips slightly curled up and he kissed her finger. With a nod, he watched her climb out of their bed…
. . .Her bed. . .
And she walked out of the room to get him a glass of water one last time.