Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Cured ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

A hand went up to her forehead and wiped the sweat from her brow. For a moment she didn't say anything leaving the answer to play out in her mind. She rechecked her work quickly. No, no, nothing was wrong with it. The work was correct. She had done it.

 

“I did it.” She said it quietly to herself testing the words in her mouth. They sounded right. They sounded like destiny.

 

“I did it.” She said it out loud and then again stronger and then in a shout so the whole hall could hear, “I DID IT!”

 

People rushed to her, closing in- she quickly saved and time stamped her work and then copied it into an unsaved file. They peered over her shoulders.

 

“Move out of the way, you dolts! Move out of the way! Move NOW!” A grumpy old man parted the crowd quickly. His hair stuck up at all angles like he ran his fingers through it every other second in frustration. He wore lab coat that looked as if it was once clean but looked almost as gray as his hair with constant wear and infrequent washing. His movements were jerky as if he spent most of his time still. He seemed half crazy but dedicated, the kind of man you respect but pity just as well.

 

He peered over her shoulder not really seeing her there. His world was computer screens and numbers now, a world of constant calculations.

 

He looked at the numbers. `No!' It worked. `No.. it can't..' His eyes scanned back and forth quickly, memorizing. `NO! I won't allow it!' He had spent to much time, wasted too much life to have someone else get this. He needed this.

 

In a flash he leaned over her and closed the unsaved work. The crowd gasped. It was gone and probably would never be found again. A voice from behind the old man called, “Professor, how could you?”

 

“No worries. I can replicate it easily and I will take the credit for the work that should rightfully be mine. So many years of work, years of study and dedication, you have no idea, bustin' my ass for this thing and you,” he pointed to what was to his mind an empty chair, “You, take it all away from me! Better that it was lost forever than have it discovered by some child. How dare you solve what I could not, how dare you?” he continued on but no one was listening.

 

“He's obviously gone insane.” A studious voice from the back, “Oh, it's so not fair that she won't get her credit.” A whiny voice, “I don't care as long as it's solved. What a relief!” another voice, they filled the hall wanting, pleading to be part of the action.

 

Calmly she pulled up the saved, stamped work. She knew the professor and the students better than anyone. They were all enemies, they all wanted to win. Well she won and she was getting out of here. She did it.

 

“You? You!” the old professor spluttered.

 

“Yes, hilariously, I saved my work.” She gave him a grin. “ You always said to, Professor.”

 

She sat back in her chair unattached to the chaos around her. She had done it; she had found a cure for the Sohmas. Never again would they have to avoid people of the opposite gender. They could live normal lives now, for the most part. The Sohmas could no longer live away from the world.