Crippled Part 2:
                                                          A Time for Healing
						By
					    Dale Ratner

		Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the official property of Rumiko Takahashi and
several companies. Crippled part one was written by Gregg Sharp
(MetroAnime@aol.com) as part of the Bet fanfic series. All requests and
comments
on Part One should be sent to him. All comments on part 2 and after should be
directed to me at Shadow6865@aol.com


		Recap: Thanks to the intervention of an angry Akane, Shampoo manages to
severe Ranma-chan�s spinal cord, leaving him wheel chair bound in the hospital
but everyone else thinks he is dead. Ranma�s condition effects everyone: Akane
goes into denial about her involvement with Ranma�s condition. Genma leaves
Nerima all together on a training trip to calm his soul and look for answers
about his life. Soun upset that the two schools will never be joined, his one
dream since his wife�s death constantly walks a fine line towards insanity.
The only ones�s who seem to care about Ranma�s problems are Kasumi and Nabiki
but they do not think he is alive.
And now, on with part two.


		                        Chapter 2: Ranma�s Alive?!


		�I�m going to do it this time.� Ranma repeated the mantra over and over
again trying desperately to tap the confidence he once had. Slowly, he pushed
his arms
downwards on the wheelchair, pulling off the seat and on his feet. Once he was
on his
feet he slowly tried to walk but failed and hit the ground with a small crash.
Outside at the nurses station, assistant nurse Megumi Mitsui was enjoying her
coffee when she heard the crash. Sighing, she placed her coffee down and went
to help her patient get
back into his wheelchair. 
		�Honestly Saotome-san, I think that after five times you would stop trying
to walk.� Nurse Mitsui softly scolded her patient as she helped him get back
into the wheel chair and dust his pants off. While she did find his efforts to
walk annoying and a
waste of time, she could not blame him for trying. She did not know much about
her patient after his three month stay at the hospital but what she did know
gave a perfect
explanation as too why he kept trying to walk. Martial Arts has been his whole
entire life, he was encouraged by both his parent�s to become the best martial
artist in the world. Even though, he has been separated from his mother for
the past ten years she
still had a strong influence on him. One of the reasons he constantly worked
on martial arts even after the accident was because he believed it would break
his mother�s heart if he didn�t. But those days were over now while Nurse
Megumi knew that Ranma still
could pack quite a punch and bench lift a great deal any hope of pleasing his
mother was gone. Apparently right before Ranma was taken away from his mother
at the tender age of six, she made a pact with his father that if Ranma did
not become a �man
amongst men� both of them would commit Seppuku. After seeing her son lying in
a hospital bed without the ability to move around alone unless he was in a
wheel chair, Mrs. Saotome decided that her son was not manly enough but her
sympathy and love for her son made her give up her vow but her honor prevented
her from taking care of him. �So Saotome-san, where are you going to stay
after we let you leave in two days?� Megumi said trying to start a
conversation with her usually silent partner.
	�I have no idea� Ranma replied. �Mom disowned me and last I heard my old man
went on some sort training trip to cleanse his soul. But he probably just
wanted to run away from responsibility again� Ranma muttered under his breath.
 	�But you need to stay somewhere. Where were you living before the accident
occurred?�
	�Pops and I  were staying at the Tendou dojo in Nerima. I was supposed to
marry the guy�s youngest daughter and take over the dojo but they probably
don�t
care any more seeing that I ain�t taking over no dojo like this.�
        	�I see. Don�t worry Saotome-san, I will find you a place to live�
Nurse Megumi said as she walked out of the room determined to make sure that
Ranma didn�t end up 
in some homeless shelter or foster home. �The first place I should try is the
Tendou dojo� she thought as she sat down at her desk and opened up the Nerima
phone book looking for possible places that Ranma could stay.
	Kasumi was sitting down at the kitchen table, trying to think of something to
do.
It was only 2 in the afternoon and she was already done with the afternoon
chores. Things have been a lot quieter since Ranma�s death and Saotome-san�s
disappearance.
She missed having them around; well she missed having Ranma around. He was
fun, free, and exciting just like his name. She always giggled inside when he
called Akane an �uncute tomboy� or a �klutz.�  Sure their arguments always led
to things being broken which gave her more work and less free time but Kasumi
didn�t mind. Kasumi much like her mother Kimiko found some zen-like
tranquility in household chores. What would drive most people mad, gave Kasumi
a sense of being. She liked cooking, and sewing, and vacuuming it might be
silly to most people but she loved being a housewife even if she wasn�t
married. She considered courting Dr. Tofu but he always acted so silly when
she was around him, a relationship between them probably wouldn�t work out. A
loud ring coming from the living room quickly snapped Kasumi out of her
mealoncholy thoughts and she went to pick up the phone.
	�Moshi Moshi�
	�Hello. Is Mr. Tendou there?� a young female voice voice replied.
   	�No he is not. I am Tendou Kasumi, his daughter. May I take a message?�
	�Yes. My name is Nurse Megumi Mitsui at Tokyo General Hospital. I am calling
in concern to a patient of ours. His name is Saotome Ranma.�
	Kasumi�s heart almost came to a complete stop when she heard his name.
�Ranma�s alive!?� was the only reply that Kasumi could give.
	�Yes� responded Nurse Megumi.  �He has been a patient of ours for a few
months. Didn�t your household get a call about his condition?
	�No, we did not. How is he?� replied an obviously concerned Kasumi.
	�Not good. He will be wheel chair bound for the rest of his life and he needs
a place to stay after his discharge in two days.�
	�How about his mother�s house?�
	�No. His mother disowned him because of some stupid agreement about his
father raising him to become a �man amongst men.�
	�I see. I will be over at the hospital to visit Ranma in a a few hours. Don�t
worry Mitsui-san Ranma can stay with us for as long as he likes.�
	�Domo Arigato, Tendou-san. Do you want me to tell him?�
	�No. I will tell him myself when I come over. Good bye!
	�Good bye, Tendou-san.�
	After Kasumi hung up the phone, she looked at her watch to find out the time.
�2:25 that means the Nabiki and Akane will be here any minute now. I�m glad
that Akane has gymnastics practice right after school today. I don�t think she
will be very pleased about having Ranma come back here.� Kasumi finished her
thought with a frown on her face. She and Nabiki were appalled about Akane�s
response to what happened to Ranma. They both thought that Akane had a problem
with taking responsibility for her actions and her response to Ranma�s alleged
death confirmed their suspect ion.  Kasumi barely had time to get somethings
ready and make herself look presentable before Nabiki came through the door.
	�Hello, Kasumi-chan� Nabiki said as she entered the door. She was about to
take off her shoes when Kasumi stoped her.
	�Nabiki don�t take off your shoes were going somewhere.�
	�Where?�
	�To the hospital?�
	�Why what�s wrong?� Is anything wrong with father?
	�No. Ranma�s alive. He has been at Tokyo General Hospital for the past few
months.�
	�Oh my god? Why hasn�t anyone told us!� said Nabiki with a great rush pulling
Kasumi out of the house.

	Up Next: A visit, a return, a few meetings, an exile.�