The check up
By Ophie

Disclaimer: Takaya Natsuki owns 'Fruits Basket'. I don't. This was written a long time ago (as in 2 years back) as 'the point' dare response in the Fruits Lemon Basket Yahoo group.

"Point, what point?" Hana inquired in an annoyed tone. "You're sick."
Uo gave another loud sneeze.
"It's just a cold," she insisted.
Uo had a red nose and had been sniffing since her friends came to visit that
morning. She had been complaining of a migraine. She also had been coughing
and sneezing a lot.
"Do it for me Uo-chan?" Torhu asked asked with puppy dog eyes.
"Sweetie just go for a check up. It won't hurt." Mr. Uotani looked tired. He
just wanted his daughter to be okay. He could take care of himself.
"But dad it's Christmas and you ..."
"Don't be a stubborn mule."
Uo gave in. She let out a martyr's sigh.
"Up you go, Rudolph, you reindeer you." Hana urged. "We know just the doctor
"

Uo grumbled and kicked the air as she kept slamming her head against the
back of the couch. This was boring.
Why ruin some poor soul's Christmas with some frickin cold she could take
care of? She'd have liked to torment someone but on not Christmas day.
Everyone needs a break. She grabbed a tissue from her pocket and blew her
nose loudly.
The door-knob twisted.
'It must be him.'
"Miss Uotani I presume," the doctor said.
He was tall, dark-haired and there were bangs covering his left. Oh yes, and
he was cute.
"My, you have good intuition," she quipped sarcastically.
Her blonde hair was tied in a neat ponytail. She rubbed the sweat off her
nape. "Ugh, is it hot in here or what?" She sniffed.
"Hmm ..." he mused.
He approached her with a thermometer.
"Say aaa."
"Aaaa" she opened her mouth as he inserted the thermometer in it.
In a few moments, he took it out of her mouth examining it closely.
"I really wouldn't have bothered you but my friend kept insisting. It was
like she was setting a trap for me or something," she complained.
"You don't say. I've been there." He smiled. "My best friend Shigure-
sometimes I get exasperated with the things he does ... well, I know how you
feel. He was forcing me to check up on you. Not that I don't want to ..." he
was trying to make sure he didn't hurt her feelings.
"Humbug. Dad says sickness doesn't take leave."
"True," he commented absent-mindedly. He looked at the thermometer again.
"My, you have a fever."
"Great," she snorted. "I just ..." everything started to become hazy to her.
"Miss Uotani ..."
"I just," she couldn't finish her sentence. Her head drooped. Luckily,
Hatori caught her by the shoulders.

Hatori was worried. He hoped that she would be waking up soon. It had been
half-an-hour or so since she fainted. He couldn't just leave her so he
stayed.
Uo seemed to be gaining. She blinked. She rubbed her eyes.
"What happened?" She asked as she got off from the couch.
"Miss Uotani, you fainted." Hatori answered.
She got from the sofa but he put his hands on her shoulder.
"I suggest you sit down. Are you ..."
"I'm okay!" She yelled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that."
"Do you want to go home now? Are you feeling better? Be honest, I don't
want you to faint again."
"How much time does it take for an elevator to go down this building anyway?"
"Right," he smiled.

Uo tapped her fingernails on the car's window. She suddenly remembered
something.
"What about my bill?" She asked suspiciously.
"It's free," he shrugged. "You're Tohru's friend. Oh and your prescription."
He added. He handed her a piece of paper.
She felt felt a pang of guilt as she saw his stern face. She was really
sorry he had to go through all this trouble for her.
"I'm really sorry."
"It's okay," he shrugged. "Christmas really seems like just another day. I
just sleep through the morning."
"My Christmases are rather boring. Dad and I open our presents and just sit
in front of the TV and pout about how there's nothing good on."
"It is really boring." He spoke curtly. "Nothing much happens except visits
from Aya and Gure but that's just it."
"Me too, if it weren't for Hana and Tohru's visits, I'd have the dullest day
of my life."
"I pass by the streets sometimes." She said after some time. "Everyone's so
happy and there's snowball fights and snowmen ..." she chuckled. "My mom
used to take me out sometimes to play."
He sighed looking at her. She looked nostalgic.
"I used to have some snowball fights with my ex." He laughed in a
bittersweet way.

She felt a bit awkward to have him share this with a stranger but she responded the only way she could.
"I'm sorry."
"She's happy now. I'm happy for her."
"I have nothing to do. Just one big boring day and I'm sick." She sighed.
He was about to ask the craziest thing.
"Do you want to take a drive, Miss Uotani?"
He was quite shocked himself. It didn't come out the way he wanted it to.
What would Tohru think of him? Some lowly pervert taking a teen for a drive
on Christmas. She said she was bored; he prayed that everything would be
okay.
She looked at him in an odd manner for a while. An older guy was asking her
out on something like a date.
"Do you drive fast, Dr Souma?" She asked eagerly.
His reaction was fun to watch and she smirked.
"I usually don't but ..." he looked at her disappointed face. "Hold on." He
smiled.
She was excited, she knew he could he could take care of things.
"One thing before you start."
"What?" He asked.
"Call me Arisa," she smiled.
"You may call me Hatori then."
"Woo hoo!"
This was going to be the best Christmas that the two would ever have.

Owari