Gambling In Love

Chapter 9: What Have I Done?

"Yes?" the woman answered with a smile.

"Have you contacted the rest of Mary's friends?" Yumeko asked.

"I called those who I knew were her friends and you," her mother said.

"Why me?" Yumeko asked.

"You were the top contact," the woman shrugged with a smile as she walked away with the doctor.

Yumeko smiled softly to herself as she notified Itsuki and Ryota of the situation. She then sat back on the chairs, not wanting to bother Mary if she was supposed to be relaxing; she didn't think Mary would find her presence very relaxing.

After a few minutes, a familiar face showed up, and Yumeko's eyes practically popped out of her head. She felt a tear fall down her face as the other girl finally noticed her. "Yumeko?" the other girl asked, unsure of the raven-haired girl's identity.

"Ririka?" Yumeko asked with both hopefulness and uncertainty in her voice.

Before she knew it, the older girl was jumping into her arms, and Yumeko laughed heartily as she caught the girl. "I thought you were dead," Ririka sniffled as she put her head on Yumeko's shoulder.

"Sorry," Yuemko apologized remorsefully, "It was the only way to keep me alive."

"I get it," Ririka smiled, "I'm just glad you're okay." Ririka then pulled away from the hug as she put on a straight face and asked, "What happened?"

"Her dad," Yumeko answered angrily.

"I should've known that bastard would-" Ririka seethed.

"He's done this before?" Yumeko asked as her mind flashed back to her encounter with Mary when they were both house pets when she had noticed a bruise on Mary's face and the blonde had shrugged it off as nothing. "I should've realized," Yumeko sighed as she put her head down.

"There's no way you could've known," Ririka assured her, "I only knew because she told me, and I've met her father and know what he's like."

"I had my suspicions about it, but I didn't think much of it," Yumeko said with her head still down.

"No one every does," Ririka said sadly as she sat down next to Yumeko.

"Saotome?" a voice asked as she stopped in front of them. The two girls nodded. "You may see her," the woman said as she waved to them to follow her.

"You coming?" Ririka asked as she saw that Yumeko started walking the opposite way.

"I don't think I'm the person she wants to see," Yumeko smiled sadly, "Plus, I have someone else to see."

Ririka seemed to connect the dots that this was the hospital that housed Atari, and she smiled apologetically. "I'll tell Mary you were here," Ririka told her.

"Don't worry about it," Yumeko shrugged.

Ririka continued following the woman to Mary's room, and she gasped as she saw the state the younger girl was in. She rushed to the blonde's side and grabbed her hand as she squeezed it. "God, what did he do to you?" Ririka asked rhetorically as she put her head down on the bed, beside their hands.

About an hour later, Ririka heard a groan, and she shot up. "You're awake," Ririka said with a smile.

"Ririka?" Mary asked groggily.

"Mhm," Ririka hummed.

"How are you here?" Mary asked.

"Your mom called me. I told my parents you were in the hospital, and they said I could go," Ririka answered, still smiling.