Broken Prince

Saved By the Bell

Broken Prince

Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.

Summary: A match in the past leaves a then ten year old Ryoma Echizen with several permanent health issues that leave many questioning rather the Prince of tennis can even continue playing. When Ryoma moves to Japan he knew hiding those injuries from Seigaku was going to be hard and that being caught was not an option. Why can't he just play tennis?

Chapter two: Saved by the Bell

"I can't." He says softly, closing both his eyes in defeat and shame as he drops his hand into his lap. After all...

...Japanese sight signs were different from the ones he had memorized back in America.

"What did you say?" The nurse asks shocked, Fuji-senpai's eyes shoot open, Buchou blinks in surprise (Yes... Tezuka actually showed emotion.), and Inui-senpai drops his notebook. Tears threaten to spill from Ryoma's eyes but he clenches his fists tight and refuses to allow them to fall,

"I can't, I see none of it. I'm half blind Sensei." His voice cracks as he explains, tugging on the handcuffs that prohibit his escape.

"Neh, Fuji-senpai, can you unlock these?" He continues, forcing himself to act as if it were nothing. It really wasn't anyway. Not for him. Not for Tennis...

... He had worked hard to overcome that part of his life.

The tensai blinks and goes to unlock the metal chain but is stopped by Buchou who put a hand on the fellow ninth grader's shoulder before positioning himself in front of the youngest member of his team. The two pillars stare at each other, one silently demanding an explanation as to how this had come about and why no one had been informed of it. The other guarded and defiant, one golden eye slightly lighter in color then the other and more out of focus than it's twin now that the elder player was actually seeing them. The nurse is at her desk, frantically pulling out and searching through a rather thick file and tapping away at her computer looking for something. Inui-senpai has picked his notebook up off the floor and is muttering to himself as he flips through it absolutely at a loss as to what to do. His data had never been wrong before and yet a half blind Echizen Ryoma definitely went against his data. Fuji-senpai was silent as he stared, eyes still wide open, at the small boy handcuffed to the bed he was sitting on.

"It doesn't change anything Buchou." Ryoma says, denying (at least to himself) the near pleading edge in his voice.

"I've been playing with my injuries for two years now, my tennis has adjusted accordingly and it no longer matters." He continues, trying hard to convince them that it didn't. That there was no reason he should be let go from this team like he had all the others since his match in the California State Championship finals back in America two years ago. Buchou's next question makes him flinch and he just knows he will be outcasted now.

"Injuries Echizen?" The voice is patient sounding and though it is strained it is anything but angry however it makes no difference.

Maybe if he had listened back then this could have all been avoided...

FLASHBACK STARTS

Ten-year-old Ryoma Echizen, star prodigy southpaw of Angel's Elementary school in California, smiles as he plays with a tennis ball on his way home from school. He couldn't wait to tell his Baka Oyaji that he had won again and would get to play the California state high school champion! Sure, he had been playing in tournaments against people well over his age for a few years but this was definitely going to impress his nonchalant never-gone-to-a-single-one-of-my-son's-matches-since-he-was-six parents! They might even decide to come watch this one!

Only Oyaji though, Ka-san was really busy with her job as a lawyer. She couldn't even take his birthday off from work and he was born on Christmas Eve!

A guy walks up to him looking to be about seventeen to nineteen years old. He was tall (At least to the smaller then normal Ochibi), had short blond hair, and green eyes. The tennis bag slung over his shoulder pronounced him as part of Freedman high's tennis team.

"Ryoma Echizen right?" He asks in a hard, no-nonsense, I-already-know-the-answer, voice and Ryoma nods.

"Daniel Wilkans, listen kid I don't want to hurt you but you go on that court during the next state tournament match and I swear to God it will be the last match you ever play."

FLASHBACK ENDS

Maybe if he had simply forfeited the match like his old teammates had told him to he wouldn't have to fear people finding out about his injuries.

But MAYBE wasn't IS and he HAD played...

"Neh, Buchou, Why do sports players train to use both hands in their sport?" The twelve-year-old asks closing his eyes, and Fuji-senpai shakes his head while Buchou blinks in confusion for a second almost completely out of his element.

"Saa- Many different reasons Ryo-chan." The blue eyed boy supplies, playing along with his Kohai's game as the others seemed to have been defeated by this situation. Considering the eventual outcome that always comes without fail Ryoma don't see why. None of the other teams had taken this long to kick him off...

...Most of them hadn't wanted him to begin with and were not above making that blatantly clear from the moment the young prodigy had stepped onto their court.

"I broke my left arm a few years ago." The golden-eyed boy says to interrupt the list of statistics that come flowing out of Inui-senpai's mouth. Though the vague words rolling off his tongue tasted vial and make him feel nauseous.

"How Echizen?" Buchou asks, disbelief plain on his features, sure that he would have at least spotted someone playing with an arm injury as he had one himself... among other reasons of course. It was not really clear just what he was asking in his state of shock but Ryoma knew the answer his tennis captain was trying to obtain from him. The cuff chaffs painfully at his wrist as he once again tries fruitlessly to escape. 'Why would they ask how I got injured. It's enough that I am.' He thinks, confused as none of the other inquisitions he had been in had ever gone on this long nor went this into the actual details. Fuji-senpai grabs his wrist and holds it as Buchou repeats his question, voice running out of patience.

"How were you injured Echizen?"

In a rare stroke of luck Ryoma is saved by the bell for school...

... The twelve-year-old doesn't think he had EVER been so relieved for the end of a practice.

Thank you all who reviewed. In response to several of the reviews, first off I have not decided if this will be a romantic fic so if any of you would like to review or PM me your opinion on the matter you may/please do. However I would also like you to suggest as to who Ryoma would end up with if I did make this a romance type thing. There are no boundaries on what pairings/groups you may/can request if it doesn't end up happening I'll try to work it into a different fic later on. The category with the most requests will more or less win placing in this one though. Secondly, as I have put in this chapter Ryoma does have other injuries. But yes the only eye that is blind is his left one. Until next time...

...Bye!