Chapter 27: The Italian Cavalry And The Hosts: UNITE!
"ARGH! THIS PLANE ISN'T LANDING QUICK ENOUGH!" bellowed Hikaru through his headphones as the jet screeched to a halt on the runway. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon as the seatbelt signs turned off. The city of Rome did not yet know of its newest visitors, or of their miserable occupations.
Kaoru patted his impatient brother's arm. "We'll landing already, Hikaru. Calm down."
Honey could not stop crying. "Is Sora-chan going to make it?" he kept asking Mori, who was silent and still the entire way over.
Mori shook his head slowly. "I'm not sure, Mitsukuni"
"She will." Kyoya glared out the windows, holding back his own tears of weakness and sorrow. "She's strong, and a fighter. She will make it."
Haruhi grunted as she woke up from Kaoru's gentle nudges. "Wuzzit?"
Hikaru snarled in another fit of impatience. "HURRY UP, YOU FRIGGIN' PILOT! LET US OFF THE DAMN PLANE!!"
One of the pretty flight attendants frowned at him. "Please, sir. We're ready to get off, if you will just relax. Your luggage is waiting in several limos outside the terminal." She motioned to one of the stewards. "Ruki will take you now."
He bowed and moved aside as Kyoya walked briskly down the aisle, Mori a few inches behind him. It seemed neither of them would forfeit their hold on Sora just yet. ALthough she would always belong to Kyoya, Mori still held his own place in her heart, and vice versa.
King Takimaru paced anxiously up and down the alarmingly white hallway of Ospedale Generale Roma. Alexia and the twins had gone for coffee, and Cera was reading a book for distraction. Riiko waited at the end of the hall for the Host Club's arrival. Kyoya called them from the airport not a few minutes ago, saying they were on the way.
"Your Majesty?" Elaina held up a large cup of coffee, her eyes red with lack of sleep. Natalia appeared behind her with several more large cups and a small espresso for Alexia, who was holding their donuts.
King Takimaru gently took his cup from Elaina. "Thank you, m'dear. I'm sorry that I've been such a burden to you."
"Not at all," mumbled Cera from behind Wuthering Heights. "You're like a father to us all."
Natalia slumped into the chair besides Cera, slurping her coffee. "I'm wiped. Where are the guys?"
Riiko looked back at her. "On their way. They should be here any minute, from Kyoya's tone of voice and Hikaru's yelling."
Alexia sat down onto the couch. The waiting room was top-notch, complete with several wide-screen TVs and a multitude of couches and chairs, with the small exception of the hospital atmosphere. "Sire, I strongly suggest you eat something," she urged. "Lack of sleep isn't helping any of us."
King Takimaru gave in and settled beside her. "You're right. I'm just fraught with concern." He stared at the door. "Her doctors said there's no permanent damage other than the possibility of slight amnesia. Her operation on her leg went well, and her arm will be in a sling for a few weeks." The catch in his voice gave away something. He nibbled on his donut.
"And?" Alexia pressed him for more info.
"She won't wake up. They've tried everything, but it's her own will that has to break through. All we can do is hope for the best. Also, she isn't breathing on her own, so..." He shut his eyes. "If she doesn't start...they may...take her off life support."
Alexia stared up in horror. "What?!"
"All we can do is hope?" repeated Elaina, sitting Indian-style on the chair. "That's totally lame!"
Riiko sprang to attention. "The guys are here." They watched as she flung herself into Honey's outstretched arms.
Alexia looked up as one by one, the Host Club filed into the waiting room. Mori sat opposite Cera, eyes blood red. Haruhi settled beside King Takimaru and fell back asleep. Hikaru was, naturally, fuming as he took a seat next to Mori. Kaoru chose to lean against the wall by his brother, and Kyoya went immediately to Alexia.
"Tamaki?" he asked quietly.
"He's with her," she replied. "I've never seen him so...quiet."
"Where?" His voice sounded desperate for information.
"Down the hall, to the left, room 517. Wait," she added as he turned around. "Don't do anything rash, or she'll have my head."
He nodded silently and left the room.
"How's he been holding up?" Natalia asked Mori, staring over her X-Large cup of black coffee.
"He's doing okay. The flight over here was pretty normal, with the silence and the occasional narrowing of the eyes." Kaoru sighed. "So far, no signs of possible suicide or murder in the first degree. The driver should be safe, for the moment."
Mori allowed a small smile at Honey as Riiko crashed in his lap.
Elaina groaned as her stomach growled. "Pass me another chocolate iced. I'm starving."
"How long have you been here?" mumbled Haruhi incoherently, eyes closed. The King answered her as Alexia leaned her head against the wall.
"Since four yesterday. She needed surgery on her right fibula, and her arm has to heal. From what I know, no severe head damage, except for possible amnesia. She's not breathing on her own, so she has a bunch of tubes and needles stuck in her." Mori's head snapped up. "Her physical condition is excellent, but she's still comatose."
Honey wailed. "She can't die!"
Natalia frowned deeply. "Maybe Kyoya can help. She's really missed him loads."
Hikaru banged his head on the wall. "Damn it all! Why Sora? Of all the people on the planet, why does everything bad happen to her?!"
"Karma, perhaps," shrugged Cera, closing her novel. "'All you do in life comes back to you.'"
"I like that song...but anyway, what has she done bad, to where karma or whatever affects her?"
Natalia and Elaina exchanged looks of apprehension.
"You two," said Mori, pointing his fingers at them. "Explain. NOW."
Elaina sighed and motioned for someone to shut the door. Kaoru leaned over to shut it.
"You all know the story behind her...brother?"
King Takimaru took his cue to leave, gently replacing Haruhi's head onto a silk pillow.
"Yes."
"Well, Sora has always wanted her father to make amends with him, but His Majesty won't have it. Yusuke broke the code of honor for the Mikage family. So, being the girl she is, Sora ran away to try and find him. Her journey led her to Sydney, in Australia. Boy, were they mad."
"Who?" Honey asked, fiddling with Riiko's hair.
"Both Yusuke and the King." Natalia picked up the story. "Her own brother! Well, you can imagine Sora when she found out her own brother told her location to her father. She was livid with rage. Yet again, she took a drastic risk and fled Australia to, you guessed it, America, the only other place where the language wasn't foreign to her. The King questioned all of us, but out of loyalty to Sora, we remained quiet. Then, the unimaginable happened."
"That would be?"
"Someone leaked the knowledge of Sora's relationship with Toya. The entire country was curious as to why they weren't informed of a possible future king and his murder. So, King Takimaru tracked Sora down, and she reluctantly agreed to come to Japan, to wait out the press and its nasty rumors."
"That's why she came here? Rumors?" Hikaru sounded almost skeptical.
"Exactly. We had to make sure she wouldn't leave again. That's why we came for a few weeks. Then the Daytime Soap Opera Love Triangle formed, right under our noses. You cannot possibly imagine our joy when we discovered a way to keep her grounded in one place. What we weren't expecting was for her to actually fall in love." She threw a look of pity at Mori. "Sorry, big guy, but I was rooting for Kyoya. Both of you were the perfect match for Sora."
"It seems that I'm not her choice, however."
"That was inevitable, too. Neither of you had the unattainable bit going on, and you didn't have the bad boy reputation, either. So what was it?" She leaned forward, curious. "What is it about the two of you that is so strong in her eyes? The silence? Perhaps it's something invisible to the rest of the world."
Honey glanced down at Riiko, her eyes wide awake. "Mitsukuni, have the doctors come back yet?" she asked drowsily.
He shook his head. "No, Riiko. Go back to sleep. Here." He placed his stuffed rabbit in her arms. "Bun-Bun will help you sleep."
Kaoru suddenly shifted against the wall. "Tono."
Tamaki stood in the doorway, a blank look on his face. "She's still out. Kyoya's in there with her now." He glared at Haruhi's sleeping form. "Why don't we all head to the hotel? Some rest would be good." He picked up Haruhi. "Come on now."
Natalia yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I agree. Let's go, Elaina. Alexia? Riiko?"
Slowly, Alexia shook her head. "My place is here, with the princess. I'm still her bodyguard."
Riiko snuggled closer against Honey, snoring.
Kaoru casually took Natalia's hand and started for the door. Hikaru kicked at the marble floor before departing, a low string of profanities issuing from his mouth.
Mori stood to lay on the other couch. "I'll rest here."
Honey nodded, leaned back onto the couch, and closed his eyes.
Cera raised an eyebrow before shutting her lids, too.
Haruhi peeked through her eyelids as the car came to a halt. Tamaki exhaled sharply as he looked down at her. "Haruhi. Rest." Sure enough, the driver opened their doors and they stepped out into the noon sunlight. Took long enough. I had no idea how far Genova is from Rome.
"Uh-uh." She rubbed her eyes. "I'm rested enough. Now I can be worried." She yawned. "How is Sora doing?" she asked as Tamaki dragged her through the sliding doors into the hotel lobby.
"Not well," growled Kaoru, his forehead creased. "The others will tell us if something happens."
Natalia gently squeezed his hand. "You guys are making this more dramatic than it is. She'll be fine, as long as Kyoya's by her side. That's the thing about lovers. You always know how the other one is doing, and where they are at all times." They waited for one of the elevators to arrive at their floor. One of the bellhops came to take their luggage. Finally, the bell dinged, and they got off in search of their rooms.
Hikaru was pounding a mint into powder in his hand. "How...can...we...just...sit...here?"
Elaina scowled. "It's all we can do, for now." She opened her, Natalia's and Haruhi's room and quietly locked the door behind them. "Now get some rest, all of you." She heard Hikaru snarl and stalk off. Kaoru and Tamaki bade them goodbye.
Haruhi walked over to the other side and gazed out the window. "Let's make a promise. When Sora wakes up, we'll all go out for ice cream, and take her to the festival in honor of her homecoming." She smiled and turned her head. "There's fireworks that night, and we're going to celebrate whether you like it or not."
The beeping was incessant as Kyoya drummed his fingers on the table beside Sora's head. The sunlight was shining his face, and it greatly irritated him. Doctor Kostos was sure taking a long-ass time...They had moved her from emergency to another unit altogether. He glanced back at her peaceful face, a bandage wrapped around her tender head. Her left hand was loosely grasping his. At least she's responsive. I'd be drowning in misery if she didn't move once. I hate this. Why her...? Hurry up, you stupid doctor...I wonder...
Slowly and cautiously, he leaned down and pressed his lips gently to hers.
Sora's eyelids fluttered slightly, but she didn't open them.
He laid his head down on her pillow. The scent of strawberries and perfume wafted from her hair, the only part of her that seemed untouched by the accident. Tamaki had once said her hair was one of her best features, along with her eyes. Open your eyes, please...
"I take it you must be Mr. Ootori." An extremely young and handsome blond doctor stood behind Kyoya's chair, clipboard in hand and a wide grin on his face. "I'm Dr. Marine Kostos. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Shaking his hand, Kyoya turned in his seat. "Her condition?"
"Improving by the hour." He flipped several papers over as he spoke. "Nothing too severe, no permanent damage, her leg should heal in a few weeks, as will her arm, and she should be able to breathe on her own." His smile was sad now. "I'm afraid there is nothing more we can do. Perhaps you can help, young sir. See if she responds to you in other ways." Suddenly, his beeper went off. "Excuse me. We have a gunshot wound." He smiled once more before twirling out of the brightly lit room.
Kyoya looked back at Sora. "Sora?"
Her hand tightened around his own. That meant she could hear him, somehow.
"Sora, sweetie? I'm here. You're safe now. But I need you to do something for me.
"You have to wake up, now. I need you, now more than ever. If...when we get through this, you will stay by my side, whether you like it or not. Your father be damned. You're mine. So you have to wake up. Please, love. For me."