Prompt #2 : Life and Death
Because I love her
By
Kanata Saionji
Kanata turned his Volvo sharply and turned up at a new street which he was sure he has seen somewhere before. He didn't have to see the speed-o-meter to know that he was driving at a speed that was considered very dangerous. But at that moment, he didn't care. Nothing could stop him now.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, MORON"
He would be lying if he said that that was the first time he was shouted at. But he would be further lying if he said that this wasn't the first day he was shouted at for rash driving.
Kanata is not the one who rushed. He is almost always the follower of the Tortoise Principle. But today, speed was necessary. It was a Life and Death situation. He mentally cursed himself for allowing her to talk him into going to that Business Meeting in Tokyo leaving her in the state she was.
He looked forward and the signal was showing Green. He accelerated so that he wouldn't miss it. But he didn't move much when the signal turned to Red. He pressed his breaks and the car came to a halt a few inches before the School Bus in front of him.
He didn't switch off. He impatiently tapped the steering wheel wishing the signal would change soon. But since it didn't for the next two seconds, he pulled out his mobile and pressed Speed Dial 3.
He continued tapping the steering wheel irritated, while his other hand was busy with holding the mobile to his ear.
"Pick up…" he chanted under his breath through clenched teeth, "pick up the damn phone!!!"
"Kanata…? Hurry up man…"
"How is she…?" asked Kanata at once, at the sound of his best-friend's voice.
"She's fine… physically…" said Santa with a shrug.
"What do you mean…?" asked Kanata at once, his hand stopped tapping the wheel.
"She wants you here"
"So do I…" muttered Kanata under his breath and at the sight of the signal changing to green added in a hurry, "I'll be there in a few minutes… tell her not to worry…"
Kanata didn't wait to hear whether Santa received the message or not. He heard a soft "tap" as his mobile dropped to the floor. But he didn't stop to pick it up. He drove like a madman swerving into small alleys, and as fast as his Volvo would take him.
His heart was beating at a very furious rate as he tried very hard to concentrate of the road and on the positive side.
"She's fine… physically…"
Santa had said that.
But he had to see for himself. He had to be with her. He wanted to be with her. He needed to be with her.
"I'll be fine Kanata…" he remembered her cheerful smile as he looked at her unconvinced.
He could almost feel her warm hand on his cheeks as she forced him into his car, asking him to attend that damn meeting. Unable to act against her decisions he had left, leaving her under the care of both their parents and their friends.
Though he constantly reminded himself that nobody would let anything happen to her, he couldn't stop from thinking that he had to be there. He had to. He is supposed to be.
His car suddenly gave a weird sound.
"Just a few more blocks…" he muttered, to the car.
Then the car came to a halt.
"Oh man… Great time to forget to fill the tank Saionji!" he cursed himself as he got out of the car. He locked it with one click of the remote and glanced around for a cab.
Unfortunately none was about at the moment. And when he finally saw one approaching, it was already occupied.
He glanced at him watch.
The clock was ticking slowly towards 10:00am.
He pushed his hand into his brunet locks and then sighed lightly, almost in irritation.
"Goddammit!" he cursed as he broke into a run.
He sprinted as fast as he could, street after street. He dropped his Raymond Suit at one point, marking it as heavy. His white shirt stuck to his body as he ran, with his brunet locks whipping against his face.
He found it hard to breathe as he came in view of the place he was supposed to be at right now. The massive white building, located in the middle of the almost-silent street, made Kanata's heart skip a beat.
He sprinted past the gates, ignoring the many stares he received, very aware of what would be waiting for him inside that building.
With seconds, he was inside the building. He looked around and none of his friends were anywhere to be seen. He rushed to the counter.
He panted, "W-Wh-where is Mi-Miyu…?"
The receptionist looked a little confused at his sudden query.
"Sir, may I know who this is…?" she asked, curiously, looked at his half-formal dress and his sweat-drenched face and his scared auburn orbs.
"Kanata Saionji," he answered, finally catching his breath.
"Kanata!"
Kanata turned at the sound of his friend's voice. The blond ran towards the brunet with worry apparent in his azure-blue orbs.
"Nozomu…" Kanata managed to say.
"What took you so long…?" demanded Nozomu angrily.
"How is she…?" asked Kanata, impatiently.
"She's due any minute…!" muttered Nozomu, irritation almost visible in his azure blue orbs.
"Which room…?"
"Floor Two, room 205…"
And Kanata took off for the second time sprinting towards the Hospital stairs.
"Kanata…!" he heard Nozomu running right behind him.
He could almost feel the alarming and disapproving stares from the people in the different floors. He slipped a fair few times but did not fall down. He could hear Nozomu panting right behind him.
Finally, he reached his destination.
"Kanata!" came in many different tones.
"Finally, you reached," came his father, wiping tears from his eyes.
"What took you, Kanata…?" accused Nanami, looking at him tensely.
"Miyu…?' he asked with his voice cracking, looking at the door. He could calculate that if everybody was now, outside Miyu should be in there alone.
"She didn't want any of us inside…" explained Miki, tears almost blurring her emerald orbs.
Kanata gulped lightly. His heart was beating painfully against his chest.
At that moment, the door opened and out came a smart looking doctor with a beautiful smile on her face. Kanata's heart skipped a beat as he saw light traces of blonde as the doctor closed the door behind her.
"How is she…?" asked Kanata, at once.
"She's fine…" assured the doctor, "both hearts are perfectly healthy…"
Kanata's heart skipped another beat at the word "both".
The doctor gave him a huge smile and said, "You must be Kanata…"
He nodded in assent.
"She's been calling out your name for a long time now…" she said, "You should go in…"
Kanata frowned and looked at the floor. He didn't know what to say. He should go inside. That was the reason why he was standing there sweating in half of his not-so-cheap formals while the rest was in some unknown street.
"Go in Kanata…" nudged Yuu.
Kanata finally looked up and then glancing into all of his family and friends, he walked past the doctor and closing his eyes, opened the door.
"Kanata…" came a strained whisper. But in that strained whisper, Kanata could taste happiness, ecstasy and love.
At the sound of her voice, he forgot about all of his worries and opened his eyes. There, lying down on the bed looking all weak and tired was his wife—Miyu K. Saionji.
"Miyu…" he called and rushed to her side at once.
"You… you finally made it…" she said, tears rolling down her cheek.
"I'm sorry I'm late…" he apologized at once, sitting on her bed, near her head. Before he could do anything at all, tears started to form at his auburn orbs.
"I missed you…" she said with a smile, closing her eyes and leaning towards him.
He caressed her forehead and asked guiltily, "Was it painful…?"
She opened her eyes and with a smile said, "It was worth it…"
"I'm sorry for putting you through this…" he apologized again, leaning towards her face.
"I would never regret this, Kanata…" she assured him, placing her weak hand on his face, "stop torturing yourself…"
"I should've been here for you…" he said, looking into her emerald orbs with weakness and guilt in his auburn orbs.
She smiled and said, "Yes, you should have been… but it's my fault that you weren't…"
"Yes, it's your entire silly fault…" he said with a smile.
"Jerk…" she muttered with a smile.
He leaned towards her but at that moment, through another door came bustling in a nurse with a smile and also a bundle of blankets in her hands. Kanata looked up with an odd look in his eyes.
"Is… is that… our…?" he asked Miyu to which the blonde nodded with a smile.
Kanata got to his feet and met with the nurse.
"She's truly an angel…" said the nurse, giving Kanata the blankets.
Kanata took it from her and his heart skipped a beat as he looked into the beautiful face of the blonde sleeping inside the blankets. One drop of tear dropped from his eyes and landed on the little baby's cheeks.
She stirred and opened her small eyes and then looked at Kanata. Kanata stood there, mesmerized by her beautiful emerald orbs. The blonde baby gave Kanata a small smile.
Kanata turned to Miyu, and said, "She looks exactly like you…"
Miyu smiled as she saw her husband carrying their baby girl towards her. Kanata took his previous position beside her with the baby in his arms. Miyu was helped by the nurse to a sitting position and Kanata gave her the baby.
The couple looked at the baby with undisguised happiness. Kanata slipped one hand around Miyu's waist and the other was beside the little baby. Miyu had both her hands around the baby.
Then, the blonde baby smiled at her parents and closed her small fingers, one around Miyu's index finger and the other around Kanata's pinky.
Tears rolled down Miyu's cheeks and Kanata's tears stopped short of his eyes. The two looked at each other, smiling.
Kanata leaned forward to kiss Miyu's forehead. But inches before his lips could touch her skin, she jerked her face away from him. Kanata looked a little hurt at her act. But as he withdrew away from her, she leaned forward.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head up towards him. Kanata smiled and then closed the distance between their lips. Kanata tried to convey everything he felt while rushing to see her through the kiss and Miyu tried to convey everything she felt while waiting for him up until the last minute.
The two broke apart and then Kanata whispered on her lips, "I love you…"
"I love you too…"
Kanata leaned down and planted a soft kiss tenderly on the baby's forehead. The blonde smiled at his father and placed her small pinkish hands on his face. Kanata caught them lightly and kissed them lightly as well.
"Do we have a name…?" asked the nurse looking at the small, yet perfect family.
Kanata looked at Miyu and then turning to the nurse said, "She's Miu Kouzuki…"
The nurse frowned at the resemblance between the baby's and her mother's name.
"M-I-U" spelled Kanata looking at Miyu, with love overflowing in his auburn orbs.
"Yes, Miu Kanata Saionji…" said Miyu.
The End
