He ran down the hallway as quickly as he could, almost too quickly. He skidded to a stop and almost toppled over. Room 217, he thought. That's what a shocked nurse had told him after he came practically falling through the door in his haste, out of breath and exhausted.
"Roxas! You're going too fast!" a small voice giggled. "I won't be able to keep up if you don't slow down!" A little boy, about eight years old, came to a halt several feet in front of a fragile-looking little girl with hair like corn silk.
"I am not going too fast," he declared petulantly. "You just aren't going fast enough. Now come on, Nami. You're gonna be late!" The little girl slid to a stop, hands resting on her knees. Slightly out of breath, she said "Late for what? What am I gonna be late for?" Roxas grinned. "It's a surprise!"
He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him. They raced down the sidewalk and turned into Namine's yard. They rounded the corner of the house and ended up in the backyard.
Namine was just beginning to wonder what was going on when. . .
"SURPRISE!" came the chorus of cheers from the assembled family, friends, and neighbors who had gathered for Namine's surprise eighth birthday party. Roxas turned to her and grinned from ear to ear. He loved seeing her like this. Her face was practically glowing, blue eyes wide with wonder and excitement, and a huge smile on her small face.
She was perfect to him, even back then.
That had been nine years ago.
He raced up the stairs – the elevator was too slow – and prayed to any god anywhere, something he did not normally do, that he wasn't too late.
They were sitting on Namine's front porch one day in the summer. Namine was patiently showing Roxas how to do origami, but it seemed to be a talent that he lacked. Namine was always the artistic, kind, gentle one, while Roxas didn't really know what to do with himself.
"Come on, Roxas. It's easy. Here, I'll show you again." She picked up yet another piece of colorful paper and began to fold it into complicated little halves.
"I don't see what the point is." He said huffily. I'm never gonna get it, anyway, he thought.
"Well," said Namine, "An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to make them in case anything ever happened to either of us."
It was as if she had known what was coming.
That had been seven years ago.
His heart felt as though it was going to explode. The second floor landing came into view just before he tripped over it. Cursing quietly, he picked himself up and started for the door leading off of the stairwell into the hallway, barely noticing the sharp pain in his side or the scratches that stung his hands.
Roxas had gotten into another fight at school. He dragged himself to Namine's house, mostly because he didn't want his parents to see him like that, and partly because he knew that Namine wouldn't tell his folks about it. He had done this before, getting into an argument that would later be looked at as pointless, usually with someone twice his size. And, of course, he would always be the one to throw the first punch. And Namine had always helped him afterward.
He rang the doorbell, and a few moments later Namine's face appeared. He could see her slender eyebrows draw together under her bangs, but she didn't say a word. He was just glad it wasn't her mom, or her brother Cloud, who was five years older than he was. There was no father figure to speak of - he'd been killed in a fire. She led him inside and got him ice for his eye and stomach. She sat down opposite him at the kitchen table and looked thoughtfully at him for a few moments.
"So what was it about this time?' she asked quietly. His guilty look threw her off guard.
"Well . . ." he muttered, "It was sort of about . . . you."
"Me?" She looked puzzled. "What do you mean?" His cerulean eyes met her sky blue ones. "Um. . . I kinda wanted to get back at Seifer for knocking you over and making fun of you today." He looked at her sheepishly. "I, uh, guess that I didn't think that through very well."
She stared incredulously at him for a few moments, then a small, sad smile crossed her lips. "I've told you before, Roxas. You don't have to go and get yourself beat up over me." She got up from her chair and walked around the table to hug him.
A small blush tinged his cheeks, and after a few awkward moments, he hugged her back.
That had been six years ago.
He burst through the door into the hallway, almost knocking over several nurses with clipboards. "I'm sorry, quick; please tell me where room 217 is?" The nurses ignored his question and instead wasted his time asking him if he was alright. He turned away from them in disgust and frantically scanned the doors for their numbers. The nearest one said 198. Crap, he thought, I've got to get to the other side of the hospital.
One night, before Roxas had gone to bed, the phone by his bed rang. Wondering who the hell was calling him this late at night, he wearily picked up the phone and said "Hello?"
He heard sniffling on the other side of the line. Again, louder, he said "Hello?"
"Roxas?" came a wavering voice. "Yeah," he said, "this is Roxas." He heard more sniffling. "It's me, Namine."
"Namine? What's the matter? Why are you crying?" He could hear muffled sobs emanating from the phone. "It's . . . it's . . . Cloud," her voice cracked. "He . . . he's. . .
d-dead!" She began to openly cry into the phone. Roxas silently absorbed the information. He just couldn't believe that someone as strong and outgoing and funny as Cloud could be gone.
"How . . . ?" he whispered. "I-it was a car c-crash," she said, "his idiot friend Axel was drunk!" She shrieked hysterically. "H-how could he do that to us? W-why would he? WHY!?" She screamed.
She began her crying anew. "I'll be right over," he said. He ran out of his house and grabbed his bike. He reached her house in five minutes flat. He sprinted up the porch steps and let himself in. He found her sitting at the kitchen table, the one where she had comforted him and helped him countless times.
Her head was buried in her arms, her slender shoulders shaking. He took a seat next to her, and put a hand on her arm. Her head snapped up, eyes puffy and red from crying. When she saw who it was, she shot forward and wrapped her arms around him.
He stroked the top of her head, and when she had regained some control over her sobbing, he helped her to stand up and lead her over to the couch. They sat down together, her head resting on his shoulder. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Namine whispered, "Thank you for coming, Roxas."
"Don't worry about it." He replied. "Everything will be okay." After a few moments, Namine's breathing took on the slow and even pattern of sleep. Roxas pushed some slightly damp hair away from her angelic face. "I'll always be here for you, Namine," he said softly. "I'll always be here to protect you."
That had been four years ago.
He sprinted down the hallway; his breath coming in short bursts as he dodged trolleys, doctors, and patients. Room 205, 206, 207. . . Where's room 217? Ignoring the angry shouts of several night-shift nurses, he ran on.
Roxas and Namine had been best friends since they were seven, and they saw no problem with going to the formal sophomore dance together. Namine looked stunning in a white gown that reached her ankles, and Roxas looked exceedingly handsome in a suit.
Namine's parents dropped them off in front of the auditorium. Everyone around them stopped to stare, but neither noticed. Roxas could only see Namine in all her splendor.
As they walked in, a fun dance song came on. "Dance with me, Roxas!" Namine shouted, a huge smile on her face. Roxas couldn't help himself; he had to start laughing at her expression. "What's so funny?" she inquired. "Nothing," he said with a smile. "You just still have the same expression that you did when you were, like, eight." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, then grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor.
After a few fast-paced songs, a slow song came on. Roxas had turned towards the food tables when Namine grabbed his hand. "Just because it's a slow song, doesn't mean we can't still dance." Roxas stared at her for a moment, then relented.
He put his hands on her slim waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. A few moments later, Roxas said "We've been friends forever, haven't we?" Namine giggled and said "Yeah, it sure feels that way, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," he murmured. He could still remember when he had first seen her. Seven years old, wearing a white dress and sandals, with her hair down around her shoulders. She had been with her mother and brother at the grocery store, and their mothers had stopped to chat with each other. Hi, I'm Nam'ne, she had said. He had never before, or since, seen anyone as beautiful or as perfect as she was.
"H-hey, Namine? I've got something to tell you." "Hmm?" Replied Namine, her eyes half closed against his shoulder.
"I-I. . . I think I'm in love with you."
She slowly raised her head from his shoulder, and looked him in the eyes. He was worried that she wasn't going to react at all when a small, shy smile graced her lips.
"Oh." She said in a small voice. Her smile got bigger. "I . . . I think I love you too."
Roxas's world consisted entirely of fireworks, bliss and Namine's light blue eyes in that one instant.
Then she collapsed.
That had been one year ago.
He rounded a corner and almost smashed into an open door. Quickly spinning to avoid it, he regained his footing and rushed down the hallway. Room 212 . . . 213. . . 214 . . . 215. . . 216. . . . He stopped dead. There it was. Room 217.
Namine had been rushed to the hospital when no one could wake her at the dance.
She had a rare form of heart cancer. There was a malignant growth called a sarcoma on one of the main valves of her heart. It was deemed inoperable by every doctor, every specialist, and every branch of the cancer department at the hospital.
Roxas had finally come up against something he couldn't protect Namine from. There was no one to fight against, no words that could be said. He could only sit there and hold her hand while her mother called all their relatives and friends to tell them of what had come up. For the first time, he felt useless.
Namine stared blankly at the floor, her eyes seemed empty. Probably in a mild state of shock, a doctor had said. When her mother had tearfully asked how long she had to live, Roxas had leaped to his feet, and said "How can you ask that? And right in front of her?!"
He felt a hand gently touch his trembling arm. He snapped his gaze downward, realizing through his haze of fury and helplessness, that it was Namine. "It's okay, Roxas." Namine said, her still unfocused eyes cast down. "I want to know, too."
The doctor shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Well," he began, "we've never encountered a case like hers at this hospital before, or anywhere in this part of the country. But all known cases have been recorded, and once treatment has begun, the afflicted patients have lived from anywhere around two months to eight years."
"But no one has ever survived?" Namine asked quietly. "Well, no one has yet, but there's always a first for everything, right?" said the doctor, laughing nervously.
Roxas had never before wanted to punch anyone as badly as he wanted to hit the doctor, but he knew it wouldn't solve anything this time.
He slowly walked forward. He stood completely motionless outside the door, as though he had been frozen that way. Slowly, numbly, he took a small paper crane from his pocket.
Roxas had spent nearly every waking moment with Namine for the past year. He took her to every art show, every park, and every other place Namine asked to see. She had wasted no time in coming to a decision about what she wanted to do with the rest of her life – however much of it was left.
Some aspects of their life didn't change.
She continued to draw, creating great masterpieces with nothing but pencils and paper. She's always been the artistic one, Roxas thought. He watched as she continued drawing a blooming flower, each delicate petal in perfect detail. "You've come a long way from crayons and finger paint," he teased.
She stuck her tongue out at him. "At least I wasn't the one who got into fights over every little thing" she teased back.
There had been no formal title announced, but there was a silent acceptance on both ends of their relationship that they had each found their other half.
Namine and Roxas had begun their junior year together, and things had run smoothly for a few months.
Then some aspects of their life changed drastically.
Namine had been told she could no longer go to school due to her health, and that it would be life-threatening to continue handling all the stress and strain it put on her heart.
When her mother, Mrs. Strife, had taken a second job to help pay for the hospital visits and treatments, she had asked Roxas to move in to help take care of Namine. She offered to pay him for his help, but he refused to even consider taking the money.
When the chemotherapy and radiation treatments started, Roxas couldn't bring himself to leave Namine's side, even for a moment. Her hair began to fall out in small clumps, and she became horribly sick.
He would hold her hair back when she was throwing up, murmuring comforting words and telling her it would all be better soon. He would stay up with her in the night when she couldn't sleep because of the pain, and even during the few short hours of troubled rest he would remain awake, in case his best friend stopped breathing.
He would try to distract her in whatever ways he could, telling her about the few days of school she would force him to attend, telling him not to waste his education worrying about her. He would tell her about what their friends Sora, Kairi and Riku were up to. They called her frequently, because they lived too far away to visit on a daily – even weekly – basis. He would walk through the garden she kept in the backyard with her, asking many questions about the plants she had, and talking about nature in general.
He would take her on long drives to see the leaves change color, so she could draw them later. It was on one of these drives that Roxas suddenly remembered the legend of the cranes. He glanced over at Namine, her thinned - out hair still framing her angelic face.
"Hey, Nami, you wouldn't believe what I just remembered." He said a little too cheerfully to be casual. Her eyes, still as sharp as ever, found his. "Roxas, you don't always have to be super happy all the time around me. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"
She must have seen his face fall at being caught trying to distract her, because she quickly said "So, what's this thing you remembered?"
He smiled as he watched the road. "I was just thinking about all the fun stuff we did together as little kids, and I thought about that crane legend you told me about when you were trying- unsuccessfully, I might add- to teach me how to fold those little origami cranes."
She looked puzzled for a moment, and then her expression cleared. "I remember that! You were really bad at origami!" she laughed.
"But I was thinking that when we get home, we could maybe give that another shot." he said. "You know, teaching you how to fold all those cranes will take forever, at least." Namine joked.
"Hey," he said, "I'm willing to wait that long. Besides, you could really use that wish."
She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Roxas." She did not say I love you, but that was what she meant. "No problem." I love you too, Namine.
He took a step forward, and with trembling fingers, turned the handle.
For the rest of the year, Roxas and Namine left the house less and less. Her health would improve slightly and raise everyone's hopes, only to deteriorate several days later and crush everyone.
Namine taught Roxas how to flawlessly create a small, brightly colored paper crane, and they each promised to make 500 cranes before July came around- only giving them a month and a half to accomplish their task. Roxas repeatedly assured Namine that she would be better by then, that they might not even need the wish, even as he watched her grow thinner and more gaunt. Her voice began to rasp when she spoke, and she ate less and less. But they still tried to keep their promises.
One morning, Namine was almost too weak to get out of bed. Her mother checked her into the hospital the next day. The doctors ran a few tests, and everyone's worst fears were realized – the tumor on Namine's heart had grown, despite the best efforts of her family, friends, and the hospital staff. The doctors had told Mrs. Strife and Roxas to leave Namine at the hospital, so they could keep a constant watch on her.
Roxas couldn't believe it. How could a heart as big and pure as Namine's have such an evil thing grow inside it?
Namine urged Roxas to go home and get some sleep. "You look terrible," she said, her voice full of concern, "I'll be fine here. Go home. Rest." He desperately wanted to tell her that he wasn't going to leave her side, but a sudden wave of exhaustion crept up on him.
"Fine. I'll go get some sleep, but you have to promise to call me if anything happens." He yawned, and she started laughing, and then started coughing. He was at her side in an instant, but she waved him off, saying she would call him in the morning.
When the phone woke him the next day, it was already dark out, and it wasn't Namine's voice he heard.
He took a deep, shaky breath to steady himself, preparing himself for the worst. He pushed open the door.
A doctor was on the phone. He told Roxas that something terrible had occurred. Pieces of the tumor in Namine's heart had broken off and had followed the blood stream to her lungs. The doctor tried his best to break the news gently, but when he told Roxas that Namine probably would die within the next few hours, Roxas felt as though he had been struck by lightning and hit by a truck. A great despair welled up inside him, and he thought he had forgotten how to breathe.
The phone dropped from his numb fingers, and clattered on the floor. He was already out the door and riding his bike towards the hospital by the time the doctor realized no one was on the other line.
That had been ten minutes ago.
It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the brightness of the small room. When he was able to see properly again, he wished that he couldn't.
Namine was lying on the only bed in the room, her face white as snow. She had several needles stuck in her arms, connecting her to the array of machines behind her that assured him that she was at least still alive. Her skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and the circles under her eyes were so dark that it looked like she had two black eyes.
Then he noticed something else – there was no one else in the room with her.
She was all alone.
The pain that realization brought him was almost unbearable. How long had she been by herself? Why was no one else here with her when she was in this much pain? He took a few quiet steps into the room, hoping not to disturb her.
Silently, her light blue eyes flickered open. Her gaze wandered around the room and rested on Roxas. Her dry, cracked lips parted in a gentle smile. "Roxas." Her voice sounded like sandpaper, and her breath rattled slightly deep in her chest.
"Hey, Namine," he said quietly. "How're you feeling?" She began laughing, though it sounded like she was choking. "Well, I feel pretty crappy, now that you mention it. But it's better, now that you're here."
He nodded his head, not trusting his voice. He moved over and sat down on the edge of her bed. He reached for her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. After a few deep breaths, he asked "How long have you been by yourself?"
She looked everywhere but his face. "Only for a little while, but the nurse said she would come to check on me in half an hour." "Where's your mom?" She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. "She's still two hours away, at her job. She left when I called."
Roxas tried to keep his voice steady. "Have they told you yet?" Tears welled up in Namine's eyes. She blinked furiously, and bit her lip. "Yeah." Her voice cracked, and the tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, Namine." Roxas's voice broke. He leaned over and embraced her as she sat up and wrapped her arms around him. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, her tears soaking into his shirt as she cried on his shoulder. Roxas wept as well, his tears running down his face and into her hair. "I-I don't . . . want to die, Roxas," she sobbed. "I d-don't want to leave you."
Wordlessly, he pulled slightly away from her, and placed the little blue paper crane in the palm of her hand. She stared at it uncomprehendingly, and then it dawned on her.
"Is this the last one?" She whispered, barely audible. He nodded. She stared at him, and to his amazement, started laughing through her tears. "It's perfect," she told him. "Thank you, Roxas."
Namine lay back down on the bed, still holding Roxas's hand and the crane. Someone knocked on the door, and a nurse came in. She saw the puffy red eyes and tear streaked faces, and paused. "Should I come back in later?" She asked.
Namine made a brave attempt at a smile. "No. It's okay, you can come in." The nurse bustled around the room, making short notes on a clipboard as she read the monitors. She asked if she could do anything to make Namine more comfortable. Namine politely declined, asking if her mother was here yet. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Your mom just called and said she was stuck in a traffic jam forty-five minutes away." The nurse paused, and then continued. "She says that she loves you, and she'll see you soon." The nurse let out a breath, and said she would come by later.
When the nurse left, Roxas looked at Namine. She seemed to have calmed down, and was resting as comfortably as possible on her pillow. They sat in silence for a while, while Roxas sat on the edge of the bed and held tightly to Namine's hand.
Namine closely examined the small blue crane in her left hand. She let her hand rest on the bed, and smiled warmly at Roxas. She said "You've always been there for me, Roxas. Like my own personal guardian angel." She squeezed his hand gently.
Roxas tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "If anyone here is an angel, it's you, Namine." She smiled and lowered her eyes for a few moments.
"I'm really glad that I had you in my life, Roxas." She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "Almost every single one of my favorite memories has you in it."
He noticed that her eyes were unusually bright. "Huh. That's funny," she said, squinting a little, "I can't see you anymore." Roxas's heart sank. Her vision was failing. She didn't have much time. Roxas gently ran his thumb over her knuckles, trying not to cry.
Namine briefly closed her eyes. "I'm so tired, Roxas." She opened her sightless eyes and gave him a small, sweet smile. "I don't think I'll mind going to sleep. I won't feel any more pain." Her voice broke, and she waited a moment before continuing on.
"Can you do me a favor?" she asked softly. "I want you to tell my mom that I'm sorry I couldn't wait for her, and I'm sorry that I'm leaving her like this. And I want you to tell her that I love her, okay?" Her face was wet with tears, and every breath she took rattled violently.
Roxas nodded, and with a stab of agony remembered that she couldn't see him. He whispered, "Don't worry, Namine. She'll be here soon, and you can tell her yourself."
Namine smiled sadly and shook her head gently. "You will tell her, won't you?" Roxas took a shaky breath. "I will." Namine closed her eyes and sighed, as though a small weight had been lifted from her.
She opened her eyes and turned her face toward Roxas. "Thank you, Roxas. For everything." She smiled gently, and said "I love you."
He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her fingers. "I love you too, Namine. I always have."
For a moment, it was as if her sight had returned. Her light blue eyes met his cerulean ones, and she smiled at him, her expression full of love and kindness. He would be the last thing she saw on earth.
Her eyes glazed over, and her hand stiffened around his. The light behind her eyes had gone out. Her last breath left her body as a gentle sigh, the ghost of her last smile still on her beautiful face.
The little blue crane fell from her lifeless fingers to the floor, forgotten.
Roxas felt as though a part of him had died as well. Sobbing, he gently closed her eyelids, and laid her arm over her stomach. Gently, he kissed her forehead. He rested his elbows on the edge of the bed, and held her hand, gently caressing her ice-cold fingers. He pushed a few stray hairs back from her peaceful face, and thought about how beautiful she was, even in death. He rested his forehead against her hand and wept until he finally lapsed into sleep.
He knew he was having a dream, because Namine was standing in front of him. She looked completely healthy, and she was grinning at him. When she spoke, there was no trace of the rasping in the back of her throat. "I just wanted to let you know, Roxas, that I'm all right now. I'm not sick any more." She began showing traces of her old self. "I also wanted to tell you that I'll wait for you here, no matter how long it takes. We'll be together again, just like always."
She glanced over her shoulder, as if someone was calling her. "I have to go soon. Everyone is waiting for me. They will wait for you, too, when your time comes." She smiled warmly at him. "The last thing I wanted to tell you was that I want you to have the wish. Use it to be happy." She looked over her shoulder again, and turned toward Roxas. "I have to go now. My time is up. But I'll see you again, someday."
With that, she turned and walked into a brilliant white light. Somewhere, far away, Roxas knew everything would be okay. He now had his own guardian angel looking after him.