Title: Good Night & Goodbye
Dedication: Jai, because this so happened to fit her prompt.
Summary: Because she was not in denial whatsoever. Nope, not at all. - Romance/Drama. For Jai.
Info: Romance/Drama with Hurt/Comfort/Angst. Third/First person narrative. Completed One-shot.
Written By: Romantically Loveless
She was not in denial. Definitely, definitely, definitely not in denial.
Nope.
Just because she saw her him with a bullet through his chest, and crimson red blood tainting his clothes did not mean she had to take therapy.
No one understood her at this point. They couldn't just place her in a suffocating rehab center in hopes that she'd recover and be all rainbows and lollipops. Instead, she had put on a facade of indifference since the ambulance carried her to the hospital. She pretended that she had given up for the most part on his survival through the operation; not letting anyone see that a there was a tiny shard of hope, deep down inside.
Her head hurt. The blankness of the hospital walls felt like they were engulfing, taunting her, trying to break her down. The doctors tended her minor wounds: a couple scratches and scrapes on her shins. They must've stung, but she couldn't feel the pain. She couldn't feel at all.
No one blamed her for the accident. Her conscience, on the other hand was tearing her apart. Her chest was anxiety-stricken. Her eyes were burning. Her mind was spinning.
Slowly, her burning eyes were closing. She was completely exhausted; both mentally and physically.
It was twilight, and they were walking together in the more remote places in the city. She didn't feel safe as it was dark and people were always questionable when they're loitering around in the dark. His arm slung around her shoulder, silently protecting her.
There was nothing but trust in him from the girl. He was taking her home after she got lost in the area. They weren't anything in particular. Two friends who just liked each other more than normal friends would. Just scared to take the next step because what they had was so fragile and too valuable to risk.
They walked in silence. Police sirens buzzed through the cold early winter air. They were not uncommon; the area was the main area of mischief after all. The male regretted not taking a car to pick her up. As soon as he heard her cheerful voice someone turn into anxious and panic-stricken tone, he ran to the nearest bus stop and found his way to her.
She tried to start conversation, but words weren't coming through her mouth. His glancing down at her with the usual warm brown eyes reassured her that he was there with her and that she wasn't alone. But it was the tension in the air and silence between them that frightened her more than anything. She didn't know if he was angry for causing him all this trouble, but she was thankful he was the one beside her right then.
His sneakers and her heels taking mis-matching steps reminded her of the time when he was nine and shorter than him pulling pranks during class. Then the time when he was fourteen, proclaiming that he was 'man enough for her and that Mochu wasn't the one.' But three years later he was right, now that he was seventeen and she nineteen, he had grown much taller than her, with her head only reaching his chest. The warmth he emitted was making her feel secure, which made her wonder if her cheery brunette of a best friend felt like this too with her boyfriend.
And all this came to her mind when he suddenly halted which caused the heels of her shoes to skid on the cigarette-littered ground. Was she staring at him so long that he noticed and stopped? Really, his hands were really big and-
"Give me the girl, and no one gets hurt."
The dark figure stood behind them and she could feel something pressed to her right temple.
A gun.
"You should sit down in the waiting room," a voice suggested, "it'll be more comfortable that way."
She let the person lead her to the room while keeping her head down and with her curls shielding her face. The waiting room was only occupied by eight other people: a family of five including a crying mother, two university students and an old man sitting alone.
There were many empty seats in the room and it didn't take long for her to sit down and observe the room. Toys were strewn, most likely used to distract children from the news coming before them. She couldn't see a clock, but it wasn't as if she was truly needing to check the time at the moment.
It wasn't long until a nurse came in to mutter something to the two students in the corner. It was most likely something about a survival, for their faces lit up and were lead to another room.
Though the doors shut with a thud, the sound didn't startle anyone. It was a rough night.
She sat there in silence, along with the old man. She could hear the mother sitting across from her singing her children to sleep, with them lying down on the chairs. After two songs and the children softy snoring, the same nurse from earlier came in and escorted the woman out and had another nurse arrange to take care of her children while they were gone.
Tension was in the air with the old man sitting still and the the restless female sitting there, waiting for an answer.
"We'd been married for sixty-five years," the old man spoke.
The look on his face was like a mixture of nostalgia and pain. She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her.
"...and it's not like I could sleep without her there anyway."
She stared at him until he gave her a smile, then looked back down on the floor. Her hair was most likely a mess, make-up smeared on her face. Standing up her heels clacked on the floor before sitting down beside him and holding his hand. They sat in silence with feeling of support between them until the doors swung open again, with a doctor look confused at the two of them like they were the strangest sight they've ever seen.
"You've been here for four days," the doctor stated as the old man smiled innocently at the him, completely ignoring the look of disbelief on the girl's face.
"How is she doing?" he replied.
"Considerably well. Would you like to visit your wife?"
"It's alright, she must be sleeping. Besides, I have a lovely girl here to keep company."
A new found respect about the man beside her sprung. His love gave her hope. Slightly bowing, the doctor left, leaving the two to sit in silence. The man beside her lightly squeezed her hand before closing his eyes into a doze. She followed, letting her eyes rest.
She dreamed about him. About the time when they went to the beach, the time when they danced during the Alice ball and when he kissed her cheek when she won the school talent competition. But it's not like it wasn't the first time she dreamed of him. Not that she'd ever say it out loud.
By the time her eyes fluttered open, the man beside her was gone, but left his jacket in his seat, still emitting warmth. Instead, a woman with straight black hair stood above her with her hand near her shoulder. Most likely deciding whether or not she should wake her up moments earlier.
Then it all clicked. She was getting an answer.
Her neck snapped up to look at the meek woman, in hidden anticipation of what she would say about the surgery. The beating of her heart was getting louder and faster and chills went down her spine.
"He's gone. I'm sorry, miss." the nurse stood in front of her with a solemn face.
It hit her like a hard slap to the cheek, or a punch in the gut. Sumire couldn't even notice the tears streaking down her face as the numbness overtook her. It was like someone was in control of her body and started letting out her emotions.
Damn; she didn't even get to say 'Good night.'
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A/N: My try at these genres. Review?
SumireKoko, if you couldn't catch it.