January 15th. Just an ordinary day.

A young intern learns that an ordinary day, an ordinary mistake, and an ordinary person can change into so much more in mere seconds. Scary isn't it?

January 15th

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Maybe."

"…so shouldn't you go find out?"

"Nah."

"…"

"Hand me that would you?"

"…here…"

"Thanks."

"…"

"What are you still doing here?"

"I don't know."

"Well you shouldn't spend too much time here. You're not used to the air here…or rather lack of."

"I don't want to go just yet."

"Yeah? What's keeping you here?"

"To be honest, I don't know."

"Shouldn't you be back by now? She'll worry you know."

"I know…but I don't' want to go just yet."

"(grunt grunt) ah, there."

"Done already?"

"Yep."

"…looks good."

"Thanks."

"Is that all you're gonna do?"

"That's all there is to do."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"So what do you do now?"

"Well…usually I'd go watch a couple old friends, including you. It's amazing what people do when their grief-ridden."

"You're telling me."

A hand landed on a shoulder, "Hey…look at me."

"…"

"You need to go on."

"Yeah…I know…"

"Life goes on. There's not much you can do about it you know?"

"No…I suppose not…"

"So go."

"Not yet…"

"Honestly, what do you find so intriguing about this place? It's boring here! Look around! There's nothing here!"

"Nothing but you."

"…come on now."

A tear drop. Two.

"…don't cry."

"I missed you…god…I missed you…"

"Rather me than her though right?"

"…don't say that…"

"Why? We both know it's true."

"Don't say that…"

"Accept it. I did."

"And look where it's gotten you! You stubborn jackass!"

"Hey, hey, I may be stubborn, but I'm far from a jackass! That hurts right here."

"…shut up…"

"Make me."

"Shut up…"

"Make. Me."

"I said, shut the FUCK up!"

"And I said make me."

"…you'll never change will you?"

"Nope. Not then, not now...I think it's about time you left."

"What?"

"She's waiting for you."

"…I know."

"So what are you waiting for? Are you willing to-"

"Don't say it."

"Ok. I won't. But you gotta go. Like, now."

"…I'll never see you again."

"Sure you will! That's what the internet's for right?"

"…heh…you really will never change."

"And you really won't let go."

"…"

"Come on…you're gonna make me cry!"

"Jin…"

"Natsuki…BFF yeah?" a laugh.

"Heh…yeah…BFF…" a forced chuckle.

"I hope that I don't see you soon…"

"…me too…"

"I'll miss you…" a hug.

"Yeah…" a hug returned, "I'll miss you too…"

o.o

"Fujino-sempai! She's breathing!" Beeps, yells, rattles, clashes, crying, talking, whispering. That was what Fuuka Hospital sounded like at 3 on the morning of Tuesday, January 15th. Why did it sound like that? Because a life was being saved. Or in this case, two.

"Don't just stand there, wheel her in! Now!" A man walked at a brisk pace towards a tawny haired colleague who seemed to be in control, yet helpless at the same time.

"Fujino-san…" two arms wrapped themselves tightly around her waist.

"Gendou?! What are you doing?! I'm busy! Let go!" Even as the rash woman thrashed around in his arms, Habana Gendou did not slacken his grip.

Past the two, another pair of doctors raced past them, nurses and interns in tow. One of them nodded at this Doctor Gendou, and he in turn nodded back, his face as solemn as the rest.

An old woman walked up to the two and attempted to calm the usually reserved and well mannered doctor in his arms, "Shizuru-san…please…calm down."

"How can I calm down if Gendou-san won't let me operate on my patient who is dying Katsuo-san?! Tell me that!"

"You're not stable enough to perform the necessary operation doctor. Please. Be still, or else we'll have to go to drastic measures."

"H-How did this even happen?!" tears were streaming from her already crimson eyes, "She was fine this morning, a smile, a hug, and a blush! Why would she do this?!"

A small woman came running to the three people, her little feet scurrying to deliver her important message, "Fujino-sensei!" she stopped as she witnessed the pitiful state in which her beloved sensei had been dumped into, "F-Fujino-sensei…"

Suddenly, she became calm, "Wh-what is it…Ki…chan…?"

"…I suppose now is not a good time…"

"Taki-chan…you can tell me." Was the kind response from the kind old woman, Katsuo.

She glanced at her sensei who was at the moment being calmed by the soothing words and movements of Habana Gendou…the man known to be the coldest doctor in town, "…Katsuo-san…I tried to tell everyone earlier…but I couldn't find anyone who wasn't busy. It seems something went wrong with the connection to room Z4 in building C…" Shizuru's head whipped straight to the young girl's, "Someone disconnected all the wires that connected to that room to alert the nurses. Just earlier this hour, I found that the patient…was dead…"

"Oh no…" was the truly sorry response of the head nurse, Hiragami Katsuo.

"He was…a good guy…always in such a good mood, even when we operated on him." Were the remorseful words that came from that not-so-cold doctor, Habana Gendou.

"Is that why…Natsuki…is he the reason you did what you did?!" she broke into sobs once more, her screaming filling the halls until well past four.

By five though, they had already sedated her. By five, she was calm, still, elegant. By five, she was asleep.

The doors of the operation room swung open, and from inside it, a bed was rolled quietly into the already silent halls of Fuuka hospital. Nurses sobbed into each other's shoulders, and doctors hung their heads low. Those who had the unlucky task of wheeling the bed gripped the steel railing with so much force that their knuckles nearly turned blue.

By five though, she had woken up, and she witnessed the scene in front of her. Sleepily, she met the eyes of the doctor who held her, his eyes glistening with tears she had never believed he could shed, "What happened?" were the two soft words that rolled from the tip of her tongue.

Hiragami Katsuo, oh that kind, sweet old woman. She walked up to the obviously still half-asleep Fujino Shizuru and placed a wrinkled palm on her shoulder. The palm that Fujino Shizuru would always think of as the softest touch, next to the one she loved, but did not seem to love her back. The palm that had held her so many times when she was in desperate need of someone to hold onto before she met her one and only. And the palm that she would always remember, before the old woman said, "I'm sorry…Shizuru-san…she didn't make it…"

Fujino Shizuru. The red-eyed, kind, gentle, elegant, curvaceous, flirtatious, lovely, beautiful, experienced, and now heart-broken doctor only stared at that same wrinkled hand. The same old Katsuo. And the same old Fuuka Hospital. Then, after a time, all she said was, "Oh…" before closing her eyes and falling back asleep.

By seven in the morning, she did not wake up.

By nine in the morning, she did not wake up.

By twelve, when the nurses, doctors, interns, and patients of Fuuka Hospital left to fetch lunch, she did not wake up.

By twelve in the morn of the next day. She did not wake up. Fujino Shizuru never woke up.

o.o

"Back so soon?"

"I couldn't do it."

"Ah, you'll always be my little Natsuki won't you?"

"Hey…"

"Just joking…"

"Ara, it seems that Natsuki and Jin-kun have forgotten about me."

Red met green.

"Shizuru…"

"Natsuki…"

"Hey…"

"Hello Natsuki…"

"Fancy seeing you here, eh?"

"I suppose."

"You should wake up, Shizuru."

"Why?"

"…there are people waiting for you."

"Like who?"

"Old lady Katsuo…That crippled guy, Gendou…and even little Taki."

"…there is no Natsuki waiting for me?"

"…I suppose not…"

"Then what point is there in returning?"

o.o

That was all I could remember. The screaming. The franticness of it all. The sound of the doors closing. More Screaming. Silence. Death.

I was only an intern. I couldn't have possibly helped with anything, but I watched. That was all I could do…All I could do…But even so. The guilt. It eats at me you know?

I could have stopped all of this from happening, if only I didn't trip. If I didn't trip on the wires in Jin-sama's room. I could have prevented three deaths. The nurses could have rushed into his room…and stopped him from having another attack.

But they couldn't. All because I tripped and didn't notice what I did. I caused the deaths of Toushirou Jin, Kuga Natsuki, and Fujino Shizuru. My beloved mentor.

I was in love with her. God. I was in love with Fujino Shizuru. Yes. You heard me. You'd all think, oh there was this stupid little girl who was in love with Toushirou Jin. And she caused three people's deaths because she just had to see him, and was nervously tittering in the room, causing herself to trip over a stupid cable. Which cut off the stupid alert system. Which caused three oh so stupid deaths.

But no. I was in love with my superior doctor. A woman. I was in love with Fujino Shizuru. How? It would take me ages to list all of the reasons. I wanted to hold her when she cried. I wanted her to need me. But I couldn't. Why? Because she was the one who was in love with Kuga Natsuki. And dammit. She loved her back. Do you know how torturous it was for me to have to witness Fujino-sama suffer each day that girl didn't express her feelings? Do you know how hard it was to keep myself from approaching that stubborn blue haired idiot and slapping her until she confessed? But I didn't. Because I caused her death instead.

But even if it was my fault. When I looked into their eyes as they were dying. Even Natsuki's. I watched through the window for a while. I could feel it. I could sense it. Their eyes. Their lips. Their expression. They were so…happy. I never thought that one could feel so happy when they were dying. It's like they didn't want to wake up.

But enough of that. Here I am. 87 years old, and I still feel guilty. I suppose that it's one of those things that stay with you until your death. Which for me, should be coming very soon. You see, about a couple months ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. They offered me treatment, but it was too late anyways. So, I declined. Instead, I donated the rest of whatever funds that I didn't think I would need to Kuga/Toushirou Mechanics inc. I thought it suited my situation, don't you think?

Here I am. 87 years old, and I'm on my death bed. Literally. I'm sitting in my coffin. I guess I'm just desperate. I want to die like them. I want to die happy. Even though I had no family, friends, or even colleagues that cared enough…except for Gendou and Katsuo-san…but they died long ago…they died happy as well. In fact, they were smiling. Just as the three people I basically killed had.

I feel tired. My life has not been quite what I wanted it to be. But I managed. I can still die happy, right? I think I'll rest my eyes for a little while.

Is this what it felt like to them? No wonder they didn't want to wake up. I think I like it here. It's quiet. I can smile. I feel like I can just…drift away…

By midnight on the eve of January 15th, Tsumaki Taki's life had ended. And nobody knew.

o.o

"Shizuru!"

"Yes, Na-tsu-ki?"

"Hand it over!"

"Ara, Natsuki will have to give me something in return."

A blush. A hug. A pout. A sigh. A peck. Another pout. Another sigh. And a kiss.

It was still January 15th. And they were still in love.

Yeah. Sorry for the depressing story. It's just that I seem to be having some writer's block concerning my ShizNat story. So I wanted to write a one shot to compensate. I didn't realize it would turn out so...unlike 'All caught up'. As you can see, I've decided to incorporate my own flare to my Mai-HiME stories. Jin. He will always be there, though his role will change each time. Thanks for bearing with me. Well anyways I hope you guys enjoyed it regardless. Have a good one guys and gals.