He watched the old man's chest rise and fall; the breathing was labored; the man was struggling to do the basic function, and the bluenette could only watch; the body in the bed was not that of the man he knew, of the man who raised him.
It was no longer Voltaire Hiwatari, but an old man who was fading away from this world.
He had to watch the old man grow weaker, without realizing that he was seriously ill.
Voltaire had been ill for some time, however he had at first thought it was nothing; a minor bug that he would get over if he focused more on his work. As the month's passed, he finally went to his own doctors to find out what was causing him to feel so unwell, weak and unable to eat.
When he learned the truth, he hadn't planned on telling his only Grandson, he hadn't wanted anyone to know about his illness. Of course, that wasn't possible; one day he felt physically weak, he couldn't force himself to move. That was when he resolved to tell him.
"You're…" His Grandson just looked at him in surprise, unable to believe what his Grandfather had just told him. He knew he would die, but he thought it would be something else, something quick; not drawn out.
"Just because I am dying, doesn't mean that you can stop doing your duty," Voltaire was quick to remind him.
Kai let all his emotions, the sadness, the pity, the fear even, flow away from his eyes and let them become emotionless as they normally are around his Grandfather.
Kai shook his head; he hadn't told anyone about his Grandfather. There was no real reason to, it wasn't like he would give out that information in a conversation with Tyson or Rei; and with Tala and the others, well, Voltaire had used them, they wouldn't exactly feel anything for him. Not that the old man would have wanted any sympathy or pity.
Only one person knew, he noticed how Kai had changed slightly, nothing obvious, but minor things that the rest wouldn't notice, being of shorter temper with Tyson for example.
His Grandfather was getting worse; although he knew he should be expecting it, it hadn't expected it to happen so fast.
There was one point that he actually thought the old man would die, he slept so much and was barely awake to do anything apart from eat and go to the bathroom.
Now he was energetic, completely focused on his business, helping Kai take the reins, teaching him more about the business than ever before.
The nurse that was there had told Kai it wasn't a good sign, the majority of people usually had a good high time before it goes down hill again.
"It's like they are getting rid of excess energy…" Kai had told him, who remained silent as the bluenette bared his soul in a way that very few people would ever see; "His body and mind are getting ready to let go,"
Now Kai sat by the old man's bed, just watching his chest rise and fall, the breathing was laboured, the eyes were closed, but the face showed that he was struggling to hold on.
His fight to live effected his Grandson more deeply than anything else in his life, to such an extent that Kai had to leave the room to clear his head out of all the confusing emotions that waved upon him.
"You need to tell him,"
"Wha…?" Kai looked at him.
"You have to tell him; to let go,"
"Let go?" Kai repeated, feeling slightly stunned that he would suggest that. This was his Grandfather! He was all the family he had left! How could he let him go? To tell him that he should let go?!
"Yes, Kai, to tell him that it's okay," The blonde haired male smiled sadly; "He's in pain, what else do you think he's hanging on for?"
Kai never thought of that, and felt a wave of guilt glide over him; but he snapped himself out of it. He nodded and walked back into his Grandfather's room, where the nurse had checked over him and moved back outside the room.
Before she left she whispered to him; "It won't be long,"
Kai nodded as she stepped out and looked at the body in the bed;
"Grandfather," He sat down by the bed; "You don't have to stay,"
"N… N… Nnnnoooooo… Th… Tha's… N… N't W…Wh…Wh… Wha… I… I… N… N… Neeeeeeed….Y… Y… Yoooow… T… T… Ta…. A… A… Ab… Abbbeeeyy…" Voltaire gasped out, his eyes remained tightly shut, his face contorted in pain that he was going through.
Kai had listened carefully, it made no real sense to anyone else, especially about the abbey.
"Grandfather, the Abbey? BioVolt? It doesn't matter, that was years ago…""
"F…Foooo…Foooorrrrr…. G… Gi…Giiiivvv…"
Forgive?
"Grandfather," Kai put his hand on top od the old man's withered one; "If it wasn't for the Abbey, I wouldn't be who I am. I…" He paused, since he escaped from BioVolts clutches when he was only 13, he had resented his Grandfather for making him a pawn in his schemes; but now? "I forgive you for those mistakes…"
The old man's breathing became shallower, and Kai felt himself become pale.
Is he?
But he looked at his chest, it was still rising and falling; and continued to do so. The old man was still alive.
For the next few hours Kai remained at Voltaire's bedside, his friend had resolved to rest in a spare room, refusing to leave Kai alone in the mansion.
"You can let go Grandfather," Kai said softly, his hand never left his gandfather's own; "It's… It's okay,"
The next hour passed slowly, but Kai knew it would be the last. Although he thought that so many times over the past few month's; this time, with a few simple words of forgiveness, he knew. His Grandfather would leave him alone.
Voltaire was doing as his Grandson had asked, and was letting go.
The last breath came, and the nurse moved to check his pulse; which was barely there; stop.
She spoke to Kai, but he didn't take it in;
"He's gone,"
The bluenette continued to look at his Grandfather's body, and he began to notice how life-less it was… How unlike his Grandfather it was… How his Grandfather had gone and left an empty shell behind.
Standing, he quickly left the room, the last thought in his head was one he didn't want to dwell on, but it kept coming back.
The old man was gone; all that was left of Kai's family was gone.
Now he was truly alone… But he also felt free, as if he could now, finally, spread his wings and fly.
Of course, he wouldn't, not to the extent that he wished he could. He'd been brought up in a certain way, and that was how his Grandfather had molded him to be; and there was also part of him that didn't want to break that mold.
"Kai…" The bluenette felt arms wrap around his waist, and he suddenly realized that there was salty water coming down his cheeks.
"I…" He was startled, he was actually crying!
"Sh, it's okay," The blonde soothed him.
Kai relaxed, for once not having to be the strong one, the tough guy or the cold hearted one.
For this moment, he could mourn for his Grandfather, the man who had let go when his Grandson told him to.
If only for today.