DISCLAIMER: I do not own Angel Beats! (but that would be great)
Chapter 1: Awake and Alive
Yuri's POV
I finish saying goodbye to Kanade and turn toward the two boys that I had grown so close to in the afterlife. Hinata over the past year and Otonashi only the past month or so. I can't let them see me get all mushy with them like I just did with Kanade. Keep it short and simple. "Later!" I burst out.
"Yeah, thanks Yuri. You really helped me out a lot you know" Otonashi replies in a friendly manner.
"Leader, your work here is done." Hinata says with a sloppy salute.
This is it. Time for goodbye. "Well, I hope we meet again some day." I really do. I turn and the world disappears before my eyes...
I'm immediately blinded by light. Its as if all my senses have shut off. I can't hear, see, smell, or feel anything. Only just a blinding light. Its almost as if I'm floating in nothing. Fortunately I still remember everything, I think to myself.
Suddenly and powerfully I hear and feel a booming voice all around me.
"YURI NAKAMURA. YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. SINCE YOU HAVE A BODY TO RETURN TO, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO RETURN TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING KNOWING ALL THE SORROWS AND JOYS THAT COME WITH LIFE. OR YOU MAY CHOOSE TO MOVE ON TO THE TRUE AFTERLIFE, WHERE PEACEFUL ETERNITY AWAITS. THE CHOICE IS YOURS TO MAKE."
I'm too awed and afraid to even speak. I don't even know how to being to process this. What is this? Who is this?
"DO NOT BE AFRAID. PLEASE, MAKE YOUR CHOICE."
I finally find the courage to speak. "Who are you? Are you...are you God?"
"I AM WHAT I AM. NO ANSWERS ARE TO BE FOUND HERE. PLEASE, MAKE YOUR CHOICE."
A second chance? I never dreamed that could even be a possibility. I made peace with my life with the full expectation of moving on for good. I've spent so long fighting, I'm not sure I want to continue living. What good reason do I have to continue on with that miserable existence? As if responding ,images start to flood into my head. The Battlefront: HInata, Otonashi, Yusa, Iwasawa, Matsushita, TK, Shiina, Fujumaki, Oyama, Takamatsu,...Kanade. Hell, even Noda. I never quit on them, I never let them down. And I can't now! I have to continue on! And I hope they all do the same...
"I want...I want to LIVE!" I shout suddenly with all I have.
"VERY WELL."
Everything goes black as I slip into unconsciousness.
I feel my senses start to return. First off, I feel...something? And smell...something? Everything is so fuzzy. I feel so out of it, and weak. Really weak. I open my eyes and am once again blinded by light. This time though, my eyes start to focus and I realize the light is coming from a window. I take some deep breaths as I allow my eyes to focus so I can take in my surroundings.
That's when sense of feeling comes to life and I realize my body is very uncomfortable. My eyes finally make out the cause for my discomfort. Wires, plastic tubes, IVs; all protruding from my body. I see a respirator and a heart monitor. A catheter! I'm in the hospital!
I immediately start to freak out. I begin pulling things out frantically. Must get out, must get away. What is going on? I try to stand up, but only succeed in rolling off the bed onto the floor. It is very cold, and hard. I try start dragging myself.
I then hear something on a PA system: "CODE BLUE ROOM 435. CODE BLUE ROOM 435."
I look up as the door crashes open and see a woman in blue scrubs come running through. She stops and stares down at me in disbelief. "Oh my god, she's awake!" She yells behind her.
Scared beyond belief I start screaming weakly. "Where am I!? What happened!? Where are my parents!? Where is everyone else!?"
A nurse urges me to calm down. I continue to hyperventilate and shout nonsense. Then I hear an authoritative voice say "Nurse, give her a sedative stat!"
"No need Doctor, she just passed out."
Everything goes black again.
Kanade's POV
We stand outside the school and embrace each other. I listen to him tearfully try to convince me to stay in the afterlife with him. It makes me sad. While there's no one else I'd rather be with, I'm just ready to move on. I feel bad about this decision though. I don't want to hurt him.
I really hope to see you again Yuzuru Otonashi. I love you too. I feel completely at piece with myself now. I think I'm ready. "Truly and deeply, thank you for giving my life to me." I tell him and then disappear from his arms.
Bright light immediately takes me. I calmly try to discover where I might be. Just bright light though, no other clues. The real afterlife perhaps? Heaven? An eternally bright limbo?
Suddenly I hear an omnipotent voice piercing the light all around me.
"KANADE TACHIBANA. YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. SINCE YOU HAVE A BODY TO RETURN TO, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO RETURN TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING KNOWING ALL THE SORROWS AND JOYS THAT COME WITH LIFE. OR YOU MAY CHOOSE TO MOVE ON TO THE TRUE AFTERLIFE, WHERE PEACEFUL ETERNITY AWAITS. THE CHOICE IS YOURS TO MAKE."
A choice? "Why do I have a choice?" I ask curiously.
"THINGS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE. PLEASE, MAKE YOUR CHOICE."
I don't suppose I'll get any real answers by pressing the issue.
Quite the predicament I have found myself in. I had thought I would just move on and be at peace. I had even hoped that Otonashi would eventually move on and we could be together in the true afterlife. I never expected a choice. On one hand I could move on and perhaps those hopes could still come true. But I would betray the gift he gave me if I did so. He has given me a second chance and I must honor him and take advantage of that. I don't particularly want to live again, but I suppose I have decided.
"I have decided...that I will live again."
"VERY WELL."
Everything goes black and unconsciousness take me.
I begin to wake up and patiently wait while my surroundings come into focus. My senses seem a little slow reestablishing themselves. As my vision comes into clears, I scan the room for clues to my whereabouts and current situation. Single room, medical equipment, bed, door. I quickly deduce I'm in a hospital room.
Makes sense. The last thing I remember before 'dying' was preparing to have emergency heart surgery. So is this following that? Or was I in a coma? Time for some answers, I think as I hit the 'need help' button on the bed.
Remember Kanade, try to keep a cool demeaner about yourself. No mention of the afterlife or the things that happened there. They would think I was a crazy person and institutionalize me.
A few seconds later, a woman (obviously a nurse) entered the room. "Oh my God, I can't believe you're awake. This is amazing. Please hold tight, let me go get a doctor!" She says happily as she exits the room. Out in the hallway I think I hear her say "this is a miracle, two in one day. I just can't believe it."
Two in one day? Does that mean that someone else woke up from a coma too? I sure hope so...
My train of thought is interrupted by the door opening. "My.. My.., well hello there. Its so good to finally meet you Miss Tachibana. My name is Doctor Tanaka. I have been in charge of your care for over a year now."
A year. That at least explains that time seems to be the same between the real world and the afterlife.
The Dr. Continues. "So, first thing first. How do you feel? Can you speak?"
I nod my head.
"So how do you feel?"
"Ok." I respond matter-of-factly.
He just stares at me and asks "that's it?"
"A little tired and weak, but ok otherwise. Why, should I feel different?" I ask.
"Well Miss Tachibana, I'm going to be completely honest here. No one thought that you would ever wake up again. While your body physically healed just fine after the operation, you stayed in a coma and have had very little brain activity since. And I think you should know that not too long from now you were supposed be taken off of life support. So to say that this is a wonderful turn of events would be an understatement."
"I see", I say calmly.
"Is there anyone we can contact for you? Your file says that you have an older sister. She has been paying for your medical care, so I'm sure she'd love to hear the news."
At the mention of my sister I flinch and just shake my head.
"Are you sure? I mean, legally we don't have to since you are an emancipated minor."
"No. Thank you, I'll contact her myself."
"Well, as you wish. Is there anything I can get for you? Any questions you might have?"
I just want to leave. "When will I be able to check out?"
"Getting antsy to leave are we? Can't blame you for that I suppose. As soon as we run a few tests to make sure everything is ok. You were just in a coma for over a year after all. And process the paperwork of course."
"I see. Doctor, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course dear."
"Is there anyone else here who just woke up from a coma?"
"Well actually, funny you ask. About an hour ago the girl in the room next door woke up from being in a coma for the last year. Talk about irony, huh? I was kind of surprised to see you so calm and mild, considering she was freaking out shouting all kinds of nonsense."
Must be someone from the afterlife. I wonder who? If only it were Otonashi. I miss him so much already. Should I have stayed? Did I make the right choice? Well I'm here now. I shouldn't worry about things beyond my control I suppose.
"What is her name?" I ask hopefully.
"Oh there's no need to worry about that right now dear. Lets just concentrate on you and getting you better. Was there anything else?"
"Can I get something to eat? I'm actually getting quite hungry."
"Sure thing. I'll send In the nurse with a menu. And I'll come back later to check on you and discuss the tests we'll need to run."
"Thank you Doctor." I say as he leaves and shuts the door behind him.
So it's a girl. And she woke up about an hour before I did. Logically that could only leave Yuri as the patient. That would be nice to see a friendly face, I think as the nurse comes in.
"Miss Tachibana its so great to see you awake. You don't know how thankful I am to see this happen. Around here you see a lot of disappointment, not too many happy endings. Nice to see that for a change. Oh I'm sorry, I should have introduced my self earlier, I'm Nurse Suzuki. I've been helping take care of you since you got here. Oh here's your food menu. Sorry in advance for the food, its not great. Eat up though, since you'll have to fast for your tests."
"Thank you for taking care of me. You may call me Kanade. Nurse Suzuki?"
"Yes Kanade?"
"Who is the patient next door? The girl who also woke up from a coma?" I do hope its Yuri...
"Well I guess it doesn't hurt to say. After all, you've both been in here so long and right next door at that. She's about your age and her name is Yuri Nakamura.
A/N: Hope somebody liked it. Chapter 2 out sometime soon. Please R&R!
Xairen
