Walk Through The Fire
Chapter One: A Death In the Family
When Serena got home, she was surprised to see her Aunt Maria sitting in the living room. Maria was her father's sister, and a very kind, warm, loving person. However, today, Serena noticed that her dear aunt had an uncharacteristic frown on her face.
"Aunt Maria! What a surprise!" Serena exclaimed. Then, she asked softly, "Did something happen?"
"It's good to see you, Serena, dear. Unfortunately, however, this is not a social call. Where's your brother. He needs to hear what I have to say, too."
Sammy walked in and asked, "What do you need to tell us, Aunt Maria?"
Aunt Maria's face became gentle and loving as she said, "You may want to sit down."
"We'll be fine," Sammy replied sagely.
"There's no easy way to tell you this, you're both so young…"
"Aunt, what is it?" Serena asked quietly.
"Your father suffered a massive stroke today. The doctor sees no hope of a recovery."
Sammy sat down hard, going pale. His sister rested a hand on the arm of their father's recliner to steady herself.
In a weak, slightly choked voice, she asked, "Can we see him?"
"If you wish, dear. I should warn you, though; it will be painful to see him the way he is now."
"I want to see him."
"All right. Sammy?"
"I want to go, too," he replied.
"Very well. We'll have a quick dinner and go to the hospital, all right?"
"Okay."
No one ate much for dinner; the thought of a death in the family was enough to squash anyone's appetite.
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The drive to the hospital was positively silent. Everyone was trapped in their own thoughts. Serena stared at her lap; she felt numb. Her father couldn't possibly be dying; that kind of stuff only happened in movies. She glanced at Sammy; he was staring blankly out the window.
Serena bit back a sob that was trying to leave her throat. She wished that Seiya was with her; he would have helped her through this.
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When she saw her father, Serena had to stifle a cry. Even so, she knew she must have made some sound, because her aunt laid a soft hand on her shoulder, silently offering support. Serena could barely tear her eyes from the tubes and wires that her father was hooked up to. The hardest thing to see was his face. It was pale, the left side frozen in a permanent grimace, and his eyes were closed. They would remain so forever, Serena realized with a start.
The room suddenly felt suffocating; it seemed too small. She knew she had to get out of here. Fighting back the shrieks and wails that threatened to overwhelm her, she turned and fled the scene before her. Despite her aunt's calls to stop, she ran on, not knowing where her feet were carrying her. Even when she had left the hospital campus, she didn't stop.
Finally, the distraught blonde looked up from her feet and found herself in a part of Tokyo she'd never seen before. She kept walking, despite that fact that choked sobs were tearing their way out of her throat. She no longer cared who saw her or heard her. She sank against the side of a building and slid down into sitting position, her head between her knees. Serena knew she was now sobbing uncontrollably. As she wept, she realized a painful fact; her father wasn't dying; he was already dead. He'd been gone hours ago. Now, he was only a corpse hooked up to life support machines.
