Sorry guys, for taking so long to update I might as well be MIA. But there are always miserable things like homework and writer's block. I have also changed the title because I think this one fits the story better. Also, many thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really apreciate it and hope you'll enjoy this chapter too. Anyway enough rambles, here's the long awaited (I hope) chap 2.
-Fragments of Memories-
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS
Chap 2: Work Therapy
Syaoran's eyes sunk. A coma. Of course, what else? He lifted his gaze once again to the bandaged figure lying in the enclosed ward, the heart rate machine beeping slowly as her pulse beat weakly. Only time could tell when would she ever grace them with her smile again.
He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, but Syaoran shrugged them off. There were murmurs of comforting words, there was a muffled sob, and there was a bang as someone punched the wall, but all Syaoran felt was the numbing of his entire body. Dazedly, he left the room in silence. The doctor seemed to have said something to him, but his ears were not working properly.
He kept walking until he had escaped every scene which would remind him of the fatal nightmare. Finally when he had stepped out into the pelting rain outside the hospital, Syaoran let the tears that couldn't fall back then be mixed with the rain and washed away.
xXxXx
2 months later
Syaoran leaned back in his swivel chair in the meeting room while he gazed at the ceiling. Should get the technician to fix that light in the corner, it's dimmer than the rest.
Someone was talking, but he wasn't listening. Syaoran turned to stare at his laptop screen at the few graphs and statistics that whoever that was speaking was explaining before minimizing the windows. Glancing at the clock in the corner of the screen, it was already 8.43pm. He had been working overtime almost everyday since he had returned to work in his father's company a month ago, hoping that either he would be too occupied to think of the past, or too tired to think. However it never crossed his mind that his poor subordinates would have to sacrifice the family time with their spouse and children which was ripped away from him. A fleeting look around the room told him that whoever was still speaking, and Syaoran resumed to the screen.
Perhaps he should visit the website of Columbia Hospital where they had just developed a new treatment system for comatose patients which Eriol sent him the day before. As if by instinct though, the cursor unknowingly clicked at one of the websites in his favourites instead as Syaoran opened the browser.
Spidery wordings began to spread out across the screen before fading away to show a pale pink background and black letterings. The last update was 2 months ago.
SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2000, 23.42
"Whatever that lies ahead, good or bad, we will face it together. Distance may test us for a time, and time may try us. But if we look to each other first, we will always see a friend. Sakura, look to me for all the days to come; today I take my place as your husband."
While the clock ticked, leaving only another week to the big day, Syaoran once again proved that he is fully capable of pissing me off even when I am suppose to be in uber-high mood these days. That was the wedding vow he told me that he had spent the entire day cracking his head on. Can you believe that was actually googled? SO not romantic! Imagine the one Otou-San said to mum which was a meaningful poem he had written himself. You would expect the daughter to have some expectations right? But here, Li-San showed me something which he took from the net! But the guy managed to make it up to me with some sweet words on his part, too bad I had to leave the steak which I was cooking to burn! Just want to tell you that I love you too Li-San, although I probably won't be able to protect you from bullet shots or female stalkers like what you promised to protect me from :P
7 days and still counting
By ch3rry, feeling loved
A familiar sense of sadness washed over him again. It never failed to dowse him, at least once everyday during the past 2 months.
Then take care to turn off the stove before plunging into a kiss next time, Mrs Li, he thought. And stop calling me Li-San.
"Li-San?" a soft voice called out to him.
Syaoran frowned at the voice. Stop calling me Li-San, it's…
"General Manager?" his secretary murmured timidly, cutting across his thoughts. It took a moment before Syaoran realised that he was thinking aloud.
"Erm, so where were we?" Syaoran mumbled as he coughed slightly, attempting to hide his embarrassment.
"Since Takada had wrapped up the progress with GM Company, I think we can end the meeting here," announced Syaoran's assistant Takeshi who was sitting beside him to the room.
"Alright," Syaoran said as he nodded towards the room, "I'll see you guys tomorrow then."
As the staff left one by one in relieve that their hectic work day had finally ended, Takeshi gave Syaoran a weak smile before leaving. "Take a break Li-San."
"Thanks but no thanks," Syaoran muttered to the now vacant room as he shut his laptop, "I can take care of myself better than that"
xXxXx
"I wonder how he is doing," Tomoyo said as she fiddled with the leaves of the potted plant which sat on Eriol's desk.
"He hasn't been calling me to go to the pub with him for ages, so I assume he's doing well?" Eriol replied as he came back to his cubicle after putting some case materials on his colleague's desk. He was lucky to have an understanding girlfriend, not many girls can tolerate the long working hours of a lawyer, especially an assistant lawyer.
"I'm not so sure," Tomoyo muttered, "You know that guy, he's always keeping everything to himself. I am still sort of worried that given his present state what he would be doing to Li Corp."
"If you're so worried, then let's go check him out," Eriol said as he took his heavy coat which was draped on his chair.
Tomoyo looked to the metallic clock on the wall, "At 9.30pm? Hiiragizawa, not everyone is a workaholic like you."
"On the contrary, Syaoran is the typical slave driver boss who's trying to recover from heartbreak," Eriol chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Tomoyo's waist, "Why don't you give him a call now and ask him how's he doing?"
"You seemed to want to check him out more than I do." Tomoyo rolled her eyes as she shrugged out of Eriol's embrace, "And you are going to let your girlfriend here go hungry after she had kindly waited patiently in your office for god-knows-how-long just to have supper with you?"
Eriol smiled a little, "Are you jealous over a friend?"
"Says who?!" Tomoyo turned and strode out of the office, but Eriol still caught the blush which crept up to her cheeks. Grinning, Eriol switched off the lights in the law firm and followed after his girlfriend.
xXxXx
Heaving a sigh, Syaoran hopped into his car and started the engine. He lowered the seat backing slightly as he loosened his tie. Rubbing his temples, Syaoran slowly shut his eyes and feel his stiff back relaxing. Perhaps work therapy didn't work out as well for him as the others. Maybe something else would prove to be more effective. He glanced at the dashboard. 9.30pm. Still too early to go home, but it was well past the hospital's visiting time. Sighing again, he straightened the seat backing and exited the company's car park, speeding off into the night.
xXxXx
Syaoran sat alone in the front bench of the empty church. He never believed in God or psychic, but Sakura was a huge believer that God watches over and helps whoever that believed in Him faithfully. The church was lit up in the warm bright glow of hundreds of white candles and a few chandeliers in the high ceiling. Syaoran looked at the statue of the crucifix behind the altar, and said a silent prayer to himself. For Sakura, he was willing to give a try anything, even things that he never believed in the past.
Suddenly, he heard the large oak door of the church creaking open behind him. Syaoran jerked his head around. Who would be visiting the church at such an hour besides himself?
As the female figure drew closer to him, Syaoran gasped. Clad in a long white gown with silver trimmings, Kinomoto Sakura was walking towards him.
"Sakura! What are you doing here? Why…"
She merely smiled but not answer, "Syaoran…"
"How did you get out of the hospital?" Syaoran asked incredulously, his voice filled with delight. Syaoran pulled her into an embrace tightly, fearing that she would disappear if he let go of her. "I was so worried about you!"
"I'm alright," Sakura breathed into his ear, "Don't worry about me."
Syaoran finally let go of his fiancée and looked at her face for a good long time. While he was glowing with delight, he realized that Sakura's eyes were glassy and hardly contained any feeling of jubilation like he did. Hardly able to contain his emotions, he pulled her into another hug. "Why don't we get married now?" he whispered softly, his voice shaky.
"There's nobody…" Sakura said softly as she broke away from Syaoran's hug, her voice sounded somewhat weak and mysterious.
"It's ok, we just need the two of us." Disregarding Sakura's sigh, Syaoran dragged Sakura towards the altar enthusiastically.
This is like a dream. But too real to be a dream, Syaoran smiled. It had got to be reality.
"I vaguely remembered that fanciful vow which I had googled," Syaoran smiled at Sakura beside him, "But a simple one will do now right?" He then turned to the statue behind the altar and calmly uttered his vow, "I, Li Syaoran, hereby take Kinomoto Sakura as my wife, with Lord Jesus as our witness."
"Now it's your turn, Sakura," Syaoran said fervourly. Sakura remained motionless as she continued to stare at Syaoran, her eyes filled with hurt and sadness. "No."
Syaoran was taken aback, "Why?"
"Syaoran, I can't marry you," she said slowly, "I was watching you. For a month you were drunk everyday, and the next you were overworking yourself."
"What…"
"Promise me that you will live a happy life and don't hurt yourself again after I leave," Sakura whispered as she raised her hand to stroke Syaoran's cheek, "Promise me."
"Why are you leaving?" Syaoran's eyes widened as he grabbed Sakura's hand, "Where are you going? You can't leave me behind all alone!"
Sakura merely shook her head lightly, "No, I must leave. Promise me alright, Syaoran?"
"No!" Syaoran bellowed as he pulled Sakura into a tight embrace once again, "No! I won't let you go!"
"Syaoran…" Sakura gently hugged him back and whispered in his ear, "Take care of yourself. I will see in you again, somewhere, but not so soon. You have a long life ahead of you…"
"SAKURA!" Syaoran yelled as the figure disappeared from his embrace, "COME BACK!"
Glancing around frantically, Syaoran realized that he was once again alone in the empty church, sitting on the front bench. Hot tears stung his eyes again as he stood and ran to check the corners in the huge chapel. But soon he resigned to the cruel reality that nobody else was there.
"Sakura…"
Ah, a pretty crappy chapter with a shaky ending, but no flames please! Just a little interlude to some future event. A little more in the present in the next chapter and we'll move forward in time. The next update should be somewhere around late October to early November. Sorry guys, and thanks for the support.