Part 2

Give Me a Sign

"Please Sir, I was wondering if you could tell me the room number for Miss Linh Cinder?"

The man behind the desk looked up. His name tag read Doctor Dimitri Erland.

He was old, with a weathered face and greying hair, but his eyes were a piercing blue. They glanced at Kai with distaste, before looking back down at his computer.

"Are you related to her? Family allowed only, I'm afraid." Erland said after a few moments of tapping on his keyboard.

"Um, yes. I'm her brother." Kai lied, trying not to look guilty.

"Nice try. It says in my files that Linh Cinder is an orphan, with no surviving family."

Kai flinched. She was an orphan? What else hadn't Cinder told him? "Um - "

Erland scowled at him. "Stop wasting my time, boy. Get out of here."

Kai turned and left. He walked out of the hospital, and snuck back in through the other entrance.

He was so not giving up.

It took Kai about half an hour of wandering round the hospital and asking friendly looking staff for directions without telling them who he was looking for before he stumbled across Cinder's room.

Actually, he walked right past it, but then stopped and circled back to read the note pinned to the door.

Patient: Linh Cinder (last name unknown)

Reason for injury: Involved in car accident…

Kai tried the door handle. It swung open. Thank goodness it wasn't a scan-lock door. He stepped inside.

The room was plain and white, and smelt like disinfectant.

Cinder was lying on on a small bed. She was surrounded by horrific machines, monitors and drips and screens. Her dark hair had been carefully braided so it was out of her face, and she was frowning slightly in her sleep, as if she would wake up any second and tell Kai off for barging in.

Her metal leg was mangled and twisted, and her right was in a cast. There was a bandage over one side over her head, where she'd hit the pavement. And Kai could make out another lumpy bandage under her flimsy hospital gown, over her chest.

He knelt by her bed, taking one of her limp hands in both of his own.

Cinder didn't stir, didn't so much as flutter an eyelash.

Her hand was so cold. And so fragile.

Kai reached over her gently, and picked up her other hand, the metal one. He held them both tightly.

"Cinder. Wake up. Please."

"Cinder. I'm so sorry. Please wake up."

She didn't move.

"I love you, Cinder."

"Actually, forget I just said that."

"For Stars sake Cinder, just wake up!"

Kai closed his eyes, letting a sigh out through his teeth. He couldn't do anything. Cinder was alone in the dark, and all he could do was squeeze her hands.

"Cinder. Everything is going to be alright." he said finally.

"It won't be for you though, boy." came a voice from the door. Kai swung round, swallowing hard.

It was Doctor Erland.

"I thought I told you to get out of here!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry sir, I just - " Kai stammered.

"Leave!"

Kai got up, giving Cinder's hands one more squeeze. He strode past the doctor, but paused at the door. The doctor was studying Kai with his arms crossed. "Did I not make myself clear enough?"

Kai swallowed again. "I know. Just - take care of her for me."

He could have sworn something in the doctor's eyes softened before he turned away.

Kai left the room without another word.

Everything is going to be alright.

The voice was familiar. She struggled to remember who it was.

Dark hair, caramel eyes.

He was waiting for her.

She felt numb, but she knew the pain was waiting for her when she woke up. And she didn't know if she wanted to face it.

She didn't know if she wanted to wake up.

Cinder, he had said. Her name was Cinder.

My name is Cinder.

I can face the pain.

I'm ready to wake up.

The first thing Cinder felt was a throbbing headache. She peeled open her eyes with difficulty.

Cinder was lying on an uncomfortable bed in an unfamiliar room. She was in a hospital, if the machines surrounding her and plugged into her were any clue.

Why -?

"CINDER!" Ito squealed. She just about threw her arms around Cinder, before checking herself, and settling for jumping up and down on the spot instead. "You're awake!"

"Am I?" Cinder mumbled. "Iko, what happened?"

"Don't you remember?" Iko asked worriedly. "You were hit by a car, and you were in a coma for a week!"

Cinder tried to sit up, but failed. "A week?" she managed.

Iko nodded. "And you missed out on the most awful science test - "

"Iko."

"Sorry. But you're awake! I can't believe it! They only allowed me to come and see you yesterday, when they thought you were more stable."

Cinder searched through the haziness of her mind, trying to remember…

Kai.

She had told him she was a cyborg. Oh Stars.

Ito obviously didn't notice Cinder's horrified expression. "I'll go get one of the nurses." she said, and bounced off, leaving Cinder alone with her thoughts.

She looked down at herself. A throbbing head, what felt like a couple of cracked ribs, and both her human and cyborg legs looked like they'd been broken or fractured.

Ouch.

Cinder closed her eyes for a moment. She had woken up, but she still felt like she was stuck in a dream.

Cinder was back at school a week after waking up. She hobbled in on crutches, and said nothing to anyone except Iko.

As for Kai, well, she wouldn't even look at him.

He could tell Cinder was still in pain. She winced when she sat down or got up from her desk. She flinched when Iko hugged her, so quickly that no one but Kai noticed.

He asked her how she felt at lunch.

"Better." Cinder said quietly, not meeting his eyes. Then she turned and walked away.

"Cinder - " he started, but either she didn't hear him or didn't care.

Kai deserved it.

But still.

Cinder felt hollow inside, like the car had knocked something out of her when it hit her, something that couldn't be replaced.

She couldn't stand being near Kai, and managed to make up feeble excuses to get away every time he tried to talk to her. She didn't know why he bothered. Maybe he felt like it was his fault she got hit?

Cinder didn't put up her hand in class. She didn't talk to anyone except Iko. And she was always tired, no matter what time she went to sleep. Cinder almost missed the peaceful darkness of being in a coma.

Her world was on a knife's edge. Sooner or later, it was going to tip.

"Kai. Kai, talk to us."

Kai looked up. Thorne and Wolf were both looking at him, Wolf with a worried expression, Thorne looking faintly amused.

"What?" Kai asked.

"You were just staring at a speck on the pavement for about five minutes." Thorne said. "Even for you, that's kind of unusual."

"I appreciate that."

"Seriously, though." Wolf said. "What's wrong?"

Kai studied them both. His best friends. He had been acting weird, and they deserved to know why.

"It's about Cinder." he said finally. Thorne raised an eyebrow. "Mm?"

Kai bit his lip. "I'm love with her."

Thorne burst out laughing. "He's in love with her, he says!" he grinned, elbowing Wolf, who was smirking as well.

Kai felt kind of annoyed. "I'm serious!"

"Dude, I know." Thorne flashed him a grin. "It's just that - well, Wolf and I have known for a year."

"You - what?"

Wolf smiled in a fond way. "Don't choose acting as a career, Kai. It was kind of obvious."

"We were just waiting for you to admit it." Thorne drawled.

Kai scowled. "Great. Cool. But that's not it. The fact is - " He paused. What kind of horrible friend would he be to tell his friends Cinder's biggest secret?

"- She probably hates me." Kai finished lamely. He put his head in his hands. A moment later, Wolf had slung an arm around him, and Thorne mussed up his hair. "Don't be an idiot. Just go and tell her straight up."

"Because?"

"She'll feel the same way."

"Guaranteed to?"

"Kai. Have a little confidence."

Kai sighed. "You don't understand. I think she really hates me."

"Well," Thorne said wisely, "then she can't hate you much more. So you may as well try."

"That is the most messed up logic - " Kai tried to complain.

"Shut up. It works."

Thanks for reading! And for the people who commented made my day! You chaps are awesome! So hope you liked it... and get ready for the grand finale...