I hope you all don't hate me after this. Trust me, it will all be ok. :) Thank you all so much for reading and for being so supportive! :) ttfn, Hyosonn
Haku was on his way back to the Bathhouse when he got to thinking. "What if I am wrong, and Chihiro doesn't really like me? I mean, she admitted to it, but what if she meant it in more of a…..a friendly way? Girls are so hard to decipher. The Great One said to be honest with her, and that's what I need to do. No matter what her feelings are."
Haku nodded his head firmly, as if he was affirming his thoughts and he was going to stick to that plan.
Haku arrived at the bathhouse three hours later, determined and ready to talk to Chihiro. He saw Lin stoking some wood on a fire in the hall. "Where is Chihiro?" he inquired.
"I can't believe you would have the nerve to ask for her when you have left her for the two or whatever weeks she has been here! The nerve!"
"Lin, listen. I was off seeking some counsel, and wisdom. I needed help, because honestly I didn't know how to approach a girl that I have feelings for, when I haven't seen her in so long." Haku said sadly.
"Well, at least you're honest. She's resting upstairs in the dormitory. She came down with the flu this morning, and it's nasty. Good luck!" Lin said, in a grossed out sort of way.
Haku took the stairs two at a time, he just couldn't stand it when people are sick; especially Chihiro. He tried to remember the dorm she was staying in; even when she was here before, he has only gone in there twice. He didn't want the other women in there to think that he was a pervert or something. When he got to her room, he slowly opened the door, and the sight before him made his heart drop about ten feet. Chihiro was laying there, snuggled up in blankets, looking as pale as ever, and throw up was all over the floor. All the women must be avoiding cleaning it up. Who would blame them?
Haku knelt next to Chihiro, and gently picked up her hand. He held it to his cheek, as he looked into her face. He felt so horrible for her, and not being able to do anything, was torture for him. He wanted to help her, to support her, but he knew that his spells never worked as good when he was so emotional. Chihiro stirred, and looked over at him with such a look of passivity that his heart hurt even more. He felt her forehead and, much to his dismay, she was way hotter than someone would normally be if they had the flu. "Chihiro, are you feeling alright?"
She coughed and sputtered, "Haku, you came back. I was beginning to think…." she started to fade again "starting to think….you left forever," she barely finished before her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep. Haku was enraged that no one was taking care of her. Of course, spirits rarely get sick, so they probably didn't know what to do. The fact that Lin knew the name of the sickness, astounded Haku, for he knew that sickness in this world was rare. He kissed Chihiro's hand and whispered, "I will be back Chihiro. I need to go search for a doctor. I will come back for you." he kissed her hand once more and whispered even more softly, "I love you." He walked briskly out of the room and up to the penthouse where Yubaba lives.
"Yuaba!" Haku yelled at the door to her penthouse. "It's me Haku. Please let me in, it's urgent!" The door knocker looked up at him and said in Yubaba's voice,
"Patience young man! Urgent to you, or to me? There is a big difference. But I will let you in since I don't care to suffer your wrath today." The doors swung wide open, and Haku walked quickly in.
When Haku reached Yubaba's office, he didn't even bother to knock, even though he knew he would regret that later. He stood in front of her desk and waited for her to acknowledge him.
Yubaba looked up from examining a diamond, and asked, "What is it you need Haku? Since you are no longer my apprentice, I have the authority to just turn you down."
"I am well aware Yubaba. I am here because Chihiro is horribly sick."
Yubaba chuckled and looked at him waiting for him to continue. "She is sick, and you know full well that we have no doctors here. I need your help to heal her, otherwise I am so afraid that she might get beyond repair."
Yubaba sighed. "I think I can help, but what will you give me in return? The only reason I am helping you is because I am afraid of what you might do to me if I don't. Do NOT think that we are on friendly terms."
"Great." Haku said, "What do we need to do?"
"Show me where she is, and I will try to do all that I can to help her. I can't guarantee that it will work. I might need herbs or roots depending on what sickness she has."
"Understood" Haku said quickly.
They walked out to the balcony, and flew down to the window to the dormitory where Chihiro was at. Haku ran to her side, and took her hand in his. She was so hot, he began to fear for her even more than before. He wiped the sweat off of her head, and got a cool cloth to rest on her head. Oh how he wished that they had doctors here and that people would have never left her. She was panting in her sleep; like she was running from something deadly. He looked up at Yubaba, and Yubaba saw in that moment, that he truly cared for this human girl, and the emotion was so much more than love; it was a horrible fear. A fear that would not be cured unless she succeeded. It was rare for Yubaba to think of others besides herself, so that fact that her heart hurt for Haku, is basically a miracle. She walked over to the place where Chihiro was laying, and laid her hand on her head. Haku was right to fear; this was going to be hard to cure. And even if she could cure Chihiro, there would be side effects. Not being able to reproduce, not being able to work depending on what it is, among other things. She dearly hoped for Haku's sake that none of these would be the case.
With her hand still on Chihiro's head, she began to speak some spells over her. Chihiro began to cough and throw up all over the two of them, and anything Yubaba did, only seemed to make it worse. Chihiro began to sweat even more, and all the color was gone from her face. Her brow was pulled into what looked like a puzzled look. Chihiro groaned and coughed once more. "This is what humans call the flu." Yubaba told Haku. "Normally it never gets this bad. Sometimes it does depending on how weak that person's immune system is, and this seems to be one of the more serious cases. You need to prepare yourself for the worst Haku; in the human world people can die from this."
Haku fought back tears, as he looked down at Chihiro. Why couldn't he have told her that he loved her when he had the chance? Why did he have to be so unsure of himself and not tell her the truth? She had grown so beautiful, and the thought of not being able to be with her again, made Haku's heart feel like it was being torn in two. He held on to her hand even tighter, as if that would help her stay with him. He needed her. She taught him so much, how to love, how to see the world in a different light. He couldn't lose that; he couldn't lose her.
He laid his other hand on her head along with Yubaba's and they both began to cast a healing spell. Haku kept on praying in the back of his mind; hoping that would make a difference.
They cast the spell over and over again, but it seemed to have no affect on her. She seemed to be getting worse if anything. "Dang it Chihiro! Accept the healing! I can't lose you again!" He yelled at her, hoping she heard him.
After about an hour of them trying to cast all sorts of different healing spells, Chihiro's fever finally broke. "She must be getting better right?" He asked his old master eagerly.
"Don't get too excited Haku. The bug could still be there. Now we need to wait."
They waited for another twenty minutes before they finally began to see some improvement. Chihiro began to stir, and she looked over at Yubaba, and Haku with a dazed look in her eyes. "Who are you?"
Yubaba looked over at Haku and sighed. "Chihiro," Yubaba said softly. "It's us. Yubaba and Haku."
"I don't know who you are! Get away from me!"
Chihiro struggled to get out of the bed and out of their grip. Haku fought her saying, "Chihiro, it's me! It's me Haku!"
"HAKU!" Yubaba yelled. "IT'S NO USE! SHE HAS LOST HER MEMORY, AND YOU WILL ONLY MAKE THIS WORSE FOR HER! SHE WILL BE EVEN MORE SCARED!"
Chihiro was over cowering in a corner now. "I knew this might be one of the side effects. I didn't want to think it would be though." Yubaba said sadly. "I'm sorry Haku. We did all we could." She got up and left.
Haku fell to his knees and started to weep. She doesn't remember him. She doesn't remember all the time they spent together going to the pig pens, the time she rode on his back and found out his true identity. She doesn't remember when she nursed him back to health after he was cursed. She remembers nothing of him. But he remembers. Haku pounded his fists on the ground as he wept. She would never remember him again. He never got to tell her how he truly felt, and now he never would. Things will never be the same, and the fact that he knows who she used to be makes it even worse.
He felt small hands on his shoulders, and he looked up. Chihiro was kneeling in front of him, and looking into his eyes. "Why are you so sad young man?" She asked him innocently. Haku wept even harder, while Chihiro stayed there looking confused.
