Habits: Chapter 9
I hear sirens…. I think groggily. Oh no…. I am immediately awake. I climb out of be and run to the window. There was an ambulance outside with the paramedics wheeling someone into it. I rush out of my room and downstairs. There was so much noise. I could feel my head spinning. I ask one of the paramedics what was going on.
"There was a call about some arguing. However, it was so busy tonight that it took over an hour to get here. I hope it is not to late for this young guy." He sounded worried.
"I want to ride with him." I start for the door but I was stopped. "Let me ride with him!" I yell.
"I am sorry but I cannot do that."
"What do you mean!? I am his best friend! He lives in my house for crying out loud! Let me go with him!"
"I'm sorry but we don't want him to be under any stress. We also don't know if you caused this."
"What-?" My eyes
widen. Oh no… did I cause this? Did I beat him that badly?
Did I cause Sora become unconscious and never wake up? Is he going
to die? Am I a murderer? "Oh god. Oh my god!" I look at
the ambulance driving away. I take off. Running as fast as I
can. He has to be all right. He just has to be.
"Where is it?" I made it to the hospital in a record time of three and a half minutes.
"He hasn't made it to a room yet. This boy just got here. He is still in the ER."
"ER?" I look around. "Where is that?" I start walking in some direction hoping that someone will point me to the right wing or I find a sign or something, anything, to tell me where he is.
"Sir. You cannot go in there." A girl has found the task of trying to distract me from my determination. I ignore him. "Sir! Please just stop!" I continue to ignore him. "Riku!" That caught my attention.
I spin around and stare at the person. "What?!" I snap.
"Riku…" It was Kairi. "He is in intensive care. Riku what happened?"
I look at her. I
stare at her. And I walk away. I begin to run. Help him! God
please make him better!
I wandered around aimlessly for over an hour. I checked in every room I came across. I have asked everyone who walked by. I haven't found him. I feel lost. I feel regret. I know it is my fault entirely.
I wander into the main lobby and ask the receptionist is he was in his room yet. Finally, she nodded her head sympathetically and pointed down the hall to the right. I walk as slow and calm as I could, anxious to see what will be behind the door. Will he be unconscious?
I stand in front of the door and just stare at it for a good amount of time. It was as if life was going on with out me. Doctors and nurses all sped by. Patients walked by slowly but it seemed like they were running. I slowly each for the door. I grab the handle and turn. It clicked and I walked in.
There he was. Lying on the white abyss of his bed. He looks so pale against it. Was it because of blood loss or because of him being completely surrounded by white? He looks like an angel. A fallen angel. Beaten and bruised. Wrapped in bandages. It was an awful sight. I began to tear up.
"Oh Sora. I'm so
sorry I did this to you!" How could I be so cruel? How could I
leave him like that? What am I? A monster? Or worse? Am I just as
bad as him? Will Sora hate me? "Why do I care about you
this much? I didn't care this much about my own mother." I sit
down in the chair that was placed by his bed earlier on that day. I
grab his hand and hold it gingerly between mine. "Sora, I
never meant to do this."
"Hey, glad you could join me!" I run over to my blurry friend. We just met and yet I feel like I've known him for most of my life. He has become my best friend. And I hope I've become his.
I walk down the path with him. The grass is green and the sky is bluer than blue. I turn to him and ask about what he's doing in the real world.
"I've been busy. I have this friend, if you can even call him that, he means so much to me, although I treat him horribly, but he got really hurt the other day and I just don't know what to do. I feel like it is entirely my fault. And don't go saying it isn't like you always do because it is." He spilled it all out. His words, although I have no idea who his friend is, struck me so hard I almost doubled-over.
"Your friend will be okay. I promise."
He turned his blurry head to me and kissed me as light as feather on my lips. "Sora… please… be okay." He sobbed into my shoulder.
I stand there completely awe-stricken and just hold him there, gently rubbing his back. We walk over to the edge of the path and sit down. I feel awful for not being any help and now my thoughts just confuse me even more.
Why did he kiss me? Who is he? How does he know me? What does he mean by get better? Why can't I wake up? I've been asleep for at least a whole day but I can't seem to wake myself up. Am I sick or hurt so badly I can't wake up? Would mystery man know these things? He does seem to know a lot about me. Either way, I can't ask now.
"It'll be okay. Just trust me, everything will turn out alright." I try to comfort him but it doesn't seem to be working at all. Will changing the subject help? Might as well try it. "So… How about you finally answer my questions? Who are you?"
"I'm not ready to reveal myself yet."
"Can you tell me at least how you know me?"
"We were best friends for a long time. Then one thing lead to another and we weren't any more. But ever since that moment, that day, I've fallen in love with you."
I blush. I wasn't expecting that. Not at all. "I'm sorry." Even if he can't see my eyes, I look away. "I love someone else."
"It's fine. You don't even know who I am. I didn't expect you to say it back. And who knows you might love me back in real life." His blurry figure faded. "Good night, Sora."
He finished fading away, leaving me alone all over again.
"Sir. Sir." A man shook me a little. "You can't be in here now. Hours are over. Sir." He continued to shake me. Eventually I rise and look at him.
"I'm sorry, am I interfering with anything or doing anything at all to bother this patient that will cause me to become such a problem I have to be removed?" I ask with a fake curious tone.
"I'm sorry but it's the rules. I just have to enforce them." He stated apologetically.
"Well I'm going to go home now anyways. I just am against those rules." I stand up. "Good night, Sora." I stroke his cheek. I walk out of the room slowly, not really wanting to leave him alone.
On the walk home, I felt more alone, more helpless, and more desperate than I have felt in as long as I can remember. I roll my eyes and sigh. This is ridiculous. I've come to realize I do care for Sora in an immense way but saying that I loved him was too far. It shouldn't have been said and I'm going to apologize and say I shouldn't have said that next time I speak with him.
I lie down in my bed and stare at the ceiling for at least another hour. I give up on trying to sleep and walk around my house. I grab a couple of beers and down them quickly. Then I pop in some pills. I lie down on my couch and pass out into a dreamy realm of fantasy.
"Hey ya, Sora." My voice sounds slurred even though I am asleep.
"Oh. Nice to see you mystery man!"
"You sound chipper!"
"Are you drunk?"
"NAH!"
"Okay then… I'll believe you." He sounded unbelieving still. "Anyway. The reason I'm happy is because I have finally reawakened!"
"Oh, shit! And I missed it. I'm sorry."
"It's fine."
"No, it's not. I wanted to be there.'
"Why?"
"So I was the first person you would see."
"Oh." He paused. "What's you name?"
"Do ya really want to know?"
"Yes, please."
"It's Riku."
That it for this chapter. The next one will be up soon. crosses fingers Like two weeks at most! The next one is the last! What will happen? You'll have to wait and see! Constructive criticism is appreciated!
