My Brother's Keeper Or Exocutioner?

Dr. Hikari drives me to the hospital in silence. I stare out the window and everything inside me twists. I feel sick, but not like before. It's not the phantom sickness doing this to me, but I don't know what is. We get to the hospital and she leads me to where Cloud and Tifa are in the waiting room. She runs off then, probably to help Ventus. I sit across from his parents, and neither of them are looking at me. I swallow lightly, "Is he okay..?"

They don't answer me and I clear my throat, "Um.. What happened?"

They still don't answer me and I stare at the floor, wrapping my arms around myself as the twisting inside me gets worse. I feel like I'm suffocating, and I can't understand why. The twisting in me suddenly sends a sharp pain through me and I double over. I cough up blood on the floor and shiver, I'm suddenly very dizzy. The room spins and then I'm staring at the ceiling. Cloud lifts me up, he looks worried, "Are you okay..?"

"I.. I don't know," I cough, shivering, "How's Ventus..?"

His expression becomes pained, "We're not sure. We haven't been able to see him yet."

I blink slowly, "What.. Happened?"

"He was getting ready for school and then.. He just.. Passed out. He was coughing up blood and seizing. We called an ambulance immediately. He's been with the doctors for a few hours now. Dr. Gainsborough said they're trying to stabilize him." he replies.

I sit up fully, leaning against the chair I had been sitting in, "Why.. Wouldn't you look at me when I got here? Why are you talking to me now?"

"We're in shock and.. We're trying to understand what's happening. We didn't mean to shun you. I don't have the answers to your questions." he states.

I see Tifa glaring at me with tears in her eyes. I sigh, "You blame me for this?"

"I don't," Cloud says and I gesture to Tifa, "She does."

Cloud looks back at her and she looks away. I look at the blood I spat on the floor and I shiver. This dread fills me and I can't make it go away. Ven is close, I can feel him. His pain, his fear, his dread. I can feel everything he's feeling right now, and I'm scared because he's scared. He doesn't know what's happening, and I feel tears rolling down my face. Cloud looks back at me and gasps softly, "Vanitas..?"

"Ven.." I whisper, "Ven's crying.."

Dr. Hikari runs up to us, "Vanitas, come with me, right now."

I push myself up, wiping away tears that won't stop falling, "What's going on?"

Her eyes are cold for once and she grabs my hand, rushing down the hallway she first disappeared down. I look back at Cloud as I pulled away behind her. I look back at her, "What's happening? Is Ven going to be okay?"

She stops and turns towards me, gripping my shoulders, "You have no idea what you've done, do you?"

My eyes widen, "What I've.. Done..?"

She turns back and keeps walking. I frown and follow after her, "What are you talking about?"

She doesn't reply and we walk in silence for several moments before she ushers me into a room. Dr. Gainsborough and a few doctors I don't recognize are in the room and Ven's lying on the bed, his eyes are open, but I don't think he's actually awake, at least not all the way. He's shivering and his mouth is covered in blood. He's under the blanket and I can multiple tubes and wires connected to him in various places. The twisting inside me gets worse and I collapse. Dr. Hikari catches me and my vision blurs.

I cough up blood just as Ven does and everything makes sense. This different sickness I've felt since getting to the hospital, it's Ven. But this has never happened. Ven's had colds and the flu in the past, and those never affected me. I'd feel tired and miserable, but I never got the symptoms like he did. Dr. Hikari's question flashes through my mind; "You have no idea what you've done, do you?"

I look up at her, "What.. Did I do..?"

Her eyes darken and she sits me on the floor, "Vanitas, when was the last time you took part of the tumor from him?"

"Earlier last night." I reply.

"The tumor is gone," she replies, "And so are a few of his organs."

My eyes widen and I shake "Wh-what..?"

"Your 'fail safe' is killing him." she states, "Ventus won't make it through the day unless you give the organs you stole back."

Everything in me shatters. I'm killing him. I was made to save his life, and I'm killing him. I shake and start sobbing as Ven does. He heard every word. He knows it's my fault, too. I look at Dr. Hikari, "How? How do I give them back? Will his tumor come back if I do?"

"The tumor is gone, it won't come back," she replies, "But you need to give his organs back. He's dying, Vanitas."

"How?!" I cry, "How do I give them back?!"

"Only you know how." she says.

I shake my head, "What if I just take more..? I don't want to kill him.."

"You just have to want to give back what you took, and it will work."

I look up, "Namine..? Why are you here?"

She shrugs, "Kairi's here. And I heard Ventus was hurt, so I came to see if he's okay."

I stand slowly, "How you keep Kairi alive.. It's like this?"

She nods, "Just think of what you want to give. You don't want to take, your body won't take."

I nod slowly, "You're sure it'll work?"

She nods again, "Works on Kairi. I keep her warm. If she goes cold, it's bad."

I nod, "Yeah.. Yeah.."

I walk over to Ven slowly and he meets my gaze. I shiver, "Ven.."

I take his hand gently, closing my eyes. My body trembles as I will it to give back what it took, "I'm so sorry.. So very sorry.."