Chapter 10

Scarlet watched as the blade went in a second time, blood continued to ooze out her wounds and drench her sweater. She didn't scream in pain, she wasn't even aware that she was just stabbed, the shock of it all dulled any sense she would've felt. She fell to the ground as Megan stood in front of her with a sinister grin on her face.

-"Carly!"- Momomi cried out, the other girls turned around seeing Scarlet on the floor holding her stomach and the girl known as Megan on top of her, about to finish the job.

"Die bitch!" Megan raised the knife in the air about to plunge it into Scarlet one more time.

Ember grabbed Megan's wrist and stopped the knife just in time and with her free hand she brutally punched Megan across the face and managed to knock the knife away.

Ember began to beat Megan's face in with unbridled rage and she had no intention of stopping till she inflicted as much pain as she had to Scarlet, everyone else ran up to Scarlet to help her.

"Oh my god, Scarlet!" Eleanor clutched onto Scarlet, "Someone call an ambulance!" Miyuki ran to the phone and dialed for an ambulance and a police unit to arrest Megan.

Momomi was stunned, she couldn't even move as she saw a puddle of blood gather under her beloved vixen at least till she eyed something. The knife that was just used on Scarlet.

Natasha followed Momomi's gaze and saw she was about to reach for the knife for who knows what but she could only assume the worst, "Momomi no!" she held Momomi by her waist to keep her from getting the knife.

"Let me go!" Momomi clearly wanted revenge as she was so devastated seeing someone hurt her soon to be wife, and she'll be damned if she was going to let this woman get away with hurting Scarlet.

"Momomi no, you cannot do this, you will be no better then she is." Momomi slowly stopped struggling as she gritted her teeth in anger while tears rolled down her face, clearly furious over what that woman did to her vixen.

-"What's going on—oh my god!"- Chikaru rushed downstairs, -"Oh no!"- Shion followed right behind her as Yaya, Tsubomi and Hikari rushed downstairs, Shizuma and Nagisa being the last ones down after hearing the commotion and they were all emotionally wrecked seeing Scarlet on the floor.

-"Scarlet-chan! It's okay, we're here."- Chikaru applied pressure to Scarlet's wounds even though there was a lot of discomfort and lots of it as Scarlet groaned in pain, -"Gomenasai Scarlet-chan, but I have to do this."- she cried.

-"Did you call an ambulance already?"- Shion asked, -"Yes, it's on its way."- Miyuki told them.

-"What about the police?"- Shizuma asked, -"Yeah we cant let that woman get away with this!"- Yaya added.

-"It's also on its way."- though Nagisa and Tsubomi could see that the girl wouldn't be going anywhere.

Ember kept punching Megan over and over and over again, Megan even fought back giving Ember a few bruises on her face but she didn't care she continued to pummel Megan leaving her fist covered in blood and she would not stop, Ember had the intention to end this woman's life and she could care less about the consequences.

"E-Embi…"

Ember stopped… the voice of her cousin made her stop and she glanced back with tears in her eyes, "E-enough." She coughed, "Don't do it…I-I don't want something…to happen…to you." She coughed again only this time blood came out her mouth.

Chikaru feared the worst seeing that and tried her best to keep Scarlet from bleeding out.

Momomi quickly came up to her and knelt by her side, -"How can you tell her to stop!? When she was going to kill you!"- Momomi cried out angrily.

"It's not worth going to jail."

"It is to me." Ember tried to calm down but it was in vain.

"I-I Don't…want you too."

Momomi held Scarlet's hand, -"Just hang in there baby."-

Scarlet chuckled, "This…is nothing baby."

-"Shut up."- Momomi tried to smile, -"Don't talk, you have to save your strength."- as they waited they all heard the familiar sounds of sirens quickly approaching Eleanor's home.

It was difficult for Chikaru to try and help because she was so devastated seeing her best friend in this state and she was losing so much blood. It became clear to her that maybe… she would not make it. Chikaru looked up to Momomi who noticed that she was looking at her and when their eyes locked, Chikaru only shook her head.

It didn't take long for Momomi to figure out what she meant, Momomi was frozen solid, all she could hear was the pounding in her own ears, every other sense was gone, she felt that her own heart had stopped. She wanted to scream at Chikaru for even telling her this, how could she even think that and so soon? There was no way in hell that she would lose her vixen…right?

Momomi looked at the knife once more, she was dead set on inflicting the same punishment to this evil woman and finally end the hatred she had for Scarlet, she could care less about what would happen to her as long as this was finally over, but before she could react the police stepped out of their cars as did the paramedics.

The paramedics wasted no time as they gently and carefully lifted Scarlet onto the stretcher and loaded her in the truck, Momomi got inside as well after Chikaru urged her to go with them.

"What happened here?" a police officer asked to the girls.

"That woman right there! She tried to kill my cousin!" Ember was the first to speak up, "She attacked her with a knife!" Shion followed up and the rest of the girls also backed up their friends in telling the officers that Megan was the one that tried to kill Scarlet, "Arrest that woman!" Chikaru pointed at Megan.

The officers believed them and after writing a few notes down, he took out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed Megan's hands then lifted her to her feet but as they walked to the police car she began to laugh, knowing that her deed was done and she was proud of it.

The ambulance drove through the streets as fast as it could, its loud sirens blaring through the air and made its way carefully to the hospital where Scarlet could get better treatment but time wasn't on their side as she bled out and who knows how badly damaged her insides were.

Scarlet groaned, "Mo-Momomi." She struggled in keeping her eyes open.

-"Shhh,"- Momomi softly hushed her vixen, -"Don't talk babe, save your strength."- she looked at the medic who was doing his best to keep Scarlet from bleeding out but that was an impossible task without proper treatment so the least he could do was slow it down.

"I just…want to say…" Scarlet struggled with every word she tried to say, "I…L-love you."

Tears fell from Momomi's eyes, -"I love you too, now just hang on baby. Stay awake."-

"I-I'm trying…" her voice began to sound so low as her strength began to leave her.

-"Just stay with me baby, we're almost there." Momomi could see the hospital getting closer through windshield even though she was in the back.

The truck pulled inside the hospital and quickly unloaded Scarlet inside, the medics quickly informed the nurses that were following the medics into the surgery room while Momomi followed behind them.

"I'm sorry miss, you're going to have wai—"

"The hell I am!" she rushed passed her.

"Ma'am, stop!" she chased after and grabbed her wrist, "I promise that we're going to do everything to help her."

"That's my fiancé in there," she glared at the nurse, "There is no way I'm leaving her alone!"

"Let her through."

The two of them turned and saw, "Mrs. Ashfield?"

"Let her be." She quickly rushed inside the emergency room and told Momomi that there was a room next to the operating room that she could look through.

It didn't take long till everyone else found their way inside the room with Momomi, Chikaru stood by her as did Ember and Eleanor.

-"How is she doing?"- Chikaru asked, "Have they said anything?" Ember followed up.

Momomi shook her head, "No, they just started surgery ten minutes ago." Fear and dread were etched into Momomi's voice.

-"She's going to be okay Momomi."- Shion placed a hand on her shoulder, Momomi could only hope that Shion was right because if something were to happen to her…god she couldn't even think about that happening.

The girls watched on as Scarlet's own mother performed the surgery, they knew that they had to stitch her insides up to stop the bleeding but they also had to be extra careful so they wouldn't accidentally cut something important and it turned into many painstaking hours.

Despair began to eat away at Momomi, she was about to lose it because they haven't even said anything about Scarlet. She wanted to cry, she was on a verge of a breakdown seeing Scarlet not making any progress but they had to be…right?

After some urging the girls left outside to get a breather, while Chikaru, Shion, Yaya, Eleanor and Ember stayed behind with Momomi to offer their support.

-"I cant take this anymore."- Momomi ran her hand through her hair, she was losing it now, she couldn't even accept that this was happening. However something happened which caught the attention of everyone in the room, including Scarlet's mother.

The heart monitor which was beeping steadily…flat-lined.

The room fell silent, Momomi was frozen, it was like her heart had just stopped beating and her lungs stopped breathing, her hands began to shake slightly as tears fell from her face.

Carla wasted no time as she pulled out a couple of paddles and began to try and jolt Scarlet's heart to keep it working.

"Okay, clear!" Everyone could hear the jolt the machine made, they all turned to the heart monitor hearing it beep twice but then…flatline.

"Come on sweetheart." Carla prepared the paddles again, "Clear!" same result.

Momomi felt her blood run cold, -"No no no no no no no…"-

"Clear!"

Flatline.

Carla tried multiple times but it was always the same, and she slowly put the paddles down.

Momomi slowly sunk to her knees as she let out a scream of pure despair, her cries of pain filled the room as she bawled uncontrollably, unable to accept that such a thing just happened, it was like having her heart ripped out and trampled upon. She was trying to convince herself that this was just a dream and that she would be waking up in any moment but when nothing happened, she cried more. sorrow immediately hit her like a truck, there was nothing in her mind anymore, she knew that what she always feared had come true…her vixen was gone.

Carla was devastated, she couldn't handle losing her daughter, "Time of…de-dea—" she couldn't even utter that word as she began to cry heavily, a nurse took over for Carla as she couldn't handle this.

Momomi punched the wall in anger, and with each impact her knuckles became more bruised and blood began to seep out lightly then a disgusting pop was heard coming from her fist as she slammed it against the wall. Her heart was completely broken, now in her own soul and mind, Momomi had no reason to go on and there was nothing that could help her now. The pain she had inflicted upon her hands was nonexistent or perhaps the pain she felt within her own heart was far too intense for her to even notice the excruciating pain in her hand.

-"Momomi stop, you're hurting yourself."- Chikaru couldn't hold back her own tears as she knelt down and pulled Momomi away slowly and was surprised that Momomi allowed her to pull her away with ease.

-"I don't care!"-

Ember, Eleanor held Momomi as she cried, they two were unable to handle this pain.

-"Let's go."- Shion tried her best to stay strong and guided the girls towards the door but her own tears failed her as she sobbed.

BEEP…BEEP

The girls stopped in their tracks and quickly turned towards the surgery room.

BEEP…BEEP…

Momomi looked at the heart monitor then back at Scarlet, Carla herself had been doing the same thing, the two of them quickly wiped their tears and Carla worked quickly to finish patching up her daughter, "Momma's got you sweetheart." Carla carefully finished stitching Scarlet's insides.

-"Just hold on baby."- Momomi whispered, her heart couldn't take the wait anymore, she just wanted to run in there and hug her vixen. Momomi lost all track of time as she looked on with hope and eventually the surgery had finally come to an end.

Momomi was unable to stay in the room any longer, she ran out and rushed inside the surgery room, "Hey you're not supposed to be in here!" a nurse shouted, "Let her stay." Carla said softly.

Momomi leaned close to Scarlet's face, and gently glided her fingers down her cheek, -"Stay with me baby, you cant go out like this."-

As she glanced at the heart monitor, she was glad to see and hear it go on at a slow pace but a pace none the less and it filled her heart with hope knowing that her beautiful vixen was still hanging on.

"We're finished." Carla put her surgical tools on a table, she had carefully stitched Scarlet's wounds shut. they wheeled Scarlet into the intensive care rooms where they could keep an eye on her should anything happen. The girls quickly followed.

As Momomi was about to head over there, someone placed their hand on her shoulder, "Let me see that." she turned around seeing Scarlet's father, Rick.

"I'm fine, it can wait."

"No it cant, it looks awful now come with me."

"It can wait!" Momomi shouted, trying to contain her anger.

"It cannot Momomi, you can permanently damage your hand if left untreated." He replied calmly, knowing full well that she was distressed over Scarlet and thus he wasn't offended by her outburst.

She finally gave in as she followed Rick to a separate room and examined her hand, seeing her knuckles swollen and bleeding, the bones in her hand looked twisted and out of place. He ran his finger across her hand gently but Momomi was un-phased by it, her mind completely trailed off elsewhere, Scarlet mostly on her mind.

When he felt another part of her hand, that's where the pain shot up, -"Ow!"- she almost reeled her hand back.

"I'm sorry, but it's just as I suspected it," He began, "You're knuckles are broken, and your wrist is out of place. We'll get this fixed don't worry."

"I don't care about this. I need to be with Scarlet."

"I know, I do too. But we got to get this treated." The door opened up and Carla walked inside, "She's stabilized for now but there is another issue."

"What?" both Rick and Momomi said.

"She needs a blood transfusion, she lost…a lot of it." Carla tried to keep herself from crying, Ember had peeped inside the room as Chikaru, Eleanor and pretty much everyone else had followed Carla inside as she told them she wanted to discuss something with all of them.

"God damn it…" Momomi's voice was almost inaudible because she just couldn't take it anymore, she didn't know how much more her heart could take.

Carla sighed, "She lost a lot on the way over and more when I was stitching her back together."

"Whatever you need, just ask, if you need my blood then take it." Momomi quickly threw in, "Me too." Ember jumped in.

"Me three." Chikaru joined in, "Me too." Eleanor followed as did everyone else in the room.

"You girls…" Carla put her hand over her heart seeing how much they all cared for their daughter, "Well I'm going to have to take samples and see if any of you are compatible."

Carla had called in a couple of nurses to help and took samples off each of them, Nagisa being the only one they had to prick her finger because she was too scared to give blood from a needle in her arm, while everyone else gave blood through a syringe. They walked right back with the samples and ran them through a machine to get their results. Minutes flew by till finally, Carla came back into the room.

"Good news." She looked at everyone, eager to hear who was compatible, Carla then looked at, "Ember, Tsubomi, Nagisa, Momomi. You four are compatible with my daughter's blood. So which ever one of you wants to donate blood feel free to say so."

Tsubomi wanted to help but she felt that out of everyone Momomi and Ember would be the ones to want to help more then anyone.

"I'll do it." Momomi said, confirming Chikaru's suspicion with a smile, "So would I." Ember stood up and rolled her sleeve.

"Me too." Nagisa raised her hand, feeling uneasy about having to see blood let alone her own blood but she was doing it for someone she cares a lot about.

"Please… let me do it." Momomi asked the two and they didn't argue, they stepped down with a nod but at the same time, Ember wished to be there as well but she knew Momomi was very important to Scarlet and vice versa.

"Alright come on, we cant waste anymore time." She led Momomi back into the room with Scarlet and sat her down next to her and asked a nurse to bring in a machine to transfer blood.

She stuck the needle in Momomi's arm and another to Scarlet's and it began to do its work, "What happened?" Rick asked.

"Remember the girl we told you about, the one that hated Carly." Momomi asked them to which they nodded, "Well…she found out where Eli lived and when Carly opened the door…" Momomi couldn't even finish her sentence but Rick and Carla were able to piece it together as the news horrified them.

"But Ember-chan gave her a beating she'll never forget." Nagisa pumped her fist with a nervous laugh that quickly died down when no one else shared her enthusiasm but she supposed this was the reaction she was going to get regardless.

"I would've kept going if Scarly didn't stop me." Ember whispered softly, enough for only the person next to her to hear which was Chikaru.

When Rick saw that Momomi had given enough blood, he stopped the machine and pulled out the needles and allowed the two to rest. As pale and exhausted with a hint of dizziness, Momomi refused to even sleep as she pulled up her chair closer to Scarlet and held her hand close.

Carla and Rick stayed with their daughter as they weren't needed by the staff and there were enough doctors to handle any problem.

All the girls had gathered together to make sure Scarlet would pull through this but as they looked at her slow, breathing and with no sign that she would wake up, it worried them.

Visiting hours came to an end and the girls were instructed to leave by the staff, Carla and Rick convinced the staff to at least allow Momomi to stay and Chikaru along with Ember. As much as Eleanor wanted to stay, she felt that it would be pushing it and decided to go home but promised to come back as soon as she could or least till Rick offered to let her stay which she gladly accepted. Everyone else said their goodbyes and headed home to rest, Rick and Carla retreated to one of the rooms in the hospital where they could sleep so as to be close to their daughter should anything happen.

They could only hope that Scarlet was alright and they all wished to see her clear blue eyes open one more time.

End Chapter 10