Queen Sunstar: Hard to believe we've reached chapter ten! Akaito gets a taste of fatherhood, and the tension reaches the breaking point! Enjoy!
AKAITO
I turned to Miku, who nodded. I nodded back and went after Len. He was going for the roof. I followed. When I reached the roof, I saw him standing on the third rail. He was starting to step off. My eyes went wide. I bolted toward the blond boy. Reaching the rail, I managed to grab his arm right before he could fall too far away. My heart was pounding. Icy fear rolled through me in waves. Was this how fatherhood felt? I pulled Len back up onto the roof. Len remained silent and limp. I could feel him breathing and his heart beating.
"Suicide is not and is never the answer." I held him close, my body trembling from the adrenaline. Len stirred. "Len?"
"Why?" the boy asked sullenly.
"Hmm, maybe it's because I already see you as my son and I love you?" I replied.
"Why didn't you let me go?" Len screamed, "Everyone hates me! I killed Kaito!"
"Kaito is not dead yet."
"He will be!"
"How do you know?"
That got Len to think, "People with ES don't live beyond their third decade!"
"Kaito is not on two transplant lists for nothing now."
"You know it could take years, and Kaito doesn't have years! He's got a week at most!" Len started crying into my jacket.
"I'm a match."
"But then I'd lose you!"
"Len, they are taking one lung from me, not my heart nor my other lung. I can live with just one lung. Kaito already lives with one kidney. Miku, Jodye, Mieko, Rin, and Gakupo got themselves tested to see if they were a match, and Miku is a match too. They will take one of her lungs too. That covers the lung portion of the transplants. We only need a heart. Why were you being so selfish? Suicide is a very selfish thing to do. What would our fans think?"
"I wasn't thinking." Len admitted, "I was only thinking about how much I hurt."
"Rin is hurting too. How do you think I've been feeling? Kaito is the only family I've got left. Sure, I've got, oh, a million or so cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. In fact, the current Shion clan covers five generations, but Kaito is my only immediate family. It is hard, watching my twin slip away. How would you feel if it were Rin?"
"I would be sad, mad, and scared." Len replied, "I am scared. I don't want to say goodbye to Kaito."
"I don't ether. Feeling better now?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go back to the waiting room."
"Okay."
We returned to the waiting room. Miku pounced on Len. Rin ignored him. Dr. Hart returned to us.
"He's fallen into a coma. When you go back, you'll see another machine in the room. That's the ECMO. It is now doing what his heart and lungs can't do. I've also discovered that he has a high pulmonary pressure." Dr. Hart explained.
"Does that mean?" Rin asked, fear written all over her face.
"No, it doesn't. I can still do the transplant. He will need a lung transplant too, and I see that Miku and Akaito will donate a lung each to Kaito. We just need a heart. I can't take a heart from any of you. You guys still need your hearts, so don't even ask." Dr. Hart explained further. A man with pink hair entered the room. "This is Yuma, a member of my team. He will run the ECMO. Feel free to ask him questions. My other technician is Sonika. She has the night shift, so she's on duty now. You'll meet her later. By the way, she is a big fan of you guys. He is in 5A like before."
We trooped back to the room. With the ECMO plus the other equipment, the room felt impossibly tiny. A woman with short black hair in spikes was sitting behind the ECMO. She was trying to remain professional, but she was quivering in excitement.
"You guys are the Vocaloids! I'm in the same room with the Vocaloids!" She squealed, "I'm taking care of Kaito, and I still can't believe it!"
Please, don't be one of those fans! "Yes, we are the Vocaloids." I replied.
"I just love to sing and dance!" Sonika continued, "Singing is my passion!"
Don't attempt to audition!
"Have you sung before an audience?"
Miku, no!
"I have. I'm a very talented singer."
"How is my brother holding up, and why is he on two ventilators?" I asked, hoping to drive the conversation away from where I knew it was going. So many fans had tried this stunt before upon running into one of us.
"Kaito is tolerating the ECMO so far. We are using two ventilators to ventilate each lung separately. This gives us more control over his breathing. We all are rooting for his recovery." Sonika explained.
Crisis adverted?
"You should hear me sing. I sometimes sing for my patients. I hear that it can help with recovery." Sonika continued.
Dang it! Please, don't attempt to audition!
"My most popular request is a song I wrote called Live for Me. I've sung it at several funerals. In fact, why don't I give you a performance?"
Please, God, no! God was not on my side as Sonika began to sing.
That great divide is parting.
Soon I will pass through those parting gates
I wish I could stay a little longer.
I wish we could finish our date.
Live for me!
Just live for me!
Live for me!
Just live for me!
Live for me!
Live the future for me!
I can no longer see you.
I am not afraid anymore.
You hold me close
My breath stops forevermore
Live for me!
Just live for me!
Live for me!
Just live for me!
Live for me!
Live the future for me!
"You are pretty good." Miku said.
Miku, no!
"So, think I'm Vocaloid material?" Sonika asked.
I knew it!
"For the last time, we are not looking for new members." Luka sighed, "You are not the first to try this. That rumor that we are searching for a ninth member is wrong."
"Do you think I'm good enough that if there was an opening, I could be a Vocaloid?" Sonika asked.
"Well, You could make it on your own, no problem. If there were an opening, it would not go to a fan, even if said fan had the necessary talent. Most likely, it would go to Yoholoid." Miku answered.
"So, if I were to make a name for myself as a soloist, would you consider me?" Sonika's eyes glittered.
"Maye then we would, but it is a long shot." Rin said.
"Did I tell you that Len tried to jump to his death earlier?" I asked, attempting to end the discussion on Sonika.
"LEN!" six shocked voices chorused as one.
"What were you thinking?" Rin sputtered.
"I kind of wasn't." Len admitted.
"I almost didn't get to him in time." I broke in.
"What? We almost lost our son!" Miku wailed, grabbing and hugging Len tightly.
"Help! She's stuck in mom mode again!" Len wailed, squirming to try to free himself.
"I nearly lost my other half!" Rin joined Miku.
"I'm being suffocated!" Len screamed.
"I almost lost my little brother figure!" Luka moved toward them.
"No!" Len whined, "Not you-oof! I'm getting mauled to death!"
"Family hug?" Meiko asked.
"No, it's more fun to watch Len suffer." Gakupo said.
"You are right." Mieko added.
"You two don't care that I'm getting killed!" Len sobbed.
"Oh we care. It's more fun to watch you suffer." Gakupo replied.
GAKUPO
It was fun to see Len get mauled. He was in no danger of being suffocated. Hopefully he'd learned his lesson.
"Len, suicide is a very selfish thing to do. You are lucky Akaito got to you in time. What would Kaito think?" I pounced as soon as Len was released.
"Kaito wouldn't be thinking." Len muttered, "He'll be six feet in the ground."
"What is that?" I asked.
"Am I the only one who can see that Kaito is at the end here?" Len asked hotly, "Why can't you see what I see? Kaito is dying!"
"Excuse me, but this ECMO is not here for decoration!" Sonika looked up, "You need to calm down. I'm not keeping him alive for nothing now am I?"
"That's just it! Kaito doesn't want this!" Len snapped, "He doesn't want to be kept alive like this!"
"We are not keeping him alive." Sonika rolled her eyes, "He is still fighting. When he stops fighting and says enough is enough, than we will honor his wish to let him go."
"If he is still fighting, why is he on life support?"
"That's what it is. We are supporting his body to give him the best chance possible to recover, and to buy time for a heart to become available. We don't have a cold storage of spare body parts you know."
"You know, that is a good idea." Rin quipped.
"You are right. Sadly, organs are in short supply as it is." Sonika smiled.
"How long do you think he can last?" I asked.
"Well, it is hard to say. Miracles do happen. To give you a number, I'd say a week at most, maybe longer if his will to live is strong enough. There are times when I'm doing this that I'm tempted to cause a multicar pile up and harvest all the organs of those who die. I've got crash mode of Burnout for that. I would never ever do that for real though." Sonika resumed watching the ECMO. She made an adjustment, "I must watch this thing constantly and make the adjustments needed as they happen. It is a monotonous job, but I love it."
"We do need to mentally prepare for the worst." Mieko replied.
"What? Kaito is not going to die!" I snapped.
"You need to come to terms with the fact he may not make it!" Len hissed.
The tension was rising.
"Can we calm down before someone says something they will regret?" I asked.
MIKU
I hated it when fans tried to audition. When would they realize we were not accepting new members?
I took a chair and joined Luka, "I nearly cried when they played Good Bye on the radio on the way here this morning."
"It hurts to hear his voice in song. I keep wondering if we will hear him sing again. Are we watching him die?" Luka blinked.
"We may need to prepare to lose him, Luka. The way things stand, it just doesn't look good. Hearts are not easy to come by." I answered, "All we can do is to keep praying. Miracles do happen."
"I miss him." Luka closed her eyes, "I can't even look at ice cream anymore, nor eat it."
"I'm pretty sure no one has touched any ice cream since Kaito got sick." I replied.
Ann entered the room to collect the printout from the EKG, "There is a hoard of people outside, and they don't want the ER. They're demanding answers about Kaito.. Those T waves are getting wider. That means he's well on his way to a massive heart attack."
"Oh snap! I totally didn't think about that!" I gasped.
"That can be reversed, right?" Gakupo asked.
"It can be reversed." Ann picked up a set of paddles, "I'll have to deliver a shock to his heart when it is on the T wave pattern." Ann watched the EKG, and gave a shock. Kaito lurched. "Hmm, no change." She gave a second shock, "There we go. The T waves are tightening up."
"I took our web site down for updates, and I've forgotten to put it back up." Luka face palmed.
"Miku and I will go handle the crowd." Akaito stood.
"We will stay." Rin added.
"I'm going too." Mieko stood, "Gakupo, you are in charge of the twins and Luka."
"I'm going too." Len followed.
MIEKO
I knew what we would find upon stepping outside. I was right. Reporters, fans, and spectators surged toward us. The hospital security and the police force moved between them and us. Dr. Hart joined us. A podium had been hastily set up. Somehow it remained upright despite the huge number of microphones taped to it. Akaito walked over to stand behind it. A sharp whistle got everybody's attention. The crowds surged toward him, but were held back by the police. This wasn't going to be pretty.
"On behalf the Vocaloids, I apologize for not doing this sooner. I know many of you saw Kaito collapse live, and later on TV. This is Dr. Davis Hart, who has been taking care of my brother. Due to doctor patient confidentiality, he can't reveal much about Kaito's condition." Akaito stepped back and Dr. Hart stepped forward.
"I can tell you that Kaito's collapse was not caused by a heart attack. He has ES, which stands for Eisenmenger Syndrome. His condition is touch and go. That is all I am allowed to reveal. Eisenmenger Syndrome means there is a hole between your ventricles. It strikes between the second and third decades of life. Victims never live beyond their third decade without treatment. I'm doing everything I can." Dr. Hart stepped back and Akaito and Miku both stepped forward.
"We are NOT accepting new members! Whoever posted that rumor is dead wrong!" Miku announced.
"We need your prayers right now. My brother is in rough shape. Not too long ago, I watched him fall into a coma. I'm not in a good mood ether. I'm scared. I'm watching my twin brother slip farther and farther away. The last thing I need is this. This is a trying time for us." Akaito stepped back and I stepped up to the podium.
"I know you all are wondering if we are still going to perform. All performances are on hold. We will make it up to you as soon as Kaito is cleared to perform. Miku and Akaito have exciting news to share." I stepped back.
"Mieko!" Akaito whined.
"Thanks for putting us on the spot, Mieko! We were planning an interview with Stars a week from now!" Miku glared at me.
"This is not how we planned to reveal our engagement!" Akaito hissed.
"Good going, Akaito. You just blabbed our secret!" Miku shot at him, "Do you not see the microphones a foot away from you?"
"Oops." I paled.
"Mieko!" Len gasped, "What were you thinking?"
"I'm so going six feet under! I'm sorry you two! I should have kept my mouth shut!" I tried to smooth things over.
"Maybe I shouldn't marry you!"
"Miku, the microphones!" Len tried.
"You stay out of this!"
"Our engagement is over!" Akaito snarled.
"Wait you two-"
"Mieko, shut up!"
"Don't tell me to shut up, Akaito!"
"Here!" Miku flung the ring at him.
"Guys?"
"Not now, Len!" Miku snapped.
"You two do know you are fighting on national television, right?" I asked
"Do we look like we care?" Akaito growled.
"Um, Len, come with me. Let those two fight." I herded the blond boy back into the hospital.
"Are they going to be okay?" Len asked.
"I honestly don't know." We went back to 5A.
"What happened out there?" Gakupo asked.
"Miku and Akaito are fighting." I answered. "Akaito broke their engagement."
"That is bad." Luka said, "Hopefully, when they both calm down, they'll talk and patch things up."
"I hope so." Len said.
It wasn't long before Akaito entered the room.
"I want all of you gone!" He hissed.
"Akaito-" Gakupo tried.
"I don't want to hear it! Just go!" Akaito whirled to face him.
"You need to cool off!" Gakupo yelled.
"Oh not again." Len sighed.
"I still hate you!" Rin growled at him.
"Well I hate you too!" Len shot back.
"I hate you more!" Rin hissed.
"You started this!" Miku snapped at me, "You just couldn't keep your trap shut could you?"
"I know, I know!" I moaned, "Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut?"
"I need to cool off? My brother is dying in front of me, and you want me to cool off?" Akaito was screaming now.
"You are mad at Miku! Stop taking it out on me!" Gakupo roared.
"Come on! We are leaving!" I tried.
"You started this!" Akaito screamed at me.
"Let's go now!" I tried, ignoring Akaito.
"Let's go! You too, Luka!" Gakupo stormed out with Luka following.
"Come along, Rin and Len!" I tried to be cheerful. We left and returned home. I made a quick dinner and after we ate, I sent the kids to bed.
Queen Sunstar: Up next, Miku's life is put in grave danger while complications arise with Kaito. Kaito does have another POV coming up, and we will be seeing Kiki, the reaper from my other Vocaloid fanfiction. She is still crazy, and is suspected of having ADD.