Kyo's POV:


Tuesday. It was Tuesday on the last week of school. Four more days and a dance and we'd be free for winter break. To say I was eager was an understatement.

I was in the boys' locker room getting dressed out for our endurance run. I glanced over at Yuki but quickly reverted my eyes to the floor. His back was to me, so all I could see was the outline of his figure and his shoulder blades sticking out and causing his lean back muscles to ripple. I forced myself into a state of moving and thinking meditation in order to calm myself down. Damn it, I was worse than the dog.

I pulled on the t-shirt and shorts. Most of the guys were wearing either sweatpants or a sweatshirt, or both. I guess the cold just didn't bother that much. I left the locker room early (because I don't wear a tie or warm clothing) and made my way to the starting line. The girls had already left, so I didn't think I'd have to worry about them. I sat down under a tree and waited while the other guys came out of the locker room.

"Hey, Kyo!" one of them shouted at me, "Wanna race?"

"If you want to get your ass kicked!" I yelled back.

"Uh, Kyo…"

I looked up to see Yuki staring down at me timidly.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked me.

"No, it doesn't really bug me. Besides, I'll be overheating in a few minutes."

Yuki coughed into his elbow.

"Are you sure you should be doing this?" I asked him. He finished coughing and smiled at me.

"My throat's just been bothering me the past few days," he said, "I'm perfectly fine."

"Well, okay…"

Our teacher blew his whistle. Yuki and I walked over to join the other boys who were gathering around him.

"Now remember, this is for time, so give it your best shot. Now take your starting positions."

We walked over to the front of the starting line, not wanting to have to deal with getting around the slower boys in our class.

"Do you want to race?" Yuki asked me.

"You're on," I smirked, taking a starting position for a sprint. The whistle sounded, and I bolted. Soon Yuki and I had left everyone in the dust. We made our way along the clearly marked course, coming as close to the sidewalks on turns as we could to lower the distance of the curve. We twisted and turned all the way into the thick of town. Then, and only then, did I start to pull ahead. At first, it was just a little. Then more. And then even more, until Yuki was a good three meters behind me. I allowed myself a smirk, but it was way too soon to get cocky. I couldn't force myself to forget the previous year when Haru had tripped. I turned a corner, and I was far enough ahead that Yuki didn't even come into my peripheral vision. But something did.

"Kyo?!"

"Ah - Haru?!" I yelled back, looking over at him as he ran out of an alley to join me.

"What are you doing?!"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"I thought I'd take a short-cut through town!"

I snarled at him, "You cheated?!"

"More importantly, why are you running so fast?!"

"I'm racing!"

"With who?! We're the only ones here!"

"Huh? But he was…"

I slowed. Yuki was nowhere to be seen.

"You were racing Yuki?" he asked.

"Mm," I nodded, coming to a complete stop.

"And you were winning?" he raised an eyebrow. I was about to yell at him, until I realized what he was suggesting. As much as I hated to admit it, Yuki would have to be put under a disadvantage in order for me to get as far ahead as I had.

"You don't think…"

"His asthma?"

"Damn it!" I shouted, turning to run in the other direction. Haru followed after me, not complaining once about how fast I was going. He even managed to keep up with me for the most part. We ran down our own course, but where the boys' and girls' courses crossed, we were met with a bit of an obstacle. The bulk of the female population was running along steadily, blocking our path.

"That looks dangerous," Haru commented.

"But we need to -"

"Kyo-kun? Hatsuharu-san?"

Tohru mindlessly abandoned her jogging to join us.

"Why are you just standing here?" she asked us.

"Well we can't exactly get through that!" I growled, eyeing the cursed overabundance of females.

"But I thought the course went that way…"

"It does," Haru answered, "We're backtracking. We think Yuki might have had an asthma attack."

"Ah…!" she sounded so worried. I wanted to be able to act worried. Panic, yell, scream, even.

"Damn it!"

I wasn't going to wait. I raced through the hoard of girls, dodging each of them agilely, using my naturally good balance to my advantage. I didn't stop when I reached the other side. I kept running picking up speed, my eyes scanning all around for his familiar slender form. A flash of silver hair glistened in my peripheral vision. And there he was, lying on the grassy hill beside the path.

"Yuki!"

I stumbled down the slope, falling down beside him in order to stop my fall.

"Yuki…?"

He fixed me with a wide and desperate purple gaze. His breath was coming in short gasps.

Don't panic! Don't panic!

I had to do something. Anything!

I padded down his long winter sports pants, locating his cell phone and pulling it out of his pocket. I called the only number I could think of.

"Hello?"

"This is Kyo Sohma! I need to speak to Hatori right now!"

"One moment."

"Please hurry!"

"Hello?"

"Hatori!"

"Kyo, what's wrong?"

"Yuki… he…!"

"Kyo, calm down. Tell me what's going on as calmly as you can."

"He's having asthma… his breathing is wrong…"

"Are his lips or fingernails blue?"

"Y- yes…"

"Listen, I want you to call the paramedics. Until they get there, elevate his head. If he stops breathing altogether, give him CPR. Do you know how to do that?"

"Yes, I…"

"I'll meet you at the ER. Call the paramedics."

The line went dead. I shakily dialed the three decisive digits I'd hoped I'd never have to press.

"110, what is your emergency?"

"My cousin… he's having… asthma attack…"

"Where are you?"

I looked around and spotted the nearest street sign.

"Kimerly and Hemmingway. We're right near Kimerly and Hemmingway. By the bridge."

"An ambulance is on its way."

"Thank you," I hung up.

I turned Yuki so his feet were facing downhill, and I walked back up, placing his head in my lap. He looked terrified.

"Help is coming," I told him, laying my hand lightly on his chest. It felt like something was convulsing inside of him.

"Yuki!"

"Sohma-kun!"

Tohru and Haru fell down beside us.

"There's an ambulance coming," I told them, not taking my eyes off Yuki.

"A- ambulance?!"

"I called Hatori first. He said to do that."

Yuki gasped, seemingly trying to fill his lungs, sending himself into a short coughing fit.

"Calm down," I murmured, running my fingers comfortingly through his hair. His eyes darted between me and Tohru and Haru. Like he was trying to say something. It took me a moment to interpret his meaning.

I groaned.

"He can deal with it for now," I told him.

He closed his eyes, continuing to pant labouredly.

"Will he be okay?" Tohru asked me.

"I -"

The sound of sirens cut off my sentence. I watched quietly as the ambulance pulled up and the paramedics unloaded a stretcher. I helped them load Yuki into the back of the vehicle while Haru answered medical questions.

"Can I come with you?" I asked timidly.

"Only family -"

"I'm his cousin. We live together with another cousin - please."


Author's Note: Well, let's just say it ends there, huh? No, I'm joking. I'm not THAT evil. Well, remember when I said a few chapters ago there was foreshadowing? Uo asked Yuki about the endurance run: "You had that attack last year, right?" or something like that. Well, that was the foreshadowing. It sort of got brushed off, if you recall. Anyway, I want four reviews at the least on this chapter! Because then I'll have two reviews per chapter, and that would be cool. Anyway, please let me know if you saw it coming a mile away that Yuki was going to have an asthma attack. I mean, he's been coughing ever since the true form chapter. So, review, review. And eat cake. That is your homework. As I said, I just started high school, and I hate all my homework, so I'm going to give an assignment that's enjoyable. Now, off with you to get that cake!