Coda
A/N: for emy1024, a tragedy/angst fic. Who to reach when you have to leave forever?
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The last thing she remembered after "For a blue and natural world!" scream was the scorching heat.
When she woke up, groggy and aching all over, the first thing she made out of the darkness was the silhouette of a blue haired man beside her bed.
"Athrun?" she croaked out more than spoke, because her throat felt like it has been rubbed with sandpaper. As she tried to move, the sudden throbbing pain on her forehead almost made her yelp.
There was no answer from her companion, but the warm hand that landed on her forehead confirmed it. Yes, it was Athrun.
"It seems you'll be all right." he whispered.
Cagalli almost chuckled. "It'll take more than that to take me down." She reached out to touch the hand on her forehead. "Stay with me for a while."
"I wish," there was a hint of emotion in his voice that she couldn't quite place. "There's someplace I have to go."
"Did the explosion get anybody else?"
"Kisaka and Kira are checking on that," she heard the creaking chair beside her bed and Athrun's hand caressing her cheek. "I have to leave now. Be good, Cagalli."
"Of course." She sighed.
"And please remember that I love you."
She couldn't stop the blush from spreading further, but tried vainly to sneak under the covers. "I-I love you too."
The blush was still there even after Kira entered her room with a courteous knock, and stop at the end of her bed. He smiled faintly at her. "How are you feeling, Cagalli?"
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, there's this..." he paused to gulp, "bad news I need to tell you."
For the first time since he entered the room, she noticed her brother's tear stained eyes. "Did something happen?" Cagalli said, trying to leave her bed.
Her brother walked closer and tried to hold her hand with his trembling one. "Cagalli, please be strong. Athrun, h-he...died."
Kira seemed to be the world's worst liar, but even then she felt her heart stopped and her body ran cold. "You're lying, Kira. A joke like that isn't funny."
"Cagalli, please..."
"He just came in to my room alive and kicking. How can he be--"
Kira blinked, and squeezed her hand tighter. "That must be a dream, Cagalli. You and Athrun..." her brother shook his head, trying to ease the coming tears. "-were brought into this hospital together. He died in the E.R. half an hour ago."
She couldn't remember the next things that happened, did she push Kira out of the way first or stumble into the nurse in the hall, or running into the abandoned emergency room in bare feet, screaming at Kisaka to let her go so she could see the face of the man on the operation table.
Even through the film of angry and sorrowful tears, she could make out the lifeless face under the cloth, the blue hair and the burn scars on the love of her life. And then there was Kira, holding her with such strength, sobbing along with her as she tried to reach out for him.
