Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Chapter 28
I felt warm… the golden hands were holding my own. Slowly the rain stopped as did the pain. There were some moments when a agonizing stab appear in my arm or stomach, but it quickly faded.
"W-wait!" I grasped the golden hands begging them to not leave. I was scared to be without them. I smiled as they held me strongly again.
"Heh, you're so weird… But I'll be back… I have some business that only a hero can do…"
I whimpered as the golden hands disappeared. I held back my cries and pain that I was alone. I missed the hands. Such a small thing, but I wanted them back. I wanted the warm back.
I would get the warm back!
Mmmmm? I turned my head surprised to see a shining light. It seemed warm enough to wait for the hands to return.
Quickly my feet ran to the light. Then I noticed the loving hands, but now they were attached to a body. It was shining in the pure, bright light and I was almost able to feel that shining light.
Wait! I knew those hands and that body.
"Alfred!" I called opening my eyes to have my eyes burn in a shining light.
"Whoa!" Alfred shouted backing away from my rising head. "Welcome to the real world, Sakura!" Alfred said trying to lighten the mood.
My eyes moved to Alfred. "Alfred… I had the scariest dream and…"
"Yeah, I know…We didn't have much at the camp to help with the pain, but we did have plenty of sleeping pills… haha… Sorry, I should have thought ahead…" Alfred said rubbing the back of his head.
But it made me notice something. Alfred had a black eye. "Alfred…? Your eye… it's… ummm…" I didn't know how to ask such a personal question to him. He may not want to talk about it.
Alfred laughed though and petted my head. "Your Bro has an awesome slugging arm! You should be proud!"
"A… slugging arm?" I asked not understanding such a term. Slugging? Such a strange word.
Alfred laughed and made his hand a fist. "A slugging arm means your Bro can hit like a pro Boxer. For realz it was amazing!"
I gasped in understanding. "Brother hit you! But why!"
Alfred blushed; thinking about what happened. "Well, I refused him and the two Chinas to come visit you yet… and I used you to make your Brother agree to my terms of his defeat and… he wasn't happy with my demands."
"Demands? Alfred you…" I giggled softly even though I knew it was not a good time to laugh; it hurt my side to laugh, but Alfred was very funny. He was the first person that must have seen Brother's 'angry' face.
Alfred sat next to me laughing as well. "Sakura you should have seen your Bro… He was all red and really, really cute…"
"Cute? Alfred boys can't be cute." I said thinking of how mad many men would get if they were called cute from another man.
"…True… Sakura you're like my little sis you know that right?"
I nodded understanding the close feelings we had for each other. The safe, warm feelings only family members could give one another. "So, Brother is like your Brother, right?"
I watched as Alfred turned red and gave me a sheepish smile. "Well, I love your Bro… just… not like a Bro." Alfred explained, but it still didn't make sense. How can Alfred love Brother not like a brother…
I blushed in understanding. Oh, Alfred loves Brother…. That way… Which reminded me. "Alfred? Did… you allow England to visit me at least?" I asked trying to sit up more, but the gun wounds in my side hurt still.
"Well, he hasn't talked to anyone since you came to the hospital… why? You want him to come?" Alfred asked sitting up on my bed.
I nodded quickly; which hurt my head. I got shot there too? "Alfred how many times was I shot?"
"…" Alfred gently pointed to my head. "One time in the head… two in the arm, but one was from me as you may have remembered, and two in the stomach area." Alfred said point to each gun shot. "Oh! And when you were fighting all those doctors and nurses you got cut in a few places then but nothing too serious."
I smiled. "That's good… I guess… At least I'm alive right?"
"Hey! I would never let my little sister die!" I held my screams when Alfred smacked my back a little roughly. "I'm going to go talk to Iggy right now for you, okay!"
I waited until Alfred was gone completely to start crying in pain. That hurt a lot… Never knew someone could be so strong without even trying. Owww…
"Mew~?" My head popped up to see Pochi on my bed wearing a bunch of wires.
I smiled largely. "Now, how did you sneak in here? And what are you wearing?" I started to take the wires off, but stopped when I noticed some type of recording device. What was this? "Pochi? What is Brother making you do?"
"Mew? Mew, Meo…" Pochi said slapping the rest of the wires off him. I rolled my eyes at the great defying act Pochi did. Really, I had the strangest dog for a friend.
"Brother's not allowed to visit me yet; so he put you up to spy on me…" I said putting the wires in the desk next to my bed. Next time Brother should think better of his plans. I opened my arms waiting for Pochi to snuggle against me. I heard him softly whine. I nuzzled him lovingly. Such a good dog. "I'll be fine… I just need to rest for a little longer."
I hugged Pochi waiting for his whining to die down; happily it did after a bit of reassuring of me being fine.
I shouldn't have felt as happy as I did. I really shouldn't have… but I felt blissful and hyper and really a bit out-of-it. Maybe it was the medicine slowly invading my body from the small I.V. in my uninjured wrist. I laughed softly. That must have been it because in my gut I wasn't happy; I was screaming and ready to beg for forgiveness when Brother walked through that plain white door to visit me.
Such a strange medicine… hehe maybe I should take it out… I bit my lip holding any noise that could and would upset the puppy snuggling into lap. Slowly, so painfully slowly I pulled the I.V. out and put it on the desk. I knew I was going to get in trouble, but I needed to think and that happy medicine wasn't helping my brain.
Everything should be over for now and it was time to reflect on my choices. I sighed as I petted Pochi lovingly. This was going to be a long inner talk.
