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The following content is the intellectual property of the
Yamaha Corporation and its respective subsidiaries
as well as any participating organizations that own
various designs and concepts that will be featured. The
Author in no way claims to be a part owner of any of
the characters that will be portrayed, and writes with
the full authorization of the ffnet website.
WARNING:
The following content is rated M for Mature, and may
contain graphical descriptions of mature scenarios
that viewers may not find suitable. This is a work of
fiction: Any and all similarities to real life situations is
purely coincidental.
~Act 6: The Sixth Day~
~Scene: III~
Summer, 1995...
"Ruby lips above the water, blowing bubbles, soft and fine. But, alas, I was no swimmer, so I lost my Clementine~" Rin giggled happily and sang, holding her brother's hand as she skip-walked them around the hospital garden. "Oh my darling! Oh my darling! Oh my darling, Clementine! Thou art lost and gone forever~"
It was picturesque; a scene that anyone would appreciate. In this place of pain and suffering, two children brought smiles to the faces of other patients their glowing laughter and light yellow hair lighting the furthest corners concealed behind open windows.
Rin never sang the next verse. She liked the way her brother sang it. In his weak and patchy voice he intoned, "How I missed her! How I missed her! How I missed my Clementine! But I—" Rin squealed and leaned forward so that Len could kiss her on the cheek. "—my little sister. I forgot my Clementine."
And together they wailed, "Oh my darling! Oh my darling! Oh my darling, Clementine! Thou art lost and gone forever. Dreadful sorry, Clementine."
The onlookers elderly patients, nurses, other adults, even older children clapped. Oblivious, Rin hummed loudly the melody and danced with Len. That is, she had him stand perfectly while she held his hands and swayed left and right, kicking her feet eagerly. Everyone was laughing. It was great fun.
And then, suddenly, it wasn't. Rin spun away, dizzy, and her knees buckled as she came to the ground. Len panicked and hobbled to her side.
"Rin-chan! Don't overdo it!"
"Poor Clementine..." She yawned sleepily and closed her eyes and dozed immediately. Len watched as one nurse picked Rin up into her arms, and sat down when another brought his wheelchair to him. He followed Rin to her room and helped the nurse tuck her in. Rin opened one eye and tried to smile.
"Ne~... Nii-san, I wanna dance more..."
"Yes. Okay. Sleep first, Rin-chan. Then we can dance more."
"But I don't wanna sleep~... Nii-san..."
"What?" He ruffled her hair between his fingers. She cuddled his palm. "You always say that, but then you sleep and sleep and sleep that I start thinking you'll never wake up."
"I'm sorry, Nii-san..."
"For what?"
"For being sick. You must get really bored taking care of me..."
He hugged her and pinched her arm. She cringed in pain, little tears building up in her eyes. The nurse scolded Len. "That's for thinking that I get bored when we're together," he told her, smiling. Rin blushed and pulled the blanket over her eyes.
"Nii-san...! Nii-san...!"
"Yes, Rin-chan?"
"Forget Clementine! Forget her!"
He sighed and kissed her forehead. She was already fast asleep. Len took her hand in his and squeezed it. It was quieter with Rin asleep. Before, he recalled, it was only quieter when she was awake. She still had nightmares once in a while. Some mornings they would come to find she had wet the bet. Going for a week without her waking up screaming, and disturbing the other patrons, was considered rarity.
This girl—his sister—was the best person to which he could ascribe the word "family." That was something he hadn't had in his old life. Lives. Growing up on the streets was hard. Getting pampered was lonely. And through it all there wasn't anybody whom he could think of even remotely as "family." When he thought about that, his heart beat a little faster. This was the thing they called "love," right? He wanted to ask, but didn't want to get laughed at. It was a ridiculous, because who wouldn't love their own sister?
Rin kicked her legs out and smacked her lips, groaning sleepily.
"Silly nee-chan," he chuckled. "There is no Clementine..."
