Chapter 35: Coma
"There's no hiding it to you," Mai smiled sheepishly at Lin, "and I don't see what's wrong with you finding out."
Lin watched her as she stood up and a huge pair of snow white wings appeared, it was larger than any bird wings he had seen and it glowed warmly.
"It's as you had guessed Lin," Mai folded her wings back and the fallen feathers remained evidence for Lin. Lin had taken in the information calmly like how Mai had imagined.
"You didn't die did you?"
Mai laughed, "No I was an angel even when I joined SPR."
"And the English? No doubt that was your mother tongue?"
Mai sat down, picking up the fallen feathers and it disappeared in her palm like magic. "You won't tell them will you?" Mai asked him.
Lin stood up, smiling kindly at Mai, "It's your secret to tell, not mine"
Naru woke up, blinked his eyes twice, and welcomed the darkness.
He knew why he was here; this was a normal place for him to be at whenever he was unable to move due to exertion. His physical body wasn't stable enough to hold his power so it always ended up with a black out.
He looked around for anything to entertain himself with, just like the past days and he sighed sitting down, he had nothing. Even a book was enough for him.
Drip drop drip drop.
Naru heard it. He looked up and sat attentively. It was slow drops of water, like a faucet not shut tightly, or a water dripping down a leaf after a rain shower. The entire time he was here, he had never heard anything but silence.
He hated the sound of silence. He stood up and looked for the source in the darkness.
Drip drop drip dropsobbing.
Naru heard it getting louder to his left, he ran quickly.
Curious.
He saw it. A faint light in the dark. It was glowing around a little figure and he approached it cautiously. It was a little girl sitting curled up, hugging her knees. Naru noticed she had a white outline around her, making her glow. Behind her was a little guy with his fist clenched tight, he looked equally heartbroken. He noticed the boy's blonde hair and dejected brown eyes, this was Kyle.
Little Kyle had a warm black outline around him, normally it would be intimidating for anyone, but Kyle's glow was warm like any others, like Mai's.
Naru turned to the little Mai who was crying, he was about to touch her when she and Kyle disappeared to smoke.
Naru was surprised.
Drip… drop… drip… drop…
Naru turned around and saw Mai crying, clutching onto Kyle tightly, this was on the case where her back was badly wounded. Kyle had the same look as the little Kyle. Naru's heart clenched.
Was it because Mai was hurt? Was it because Mai was crying? Or maybe, was it because she wasn't in his arms?
He tried to touch them but they disappeared before he could reach them.
"I like you Naru"
Mai was smiling at him and Naru could see himself in front of her.
"Me? Or Gene?"
Stop. I didn't mean that.
"I hate you Naru!"
He saw her crying as he walked away from her when he left. Naru reached out for her but she disappeared.
Giggle
Naru turned around as fast as he could, he was getting the pattern, he saw a little Mai giggling while Kyle chased her around, they ran for a bit until they disappeared.
Laughter
Naru turned once again and saw Mai, with her short brown hair, dancing around in the same white dress. She was laughing at someone. Naru searched around for Kyle, but he wasn't anywhere. No, it was someone else.
Naru walked to the laughing Mai and reached for her and Mai stood in front of Naru, smiling. Naru touched her cheeks lightly before she laughed and disappeared with his touch. Naru clenched his fist, what kind of joke was this?
Naru waited and waited, nothing was appearing. He sat down again; he waited a long time for something to appear in this never ending darkness. He closed his eyes calmly, like he did ever since he was young.
"Naru."
Naru raised his head and saw Mai squatting in front of him, she placed both her palms on his cheeks and he closed his eyes.She kissed him lightly on his lips. Naru didn't understand why, he opened his eyes and grabbed her wrist, scared that she would disappear just like the rest of the Mai's he had seen.
Only she didn't disappear, she smiled at him lightly and a soft breeze came out of no where, for the first time. Naru was surprised. Mai stood up and stretched her arms, everything grew bright. "Open your eyes Naru."
Naru watched as the rest of the team materialized behind Mai, smiling at Naru. Suddenly, a green field appeared, followed by the blue sky, and then the clouds, the sun, everything.
Naru returned his attention back at Mai. SPR had disappeared and then it was only them in the bright, wide field. Mai was smiling at him gently.
"I'm sorry Naru."
A pair of white thing glowed behind Mai and she faded as the wind got stronger and everything turned into darkness again. A lone feather fell and Naru picked it up, seconds after it was on his palm, it disappeared too.
Naru was frustrated, what was happening?!
Gene appeared in front of Naru, "Oliver Davis."
Naru's eyes grew wide, "Eugene."
Gene turned into a kid and Naru watched as little Gene hopped on to little Naru, "Noll!"
"Gene! Let me finish this book first!" Little Naru pouted, pushing his brother away and Naru can see his brother was far from giving up.
"Noll! Come on Noll! Let's play!" Little Gene tugged on little Naru's black hair and eventually, little Naru placed his book down.
"What will we play?"
"I don't know, mummy said we're going to visit a friend!" Gene said, running. "Race you to the front door!"
Little Naru grinned and ran, little Gene won, "You had a head start!"
Little Gene stuck his tongue out a little Naru and the boy sulked. The car ride was silent, their mom said that the house was on a forest and that they had a son their age they could play with and a younger daughter.
"Mummy, what's that smoke?" little Naru pointed out at a thick smoke directly straight to the path they were heading at. Luella Davis looked in front and so did Martin Davis. Little Gene opened his window and watched in awe, so did little Naru.
They stopped the car meters away from the smoke and their parents told them to stay in the car.
Naru saw the burning house and he walked to it, he can see his little self staying in the car obediently. He followed his parents until both stopped. Naru saw several men all in long black coats. Some rushed in and they came back out with two little kids. One was a boy with dirty blonde hair and the other was a girl with brown hair.
Naru didn't know them, they must be the ones his parents were saying. He watched as the two kids were rushed in an ambulance.
"How will they survive without their parents?"
"Kyle is a capable brother."
Brother? Kyle?
Naru watched as everything faded as the ambulance left. Must be a different Kyle.
"Wake up, Noll." Gene said, his normal self now. "Everyone is worried."
"I can't take it anymore! Another day without a case," Ayako sulked.
Mai entered the hospital room and placed her school bag down and turned to Ayako and Masako. "You can go home now, it's getting dark, your family will get worried."
Ayako can't say anything to that, so can Masako. Mai had no one back at her apartment.
"You should leave before the sun sets," Mai said. "The snow gets stronger at the evening."
Masako blushed and shoved something into her hands, "Eat your dinner Mai."
Masako left and Ayako laughed. "She's worried you know, you've been here since you woke up from your hospital room."
"That's not true!" Mai countered, "I've been attending school you know."
"Yeah you do, but after you do you don't go back to your apartment," Ayako said. "Except when you shower and change your clothes."
Mai shrugged, "Bye Ayako, have fun with your date! Does Mr. Takigawa know?"
"What does my date have to do with the old man!" Ayako blushed and left the room.
Mai sat at the chair beside Naru and she placed her books on the table. The only sound Mai can hear is the beeping of the machine, the only constant reminder telling her that Naru is still alive. It was almost 2 weeks and Naru still remained unmoving.
Mai finished her homework at around 10 in the evening and she stretched her arms up she opened the lunch box Masako handed her.
"HOME MADE!" Mai said, accidentally louder than she had thought. Mai's eyes sparkled as she saw the rolled eggs, the fried sausage on the side with ketchup and the fried breaded pork on top of the rice. "Thank you for the food!"
Mai hummed as she ate and she turned to Naru, pouting, "I made tea today you know."
Naru heard that.
"And Masako made me a lunchbox!"
That too, he wanted Mai to shut up, she was too noisy.
"If you wake up right now then I might consider giving you some of my tea and MY lunchbox."
Naru's finger twitched in annoyance.
"If you wake up now I promise I won't hate you."
Naru stopped. Everything was silent again and he can hear the beeping of the machine. Naru moved his fingers, his palm, his feet. He was in control now.
"Come back, Naru."
Mai was calling him. Naru can't ignore that.
"I didn't know you missed me that much."
Mai almost dropped her lunchbox, her homemade lunchbox. That was Naru, right? Mai turned her head to Naru, he wasn't moving and his eyes were closed.
"Naru?"
"I'm awake," Naru said. "I can hear you, give me some tea."
Mai held back her tears and nodded silently, she poured a cup and handed it to Naru. He took it gratefully and drank it.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Too long Naru," Mai said. "Tomorrow marks your second week."
Naru nodded, "The last of December."
Edited 07/10/16.