What happens when it fades?

Again with the avoiding homework… really, I seem to update the most when I should be spending my time studying. :P I want to thank vampiric-anime-lover for her suggestion in her last review. I've adapted it to my own ends. So this chapter is officially dedicated to her.

Chapter 38: Enter the Fall

Hitomi stood at the starting line. It was the last race of the day, and everything came down to this run. She was up against the best varsity athletes, and she'd never made it so far. This was her chance to shine. And to prove herself as one of Japan's best female athletes. She set her jaw, this was going to be one of those life-changing races; she could feel it in her bones.

She stepped into the starting block, every muscle in her body poised. She was like a panther – no, a cheetah. Ready to burst from standstill into an explosion of movement. She took a deep breathe, time froze for a moment. The breeze blew a few tendrils of her hair that had slipped out from her ponytail. The starting gun went off and she practically flew from the blocks.

She was ahead of the pack. There was nothing but the ground, the wind, and the finish line. The girl beside her was inching forward, pulling even with her. She smiled slightly, this was the challenge. Then she spotted the rock in her path. For a moment the thought flashed through her head, why was there a rock in the course? Of course, she could avoid it; it may add a few milliseconds to her time, but a fall at this point in her career could be devastating.

The milliseconds flashed by and she was just about past the stone in her path. And then the girl beside her elbowed her side. Hitomi felt her centre of gravity shift, felt her body throw sideways, and felt her foot slide across the stone, her ankle twisting out from under her as she tumbled over. The last thing she felt was shock: shock that she wasn't going to be the first to cross the finish line.

Dilandau stood beside the stands. He never quite felt right sitting in them, after all, Hitomi had never once invited him to a race of her's. He doubted she even knew he came out to them. He watched her step into the starting block, a few tangled tendrils of her hair twisting in the wind. He was slightly in awe of her focus. In all his years of battle and training he was certain he'd never seen anyone with such pure focus on winning.

From behind dark sunglasses, his violet-red eyes followed her as she raced down the track. He narrowed his eyes at the girl who was edging up beside Hitomi – there was something hostile in the way the girl carried herself as she ran beside Hitomi. He stared when Hitomi inched ever so slightly to the right, what was she doing? And then with suspicious eyes he watched the other girl purposely jab her elbow out at Hitomi.

He was moving before he registered Hitomi's fall. In fact, he only felt his thoughts catch up with his body after he'd leapt onto the track and sprinted to Hitomi's side. "Hitomi?" He asked, slightly panicked. She wasn't moving, in fact she seemed to be barely breathing. Cautious not to shift her back or neck too much, he pulled Hitomi onto her back. As he'd feared, there was a bloody scrape on her forehead. She had hit her head landing on the track.

"Hey! You there! You aren't allowed on the track!" Someone yelled at him, as the medics ran out onto the track. Dilandau simply slide his sunglasses from his face and folding them deftly, tucked them into his jacket pocket. The medics were greeted by his cold stare, and didn't even bother trying to argue him off the track.

"Wha- what happened?" A breathless voice whispered behind Dilandau. He turned sharply to face the girl who had elbowed Hitomi. He'd noticed that she didn't stop or look back until after she'd crossed the finish line. Anger burned in his devilish eyes as he regarded the girl.

"I hope your little win was worth it." He hissed softly through his teeth. The girl stared between him and Hitomi's unconscious body as the medics checked her over and called the ambulance to the field. She clapped her hand to her mouth, and a tiny whimper escaped from her lips. Her eyes looked back into Dilandau's, pleading for something: forgiveness, or comfort, or a way out.

Dilandau just glared. He wasn't sure if he was burning up or freezing cold. He spun on his heel and redirected his attention to Hitomi. Paramedics were hurrying across the field now, and he watched them move her onto a stretcher. He started to follow them, but was stopped by the official for the race. He shook his head impatiently. "I have to go with her." He growled.

"No, what you have to do is answer some questions." The official said calmly. "Such as why you felt it necessary to leap onto the track while people were still racing."

Dilandau turned his gaze from the ambulance to the official. "People were still racing?" He replied softly, his eyes blazing holes into the other man. The two stood still, as the sound of the ambulance pulling out of the parking lot, echoed across the field. "I'm going now." Dilandau said finally. It was an order, simple as that. Perhaps even more harsh than any he'd ordered during the war.

The official had stepped back. "She your girlfriend?"

Dilandau just stared blankly at the man. "She's Hitomi." He replied, taking that as his cue to race from the field to attempt to grab a taxi.

By the time Dilandau got to the hospital he was furious. The traffic had inched along, every light had been red, and he could swear he'd been overcharged. He strode purposefully into the hospital's emergency wing and walked up to the nurse on duty. "Hitomi Kanzaki." He said.

"What?" The nurse replied, rather confused by this man who had burst in the doors, sidestepped the line up of people awaiting treatment, and then dropped a girl's name.

"Where is Hitomi Kanzaki?" Dilandau said very clearly and precisely, assuming the woman was stupid or deaf rather than noticing his own behaviour or surroundings.

"Sir, you need to get in line if you…"

"No." he said calmly. "I need to see Hitomi. Can't you just look at your charts and tell me which room she's in?"

"Only relatives are allowed to see emergency patients. Unless you're a relative I can't do…"

"I live with her." Dilandau's eyes flashed dangerously. "She just came in. She was at a track meet and she fell while racing. She was unconscious when the ambulance picked her up." He was beginning to lose his patience.

The nurse looked at him uncomfortably. "You stay right here and I'll see what I can do." She said softly, her features betraying the fact that she wasn't exactly pleased with this task.

Dilandau watched her step behind another desk, asking another nurse something, from what he could tell it looked like something about "common law marriage". He growled in frustration. They were wasting his time, and worse, now he'd have to deal with Hitomi's wrath or confusion when she woke up and everyone assumed they were together. On the other hand, he could probably use this to his advantage.

The nurse came back. "She's in room 32C, its down the hall to the left. Is there anyone else I should contact, or can you fill in all the forms then?"

Dilandau shifted impatiently. "Can I just see her?" He demanded angrily. The fire in his soul flaring up in a way it hadn't in months.

The nurse shrugged. "Alright, follow me then. You can fill out these forms in her room."

Dilandau was more than irritated by how slowly the nurse was walking. Didn't she understand that he needed to see Hitomi? Needed to make sure she was alright? Needed to know if she was still unconscious? He ground his teeth.

The nurse pushed open a door. She pulled back a curtain and there was his Hitomi. She looked deathly pale surrounded by white sheets and beeping machines. He took in the IV in her hand, and the bandage across her forehead. "She's hasn't woken up yet, has she?" He asked softly.

"No," the nurse replied. Her features softening slightly as she looked at him. Dilandau swallowed slightly, suddenly aware that he was letting his expression show every ounce of fear and love that he felt. He felt suddenly very tired.

"You need to contact her parents." He said softly. "They'll be worried sick." He held out his hand for the pad of forms and the pen the nurse held out to him. He filled out the contact information for Hitomi's parents first, moving to hand that piece of paper to the nurse first.

She shook her head. "I'll come back in a while and get them all. You just take your time. And while they do suggest talking to people in comas, try not to be too loud. Mr. Peterson is having a heart transplant tomorrow and needs his rest." She gestured to the other set of curtains in the room.

Dilandau nodded numbly. Now that he was here, all the fury he'd felt was quickly draining away, replaced instead with a numbness. He stared helplessly at Hitomi's pale features as he sank into the uncomfortable chair provided by her bedside. He lifted his hand slightly, sliding it along the edge of the bed, and gently taking hold of her hand. "C'mon 'Tomi." He said softly. "You're stronger than this."

Several hours later Dilandau awoke to the sound of the door opening. Hitomi's parents rushed into the room, staring horrified at Hitomi's state. "Oh Hitomi!" He mother cried softly.

Dilandau stood a little awkwardly, "Hi." He murmured. "I hope you don't mind I filled out the forms. If I hadn't they probably wouldn't have let me stay…"

He trailed off when Hitomi's mother wrapped him up into a tight hug. "I'm just glad you're here for her!" Dilandau let himself sink into that hug, hugging the older woman back nearly as tightly. Finally, she pulled away, a few tears wetting her kindly face. "I'm just not sure how Hitomi's going to react when she wakes up to hear the hospital staff. You've managed to create a fine list of rumours in just a few hours."

Dilandau smiled weakly. "I figure any future torture will be worth having been here when she wakes up."

"What exactly happened?" Hitomi's father cut in, his features expecially grave in the dull hospital light.

Dilandau sighed. "She was racing. It was the last race of the day and for some reason she edged slightly into the next lane. Unfortunately, that lane had a person in it who decided to elbow Hitomi at just the right time." He paused. "There was a stone on the track." He looked over at Hitomi. "She hit her head on the track, and for some reason the fall was especially hard. She hasn't woken up yet. But the doctor said part of that could be the painkillers they've put her on." He winced slightly. "She's fractured her ankle."

Hitomi's parents both gasped slightly. He nodded wearily, not wanting to say what they were all thinking. Hitomi's running career was quite possibly over.

"Should we be trying to find a way to contact that fiancé of her's?" Her mother asked after a long moment.

Dilandau struggled not to let his jaw drop. "What?" He stared at Hitomi's parents in shock. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell us what?" Hitomi's father interjected, bemused by the young man's shocked stare.

"She and Van broke up." He gestured at Hitomi's bare hand. "They're not engaged any more."

Hitomi's parents turned their gaze back on him. "So… how many of these rumours are true then?" Hitomi's mother said softly. Dilandau just stared at her.

Dilandau dragged himself through the hospital cafeteria. Aside from a few short trips home for showers and a change of clothes, and an impromptu nap he hadn't actually intended to take, he'd spent nearly every minute in the hospital. He hated to leave Hitomi's side as long as she was asleep.

Because she still hadn't woken up. His boss was less than pleased that Dilandau was actually using one of his family emergency days. "How is a roommate family?" He'd demanded gruffly. Dilandau sighed, he'd simply replied that this was Hitomi, not just some roommate.

He shook his head, slumping into a seat and resting his head on the cool tabletop. He turned his head sideways to stare at the tray of unappetizing food. Picking up a spoon he poked at the green jello portion of his meal, watching it wiggle from his sideways view. This was it. When she woke up, soon as she got over the whole not running for awhile thing, he was telling her how he felt.

No. He was going to sweep her off her feet. Just as soon as she woke up. Right. That was the plan. But what if she still needed time? Dilandau stabbed the jello futilely with the spoon. The last time he'd felt this helpless he'd been sharing a body with a girl.

Hitomi woke feeling like a ton of bricks was balanced on her head. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking at the faint light that crossed her face. Her fingers tightened reflexively and she found her hand was in someone else's. She struggled to sit up a little, her eyesight still blurry. "Shhh, it's alright." A voice floated across her awareness, followed by a gentle tightening from that strange hand holding her own.

She forced her eyes to focus on Dilandau. "What happened?" She croaked, suddenly realizing how dry her mouth was.

A glass of water materialized in front of her face nearly instantly. "You need to drink. You've been unconscious for three days now." Hitomi raised her trembling hands, accepting the glass and drinking deeply. The water soothed her throat as it trickled down, taking the sticky dry feeling in her mouth away.

"Three days?" She whispered softly, gazing a little dreamily at Dilandau.

He nodded. "You were elbowed when you were running, and you fell over." He took a deep breathe. "You're a bit doped up on pain killers still."

"For my head?" She asked softly.

"For your ankle." He replied, wincing slightly.

Hitomi felt a little like her head was spinning. "My ankle?" She asked softly. "What happened to my ankle?" Bile was rising in her throat. If anything serious had happened she could kiss her running career goodbye.

She watched Dilandau chew his lip nervously. "Dilandau," She said firmly. "What happened to my ankle?"

She watched his face fall slightly, though his eyes never broke contact with her's. "The surgeon's been waiting for you to wake up before they do the surgery. They needed to make sure there were no neurological problems too. Since you're awake, they'll probably want to do the surgery today or tomorrow."

Hitomi let a small whimper escape her lips. "Surgery?" That meant it was bad. She'd fallen while twisting. Surgery meant things had to be realigned. Surgery meant weeks and weeks of bedrest and casts. If she was lucky she might be able to start running again next summer. But she'd be so out of shape that there would be no chance of her getting her time as good as it was this year. She shut her eyes tightly.

She felt Dilandau take her hand again, he held it so tightly. She felt the tears escape her closed eyelids. "Hey, it'll be ok." She heard Dilandau say softly. "Look on the bright side, you'll get to order me around the apartment for months on end." Hitomi wasn't sure if she was choking back a laugh or a sob. But she felt Dilandau's other hand wipe the tears away from her still-closed eyes. Somehow she got a comfortable sense that he wasn't going anywhere that day.

Hitomi sat up against the pillows on her hospital bed. She'd spent another couple days in the hospital after the surgery on her ankle. She'd forced Dilandau to go work, when she realized after waking up from her surgery that it was Wednesday, and Dilandau hadn't been in yet that week. She shook her head, deep in thought.

He cared more about her than the job he'd been working so hard to get these past few years. She chewed her lip thoughtfully; grateful that the throbbing headache she'd had was finally gone. She smiled as her mother walked into the room. "Hey Mom." She said weakly.

Her mother looked immensely pleased. "I'm happy to see you aren't moping about your ankle anymore."

Hitomi sighed softly. "It still bothers me, but there's hope for next season at least. It's really too bad I didn't get to finish this one. There was only one more meet before they selected who would go to Nationals." She paused. "I was the favourite."

Her mother settled down into the chair beside her bed. "But there's more to life than running," her mother badgered her. "I know Dilandau has already been contacting your professors to make arrangements for you to get notes and write the paper you missed out on."

Hitomi stared at her mother. "Dilandau's done what?"

Her mother smiled. "He knows how important your courses are to you. I think it just makes him happy to think that he's making your life easier."

Hitomi blinked. "Well… he has been spending a lot of time here."

Hitomi's mother laughed. "You don't know the half of it do you?" She shook her head. "The moment you fell Dilandau leapt onto the track, while the other girls were still racing past. We had to force him to leave your side to get food or some sleep. I could count the hours he spent away from this hospital on my two hands up until you told him to go to work."

Hitomi sat still, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Dilandau was at my race?"

Hitomi's mother shook her head. "He's in love with you." She said insistently, a small smile on her lips.

Hitomi shook her head. "What are you talking about?" She said, a fake smile on her lips. "We're just friends. If he got hurt I'd be worried about him too." She tried to ignore the feeling of butterflies that had suddenly began in her stomach. Wasn't this exactly the conclusion that her mind had been working itself towards ever since she'd gotten back from Gaea?

All the little things. The way his hand had held hers so tightly. Brunch on the weekends, better than anything she could buy in a restaurant. The cute smirk he had when he was teasing her about something. The way his lips felt on hers in her dreams.

"Hitomi? Are you alright, honey?" Her mother's voice interrupted Hitomi's reverie. Her face was a little concerned.

Hitomi gazed at her mother, her thoughts still spinning around her head, as her mouth strove to form words. Alright, so maybe she had her own reasons for wanting to think he cared about her… maybe because… she rather liked him. "You actually think he," Hitomi struggled over the word, "loves me?" Her voice whispered through the quiet room.

"Without a doubt." A dry male voice cut across the curtained room. Mr. Peterson just loved gossip. And the young couple on the other side of the room had been like his own personal soap opera.

So what do you all think? I know I'm moving slowly… but the best things in life are those you build up to aren't they?