Hi, everyone. Since you're probably anxious about Ken, I'll quit the pleasantries.

Chapter 6
******
Thoughts of past conversations ran through Yolei's mind as she and Davis stood outside Ken's hospital room.

'You can work yourself until you die, I do not care.'
'When you end up in a hospital bed panting your last breath, I wont be saying I told you so.'
'I'm done with it Ken. I'm done with you.'

"Miss Inoue, Mr. Motomiya?" the doctor said, snapping her train of thought. She looked up at him anxiously.

"Will he be okay, Dr. Sityan? Do you know what's wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

"We ran some tests and did a brain scan. The X-ray showed a tumor growing on his brain. It is interfering with his motor skills and functions as his symptoms proved. At present, the tumor is still small, but rapidly growing."

"Is there nothing you can do, doctor?"

"We could perform surgery and remove the tumor before it can do any more damage. Unfortunately, his parents permission is needed for such a procedure, and from the information we have his parents will not be returning until tomorrow. Until then we must monitor him closely and hope he regains consciousness."

Yolei took a deep, sustaining breath. Davis gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"Might we see him?" The doctor nodded.

"Yes, of course."

Yolei sat next to Ken's bedside, holding his hand. She listened to his shallow breathing, indication of his tenuous connection to the realm of the living. The tubes linked to his body and the steady beeping of the machines was a constant reminder of the severity of this situation. She brushed his deep indigo hair away from his face. He seemed so relaxed, almost peaceful. 'Almost as if he were...' She couldn't bear to finish the thought.

"Yolei?" Davis said as he entered the room and came to sit beside her. "Why haven't you left?"

"I'm fine, Davis. I just want to be here when he wakes up," she said. "After all, I did put him here." She added, in a self-deprecating tone.

"Yolei, how were you supposed to know that Ken was going to collapse?"

"If I didn't confront him and get him upset he wouldn't have!"

"He had a brain tumor, for God's sake! It would have happened eventually."

"Yes, but..."

"You know, I would expect Ken to blame something like this on himself, but not you. It wasn't your fault, Yolei. You have to believe that."

Yolei finally broke down in tears. Davis gathered his best friend into his arms and held her close.

"But I'm so scared, Davis!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "What if he doesn't wake up? I can't live without him, I just can't. I love him," she said.

" He'll be fine, Yolei. He'll come back to you." Davis said comfortingly. He brushed the tears from her face. "Besides I owe him five bucks, he'll definitely want it."

Yolei smiled through her tears.

"Everything'll be fine, Miyako." He said, using her true name. "I promise." Yolei turned back to Ken.

"I hope you're right Davis," she whispered. She settled her head into the comfort of his shoulders and closed her eyes. Very soon, she was asleep.
*******

It was a place of different entities. In one direction, light and life reigned. The bright sun spread a warm glow over the people. All were enjoying the contentment and bliss of their existence. Laughter and happiness floated along the breeze.
On the other side, darkness and death was king. The cloudy, sinister sky hinted at an oncoming storm. It overshadowed the many scattered souls hovering there and cast them in the shades of nightmares.

Yolei stood on the edge of both worlds and watched the conflicting scenes; each was unaware of the other.

"A strange place, isn't it?" Ken whispered. She looked across at him into his clouded violet eyes.

"Where are we?" she asked. He lifted his gaze to the landscapes before them.

"Between Life and Death." His eyes returned to her. "I'm here to say goodbye, Miyako."

"No... Ken..." he placed a finger to her lips to silence her.

"I must go, Miyako. Now. It's my time."

A single tear slipped down her cheek. He brushed it away with cold fingers. A bittersweet smile graced his lips.

"You will always have the memories. Never forget; never let them go." She nodded, choking back a sob. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.

"I love you," he murmured. He stepped back and slowly disappeared into the gray mists of the Land of the Dead.

"Ken! No, don't leave me." She cried, the pain wrenching at her heart.

"Goodbye.' His words drifted back to her on the wind. She stood there grief-stricken, looking into the Empire of Death. Then, invisible hands reached out and pulled her back to the Realm of Life.

Yolei jerked awake, panting. She wiped a hand across her face as if to wash away the lingering images.

'It was just a dream. Just a dream" she repeated to herself softly. She got up and went to Ken's bedside. Nothing had changed. She took his hand in hers, as if to help maintain his bond with this reality. Her dream was still too close and all too real. Shadows of it filtered through her mind on the periphery of her consciousness. She pushed such thoughts from her mind.

"Ken, just hold on. Don't let go. Don't leave me alone, please," she whispered. For a moment, all was silent. Then-

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

The heart monitor let out a terrifying sound. Yolei was paralyzed with fear. The alarms at the nurses' station brought the doctors running. They roughly pushed Yolei aside and began efforts to revive him. Davis took her firmly by the arm and led her out of the room. They watched fearfully as the doctors worked feverishly to hold Ken to this world. After a few minutes, Dr. Sityan came out to them.
From the look in his eyes, they knew the unthinkable had happened.

"I'm sorry. We did all we could-"

"No.... no..." Yolei murmured, shaking her head.

"-But he didn't make it."

"Nooooo!!" Yolei screamed; anguish closed its icy hand around her heart. Davis pulled her to him and enveloped her in an embrace.

"You were wrong, Davis. He's not coming back. He's never coming back." The tears poured forth as they sank to their knees on the cold tile floor.

"You were wrong."
******

The visions washed over Yolei as she stood watching the still, glistening water. Ken was gone, lost to her forever. He held a special place in her heart, where all the memories they had shared lived.

She had never told anyone about her dream. Ken's last goodbye was too sacred and too dear; it existed only in her memories.

"Yolei." Her husband wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You okay?" She leaned into his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I'm fine, Davis. Just fine."
******
All good things must come to an end. I almost shed tears over this chapter. Now, I'm a Kenyako fan like the rest of you, but this match made my story finish so perfectly.
One last thanks to all the people who reviewed, you helped to keep me writing. Watch out for a sequel entitled 'The Aftermath'. Goodbye, until next time!