Accidents

Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura and the characters in it are the property of CLAMP and related artists. I'm a poor, poor student (one who has no money even) and I couldn't own it if I tried! Please don't sue me… *cowers in fear*

A/N: Thanks to all the people who reviewed! You don't know how much it means to me! I love reviews! *Shameless plug* If anyone's interested, check out my webpage, Cherry Blossoms and Ki Blasts which contains Dragonball Z, Rurouni Kenshin, Flame of Recca and Digimon fan fiction. I'm considering adding CCS but (this is for all the authors out there) I need submissions! *grins*

Yamato: You know, that was a shameless plug…

Hush, what are you doing here anyway? You're not even in this anime!

Yamato: As your muse, it's my duty to show up at lease once in all your fics.

*sigh* I never officially made you my muse you know…

Yamato: Once you started writing about me it was a given.

That's it! I'm making Ken my muse!

Yamato: *big wide tearful eyes* N-nani? KEN?

Argh! Not the tearful eyes! *feels insanely bad* Okay, okay, you can be my muse…

Yamato: YAY!  

*mutter* I'm gonna regret this…

ó

Chapter Two: In My Heart

~ Even now I am stumbling

Alone without you

I am calling, calling for you

Only you can save me

Only you can pull me away

From my sea of tears

"I need you near me…" ~

He arrived in Japan with only a backpack and no money. Scratch that – he checked his wallet – he had money, but it was all in Hong Kong dollars. He sighed, he'd hoped that Tomoyo would send a car, but obviously, she hadn't. He was on his own. He hadn't even told his mother or Meiling that he was going, he winced thinking about their reactions.

But Sakura was ultimately more important than all that. His heart clenched into a tight fist. There was no time for him to be moping around the airport. He needed to find a way to change his money and get to the hospital. With a sinking heart, he realised that Tomoyo had never told him which hospital Sakura was in. He looked at his wallet again, first things first, he needed cash. With a sigh, Syaoran hurried over to the Bureau de Change.

Hold on, Sakura, I'm coming…

ó

Tomoyo had stationed herself by Sakura's bedside with no intention of leaving. Touya was asleep in a nearby chair, Kinomoto-san was seeing to some papers the nurses had needed him to sign and Yukito had gone in search of food and drink for all of them, insisting that they needed some nourishment. She blinked tears back, This is all my fault… She should have walked Sakura home, she should have insisted that Sakura stay the night, she should have told her to go home early. The tears spilled over on to her full cheeks and she brushed wayward strands of her dark hair over her shoulders.

The ticking of the clock was driving her insane, it was the only sound in the too-silent room. She glared at the offending timepiece, noting the that it was four in the morning. No wonder she was tired. Briefly, she wondered when Syaoran would get here, she wasn't going to sleep until he arrived. Sakura needed him here…if she ever woke up…

Tomoyo didn't want to think like that. She sniffled, I have to have hope. I have to believe that Sakura-chan will be okay.

A soft sigh escaped her lips and she rested her head against Sakura's bed, her eyelids halfway between sleep and wakefulness. I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan. Insecurity settled around her heart, strange as it seemed, she needed Sakura to wake up and tell her that there was nothing to forgive, that this wasn't her fault. She needed Sakura to laugh at her worries and assure her that she would be okay. A yawn slipped past her guarded lips, I am not sleeping, she told herself firmly, she wasn't going to sleep till Syaoran got here.

There was a tap on her shoulder and she turned to see a rather sleepy looking guardian beast looking at her worriedly. "You should sleep, Tomoyo," Kero said softly, careful not to wake Touya up.  

"Kero…" she sniffled, wiping the tears from her face, she had forgotten all about him. He had insisted that she bring him over, even if he had to play the stuffed animal the whole time. "This is all my fault, Kero," a few more tears slipped down her cheeks.

"What?" the little guardian beast looked genuinely shocked, "Tomoyo, how can you say that? It's not your fault at all! If anyone's to blame, it's that drunk driver that hit Sakura." For a moment he looked angry, "It's not your fault, Tomoyo."

"It is," she murmured, "I should have just gotten Sakura to stay the night or something…"

Kero shook his head, realising it was useless to argue with her, "Get some sleep, Tomoyo. You look like a zombie."

That caused her to laugh, a little, "You know, if Sakura was awake, she'd freak out at that…" A few tears threatened to overflow.

"I know," Kero looked a little sad himself.

ó

"I'm here to see Kinomoto Sakura."

The nurse at the front desk looked up at the serious looking young man in front of her, "Oh, the accident victim?" She smiled consendingly, "Are you family, dear?"

"No."

"Well," she looked like she was about to ruffle his hair, "Only family members are allowed, sorry sweetie."

He glared at her, "I need to see her now. She's a good friend of mine." And I love her.

"Well, you'll have to wait till the morning. Unless you can get one of the family members to identify you," she smiled again, then went back to her typing.

"How am I supposed to get one of her family members to identify me if they're all in the room?" he asked impatiently, "Look, just let me in! It's not like I can do anything to her with all those people in there, right?"

"Those are the rules, hun."

He was starting to get really, really annoyed, "Okay, let's get one thing straight, my name is not 'sweetie', 'dear', 'hun', 'darling' or any other term of endearment you can come up with," he said firmly, still glaring at her, "And, I need to see Sakura, now!" He thumped his fist on the counter, startling her.

"Listen, young man-"

"Hey," a familiar voice interrupted them, "Li Syaoran, right?"

He turned with relief, "Yukito. I'm so glad to see you. Can you tell this idiot," he gestured to the nurse sitting at the desk, "That I can go see Sakura?"

Yukito gave her a sweet smile, "He's a friend of the family, ma'am. I'll take him up to the room with me if you want." His glasses half-slipped down his nose and he pushed them back up.

"Sure, keep an eye on him though," she began typing again.

Syaoran rolled his eyes, "How is she, Yukito-san?"

The young man shook his head, "No too good. Come on, I'll take you to her."

ó

He barely recognised the still form on the bed as Sakura, his Sakura, the one who was normally so full of life. Tomoyo was asleep, her head on Sakura's bed, Kero was curled up beside her. Yukito shrugged, waving him towards the bed as he set down the food he had bought. "I'm going to get some sleep," he mouthed. Syaoran nodded.

He pulled a chair up beside the bed, grasping her warm hand in his. I'm here now, Sakura, and I'm not going anywhere until you wake up. He kissed her knuckles gently, smoothing her hair back in a tender, loving gesture. "Please don't leave me, Sakura-chan," he whispered softly, recalling that he had read somewhere that people who were unconscious could still hear what others said to them. And so, he began to pour his heart out to her.

"I'm sorry I haven't been here, Sakura," his voice trembled a little, "I should have been here. I should have protected you." He held her hand up to his cheek, more to comfort himself than anything else, "I'm never going to leave you again. I promise. Just wake up, please…" he trailed off, trying to keep his emotions in check. "I can't stand seeing you like this, Sakura. You're normally so…alive, you're so happy all the time. That's what I love about you."

He was unaware of the moisture streaming down his cheeks, "I love you, Sakura. I should never have left," his voice broke, "I should never have left you alone." He closed his eyes slowly, gathering his thoughts, "I missed you so much," his voice faded to a whisper, "There was never a day that I didn't think about you…" It was only then that he became aware of the tears falling from his cheeks onto her bed. I-I'm crying…I haven't cried since I was a small boy…

He gripped her hand tighter, "Come back to me…Sakura-chan…"

ó

She felt like she was suffocating. The darkness, the loneliness was too much for her to bear. She seemed to be falling endlessly, spiralling downwards. Tousan? Onii-chan? She choked back sobs, Syaoran? Kero-chan?  Why can't anyone hear me?

She was all alone here, all the things she loved, all the things that brought her comfort, were stripped from her. Fear was ruler, it had an ice cold grip on her heart. Am I dead? No! She shook her head violently, brushing the tears from her cheeks, I refuse to believe that. Her hands clenched into fists, she was the card mistress, the most powerful sorceress in the world. She couldn't be dead.

"Mistress…"

Such a faint voice, but one that brought her hope. She looked around wildly, seeking the source. Where are you? Show yourself, please! I'm all alone here…

"Mistress, he is calling you back…"

She choked back a sob, Who is? I can't hear anything…

"Listen."

So she did. In the silence the darkness was overwhelming, and still she strained her ears, wanting to discover who 'he' was.

"Sakura…come back, please…"

That voice, it had been so long since she'd heard it. Tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks. Syaoran…It's Syaoran! He was calling her back, she had never heard him sounding so broken down, so alone. As alone as she was… I'm coming, Syaoran! I just…have to find a way back… The hopelessness of the situation settled around her.

"He waits for you, mistress. All you have to do…is let him bring you back."

How? The word echoed around her, she was alone again. No, not alone, Syaoran was waiting for her. Syaoran…

"…let him bring you back…"

She concentrated on his voice, fixing an image of him in her mind. The only thing that's stopping me from doing this is myself. All I have to do, is wake up…

The mists around her thinned slightly and Syaoran's voice seemed nearer than before. Sakura took a deep breath, I just need to wake up…

She opened her eyes.

ó

A/N: You people hate me, don't you? Review please! *grins* I'm quite proud of this chapter. Yes, there will be more. Just be patient…really, really patient.

Yamato: Are you going to tell them or shall I?

Oh please…I know you want to tell them, go ahead.

Yamato: Someone got a job and thus, someone is very busy. As a result, someone is not able to write as much as she used to be able to.

You sound very, very bitter.

Yamato: I am! I want you to get started on that fic, now!

*sighs* Sheesh, I just finished the other one today! Don't I at least get a break?

Yamato: No.

I swear I will put Yamato torture in that fic. *rubs hands evilly* You know what? You are so right. I should get started right away!

Yamato: *sweatdrops* Oops, heh heh, my mistake. Take a break, a long break!

*grins* Why should I? I can't get online cause Dad's on the phone…so I might as well write…

Yamato: NO!!

You're real changeable, you know that?

Yamato: *grins sheepishly* Uh…part of my charm?

…right, whatever.

© 2001-12-03 Abi