Chapter 9: Truth, Love and Happy Endings
Li woke up with a start. At some point in his sleeping his hand had slid from hers. He gently placed it back. Then he wondered at the noise he had woken up to. It had sounded faintly like…Chinese gaki!?!?! There was the voice again.
"I'M TELLING YOU, I'M TOUYA KINIMOTO!!! NOT THAT CHINESE GAKI THAT MOST LIKELY IN THERE!"
"And I'm telling you I don't believe you."
"LET ME SEE HER NOW!!!"
"Are you threatening me?"
"WHAT IF I AM?"
"Simple, SECRUITY!!!" Li couldn't help but smile at that. So Touya had shown up had he? Well since Sakura only had one relative he was it. He tried talking to her again. Telling her how much she was needed by other people. This went on for months. And he stayed by her at all times, except when he had to eat food at the cafeteria and got to the bathroom. A year went by…two…And yet, Sakura remained the same never aging, never changing. Li had been greatly transformed. His eyes bleak with despair and yet a tiny shimmer of hope. His body was much skinnier, yet he stilled remained as tough as ever. His hair was tousled. He had eventually showered and moved his clothes into her room. He spoke to her till he voice went hoarse and silent. One day, those 2 years later, the man Li had come to know as Dr. Kyle walked into the familiar drab room.
"Touya?" he asked softly. Li looked up.
"Yes?"
"How's it coming?"
"Same as usual."
"Touya, there's a policy I think I should mention."
"Policy?"
"Well, since we are such a small hospital if a person remains in a coma for two years we have to…pull the plug."
"P-p-pull the plug?!?!"
"Yes. And I thought you should know. Tomorrow is her 'anniversary' if you will. We have to pull the plug. If you haven't tried something yet. I suggest you do it before noon tomorrow." He backed out of the room =PULL THE PLUG?! They COULDN'T!= and yet, the doctor was right. He hadn't told her one thing. Could he risk it all on that though. He spent the night racking his brain for the answer. Should he tell? He woke up with a start. WAS HE TOO LATE!!! No, it was only 10:30. Li rubbed his eyes. WAIT!! That clock says 11:30!!!! He only had half an hour. I'll tell her. It might be the only way.
"Sakura? There's one person I haven't mentioned who will miss you greatly. Myself. Why? Well, I fear that you hate me. But this is my last chance and I don't wanna' blow it. Did I not tell you? I renounced my claim to the Li clan. I can love…even marry…anyone I choose. Why is this important? Do you really want to know? I love you. I never stopped. I just pushed aside my feelings, first for my clan, and then for you." He started to cry. "Sakura, please! Live. Live. Live for me…for everyone." He choked out, "I love you so much it hurts! Please…" He felt a flutter in his hand. Startled out of his tears, staring at his hand. He opened it, palm up. It stopped. Then again that butterfly-like flutter. He stared. Sakura's hand had moved!! He stared at her face expectantly. THERE! Her eyes had fluttered!
"I love you! Please. Keep trying, if not for me then for yourself!" She continued to flutter like a moth or butterfly. And then, she opened her eyes. Li could barely contain his joy.
"Your not lying?" she whispered.
"What?"
"You really love me?"
"Of course!"
"Then kiss me, gaki!" Li descended his head. He pressed his lips to hers. He felt like he was on fire! Passion consumed him and yet he was gentle. Oh, so gentle. But Sakura! No. She moaned as he kissed her deeper. She drew in his taste. She had never hated him. Not completely. She drew her arms around him. Encircling him in her love. They broke off the kiss with reluctance.
"Li?"
"y-yes?"
"Wo ai ni."
"I love you too. You'll never know how much I love you."
" I've got a pretty good guess." As they came together in a hug, Dr. Kyle walked in expecting a broken "Touya", what he saw dismissed all his misgivings for true love.
"Um, 'Touya'?"
"I think I should tell you. I'm not her brother-"
"Thank god for that" Sakura whispered. He grinned.
"I'm Li. Her fiancee."
"Really?" she asked.
"If that's what you want."
"Oh I do!" Then she fell asleep, but not a coma sleep a happy sleep. Before she drifted off she whispered "Aisheteru Li"
"Well Li, I must say I guessed when you first came in."
"Then what about the real Touya?"
"I could tell that what Sakura here needed was the kind of love she gets from a man, not a brother."
"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me…to us!"
"I hope you to will be very happy together" Then, he left.
"Oh trust me Doctor…we will be" he squeezed her hand "we will"
Li woke up with a start. At some point in his sleeping his hand had slid from hers. He gently placed it back. Then he wondered at the noise he had woken up to. It had sounded faintly like…Chinese gaki!?!?! There was the voice again.
"I'M TELLING YOU, I'M TOUYA KINIMOTO!!! NOT THAT CHINESE GAKI THAT MOST LIKELY IN THERE!"
"And I'm telling you I don't believe you."
"LET ME SEE HER NOW!!!"
"Are you threatening me?"
"WHAT IF I AM?"
"Simple, SECRUITY!!!" Li couldn't help but smile at that. So Touya had shown up had he? Well since Sakura only had one relative he was it. He tried talking to her again. Telling her how much she was needed by other people. This went on for months. And he stayed by her at all times, except when he had to eat food at the cafeteria and got to the bathroom. A year went by…two…And yet, Sakura remained the same never aging, never changing. Li had been greatly transformed. His eyes bleak with despair and yet a tiny shimmer of hope. His body was much skinnier, yet he stilled remained as tough as ever. His hair was tousled. He had eventually showered and moved his clothes into her room. He spoke to her till he voice went hoarse and silent. One day, those 2 years later, the man Li had come to know as Dr. Kyle walked into the familiar drab room.
"Touya?" he asked softly. Li looked up.
"Yes?"
"How's it coming?"
"Same as usual."
"Touya, there's a policy I think I should mention."
"Policy?"
"Well, since we are such a small hospital if a person remains in a coma for two years we have to…pull the plug."
"P-p-pull the plug?!?!"
"Yes. And I thought you should know. Tomorrow is her 'anniversary' if you will. We have to pull the plug. If you haven't tried something yet. I suggest you do it before noon tomorrow." He backed out of the room =PULL THE PLUG?! They COULDN'T!= and yet, the doctor was right. He hadn't told her one thing. Could he risk it all on that though. He spent the night racking his brain for the answer. Should he tell? He woke up with a start. WAS HE TOO LATE!!! No, it was only 10:30. Li rubbed his eyes. WAIT!! That clock says 11:30!!!! He only had half an hour. I'll tell her. It might be the only way.
"Sakura? There's one person I haven't mentioned who will miss you greatly. Myself. Why? Well, I fear that you hate me. But this is my last chance and I don't wanna' blow it. Did I not tell you? I renounced my claim to the Li clan. I can love…even marry…anyone I choose. Why is this important? Do you really want to know? I love you. I never stopped. I just pushed aside my feelings, first for my clan, and then for you." He started to cry. "Sakura, please! Live. Live. Live for me…for everyone." He choked out, "I love you so much it hurts! Please…" He felt a flutter in his hand. Startled out of his tears, staring at his hand. He opened it, palm up. It stopped. Then again that butterfly-like flutter. He stared. Sakura's hand had moved!! He stared at her face expectantly. THERE! Her eyes had fluttered!
"I love you! Please. Keep trying, if not for me then for yourself!" She continued to flutter like a moth or butterfly. And then, she opened her eyes. Li could barely contain his joy.
"Your not lying?" she whispered.
"What?"
"You really love me?"
"Of course!"
"Then kiss me, gaki!" Li descended his head. He pressed his lips to hers. He felt like he was on fire! Passion consumed him and yet he was gentle. Oh, so gentle. But Sakura! No. She moaned as he kissed her deeper. She drew in his taste. She had never hated him. Not completely. She drew her arms around him. Encircling him in her love. They broke off the kiss with reluctance.
"Li?"
"y-yes?"
"Wo ai ni."
"I love you too. You'll never know how much I love you."
" I've got a pretty good guess." As they came together in a hug, Dr. Kyle walked in expecting a broken "Touya", what he saw dismissed all his misgivings for true love.
"Um, 'Touya'?"
"I think I should tell you. I'm not her brother-"
"Thank god for that" Sakura whispered. He grinned.
"I'm Li. Her fiancee."
"Really?" she asked.
"If that's what you want."
"Oh I do!" Then she fell asleep, but not a coma sleep a happy sleep. Before she drifted off she whispered "Aisheteru Li"
"Well Li, I must say I guessed when you first came in."
"Then what about the real Touya?"
"I could tell that what Sakura here needed was the kind of love she gets from a man, not a brother."
"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me…to us!"
"I hope you to will be very happy together" Then, he left.
"Oh trust me Doctor…we will be" he squeezed her hand "we will"