Chapter 18: It's Over
"Owww..." Lara groaned and opened her eyes. She could feel something heavy on top of her, and for one second she thought that the explosion destroyed the building and that she now was buried alive. Slowly, she opened her eyes – only to find herself face to face with a mass of blonde hair. After a short moment of confusion, she realised that the hair belonged to her lover. "Cloud!" the brunette cried out, shaking her lover to wake her up. "Whatdaheck...." Cloud mumbled while opening her eyes. "Are you alright?" Lara asked, her voice full of worry and concern. "Yeah...yeah, I'm fine." Cloud replied while sitting up and crawling off her girlfriend. "What about you?" "Fine." Lara calmed her down. Both women were distracted from their conversation when they heard soft sobbing a few meters away. The memory hit both of them, and they jumped to their feet. "Dear God, Haruka!" Lara cried out when her eyes fell on the blonde woman who laid on her back motionless. Next to her, Michiru knelt, tears streaming down her face. Cloud and Lara walked over to her, both fearing for the blonde's life. "Is she..." Cloud finally dared to ask. When Michiru didn't reply, the blonde cop knelt down, too, and put two fingers at Harukas neck. After a terrible moment of not feeling anything, the blonde cop found a faint pulse. Weak and unsteady, but it was there. "She's still alive. We need to get her into the hospital." Cloud ordered while Lara already pulled out her cell phone.
Michiru sat in front of the emergency room, staring up at the small red light that showed that the ER was busy. She knew that, as soon as the light went out, Haruka was either save or...no. She didn't really want to think about that, but then, she couldn't help it. "What if she really dies?" the aqua haired girl thought to herself. "Then I'll never get the chance to tell her...how I feel." Sighing, Michiru leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She wanted nothing more than company now, but unfortunately, Lara and Cloud had vanished from the hospital to visit the Mayor and tell him everything about the League and to make sure that all the people who were part of it received their punishment. Michiru was torn out of her musings when the light over the door went off. The aqua haired girl jumped up while the doors of the ER already opened and two men rolled a bed out, followed by a young man who appeared to be the doctor. "Miss Kaioh?" he spoke while looking at Michiru questioning. Michiru nodded and hurried over to him. "How's Haruka? Will she be alright?" the aqua haired girl asked, fear in her voice. The doctor smiled at her and nodded. "We saved her. She'll make it." He then calmed her down. "Thank God." Michiru breathed, closing her eyes for a second. Opening them again, she spoke on: "Can I see her?" the doctor considered this for a moment, then nodded. He told Michiru the number of the room where Haruka laid in, the aqua haired girl thanked him and then quickly made her way over to the northern tract where Haruka was.
"Haruka?" Michiru whispered while poking her head in the dim room. "Are you awake?" "Yes." Came a weak reply from the bed. Michiru walked over to her friend and pulled one of the orange plastic chairs closer to the bed before sitting down and taking Harukas hand into hers. "How are you feeling?" she gently asked, her thumb caressing the taller woman's fingers. "Not too good." Haruka replied, her voice not more than a low whisper. "My leg hurts...and my back...they don't know...if I'll be able to walk properly ever again." Michiru could feel hot tears stinging in her eyes. "Haruka, I'm so sorry..." she started, but Haruka interrupted her. "Don't be. It's...not your fault." The blonde spoke before closing her eyes for a moment. "Haruka..." Michiru started again, causing her bodyguard to open her eyes again and to look at her. "Yes?" "There's something I need to tell you." Michiru started, already feeling that she began to blush. "You know, Haruka...when that guy shot you, I thought that you were dead." Haruka didn't say anything, and thus, Michiru talked on. "And the thought of you dead...it bothered me more than I wanted to admit to myself. But when I waited outside the ER, I finally realised it." "What?" Haruka asked, not daring to hope that she knew what the answer would be. "That I love you." Michiru whispered, her free hand gently caressing Harukas cheek. "That I love you ever since you held me after my father's death." Haruka gave her a weak smile. "You know what, Michiru...I always wanted to hear you say that." She then whispered. Michiru smiled at her, happiness shining from her eyes, before she bent down and gently kissed the blonde.