The Disease that Killed Love

Chapter 7-Yue

I admit, I was a little surprised when I saw Kero break down like that. But I guess I should have expected that.

I'm actually better off than the rest. Because soon after Syaoran was deaf, we built a connection.

That was why I didn't really say much about Syaoran before. We had a connection of mind. He could speak his thoughts to me and I could speak my thoughts to him. It made both of us feel more comfortable that way.

How? The dead. The first time they actually were useful. They let me help my child by establishing this connection at the request of my son.

Dad, I shot it in!
What do you mean?
I asked. I didn't know what Syaoran was doing then.
I shot the arrow! It feels like it hit the target!

I thought Syaoran was joking. What was he doing with bows and arrows right now?

But outside in the yard, sure enough, Syaoran was standing at the target post, feeling the ridges and the arrow. He turned at the sense of my aura and smiled.

I was shocked. How did he do that?

I felt the aura. Syaoran answered my question. I lined it with a bit of aura. Different colors for each. I did it!

I lifted my child up. " Aren't you-" Then I remembered he couldn't hear me.
I thought you don't want to do archery anymore.
I just thought I'd try.

I laughed in my mind as well as outside. Then I shot him an image of what the target looked like, studying his face. He beamed. My child's face glowed like the son, despite the hollow look, the blind eyes, the pale skin.

Come on, let's get you inside. I told him, and carrying him securely I did what I said.



We went inside and sat comfortably on the couch for a long while.

Dad?
Jingxi?
What's the weather outside?

I gave him a brief look outside.

Oh...it's starting to get really dark.
Hai.
I'm hungry.
What do you want?
Fried chicken.
I'll order some from some fast food restaurant.
I offered. Syaoran grimaced but didn't say anything.
Fat, oil. Lots of fat and oil. Fat, oil, lots of fat, oil, oil, fat-

I chuckled. You need fat, you need oil, and lots of it. So stop complaining.

Syaoran pouted.

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest!
Yohoho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil has come for the rest,
Yohoho and a bottle of rum!

" Hai, Syaoran's sleeping." I said to Touya. " What's going on back there?"
" Kero just hit a vase." I heard Touya groan. " Stupid stuffed animal."

Chuckling, I lied back down on the bed.

" Is Sergei there?"
" Along with everyone else except for you and Syaoran."
" What's going on there?"
" Many things."
" Like what?"

For some reason, however, Touya didn't feel like telling me.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

" Why do I have a feeling that you're hiding something?" I asked Touya slowly.
" How should I know?" Touya answered absently. " You've always been quite mistrustful these days."
" Hm?" I blinked. " Where did that come from?"
" Where do you think?" Touya chuckled. " Ah, Yue!"



Somehow we fell to talking of old times.

" That story Kero told us about Syaoran and Xuyan and the monks. Remember?"
" How can I forget? Chopsticks and knives. Catching flies."
" Oh, the good times."
" They're not necessarily gone, you know. Syaoran still has a chance."
" Hai, he still does, as long as he's alive."

I was silent for a moment.

" What do you suppose was wrong with Sakura that day Syaoran first lost his hearing?"
" She said she had a dream that Syaoran died." Touya answered. " Nothing big."
" Sakura has this gift of prophetic dreams." I began to worry.
" Well, she hasn't been talking much about her dreams. She should have prophetic dreams over and over again, hai?"
" I guess." I was not convinced.

Touya chuckled.

" Loosen up, Yue. You can't live life like this, all tense and all. Syaoran's healthy. Nothing bad is happening."
" Hai, but look, he's blind, and then there was this time when he was alright. Then he lost his voice, and another time when he's alright, and Nakuru was even stupid enough to take him to the zoo. And all of the sudden he loses his hearing."
" What else can he lose?" Touya asked pleasantly. " Smell?"

Well, he has a point...I guess. What else could Syaoran lose?



When Syaoran walks Lele, it was very amusing.

One of the reasons is because it seemed that it was Lele walking Syaoran, not the other way around. Still, it was sweet to see those two together, and I was glad Yukito bought the dog.

Lele was big now. Really big. No one will ever think of lifting that hound anymore. Heck, the husky has been eating as if trying to replenish what Syaoran lacked.

That dog has an appetite!



Of course, that led to frequent walks. It wasn't all that bad. Sometimes Xuyan accompanied him, but Xuyan is off to school most of the time. A different school, of course, then what Syaoran got into.

By now I was wondering. What will happen to Syaoran if he did recover? I mean, he has dropped out of school for a year now. But everyone knew him. I was certain of it. Everyone knew who he was, who we were, and all this immortal nonsense that was going on. The witches, the wizards. Heck, if Kero and I went flying out right now, no one would turn and spare us a glance.

I wanted my son to have a future. I can't wait for him to recover. That might take years. He needs to learn independence.

That's when I began homeschooling him.