I helped out Hatori with Akito two or three times a week, whenever I could.
All my efforts were not fruitful though, for Akito stayed the same. Every
day, I could feel his life slipping away more and more. His breath was slow
and heavy, a long drone.
Hatori had done all he could, but could not diagnose Akito with anything. He said: "It isn't like any particular disease or ailment; just like a very bad cold, but that won't pass." He had tried giving Akito several different medications and antibiotics, but his condition remained indifferent.
I tried to stay positive for Akito and to help ease my own worries, but I was becoming more and more worried and pessimistic as the days wore on. At this point, I think Hatori was feeling the same way. He was different now and distracted. You could tell he felt hopeless and totally powerless. And so did I. God, it killed me to see Akito this way, completely helpless.
I just wanted some way out, anything, but nothing revealed itself. No amount could heal him; no matter how much medicine we gave him, no matter how much we willed him to live, our pleas were unanswered.
And then, one day, the unavoidable truth, the thing we most dreaded, happened.
I was sitting by Akito's bed, holding his warm hand. Everything seemed normal, but all was not normal. Hatori was in the other room on the phone. I sat reading a book, when, something was wrong. Nothing apparent had happened, but something was definitely wrong.
I looked up at Akito. Fear filled me as I bent over him. He wasn't breathing. Oh God, no, this can't be happening, I thought. "Hatori!!!" Hatori rushed in the room.
"Tohru, what is it?" I didn't answer. He already knew. He rushed over to Akito and listened for a faint heartbeat. I could see the fear in his eyes as he began to give Akito CPR and restart his heart.
"Tohru, go, call the hospital, now!" Hatori yelled. Frantically, I ran to the phone, almost tripping. I picked up the phone, trying to remember the number of the hospital. "Tohru, 991!" yelled Hatori frantically from the other room. Dialing the number as quickly as I could,there were a few rings, each ring closer to losing Akito.
"Hello, Emergency Services."
"Uh, um, we need medical services immediatley. A man is dying here!" I shrieked into the phone.
"Ma'am, calm down, please calm down. We'll have an ambulance there within a few minutes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think I died in the hospital with Hatori. Akito was alive. I sighed and slid down in my seat. Closing my eyes, I thanked the spirits silently for sparing Akito's life.
Hatori smiled beside me. He turned to me. "Tohru, you did a good job," he said. "I couldn't have done it without you."
I smiled too. "You were the one who kept him alive for as long as you did," I said. "I could never have given Akito CPR even if I tried," I laughed.
But Hatori suddenly seemed serious again. Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair in an almost dreaded way. He looked me in the eyes and placed his hands on my shoulders, and he said: "Tohru, I want you to know that Akito's life has been spared this time, but they still cannot cure Akito completely. I- I- I'm afraid that after this, there's nothing we can do. We'll just have to let Akito go." He paused and looked down. "Th- this is it."
"H- Hatori, what do you m- mean?" I said.
"I'm mean that we have to let Akito...go."
I tried to stop the tears, but it was no use; they flowed freely down my cheeks.
"T- Tohru, I'm scared." He paused. "I don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose Akito."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Hatori was actually admitting he was afraid. He was afraid just like everyone else.
I sniffled and leaned my head against his. "I know. I am too. But we, have to, be strong." I said that, even though I wasn't feeling very strong myself. I too, was very sad at what Hatori was telling me. I wanted Akito to live as much as Hatori did.
"But I don't want to be strong; I don't think I can," Hatori said with an unsteady voice.
"We must try though; try to be strong for Akito, in his last days. And so, when he passes away, we'll be okay, and move on with our lives as best we can. That's all we can do." There was a short silence.
"Thank you Tohru. I'm really glad that we never erased your memory," Hatori said softly to me.
I held his neck, and sobbed and let a tear fall down my cheek. We must have been quite a site, there in that waiting room, confiding in each other our secret fears.
The end of ch. 3. I know that it is quite difficult to really restart someone's heart, not to mention keep them alive until paramedics come, but I tried to make it realistic. There will probably be around 2 more chapters. Until next time!
Hatori had done all he could, but could not diagnose Akito with anything. He said: "It isn't like any particular disease or ailment; just like a very bad cold, but that won't pass." He had tried giving Akito several different medications and antibiotics, but his condition remained indifferent.
I tried to stay positive for Akito and to help ease my own worries, but I was becoming more and more worried and pessimistic as the days wore on. At this point, I think Hatori was feeling the same way. He was different now and distracted. You could tell he felt hopeless and totally powerless. And so did I. God, it killed me to see Akito this way, completely helpless.
I just wanted some way out, anything, but nothing revealed itself. No amount could heal him; no matter how much medicine we gave him, no matter how much we willed him to live, our pleas were unanswered.
And then, one day, the unavoidable truth, the thing we most dreaded, happened.
I was sitting by Akito's bed, holding his warm hand. Everything seemed normal, but all was not normal. Hatori was in the other room on the phone. I sat reading a book, when, something was wrong. Nothing apparent had happened, but something was definitely wrong.
I looked up at Akito. Fear filled me as I bent over him. He wasn't breathing. Oh God, no, this can't be happening, I thought. "Hatori!!!" Hatori rushed in the room.
"Tohru, what is it?" I didn't answer. He already knew. He rushed over to Akito and listened for a faint heartbeat. I could see the fear in his eyes as he began to give Akito CPR and restart his heart.
"Tohru, go, call the hospital, now!" Hatori yelled. Frantically, I ran to the phone, almost tripping. I picked up the phone, trying to remember the number of the hospital. "Tohru, 991!" yelled Hatori frantically from the other room. Dialing the number as quickly as I could,there were a few rings, each ring closer to losing Akito.
"Hello, Emergency Services."
"Uh, um, we need medical services immediatley. A man is dying here!" I shrieked into the phone.
"Ma'am, calm down, please calm down. We'll have an ambulance there within a few minutes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think I died in the hospital with Hatori. Akito was alive. I sighed and slid down in my seat. Closing my eyes, I thanked the spirits silently for sparing Akito's life.
Hatori smiled beside me. He turned to me. "Tohru, you did a good job," he said. "I couldn't have done it without you."
I smiled too. "You were the one who kept him alive for as long as you did," I said. "I could never have given Akito CPR even if I tried," I laughed.
But Hatori suddenly seemed serious again. Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair in an almost dreaded way. He looked me in the eyes and placed his hands on my shoulders, and he said: "Tohru, I want you to know that Akito's life has been spared this time, but they still cannot cure Akito completely. I- I- I'm afraid that after this, there's nothing we can do. We'll just have to let Akito go." He paused and looked down. "Th- this is it."
"H- Hatori, what do you m- mean?" I said.
"I'm mean that we have to let Akito...go."
I tried to stop the tears, but it was no use; they flowed freely down my cheeks.
"T- Tohru, I'm scared." He paused. "I don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose Akito."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Hatori was actually admitting he was afraid. He was afraid just like everyone else.
I sniffled and leaned my head against his. "I know. I am too. But we, have to, be strong." I said that, even though I wasn't feeling very strong myself. I too, was very sad at what Hatori was telling me. I wanted Akito to live as much as Hatori did.
"But I don't want to be strong; I don't think I can," Hatori said with an unsteady voice.
"We must try though; try to be strong for Akito, in his last days. And so, when he passes away, we'll be okay, and move on with our lives as best we can. That's all we can do." There was a short silence.
"Thank you Tohru. I'm really glad that we never erased your memory," Hatori said softly to me.
I held his neck, and sobbed and let a tear fall down my cheek. We must have been quite a site, there in that waiting room, confiding in each other our secret fears.
The end of ch. 3. I know that it is quite difficult to really restart someone's heart, not to mention keep them alive until paramedics come, but I tried to make it realistic. There will probably be around 2 more chapters. Until next time!