Chapter Four
Rowen sat reading a book as he and the others waited to hear about Ryo's condition. Kento and Cye sat in the chairs next to him, gazing absent- mindedly into space. Sage, was laying on the floor with a blanket over him, hadn't moved since he had been placed there about an hour ago. He had passed out on the way from the hospital presumably from the effort of trying to heal Ryo.
"Ahem." Everyone looked up to see Mrs. Date standing in the waiting room door way. Cye looked over at Rowen.
"Should I wake him up?" the blue haired man nodded, "Yeah, he'd want to hear this." Cye knelt down by Sage's side and lightly shook him awake. "Wha... What is it?"
"Your mom's here with news about Ryo."
"Oh." Sage hung his head. He already knew what kind of condition Ryo was in and he really didn't want to hear about it again. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sage had just entered Ryo's mind in the hopes of healing him. There was so much blood that it laying puddles on the floor. The warrior of light grimace as he took in his surroundings and took of in search of his friend. He cried out in horror when he finally reached his mangled form, slumped agenst a wall, lying in a crimson puddle of his own blood. Ryo's hands were pressed tightly agenst his chest, feebly trying to cover the enormous hole that now resided there. Sage rushed to his side and was about to start the healing process when in a weak voice Ryo whispered, "No. Let me be."
"No!" Sage cried, "I won't let you leave us!" He reached for him again only to have his hand weakly pushed aside.
" I'm not...leaving....just yet." Ryo strained to get the words out, " Because..Talpa.is back.. He's stronger then..ever...so with me as I am...we'll have to be...very careful."
" But you don't have be like this. Just let me heal you and then we'll go beat the crap out of him." Ryo shook his head again. "The effort and energy it would take to heal me would probably kill you and I can't..let...that happen." Ryo was still straining to force the words out. His eyes looked as though his vision was slowly sliding in and out of focus.
"Well, I can't let this happen either. I can't just let you die. We all need you, everyone of us." Ryo smiled his famous little smile.
" Even if I can't be seen, I will still be here with you guys. I'll never completely leave." Tears silently began streaming down Sage's face.
"Don't talk like that. You are gonna be fine, so don't say things like they're final."
" For that reason is why you have to promise me that when I do go, that..you'll...be in ..charge and take..good care of the guys and Mia for me." Ryo sounded desperate. Sage nodded and tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.
"You better go," Ryo said hoarsely. " You've used up a lot of energy already staying here for so long." Sage hesitated. He didn't want to leave Ryo alone here in the state that he was in. 'What if he.' Ryo noticed his hesitation. "Go on."
Sage finally nodded and before he turned to leave said," See you on the other side." * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What the hell does that mean!?" Kento's loud voice brought Sage out of his thoughts and back into the conversation.
"It means," Mrs. Date explained, " that his condition has taken a turn for the worse. The nature of this cancer is that it kills off all healthy cells as it spreads. Ryo has been coughing up blood, which suggests that it has finally reached his lungs. It's now only a matter of time before it reaches his heart and then.he will.." She looked down at the feet with a pained expression on her face.
"Do you have any idea how much time he does have left?" Cye's body shook as he feverishly tried to hold back his tears. She shook her head. " It could be day or even weeks. It all depends on the person's will to live, and we all know how Ryo is in that department."
They all laughed a little but none of their chuckles held any emotion.
" Can we see him?" Sage was the one to ask the questions that was on all of their minds.
" Maybe here in a little bit. He was still unconscious when I last saw him and we're still trying to get him stabilized, but I'll come and get you when they give the OK."
" Thank you." They all replied. Mrs. Date left the room feeling, if it was possible, even worse then when she had entered. She couldn't believe that she had to be the one to tell her son that one of his best friends was dying and she could do nothing to stop it. She couldn't stand it.
Back in the room, the others began to question Sage about what had happened while he was trying to heal Ryo and if it was really as bad as his mom had said. He answered their questions by giving them a weak nod then returned to staring at his feet. Kento slammed his fist into the wall.
"God damn it! It's not fair, its just god damn unfair." He slid down the wall, falling to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. The others looked at each other, questioning what they should do when Mrs. Date appeared again.
"I've managed to pull a few strings, so you can see him now." The men let out a sigh of relief as they followed her down the hall and into the ICU. They all paused slightly when they reached the door. None of them thought that they'd be able to see Ryo in his weakened stat and not break down.
Rowen cleared his throat. " Guys, do me a favor. Don't tell Ryo about the gate. You know that he'll want to help us even if...he's..." he hung his head. " you know."
"Well it's a little late." Sage solemnly said without looking at the others. "He already knows." With that, he walked forward into the room with the others following close behind. They all let out a collective gasp when they caught sight of their friend. Ryo's scarecrow like form was lying in the center of a hospital bed in the far right corner of the room. Tubes and wires were attached to various parts of his body and a heart monitor could be heard beeping faintly in the back round.
"Ryo, the guys are here to see you." Mrs. Date placed her hand on the young man's arm and shook it lightly. "Ryo?" He slowly opened his eyes and gave them all a weak smile.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Cye could almost feel his heart breaking. Ryo's voice was so weak and so frail, nothing like the strong confidant tone it used to have. He almost couldn't stand it. Kento was the first to speak up as he took a seat next to the bed.
"Hey bro, how ya feelin'?"
"Oh you know me," he laughed, "I'll be back on my feet in no time." His laughter soon turned into a series of hacking coughs that ravaged his skeletal like frame. The others grimaced as he pulled back his hand, revealing that once again, it was coated in blood. Mrs. Date sighed as she stepped forward with a syringe and was about to inject its contents into Ryo's IV when he stopped her.
"No, please. I want to talk with them just a little bit longer." He gritted his teeth slightly as he tried to hide the tremendous pain that was shooting through his entire body. She smiled softly at him as she shook her head.
"I'm sorry Ryo, but this is for your own good." He was about to protest further, but it was too late. Mrs. Date injected the drugs into the tube leading to the teen's hand, making him let out a sigh of defeat. He desperately fought agenst the wave of exhaustion that swept over him but it was a lost cause.
His eyes slowly began to close as he groggily stated, "Now why....did you have..to go..and...do that..for?" His head fell back into his pillow as sleep finally over took him.
"Wha..What did you give him?" Rowen gasped with a horrified look on his face.
" It's a sedative/painkiller. He's going to be out for awhile, but you are welcome to stay until visiting hours are over." She wrote one last thing on Ryo's chart before she departed. Sage quickly followed after her and watched her walk down the hall. When she was a good distance away he shut the door and said,
"She's gone now." Ryo opened one of his tiger blue eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God! If she had stayed any longer I would have blown my cover." Everyone smiled slightly as they took a seat around their leader and watched him try to push himself into a sitting position. He finally just gave up and slumped back into his pillows, exhausted.
"Look I know about the gate. The end results of a visit from Talpa can be seen here." He waved his hand around, motioning to the hospital surroundings. The others gave each other an 'oh crap' look causing Ryo to sigh and shake his head.
"Look I know you don't want me to have to fight but we really don't have a choice. We need the Inferno." The four Ronins shifted uncomfortably in their chairs and were about to say something when Mrs. Date poked her head in the door. Ryo quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep again.
"Hey I'm sorry but visiting hours are over. I tried to talk the higher ups into letting you stay longer but they wouldn't hear of it." They all nodded and took one last look at their 'sleeping' friend before turning to head out the door.
"Make sure you keep a really close eye on him," Sage said as he gave his mom a hug good bye. " He hates hospitals and you know how sneaky he can be."
She smiled at her son, "Don't worry, he'll be fine. I'll make sure he doesn't go any where."
"COME ON SAGE! WE CAN'T HOLD THE ELEVATER FOR EVER!"
"All right Rowen. I'm coming." Mrs. Date smiled as she watched her son hurry to the elevator to join his friends before she turned and reentered her patient's room. She took one look at Ryo's slumbering form before saying, "You're good but not that good."
Ryo smiled and opened his eyes. "Guess I really need to work on my acting don't I?"
"Ryo you really need to get some rest. I can tell that you are more then exhausted."
"I'm...not....tired." he yawned. Mrs. Date gave him a look.
"Uh, huh. Go to sleep. She kissed him on the forehead before turning off the lights and leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.
Ryo lay there in his bed, trying let sleep over take him but couldn't. The noises from outside his room were to distracting.
"I hate hospitals."
Hey I want to say thanx 2 everyone who has reviewed and to those who haven't, u'll come around eventually.
Rowen sat reading a book as he and the others waited to hear about Ryo's condition. Kento and Cye sat in the chairs next to him, gazing absent- mindedly into space. Sage, was laying on the floor with a blanket over him, hadn't moved since he had been placed there about an hour ago. He had passed out on the way from the hospital presumably from the effort of trying to heal Ryo.
"Ahem." Everyone looked up to see Mrs. Date standing in the waiting room door way. Cye looked over at Rowen.
"Should I wake him up?" the blue haired man nodded, "Yeah, he'd want to hear this." Cye knelt down by Sage's side and lightly shook him awake. "Wha... What is it?"
"Your mom's here with news about Ryo."
"Oh." Sage hung his head. He already knew what kind of condition Ryo was in and he really didn't want to hear about it again. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sage had just entered Ryo's mind in the hopes of healing him. There was so much blood that it laying puddles on the floor. The warrior of light grimace as he took in his surroundings and took of in search of his friend. He cried out in horror when he finally reached his mangled form, slumped agenst a wall, lying in a crimson puddle of his own blood. Ryo's hands were pressed tightly agenst his chest, feebly trying to cover the enormous hole that now resided there. Sage rushed to his side and was about to start the healing process when in a weak voice Ryo whispered, "No. Let me be."
"No!" Sage cried, "I won't let you leave us!" He reached for him again only to have his hand weakly pushed aside.
" I'm not...leaving....just yet." Ryo strained to get the words out, " Because..Talpa.is back.. He's stronger then..ever...so with me as I am...we'll have to be...very careful."
" But you don't have be like this. Just let me heal you and then we'll go beat the crap out of him." Ryo shook his head again. "The effort and energy it would take to heal me would probably kill you and I can't..let...that happen." Ryo was still straining to force the words out. His eyes looked as though his vision was slowly sliding in and out of focus.
"Well, I can't let this happen either. I can't just let you die. We all need you, everyone of us." Ryo smiled his famous little smile.
" Even if I can't be seen, I will still be here with you guys. I'll never completely leave." Tears silently began streaming down Sage's face.
"Don't talk like that. You are gonna be fine, so don't say things like they're final."
" For that reason is why you have to promise me that when I do go, that..you'll...be in ..charge and take..good care of the guys and Mia for me." Ryo sounded desperate. Sage nodded and tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.
"You better go," Ryo said hoarsely. " You've used up a lot of energy already staying here for so long." Sage hesitated. He didn't want to leave Ryo alone here in the state that he was in. 'What if he.' Ryo noticed his hesitation. "Go on."
Sage finally nodded and before he turned to leave said," See you on the other side." * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What the hell does that mean!?" Kento's loud voice brought Sage out of his thoughts and back into the conversation.
"It means," Mrs. Date explained, " that his condition has taken a turn for the worse. The nature of this cancer is that it kills off all healthy cells as it spreads. Ryo has been coughing up blood, which suggests that it has finally reached his lungs. It's now only a matter of time before it reaches his heart and then.he will.." She looked down at the feet with a pained expression on her face.
"Do you have any idea how much time he does have left?" Cye's body shook as he feverishly tried to hold back his tears. She shook her head. " It could be day or even weeks. It all depends on the person's will to live, and we all know how Ryo is in that department."
They all laughed a little but none of their chuckles held any emotion.
" Can we see him?" Sage was the one to ask the questions that was on all of their minds.
" Maybe here in a little bit. He was still unconscious when I last saw him and we're still trying to get him stabilized, but I'll come and get you when they give the OK."
" Thank you." They all replied. Mrs. Date left the room feeling, if it was possible, even worse then when she had entered. She couldn't believe that she had to be the one to tell her son that one of his best friends was dying and she could do nothing to stop it. She couldn't stand it.
Back in the room, the others began to question Sage about what had happened while he was trying to heal Ryo and if it was really as bad as his mom had said. He answered their questions by giving them a weak nod then returned to staring at his feet. Kento slammed his fist into the wall.
"God damn it! It's not fair, its just god damn unfair." He slid down the wall, falling to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. The others looked at each other, questioning what they should do when Mrs. Date appeared again.
"I've managed to pull a few strings, so you can see him now." The men let out a sigh of relief as they followed her down the hall and into the ICU. They all paused slightly when they reached the door. None of them thought that they'd be able to see Ryo in his weakened stat and not break down.
Rowen cleared his throat. " Guys, do me a favor. Don't tell Ryo about the gate. You know that he'll want to help us even if...he's..." he hung his head. " you know."
"Well it's a little late." Sage solemnly said without looking at the others. "He already knows." With that, he walked forward into the room with the others following close behind. They all let out a collective gasp when they caught sight of their friend. Ryo's scarecrow like form was lying in the center of a hospital bed in the far right corner of the room. Tubes and wires were attached to various parts of his body and a heart monitor could be heard beeping faintly in the back round.
"Ryo, the guys are here to see you." Mrs. Date placed her hand on the young man's arm and shook it lightly. "Ryo?" He slowly opened his eyes and gave them all a weak smile.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Cye could almost feel his heart breaking. Ryo's voice was so weak and so frail, nothing like the strong confidant tone it used to have. He almost couldn't stand it. Kento was the first to speak up as he took a seat next to the bed.
"Hey bro, how ya feelin'?"
"Oh you know me," he laughed, "I'll be back on my feet in no time." His laughter soon turned into a series of hacking coughs that ravaged his skeletal like frame. The others grimaced as he pulled back his hand, revealing that once again, it was coated in blood. Mrs. Date sighed as she stepped forward with a syringe and was about to inject its contents into Ryo's IV when he stopped her.
"No, please. I want to talk with them just a little bit longer." He gritted his teeth slightly as he tried to hide the tremendous pain that was shooting through his entire body. She smiled softly at him as she shook her head.
"I'm sorry Ryo, but this is for your own good." He was about to protest further, but it was too late. Mrs. Date injected the drugs into the tube leading to the teen's hand, making him let out a sigh of defeat. He desperately fought agenst the wave of exhaustion that swept over him but it was a lost cause.
His eyes slowly began to close as he groggily stated, "Now why....did you have..to go..and...do that..for?" His head fell back into his pillow as sleep finally over took him.
"Wha..What did you give him?" Rowen gasped with a horrified look on his face.
" It's a sedative/painkiller. He's going to be out for awhile, but you are welcome to stay until visiting hours are over." She wrote one last thing on Ryo's chart before she departed. Sage quickly followed after her and watched her walk down the hall. When she was a good distance away he shut the door and said,
"She's gone now." Ryo opened one of his tiger blue eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God! If she had stayed any longer I would have blown my cover." Everyone smiled slightly as they took a seat around their leader and watched him try to push himself into a sitting position. He finally just gave up and slumped back into his pillows, exhausted.
"Look I know about the gate. The end results of a visit from Talpa can be seen here." He waved his hand around, motioning to the hospital surroundings. The others gave each other an 'oh crap' look causing Ryo to sigh and shake his head.
"Look I know you don't want me to have to fight but we really don't have a choice. We need the Inferno." The four Ronins shifted uncomfortably in their chairs and were about to say something when Mrs. Date poked her head in the door. Ryo quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep again.
"Hey I'm sorry but visiting hours are over. I tried to talk the higher ups into letting you stay longer but they wouldn't hear of it." They all nodded and took one last look at their 'sleeping' friend before turning to head out the door.
"Make sure you keep a really close eye on him," Sage said as he gave his mom a hug good bye. " He hates hospitals and you know how sneaky he can be."
She smiled at her son, "Don't worry, he'll be fine. I'll make sure he doesn't go any where."
"COME ON SAGE! WE CAN'T HOLD THE ELEVATER FOR EVER!"
"All right Rowen. I'm coming." Mrs. Date smiled as she watched her son hurry to the elevator to join his friends before she turned and reentered her patient's room. She took one look at Ryo's slumbering form before saying, "You're good but not that good."
Ryo smiled and opened his eyes. "Guess I really need to work on my acting don't I?"
"Ryo you really need to get some rest. I can tell that you are more then exhausted."
"I'm...not....tired." he yawned. Mrs. Date gave him a look.
"Uh, huh. Go to sleep. She kissed him on the forehead before turning off the lights and leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.
Ryo lay there in his bed, trying let sleep over take him but couldn't. The noises from outside his room were to distracting.
"I hate hospitals."
Hey I want to say thanx 2 everyone who has reviewed and to those who haven't, u'll come around eventually.