OMG, what's this? Another chapter? So soon? I must be ill or something .
Anyways, if this chapter looks a little familiar, that's cos originally it was the second chapter Beginnings, but as I was writing the third chapter it turned out to fit the story better if I changed this chapter slightly and made it the third chapter. If you haven't read the updated Beginnings yet, do so, then read Nightmares again, or you will be totally confused if you aren't all ready.
Disclaimer: If I owned Beyblade, it wouldn't be G-rated, Rei would wear tiger-print hotpants and Kai would beat the shit out of Tyson on a regular basis.
In Loving Memory Chapter 3: NightmaresHe wakes up with a blinding hangover, naked in a bed that is not his own. He sits up quickly, staring down at the sleeping man beside him. Sudden panic tightens his throat and he draws a ragged breath, his heart lurching.
Oh God, what have I . . . ?
He rises abruptly from the bed, throwing back the covers and staggering to his feet, his eyes still locked on the stranger's sleeping form. The man groans softly, twisting to lie on his back and throwing one arm over his head.
Stifling a sob, he stumbles hastily into his clothes, which lie scattered throughout the room in testimony to a night of passion he can't remember.
What have I done?
He hurries awkwardly from the apartment and onto the street. His feet pound the pavement as he begins to run, tears streaming down his cheeks, desperate to leave the nightmare far behind.
Run, traitor. Run.
*~*~*
It hurts, was his first coherent thought. His entire body ached with exhaustion, and every beat of his heart sent another wave of it throbbing through him. He groaned, rolling onto his side and curling in on himself, faint memories of excruciating pain flashing through his mind – his stomach contracting again and again as it heaved up burning bile, shaking uncontrollably as he wept and screamed. He shuddered and quickly blocked out those thoughts. I want a hit, he thought instead, I want it all to go away . . .
" Oh good, you're awake. " The chirpy voice jolted Kai from his reverie. Panic gripped him, crimson eyes snapping open as he struggled desperately to remember where he was, what he was doing here. His paranoid addicts' brain imagined the worst. Police! Thieves! Yakuza! Fight! Run!
" Stay away from me! " he shrieked, scrambling backwards and flailing wildly as the nurse reached out to reassure him. In his blind terror, he tangled himself in the sheets and tumbled unceremoniously to the cold floor.
Pain lanced sharply up his right arm and he cried out. Suddenly the room was full of noise, heavy footsteps and loud voices drowning out Kai's whimpers of pain and fear. He felt himself being lifted and laid on the bed, his limbs held down as a thorn of agony pierced his shoulder. He cried out again, his muscles clenching around the needle and magnifying the pain.
Then suddenly it was over. A strange heaviness swept over his body, relaxing the Russian teenager all over and calming his mind, although he was still vaguely afraid. His vision cleared a little, and he found himself staring up at a menagerie of faces. One was speaking in a rapid, concise tone and another was simply watching him.
After a few moments, Kai felt the weight on his limbs lift, and he was covered with a warm blanket. He pushed half-heartedly at it, more out of defiance than discomfort. Soft laughter.
His temper flared indignantly, but before he could protest, he recognised one of the faces above him. His eyes widened. It was the purple-haired man from the night before, dressed in a white sports jacket and grey slacks.
" Good afternoon, Hiwatari-kun. " The face smiled affably, " It's good to see you've come around. I was beginning to worry. "
The Russian glared suspiciously at him. " What are you doing here, Robert? "
" Saving your life, I expect, " said the German frankly. " Whatever drove you to such . . . unbecoming behaviour? "
" None of your fucking business, " hissed Kai vehemently, struggling to sit up and look around. He was dressed in a plain white tunic and pants, his right arm encased in plaster from knuckles to elbow. The room was small and white, sparingly furnished with chair and small table at his bedside. By the head of the bed stood a tall rack with a half empty saline bag attached, a thin plastic tube running from the bag to his left forearm. Afternoon sunlight filtered in from the large window that looked out over a buzzing metropolis below. " Where the hell am I? "
" You are in room 118, ward 16, Yumenaka Hospital, " answered a different face.
" And what the fuck am I doing here? "
" You are going through detox, a safe and medically proven program design to help alcoholics and drug users kick their substance dependencies. In other words, we're here to help you give up heroin. "
" The FUCK I will! " shouted Kai. Instantly he doubled up in a violent coughing fit, feeling like his lungs were going to burst right out of his chest. He flinched as a steadying hand was placed on his shoulder.
" Easy there, kid. " Kai was too busy gasping in pain to answer, " Just relax. You're ok, but you need to calm down. No one here's going to hurt you. "
The cough receding, Kai lay back and closed his eyes in despair. A part of him still clung desperately to the hope that this was all some kind of nightmare, but deep down he knew it wasn't. This was as real as the marks on his arms and the scars in his heart. And no matter how much he hated his present situation, he was too weak and exhausted to do anything about it.
He buried his face in the soft pillows and, hating himself for it, began to cry.
The bitter sobs drowned out the low words exchanged by the other occupants of the room, and when the tears refused to fall any more, Kai found himself alone with Robert, who was watching him from the bedside chair.
" Go away, Robert, " the Russian said in hollow whisper, turning his back in his former rival, " Go back to your castle and leave me alone. "
" I can't do that, Hiwatari-kun, " said Robert quietly, " You know I can't. "
Kai let out a long, low moan. " What do you want from me? "
" I want you to stop using heroin, and put and end to this destructive lifestyle. I want you to come back to Germany with me. "
" So you can what? Fix me up so you can feel good about yourself? Fuck you, Robert. I don't need your help. "
" You may not want it, but I WILL give it to you Kai, because I cannot stand by and watch you destroy your life. "
" What I do with my life is my business, so fuck off and leave me alone! "
There was a tense silence. Robert knew that he was fast losing control of the conversation. " Are you thirsty? Hungry? " He asked, moving to safer territory. The last thing he wanted was for the unstable teen to become upset and hurt himself, or aggravate his injuries. " I can have the nurse bring you something immediately. "
Kai paused, realising that his throat WAS parched and that he WAS starving, but refused to show any enthusiasm. He ducked his head and mumbled, " Yeah, whatever. "
Robert left the room and soon returned with a plastic cup of water, which Kai took and drank quickly, almost choking as its icy coldness burned his throat and chest. Once he started he couldn't seem to stop, and when he finished he looked around for more.
" Sorry, Hiwatari-kun. You can't have too much fluid at once or you will get sick. "
" Fuck that, " snarled the Russian, crushing the cup and hurling to the far side of the room in a sudden fit of rage. The water had made him feel a little stronger, but now that his stomach had got a taste, it began to groan and beg for more. Kai doubled over, coughing.
A nurse entered with a tray of food, which she set on the bedside table. She straightened and smiled brightly at her patient. " My! Aren't you a cutie! " She giggled, making Kai blush awkwardly. She was one of those bubbly, no-nonsense nurses who never gave you a second to feel sorry for yourself. " I bet you scrub up a real treat! I'll have to ask Sakamoto-sensei to have you bathed at once! " She chatted happily as she deftly arranged the pillows behind Kai's back so that he was propped upright, took his temperature and heart rate and noted both on a clipboard on the end of his bed, then set the tray over his lap. " Now don't eat too fast, " she warned, wagging a precautionary finger under the Russian's nose as she turned to leave, " Or you'll just vomit it all up. And I doubt the night nurse will like to have to clean that up! " With a laugh, she closed the door behind her.
Overcoming his stunned surprise at her whirlwind professionalism, Kai fixed his hungry gaze on the food she had left. After a moment's hesitation, he picked up the fork in his left hand, and began to eat slowly.
It wasn't particularly good food, but the starving Russian ate every morsal. He steadfastly ignored Robert's thoughtful gaze, focussing on using the cutlery with his unfavoured hand. Several times his patience snapped and he cursed, temped to eat with his fingers. But something in him wanted to prove – to who? To Robert, who watched silently from his chair? To himself? – that he could use the fork, so he persevered.
When he had finished, Robert took the tray from his lap and Kai settled back on his pillows with a soft sigh. He was by no means satisfied, but he felt much better, stronger. Robert fetched him another cup of water, which he gulped down as eagerly as the first one, then wriggled around until he was lying on his back, staring up at the white ceiling. It had long turned to evening outside and a light had been switched on, but it had was turned down to about half strength, since Kai's eyes were still sensitive to brightness, and the room was bathed with dusky light.
Still Robert said nothing. The German noble knew that he had to be careful – the doctor had warned him about the unstable temperament of recovering heroin addicts, especially those who were beginning to feel the cravings again.
But Kai seemed fairly calm, his chest rising and falling evenly beneath the blankets, coughing only occasionally as he drifted into slumber.
Quietly, Robert drew the curtains to block out the glaring lights and sounds from the streets below. Kai stirred in his sleep and shivered a little, prompting the aristocrat to tuck the blankets more securely around the skeletal teen before returning to his silent vigil from the hospital chair.
Z: Are we starting to see the structure pattern yet folks?
Muse ( Yami Z ): No
Z: Then you should be working harder.
Yami Z: Fuck you!
Z: You know you to, Yami!
Yami Z: But you're a girl, and I am a guy . . . Girl + guy = hetro. Ewww! .
Rei: Seeing as Kai's busy with this fic, I'm free
Yami Z: Excellent! You! *points to Rei* Get in the closet. I will be there shortly. You! *points to Z* Get started on the next chapter.
Z: Aww, can't I watch?
Yami: Hell no! This is secret boys' business!
Rei: It's not like she doesn't know what we'll be doing, Yami.
Yami: SILENCE! That is beside the point! For that, I shall have to punish you!
Rei: Is that a threat or a promise?
Yami: You know it is *snicker* Now, where's that whipped cream?
Z: I ate it. And it wasn't cream, it was man-sauce.
Rei and Yami: 0_0;
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