A/N: Thank you soooo much to all the reviewers! You guys made my day and plastered a BIG FAT ANNOYING GRIN on my face! @_@ Lol… Hehe, I'm glad you guys liked the 2nd chapter because I felt very insecure about it. ^^;;;
Newe,, here's the 3rd installment of Clover. Although this chapter is a bit…well, gross…I suggest you to read it if you're not someone who loses his appetite easily. Horo-kun is not feeling really good in this chapter… Fluff isn't the issue here either. Forgive me, this was written fast-paced. I have swimming lessons coming!
Read on, and please review! @_@ Note: No humor, no fluff. Just angst. ;_;
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Clover: Chapter 3The empty room was incredibly tranquil without the usual racket Horo horo used to put up with his cheery attitude. The walls were unbelievably silent that it almost deafened the girl who was sitting alone in the room with the Ainu.
She watched him sleep soundly on the bed…
"Horo-kun…" she whispered to the boy, who was once full of life and vigor as if nothing can touch him.
The doctor is now examining the cause of his sudden breakdown back in the laboratory to make a diagnosis, where Pirika and the others were. Tamao decided to watch over her companion while they were away since she was the most worried.
The prophetess watched the Ainu intently, who was sleeping soundly despite such a high fever. He was gently tucked away with a white blanket, his azure eyes shut tight.
Tamao remembered last night when she watched over him. He was muttering and tossing himself allover the bed, constantly shouting out and waking up because of some dream. Then there was the time when they took him to the hospital that same night, when he was complaining about a headache. By the time they reached the doctor, Horo horo began to vomit.
Tears blurred Tamao's vision as she continued to watch over the Ainu.
"Horo-kun…what happened to you?"
When a knock on the door was heard, she quickly wiped away her tears and allowed the person in. When the door opened, Doctor Tomoyuki walked toward Tamao.
"Tamamura-san," he said calmly, trying not to alarm her.
She looked up decently, hiding her uneasiness. "May I know what Horo-kun's diagnosis is now?" A sign of fear toned her voice. She wasn't sure she was ready to hear it, but still…
The doctor cleared his throat, then looked at the chart he was carrying. "Usui-san came in the hospital last night with a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. He began to vomit, he was neurotic , he began to lose his appetite, and constantly complained about a headache."
Tamao nodded unconsciously. She felt her chest tighten. Horo-kun…
The doctor looked at her sadly. "He has the symptoms of Typhoid fever."
Tamao felt her heart stop. "P-Pardon…?"
"We will do everything we can to treat him." He reassured her. "But due to the overdose intake of contamination from food and water, I am not so sure if he can come out of the hospital so soon…"
Tamao felt like crying. I'm so stupid… How could I have missed Horo-kun's intakes when I was always with him…? None of these would have happened if I took care of him.
"Sensei, is his current condition…" she paused. "Life-threatening…?"
Tomoyuki-sensei hesitated to answer her question. "L-Let's just hope for the best, shall we?" he replied instead. "Usui-san is pretty tough, don't you think?"
But that didn't reassure Tamao even one bit.
Horo-kun…
An hour and a half has passed after Horo horo received his treatment. But for Tamao, one and a half hours seemed like forever. He was awake at that time when she continued to watch him in silence.
Horo then decided to break the stillness.
"I'm sorry I worried you back there…"
Tamao looked up at him. "It's not your fault, Horo-kun. It's mine."
The Ainu looked utterly taken aback. "No, of course not!" His eyes moistened. "Why are you suddenly blaming yourself for this?"
"I-I'm sorry, Horo-kun…If only I took care of you with much more precaution, then none of these would have happened."
"Tamao…" Horo horo brushed the girl's hair gently. He smiled forcefully, trying to reassure her. "Please go back home with Yoh and the others. You need to rest."
Tamao looked discouraged. "But what about--"
"I promise I'll feel much better if I see you in good shape."
Yes, he promised…
"I can't just leave you here!"
I tried…
"Please Tamao…"
But he insisted.
Upon wiping some tears away, I had no other choice but to agree to his request. I left him alone in his room eventhough I didn't want to.
But something inside her kept screaming not to leave…
Because he needs you and he's just pushing you away.
Tamao was walking back to the Asakura household when the skies began to darken. The winds started to blow hard and the rains were coming back again. She arrived back home with Yoh and the others in the living room.
"Tamao?" the shaman called her when he noticed her come in through the front door.
"Yoh-sama…" Tamao managed to reply.
Pirika assisted the prophetess to her room as Anna's request. She was feeling very weary since she couldn't sleep the whole time she watched over Horo horo.
"Tamao-san…" Pirika spoke as she accompanied her in her empty room.
"Horo-kun has Typhoid, Pirika-chan." She explained, lying her head on the soft fluffy pillow on the bed. "And I'm just afraid if…if…"
"Onii-chan is strong!" Pirika said out loud. Her eyes then moistened. "He'll be okay."
He'll be okay… Tamao repeated those words. She sounded so sure. Can his promise really be enough for me to keep on hoping?
"Just get some rest, Tamao-san." The Ainu girl then left the room.
Tamao rolled on her side and grasped a pillow in her arms. She shut her eyes tightly.
"Something's just not right…"
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RRRIIINNGG RRRIIINNGGG RRRIINNGGG
Tamao woke up from her slumber when the phone rang. She rubbed her face wearily and faced the clock.
2:30 am
"Who could be calling this early?" she wondered.
The pink-haired girl walked out of her room with a sweater. Still, the winds refused to stop blowing outside and the rain didn't cease to fall. She felt her heart leap when the phone kept on ringing and ringing as if each ring was numbered.
Hesitantly taking the phone to her ear, an urgent voice was anxiously telling her something. It was a nurse back in Horo's hospital at the end of the line, telling Tamao something she couldn't quite comprehend. She was desperately telling her to see Horo horo as soon as possible because he is…
Horo horo-kun is…dying?
End of Chapter three
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A/N: …………
Oh.My.Gahd. What have I done???!! Another angst, right?! Oh, nooo!! It's a bit shorter than the other chapters but I'm glad I finished this one. I wrote it for 2 hours because I had to research on Typhoid. Actually, I don't know anything about medical disorders, but I hope you still liked it. ^^;; It was too sudden, I admit, but I don't have much time now.
Please review. Was I too cruel on Horo-kun? GOMENASAI!!!
Lol… I know, it sucked. *_*