Chapter Three
"Hey Rei!" Tyson called out gleefully. "Drat! I guess I owe you five bucks Max!" He again shouted, this time over his shoulder to the younger blond boy who grinned at Rei.
Rei sighed inwardly, gently sliding the dojo door closed behind him. He left his fingers to sadly trace the frame, as his eyes remained low, shaken from holding back painful tears. It was only when he felt Max's kind touch on his right shoulder did he look up.
"Tyson bet me five bucks that you forgot where he lived." Max smiled again his shining blue eyes never faltering. Rei envied that look, for the young boy always wore an expression of optimism and happiness. He never seemed to be imprinted by suffering though Rei knew this was untrue, it was just Max could honestly say he knew love, it was what had shaped his persona.
Rei knew what love was. His 'family' at home in China 'loved' him. However it wasn't the same. Rei hardly remembered any parental love and couldn't honestly say he felt the same about anyone there. Max held love in his eyes, with every smile he graced one with you could tell Max knew love.
Tyson knew love, he had Hilary. For about a year now, Tyson was endured by Hilary's loyal presence. They knew what love was.
Rei remembered love, but it was as if it was hard to recall. However lately it been taunting Rei. Every day now it seemed his mind would drift to the topic, and the more he looked around him, the more the dark haired boy saw the feeling surround him, but never quite penetrate whatever barrier he was unconscious of holding up.
Rei smiled weakly back at Max. "No I remembered." Then turning to look at Tyson who was holding a plate of dinner he laughed. "Wow, your whole life savings gone because of me."
~~
The rain fell lightly, dampening the ebony bangs of the silhouette on the riverside. His knees were drawn up to his chest with his arms tightly securing the comfort he was desperately trying to hold close to him. The river flowed sluggishly in the cool, dark night.
Dinner had been a pleasant affair. The Bladebreakers, minus Kai, had spent a normal evening of joking around and talking of beyblades and food. Rei had enjoyed the meal, feeling somewhat more complete to be included in yet another happy memory. However after dinner when Kenny and Max had gone home, and
Hilary and Tyson for a walk. Rei had felt the loneliness wash over him like the ocean's tide, on the unsecured sand banks.
He picked up a pebble and tossed it as sacrifice to the uncaring waters. Why did he feel this way? He asked himself. He was usually secure and satisfied by all his choices, but now uncertainty lingered everywhere. Poisoning his mind with its awful influences. He couldn't grasp at anything. Like sand it fell through his fingers whenever he had a fragmented thought. He knew he cared about Kai, probably more then he should, however he had no control of the feeling. Of course he cared for the other team members but not quite like this.
[The knife slid carefully across his face leaving only a thin trickle of blood in its wake.]
Rei raised his shaking hand to his face, tracing the forming scar across his right cheek. It had been his fault for what had happened to Kai. He had taken Kai off his guard and had therefore weakened his advances. He had single handily destroyed the frosted, gray-eyed boy that fateful night. That alone made Rei quiver, flinching inwardly on his grand mistake. Even as cold hearted as Kai seemed, to bring pain to a team member had effect him in a horrible way, allowing his strength and confidence to collapse with his body, creating him the target for revenge. And what had Rei done? He asked himself shaking now from both pain and the cold. Nothing. He had done nothing after collapsing himself, but watch his faithful leader's downfall.
Now Rei had been sent away, disregarded for his kindness, his help rejected by the one who toyed with his thoughts, aggressively seizing his heart and giving no mercy to Rei's endearing emotions. The lonely, pale face absent of it's strengthening blue markings, played around Rei's memories. Shaken by his helplessness
Kai needed Rei more then anytime right now, even if the weakened boy did not know of it. Rei pictured him alone. The dark room closing in on him as he lay careless to his condition gazing into the cold night. His chest and arms would be bare, holding down the blanket that just hardly covered him. His meal would be uneaten like many others of the past and only the sound of the monitors would bring any comfort, which Rei knew he would reject as well. Kai believed he didn't need comfort, that he'd find it no-where for it hardly cared for a stranded boy amongst his darkness.
Kai knew not of love. Nor had he ever.
Rei seemed to sink lower into the grass, his throat tightening with the thoughts of Kai alone. It was then he decided that he didn't care what Kai thought of him. The amber-eyed boy cared for him and that's all that mattered. It would be selfish of him not to tend to Kai just for the mere reason the Kai would probably never return the care.
Standing up his long hair, mildly tied back grasped at him. The weather had made several strands escape their confinement and now played around his shoulder, looking for Rei's embraced warm body. He took one last look at the river then quickly turned and walked the opposite direction of the dojo. He would be there for Kai, regardless of Kai's wishes.
~~
"I'm sorry sir, I cannot let you pass. Its Mr. Hiwatari's wish not to let anyone of your description admitted to his room." Rei's heart fell from the words of the kind nurse. Kai didn't want him at all? Rei cried to himself, not caring that the nurse saw the look of absolute misery that drowned his normally shimmering golden eyes in the dark depths.
"Why not?" Rei asked, his voice beginning to wavering.
"I'm not sure son. He told me today at dinner, that he wanted you to no longer be concerned about his well being." She placed her hand on the sad boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry but it's my patient's recommendation and therefore I must follow his wishes, for security reasons."
"Sorry to bother you Mam." Rei whispered his throat tight, making it hard for him to swallow. "I apologize for the inconvien-"
"CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE!" A doctor shouted from down the hall making a distraction for both Rei and the nurse as they reacted to the emergency. "IT'S THE HIWATARI BOY!" Someone else shouted as doctors and nurses streamed from doors to rush to the problem. Rei was amongst them.
Everyone was so concerned they hardly noticed the boy, clad in white himself, rushing to be by Kai's side. Rei's eyes met a horrible scene. Kai's eyes were lolling, staring blankly and rolling to the back. They were clouded over, dull with pain. Sweat streamed down his forehead and chest, as his knuckles grew white from clutching the bed sheets. Doctor's were at his side checking his technical condition, though to even the untrained eye one could tell things were going to be rough for the boy.
"His levels are decreasing rapidly Doctor!" One shouted over the noise while others brought in potentially helpful items.
Kai had begun to twitch feverishly.
"He is having a seizure!" The doctor replied, eyes wide with frustration.
"I don't understand," Rose, Kai's personal nurse was heard proclaiming. "His levels were lower then normal at dinner, but he seemed fine."
Rei was stricken by these words. 'His levels were lower then normal,' Kai wasn't as fine as he liked to think he had been. Rei searched the room looking for some way to help. His gaze was stopped by a sight that took away his breath. The intravenous cords that had been keeping Kai alive had been pulled hastily from his arms leaving blood on his right arm, and his left fingertips. This meant that Kai had pulled them away himself.
Rei reached for Kai's flinching right arm and cried out, "He's done it himself! It's the intravenous! He has pulled it loose on his own." All attention was brought to the fearful obsidian haired boy, his eyes large with panic.
"Who let him in!" An angry voice shouted, as someone grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. Without thinking Rei spun around and struck him, however only enough to daze the man.
"Listen to me!" Rei shouted again to the staring nurses and doctors. "He is without life support!" The minor nuisance of the boy was forgotten as all began working on calming down Kai and returning the network of artificial life to Kai's circulation.
"Sir!" A nurse cried to whom seemed to be the main doctor. "He is still decreasing!" There was a pause. The wake before the storm, as all stared at the monitors then in one horrifying moment the gently beeping noise stopped all together as the line went flat.
"He's flat-lining!"
Chaos broke loose as medical equipment came desperately trying to 'jump-start' Kai's heart. Rei sank to his knees unable to contend with what he was possibly facing. The now unmovable boy's hand was cold in Rei's two as he leaned his head against the sheets quickly dampening the spot where his closed eyes rested.
[Kai's eyes were wide with shock.
"You want me to be your team captain?" He had asked Mr. Dickinson, his eyes washing over Rei, Max and
Tyson. "Listen I'm not you baby-sitter."
"But Kai, we all sometimes sacrifice what we don't want to do the right thing, this team needs you."]
And they had, never had such mixed feelings been brought to Rei until the day Kai was declared team leader.
["Your giving up Rei?" The cold voice had rang in his ears. "You want Driger to end up like this?" Kai asked holding up Max's bitbeast-less beyblade. "If you give up or refuse to fight you will let us all down."]
Rei didn't want to give up nor did he want to let Kai down.
["No Rei! You can't fight! Not without your Driger!" Still Rei launched the Drigerless blade on the St. Shields in hopes of helping to save Kai's Dranzer. "You won't stand a chance. If you keep up like this you won't have anything left."]
Kai had been wrong Rei would still have him, and he had had nothing to loose. He could always fight, anything to help out the one he loved.
Love.
Rei did know love.
He knew it every time he was near Kai. That was the desperate feeling calling out to him, which was paining him so. That is why it would take everything to give up on the boy he took pride in calling his loyal captain.
"Kai..." he whispered into the cold hand. "You can't leave me. Not now. Not here. Don't give up. It's not like you to refuse a fight." He paused sighing then smiling to himself. "The truth is I love you."
"Doctor, I think I feel a pulse." The voice was hushed and surprised.
The late evening went on from there until things were calmed enough for the attention to be returned to the exhausted boy resting by Kai's side.
Kai had somehow managed to return from his lonely deathbed and after reconnecting him to life, it was said he would recover. Kai would live.
~~
"So do you understand the seriousness of your actions?" Rose questioned Rei outside Kai's silent room.
Rei nodded feeling ashamed for tossing law aside to such measures. "I'm glad, because what this boy needs right now, is a loving hand like yours to reach out for him." She smiled at him, her eyes soft and warm. "I'll work things out with security, but no more playing doctor, alright?"
Rei couldn't believe his ears. He wouldn't receive any punishment? "Thank you, very much. My greatest apologies."
"Not to fear son, I see you have a strong connection with him." She winked then strode off down the hall preparing to discuss the problem of Rei and settle things with the staff.
Rei stepped quietly into the room, closing the door careful behind him. His back was turned to Kai, he was startled greatly when all at once he heard the weary whisper.
"Rei?"
He spun around allowing more hair to escape the tight bandage, so to fall pathetically around his shoulders.
"Rei, I'm sorry." This whisper came again.
"Kai." Rei smiled and rushed to his side, kneeling to eye level. "You're alright." Tears danced in the corners of Rei's eyes for the second time that night, except this time for happiness.
"Rei, I was worried." Kai looked down as if finding it hard to say the right words. Rei shook his head and brought his finger to Kai's lips.
"It's alright Kai," he paused, "The truth is..." this time Kai would be awake for Rei's confession and this was taking a lot more effort then he had planned. "The truth is I love you."
Kai's expression was all wrong. Not how Rei pictured it would be at all. Instead of looking tender and joyful, he appeared sad, full of remorse and regret. He quickly looked away allowing Rei's finger to fall to his chest.
"Kai?" Rei said again. "I love you." Kai finally turned back to Rei and shook his head.
"Rei, I can't say something that I don't understand."
"Hey Rei!" Tyson called out gleefully. "Drat! I guess I owe you five bucks Max!" He again shouted, this time over his shoulder to the younger blond boy who grinned at Rei.
Rei sighed inwardly, gently sliding the dojo door closed behind him. He left his fingers to sadly trace the frame, as his eyes remained low, shaken from holding back painful tears. It was only when he felt Max's kind touch on his right shoulder did he look up.
"Tyson bet me five bucks that you forgot where he lived." Max smiled again his shining blue eyes never faltering. Rei envied that look, for the young boy always wore an expression of optimism and happiness. He never seemed to be imprinted by suffering though Rei knew this was untrue, it was just Max could honestly say he knew love, it was what had shaped his persona.
Rei knew what love was. His 'family' at home in China 'loved' him. However it wasn't the same. Rei hardly remembered any parental love and couldn't honestly say he felt the same about anyone there. Max held love in his eyes, with every smile he graced one with you could tell Max knew love.
Tyson knew love, he had Hilary. For about a year now, Tyson was endured by Hilary's loyal presence. They knew what love was.
Rei remembered love, but it was as if it was hard to recall. However lately it been taunting Rei. Every day now it seemed his mind would drift to the topic, and the more he looked around him, the more the dark haired boy saw the feeling surround him, but never quite penetrate whatever barrier he was unconscious of holding up.
Rei smiled weakly back at Max. "No I remembered." Then turning to look at Tyson who was holding a plate of dinner he laughed. "Wow, your whole life savings gone because of me."
~~
The rain fell lightly, dampening the ebony bangs of the silhouette on the riverside. His knees were drawn up to his chest with his arms tightly securing the comfort he was desperately trying to hold close to him. The river flowed sluggishly in the cool, dark night.
Dinner had been a pleasant affair. The Bladebreakers, minus Kai, had spent a normal evening of joking around and talking of beyblades and food. Rei had enjoyed the meal, feeling somewhat more complete to be included in yet another happy memory. However after dinner when Kenny and Max had gone home, and
Hilary and Tyson for a walk. Rei had felt the loneliness wash over him like the ocean's tide, on the unsecured sand banks.
He picked up a pebble and tossed it as sacrifice to the uncaring waters. Why did he feel this way? He asked himself. He was usually secure and satisfied by all his choices, but now uncertainty lingered everywhere. Poisoning his mind with its awful influences. He couldn't grasp at anything. Like sand it fell through his fingers whenever he had a fragmented thought. He knew he cared about Kai, probably more then he should, however he had no control of the feeling. Of course he cared for the other team members but not quite like this.
[The knife slid carefully across his face leaving only a thin trickle of blood in its wake.]
Rei raised his shaking hand to his face, tracing the forming scar across his right cheek. It had been his fault for what had happened to Kai. He had taken Kai off his guard and had therefore weakened his advances. He had single handily destroyed the frosted, gray-eyed boy that fateful night. That alone made Rei quiver, flinching inwardly on his grand mistake. Even as cold hearted as Kai seemed, to bring pain to a team member had effect him in a horrible way, allowing his strength and confidence to collapse with his body, creating him the target for revenge. And what had Rei done? He asked himself shaking now from both pain and the cold. Nothing. He had done nothing after collapsing himself, but watch his faithful leader's downfall.
Now Rei had been sent away, disregarded for his kindness, his help rejected by the one who toyed with his thoughts, aggressively seizing his heart and giving no mercy to Rei's endearing emotions. The lonely, pale face absent of it's strengthening blue markings, played around Rei's memories. Shaken by his helplessness
Kai needed Rei more then anytime right now, even if the weakened boy did not know of it. Rei pictured him alone. The dark room closing in on him as he lay careless to his condition gazing into the cold night. His chest and arms would be bare, holding down the blanket that just hardly covered him. His meal would be uneaten like many others of the past and only the sound of the monitors would bring any comfort, which Rei knew he would reject as well. Kai believed he didn't need comfort, that he'd find it no-where for it hardly cared for a stranded boy amongst his darkness.
Kai knew not of love. Nor had he ever.
Rei seemed to sink lower into the grass, his throat tightening with the thoughts of Kai alone. It was then he decided that he didn't care what Kai thought of him. The amber-eyed boy cared for him and that's all that mattered. It would be selfish of him not to tend to Kai just for the mere reason the Kai would probably never return the care.
Standing up his long hair, mildly tied back grasped at him. The weather had made several strands escape their confinement and now played around his shoulder, looking for Rei's embraced warm body. He took one last look at the river then quickly turned and walked the opposite direction of the dojo. He would be there for Kai, regardless of Kai's wishes.
~~
"I'm sorry sir, I cannot let you pass. Its Mr. Hiwatari's wish not to let anyone of your description admitted to his room." Rei's heart fell from the words of the kind nurse. Kai didn't want him at all? Rei cried to himself, not caring that the nurse saw the look of absolute misery that drowned his normally shimmering golden eyes in the dark depths.
"Why not?" Rei asked, his voice beginning to wavering.
"I'm not sure son. He told me today at dinner, that he wanted you to no longer be concerned about his well being." She placed her hand on the sad boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry but it's my patient's recommendation and therefore I must follow his wishes, for security reasons."
"Sorry to bother you Mam." Rei whispered his throat tight, making it hard for him to swallow. "I apologize for the inconvien-"
"CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE!" A doctor shouted from down the hall making a distraction for both Rei and the nurse as they reacted to the emergency. "IT'S THE HIWATARI BOY!" Someone else shouted as doctors and nurses streamed from doors to rush to the problem. Rei was amongst them.
Everyone was so concerned they hardly noticed the boy, clad in white himself, rushing to be by Kai's side. Rei's eyes met a horrible scene. Kai's eyes were lolling, staring blankly and rolling to the back. They were clouded over, dull with pain. Sweat streamed down his forehead and chest, as his knuckles grew white from clutching the bed sheets. Doctor's were at his side checking his technical condition, though to even the untrained eye one could tell things were going to be rough for the boy.
"His levels are decreasing rapidly Doctor!" One shouted over the noise while others brought in potentially helpful items.
Kai had begun to twitch feverishly.
"He is having a seizure!" The doctor replied, eyes wide with frustration.
"I don't understand," Rose, Kai's personal nurse was heard proclaiming. "His levels were lower then normal at dinner, but he seemed fine."
Rei was stricken by these words. 'His levels were lower then normal,' Kai wasn't as fine as he liked to think he had been. Rei searched the room looking for some way to help. His gaze was stopped by a sight that took away his breath. The intravenous cords that had been keeping Kai alive had been pulled hastily from his arms leaving blood on his right arm, and his left fingertips. This meant that Kai had pulled them away himself.
Rei reached for Kai's flinching right arm and cried out, "He's done it himself! It's the intravenous! He has pulled it loose on his own." All attention was brought to the fearful obsidian haired boy, his eyes large with panic.
"Who let him in!" An angry voice shouted, as someone grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. Without thinking Rei spun around and struck him, however only enough to daze the man.
"Listen to me!" Rei shouted again to the staring nurses and doctors. "He is without life support!" The minor nuisance of the boy was forgotten as all began working on calming down Kai and returning the network of artificial life to Kai's circulation.
"Sir!" A nurse cried to whom seemed to be the main doctor. "He is still decreasing!" There was a pause. The wake before the storm, as all stared at the monitors then in one horrifying moment the gently beeping noise stopped all together as the line went flat.
"He's flat-lining!"
Chaos broke loose as medical equipment came desperately trying to 'jump-start' Kai's heart. Rei sank to his knees unable to contend with what he was possibly facing. The now unmovable boy's hand was cold in Rei's two as he leaned his head against the sheets quickly dampening the spot where his closed eyes rested.
[Kai's eyes were wide with shock.
"You want me to be your team captain?" He had asked Mr. Dickinson, his eyes washing over Rei, Max and
Tyson. "Listen I'm not you baby-sitter."
"But Kai, we all sometimes sacrifice what we don't want to do the right thing, this team needs you."]
And they had, never had such mixed feelings been brought to Rei until the day Kai was declared team leader.
["Your giving up Rei?" The cold voice had rang in his ears. "You want Driger to end up like this?" Kai asked holding up Max's bitbeast-less beyblade. "If you give up or refuse to fight you will let us all down."]
Rei didn't want to give up nor did he want to let Kai down.
["No Rei! You can't fight! Not without your Driger!" Still Rei launched the Drigerless blade on the St. Shields in hopes of helping to save Kai's Dranzer. "You won't stand a chance. If you keep up like this you won't have anything left."]
Kai had been wrong Rei would still have him, and he had had nothing to loose. He could always fight, anything to help out the one he loved.
Love.
Rei did know love.
He knew it every time he was near Kai. That was the desperate feeling calling out to him, which was paining him so. That is why it would take everything to give up on the boy he took pride in calling his loyal captain.
"Kai..." he whispered into the cold hand. "You can't leave me. Not now. Not here. Don't give up. It's not like you to refuse a fight." He paused sighing then smiling to himself. "The truth is I love you."
"Doctor, I think I feel a pulse." The voice was hushed and surprised.
The late evening went on from there until things were calmed enough for the attention to be returned to the exhausted boy resting by Kai's side.
Kai had somehow managed to return from his lonely deathbed and after reconnecting him to life, it was said he would recover. Kai would live.
~~
"So do you understand the seriousness of your actions?" Rose questioned Rei outside Kai's silent room.
Rei nodded feeling ashamed for tossing law aside to such measures. "I'm glad, because what this boy needs right now, is a loving hand like yours to reach out for him." She smiled at him, her eyes soft and warm. "I'll work things out with security, but no more playing doctor, alright?"
Rei couldn't believe his ears. He wouldn't receive any punishment? "Thank you, very much. My greatest apologies."
"Not to fear son, I see you have a strong connection with him." She winked then strode off down the hall preparing to discuss the problem of Rei and settle things with the staff.
Rei stepped quietly into the room, closing the door careful behind him. His back was turned to Kai, he was startled greatly when all at once he heard the weary whisper.
"Rei?"
He spun around allowing more hair to escape the tight bandage, so to fall pathetically around his shoulders.
"Rei, I'm sorry." This whisper came again.
"Kai." Rei smiled and rushed to his side, kneeling to eye level. "You're alright." Tears danced in the corners of Rei's eyes for the second time that night, except this time for happiness.
"Rei, I was worried." Kai looked down as if finding it hard to say the right words. Rei shook his head and brought his finger to Kai's lips.
"It's alright Kai," he paused, "The truth is..." this time Kai would be awake for Rei's confession and this was taking a lot more effort then he had planned. "The truth is I love you."
Kai's expression was all wrong. Not how Rei pictured it would be at all. Instead of looking tender and joyful, he appeared sad, full of remorse and regret. He quickly looked away allowing Rei's finger to fall to his chest.
"Kai?" Rei said again. "I love you." Kai finally turned back to Rei and shook his head.
"Rei, I can't say something that I don't understand."