Chapter 5: I'm sorry
"What THE HELL did you doing?" asked Sakaki while Yusuke laid Kurama down on his bed. She didn't wasting time and removed his shirt off. Sakaki gasped for air when she saw Kurama's wounded chest. She could sense blood pulsing in his vein and she was terrified by this slow rhythm. Sakaki closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Out. Everyone. Now!" when Yusuke was passing her, she grabbed his arm.
"Take a look on Audrey. She will faint to a ten minutes." Without any others explain she started working on Kurama's injuries. Yusuke went out from a room and let Sakaki doing her best. He saw Audrey how she rested against the nearest wall. He realized that her previous attack must be more exhausting than anything else. Before he could say something to her, Hiei was quicker.
"You should go rest. Then you can tell us why the first guy beat Kurama up."
Audrey gave him a weak grin and went to her and Sakaki's room.
"Hey, Hiei, since when you are so social? Or do you just like her?" asked Kuwabara mockingly.
"Shut up, idiot!" snarled Hiei through clenched teeth. Yusuke paid no attention to them and thoughtfully looked at the door, which Audrey disappeared.
She must be really tired. It will be better for her, if she get some sleep. I just hope that Kurama will be alright.
"Anyway, why can't Yukina-chan heal Kurama's injury?"
"I don't know, Kuwabara, but Audrey was really stubborn about this. I trust her. In these cases she is mostly right." Said Yusuke and looked out of a window. They could only wait. Wait for Kurama's life. After a fifteen minutes appears the others girls. Yukina and Botan were pale and Shizuru with Keiko looked really worriedly.
"How is Kurama? Will he be alright?" asked Keiko.
"May I help you somehow?" offered Yukina.
"It's OK. Sakaki take care of him. He will be definitely alright." said Yusuke to them with conviction. Shizuru put a cigarette out of her mouth and looked around.
"What exactly happened? I didn't know that fight can be cancelled. Anyway, where is Audrey-chan? I wonder what she did with her opponent."
"It's not only you." growled Kuwabara under his breath.
"Did you say something, baby brother?"
"Sis, can you stop insult me before my friends?"
Yusuke didn't listening. He sat down to a chair and took a look at Hiei. The fire demon didn't even move, but Yusuke knew, he was thinking about some thing as him. What if Sakaki couldn't save Kurama's life? Hiei never show it, but everyone was sure, that tall redhead was his best friend, maybe the only real one. They could not do anything else than waiting. Yusuke hated waiting. Keiko touched his shoulder.
"He will be fine, Yusuke."
Yusuke laid his hand on Keiko's and smiled at her. He was glad she didn't know why they all fight in the tournament. Everyone sat in silence. Kurama was a friend. A reliable friend, who was always there, when they need a help. Nobody knew what exactly happened, but they was sure it can take a life of theirs friend.
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Sakaki tied up a last bandage and sighed. She wanted break down and cry. She did her best and still she wasn't sure if it will be enough. Kurama's injury was deep and serious, but she hoped he will be fine. The worst part of all was breaking the spell which was taking Kurama's will to live. Sakaki sat down on the edge of Kurama's bed and closed her eyes. She needed Audrey. She needed somebody who would tell her what to do.
Audrey wasn't afraid of anything. She wasn't like Sakaki. Sakaki always needed someone who was with her. She was too scared when she was alone. Scared of everything and everyone. And now she just can't failure.
She remembered how gently Kurama held her yesterday. Sakaki have never expected that she can find him on such place as the Dark Tournament. He was so.... Well she must admitted, she didn't really know him. Not much.
Sakaki's school was near by his. Her classmates were all in love with Minamino Schuichi. Theirs schools arrange many activities between them. The most popular was a Sport festival, where she met him for the first time. Almost two years ago.
Flashback:
Sakaki was new in a school and too shy for finding some friends. At this festival was too much people and she was scared. She stood a little away from everyone and looked at them. She felt dizzy and lost. All what she wanted was some quiet place. Sakaki turned around and collide with a strange tall boy. She was too confused for anything, so she quickly bowed and blurt out.
"I'm sorry. My bad." and ran away. She didn't see the jealousy look from her classmates.
She didn't have to search long for quiet place. Behind the school building was small place with a full grown trees and bloom bush. Sakaki sat down on the grass and leant her back against tree. This was her most favourite place in whole school. Peace and calm. She blinked when she saw a shadow before her.
"Are you alright?"
Sakaki rose her eyes. In front of her stood the tall boy, who's she almost knocked down. She slowly nodded.
"Sorry for bothering you, but you looks pale." he continued. Sakaki noticed, he must be from another school. She saw this day many boys in this kind of uniform.
"Would you mind if I join you?"
She shook her head still wondering, what he can want.
"You really don't speak much, you know?" he told her with a smile, which she sheepishly returned.
"I just don't know what to say."
"You can start with your name." he chuckled.
"Nagahara Sakaki. Nice to meet you."
"Minamino Schuichi. Nice to meet you, too."
Sakaki suddenly burst out in giggling.
"I'm sorry, but this is really stupid."
"Yeah. I was afraid, that you were run from festival because of me."
"No. I just don't feel very well among so many people. So I needed some peace. I always go here when I need calm down. It's a nice place."
"It really is. Do you feel better now? You looked .....hm...... I mean tired."
"It's OK. I was ill last weak."
"You are new here?"
"Yes. Me and my brother moved here last month."
"It's not too long." he listened how his classmates called him.
"Better if I go. May I meet with you after school?"
"Whatever, Minamino-san!" said Sakaki with a smile.
End of Flashback:
Sakaki tightened her grip on her skirt. She had to close her eyes, because she couldn't stand looking at wounded Kurama. He was always so nice and patience with her. Sakaki couldn't understand how could get himself to this situation. First, everybody call him Kurama. Second, everybody knows something about him expect her. She felt terrible. She wasn't sure of anything. Not anymore. And most of everything, she was scared.
Kurama moved and she quickly turned to him. She still couldn't tell if he was unconsciousness or just sleep. Sakaki gently touched his forehead with her palm and silently whispered to him. She didn't know why she is so worried about his life. She wasn't used to see him often. She remembered that sometimes he walked her from school, but that was all. She even didn't know where he lives.
Somehow she felt that there is something what says to her, he is her friend. She felt good in his presence. He never made fun from her, even when she did something stupid or childish. She wanted see him smile at her again.
Sakaki put a blanket on him and went tell Yusuke and the others, that Kurama will be alright. For some reason she was now sure about this. She took a look at her watch. Everyone was waiting for her over four hours now. The last time she looked at Kurama and opened the door.
"He will be fine. Now he needs rest." She didn't understand why she wasn't crying. She was psychically exhausted. After all that worrying about Kurama's life she thought she need cry.
Hiei nodded and went out. Yusuke and Keiko sighed in relieve and others burst in laughing and hugging each other. Sakaki didn't know what to do. She leant against the door and tried put herself together. She hoped that Audrey was still sleeping. She didn't want to show herself before her in such mood. Audrey was always so worried and tried to comfort her. Sakaki went back to Kurama. She wanted be near him if he woke up.
Kurama's room wasn't dark because of moonlight, so she could easily go to his bed. Kurama looked so calm. Sakaki sat on the floor next to his bed and looked at him. He didn't look as if he was in pain but Sakaki wanted to be sure. She drew his fringe off and softly stroked his cheek. A single tear fell down from her eye.
Why they hurt you so badly? How can they hurt anybody such way?
She put her head on his bed and fell asleep.
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It was almost midnight when Kurama woke up. He heard sound of opening door and turned his head that way.
"Hiei?" Kurama's voice was weak and sounded tired. Hiei appeared next to him.
"You should sleep, fox!"
"What happened? I don't remember clearly." He could almost felt Hiei's smirk.
"Calm down. You are in good hands. You will be fine."
Kurama finally noticed tiny girl, whose head leant on his bed.
"She saves your life, fox. Tomorrow you can thank her." He wanted go out again, when Kurama called him.
"Can you put her to bed? She shouldn't sleep like that."
Hiei smiled at his friend and lift Sakaki up. She something muttered from her sleep, but didn't wake up. Hiei smirked and carried her to her bedroom. Kurama was smiling when he watching his friend how he tried closed the door with Sakaki in his arms. He yawned and immediately fell asleep again. Tiredness was too strong even for him.
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"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
Sakaki woke up, when she heard Audrey's yelling.
How I got here? I'm sure, I'm fall asleep in Minamino-san's room. Wait! Minamino-san.
She jumped from her bed and ran to the nest room. She noticed Audrey who stood before some familiar person....
"Walter-san! What a surprise. What brings you here?" Sakaki asked happily.
"Most probably my bad luck. The God must really hate me. What do you want!" asked Audrey in very different voice and still very aloud.
"Audrey-chan, please stop yelling. Minamino-san needs rest."
"I'M NOT YELLING!!!" yelled Audrey to Sakaki's face. The black-haired girl only sighed and went check how is Kurama. When she came to his room, he was trying to sit on bed.
"Minamino-san, you should really rest." She told him. Kurama politely smiled at her and nodded before he leant against his pillow.
"You must be hungry, Minamino-san. If you can wait a moment I will bring you something to eat."
Kurama's smile grew wider. He couldn't help himself, but she was really sweet. When she came back she carried a big tray with a breakfast.
"You should eat everything, Minamino-san." She told him. It cost him all of his energy to stay awake, but the smell of food was helping him.
"Can you tell me, why Audrey-chan yelled?" asked Kurama. Sakaki sat down on his bed and grinned.
"She has a visitor. Actually, it's Walter-san." She told him as he was supposed to know, who Walter is.
"Hmm, who is Walter?"
"He is servant of Audrey's aunt. I think. I've never really known what exactly Walter's doing. He must be here because of Audrey. But I'm not sure."
"Sakaki-chan, can you tell me, what happened yesterday?"
Sakaki's face became pale and sad.
"You were injured. Very badly and what more, on your soul was spell which was taking you, your will to live. You slept all yesterday."
"You took care of me?"
"Yes, why are you asking?"
"Because I want thanks you!" Kurama said with a huge smile. He stopped when he saw her stiffen. Sakaki's face was covered by her beautiful black hair so he couldn't tell what she was thinking about.
"I didn't want it." her whisper hit him as a hammer.
"Excuse me?"
"I didn't want to take care of you; because I didn't want to see your wounds. I didn't want to see you in pain."
Kurama rather sensed than saw hers tears.
"I'm sorry, Sakaki-chan. I didn't want to make you worry." Kurama's quiet whisper was merely heard. Sakaki lifted her head up. He could see tears how silently falling down from hers cheeks.
"I was scared, Minamino-san. I was scared, that you will die and you almost did. I just don't want to see anyone gets hurt." She whipped her tears away.
"I'm sorry." she whispered again.
Kurama was watching how she ran out. He felt terrible. A few moments later the door opened again.
"Hello, Hiei." said Kurama without looking at his friend.
"You are really fucking idiot, you know? What the hell did you told her. I saw her how she was crying after she went out from here. Even Blondie stopped yell at that guy when she saw her."
Kurama put his breakfast on the small bedside table and sighed.
"I didn't say anything wrong. I didn't want to make her cry." He had feeling, he want to make sure more himself than Hiei.
"Sorry fox, but she really didn't look like she was crying from happiness." said Hiei sarcastically. Kurama blinked.
"Hiei, this is the first time, when you are polite towards some girl, except Yukina. May I know why?"
"She reminds me someone." Hiei didn't say anything else and Kurama didn't ask. To be honest he was too tired for speaking. If Hiei told him something else, he didn't hear it. When Hiei was sure that Kurama was sleeping he went to Audrey, because he had some questions for which he wanted answers.
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"It's really not hard, Hiei." said Audrey while all of them, except Sakaki and Kurama, sat in the main room.
"Vortex was using some sort of spell so Kurama hadn't any chance against him."
"But Kurama is too clever than let somebody put spell on himself." remark Kuwabara, who couldn't understand, that Kurama was beat up so easily.
"That's true, but Vortex didn't put this spell on him IN the ring. This is all my fault. When Dreamer attacked me before fight I was focused at him and didn't realize that Vortex put another spell on Kurama in the same time. I'm sorry." Audrey held a cup of tea in her hands and looked really frustrated.
"It's not your fault, Audrey! You couldn't know it!" said Yusuke.
"I agree. You couldn't presuppose such thing, Audrey-sama." Add Walter who stood behind her. Audrey put her cup back on the table with loudly crash.
"I HAD TO!"
"Do you know what kind of spell it was?" asked her Hiei. Audrey slowly calmed down when she was thinking about it.
"Something like that I saw before. Maybe three years ago. It something what take your will to live from you. You want to give up. Kurama gained all his strength before Vortex kicked him out from the ring, so he didn't die. I don't understand how it can be possible, but this is what saves Kurama's life. Technically, he should be dead, but practically he isn't."
"Ha, I knew that Kurama is too tough for everyone. And when you killed that Dreamer guy it can't be so hard defeat the rest of them." said Kuwabara happily and Audrey almost tore his throat apart.
"She didn't kill him, you idiot." remark Hiei without moving.
"What?"
"Are you deaf or just stupid? He said; I didn't kill him. Well, Hiei is right. Dreamer will be back. Maybe not before end of the tournament, but definitely he will return. Something so primitive as the Heaven's rain is, can't kill him." Audrey looked calm when she said it, but Yusuke was sure, she must be angry.
"I doubted that your "Heaven's rain" is primitive. For sure, it must be pretty strong." said Shizuru.
"Of course, this technique is really strong, but Audrey-sama didn't cast it properly." Commend it Walter with a small smile. Audrey's face turns bright red, when she heard it.
"For casting such kind of spell you must be absolutely calm but Audrey-sama was quite angry. Don't worry, Audrey-sama, yours spells are strong even when you are furious."
Audrey tried ignoring others laughing, but it wasn't help.
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