Hi everyone!! I promised you all I'd start writing again as soon as I finish my mocks and here I am. I hope that you all enjoy this…
Disclaimer: I own neither RK nor Nokia but I do have a Nokia 3650 mobile and I would switch it for Kenshin any time of the year!!
CRASH
Kenshin paced around the living room, feeling terribly sick with worry; Kaoru and Kenji went to a party at one of her co-worker's house and they should've been back three hours ago and Kaoru's cell phone was switched off and he didn't even know the name of the co-worker. The roaring storm outside made his worries at least a thousand times worse than the normal.
What if something had happened to them?
This question forced itself into Kenshin's thoughts repeatedly, squeezing his heart like a lemon every time. A frightful lightning bolt outside flashed the clock on the far wall for him from the dark menacingly.
Kenji doesn't like storms, he must be scared now. I hope Kaoru can help him.
A weak smile sneaked onto his cold lips; of course Kaoru will know how to soothe him, How I wish she was here to soothe me too!
Tears welled up in his violet eyes as a frown replaced the smile. He was glad that it was dark to hide the tears, even though he was alone in the apartment. Kaoru…Kenji…
The familiar ring tone he had assigned to Kaoru's cell phone felt like the light at the end of the tunnel to him.
"Kaoru" he nearly screamed into his cell phone.
"Ke-ke-kenshi-in" Kaoru's voice came unclear from the other side.
"Kaoru, baby, I can't hear you properly, where are you?" he asked frantically.
"I-Mi-Ke-ar-I-him-ar" her voice came.
If fear could rise a bit more in Kenshin's chest, it would spill right through his nose and mouth.
"Kaoru, I can't hear you, please," he pleaded hopelessly, now on all three; one hand holding the only hope he had close to his ear.
A sudden loud 'whoosh' threatened to deafen Kenshin, his spinal cord nearly made him pull the device away from his ears in a reflex action, but his will to hold on to Kaoru's voice was much stronger.
"Kenji, NO!" he heard Kaoru yell and felt his heart skip a beat in response.
"Kaoru, Kaoru" he called desperately.
"NOOOO!!!" followed a terrible crash and the line went dead.
He frantically redialed her number…switched off.
Kenshin was frozen still with shock. He unfroze when his lungs burned for a fresh supply of oxygen, only to fall a heap on the floor, eyes wide open with shock and tears threatening to spill.
What just happened?
An
hour later
Kenshin was lying on the floor on his back, arms and legs open. His maroon hair spread beneath his skull like a pool of blood and he was blinking and breathing slowly, he looked as if he had been shot in the head and he felt like it too. Staring into the blank ceiling that was engulfed in darkness except when a lightning revealed it for a few seconds. He breathed slowly, mobile in one hand, praying silently for another call. His tearstains were constantly revived with fresh ones as the old and new together formed two small stains on the floor, each near Kenshin's ear, where they finally resided.
Kaoru…Kenji…
Suddenly, the mobile sang a different ring tone. A cheerful tone that felt like a nosy intruder to the gloomy atmosphere. Kenshin instantly sat up straight, mobile pinned to his ear.
"Kaoru" he gasped to the little Nokia.
"Is this were Kaoru Himura resides?" an unfamiliar male voice asked.
Kenshin's breath caught up in his throat and he felt his heart smash into pieces as if it was made from porcelain.
"Yes?" he asked unable to hide the choking panic in his voice.
"This is a call from the General hospital, we…" but before the man could finish Kenshin was already on his way.
Later….
It was freezing outside; the wing howled like a madman, the lightning flashed like a sword. It was dangerous to be outdoors in such a weather, but the streets were surprisingly crowded with cars loaded with people eager to get back home to their loved ones, where they can hide, where all their worries fade away in the arms of a loved one.
KAORUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU…KENJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.
The traffic jam turned the pools of violet to red and yellow with anger, so much anger that Kenshin desired the manslayer in him to assassinate all those who stood between him and his family. He took a shivering deep breath and squeezed his eyelids shut, trying to savor the memories that played on his closed eyelids like an old movie…
When they first met, a tingle inside forced him to abandon traveling the world and to settle down close to her.
Her pretty innocent eyes…
When he bent down to her to offer her a solitaire and his life.
Her pretty pink lips…
When he'd place his ear on her tummy and feel their baby kicking.
My two angels…
How she screamed her lungs out with pain in the back of Sano's car to deliver Kenji.
My wife and son…
When he first held the newly born Kenji in his arms, wrapped in a tiny baby-blue blanket, his little fingers wrapped around Kenshin's index finger.
My soul…
He couldn't take it anymore. He shut off the engine and got out of the car. The storm greeted him a cold draft that made his hair fly high like a live flame. He started running in the middle of the road and between the cars, the curses of the drivers behind him soon faded away as he used the speed he had abandoned long ago. His breath visible before his eyes. He had to reach them no matter what was the cost. He caressed his cross-shaped scar subconsciously as he realized that he would gladly kill if it were needed.
Soon, the figure of the large hospital came into view. The warmth inside the building failed to cheer him. He looked around frantically for any signs. His heartbeat boomed in his ears as his shocking yellow eyes scanned his surrounding carefully. The charts and arrows on the walls lead him to the emergency section. He felt the smell of blood and groans of agony stab him in the chest, so badly, he put a hand to check if it was bleeding.
Could Kaoru and Kenji be like that? No it can't be…
He grabbed the nearest person passing by, by the collar.
"I need to find Kaoru Himura and Kenji Himura" he seethed dangerously at the frightened male nurse.
"Huh? Who?" the nurse stammered, rather shocked.
"Two people were here for a car accident" Kenshin explained impatiently, "A woman and her son".
Realization flooded onto the nurse's complexion. It wasn't a sign of any possible good.
No…no…
"Sir, please release me and I will go and find them for you right away" the nurse said in an understanding tone. Kenshin reluctantly obeyed.
"Please have a seat," the nurse pointed to a nearby set of chairs then turned and left hurriedly.
Kenshin slumped onto a chair, feeling too weak to stand up.
What did that expression mean?
The loudness of his heartbeat increased so badly, it overcame the overwhelmed noises of the hospital. All what Kenshin could hear was his heartbeat and all he could see was a faint image of his wife and son on the back of his frozen mind.
"Mr. Kenshin?" a voice called.
Kenshin looked up to see a stern looking male doctor standing next to the Nurse. The look on their faces foretold the words on the report he was about to hear, but he still held on powerfully to the hope that he might've lost the skill of reading eyes.
"Mr. Kenshin?" the doctor repeated. Kenshin could only nod. "Please follow me" he said as he jerked his head towards a nearby corridor then walked towards it.
Kenshin slowly got up and followed him. He looked at the nurse one last time as he passed by him, and he didn't give the impression that Kenshin was going to hear good news. Finally, the Doctor stopped in front of the Intensive Care Unit door. Kenshin felt his heart beats slowing down with defeat. He looked at the door hopelessly then at the Doctor who nodded to confirm his fears.
"They're in there?" Kenshin asked feebly, leaning against the wall for support.
The Doctor looked around as if searching for encouragement before looking at Kenshin in the eyes to break the sad news.
"Only the wife" he said after clearing his throat nervously.
Kenshin looked at him questionably. Kenji is okay?!
"The boy couldn't make it till here" the Doctor said quickly as if it could help reduce the agony.
Kenshin's jaw dropped and his vision became blurred with tears.
"The wife however made it here" the Doctor continued, "But I'm afraid her condition is seriously hopeless"
Kenshin's head dropped onto his chest as he slid down slowly against the wall and onto the floor until his knees couldn't bend any more but his back still touched the wall. Tears flowed generously onto his reddened cheeks. The agony tearing him apart, he couldn't move nor speak.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" he screamed like a lion roaring, at the top of his voice and as loud as his lungs could provide air for, not at anyone or anything, just to overcome the pain.
"Kenshin?" a familiar angelic voice came to his ears.
Kenshin looked to his side and shut his eyes to shed the fresh tears to clear his vision. Kaoru's beautiful head peeped out from the door of a room in the same corridor.
"Daddy?" Kenji's head peeped much lower then Kaoru's.
"Oro!" was all what Kenshin said before his world turned black.
A few minutes later…
CLUNK…CLUNK…CLUNK…
Kenshin's eyes slightly opened involuntarily. His vision was terribly blurred; all he could see was a large cloud moving quickly to and fro. Soon, his senses began to re-function very slowly and his brain struggled to co-ordinate all the confused signals.
"Kenshin" a worried angelic voice cuddled his eardrum.
Kaoru…
"You okay?" the angelic voice asked, full of concern.
Kaoru?!
Kaoru!
"Am I dead?" he asked absent-mindedly.
He heard a soft giggle that he thought he'd never hear again.
CLUNK…CLUNK…CLUNK…
Finally, his pain sensors burst into action, screaming at him that something was continuously hitting him in the head. He forced his eyes open ignoring the bright light that threatened to burn them and his vision cleared gradually. Kenji sat on the floor next to him; instead of a hand he had a jar, a cookie jar! The cloud moving to and fro was a cookie jar stuck to his son's little hand.
Kaoru noticed what Kenji had been doing to his Dad and lifted her son into her arms away from her husband.
"Kenshin, you okay?' she asked suppressing a giggle, a relieved expression on her pretty face.
"Am I dead?' Kenshin asked again, seriously.
A few days later…
Sano and Misao both laughed hysterically, clutching their stomachs, struggling to walk straight to their cars.
"Stop it both of you" Kenshin said, feeling embarrassed. "It wasn't that funny"
Sano, Megumi, Aoshi and Misao were just leaving after paying a visit to check on Kenshin. Kaoru had called them all on the phone the next day and told them every thing. They were, now, leaving to get their cars.
"Actually it is" Megumi said laughing hard into the night as she walked to her car.
Even Aoshi was laughing as he unlocked the door of his car.
Kenshin looked away angrily, blushing furiously.
Kaoru placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and he turned back to face her.
"You must admit it was pretty funny," she told him sympathetically.
Kenshin gave her a weak smile.
"Maybe" he murmured, his face a deep shade of red, "But they're laughing!"
"You thought they were dead! You thought you were dead!" Sano exclaimed, leaning against his car as he laughed.
Kenshin sighed.
"How was I supposed to know that they went to the hospital just to get Kenji's hand out of the cookie jar?" Kenshin explained, "I was half way to the hospital when that guy told me he's calling from there"
"Why didn't you let him finish?" Megumi asked, now giggling hard as she sat behind the steering wheel.
Kenshin only bushed deeper.
"You fainted when you saw them there?" Misao asked incredulously, halfway into Aoshi's car. "Baka!"
"Hey, don't insult my husband!" Kaoru snapped, standing up for Kenshin. He gave her a thank-you-so-much look.
"No offense" Misao said between laughs as she fastened her seat belt. "But he fainted when he saw you two!"
"How was I supposed to know that the hospital mixed up between them and another mother and her child?" Kenshin said defensively.
He frowned at the memory while Kaoru waved goodbye to their guests as they drove away.
That woman's husband must be in a pretty horrible state now…
"Kenshin?" Kaoru's voice brought him back.
He looked up and into her bright eyes. Her expression became worried on seeing how disturbed his was.
"What's wrong?" she asked him gently, genuinely concerned.
He just stared at her for a few seconds.
"Nothing" he finally answered, secretly thanking God for having her in his life and gave her a big hug, resting his head on her comfortable shoulder, hiding his face in her raven hair. Ignoring the fact that they were still standing in the porch.
Kaoru was taken by surprise.
"Kenshin?" she said softly.
"Hmmmm?" he replied without moving, enjoying being so close to her.
"I love you" she said in a whisper.
Kenshin felt the hair on his body stand up pleasantly as his insides became all warm and fuzzy. A loving smile spread across his face.
"I love you too" he replied, tightening his grip around her tiny figure protectively.
So, how about a nice review to make my staying up late to write worthwhile? Like a dear friend said one time: If you find more subtle hints, I'll eat my fingers!
Just before I leave, I'd like to give a shout out to these wonderful people: Zen "Starry night blue", Sarah "Cluless girl", Grace "Grace07", Algor "Black slashed dragon" and Mr. Freak "Chameleon Freak"! Thank you all.