Don't own YYH, but the story is mine. Thanks!
Chapt. 18
While I Lay
"Darkfire? I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm sorry. You were right. I should have listened. You know me better than I know myself. I just wish you would tell me why. Why you torture yourself the way you do. I don't understand," a sad voice speaks beside me. A familiar and warming scent brushes over my nose as I breathe in a smooth, rhythmic way. This boy beside me was sad and confused, and I could do nothing to help. I longed to open my eyes, but they were heavy with sleep. I waited for him to continue.
It was silent for what seemed like ages. He did not speak again. I grew tiresome of the silence. But it was soon broken by a familiar voice.
"How's she doin'?" they whispered.
"She's still sleeping," the sad boy answered.
"I hope she wakes soon. Osadyro says this is unusual for her to do."
The boy makes no sound.
"Kuwabara wants to talk with her alone," the familiar voice said after a pause.
"I won't let that buffoon in here alone with her, Yusuke," the boy growls.
"Hiei, please," the voice begs.
"No Yusuke! I'm not leaving her!" Hiei yells. "It's my fault she's like this," he continued, more softly this time. "If I hadn't yelled at her, she would have sensed the danger sooner."
"Don't blame yourself, man. Let the buffoon talk to her," Yusuke calms, referring to Kuwabara as the buffoon.
It was silent for a while. "Fine," Hiei sighs. It's quiet again, except the minimal shuffling and opening of a door, then said door clicks shut.
"Hey Darkfire. I just wanted to say thanks. You didn't have to do that for me, you really didn't. But you did, and that's more than anyone else would have done. I think I know why you did it too. And I bet you would have done it for everybody else if you hadn't passed out. You didn't want to lose anyone else close to you. And you can bet that if our roles were switched, I'd do the same for you.
"Just don't die, ok? Shorty would never forgive you. He'd curse your name to Hell and back. You know that right? He'd never show it, but he does care. Haha, I bet he even likes you a little! When you guys had that dare, you should have seen his face when we started again! But he kept starin' at you. Almost like he thought he'd put you through some kind of pain. But I suppose it would be hard for you to like a guy right now. After what Hiei told us, about you and Oshi, I'm surprised you like hangin' with us and not get nervous all the time. I guess you're tough like that." Kuwabara stays silent. I can hear his breathing.
A door silently opens and clicks shut after a few moments. A well-known scent comes to me.
"That was a stupid thing you did back there Darkfire," she scolds me. It was Osadyro. "I told you to run. Why didn't you listen? Why didn't you save yourself from this pain? That's right, you're too kind hearted to do that. You'd die a million times for a human; anybody really. But, I thought I'd let you in on a little secret: You can only die once. Remember that the next time you risk your neck for someone." A cold liquid drop hits my face. "Don't you dare scare me like this again, ok? You can't die on me. Not now, not ever. Got that?" she chokes. Another drop hits my face. She was crying. The door is ripped open and slammed shut. I'm left alone.
Hours – I think – passed by and the door never opened. Now the silence was broken by glass breaking. A scream was heard and it rang through the house. The door flings open and slams shut. Someone was trying to catch the breath they lost.
"BOTAN! GET OUTTA THERE, NOW! UNLOCK THIS DOOR!" a voice yells, not at all muted by the door.
The blue-haired ferry girl's heart skipped a beat in fear as the person opposite the door bangs his fist upon it. Still breathing deeply, she sits beside me.
"Please wake up soon Darkfire," she begins, "before there is nothing left of this house or its inhabitants."
The banging outside subsides with a scuffle.
"Hiei's ripping this place apart. If you were to wake up, he'd stop right away. Please wake soon – for all our sakes."
I wanted to tell her I was awake, but my mouth wouldn't move. My eyelids felt like lead. My voice box would make no sound to indicate that I was awake. Sure, I couldn't feel anything below my gut, but I didn't know how long I'd been there. Hell, I could have been layin' in this same spot for a year! Though I highly doubt it.
"Almost a month you've been here and you've never moved. I fear that if you don't get up soon, that you'll be paralyzed for the rest of your life. I know that you can't move, but please try. Try for us. Especially Osadyro, she needs you. Please Darkfire; grace the world with your presence once again," she begged, choking back tears.
I hadn't known these people for very long; not even a month; and tears were being shed over me. Peoples' lives were in shambles over my great slumber. A month now they had been watching me sleep, heal, and lay there. And Hiei wouldn't leave me without long moments of consideration. How could my life have affected these people so much in so little time? Yet, it isn't so strange. When I see these people, my friends, I feel at home. A month...a month?! The tournament!
