Title: I'll Be There - Revelation
Author: Kaede Yuki
a.n.: Okay... I think I've updated within the promised time period. I'm really sorry though for not being able to update sooner. But I apologize in advance if there is anything wrong spelling or such in this fic because this chapter is un-beta-ed. I just wrote this late night and early this morning. I haven't got timeto give it to my beta-reader for checking. So, gomen. Okay, I'll cut the crap and on with the story.
P/s: Okay, I think I have some explanation to do. So of you might have read the earlier version of the second chapter which says that Deee has peptic ulcer. Well, after further researching I think peptic ulcer is not dramatic enough so, I've changed it to stomach cancer. I'm sorry for the inconveniences.
"Dee…" started the ash blond detective as his back pushed the door to the office he shared with his partner and let himself in without taking his pitch black eyes off the file he was reading, "…Chief wants us in his office…" But when no reply or whatsoever came in return, words just faded into his mouth.
With minor reluctance and major annoyance, Ryo tore his eyes from the papers and painstakingly scanned every corner of their office for any sign of his partner. The intensity in those midnight orbs softened with apprehension as a sad frown graced his gorgeous features.
"Dee…" whispering the name of his partner-cum-lover, it never occurred to the man how easy it was for the name to roll off the tip of his tongue. It was like his lover's name was an everyday word in his life.
But lately, the flaxen detective couldn't help but to feel neglected, or maybe neglect wasn't the right word to describe Dee's frequent disappearance act. It was more like the man was avoiding him. And as to for what were the reasons, only God could tell. Calling his name so often only to meet the shadow of what was meant to be Dee, - has left Ryo feeling empty to the pit of his stomach.
"He's missing again, I presume?" Drake inquired as he passed the detective on his way down the hallway, without failing to stress the absence of a particular detective for more than once in a day. And to think that Dee's AWOL record for the day was improving since Drake has only seen Ryo sighing exasperatedly thrice in today, - how wrong he was; now he knew.
"Don't even get me started…" groaned the blond detective as he entered his office and sat down unceremoniously onto his chair while the other detective followed suit and sat across on an unoccupied chair.
"What did he do this time?"
"Nothing! He did frickin' nothing!" Ryo bellowed in fury with his eyebrows intensely furrowed together.
"He did nothing?" Drake repeated skeptically, "So, that is why you're so pissed like a PMS-ing bitch?"
Ryo murderously glared at the man only to be replied with fits of laughter.
"Okay…okay…I get the message. It's not something to joke about…" Drake ceased laughing almost instantaneous, "But seriously, Ryo…What do you want him to do?"
Taken slightly aback by the query, it never occurred what Ryo wanted his lover to do other than it was darn frustrating when he did nothing. And when Ryo meant nothing, he really meant nothing. No sex, no flirt, not even a petty attempt to steal kisses from him during shifts, NOTHING, ZILCH…NOTHING!
"I don't know!" replied the flaxen detective irritably, "All I know is that Dee has been acting strange lately…"
"Very un-Dee like?" supplemented the latter.
"My point exactly!"
Catching a sight of something interesting from the corner of his eyes, Drake peered over the blond detective's shoulders. "Well, then…why don't you ask the man yourself?" he said, indicating the man to look behind him.
Ryo almost snapped his head when he abruptly turned to look behind. He was going to shout at the man, he was going to reprimand the man like a father would to a daughter who stayed out all night. But somehow, those words that meant to came out harshly melted into soft whispers of anxiety, "Dee…where have you been?"
Looking up to meet the worried gaze of his half-Japanese partner, Dee felt as though two tons of brick has fell into the pits of his stomach, but unwaveringly held his smiling mask well in place to dither his lover's forlorn thoughts from becoming verbal.
"Got caught up with something. Why? Is something up?" asked the raven-haired detective casually as he made a beeline to his desk.
"Dee…" Ryo started but was crudely interrupted by Drake.
"As a matter of fact, yes. Chief wants the both of you to take the rest of the day off," Drake said with an awfully uncanny smile. And Ryo could only gape at him.
"If this is some April Fool's joke, you're late by four months. But it would really make my day if it was true… if only it true. So, unless the ol' badger croaks anytime soon, - which he won't, don't come telling me that he's giving us the time of our lives…" Dee retorted with a lackadaisical attitude as he flopped down onto his chair. But the absence of his trademark grin did not go unnoticed by his blond lover.
"Aww… come on, Dee. The chief knows how much you need a rest…" added the former, trying to convince a man who refused to believe in the unexpected. Dee wouldn't even call it a miracle since he had to grovel and beg the chief just to go on a holiday with Ryo. So, no. Dee refused to be blinded by the unfounded.
"Drake, I had three weeks of sleep during my stay in the hospital. I had more than enough share of rest. And since the doctor okayed my release, I don't see a reason as to why I need further time off work."
Sighing exasperatedly, "Okay, I give up. What do I have to do to make you leave?" Drake asked in defeat.
"Why!" Dee asked in return with an incredulous look on his face.
Rolling his eyes, "Because, if you don't explain to your lover-boy there about your latest fascination to be the next Houdini, he's going to snap. And when that happens, I don't want to be anywhere near that man," Drake pointed out bluntly, but was burning on the back where Ryo was glaring at him.
Alternating his glances from his colleague to his lover, Dee exhaled sharply before digging around his drawer for his wallet.
"Point taken. Drake, fill in the third shift for us. I'll trade in for your first shift tomorrow," said the midnight-haired detective as he continued rummaging around for his things.
"You! First shift? Think you'll be able to make it back here at 9?" commented his fellow colleague skeptically.
"So, you want to work through first shift as well?"
"No offense, Dee. But you sleep like a log. Even if Armageddon hits tomorrow, you wouldn't even stir from your sleep."
"Funny that you should mention. I wouldn't even know whether there would be a tomorrow for me." Dee whispered inaudibly as he harshly grabbed his coat that was casually thrown onto the neighboring seat.
"Come on, Ryo. All of a sudden I feel like throwing a few hoops in the neighborhood court," he added as he walked over and grabbed the other man's brown coat off the chair.
"Hoops?" Ryo repeated dubiously but before the words could sink into his comprehension, the blond detective was dragged through the door and out of the precinct.
In between two dreary-looking building located within a rundown neighborhood, - was an open court where not many would pay patron unless they have some kind of death-wish to be mugged, murdered or probably raped. Nevertheless, the thought of either possibility happening was unfathomable by the dark-haired detective, - though his partner was rather apprehensive and agitated.
"Dee…" Ryo tried to talk to his lover, but the other man seemed to be too engrossed in his solo game of basketball…Or the fact that Dee was obviously disregarding his presence and instead, adverts all his attention on the tedious game.
The very thought of Dee ignoring him, made the half-Japanese detective's blood boil under his fair skin.
Raising his voice, making sure that his midnight-haired lover heard him this time, "If you feel responsible for what Drake said, then I'm sorry for being the forcing you to come with me! So, go back to doing whatever shit you were doing before! Go back and play your foolish disappearing act. Because you know what? I no longer want to give a damn!" Ryo shouted as he stormed in the general direction of their patrol car.
Who could blame the man for being this infuriated? After all, he didn't leave his work so that he would have to spend one frickin' hour standing around idly while his partner continued his charade as though he wasn't there at all! If he didn't know better, he would have the assumption that the stupid orange ball his lover was bouncing around the court has more appeal that he does!
"Dee no baka…" he muttered inaudibly to himself out of anger as the back of his hand wiped off the stubborn tears that were cascading down his burning cheeks.
"Ryo!" he heard the smoke green-eyed detective calling out for him. But his dignity declined his wish to stop for the other.
"Ryo! Wait!" catching up to his enraged lover, Dee managed to catch hold of the other man's arm, - preventing him from fleeing any further than he already has.
"Look, I'm sorry…" But before the dark-haired detective could finish, he was crudely interrupted by the other's angry voice.
"Sorry!" Ryo exclaimed in bewilderment, gripping his lover firmly by the collar, "God, Dee! That's not what I want to hear you say! All I want is to know what is wrong with you. You disappear from time to time, you talk about God and death and don't think I didn't catch those inaudible comments you made. Do you have any idea how worried I was? Do you have any idea how scared I was when I nearly lose you?" Ryo was already on the verge of breaking down as his fist tightened around the soft fabric of his lover's shirt. His legs gave away and the man collapsed onto the ground but tears ceased to flow.
Going down on one knee, Dee locked his arms around the man for a warm embrace. However, words were caught in his throat. Despite his heart yearning to say words of comfort, his mouth refused to comply. Maybe it was because he knew that he could no longer give the man false hope, - not when his tears were breaking his own heart.
"Damn you, Dee Laytner!" his half-Japanese lover cursed, whimpering softly as he buried his head against the younger man's chest, "Can't you just tell me what's wrong?"
Dee knew he couldn't' just tell his lover that he had only months to live. He might have handled the news in a calm and collected manner but he seriously doubt that his blond lover could do the same.
He was going to assure the man that nothing was wrong when his body retaliated to the idea. Somehow, the surging urge to throw up that was building up inside the dark-haired detective felt that there was a need for the other to know about his secret.
Not caring that the flaxen man would misinterpret his actions, Dee stood up immediately and fall back in his steps as on hand covered his mouth in futile attempt to stop whatever that was going to come out of it.
Ryo lifted his head when his body missed the warmth of his lover's embrace only to watch in utter confusion as his dark-haired lover turned from him without hiding the obvious effort to hide the truth from him. No doubt, Ryo was aggravated to throw another fit at the former but when his profound black eyes trailed the man's every movement, he did find it rather strange by the way Dee was walking.
It was as though he was drunk and couldn't walk straight. His body sway so much that it seemed as though he was going to fall any minute, - only that every time he was lucky enough to have the support of the barbwire fence or the concrete walls on his left.
Picking up himself from the ground, wiping away the tear stains on his face, Ryo asked with concern, "Dee? What's wrong with you?" But only, he asked too soon as Dee fell onto his knee against the barbwire fence, barfing out sticky red liquid onto his palm.
"Dee!" he shouted in apprehension as he ran to his lover's aid, only to have the man shout back at him, -
"Don't come any closer!"
Startled would be the understatement of the century to describe Ryo's expression. He was baffled! Shocked! And undoubtedly hurt…
"Dee…" he tried to move an inch closer.
"Please, Ryo…" his midnight-haired partner pled softly, - so soft that the tinge of despondency was almost unnoticeable. But only almost unnoticeable…
The blond detective's heart rendered with fear and suffering, - hurting by the cruel fact that his partner, his lover…couldn't trust him enough to tell him that he was ailing. Not even after all the turmoil they have been through together.
"Dee…"
"I'm sorry…" that was all his dark-haired lover said before his entire system shuts down and collapsed onto the ground with a dull thud.
"Dee!"
"BP is 60/40 and dropping…" Ryo vaguely heard the male attendant said to another in the ambulance ride to the General Hospital but his mind has already barred all the noises going around the confined transportation, his body was already numbed from the scene revealed before his eyes.
His partner… his lover… was reclining peacefully despite the commotions going about; - deciding that he would be selfish with his enthralling smoky green eyes and not opening for others to be captivated by them. From the corner of the dark-haired detective's luscious but paling lips was caked blood from his earlier episode. The man's favorite navy blue shirt was ripped off, revealing his muscular chest when the medics had to perform CPR on him.
But this was wrong… all too wrong to be true…
'God… please let me wake up from this nightmare…' the blond detective prayed. But somehow, in the back of his head, he knew that God had helped him too many times. And this time… his Lord was going to fail him.
The ambulance pulled up abruptly before the entrance of the General Hospital, where medical staffs and doctors of the ER department crowded to greet his lover, - only, it wasn't a warm welcome.
"Bloody hell, Laytner! You promised that if I were to discharge you, you won't give me a chance to admit you again!" reprimanded the petite Russian doctor at her unconscious patient. She knew very well that he couldn't hear her, but Emmelina just felt that there was a need to give the man a piece of her mind.
Exhaling sharply, "No more your way, Laytner. From now on, we're going to do it my way," she said sternly as she stormed out of the ward room, only to find a gorgeous blond seated on a bench across the room with dejection written in his deep black eyes.
Striding closer in direction of the man, Emmelina noted that it wasn't only sadness cast in those enticing orbs, but a mix of emotions swirling inside like a turbulent tempest.
"Hi…" she called out to him, but when those Asian eyes looked up to her, she could feel herself falling into the emotions held within. The melancholy in it spoke volumes of sadness that was immeasurable, - far more profound that anything she had encountered before.
"…erm…I don't supposed that you came with that blockhead inside there, did you?" she meant to sound casual, but her voice couldn't help quivering. Something about the man's eyes was eating up her calmness. It was as though it was dragging her into his sadness as well.
A simple nod came in reply.
"If I may be so bold to ask, who are you and who are you to this man?"
Silence greeted her in return before his inaudible voice reached her ears, "…Randy…MacLean… partner… lover… - family…"
A longer silence held between them momentarily as she tried to comprehend the words said.
"You're his lover?"
Ryo lowered his head in a single nod, refusing to look at anything other than the white-tiled floors. He knew that not many could take in the fact that he and his lover's were of the same-sex. It was even a known fact that there are people out there that appalled by their sexual preference and condemned them as abnormal. More often than not, Ryo would deny their sexuality in public, but this time, he felt that there was no need for the secrecy. He knew that he loved the man enough to admit that he was the only person he wants to spend whole of eternity with.
Noting the man's stillness, Emmelina quickly ransacked her brain to say something.
"I'm sorry…I mean, it's not very often I come across gay couples. I'm really sorry if my silence made you uncomfortable," she said with a smile, hoping to make up for her amiss.
"It's okay…" he replied, not that he was expecting much reaction from the lady doctor anyway.
But she continued looking intently at the man as though she was contemplating to say something.
"How is he?" he spoke again, but with a more optimistic voice this time.
"He's…" the petite lady didn't know where to start telling the man. Only that she had this nagging feeling that her patient is going to kill her for disclosing information about his condition to another.
"You don't know a thing, do you?" she asked, catching the man off-guard by the question.
Eyebrow creased, "What do you mean?" Ryo asked in return, narrowing his midnight-black eyes at the doctor.
Shivering slightly at the intensity held in the man's gaze, "Mr. Laytner… has contracted a stomach cancer…" she paused as the blond man's eyes widened with bewilderment, gasping at the unsaid horror of the news, and slumped back against the bench, looking as though he was a man who has gone into shock.
Looking at the state of the man, she knew that the man wasn't going to take the news as collected as her patient had. Emmelina opened her mouth to will herself to speak, but only after a few silent gapes she regained her power to vocalize her thoughts again.
"He… he's in the last stage…" she finally said, uncovering more disturbing news.
"But… he was discharged…he was well…" Ryo was hardly making any sense with the gibberish he said in his trembling voice.
"I'm sorry…" that was all she could say to comfort the man of his grief.
"But you're the doctor! Do something about it! I… I … I can't let him die! He's my everything!" he said in desperation, grabbing the doctor by the shoulder.
"I know you're upset, Mr. MacLean… but… there is nothing I can do when it's his wish for me to stop treating him…"
Startled by the fact, Ryo felt his whole body froze. Staggering a few steps back till he collapsed back onto the wooden bench, "He… Dee… wants to …"
Knowing that it would be hard for the man to say the word out loud, Emmelina saved the man the misery by cutting in, "Yes…" she replied with a fraction of the dejection felt by Ryo. It's not that she had no compassion for the dark-haired detective; it was just that her sentiments for the detective cannot rival the love of the blond man for the man.
a.n. 2: Accreditations to all those reviewers who had reviewed Let Me Be Free.
Starting from the latest:
Josh122121-san: Um...okay. But better yet, why don't you just alert this fic?
Lorella-san: Is it really that sad? Anyway, I've updated now. I'm sorry for the delay though. ;P
Kitty in the Box-san: I hope that this is soon enough. I did mention that I will be writing again in late June. I hope that you haven't lost interest in this fic...And I will give shabu shabu a try the next time I pay patronage to a Japanese restaurant. (wink)
firgodes7-san: Thank you for your support! I hope that this chapter lives up to your expectations. :)
NightShadow131-san: I would love to tell you more but somethings are meant to be revealed in the stories. (wink) And though I said that this was going to be the last chapter, there is still something I want to add and I want to make Dee's death scene more significant. (smile) I'm not too sure if this is sad enough, but I hope that you enjoy it all the same.
VgGkYaoiGurl-san: Gomen! I'm sorry for the error I made. Gomen. And I'm also sorry for the late update. I really had my hands full last three months. I hope that you will continue supporting my fic despite the mistake I made. :)
ColeridgeFan-san: I'm sorry... but Dee has to go. But if you look it this way, if happiness is short-lived, they will cherish it more that way. That is what I think. In life, if you know that time is running short, you'd learn to love more than you ever will in 100 years. But that is my opinion only...hehe... p/s: I like Hisoka and Tsuzuki, too. Especially like the puppy-version of Tsuzuki. He's really cute!
Shirubaa Kitsune-san: I hope that you've noted that there has been a slight change in chapter 2 of this fic. I'm really sorry for both my late update and the inconvenience. And as for your question on peptic ulcer... heard of gastric or gasteritis? It's an inflammation of the stomach. Not too serious if treated, but recurrence is possible. Anyway, how is Sakura?
XZanayu-san: Thank you for your support! And I hope that you like this chapter! ;)
Thank you for all the reviews! I hope that you like the progress of this fic. I'm sorry if I've disappointed those who were wishing for a conclusion to this fic. Next chapter will be the last, I promise. And there will be more Dee in it compared to this chapter. If you ask me, this chapter is more or less Ryo-centered. Anyway, keep those reviews coming!
