Chapter 11

Early the next morning, Darien's eyes finally opened. At first he looked around the hospital room in surprise. I'm alive. he thought incredulously. He hadn't expected to wake up when he had lost consciousness in Sailor Moon's arms after taking Zoycite's blast to protect her.

Wondering how bad the injuries were, he tried to sit up, and that proved to be a mistake.

"Uhhhhh…" he groaned, putting a hand to his head as he dropped back against the pillows. He had a splitting headache, and from then on, he tried to take stock without moving so much: There was an IV in one of his arms, and he was wearing a hospital gown, as he'd thought. Other than that, there were bandages under the gown over his shoulder, where he'd been hit the first time, and around almost his entire middle, from the second and most potent. There was also a cast on his ankle.

Then a nurse entered the room, having been alerted to the fact that he was awake. Darien spoke to her for a few moments, attempting to discover what had happened to him after he had blacked out the last time. Apparently, the sailor scouts and Sailor Moon had gotten him to the hospital just in time. If it had been just a few minutes later, he would have died. The scouts had stayed until he had been stabilized, and then left. The nurse also informed him that it had been a close call, he was seriously injured, and he would need to stay in the hospital for a couple of days at least, but that in a few weeks he should be good as new.

Glad to hear it, Darien settled back on the bed again as she left. He should have been happy. After all, he had protected Sailor Moon, and he was still alive. He would be perfectly fine in a few weeks. But all he could think about was Serena. Poor Serena. She had disappeared after her death, somehow, and so he and Raye were probably the only ones who knew she was gone. And Darien would miss her-that meatball hair, her attractive smile, how cute and funny she looked when she got angry at him…

Just recently, they had been forced to send time together when the painter formerly known as Lonnie Lanigh had asked them to pose for a painting. Neither of them had liked it at the time, but know he looked back at it fondly, wishing that Serena was still alive, and could be sitting next to him right now, as she'd had too then.

Darien sighed, gulping back the lump that tried to form in his throat again. "Oh Serena," he whispered, a single tear finding its way from his eye and down his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

Serena woke with a start. She looked at the clock and yelped in surprise. "Ah! Visiting hours at the hospital start soon! I've got to get going! Oh, thank goodness it's a Saturday!"

The previous day she had been in her school uniform, having gone straight to the park after detention to avoid getting in trouble with her parents. Today though, she jumped out of bed and put on her own clothes, after digging through a mussed stack of them on the floor to find what she wanted.

Luna shook her head as she watched Serena hurry into her favorite jumper and long-sleeved shirt-which she had to admit looked flattering on her-and sighed.

"Serena, I've never seen you so eager to get out of bed and get out of here. And on a Saturday? Regardless of Darien's position, I thought you'll sleep until at least noon."

Serena glared at her cat. "Oh come on, Luna. Even I realize that making sure Darien is okay is more important that getting plenty of sleep."

Luna sighed. "If only you would realize that school is, too."

Serena rolled her eyes as she made her way out the door. "Whatever. Anyway, I'm gone. Are you coming?"

"No, I thought I'd stay with Amy today."

Serena stopped just outside the gate to her house and looked down at the cat. "But you just stayed with her yesterday."

"I know," Luna began slowly. "But I thought that since you were going to see Darien today that I'd leave you alone."

Serena smiled and squatted down beside her. "Thanks Luna," she said, hugging her feline companion.

"You're welcome I suppose," Luna said, and then watched as Serena walked off, wondering if she had done the right thing.

As soon as Luna was out of sight, Serena's cheerful facade faded away, and she broke into a run. Oh Darien, please be all right! she thought desperately.

When Serena arrived at the hospital, she was relieved to find that Darien was all right. It had been a rough night, trying to keep him alive, but now they could be sure that he was going to make it, even if it did take a while for him to recover.

Even though she was happy that Darien would live, and that she could see him, Serena still hesitated outside the door to his room. He was asleep now, but what would happen when he woke up? Would he be happy that she was okay, or angry that e had been so upset over nothing? Would he want to see her, or make her leave? Should she even go in there in the first place? If she didn't tell him she was alive, someone else would. It wasn't like he would never know if she didn't do it...Finally she gulped, coming to a decision.

This is something I have to do, she thought to herself. I've got to go in there and talk to him. If I don't, I might never forgive myself. But why am I so freaked out! Okay, calm down Serena. The guy did save your life, after all. He's not so bad.

Calming herself, Serena stepped into the room and re-closed the door behind her. Then she stepped to the side of the bed, where Darien seemed to be resting peacefully. He only clue otherwise was the fact that his face, especially around his eyes, was a bit more pink that usual. Had he been crying again? At first she didn't want to disturb him, but then he started to moan in his sleep, his head lolling back and forth.

"No…" he groaned. "No, please…Serena…Serena don't go…"

Serena's eyes widened. He must be dreaming about the accident. Oh Darien…

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Darien suddenly shouted.

"Serena!" he yelled. His eyes flew open, and he tried to shoot into a sitting position, but failed from his flagging strength.

Serena but a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back against the pillows, knowing he didn't need to be trying that at the moment.

"Whoa! Calm down, big guy. I'm right here," she said, giving him a smile.

Darien turned quickly to look at her, and gasped. "S-Serena!" He pulled away from her quickly and backed toward the other side of the bed. He put a hand to his head. "No, not Serena. I'm hallucinating. Serena's dead…" he said as if she weren't there. But of course, he didn't believe she was. He closed his eyes. "You're just dreaming," he said shakily to himself as Serena watched on with amused interest. "She can't be here!"

Then Darien opened his eyes again. When he saw that she was still there, he closed them again and groaned. "Ohh, what's happening to me?"

Serena giggled softly and reached across the bed to touch his arm. "Nothing's happening to you, Darien. It's me."

"But you're dead," he whispered. He kept his eyes tightly closed, but this time didn't move away from her touch. In the corners of his eyes, she saw tears forming, and in his voice she heard a bit of hope. Encouraged, Serena kept going.

"No, I'm not," Serena said. "Why would you think that? What did you see on that roof?"

"You died!" Darien cried. "I was holding you when you died. But then that broach on your chest started to glow, and the wounds and the blood disappeared, and I thought you were breathing again, but I must have been wrong, because then you just disappeared!"

Raye had already described to Serena what she had seen, and she knew it had been more than that, but still she was surprised. Gulping, she pressed on.

"Well, I don't remember that part, because I was out. All I remember is waking up in the alley beside the building, perfectly fine. Darien, maybe we'll never know what happened, exactly, but it happened. I'm fine, and I'm right here. Come on, Darien, please, open your eyes and look at me. You'll see. I really am here."

Darien took a shaky breath, then finally opened his eyes. His eyes grew wide when he saw her. Serena removed her hand from his arm, then held her own arm out.

"Go on, touch it," she said gently.

Swallowing hard, Darien moved back to the middle of the bed where he was supposed to be, and then hesitantly reached out and touched Serena's arm. When his hand didn't pass right through it, as he had half expected, he pulled in a sharp breath.

"Serena…" he said softly, his voice cracking as the tears that had gathered in his eyes began to fall silently. Then he sat up all the way and embraced her tightly, surprising her. "You really are all right!" Darien said in relief.

Serena felt a few of Darien's tears fall on her neck, and a lump formed in her own throat. Finally she decided to return the hug, and gently put her arms around him as well, smiling.

A moment later, both realized what they were doing and pulled away quickly. Darien coughed.

"Uh, yeah, meatball head, I'm glad you're okay. Wouldn't, uh, wouldn't want you to go dying on me."

Serena gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, right. And, um, I'm happy that you're going to be all right, too, Darien."

Then, turning red, both looked away.

After a couple of minutes of uncomfortable silence, Serena spoke again. "Well…I'd better get going. The girls and I were going to get together today, and the doctors didn't want me to bother you for too long, anyway, so…See ya!" She started to back out of the room.

Darien nodded. "Okay…. Later meatball head."

Serena nodded in return, then left.

Darien watched her go, then smiled. "You weren't bothering me, Serena," he said quietly.

Okay, I know this probably seems like the end, and it pretty much is, but just so you know: There will be one more chapter, an epilouge, and it may be a day or two, but I'll get it up as quickly as I can. I hope you are njoying the story!