Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.
Title: Waiting in the Wings
Chapter Title: Waiting at the Hospital
Rating: T
Categories: Romance/Drama
Summary: Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grow stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?
Feedback: Reviews! YUM! Flames? Why would you bother?
Status: Chapters. But only if you review!
Notes: Hey, I told you it was dramatic. Some romance too! ((grin))

WAITING IN THE WINGS

Kai/Mariam
Mariam and Kai both want to be independent, not relying on someone else. Not relying on 'love'. When they meet, their opinions only grown stronger. But could there be love waiting in the fiery wings of Dranzer?

Flowerperson
© 2005

Part VII
Waiting at the Hospital

"Joseph!" Mariam began distraughtly whilst sobbing, "He's… not moving… He's ill…"

"Step back," the male – Kai Hiwatari – said, instantly shifting into emergency mode as he took off his fingerless glove and placed it in Joseph's mouth so he didn't bite his tongue off. He passed his cell phone to the blue haired sister. "Dial for an ambulance and give them your address, ok? Tell them he's having a fit." Mariam sat, dumbfound. This couldn't be happening…

("I wanted it! I needed it!")

"MARIAM!" Kai ordered, "Do it NOW! Do you want him to die?"

Mariam shook her head and dialled the number with trembling fingers. "Hello?" her voice shook and was higher in pitch than it usually was. "C-can I have the a-ambulance p-please? My… my brother J-Joseph! He's shaking and he w-won't answer m-me… a f-fit, I think. My address?" For a moment, her mind went blank. She sat there, staring into space.

("We only moved to Tokyo because of you! I was happy back home!")

Kai Hiwatari paused and looked up, wondering why the emerald-eyed woman was so suddenly silent. The black cell phone was clutched in her slender hand so tightly that her knuckles were turning a deathly white. He promptly took the communicating device out of her pale hand and put it to his ear whilst holding his limbs (that were thrashing wildly) down.

"Is anyone there? Yes, I'm here with a teenage male. He seems to be suffering from a fit of some sorts. I think he has had an reaction to something. The address is…" Kai gave the address to the operator and waited as Mariam's brother Joseph went through the last stages of his violent fit. "Seven minutes? Can't you be quicker! He is dying, damnit!"

("So I took it. All of it.")

The operator merely told him to stay calm and he growled at her angrily. "To hell if I'll be calm! He's in trouble! Emergency service? Don't make me laugh!" Bitch, he cursed mentally as he hung up on the monotone-speaking woman.

"Kai?" Mariam crawled closer to him and Joseph. "You… didn't mean what you said, did you? Joseph's not… dying, is he? He's going to be fine, right? Tell me he's going to be okay, Kai! He has to be ok!"

He turned to her, "I don't know, Mariam. I'm not quite sure what's going to happen. Just stay calm." Ha! Hadn't that been what the operator had told him? Kai was such a hypocrite…

("All you care about is yourself!")

"It's my fault!" the distressed woman wailed as she caressed his forest green locks. He was still now – the trembling fit had passed – but his forehead was hot and sweaty. Dark bags could be seen under his closed eyes. Kai took his dark, fingerless glove out of Joseph's mouth but did not put it on. Although his mouth was dry, there was still some saliva on it. And they had been his favourite pair!

"Mariam," he lifted her chin and stared into her teary, jade green eyes. "It is not your fault. I'm sure Joseph will be fine." He scowled as he noted the crimson blood travelling down the side of her head. Her lip was also busted and blood trickled out the side of her mouth. The Russian instantly recognised the pinkish area on her cheek.

("It's not my fault! He wouldn't give it to me!")

"Joseph hit you, didn't he?" he narrowed his eyes at the teen, now unconscious. After all Mariam had done and sacrificed for this little brat but he had simply responded by striking her. The silence was his only answer. "What happened, Mariam?" he eyed the kitchen knife on the floor with disdain. Indeed, what had happened?

"He wasn't himself," she murmured as she looked away from him. He released her chin and tears continued to spill down her pale cheeks, mixing with the blood on her chin.

("You wouldn't understand! No one understands!")

They said nothing until the ambulance crew arrived. Three medics took Joseph out on a stretcher whilst another asked Mariam and Kai what had happened. Kai gestured to Mariam. "This is his sister. When I came in, he was fitting. I have no idea what happened before." When the emergency member of staff asked Mariam, she had looked up at him (her sea green eyes full of tears) but remained silent, biting her lower lip.

"Maybe you should ask her later," the Russian suggested.

("I don't feel too good.")

The medic shrugged and got onto the ambulance. Joseph was already in it, another doctor putting an oxygen mask on him and checking his heart rate and other vital scans. His heart was apparently pumping furiously; something was making his vital organs work into over-drive and his liver had collapsed. Some conclusions came to their minds, but they said nothing – fearful of the sister's reaction.

She went to get into the vehicle even though it didn't look like with the two medics in the back, Joseph and all the machines would leave enough space for her. Also noticing this, one of the emergency personnel staff told her that she wouldn't be able to accompany them. Maybe she should go to the hospital in some other mode of transport. He was sure that her brother would be fine.

Liar.

("He lied to me – I couldn't trust him. He was a liar, Mariam! He had to be punished! He kept it from me!")

Mariam shuddered as she remembered that… different (crazy) look in the green-haired boy's eyes. That had not been her brother, and if he was not harm physically, what about mentally? Psychologically? Having never seen her brother act like that before, she truly had been frightened and confused. What was going on!

Whilst pondering on her brother's issues, she vaguely heard Kai tell the doctor that he would drive Miss Mariam to the hospital ("It is the nearest one, right?"). She watched as the white ambulance disappeared down the road with a distant look on her face. She couldn't believe this. This was all just a horrid nightmare that she was going to wake up from!

He placed a consoling hand on her tense shoulder, unsure on how to comfort the ex-Saint-Shield.

("You're too busy with your stupid job and sleeping with that Kai Hiwatari!")

Angrily, Mariam slapped his hand away (hard, Kai would add). "Don't touch me," she hissed venomously as her eyes narrowed to green slits. Her hands were clenched tightly and by her sides rigidly. She glared at Kai with an intense strength that even made him blink a few times. Why was she turning on him? What had he done?

"Huh? What's your problem?" he returned her glare with his own. Stupid woman, just taking it all out on him! It wasn't his fault! If it wasn't for him, Mariam would still be weeping over Joseph's body.

Kai took another pace towards her so they were only inches apart.

("You're just a… whore!")

She stepped back and spun around, folding her lean arms (very deceiving since the muscles were very strong because of her beyblade training). "Just take me to the hospital," Mariam ordered stoically with hardly any emotion. People were watching now. Did she care? Nuh-uh. The only thing that matters to me is Joseph.

"With that attitude, I'll have to withdraw my generous offer," he sniffed indignantly. The nerve of that Mariam! Why was she such a… woman! The ex-Blitzkrieg Boy matched her pose: also crossing his arms across his broad chest, but also glared at the back of her head; Kai desired to strangle that confusing female's slender neck with an intense passion. The soft, milky pale skin under his hand… He imagined that her creamy flesh would indeed be smooth against his calloused and rough (due his many years of beyblading as a teenager, his hands were covered with many scars and – when he trained constantly – blisters) fingers…

What? What the hell was that? He did not just… Kai was just getting caught up in the moment. He didn't think or even consider thinking about how silky her skin was and how bright her jade green eyes were… Spending too much time around her, he reprimanded himself. Must hang out with unattractive females. Hilary sounds good… or maybe Mariah. Ah! Ming-Ming will work!

(You don't have any time for me!)

Mariam stared at the floor, defeated as the fury left her. Was it true what Joseph had said? Was she really a bad sister? Did she not have any time for her brother? Did she spend too much time with Kai? Did she banter with him more than she talked with Joseph? Was she ignoring him? Was she so selfish that she didn't have any time for Joseph?

She had tried to be such a good sister after he had told her that he felt like she had been ignoring him whilst they were battling against the Blade-Breakers and she had been insulting Dunga. She had tried to care for her brother's every need. Get a flat where he could have his own bedroom. Get him in a good school. Make sure he never goes hungry.

And yet she had failed.

("Mariam…")

"I'm a terrible sister," she muttered to herself. Kai scowled as he heard her self-loathing words. Taking a hold of both her shoulders, he shook her whilst gazing into her eyes.

Except her eyes held nothing – simply nothing. The emotions had gone. No sadness, no fury, no laughter…

"He hates me," Mariam murmured before slipping into unconsciousness (maybe due to stress and her concussion), falling forward into Kai's strong chest. He caught the blue-haired woman and held her close (for some unknown reason) but growled at all the bystanders watching their interaction, ruining the romantic pose he was in.

"Get away, idiots. There's nothing to see." Slinging Mariam over his shoulder (so ungraciously that if she were cognisant, she would have most likely protested against her position – fortunately for Kai's poor foot, she wasn't), Kai began his short trek back to Hiwatari Mansion where he would drive to the hospital that Joseph had been taken to.

Stupid Saint-Shields…

At the hospital, another doctor had insisted on stitching up Mariam's wound to her head and had applied some ointment to her sore lips. Mariam had woken up as Kai walked into the hospital, being held in his arms bridal-style. It was very embarrassing and she had completely blamed Kai for the red tinge to her cheeks, threatening to stomp on his feet if he came anywhere near her.

Obeying the woman's commands and very mindful of the threat, Kai had stayed in the waiting room, idly reading through an old newspaper whilst women stared at him, wondering if that was the infamous Kai Hiwatari. And what had he been doing holding that pretty woman like that? A knight of shining armour, he had heard them whisper, that was what he had looked like.

Oh yes and Mariam is definitely a stereotypical 'Damsel in Distress', he remarked sarcastically in his cynical thoughts. The women were now giggling, and edging closer. Kai was seriously considering breaking Mariam's rule or at least getting the hell out of here. Why didn't people get it? He didn't want to be stalked.

He knew he was great, but couldn't people contain themselves? Yes, he was the best but that didn't mean that you could assume that he'd love your company.

Kai Hiwatari was the most wonderful thing that happened to Earth; however, he was also a jerk.

Nearly jumping for joy, the beyblader was actually happy to see Mariam walk into the waiting room. He strode up to her but she merely sniffed (sticking her nose in the air) and walked past him like he wasn't even there. She asked the receptionist if she knew where Joseph Shield was and the woman answered after asking how she was related to the patient.

'Intensive Care Ward', Kai overheard. It didn't sound good.

Mariam was as still as a statue as she stood by the curtain that revealed Joseph's bed and her brother lying on it. Various tubes were entering his body, pumping in medical drugs and blood. His face was paler and he looked…

Weak. It was definitely not good. Mariam choked back a sob as she looked at her baby brother: the most important thing to her in the world. He had gone through so many metamorphoses that it was hard to identify Joseph. First, he had been her brother as she remembered him: carefree, loving and playful. Then he had become depressed; he was unconfident and self-loathing. Next the jade-eyed teen had turned angry – like a vengeful spirit had possessed him and taken a hold of him, influencing his movements and actions.

And now… now he had been reduced to this lifeless shell. The only solace she had that her sibling was indeed alive was the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor. His pulse… his heart… his life… Beep. Beep. The noise was so annoying and yet she yearned to hear another one, and another one, and another one, and another one…

Beep. Beep.

Kai was behind her, she knew. She didn't tell him to 'get lost'. Right now, she didn't give a damn about him. Her brother… her dear, brother… She had been so selfish! How could she have left him to become this! Joseph was right – she did only think about herself.

"I wish it was me there, not my brother," Mariam whispered, more to Joseph than herself or Kai. A hand on her shoulder – however, this time she didn't shake or slap it off. She needed some comfort, since her strength was being taken by the sight of the teenager laying there. Joseph had always had so much life in him… how had he become this?

"Don't say that," Kai scolded, "How selfish can you be?"

"What?" Mariam questioned. How was wishing she was weak, and Joseph was healthy selfish? Kai's comment puzzled her. Maybe he was just being his riddling, arrogant self.

"How do you think Joseph would have coped if it was you? If you had hit him—" I did hit him first, her mind reminded her painfully, "—if you're suffering now, imagine how depressed he would be now. How would he be able to manage without his older sister? He couldn't! He's not as strong as you, Mariam. He needs your support. Wishing you were in his position is just selfish. You wouldn't love him if you did."

But Joseph didn't deserve to be a shell!

"Bah!" she scoffed, "What do you know about love? You're just a cold-hearted jerk being all moody and irritating anyone that comes near you! You don't care about anyone!"

He walked forwards – only an inch between them – and gazed deep into her emerald eyes with his mahogany ones. Kai was so close that she could feel his warm breath fanning her face. The red tinge returned to her cheeks, and her forest green eyes were half-lidded as he leaned closer.

A sudden thought ran through her mind.

He's going to kiss me!

Authoress' Notes

((Whistles a tune innocently)) I didn't do anything! ((hides from rocks being thrown)) Don't kill me!

Flowerperson