Title: Crossroads
Part: Chapter 3 - Kaede's Agony

Author: Kazelei
Disclaimer: Do Not Own Any of the Characters
Pairing: SenRu
Genre: Angst

Chapter 3 – Kaede's Agony

He pedaled quickly hoping to reach home. He still hasn't gained his normal breathing. He's having a hard time inhaling for air. He can feel something that squeezes his heart as if stopping it to beat. He pressed his right palm to his left chest. Upon entering the gate of his home, he lost his consciousness. He fell at the pathway from the gate to his home's balcony.

Several minutes later, Akira stopped his car by Kaede's gate. He was about to enter the gate but suddenly he stopped. He smiled at the sight of him.

'Typical Kaede, sleeping anywhere, anytime.'

Akira then scooped Kaede in his arms, and brought him at the balcony. He saw Kaede's keys near the wheels of his bike. He was about to lay Kaede on the bench at the balcony when he noticed something unusual.

Kaede's paler than usual, and he could hear him breathing heavily.

'What's wrong?' his mind asked.

He felt Kaede's skin. It's a little bit cold.

He searched for his pulse and he was alarmed at what he found out. Kaede's pulse beat is so slow.

He is really scared. He scooped Kaede again and brought him to his car.

Just like a crazy man, he drove madly and hastily, blowing horns to those that block his way going to the hospital. He didn't follow traffic signals and he caused many traffic jams.

Arriving at the hospital, he was so worried at the same time afraid. All is well, the nurses and the doctors attended to Kaede immediately at the emergency room however, Akira was left outside the room. He was forbidden to enter the room.

Outside the room, he paced to and fro, just like a father waiting for his first born baby to be given birth by his wife. He was really so, so worried about Kaede.

In his mind, he's asking, 'What could've happened to Kaede? All the while, I thought he's well…' his thought's trailed off as the doctor came out of the emergency room.

He stood up and approached the doctor.

"I am his boy…I mean best friend and I brought him here." said before the doctor could even ask.

"He's safe right now. We just have to wait for the diagnosis and analysis of the laboratory on the results of the tests that we have done. We are now going to transfer him in one of our private rooms. Just wait here for the nurses and you can go with them to his room." Then the doctor disappeared.

He waited for Kaede to be taken out of the room by the nurses then he followed them to Kaede's private room. He stood there watching as the attendants transferred Kaede from the movable bed to the bed in the private room. He saw Kaede. Still pale but at least, his heavy breathing lessened now. Two packs of dextrose were connected to him plus an oxygen tank. He was so worried.

In his mind, 'If Kaede's well, why does he have to be connected to all these sorts of things (referring to the dextrose and oxygen tank)?' he said.

"Excuse me." He said to one of the nurses.

The nurse looked at him in response.

"Um…just want to ask, are you sure he is really okay?" he asked his gaze directed to Kaede.

"Yes sir. He's already safe. Just let him rest and wait for him to wake up okay. Relax, he's out of harm's way already," the nurse smiled then left the room.

He sighed. Thankful that everything is well. He then looked at Kaede again.

"Hey! You know what, you're really an angel. You're so beautiful. I love watching you when you're sleeping." He said fixing Kaede's bangs that were hiding his closed eyes.

"I missed you. Remember what happened a while back? I'm sorry I answered 'I do'. I should've said no. Thanks to Yume, she said no. Hear me? We're both free. When you wake up, we'll be getting married, hear me? And about last, last week…I forgive you. Sorry, I didn't give you a chance to explain." He said playing with Kaede's bangs.

"I want to be the one that you'll first see when you open those beautiful eyes. I missed your blue eyes like sapphire that reflects mine. I Love You. I Love You. I Love you." As he gave Kaede a kiss on the lips.

He caressed his cheeks, held his hands, watched him sleep.

On the east, the sun slowly rises. Bathing the world with its bright yellow rays showering warmth to the world.

He slowly opened his eyes. The rays of the sun were blinding his vision.

'Where am I?' he asked himself.

He felt something heavy on his right hand. He turned his look to the direction of his right hand and was taken aback.

"Sen..Akira? Aki?" he asked, not certain if it was really Akira but clearly thinking, it is really Akira. He can see that spiky hair.

Who else among his acquaintances would have a spiky hair? It's only Akira.

As if his question being answered, Akira slowly raised his head. "Kaede, you're awake!" he smiled.

"W..what are you doing here? Why am I here?" Kaede asked.

"Hey, hey! One question at a time okay. I'm here because I'm the one who brought you here and I got so worried that I can't leave you and I don't know why I brought you here…uh…you see, you were so pale yesterday and you were breathing so hard and so I got really worried. Anyway, no need to be troubled now, everything's okay. You're okay. The doctor says. We'll just have to wait for the result of the tests that they have administered to you yesterday," Akira happily explained.

"What did the doctor say? Do I have a sickness?" Kaede asked worriedly.

"No need to think that negative okay. You're fine. You're well." Akira said.

Kaede was about to ask another question when a nurse entered the room.

"Ohayou sirs. I have to get the blood pressure and temperature of the patient and I need to change his dextrose too. I also need to remove his oxygen tank. Sorry to disturb," the nurse said as she started her task.

Akira, just moved a little bit away from Kaede to give access to the nurse.

"When will I go out?" Kaede suddenly asked the nurse.

"Kaede, you have to stay here until you're fully well. You have to recover well. You have to follow the orders of the doctor okay?" said Akira.

However, the nurse still answered him. "When the doctor says you're already well, then you can go home sir. I have to leave now. Oh by the way, here's your breakfast sir." She said as she brought a tray of food towards Kaede.

"I'll be the one to feed you," Akira volunteered.

But he refused.

"No! I can do it myself. I can take care of myself." He said refusing to eat the food Akira's giving him. Pushing Akira away from him.

"Better go back to your wife, she's waiting…" Kaede said. As he said these words, it's good as hurting himself plus the reality that Akira will never be his anymore, no more.

Akira was startled with Kaede's reaction.

"Kaede, you don't understand, will you let me explain first?"

Kaede was about to talk when…

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Doctor Kogure entered the door. "Oh! Having your breakfast? I'm here to talk to the patient for some important matters. If you'll excuse us, mister?" he said eyeing Akira.

Akira understood, nodding then he went out.

He stood outside Kaede's private room door waiting for the conversation to end.

"Rukawa-san, I don't know how to start this but…" the doctor began.

"Stop! I know what you're going to tell me. I have a heart ailment and my time is nearing," Kaede said softly while sobbing.

The doctor was taken aback. "You knew? Then why didn't you take in your medicines?"

"I…I was about to do so but I wasn't able, I lost consciousness before I was able to take in some," he answered truthfully.

"When will I be released?" he asked.

"After a week, you need to get enough rest. You are emotionally stressed at the same time physically. You don't have any stamina. I believe you've been depriving yourself of food and nutrients for the past days. That won't help in prolonging your life." The doctor explained.

"Please, let me go. I have my own doctor. He's trying his best to cure me. I was supposed to go to him yesterday but I wasn't able to make it. He'll be worried," he pleaded. His features softening nearly breaking into tears.

"Let's see what I can do to that Rukawa-san. I cannot release you without the assurance that you can already take care of yourself. I'll tell you if I can release you tomorrow, and then I'll prepare your release papers right away."

"Arigato." Kaede simply said.

"By the way, can I have the name of your doctor?"

"Dr. Hisahi Mitsui."

"I see, okay then." The doctor was about to open the door when Kaede spoke again.

"Another favor please. Please don't tell my companion or any other else that I have this sickness. I don't want them to worry. I can take care of myself." He asked.

The doctor just smiled then went out of the room. Opening the door, he saw Akira idly leaning on the wall, facial expressions showing that his mind's wondering. He didn't even notice when the doctor went out of the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. You must have been bored." The doctor said bringing back Akira's mind to reality.

"What took you so long doc? Is something wrong? What were the results of the laboratory tests," he asked.

"Nothing serious. Your friend inside was just over fatigued. He just needs enough rest," he said patting Akira's shoulders. "You take care of him."

Akira gave the doctor a smile of gratitude. "Domo arigatou gozai mashita."

"No problem, just don't hurt him and take care of him…especially his heart," he added then the doctor went away.

'Especially his heart? Does he know? But it could also be that…ugh never mind, the doctor says he's well. Maybe he just can detect feelings as well as he can detect sickness,' Akira wondered as he entered the room.

He saw a sleeping Kaede. He was disappointed. He wanted to talk to him now, to clear things out but he couldn't. He would be very guilty if he disturbs Keade's sleep right now. He just sat by his bed and watched him sleep.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He saw who was calling and it was his dad. 'Whew! Do I need to answer this? This would just end up to another argument,' he said talking to his mind but out of respect he answered his phone.

"Hello, dad?" he said.

"Akira! Where are you! What you've done is not acceptable. She refused and you didn't do anything! You know that marrying her would be a great chance for us to expand our business!" his father's voice was so loud that he felt that his ears were about to explode.

"Dad, what do you want me to do? What's done has been done. We'll talk alright, I'm on my way there." he said.

He was about to go out of the room but he remembered. He went back to Kaede, held both his hands. "Wait for me Kaede, I'll be back. Don't be stubborn okay. Wait…For…Me. I'll bring you your favorite foods. And drink your medicines. I Love You Baby." As he gave Kaede a kiss on the forehead. Then another kiss on the lips.

Then he went out of the room.

He slowly opened his eyes. "Why are you doing all these to me Aki? I Love you too! But you're already married" he said tears running down his tear stained cheeks.

When Akira entered the room a while back, he was just pretending to be asleep because he didn't want to talk to him anymore. That would just increase the pain that he's feeling. How he prevented those tears from falling down while Akira was still there.

He sat on the bed crying. Like a lost child in the middle of the crowd he was so alone. But after awhile, he regained his composure. He looked around the room, eyes searching for his clothes.

'I have to go before Akira comes back.'

All of a sudden, a nurse entered the room. "Sir you need to drink your medicine."

He obliged. He took the medicine, drank it, saying nothing.

"How are you feeling right now?" The nurse asked him.

"OK" he simply said.

"Your friend awhile back told me to look after you. He seems to be so worried about you. He cares for you a lot. He was the one who watched over you last night. He never slept. And he told me to take care of you, he'll come back after an hour," the nurse told him.

He just looked at the nurse then went back to sleep, his back facing the nurse.

The nurse understood him.

'Probably, he's not just in the mood. Maybe still upset.' She just told herself as she started to go out of the room but turned to look at Kaede again.

"Sir, just take a rest, if you need something, I'll be checking for you every now and then." Then she went out of the room.

For several moments, Kaede remained in that position. After awhile, after making sure that the nurse has already exited the room, he carefully reached for his clothes at the bedside table at the same time removing the dextrose connected to him. Feeling pain all over his body, he tried to ignore it as he changed into his usual clothes the previous day.

He slowly stood up and started his way out of the door. He looked towards his left and right making sure that no nurse or attendant would see him and then he slowly made his way out of the hospital passing through the back doors of the hospital.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend our appointment yesterday. Something came up. I wasn't able to come," he lied, head bowed down.

"It's okay. Don't lie to me. I know what happened. You were in the hospital," he simply said.

He suddenly raised his head, frowning, his eyes asking 'How the heck did you know?'

The doctor just smiled. "Look at your hand. It's obvious that you are fresh from dextrose. Your arm's bleeding. Come, let's tend to that."

The doctor then cleaned and placed a bandage on Kaede's skin where the dextrose needle has been pricked.

"Now, let's proceed to a more serious stuff," the doctor said his features transferring from a gleeful one to a serious one. A grimed expression can be seen on his face.

"Kaede, your body rejects the donated heart for your heart transplant." He said directly. He was sad to break the news to Kaede but he knows that it would be harder and it would be more painful for his patient if he delayed the news.

Eleven days had passed, since they saw a heart donor who matches Kaede's blood type and body condition. And it's been a week that he saw a tiny smile on Kaede's face. It was as if he saw hope coming, but it wasn't.

Kaede was shocked. He just looked at him, unbelievingly.

In Kaede's mind 'No more, I'm really gonna die, goodbye Akira. Soon I'll leave this world. I hope you'll be happy…' as he cried silently. He couldn't accept this. Just the time he saw a speck of hope, he was still denied the chance of living.

He cried and cried. Mitsui just let him, it's better to bring out the pain than suppress it and would just cause another heartache.

He continued crying and crying until he felt his heart constrict. This is it. He knelt down on the floor, his left chest pressed and wrapped by both his hands. He cannot breathe. He's gasping for air, his vision's in a haze, then he fainted.

t.b.c.

A/N: Okay, so here's chapter three! hay! I've also uploaded chapter four...hope you guys can read it too...and before i forget, i just wanna thank those people who kindly read and posted a review for this fic...nyahaha...thnx a lot...