Title: Crossroads
Part: Chapter 5 – Discoveries and Revelations

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

Chapter 5 – Discoveries and Revelations

The next day…

He was stretching and was adjusting his eyes to the day light when his eyes caught something shining as it was stroked by the rays of the rising sun.

'Kaede's bike,' he thought. 'Kaede was never really home because if he did, he should've parked his bike at the garage, then where is he,' his mind was asking.

Standing up, he walked towards Kaede's bicycle. He pulled the bike and let it stood up but something on the grassy ground caught his attention. It was some kind of a medicine bottle. He slowly picked it up and examined the medicine.

He read the label as '. . .'

Then, realization struck him…Kaede's so pale and he couldn't even breathe, Kaede's having a hard time in breathing, Kaede was even having an oxygen tank when he was confined, Dr. Kogure said he should take care of Kaede's heart…does this mean?

Akira was on his way to the hospital again. He needs to talk to Dr. Kogure as soon. Reaching the hospital he directly went to Dr. Kogure's office.

Good thing, the Dr. was there.

"What is this medicine?" he asked holding out the bottle of medicine he had picked up from Kaede's home.

"That?" Kogure said. He took the bottle of medicine from Akira and examined it closely.

"This is a medicine for people who have severe heart ailments. People with this kind of ailment have a fifty-fifty chance of living. Where'd you get this?" Kogure asked.

Akira was shocked. 'Severe Heart Ailments, Kaede has a heart disease.'

"You knew it! Why didn't you tell me the truth!" Akira said, anger rising in his veins. He wanted to give the doctor in the face but he stopped himself. He just stood there. Hands clenched. If looks could kill, he may have killed the doctor with the sharp look in his eyes.

Kogure was astonished. "Rukawa–san told me not to tell it to you. I am sorry for that but I think he did that for your own good. He didn't want you to suffer," he simply said.

"You're wrong. If you think you had helped both of us, you're wrong. You don't know the pain that I'm feeling right now. Please, if you want to help, tell me where he is. I don't know anything about his sickness," Akira said tears already running down his face.

Kogure was so touched.

"I don't know where he is. If you tried his home and you never found him there, probably he ran to a refugee. I remember asking him, what's his doctor's name and he said 'Dr. Hisashi Mitsui.' I really don't know about this doctor. Perhaps you better start looking for his clinic or the hospital he's working."

Just then a nurse was knocking on Dr. Kogure's door.

"Dr! I found something on Rukawa-san's room!" the nurse was reporting to Dr. Kogure.

The nurse held out on what seemed to be a calling card to Dr. Kogure.

"Dr. Hisashi Mitsui." Kogure read.

Akira saw a fragment of hope. He will be able to find Kaede. He took the calling card from Dr. Kogure, and off he goes to the address written in the calling card.

In one of the rooms at Dr. Mitsui Hisashi's clinic, Kaede was resting peacefully with tanks of oxygen connected to help ease his breathing and bags of dextrose to provide him nutrients.

Mitsui sat beside the bed, watching Kaede. He was combing Kaede's hair with his fingers.

"I'm sorry Kaede! I couldn't do anything to save you! If only the donated heart wasn't rejected by your body…

Kaede, be strong ne? Fight! Give me one more chance. One more chance to find another heart donor…

You can do it Kaede. Be strong! Fight for your life just like the way you've fought for victory on your basketball games."

As Mitsui held both of Kaede's hands.

"Akira" Mitsui heard Kaede whisper his lover's name.

"Yeah, Akira. Fight for your life Kaede. For you. For Akira." Mitsui said.

Outside the room, someone who have witnessed the scene felt betrayed and felt all the hope he has leave him.

'So this is it. I came looking for you Kaede. I am so worried about you. Only to find out that you've found yourself in the comfort of your another lover. I am wasted. No family. No friends. No Kaede,' Akira thought as he walked out of the clinic.

He drove his car not knowing where to go, going round and round the vicinity of the clinic where Kaede is. He can't seem to move away from this place, until he saw a bar near the clinic; he stopped his car and went inside. He drowned himself in alcohol. Hoping to forget all the things that happened. Hoping to forget the pain that he's feeling physically and emotionally.

Wiping his tears away, Mitsui stood up and went out of Kaede's room.

"Dr., someone's looking for you a while back. Have you talked to him?"

"What! Who's looking for me?"

"I wasn't able to ask sir but I gave him the direction to Rukawa-san's room. After a few minutes, I saw him storming outside the clinic. I thought you had a misunderstanding with him." The nurse explained.

'Hmn…who could that be?' Mitsui was wondering when suddenly a thought struck him.

"Nurse, could you describe the features of this person who's looking for me?"

"Actually sir, he has a weird hair style. All his hair is spiked, defying gravity. Uh-oh…he's handsome."

"That's it! Thank You. Have you by any chance knew what direction did he go?" Mitsui asked the nurse again confirming his guess. 'It was Akira Sendoh who came at the clinic several minutes before, but where'd he go?'

"He rode on his car and I think I saw him pull up in one of the bars there outside," the nurse answered again.

And so, Mitsui went inside and out of every bar that was a walking distance away from his clinic trying to look for Akira.

On the last bar that he entered, he was about to conclude that Akira probably have left when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a certain spiky haired guy drinking liquor at the counter. It's evident that the guy is already drunk as he has already consumed eleven bottles of liquor.

"Akira Sendoh! That's enough." Mitsui said.

Grudgingly, Akira turned to look at the person calling his name. Even if drunk, Akira could still remember this person.

'This is Kaede's new lover, what is he doing here?' Akira was asking himself.

Gritting his teeth, "What do you want? You already took Kaede away from me. What else do you want?" Akira asked aiming to punch Mitsui but he wasn't able to as he was about to fall on the floor.

Thanks to Mitsui who had assisted him and prevented him from his fall.

"I do not need you! Why are you here? You should be with Kaede taking care of him! You moron! Boyfriend snatcher," Akira accused Mitsui.

Many people are already gathering around them and Mitsui does not have any idea on how to keep Akira's mouth shut so he just punched Akira who fell on the floor.

Mitsui then took the chance to pull Akira out of the disco bar and he brought him in one of the vacant rooms in his clinic. After fixing Akira on the bed, he got the chance to observe him.

'So you are the lucky guy whom my Kaede loves so much and cries for every night ever since he knew about your planned wedding with that girl. You are the fortunate one to feel Kaede's love and affection. And you were the one who've melt his heart of stone. No comment. You're handsome as Kaede says.'

t.b.c.

Author's Notes: So, how's the story going? Last two chapters to go! I hope you liked this chapter. Before I go, I just want to thank the following and provide answers to their questions, reactions to their comments, etc, hehe…chucks (of course I'm going to finish this fic, hehe, this fic is already reaching its last chapters), JL (thanks for defending me against geki, hehe, gimme five!), jam (thank you for reviewing all of my fics, I love you for that ), mikawa akira (I'm glad you liked this fic, just watch out for the few remaining chapters…) white soul (okay, I'll put that in mind…'LESSER BAD WORDS' hehe, actually I already have an ending for this fic, you'll be surprised…). Bye! Til next chapter… --> Senru Lovin' KazeLei