Chapter 26
Shadows
The darkened room was again heavy with the smells of blood tainted vomit and urine. Furniture was disarrayed and again coated with a light film of dust on every surface. An uneaten lunch tray lay atop the coffee table, hardly two bites taken from the cold, crusty food. Glass bottles of all different sizes, colors and shapes littered every corner of the room. Each one of them was ominously empty of its contents.
A dark shadow lay strewn across the floor. Its breathing was deathly labored and a dribble of salvia made a path down its chin. He mumbled something inaudible and could barely raise his head up from the ground. Every part of his body ached, the greatest amount of pain shot up from his abdomen. Even breathing at this point hurt his sides and chest.
Again he mumbled something but it barely escaped the dry, parched insides of his throat. Defeated, he sunk his head back down into the rug of the floor. The room was so dark. He had wanted it to be dark and empty before. He'd wanted his family to leave him in peace with his own delusions, but now the heavy black was closing in from all sides of him again.
The room was getting smaller and darker, the furniture faded away. He barely raised his head in response and his sunken, dull eyes tried to fight against the blinding darkness continuing to close in on him. Suddenly his tired eyes spotted an even darker shadow race from the entrance of the room. It seemed to effortlessly glide in through the curtains, without disturbing the fabric in any way. It'd seemingly blurred past him and now hung in some unknown corner of the small living room. A pang of terror filled his weak heart as he continued to look all about the room.
Painfully, he pulled himself up from the floor and sat on the ground looking all about him in search of the shadow. Suddenly something caught his attention from the corner of his eyes. He looked up toward the couch to the right of him and saw something perched on the cushions there. For a moment he thought it might be either Yahiko or Kaoru, or at least he hoped with all his heart it was one of them.
Yet as his head turned in the direction of the couch, the remaining blood in his pale face drained completely in terror. The figure sat in silence, its massive, overbearing build was completely shrouded in darkness. Its face was hidden beneath the darkened shadows of the room as well, but his looming presence shook the man to his core with fear.
Who was this man? What did he want? How did he get into the house? The man strained profusely against his fleeting will to try and ask the black shadow such questions, but nothing but a groan came past his dry cracked lips. He looked on, his eyes wide with anticipation at what the deathly figure wanted with him. Slowly a hand came towards him, its pale bony fingers stretched towards him and he jerked back from it.
The frightened man looked up once more and tried to focus his eyes, desperately trying to cut through the thick blackness and see the figures face. That's when he heard it. A voice pierced the very room and its stoic tone ebbed with no emotion, no regard, and no remorse. "Are you ready to go then?"
The fear steadily filling his heart knew no bounds at that point as a single shriek of terror reverberated through out the small house and shook the two occupants in the second floor.
Seconds later a youth and his mother raced down the staircase and towards the room emanating with the nauseating smells. The woman raced into the room and flicked on the light switch, instantly chasing away the darkness. She ran to the side of her terrified husband on the floor and placed both hands on his drooping shoulders.
Looking into his once proud clear light-brown eyes, she saw the glaze of fear in them. His skin was cold to her warm touch and he shook still under her warm hold.
"What's wrong?" she pleaded trying with every fiber of her will not to let the tears flood down her face. "What is it?"
The man merely sat their, his gaze affixed on the couch and she followed his line of vision to the furniture. There was nothing there. Could he be in pain she wondered? Looking back at her son still standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with fear and uncertainty, she ordered, "Get your father a glass of water Yahiko."
As if shaken from his trance, the boy snapped from his thoughts and raced out towards the kitchen.
She looked back over at her husband, who was still staring at the fixed point on the couch. She gently held his face with both hands and tried to turn his gaze towards her in reassurance. Perhaps he'd had a bad dream she wondered.
"Tell me what happened?" she asked, this time her voice held a more soft and firm tone.
He finally peeled his gaze from the couch and looked towards his wife. Barely able to speak before, he clearly responded to her soft voice. How much he'd loved his wife and children before! And now he was a decrepit leech on their very life source with his undeniable hunger and weak will. He began to whisper, his voice a raspy mumble. "…they want to me to come…I…I saw him…"
His wife strained to comprehend what his soft mumbles meant and her hands returned to his shoulders once more. "What are you talking about?" she pleaded, her voice again becoming shaky from his unresponsiveness.
The man looked at her and wearily tried to smile, but failed. "I'm sorry…" he breathed before his eyes again rolled up and his entire body began to shake and tremble. With full force, he fell back from his seated position on the floor and continued to shake violently from the impeding seizure attack.
"NO! NO! YAHIKO!" the woman shouted as the young boy in the doorway with the forgotten glass of water only stared back in disbelief. He was a ghost his sister from the first time this happened. "CALL THE AMBULENCE!" she shouted and the young man again ran out for the phone.
The woman returned her teary gaze back to her husband's body shaking violently under her hold, and her vision became blurry by the tears that couldn't keep from falling.
---------- -------A FEW HOURS LATER---- ---------------
He brought out a small gold colored velvet box and held it in his palm. He looked up at her, his eyes glittering, "I know I'm supposed to say something really sweet and corny at this point but, I don't think there's anything I could say to express how I really feel about you Kaoru."
She thought she would faint and die on the spot. "Oh my god…oh my god" her heart raced as he opened the box.
"I wanted to give this to you…" he pulled out a yellow gold ring. Its simple and elegant design consisted of the two sides of the band twisting around to make a heart. The heart was diamond cut with white gold inlay and peppered with small diamonds all around.
She was speechless and didn't know what to think.
Kenshin took her right hand and slipped it on her ring finger. It was a perfect fit, simple and sweet in design, but she was still speechless.
"It's a promise ring" he explained.
She looked up at him as her fingers caressed the ring and waited for him to continue. He turned the lightest shade of pink and she was shocked to say that he was actually blushing. "How sweet!" she thought.
"Its ah…it's just my promise to always be there for you and to love and protect you."
"It's so beautiful. I've never seen anything like this!" she exclaimed, finally regaining some sense to respond.
"I wanted to get something for you that no one else would have, and when I saw this, I thought about us."
She tilted her head to the side and gave him a confused look.
He chuckled and explained, "You see how the two sides of the band come together and form the heart?"
She looked down to study it again, "Yea…"
"Well I think that's a lot like me and you. With out each other, we're sort incomplete, just like the heart would be with out one of the sides."
She blushed at his thoughtful words and leaned over to give him a tight hug and huge kiss. "Thank you, I'll never take it off!"
He smiled back, grateful that she liked it as he kissed her again. "You should get inside for your mom sees what's going on out here" he smirked.
She relented and eventually did peel herself away from him. After retrieving her bags, she walked up to the front door of her house. "And so we're back to reality folks…" she thought dryly and took one last look towards the black Benz. "I wish I were going home with you."
He waved at her from the car and she waved back after opening the front door. A few moments later, the black BMW disappeared from view and she was left at the doorstep staring into space.
Finally she snapped from her thoughts and walked inside the darkened foyer. She assumed her mother was upstairs resting before work and Yahiko was either in his room or at a friends' house. There was no escaping who lay in the living room, but she didn't want to think about him at the moment.
She took her bags and went directly upstairs and dropped them in her room, before trying to find her mother.
Moments later upon not finding her mother or Yahiko, she dreamily lay back in her bed and admired the new ring on her right hand. She thought about how utterly sweet the redhead looked when he told her about it. He'd bared his soul to her and she could only watch in bashfulness as he told her how much she meant to him.
A shy blush crept across her features and she gleefully giggled to herself. The weekend had been perfect. The resort, the room, and the time spent with Kenshin. For those moments she'd floated perfectly through her life with no other worries in mind.
Still daydreaming about the way Kenshin possessively held her against his warm body and wishing for his touches, she was disturbed by the ringing of the house phone. Frowning and slightly agitated, she sauntered over to the incessant ringing and hoped for a moment upon picking it up, that the smooth velvet voice would greet her.
"Hello?" she replied softly, a smile gracing her face.
"Kaoru?" came the disheveled, pain-ridden voice of her mother, "You're home, thank god."
"Mom? What's wrong?" her smiled disappeared.
"We're at the hospital. It's your father again…another attack."
Kaoru's dream world came crashing down around her and for a moment she swore she could feel the violent impact in her body and soul. "What?" she barely whispered.
"He's here again, and me and Yahiko are here waiting for the doctors."
"The same hospital? I'll be right here!" she replied, willing her voice to stay strong even though her entire body trembled with despair. "Not again…why? Why us?"
"No stay home. I just wanted to call and let you know incase you worried about no one being home. We'll call if there's anything else alright? You have school tomorrow and I'll try to have Yahiko home as soon as possible too. I…I'm sorry about this."
"No mom, it's not your fault" came her pained response. Already the tears were falling down her face and after a few more words from her mother she hung up. The girl slumped down on the floor as she cried from sheer anguish.
She'd foolishly thought her life would continue to be the extension from the weekend. Even though it was Sunday evening, the happier events of the day seemed of have transpired years ago.
Never had she cried so hard in her life. Her entire body trembled from the sobs escaping her throat. She wrapped her arms about herself and continued to only let the hot tears gush from her cloudy blue eyes.
How could life be so cruel? Was she so selfish that she'd actually spent such heavenly days with Kenshin while her family suffered so much? "You're so stupid Kaoru" she cried, her voice becoming dry and cracked from the sobbing. "So stupid!"
Just then the phone rang again. She looked up and realized that it wasn't the house phone again, but the ringing came from her purse, which only meant one thing. She rushed over towards the sound and fished the black device from the depths of her leather bag. Flipping it open without even bothering to look at the ID, she answered, "Kenshin!" It inadvertently came out in a sob, even though she vehemently tried to sound more audible.
"Kaoru?" came a deep voice, although it wasn't one that belonged to Kenshin.
She frowned and looked down at the ID on the phone. It was his father, Hiko.
"Oh" she sniffled, starting to wipe the tears from her face and neck and regain some composure in her voice. "I'm sorry Mr. Himura I thought it was Kenshin."
The man ignored the polite apology, "What's wrong Kaoru? Why are you crying? Is everything okay? I was calling to see about Kenshin since you guys didn't get back from your trip yet."
She swallowed hard. His questions left so much to be answered, so much to be said. But where to start? No, she couldn't possibly be thinking to confide in him. This would be such a mar on herself and her family name. They'd always been taught to hide the deficiencies raging on in their household.
"N-nothing Mr. Himura. I was…just…ah…nothing…Kenshin's not home yet?" she asked quickly trying to change the subject.
"Well actually I just heard his car pull into the driveway. But what's the matter Kaoru? Tell me, is everything okay at home? Is your father angry?" he asked, his paternal instincts fully in effect.
"I…no…he's not mad…I…" she stammered, and heard the man no longer even listening to her. She could clearly make out the conversation taking place on the other end of the phone.
"It's Kaoru" his father stated, clearly not speaking to her. "I called to see where you two were, but she's crying hysterically on the other end. Something the matter?"
"What? Kaoru? Why is she crying?" came the familiar voice in the background. He was understandably already disturbed.
Seconds later he was on the phone, "Hello? K, what's wrong?"
She muffled another agonizing cry and gathered her strength. "My dad…" she replied between sobs, "…He's in the hospital…mom and Yahiko…" Her voice gave out again as the crying only continued. "Kenshin…"
On the other end the redhead had gone from serene and calm to completely frantic over her voice. Never before had she ever cried out like that to him, so much pain and anguish.
"Kaoru, I'm coming over" he replied, not waiting from a response on the other end. The last thing he wanted to hear was her telling him not to come. He needed to hold her in his arms just to make sure she was alright and nothing was going to stand in his way.
"Stay put, I'm coming right over" he instructed again and promptly hung up the phone.
Not even giving his father an explanation, he dashed towards the door front door he'd just come from.
"Kenshin!" he turned back at the sound of his name.
Hiko came after him, pulling a jacket over his shoulders, "I'm going with you."
Kenshin frowned, "What the hell for? Just let it be alright!"
The man ignored the tone of his son's voice and grabbed his car and house keys.
"If you're taking her to the hospital, its best her family see that another adult with you two. Besides, from the sound of her voice, there's no way you'll be driving sanely."
The two men walked towards the front door. Once outside, Kenshin started towards his car. "Kenshin, there's no way me, her, and you will fit in that. Get into the SUV and at least we'll have room for her mother and brother in case we need to drop them back home. I'll drive."
Without word of disagreement, Kenshin turned and walked towards the silver Range Rover. Hiko climbed into the driver's seat and shortly after, the vehicle sped at a steady pace down the streets.
The car ride was a silent one as both men had their minds on the helpless young woman they were headed towards. Kenshin couldn't remember the last time he'd taken a drive with his father, let alone followed as he instructed.
"Do you know the hospital where he's at?" he driver asked.
Kenshin snapped from his thoughts, "Most likely the one he was at last time, St. Mary's"
"They've probably taken him back since all records of his last treatment are there. Alright, let's make sure. Kamiya's the last name right?"
Kenshin furrowed his brows and looked over towards the man, "Yea…" he managed to confirm. Hiko was busy pushing in buttons on the mobile phone in the SUV. Soon a female voice could be heard through the speaker phone.
"Yes, I'd like to confirm if you have a patient by the name of Mr. Kamiya…ah first name…" he looked towards Kenshin in confusion.
Kenshin only looked back and shrugged his shoulders, mouthing, "I don't know his first name."
Hiko had the slightest inkling to smack the young man upside his head. Meanwhile, the quick witted receptionist had already found the information they needed, "Yes, he was just admitted a few hours ago today. He's still in the ICU and I believe his wife and son are in the waiting room. Are you family?"
The two men glanced at each other for a moment before Hiko responded, "Y-yes we are actually. Thank you very much."
After disconnecting the call, the silence pervaded once again.
"Why are you going around telling people she's your daughter in law?"
Hiko looked up to his left and saw the intensity in his son's eyes, and the accusing nature of his glare. He only returned his eyes to the road ahead and faintly smiled, "You truly are an idiot like your father you know that? Is it wrong to assume that one day she will be?"
Kenshin didn't answer for a few moments. "I don't know what you're trying to prove by doing all this…"
"I'm not trying to prove anything, just…trying to be a decent father for once in my miserable life that's all. You love her very much I can see that clearly. And she cares deeply for you as well; she never left your side while you were in the hospital. I only hope that you intend to keep this little light in your life by your side."
Kenshin was stubborn, "I intend to do just that, but that still doesn't mean that any of this concerns you."
Hiko felt the bitter words sting directly at his heart, "Kenshin I can't take back what happened back then, but right now I'd like you to give me the chance to show you that I can still be your father. It won't erase anything, but hopefully, you can at least forgive me."
Kenshin didn't return any words towards him. Instead, his glare remained fixed on the terrain outside his window as it whizzed by. Finally as his pent up anger and rage coiled more tightly, he recognized her neighborhood. The SUV hadn't even rolled to a complete stop when he jumped out and ran towards her front door.
He rang the door bell several times before finally a disheveled face appeared from the other side. Tears still stained her cheeks and she looked like a fraction of the joyous young woman he'd left behind seemingly moments ago.
Not being able to bare her state anymore, he pulled her against him in tight embrace. Holding the back of her head with one hand and gently caressing her back with the other, he brushed a light kiss on her forehead.
She cried with intensity and clung to him for support. "Please stop Kaoru" he muttered. It was all he could say. What else could he say? He desperately wished he could do something, anything at this point to pacify her.
"I'm right here" he soothed as she finally began to regain control over her sobbing.
Kaoru looked out behind Kenshin and could see the silver SUV in front. A man's profile was noticeable even in the darkening evening sky. She looked up momentarily and noticed how the light of the sun was drowning behind the horizon. For a moment it felt as if every part of her and her life was fading with its light. She felt a warm hand against her face and looked into deep amethyst eyes.
The light of the dying sun was momentarily replaced the light coming from behind those soft purple orbs shining towards her. She wished so many times that they could just stop time in their embrace and everything else would fade away. But now a deep sensation of guilt grasped her heart. He deserved so much better in his life than having to deal with her constant drama and pain.
"I'm sorry Kenshin" she whispered. Her voice still threatened to give way to another rush of tears building up in her eyes.
Kenshin looked down at her after hearing those words. Her lower lip trembled as she looked up at him. Big blue eyes shone with unshed tears and looked as he could drown himself in that deep sea. She was so perfect, so innocent, and yet so sad.
"Never say sorry for any of this Kaoru. Never" he replied.
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The three had rushed in Hiko's SUV towards the hospital. Even though Kaoru's mother had instructed her to stay home, Hiko didn't think it was the least bit healthy for only mother and son to be subjected to the tortures of waiting alone in the hospital. "How ironic" he thought as he drove, Kenshin had his arm draped around Kaoru in the back seat as silent tears continued to spill down her face. "I can't remember being at my dying wife's bedside but now I seem to be in the hospital every other week. This must be some penance for my negligence."
The trio arrived at the same hospital that Kenshin had brought her to that fateful day. They rushed inside and Hiko did most of the talking with the receptionist. They were instructed towards the waiting room, which is where they found the rest of the Kamiya family.
"Kaoru!" her mother exclaimed upon seeing her daughter come inside.
Both women hugged and Kaoru brought forth as much strength as she could in order not sadden her mother any more.
"How is he?" she asked and noted that Yahiko was fast asleep in the chair behind them.
"No word yet. They've been doing more tests and blood work. I just don't know anything yet." The woman looked resoundingly tired and her voice was also strained, but the brilliance of her eyes shined brightly. Her will was truly strong and unbreakable.
She looked beyond her daughter and noted the two other visitors. "Hello Kenshin, Mr. Himura."
Kenshin bowed deeply in response and gave her a warm smile. Hiko walked over to both women as he too bowed and greeted that woman. "Please call me Hiko, Mrs. Kamiya. I'm sorry we had to meet again like this, very sorry."
"It's alright" the woman smiled. "I just hope that he'll be alright."
Kaoru had to keep from bursting out into tears at her mother's words. She was so strong and Kaoru wished she could have a fraction of that strength.
"Please sit. I only feel so ashamed that all of you had to be dragged into a hospital like this" she invited.
"Please don't Mrs. Kamiya. We were concerned for Kaoru as well as Mr. Kamiya, and so it's nothing" Hiko responded.
"We'll get something to eat and drink for everyone. I'll drive down to the nearest deli." Kenshin announced. Hiko nodded and turned over the SUV keys to him.
The two watched as both their children disappeared through the doorway.
"They make such a handsome couple" her mother thought sadly. Would her family ever know a moment's peace of mind?
END CHAPTER 26
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Alright well first things first, HUGE THANKS to Antica for being my beta reader for this chapter! That was very sweet of you!
Also I know that it seems someone's always in the hospital in Kao's life one way or another, but…it happens…happened…so…deal with it! Lol
I've gotten some great suggestions about how to wrap up this fic and the ideas are just buzzing around in my head. Soon…the end will come! Whew! BC this thing is bordering on 30 chapters! GEEZ!
Anyhow, thanks to everyone that's ever read and reviewed and please let me know how YOU think the end should be! I'm really interested in finding out.
muah!
