Chapter 20
"Someone help!" Dark shouted as he ran through the hospital doors, followed by Krad, Satoshi, and Toki.
The occupants of the hospital turned their heads and gasped. Nurses, who had been standing around talking on their break, rushed to their aid and examined the three teens that had been carried in by the four others.
Stretchers and more nurses, plus some doctors, came bursting out of nowhere, or at least it seemed like nowhere since everyone was too busy worrying over Daisuke, Freedert, and Elliot to pay attention to where the doctors and such were coming from.
Shouts of "Get them to E.R.," and, "Put them on the stretches," followed by, "How did this happen?" echoed in the small room until Daisuke, Freedert, and Elliot had been taken away and put in special care.
With a sigh, Dark turned his eyes towards his friends, but blinked in confusion when he saw only Satoshi and Krad slumped against one of the white walls. Frowning he let his eyes wander over the hospital room, but found no trace of the girl. "Did either of you two see what happened to Toki?"
X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
Kyle groaned pitifully. He had tried to escape the collapsing building, but he had been too slow and now his lower half was buried under the debris. He couldn't even salvage the strength to call out for help. From the beginning he had planned out the whole thing, but the arrival of Daisuke and those three other boys hadn't been something he had counted on.
"This is your punishment."
Staring up at the speaker, Kyle felt the urge to fight back tears of both rage and sorrow. Standing above him was none other than Toki. Forcing a scowl on his face, he turned his head away from her. "Have you come here to mock me, or is it to pity me? Just leave, I need neither."
At first he was sure that she would turn and leave, but was taken aback when she crouched down in front of him and placed her hand on his head. "You wanted to die." Toki spoke coldly and accusingly, causing Kyle to flinch. "You loved Freedert with your whole heart, and when she chose another you wanted to die, but you couldn't bring yourself to do it, so you kidnapped Elliot in hopes that maybe, just maybe, your pain would somehow cease."
Burning tears fell from Kyle's eyes. His mind had completely shut down. It was true. He never wanted to hurt anyone, only ease his own suffering. Hiding his face in the ground, he tried to fight off his tears, but the more he fought the more that came.
A weight was removed from Kyle's legs, and he turned his head to view the source of his relief. Toki was standing behind him now, when she had moved he did not know, but she was helping him.
"This is your punishment," she repeated, moving a big piece of brick off Kyle. "You'll live. You'll live and probably be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of your life. You'll watch your two friends go through life in love together, and everyday you'll remember what you have done."
Bowing his head in defeat, Kyle remained silent, accepting his fate.
X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
"Dark! Will you please just leave me alone!" Daisuke pleaded, while trying to push his friend off his hospital bed. Dark hadn't been doing anything wrong, but Daisuke was getting tired of the smirks on Krad and Satoshi's faces that had been there since the two entered the room, and saw Dark sitting extremely close to him.
"But Dai-chan, I'm just sitting next to you." Dark pointed out. "I just saw one of my closest friends get shot in the shoulder, can't I at least sit next to him?"
"He has a point," Satoshi stated.
Blushing ten shades, Daisuke snapped. "Keep out of this! This is partially your fault!"
"Really?" Krad raised an eyebrow inquisitively at the redhead and smiled knowingly. "You don't want Dark next to you because we're here?"
Daisuke knew he was trapped. He could tell by the evil look Krad was giving him. Suddenly he wanted to grab Dark and hide behind him. Krad wouldn't attack his best friend would he? "I-It's embarrassing!" Daisuke tried to explain, but it came out wrong.
"If that is the case…" Krad trailed off and winked at Dark. Wrapping his arm around Satoshi's shoulder, the blonde and the blunette suddenly vanished from the room, leaving nothing but a dust cloud in their place.
"Oh Dai-chan," Dark's sickeningly sweet singsong voice rang in Daisuke's ear. Daisuke found himself glaring warningly at the older teen, giving off a 'try-something-and-die' vibe.
"Yes, Dark?" Daisuke asked warily.
Reverting back to his normal self, Dark pointed at Daisuke's shoulder. "How is it?"
"Didn't the doctors tell you?" Daisuke asked.
Dark nodded his head, but continued to point at the wounded shoulder and stare at it as if it were about to explode. "Yes, but I want to hear it from your point of view. I know you're not going to die, since it wasn't too serious an injury, and they got the bullet out before it could poison you. In other words, tell me how you feel."
Daisuke paused, staring at Dark as if he had grown a second head, before a small laugh escaped his lips. Dark gave Daisuke a questioning look, and the redhead lost it.
After two minutes worth of Daisuke laughing Dark felt himself growing agitated. His eye was twitching too! If that didn't scream agitation he didn't know what did. What the hell? I ask him how he's feeling and he laughs in my face. I should leave and see how he reacts to that. Yeah, who's laughing now Dai-chan! I'll leave you alone with nothing to do but die of boredom, or count the ceiling tiles!
"S-sorry," Daisuke gasped for breath, clutching his abdomen and rocking back and forth. "I-it's just," gasp, "It's just-"
Dark waited as Daisuke tried to collect himself. Now that he saw how hard Daisuke was struggling to stop laughing the scene was kind of funny. Smiling, he placed a hand on Daisuke's good shoulder, hoping it might help the younger boy to calm down a bit. In a matter of moments, Daisuke was breathing evenly.
The redhead's feature's had went from laughing until tears ran down his face to serious, but with a small fond smile lingering on his lips. "It's just, that last time we were in a hospital we hated each other, and here we are, friends. You're even asking how I'm feeling, and it just seems so surreal and ironic that it's funny."
"Funny," Dark mumbled and stared out the window, gazing at the slowly setting sun. His thoughts were on the first time Daisuke and him had been a in a hospital together, and how different it was from now. Who knew how much could change in a few months?
X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
"It seems neither of them are awake yet," Satoshi muttered, taking a seat on the plastic spare chair at the end of the two hospital beds. Resting peacefully, covered with big white sheets that went up to their chins so only their faces were visible were Freedert and Elliot. Wires from machines were connected to their bodies. Some of the wires were connected to the circular white pads on their heads while the other were attached to their arms. Besides the wire there were clear tubes that every now and then sent liquid to the couple. Luckily they were no longer in need of blood so the tubes for that had been removed.
Scoffing at Satoshi's blatantly obvious observation, Krad took his seat next to Satoshi, silently ranting about the lousy chairs the hospital had to offer. "As expected. Elliot's injures were so severe that the doctors were shocked that he hadn't fallen into a coma sooner. The fact that he didn't pass out until we reached the hospital is in itself a miracle. As for Freedert, it wouldn't surprise me if the doctors' assumptions about her being over-whelmed by the thought of her friend shooting her resulting in her own comatose state of mind were true."
"Still," Satoshi whispered, a frown etched on his face, "It feels as if something is off."
"Maybe-" before Krad could finish his sentence, the door was pulled open and a nurse stood in the doorway, smiling kindly at them.
"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are almost over, please leave." She stood there waiting for the teens to leave. Once they made the move to get up she left the room knowing they would soon follow.
Once all occupants, but the two unconscious ones, left the room, the sound of the clock ticking echoed. The moonlight poured in through the window and like in a fairy tale, it landed on one of the still beings, and like magic the being's finger twitched. A minute passed and another finger began to move until the entire hand was clenching and unclenching.
Slowly, as if in pain, the figure rose from its place on the bed and turned so it was facing its partner. Leaning over it reached out towards the other bed, missing it by an inch. With a croak it called out the name of its beloved.
"Freedert."
X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
Her breathing was ragged as she ran in through the black waters at her feet. She was running further into the ocean, trying to avoid that strip of land behind her, but she felt it calling her back.
"Help!" She gasped as she fell into the waters. Pushed and pulled in ever direction she lost all sense of herself as she fell in a downward spiral.
"Why did you love him?"
"I don't know." She answered, choking for the air she longed for.
"Why not him?"
"I don't know."
"Is it my fault?"
"It's my fault."
"He shot you."
"He shot me," Freedert admitted, and like that she found herself being pulled in another direction, and her body was against something soft, but firm, like sand.
She lifted her head from the ground and stared off into the distance. This was the place she had been running from, but why had she been running? What was so bad about it?
"Freedert."
Materializing in front of her stood, Elliot, the sandy haired boy with a sweet smile that had won her heart.
He smiled and reached down a hand. "Freedert."
Smiling she reached out to grab his hand, and suddenly the sand was gone to be replaced with a feeling happiness. Funny, who knew you could stand on happiness?
X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
Freedert blinked rapid as she awoke from her dream. It had been so real and she could swear she could still hear Elliot calling her name.
"Freedert."
She froze at the sound of her name. She was sure she hadn't just dreamed that. Turning her head, she felt the hot tears well up in her eyes as she stared up into the loving eyes of Elliot.
Like in her dream his hand was reaching out for her, and with sad, but blissful smile, she took her hand into his, sighing in contentment.
X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
Akira: Hello everyone! I'm so glad I have found the time to update. Especially since after Daisuke and Dark get home there will be a lot more focusing on the relationship, but for now, one more chapter till the conclusion of the Ice and Snow part of this fic. Also, on a side note, the reason why Freedert's dream involved an ocean and a strip of sand is because I remembered something friend told me about dreams. Bodies of water are symbols of strong emotions while sand represents death or suppression.
Ray- Thank goodness that rat got yelled at, but seriously he needs to meet my gun someday. I bet that he won't be able to walk away from that now will he!
Inu- Well Ray I am gald you enjoyed this story! Anyways you need to go back to the men in white with the needles 'cause they are saying they will put me in your place.
Kimiko- Great story Akira! Oh and I will go for you guys! I like the fluffly white rooms! The food is good as well!
Akira: Thanks Kimiko (I think). Anyway (Reverts to evil mode) Who said you could write all this stuff, INU-CHAN! Kami, your lucky you supply half of my manga. (reverts back and clears throat) Besides that, thank you Inu-chan for editing this chapter for me. It makes it so I can post this that much sooner. Next time please control you insane muses. Now (grabs Inu-chan and runs off with her) together we must flee the men in white coats! I'm afraid of needles!