II. Chairs and Stones
" I'll find the way to bring you back…"
Kira promised these words beside Cagalli's "lifeless" body.
It's been four months, and nothing has changed. She was still in the ICU, on comatose. She had suffered a great deal -brain cancer.
Athrun had a fight with Kira earlier.
" The doctor explained everything to me. They can't do anything to save her… She will remain that way, forever…"
"There must be some mistake," Athrun replied.
" I'll take her to PLANTs. I know that naturals are more advanced than coordinators on things like these… but I have to give it a try."
"Athrun," Kira muttered in grief. "I… I have already decided. I can't stand seeing her like that. With all those machines connected to her body… it's pointless." He turned away from his best friend. But Athrun got the message, and this made him furious.
" You've decided to "kill" her huh?" he shouted.
Lacus heard their conversation. She went there to visit Cagalli, and was shocked upon hearing Kira's news about his sister.
"Oh no…" She whispered.
"I'm not allowing you to decide things for her," Athrun continued.
"Do you think I'm doing this for my own sake?" Kira fired back. " This is hard for me, just as it is for you! I can't even do something to save her…" He was in tears.
" There is, one solution though…" a voice came from behind.
Lacus was surprised to see that familiar face, standing beside her. She as not aware of his presence… It was Shinn who has spoken.
Athrun turned around.
"Shinn…" Kira said." What solution?" he asked.
Athrun, who has long rejected that alternative, replied to Shinn. " I will not allow it. We will have to look for another way… not that."
Kira was rather interested in Shinn's proposition, despite Athrun's violent objection.
"What solution?" Kira insisted.
Shinn took a deep breath. Then continued with his words.
"Because of her deteriorating condition, she must need "something" to sustain her life." He added. " She can be like us. She will not suffer from her disease, whatsoever…"
"You're suggesting of making her a coordinator?"
"No. A fully grown-up natural's genes can be modified, but its effects can't be achieved that easily. I'm talking about another alternative…"
A memory of some distant past flashes through Shinn's mind.
He was holding the corpse of a beautiful blonde soldier - his first love.
Stella…
" She will become an EXTENDED…a living CPU," Shinn finished.
Three months later…
Athrun was on his way to the hospital when his cell phone rang.
" It's Kira. She's woken up…"
Athrun suddenly stepped on his car's accelerator. He was waiting for this day to happen. All he wanted was to see her again. How she yells at him when he does those stupid things, and how she laughed in his arms. Tears were beginning to cloud his vision and he brushes them away. His Cagalli was back…
He entered the room and saw Kira and Lacus, with the attending physician.
From the way they look, it seems this situation isn't worth celebrating. Kira was just staring at the window.
Lacus on the other hand, approached Athrun. She stopped in front of him and bowed her head to hide her tears.
"It was the best way… that we can do… sorry," she said meaningfully.
Athrun understood her message. He left the three of them and went to Cagalli.
She was there, sitting on her bed. The breathing apparatus and other machines were gone. She was looking at her hands -her eyes with inconceivable expression.
" Cagalli…" Athrun said. She looked at him. Her golden brown eyes glowed as the sun illuminated them. Athrun touched her hand. Her skin's color was back…
She was again, alive…
Athrun embraced her. She did not resist, nor cooperate.
And as he gazed at those eyes, her shattering words came out.
"…Who…you?"
Athrun held her against him. He broke down.
"Why… crying?" Cagalli's words were cryptic. "Why…"
Shinn was standing on the doorway, watching the two of them. He was reminded of his past.
"Shinn…Don't want to… die!""Protect…Stella!"
The sun suddenly hid behind the thick clouds, leaving the room on a sullen mood.
Kira and Lacus entered the room.
"She almost died last night. When she coded, I panicked. I called Neo… I mean Mu. He gave me the contacts of those scientists who can perform the Extended conditioning. There happens to be a hospital where extended conditioning can be done for patients with "hopless" cases like hers," Kira explained.
Code-a medical term when the body functions that sustain a person's life stop (i. e. hearbeat, respiration)- that could lead to death.
" She underwent the procedure… for five hours, 'till the morning," Lacus continued.
" We… did not inform you, because we thought you'd resist."
Athrun didn't respond to anyone of them. He was still holding Cagalli.
Cagalli on the other hand, pushed Athrun away after seeing the familiar face …of her brother.
"K…Kira…" Her eyes were wounded.
Kira understood. Cagalli was confused about everything. She didn't know who these people are, because only his memory was the only one retained on her mind… he discovered.
"Please, I think she needs to rest now…"Kira said to the others.
Athrun said he wanted to be with her a little bit longer.
"I'll watch over her," he said to Kira.
Kira on the other hand replied: "We will talk some place other than this. She needs to rest…"
Lacus held Athrun's hand as a gesture that they have to leave.
Athrun once again approached the bewildered Cagalli and kissed her on her temple.
Everyone left, except Kira, who stayed beside his sister.
Cagalli embraced him and closed her eyes.
"Did you have a bad dream?" Kira asked while running his fingers through her blonde hair.
Cagalli shook her head.
"I'll stay with you. Just rest now…"
The clouds were beginning to feel heavy, just like the realizations that occurred within Athrun. He remembered his words when they broke-up not so long ago…
"For us, this will just be a memory…"How does it feel to be forgotten?
Would memories matter if none of them were worth remembering?
I took a few changes from my original plans for this story (after watching SEED Destiny-again). I hope you guys already found out what I'm planning to do with this one. If you're still unsure, then watch out for the succeeding chapters, which could take another while. Thanks for reading…
-crookedsmile