A/n: I haven't had many chances to work on the story on a computer lately. Instead I've been taking what chances I can and type on my phone instead. Due to this being the first time I've done such there may be some slight issues with layout. If there are such I do apologize.
Chapter 10: A Painful Sunrise
"Is Ushio doing alright?" asked Tomoya, holding the receiver of a wired telephone to his ear.
"She's been really worried about Saunders-San and her teacher but she finally fell asleep; it wasn't that long ago though," replied Nagisa. The volume of her voice was so low that Tomoya could hear the nearly silent static of the landline that normally would be overshadowed by standard conversation. With how quiet Nagisa was on the phone and knowing his wife and daughter Tomoya figured that Ushio must be asleep in her mother's lap.
"What about you, are you doing okay? Did they treat you already?" asked Nagisa. Even with how quiet her voice was Tomoya could hear the worry in it.
"Yeah, I only had a minor cut and some bruises," replied Tomoya. "The cut only took a few stitches." As he said this he gently felt one of his cheeks with his free hand. The recent stitches felt tender still but that was really the worst of it.
"And Dad? What about him, Tomoyo and Sunohara?"
"Your father only got a few bruises and Tomoyo didn't get hurt at all so they didn't need any treatment," informed Tomoya. "Sunohara had to get a few stitches but otherwise he's fine."
"I'm glad to hear that," sighed Nagisa. "How about Kyou? Is she doing alright?" To this Tomoya didn't immediately give an answer. Instead while still holding the phone to his ear he turned his head to take a look behind him at those who were there with him.
Sunohara was currently pacing throughout the hospital lobby, eyes cast downwards and his non-bandaged hand shoved in one of his pant's pockets. Tomoya's normally carefree and jovial friend was now sullen-faced and muttering to himself under his breath. Being so withdrawn into his own mind it would've been rather easy for Sunohara to bump into someone. Thankfully though the room was absent of almost all life, the only occupants being those that were here with Tomoya and a hospital worker or two.
Through one of the nearby windows Tomoya could easily see Akio huffing on one cigarette after another, face contorted into worry and anger that burned hotter then the glowing end of his latest cigarette. Tomoya had lost count of how many Akio had gone through. Judging from how many cigarette butts were sticking out of a nearby ashtray Tomoya suspected Akio had lost count as well. In all the years he had known Akio he hadn't ever seen him smoke this much in such a short amount of time.
Sitting close to the window in one of the lobby's chairs was Tomoyo. The silver-haired young woman would at times be looking out the window towards Akio. Most of the time though her attention was focused on the person sitting next to her. Each time she looked that way her face was visibly filled with more and more concern. To see someone as strong as Tomoyo looking so worried truly meant that the situation was really bad and that caused worry to grow in Tomoya himself.
Looking at Kyou as she sat next to Tomoyo only helped that worry to become worse. Kyou simply sat there, her blank stare fixed at a downwards angle. Her hands were in her lap, one of them clenching a tissue that had become crumbled and torn from such overuse that it barely resembled it's original form anymore. Though she wasn't saying or doing anything right now her bloodshot eyes, red and blotchy cheeks, all spoke as to what she had been doing before.
Although Tomoyo looked at Kyou with worry and was sitting right next to her she didn't say anything. Everyone had stopped trying to say anything. Kyou wasn't responding to anyone with anything comprehensible. If talked to she would either remain silent, mumble something unintelligible, or start crying again. Sighing to himself Tomoya looked away and back towards the phone he was using.
"Physically? Yeah she is alright," finally said Tomoya. As he began to speak again he lowered his voice to make sure it couldn't be heard. "Mentally though? No...She isn't okay..." With that reply the conversation became silent for a few moments, both parties not sure how to handle the idea of Kyou, someone so boisterous and seemingly tough, reduced to such a state.
"And...Saunders-san? Is he...Did he...?" asked Nagisa. The wavering in her voice and how her sentence trailed off told Tomoya just how much Nagisa hesitated to ask what was clawing at her mind.
"No...He isn't dead," replied Tomoya, lowering his voice even more. "I mean... We haven't heard anything yet, not since he went into surgery."
"When did he go into surgery?" asked Nagisa.
"Almost immediately after we got here."
"What?!" gasped Nagisa. The shock had made her accidentally raise her voice a little and Tomoya could hear over the phone their daughter tossing a little in her sleep at the disturbance. After a few moments of quiet to let her settle back down Nagisa finally spoke again.
"But...but that was hours ago. He's been in surgery for that long?"
"Yeah..." sighed Tomoya in reply. "And we haven't heard anything either. No one has been out to tell us anything."
"Not even Ryou?" questioned Nagisa.
"No, not even Ryou." said Tomoya, lightly shaking his head to himself. Speaking of Ryou brought to the forefront of Tomoya's mind the sight he didn't think he'd never forget. He had seen Ryou rushing to Kale's side, ordering her sister out of the way and then pushing her away when she didn't move. The sight of blood or the serious injuries hadn't seemed to frighten Ryou at all. In fact it seemed to have made her focus and gain a confidence in her words and actions that she didn't have in social situations. Tomoya had known that Ryou had gone into the nursing profession, but to see her actually apply her skills and without hesitation was still a bit of a surprise.
It had been a welcome surprise though. The moment Ryou had gone to Kale's side she never left it, even when Kale was loaded onto the ambulance. Once Tomoya and the others had arrived at the hospital someone had told them that Ryou had even gone into the surgery room to help out. None of the group had seen or heard from Ryou since then. All they could do now was wait.
"Well... I need to get Ushio in her own futon now," said Nagisa after a few more moments of silence. "Please call when you hear something."
"I will, as long as you try to get some sleep in the mean time," replied Tomoya.
"I'll do my best," Nagisa said in reply. "Goodnight Tomoya."
"Night," simply returned Tomoya. With those final words said he hung up the phone, giving a deep sigh. Eventually Tomoya turned around and walked towards where Kyou and Tomoyo were sitting. Silently he took the vacant seat on the other side of Kyou, joining his dear friends in their painful task of waiting.
The next few hours passed by excruciatingly slow. Little was said while the group waited. The relentless ticking of a clock was the only thing that filled the void of silence. Eventually at one point Sunohara had laid across some of the lobby chairs and fallen asleep. Not long after that Akio came back inside, muttering something about it being too cold outside.
The seemingly endless wait wore away at the group. Although he resisted Tomoya had started to nod off himself. The sudden sound of one of the hospital doors unexpectedly opening jerked Tomoya awake. Looking towards the source of the noise he saw a doctor coming towards them with Ryou closely behind him.
"Kyou, someone is coming," said Tomoya while he firmly tapped Kyou's shoulder. Slowly Kyou turned her head and when she saw Ryou and the doctor she softly gasped. In but a moment she was on her feet and already speedily walking towards her potential answers. Tomoya took a moment to get the attention of the rest of the group and they were then closely behind Kyou.
"Are you all Saunders-san's acquaintances?" asked the doctor, his tired eyes looking at the group.
"Yeah, we are his friends," replied Tomoya, putting emphasis on the word friends.
"What's going on?" frantically asked Kyou, interrupting Tomoya before he could say anything else. "Where is Kale? Is he okay?! Did you fix him?!"
At first all the doctor did was give a heavy sigh. Kyou felt her heart sink as she looked to her sister. Ryou's sorrowful face made Kyou begin to shake a little as she felt her eyes begin to tear up.
"Saunders-san's injuries are quite severe," began the doctor. "He had a puncture wound that resulted in a pneumothorax, multiple fractured ribs, and his radius and ulna suffered a severe comminuted fracture. We have been able to address all of those issues, but his subdural hemato-"
"W-wait, just hold on a minute," interrupted Kyou, her voice cracking a little. "I...I don't get what you are saying, is he okay?"
"Doctor, may I?" asked Ryou, placing a hand on the doctor's shoulder. The doctor gave a slow nod as his response. Ryou stepped forward, taking in a deep breath before looking Kyou in the eye.
"Saunders-san... he was hurt really bad," started Ryou. "His stab wound caused one of his lungs to collapse. They were able to treat the wound and his breathing should eventually return to normal." Kyou felt a brief moment of relief that passed as soon as Ryou continued to talk. Each word that came from her sister's mouth made Kyou's heart ache in agony.
"Although he had multiple broken ribs the fractures weren't too serious. His right forearm though..." Ryou's voice trailed off for a few moments. As she took yet another deep breath Kyou felt dread further tighten it's grip on her heart. Her sister was bracing herself; Why was she bracing herself?!
"The bones in his right forearm were broken into multiple fragments," said Ryou. "They had to insert pins and a brace to hold the bones pieces in place as they heal. They say it will take a long time for them to heal. The main cause for concern though is his head injury."
Upon hearing those words the image of Kale's head being slammed against the wall flashed through Kyou's mind. Her whole body started shaking as she held her hands close to her chest. Jumping when she felt someone touch her, Kyou's head turned to see that Tomoyo had gently embraced her with one of her arms as she continued to look at Ryou. Using that physical touch as an anchor to help her focus, Kyou looked once again at her sister. Ryou then continued to give her grim report.
"I'm afraid he suffered what's called a subdural hematoma. It's...It's where there is bleeding between the skull and the brain. They cut open his skull and drained the blood and stopped any further bleeding. The problem is that the bleeding was putting a lot of pressure on his brain. We aren't quite sure yet the extent of the damage but it was enough to...you see, the thing is..."
"It was enough to what?!" questioned Kyou, her voice now rising as she glared at her sister, the one person whom she had hoped would have brought good news. "What is it?! Tell me! Please tell me!"
"It was enough to send him into a coma." When Ryou uttered those words Kyou felt the whole world crumble away. No longer could she hear the clock ticking nor could she even feel the presence of her friends at her side. Even her vision was narrowed by blurred darkness, with all that she could see being her sister.
"You...you mean he can't wake up?" asked Kyou, her voice barely a whisper.
"Yes..." softly replied Ryou.
"For how long?"
"We have no way of knowing," sighed Ryou. "It could be days...weeks...maybe even months or years." Kyou's head lowered as her gaze fell to the floor, her light purple hair creating a curtain between her and the rest of the world. Other then that and her shoulders slumping Kyou stood completely still for a minute. All eyes were on her, everyone wanting to reach out and comfort her but unsure of just how to do that.
"He confessed to me..." mumbled Kyou, her voice cracking with grief. "He told me that he loved me...just before he went unconscious. Kale was so brave... He was brave enough to know how he felt and to tell me. He was brave enough to defend me..." Sobbing interrupted her words, Kyou's once still body now trembling as her emotions poured forth.
"Fujibayashi..." said Tomoyo, feeling her own heart ache as she saw her co-worker and friend experiencing this torment. Tomoyo couldn't help but be reminded of the own sorrow she experienced when her brother had once been at death's door. In a vain attempt to help ease the grief Tomoyo tried to give another squeeze to Kyou with the arm that was already hugging her. Kyou didn't respond to it though, far too lost in the endless ocean of despair that now filled her mind.
"And here I am, the biggest idiot, I couldn't even figure out how I felt till it was too late!" Kyou's voice was louder now and steadily rising with volume as each grief-stricken word left her lips. "Because I was so afraid of being in a serious relationship for once, afraid of how I felt about Kale, I ended up putting myself in danger. Because of that Kale had to defend me..."
"Onee-chan..." softly called Ryou. She tried to reach out to her sister but Kyou forced it away as her head jerked up. Tears now poured freely from Kyou's face as she cried out at no one in particular.
"Because of me he can't wake up!" Kyou yelled, her voice wavering as she sobbed. "Don't you see?! It's my fault! It's all my fault!"
"Onee-chan." Ryou's voice was now more firm but it wasn't enough to break through to Kyou. The older sister's eyes were now shut as she continued to yell, her dark emotions now an unending torrent.
"It's all my fault! Kale can't wake up because of me! It's my fault! IT'S MY FAULT!"
"Onee-chan!" Ryou called out, raising her voice as well. In one swift motion she stepped forward and with considerable force slapped Kyou across the face. Kyou's cries abruptly stopped, her face turned sideways by the force of the slap. One of her shaking hands reached up and lightly brushed her reddened cheek, feeling the sting on her face to confirm what actually happened. Eyes widened, Kyou turned her face back to look at her twin. Ryou was standing there staring at her sister with a scowl and glaring eyes that wept bitter tears.
"Don't you dare ever say that again," commanded Ryou. All eyes were now on her as everyone but Ryou remained speechless at her sudden and never before seen actions. "Don't you dare insult Saunders-San by saying that it was your fault. It wasn't your fault or his, the blame lies entirely on those evil men."
"But I..." Kyou's shaky whisper tried to object, but it was swiftly stopped by Ryou.
"Don't," she simply ordered. "It is not your fault. You didn't do this to Saunders-San, those evil men are the ones that hurt him. I know him well enough to know that he doesn't regret his actions. He would gladly do it again if it meant protecting you. You know Saunders-San better then me so you know it's true; so don't you dare dishonor his act of defending you by taking on blame that isn't yours!" Silence hung over everyone present, Kyou looking at Ryou who glared back at her, with Tomoya and the others staring at the twins.
Eventually Kyou gave a shallow nod, sniffling a little as she fought back tears. The silent communication was enough for Ryou who softened her gaze and held out both arms, beckoning Kyou to come to her. The invitation was swiftly accepted and Kyou tightly hugged her dear sister, crying without reservation. Sheer agony robbed Kyou of all strength and she sunk to the floor with Ryou joining as well, she not once letting go of her weeping sister.
Wordlessly Tomoyo, Tomoya, and Sunohara knelt down onto the ground, joining Ryou in the act of hugging their grieving friend. No one said anything, they simply let Kyou continue to cry out as they remained with her, hopefully at least as some small amount of comfort. It lasted a few minutes, Kyou's heavy sobbing echoing in the otherwise quiet lobby. Once she had calmed down Tomoya and Sunohara stood up and backed away. Ryou and Tomoyo slowly stood up as well, gently aiding Kyou in getting back on her feet.
"Would you like to go see Saunders-San?" quietly asked Ryou, keeping a hand on Kyou's shoulder as she tried to make eye contact. Kyou never met the gaze of her sister though, her head was too far tilted forward to make eye contact with anything other than the ground. She did give a response though to the question, giving a shaky nod as she instinctively sniffed back a few sobs that still tried to escape. Ryou then turned her attention to her friends.
"I'm sorry but since Saunders-San is currently receiving intensive care he can only have one visitor at a time," informed Ryou. Much to the nurse's relief her friends seemed to accept this rule, some of them even giving understanding nods. "Alright then, come this way..." Gently placing a hand between Kyou's shoulders, Ryou helped guide her towards the doors she and the doctor had come out of. Tomoyo, Sunohara, Tomoya, and Akio all stayed behind, looking at the retreating forms of Kyou and Ryou.
Soon enough Kyou, Ryou, and the doctor went through the doors and out of sight of the others. Ryou continued to gently guide Kyou with gentle touch while they followed the doctor. To Kyou it felt as if they were twisting and turning down endless corridors that were eerily quiet for a hospital. At this point though she wasn't sure if that was reality or if she had just become numb to the outside world.
Due to this she couldn't know for certain just how much time it had taken before they reached their destination. Eventually they were in a large room with multiple glass doors that Kyou could see led into individual treatment rooms. Unlike doctor offices and other hospital rooms Kyou had visited in the past these rooms looked a lot more advanced. There were machines, tubes, carts of medicine and equipment that Kyou didn't recognize. Even the beds appeared a lot more technical. To Kyou this really fit the term Intensive Care.
'And Kale is in one of these rooms...' silently Kyou thought, the horrifying fact becoming more and more real to her. The doctor took a moment to say something to Ryou before walking to another part of the room and starting to type something into a computer. Ryou acknowledged the doctor's words then turned back to Kyou.
"This way," she quietly said. Ryou started walking to another part of the room and Kyou kept close behind her. They stopped a few steps away from one of the glass doors and Ryou turned to her twin sister, giving a sad look and a slow nod. Kyou stiffened, knowing exactly what her sister was silently saying: this was Kale's room. Ryou stood still, continuing to look at Kyou who was lightly trembling, staring at the glass door. Standing at the angle she was Kyou was unable to see much of the room. To see what was in there Kyou would have to walk forward.
'When I walk forward... Kale's condition will become a undeniable reality to me,' Kyou thought to herself. Kyou stood there without uttering a single word for a few minutes. Ryou didn't wish to rush her sister so she too stayed quiet. The only audible noises were beeps of medical machines and the footsteps of medical personnel as they attended to their duties throughout the unit. Eventually Kyou took a step forward, remaining as silent as she had before. Slowly she took another step, her anguished reluctance clearly displayed as she moved forward. The whole time Kyou inched towards her fear Ryou continued to wait patiently. Despite moving as slowly as she did Kyou's arrival at the door was inevitable. Once there she looked inside and her hands immediately covered her mouth, stifling the gasp and sobs that burst forth unbidden from deep within.
There inside the room was Kale. The once warm and kind man Kyou knew was now laying in a bed, broken and bruised. Even through the various tubes and wires that clung to their helpless subject Kyou could see glimpses of his chest, more of the skin being bruised than not. As disturbing as it was what truly wounded Kyou mentally were two particular injuries.
The first was Kale's right arm. Around it was a cage made from two large metal rings with metal rods running between them. From various points of the contraption ran long metal pins that stabbed into the arm, holding together the pieces of bone that had been shattered.
'There are so many pins...' Kyou silently thought in horror. Through all the metal Kyou could see running along the black and blue arm were fresh stitches from the surgery that had been done to put the bones back together. Not being able to stand it anymore Kyou wrenched her attention away. Without realizing it her attention inadvertently shifted towards the other major injury.
Immediate regret for shifting her focus came to Kyou once she looked at Kale's head. A large part of his brown hair had been shaved away and was replaced with large white dressings that protected the fresh surgery wounds. Strapped to his face were tubes that with the aid of the machine they were connected to helped Kale to breathe. All of this truly horrified Kyou but one thing in particular tore apart her heart. Something so small, so simple that no other person would even make note of it. To Kyou though it meant everything.
Kale's eyes were closed.
Looking at his closed eyelids Kyou felt the still fresh sorrow strengthen. He couldn't open those eyes. So badly had he been hurt while defending her that now his mind was lost in darkness. He couldn't wake up and look at her while she gave her answer to his confession of love. He couldn't give her that warm smile that Kyou had come to cherish so much. He couldn't do anything, nor could she do anything for him.
Kyou cried for a few moments, muffling the sobs with her hands. Surprisingly quickly she composed herself, looking at Ryou and talking to her as she sniffed back the tears just enough so she could speak.
"I want to stay with him," she told Ryou. "I want to stay with him until he wakes up."
"Onee-Chan..." Ryou words trailed off as she looked back to her twin sister. Ryou's professional side wanted to point out that there was no knowledge of when, or even if, Kale would wake up. To say that she would stay with him until he wakes up was a rather naive wish. Ryou's familial side though could see that to say such a thing probably would be denied by Kyou. Even if it were accepted the words would only bring more grief then it would do good.
"Alright, I'll go talk with the doctor," finally said Ryou. She gave a slight nod and walked away to one of the nearby doctors. Kyou turned back to look at Kale through the glass door. Through one of the windows in his room Kyou could see gentle morning light peeking over the horizon, gently spilling into the room and falling upon Kale.
It was the first sunrise of the New Year Kyou realized. In the past she had loved seeing the first sunrise with her family and friends. In the past at one point, in her most private of daydreams, she had even imagined seeing a New Year sunrise with someone she truly and deeply loved. Yet here she was, seeing the first sunrise of the New Year with no one by her side. No friends, no family, no one was there with her. In the greeting of the first dawn of this New Year Kyou was all alone.
A gentle shaking pierced through the oppressive miasma of nightmares and despair that had become the expected companion of Kyou's mind whenever she slept. Although her mind wished to escape the encroaching darkness Kyou's body was far too exhausted to be so easily awoken by a simple shake. Kyou gave out a moan as she felt more shaking and muffled calls trying to pull her out of the nightmare as it in turn tied to pull her back into the depths of anguish.
"Onee-chan," came the voice, this time with enough strength to no longer be muffled by her sleeping mind. Kyou's body jerked up as her mind was pulled out of unconsciousness and shoved into the realm of consciousness. Her head whipped towards where she felt the touch come from, greeted by the sight of her sister. Ryou had a surprised look on her face, having stepped back suddenly to avoid Kyou accidentally hitting her as she snapped out of her restless sleep.
"Onee-chan, are you okay?" asked Ryou, stepping back to her sister's side now that she was awake. "You seemed to be having a nightmare..."
"Huh? What's..." Kyou's speech was fragmented as her mind finished fully waking back up. In just a few moments she gathered her mind and looked to Ryou to give a response.
"Uh...Yeah...It's seems I was..." Kyou quietly said. Without giving any more conversation Kyou automatically turned to gaze at Kale. He was still lying in the same bed, with the same medical equipment latched on to sustain his life and his eyes still closed in his unwilling sleep.
"Onee-chan, please go home. You need to get some rest," pleaded Ryou, slowly placing a hand back onto Kyou's shoulder. Even though Kyou could see the action from the corner of her eye she still jumped a little when Ryou's fingers made contact. Her head quickly turned back to Ryou, a weak smile on her lips.
"Nah, I'll be fine" she claimed. "Besides, I said I'd be here until Kale woke up."
"Kyou..." sighed Ryou. This made Kyou's feeble attempt to mask her emotions behind a quivering smile fade away. Kyou couldn't quite remember the last time Ryou actually had used her name, normally she just said 'Onee-chan'. "It's been three days. We...we don't know when he will wake up. You need to go home. You need to go eat something more substantial than vending machine food, bathe and change your clothes, get some actual rest. You can still visit of course but you need to go back home. If he wakes up-"
"If?!" angrily exclaimed Kyou, rising to her feet and glaring at her sister. Despite Kyou's anger Ryou did not waver.
"If he wakes up while you are gone," clarified Ryou, pausing for emphasis so Kyou realized what exactly she was saying. "Then we will call you. You really do need to go home though, Botan really misses you."
"Botan..." murmured Kyou with widened eyes. Kyou shook her head in disbelief; how could she have forgotten about her precious Botan? It had been three whole days since she started staying at the hospital, poor Botan must be so hungry and alone.
"Don't worry, Okazaki, Nagisa, and Ushio-chan have been visiting and feeding Botan while you have been gone," informed Ryou, knowing from Kyou's expression what was running through her mind. "And while they are wonderful and Botan likes them very much they can't fill the hole that is made by your absence."
'Like the hole that is in my heart right now.' Kyou silently thought to herself, gazing for a few moments at Kale's comatose form. Shaking her head, unkempt purple hair gently swaying about, Kyou grabbed her winter coat and started to make her way out of the room so she could head home.
'Just how long has Master been gone now?' Botan thought. She gave a sighing 'Gof' sound, staring absentmindedly out from underneath her shelter. Snow blanketed the unused yard, no boar footprints marring the white snow. The only footprints in the snow were two sets of human footprints accompanied by a set that were much smaller. Botan gave another pitiful 'gof' as she thought about the nice people that had been visiting her.
Botan really liked them, especially the little person she knew from school that enjoyed sliding down her back. It felt really nice when she did that, but on the visits she didn't really say or do much. The little person seemed to be too sad to do much playing. Even the bigger nice people smelled sad to Botan. She couldn't figure out why they were so sad, they didn't seem to be hurt. Why then were they so sad? Did they miss Master as well?
Botan's large flat nose twitched, smelling the surroundings out of habit. Normally she would just smell the usual smells and not give it a second thought. This time though she caught a whiff of something that was coming down the nearby street. Head perking up a little Botan gave another good sniff, just to make sure she wasn't imagining it. The smell was a little bit closer and this time Botan was sure of what it was. it was Master!
Botan gave an excited 'gof gof' as she rose to all four of her feet. Trotting out from her shelter, Botan looked eagerly at the street. Soon enough Kyou did appear from around the corner. Not able to wait any longer Botan started rushing towards her, eager to see her after being apart for so long. Her pace quickly lessened as she got closer, observations starting to be noted. Master was walking really slowly and her hair hid most of her face as she looked down at the ground. She wasn't getting a snowball ready to throw for Botan, nor did she wave her hand or run over to give a big hug to say sorry for being gone so long.
By the time Botan was next to Kyou worry was written all across her boar face. Even people other than Kyou would be able to see just how much concern was present in the animal. Looking at her master, Botan gave a soft 'gof gof' and nudged her leg gently with her large nose.
"Hey Botan...' quietly greeted Kyou. Slowly taking her hands out of her pockets, she knelt down into a squat to make herself be at eye level of Botan. Reaching underneath the boar's chin Kyou began giving some light scratches. "Sorry I was gone for so long. Something...Something happened a few days ago. Some bad people tried to do something to me, so Kale..." Her voice trailed off as fresh tears started to form, already threatening to spill forth and run down her cheeks.
'Why is Master crying?' thought Botan. 'Master only cries when she is hurt. Is Master hurt?!"
"Kale protected me..." continued Kyou, doing her best to hold back the onslaught of tears as she spoke to Botan. "Kale protected me and got hurt really bad. And now...now he can't wake up..." Her meager attempts to hold back the tears failed as soon as she said those words and sobbing now wracked her entire body. Kyou's arms grasped onto Botan as she buried her face into Botan's bristly fur, crying without pause now.
Botan wasn't sure how or where Master was hurt, all she knew is that never before had she seen such crying. Whatever hurt Master was feeling, it must be the worst pain she ever felt.