Disclaimer: See previous chapters. I don't own anything but the plot.

A/N: Hi guys,

welcome to the next round of this emotional rollercoaster-ride. A big thank you to starnatural1, jodasparx, Keiichi5ever, Cutetyhil and Sensless - you're support means so much to me!

Okay, I don't wanna keep you waiting any longer. Be strong ;)

A Promise is A Promise

Chapter 4

Reality Comes Around

The sudden alarm jolted both Tyson and Tala. They exchange looks, their eyes full of fear.

"Tala," Tyson called out, his voice trembling. "Tala, what's happening?"

Tala gritted his teeth, "I don't know Tyson. I don't think it's good."

"No!" Tyson said and shook his head. "No, no, no! Kai!"

He took Kai's hand in his and squeezed it firmly.

"Kai! Kai, do you hear me? Kai, I'm here. Tala is here. Kai, don't leave us. Don't -..."

The door flew open and a team of doctors and nurses rushed in. Kai's leading physician quickly marched up to the machines, while the others gathered around the bed.

"Pressure rising," he called out. "We need to act quickly or we'll lose him."

"Doctor, please, what is happening?" Tyson asked. "Is Kai-..."

"Nurse, will you please lead those boys from room," the doctor said, his voice stern.

"But-..."

Then an elder woman - Tyson remembered her name to be Heather - placed a hand on Tyson's shoulder and said, "Come on now, love, you've heard what the doctor says. You can wait outside with your friend."

She led Tyson from the room that was now filled with the voices of doctors shouting orders. Tala followed them without resistance, his face blank. Tyson's head was spinning, trying to process everything. His stomach clenched and for a second he thought he was going to be sick. When they'd reached the visitors lounge the nurse gave Tyson's shoulder a light squeeze and turned to leave. He quickly snatched her sleeve.

"Please, is he going to be okay?"

She looked at him with a sad smile.

"I wish I could say. We will do everything we can to help your friend."

"Let her go, Tyson," Tala said with a hollow voice.

He did as told and let go of the nurse's sleeve.

"Th-thank you," he mumbled.

She squeezed his hand reassuringly and left. Tyson watched her hurry down the hall and finally disappear into Kai's room.

He shuddered.

The noise from the machines, the shouting, people in white rushing back and forth... And in the middle of it Kai, his face pale and still.

It was then that something inside Tyson snapped. As reality came crashing in, tears freely streamed down his face.

Kai was dying. Kai really was going to leave him. These past weeks had only prolonged the inevitable.

Tyson's body shook and he started to sob.

Suddenly Tala was there and Tyson dug his fingers in Tala's shirt.

"T-tala, ...K-k-kai is d-d-dying! H-he's going to l-leave me! I'm n-not r-ready for h-him to l-leave me."

He felt his knees give in to his weight and he sunk to the ground, where he continued to sob helplessly. Tala kneeled down beside him.

"I-I don't w-want him t-to leave m-me, Tala," Tyson cried.

Tala looked back at him, his face white as the walls surrounding them and his expression as pained as Tyson had ever seen it.

"I don't want him to go either."

Tyson shook his head, tears still running down his cheeks

"He c-can't go. H-he promised we-we'd battle ag-gain, and a p-promise is a-a promise. Kai, p-please... you c-can't go."

"Sh, Tyson, it's okay, He's still here."

"Don't die, K-kai. Kaaaiii!"

Later it was impossible for Tyson to say how much time had passed while he'd sat on the floor crying, with Tala beside him, giving him something to cling to.

Everything that Tyson had been pushing away, denying... It all had become undeniably real the moment those machines started to beep.

Tala must have informed the others at some point, because suddenly Gramps came rushing in. He put his arms around Tyson and rocked him back and forth like he had when Tyson had been a little boy that had just woken from a bad dream.

Only that this was not a dream he could wake up from. Tyson knew that now.

Then Mr. Dickerson was there, too, as well as Kenny and Hilary.

When Tyson opened his eyes again he was lying across the seats in the visitors lounge. The sun was already setting, its light painting the walls in fiery oranges and reds.

Tyson jolted up.

Hilary and Kenny, who had been talking in low voices in a corner of the room, turned to look at him.

"Kai?" was all Tyson managed to say.

"There's no news," Hilary said.

They walked over and sat down on either side of him. When Tyson turned his head he saw his Gramps and Tala talking with Mr. Dickinson in the hallway. They all had such serious expressions.

"I'm sorry," Tyson said in a low voice.

"It's okay Tyson," Kenny said. "You hadn't been ready to truly accept Kai's situation yet. We were waiting for something like this to happen."

Tyson didn't know what to reply. The chief was probably right. He hadn't truly accepted anything. He had just pretended. He had lied to himself about how critical Kai's state was, by telling himself it was only a matter of time until Kai would wake up. That it was a question of "when" rather than "if". He had only been fooling himself.

"The doctor's coming!"

Tyson lifted his head and found Tala looking at him. He looked awful. Tyson suddenly felt bad for relying on Tala so heavily without considering the fact that Tala, too, was suffering. Tyson got to his feet and put a hand on Tala's shoulder. He'd have hugged him, but he knew Tala wouldn't appreciate it. Not with so many witnesses.

Tala nodded at him. He'd understood. They turned towards the door, where seconds later the doctor appeared.

Tyson couldn't help but dig his fingers into Tala's shirt again. He started to tremble and it was only when he tasted blood that he realized he'd been anxiously biting his lower lip.

He didn't dare to ask. He dreaded the answer he'd be given. There would be no going back. It would be final.

Almost in slow-motion he watched the doctor open his mouth and speak. It took a moment for his words to reach Tyson's mind. He felt Tala relax before he realized what the doctor had said.

"He's stable."

Tears started to blur Tyson's vision once more. Oh, there were no words to describe the relief he felt. Kai was alive!

"While he may be stable for now, but the situation is still very critical," the doctor continued. "We've had to lower his body temperature again to stop further swelling and for now it has stopped. However, if the swelling doesn't go back in the next 48 hours, I'm afraid there is nothing we can do. His body won't survive at a temperature lower than this."

Tyson knew this was only partly good news. Still, right now he was not worried, but relieved and incredibly happy. The doctor had given him something he'd lost that moment the machines started to shrill: hope.

There was still hope.

Tyson couldn't help but give Tala a hug - otherwise he might have ended up hugging the doctor, who would have probably appreciated it even less. And he just had to hug someone this moment!

As he let go of Tala, he noticed a little smile tugging at the corner of the Redhead's mouth. Yes, Tala was happy, too. He was even worse at showing emotions than Kai was, though!

"Can I go see him?" he asked the doctor.

The man nodded.

"Yes, go ahead," he replied.

Tyson quickly made his way to the door. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Tala shake his head at Hilary, keeping her from following him, and he was thankful for it. He felt he needed a moment alone with Kai. He needed to say it.

Tyson came to a halt in front of Kai's door. He took a deep breath, bracing himself, before he pushed the door open. To his surprise, the room didn't look any different than it had earlier. Everything was back in its place. Not even Kai looked any different.

Tyson slowly walked up to Kai and took his usual place by his bed. Carefully he picked up Kai's hand to hold it in his own.

"Kai…" he said in a low, but steady voice. "I'm slowly beginning to accept, like, truly accept the fact that … you might never wake up Kai."

Then tears swelled up again and threatened to choke him.

Still he managed to finally say it, "You might… d-die."

Tyson noticed how he had tightened his grip around Kai's hand and quickly placed it back on the mattress. Kai's body was damaged enough; he didn't need any other broken bones. Tyson wiped away a tear rolling down his cheek.

With his voice more firm he continued, "I know that if you do wake up, you might never be the same again. And of course I'm not even sure you can hear me now… but I somehow have a feeling that you do and I just want you to know that… you're a great guy and a true friend. I'm thankful for the time we spent together as a team and even as rivals. Whether on the same team or not, I always learned a lot from you. I will treasure the memories of all the moments we shared. I'm sure, that as long as I keep those memories in my heart, you will never truly leave me."

Tyson took a deep breath. He reached for Kai's hand again.

"But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on you - I will never give up on you, Kai! I'll keep coming here day after day to talk to you, to read to you, heck, I'd even sing to you if it would only help. Do you hear me? I would sing! So don't you dare give up, Kai Hiwatari! Don't you dare! And please don't scare us like this again. We thought we were losing you. But you can't go, because we need you. I need you. Because I-… never mind, just don't do this again."

Just when he'd placed Kai's hand back on the mattress, the door opened and the other came in.

He exchanged looks with Tala and smiled slightly.

Nothing was lost yet.

A/N: He's alive! Yeay! ;) I hope you made it through this chapter okay! It certainly wasn't easy to write. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Have a good night everyone,

NoEarlyBird