True Colours
Chapter 3: It's Hard to Take Courage
Last Time
"W-Where," her voice shook. "W-where were you?! How could you just disappear like you did?! Damn Juudai, you have no idea what that did to him, to us! We're supposed to be your friends!"
"W-what did he have?"
"Complications from Adie's Syndrome."
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Asuka snapped her phone shut with a sigh, then turned to her brother standing beside her.
"How is he?"
Fubuki grimaced "The doctors say his constant muscle spasms are starting to play havoc with his body's Central Nervous System, which is bad news really."
Asuka sighed again, and walked to the glass wall that sectioned off a small room from the rest of the ward. (1)
She spread her fingers onto the glass, then clenched them into a fist, and let it hang, limply at her side.
"Oh Juudai…if only you'd come sooner." She turned her face away, and returned to the cushioned bench and her brother. She sat down heavily and put her face in her hands.
"Th-the Doctors are not altogether sure if he's going to pull through. Ohh Juudai, you idiot, where are you?"
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Meanwhile, many thousands of miles away, said brunette was boarding a helicopter at the Memphis Airfield.
"Yuki-san, we shall be arriving in Domino City, Japan, in approximately 12 hours. Is there anything I can get you, sir?"
"You can make this goddammed helicopter go faster! Please! 12 hours is too long. Johan might be—"
'He might be dead before I can even reach him.'
He stared, blankly at the screen of his phone.
'SHIT! I-I can't use my phone! How will I know if…if…!"
"Yuki-san? Yuki-san?"
He blinked, and snapped back to reality.
"I-it's nothing, just…please fly as fast as you can."
The air hostess (2) gave him a friendly smile. "We will do our utmost to ensure your journey is swift Yuki-san."
With that, she disappeared into the cockpit.
Juudai reluctantly tore his gaze away from his phone and gazed out the window, his mind racing.
'Judai, why are you worrying so'
'Why do you think, Yubel? Johan is miles away, and yet I can't reach him! He could be dead for all I know.'
Yubel fell silent. For once, he could think of nothing to say that would make Juudai feel any better about the situation.
Juudai turned his attention to the small wrapped lunch that the woman had given him. He unwrapped it and snorted.
'How do they expect me do eat at a time like this?!'
'I really think you should try to Juudai, afterall, what use are you gonna be to Johan if you faint as soon as you see him.'
Juudai sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, Yubel's words rang true. He reluctantly tore into a riceball.
'Just hang in there Johan. I'm coming for you. '
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The first thing Johan noticed, was that it was cold. Very cold, and very dark. And, to top the cake with the icing, he couldn't move an inch. Not one measly little finger, his whole body refused to respond to his commands. So he lay there, staring into the velvety blackness, wondering;
What the hell was actually going on?
Why the hell was he here and why couldn't he move?
Both were very reasonable and sensible queries, but no answer sprung to mind. So he moved his thoughts elsewhere.
'How on earth am I supposed to keep duelling on the pro circuit, if I can't move, let alone duel?'
Well…okay…that hadn't helped his situation at all.
Then, out of the blackness, shot a beam of light. Very bright. Too bright. But since he couldn't move to cover his eyes, and since anything was better than just black, he focused on it, and tried to bring it closer. He had no rational explanation as to why he did this, but he just felt it was important. Too late, the beam vanished, and Johan was left alone in the dark again. He felt like crying. But since he couldn't he settled for crying inside his head instead. And it hurt. A lot. He wanted to get out, he wanted Juudai. Juudai, Juudai, Juudai. Why wasn't he here? Where was he? He should be here helping him. After all, he would have been there for him if the situation demanded it. Whatever the cost to his mind or body. He had always thought Juudai would do the same for him. Why had he let him down?
Johan tried to block these…terrible thoughts from affecting him, but their words were so true, and so…comforting, in some twisted way, that he succumbed, and let himself be dragged down into the depths of the darkness. Far, far away from the beam of light. And from himself.
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The nurse closed the boy's eye, and re-pocketed her torch. She frowned, and checked his pulse. Then she sighed, and wrote down something on her clipboard.
Asuka and Fubuki both stood as she exited the ward, and she, albeit reluctantly, made her way over to them.
"H-how is he?"
She sighed. "I'm afraid he's still pretty much the same. Other than an alleviated respiratory response to temperature change, nothing has changed."
"Oh…" Asuka's hopeful expression vanished, and she sat down again.
The nurse gave a grim smile, and excused herself quietly, her shoes disturbing the empty stillness in the deserted ward.
For a while, there was silence. Then Fubuki spoke.
"Sis? Don't you think we should…y'know, go and see him?"
"What's the point?! He wouldn't hear us."
Fubuki's eyes widened. His sister? Giving up?
He knelt in front of her. "Sis? This isn't like you. This isn't the Asuka I know. This most certinateley ISN'T the sister I cheered for when she was duelling Manjoume Jun, when he'd been possessed by the Light of Destruction!"
She gasped and he grinned, widely.
"He'll be fine Asuka. Johan-kun survived by himself in Dark World for a long time before Juudai-kun found him. He's not as weak as you give him credit for."
She smiled blearily through her tears, and he pulled her into a hug.
"It'll be alright Asuka, he'll be okay. But he needs us to be there for him. He'd do the same for us. It's the sort of friend he is."
"Your right, Nii-san, thank-you."
He gave her one of his trademark grins and poked her on the cheek.
"Now let's get in there, I-m-o-u-t-o-c-h-a-n!"
"Do not call me that!" She growled, but allowed him to lead her into the cordoned off ward.
Asuka noticed the change in environment as soon as she entered the ward. The air became sterile and clean. And very cold. She shivered slightly as she followed her brother over to the bed.
"Why is it so cold in here?"
""Didn't the nurse say something about him reacting to change in temperature? Must be something to do with that."
"Guess so." She moved to stand beside him. "He…just looks like he's…sleeping."
"Yeah."
"I just…want to know if he'll be okay, y'know?"
"I know how you feel. It's nearly as bad as not knowing when Ryou was gonna come back to us. Only the difference was…that Juudai believed so strongly that he would…and he did…" He trailed off, looking down at the still form that lay beneath the sheets.
Asuka knelt and rested her hand on the boy's.
"Johan-kun? Listen, I don't know if you can hear me…but.." Her words caught in her mouth, but she forced herself to swallow and continue. "Juudai's coming back. After all these years, he's finally coming back. So don't you dare die on us Johan-kun. Wait for him, he'll be able to help."
The only signal that –to Asuka- Johan gave of hearing her words, was the heart monitor's constant monotone 'beep' suddenly grow faster, then slow back down again.
"You see that? H-He heard you!" cried Fubuki.
Asuka nodded mutely. She couldn't believe it either. After days of empty hope, she finally believed that he would 'pull through' as such.
"Oh, Juudai, I wish you were here to see this."
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Author's Notes
~ Imagine the wards in House M.D, y'know, the loooong corridors, and the rooms just off to them, with the glass walls. It's like that.
~ Yes, I KNOW helicopters probably don't have air hostesses, but I needed one to help evolve the storyline as such. :D
And, another chapter is up! It's even longer –though admittedly not by much- than chapter 2!
Enjoy! Please R&R
