A/N: Alas! Another Chapter. Sorry, for writing Mr.T for Rima's father, but I simply couldn't type out his surname. It wouldn't show up as you guys might have noticed from the previous chapter...so, Mr.T is the father...and I know it sounds weird, but I can't do anything about it. Anyway, thank you guys for reviewing my story! The reviews make me happy :D
As soon as I reached hospital grounds, I immediately rushed over to the emergency room where I heard they are testing her for her blood and hopefully trying to electric shock her back to life.
When I arrived and stepped across the doorway, the only person I saw there was Mr.T, who was sitting beside an unconscious Rima. The rest of the people are probably running around the hospital, grabbing food or buying gifts.
"Mr.T," I acknowledged and slipped to the other side of the white bed.
The room had a stenching smell and I could only guess that it came from Rima while they were trying to patch up her wound. I also noticed the horrific tools they used on her which lay on a silver tray on a cart.
My heart tugged at the sight. Rima…she'll probably cry if she wakes up since her skin will no longer look or feel the same.
"Hey Shiki," he responded with his voice falling to the level of a sob.
Everything was shown clearly on his face--the red swollen eyes that dripped endless, the nose as red as Rudolph, and the solemn expression not to mention his creased brow.
I didn't know how to comfort him. Surely, the both of us might be losing someone very important in our life.
But she mustn't go yet. I will do what it takes for her survival. Even if someone tells me to have to travel across the ocean, fight the most timid creature in the world, sacrifice my soul or body, whatever it is, I'm devoted to save her.
I only studied her face…the face that had such serenity that could break the world away from all darkness, but she happened to be entangled in one of those situations too. And what's worst, she couldn't leave it.
"How is she?" I asked softly, shifting my gaze to who suddenly looked older with his wrinkly skin, auburn, short hair, a mustache, and eyes that had the color of the sea. He was still dressed in a suit from the wedding.
He couldn't help but form a suppressed pout on his lip; as if he were trying to contain everything, his face flushed and then he cried out loud, "She's going to be just fine. She just needs some resting."
"That's good," I said with relief. Just like what everyone had said earlier, everything will be all right.
Even though she was going to live for now, there's a chance that they'll come back for her unless she can somehow form some sort of treaty with them.
Which reminded me, I've been meaning to ask something that's been bothering me since this bloody incident.
"Mr.T, did you know that she was injured?"
He stopped sniffling as his face stiffened. A buzzing silence lapsed while I waited.
"I knew about it," he finally said after a buzzing silence.
"Then…why did you…?"
"She said she didn't want to leave you," he answered abruptly.
I scrunched an eyebrow at him. "And you just let her proceed with the ceremony?"
"Why yes, you know…young love, it's not ever-lasting," he pointed out, folding his skinny arms together then crossed one leg over the other.
That led me to another question.
"So, you know about the Black Vixen?"
He eyed at me with perplexity for his eyes grew big and it seemed as if he wanted me to fill in.
I didn't know if I should. He'd probably be devastated if he knew, so I hastily closed the subject.
"Nevermind."
"I didn't exactly see the face of the woman who attacked Rima, but I noted the color of silver hair and a scary purple eye," he said.
"And she wasn't bleeding at the time?" I asked.
"Well, not that I know of," he cast a glance in my direction. "It seemed minor at the time, and she even told me that it was merely a scratch when it was really a bullet that penetrated through her skin."
She probably didn't want anyone to worry, I thought.
"What's with the blue faces?" Takuma walked in, smiling cheerfully, holding onto bags of gifts for Rima—flowers, stuff animals, cards, balloons, and chocolate.
Behind him were the rest of the Night Class, but they lingered close to the doorway, and Hanabusa said openly, "Well, the doc did say that she's long gone."
Someone in the background coughed and elbowed him. "Man, why do you always have to ruin the setting?" I think it was Ruka who reprimanded him.
"What?" I asked sentimentally, staring at Rima's still face that had a light smile on her lips. "She's not gone, Mr.T told me…" I trailed off, speechless and stunned.
That's when I heard him break down at full. A loud wail echoed in the room as Mr.T lowered his head and pounded dementedly on the bedside.
"Hanabusa," Ruka hissed and glowered at him.
"Hey, Shiki has the right to know," he argued, raising his hands up beside him.
I darted my gaze from Rima to my group of friends who all had frowns plastered and etched on their faces. Ruka bit her trembling lip and avoiding meeting eyes as she gripped onto the jacket of Akatsuki and muffled her cry in his chest.
Even Takuma, my close friend whom I had known since forever, for once flashed a look of sorrow in his eyes as they began swimming with tears. The sad smile couldn't escape from his lips. It couldn't be helped…
As for Hanabusa, I must admit, but I was startled about his composure. Well, he's almost like his cousin. They were stiff on the outside and stared sadly at the lifeless body in bed, but internally, they were probably crying just like Mr.T and me.
What I didn't understand was why did he lie? I mean either way, the truth would have leaked out.
My eyes averted back to take a last glimpse of Rima. I wanted to hold her. I wanted to touch her angelic face, but I undeniably didn't want to face the truth. That the warm red-blood that once ran through her had turned stone-cold.
That's why I didn't touch her. The truth couldn't be accepted. One day she was as happy as the happiest person on Earth and the next, she's met with the dark side of life.
I bolted out for the door, unable to compose myself. I ran outside of the hospital entrance, flew down the brick steps, and settled myself onto the bench perched with birds that poked their heads around for food.
They warbled softly, cocking and turning their small heads with unblinking black eyes with irises that showed the color of yellow.
They looked hungry and I happened to have a pack of bread crumbs in my pocket for no reason, and not wanting it to go to waste, I ripped open the pack and sprinkled its content on the floor where the birds all ravenously jabbed one another and shoved their beaks to pick up the food.
That's when I noticed a crippled black bird, hopping on one thin leg to make its way to the scattered crumbs.
It struggled for a while as the other crowd of birds were busily and greedily consuming the food and by the time the poor black bird reached the group of birds, they flew away for all the food was gone.
The black bird stood still and eyed at the empty floor then cast his attention to me before hopping off to another area.
I'm just frazzled from top to bottom. No, just traumatized. Every fiber of my body was breaking apart like a dilapidated building being burned down into rubble. My soul, my spirit seemed to have entered a period of darkness without the light Rima has always provided for me.
"She's around, don't worry," a soft voice next to me said, and I saw a young lady whose face resembled Rima's. The elegant hair flowing past her shoulders, those dazzling, large eyes, her skin, her face…the cropped edges of her white dress fluttered in the gentle wind.
I opened my mouth to say something, but was struck dumb. There were so many things I wanted to ask, but before I could ask, she smiled motherly at me and dissipated with the wind.
Was that her mother's spirit? What did she know of Rima? I thought she was already gone. Gone to heaven where she can rest peacefully.
Or maybe a disturbance has caused her awakening. The death of her daughter is most likely to have her distraught and distressed, but that gentle face at first…it didn't show any sign of agitation except Mr.T seemed trouble back in the hospital.
I had to clear my head, so I decided to go for a ride in my car.
I got up from the bench, sped over to my parked car, and then revved the car to life as I ignited it with one wrench on the keyhole.
The drive around the city felt soothing and alleviating to my mind and soul. I especially enjoyed the breeze hitting and blowing towards my face.
After a long drive through the city, I parked my car close by the beach, but stayed along the pavement where they had streetlights illuminating the darkness and wooden benches for people to sit on or stretch.
I lounged on the hard, cold seat, my arms sprawled out on the tip of the bench, and I threw my head back to watch the shimmering stars.
The stars tonight bared nothing. They didn't hold that special sparkle which would normally dazzle my eyes…instead, they held emptiness…
While sitting there, I tried to avoid thinking of pain…I wanted to remember and reflect happy memories, but it was pointless. No matter how hard I tried, reality slammed my face.
Suddenly, my phone went off.
"Hello?" I answered it.
At first there wasn't a response, but I heard a lot of background noise. I heard something piercing and painful to my ears then a moaning sound.
"Hello?" I answered again, this time anxiously.
"Shiki," I listened to the sudden despicable voice of my father at the other end of the line. "Come visit your mother, she's suffering…come be her savior. Be a good boy…"
I didn't want to hear the rest of it. I snapped the phone shut and slipped it back to my jacket pocket.
What the hell was that about? I thought my father had devoted his life as a caring husband to my mother. Didn't he promise her that he wouldn't hurt her anymore?
Everything between them was subtle and smooth…they haven't had trouble for months since Rima became my fiancée. Until today happened.
My life has become a mess. I guess I should go visit my mother then. I bet she's almost as devastated as I am.
I walked back to my car, hopped in, then barreled through the streets, reaching home within a few minutes where I creaked open the door to a dark house and found my mother straddle all over the hardwood floor—her chocolate hair tangled into knots, her face ashen, she seemed dull and still.
But sniffles perked my ears. She was crying.
"Mom," I peeled her body away from the ground and carried her to the couch where she curled close to the arm of the couch and dabbed the tears that betrayed her.
"Senri, he has yet left me again," she said sorrowfully, downcast eyes were beginning to coat her vision, and she buried her head into her knees, sobbing away.
I settled down next to her then wrapped an arm around my mother's shaky shoulders, in hopes of comforting her, telling her that I'll always be there for her. I will be there to catch her unlike that heartless man whose eyes resembled greatly like mine, but our hearts were different. Thank god.
"What exactly happened mother?" I eyed at her with concern.
"He said...that his son is the most unfortunate kid in the world. He said that you were a mistake. Someone who doesn't deserve to be here, and I argued with him then things turned brutal."
It's not surprising for my father to say that. I mean the only reason I'm here or I was here in the first place was to become his puppet, but that never happened.
Without a doubt, he was definitely brutal towards my mother for my blood began boiling at the sight of purple bruises veiled by the sleeves of her delicate and velvety light green dress.
"Seems like he has never changed," I growled as I continued rolling up my mother's sleeve to inspect the eye-sore blotches.
"Senri," she looked up to meet my gaze and cupped my face with her tender hands. "Promise me that you'd never treat your future wife like the heartless man I'm betrothed to," she stroked my cheek gently with her forefinger as a crystal-clear drop fell down from the lid of her eye, soaking into her dress.
"And I'm terribly sorry about what happened earlier. I wished none of that ever happened," she frowned wistfully.
My eyes stayed on my mother's elegant and fragile face while I replied softly, "Yeah…but she's going to be just fine." I took one of my mother's hands, pulled her into an embrace and cried softly. "She's going to be just fine."
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