Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade nor do I own any of its characters

I am very sorry for the long update guys. By the way, thanks to all my reviewers. here is chaper 6

The Grueling Wait

"Where am I?" Mariah looked around. She knows exactly where she is but she doesn't know why or how.

'Was it all just a dream? The kidnapping? Bryan? Ray? Was it all a dream?' she asked herself. Somewhere, in the deepest corner of her mind, she hoped so. That way, she and Ray would still be together.

"You awake?" Kevin's voice snapped her out of her trance

She looked up at him with confusion evident in her eyes

Kevin need not to hear her question "We got sent back from the hospital. They won't allow anymore visitors until 4:00 noon"

"Why?"

"Ray is in ICU Mariah. Visiting hours are shorter there than on the other rooms"

"I see"

Silence befell the two neko jins until Lee entered the room.

"Hey guys. Just got word from Gary that we can finally visit Ray"

"Ray?" Mariah slowly approached the sleeping figure with flowers in hand.

The still figure did not respond. It kept still, chest slowly rising and falling as his nose continue inhaling the oxygen provided by the oxygen mask.

He looked worse for wear. His tanned skin became pale beige. Wires are connected to his body here and there while his hair spread out to all directions.

Lee signaled for Kevin and Gary to leave the room and they did giving the couple some privacy.

"This is just like before huh Ray?" she smiled bitterly as she recalled the time when she was kidnapped by the gangsters and he protected her. Only this time, its worse. He's not only been beat up, he's been tortured and raped. He was buried alive with nothing to protect him but his torn up shirt.

He has such a heroic character. And inevitably, that became his own downfall.

He's been protecting not only her but his friends, relatives, even enemies against those who have no idea what justice means.

"Ray, when are you going to wake up?" it was a stupid thing to say. Even if Ray is awake, he won't be able to answer that.

"I miss you Ray, please wake up soon" she felt like crying then and there. It's so hard to see him like this. Lying there, imitating the dead.

"Please Ray, come back to me" she's now hiccupping and tears start to form in her eyes. She wiped it away with her hands.

She remembered how Ray would usually wipe her tears away with his hands and tell her to stop crying because it hurts him.

"Ray, I'm crying. Shouldn't you be wiping my tears out?" she joked trying to lure him out of his deep slumber.

She smiled bitterly again. That won't work and she knows it.

"Ray, please open your eyes, I want to buy you a shirt that matches your eyes. I want to make sure I got the right color, so please, why don't you open it for me?" it was another futile attempt and this one's more ridiculous. She knows that she won't forget his eyes. His golden eyes that would put any jewelry to shame.

She closed her eyes and let the tears pour out of it. The female neko jin forced not to breathe heavy sobs. But she can't help it.

She wiped her tears away again but they just kept coming on.

Then, a thumb touched her face. Her eyes widened as she looked down on the still figure. It was his thumb. Somehow, it managed to fly all the way up to her face. Slowly but surely, it moved across her cheek, putting an end to her train of tears.

Mariah smiled as the hand returned to its rightful place. Ray has granted her first wish. It's a reassurance that sooner or later, he'll grant the second one.

To be continued

I am EXCEEDINGLY SORRY for the long update. I was so busy with my all other fics. And no, its not that the other fics are more important than this one but because I ran out of ideas. That's the reason why this chapter is short

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