Yukihime211 here! Sorry for the long wait! I didn't have internet access in forever. T-T But its up and running! I'm so proud of this chapter! This is the first chapter I've ever done a scene that...well just read and find out. (Not in the nasty way.)

Chapter 12

Feverish Confessions

Winds were howling outside as the rain pelted the ground. It was one of those days where everyone wanted to skip out on school and just go back to sleep. I sighed as I lay in bed with the covers pulled up to my chin. The alarm had gone off about five minutes ago and I was seriously feeling like skipping out on school today. There was a distinct knock on my door as Yoneko barged into my room with the uniform in her hand.

"Up and at 'em Sakuya-sama," she greeted cheerily.

I groaned and turned around.

"I'm too tired to go to school," I whined.

She took a hold of my covers and pulled them off. I glared back at her as she tapped her foot in anticipation. I sighed and got up from bed. I knew this was going to be a dreadful day. I walked into the bathroom with my things and took a nice hot shower.

"Damn it!" cried out Hikaru.

Kaoru looked up abruptly from his book. It seemed that lately, Hikaru was on a very short fuse. It was obvious as Ryan spent every day requesting Sakuya as a customer, that Hikaru was becoming more of a jealous freak.

"What is it?" asked Kaoru.

Hikaru looked up from his Nintendo DS Light with a scowl.

"I lost," he groaned.

The two were currently in their limo on their way to school. It was still raining terribly, which could also account for Hikaru's discontent. Kaoru was okay, but he still wasn't too happy about the rain. It sort of made everything rather depressing. They arrived to the school and opened their umbrellas while making their way towards the entrance.

WHY? I silently screamed towards the heavens. Currently, my car had broken down. Now here I was stranded with no cell phone reception! The time was running out. I was not going to be late. I grabbed my things and opened the car door. My driver looked at me in surprise.

"What are you going to do Sakuya-sama?" he asked.

I glanced over and sighed.

"I'm walking to class," I explained.

He looked at me with concern.

"Are you sure that is such a good idea? I mean, it's pouring out there," he protested.

I shook my head and smiled.

"Its okay. I'm a pretty fast runner. I'll be sure to make it in time for class. I'll be fine. In the meantime, try to look for a gas station or something to help you, 'kay?" I asked.

He nodded. I grabbed my umbrella and stepped out of the car. I walked along the side with the umbrella over head. It was pretty windy, but I made pretty good distance. It was weird, but I actually had a good idea where I was going. I was content that everything was alright. That is, until I was out of the watchful sight of the driver. Winds were high and dangerously toying with me. Invisible hands toyed with the pink umbrella and pulled on it like a tug of war game. My dress fluttered with the winds and I was pelted with cold like rain. With one final tug, the umbrella was snatched from my hands and was airborne. It fluttered away as the wind wailed as if it was snickering at me. Like that, it was gone. Rain came crashing down onto me like bullets. I looked up to the sky in exasperation.

"Really? What did I do to deserve this?" I cried out to the heavens.

I treaded with my shoes making a squishy noise as I walked. My hair was matted down from the rain as I was starting to look more and more like I had just stepped out of the shower fully clothed. When I finally arrived to the school, I was shivering profusely and felt like smacking myself for thinking it was such a good idea to walk all the way to school. As I entered the school, people glanced in my direction in curiosity. Roaming the hallways, the twins popped out of nowhere and looked at me in surprise. They jogged over to my side.

"Woah what happened to you? Did you fall into a puddle or something?" asked Hikaru.

I sighed as Kaoru examined my shoes.

"You're drenched from head to toe. Even your shoes are ruined," he noted.

I took a hold of my hair and twisted it to wring out the water from my hair. I sneezed softly. They tutted in disapproval

"That's no good. Come on let's get you into some dry clothes," they said in unison.

The two guided me to the music room. Kaoru rummaged through the back closet where I guessed they kept the outfits. I cringed at the feel of the dress sticking to my body. A towel was thrown at me and it landed directly on my head. It blinded my vision for a moment and all I saw was white. I removed the towel from my face and looked up to see Hikaru. He grinned and patted my head.

"Here. Don't want you to catch a cold, do we?" he teased.

I nodded and did my best to dry my hair. Kaoru appeared with a yellow fabric, which I suppose meant he had a spare uniform. I withdrew the dress from his hands and walked towards the nearest changing room.

Haruhi arrived to class sighing. She had gotten a ride from Tamaki that day and he was just tiring her out. As usual, he was being overly hyper on such a dreary day. He kept spouting nonsense about how spring meant the sign of blooming flowers of love. Whatever that meant. For one, she really didn't care.

"Tamaki can be such an idiot at times," she whispered to herself.

She took her rightful place and looked around in curiosity. Where were the twins? Of course, Ryan was restless a few rows down wondering what was taking Sakuya so long. He had been informed she left her house early and he supposed from previous information about her speed, she'd be here. He grumbled and took out his list of things to do in order to get Sakuya to love him again. Haruhi shook her head as she took a quick peek at what Ryan was doing. She shivered and felt sympathetic towards Sakuya. No girl in their right mind would want someone like that. Everyone sat in their seats as the doors opened. The room fell silent. The twins walked in with Sakuya not far behind. Her hair was damp as it hung loosely on her shoulders. Everyone stared in curiosity. Ryan's eyes trailed to her legs which were bare as her stockings were missing. Her uniform's bow was slightly askew. His eyes widened as the worst case scenario played through his head. She fixed the bow without shame and sat down beside Haruhi.

"So, she's got a twin complex. Can't really compete with that," he mumbled.

Class ended without a hitch and everyone filed out. The rain was still pouring and it was really bringing down the mood. Haruhi and I walked beside one another with the twins trailing behind. My thoughts drifted towards the May showers. It was really unusual. We entered the club room where Kyoya, Tamaki, Hunny and Mori waited patiently for our arrival.

"So, tell us about today's theme," Hikaru said right away.

...Yeah. The least he could do was greet them. I sighed and greeted everyone accordingly. We sat in our seats while Kyoya made a paper appear from thin air.

"What's that?" I questioned.

He looked up from the paper and passed it out. On the paper was a picture of the era in which our clothes would be fashioned. My eyes widened in surprise. This was so cliche'. A maid outfit. Did that mean that the others would be dressed as servants or something? I looked over Hikaru's shoulder to see a waiter's outfit. Huh. So some sort of cafe? As long as I didn't have to wear cat ears, I wouldn't mind.

"So, are we doing some sort of cafe'?" asked Haruhi.

Kyoya nodded an adjusted his glasses and stood from his chair. He led us towards the dressing rooms. After half an hour of changing, everyone walked out wearing their costume. My hair was placed in long pigtails with the little head dress on my head. It was the typical black and white maid outfit. With its mary janes and thigh length stockings. We all strolled along towards the door. The twins, Haruhi, Kyoya, Hunny, Mori, and Tamaki wore black vests over a crisp white dress shirt. The tables were set up inside to have a sort of indoor tea party.

"Why are we having a cafe' when its raining?" I wondered out loud.

The twins veered towards me with wide grins. Kyoya sat near the table doing some random last minute things on his laptop. Tamaki, the twins, Hunny and Mori flicked their thumbs in approval.

"Nice going Kyoya!" they called out. (Well besides Mori)

Haruhi sighed and patted my shoulder in sympathy. Hikaru decided to intervene.

"Well, although Haruhi was the first girl to join, she has to pose as a guy so we never get to dress her up. Since everyone knows you're a girl, we've decided to go all out," he informed.

My eyes widened. So in other words, the cafe idea was only to get me to dress in a maid outfit. Do they have a sort of cosplay fetish? My nose tickled and my eyes began to water suddenly. I turned away and took a hold of my hankerchief and sneezed softly.

"Hm. By the sound of that, it looks like you were out in the rain today. Be sure to take some medicine before you go to bed," observed Kyoya as he looked me over.

Well, that was strange. How did he know? Haruhi bent close as Kyoya walked by.

"You might be wondering about Kyoya's medical intuition. Well, his family runs a chain of hospitals," she explained.

Huh. I guess you learn something new everyday. Tamaki gasped and practically ran over to me while taking a hold of my hands.

"You're not feeling well Sakuya-chan? We must summon a doctor at once!" he cried out.

I think that I've heard that line before. I was pretty sure that any minute now, Hikaru would intervene with some comment about him being silly.

"M'lord, will you give that a break?" asked Hikaru in annoyance.

Heh. Right on cue. I chuckled softly and waited patiently for the customers to arrive. The doors opened and the girls crowded in cooing at how they thought their favorite hosts were looking especially handsome today. I sat in my usual seat, until Ryan walked in. The room fell silent as Kyoya stood and glanced over at Ryan in a sort of warning. He seemed to have got it, but that didn't mean that it would stop him from finding a loop around the rules. He placed an arm around my shoulders.

"Hey there Saki. Nice outfit there. If you were to be a maid, I wouldn't mind seeing you clean with that on," he observed.

My face flushed and a turned away from his gaze. If he was going to act like that, fine. It wasn't like I could do much.

"Good afternoon master. Would you like a cup of tea?" I asked while plastering a shiny smile.

His eyes widened and he blushed slightly. He averted his gaze until my smile faded. He moved closer to me with a grin.

"Hm. How about a kiss instead?" he proposed.

I looked directly into his eyes and leaned closer. He looked over in surprise. I placed my lips near his ear.

"Not a chance," I deadpanned.

I pulled away and he looked at me with shock.

"Where did you learn to act so...out of character?" he questioned.

The twins came from behind and hugged me tightly. They grinned over at him and looked on proudly.

"You're welcome," they said in unision.

Ryan glared at them but decided it was best to try and keep the cool. He crossed his arms and glanced around in curiosity.

"You're interupting us. Don't you have some people to entertain or something?" he noted.

The twins frowned, but knew they had to head back to their area. I glanced over at him and sighed.

"You didn't have to send them off like that," I explained.

He just shrugged and took his seat on one of the chairs. He cupped his face in his hands and cocked his head while looking at me intently. He leaned forwards and lowered his lids.

"Now about that kiss," he began.

I groaned inwardly. I ran a hand through my hair and toyed with it as I waited for him to continue his banter.

"Give me ten reasons why I should," I challenged.

He smirked and chuckled. He took out a piece of paper from his breast pocket and unfolded it. He cleared his throat as he scanned the paper.

"One...," he read off.

My eyes widened in surprise. When did he have the time to make a list? Wait...could it be that he had this planned from the time we were 'engaged'? Great. I wonder how long this list was. I meant it as a joke, but as usual, people took me to be way too serious. I sighed and placed an elbow on the table to hold up my face.

Kaoru sat beside his brother and glanced over at Sakuya as she leaned close to Ryan. Could there have been a possibility that she had feelings for him and was just keeping them a secret? After watching for a while, he saw a shocked look on Ryan's face and he knew it was alright. After coming back from hugging their doll, the twins were together pleasing the girls but always kept an eye in Sakuya's direction. The girls chattered with the guys as Kyoya glanced over at Sakuya's station. Her eyes fluttered open and shut as Ryan read off a list that was practically hitting the floor. He chuckled and walked back to his laptop. He decided to check on the others. Hunny, Mori, Haruhi, and Tamaki were working as usual. It was an ordinary day without any problems. It was a rather unusual sight. It only meant that this was the calm before the storm.

The next morning, I woke up feeling so drained. I decided it was because I stayed up late doing homework after my club was over. I dragged myself towards the shower. There was no way I would be walking today. Since our car was being repaired, I had decided upon calling the twins so that I could get a ride with them. After showering and changing, I walked down the stairs towards the kitchen where my breakfast was set out. I picked at the food and nibbled some, but I really just had no appetite. I yawned and snapped out my cell. It took a short amount of time for one of them to answer.

"Hello?" It was Kaoru.

I yawned and looked around to see the clock. It was still early, so I decided it wouldn't be too much of a burden.

"Hey Kaoru. Sorry for calling so early. Just had a favor to ask," I explained.

Voices were heard in the background. It sounded as if Hikaru had snatched the phone from Kaoru. I cocked my ear slightly to hear what they were saying.

"Sakuya? So, do you need to escape your nanny again?" he teased.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. I stood from my chair and strolled into the living room.

"Hey Hikaru. Nice to hear from you too. No I don't need to escape my nanny. I was wondering if you guys could come pick me up. You see, my car is in the shop and I don't really have a ride to school," I explained.

Kaoru took a hold of the phone after winning over by faking tears. I giggled.

"Okay. We'll be there soon. So hey, did you listen to Kyoya's advice?" he asked with concern.

I thought back to yesterday and felt ashamed. I shook my head. No use saying something to worry them.

"Of course," I fibbed.

I ended the call and waited patiently for them to come and get me. My cell buzzed and I answered immediately with curiosity. It was a text from my dad. Weird...I pressed the ok button to read the message.

"The anniversary is in a few weeks. Are you going or not?" he questioned.

I gasped. How could I have forgotten. I immediately deleted the message. My shoulders shook and I fell to the floor in surprise. I shivered and shook uncontrollably. My eyes were beginning to feel like they were going to water. There was a knock on my door. Time for school. I had to pull myself together. I took a deep breath and stood up from the ground while brushing away the would be tears. I grabbed my things and a coat as it was still raining. I had checked the weather and it was supposed to be raining cats and dogs all week. I slowly walked to the door trying my best to put on a brave face.

Kaoru sat in the car with Hikaru. His face was contoured in concern. His brows were furrowed and he felt that Sakuya was once more covering something up. He couldn't quite place what though. He stared outside where there was a major downpour.

"Didn't she seem sort of depressed?" he wondered aloud.

Hikaru looked over in curiosity. He didn't feel any of those vibes while talking to her. Maybe it was just because Kaoru was more intuitive than him. He decided that was the case. Hikaru ran to Sakuya's front door and immediately after, she came out. Her face was pale and she was slightly trembling. She tried putting up a smile, but under that smile, she looked hurt. He grinned over trying to light the mood. He placed an arm around her shoulders and leaned close.

"Why the long face? You look like someone died or something," he teased.

Her smile faded slightly and she shifted uncomfortably. She nodded in agreement and laughed shakily.

"Haha. Sorry. I'm just tired. I didn't get enough sleep last night so I'm a little cranky," I explained.

Hikaru removed his arm and the two walked silently to his car. She had a glassy look on her face as if she were reliving the past over and over again in her mind. Kaoru noticed immediately that something was amiss. The three sat together in silence as the driver drove them to Ouran. Hikaru rocked side to side from boredom and took out his DS as he continued his game based on some sort of ninja. Sakuya yawned slightly and closed her eyes looking like she was ready to sleep. They arrived to the school and entered the classroom where Ryan was waiting boredly. He glanced over at Sakuya and walked to her desk. He sat on the seat and leaned over to look at her.

"You okay?" he asked in wonder.

The color came back to her cheeks and she glanced at him and sighed.

"Yeah. I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked with indignation.

He backed off and smirked. If she was able to back talk him, of course she was alright. She glanced out the window with a slight frown on her face. It was typical behaviour. She never really liked the rain unless it were autumn and she just wanted to drink hot chocolate. He walked back to his seat as he decided to go about his list once more about he would to to make Sakuya's heart become his.

Wednesday and Thursday wasn't any better than Tuesday.

It seemed like I had caught a cold. I tried my hardest to cover it up, and it worked well.

I had the sniffles and had just started coughing. No fever yet, so I guessed that it wasn't that serious. I had taken some medicine the other day and it seemed to be working.

I felt drained, but I knew that I couldn't miss a day. It would cause an uproar.

My vision felt hazy and my eyes felt blurry as I entered the class on Friday. The rain just wouldn't let up. This was really bringing down the mood. Even Tamaki had gotten into a depressed mood.

There wasn't much we could do outside, so all the events had to take place indoors.

I went along the day feeling light headed and way out of it. I tried to push away the fog but it just felt like it was getting worse.

I listlessy walked to the kitchen to prepare the drinks for the customers like I usually did.

I took a deep breath and held on to the counter. My throat felt itchy. Suddenly, I began coughing and my chest felt like it burned.

What was this feeling? This didn't seem like an ordinary cold.

I took a hold of the tray, but a coughing fit over took me and the glasses shattered as they hit the ground.

I keeled over and felt my cheeks flush. My breathing came in short gasps and my head felt like it was being hammered.

Tears escaped my eyes as the pain coursed through my body.

Was I dying?

I needed to call for help, but how could I when I didn't have the will power to move forward?

Tamaki held out his hand to one of his customers and kissed it gently. She blushed at him and her face turned a slight pink.

"Princess, you are my sun that nourishes me with your radiant beauty. What a lovely color you've turned. Light pink like the sky as the sun sets," he complimented.

She giggled with pleasure. Along towards the twins. Their brotherly love act was in full swing. They looked deep into their eyes and clutched their hands.

"You're so mean Hikaru," said Kaoru with tears in his eyes. (Fake of course)

They had been discussing a game and then Hikaru "teased" Kaoru how he is a sore loser and cries.

"I'm sorry Kaoru. You're just so fun to tease," explained Hikaru.

The girls squealed in surprise. As for Kyoya, he was observing the others and entertaining the girls with his knowledge of the food being handed out.

"Mochi actually originated in the...," he then went on with his report.

The girl giggled and covered her mouth with both her hands.

"My, how knowledgable!" she squealed.

Haruhi sat with Kuragano as they discussed the weather and tea.

"This weather makes me wish for summer to come sooner," Haruhi explained.

Kuragano agreed as she stared out the window. An idea popped in her head.

"Why don't we make plans to go down to Kyushu. I have a summer home down there where it is always sunny," suggested Kuragano.

Haruhi laughed nervously.

"Maybe next time," she replied.

She looked back and thought to herself.

"Besides. I don't even have a passport. It would be too much of a hassle," she thought.

As for Hunny and Mori, they were currently unoccupied looking over at Sakuya in concern. It looked like she was trying to hide a cold from the others, but it was clearly evident if she was found unguarded.

"Takashi? Do you think we should tell Kyo-chan about Saa-chan? She looks really sick," noted Hunny.

Mori nodded in agreement and sighed.

"We should most likely go talk to him now before his next customer comes in," figured Mori.

Kyoya sat patiently at his table with his laptop set up where he was making some adjustments to the Ouran Host Club website. The two hustled over in concern. Kyoya looked up in wonder of why the third years would come up to him at a time like this.

"Is something the matter?" he questioned.

Before they could answer, the sound of glass shattering pierced the room. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and immediately came to the same conclusion.

Sakuya was in trouble.

They all ran towards the kitchen with Kyoya up ahead. He swung the door open where he saw Sakuya wheezing for air and unconscious on the floor. Her cheeks were flushed pink and beads of sweat trickled down her face. He stopped dead in his tracks for only a moment until he began barking orders to the club members. He knelt beside her and rose her slightly as he felt her forehead. He winced as he removed his hand. She was definitely burning up.

"Kaoru! Call an ambulance at once! Hikaru! Get the customers out of here as soon as possible! Haruhi! Bring me a cold towel! Tamaki! Call her guardian! Mori! Get the couch ready! Hunny! Help Mori!" he commanded.

Everyone knew their job and went to work without hesitation. Kyoya shook off his coat and wrapped it around Sakuya. He lifted the girl from the ground as if she were as light as a feather and towards the couch. His eyebrows were furrowed in anger and a grimace replaced his cool complexion. Deep down though, he was feeling very concerned. She squirmed slightly in his arms but stopped as the wheezing seemed to be getting worse and the pain was becoming excruciating. He set her down gently on the couch where Hunny looked ready to burst into tears.

"Saa-chan! Speak to me! Saa-chan!" Hunny cried hysterically.

There was no response from Sakuya's part and it looked like Hunny was going to just make her more agitated. Kyoya took one look at Mori and pleaded for his help. Mori simply nodded and drove Hunny outside where the rest of the customers were. Haruhi ran back with a wet towel and a bucket filled with cold water. Kyoya went straight to work. He placed the towel on her forehead. He looked over at Haruhi with steel eyes.

"Haruhi. Please loosen Sakuya's collar," he demanded.

She walked over cautiously and looked at him with doubt. But she knew deep down that they needed him if Sakuya were to survive. She undid the tie and pulled on the collar to open up more. She exposed Sakuya's collarbone and looked back at Kyoya for the next order. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Is Sakuya going to be okay?"

Haruhi wondered.

As she tried to tell Kyoya, her tongue felt heavy and unable to proceed with her question. She turned away and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see a friend die. Kaoru ran in with the phone still in hand.

"They're on their way!" he cried.

Kyoya nodded and looked down at Sakuya one last time before leaving to calm down the customers.

"You're going to be okay," he whispered.

He then left Haruhi to attend to Sakuya by using the damp towel to try and cool down the fever. Kaoru walked over to Sakuya cautiously. What could have happened to make her so sick? This was definitely not an ordinary cold. But what could it have been? He leaned close and looked on in concern.

"Hang in there. Help is on its way," he reassured the girl.

Tamaki entered the room with tears in his eyes. He tried brushing them away, but they just wouldn't stop falling.

"I called the house but the only one able to take responsibility is her maid by the name of Yoneko. Her father is on a business trip," he informed.

All there was to do now was wait.

The ambulance arrived and carried off the ill girl to the hospital. Only one person could enter the ambulance car with her as her guardian would meet her at the hospital. The responsibility fell on the one with the most experience with medical knowledge. Kyoya Ohtori. The other members piled in the car and drove off behind the car in a hurry. Everyone had only one thing on their mind as they made the long trip to the hospital.

"Please be alright," they all prayed silently.

Yoneko was in a frenzy as she ran out the door with her car keys. She never resorted to using the car due to traffic, but nothing else would cut it if she were to get to the hospital in time. She cursed her boss' name for leaving his child once more when she had clearly shown signs of becoming ill. Yoneko felt hot tears tumble down her cheeks. This girl was like a daughter to her. She started the engine to the car and sped off towards the hospital.

Back at the hospital, a series of tests were being done on Sakuya as an IV was inserted near her veins. The rhythmic sound of Sakuya's heartbeat on the monitor was a good sign.

Outside the room, the club members were pacing around with worry. Hunny held on tight to the stuffed animal he had received from Sakuya back in January. Mori sat down next to him with his favorite cake in hand. Hunny just shook his head.

"I'm not hungry," he whispered.

The club members were in shock. There was never a time where Hunny was so upset that he'd turn down sweets. Haruhi patted his hand.

"I'm sure she'll be alright," she reassured.

Deep down, she really didn't know. Sat there blankly and wasn't sure how to react. He looked down at his hands as he thought about his mother back home. He shook his head and tried his hardest to stay positive. Kyoya sat with the doctors discussing his hypothesis on the condition. As for the twins, they had been so consumed with shock at the turn of events that they were like empty shells. They weren't really sure how to react at all. The room was so silent that the clock hung on the wall was audible. Suddenly, the room became chaotic. A woman wearing A t-shirt and jeans walked in soaking wet. Her hair a dark brown and hung limp. She ran up to the Nurse's addmitance office.

"Where's Sakuya? I'm her guardian," she said hysterically.

The twins immediately became aware of the woman. It was Yoneko. They rose from their chairs and walked up to her. The nurse went through the paperwork and handed it to her to sign.

"Please calm down Miss. Your child is being looked over by our doctors alright. We will inform you if there is any news. There is some paperwork that must be done before any kind of information is given," the nurse explained calmly.

Yoneko grabbed the papers and sat down with the rest of the host club members. She looked around at the people surrounding her. She could make out the twins, Kyoya and Haruhi, but wasn't sure about the others. A tall dark haired young man with a silent demeanor sitting with a child in his lap and a handsome princely character.

She had gotten a call from a young man saying that Sakuya was in the hospital. She didn't recognize his voice, but he assured her that he was a friend of Sakuya's.

She looked over at the twins waiting for answers.

"What happened?" she asked.

The twins shifted slightly under her glare. They explained that she just collapsed and looked like she had trouble breathing but weren't sure what was wrong.

"You should ask Kyoya. He might have an idea," he explained.

She walked up to the bespectacled young man. He looked over and bowed slightly.

"Good evening Yoneko-san. What can I help you with?" he asked.

She took a ragged breath and glanced at the patient's ward.

"It's about Sakuya. Do you have any idea what is wrong with her?" she questioned.

He sighed and shook his hea

"Those symptoms could be anything. Although I've narrowed it down to pneumonia or bronchitis. Have you noticed her coughing or breathing irregularly before this occurence?" he wondered.

She recalled Sakuya coming down late at night frequently for water to try and stop the coughing. There wasn't much to do now but wait for the doctor to give out the diagnosis.

It was going to be a long night.

Morning came and the members of the host club had dissipated. Yoneko had stayed overnight as Sakuya had not regained conscious since she collapsed.

It seemed that Kyoya's intuition was right. It was acute bronchitis. She felt so stupid for not noticing until it got so extreme. She was told that once Sakuya woke up, that she was to be put into bed rest for ten days at the least.

A list was printed out with instructions on how to care for the sick girl and given with great care to Yoneko. She sighed as sleep was calling her name.

News traveled of Sakuya coming home after her long stay at the hospital. The club was estatic! She wouldn't be at school for a week and some since she had to stay home and recover.

"Acute bronchitis? Wow. I'm glad she's okay now," thought Haruhi out loud.

Hunny smiled as anxiously bounced around.

"We should go visit her!" he said cheerfully.

Mori agreed with the usual nod. Kyoya shook his head.

"I prohibit you. We can't all go at once. We risk causing her low immune system to grow worse. I suggest we make a calender in which we all have chance to go one at a time and visit her. Objections?" he asked.

Of course there were objections. But there was no stopping the demon lord. They nodded and walked towards the calender set up for them to go. Tamaki rushed in front with a grin on his face.

"Since I am the father, I should go first," he explained.

The twins pushed him out of the way.

"We're her best friends," they noted.

Hunny flung them out of his way with a cutesy smile behind Mori.

"I want to share my cake with Saa-chan!" he exclaimed.

Kyoya sighed in irritation. Haruhi walked forwards with straws in her hand.

"How about we draw straws and the person with the smallest one goes today?" she suggested.

Everyone agreed and drew. Suspense was in the air as they opened their palm to see the straw. Groans echoed the room as the lucky winner held up the small straw; Kaoru Hitachiin. Tamaki went into his corner to cry. Kyoya sighed with a bit irritation and promptly sketched in Kaoru's name. Hunny jumped up unfazed.

"I call second," he claimed.

Thus, the cycle started once more.

Kaoru felt his heart flutter. He would finally get to see Sakuya after the whole fainting incident. He didn't expect her to be in top condition, but as long as he saw her, it was fine with him.

Hikaru glanced at his little brother in wonder. Suddenly, Ryan burst through the doors and looked around wildly. He grimaced. He had heard Sakuya had gone to the hospital and it seemed that the rumors rang true. Immediately after seeing everyone crowded around Kyoya, he got the gist of signing up to see Sakuya.

"Sign me up next! She's my fiancee after all," he commented.

Hikaru immediatly grimaced at him. He got up all in his face like a raging idiot.

"EX-fiancee! Get your facts right. Besides, you're not even a part of our club! DENIED!" he cried out.

Tamaki joined in. Kaoru sighed and walked out the door. If he was going to see Sakuya, the least he could do was get her a gift or something.

"*Cough cough cough cough* ARGH!" I cried out.

I was stuck in bed feeling like I wanted someone to just knock me out to put me out of my misery. I barely got any sleep as due to all the coughing. I had no energy and all that I could do was watch reruns of some stupid show about a woman caring for some widow's three kids. She was wearing the gaudiest of clothing with excessive make up. Whatever. I turned off the tv and sat there with a towel over my head as I inhaled steam from boiling hot water. Yoneko walked in with some tea and honey. I struggled to sit up as she handed me the cup. I sipped it cautiously and felt my throat relax for what seemed like the first time since I got back from the hospital. She looked at me with empathy.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

I stared at her vacantly for a while and promptly lied down on the bed. I sighed heavily.

"Like crap," I admitted.

She giggled softly and she ruffled my hair.

"You seem to be improving in health," she noted.

I smiled slightly, but began coughing once more. Yoneko gasped and made me put the towel over my head to once more inhale the steam. Ah, the wonderful feeling of my lungs giving out. Just what the doctor ordered. I didn't know how much of this I could take.

It was late once the host club closed, but that didn't stop Kaoru from going to visit Sakuya's house. He walked out of the car and buzzed the intercom. Outside the mansion it was still raining like crazy. Luckily, he had on a rain coat and umbrella.

"May I help you?" asked a female voice.

Kaoru had the bag in his hand. He pressed the button to speak.

"I'm here to see Sakuya. Its me. Kaoru from school. There's some homework that I needed to deliver to her and decided to drop by to see how she was doing," he explained.

The gates opened and he walked towards the door where Yoneko was waiting with open arms. He entered the house where silence rang through out the room. The sound of the water crashing on concrete had subsided once he entered.

"Good evening Kaoru-kun. Sakuya-sama is upstairs. Although I'm not sure whether she is already fast asleep, but feel free to check," she decided.

He nodded and removed his raincoat. He walked up the stairs towards Sakuya's room and knocked.

There was no response, but he opened the door anyway. He entered the dim lighted room. The only light came from a single lamp. He walked in and took in all the sorts of remedies located around the room. A bowl filled with cool water and a towel over it pointed towards inhaling the steam. Towels were strewn around the room with some damp to help reduce the fever.

His eyes then located the sleeping form of Sakuya. She was attired in light-blue-and-yellow star print cotton shorts and a white camisole top. Her long hair was damp and nestled softly on top of her back. Her pretty face showed serenity.

He blushed slightly and looked away as he took a seat beside her. He turned back and on impulse took one of his hands and stroked her cheek. His eyes shone with unshed tears. He was glad she was okay. He didn't know what he would have done if she had died.

He leaned close and was in the midst of kissing her, when Yoneko walked inside abruptly. He backed away suddenly and stood up. She looked up at him with a glare. She marched up to him and he backed away slowly.

"H-hey. I wouldn't do anything drastic. I was just checking her temp-" he began.

She burst into tears. He looked at her in alarm. She was bawling like a baby. She placed a trusting hand on his shoulder.

"I have to go. There's been a family emergency," she explained.

He looked down at Sakuya and then at her.

"You can't just leave Sakuya all by herself," he pointed out.

She looked at him and nodded as she made her way out the door.

"I leave Sakuya-sama in your care," she said.

He walked after her with hesitation.

"Bu-," he began.

It was too late. She was gone. He sighed and walked back up to Sakuya's room dejectedly. All he wanted to do was visit her to see how she was doing. How was it that he got dragged into caring for her?

He sat down on the chair and wondered how long he would have to stay here? He scanned the room and found a paper printed out on how to help get rid of acute bronchitis as soon as possible. He scanned the list and his eyes fell upon the step to place a warm, damp towel on the person's stomach and back. Kaoru looked down at Sakuya and blushed. She sighed and turned to the other side. He glanced at the alarm in her room which read:8:30 pm. Kaoru yawned and rubbed his eye slightly. After staring at Sakuya for so long, he had fallen asleep.

Kaoru awoke with a start. He looked around the room to see pictures of boy bands and teddy bears in their stand. He adjusted to the light and finally realized he was in Sakuya's room. But why did he wake up? He scratched the back of his head in wonder and looked around. He cocked his ear. It sounded like a whimper or something. He walked over to Sakuya to see her lips quivering as she looked ready to cry. Was she awake? He leaned closer to see her eyes still shut. She began sobbing while she twisted and turned in her bed. What was happening? A nightmare? He placed a hand on her forehead and immediately withdrew it. She was burning up.

"Mother! Look out! Please get out of the way," she whimpered.

Kaoru looked at her with anxiety. What was she talking about? He placed a hand on her shoulder. She jerked back and pushed him away.

"NOOO! Someone save her! Oh why can't you see the car? AHHH!" she cried out.

Kaoru looked at her with distress. He held on to her shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Sakuya! Wake up! Its just a dream," he explained.

She twisted left and right to wriggle from his grasp. Tears spilled from her eyes and she began to cough uncontrollably. Kaoru gasped. He had to get her to calm down or else she'd risk making her bronchitis worse.

I was walking through the streets of London, when I suddenly caught sight of a little girl no older than ten. My focus on her increased, as I realized that it was me as a little girl.

Trailing behind the younger me, was a beautifully tall woman with platinum blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She was slim and had rather long legs. It was my mother.

She looked exactly as she had the day I ran away from home. Her eyes were filled with tears as she sprinted towards the younger me.

The walk sign suddenly became red, but she kept on going. There was a man driving a red sports car in that direction in a rapid speed and it didn't seem like he was going to slow down anytime soon. No. Not again.

It was my chance to save her. I called out to her.

"Mother! Look out! Please get out of the way," I begged.

She didn't even turn to look at me. Why wasn't she listening to me? I ran towards her, but I kept getting further and further away from her. It was almost like she was disappearing before my eyes. I once more tried to get her attention.

The car was only a few blocks away from where she was walking. I cupped my mouth and screamed. People passed by without even glancing at my mother. They didn't know.

"Nooo! Someone save her! Oh why can't she see the car?" I screamed.

The car was only a few feet away from her. Tears flooded my eyes as I stood frozen. A moment too late, she turned to look and gasped. The car hit her head on.

One of her high heels flew up in the air as people around her screamed in surprise. She hit the floor with a thud. Blood pooled around her head as she layed motionless. NO! This can't be happening. Not again.

Wake up! Please wake up! I pleaded. This is just a nightmare! It's not real!

I held on to my head and fell to the ground. Pain seered through my chest as if my heart was breaking. I looked up to the sky as the clouds began to darken.

"AHHH!" I screamed.

My heart shattered into a million pieces and I sobbed uncontrollably. This wasn't supposed to happen. I never intended to harm her. I just wanted to be set free. It was my fault she was in that coma.

A light illuminated the dark sky. A familiar voice fluttered around me.

"Sakuya wake up! Its just a dream," he insisted.

K-kaoru? I looked around me and felt pain stab my chest once more. Tears streaked my face.

I gasped and reached out for that voice. The one that could save me. My little girl self came out of hiding with tears in her eyes. She looked down at my mother and stroked her blood soaked hair. No emotion played on her face.

(BTW little Sakuya never did the above about stroking her mom's hair. In fact, she didn't even know that the above happened until her father found her and told her the news. Its just a way to make it more dramatic and showing how Sakuya sort of broke apart and it transformed her whole cheerful persona to deep sadness which made her enter a depression era.^-^' Sorry for the explanation. I just wanted to make it clear.)

"I'm sorry. I never meant to put you in a coma. Won't you please forgive me?" she...I asked.

Kaoru called my name once more. He sounded frantic. I needed to get up. I wrapped my arms around me and closed my eyes tight. I felt the tears continue to form.

Warmth enveloped me as I felt strong arms hold me tight. I slowly opened my eyes.

Sakuya wouldn't stop coughing. He shut his eyes and captured her in his arms. He hugged her tightly and it seemed like she was calming down. The coughing stopped and she drowsily opened her eyes. He stroked her wet hair and cradled her in his arms.

"Shh. It's okay. It was only a dream. You're okay," he cooed.

She looked up at him with the look of still being out of it. Must have had to do with the fever. He looked down at her tear streaked eyes and brushed away the stray tears.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. It all made sense now. Her mother was in a coma due to being a victim of a hit and run driver. She seemed to believe it was her fault.

Kaoru held her tighter. She must have suffered so much living without her mother. Sweat trickled down her forehead. He grabbed a towl from her bed and dabbed her sweat away. He looked down to see Sakuya looking up at him with sparkling eyes and a heavenly smile.

"Kaoru. So kind and caring. The most wonderful guy I've ever met. You are my prince, my knight. Always there to rescue me," she babbled truthfully.

She hugged him tightly and promptly fell back asleep. His body flushed red from head to toe. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her.

He felt his heart would explode and knew that he could no longer hold his tongue. He moved his lips to her ear. She stirred slightly.

"I love you," he whispered.

Kaoru then slowly moved his head so that he was facing Sakuya's pretty face. He bent his head and cupped her chin to face upward. He carressed her lips with his thumb. Eyes closed, a butterfly found its flower and kissed its petals. It stood there for not much longer than a minute.

Kaoru pulled away slowly and felt his cheeks warm. He once more stroked her hair and just looked at her with a transfixed sensation.

The spell was broken when his cell phone began vibrating violently. He pulled back from Sakuya and walked outside her room. He pressed the okay button, but had a pretty good idea who it was.

"Hey Hikaru," Kaoru greeted shakily.

Hikaru found this odd. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like something big had just happened moments before he called.

"Where are you? Its late and tomorrow's a school night. What happened?" he asked.

Kaoru then explained that he was staying over at Sakuya's house because Yoneko ran out on him saying she had to leave for a family emergency.

"Are you telling me you're all alone with Sakuya?" Hikaru demanded.

Kaoru winced and hesitantly approved the information.

"Don't worry. I'll be home tomorrow. Everything's fine over here. What? Are you worried I'm going to take advantage of Sakuya?" Kaoru teased half heartedly.

Hikaru explained that it wasn't the case.

"I'm just worried. You better take good care of her. We need her to get better fast. Everyone misses her. Oh, by the way. Haruhi's visiting Sakuya tomorrow. I bet she can help Sakuya out better. Well, see you tomorrow and don't stay up too late," insisted Hikaru.

Kaoru chuckled and ran a hand through his hair as he leaned on the wall.

"Yes mother. Anyway, 'night," concluded Kaoru.

Hikaru growled, but he knew Kaoru was just teasing.

"Yeah. 'Night," ended Hikaru.

Kaoru closed his cell phone and slid to the ground. He buried his face in his hands. He sighed as he realized deep down he was being selfish. Kaoru couldn't believe he had just claimed Sakuya's first kiss without her knowing it. Or would she? All he knew was that this was a secret he would have to keep for a very long time.

A week had gone by and after much rest, I had finally come back to school. A wide smile was planted on my face as I skipped along to homeroom. I waved happily to everyone that I knew.

"Sakuya! You're back! Are you feeling better?" asked one of my fans.

I beamed up at him and giggled.

"I'm at the top of my game. Healthy as ever!" I explained.

He blushed and looked ready to pass out. Life started to look a lot brighter since I had gotten over my bronchitis. I walked into class beaming. I jerked the door opened and walked in waving.

"Good morning everyone! It's such a beautiful day, is it not?" I asked.

The entire class looked over in surprise as they all crowded me.

"Sakuya-chan! You're alright," they all said with relief.

I practically skipped to my seat beside Haruhi.

"Morning Haruhi!" I said cheerfully.

She looked over at me and smiled. She clicked her mechanical pencil.

"You're happy today. I'm glad to see you're feeling better," she said sincerely.

I smiled and slowly my super hyperness faded. I took out my notebook where the majority of my homwork had been completed.

"Thank you so much for the notes Haruhi," I thanked her.

She nodded just as the twins walked in. Hikaru greeted me with a hug from behind.

"Looks like our doll had come back from the toy hospital and ready to be played with," Hikaru teased.

I sighed and shook my head. The same as always. Kaoru walked over cautiously and smiled down at me. I smiled back up.

"Oh, hey Kaoru. I heard from Yoneko that you stayed with me overnight when she was away. That was real nice of you," I said with appreciation.

He smiled over modestly as he took a seat near me. Hikaru walked over to Haruhi to talk about a homework assignment he needed her help on. Kaoru lightly tapped my shoulder.

I looked over in wonder. His face gave off a pink tint, but I ruled it out to be my imagination.

"So, hey. About what Yoneko said about me coming over, did you remember anything that happened that day?" he asked.

I regarded him with a questioning glance.

"What do you mean? The most I remember was going to sleep before you came to see me. Did I do something weird? I apologize for anything I did while I was semi-lucid. Just erase it from your memory," I responded.

I turned to look away, but but caught a slight glimpse of utterly cherry colored face. Was he mad? No. It was more like he embarrassed.

I blushed slightly at the thought of what I must have done to make him look at me like that.

"No it's nothing. I must have been half asleep or something. Must have just dreamt it," he said while laughing it off.

I smiled and was just glad I was finally able to come back. It was weird to say, but I missed the guys while I was sick.

I was so glad to be back, that I almost went up and hugged Ryan. I immediately took it back as I saw his eyes linger on me, which in turn made me a bit uneasy. Hikaru glared over at Ryan and had Kaoru sit beside me to keep him from coming any closer. I just shook my head and tried to bite back my laughter.

My mind never even drifted towards the text message my father had sent me ten days back.