Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. This storyline is mine. Reviews are love!
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Chapter Nine: Snow and Tears
Over the next three days the storm grew into a blizzard, dropping a foot or so of snow over the rooftops, treetops, cars, and lawns. It was impossible to be outside for very long, the wind threw snow and cold in your face, to attack your skin and burn your eyes. It stormed for three more days, and once it was all over, there was a foot and a half of freshly fallen snow, powdery and white, layering all of Destiny Islands.
The strange weather gave my house a gloomy feeling. Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was the fact that the blizzard had knocked down telephone lines and shorted out our circuit breaker three times, maybe it was just the idea of being alone with only my parents for a week, but I was not in the best of moods when the wind stopped howling.
The day after it stopped snowing and storming, I was awakened by a loud thumping noise on my window. I sat up, ready to snatch up a weapon before I was completely aware of myself. Grumpily, I dragged myself up and pulled my curtains aside.
Selphie, puffed up because of all her coats, was throwing snowballs at my window with Tidus. They laughed when they saw my face. Wakka popped out from behind my dad's truck and launched a blitzball sized snowball at them.
"Take this!" He bellowed.
The thing nailed Tidus in the small of the back, dropping him flat on his face while Selphie nearly doubled over laughing. I made a face and closed the curtains, sinking back down onto my bed.
Why were they so happy? It was cold and wet outside. Last week Riku had wandered off and could have gotten hypothermia out in the cold, rambling on like it was last summer. Sora and I were awkward and not really talking. What right did they have to be happy right now?
Eventually the thumping on my window ceased and I pulled myself completely out of bed. By habit I checked my cell phone: no service, no calls, no messages. Sighing, I changed into two pairs of jeans, three pairs of socks, a T-shirt, long sleeved shirt, and sweater before pulling on thick snow boots and a wool cap and my pink winter coat. I felt extremely silly, waddling down the hall laden with so many layers, but I was grateful for them once I was outside.
The snow on my front lawn was broken and trails were crisscrossing everywhere from the ensuing war between Tidus and Wakka. There were icicles dangling from the roof and frost had frozen the leaves on the trees as they swayed. And it was late July. I shook my head.
I tromped through the snow down the sidewalk and headed towards town. The last time I'd had contact with the outside world, Riku was still in the hospital. They were running tests and asking him questions. He hated that, I was sure.
People were emerging from their homes too, kicking snow away from their doors or cutting a path to their cars, which were deadlocked by snow. Lumps of launched snow balls had made craters in many lawns, more battle damage I assumed.
The hospital on Destiny Islands was more like a large house, adjoined to our main doctor's house, Tomas Gale. The building had not been spared the onslaught of snow and ice, but enough of it had been shoveled that I made it up the front steps and through the front door and only slipped twice.
Tomas's wife, Kora, was sitting behind the greeting desk filling out paperwork. She looked up when I walked in, shaking snow off my boots.
"Good morning, Kairi. I was wondering when you'd brave the weather to come." She smiled.
I grimaced through a smile, "Is Riku still here?"
Kora's smile faltered, "Yes."
I narrowed my eyes, "Is that a bad yes?"
"Well…"
"Can I see him?"
"Of course, dear. I think Sora might be here."
Was that supposed to be a warning? I didn't glance back at her to make sure. I walked down the hallway and heard Sora talking. I slowed.
"Psychologist? Please, you don't need a psychologist telling you you're nuts. I think the last three months have been proof enough."
"I'm not crazy, Sora, you sap." That was Riku.
I paused, chewed my lip, and then knocked lightly on the doorframe. "Do you two need some time alone?"
Sora and Riku both looked at me. Riku smiled, "Hey, Kairi."
He looked okay, considering. I didn't like seeing him in a hospital bed, but I already knew he'd had hypothermia, so hopefully that was all.
"Did somebody mention a psychologist?" I asked.
Riku rolled his eyes, "Apparently scampering off to the other island in the middle of the night qualifies as odd behavior. Can you believe that?"
"Hm, running off and building a raft in the middle of the night? Nope, sounds perfectly normal to me." I grinned.
Sora was fiddling with his gloves. We caught each other's eyes, but immediately looked away.
"Are you two still awkward?" Riku blurted. Neither of us answered. He exhaled heavily, "Guys, I'm depressed enough being stuck in this hospital without adding you two being on the fritz."
"We're not on the fritz." Sora muttered unconvincingly.
I rolled my ankle around, trying to appear interested in the clipboard hanging off the table.
"Then kiss and make up." Riku said simply.
"What? Why?" Sora jumped.
"It's entertaining. This place has a lack of entertainment. Entertain me, I'm hypothermic."
I squinted, actually reading the clipboard, "Who's Dr. Young?"
"Hm? Oh, some psychologist. Just another doctor who thinks I'm crazy."
"Tomas thinks you're crazy?" I asked.
"He might as well." A smile spread across Riku's, but it wasn't a happy one, "I'm not crazy."
"I know that." I answered immediately.
Riku chuckled, quietly at first. After a few seconds, he started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Sora asked, folding his arms.
Riku's shoulders were shaking as he tried to stop, "I don't know—Nothing's—funny!" He kept laughing until his eyes started watering.
"Then stop laughing." Sora grimaced.
"I'm—trying!" He cackled, holding his sides.
"What, are you on crack or something?" Sora asked, frowning.
After a few minutes, Riku calmed down, still giggling, but more controlled now.
"Feel better?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Riku wiped his eyes, "Sorry. I don't know what that was."
"Looked like a giggling fit to me. It was creepy. Don't do it again." Sora stated, smirking.
I frowned. I had been reading the clipboard under Dr. Young's name and my eyes had settled on a word I really didn't like.
"Hey. It says Dr. Young's a specialist in Schizophrenia. Do they think you're—"
"No." Riku said quickly.
I tilted my head, but didn't press the matter.
As if on cue, there were three light knocks on the door and a woman opened the door. She screamed specialist: short, messy brown hair tied up in a knot, horn rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of a small nose, and watery green eyes. Her skin was pale and stark against her white lab coat.
"Oh, hello." She greeted, walking into the room as if she'd been welcomed. "I'm Dr. Sue Young." She offered her hand.
Sora looked a little trepid, which was unusual for him, so I took and shook her hand. "I'm Kairi. That's Sora. We're friends of Riku's."
Dr. Young's eyes, so bright and lively, softened at what I said, as if in sympathy or pity. I immediately became defensive. Why was she pitying us? Was it Schizoph—
"Well, it's very nice to meet you both, but I'm afraid I'll need to see Riku alone." She tutted.
Sora and my faces must have showed concern, because she offered a gentle, sympathetic smile, "Don't worry, it's just a few tests, nothing overexerting."
"Do you think he has Schizophrenia or something?" Sora blurted.
Dr. Young tucked a few strands of flyaway hair behind her ear, "The tests will only take an hour or so. You can come back then."
I looked at Riku, who looked like he'd rather be with anyone else but Dr. Young. "We'll—We'll see you later, okay?" I offered.
Sora saluted, "Yeah, so don't go 'madman' until then, got it?"
Riku smiled, but it was more of a grimace, "Right. See you later."
We left the room, but didn't wander far, standing out in the hallway. Sora ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Man, the longer this goes on, the more messed up it gets. Schizophrenia now?" He grumbled.
I nibbled on my fingernail, sighing, "I wonder what kind of tests she's running."
"I don't know. I didn't like her." Sora snapped.
"She's only trying to help."
"By what? By telling us Riku needs to be in a foam room in a ward? Sorry if that doesn't trigger my friendliest feelings towards her."
"If she can explain what's wrong with him—"
"Nothing's wrong with him."
Great, denial, I thought, but said, "He was building a raft in the middle of the night."
"They're acting like he's about to snap or something." His voice was rising a little.
"Shh! Sora, this is hard on me too, but we have to be strong for Riku."
Sora smacked his fist against the opposite wall, "We shouldn't have to be. Riku's always been the strong one. He's the one who never got hurt and always laughed off the bruises. This—this isn't something you can put a bandage on, Kairi! Now they're 'running tests' and all that'll do is—"
I snapped my hand back, slapping him clear across the face. Sora's voice cut off with the smack and he jerked his head to the side. The back of my hand stung, but I just flexed it and stared him down. Tears welled in my eyes. This was enough!
Sora turned back to me, his cheek turning red. His eyes had suddenly gone moist too, but it wasn't from getting slapped. It was something deeper. We just stared at each other, mutually wrapped in this smothering blanket of insecurity, doubt, and fear.
Then, as if a spell had been broken, we rushed together, throwing our arms around each other. Tears spilled down both our cheeks and through the kissing and the crying and desperate apologies, I felt like something had changed again, only this time, the drifting had stopped.
"I'm sorry." Sora muttered, holding me close, "I'm so sorry. I love you."
It was the first time he'd said so aloud, and I started crying again, "I love you too."