Hello everyone! Sorry that I went MIA on this fiction for the last week. But it was mostly because I was finishing up "Lost Without You" and I was being obsessive over Supernatural and Naruto. So yeah. At least I wrote it now finally. haha
Kaoru heard the faint scrape of the door as it rolled aside. Immediately, Kaoru shot up from his makeshift bed on the floor and glared through the dark at the source of the sound.
"Haruhi," he hissed, seeing her shadowy form standing outside of her door. "Don't even think about it."
She sighed and the silhouette of her head dropped, signaling her anger. Kaoru fought his way out of the blankets, stood, and walked to her side. "Haruhi," he said quieter as he approached. She turned her head away but Kaoru was close enough to see the tears glistening off her cheeks in the dim moonlight.
He came to a stop next to her and leaned against the wall, letting his orange bangs fall in front of his eyes. "I know this is hard… but it has to be done."
Haruhi frowned heatedly and wiped her chocolate brown eyes roughly with the sleeve of her pajama shirt. "I want to take care of him. It's my job," she muttered into the silent room.
Kaoru rested his head against the cool wall and closed his eyes briefly. He was getting tired of arguing with Haruhi. "He's sick. And you aren't immune. We already agreed that I would be the one to take care of your dad because you could catch it. And we both know that your dad wouldn't want to cause you to catch the Red Plague."
Haruhi shook her head defiantly. "He's dying, Kaoru, and you won't let me see him? Let's face it," she hissed, "it's been five days since you showed up and in all of that time, Dad hasn't gotten any better. He's going to die. There's no doubt. I just want to spend some time with him while I-I-I still can." She choked on a sob and wrapped an arm around her eyes.
Kaoru stood there, at a loss for words. What does one say to console someone in Haruhi's situation?
Instead, Kaoru straightened up and grabbed her shoulder. She flinched slightly away but Kaoru didn't let that bother him. "Alright, Haruhi, let's go see him."
Haruhi dropped her arm and looked up at him suspiciously. "Wait a minute… why are you letting me all of a sudden?"
Kaoru sighed and fidgeted while leaning on the wall again. He looked away as he began, "I've suspecting it for a while, actually." He ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Your dad… won't last very long. Maybe just a few more days."
"How do you know?" Haruhi snapped, narrowing her eyes.
Kaoru looked her right in the eyes; the moonlight shadowed her face. "He started coughing up blood last night," he stated.
Haruhi's shoulders drooped in despair. They both knew very well that bloody cough came in the final stage of the disease. "What other symptoms does he have?" she whispered with her head down.
"Chills, discoloration, a cold; he's got the whole thing, really. He lost consciousness a couple times yesterday," Kaoru said gently.
Haruhi's face was completely downtrodden. She sniffed lightly and Kaoru immediately pulled her into a hug. "We'll get through this," Kaoru assured her. When he pulled away, Haruhi was nodding.
"I knew this was coming for a long time," she replied. "I should be more prepared…"
"You are doing just fine considering the circumstances."
"Yeah, considering," she said sarcastically. She stepped forward, "Come on. Let's go check on him."
They stepped the short distance to his door and Haruhi rolled the door quietly aside. She stepped inside tentatively with Kaoru on her heal. Stopping abruptly, the two watched the sleeping form of her father.
His breathing was labored, quickly and light; he opened his mouth and blood trickled down the corner of his lips. Curling into his self and clutched at his chest near the lungs. The lungs were the main area the Red Plague attacked, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Haruhi's lips trembled. "Daddy?" she asked uncertainly in a high, scared voice.
Kaoru stayed back near the door as she crouched down near the motionless man. She reached into the bucket near his head and found the fresh towel floating inside the water Kaoru had just replaced with bottled water. Haruhi wrung the wet towel out and placed it onto her father's forehead, wiping it clean of the sweat. She then cleared away the blood.
"Is it warm enough?" she questioned, watching her dad shiver slightly beneath the blankets.
"The water is as warm as I could get it without power," Kaoru replied.
Haruhi nodded and went back to placing the towel gently on his forehead. "Haruhi," the rough voice disturbed the night. Haruhi froze, looking down at her dad.
His eyes were open but just barely. His gaze snapped between Haruhi and Kaoru. "Haruhi… I love you," he whispered, struggling.
Kaoru took a match from his pocket, fired it up and grabbed the candle on the dresser to light it. He deemed tonight was a good night to use one of their precious few matches.
Haruhi smiled in appreciation before turning back to her father. "Dad, I love you too."
With effort, he smiled up at Haruhi. The movements made Haruhi stifle a sob. "Don't leave me Dad," she cried. "I still need you."
He reached up with a bloody hand. Haruhi quickly wiped off his fingers with the wet towel. "Thank you," he whispered, bringing his hand to her hair, stroking it slowly. "Haruhi, my time is almost up." Haruhi shook her head. "You'll be okay, I promise. Kaoru already promised to take care of you."
Kaoru looked away to stare into the candle while Haruhi glanced at him in surprise.
Her father continued, pulling his hand back down to chest, "And I know Tamaki will be there for you once you meet back up with him." Her face reddened. "Just remember that you aren't alone. And… mom and I will look out for you from Heaven. Okay?"
Before Haruhi could reply, there was a crash outside the apartment. Haruhi sat straight up, looking up at Kaoru nervously.
Kaoru held a hand out for her to stay put. "I'll go check it out," he whispered.
Quickly, Kaoru raced to the window closest to the door in silence. He crouched down and pulled the curtain aside just slightly with a single finger. The light of the street lamp filtered in and he squinted into the street.
Down below, four men circled Kaoru's stolen car. The driver's window was shattered and one of the four was leaning inside. "Shit," Kaoru whispered with widened eyes. Those men in the street… they didn't look too friendly.
"Haruhi," he hissed into the apartment, dropping the curtain back into place. "Blow out the candle immediately."
He stared at the lit door until finally the room went dark, plunging the apartment into full blackness. Kaoru turned back to the window and peeled the curtain aside a second time. Kaoru's heart immediately jumped. There were only two by the car now. The other two were making their way towards the apartment complex. Kaoru and Haruhi were sitting ducks.