I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.
Ch.24
When Haruhi came to, she was lying on the kitchen floor. Takashi was cradling her head. The dim light over the kitchen table seemed much brighter. Reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Ranka was dead. She would never see her dad again.
"Haruhi?"
She looked up into Mori's face. He looked worried, concerned. Tears flowed from her eyes without warning and a cry sprung from her throat. She sat up and was immediately wrapped in his embrace.
One of the police officers started talking,"Miss, we need you to come down to the morgue with us to identify the body. The man had identification on him, but the face didn't quite match. It was slightly disfigured. Maybe you can identify some personal markings on the body. Or you could just send your mother when she turns up."
Haruhi sobbed harder.
Mori yelled," Could you be any more insensitive?! She just lost her father, the only family she had left! Her mother died when she was young. Give us a minute!"
Haruhi could feel Mori shaking with rage. The burly cop stepped back and grunted. He did not like being spoken to in that manner. The scrawny one twitched and shuffled from foot to foot, clearly nervous.
Mori looked down at her, "Do you want to go down there?"
She could only nod. She was worried that if she opened her mouth, all that would escape would be screams. Slowly, she gathered her strength and stood. What she had wasn't enough. She leaned heavily on Mori. Right now she needed all of the support she could get. He held her up without the slightest reluctance. One of the cops opened and umbrella and walked them outside. A few people were standing under their awning watching them. An elderly lady patted Haruhi on the back as she walked by. Haruhi didn't even have the will to turn around and smile at her. These people didn't know what was going on. They didn't understand how Haruhi felt.
The police car stood out brightly against the dark chain fences and blackened windows of nearby houses. Everyone was inside sleeping and resting, probably relaxing with their families. Haruhi was outside in the cold rain, waiting to go identify the last of her family at the city morgue. How ironic that the worst things happen to the best people.
Mori and Haruhi sat shoulder to shoulder in the cold back seat of the police car as it made its way downtown. Haruhi turned toward Mori. His face flickered with shadows as they sped under street lamps. Even though she could barely see his eyes, she knew that he was looking at her.
"Takash?"
"Yes Haruhi?"
"... I'm scared."
He gently grabbed her head and leaned it onto his shoulder. He could tell that she had started crying again. Haruhi didn't have to say what she was scared of. He already knew. She didn't want to see his dead body that proved he was gone forever. She wanted to remember his smiling warm face, alive.
The car slowed and stopped outside of a small grey brick building. Mori peered out of the window. Even through the pouring rain, he could see a wrought iron fence circled the building. This place looked oddly out of place surrounded by flashy neon signs and skyscrapers. There were no visible widows and shrubbery grew wild and untamed at the building's base. A gold plaque was nailed to the door. It was as if the scrawny cop had read Mori's mind.
"This is the original city morgue. There have been a few historical renovations, but nothing major.
The cops got out of the car and one of them held the umbrella for the couple. Together they all walked to the building. The wrought iron gate creaked and rust fell from the hinges. Mori still heavily supported her. The inside of the building was much larger than they appeared. There multiple hallways branching out from the entrance. A man sat behind a glass window just in the entrance and nodded at them as they walked by. He handed the scrawny cop a pair of keys. Fluorescent lights illuminated their surroundings. The clicking and buzzing from the lights only added to her headache.
Together they made their way down the longest hallway to a door at the end. A huge window by the door showed an empty lot by the building. The rain had gotten heavier. The scrawny cop unlocked the door and yanked it open. The other side resembled basement stairs. The lights suddenly flickered on, just barely lighting the stairs. Carefully, they made their way down into the heart of the morgue. Halfway down the stairs a smell hit Haruhi's nose. It was a mix of chemicals and something else. Haruhi stumbled but Mori held her steady. The finally made it to the bottom. Rounding a corner, they came to a small room. Metal tables sat against the wall holding odd, scary instruments. Haruhi felt as if she were going to cry again but her eyes were so puffy and sore that it hurt.
The burly cop walked over to a wall of drawers Haruhi hadn't noticed. He traced his hands over the labels. He pulled out a drawer. Haruhi had never been to a morgue and it shocked her when the drawer kept going and a body lay covered on a metal table protruding from the wall. Slowly, she crept forward next to the cop. Mori's hand felt like it was burning a print into her back. She didn't want to uncover the body. She couldn't. She didn't want to see him like this. Haruhi turned away, tears pouring despite the pain it caused.
"You don't have to do this Haruhi," Mori whispered in her ear as he held her.
"I... I ha... have to."
"No you don't! Just tell me what to look for I can do it for you!"
She pushed away from him and marched over to the body. The head was toward the wall. Haruhi walked around the table and lifted the sheet where she knew his ribs were, where the tattoo of her and her mother's name were. Her face shattered. The expression became unreadable. Haruhi recovered the body and walked back to where Takashi stood with his arms open. She walked right past him. She walked past the cops. She walked around the corner, and she walked up the stairs. When the guys had finally ran up the stairs Haruhi was gone.
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