~Right on, right on, next chapter :)I updated quickly cause I didn't want to make you guys wait ;D Let me know what you think.~
"Hikari! Wake up sleepy head! It's time for morning chores!" I yawned dramatically over at mother and stretched slowly, "Oh come on now, don't be lazy," She scolded, smiling,
"I'm too tired, I'll get up later," I said diving under my covers, curling into a tight little ball,
"No, no, no! Out of bed!" she over enunciated each word,
"I caaaan't," I moaned
"So there's no way you'll get up?"
"Nope." I wrapped myself deeper into my blankets,
"Ookay, you've forced me to do this," She mused. She walked out of the room and I heard her reenter with my father.
"Oh!" he said dramatically, "My little caterpillar is finally becoming a butterfly! I must free her from her metamorphic state! Open the cocoon!" With that he lifted me out of bed, trying to tear me out of the blankets as I screamed and kicked and laughed. I landed on the floor and he threw my blankets back on my bed, "Oh it's just as I thought!" he pretended to be awe-struck, "She's beautiful."
"Daad…" I blushed; He laughed loudly and hugged me,
"Come on mom, HUG!"
"Dad, no, weird, stop!" I protested, but he grabbed my mother and I and hugged us tightly,
"Alright, alright, time for work! Come on Hikari, let's get going!" He laughed, "Oh and by the way, I do believe a certain friend of yours is waiting for you: but I'll have no wooing around here until the cows are milked, am I understood?" I blushed again and then nodded quickly. He laughed loudly, then walked out of my room, and back to the fields. I smiled after him,
"Get dressed honey!" My mom fussed over me, but soon followed him outside.
I took a long time getting ready; knowing that a certain someone was waiting for me didn't help my self-consciousness. I ate my breakfast slowly, chewing each bite deliberately. I had almost finished my eggs when I heard the first scream. I stood up quickly knocking over my chair and ran for the door. As I got outside, large red and orange flames were engulfing the barn, and I could see neither of my parents. The black smoke bellowed over our entire land as I ran into the barn after them. The smoke was too thick to see through so I called for them,
"Mom! Dad! Where are you?" I heard no answer, only more screaming,
"Hikari!"
"No! No! MOM! DADDY!" I screamed and kicked, something had me tightly, and I tried to free my arms and legs,
"Hikari! Hikari wake up!" A voice I was not expecting to hear was calling after me,
"Help me! Help me! They're going to die!" I screamed as loud as I could, still fighting off whatever had me. I punched and struggled with all my might,
"HIKARI!" My eyes shot open, "Ouch," Was all Owen said as I stared up at him. I was in his arms and Kathy was jogging closely beside him, staring down at me, a concerned look in her eye,
"Hikari, you're awake? Are you okay?" She was frantic and it looked like she was on the verge of crying herself. Rain was pouring down on the three of us.
"I-I…" the memory had formed itself into a dream… After all my efforts of keeping it away, it kept coming back. Tears started to stream out from my eyes,
"Oh jeeze, now look Kathy, you made her cry," Owen sounded frustrated.
"I'm sorry! Hikari!" Kathy was upset.
"Let's just get to her to the clinic, she probably has a fever," Owen sighed and Kathy nodded.
The clinic door shot open,
"Jin, I have a very… violent patient for you here," Owen said, looking down at me, waiting for me to start struggling again. I must have been trying to fight him off when he interrupted my dream. If the room wasn't spinning I'm sure I would have felt embarrassed.
"What happened?" A heard an unfamiliar voice say, I assumed it was the doctor… Jin, Owen had called him.
"Kathy bust into the bar, screaming and yelling about how Hikari was dead," Owen tried not to laugh,
"Shut up!" Kathy punched his arm,
"Do you want me to drop Hikari or something?" Owen looked over at the little blonde who just crossed her arms and pouted
"You can put her down here," Jin led us to a hospital bed where Owen placed me down softly,
"Thanks," I breathed. Owen smiled down at me; suddenly Kathy was standing beside me, fretting,
"She has a fever and it's really high, I don't know what she was doing outside," She had her hand on my forehead, suddenly she slammed her head into my chest, "Heart beat is strong though, don't worry!"
"Uh… Ow…" I managed to say. Jin smiled at her,
"Thanks Kathy, but I think what would be helpful is if you told me what happened," his was being very patient with her.
"Hmmm?" she said, finally lifting her head off my chest. Owen moaned,
"Dear lord woman, tell Jin what happened or Hikari will die. Or I will, of boredom." Kathy shot him a dirty look, then turned her big green eyes towards Jin,
"I was on my way to work, to the bar, that's where I work,"
"He knows that," Owen rolled his eyes,
"Right, so I was running because it was really rainy out, it still is I mean, but yeah, well I saw someone lying on the ground by the beach and I thought it was probably just Toby or Yuuki or someone trying to scare me but when I came over it was Hikari, she was just lying there, curled up in a ball. I thought she was dead! Luckily Owen was around and we brought her here," Kathy looked at me again, worried. Did all that really happen..? Then it all came back to me. Gill. I was running, I just needed to run away, but then the storm hit… I slipped on the ground and lay there for a long time…
"I see," Jin said pensively, "Well Hikari, do you remember what happened?"
"No," I lied, "I must have worked till I passed out" I could feel my eyelids closing,
"Hmm," Jin tapped his clipboard, "You must be careful not to overdo it, Yuuki used to end up in here once a week when he first arrived," Jin massaged his temples, "Please don't make me live through all that again."
"I won't," I smiled, "I'm sorry." Then I closed my eyes and let sleep cover me.
Kathy's POV
"So," I asked, "Is she going to be alright?"
"Yes, she'll be fine," Jin replied smiling, he looked at the clipboard and walked up the stairs of his clinic. I sighed, relieved but couldn't bring myself to leave Hikari; I looked at her lying there… had she really just collapsed? I remembered what Owen said before…
"She wouldn't have collapsed on the beach, without a fishing rod or anything… People don't just do that" He was right… Just then, the doors of the clinic burst open,
"Where is she?" Gill asked, pushing his dripping hair away off of his face. He was completely soaked, the anxiety in his voice was reflected on his face, "Chase told me you found her outside?" he ran over beside Hikari and stared down at her intensely. I had never seen him like this; usually he was so serious and boring, but he seemed… concerned, and why was he soaking wet? I mean we were damp but he was… drenched. What was with him? I thought he hated her. From the way he spoke about her at the bar that one night it sure sounded like it…
"Yeah… I did but…" I tried to say
"Why do you look like a drowned rat?" Owen interrupted me and I was glad he had. He knew me well enough that when I didn't know what to say he'd take over. Gill didn't respond, "Hello? Did you hear me?" Owen started again, getting annoyed. This was bad, I didn't want Owen to start a fight with Gill right now, but I knew he probably would.
"I heard you." Gill sounded intense, but not sarcastic like usual. He turned around from Hikari to face Owen, but kept his head down.
"Well then?" Owen waited for his response.
"I was looking for her," Gill finally said, his hands were balled up into fists at his sides and he was trembling. His hair hid his face completely. I felt sad for him all of the sudden and hoped Owen wouldn't do something stupid….
"And why were you looking for her?" Owen hissed, the anger in his voice was tangible… so the whole wish about him not doing something stupid was out.
"Owen…" I said, trying to calm him down
"Why were you looking for her?" Owen said again, this time much louder. Gill was screwed.
"Because it's my fault," Gill whispered. With that Owen picked up Gill by the collar and ran him into the wall. He hit it with a large BANG and Owen held him there. I stood to my feet,
"Owen! What the hell! Put him down!" time to crack skulls, "You don't even know if he did anything to her!"
"Oh I know," Owen growled, "Look how guilty he is!" I stopped and stared at the two, Owen was right… but then… what had Gill done?
"What is going on?" Jin was standing at the bottom of the stairs, a look of utter surprised on his face.
"Why don't you ask Gillian here?" Owen spat. Gill just hung there, limp in Owens hands, completely defeated. He wasn't even trying. Maybe it was because he knew he'd lose? I doubted it. Gill stood up to Owen every other time…
"Owen…" Hikari was awake, and looking at them, a pained expression on her face, "Please…" she whispered drowsily.
~Ooooh everything sucks, Hikari is sick, people are crazy! Let me know what you thought ;D next chapter will be up asap. ~