Chapter 3

"Alright," Kaito announced. "Are you all ready to go?"

"Yeah!" Everyone ran out the door and into Megpoid's car. Kaito walked with her they sat in the front seats.

"This is a huge van Gumi. " Kaito said as the drove off.

"Yeah, I figured that I would probably make a lot of friends one day and then drive them everywhere, so I bought this. So anyways, how's it been? I haven't seen all you in a while."

"Well, besides the car accident everything has been going well. Miku just recorded a new song yesterday, so we're still keeping in touch with everyone in Japan."

"That's great. Are you excited about it Miku?"

"Well, duh? Who wouldn't be?"

"Um, hello, we're here to see Meiko Sakine?"

"Hold on a minute please. Go sit over there while I check to see if it's alright." She pointed to the waiting room chairs. Rin was messing with her beanie. Len was pulling on the strings of his hoodie. Luka was pulling on Gakupo's hair while Miku watched like she was note taking on how to pull hair. Kaito was reading a book he brought with him and Gumi was just relaxing.

'Why do I have this crazy feeling that someone is watching us?' He looked up from the page he was on. People were staring at them indeed. He removed his sunglasses and looked at two women that were staring intently at him; they sat straight up in their seats.

"O-oh um, h-hi," one of them stuttered.

"Hello," Kaito greeted in a calm smooth voice. "Did you need something?"

"N-no, not at all are we bothering you?"

"No, not really, but your staring is making it a little hard to read I must say."

"Oh, I'm sorry; I mean… your looks are quiet distracting so we couldn't help it."

"Oh, well then, maybe I could move so I wouldn't distract you."

"No, no. Allow us," They said simultaneously. "You must not have to go threw so much trouble just because of us."

"Thank you ladies." He flashed a smile at them.

"No problem," They said as they walked away. "He is such a nice man."

"The people who wanted to see Sakine Meiko? You may go in now." Everyone got up and ran threw the doors down the hall way, Kaito started walking so not to disturb the other residents of the rooms.

"She's in her you guys, now don't be too loud." He opened the door slowly and everyone carefully stepped in. "Hey," he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How ya feeling?"

"Shitty." She yawned. "But, hey guys, I missed you. How's it going at home?"

"It's fine, but I wish you were still there getting drunk like usual." Rin sighed.

"Yeah, me too. Kaito, you put me in a place where they don't give you no beer? How am I supposed to live?"

"Haha, you'll get over it, when you can come home you can start drinking again."

"Kaito, about that, I need to talk to you later." A look of sorrow past her expression of joy for a split moment before smiling again. They stayed for almost 2 hours, asking questions talking and laughing.

"Alright you guys, go wait for me in the car, I need to talk with Meiko for a minute, I'll be right there." He smiled as he closed the doors, then it faded. He turned back to Meiko and sat in a chair next to the bed. It was a long heavy silence, just the sound of the beeping of the heart rate and respiratory machines. A look of sadness, stress, and fear, crosses over her face all at once.

"Kaito… I," She paused for a minute. "I… I won't… be coming back home…"

"Yeah, I know, you might have to stay here for a few weeks at most and-"

"No," She interrupted. "I won't be coming home… ever again."

"What?" Kaito breathed. "You can get a wheel chair can't you? Don't you dare say what I think you're going to say."

"Kaito, I have a tumor in my brain. They say that… that they can't do anything about it and it's not going to go away and…. I'm going to die from it."

"I told you… not to say it…" Kaito rested his head on the bed. "They'll find a way to get rid of it, so then you can come back home."

"Kaito," Meiko rested a hand on his shoulder. "I want them to put me out."

-Static-

"What?" Kaito barley managed. "You want them to… put you out? For good?"

"Yes, Kaito, I'm going to die anyways, I don't want to go home to everyone and then die on the floor. And, I can't sing anymore, I'm paralyzed from the waist down, I can't walk."

"When, are you doing this?"

"Tonight, that's why I wanted to see everyone before then."

"What am I going to tell them?" Kaito took out his phone and text Luka that they could leave without him. "Meiko, you can't leave me like this." He could feel the tears gathering up ready to spill over the brim of his eyes. He forced them to stay put. "You can't just go like this. They want to see you tomorrow. You can't leave them like that."

"Kaito, I'm doing what I think is best for me and for everyone else!"

"They can take care of you!"

"No they can't Kaito and you know it! Even Rin and Len would get that more then you!"

"Meiko… please, I don't want to let go of you now. I'm not ready. You've always been there for me, what am I going to do once you're gone? Everyone loves you. You took care of everyone."

"I know Kaito, but I need you to do that for me now." She kissed the top of his head. "I can't live like this, because Kaito, if I don't die from the tumor, it'll be from these injuries. It's just about impossible to do anything." Tears became visible on her cheeks. "Kaito, I'm scared."

"Meiko…"

"And I love you more then anything in the world."

-Static-

"Meiko… I love you more then life it's self, I would rather it be me in your position then you yourself. You have done nothing wrong to deserve this." Meiko chocked on loud sobs. "It's ok to cry now, I know you thought about this long and hard to actually go with it, and I promise to be there till the very end."

"Kaito," She leaned on him. "Thank you."

Kaito walked home in silence. His eyes burned and his throat was dry. He was tired and wanted to cry. The worst of it all, was that he had to tell everyone, that Meiko was gone, and that they wouldn't go visit her the next day. Kaito walked up the porch steps that he and Meiko had worked on together because the one's they bought with the house were old and worn. He turned the door handle and walked in. The lights were off. He checked everyone's rooms. Everyone was asleep. He walked sluggishly to his room and opened the windows and stepped out onto his balcony. He felt like singing so he sang a piano version of Love Is War. Soft and low.

"Yukiba no nai shouso, konno ai wo kajuusa~ Ahh~" His scream wasn't loud like in the original. It was calm and soft with a steady note. He thought that he heard Meiko with him, standing next to him, singing with him, just like they used to. But, to him it turned out to be a figment of his imagination. There was a knock on the door and someone came in. Kaito turned around to see Miku. She walked out onto the balcony with him.

"I heard, it was really pretty," She said quietly. "Is Meiko… ok? You seem upset."

"Miku," Kaito sat her down on his bed, he sat next to her. "About Meiko." He took a long pause. "She… passed on… she won't be coming home…"

"She's gone….forever?" Kaito nodded. Tears that had built up spilled from her eyes. She leaned on Kaito's chest and cried; Kaito hugged her and let her cry. She went on for what seemed like eternity. Kaito wanted to cry to, but he still pretended to keep strong, for Miku, and for everyone else. He would have to tell everyone else in the morning about what happened to Meiko and why she wouldn't be coming back home.

xxx

"Kaito, stay with me, until I'm gone." Meiko pleaded as the men slowly rolled her bed down the hall to the emergency room. "Watch me as I go. I want you there with me. Promise to stay there till I have gone."

"I promise." He held her hand; they had waited in that room talking to one another, for it would be their last time. The doctor came in with a tray that had carried a shot and a red fluid. He drew only a bit of the red drug and lifted Meiko's wrist. Kaito kissed her on the lips for the last time and said "I love you, forever and always girl. You remember that the next time I see you, so wait for me." She smiled and nodded. The doctor injected the fluid into her veins with her last words being, "I love you Kaito, I promise to wait for you." Kaito held her hand to his cheek. Her eyes slowly began to close and her hand started to slip. He held it to his chest so she could feel his heart beat on more time. Her head tilted off to the side and her breathing had stopped. She had gone. She would never come back home with him ever again. She would never smile and laugh one more time.

A single tear fell from her eye, even as her lifeless body lye in the hospital bed, a smile remained on her face, she was happy.