A/N: 100 people have favourite my story! More than that is following! I can't thank you all enough... really. It means a lot to someone like me. I am not a professional writer. English isn't my native language. I still tried and all the supports that I got from you all are mind-blowing. Thank you so much everyone! I guys are amazing. :D

Lost Soul

(General POV)

Naoki burst out through the front door slamming it behind him. He was feeling suffocated. He needed air. He needed to be alone. He needed to get away from everything… form the reality.

He walked fast out of the gate and then walked faster until he broke into a run. He ran… ran… and ran until he found himself in the middle of nowhere. He slipped and fell once, but he didn't care, he got up and continued running. He didn't even realise it was raining, that he was breaking through a storm, he kept running. He couldn't see where he was going, but that didn't stop him, he kept running. He kept on going for nearly 30 minutes straight when he wasn't even athletic.

He just needed to get away which compelled him to keep moving. Finally when his foot got caught in a tree branch that was lying on the road blocking it, break off his run and he fell down for the second time that night, only more harshly this time. He flew a little and fell face forward on top of the huge branch and several smaller branches cut through his body in different places.

He didn't feel it. His mental pain was so much greater, that the physical pain was overridden and didn't reach to his brain. He tried to get up, but he was out of breathes and strength. His hands gave out on him, so he kept lying on the branch which was still poking him and cutting through his flesh.

After a while when he found a little control over himself, he tried to move again but couldn't lift his leg. A sharp pain shot through his entire body. He had fractured his ankle. He tried to crawl off the branch then, bruising several other parts of his body. When he reached the edge of the branch he rolled off it onto the ground.

Rain was hitting hard straight on his face. He closed his eyes wishing everything will be gone and that he was only having a nightmare for the millionth times that night. He just wanted a break. It was too much. Everything that is happening is just too much for him to take in.

He opened his eyes to the dark sky. No changes. His life was as meaningless as it was one minute ago. He is still the same old pathetic person he desperately wished he was not. He screamed out in agony… several times… He felt despaired… he cried… cried… and cried…

"Why… why… why?" He kept shouting to the sky.

"Why did it have to happen?" He asked to no one.

"Just why?"

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" Finally he voiced the question he always asked himself after he found out about his wife. That she hid everything from him.

"Why me? Why her? Why Kotoko?" He asked the questions which at some point every human being asks to themselves.

"Why did she have to go through this all?" He sobbed.

"Why didn't I ever realise? Why am I so pathetic? I never even realised anything… anything!"

"How can I say I love her?"

"How can I say I love her?" He shouted. His body was shaking violently.

"I couldn't even tell what she was going through, and I say I love her. I never cared enough."

"I NEVER CARED ENOUGH!" He shouted loudly.

"How can I say I love her?" He mumbled.

"Kotoko…"

"Kotoko…"

"Please forgive me. Please… Please forgive me."

"How can I ask for your forgiveness?"

"How can I ever forgive myself? How can I?"

"What do I do now?"

"What do I do?" He cried for a long time. He kept repeating everything to himself.

"I love you Kotoko… I really do."

"I just love you… so much… that it hurts… It really hurts so much…"

He continued crying… silently… and the rain washed away his tears… hiding it from everyone. Just like his pain… along with the blood that was oozing from all over his injured body.

He cried his heart out for several hours until his body gave out… until his mind didn't work anymore… until he became unconscious… still lying on the same place, unknown to the world while the rain kept pouring mercilessly.

...

On the other hand, Dr. Ayano sent emergency ambulance for Kotoko immediately when the storm subsided after a few hours. Hana along with Dr. Shinju went with the ambulance to escort her back in to the hospital. Although her condition wasn't very serious, nonetheless Dr. Ayano didn't want to take any chances. Nothing can be predicted about her condition.

The roads weren't clear properly but emergency vehicles where already out for rescue missions. Several houses and shops were damaged. Glass windows were broken almost everywhere. They were covering the grounds like diamonds in the night. Trees were uprooted and wrecked on the roads making it impossible for the vehicles to move. But the tow trucks were already out clearing the mess. It took some time for the ambulance to reach the Irie residence. But they moved her to Hope as soon as they can. Mr. Aihara and Mrs. Irie accompanied her.

Mr. Irie and Yuki remained back because they wanted to go out to search for Naoki. They still didn't hear anything from him and it was so out of his character to do something this reckless that his family was freaking out of their minds.

...

Miles away, a tow truck discovered unconscious Naoki on the road when they were cleaning that area. They immediately informed the police who were working along with emergency medical aid group for the rescue mission. They took Naoki under immediate care and provided him with the first aid.

He gained his conscious after a while. The doctors has patched up his injuries and put bandages on him. He has hurt his shoulders, arms, abdomen and legs. But the cuts weren't deep also as he was out on the cold rain for hours, his injuries didn't bleed a lot. He didn't lose much blood. But the fracture on his leg was severe. He might need crutches for support for a while.

When they inquired about his whereabouts, he only told them his name and that he works as a doctor in the Neuro-Hope hospital. They didn't pressurise him with questions as his condition looked pretty weak. Instead they contacted to Hope immediately. Dr. Ayano was again given straight connection to the line. Bewildered, Dr. Ayano told them he will send an ambulance to pick him up as soon as possible. But the police declined the offer and said they were already on their way to there. They also said the hospital should contact his family as he could be reported as missing.

Dr. Ayano did exactly that. He informed Mrs. Irie as soon as he got off the phone. She nearly collapsed learning about Naoki's condition. Mr. Aihara immediately informed Mr. Irie who informed Yuki in turns. They were both searching around nowhere in particular again. But they immediately went to Hope when they heard the news.

Naoki reached Hope riding the emergency medical vehicle before them. The emergency aid took off immediately after they handed over Naoki to Dr. Ayano who personally received him from the front of the hospital building. He was taken to Neurology department due to Dr. Ayano's request although his injuries weren't anything related to neurology. He and Dr. Shinju again re-checked his injuries and after they were sure that except on his leg, his other injuries weren't serious, they put on a saline and left him alone to rest in a cabin.

Naoki was fully conscious but they could tell he was not himself, so they didn't ask him any questions. However, Mrs. Irie couldn't stop herself from barging in. She couldn't wait to see her son with her eyes. She was freaking out of her mind. Mr. Irie, Yuki and Mr. Aihara also joined her. They showered him with millions of questions. But Naoki remained muted through all of their inquiries. He kept staring into the space, never meeting any of their eyes.

Finally Yuki managed to convince the elders to give Naoki some space and leave him alone, saying he needed to rest. They all agreed half-heartedly since Naoki wasn't responding. Kotoko was asleep as she was injected with sleeping medicine when she arrived in the hospital to rest. Later, Naoki was also given some sleeping medicine to get some sleep. Meanwhile, Naoki and Kotoko rested but their all four family members remained wide awake and anxious. The night certainly did not turned out as any of them had pictured it would be like.

A/N: I hope this part isn't too chiche. But in my defence, the storm wasn't even an option when I first started to write the previous chapter. It was raining so hard where I live during that time and hearing the thunders I thought, why not? *hides face*