CHAPTER 13

Runo stared. The people around her were silent. There was some commotion around the corner, but Runo didn't care. She didn't notice Mrs. Kuso nearly collapse on her chair. She didn't notice Shun, trying to stay strong, while his fingernails caused bruises in his palm while his hand was rolled in her fist. She just stared.

This is my fault.

The words echoed in her head again and again. . As she stared, the doctor prepared what she called charge pads. She wasn't good with medical stuff, but she knew they were used when a person loses his heartbeat. She knew that if they worked, the heart could beat again.

A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. The only reason she knew that was due to Dan. Even though she didn't want to, he had made her watch Grey's Anatomy.

Dan.

All of this is my fault.

Runo felt numb. Just as she thought that her feet might give away, a nurse came forward and drew the curtains, barring her from the view of the operation room. Before which she could catch only one sentence, "We've got a pulse."

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Runo waited in the lobby. He was alive.

The doctor was checking up on him now. He had said that Dan was lucky. It was a miracle that he was alive.

Runo looked up as the doctor exited the room. He came forward and smiled. He talked to Dan's parents for a while and then faced her, "He wants to see you."

Runo looked at him with uncertain eyes, "Me?"

The doctor nodded, " Yes, you. He says he would like to talk to you first." There was something in the doctor's expression that told her he wasn't telling her the whole thing.

Still, she entered the room. Dan was lying there. His eyes closed. There was a bandage covering his forehead. For when he hit his head, Runo thought.

As if sensing her presence, he opened his eyes, looked at her and smiled. There was something about his smile that was different.
"Runo" he said.

"Dan, you...you" Runo started. However, not knowing what to say, she closed her mouth again. At this, Dan grinned.

"Finally running out of things to say or is this just a temporary state due to my current condition?" He asked. Startled, Runo moved a little closer to his bed. Something about his voice sounded different, she couldn't quite place what.

"Dan...By any chance...do you...?" She let herself trail of, afraid to be wrong.

But he smiled even broader this time, completing her sentence, "Yes Runo, I remember. I remember everything."