Lilover131: Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Well I hope you like this chapter!
Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Fifteen: A smile says a thousand words
The group was waiting impatiently in the hospital awaiting news on Syaoran's condition. It had been at least an hour and a half, and each minute seemed like an eternity. Finally, the doctor entered the room and was prepared to tell them the news.
"How is he?" Touya asked. For once he was concerned about him.
"Well…he's lost a lot of blood. Although, the wound missed all vital organs, and we replaced all of the blood. We've also stitched up the wound and bandaged it. So in other words…he'll be just fine," the doctor said. Everyone sighed in relief.
"I'm so glad!" Sakura said as she embraced everyone in happiness.
"When may we see him?" Yelan asked the doctor.
"Right now if you would like. Although, he's sleeping at the moment," the doctor said. The group was not surprised. After all, he should be fatigued from the blood loss and not to mention also the extreme power drain. Syaoran had saved them all from a horrible fire in the Li library. Unfortunately, when he tried to protect Sakura from Naraku's deadly attack, he was severely injured in the process.
All of them entered Syaoran's hospital room. He slept peacefully on his bed with his arms rested at his sides. His breathing was steady, and his skin was slightly pale.
"Are we in the room yet?" the group heard a voice say. It had come from Sakura's bag. Kero and Suppi flew out of the bag and gazed around the room.
"It's about time! We were waiting so long, I thought we were going to suffocate!" Kero said while taking deep breaths. Sadly, they weren't able to bring Kohaku with them, because no pets were allowed in.
Everyone smiled when Sakura took hold of Syaoran's hand and held it between both of hers. They all saw Syaoran's lips turn into a small smile. The sister's awed at the 'kawaii-ness'. Tomoyo immediately pulled out her video camera for the adorable footage. Touya normally would have been angry at this action, but he was forgiving this time considering that Syaoran was in the hospital for protecting his younger sister.
Later that day
After visiting him for about an hour and half, Yelan told them to go home and rest.
"I'll watch over Syaoran. You should all go back to the mansion and rest. It has been a long day," Yelan said.
"I'll stay too," Touya said. The group was a bit surprised at first, although they let it go rather quickly.
"Are you sure? You should really rest…" Yelan said.
"Mrs. Li, you deserve to rest too," Touya stated. Yelan smiled.
"Thank you."
Back at the Li mansion
The group arrived back at the Li mansion. They were tired and full of sadness that Syaoran could not come back with them. The sun was beginning to set, although the sky was clouded and dark. Wei was kind enough to make them all a good meal before bedtime. They ate their dinner and stared outside when it began to rain. Everyone looked concerned when Sakura didn't eat much. Suddenly, she rose up from her seat.
"I'm going to bed now. Thank you for the meal, Wei," she said, before cleaning up her plate and leaving the room. All looks in the room held concern and sadness. Nobody liked to see Syaoran hurt or Sakura sad. Both occurrences made a fairly heavy feeling of despair.
Sakura sat on her bed embracing her Syaoran bear tightly.
"Syaoran…" Sakura mumbled quietly. Her thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door.
"C-Come in," Sakura said. The door opened, and there stood Fanren, one of Syaoran's four sisters.
"Are you all right? You barely ate any of your dinner," Fanren asked, concerned.
"It's okay. I'm fine," Sakura said, although she was not very convincing. Fanren sighed.
"Are you sad about Syaoran? The doctor said he would be fine," the sister said. Sakura then slowly nodded.
" I know…but…he's in the hospital because he was protecting me. I can't help but feel somehow responsible!" Sakura said, squeezing her Syaoran bear even tighter.
Fanren smiled, and placed her hand comfortingly on Sakura's shoulder.
"Syaoran protected you because he cares so deeply about you," Fanren said. Sakura's emerald eyes began to flow with tears.
"I care about him too! That's why I don't want him to get hurt for my sake!" Sakura said in between her sobs. Fanren eyes gave a sad gaze.
"Sakura…I know that if my baby brother cared about being injured, he never would have protected you like he did," Fanren said.
"He doesn't…care?" Sakura asked confused, and a face flooded with tears.
"He doesn't care about his injuries, which is why he gets hurt so often. Although, one thing he DOES care about Sakura…is you. Right now…if he knew you were crying over him, he would be very sad," Fanren said, as she handed Sakura a handkerchief.
"Syaoran will be fine. After he gets out of the hospital, we'll all go do something really fun together, all right? So in the mean time, smile. Not just for Syaoran, but for all of us," Fanren said with a comforting hug. Sakura flashed a bright smile and wiped her tears away with the handkerchief.
"Thank You. I really needed to hear that," Sakura said, grateful for the comfort.
"No problem. Now, get some sleep. We'll go visit Syaoran in the morning," Fanren said before leaving the room.
Sakura embraced her Syaoran bear tightly one more time and then drifted to sleep. The rain finally slowed to a stop just as Sakura's tears seized their falling as well. The entire mansion drifted into a peaceful sleep, and not even a surprise attack from Naraku could wake them up. (Just so you know, that's not going to happen…or SHOULD IT?!!)
Back at the hospital
Touya sat quietly in a chair next to Syaoran's hospital bed. He still seemed to be deep in sleep and Yelan had left the room for a moment to stretch. The only sound in the room was of Syaoran's steady breathing and the pattering of rain on the window. Touya always hated him, and for some odd reason…now seemed to be different. 'I hated him…because I knew he would be the one to win my sister' s heart. I thought he would take her away and not be able to keep her safe…but now he's here…BECAUSE he kept her safe' Touya thought.
Suddenly, he saw Syaoran stir and open his eyes. Touya's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He wasn't expected to awaken for several more hours. Even though he was awake now, it was evident in his amber eyes that he was still very tired.
"You should go back to sleep," Touya said. Syaoran's eyes drifted to Touya.
"Is…Sakura all right?" Syaoran asked with his voice barely coming out as even a whisper. Touya's eyes widened in surprise again. He forced himself awake to make sure Sakura was all right? These words seemed to create an all-new respect for Syaoran.
"She's fine," Touya said with a slight smile. Syaoran smiled.
"I'm…so glad," he said, still as barely a whisper.
"And the others…?" he asked again.
"They are also fine," Touya said. Syaoran sighed in relief.
"Sakura…has been worried sick about you…" Touya said.
"…She's worried…about me?" Syaoran asked, surprised.
"Kid…have you ever thought about protecting yourself once in a while?" Touya asked. Syaoran gave a slight laugh.
"To be honest…no. I haven't," Syaoran said.
"I always do whatever I can to protect my loved ones…so whether I get hurt in the process… has never been much of an issue to me," he responded quietly.
"And what if you died?" Touya asked.
"That wouldn't happen. I would never leave my family and friends, especially Sakura, unprotected," Syaoran said. Touya's eyes widened in shock from his answer.
"Thank you…for protecting my little sister. But I swear, if you die, I'll never forgive you," Touya said. Syaoran smiled and drifted back into his peaceful sleep. Touya turned his eyes to the door when Yelan entered.
"Visiting hours are now over. We should return to the mansion and rest now," she said while placing a hand on his shoulder.
"All right. It seems the kid will be just fine on his own for the night," Touya said before rising up to leave. Yelan brushed Syaoran's bangs away from his eyes and kissed him lightly on his forehead.
"Sleep well, Syaoran," she said before they both left the room. Now, the only sound was of Syaoran's steady breathing and nothing more. The rain had now stopped.
The next morning
Sakura awoke to see Kohaku lying next to her. Sakura gave a light smile. Kohaku looked so adorable; just like a baby puppy. She rose off of her silk covered bed and gazed out of her veranda doors. The sky was clouded and dark, and it almost seemed as if it wasn't even morning. Sakura, confused if she had woken up early or not, gazed at the clock. It was 9:30 a.m. Not at all early. She stared in awe at the sky. It was so dark…
Sakura was startled when suddenly Kohaku brushed across her legs. She smiled and bent down to pet him. Kohaku then walked over to Sakura's bag. His small mouth reached inside and pulled out a thin, rectangular box wrapped in shiny green paper. Sakura gasped. She had totally forgotten to give Syaoran his birthday present…AGAIN!! 'I can't believe I forgot to give it to him again!' Sakura thought, embarrassed at her forgetfulness.
"Thank you for reminding me, Kohaku. I'll give this to him when we visit him this morning," Sakura said, giving Kohaku a good scratch behind the ears as a reward.
Sakura took a bath and changed. Before she left to go downstairs, she carefully tucked the box inside her pocket. When she left the room, Yukito, Touya, Meilin, Tomoyo, Nakuru, and Eriol greeted her.
"Good morning everyone," Sakura said. Everyone greeted her back.
"Are you feeling better this morning? Last night, you didn't eat much and…" Meilin started. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise for a moment as she recalled her conversation with Fanren the night before.
"Syaoran will be fine. After he gets out of the hospital, we'll all go do something really fun together, all right? So in the mean time, smile. Not just for Syaoran, but for all of us".
As if on cue, Sakura gave a bright smile.
"Yes. Thank you for worrying about me. I'm really all right now," Sakura said. The entire group then sighed in relief.
Yukito and Touya were kind enough to make everyone breakfast that morning.
"We came so unexpectedly, so the least we can do is make breakfast!" Yukito said. The four sisters were swooning over the boys and complimenting their cooking skills. Eriol sat quietly drinking tea and reading a novel. Meilin, Tomoyo, and Sakura were talking and Kero and Suppi were floating above the food.
"It's so dark outside today…" Sakura said, gazing outside the window again.
"Yeah. The meteorologist said that there is a good chance for a storm tonight," Meilin said. Yelan then entered the room. She continuously showed her gratefulness for the cooking.
Soon after breakfast, the group drove off to the hospital to visit Syaoran. Luckily, it only stayed cloudy on the drive there. As soon as they walked inside, the rain began to pour. No one had trouble finding his room because the magicians of the group just had to follow his aura. They walked inside to see Syaoran awake, with his arms behind his head and his eyes staring mindlessly at the television.
"Syaoran! You're awake!" Sakura said happily as she quickly skipped over to him. Syaoran gave a smile to his family and friends.
"I'm glad you guys came. This place is so boring!" Syaoran said, showing them the only show worth watching…which was crap. Everyone laughed.
"That's what you get for getting yourself hurt!" Meilin said teasingly. Syaoran smiled.
"It was for a good cause," he said. Sakura looked down shyly and blushed.
"Although…" he started again.
"…I'll get out of here very soon."
Everybody's looks held confusion.
"Why's that?" Eriol asked. Syaoran smirked.
"Take a look," Syaoran said as he lifted his shirt slightly, showing them a wound that was almost COMPLETELY healed! Everyone's looks now held shock.
"Wow!" Sakura said.
"Syao was always such a fast healer…but this…" Shieta said, amazed at the progress.
"The doctors were surprised too. They said they've never seen such a fast healing wound. So…I can leave as early as tomorrow morning," Syaoran said. Every expression in the room held extreme happiness.
"That's so great!!" Sakura said as she flashed a bright smile and embraced Syaoran tightly. He blushed for a moment and then gently embraced her in return. When they released their hold on each other, as usual, they turned and saw Tomoyo recording them. When would the girl stop?
On the Hospital rooftop
The rain had stopped for a while, and Syaoran felt that he needed some fresh air. Hospitals for some reason seemed suffocating. Sakura decided to follow. The wind blew harder than normal but in a peaceful way.
"I never did thank you…" Sakura suddenly spoke.
"For what?" Syaoran asked.
"For protecting me," she said. Syaoran smiled.
"I had to protect my cherry blossom," he said as he pulled her into an embrace. She then spoke up before she forgot.
"I kept on forgetting to give you your birthday present, but now I have it with me," Sakura said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the thin, green rectangular box.
"Happy belated birthday," she said shyly as she handed him the gift.
"…For me?" he asked, quite surprised. He hadn't really expected anything. Sakura nodded.
"I'm sorry for forgetting to give it to you on your birthday," she said, feeling bad. Syaoran surprised her by kissing her on the cheek.
"Thank you," he whispered in her ear.
He took the gift and slowly opened it so that he would not damage the paper too much. All that was left to open was the white box within the paper. When he opened the box, his eyes widened. Inside the box was a card…and not just any card…a Sakura card…and not just any Sakura card (Haha. When will the suspense stop?). On the card was a butterfly with wings in the shape of hearts. Inside the heart shaped wings were abstract designs of cherry blossom petals and moons. What interested him the most was the title, which wrote 'THE HEART'.
"I created it by accident when I looked at the moon one night…and it reminded me of you," Sakura said, blushing.
"Do you like it?" Sakura asked. She didn't know what she would do if he didn't like it! Syaoran turned to her with the best smile she had ever seen him do.
"This is the best gift I have ever received," Syaoran said. The look of his smile showed that he was genuinely touched. He didn't even have to tell her how much he loved it. His expression said all she needed to know. It's really true what the people say. A smile really does say a thousand words.
In Syaoran's hospital room
Eriol, Yelan, Yue, Nakuru, Kero, and Suppi were talking in the hospital room. Their expressions showed that their conversation was over a serious matter. Touya stayed outside to guard their conversation from being interrupted by the doctors.
"How could that wound have healed so fast?" Eriol asked confused.
"It seems strange enough to look into," Yelan said.
"What about that huge release of power yesterday? I do not recall the boy ever having that much power before," Yue said.
"Not to mention his eyes are not green…as they were yesterday," Nakuru said. Each question led to another.
"I noticed something different about Syaoran's aura," Eriol spoke up.
"His aura?" Yelan asked. What could be different about his aura?
"I felt a strange sort of…balance…in his aura," Eriol said.
"You mean…a balance of light…" Kero started.
"…And dark" Eriol finished. Yelan's eyes widened.
"That's not possible!" Yelan shouted suddenly.
"His heart is pure! If it were tainted in any way, we would have noticed!" Yelan said as she stood up, her eyes holding disturbance.
"I quite agree. Although, I can't help but think that he obtained this power somehow without noticing or us noticing. And maybe…that darkness has not yet surfaced," Eriol said. The room remained quiet as they thought over the possibilities.
Suddenly, all of their senses went wild when an all too familiar presence appeared.
"He's back again? Peace doesn't come easy these days!!" Nakuru said.
"Let's go!!" Kero said as they opened the window.
"It's coming from the roof," Yue said, as he flew out the window. The rest followed, and Kero and Suppi in their true forms carried Yelan and Eriol, who could not fly. They headed to the rooftop, unaware of what they might see. It seemed that Naraku would not rest until the job was done.
Lilover131: How was that chapter? I'm sorry it took so long. I've been short on ideas until now. The next chapter should come soon, so just be patient. I'm also sorry if you don't like the little cliffy. I just love them so much!! So, see you next time (if you still stick with my story that is). PEACE OUT!!