Chapter 11: Cadence of Her Last Breath - Nightwish

!CW/TW! This chapter contains scenes that have graphic depictions of injuries, and nudity. Reader discretion is advised. Side note: This song is played at 102 BPM which makes it a song that can be used for proper, high-quality CPR.

-o-

Day 2: 17:27

Naru

In the back of his mind, in a sick and twisted way, he thought that if they all survived this ordeal, he would thank Lin for forcing him to get his CPR certification prior to opening JSPR. It was his idea and his parents supported it saying something along the lines of, "If something happens to a coworker or even a client, you need to be prepared and equipped with basic life-saving skills." He realized the logic of it and ended up taking a few-hour course and even Lin accompanied him to renew his license. He thankfully has never had to use any of the training that he learned. Until now.

Adrenaline pushed out any pain that his body was feeling as he knew that every second Mai's heart was not pumping blood she was actively dying. He laid her out flat on the ground and propped himself up on her left side. He gripped his hands together, locked his elbows out, and after going a couple of inches below the nipple line he began pushing down and counting.

"One and two and three and four and…" he began chanting like a mantra. His muscle memory from the class took over before his brain could process what was happening. He pushed two inches down all while staring at her face hoping to see some kind of a reaction. There was none. "Twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!" He stopped pushing and reached for her head. He tilted her head back enough to reveal the airway and while pinching her nose, placed his lips onto hers and blew in two breaths. His heart felt heavy as he felt just how cold her lips were. Her chest rose with the two breaths, and feeling proud of himself there began pushing again.

"Dr. Davis! I've got the AED! We need to get it on her now!" a voice commanded. He looked up from Mai and saw Dr. Hiroa in front of him with a big red bag.

"Well, do it already!" he shouted, not stopping with his efforts. He began to count again, "And eleven and twelve and thirteen, fourteen…"

"I need to undress her to put the pads on. Don't stop your compressions, Dr. Davis!" Dr Hiroa commanded.

The second that Dr. Hiroa cut open Mai's shirt, however, he halted in his compressions and staggered back slightly. Her chest had a burn that originated from her heart, across her chest, and out her arms. Like a drawing of a lightning bolt was burned onto her once smooth skin. The surface of the burn was red and blistering. Parts of her skin started bleeding from the wounds.

'I did this…this is my fault…I did this, I did this, I did this…' he thought erratically.

"DR. DAVIS!" Dr. Hiroa yelled, "Continue compressions!"

He shook his head slightly, and put his hands back onto Mai's chest, now noticing the feeling of the blistering skin on his hands. He shuddered, closed his eyes, and began pushing and counting again.

"Place the pads on the patient as shown." The voice of the AED started saying loudly. He didn't stop pushing. He gave two more rescue breaths as Dr. Hiroa placed the pads. "Plug in pad connector."

"Analyzing heart rhythm. Do not touch the patient." The AED prompted. He sat back quickly and looked at his hands. Blood was staining them already. 'I did this, I did this…' he thought.

"Shock advised. Charging. Stay clear of patient," The AED prompted again.

"CLEAR!" Dr. Hiroa shouted.

"Deliver shock now. Press the orange button." The shock was delivered and Mai's body gave a jolt. "Continue CPR."

Naru got back over to her and began pushing and counting. 'Mai please come back, PLEASE come back to me. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…'

This continued for three more iterations of CPR, and the AED performing an analysis of her heart rhythm and shocking her. Just as he began to lose all hope the sound of coughing and gasping for air shocked Naru off of Mai. Mai began wheezing harshly and her eyes scrunched tight. She tried to grasp the open air with an outstretched hand. He caught it with his own hands and held it to his chest tightly.

"It's ok Mai, you're back! Breathe for me, breathe!" he said.

"Preparing patient for transport!" Dr. Hiroa shouted. Naru looked up and saw a hospital bed being wheeled over. He picked her up and placed her on the bed. "Dr. Davis put this on her face and hold it there while we move," Dr. Hiroa said while handing him an oxygen mask.

Naru took it from him and did exactly that. He placed it there and began running with the bed through the halls. His vision blurred from the tears in his eyes. He blinked them away.

"Na…ru…" he heard a muffled voice whisper. He looked down and saw Mai's eyes slightly open and looking at him. He felt his throat choke as she looked to be in so much pain. She shakingly put her right hand over his left one holding the mask to her face.

"You're going to be ok Mai, just stay with us, stay with me!" he said in a hurried voice. Cringing as he noticed it cracked at the end.

They made it back to the room they were in before. Naru continued to hold the oxygen mask to Mai's face as Dr. Hiroa grabbed various wires and placed them on top of her. Naru didn't take his eyes off Mai. She was staring at him with half-lidded eyes. She was breathing heavily, but her wheezing was gone. He clutched her hand like she would slip away at any moment. That at any moment he would be ripped away from her.

"Naru!" she panted as she scrunched her face tightly on the last syllable of his nickname. Her teeth bared as her body convulsed in pain. "It hurts! Make it stop!" she pleaded.

Bile started burning in his stomach hearing this. 'I did this, I did this, I did this!' his mind screamed at him. His self-loathing reached an all-time high. "We're going to make it stop Mai; everything will be OK…" he assured as he combed his right hand through her hair, "I'm sorry Mai; I'm so sorry."

"It's…" She scrunched up in pain and then looked at him with determination in her eyes, "NOT your fault!" she said insistently.

"I'm injecting a general anesthetic now," Dr. Hiroa said as he held up a syringe filled with liquid. "We need her asleep so we can treat her wounds and minimize the pain."

"Naru…don't leave me; don't leave me alone!" Mai begged as she gripped his hand as hard as she could, which wasn't much, "Don't leave…me…" Her eyes drooped and her head lobbed to the side. She was unconscious now.

He stared at Mai for a moment longer before feeling something wet drip down his face. He raised a hand to his face, delicately touching his cheeks and then eyes. He was crying. He was crying and it wouldn't stop. 'You did this. You caused her this pain. You did this. YOU DID THIS! This is YOUR fault!'

He couldn't take it anymore and ran to the bathroom connected to the room. He made it to the toilet just in time for him to throw up whatever he had in his stomach. Then when that was over he gagged and heaved for a moment longer. The toll that the PK took on his own body plus the agony and self-hatred he felt towards what he did to Mai finally did him in. He sat down on the floor, back against the wall beside him, and buried his head into his knees. The tears continued to flow in a never-ending stream as his body began to tremble.

"I'm sorry Mai, I'm so sorry! Please…please! Gene! Mai! Why can't I protect the people I love?! Make this curse stop. Whatever I've done, I'm sorry just please spare them pain. This is my fault," he cried out. Sobs wracking his body into shaking now. He saw darkness start to cloud his vision as he began to pass out, all adrenaline now leaving his body, in pain, he couldn't stay awake much longer. Remembering that Mai asked him not to leave him, and the first thing he did upon her going under anesthesia was leave her side. As he closed his eyes one final, self-deprecating thought floated in there.

'You're a killer. You really are the worst…'

-o-

"Dr. Da…Dr. Davis…Dr. Davis!"

Naru heard the voice of Dr. Hiroa before he actually saw him. His shoulder being shaken was the second thing he noticed as his vision and other sensations came through. He was still on the floor of the bathroom. He had completely passed out from everything his body and mind went through. 'But if he's here, then how is,' he thought.

"Mai! Is she OK?" he asked struggling to sit up.

"Yes, but there is something you need to see. Something a little more up your alley of expertise if I'm not mistaken Doctor. Are you OK to stand?" he asked.

Naru quickly got up thanks to the assistance of Dr. Hiroa. Staggering a little while standing, he allowed himself to be assisted while he walked to the other room. A warm glow surrounded the room and not from any light source. He looked at the bed and his jaw dropped. Mai was surrounded by a golden sphere of light. It swirled around her in wisps of golden energy and sparkled as if capturing a thousand stars within its sphere. Naru could feel waves of energy flowing off of her, and it hit like a solid force.

"Is this-?" Naru whispered, "Is this Mai's doing? What happened?"

"I had just finished her wound care and bandaging when this started. It just erupted from her," Dr. Hiroa explained.

Naru began to slowly walk over on his own to Mai. He stopped just short of the edge of the golden sphere and stared. It was beautiful in every way and the light force was even more magnificent than seeing it from across the room. He tentatively reached up a hand to touch it. A tendril of light shot out and began swirling around his hand and arm. He felt a tug as if it was beconing him towards the center, to get even closer. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and into the glowing sphere.

Immediately he was wrapped in a warm embrace by the sphere of energy. It drained him of all his worries, his pain, and his agony all in an enveloping embrace. More than that, the pain in his body, his nausea, his hunger, and thirst, all vanished as it ebbed around him. He sighed in absolute relief and gratification. He looked at Mai and his eyes went wide. The cuts all over her face and body were now being filled by the light it was like it had coagulated into a liquid around her injuries and were rising out of them. He peered in close to her face to take a closer look and discovered the wounds were closing! This aura around her was healing her!

"Mai…" he whispered gently.

He felt the light respond to his voice and he felt the tendrils around him beckon him closer to her. He reached a hand toward her face and the light pulsed in energy. It reacted to his touch and the wounds started closing at a rapid pace. The bruises left on her were beginning to fade, and the light from her chest began to grow brighter. There were bandages over her chest for her burns, but he put two and two together to assume the burns were also beginning to heal.

He put his other hand to her face so that he was gently cradling her face with his palms. The energy around her pulsed and he felt heat encompass him. He felt pressure around his head trying to gently push him down to her face. 'Was she? No. I can't! She's unconscious! Why would this energy…unless…it's her spiritual aura?' he thought.

He felt a pull of his PK from deep within. He began to panic, unwilling to hurt her anymore with his own power. 'NO! NO! NO! I CAN'T! PLEASE DON'T! This is my fault, please don't hurt her!' His mind begged. The aura around him pulsed with calming energy as it gently caressed around his skin. The gentle pull of his PK began to flow from within him. It was like her aura was asking for it to flow into her like before. 'Mai? Is this…what you want?' He shivered as it pulled from him and into her. A bond was instantly formed; it was like his own aura was connected to hers. He knew what she wanted and what she needed at that exact moment.

'Forgive me.' The final wall in his heart was once again broken by Mai as he leaned down and kissed her lips.

It was warm now. He felt warm and safe being enveloped in Mai's aura. The bond between the two of them grew in intensity. His PK no longer had to be built and passed back and forth, it was being shared by both of them at the same time. Her golden aura mixed with his PK and he felt the aura become enhanced by his own PK. The golden glow shone brighter than anything he had ever seen. When he opened his eyes he realized he was somewhere white and pristine. His body felt hollow and light. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening but he knew spiritual presence like a sixth sense. Somewhere here there were two presences. He walked forward as if being guided by it. After what felt like an eternity and also no time at all, he saw two shadows up ahead. He started into a sprint as the shadows became closer. Who he saw in front of him though made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Gene…" Naru whispered.

His brother looked up at him and smiled. "Hey Noll. I'm glad you're here. She needs you right now," he said as he gestured to the other shadow at his feet.

He looked down and found Mai's spirit curled up in a fetal position shaking. He was in shock from finally seeing his dead brother for the first time since he witnessed his death. But his attention was drawn away from him and over to Mai.

"What's wrong with her? What's happening?" he asked shakily.

"I'm not entirely certain Noll. Her spirit suddenly emitted a force I haven't seen from her before. Then she's just been here calling out to you. She won't respond to me, she keeps repeating that she needs you," Gene explained.

"I…I felt it in the real world," he said, "Her body was surrounded by a golden aura. It pulled me in Gene, and it healed her! It's healing her now!"

"This is very strange, but I'm not going to question it now. Right now she needs you to be with her," Gene said tentatively.

Naru backed up a step in uncertainty. 'You did this. You did this. You did this to her. You can't protect anyone.' his mind reminded him. His breathing increased. "I-I hurt her Gene. I lost control of myself completely and I overwhelmed her and burned her! I stopped her heart, I killed her!" he dropped to his knees and started shaking again. He could feel the tears forming again.

He felt a hand on his shoulder as his twin kneeled down in front of him. "And you saved her Noll. That has to count for something. You said her aura is healing her right? Maybe your PK amplified her aura? She got hurt a lot on previous cases, and before you knew it she was up and moving again. Maybe there is more to Mai than either of us initially thought," Gene said tenderly.

He looked up at his brother. "How much do you know about Mai, Gene?"

Gene smiled. "I know she overcame the pain of the incident to bring your spirit back to your body. I know that she trained a lot with me to be able to get where she is now. I know she vowed to protect you with everything she has in her. And…I know she loves you with all her heart," he said warmly.

He couldn't stop the tears now. He looked over to Mai's spirit which was still trembling and curled up in on herself. His heart broke. He looked back to Gene and pulled him into an embrace. "Once we're out of this, I will find you. I will make sure you can finally rest. But please, in the meantime, continue to guide Mai. She'll need you too."

His brother returned the embrace. "I will Noll. Now please, go to her. Continue to love her like I know you do. And for heaven's sake, actually tell her how you feel in the living world! Such an idiot scientist."

He smiled and got up from his knees. He walked over to Mai's spirit and kneeled down next to her. He reached out and touched her back gently. "Mai," he whispered gently. "Mai it's me. Oliver. Your Naru. Not Gene this time. I'm here for you," He began to caress her back and pat her head. "You…I hurt you, and I'm so sorry. I won't let that happen again. But you're safe now. You saved me, and I saved you," He pulled her spirit's body into his lap, her face facing him in his lap, and his fingers combing through her hair. "I saved you. I won't ever let you go. So please, come back with me. Be with me, Mai. We'll make it through this alive." He leaned down and held her tightly to him. Her trembling stopped. Her spirit relaxed and they both breathed together.

"Naru," he heard her whisper. "Thank you for finding me,"

In a flash of white, the astral plane disappeared around them. When he opened his eyes he was lying down next to Mai in a larger bed. His arms were around her as hers were around him. Her eyes were open and staring at him with the same feeling of shock, disbelief, and love.

"Naru," she whispered.

And he did the only thing that just made sense and leaned forward and kissed her.