Chapter 12.

"Mr Dickenson SIR! The police and ambulance are here!" Shouted a BBA Security guard.

All heads aside from Tyson, Max and Ray looked up towards the corridor and was met with the sight of three running paramedics each carrying first aid kit. The dome security guards had personally escorted them from the ambulance directly to the stab victim without a second to waste.

Mr Dickenson shook himself out of the grief to become the chairman he had to be again. "Kids we need to step back now." He pronounced as the medics dressed in blue rush closer. Mr D separated himself from the group and stood aside; ready for any medical questions that will be asked.

A sobbing and weepy Daichi, Kenny, Hilary, Grandpa Granger and Mariah edged back a few feet to give the medics room to work. Daichi held Kenny in place so that his knees wouldn't buckle beneath him. Hilary fought back more tears as she looked at Kais' lifeless and droopy form. Grandpa Granger readied himself for what was to come, no matter how sad he felt, or how crushed...his Grandson was going to need him.

Max took one last painful view at Kais' deathly white face. He unfurled Kais' bluish fingers and adopted Dranzers' spiritless beyblade into his own hand. He shakily got to his feet, held his head low and backed away to join the others. He felt moisture on his uncovered legs as he reversed. The blonde didn't realise it until now; that Kais' blood had streaked his legs and shoes in the spots they made contact with the floor. His hands were also red from clutching Kais' bloodied ones and from Dranzers' beyblade itself. The "hafu" instantly felt tainted but pushed the grim reality of being smothered in blood; Kais' thick crimson blood to the back of his mind.

Ray gently removed his arm; forcing Tyson alone to take Kais' weight. He effortlessly stood up and back stepped; never taking his eyes off Kais' stony lifeless expression. He couldn't break his sight away and began to feel distressed that these were the last few moments he will have with Kai Hiwatari. He and the team teased Kai for being a downer and a "sour puss" for years but they liked him regardless. Of course they disliked him at times for his tendency to jump ship at a moment's notice to serve his own gains butttttt Kai was as good as family; as was any member of the Bladebreakers or G-Revolution. Ray felt like an abandoned kitten. He didn't know where to turn and longed to be told what to do. The White Tiger X males' shaking hand felt a light pressure wrap around it. Mariah had grabbed his paw and momentarily redirected his gaze from his fallen comrade; to her. He received a sorrow filled yet reassuring look from the pinkettes' pretty but crying features. "Come on Ray, we need to move over here now."She sobbed and began pulling at his arm. Something caught her eyes and she quietly gasped at the sight of Rays' clothes. Like Max, he had knelt in a wide puddle of blood which left the fronts of his legs and the tops of his shoes too; painted in scarlet. The red liquid was striking against his white attire. Regardless of what mess he was in, Ray resisted to walk away as if his shoes were glued to the floor and his face locked with Kais' again. Difficult seconds pass until relenting to his lovers tugging and finally... broke away. Mariah guided Rays' trembling body to the group and she latched on tight to his tummy.

The paramedics' reached the group and took no time in surrounding a distressed Tyson and his flat-lining team mate. They put their large suitcase sized backpacks brimming with first aid kit on the floor beside them and proceeded to put on blue latex gloves.

"We need to take him now young man. Hand him to me." Said Paramedic 1. He was in his mid 40s, bushy faced, fuzzy black hair with light wrinkling. He knelt closely next to the bluenette with outstretched arms ready to receive the bloodied and heavy body. Tysons' brown eyes were wide and mouth grimacing with panic and distress. His voice was almost high pitched and cried "He can't be gone...he just can't. He's not dead...he can't be..."

The Paramedic2, a female in her late 20s with blonde hair and a slim face turned her head to face Paramedic3, a 30 something man with a clean cut face and short hair.

"Can you go back to the ambulance to get the defibrillator and an intubation kit immediately."

"Yes." was Paramedic3s' short response. He shot to his feet and frog marched back towards the corridor that would eventually lead to the ambulance outside.

Tyson hugged his broken friends' body harder. He felt like a mother who was having her baby ripped away forever. Kais' lifeless face embedded deeper into Tysons' chest causing Kais' slightly ajar mouth to dribble more fresh wet blood. Paramedic1 and Paramedic2 exchanged urgent glances. The female medic said sternly. "Young man if you want us to try to save your friend you need to put him on the ground and move away. We haven't got time to pander around you."

Grandpa Granger jumped into action and put a gripped hand on Tysons' shoulder; causing both of them to jolt. "Tyson, it's time to walk away now ma dude." he warned in a kind tone.

"They're gunna help him right?" Tyson had reverted to a complete child like state. His eyes were big, bulbous and begged at his Grandfathers face for an answer; his heart was hanging on by the slimmest of threads.

Paramedic1 – "Now boy! We're running out of time!" Shouted Paramedic2 as she slammed her hands on the floor.

Tyson caved instantly, unbound his arms and levered Kais' torso into the waiting arms of Paramedic1. Paramedic2 took control of Kais' head to stop it whip-lashing backwards. In unison the medics carefully laid Kais' limp body to rest flat on the tile. Once Kais' weight left his weary arms, the traumatised blader shakily got to his feet and backed away slowly until he felt Grandpa at his side.

Tyson muttered under his breath."Kai was in my arms. Why didn't he move?, or flinch? or...breathe? He can't be gone...can't be gone...can't be gone."

"Come here Son." Granger senior and junior embraced in a tight hug. A numb Tyson buried his face into Grandpas' shoulder whilst the Elder wept into his "lil dudes" blue hair.

Max had collapsed into a heap on the floor with his legs splayed to the sides, tears stung his face as he watched as maybe, and just maybe Kai would return to life. Mr Dickenson, Daichi and Hilary stood in a line watching, hoping and praying. Hilarys' thin girly fingers disappeared in Mr Dickensons' soft plush hand and held it tight for comfort.

Paramedic2 -"How long has he been unresponsive?"

Mr Dickenson was focusing so much on watching on the fallen beyblader that he missed the blonde medics' question.

Kenny un-propped himself from Daichi and stepped forward. Facts were his thing and he could do this for Kai. The Chief stammered. "10 minutes roughly... I think. It all happened so quickly."

Paramedic1 – "Did anyone attempt CPR?"

The medic received no reply. He thought to himself. "These people probably witnessed the whole attack. They are clearly in shock."

Paramedic1 and Paramedic2 tenderly dragged Kais' body to a clearing away from the pool of blood and bizarrely scorched floor to "work" in a cleaner spot.

Paramedic2 shot her gaze up to Mr Dickenson. She knew who he was and assumed he would have some the answers. "How old is the victim?"

Mr Dickenson coughed to clear his sore throat. "He is only 28 years old. Only...28... years old."

Paramedic1 – "Does he have any medical conditions? Epilepsy, Diabetes, heart conditions? Is he allergic to anything?"

Mr Dickenson– "No. Not that I know of and I've known this boy since he was 12 years old."

Paramedic2 – "What's his name?"

Tyson jumped in with a feisty voice as two fat tears rolled down his face. "His name... is Kai... Hiwatari."

Paramedic1 began inspecting Kais' body and checked for vitals using his fingers pressed into Kais' jugular vein. "He's got no pulse."

He then removed a glove and hovered 2 fingers over the opening of Kais' nose and mouth feeling for any air. "Not breathing."

He then took a small flashlight from a side pocket in the backpack and bent over close to Kais' expressionless face. His patients' were eyes still half open. Paramedic1 gently pulled back an eyelid with his thumb and shone a strong light into it, then repeated with the other eye. The medic then gently closed Kais' eyes with a sweeping motion of his fingertips. "He's got no pupil reaction either. I'm beginning CPR now."

Paramedic1 immediately began chest compressions. He locked his fingers together to create a double fist and began pressing down hard and rhythmic on Kais' breast plate; counting as he did. Paramedic2 took a face mask with a squeezable bag attached out of a zipped up medic bag and placed it tightly over Kais' nose and mouth. She then squeezed the bag causing Kais' lung area to slightly rise, all the while his chest was being compressed in classic CPR style. 30 chest compressions followed by 2 artificial breaths.

Paramedic3 arrived with more kit and set it down. He began cutting away Kais' purple and mostly red shirt using curved ended scissors. The shirt had stuck somewhat to the wound area and he gingerly pulled it loose. Kais' lean muscled chest and abdomen was fully exposed to the air. Kais' wound could be seen much clearer now. Given how much pain and blood was shed, the wound was relatively small and neat.

Paramedic3 to Paramedic1 – "I can see his injury. A 25mm wide puncture wound in his left lumbar abdominal region. There's a lot of blood on him and the floor. It looks like he's bled out. I'm placing a heavy duty gauze and trauma bandage onto the wound topped with a sticky patch to keep in place.

Paramedic3 announced – "He suffered Hypovolemic Shock leading to Cardiac Arrest by the looks of it."

Paramedic1 to Paramedic3 – "We need to intubate and get fluids into him." He replied sternly in a flat medical term.

Paramedic1 –"I need 1mg of Epinepherine and an IV line stat"

Paramedic3 busied himself with taking out a syringe from sterile packaging, un-packaged a needle and attached the two together. He then inserted the needle end into a small clear glass medicine bottle with Epinepherine written on the side. He pulled back on the plunger until it reached a specific point and inspected the newly filled syringe for bubbles. He then put it to one side in a sterile metal tray and began scanning Kais' arms for a vein. "I'm ready with the adrenaline. I've just got to find a vein that hasn't collapsed."

Paramedic1 – "Let's turn him over quickly and drain anything out of his mouth. He has blood in his mouth and we will need to clear that to get to his airway."

Paramedic1 and Paramedic2 rolled Kais' floppy muscled body over, flipping him so that he faced the ground. Paramedic1 held Kais' chest region slightly above the floor and Paramedic 2 gently held his face from crashing to the tiles, she then tipped his face to look at the floor and thick dark blood fell out between his lips, seemingly clearing his throat and mouth. He was then replaced onto his naked back.

Paramedic2 to Paramedic3 – "We need the intubation kit now. We need to secure his airway."

Paramedic3 passed Paramedic1 a bag of kit comprising of a tube and contraption."Ok let's intubate."

Paramedic1 immediately stopped his chest compressions and shuffled over on his knees to Kais' head. With gentle but firm hands he tipped Kais' chin up with one hand and head back by pressing on his forehead with his other hand. This forced Kais' mouth open as wide as it could anatomically go. Kais' dark grey hair flopped upwards and away from his face by the odd angle of his head. Paramedic 1 inserted a long metal contraption that looked a bit like a hook with a light at the end past Kais' blood coated teeth and arched it down the back of his throat. He then took the tube and slid it through the metal object into place in Kais' windpipe. He then swiftly removed the metal equipment leaving the thick opaque tube in place. Then he clipped a self inflating ambu-bag on the end and with two hands squeezed it half flat which forced air into Kais' lungs...the beyblader was finally getting the oxygen he needed.

Paramedic2 took over chest compressions as soon as this breathing apparatus was in place whilst Paramedic1 squeezed the ambu-bag to breathe for the 28 year old stab victim.

Paramedic3 had failed to find a vein on Kais' right arm and had attempted for some time to find one on the left. "They've all collapsed. He's lost too much fluid. I'll keep trying."

Seconds later...his determination was successful. "I've finally got one, inserting canula now." Said the young male medic as he plunged a needle into the back of Kais' limp cold bluing hand and affixed it in place with a see through plaster specifically shaped for the job. He inserted the end of the injection into a receptacle on the end of the canula and pressed the plunger. The clear, heart restarting drug, epinephrine was delivered at last.

Paramedic3 – "I've successfully attached an IV line for saline solution too.

Paramedic1 –"Good job, we need to replace the fluids he's lost or his heart won't pump at all."

Paramedic1 to Paramedic2– "I'll take over chest compressions and airway, you see to the defib kit"

Paramedic2 immediately jumped to her new task. She opened another labelled bag and removed a smallish green box with 2 large sticky pads attached by a red and yellow wire; this was known universally as a defibrillator. With haste and expertise she placed one pad on Kais' upper right pectoral muscle and the other on the far left side of his ribcage under the heart.

Paramedic2 – "We are ready for defib now."

Paramedic2 started the machine no larger than a womans hand bag and pressed buttons. "Ok all set." She gave the other medics a chance to shuffle back as anything touching Kais' body would be electric shocked too. Satisfied that she and her colleagues' weren't in contact she yelled... "Clear," before pressing a green button which sent an electric current through Kais' white and bloodied body. Kais' torso jolted for a second then relaxed back to stillness.

Paramedic2 analysed the readings on the small screen on the defib box.

The jolt meant to bring Kai back to life failed on him but instead shocked his grief-stricken onlookers. Seeing Kai lose his grace as an electric current rocked his body was too much for some. Ray, Kenny, Hilary, Grandpa Granger and Daichi turned their heads to face the other way. They felt it disrespectful to watch their proud and strong leader go through this indignity. Max, Tyson and Mr Dickenson were the opposite and couldn't look away; transfixed watching and waiting for a sign of life.

Paramedic1 reached into a random pocket of one of the many backpacks and pulls out a stethoscope. He put the ends into his ears like in-ear head phones and placed the cold metal disc like end to the pale chest...and listened for a beat. "Nothing."

Paramedic2 commenced chest compressions whilst Paramedic3 readied another syringe.

Paramedic3 – "I'm delivering another dose of Epinepherine."

Paramedic1 nodded in agreement.

3 minutes passed.

Paramedic1 – "Ok let's shock him again."

Paramedic2 – "Clear!"

Tyson, Mr Dickenson and Max gazed hard and fought not to blink. Their emotions hung on a knife edge as Kais' body rocked with another bolt of electricity. They barely breathed as they willed with every fibre of their being for Kais' heart to beat... or a leg to kick... or eyes to blink...anything.

3 minutes later...

Paramedic1 commanded "Let's go again." The 3 blue clad bodies shuffle away. "Clear!"The green button on the defibrillator is pressed again and Kais' body jolted back to life for another millisecond.

Paramedic1 reapplied his stethoscope into his ears like before and pressed the metal end to Kais' skin and again listened for any signs of life. "Nothing." He shook his head but gave no signal he was calling time.

Paramedic1 turned to Paramedic3 - "Can we have another dose of Epi."

Paramedic3 immediately took another bottle and syringe and filled it up the same as the last. All the while; Paramedic1 continued pushing precious oxygen into Kais' ghostly chest.

Paramedic2 -"Once more... Clear." She then pressed the defibrillators' green button for the fourth and last time. Kais' body was shocked again and after a seconds flicker; his body grew still once more.

More critical seconds pass.

The Paramedic2 and Paramedic3 gave each other a quiet look as if to say; "we tried."

Paramedic1 picked up his stethoscope and placed it to Kais' chest expecting to hear nothing but hoped anyway. A second passes with no cardiac sound to greet him, then another, then another, then another. Nothing... and then...*boom boom*the medics' brown eyes lit up and he moved the stethoscope to another area nearby just to be sure...

...*Boom boom*

Paramedic1s voice became excited yet still professional. "We have a beat."

Paramedic2 and Paramedic3 looked up with a spark of animation.

Tyson, Max and Mr Dickensons' jaws dropped, their eyes popped and they felt the most incredible sense of hope fill their spirits. The words..."We have a beat" caused sorrow filled heads to spin round with utter disbelief and they became emotional all over again.

Paramedic1 continued to listen to the stethoscope. "Yes we definitely have a rhythm. It's weak but we have one. Stop CPR and let's get him to the trauma unit ASAP."

Paramedic3 jumped to his feet. I'll go get the gurney."

Paramedic1 continued listening for Kais' heart beat to ensure it was still going.

For what felt like the longest time, the Bladebreakers, Hilary, Kenny, Mr Dickenson, Grandpa Granger and Mariah watched Paramedic1s' face intently for any indication that the heartbeat had disappeared. He straightened and pulled a pen from his left breast pocket which doubled as a tiny flashlight. He huddled in close over Kais' face like earlier and shone it in Kais' right and then left orbs.

Paramedic1 exclaimed. "We have pupil dilation too."

Paramedic3 ran back with the gliding plush gurney. He stopped nearby to Kai and his colleagues', stepped on a lever to lower it as far as it would go and removed a stretcher that was resting on top.

Paramedic1 straightened himself and assisted with placing the stretcher in line with Kais' bloodstained form. They worked together to lift their patient off the floor and place him on it. He was then gently transferred onto the gurney; all the while Paramedic2 inflated and deflated Kais' lungs. The unconscious body was now successfully on the gurney, swiftly, securely strapped in and began wheeling him away.

Ray – "What do we do now?"

Kenny chased forward to after them and yelled. "Sir, where are you taking him? Is he gunna pull through?"

"Kai can you hear us?" Shouted Tyson a few paces behind the rushed medics.

The younger members of the group began to make chase behind the medics and gurney.

Hilary – "Wait we have questions, please!"

Daichi – "Yeah is he ok now? He gunna make it?"

The gang were pumped with adrenaline. Their emotions had made a 180 degree spin and they didn't know what to feel. Worried? Excited? Relieved? The emotionally confused entourage was stopped in their tracks by Paramedic3 who was picking up the last of the equipment. He was very matter of fact and didn't intend on staying behind for long.

Paramedic3 – "We will be taking Kai to The University of Tokyo Hospital. It's the closest hospital with trauma facilities. You can meet us there." He began zipping up the last ambulance kit bag.

Daichi begged. "Is Kai gunna be ok?"

Max begged. "Is Kai doing ok? I mean is he gunna live?"

Tyson begged. "When is Kai gunna wake up?"

Ray begged. "Can one of us go in the ambulance with you?"

Paramedic3 was hit with a barrage of questions that he didn't have the time to answer.

"We are going to do the best we can for him. Now. I must go." He exclaimed as he picked up two large medics bag in each hand, weight lifted them onto his shoulders and urgently marched away in the direction of the ambulance.

Mr Dickenson leapt to action. "Come on kids! I've got a minibus and a driver ready to go in the car park."

Auto pilot took over for many of the team as they set off for the underground car park where sure enough a BBA minibus and driver was waiting. Mr Dickenson always had one on standby for personal emergencies.

Tired, shaken and emotional they staggered down the corridors and down staircases. They were weak at the knees, dizzy from the stress and exhausted from the last hours events. Not to mention the grief and horror of watching Kai fight for his life and the loss of Dranzer.

The day had started so perfectly. From the hearty breakfast, to the paparazzi on arrival at the stadium, the beautiful Japanese summer day and the opening to a new tournament. To this... Attempted murder by the hands of an unknown psycho, Kais' life in the balance and the day wasn't over yet.

It was a silent sullen 21 minute drive to the University of Tokyo Hospital and one question was on every ones minds... "Will Kai make it?"

Tysons' mind raced as he ignored the beautiful scenery of Tokyo whizzing past his window. "Hang in there Kai, don't give up now...*Sob* Please. I can't lose you."