Chapter 18 : White Flowers

Chapter Summary : -

The house was finally in order. Two days of unpacking, cleaning and rearranging had paid off, and the place was spotless and cozy. The lemon-scented cleaners had filled the air with a fresh citrusy smell. Ai stood in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, surveying her work with pride.

The cardboard boxes were gone, the floors gleamed, and every picture frame and knick-knack was in its right place.

The apartment felt like home, warm and welcoming.

She wanted everything to be perfect, not just for the children but also for when he would visit.

Ai's smile faded momentarily at the thought. She'd kept their father's visit a secret from the children — surprises always had a certain charm, but the uncertainty of how the meeting would go still lingered in her mind.

It was late in the morning, and the kids were home. No school today. Even they had helped cleaning the house, though not without a bit of playful bickering. Ai tied her apron around her waist as she walked into the kitchen.

"What do you want for breakfast today?" she called out.

"Pancakes!" Ruby's voice rang from the living room.

"You shouldn't have sweet stuff for breakfast everyday," Aqua said, "It's not good for your health."

"It's fine," Ruby replied with a huff, "I deserve some sweets after all the cleaning I did."

"You barely helped," Aqua said sharply.

Ai chimed in, cutting off their argument, "You both helped a ton, and I do have some leftover pancake mix."

She opened the pantry, humming to herself but her smile faded when she realized they were out of sugar.

"Looks like we ran out of sugar," Ai said with a pout.

"I'll go get it," Ruby piped up, already on her feet.

"You know where the store is?" Ai asked with mild surprise.

"Yeah, down the street, to the left," Ruby said with excitement as she quickly took the money from Ai's hand. Just as quickly, she dashed out the door. The click of the door lock echoed through the now-quiet home.

"Do you need help with anything?" Aqua asked,

"I got this, pancakes will be ready as soon as Ruby comes back," Ai smiled,

"I'll be in my room then," he said, retreating back to his room.

Ai nodded, turning back to the kitchen. She set a kettle of water to boil, to prepare some tea for herself. Watching the water boil, her thoughts drifted to Hikaru.

She hadn't seen him in years. How would he react? Would he like the kids? Would the kids like him? Questions of the like swirled in her head.

A sudden chime startled her out of her thoughts. The doorbell.

Ai froze momentarily. Ruby had just left, and she never rang the bell, she always knocked on the door and called for her or Aqua.

Which could only mean — He was here.

Her heart raced as she made it over to the door, took a deep breath and held the doorknob. For a moment, she hesitated. She had invited him herself, but she hadn't realized how nerve-wrecking this moment would be.

How would he look at her after all this time? What would he say? Heck, what would she say? She wouldn't know until she opened the door.

Then, slowly, she turned the door knob and pulled it open.

The man standing in front of her had his face hidden beneath a hoodie, in his hands he held a bouquet of white flowers.

Even with what little she could see, it was clear — he was not the man she was expecting.

"Congratulations on your dome concert," the man said, his voice flat and devoid of warmth.

"Huh?"

A sharp pain tore through her abdomen before she could register what was happening. Her breath hitched as her eyes darted down — A knife blade protruded from the bouquet of white flowers, its petals stained in crimson.

A muffled gasp escaped her lips as she staggered back, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Her hands instinctively clutched the wound and blood seeped between her fingers, darkening her white apron.

He followed her inside.

The bouquet fell to the floor with a hollow thud, revealing the knife now glistening red in his trembling hand. His hoodie pulled back and his face came into view.

Her heart skipped a beat, there was something familiar about him.

"You Bitch!" he screamed, his voice cracking with rage, "Does it hurt?!" He laughed, high pitched and unhinged, "It's nothing compared to what I went through! I suffered more!"

Her breaths came in shallow gasps as she pressed harder against her wound. Her hands trembled from the shock, her mind racing. Who was he? And Why was he doing this?

"Ai!" Aqua's voice cut through the room, sharp and panicked.

Her blood turned cold.

She turned her head slightly, her eyes widening in terror as she saw Aqua running towards her.

"No!" Ai rasped, her voice barely audible. She extended a hand out, silently commanding him to stay back as she brought her eyes to the man in front of her.

But Aqua didn't stop, he reached her side, his small hands firmly grabbing her skirt.

She shifted, placing herself between Aqua and the man, her body screamed in protest as she moved, but she didn't care.

"You went ahead and had kids even though you're an Idol!" his voice was venomous, "You betrayed us!"

The realization hit her like a second blade, His anger wasn't just directed at her, but also at her children.

"You kept spouting all that crap about loving us!" he continued, his voice rising. "Lies! Every word! You don't know how much I suffered because of you!"

She inhaled deeply, her hand pressing hard against her wound as she forced herself to stand straighter. Despite the agony coursing through her, she put on her practiced smile — the one she had worn a thousand times for her fans, the one that hid every fear and every insecurity.

"I…" her voice shook but it didn't break, "I've always been irresponsible." She paused, steadying her breathing, "I'm such a hopeless human being. I don't even know how to love someone."

Her words made the man falter, his hand trembling around the knife.

"But I worked hard," she continued, her voice soft and steady, "I worked hard to sing those songs, to say those words. Hoping one day, it would become true. Lying… was the only way I knew how to love. I was showing my love… in my own way."

The man's expression blended in with confusion and shock.

"I don't know if I ever loved you," she admitted with a bittersweet smile, "But I always wanted to… Even now," She took a shaky step forward, her hand outstretched, "I want to love you."

Behind her Aqua clutched her skirt tightly, trying to pull her back.

"Liar!" the man shouted, "You don't even know who I am! You're just making excuses!"

Her smile softened, "Ryosuke… right?" she said gently, "You came to many of my meeting events."

His eyes widened.

Ai raised her free hand, flicking her head playfully, "Wait, was that not it?" She let out a quiet, nervous laugh, "Sorry, I'm bad at remembering names."

The man lowered the knife and took a step back, his face turning pale as guilt and regret washed over him.

"I still have the sparkling sand you gave me," She added, her voice softening and losing volume, "It's still decorating my living room."

"What.. Do you mean? That wasn't what I…" Ryosuke turned abruptly and bolted out the door, his footsteps echoing through the hallway.

The door slammed shut. Ai stumbled and collapsed against it, sliding down to the floor. Her breaths came in shallow and uneven, each exhale trembling with pain as she held her knife wound. Blood seeped through her fingers, staining the floor in dark, spreading crimson.

Aqua rushed to the living room and frantically grabbed Ai's phone. He called the ambulance, and as soon as someone picked up the phone, he yelled "My mother had been stabbed! 103, ZZ apartment complex! She is losing a lot of blood!"

Then he rushed back to Ai, his face pale with terror as he witnessed her condition, "I called the ambulance. They're coming, just hold on!"

Ai tilted her head up at him, her lips curling into a soft, practiced smile, now weakened by the effort it took to hold it in place. "I really let my guard down, huh?" she muttered, trying to laugh but wincing as the pain shot through her, "That's why we have door chains…"

"Don't talk Ai," Aqua interrupted, his voice cracking, "Save your strength."

But she didn't listen. She reached out to him with one trembling arm and pulled her son into a one-armed embrace, her other hand instinctively pressing against her wound.

Aqua froze in place, his breath hitching as her blood smeared on his shirt,

From the other side of the door, Ruby's muffled voice called out, "Hey, what's going on in there?"

Ai turned her head, her hand weakly pressing against the wood as if trying to reach her daughter through it.

"Ruby… Aqua… I love you." her voice cracked, loud enough for them both to hear. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks, "I'm sorry it took me so long to say it… And I'm glad it wasn't a lie."

Ruby's voice cracked, "Mama? What's happening? Open the door!" She banged on it.

Aqua pulled back from Ai's embrace, his thoughts a mess. He bolted to the bathroom and yanked the cabinet open, his frantic hands knocking over bottles and boxes before he found the first aid kit.

He was back at Ai's side in moments, and carefully lifted her apron and shirt, exposing the wound. His stomach churned at the sight, a deep, knife stab wound, bleeding heavily.

"I'm a doctor," he whispered to himself. His hands trembled, tears blurring his vision. "I'm a doctor!" He said louder, clenching his fists to steady them.

He opened the first aid kit with shaking hands and grabbed gauze and bandages. His movements were clumsy at first, but as he packed the wound, his focus sharpened. Layer after layer, he pressed the gauze against the bleeding, doing everything he could to stem the flow. When the layers were set, he placed both hands on the wound, applying steady pressure.

"Please," he whispered, his tears dripping onto her apron, "Just hold on till the ambulance gets here…"

Ruby's banging on the door grew louder, her cries frantic and panicked. "Let me in! Mama! Mama!"

Aqua's own breaths came in ragged gasps as he kept his hands pressed firmly on her abdomen.

He couldn't tell if Ai was still breathing, he couldn't check her pulse. Her eyes had closed shut minutes ago, and her body was frighteningly still.

The blood pooled beneath her told him that she had lost a lot.

If she was still alive, she couldn't afford to lose another drop.

"Please…" he whispered again, his voice breaking, "Please…"

Every passing minute shot up his nerves, but he didn't dare move his hands. Every time his hands trembled, he commanded them to be still.

Suddenly, Ruby yelled, but not to him, "It's Mama! Something happened!"

A new voice came from outside. Deep and authoritative. "This is the house. Break the door open."

Ruby's banging stopped, replaced by the sound of splintering wood. The door gave way, and two paramedics rushed inside, their expressions shifting to shock as they took in the scene — the blood-soaked floor, the unconscious woman, the trembling boy pressing his hands on her abdomen.

"Is that… Ai?" one of them asked, stunned.

The other knelt beside her, his fingers deftly checking her pulse. "She's alive, but her pulse is faint." He gently moved Aqua's hands aside, inspecting the wound. His eyebrows rose slightly as he noted the neat packing of the gauze. He gave a quick surprised look to a trembling Aqua, before taking over.

Aqua stumbled back, his arms limp at his sides as the paramedics worked. Ruby rushed in, tears streaming down her face as she fell to her knees beside Ai.

"Mama! Is she okay?" yelled Ruby.

"She's alive," one of the paramedics reassured her, though his tone was urgent, "But we need to move fast. Let's get her to the hospital."

Aqua watched as they loaded Ai onto the stretcher. His legs shaking beneath him, his mother's pale face burned into his vision.

The wail of the ambulance siren cut through the streets. Inside, Aqua sat stiffly with his fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms to keep them from trembling.

Ruby sat beside Ai, her tiny hands gripping Ai's limp fingers. Tears streamed down her face, her breaths coming in frantic gasps, "Mama… Mama.. please…" she whispered over and over, her voice breaking.

The paramedics finished dressing Ai's wound in pressure bandage and starting an IV drip, keeping a close eye on her vitals.

"She's stable but we need to rush her to the hospital," one of the paramedics said, glancing at his partner. "Her blood pressure's low. Did you find anything on her that might tell us her blood type?"

"It's A negative," Aqua spoke up immediately, loud and clear even with his trembling voice.

The paramedics exchanged a glance. Their hesitation was apparent, one of them turned back to Aqua, "Are you sure, kid?"

"Yes," Aqua said firmly, his voice rising slightly, "I'm sure it's A negative."

The other one spoke, "We can confirm that at the hospital. We should be there in ten minutes."

"It's A negative! Why won't you believe me?!" Aqua almost yelled in desperation.

"It's not that we don't believe you kid," the second paramedic said gently, "But we have to be absolutely certain. Giving her wrong blood would be fatal."

Aqua stared at Ai's pale pace, her lips slightly parted, her breath so shallow her chest barely moved. He couldn't wait for the hospital to run tests, she needed blood now.

"Give me your phone," Aqua demanded suddenly to the paramedic nearest to him, and without hesitation, he gave his phone to him.

Aqua's fingers flew as he quickly dialed his old home — Saitou's home phone. He kept the phone on speaker for the paramedics to hear.

"Hello?" Miyako's familiar voice came through.

"Miyako! It's me, Aqua," he said quickly, "Ai has been attacked, we are in an ambulance on the way to the hospital!"

"What?!" Miyako's voice rose, sharp with panic.

"I don't have time to explain! What's Ai's blood type?"

"I, I don't know," her voice stammered. "Saitou! Saitou!" her voice called in the background, "What's Ai's blood type?!"

There was a pause, and then her voice came through again, "It's A negative."

He turned the phone toward the paramedics, still on speaker. "You heard that? It's A negative!"

The paramedics nodded, their expression more focused now. "Alright, we'll inform the doctors when we arrive," one of them said.

"Miyako!" Aqua added quickly, "We are heading towards Byoin Hospital."

"We are on our way!" Miyako said before hanging up.

Aqua returned the phone and leaned back, his head thudding softly against the metal walls of the ambulance. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand, but they just kept coming.

Ruby hadn't stopped crying, her face buried against Ai's arm.

"It's going to be okay," Aqua said, though he wasn't sure if the words were meant for Ruby, Ai or himself.

The moment they arrived at the hospital, a team of nurses and attendants rushed to meet the ambulance. Ai was whisked away on a stretcher, her pale face barely visible beneath the oxygen mask. A paramedic accompanied Aqua and Ruby as far as they were allowed, and they were gently stopped outside the ICU doors.

"This is as far as you two can go," the paramedic said and pointed to the chairs, "Wait there till the adults arrive."

Aqua and Ruby quietly sat down. Their legs dangling off big seats. The paramedic spoke briefly with a nurse, gesturing towards them. The nurse gave a small nod and approached and said in a calm voice, "Stay here okay? Let me know if you need anything."

The twins nodded and the nurse went on about her business.

Ruby clutched Aqua's sleeve tightly, her fingers trembling. "Mama will be okay, right?" she asked, her voice small and shaky.

Aqua hesitated, struggling to find the right words, "The doctors said she was stable," he replied, though there was a quiver in his voice, "She'll be okay."

"What… happened?" she asked in a whisper.

Aqua's head hung low, his gaze locked on the sterile white tiles beneath his feet. He lifted his hands to look at them, still covered in Ai's dried blood, "A man showed up," he said quietly, "Some crazy stalker. And he… he stabbed her."

Ruby's eyes welled with tears, "Why?" she whimpered, her voice pleading, "Mama did nothing wrong…"

"I don't know," Aqua muttered. His chest felt heavy like it was caving in. He pulled his knees up to his chest, arms around his legs and lowered his head, "I don't know…" he repeated.

- x -

"Aqua! Ruby!" came in the rushed voices of Saitou as he rushed over to them with Miyako right beside him, their faces pale with worry.

Miyako dropped to her knees, pulling both the children in a tight hug. Ruby immediately burst into sobs, burying her face in Miyako's shoulder, while Aqua sat stiff and silent, his gaze fixed on the floor.

"Thank goodness you both are okay," She said, brushing Ruby's hair back as she held her close. Her voice trembled as she asked "Where's Ai? What happened?"

Aqua finally looked up, his expression blank but his eyes red-rimmed. "A man came to our house," he said quietly. "He stabbed her…"

They were left in complete shock, as Aqua filled them in with everything that happened.

After a painfully long wait, the doctor emerged from the ICU, Saitou quickly approached him, "How is Ai?" he asked.

The doctor looked at him for a brief moment, "Are you her family?"

"Yes," he replied firmly.

"Her vitals are stable for now. We have stopped the bleeding and started a blood transfusion. She had lost a significant amount of blood, but that boy over there," he pointed at Aqua, "he slowed the bleeding and prevented any further blood loss. It gave us just enough time to stabilize her."

Saitou's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Aqua, who was still sitting stiffly beside Ruby.

"Had she lost any more blood, it would have been very difficult to save her." the doctor continued.

"He.. saved her?" Saitou whispered.

"Long enough for the paramedics to arrive." the doctor added.

Miyako gently took Aqua's hands, still stained with dried blood, and began wiping them clean with a damp towel as she whispered words of comfort.

The doctor continued, "We performed surgery to repair the damage. It was a clean cut and there was no severe damage to any organs, but… the blood loss was severe. She's in a shock induced coma."

Miyako lifted her eyes from Aqua's hands, "A coma?" she whispered.

Saitou turned his attention back to the doctor, "what..?" he whispered.

The doctor nodded, "Her body is in a state of recovery. We can't predict when she will wake up, but her vitals are stable, and she's receiving the best care possible. For now, all we can do is wait. One of you can stay with her, but I'm afraid we can't allow everyone…"

Saitou took a deep breath, "I'll stay with her," he said.

He stepped back to the kids' and crouched down to their level. His eyes darted between the twins, unsure how to begin, "Ai is okay," he said finally, "she is just sleeping now. I—" He said in a soft voice.

Ruby cut him off, "We are not dumb,"

"Right," Saitou sighed, defeated. "I know you both are scared, I am too. But Ai needs us to be strong for her. She'll wake up, I promise. But you need to go home and rest."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Ruby's voice rose, garnering the attention of the people nearby.

Miyako rested a reassuring hand on Ruby's shoulder, and Saitou continued, "We are all doing our part, Ruby. I need you to trust me."

Ruby sniffed, glancing at Aqua, who sat silently beside her. After a moment, he nodded reluctantly. Then, she looked back at Saitou.

"Okay…" she whispered.

"Okay…" Saitou whispered back. "Miyako, please take care of them."

- x -

Author's Notes : Happy New Year Guys! May you all achieve your goals, make progress and grow, and may the days of the year bring you all peace and clarity.

Up Next - Chapter 19 : What have we done?