Only a Heartbeat Away
Chapter 6 – Kuraimakkusu
At the Hospital -
Bou-san sat in the chair keeping watch over Ayako. He let his eyes roam around the bland hospital room. The room was silent except for the soft hum of machines. His gaze moved back to the bed. He was relieved to see Ayako blinking her eyes, awake for the first time since her surgery.
"I can't sleep…" Her hoarse whisper trailed off into silence. He remained quiet. She glanced away, and then her gaze returned to meet his. He could see sadness in her eyes, and that did strange things to his heart.
"Look about earlier…I…just wanted to say…." Ayako took a deep breath before continuing. "I understand what you were trying to tell me. I get that you regret last night, but I…well I don't." She glanced away unsure of his reaction.
Bou-san stared at her in shock. What did she just say?
Ayako waited to hear the words that would break her heart, but he remained silent. She did not want to see pity on his face; her gaze moved to the far wall instead. She stared at the wallpaper, finding it fascinating in the dark. She trailed a finger across the textured blanket, letting the sensation distract her from the tears that wanted to fall.
Bou-san replayed her words in his head. She thinks I regret last night…. He let out a soft chuckle, before moving to sit on the edge of her bed. He caught her chin, and with surprising gentleness, he brought her face back to meet his eyes.
"You silly woman, I think there has been a misunderstanding. Earlier, I was trying to tell you that last night meant something special to me." He waited, watching as his words sank in. Ayako stared at him in surprise, not knowing what to say. Bou-san leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Get some sleep…we can talk more tomorrow." He didn't give her a chance to reply, just moved back to his chair.
DAY 3
Naru awoke to the sounds of Lin moving around. With no windows in the study, he had no idea how early it was. He glanced over at the other couch. Mai was still sleeping undisturbed by Lin's movements. She lie curled up, appearing cold. He stood up, and walked to the door.
"I'll be right back." Naru spoke in a quiet voice, trying not to disturb the sleeping teen. He waited for Lin's acknowledgement before leaving. He hurried down the hall to their room, and once inside he pulled the blanket from his bed. With it balled in his arms, he returned to the study. He walked over to where Mai lie sleeping, and covered her with the blanket. Naru watched as she snuggled into the warmth with a sleepy sigh. He turned away and walked over to where Lin sat.
"Lin, I need to speak with you." Naru watched as Lin glanced up at him. "In private, preferably…." Lin eyed him with curiosity, but remained silent simply nodding in agreement. Naru led the taller man out into the hallway. He turned to face Lin and propped himself against the wall. He was about to speak, when Lin cut him off.
"Your memories have returned, I presume?" Lin guessed. Naru's eyes widened a bit, but he held his surprise in check. He nodded before speaking.
"Yes, late last night in fact, but I want to keep that information between us for the time being." Naru answered. Lin digested the news and raised an eyebrow in silent query.
"I know you're wondering why, but you will just have to trust me on this one." Naru said before pushing off from the wall, and leaving Lin standing there.
Naru walked back into the study to check on Mai. He sat on the couch he had recently vacated, and studied the sleeping girl. Naru's thoughts wandered until they centered on why he was misleading his assistant. He was unable to admit that he enjoyed the recent compassionate treatment; instead, he was fooling himself into believing that he was testing Mai's observational skills. Hmm…if you say so…. A quiet inner voice answered.
--------
Mai awoke with the sensation of someone watching her. She glanced around to find a familiar pair of blue eyes regarding her.
"Naru…?" Mai stared at him, waiting for some kind of reply. He chose to remain silent, giving her a small smile instead. She felt her face heating up as she pondered that smile, until her dreams of the night before came crashing into her mind. She jumped up from the couch, and hurried over to the painting. Naru followed her over to the desk, and stood watching.
Mai bent down and began searching for anything. She noticed that there was a slight bulge in the back. It was barely noticeable and if she hadn't thought to check, it would have gone unnoticed.
"Lin I need something sharp." She demanded. He didn't question her just handed over a utility knife. She very gently slit the covering open. She slipped her fingers inside, and was stunned to find a small cloth wrapped package. With a steady gentleness, she slid the package out. Lin's eyes widened the tiniest bit as he watched her. She gasped when a green journal slipped from the cloth. I saw this in my dreams….
She opened the journal to the very last page and began to read...
Journal Entry for Oct. 14, 1955
I know that my Niece hates this painting. It reminds her of the father that I stole from her life. This will be a safe spot for me to hide this. Let me begin at the beginning. I have hated Yoshi from my earliest memories— never been able to stand him. My own brother! He was always better than me at things, more favored then me, more talented then me, and the list goes on.
Yoshi would take the blame for me. He loved me, even though I hated him. I did many evil things, and Yoshi would always take the beatings for me. He believed my silly excuses, always making me promise not to do it again. He never once complained--always thought he was protecting me, from our father.
No one could protect me from the bastard that created us. Father hated me from the beginning, and never let me forget it. He blamed me for his wife's death, telling me many times. "I wish you had never been conceived…You evil little demon." Yoshi always made excuses for father's treatment and he really tried to shield me. When Yoshi went away to school, I finally got revenge on the bastard.
Father never saw it coming. I waited at the top of the stairs one evening. When he made his way to the top, I gave him a hard shove. The fall broke his neck. I enjoyed telling him every hateful thought I had that night. I sat near his dead body and unleashed my hate. At dawn when the Butler arrived, he thought I had been too frightened to seek help. The old fool actually tried to console me. The idea is hysterically funny really….
When my niece began to make big money, I knew I had to do something. I needed that money. Father left me absolutely nothing. I know Yoshi shared his wealth with me, but that was too little. When Yoshi went into business with Narita-san, I knew it was time to act. I easily over-powered my older brother in his own study. It was pure pleasure, wrapping that noose around his neck. He awoke just in time to enjoy trying to save him self. I watched fascinated as he scrabbled to loosen the noose from his neck.
Everyone thought he had committed suicide. I stole the money and let everyone think Yoshi lost it. The trouble began when Narita-san arrived, suspicious of me. He seemed to believe Yoshi would not dishonor his daughter that way. After he began to question me too closely, I took care of the problem. I killed him, making it look like an intruder had broken in to rob him.
I now have more money than I can ever spend and I plan to enjoy every cent. To hell with my Niece, if nothing else I can arrange an interesting accident for the little brat.
The only problem now is that their spirits are after me. They taunt me in my dreams…threatening revenge. Narita-san is the worst. He says he will come for me, to send me straight to hell. Bah, a silly ghost…. However, strange things are happening. He may be right….
Mai's hands were shaking by the time she reached the bottom of the page. She handed it to Lin.
"Read the very last entry…." Mai watched as Lin read the page, until he set it down. She picked up the cloth only to have something slip from the folds. She stared with recognition at the sight of the letter opener. Naru crouched down with the intent of picking it up. Mai, without thinking, slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch that, it's a murder weapon." She glanced up, surprised to see his face alive with outrage. Whether from her command or the fact that she slapped him she was unsure, but her face heated up anyway.
"What murder?" Naru asked. He stared at her, waiting for an answer.
"Narita-san's father, Taro-san forgot to mention that his father was also murdered here in this room." Mai eyed the journal as if it were obvious. Her eyes jumped to Naru in suspicion. She studied him intently for a moment, but remained silent. Her gaze moved to Lin, waiting for his thoughts.
"We need to clarify this with Narita-san, I'll go find him." Lin glanced meaningfully at Naru and then left the room. Mai used the cloth to pick up the letter opener, and set the small bundle on the desk. She turned around to find Naru watching her in silence.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you, and slapping your hand." She spoke in a quiet, sincere voice. He appeared surprised by her apology. She slipped around him, moving to sit on the couch. He tracked her movements with his eyes, and then followed her to the couch.
He sat down beside her and watched her for a moment before speaking.
"Apology accepted…." Naru looked as though he wanted to say more, but he trailed off into silence instead. They sat in a semi-companionable silence for a moment until Naru decided to speak again. "There is…" The door opening cut off his words.
Lin entered followed by the old man. Lin moved to his desk and sat. He watched as the old man moved to one of the chairs and sat.
"Narita-san, why did you not tell us that your father was killed in this room?" Lin asked. Taro appeared surprised by the question.
"I didn't think that it was important." Taro shrugged not understanding. He glanced at the three in confusion. "He was robbed and murdered here, but they never did catch anyone why?" He asked. Lin glanced at Mai, giving her silent permission to explain.
"Narita-san, did they ever look into Matsumoya-san's Uncle as a suspect?" Mai asked.
He shook his head still confused by where this conversation was leading. Mai gave him a sympathetic look before she explained.
"We have found evidence that Jiro-san killed not only your father, but Yoshi and his own father." Mai watched as Taro stared at her in disbelief. She knew it was hard for him to accept. Finally, he seemed to reach some level of understanding, and he excused himself.
"I have stuff to do." Taro gave them a perfunctory nod before ambling from the room. Lin excused him self to make a call, and Naru followed leaving Mai by herself. She glanced around the room silent and bored. In the peaceful, silence she found her eyes wanting to droop. She fought it for a moment, until the urge to sleep became too great.
--------
… … …
Mai was standing in a child's room. She could tell by the toys scattered around that it belonged to a little girl. She heard a small muffled cry and turned around. Mai eyed the little girl on the bed. It was Matsumoya-san curled into a small ball peeking from the covers.
Mai nearly jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. She turned to find Naru standing beside her.
"Now you will understand." He spoke mysteriously and then pointed towards the bed. Mai felt the room grow colder as something made its presence known. She watched as Matsumoya-san scooted to the head of the bed, pulling the covers with her. The little girl was terrified of whatever was appearing.
She watched as blue lights appeared, and coalesced into the form of Matsumoya Yoshi. He smiled with love at his daughter. Ayu curled into an even smaller ball if that was possible. He reached out a ghostly hand, and tried to comfort his daughter.
"Ayu darling when your time comes to leave behind this earthly plane, I will meet you with joy." His voice sounded eerily disembodied. Matsumoya-san covered her head in fear and lay trembling. Her father gave her one last sad smile before seeming to disintegrate. The room returned to a normal temperature, but the little girl would not peek out again. After a few moments, Mai found an unseen force pulling her as everything around her fell away.
… … …
----------
Mai startled to awareness as the door opened. Lin and Naru walked into the room. Lin returned to his chair at the desk and sat.
"Brown-san will be here sometime this afternoon. The Monk also sent a message that Matsuzaki-san is recovering. " He said before turning back to his laptop. Naru remained silent and moved to sit on the other couch. Mai found her voice and spoke into the now silent room.
"Her father isn't coming to kill her." She watched, as Lin turned around surprised by her statement. Lin raised a single eyebrow demanding an explanation. Rather than giving him one, she kept going. "You need to summon Matsumoya-san, and then I'll explain." She eyed Lin's face with caution. Will he do as I ask? Lin glanced at her with an almost appreciative look, before he nodded and left the room.
Mai let out a tiny pent-up breath as Lin left. She was happy he had complied. Not one for being demanding, she felt a surge of something new slide through her. Her gaze jumped to Naru who sat watching her. When she realized he was watching, her gaze bounced to her lap. She found herself unnerved by his gaze, and sat in silence praying for Lin to return.
The minutes ticked by in an uncomfortable silence as Mai stared at her lap. Naru remained silent studying his assistant. He was amazed by her personal growth during the case, and although he wanted to compliment her on it; he knew he couldn't without revealing the return of his memories.
The door opened surprising both of the room's occupants. Their gaze simultaneously jumped to the Chinese man. He led the old woman into the room, and directed her to sit in one of the over-stuffed chairs. He looked to Mai, giving her a nod of encouragement to begin. Mai moved to the end of the couch near Ayu's chair and picked up her hand. When Matsumoya-san gave Mai a strange look, it almost stopped her from continuing. She took a deep breath, deciding it was necessary to follow through she began.
"Matsumoya-san, do you remember the night you said your father came to visit you?" Mai waited until Ayu nodded fearfully.
"He didn't tell you he was coming to kill you." Mai spoke soothingly, trying not to frighten the older woman. "Do you remember what he said actually?" She watched as tears began rolling down Matsumoya-san's cheeks. The old Lady paled and shook her head, not wanting to remember.
"It…it was so very cold, and he sounded strange." Her voice was shaking as she let the memories overwhelm her. Her hand trembled in Mai's grasp. Mai gave it a comforting squeeze before continuing.
"This is very important Matsumoya-san, what did he say?" She watched the old woman scrunch her face as she relived a horrifying memory.
"He said…he said he would be there at the end...at my death." Her tears fell faster. She pulled her hand from Mai's, and her hands moved to cover her face. Mai patted her knee in a soothing manner.
"It's okay Matsumoya-san, you should be relieved. You just needed to remember what really happened." Mai's voice held a soothing note.
Ayu slowly pulled herself under control. When she was calm enough to speak, she finally stared at Mai in shock.
"How could you know what he said?" She asked the young girl. Mai struggled to find an answer that would not freak out Matsumoya. Mai could see how much the old Lady had aged in just a few moments reliving a frightening experience.
"Hmm…I'm not sure really, just a good guess?" She said with a lame smile. Please believe me…please believe me…. Mai silently begged. Ayu looked thoughtful for a moment, and then seemed to accept the girl's excuse. She nodded and then excused herself, and hurried from the room leaving the three staring after her.
"A good guess…was that the best you could do? You dreamed about it, didn't you?" Lin gave her a small teasing smile to give his words the humor they deserved. Mai smiled.
"Well…yeah, but I didn't want to freak her out, by telling her that I dreamed about something that happened years ago." Mai replied. Lin nodded in approval of her reasoning.
---------
A few hours later Taro knocked on the door admitting a smiling Priest. Mai jumped up with a smile.
"John-san how is Masako?" She rushed forward engulfing the blonde-haired teen in a hug. After a few seconds, she pulled back. She glanced at him to see a small smile on his features. Satisfied, she returned to the couch, waiting to hear about Masako.
"Masako is feeling better already." John supplied, moving further into the room. He glanced at Lin expectantly. Lin gave him a moment to sit and then began explaining what they had learned since John had left for the hospital. When he finished John looked surprised by all the new discoveries.
"So…what's the plan?" He asked. Lin eyed him steadily as he spoke.
"You need to exorcise Jiro, and that should stop all of the paranormal activity." Lin spoke as if it really were that simple. John glanced at Lin, surprised at his confidence.
"But without Bou-san, who is going to perform kekkai?" John asked the most obvious question.
Lin eyed the Priest with a smirk. "I think I can manage something similar." John realized his mistake at once, and chuckled in embarrassment.
"Oh okay." He smiled before continuing. "Well then when ever you are ready to begin."
John ran a hand up to his rosary, letting his fingers feel the familiar warmth. The sensation infused him with a sense of peace. He smiled at the room at large.
Mai had only been half listening to their conversation. Something tickled at her memory. The dream of Jiro in his room, kept replaying in her mind. What is it that I am missing? She let the scene replay in her mind until it dawned on her.
"I know how to draw Jiro out." Her voice tinged with excitement drew the Priest and Lin's attention. She jumped up from the couch, and sped from the room. Naru stood and followed. John glanced at him for a second and it dawned on him that he was seeing Naru again. He nodded as the dark-haired teen left the room.
"So when did Naru regain his memories?" He asked the Chinese man once the door closed behind Naru. Lin turned an assessing gaze on the younger Priest.
"Last night, but he doesn't want anyone to know." The rest he left unsaid, because he knew John would understand.
"Ah…." John said. He knew it had to do with Mai and that was enough.
--------
Mai hurried towards Naru's room. She could hear someone behind her, but wasn't worried about checking. She opened the door and moved to the closet. She dropped down, bending at the knees, to examine the floor and lower walls. She had already searched the closet, so those were the only option left. She searched for anything unusual. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Naru watching her with curiosity.
Rather than explain, she resumed her exploration. She noticed that there was an odd seam about knee level at the back. She ran her hands over the area trying to figure out to get the panel to open. It wasn't until she pressed the furthest spot that the panel slid inward. She reached inside and felt material. Mai grasped whatever she felt and pulled. The bag from her dream slid out easily and she over-balanced.
Naru chuckled when she fell on her behind. She shook her head at hearing his laughter. Before either of them noticed, the temperature in the room dropped significantly. When Mai saw her breath steaming as she exhaled, she became worried. She stood up and glanced at Naru.
"We have to get out of here now." She kept her voice quiet and calm, but Naru could hear the concern. Naru was about to confess when things started getting worse. Items around the room began to rise on their own. She glanced at Naru with worry. "Give me a hand with this." He moved to obey, and picked up one end. She grabbed the other end, and they began hefting the bag out of the closet.
Mai saw the suitcase as it hurtled towards Naru. She dropped her end, and jumped towards him, knocking him out of the way. He hit the floor hard, and was ready to jump down her throat when he glanced up. The suitcase slammed into Mai, throwing her against the wall. With a sickening thud, she slid down the wall limp. Naru immediately yelled, hoping Lin and John would hear.
------
John was contemplating everything as Lin prepared his spell. A harried shout from down the hall grabbed their attention. Lin jumped up and sprinted from the room, John right behind him. When they saw Naru and Lin's door open they knew where to head. Upon arriving, they both stopped. The room was in chaos, things spinning out of control. Lin took in the sight of Mai propped against wall pale and unmoving. His eyes jumped to Naru who sat on the floor somewhat stunned. Lin glanced at the Priest.
"Are you ready to do this?" He asked. He watched John nod, pull out his Bible and a vial of holy water. Lin began to cast the spell as John opened the Bible.
Naru scuttled across the floor over to where Mai leaned against the wall. He noticed she was still not moving. Guilt pricked at his conscience, but he forced it away as John began the exorcism.
"Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." John flicked holy water around the room. He watched as his words and the spray caused the activity to increase. He took a deep breath and then continued in a powerful voice.
"Give us this day, our daily bread." John paused waiting to see the affect of his words. The objects flying around sped up, and a nightmarish scream came out of nowhere.
"Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." He called out in a confident voice. The shrieking grew louder, and the walls began banging. John sought strength from his rosary. When he continued, his voice held a new firmness. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. AMEN!" With a final flick of holy water, there was a reverberating bang and everything stopped.
The silence held a new peace, and the room felt lighter. Lin moved to the bag to check the contents.
"Ah…" he said. The bag led a lot of old money. Lin turned around to see John looking weary. Naru was in the process of picking up Mai. Lin hefted the bag, following Naru out of the room. John sighed and followed the two men back to the base.
----------
Ayu sat in her recliner watching the television. She watched as a much younger, thinner version of herself glided across the screen. She knew what was coming, but thanks to that girl, it was no longer frightening. She could clearly remember filming the current scene.
At that time, she had cried just before the filming, because her papa couldn't be there. She remembered burying her sadness, putting on a smile, and dancing her heart out. Watch me Papa. See how gracefully I can dance….
The scene on the television changed, drawing her back from the poignant memories. She felt the room grow colder, but chose to ignore it. With a soft smile, she watched her younger self. When shefelt a hand on her shoulder, she finally broke the silence.
"Hi Papa, its nearing time isn't it?" She waited for a moment, and then continued. "Look Papa, wasn't I great? I worked so hard. This was my last movie, before your death." She sighed, a soft sound in the quiet room.
She finally glanced up to see the faint outline of her father. Ayu reached up and picked up his hand. With a small smile, she spoke one last time. "I'm ready now Papa." She smiled at her father, and closed her eyes for the last time….
--------
Naru laid Mai on the couch with a gentleness he didn't know he possessed. He was getting ready to start giving out orders, when the door slamming open stopped him.
Taro, looking harried, burst into the room. He skidded to a halt, and then began firing off questions.
"Is Ayu with you? Where is she? I can't find her and something doesn't feel right." He glanced around and could tell by their reactions that they had not seen her recently. Taro turned to hurry away, when Lin stopped him.
"Wait just a second, I'll go with you." He pulled out his cell phone and tossed it to Naru before leaving. He followed Taro to the stairway. He stopped long enough to ask a question of the old man.
"Where is her room? She mentioned her television when we last saw her." Lin watched as horror danced across the older man's features. Taro turned back around, and began hurrying down the stairs. Lin trailed after him wondering what had Taro so worried. They made their way down to the first floor. Rather than going towards the dining room, Taro took the other hallway all the way to the doorway at the end. He opened the door and raced inside.
Lin heard his tortured cry before he reached the doorway. When he finally reached it, the sight that met his eyes pulled at even his jaded heart. Taro knelt at the foot of the recliner. Ayu was already gone, a peaceful smile on her features. Her hand rested on the arm as though she had held someone's hand. Taro sobbed helplessly into her lap, for the loss of his life-long love.
Lin knew it was a very private moment he should not be witnessing therefore he turned away. He made the decision to head back to the study, leaving the old man to grieve in private.
----------
He returned to the study to find Naru and John sitting near Mai. She was still unresponsive. Lin could see the guilt Naru was suffering.
"What happened in there?" Lin asked, giving Naru a curious look. John's eyes moved to Naru also in curiosity. Naru glanced at the girl.
"She knew where to find the money, and pulled it out. We were just getting ready to bring it out when trouble began." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I hadn't yet told her of my memories returning. She…she saw that I was in danger, and pushed me out of the way, taking the hit meant for me." Tears shone in his eyes, but he would not let them fall, he called on his emotional strength, pulling himself back under control.
"The suitcase slammed her into the wall, that is when I yelled, and seconds later you arrived." He trailed off not knowing what else to say. Lin just stared at him as if to say, I told you so.
----------
Mai lie struggling up through layers of pain. She could hear a familiar voice, but was unable to respond or push through enough to wake up.
"I hadn't yet told her of my memories returning. She…she saw that I was in danger, and pushed me out of the way, taking the hit meant for me." She could hear Naru's cold voice nearby speaking damning words. The shock of his words pushed her back into the depths of darkness.
---------
"Have you called for an ambulance?" Lin glanced at Naru glad to see his nod.
"They are on the way…" Naru answered, even as his gaze remained focused on the girl. John sat watching the exchange feeling sympathy for the dark-haired teen. He then remembered Lin chasing Taro out of the room.
"What about Matsumoya-san?" He asked quietly. Lin glanced at the Priest in surprise. He had almost forgotten the strange incident.
"She's dead, apparently it was her time." He left off there until a thought struck him. "You might want to check on Narita-san, he was understandably upset." He glanced at John with a sympathetic look. The young Priest stood and made his way out of the room. Lin moved to his desk chair and sat heavily. Although the case was officially over there was lot of work to be finished. With only Naru and himself left, that made for a lot of work.
Epilogue – Ato
The whole group, minus Naru, gathered in Mai's hospital room the following day. Bou-san had wheeled Ayako and Masako in, from the room they ended up sharing. He sat staring at Ayako, with a fond look. His gaze jumped to the girl on the bed. John had filled him in on the details last night when the three men had arrived at the hospital.
Bou-san smiled at Mai. According to Lin and Naru, Mai had done more for solving this case than any of the rest of them. Her abilities were steadily improving, and she was learning to trust her intuition. He watched thrilled when she smiled back. His gaze moved on to John who stood staring out the window. He noticed that John seemed more sober than usual, but he didn't know why.
He glanced at Lin who stood near the bed speaking quietly to Mai. He wondered about that conversation, but held his tongue. He knew Lin therefore, it must be important. He saw Masako behind Lin over against the wall. As usual she was somewhat segregated from the group. He could not understand why she chose to keep her walls up. He smiled at Ayako for a moment with warmth. She noticed him and smiled back. He then stuck out his tongue. She growled in annoyance, but he even noticed the softness. Lin turned away from Mai and cleared his throat.
"The patient needs her rest." His tone brooked no arguing, and everyone took the hint. Bou-san jumped up to wheel out Masako first. John moved to the bed to say his good-byes. Mai reached up and took his hand.
"John-san, what is troubling you?" She asked. Her voice was quiet, the conversation just between them. He glanced at her trusting, face and nearly lost his composure.
"I am just saddened that we lost two lives during this case." He spoke honestly, not wanting to lie to his friend. Mai gazed at him with compassion, and thought for a moment before speaking.
"John-san, you may not know this, but it was Matsumoya's time. She was not murdered, your heavenly father called her home." She watched as comprehension dawned in his eyes.
"Mai-chan how can you know that?" He asked. She glanced at him unsure of what to say.
"Let's just say Matsumoya-san was given a message." Mai smiled up at him with warmth.
"But…what about Narita-san?" He asked. Mai shrugged not sure how to reply to the Priest's question.
"That is between the Lord, Narita-san, and Matsumoya-san, John-san." She reached up and drew John down enough to wrap her arms around him in a comforting hug.
"They are happy now." She whispered in his ear. When she let go, and lie back down she could see that John was somewhat lighter. He gave her a fond smile, and then turned to leave the room.
Bou-san strolled back in at that moment. He moved to where Ayako sat in her wheelchair. He pushed her out, Ayako waving jauntily as she left. Lin moved to the side of Mai's bed. Now that the room was empty, he could speak freely. He glanced down at Mai with a small smile.
"Go easy on him." Lin looked thoughtful, before continuing. "To hell with it, you have the right to be angry, and it might just do him some good." He leaned down and brushed her hair back from her eyes. "I'll stop in later." With that said, he left her.
A few minutes later, Bou-san peeked around the doorframe.
"Is it safe?" He asked in a joking manner. Mai nodded, and he slipped into the room. He moved to the side of the bed and sat carefully.
"So Jou-chan, are you okay?" He gazed at her with a serious look. Mai nodded and gave him a sunny smile.
"You did good kiddo…." He dropped a kiss on her forehead and stood. With a last look back he waved, and left her alone. Mai felt sleepiness overtake her, and let her eyes slip closed.
---------
She wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping, when a delightful scent pulled her from sleep. She cracked open bleary eyes to see a vase with a single rosebud on the bedside table. She smiled thinking Bou-san was trying to cheer her up. A strange sensation skittered along her spine, and she turned to find familiar blue eyes watching her.
Naru sat in the chair with his usual cold expression in place. She was about to speak when he cut her off.
"I've been waiting for you to wake up." His clipped words and angry tone surprised her. She stared at him blinking in confusion, until she remembered Lin's words. Hot white anger suffused her, giving her newfound strength to speak her mind.
"How dare you?" She demanded. "How can you come in here with your arrogance and anger?" She watched as his cool exterior fell away to be replaced by shock.
"You put me in danger with your stupid, conceited ego. You should have told me you had your memories back!" She let out an indignant huff, before continuing. "The saddest part is I was protecting you, and I didn't need to." Her anger gave way to awkwardness, and she threw her hands over her face as tears raced down her face. Embarrassed to be caught crying, she couldn't even peek through her fingers to see his reaction.
Naru had never been quite so unsure of what to do. He would normally have stalked off to sulk at the office, but his logical mind knew she was right. He stood up trying to decide on a course of action. Should I leave, or should I stay? Even as he thought it, he found himself sitting on the side of her bed, reaching for her hands.
He pulled them down with gentleness and looked at her. It was hard to form the words, but he knew he must.
"Y…you are right to be angry. I made a costly mistake." He spoke the words quietly, and took a deep breath. Sometimes letting your guard down is damn difficult. "I'm not angry with you, I was afraid…of losing you." He let the words hang in the air, unsure of how to continue. Finally, he just forced the words out.
"It would be difficult to live with the guilt of knowing that I lost someone else that I care about." He realized his mistake a moment too late. The words were already out and he couldn't take them back. He could see her weariness and confusion, and decided he had said enough.
"Look I'm sorry you are still recovering and tired. We can discuss this later." Naru gave her a small smile. "Although I did bring you something…." He indicated the red bud in the vase, as his words trailed off. He startled Mai when he leaned down and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"I'll check in around supper time? Is that okay?" He asked surprising himself. When she nodded, he gave her another small smile before his cold mask returned. He waved and left.
She waited until he was gone and then reached for the vase. She picked it up carefully and drew it to her. She tickled her nose, with the bloom, enjoying the scent. Her thoughts wandered over their conversation, until she remembered his words. "I lost someone else I care about." Whom could he have meant? She stared at the blood red bud, and realized she had a new mystery to solve….
FIN
To see my in-depth thoughts on the end, please check my live journal.
http://love-of-anime.