Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Mend my Heart ❯ Recrudescence ( Chapter 9 )

MangaChild420 – Thank you so much for reviewing!! ^_^  I’m soo happy you like it!

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That morning he woke with the rise of the sun. He was anxious to get to the hospital. Last night he had arrived back from his meeting with Omi and Yoji just as Ken was in the last stages of his nightmare. The nurses told him that he had one shortly after he left as well. That was twice within a twelve hour timeframe. The increase in frequency indicated a higher level of consciousness, which could lead him to finally waking up. So he stayed with Ken as long as he could.

They were fortunate enough to not have any more nightmares that night, however Ran eventually had to leave. But he promised Ken that he would be back as soon as he could before he left. Yoji had called late to tell him he had finished the list and would forward it to Omi. Omi would in turn give him whatever he felt he couldn't do.

Not long after he awoke, he found himself in the brunette's room. "Ohayo, Ken-san," he whispered. As he had since the first time he had come, he looked Ken over to make sure everything was ok. He noted a fading glean on his forehead. "You've had another nightmare." A frown formed. His hand thoughtfully brushed the chocolate bangs away. "How can I help you? What is it you need so that you can wake up? Do you want to be trapped in these nightmares forever?" As always, there was no answer. He sighed.

The first few hours passed by as his thoughts took over his mind. It was the arrival of a visitor that managed to pull him back to the living world. "I figured you were here already. No change still?" He just shook his head in response. "Yoji said I should give you the contacts. I've divided the list in half." Omi moved into the room and held out a paper to Ran, but suddenly stopped when his eyes caught sight of something. "Oi! What happened to my arrangement?"

Ran glanced over his shoulder at the flowers that still sat next to Ken's bed and felt his cheeks warm. He had totally forgotten about his 'need-to-do-something' mood the other day when he had contacted Omi. Now he felt rather foolish for having messed with it in the first place. "Uh, sorry?" Omi's shocked expression soon dissolved into a smile and totally threw the redhead off. "Eh?"

"You did that? Wow, you're actually really good at this. If you ever need a job, you'll always be welcome at the Koneko."

"So you're not upset?"

"No, I'm not very good at it which is why Momoe usually does them still. But I'm trying to get better. You apparently have a natural talent. Don't worry about it. It looks great. Here," he handed the list to Ran. "I gave you a few more names since it should be quiet enough for you to get through them here. I'm gonna try and get through my list between customers and deliveries."

"Thanks, Omi."

"No problem." Anything else the blonde was about to say was interrupted by a strained moan. Both heads snapped to look at the figure on the bed. Omi appeared hopeful that Ken might actually wake up, but Ran knew it for what it was.

Instantly, Ran was at Ken's side whispering into his ear gentle assurances.  None of it seemed to really have an effect on the struggling brunette.  A sharp cry tore from the goalie’s throat followed by more moans and sobs.  The body tried to curl in on itself and buck off the bed at the same time.  He was caught in the throes of the nightmare now.  All the while Ran kept talking in a soothing tone to get Ken to relax, his hands gently pressing on the shoulders to keep him down.  The battle lasted for long minutes before Ken slumped back into the bed. The redhead continued to mutter for a few moments before standing up straight.

Omi had watched, unable to tear his eyes away while he stood at the foot of the bed. His hands gripped the footboard until his knuckles turned white. Ran had described the sounds that escaped the youth perfectly. Someone had hurt Ken. He knew that, could hear it in the anguished cries. But who and why remained a mystery. When the nightmare ended, he managed to ask, "Aya, are they always like this?"

Ran didn't bother to look at the blonde. "No, this was mild."

"mild?" He echoed softly.

"Yesterday, after the meeting, was much worse. I could hear him as soon as I came out of the stairwell. There was such despair in his voice. The nurses tried but nothing could calm him.”  Ran dared a glance at the florist, a quick quirk of the lips.  “At least, not until I got here.”  The redhead let out a heavy sigh.  “And then it was over." 

"Gods, Aya, there must be something we can do?" Omi looked up at his companion feeling so helpless.

"What else is there, Omi? Tell me and I'd gladly do it. He doesn't deserve this. No one does."

"We'll do everything in our power. Yoji and myself, whatever it takes. I promise you. I promise you both. We're all in this together, til the end."  Omi pledged wholeheartedly.

"Thank you."

They stood there quietly for a few minutes. "Listen, Aya, I've got to go now. I'll give you a call later and let you know what I've found out. Everything will work out, ok?" Ran just nodded. "Bai." And the short blonde hurried out with renewed determination.

It would take the redhead another hour for him to come out of his reverie. He looked down at the list and decided he may as well get started.

*

Ran sat down at a table in the corner feeling incredibly exhausted. His contacts proved to be utterly useless. A few he had left messages for, but he doubted he would get a call back. One had moved away and didn't leave any forwarding address or number. He did manage to speak with a few of them and they were pleasant enough at first. But as soon as he mentioned that he was looking into Ken's accident they abruptly got short. As soon as he uttered Ken's name to one person, they hung up without so much as a word.

Apparently, it was seen as a taboo topic, as he learned from Kenji Sakamoto.

"Hai, this is Kenji. How may I help you?"

"My name is Aya Fujimiya, and I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time. I would like to speak with you about a specific matter."

"Is this about Tsuki?"

"Not directly, but in a way it does concern him."

"Then what is it you want to discuss?"

"I would like to talk about Ken Hidaka's last game." The phone went eerily quiet for a moment and Ran thought he was about to be hung up on when he heard Kenji speak.

"Listen to me Fujimiya-san. And I suggest you listen well. I will not discuss that topic with you and I suggest you stop asking questions now. No one else will speak with you about Ken-kun and if you continue to pursue this you'll end up just like Tsuki. I wish there was a way I could help you but I can't. I miss Ken-kun too. But…. Just let it go. Don't call me again." And then the phone went dead.

Ran had decided that he would continue to use his sister's name through this since he hadn't bothered to correct either Omi or Yoji yet. He couldn't explain exactly why he did that, but just something he felt compelled to do. Perhaps by assuming her name, he could live for her. Until she woke up, that is.

Sakamoto was the cameraman for Tsuki Fujikawa. And by the sounds of it was also a good friend of Ken's. It was pretty obvious that Kenji knew something but refused to talk about it. One of his comments had been plaguing the redhead since that conversation. 'you'll end up like Tsuki.' But what had happened to the reporter? As far as Ran knew, the man was missing. Is that what Sakamoto meant? For some reason he didn’t think so.

The rest of the morning had gone rather quickly as a result of the calls. Little did he know that his day was about to get more hectic.

He was just about finished with his quick lunch when he felt a vibration in his coat pocket followed immediately by a generic ringtone. Startled, he pulled out his cellphone and looked at the number. All the screen said was "unavailable." Figuring it was either Omi or Yoji, he hit the send button. "Fujimiya desu."

"Is this Aya Fujimiya?"

"Yes."

"It has come to our attention that you are looking into a certain matter. Stop now. It would be unwise to persist. We are certain your family would agree. It would be your safest choice. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Good. Then we hope this will be the last time we speak with each other." The call ended.

Violet eyes stared disbelieving at the phone. He had just received a threat. He did not even think it was possible still, but some unknown man had just threatened his wellbeing. Dumbfounded he couldn't even think any more. He was jolted back to reality when the phone sprang to life once more. This time the display read, Y A Investigators. Quickly, he picked it up.

"Fujimiya desu."  Ran tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke.

"Oi Aya, this is Yoji. Something important's just come up."

There was urgency in the blonde’s voice which caused him to ask a little too sharply.  "What is it?"

"You ok? You sound a little off?"

"For the moment.”  Not in the mood to elaborate, he wanted to get this call over with and figure out what had transpired only minutes ago.  “Now, what have you found?" 

"Tsuki Fujikawa."

Ran couldn’t believe his ears.  New shock replaced old and he stumbled over his words to get them out.  "Nani? Where was he? What did he say?"

"He's not saying anything right now. And it's uncertain if he'll say anything ever again."  The disappointment and sorrow in the man’s voice was obvious even over the line.

"What do you mean?"

"He's been in an accident. The car was totaled. They say he's barely clinging on to life. The worst part is, his older brother was with him. But he didn't make it."

"Brother?" His mind raced with the recent events. 'End up like Tsuki. Family. Safest choice.' "Oh my God, Yoji. I have to go." Hitting the end button, Ran sprang from his seat and ran as fast as he could to the elevators. Aya, please be safe. He pleaded silently as the floors ticked off. The lift doors didn't even fully open when he dashed out into the ward. He hesitated only a moment when he saw no one at the nurses' station and feared the worst.

He skidded to a halt in his sister's doorway and practically collapsed against it in relief. The real Aya still slept soundly in her bed. He moved into the room and closed the door behind him. Carefully, he made his way over to her side and picked up her hand. Cradling soft fingers between his callused palms, he said, "Thank god, you're alright. I just had the scare of my life. It was like that night we came home and…. I couldn't go through that again."

Leaning forward, his forehead touched the back of her hand. He continued to whisper quietly to her, "What have I gotten myself into Aya? It shouldn't be this complicated. All I wanted to do was help. But it looks like I've gotten in over my head. How am I supposed to avenge our parents - you - if I have to watch my back for some stranger? I know, I know I've come to know a lot about him, but was I wrong to make him my concern too? He just seemed so innocent. He reminded me of you. But everything that I've learned seems so shady, could I have been wrong about him? Could he be as corrupt and evil as the bastards who stole our happiness?" The question hung in the air.

Slowly, he resigned himself to what his heart believed. "No, he's a victim just as much as we are. Someone has taken his happiness too. We just haven't figured out who and why yet, but I swear we will. We have to stick together, the three of us - no, Omi said that he and Yoji would be there too. We don't have to be alone anymore. But how do I help him? I haven't even been able to help you, what makes me think I'll make any difference for him?"

Something stirred deep inside him. If it weren't for the fact that he knew he was awake he would have sworn it was a dream. For he thought he heard her gentle voice whispering to him, 'You do make a difference, onii-san.' Confused he glanced up at her calm face. "Aya?" A strong urge to go to Ken filled him, but he hesitated unsure about leaving right now.

Suddenly, the door swung open and a breathless nurse burst in. She closed her eyes and muttered thanks to the gods. Panicked eyes looked up at the redhead, "Fujimiya-san…." She never got to finish as a scream pierced the air.

Instantly, Ran was on his feet pushing past the nurse toward Ken's room. Skidding at the entrance to the room, he took in the scene. And he became acutely aware of something as he watched from a distance. Agonized cries tore from the youth while he bucked and twisted from the nurses. Ken's arms flung up in a protective manner and the moment someone, real or imaginary, drew close he swung out to keep them back. He kicked at unseen foes attempting to get away. One leg remained oddly straight under the covers.

Ran filed this away for later. He had to get in there quickly before Ken could hurt himself with his thrashing. The IV was already dangling free, having been ripped from the brunette's arm early on. This was by far the worse nightmare they suffered through. The nurses made way for him when he rushed to calm the soccer player. Carefully, he grabbed the boy's wrists and forced his arms to his side.

Ken still cried out so Ran had to shout in order for the brunette to hear him, "Ken! It's ok, I'm here. It's me Ran. You have to calm down, Ken. You have to relax or you're going to hurt yourself more. You're safe. I'm here." This had become his typical litany whenever Ken was swept away by the dream and usually managed to dispel the nightmare. However this time it wasn't enough. Ken continued to struggle against the redhead. Ran thought quickly and soon words were tumbling out of him. "You're safe, Ken. You're not alone anymore. I'm here. I won't let them hurt you. We'll stop them. I promise, Ken. I promise to protect you."

The brunette let out one last choked sob then slumped into the bed. The tension in the room broke and the nurses also relaxed now that the trouble was over. Most left, but one stayed behind to reapply the IV. As soon as she was done, she left too. Now it was only Ran and Ken. The frantic experience had drained the redhead and he sagged into the chair next to the goalie. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples feeling a headache coming on. He realized his other hand was still attached to the boy's wrist but instead of pulling away he moved down to intertwine their fingers. If he had opened his eyes he might have noted the change in Ken's position, leaning more on one side, facing him but he was just too tired now to bother. Softly, he begged aloud, "Please, Ken. Just wake up. Please."

Over the course of the past twenty-four hours, so much had happened. And Ran was rapidly reaching his limits. Resting there he tried to figure out what to do next. At some point during his musings, he must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew he was roused from his catnap by a weak pressure on his hand. The room had darkened early because of winter and it took him a second to remember he was still in the hospital. For a moment, his befuddled mind didn't understand what had caused him to wake. Suddenly, full comprehension jerked him upright in his chair. Daring to hope, he whispered to the dark, "Ken?"

"Kase?" A weak, raspy voice tentatively asked. Despite the months of disuse, the sound of Ken's voice was music to his ears.

Ran could sense underlying trepidation in the hopeful voice, but looked past it in favour of this new development. He also had to fight against the pang in his heart when Ken had said Kase's name. It was a mix of emotions he felt. He was hurt that Ken would ask for his long-time friend right away, but he should have expected it. Afterall, Ken didn't even know him, but it was still disappointing somehow. Yet, he was ecstatic to know that Ken had found his way to the surface again. He just prayed he wasn't dreaming it all.

Only after a moment's pause, Ran cleared his throat and answered, "No, Ken-san."

There was an awkward silence that followed. And fear settled in the redhead's heart. He didn't know how Ken would react to his presence now that he was awake. It was something he had pushed to the back of his mind when he first decided to help Ken and never brought it back out to consider. Anxiety filled him and it almost became too much, only to have it banished a heartbeat later.

"Ran?" It could scarcely be called a whisper but it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard in his life.

So stunned and happy by the odd turn of events, Ran smiled as a tear broke free from amethyst eyes. Gently he squeezed the hand he still held and whispered back, "Yes." His elation increased tenfold when he felt a weak tightening of his own hand. And now Ran knew for sure he wasn't dreaming all this, Ken had finally woken up.

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Ken:  Yeah!  I’ve finally woken up! –dances around in circles-

Shiki-kun:  Um, excuse me, what are you doing?

Ken: -shrugs with a smile- Cheering and Dancing.

S-K:  I can see that, but you’re not supposed to be here, I don’t do omake.

Yoji:  Looks like you do now.

S-K:  No, no, no.  You two have to leave now before this gets out of hand. –stamps foot and points toward exit-

Ken:  Awww, but I just woke up.  I’ve been lying in bed for so long and I want to dance and jump and hop and skip and …

S-K: And stop!  I said no.

Yoji:  -Saunters up to Ken and leans on his shoulder- I think Kenken has a point.  You should let him have his fun.  And I know I’m not ready to go.

S-K: -covers face with hands mumbling- This can’t be happening.  –glaces up at the redhead sitting silently in the corner- Can’t you do something about this?  Like whip out your katana and shout Shi-ne or something?

Ran: Not worth dirtying my blade.

S-K:  -SCREAMS!-

Omi:  You know, by continuing this conversation you are only perpetuating this omake.  If you really didn’t want to do it you should have stopped at the beginning.

S-K:  -growls- Thanks.  I’ll try to remember that for next time.  But you’re right.  You guys do what you want, I’m leaving. –walks out-

Ken: All right!  Who’s up for a soccer game? –looks around hopefully-

Yoji: Um. –glances at watch- Actually, I have a date.  Better get going.  Have fun, Kenken.

Omi:  I would love to Ken-kun but I uh, I have some, uh, homework to finish.  Yeah!  Gotta go!

Ken:  -looks at Aya pleadingly-

Aya: Not a chance.

Ken: -flops down sulking- This stinks.  I may as well have stayed comatose.

Aya:  -walks up behind Ken and crouches down-  But we could try other activities. –wraps his arms around the brunette-

Ken: -blushes furiously- I think I’d like that.  (fade to black) –waggles eyebrows-

Alright, now that that silliness is over, please be kind and review!  I would greatly appreciate it.  Please or else this craziness might happen again.  And I’m sure you don’t want that.  Thanks!