• CHAPTER 52 - I MISSED MY OPPORTUNITY

    When nobody tells you anything that had just happened, you know it's something big. Being crowded in curiosity and confusion won't help you solve it any faster. You want answers...and you want them now.

    .:{{Arisa's Perspective}}:.

    I was seventy-five percent positive that it wasn't just Akatsuki and I in his apartment last night. I remember, despite my heavy slumber, something cold--too cold--touching my cheek. It cooled down my fever for a few minutes, but it acted up again and I passed out before I could wake up. The touch was gentle, serene, cold, soft. There was only one assumption in my head but I was sure it wasn't possible...Kai said he'd never interfere in my life. I was inching more towards the assumption of Kai, however, because Akatsuki wouldn't speak. He walked around with frustration etched on his face and with the smallest sound, he would instantly grab his gun on alert.

    Despite my fevers and colds and Akatsuki's lectures, I still managed to force him to take me to school. I couldn't afford to miss anymore school otherwise I'd have to take Senior year again, not that I probably won't already. And of course I couldn't tell the school that I missed so much school due to Vampire and Werewolf attacks. Sicknesses were only twenty-five percent of the days missed of school. I was willing to go through the lack of comfort of a cold and the aches and pains of an upcoming flu just so I could try to get on in my life.

    It was becoming easy to forget--not necessarily forget about him, just not dwell on him so much--about Kai until I had the suspicion that he was in my room last night. It was nagging at me all day and I had to ask Akatsuki but I knew he wouldn't tell the truth if it was Kai. He probably hates Kai now, seeing as he's my guardian and Kai left me at the orphanage. The orphanage...s**t, I never told them I was gone!!

    I sprinted to Akatsuki's phone, increasing my stomach pain, and dialed the number to the orphanage and demanded to speak with Chi right away before they asked for my name.

    The phone was finally entrusted to Chi, "Hello?" skepticism clouded her tone.

    "Chi!" I blustered, "I'm sorry I didn't call before!"

    "Arisa!" she accused and I could tell she was more infuriated than angry, "Where the hell are you?!"

    "I'm at a friend's house right now," I tried to calm her down. "Something happened at school the other day and I came here. I'm only several blocks away."

    "Arisa," Chi whispered, "they think you've gone missing again!"

    "Tell them I'm fine," I sighed, "Don't have them call the cops, I'm fine."

    "Are you sure you weren't kidnapped by that guy again?"

    I froze where I was. God, I wish I was, "No, I wasn't. My friend's name is Akatsuki. He used to be my sister's boyfriend."

    "You need to come back soon." Chi lectured, "I don't want to lose you again."

    "I'm fine," I reassured, "I just wanted to call you and tell you I was okay."

    "Okay," Chi mumbled and hung up.

    "Bye," I mumbled as well, hanging up the phone after the long-winded tone of the phone.

    I knew Chi was frustrated with me now, obviously, but I guess I wouldn't blame her for being so worried and skeptical now. I was kidnapped eight months ago and if the situation was vice versa, then I'd be the same way she is right now. I touched my cheek that had been touched by the cold something of the night before. Akatsuki had been out all day and still hadn't returned so I'd wait to ask him if it was Kai that was here when he gets back.

    I limped to the kitchen, seeing as my ankle was still sore from being sprained and running on it from school. I had spent the past several days sitting in the bathroom all throughout passing time to be late to class on purpose. The only reason I did that was so I could avoid the jock and the blonde talking to me again. But they seemed to understand I didn't want to tolerate with their bullshit after I tried to fight with them. Their words were still pungent and dead-on from their assumption about Kai and I. Since then, I don't think they've even looked in my direction. Of course, I was sent to the office after another day and had to serve five suspensions which just ended yesterday.

    There was some left over McDonald's from yesterday when Akatsuki picked up food for our dinner. It seemed gross that Akatsuki would shove leftover McDonald's in the fridge. You'd think the crap load of artery-clogging grease would harden the food overnight. I only had a parfait and small fries which was still enough to give me a heart attack in a few years. I always hated fast-food restaurants, but Akatsuki doesn't know how to cook real dinners so he either lives off of microwave foods or fast food.

    I swept the refrigerator clean from all fast foods and threw them all in the dumpster outside, keeping watch over my back for two reasons: in case another stray Vampire shows up, or the one-in-a-trillion-jillion chance that Kai would so happen to show up. Why was I still dwelling? I was starting to think I was becoming childish about the whole thing and kept hoping for something that would never happen. Much like Santa Claus; you keep hoping you'll meet him but it will only end in disappointment. I know I should be keeping Kai's existence as a distant and dusty memory, but it's much too precious to not dwell on. I was slowly learning to let go by Akatsuki's consolance, but at this rate the closest I am to letting go is grasping Kai's whole arm in my memory.

    I hadn't realized I was already back in the apartment during my musing until I locked the door shut. I searched the kitchen again, this time for some real food that I could cook. I'm trying to cook on my very own this time; maybe I could surprise Akatsuki when he gets back. I'd make me some Asian pasta salad and Akatsuki a gyudon bowl (beef bowl). He'd need the energy. He's been up for hours a day and has barely slept a wink. Since it's around the full moon, the Werewolves are getting feisty and the Vampires are attacking a little more often that usual. It's such a good thing there's Necromantic Hunters and Exorcists around because then everybody would know about Vampires' existence.

    Wait...full moon? Takeuchi! I threw the food back into the cabinets and the refrigerator and sprinted into the guest bedroom where my billfold resided. I dug through the billfold and was lucky enough to find money for the subway rather than the bus. I threw my coat on, grabbed my phone, and rushed out of the apartment without even pausing to change my mind. If there was anybody I was still able to talk to that has contact with Kai, it's Takeuchi. He'd be so happy to see me again and I him.

    I sprinted to the subway station and bought a ticket and hopped onto the subway right before the doors shut. I limped to an empty seat as the subway jerked forward and took off. During the whole ride there, my knee was bouncing up and down and there were a couple of crying babies. I dug into one of my coat pockets and pulled out my cell phone and texted Akatsuki, telling him I went out and would be back late. Of course, I wasn't stupid enough to tell him where I was going because he'd be on my a** in a heartbeat. I watched the scenery of the open fields of Hokkaido pass by as I made my way to reunite myself with my unrelated little brother.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    I sprinted into the hospital faster than I did into the subway station. I was still sick with the flu acting up majorly, but I was only trying to shake it off until I see Takeuchi. The hospital looked the same as when I was last here. The parking lot was covered in slush and black ice and I managed to slip and fall a few times on the way to the front door, spraining my ankle even more. I knew that was a sign to slow down and take it easy, so I did. By the time I had gotten inside, I was already shivering and coughing like crazy even though it wasn't that incredibly cold outside. My stomach was killing me from all of the running and all of the worrying as I wobbled through the hallways until I reached an elevator. I waited for the elevator to reach ground level and immediately pressed the "five" button to make it up to Takeuchi's floor.

    It was stupid of me to do this; what if Matsuda and Kai and Orihime and Kira were here? What if Miku was here? Kai and Matsuda would probably kill me for coming back, but it's not like I'd expect them to be here. And what would happen if they really were here? Would they leave me right away, forgetting about me once again? Would I break down in front of them? Hundreds of questions continued to buzz in my head as the elevator seemed to take forever to move up. The elevator ceased to move on the third floor so a nurse pushing a wheelchair with an old, withered woman could enter. They pushed the sixth floor button and the rest of the ride was silent.

    I darted out of the elevator as soon as the doors were half open. I was in no time to wait for anything. I needed to talk to Takeuchi, he's always been able to help me. My heart was racing with excitement and nervousness as I continued to run through a few hallways to reach his room. My stomach was killing me again and I knew I'd throw up if I wouldn't sit down soon. I reached his room and leaned against the doorway, completely out of breath. I caught my breath halfway after around thirty seconds and I slid into the room, heart pounding loudly.

    I moaned and dropped to my knees right away and nearly broke down; Takeuchi was gone. They brought him back to Matsuda and Orihime's, probably knowing I'd come back to see him. His bed looked as though he were removed recently, seeing as nobody had made the bed yet. But...maybe that's not the case. Maybe they switched him rooms?

    I quickly sprung to my feet, tears brimming my eyes and my body weakening, and ran back downstairs to the lady at the front desk. She seemed a little too perky, seeing as her hair was all big and wavy and she was sitting with perfect posture and a big smile on her face while typing rapidly. She peeked over at me and grinned wider and ceased her typing.

    "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked politely.

    It took me a while to respond since I was trying to catch my breath and keep myself from passing out or getting sick, "Can you tell me...where Takeuchi...Garoukisu is?"

    "The sixteen-year-old? The one who was in a coma for a couple of weeks?" her eyebrows burrowed together and she frowned, "He left this morning."

    "No!" I blustered, causing the lady to flinch a little.

    I missed my opportunity to see him again. I couldn't say goodbye to him or plead to him to convince Kai to bring me back. They knew I would do this, they knew I would. My head was spinning and I didn't know if it was from disbelief or sickness. My fever was spiking and my stomach felt as though it were about to implode. I lay myself down on the marble floor and pressed my cheek against the cool while breathing heavily and wrapping my arm around my stomach. I felt as though I were going to die, which I wouldn't incredibly mind at this point in time. The secretary stood up and peeked over the desk at me with concern etched onto her face.

    "Miss, are you okay?" she interrogated while slipping off her hands-free headset and rushing around the counter to sit next to me.

    I shook my head and groaned, holding back the bile that was trying to slip out of my mouth. The secretary rushed back to her desk and called for help and she was shaking a little. Did I really look that bad? She rushed back to me and rubbed my shoulder cautiously.

    "Help is coming. We're going to take you to a room, okay?"

    I was about to tell her I was okay, not wanting to stir up concern, but by the looks of the other patents' faces, I was far from okay. I hated getting stared at, it was embarrassing and made me self-conscious too. I didn't want to stay in the hospital again, not if Takeuchi wasn't there. And Akatsuki would lecture me beyond belief for going out while I was sick just to try and find a Werewolf that had left. And it was just this morning that they removed him. I missed him incredibly and now he was gone, gone back home.

    From behind me, two nurses with a stretcher rushed over to where I was doubled over in pain and dismissed the secretary. One of the nurses--who was male--scooped me up easily off of the ground after removing my coat and placed me on the stretcher as the other nurse, female, tied a tourniquet around my bicep. They had come with an IV bag, probably in the off-chance that I'd be dehydrated, which I was. After another ten seconds of the numbing tourniquet and the patients' stares, the female nurse slid the needle into my arm. I wanted to go back to Akatsuki's, I didn't want to remember this and I didn't want him to know that I came to the hospital.

    Unconsciousness was tugging at my eyes and weakness had already consumed my body. I was getting closer to becoming sick while seeing all of the doors and lights pass by as the nurses rushed me to an elevator to get me up to a room. I gave in, slipping into unconsiousness while thinking of no other than Takeuchi, Kai, and Akatsuki as we exited the elevator and my awaited hospital room.