"Misao?" a light voice entered the chapel.
The teenager looked up to see Kaoru in the doorway. She wiped her eyes, attempting a smile as the other woman came forward.
"I'm so sorry," Kaoru said gently, giving Misao a hug.
Misao sniffed, letting herself be held for a moment. "I...I don't know what to do. I...I said some awful things to him and-"
"You were angry. You're not to blame for anything..."
"He...He might die thinking-"
"Don't think like that," Kaoru instructed. "Aoshi's one of the strongest people we know. He'll get through this..."
"You think so?" Misao gulped.
"I do. But he needs you there with him."
"I...I can't..." Misao pulled away, fear in her eyes. "I saw him, Kaoru. He looked...He looked...bad…" she swallowed hard.
"Misao, this is Aoshi. He's known you since you were born. If anyone could pull him out of this, it'd be you!" Kaoru insisted. Then she grasped Misao's shoulder. "You aren't alone, Misao. Kenshin, Megumi, and I will be here to support you."
Misao took a deep breath to calm herself. "All right..."
"Let's head back, okay?"
After a few moments, Misao nodded.
They took a slow walk to the waiting room in ICU. Misao was surprised to see the amount of people waiting in the room for their loved ones. Megumi was talking in quiet tones to a brunette while Kenshin sat to one side quietly. Three other men sat together, their eyes glued to the television.
"Misao," Kenshin greeted in a gentle tone. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay...I guess..."
He gave her an understanding smile.
"Misao, this is Lt. Theresa Williams," Megumi spoke up, gesturing to the woman beside her. Then she quickly introduced the three men watching television. "They all worked under Aoshi."
"It's finally nice to meet you, Misao," Theresa came forward, shaking her hand. The three men followed her lead.
Misao nodded. "You guys...all came here...for him?"
"That’s right," the one named Ryan Taylor spoke up. "As soon as he wakes up, we want to know..."
Misao smiled briefly. "Thanks...Thanks for being here..." She looked up as Theresa turned to her with a genuine smile.
"I've heard so much about you," Theresa continued.
"You...You have?" Misao stammered.
"Oh yes. And there's a picture of you and the commander on Mt. Kilauea on his desk," Theresa added.
Misao closed her eyes, turning away. Those were some happy times. Before Aoshi got so involved with work. With sudden realization, she blinked. The Aoshi back then...was starting to resurface the past couple weeks. But before he could...she felt her throat clog with emotion again.
"It's been really hard on him," Theresa continued as she glanced in the direction of ICU. Her voice had taken a faraway tone. "He didn't want to leave you...and he didn't want to ignore his duty to his country..."
“What?”
Theresa sighed. “You’re very important to him. And so is his work.”
Slowly turning away, Theresa settled in a seat on the far side of the waiting room. Misao barely noticed that Kenshin and Kaoru had gotten coffee and hot chocolate for everyone. She didn’t even remember taking her cup from Kenshin’s outstretched hand. She needed time to think. She sipped her chocolate slowly.
"Misao?" Kenshin spoke up, sitting in the seat next to her.
"Himura..."
"How are you?"
"Okay..." Misao said finally. "I guess..."
Kenshin stared at the door leading into ICU. "It's not his time yet," he said softly.
Misao ducked her head, trying to stop tears from spilling. "How do you know that?"
"Because he is a fighter. They do not give up so easily..." Kenshin smiled at her. "And he has you. As long as you're there...he will fight to live."
Himura..."Thank you...for saying that," Misao whispered.
"You're welcome," Kenshin responded warmly.
He was a really kind man. Misao knew that when the time was right, he'd make a good father. He and Kaoru would have a happy family and a household full of smiling children. Kaoru was very lucky. Himura was lucky.
Looking up, Misao noticed that Aoshi’s three men were still sitting in their previous positions. Kaoru and Megumi were sitting next to each other, each looking in deep thought. Misao rose to her feet.
“Misao…are…are you all right?” Megumi asked, noticing her movement.
Misao nodded. “I…I think so.” She could see the concern in not only Megumi’s eyes, but Kenshin and Kaoru’s. “I…I’m going inside now…”
“I’ll go with you and let the nurse know you’re going to be there…” Megumi rose to her feet.
“We’ll be waiting out here,” Kenshin assured Misao, who nodded.
There were advantages to working in a hospital. Misao was grateful for Megumi’s help. Once inside ICU, Misao headed towards Aoshi’s bed while Megumi spoke with the desk nurse. Misao sat in the chair next to the bed, feeling lost…helpless…alone. Then she realized that all her life, someone…her grandfather…Jiya…Aoshi…had always been there for her. Growing up with those three men…she had never felt alone. But now…one had passed away, one was in another country, and another…was fighting to live. She hugged herself, shaking slightly.
“Misao,” Megumi spoke up gently.
Misao looked up.
“The nurses know you’re here. Visiting hours are over at seven-thirty p.m. But you’re welcome to stay in the hospital until eight tomorrow morning, when visiting hours start again…” She cleared her throat. "Before I picked you up, I also informed your school administration that you may be out for a few days..."
“Thanks, Dr. Takani. Thanks a lot. I...I really mean it,” Misao replied.
Megumi reached up to draw the curtain around Aoshi’s bed, giving Misao more privacy. Then with one last lingering in Aoshi’s direction, Megumi left.
Misao appreciated the gesture, for she wanted to be alone with Aoshi. She scooted her chair closer.
“Aoshi?” she cleared his throat. “I…I’m so sorry…for…for everything…” She swallowed. “I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean what…what I said…”
No response. She wasn’t surprised. Misao reached down, grasping his limp hand between her two small ones.
“I…I’m trying to be strong…but…I…I’m not…I…” She took a deep shuddering breath, her eyes filling again. “How can I when you’re not here…?” She gripped his hand tighter. "I need you so much...I can't do all of this alone..."
Still. He was quiet. Misao tried to ignore all the sounds around her, machines whirring, beeping, the release of oxygen…Misao focused on Aoshi again. Himura had said that it wasn't Aoshi's time. But looking at him...how would he know? How would anyone know?
“You’re alive, I know you are,” Misao whispered. “You have to be…You…” Just when she didn’t think she could cry anymore… “Oh…Aoshi…I’m…I’m so sorry for…for everything…Please…Please don’t go…” she sobbed.
“Someone has to stay here with her,” Megumi said softly. She cupped her elbows in her hands, studying Kaoru and Kenshin in the waiting room. “I wish I could take time off…but I can’t…”
“It’s okay, Megumi,” Kaoru assured her. “I’ll stay with Misao…you and Kenshin have work early tomorrow.”
“I’ll come back again first thing tomorrow.” Then with a rueful smile, she said, “Even with my father as the commanding officer of this hospital-”
“It’s all right, Megumi. You’re here, and that’s what matters,” Kaoru said sincerely.
"Megumi..." Kenshin spoke up softly. His normally polite tone had lost all formality. "How is he doing?"
Megumi knew what he was really asking. He just wanted to make sure that what Misao had been told was the truth. Misao's emotional state was unpredictable. The girl was showing remarkable strength...but she was only sixteen. This situation would be stressful on any teenager.
"It's difficult to say," Megumi finally said, looking the couple square in the eye. "He's been unconscious since...the shooting...and...there hasn't been any sign of improvement."
"what about his injuries?" Kenshin pressed.
Megumi brushed aside several of her long, feathery bangs in an effort to gather her composure. "Any wounds to the trunk can be difficult to determine. I skimmed his chart...I...I couldn't read any more after learning that one...one bullet...came...very close to cracking one of his ribs..." She bit her lip.
Kaoru breathed out. "That...That's awful."
"It's just a waiting game," Megumi murmured. "When I was a resident, we'd see patients who had been shot in the chest, and they were conscious the entire time. So...each patient is different..."
"I see..." Kenshin nodded, frowning in thought.
“I’m going to tell Misao that I have to leave,” Megumi said, turning to ICU.
With a heavy heart, Megumi entered the unit. She wanted to find out if anything new would happen. But things just didn’t happen that way. When she reached Aoshi’s bed, she swallowed at the sight of him, and at the sight of her patient crying.
“Misao,” she prompted gently. “I need to leave…but I’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning…”
The teenager looked up, wiping her eyes. “Oh…I…”
“Visiting hours are almost over, so I promise to be back tomorrow…” Megumi assured.
“Okay…” the teenager nodded slowly.
Several moments of silence stretched between them.
“He needs your strength right now…more than anything…” Megumi said quietly.
Perhaps it was the confidence radiating from her physician that prompted Misao to straighten her shoulders. “You’re right…I…I’m sorry…”
“No need to apologize…” the doctor replied gently.
Outside, Kaoru and Misao settled in more comfortable chairs while Kenshin and Megumi left. Aoshi’s crew had found other places in the hospital to settle in for the night.
The two studied the television monitor blankly for several minutes.
“Hey…” Kaoru spoke up. “The exchange doesn’t close for another half hour. Why don’t we buy a phone card?”
Misao frowned. “What for?”
“Isn’t there someone overseas you’d really like to talk to right now?” Kaoru prompted.
“What? What happened? Is he all right?”
Misao took a deep breath, clutching the phone to her ear. “I don’t know, Jiya. I wish I knew what was going on…” It was so good to hear his voice. She felt better than earlier. Not by much. But hearing her former guardian's voice was extremely comforting.
“Has he woken up since?” Okina pressed.
“No…” Misao choked out.
He let her cry for several moments, as if sensing she needed it. “What a stubborn man,” Okina chided. “Here we are worried sick about him and all he can do is sleep…”
In spite of the teasing in his voice, Misao caught the serious undertones. She knew he was attempting to stay positive. For her sake. “Jiya…I wish you were here…”
“Me too, little one,” Okina responded.
“He needs you…He…needs both of us,” Misao swallowed.
“I’m going to try and get some time off. It’s going to take me a while to get to Hawaii,” Okina warned.
“It doesn’t matter…as long as you’re here.”
“I’ll do my best.”
"I don't know what to do...I feel so alone..."
"You have friends there to support you," he reminded.
"It's not the same," Misao closed her eyes, leaning against the wall for support.
"I'm sorry. Be strong, Misao. I know it's hard...but you have to..."
Misao sniffed. "Jiya...when...my grandfather died...how...how was it?"
"It was hard on Aoshi and myself," Okina answered finally. "More on myself than Aoshi."
"But you were okay..." Misao recalled, wiping her eyes.
"I had to be," he responded simply.
She nodded. “Right. Th...Thanks, Jiya. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Try not to think about the worst, all right?”
“I’ll try…”
**
Beep…Beep. Whoosh.
Pain…dull…as if being prodded with a blunt edge. Stiff muscles refused to move. Why?
Beep…Beep. Whoosh.
Slowly…ever so slowly, he dragged his eyes open. Dizziness engulfed him, pulling him from consciousness back into the dark. Fighting it, his eyelids lowered slightly. And he stayed out of the dark.
Beep…Beep. Whoosh.
Where was he?
Bit by bit, he maneuvered his head, unfamiliar with his surroundings.
Beep. Beep. Whoosh.
Where...?
Beep. Beep. Whoosh.
As if in a trance, his eyes closed again...
