Chapter 9

There was no way I could get a plane ticket in such a short time but I had to do something.

She had already suffered a lot because of me and I didn't want to leave her alone one more time. I decided to drive to Tokyo. It could take 9 hours to reach Tokyo from my home town by road. She was to be operated upon at 10 a.m. and I could only reach in time if I drove fast.

It had always been difficult for me to drive at night but I had to do it. There was no time to think.

Going to Tokyo meant another day off from work and it could just dash my reputation of being the most dutiful and punctual doctor to ground but that didn't matter to me anymore.

I could sacrifice everything of mine just to meet her one more time .

When I was a kid, being the eldest son I had a special connection with my mom. She used to promise that she would never leave me but she died when I was just 9 years of old. I was just a kid then and this made me lose trust on others. I began to fear trusting others. I began to fear love. I used to say that she had broken her promise.

I hated it when people showed sympathy for me for not having my mom. This made me hate everyone around me. As I grew up, this hate diminished but it left my heart emotionless. I could not feel the pain of other people even my close ones. I did not feel happiness even when I was supposed to. All these emotions were alien to me.

And then I met her I met Rukia. She made me happy, she made me sad.

She stirred those emotions. I felt happy when I was with her, I felt her pain and I wanted to trust her.

When I was in high school, I decided to become a doctor just because I wanted to earn a lot of money.

I wanted to tell the world that relations and sentiments are worth nothing, it is money and fame that matters. But then,as I had found a girl for whom I could give away all the money and fame, I realized that I had unknowingly been striving all my life just to reach Rukia, just to find her.

There was fog and it was hard to see anything but I had to drive. I reached the hospital at 9.45 a.m. I had no difficulty in finding it because I had been there twice before.

I saw Dr. Heyi. She was discussing something with another doctor. It was most probably about Rukia.

"Where is Rukia?" That was the first question I asked as I reached there.

"Ichigo What are you doing here?" Heyi was greatly surprised but that didn't matter.

"Please tell me where is Rukia." I knew I was acting crazy.

"She has been shifted to operating room. I' m sorry you can't see her. The operation is about to start." She said.

"I don't care. I have to say something urgent to her. You have to give me some time." I said desperately.

Heyi didn't know what to say. She just looked at the other doctor.

"Okay but I can only give you 5 minutes." The other doctor said.

"Thank you Thank you so much." I was overwhelmed with joy.

"Take him to the operating room." He told a peon.

The peon left as we reached the operation theatre. There was no one else in the room except the both of us.

Rukia had her eyes closed. She was looking paler than usual but to me, she was as beautiful as ever.

"Rukia " I softly said her name as I placed my hand over hers.

"Ichigo?" she said without opening her eyes. "I am seeing this dream again."

"It is not a dream Rukia. I'm here, right beside you." I whispered in her ear.

She opened her eyes at once.

"Ichigo " she could not find any words to say.

"Are you scared?" I said.

Her eyes watered.

"Wipe those tears. The Rukia I know doesn't waste her tears over such petty things."

"These are the tears of joy you fool." Rukia said wiping her tears.

"I just wanted to tell you .Don't you dare die." This brought a weak smile to Rukia's face.

"I'll love to make coffee for you everyday." Rukia blushed as I said this.

"I think I should go now." I said as I kissed her at forehead.

"You'll wait for me, right?" Rukia asked.

"All my life." I said as I smiled.

"Dad, mom is getting angry. Come on, we are waiting for you." Ichigo's 5 years old son, Mamoru said making a grumpy face.

"I'm just coming in a second." Ichigo said capping the pen as he closed his diary.

"Ichigo, I told you not even to touch that diary on week end. Is that diary more important to you than your family?" Rukia said entering the room as the little kid grabbed her.

"Nothing is more important to me than you, sweet heart." Ichigo said with a smile.

"Let's go."

"Yay! We are going to the beach where dad first confessed... " Mamoru was cut in by her mom.

"Shut up, Mamoru." She said as the three of them went towards the car.

Author's note; "This was my fic that encouraged me to write further. So please whenevever you read it, kindly review it. It will be a big reward for me. I hope you liked it. ^^"18 august 2011-