I'm pretty sure nobody who started reading when I first published this is still reading this by now. I'm sure you have all move on with your lives, but I'm still stuck on this story. I really want to finish it but alas time has not been on my side.
If however you were here from the beginning and you are still reading this then I only have one thing I can think of saying to you − THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STICKING AROUND! I will finish this story, eventually, I promise. I know the ending, I just have to write it AND DON'T WORRY, I haven't given up on this story yet, so I'm going to finish it properly and not quick and easy (as if I could do that lol).
Now the next chapter you've all been waiting for!
Chapter 20: Blue and White
Mori's point of view:
"AYA!" Haruhi and Honey exclaimed in unison as Ayami's body fell limp to the floor. I bolted from the sidelines and crossed the space between Aya and me in a split second.
I reached Aya before the others and rolled her on to her back. Right away I noticed she had a fever and her skin was very pale. I quickly checked for breathing and pulse. Her breathing was labored and heavy but still there and her pulse, although very fast, considering the amount of physical exertion she had just been going through, it wasn't abnormal. The was a bump on her forehead probably from when her head hit the floor. It was bleeding slightly and already starting to create a large bruise.
"Is she alright, Takashi?" Honey asked once he reached my side, I nodded.
"She's just passed out, and I think she has a fever. The stress must have been too much for her," I answered trying to sound calm, but inside adrenaline was rushing through my system. I tried to regulate my breathing so that the others wouldn't see how unhinged I was. At this time Haruhi kneeled at Ayami's side and began inspecting the small bleeding cut on her forehead.
"We should take her to the nurse's office," Haruhi stated sounding a bit uneasy. I nodded, and I placed my arms underneath her shoulders and legs. I started to lift her when someone put a hand on my shoulder.
"Let me," Tamaki said sternly. I looked up at him and gauged his expression. There was a determination in his eyes and a strict set to his brows and mouth. He looked me in the eyes for a short moment and nodded at me. I reluctantly released my hold on her.
Making sure he had a good grip before allowing him to take her, I sat back and let Tamaki take over. He struggled a bit to lift her, but he managed to stand then he carried her, princess style, towards the doors. I watched his back walking away from me and felt an unfamiliar emotion overwhelm me.
Jealousy...
'Why? I have no right to feel this way. Tamaki is Aya's brother... but still... I wanted to be the one to be her savior.' I thought, watching him walk away.
"Takashi?" Honey spoke my name questioningly. I looked at him as he put his small hand on my shoulder, he was concerned about me. "I'm sure Aya's gonna be fine."
"Yeah," I replied looking back to see Tamaki walking through the doors.
'Still, I wish it were me.' I thought to myself.
"Ayami is disqualified due to the state of her physical condition. Tamaki wins the game." Kyoya said crossing out the scores on his paper and turning the lights off in one swift movement. He exited after Tamaki and the rest of the host club filed out after. I didn't move for a few seconds before finally standing up and following them.
In the nurse's office:
"I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to leave." The nurse said calmly ushering us towards the doors.
"Why? Can't you at least tell us what's wrong with Ayami?" Haruhi asked confused.
"I'm sorry, but due to our... required procedures, I'm not allowed to disclose any information on the patient. There is a family only policy-" she started to say, but Tamaki interrupted her.
"I am her family!" Tamaki shouted the nurse looked a bit caught off guard on what to do.
"Yes, well- I- um," the nurse stuttered out.
"We still can't tell you anything," another lady said as she came out from behind the curtain which separated us from Ayami. We all looked up to see a tall, thin woman with long black hair, pulled tightly back into a ponytail, and a white doctor's coat, walking towards our little group. "Concerning Miss Suoh, we, that being all the staff at Ouran High School, were told not to disclose any information to anyone of anything involving her, not without first getting the chairman's approval."
"You can't even tell us if she's going to be alright?" Haruhi asked slightly annoyed. The doctor looked at her with a stiff expression then sighed giving in.
"She's going to be alright," the doctor replied then gave us a half smile.
"Dr. Li," a voice spoke in from the doorway. We all turned to see Chairman Suoh walking into the nurse's office.
"Mr. Chairman." The doctor said standing up straighter as he walked towards her.
"I think it would be alright for them to at least hear how their friend is doing," he said flashing a grin our direction.
"If you say so, Mr. Chairman." Dr. Li complied looking down at her chart then listing Ayami's medical information. "Miss Suoh suffered a minor head injury that she received after falling on the gym floor unconscious. The injury doesn't appear to be traumatic and is only on the surface. There is a cut and slight bruising around the injury, but it should heal without leaving any marks or scars. She is currently in a stable condition though still suffers from a slight fever. The fever with the added stress from physical activity the most likely cause of her passing out." She then looked up from her chart to look at us. "She should make a full recovery within a few weeks. I hope this answers your questions."
"Yes, thank you," Haruhi stated flatly seeming bothered by the doctor's immediate compliance just because of the chairman's presence. Dr. Li ignored Haruhi's tone and redirected her attention to the chairman.
"If you would follow me into the back please, Mr. Chairman." The doctor said and gestured for him to follow her. He nodded in response, and they began walking towards where Aya was. "Send the children home," Dr. Li said to the still stunned nurse as she walked behind the curtains.
I leaned forward so that I could get a glimpse of Aya. Her head was bandaged, and they had put an IV in her arm. Her breathing was steady, though she was still unconscious. That was all I could see before the curtain cut off my view again. 'At least she's being properly cared for even if the doctor treating her is rude.' I thought, releasing a breath I hadn't realized till now I was holding.
"Now," the unsteady nurse said, "I'm sorry, but you really must be going. Dr. Li has asked that you leave."
"We're not-" Tamaki started, but the twins grabbed him one arm each and Kyoya threw his hand over Tamaki's mouth.
"Yes of course," Kyoya said with one of his "polite" smiles. "We'll be leaving now. Thank you for your assistance." The nurse smiled unsurely as the twins dragged the raging Tamaki into the hallway, the rest of us hosts started to follow them. I was the last host still in the office when I overheard some of the conversations between the doctor and the chairman from behind the curtains.
"Please continue, Doctor," The Chairman said, and I stopped dead in my tracks, one leg out the door. The nurse who was walking behind me was startled and almost ran into my back.
"Of course," Dr. Li said clearing her throat. The rest of the club members left down the hall, but I stayed to listen. "The fever seems to be stress induced. Miss Suoh fainted from over-exertion and exhaustion. It seems that she's had very little sleep for the past several days. It also appears that she hasn't been eating properly. I suspect this has been going on for a while now, considering the amount of weight loss since hee student medical exams only three months ago." Dr. Li continued oblivious that I was still listening.
"My dear child, what have you done to yourself?" I heard Chairman Suoh sigh.
The nurse behind me looked as if she was going to say something, but I looked down at her, and she froze solid. I'm not sure what my expression was, but it caught her speechless, and she backed away slowly, looking fearful of me, but I wasn't thinking about that at the moment.
The doctor spoke again. "She needs to rest and made sure to eat properly for the next few days. I would recommend that you keep her home from school, at least until her fever subsides, if not a bit longer until she's recovered more of her strength, but until then I can write a prescription for something to help with the fever and any pain she might feel from her head injury. Also, should her eating and sleeping habits not improve or if the fever persists for more than three days you should take her to see a doctor."
"That I can do. Thank you, Doctor Li. Now, I have a meeting with the school board that really should have started ten minutes ago, so I must get going. I'll try to make it go as quickly as possible but no guarantees. Afterwards, I'll collect her and take her home with me but if she wakes up before I return, tell her she's not allowed to leave on her own and that she is to wait for me."
"Of course, sir." Dr. Li replied. Then the curtain pulled back, and the chairman exited from the back. He looked up and met my stern gaze. His expression changed from slight surprise to a pleasant, almost sly looking grin. Then Doctor Li came out from behind the curtain.
"Young man, what are you still doing here?" The doctor exclaimed then she shot an irritated glance at the nurse. "I thought I told you to escort them out!" The nurse looked guilty, but the doctor quickly turned back to me. She was about to continue scolding me when Chairman Suoh put his hand up to stop her.
"Now, now, Doctor Li." The Chairman said taking a step in my direction. "I'm sure he's just worried about her, that's all. Aren't you?" He asked placing his hand on my upper arm with the same smile still in place. I merely nodded in answer to his question, and his grin grew. He removed his hand and crossed his arms behind his back.
Though I was taller than the Chairman, and physically looked down at him, there was something in his eyes, an aura he emitted, that gave the impression that he was to be respected and even feared. His presence felt like a hot iron; it slowly heated the room with subtle tension.
Going against my better judgment, I opened my mouth to speak.
"You're wrong," I stated with an even and sure tone. The Chairman was taken slightly aback by my statement, but he recomposed himself.
"Is that so? About what, may I ask, am I wrong?" He urged in a mildly playful tone.
"About Aya," I added, "She didn't do this to herself." His small smile grew into a sly grin.
"So, you are on a first name basis with my daughter. Not only that but a nickname..." He noted before mumbling, "... very interesting." Not knowing why for some reason but that bothered me. I tried to hide my irritation, but I could feel the muscles in my body were wound tight, and my hands balled into fists.
Pulling his hands from behind his back and putting one hand to his chin, he continued, "The doctor has clearly explained that this was caused by her own disregard for her health, so what do you mean by 'she didn't do this to herself'?" I took a few even breaths before answering.
"This isn't Miss Suoh's fault. You're the one to blame for the state she's in." My accusation didn't seem to faze him on the outside, but I could tell he was processing it so I continued. "She's been under all this stress from what you've put her through. You've forced her to do things she never wanted to do. Moving homes, enrolling her in a new school, taking lessons, and ... separating her from her family." His expression faltered for a split second, but he recovered quickly. "This is all your doing." I finished. The set of his lips didn't change, and he kept the same neutral expression.
"Hold your tongue!" Dr. Li furiously interjected. "You shouldn't make such accusations lightly, young man. You need to show proper respect. You-" the chairman put his hand up to quiet her.
"No, it's quite alright." He told her then he smiled. "You're right," he said placing a hand on my shoulder again, "You're absolutely right. This is by my own hand, and I will take full responsibility for the outcome of my actions." He didn't say any more than that, but the look in his eyes told me there was more meaning behind his words. "I'm glad to see my daughter has friends who care about her so much and I'm grateful." He smiled and took a few steps towards the door. "Thank you for your concern for my daughter's wellbeing." He said finally before heading out the door.
I stood there for a moment realizing how tense I had been. Then Doctor Li cleared her throat in agitation. I looked back at her; she was tapping one foot with her hands on her hips; impatient. I turned to face her and bowed. "Thank you for taking care of Miss Suoh," I said before rising and leaving.
Ayami's point of view:
Blackness… Someone carrying me… Blackness… Feels cold. Need warmth… Blackness… Moving. In a car? Being carried again… Still cold… Silence. Silence and blackness.
I awoke slowly. My eyes felt heavy, and my head was spinning just a bit. I opened my eyes and saw what looked like the ceiling of my bedroom. I watched in a daze as deep orange rays of light scattered across my ceiling then my brain caught up with reality.
'I... I was at school. When did I get home? Wait, how did I get home? What time is it? Where are my glasses?'
I turned my head to look at my nightstand, and something fell off my forehead. I looked at it a bit more closely it was a cooling rag for when people have fevers.
'Ah yes, that must be it.' I thought to myself as I felt the daze-y-ness in my head.
"It's been a long time since I've gotten sick." I sighed and slowly reached for my glasses that were sitting on my nightstand. I slipped them on and looked at my alarm clock it read 5:47 PM. I sighed and placed my head back down on my pillow. My head was aching, and I put my hand up to my forehead only to find the I had a bandage wrapped around my head.
"Huh?" I questioned feeling around it the finding a very tender spot on the left side of my forehead.
'Ah,' I thought to myself, 'must've happened when I passed out during the game-' Suddenly, everything I had said and done during the game had come back to me. Then the truth dawned on me − I had lost the game. I stared at my ceiling in disbelief.
I should have been mad, furious, or at least ticked-off, but I couldn't muster the energy to be upset now. I sighed again closing my eyes knowing that I would have to continue dealing with Tamaki's chaotic antics was annoying but tolerable.
I laid in bed thinking to myself on nothing particular when I heard my bedroom door open. I looked up to see Hinata entering with a tray in her hands.
"Oh, Miss, you're awake!" She spoke gladfully. "I was beginning to get worried that your fever was worsening." She walked up to my bed and placed the tray on my nightstand. On the tray was a glass of water, a new cold-compress rag, a box of medicine, and a thermometer. "We were all in quite a shock when you were brought home." Hinata smiled as she took the thermometer off the tray and turned it on.
"Sorry," I mumbled hating that I had cause her trouble. Hinata was too sweet, and I already didn't like bothering her to do my laundry, and now she had to take care of me. Hinata only smiled in response and motioned with the thermometer. I opened my mouth, and she placed the thermometer inside. I closed my mouth around it feeling a bit embarrassed that I was being treated like a little kid who was home from school sick.
"It's alright Miss. It's not your fault," Hinata said as she took the cold-compress pad that had fallen off my forehead, onto my pillow, and placed it to the side. She waited for a bit then the thermometer *beeped* a few times. She took it out of my mouth and read the numbers on the display. "37.5°, at least your fever's going down now." She said cheerfully placing the thermometer back on the tray. She then took the new compress off the tray and put it on my forehead.
"It's best to take medication with a meal so I'll go tell Georgina to make you something for dinner. Would you like some vegetable soup perhaps?" I nodded, not really feeling hungry but, knowing them; I figured they wouldn't let me get away with skipping meals when I was sick.
Hinata smiled and bowed slightly before heading towards the door. "You should try to get some more rest, in the meanwhile, Miss." Hinata exited and shut the door, leaving me in the silence of my own thoughts once again. I sighed heavily and tried to close my eyes to rest, figuring there wasn't much else to do anyways.
24 minutes later:
"BORED!" I moaned, tossing onto my side. I made a pout with my lips; sleep was something I couldn't seem to do right now. I sighed and stared at the walls and furnishings of my room.
'Very soon I won't be living here anymore,' I thought out-of-the-blue, 'which is kinda annoying since I was just getting used to the size of this house and being able to find things when I was looking for them. UGH.'
My eyes landed on my dresser where my only picture of Yoshiro was sitting. I usually kept the picture someplace safe, like in a desk drawer or under my pillow, but I assume Hinata found it while cleaning one day cause a few weeks ago it had been put in a lovely little white frame and placed atop my dresser.
I remember chewing her out about it and almost making her cry. 'I still feel guilty about that. She was just being thoughtful. I should thank her sometime, I suppose it will last longer now.'
I stared at the picture in the distance for a short while before deciding to get it. I sat up in bed then took off my covers. I shivered at the cold air and quickly swung my feet over the edge of my mattress. I stood up, probably a bit too fast, and fought a sudden bout of dizziness.
"Woah!" I exclaimed under my breath, using the nightstand to regain my balance. "I guess I have a worse fever than I thought." I took a deep breath then made my way across my room one step at a time till I made it to my dresser. I picked up the picture and walked with it back to my bed. I fell onto my bed and quickly tucked myself back under my warm covers. Then I just stayed there staring at the picture.
It was one of my favorite photos of Yoshiro. It captured his character so well. My mother had snapped the shot of him and me on his 13th birthday. I smiled remembering.
Usually, Yoshiro would go to some party event place with arcade games and such with his friends then we would all have cake at the house. That year though he said he wanted to spend it with just us three at the park, so my mom took off from work and packed us a picnic.
We went to the park, shot a few hoops, and just spent the day goofing off and enjoying time together. Then, when we sat down to eat, mom told us to "smile" and she took this picture. Mom took pics of us often and put them in a photo album; it was like she wanted to preserve every moment.
To be truthful, the photo wasn't the greatest. It was a little out of focus and taken from a weird angle, but there we were; happy and care-free. I was giving a peace sign to the camera, and Yoshiro had a sandwich in one hand, because we were actually in the middle of eating, and holding up bunny ears behind my head with the other. The bottom right corner of the photo was missing; the edges burned from being in the apartment fire. Not many photos of Yoshiro had survived the fire, but this one miraculously had.
Remembering these things brought tears to my eyes, and I held the picture close to my heart. It was still very painful to think about even though five years had passed since then.
I sat up a bit and placed the picture next to my alarm clock then looking around on my nightstand I noticed that someone had taken away my box of tissues.
'Hinata, seriously! I really need to tell her to stop moving my stuff!' I sighed, debating whether it was worth it to get up again or just let my tears stain my pillow. 'Well I think...' I thought to myself, trying to remember, 'I may have placed a handkerchief in the drawer of my nightstand.'
I opened the drawer and rummaged around in it, pushing aside my journal and MP3 player, until I found what I was searching for. I grabbed ahold of the soft fabric and pulled it out. To my surprise, I pulled out two handkerchiefs instead of one.
I held them in my hands inspecting them. The handkerchief in my right hand was plain looking, a simple dark blue color with a single line of black decorating the edge. The one in my left hand was pure white with a lace trim in a floral-like pattern and the letter S embroidered on one corner. While trying to remember when I had placed them in the drawer, the need to cry passed. Now, I was merely confused by these two handkerchiefs of unknown origin.
'When did I put them in the drawer? I don't remember buying either of these.' I was truly stumped, and I frowned racking my brain trying to find the answer to this mystery. 'I mean where did I get them from-' then it hit me. Not where but who.
They were the handkerchiefs I had gotten from Mori and Tamaki.
The blue one Mori had given me after I had told him the truth about Yoshiro and started crying unknowingly.
The white one from Tamaki the day I had to say goodbye to my family and bawled my eyes dry.
I stared at them thinking to myself. 'Both were given to me on the very rare occasion I had been crying. Well, it used to be rare, I think I've cried more in the past few months then I had in the past five years.
'Although, if I was being honest with myself, when I was little I had been a bit of a cry-baby, heh... but back then I could always depend on Yoshiro to be there for me when I was upset.' I smiled to myself, remembering Yoshiro's warmth and kindness.
Ever since I became the big brother, I've had to push aside that somewhat selfish and weak part of me. I've tried my best to be caring and strong for my family, not giving in to my fears, but it seems like the lines have become blurred. Where is the line drawn now? Before it was so clear who I had to be but now...'
I thought back to how things used to be, remembering Yoshiro and how he always made me feel safe and protected. 'Ever since he died though, I've been the one doing the protecting, but now who's protecting me?' I thought, staring at the handkerchiefs in my hands once more... "Blue and white," I spoke under my breath. Just then, I was startled by a knock at the door.
*Knock-knock*
"Ayami, are you awake? May I come in?" I heard my father's voice say muffled through the door. I took a second on whether or not I really wanted to pretend to be asleep or not. "Ayami?" He called again, and I sighed, giving in. I quickly shoved the handkerchiefs back into the drawer and shut it.
"Yeah," I replied. The door opened quietly, and my father entered the room closing the door behind himself. I could see he had a tray of food in his hands with a glass of water.
"How are you feeling? You had quite a stumble earlier today. You gave everyone quite a scare." He asked as he approached.
"Fine, I guess, a bit tired but not terrible. I've survived worse." I answered with a small grin as I pulled myself into an upright sitting position.
"Uh-huh..." He said as he held up the tray. "I come bearing your dinner."
"Thank you," I said as he placed the tray in front of me. I looked it over a bit; it looked delicious even though I had no appetite, before grabbing the spoon and starting to eat. My father sat on the edge of my bed watching me.
"So, is there anything you need to tell me?" He asked. I was confused by his question.
"Um, no, I don't think so..." I trailed off trying to think if there really was something.
"Maybe perhaps why you've been skipping your meals?" He proposed with an accusing tone and I bit my lip. "Or why you've been moping around the house? Or even why you have somehow neglected your body to the point you got a fever and passed out?!" His sounding like it had a furious edge to it now. "Why Ayami? Just tell me, why are you doing this to yourself?"
I only frowned and looked away refusing to answer his loaded questions.
"Is something wrong? Are you unhappy?" He asked which made me mad.
"Of course I'm unhappy!" I yelled back without giving him any warning, he jumped at my outburst but recomposed his features in a slight grimace.
"I'm mad and angry, and I don't want to be here!" I could feel the tears making their way to the surface. "I want to go back home! I want to be with my family again. I want to watch them grow up. I want to live a normal life. Go to some common high school then get some low paying job as a waitress or something... I want to be poor commoner again; a nobody."
"Ayami," he said my name with the same soft tone from the first time I had met him. "I know I've been asking a lot from you, and I know I'm putting a lot of stress on you, but I need you to be strong for me... and for your family."
"Strong for you! Why? What have you ever done that had been for my sake? And what does any of this have to do with my family?" I asked angrily. He gently placed a hand on my arm.
"Ayami, I truly meant it before when I said I had a plan and now I truly mean what I'm about to tell you." I faced him again though still frowning. He looked very serious.
"I have a plan that should it succeed will benefit not only myself but you and your family as well. When this is all over you will be able to see your family again." I stared at him looking to see if he was lying, but he seemed like he was telling the truth.
"That's only if your plan works though, right?" I asked.
"Well, yes but I highly doubt it will fail." He flashed another one of his grins that seemed to be hiding something and would sometimes give me chills. I shivered a bit, and he looked a little concerned.
"Here," he said picking up the medicine off the tray on my nightstand, "this will bring your fever down." I took the medicine and gulped it down as asked. He smiled at me another strange, soft smile as he placed a hand on the side of my head. "I know you don't think about yourself often enough, but you really must take better care of yourself. You've had us all worried about you."
"Sorry," I mumbled looking away from him. This whole fatherly affection thing was still throwing my brain for loops.
"Just focus on getting better for now," he said with a smile, putting his hands in his lap. He didn't say anything for a while, so I ate a few more spoonsful of soup.
"You know," he started, and I looked up at him. "Your friends have been calling after you to see how you are. Tamaki, Haruhi, and the rest of his club are all worried about you as well." I blushed slightly. He grinned slightly then added. "You have... an interesting choice in friends." He said, his grin seemed to say that his words had some other meaning to them.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, but his smile only grew.
"Nothing in particular." Was all he answered before rising and heading towards the door. "Hinata will be up in a bit to retrieve the tray, afterward please try to rest and get well." I nodded, and he exited the room.
I finished off the soup going over and over his words in my head. 'What could he have meant by interesting?' An image of the two handkerchiefs in my drawer popped into my head, though I wasn't entirely certain why those were on my mind.
Alrighty, the continuation of All the World's a Stage is now here.
Again, I'm so sorry for abandoning this story for so long. I am planning to finish it, but the timeframe for that is still very loose.
Haven't gotten around to changing Kotomi's name to Tomoko yet but once I do, I'll be deleting these parts in the author's notes.
~Looking forward to reading all your reviews!~
~Thank you for reading~
~MiraCarpathia