Chapter 9 - Chapter 8

Shigure walked into Akito's house confidently, he had to know where Kuroumo was, no one had heard from her for nearly a week. He knew Akito-san was feeling quite ill again, but he still might know something. Shigure entered the room in which he knew Akito was lying, fighting his sickness, “Akito-san,” he bowed low in greeting, showing his respect and fear for the younger man, “I am sorry you are ill again, if there's anything I can do to help, however I was wondering if you knew where Kuroumo-kun was?”



“shoot,” Akito sighed. “Find Hatori for me, please.”



Shigure walked off, exasperated. Akito hadn't answered him at all. He walked across the estate and up to Hatori's front door, knocking on it. When Hatori answered he didn't have the effort to make any jokes, he just sighed and said that Akito wanted to see him.



Together they walked back to Akito's house, and once more entered, both bowing low to him. Akito lifted a frail hand to his trouser pocket, and pulled out a key. He struggled to speak, “In a room…. at the back…go…both…open.”



Shigure and Hatori looked at each other uncertainly, yet they still followed Akito's wishes and proceeded through the house towards the back. They came to the door about which Akito had spoken, and as Hatori inserted the key into the lock and opened the door slowly, the most horrendous stench reached them, a mixture of vomit, urine, and death and decay. As they looked cautiously in they saw a feeble body lying on the floor, motionless. They both walked over the messy floor, and looked hard to see it was.



“Kuro,” they both yelled, quietly. Her hair was matted and hung lankly around her body. Her skin was papery, and her lips dry. She looked awful, and smelt even worse. She wasn't breathing. As Hatori bent forwards to listen for a heartbeat, a shadow enetered the doorway. Akito was leaning against the doorway, breathing heavily, “Is she dead?”



“I don't know. But I'm taking her out of here. I'm taking her away from you.” Hatori was being firm with Akito.



“She can live with me,” said Shigure quietly, shocked into a melancholy mood by the sight of his Ku. He bent over and scooped her up in his arms, before turning to Hatori, “I'll take her into your house so that you can examine her.”



Hatori nodded.



As Shigure carried Ku, the tears dripped down his face, how could anyone treat another person like this? Akito really did take things too far. He laid her down on Hatori's examining table, and slowly undid the kimono she was wearing. It had once been very beautiful, one of his favourites, and hers, that Ayame had given her for her 21st birthday. He pulled it off her, and left her lying on the table in her underwear. She looked so thin, her ribs showing through her nearly transparent skin. She still had vomit around her mouth, so he grabbed a wet cloth, and carefully sponged it off, before doing the same thing to her whole body, intent upon making her cleaner.

Hatori walked into the room, and Shigure looked up, about to ask something, but Hatori was one step ahead of him, and answered before he even asked, “She's been in there for a week, with no food or water. She hasn't had her medicine for that long either.”



“But is she still alive? Check her now. Make her better. Now. You must. You have to. Then she can come and live with me, and everything will be ok again.”



Hatori said nothing but set to work.



***



I was lying in a deep sleep, and concentrating on keeping ever muscle as still as I could. All I could see was blackness, and there was a light at the end of it, getting loser as I went towards it, if I got close enough, then maybe it would all end. Everything. Finished. I was nearly there. Just a little further to go.



***



“We're losing her,” Hatori stated, rushing around Ku as she lay dying on the table.



“No, no,” Shigure pleaded, grabbing her hand, “Ku, if you can hear me. Please Ku. Please Ku, don't give up. Don't leave us now. Fight. Fight and show him. Show us all.”



***



A few more metres and I would be there, just a few more. But why was I going backwards now, something was pulling me back, away from the light. I fought mentally. NO! Let me go to it. It will liberate me. Let me GO! I heard a voice in the distance, “Don't leave us now…Ku, come back, Ku? Please wake up.”



The desperation in the voice scared me. Yet I recognised it. And it needed me.



***



“Come on Ku, come on. You're nearly back,” Hatori pleaded as he pumped her with drugs. He watched her body carefully for any signs of life. He was looking so hard that he wasn't sure if he was seeing things or not, “She's breathing. She's breathing. She's alive. She's alive! SHE'S frackING ALIVE.” He was overjoyed, and watched, smiling, as Shigure gathered her into his arms, in a deep embrace. “We should leave her for a bit, let her come around in peace. She needs some rest.”

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