Oschner Medical Center

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

“Why were you at Cassie's, Aidousan?” The question seemed to still the air between them, and Yukito couldn't help his mind from conjecturing possibilities. If he had gone to get back together with Cassie, Yukito wasn't sure he could just ignore the entire ordeal. If he had gone to tell Cassie off, he would be conflicted between his two friends. No option seemed a positive situation unless Kagayaki had just happened to be walking down the street when the house caught on fire. And that was less than unlikely, knowing those two.

Aidousan looked up slowly, his eyes a little wide as he clasped his hands in his lap. "I...eto..." He shrugged. "I don' know..."

Now that sounds even worse than what I'd thought, Yukito's lips twitched down into a frown. Not to mention it's a lame excuse.

As if he'd heard Yukito's thoughts, Aidousan switched to Japanese for the moment to add, "That's not true. I... I was trying to make things right, Yuyukun. I want things to be good, with me and Cassie. But I... I am so bad with words... I said the wrong things and hurt her worse. Every time I say sorry, I make her angry..." He shrugged. "That's why Cassie and I just couldn't be together. But I know I can make it right... somehow. I love Amane, Yukitokun. I thought, now that my heart was Amane's, that what happened with Cassie didn't hurt... but it does." They both shifted uncomfortably, Yukito still unsure quite how he felt about Amane, but knowing Aidousan was less of an idiot when he was with her. Around Cassie, however...Aidousan always seemed to get ridiculous and masochistic. Always blaming himself because she was always berating him. It was like an endless cycle of blame and guilt with those two...

"I want be... better. I want be... growed-up. Know what do. Like you."

“Saru mo ki kara ochiru. Aidousan,” he told him in hesitant Japanese, “And you love to fall from the same branch. You did the exact same thing when Yumi came back and it's just ridiculous. As soon as you think a relationship is good, you try to go back and repair an old relationship, and it's not healthy. Some things just need to be left in the past., at least for now. I get that you want to make things right with Cassie, but...you can't do that, not yet. So just enjoy what you have and stop all this.” He stared off toward the window for a moment, considering that he had said too much, that Aidousan wouldn't care what he said, or that he just didn't get what Yukito was trying to say. Lifting one shoulder in a shrug, he looked toward the ground and added, “Maybe now that you've apologized, and you've tried to make amends, you should really just let go. You've made an effort. So just enjoy being with someone you don't have to apologize to all the time.”

Whatever...I suck at relationship advice anyways. All of my ex-girlfriends have come back to haunt me. Checking the time on his cell phone, he straightened up and said, “I'm going to head out now. I'll drop by to see that the dog is alright on my way home, okay?'

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

It was always hard to admit it, when he found himself lying. But Yukito just waited for the truth, not saying a word.

"I... I was trying to make things right, Yuyukun. I want things to be good, with me and Cassie. But I... I am so bad with words... I said the wrong things and hurt her worse. Every time I say sorry, I make her angry..." He shrugged, managing to keep his voice steady. "That's why Cassie and I just couldn't be together. But I know I can make it right... somehow. I love Amane, Yukitokun. I thought, now that my heart was Amane's, that what happened with Cassie didn't hurt... but it does." Kagayaki shifted, seeing that Yukito seemed uncomfortable too.

'I don't want Cassie to be someone we can't talk about, Yukitokun. Not like Yumi is.'

He took in a deep breath and put on a smile. "I want be... better. I want be... growed-up. Know what do. Like you."

“Saru mo ki kara ochiru. Aidousan.”

Kagayaki smiled easier. "Yeah... I... I know..."

“And you love to fall from the same branch. You did the exact same thing when Yumi came back and it's just ridiculous. As soon as you think a relationship is good, you try to go back and repair an old relationship, and it's not healthy. Some things just need to be left in the past., at least for now. I get that you want to make things right with Cassie, but...you can't do that, not yet. So just enjoy what you have and stop all this.”

Kagayaki felt his smile being strained a little, and he looked away. He couldn't help it. He hated feeling like he was letting her down... Yukito and Erin had to be busy taking care of themselves, and Shelby was with her new boyfriend. That Clarence guy was gone, from what he'd heard. Who was there for Cassie? Had all her old friends abandoned her?

Was that was she wanted?

“Maybe now that you've apologized, and you've tried to make amends, you should really just let go. You've made an effort. So just enjoy being with someone you don't have to apologize to all the time.”

Kagayaki nodded, looking back over at Yukito. "Yeah, that sounds good," he said, sighing. "I think... I think I've done all I can with Cassie. I mean, everything I say seems to make her angry. I want to be there for her, and help her get better, Yuyukun, but..." He shrugged. "Maybe I just can't be there for her. She doesn't trust me."

His stomach felt heavy all of a sudden. 'Not like you, Yukito,' was what he had almost said. Better to keep that to himself. He looked down, trying to hide the guilt that was suddenly on his face. Saying things like that wasn't helpful.

“I'm going to head out now. I'll drop by to see that the dog is alright on my way home, okay?" Yukito said, and Kagayaki looked up with a smile.

"Thank you, Yukitokun," he said, nodding. "A...appreciate."

'Time has healed us some. It will heal us more. All of us. You'll see.'


Kagayaki is done here


OOC: Continuing from the Mardi Gras party, here's an opening post for some planned Lilith/Brian, aka, Liliyaki. :3

DISCLAIMER: His girlfriend just got shot. If there's ultimate sadness in this post, it's not my fault! So... don't get mad at me or anything... >>

BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou

Riding here in an ambulance had been horrible. But he'd been told that putting pressure on her head was a good idea, so he felt a bit better about that. Now the doctors had Amane, and he knew they'd do their best to make her all better.

Someone had given him back his jacket, so at least he wasn't running around without a shirt on, but he still felt cold. Sitting in the waiting room, hoping that any news he heard about Amane would be good, he wondered if he should call her parents now or when he heard back. It could be hours before Amane got out... who knew how long it'd be? He didn't want to make them sit here and worry. But it just didn't feel right for them to have no idea that their daughter was in the hospital.

A nurse or someone tried to get him to do some papers, but he could barely say anything. He felt so empty... she just sighed and put her hand on his shoulder, saying it was alright. She said something to a doctor about shock, and that maybe they should check him out again. Kagayaki shook his head, finding himself staring blankly. He told them he was fine, just... and then he lost his sentence, looking at the floor.

"Well, does she have parents we can contact?"

He sighed, nodding. "I... I will call." He nodded again, getting on his feet. "I will."

Trying to get away from the beeping machines he was pretty sure seemed louder to him now than they had before, Kagayaki went outside. It felt colder than ever out here, but he took his cellphone out with shaking hands. He dropped it first, so he had to put the battery and turn it back on before he could call them.

The phone didn't ring long enough for him to think of what to say. Why did it always seem like they rang longer when he wanted them to ring slower, and rang less when he needed more time? It didn't matter.

"Kagayaki?" her mother answered, sounding confused. "Aren't you at the party?"

He bit his lip, feeling like he should cry but no more tears coming. It just build up in his chest, like he imagined a heart attack felt. But it wasn't a heart attack. It was knowing that he'd said he would get her back by ten, knowing that he wouldn't be brining her home at all...that they would have to come get her themselves, at the hospital.

"Kagayaki?" He heard her lean away from the phone and say something. "Kagayaki, is everything alright?"

Kagayaki took in a deep breath, hugging his stomach with his other arm. "We are... at hospital, Ourmura-san," he managed, his voice pretty clear for how he was feeling. There was silence on the other line. Shock, yeah, he knew that feeling. "Amane got hurt. Can you... can you come soon?"

"Are you okay? How bad is it? Kagayaki, what happened?" her mother begged, suddenly panicked. Just like his mother must've been when she'd heard he'd been in the car accident, huh?

"Will tell when get here, okay?" he said, his voice losing its strength. "Please?"

"Of course. We'll be right there. Oschner Medical, right?"

He nodded before he remember she couldn't see. Why was he acting so stupid? No, he wasn't being stupid. Just scared. He had to think clearly. "Yes," he said after a few moments, feeling a need to apologize but stopping himself. "Come soon, okay?"

He heard keys and her talking to someone else. "We're headed down now. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he said, putting on a smile so the word came out easier. "Me, fine. Amane hurt. Doctors has her."

"Good, good. We'll be there as soon as we can. Stay safe, you understand? Stay close in case she asks for you, too. Don't go anywhere."

"Un, I will. Bye."

"Goodbye, Kagayaki. Stay put!"

The click and annoying beeping from the phone said she'd hung up, and he let out the air he'd been holding in. Closing the phone and feeling a bit numb, he put the phone away and looked up as he saw more ambulances pull in. His eyes went wide.

Oh no. His friends. He'd been so busy trying to take care of Amane... He ran back inside, looking around for any familiar faces being brought in.

'Yukito... Cassie... Had Lily been there? I need to find them!'

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

Everything was moving so fast, and at the same time so slowly. Lilith's mouth was open in a constant expression of amazement and concern. The trip to the hospital wasn't so long, and she knew it was unlikely Alex was fatally wounded by being shot in the leg, but still... seeing him lying there in pain caused her brows to knit together, her whole body rigid as she tried to calm her intense heartbeat. She was numb and distanced, it felt like she had been watching everything happen from a distance. Alex said nothing, and the paramedics weren't a very talkative bunch, though their voices were reassuring, if not a bit gruff.

Lilith reached over to brush Alex's hair back from his eyes, his face drawn in a tense expression. She could tell he was gritting his teeth, both eyes screwed shut against the pain. Lilith frowned, wanting to cry for him. I made you come to the stupid party. I hid under the table while you got shot. She blinked hard, fingering the hat she held in her hands. No, you can't think like that. There was nothing you could do, Lilith. Nothing any of us could do. She was just..crazy. And none of us could have done any different, really. Her lips pursed together, though, and she clutched the hat to her chest, one hand holding onto Alex's wrist reassuringly. The hat had been lying on the sidewalk outside the building when they'd gone out, and it suggested grim news, beyond Alex being shot and all those other people being hurt...

It was Kagayaki's hat. Brian... She knew for sure it was his because she'd made his costume. He'd come to her all happy and excited about the party, and she'd made the hat distinctly Venetian, like her old Parisian days, big and bold and fun, like he was. What if he'd been shot, too? Why had the hat been outside on the ground?

Two of her best friends shot in the same night...and Cassie was sure to be grief-stricken, too. She didn't know the boy that her roommate and friend had thrown herself on top of in the aftermath, but she could tell there had been more than simple feeling there for the boy. The need to cry again started to overwhelm her...it was just too much...too much pain and she could do nothing but pray they would all be alright...

The ambulance came to a stop, and she squeezed Alex's wrist. As they unloaded the gurney, they told her she could go to the waiting room and that they'd keep her updated. “I'll call your parents, Alex,” she breathed, hesitating before leaning down to give his forehead a brief kiss. He reached into his pocket and handed her his cell phone. “Thank you,” she mumbled, meaningfully. He'd done so much for her tonight, and been so brave... Then, “I'm sorry.”

She stopped at the entrance to call his parents, not sure what to tell them. She couldn't call it 'an accident', could she? But how else could she explain it? “Hey, Mrs. Pierce? It's Lilith...um...there was...an accident...at the party.. A lady with a gun came in. Alex got shot in the leg,” she spoke with increasing speed, quick to add, “He's gonna be alright, though, we're at Oschner now, and they're taking him in as we speak....” A long pause. “Yeah, he's gonna be alright, I swear. Yeah...” She breathed a sigh of relief to hear they were coming. “Okay, I'm gonna go. I...I think some of my friends are in there, too..” her eyes shot around, seeing another ambulance pulling in, “I gotta go, okay? Yes...of course. I'll see you soon. Bye.” She hung up, wanting to stay and see if it was Cassie, but knowing she would just be in the way. Lilith turned to race into the emergency doors, feeling lost in the off-color light of the hospital. After her eyes adjusted to the light, she blinked, spotting a familiar figure and starting off quickly down the hallway.

“Brian!” she gasped, once she was sure it was him. Yes, it was his untidy hair, that always stuck up in a strange, unique way. The same uncertain gait. Once she was close enough, she threw herself against him, breathing in his friendly and comforting scent. “I'm so glad you're okay!” She pulled back, still clinging to his arms, needing his support as she searched his face. “Did you hear what happened? That crazy lady came in and starting shooting all over the place!” Her expression paled at saying it aloud, already getting sick at repeating it, but some masochistic part of her needing to, to make it real, to make it potent. “And...One boy is dead already, I just know he is. And Cassie's coming in with another boy, and Liv was hit, too...I think the lady knew her... Oh, Brian!” She squeezed his forearms, tears finally coming. They'd done their duty holding back before. “What do we do!?” Then, she let out a gasp, her mouth opening in realization. If he was here, that meant....

“Oh my God! Not Amane! No!”

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

Everything felt so still... it was scary. He didn't want to be alone, but it was too busy in there... There were people who understood him, but they weren't in there. They were back at the party. And he hoped they were okay.

“Brian!” a voice suddenly called, making him jump and turn.

Lily! Thank goodness! She ran up and held him tight. No one else held him so tight and safe as Lily did. She had been his closest friend, during a time when he was afraid to hurt people if he got too close, and he really felt she might always be that way. Kagayaki wanted to cry, to tell her everything that had happened, to tell her how scared and hurt he was, but... nothing came out except one word like a breath: "Lily."

“I'm so glad you're okay!” she cried, leaning back bu still holding tight to him. He tensed his body to keep them both up with what strength he had left. 'I'd protect you, if I could, but I can only keep you on your feet.' “Did you hear what happened? That crazy lady came in and starting shooting all over the place!” He nodded slightly, his hands tightly holding her shoulders, little tears in the corners of his eyes that didn't want to leave. “And...One boy is dead already, I just know he is. And Cassie's coming in with another boy, and Liv was hit, too...I think the lady knew her... Oh, Brian!”

Kagayaki swallowed hard. Cassie was coming in with someone. His heart sank. No one had to tell him. He knew he'd left Cassie with Yukito.

'Kuso... Yukito, you were supposed to be okay. I needed you to be okay.'

Tears filled his eyes, and he could see Lily's eyes were wet too. Kagayaki felt her squeeze his arms, and all his vision disappeared behind a cloud of tears that he couldn't blink away.

“What do we do!?”

"I... I don' know..." he whispered, his voice thin and quiet. He swallowed, but that didn't make his throat any less tight. He could barely breath, but he was, somehow.

“Oh my God! Not Amane! No!”

He looked away from her, but didn't let go, his lip trembling and his chest jumping with every sob he held down. "She..." He swallowed again. "She be okay, Lily-chan." He smiled a little, kissing Lily's forehead. "Amane-chan is very strong." Blinking heavily, he tried to clear his eyes. "You... you okay? Who you come with?"

'Don't worry about us. Amane and me, we don't pretend. We find strength in each other because we are strong for each other. And she will never give up. If she can fight, she will. She loves me. She will come back to me.'

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

"Lily." the way he said her name sounded so haunted, like he needed to hear himself speak more than he needed her to hear him. Something he could hear, something real. She fell into his arms, crying out what had happened and that she was so, so glad he was okay. When she finished, she moved back a little more to see that he looked totally grief-stricken. Lost in the confusion of the evening, she had hoped that simply holding him would ground her. Perhaps she hoped that he could smile and tell her that it would all be okay. Tears filled both their eyes as she clutched him desperately.

“What do we do!?”

"I... I don' know..." he whispered, his voice thin and quiet. He gave a swallow, and her eyes widened with realization. Why hadn't she noticed it before? Not only did Kagayaki know most everybody, love them all, and care for even those he didn't know, but...

“Oh my God! Not Amane! No!” It wasn't only the idea of his sweet girlfriend wounded that made her gasp and feel that stab in her gut. No, more selfishly, she thought, was how much it must have hurt Kagayaki to have someone he cared so much about in the hospital right now. Lilith prayed she would be alright. Kagayaki didn't deserve that. He deserved to be happy, and with someone who was just as happy as he was.

She hoped for one nanosecond that he would shake his head and quell her fears, tell her it was just the general mayhem that had him wired. But no. He looked away from her and began to visibly tremble. Lilith's expression broke into one of deep and sincere sympathy. “Oh no...”

"She..." He swallowed again, trying so hard to hold it together. Lilith was very glad then that she had come. She was actually thankful that she'd ended up here, so he wouldn't be alone. "She be okay, Lily-chan." Always trying to be reassuring, he gave her a weak little smile and kissed her forehead, reminding her of when she was a little girl. I'm not a little girl anymore, she wanted to tell him. I can be here for you. You're my friend. "Amane-chan is very strong."

Instantly, instinctively, she nodded, sharing in his weak smiles and reaching up to touch his cheek, “Of course she is. She's going to be okay.” She looked up into his broken eyes for a long moment, then threw her arms around him in a tight embrace, squeezing him tightly to hold them both together. “She's going to be okay.”

"You... you okay? Who you come with?"

That brought her back to her own situation, and she pulled back, her mouth in a small o shape of surprise. “Oh my goodness! Alex! I need to see if he's alright!” She began to step away, removed from Kagayaki save for one hand, which she kept loosely holding his as she hesitated, considered. “I don't think they'll let me in there...” she finally said, quietly. She looked up at him. They needed each other. “Will you stay with me?”

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

The lights, the wailing sirens, the paralyzing fear. The last time Cassie had ridden in an ambulance, she had been going into anaphylactic shock after an allergic reaction. Kagayaki had been with her. Cassie had never been a passenger in an ambulance without being the one receiving medical attention before. In the past, it had always been her that had been hurt, and it had been Kagayaki or Shelby or her mother in the position that Cassie was now--that of the useless bystander. The one that had to watch in horror as the paramedics did everything they could to stabilize the patient and keep them alive. The one that could do nothing but wait during the endless ride to the hospital, the one that felt powerless and helpless and altogether in the way. Cassie watched numbly as they tried to stop the bleeding in Yukito's chest, as they barked orders at each other that she barely understood. His blood was still flowing, though it had slowed down a bit, and he appeared to be in shock. Blood covered Cassie's dress and the hands of both herself and the paramedics, and she knew that long after it had been washed away from her skin and the dress had been thrown away she would still see it, shining crimson on her, every time she closed her eyes.

One of the paramedics had examined Cassie briefly, checking to make sure she wasn't hurt before taking her pulse and looking for signs of shock. It hardly mattered. Cassie was in shock anyway, even if the doctors didn't know it. Inside, her mind was in utter turmoil, spinning around so fast she couldn't string two thoughts together. But outside she stood still as a statue, watching, waiting.

"Is there someone you'd like us to call? For either of you?" her paramedic asked kindly, forcing Cassie to look into her eyes. "He's going to need surgery. You'll probably want to go home before he's out."

Cassie shook her head. "No. I'm staying." She couldn't explain why. She couldn't tell this stranger with the warm brown eyes that she had to stay because it was her fault, all of it, that if they hadn't fought, none of this would have happened..."He has a fiancee. My best friend. And I should let my...my sister know..." With shaking hands, she retrieved her cell phone, her fingers trembling so much she could barely press the button to get Shelby's number on her speed-dial. "Sh...Shelby?" she croaked before her voice failed her, her mouth opening and closing in vain with no sound coming out.

Her paramedic took the phone. "Shelby? I'm here with her sister right now. There was a shooting at a party she was at. No, she's fine, but she's on her way to the hospital just the same...." Cassie stopped paying attention, her eyes being magnetically drawn back to Yukito, listening to the erratic rhythm of the heart monitor they'd attached him to for the ride over.

A different paramedic helped Cassie down from the ambulance when they arrived as the others worked to lift Yukito safely out of the vehicle and onto a gurney. The waiting doctors at the doors seized it immediately and took off running into the building, leaving Cassie to stare at them in horror for a few moments before following them, the torn threads of her ruined gown hitting her legs with every step. "Out of the way! Move!" barked one of the orderlies as they ran, wheeling Yukito into the nearest empty trauma room. Cassie stood in the doorway, watching, waiting. They were all talking at once, throwing around observations and orders and making Cassie's head spin.

"Too many people! Get out!"

"I'm getting decreased breath sounds on the right side, it might have grazed his lung..."

"Get me two bags of O-Neg blood right now..."

What should I do, doctor?

She stepped back until she was standing in the middle of the too-white hallway, a mix of blue and crimson in the midst of all that perfect ivory. Cassie looked around desperately, trying to find someone she knew, someone who could help her make sense of it all. What could she do now? She had to call Erin and tell her the one thing that would make her world stop turning: that her fiancee had been shot. She had to find her friends and see if they were all right. There had been so many of them...Lilith, Liv, Chance, Kagayaki. She had to stay with Yukito, to make sure that she was there when they took him into that inevitable surgery, to make amends for what she had done and said.

"Move it!" one of the doctors shouted at her, a woman with dark, curly hair. She was carrying the bags of blood that one of the others had asked for as she rushed past Cassie into the room. Cassie followed her slowly, brushing past the doors to stand next to Yukito. Immediately the same woman's hands were on her shoulders, pulling her back. "You can't be in here."

"But he's my friend. I came in with him...he was with me at the party. He's getting married in June, you have to save him..." She rushed forward again, but the woman continued to hold her back, joined by another, stronger pair of hands. The woman whirled Cassie around and placed her hands on her shoulders, forcing Cassie to look into her blue-grey eyes. "The best thing you can do to help him now is wait. We will do everything we can to save your friend. But you have to leave and let us do our jobs."

"Everyone out of the way!" came another voice. This doctor seemed to be in charge, and Cassie felt herself being dragged out of the room as they wheeled Yukito out again. "Call OR 1. Tell them we're on our way now. I'll need all hands on deck." His eyes fell on Cassie, so small and helpless next to the dark-haired surgeon. "We'll keep you updated on his surgery. You should contact his family if you can. The best you can do now is wait. Granger!"

"Yes, sir?" asked the woman, who still maintained a tight grip on Cassie's upper arm.

"You're in charge of giving her updates. Let's go!" And then they were all gone without a second glance.

The best I can do is wait.

Numbly, Cassie made her way to the nearest bathroom to scrub the blood off of her hands and arms. It was then that she noticed that her phone had been in her hand since the paramedic had returned it to her, and she set it on the edge of the sink and stared at it for a few moments. She was stalling for time, and she knew it. She had to call Erin. But she couldn't, could she?

But I have to. I take care of others, just like Yukito said...I have to.

"Erin? Erin, it's me. Listen, I need to tell you something that's going to be hard to hear, but you're going to have to be strong. Someone brought a gun to the party. Yukito...Yukito's been shot. He tried to reason with her, but it didn't work. We're at the hospital and they just took him into surgery. You need to get here as soon as you can." Cassie's voice broke, but she kept going. "Because he needs you, Erin, and I need you too. And I'm here for both of you no matter what. But he needs you, Erin, now more than ever."

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Still sneezing and coughing, but with no fever, Erin still remained banned from the Mardi Gras party. She'd protested and pouted and tried to sweet-talk Yukito into letting her go, but nothing worked. He was just as stubborn as she was, and this time he won. Probably because she still didn't feel 100%. But he would owe her-- bigtime. So Erin had spent the night watching movies and playing music and changing the website and talking to people until she got tired enough to sleep. This ended up being around midnight, which was relatively early for Erin. She blamed the medicine.

It couldn't have been too long after she had fallen asleep that the buzzing and electronic singing of her phone woke her up. She didn't even bother to read the name of the caller, instead choosing to keep her eyes closed as she unlocked her phone. "What?" she murmured sleepily.

"Erin? Erin, it's me."

"Cassie... You're not a late-night caller," she stated, slowly waking up.

"Listen, I need to tell you something that's going to be hard to hear, but you're going to have to be strong. Someone brought a gun to the party."

Erin's stomach lurched, a heavy lead weight thudded onto her chest. She bolted upright. "What?"


"Yukito...Yukito's been shot--"

Erin didn't hear what Cassie said for a few seconds. Everything went silent. Her mouth fell open. She saw nothing and heard nothing. There was nothing.

"....surgery. You need to get here as soon as you can."

Erin kicked off the blankets and got to her feet, ignoring the dizziness that came with standing too fast. She grabbed the keys and ran to the door, then ran back into the room as Cassie continued to talk and Erin put on her shoes.

"Because he needs you, Erin, and I need you too. And I'm here for both of you no matter what. But he needs you, Erin, now more than ever."

"Where was he shot? Where was he shot, Cassie?! Where's the shooter? Where are you? I'm coming! Where is he now? How is he? What are they doing? How is he doing? What's going on?" The words tumbled out almost too quickly and she didn't know or care how much Cassie heard-- she knew she wanted answers. "I'm coming right NOW! Oh, my god..."

Her hands were shaking too much, so when she tried to call her parents and let them know it didn't work-- it was wasting time she needed to get to the hospital. And the only words that came out of her mouth were prayers for Yukito to be okay, to wait for her and be okay. And for the person who did this to him to pay.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

“Oh my God! Not Amane! No!”

He looked away, trying to steady his hands and be strong for Lily. For Amane. For all the people who had actually been hurt today. He could do this. He could be strong without hiding. Let it show that he was hurting, but don't let it stop him.

“Oh no...”

'Be strong,' he thought to himself, furrowing his eyebrows. 'Be brave. You don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid, right? Remember? ...Yeah.'

"She..." He swallowed, thinking hard about what to say. It wasn't easy. "She be okay, Lily-chan." Kagayaki put on a tiny smile and kissed her forehead. "Amane-chan is very strong."

Lily nodded, smiling a little too, touching his cheek. It was good to feel her hands close to his face. He reached up and pressed her fingers to his cheek, closing his eyes tightly for a second, then opening his eyes, smiling easier now.

“Of course she is. She's going to be okay.” He nodded, and Lily pulled him into another tight hug. She knew just what he needed now. “She's going to be okay.”

"Yeah..." He held her hand. "You... you okay? Who you come with?"

Her mouth opened as she pulled back, words coming slower than her face of surprise. “Oh my goodness! Alex! I need to see if he's alright!” She almost moved away, but the hand he was holding caught her, and she paused for a moment. “I don't think they'll let me in there...” She was getting more quiet. “Will you stay with me?"

"Yeah, yeah, definitely," he said reassuringly, moving his head to suggest they sit. "Come, come."

People were filling up the waiting room now. Some of them were from the party, he knew, people he'd vaguely remembered being friends of his friends. But he didn't know them well enough to say anything, just echo their sad but hopeful looks as he sat down next to Lily. Taking her hand tightly, he took in a deep breath.

"Now... we wait... together. Okay?" He smiled, feeling his second wind coming. "So... who this Alex?" His voice was a little teasing, as were his eyes. "You tell me 'bout him before?"

[Elda Forever]

OOC: I am assuming about the makeup thing..but let me know and I can easily take it off if this is not so...BIC:

Lilith Eytinge

“Of course she is. She's going to be okay.” He nodded, trying to be strong, and she gave him a tight hug of reassurance.

"Yeah..." He held her hand. She squeezed it. He seemed to be feeling stronger now, and she was glad. "You... you okay? Who you come with?"

“Oh my goodness! Alex! I need to see if he's alright!” A pause, and she couldn't get her feet to move, for all sorts of reasons. Her excuses not to go into that room, and her excuses not to leave Brian all came into sudden muddled play in her head. “I don't think they'll let me in there...Will you stay with me?"

"Yeah, yeah, definitely," he said reassuringly, indicating the chairs with the nod of his head. "Come, come." She nodded, and still holding their hands together, Lilith awkwardly found a seat to sit next to Brian, leaning her head against his shoulder and letting out a sigh. While they waited, Lilith realized how tired she was feeling – perhaps hospitals did that to worried people. The smell was strange here, too, and her mind wandered as she tried to place the scent.

"Now... we wait... together. Okay?" She nodded slowly. "So... who this Alex? You tell me 'bout him before?"

She smiled at the note of playfulness in his tone, but the upward curve wouldn't last too long. “We're really good friends, and have been for awhile. I don't know if I told you about him before.. He's a sweetie. The kinda guy that takes a bullet for you...”

She saw Alex's parents go to the front desk, worry written on their faces. They didn't see her, and she felt like her arms and legs were lead, so she mechanically watched them fly down the hallway. She gave a yawn, peering around at the people that filed into the waiting room. She didn't really recognize anyone, but there were so many here, it seemed. People who had been partying with their friends, or who were dates or relatives of those hit, or from other emergencies. Then, she saw someone she recognized walking past.

“Oh, Brian...look, it's Cassie...” her face fell, and she squeezed his hand tighter as it rested between them. “I'm going to go see how she's doing, alright?” she said quietly, slowly standing up. She was worried about Cassie. She'd seen the paramedics pulling Cassie off of one of the boys that got shot. She didn't know the history, but did any of them really have to? All things were affected by the past, but that didn't change the present. And at the present, her red-haired roommate was wandering around the hospital, waiting with the rest of them. Weak and powerless.

Cassie was a mess. When Lilith found her and got to see her up-close, she noticed that not only was Cassie's beautiful dress torn, stained and utterly ruined with a considerable amount of blood, but her face was pallid and haunted, and it was obvious that she was not handling things very well.

“Hey..” Lilith murmured quietly, her voice cracking. Instantly, she held out her arms to Cassie, wrapping her in a hug that she hoped could convey just how much she ached for her friend. “How you doing? Do you need anything?” She kept her voice as slowly and gently as she could without making herself an annoyance, moving purposefully over to grab several tissues and taking hold of Cassie's chin, wiping off some of the makeup that had run there from when Cassie had obviously been crying. “I bet we all look simply gorgeous right now. Do you want me to find someone to go get you some clothes to change into? I bet you'd feel better. You know how it is with hospitals, anyways. They take forever to tell you anything, and all you can do is wait. Call us The Waiting Club.” She frowned. “Alex got shot in the leg, and Amane...” she took in a slow breath, “Who did you come in with?”

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

Erin sounded content and sleepy and so blissfully unaware that part of Cassie was tempted to hang up, to protect Erin from all that she had been lucky enough not to witness. Why did Erin have to know now? Couldn't Cassie let her sleep, wait until Granger came back with the first update on Yukito's condition? Calling Erin now would only cause her to go into panic mode, and maybe if she waited until Yukito was farther into surgery and out of the danger zone, then Erin would have less to worry about. Hell, maybe the doctors should make the call, not Cassie, who didn't know what to do or say or how bad or good Yukito's outlook was or how to console someone who had just had their entire life ripped out from underneath them. She didn't have to be the one to do this. She didn't have to do it now. She could wait.

Right?

D*** it, no. I can't wait. That's all we're going to be doing for hours is waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting, endlessly waiting. Waiting for news, waiting for loved ones, waiting to survive or die. Waiting to go on with our lives. I don't want to wait anymore than I have to.

So she spoke up and delivered the news that would forever change Erin Chloe Spenser's world. There was no outburst of sobs and no sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, which scared Cassie more than any other reaction could have. The news had struck Erin dumb, and for a moment Cassie wasn't sure if the line had gone dead, it was so deathly silent. She pressed on, urging Erin to get there as soon as she could and promising her support. Because it's my fault. It's my fault even though you can't know that yet.

The silence lingered for a few seconds before Erin spoke again, hysteria coming over her voice. "Where was he shot? Where was he shot, Cassie?!"

"In the chest, Erin."

"Where's the shooter?"

Cassie's gaze and voice hardened at the question. "Gone."

"Where are you? I'm coming! Where is he now? How is he? What are they doing? How is he doing? What's going on?" Erin's words were rushed and garbled and it was all Cassie could do to stay caught up with her. "I'm...I'm in the hallway of the trauma ward at Oschner right now. I don't know exactly where I am or where the waiting room is, but I'll find you, okay? They took Yukito away from me to take him to surgery. They won't let you in the OR, I know that already, so don't bother asking them. A doctor named Granger promised to keep me updated on his condition, but I don't know how long the surgery will last, and I don't know how he's doing yet. I'm sorry, but I don't." Her voice broke then, and she added in a hushed voice she wasn't sure Erin would be able to hear, "I'm so sorry, Erin."

"I'm coming right NOW! Oh, my god..."

She had to calm her down. "Erin!" she cried, keeping a death grip on the phone. "Erin. Slow down. You can't be hysterical right now. You need to get here, soon, but you need to calm down. Otherwise you won't be thinking rationally and you won't be able to drive yourself here, okay? Listen to me, Erin. They are in there doing everything they possibly can to save his life. You have to believe that they can do that, and you need to calm down. Okay? Can you do that? If you don't think you can drive yourself, call my sister. I--I think the paramedics called her for me. She might be on her way. We can get through this, Erin. I'll be here when you get here. I love you."

When she'd hung up the phone, Cassie stood for several minutes in the long white hallway, wondering what to do next. Should she find the waiting room, or stay put in case Erin tried to find her there? A couple of young-looking doctors--interns, most likely--rushed by Cassie in the direction that they'd taken Yukito in, their eyes lingering on her and her dress before they dissolved into excited whispers and continued on their way. A third paused to put her hand on Cassie's shoulder comfortingly before her pager went off, summoning her away in the opposite direction, towards the ambulance bay and more incoming traumas. Cassie was alone.

She looked down at her formerly pristine dress, taking in the extent of the damage for the first time. The light aqua fabric was covered in blood that extended from the bow on the bodice to nearly her knees, the cloth forever ruined. Yukito's blood, and maybe Irene's too--she had been so close to the madwoman when she'd pulled the trigger for the last time. She felt powerless and helpless, and utterly confused and alone--how was she supposed to be the mother hen and take care of everybody when she couldn't even take care of herself?!

Erin. She could take care of Erin, but not here. Cassie supposed she had to find the waiting room.

She didn't ask for directions, she simply followed the sounds of frantic voices coming from down the hall until she'd reached it. She stopped short, taking it all in, hoping to see Erin among the growing crowd. When she didn't, she kept moving, wondering if Erin had used a different entrance to the building, whether she'd run into her in the hallways.

She immediately heard footsteps behind her and was reminded instantly of Irene, but her body didn't tense up--instead, she simply stopped and turned around to see who had found her. It was Lilith, still somehow managing to look resplendent in her dress even with the mussed fabric and worried eyes. “Hey..” Lilith said weakly before enveloping Cassie in a hug that was equal parts comforting and uncertain, as if she was afraid if she held her too tight she would break. “How you doing? Do you need anything?”

Cassie didn't answer--Lilith couldn't give her any of the things that she needed right now. She just shrugged as her roommate reached for some tissues and began wiping Cassie's face with them gently. She herself hadn't even realized she had started to cry.

“I bet we all look simply gorgeous right now. Do you want me to find someone to go get you some clothes to change into? I bet you'd feel better. You know how it is with hospitals, anyways. They take forever to tell you anything, and all you can do is wait. Call us The Waiting Club. Alex got shot in the leg, and Amane...Who did you come in with?”

"Yukito," said Cassie instantly. "Yukito Maki, my best friend's fiancee...he tried to be the hero. He tried to reason with her, the woman with the gun...he was shot in the chest." She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. "There was...so much blood...I tried to stop it, but they took me away. And they brought us here and took him to surgery and they said they'd keep me updated, but I don't know when or what news they'll have when they come out, or how long they'll be operating for..." She took another deep breath. "What happened to Amane?"

[More than Music]

OOC: Mascii approved the use of her baby in here, and wrote his dialogue. : )
BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou

They must've looked so strange, sitting so awkwardly in the waiting room, Kagayaki trying to keep on his smile. He tried to fill the silence and comfort Lily, but he wasn't sure how. "So... who this Alex? You tell me 'bout him before?" he tried, leaning over a bit.

It was good to see her smile. “We're really good friends, and have been for awhile. I don't know if I told you about him before.. He's a sweetie. The kinda guy that takes a bullet for you...”

“Oh, like a...” He thought for a second or two. “Knight?” He gestured to himself. “Musketeer?”

Just then, she looked up at a couple that were talking to a lady at the desk. They looked very worried, and so did Lily when she saw them. Then she yawned, and Kagayaki smiled.

“Sleepy Lily...”

They both looked up as a new face came into the room, but Kagayaki looked down, hoping neither girls would notice he'd seen. “Oh, Brian...look, it's Cassie...” Lily said, squeezing his hand. He looked over at her, trying to smile but failing. Cassie looked more miserable than her birthday that year... he hated seeing her so sad. “I'm going to go see how she's doing, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, go take care Cassie,” he said, smiling sadly. “I go get something drink.”

He walked around some chairs to avoid Cassie as Lilith met her with a hug. He didn't want her to ask why he was here. He didn't want her to know about Amane. Right now, they needed to take care of themselves. As worried as he was about Amane, he didn't need another person worrying too. Besides, Cassie looked like she needed someone to worry about her, not someone to worry about.

It took him a while to get the machine to work, but he somehow got a bottle of water. It was the only thing it would let him have. Sighing, he wandered back into the waiting room to find a familiar face sitting in one of the chairs.

"...Chance-san," was all he could say, his voice low and knowing.

Chance's face was stained from lots of tears, and he was shaking. "Kaga...I jus-...I didn't do anything, and she...she..." He fell into sobs, and Kagayaki put on a sad smile with a few tears of his own as he sat next to his friend.

"What happen?"

"Her mother...she came in all angry and stuff, and..." He rubbed his nose with his sleeve, still wearing his costume like Kagayaki was, a rather silly-looking outfit that was white and gold. "And she had a g-gun...and I just let her hurt Liv..I didn't know what to do. And now she's hurt and her mother is dead and I didn't do anything about it!" Losing his strength again, Chance buried his face in his hands. Kagayaki leaned over, wrapping his arm around Chance's shoulders in a half-hug, blinking away his own tears.

'Strong. Be strong so he can have his turn first.'


"Yeah... Amane too," he said, his voice breaking a little. He laid his head against Chance's, sighing heavily. What could he do? There had to be something he could do, something he coulds ay. "Hey, Chance-san." He leaned back a bit, lifting Chance's chin out of his hands so their eyes could meet. "Will be okay, yeah. Promise. They strong girls." He put on a smile "They is."

Chance only nodded before he fell against Kagayaki's shoulder as he started to shake with sobs. Kagayaki sighed again, thinking.

"Is scary. I know," he began, trying to find the right words. "Still... we have be okay, so they use all their strength for them. No worry for us. Okay?" He leaned around so he could look into Chance's face without making his friend look up. "Yes-yes?"

Chance nodded. "Yeah, I gotta be strong for her." He tried a smile, making Kagayaki feel better. The shiny, happy Chance was still in there, under the hurt. "She can't be the man in the relationship all the time, after all." Kagayaki laughed, and it felt good. Chance looked down at his hands thoughtfully. "I don't know what we're gonna do now..."

"Hm?" Kagayaki said, tilting his head to the side.

"She can't go home to her dad..." Anger flashed across Chance's face, his jaw tight and his hands in fists. Kagayaki tensed. "I will not let that happen...but where will we go? I can't afford a house..." Kagayaki looked down. He wanted to help, but... how? "I've got college coming up, and there'll be bills to pay, and I'm not good at anything much..."

He thought, his hands falling to the fabric on Chance's sleeve, and he played with it idly as they sat there. "I don' know," he said, sighing. "We figure out, kitto." He looked around the room, hoping he would get an idea, but none came. Something... there had to be something. He sighed, again, pressing his lips together in a solemn frown. "I... I don't know."

Just as he was getting used to knowing, he was left in another horrible situation where he didn't know anything for sure.

"Maybe we can get roommates near UNO, but I'll have to get a job, and I dunno how we'll take care of these medical bills..."

Kagayaki worked his jaw. He knew how hard medical bills were. He was still paying off his trip to the ER in November. There was no telling how hard it would be for Chance, having no job right now...

"I want her to stay with me, Brian. I want to take care of her now."

That made him smile a little. He was proud of Chance for growing up like that. "Yeah, me too." Then his eyes sparkled. Wait. Wait-wait. "Eh... Chance-san..." He furrowed his eyebrows, still putting the whole thought together. "I has a room. Daddy old room."

Chance suddenly jumped up, his voice getting very loud. "OMIGOSH! BRIAN, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING!" he cried, making Kagayaki laugh openly. They got looks from the other people in the waiting room, a few disappointed but a few looked like they felt better to hear laughter and joy right now. "W-We'd pay rent with you and all, and I promise we won't, like, have a ton of late night parties and make a craptacular mess or anything!"

He leaned back, finishing his laps. "No? I think will." Kagayaki winked, liking this idea more and more. "No mind big mess. Just clean up when done." Then something crossed his mind, and he pointed at Chance, his face becoming very serious despite his excitement. "And other room for Liv. You my room, with me. No you and Liv in room alone." His eyes sparkled a little to show he was just holding up his values, something he didn't want to budge on. If they were living alone, that'd be different. He wouldn't tell them what to do. But in his apartment, there would be no girls and boys sharing a room. Not unless he was sure they wouldn't do something they should wait to do.

Chance was quiet for a long, long time. Kagayaki folded his arms over his chest, raising one eyebrow as he watched his friend. The excitement had deflated a little, and he heard a few girls giggle a little at Chance's expression now.

'Come, come, Chance-san, he prodded, silently. 'You know I am only looking out for you.'

Blowing out a big puff of air, Chance resigned to his fate. "Aw, fine."

Kagayaki giggled, urging Chance to sit back down. "See? You bit better, yeah? Need talk Liv when wakes up." He looked around the room again. It helped him think to keep his eyes busy. "How she hurt?" Kagayaki's eyes settled on Chance again, softly.

Chance made a face that "Her mother hit her with the gun. Kagayaki's eyes grew wide at both the words and tone his friend was using. "Not like, like shot her, but she hit her really badly..." He took in a shaky breath, and Kagayaki put a hand on Chance's shoulder. "They think she might have something screwed up in her brain or something. God, I hope she doesn't..."

"Hit with gun?" Kagayaki questioned, frowning. "Ah..." He pouted. "Eh, she be okay. Strong head." He pointed to his own head, smiling a little. "Amane hurt in head too."

Chance looked a bit more confident now. "How is Amane?"

Kagayaki shrugged. "Hurt, still, she be okay. She is always okay, for me."

A little smile from Chance meant the world right now. "That's good. I hope she makes it out okay. You guys are soooo cute together." Kagayaki grinned, even as Chance's face became a little more serious again. "And I can see you guys really care about each other, you know?"

He found himself beaming. Loving Amane wasn't always perfect, but it was easier than any love he'd felt before. "I love her. I does. I always love her." He met Chance's eyes. "And she always love me. I know."

Chance nodded. "I know it, too." He wrapped one arm around Kagayaki's shoulders, exactly how Kagayaki had just done for him a few minutes ago. "I know it too."

Kagayaki took in a deep breath, feeling much better now.

'Now our girls just have to come out okay. Then we'll figure out everything. I'm so glad I don't have to figure out a place for Amane to stay... her parents are so good.'

He looked towards the doors.

Her parents. Kagayaki looked over, seeing them at the far end of the waiting room, her father holding her mother's head safely against his chest. They were waiting to hear about their daughter. That was worse than what he was feeling. If they could get through, if they could rest... then he could too.

Definitely.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Even though Cassie answered each of Erin's questions, she heard none of if after she'd heard where Yukito had been hit. She had forgotten to breath the moment that Cassie told her the news, and now it was like she couldn't stop. It was too fast, and she was too scared....

"Where are you? I'm coming! Where is he now? How is he? What are they doing? How is he doing? What's going on?" She knew her words were winded, felt the lack of air in her lungs no matter how much air she took in, the massive, panicked lump strangling her throat from the inside.

"I'm...I'm in the hallway of the trauma ward at Oschner right now. I don't know exactly where I am or where the waiting room is, but I'll find you, okay?" She didn't know where she was?!? "They took Yukito away from me to take him to surgery. They won't let you in the OR, I know that already, so don't bother asking them. A doctor named Granger promised to keep me updated on his condition, but I don't know how long the surgery will last, and I don't know how he's doing yet. I'm sorry, but I don't."

No. No, no, no, nononono.... Erin's vision blurred fiercely with terror and tears as she tore about the apartment in a flurry to leave as soon as possible. "I'm coming right NOW! Oh, my god..." Everything was ending, spiraling like mad into the hot, metallic mouth of a monster below them all, who had just been waiting to destroy them, and everything was spinning, and she hit her shoulder hard on her way out the door. The lock behind her was the least of her worries. Nothing would matter if the metallic monster got them all, anyway, and she might just jump in his mouth if he took Yukito and not her. No, no, Yukito would hate that! she screamed at herself, now in hot tears, afraid the thought would somehow keep Yukito from healing, from being safe.

Cassie had called Erin's name twice now, but she'd barely heard it. "Slow down. You can't be hysterical right now. You need to get here, soon, but you need to calm down. Otherwise you won't be thinking rationally and you won't be able to drive yourself here, okay?"

Erin wanted to shout at her, "How can you say that when he could be DYING? How should I be acting?!?!" but all that came out was a loud, jerky set of sobs. "I can't....!"

"Listen to me, Erin. They are in there doing everything they possibly can to save his life. You have to believe that they can do that, and you need to calm down. Okay? Can you do that? If you don't think you can drive yourself, call my sister. I--I think the paramedics called her for me. She might be on her way. We can get through this, Erin. I'll be here when you get here. I love you."

"His life?" Erin echoed, feeling pathetic and voice so high it was childish. The thought that they had to fight for his life, according to Cassie, was more terrifying than knowing he was just hurt. People get shot in shows all the time and got right up and kept fighting the bad guy or helping the victims or whatever they were doing. It bled some, and the doctors had to fix them later, but they weren't rushed down to the ER or had surgery or anything like that... So Yukito couldn't be in that much danger, not like Cassie was saying....

Erin's eyes widened at the realization of her thoughts. Yes, they were false and childish, and stupid, she admitted to herself, but she would stick with them and think them until she was with Yukito and could make sure he would be just fine, because if he wasn't.... No, he'll be fine, like the movies when they keep going.... All lies, but she needed them so, so bad.

"I can come," Erin said decisively, though her voice was shaky. "I'm coming.... people recover fine from this all the time, so I'm coming." Even if her hands were shaking, and her legs were shaking, and she was having a hard time steering the moped, she was coming. Even if her eyes were too blurry to see right and she kept gasping for breath, she was coming. Even if she was dizzy with panic and too much oxygen, she was coming. Because he had to be okay. Or she had to be there with him if he wasn't.

It took too long to get to the hospital, and there were way too many people there. She got sick of looking for a parking spot and just drove up on the grassy median. They'd deal. She tore into the building, bumping into too many people and missing requests or demands to slow down, where was she going, etc. In fact, later she would realize it would have gotten her to the ER's waiting room or to Yukito's room quicker if she'd stopped and asked, but that thought didn't occur to Erin then.

She did get there in time to catch sight of the telltale red hair that marked Cassie, and made a beeline toward her, oblivious of anyone else about them. Erin wrapped Cassie furiously in a hug and immediately asked, "Are you hurt, too?" Clearly, she wasn't, since she was in the waiting room and not in surgery... "Where is he? Can I see him now?" Erin peered to the doors where doctors and other people in scrubs kept disappearing. "He's in there!?" The facts hit hew anew and Erin's lips began to tremble along with her arms and legs. The truth that the movies made people indestructible and that Yukito was not a movie finally was allowed to cross her mind, and she bursts into tears, clinging to Cassie. "I wanna go back.... I wanna go back there!"

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

“Hey..” Lilith said gently, coming up to Cassie and wrapping her in a tender embrace. “How you doing? Do you need anything?” Cassie just shrugged, wordlessly telling Lilith that she was worse off than she was trying to be. Lilith, used to cleaning the faces of a hundred messes and tears at the daycare, instinctively moved forward to wipe away the smeared makeup from Cassie's cheeks. It did little to take away the mournful expression on her friend's face, and made her look so much younger and more vulnerable. But at least she wasn't in danger of raccoon eyes and being immediately tagged as a nervous wreck – they could do this, they could handle this, all together.

Trying to give Cassie strength in calm, collected conversation, she said, “I bet we all look simply gorgeous right now. Do you want me to find someone to go get you some clothes to change into? I bet you'd feel better. You know how it is with hospitals, anyways. They take forever to tell you anything, and all you can do is wait. Call us The Waiting Club. Alex got shot in the leg, and Amane...Who did you come in with?”

"Yukito," said Cassie instantly. "Yukito Maki, my best friend's fiancee...he tried to be the hero. He tried to reason with her, the woman with the gun...he was shot in the chest."

Lilith nodded. She'd seen most of it from under her table. She'd seen him come out and try to talk with the shooter, to tell her to not bother everyone else, and then...she hadn't even given him a warning. Though I guess crazy people don't do that? Oh my gosh... The reality of all that had happened seemed like a distant dream, a fantasy they'd conspired for amusement, rather than something that had actually transpired before their eyes.

"There was...so much blood...I tried to stop it, but they took me away. And they brought us here and took him to surgery and they said they'd keep me updated, but I don't know when or what news they'll have when they come out, or how long they'll be operating for..." Cassie's description of the blood made Lilith think back to a time her mother had delivered a baby...the newborn had survived, but the mother had suffered some sort of medical complication and hadn't made it through the birthing. Lilith had been in the house at the time, though she had been really little then, and didn't remember much of it. But she remembered the protective calm in her mother's voice as she explained what had happened, and the tremble in the father's voice, so recently widowed, as he began to cry. She remembered that.

Lilith looked right into Cassie's eyes, her voice much more sure than she actually was. She couldn't find the strength to tell Cassie he would be alright, the memory on her mind too potent and the realities too solidified at this point for her. “The doctors are doing everything they can, I promise. And I'll be with you when they come out with the news. They take forever, but they'll do their job.”

Cassie took another deep breath. "What happened to Amane?"

Her face broke into a concerned frown. “I'm not sure, actually. Brian is really torn up about it, so I was kind of afraid to ask...he says she'll be okay, but...I think it's serious, Cass..” She took her friend's hand. “I'm gonna go back to the apartment and get us some clothes. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? Sit with Brian for me, will you?” Her face took on a serious expression. “Please?” She squeezed her friend's hand one last time, and hurried off, wanting to tell Brian where she was going, but he seemed to be consoling another boy in an elaborate costume, who was crying and speaking to Brian in choked tones. She rushed out, her dress rustling around her and the shoes clicking against the flooring as she left. I need to hurry back...they all need me... Her heart was breaking in a dozen places for all her friends. But a selfish side of her was proud of finding the friends that she had. That she had gotten close enough to be there for them, even if she was of no help whatsoever.

She returned, changed into jeans and a worn t-shirt, holding a backpack of Cassie's clothes in various stages of comfort and color. She'd been paranoid about picking something that would bother Cassie to wear here, and had ended up just grabbing a pile of them. She held under her arm a pair of slip-on shoes for Cassie to wear, finding her in the waiting room still. Someone was already there, frantically begging Cassie for questions. Erin.. She sounded so broken, asking to see him, and Lilith hung back, clutching the fresh clothes and biting her lip, not wanting to intrude.

I hope he's okay...I hope they're all okay...has anyone heard about Alex yet? Or Amane? God...


~~


Yukito Maki

His eyes were shut, the flashes of red and then plunging into darkness pressing in on his eyelids like a palpable pressure. He felt hands on his chest, he heard voices, he couldn't tell what was going on, but he knew that everything felt wrong again. He felt like he was drowning. Probably in an ocean, since everything was so salty and bitter-tasting. His cheeks were wet, he knew. Maybe he had been drowning, but now he wasn't.

More stabs of pain, but not as much as he thought there should be. Maybe he was wrong and this was the dying part everyone was always going on about.

That would suck.

His head spun and his breathing was too shallow, and he felt like he wasn't able to swallow to clear the whatever-it-was that blocked his throat. He heard someone say something about blood, and he heard beeping and shouts. He tried to open his eyes, seeing the glare of awful, ugly fluorescent lights. People were leaning over him, and he heard Cassie's voice somewhere.

"But he's my friend. I came in with him...he was with me at the party. He's getting married in June, you have to save him..."

What the hell? Cassie? Save who? He blinked hard, trying to see the faces, trying to move his hands to block out the stupid lights.

He felt his body give a jolt in the same instant someone shouted, "Everyone out of the way!"

Wheels. In the end, it was the sound of the wheels that jolted him to reality. They hit a bump as they entered an elevator and Yukito's memory flashed back to the bump of a bullet to his chest.

I was shot. Holy ****, I was shot.

He was being rolled upstairs in a hospital, and everything was blurry and it was hard to breathe. There were too many people around. Their words were fading in and out, because his head was spinning. He coughed, and everything was even more bitter-tasting than before.

“The....collapsed...surgery...”

“....take him up to....lingula...”

“Insert a thoracostomy tube...“

HOLY CRAP. What is that?! But the world sunk away again, as quickly as it had returned.

~~

“Erin Spenser?” the nurse queried, stepping out with Yukito's file. She was a short, plump woman, her hair cut short while all her peers had tied back their longer locks. The instant she met Erin's eye, she held up her hands in a motion for her to remain calm, a reassuring look on her face that was almost a smile, but not quite. “It's gonna be alright. Yukito is just fine. The bullet wound penetrated his chest wall and unfortunately caused trauma as well pneumothorax , which is a collapsing of the lung. It missed his heart, but caused some damage to his left lung,” subconsciously she gestured toward the left side of her chest, near where the heart was. “We have him on a chest tube and ventilator to help him breathe right now, but the surgery went well, and all signs indicate that he will recover quickly. There may be some complications which I will need to discuss with you, but...” here she gave a little smile, albeit a sad one. One hand reached up to fall on Erin's shoulder. She was a short woman, and had to look up into her face. “You can go in and see him, if you'd like..”

She led the way down the hall, undeterred by her wide frame as she moved swiftly and surely down to ICU. “He will likely have a nurse or doctor with him most times at this point, and he is still under some anesthesia from entering the chest tube. Now, “ she stopped in front of the door, her expression no-nonsense and firm, “What you will see in there is not pretty, you understand? He is stable, but the ventilator itself has risks. He will be limited in movement. He will not be able to speak. He will be disoriented. Anxiety and depression are possible, and he will probably be frustrated at his inability to communicate. There will be a plastic tube coming from his mouth. This is called an endotracheal tube or ET tube. The tube is down his throat, between the vocal chords and the airway to his lungs, and that breathing tube is connected to a hose, which is then connected to a ventilator. If all goes well, he won't need the ventilator any longer than overnight, and then we will start to work on helping him move about and avoid further complications...” She put her hand to the doorknob, the more kindly tone returning subtly, “You can hold his hand, and talk to him, just as you normally would. It'll make you both feel better. But you'll have to be patient with him.” She opened the door and gestured for Erin to go inside.

~~

“Nggh...” he moaned, waking himself up with his own complaints. It was quieter now. But he couldn't speak. Something was in his mouth, and panic seized him suddenly like a flash of lightning in the middle of the night. He gripped his sheets with both hands tightly, opening his eyes and assessing the room around him in a frantic blur. He tried to sit up, but felt pressing on his shoulders, gentle but firm. There was a man leaning over him, telling him precautions and that he would have to take it slow. But the world still spun distantly, and he knew he looked as panicked as he felt.

He tried to speak, but the thing on and in his mouth stopped him. They'd stuck something down his throat. “It's okay, the ventilator won't be in for long. We are regulating your breathing for the moment, try to stay calm and...”

Yukito was only half-listening, but he tried to figure out the timing of the forced breaths through his nose and mouth, while at the same time searching the room. For some reason, he assumed Erin would be there, even though his memory told him she hadn't been at the party. Cassie, then? Where had she gone? Had Irene been stopped? Had she taken Liv? What had happened after he'd stupidly, weakly blacked out on them all?

Why hadn't he reached for her when Liv had distracted her? He could have stopped her before she hit Liv, before she shot the other boy, before she'd shot him.

Where was Erin? His hands gripped on the sheets, and he realized then that there were restraints holding his wrists down. Someone, another male voice, told him they had been used when they had put the chest tube and ventilator in, and mentioned that he had acted out while they were trying to work on him, so they'd had to hold him down. Take them off, take them off, take them off... he commanded with his mind, wanting to scream at the guy in anger and frustration. He yanked on the straps, and soon felt hands that complied, releasing him and reassuring that it wasn't necessary now, as long as he didn't try to take out the tube. Warm, soft hands started to massage his wrists and get the blood flowing correctly again, but he pulled his hand away, protectively holding them to his chest. The back of his hand felt the bandages there, and the run of the tube.

A door nearby opened, but only partway. His eyes shot over, his hands still clenched and his anxiety making the ventilator even more uncomfortable. A woman stood in the doorway, blocking whoever she was speaking to from view. But after a moment, Erin's face came into view, quickly vanishing again as tears started to fill his eyes. He blinked them away, trying to give himself a reassuring breath but unable to do so. His throat constricted and ached, but his hands unclenched, falling to his sides as he wished he could smile at her and say hello. The first thing he wanted to ask, of all things, was if her cough was doing any better, and if she had gotten a ride to the hospital or if she'd driven her moped or if someone had brought her here. He hoped the latter. She was an emotional driver. And she probably hadn't remembered to wear her helmet.

Trying to look sure of himself for her, he reached out his hand, tempted to try a greeting noise but too embarrassed to chance a failure. Hi, Sunshine. You look a mess. You're in your pajamas. You're so ridiculous. I'm glad you're here.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Could you die from waiting too long? Erin began to imagine scenarios where waiting might be deadly. If you're waiting for a transplant... or for a blood transfusion.... or oxygen.... Crap. Then Erin couldn't get the idea out of her head that Yukito would die waiting for a transfusion or something, and there were too many people in there for anyone to notice her or help her. And suddenly in one thunderbolt of a moment she felt entirely and immensely alone.

She pulled her feet up onto the chair, hugging her knees to her and burying her face behind them. Water sprinkled onto her knees with every tight blink. He lost Natalie, now I lose him.... It's all over....

“Erin Spenser?”

Erin looked up, finding relief at the sight of a scrubbed nurse. They always made the doctors do the hard stuff, say "he didn't make it." So this was good.... Please, God, let it be good.... Her brows tilted up, knitting together to announce the anxiety attached to her. For once, no words came quiet yet; she just nodded and stood up, slipping the worn flipflops back on her feet. Her walk over was silent, but lightning. Even if you weren't supposed to "run" in a hospital. Stopping short of the nurse, Erin stood quivering with her mouth opened to speak but without anything coming out.

“It's gonna be alright. Yukito is just fine. The bullet wound penetrated his chest wall and unfortunately caused trauma as well pneumothorax , which is a collapsing of the lung. It missed his heart, but caused some damage to his left lung.”

The thought that he'd been so close to a heart wound sent a jolt through Erin's bones, but then.... it had missed it. It had missed it!! So he was okay!! Maybe not the doctor's definition of "okay", but he had his heart, and he was breathing.... even if it was hard.... More tears spilled from her eyes. Erin nodded fervently to show she understood.

“We have him on a chest tube and ventilator to help him breathe right now, but the surgery went well, and all signs indicate that he will recover quickly. There may be some complications which I will need to discuss with you, but...” Here the nurse gave a kindly, sad smile. One hand reached up to fall on Erin's shoulder. “You can go in and see him, if you'd like..”

Again Erin nodded fervently and managed a teary but sure, "Of course!"

Erin followed the short, motherly nurse into the realm of wires, beeps, signals, and lights. “He will likely have a nurse or doctor with him most times at this point, and he is still under some anesthesia from entering the chest tube. Now, “ She stopped in front of what Erin hoped was Yukito's door, looking serious. Erin nodded again, peering over the woman to see Yukito as soon as she could. The nurse wasn't in a hurry though. “What you will see in there is not pretty, you understand? He is stable, but the ventilator itself has risks. He will be limited in movement. He will not be able to speak. He will be disoriented. Anxiety and depression are possible, and he will probably be frustrated at his inability to communicate. There will be a plastic tube coming from his mouth. This is called an endotracheal tube or ET tube. The tube is down his throat, between the vocal chords and the airway to his lungs, and that breathing tube is connected to a hose, which is then connected to a ventilator. If all goes well, he won't need the ventilator any longer than overnight, and then we will start to work on helping him move about and avoid further complications...”

Erin shook her head. "No complications. Right. We don't want that. Can I see him?" Anxiously, Erin stretched her neck, like that would open the door faster.

“You can hold his hand, and talk to him, just as you normally would. It'll make you both feel better. But you'll have to be patient with him.” She opened the door and gestured for Erin to go inside.

Erin's first thought at seeing Yukito were tubes. Wires. He hated tubes and wires. He'd hate every moment of staying here. And it wouldn't be overnight. She had to make him feel better, as much as possible. How could you make someone feel better who was practically missing a lung, couldn't talk, and was stuck in a place he hated for who knows how long? But her eyes brimmed over with tears again. He was alive. She'd thought he was going to die, but he was here, and alive, and looking at her! Reaching his hand for her! She ran to him, grasping his hand in both of hers and laughing. She laughed a laugh of exquisite relief.

Erin leaned over the odd and somewhat scary equipment to kiss Yukito's face, grinning at him with tears still gracing her cheeks. "Yukito! I love you!" She laughed again, thinking of the monologue the nurse had given to her. "You know what the nurse said outside? She said I could hold your hand and talk to you like normal. I guess she doesn't know what normal is!" She grasped his hand again. "Yukito, I was soooo scared.... I can't tell you how happy I am that I can hold your hand right now!"

Sighing, she examined his eyes. "The nurse said you can probably talk tomorrow and get that god-awful thing out of your throat. And don't worry, I'll make sure they do it right. And I'm not going anywhere, so you don't have to be alone. This place smells too clean to be alone in it." Erin sent him a smile. "And it'll make for an interesting thing to tell our kids one day," she added with a slight giggle. It was too serious a time to be sad. Especially for Yukito, who would be sad enough for both of them, Erin was sure of it.

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

He could see she'd obviously been caught off guard, fear in her eyes and her hair wild around her cheeks to match. Yukito wanted to offer her a smile, to tell her he would be okay, though he wasn't feeling sure of himself. Besides, the ventilator held his expressions in place as best as it could. The sounds and smells of the hospital room threatened to blur away the sensation of Erin rushing towards him, and he lifted his hand to her to assure them both of reality. She grasped his hand in both of hers, laughing. Laughing from what? Relief, because he could see it in her eyes. When she leaned over him, he noted the tears that traced down her cheeks. I made you cry again, Erin. Because I was an idiot. I'm sorry... But his apologetic eyes couldn't hold out against her happiness at seeing him alive and – he was sure – coupled with her fear of the machines that fed air into his lungs.

"Yukito! I love you!" She laughed again, and his eyes sparkled.

I knew that, silly.

"You know what the nurse said outside? She said I could hold your hand and talk to you like normal. I guess she doesn't know what normal is!" She grasped his hand again, and he squeezed hers tightly in return, pulling from her easy tone as best as he could.

I like your normal. I'm glad you can hold my hand.

"Yukito, I was soooo scared.... I can't tell you how happy I am that I can hold your hand right now!"

Me, too. His eyes smiled sadly at her. Yukito squeezed her hand again. Did you drive here on your own? Did you remember your helmet, Erin? You sound like your cold is better, at least. He wanted to let out a sigh and pull her in closer, but all he could do was take her hand and lay it against his chest, avoiding bandages and wires. The party was insane. Liv's mother was there. And...she started shooting everyone, I'm not even sure of all the people who got hit. There's so much to tell you about what happened tonight...

Sighing for them both, she met his eyes evenly. "The nurse said you can probably talk tomorrow and get that god-awful thing out of your throat. And don't worry, I'll make sure they do it right. And I'm not going anywhere, so you don't have to be alone. This place smells too clean to be alone in it." Erin sent him a smile, and he pretended (or rather, hoped) like she understood his slow, deliberate blink was a nod. How glad he was that she would stay, as long as she could. And how relieved he was that he would be free to breathe and speak of his own will tomorrow. "And it'll make for an interesting thing to tell our kids one day," she added with a slight giggle.

He didn't really want to think about fun stories to tell their hypothetical kids. He didn't want to even think about how good she was being to him. Though he would settle for thinking on the way they still understood each other, even in a one-way conversation. She remembered how much he hated the hospital, and she knew that her presence helped tremendously.

Yukito moved to open one of her hands, taking his finger to draw circles in her palm, then thinking that maybe he could write notes to her. That would be easier, right? But he didn't think Erin had brought some paper and pen with her, and he wanted to avoid the doctors and nurses as much as possible. Besides, it was for one night.

One very long night.

Yukito took her hand and placed it against his chilled cheek, looking up at her sadly. I'm sorry you had to rush down here like this. It's gonna cost so much...so much time and money and worry. And we're getting married soon. Oh, God...

He blinked hard, trying to push the thoughts out of his head and keep himself calm. He could worry about that later, there would be time when Erin wasn't here, looking at him like that. When he opened his eyes again, he tried to smile at her, trying to pick up on her positive note and finish her prelude to whatever now lay ahead of them.