• CHAPTER 140 - ONE SUFFERS, ALL SUFFER

    I never thought I could suffer as much as Kai and Kira...but then again, Kai and Kira are almost two hundred years old. They've endured as much suffering as anybody and yet they still pull through.

    There was no way that sleep was possible for me last night. Even though I was so incredibly tired, I couldn't get myself to fall asleep. It wasn't the sound of Kira's pain that kept me up--he had gone silent and nobody but Orihime knew if he was dead or alive--but it was Ai's crying and my stress. Insomnia became my worst enemy, as it did with every nightglare I would have as well.

    When Kai had come back into the bedroom, I had asked him if he knew the news about Kira, only to be answered with a shake of Kai's head. Kira didn't have a heartbeat so nobody could tell if he was alive or not. I wanted him to continue fighting; what would give him the motivation to survive? I knew he hated being half Vampire, but he couldn't just leave Kai behind in such a manner. He couldn't hurt everybody like that.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "Here," Kai handed me a pair of crutches as I sat at the edge of the bed and stretched.

    "I don't think I can support myself," I admitted shamefully, cursing my feeble arms.

    "I can't really carry you," Kai frowned. "My left arm is immobile."

    Oh yeah, he had been shot in the elbow by Mayura's gun. I hesitantly grabbed the crutches and managed to stand up; the herbal medication on my leg was gradually wearing out. I could bend my toes but not my leg quite yet since it was still numb. I supported myself on the crutches and tried taking my first step, only to tumble onto the ground and groan in dissatisfaction.

    "You'll get a hang of it," Kai chuckled, helping me up with his one useful arm.

    I supported myself again and took smaller steps towards the bedroom door. As we exited, I kept my eyes glued to Kira's locked door and my heart dropped. Kai nudged me gently with his knuckles against my back and I took my time going down the stairs--which took me up to five minutes with Ai's encouraging cheers. She seemed to be cheering up easier than I was; maybe she was just trying to make me feel better.

    "Good morning, Arisa," Matsuda smiled at me from the kitchen.

    "Morning," I mumbled, still taking forever on my crutches.

    As soon as Kai helped me seat myself at the table, Orihime stepped into the kitchen silently. Everybody turned to her and stared at her, waiting for an answer. She was holding something in her hand and her face seemed apathetic. I couldn't really read her eyes since they were so cloudy with blindness. She extended her hand out to Matsuda and opened her nimble fingers.

    "I believe I managed to remove them all," she confirmed.

    I leaned over a little, trying to steal a glance at what she was holding. By the looks of it, it looked like a handful of tiny pellets, smaller than gun pellets. Matsuda looked over at my curiosity and gathered the pellets into his own hands. He kneeled down in front of me and started shuffling the metallic, blood-stained beads around in his hands.

    "These are what lie in a Necromantic Hunter gun," he informed. "As soon as a bullet is fired and makes contact, these beads--coated with miasma--automatically spread into the victim."

    "Oh," I mumbled, surprised. I didn't know a Necromantic Hunter gun worked like that. I knew they had miasma in them but I didn't know they coated pellets.

    "Kira's still alive but his survival depends heavily on his ability to filter out the miasma and use his will power," Orihime informed regretfully. "He was shot in the stomach; that's a very dangerous area to be infiltrated for a Vampire and a human."

    She was right; a human would normally die if they were to be shot in the stomach. Not only did Kira's Vampire side have to deal with the miasma, but his human side had to deal with the fact that he was shot in the stomach. He couldn't win at most things; his half nature self was too conflicting, yet he never wished to become a full Vampire and there was no way to change him back to a human.

    "Arisa needs to eat," Kai mumbled, changing the subject.

    "Orihime, can I see Kira?" Ai asked politely with pleading eyes. She absolutely loved Kira.

    "I'm afraid not. It's dangerous to be around him." Orihime rejcted Ai's question. "I posted sutras on every wall, window, and door in his room so he can't leave. I'm more worried about him attacking Arisa than anything else."

    "How will he feed?" I bit my lip. "He'll die if he can't feed."

    "Matsuda and I will have to acquire some blood from a hospital,"

    Kai set down a bowl of steamed rice for me and handed me a side bowl with vegetables and soy sauce. I dumped the side dish into the rice and started mixing it in silence. Kira kept rushing through my head; he was still alive, but he still had a high risk of dying. His human and Vampire sides were both fighting for survival and he needed blood quick.

    "He's almost at the same stage Takeuchi was in December," Orihime broke out the news.

    At that, I froze where I was, dropping my spoon into my meal. Kai glanced over at me as I sat still, automatically reminiscing back to December when I was infected by that Werewolf and Takeuchi was in a coma for nearly three months. I continued to eat my food calmly, not wanting to show anybody I was on the verge of a breakdown again. I was feeling nauseous from stress once more and I pushed my food away.

    "I hate Mayura," I mumbled, burying my face in my hands.

    "She's gone now," Kai rubbed my back and nuzzled my cheek. "You needn't worry about her any longer."

    "What do you imagine Hitoshi will do?" Matsuda asked Kai.

    "It's either he'll leave us be or he'll come to kill Arisa for revenge. There really is no in between with him or Mayura." Kai sighed.

    "We need to return Ai," I mumbled, looking next to me at Kai. "We need to bring her back to her father."

    "I can bring her tomorrow," Kai nodded.

    "With me," I demanded. "I want to go with you."

    "Absolutely not," Kai declined. "I'm not risking you injuring yourself again. I won't let you near Minoru or Kaiba."

    "The contract isn't activated; they can't kill me." I argued back. "Besides, I want to be there to say goodbye to Ai."

    Kai perked upright and directed his attention in the general direction of Kira's room. Matsuda and Orihime also turned their heads to listen as well. I sat by myself, defeated by my weak human skills with my lack of super hearing or super smell. Kai looked down with sorrow on his face.

    "He's thirsty," he mumbled.

    "We should get going," Matsuda offered, gripping Orihime's hand gently. "We need to acquire blood for him."

    "Arisa, we should stay down here," Kai commanded, pushing my bowl of rice back towards me.

    "I thought Orihime said he was in a coma," I furrowed my eyebrows together. "He couldn't attack me."

    "Your blood is delectable enough to make him mad and unconsciously attack you," Kai regretted. "Then he'll fall into a deep sleep again, and possibly wake up not as himself."

    I paused, taken back at the surprising twist, "Oh,"

    I glanced around the kitchen and noticed that Matsuda and Orihime had already left the house. I didn't know how they would manage to take blood from a hospital but I'd rather not ask. They were too focused on trying to keep Kira conscious and sane. I wrapped my arms around Kai's right arm and leaned my head against my shoulder. I sighed from exhaustion and stress and closed my eyes.

    "I hate having such special, cursed blood," I mumbled. "It's either creatures become obsessed or they go mad."

    Kai snuggled his face against my head, "I was on the brink of obsession, but there's more of you to obsess about than your blood,"

    I laughed halfheartedly, keeping my eyes closed, "Don't say you're obsessed with me; that's freaky."

    Kai kissed my head, "Sleep,"

    "I want to see Kira," I mumbled.

    "You'll have your opportunity," Kai whispered.

    My grip on Kai's shirt loosened and I buried my face in Kai's chest to keep from looking into the rays of the afternoon sun. I was physically and emotionally drained and exhausted. Kai scooped me into his arms--his left arm not capable of supporting as much--and he carried me up the stairs and into his bedroom. Before he laid me down on the bed, I passed out once more for my long nap. I couldn't even imagine how long Kira would be asleep. Would he ever even wake again?