[Rainbowfox Ari]

Luke blushed the the reply, and gave a sheepish grin. He wasn't THAT good, or at least not as good as Rieve was making him out to be. After a moment, Oni began to wake up, and stirred. Luke moved over to check on him, and found his pulse steady and somewhat strong. It was a good sign.

"I'll just... leave you two alone." he said with a sly wink, as he backed out the door.

Oni not only REMEMBERED Rieve... he still loved him. And his eyes focused on those of the doctor. He wasn't healthy by any stretch of the imagination - yet. But he was recovering. Only one more surgery after this one, and he'd be out of here, and ready to live a normal life. Or perhaps he'd stay here... with Rieve. That he would like.

"Reive..." he said softly, reaching up to take a hand. "I missed you..."

[Kyrit]

A small smile spread across his face, wrapping his hand about Oni's that had reached out to him. "Had me worried there... Sorry I haven't been around to help over see your surgeries." Missed you... so he hadn't been forgotten within his time of sleeping. "Looks like my dear friends here made sure I didn't lose you though."

He would be forever greatful to the others. Not only had they taken care of the young boy for him, but they made sure that he stuck around to see that Oni was doing better. "I... don't quite understand what happened though. I mean, I know I was tired, but I've always been in rather good health. Kinda odd to just go into a coma for two months like that..."

His free hand moved up to rest on Oni's forehead, brushing back his bangs. "Two months... They've gotten so much done. I'll have to thank that other doctor that came in if I can ever find him."

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni smiled up at him, and squeezed the hand in his again, pulling himself to a slightly more sitting position than he had been in. He looked tired, but at least semi-healthy.

"They told me... when I woke up... that you'd be there for me after I woke from my heart surgery. They were right."

He looked down now, and fiddled a bit with his free hand.

"You're not... mad at me... are you? For...."

For falling into a coma. For making life more difficult for him. For being a burden on the hospital... There were so many things to apologize for. He doubted he could get to them all. Perhaps it was best just to leave that a blanket statement.

[Kyrit]

"I believe I could ask you the very same." Reive spoke, shifting around a bit so that he could pull over a chair and sit down in it. "Why would I be mad? I haven't even done anything... You have every right to be mad at me since I wasn't there to take care of you."

He leaned against the bed, a small smile on his face. "Tell ya what, Oni. Once the others and I see that you're fit enough for a small trip outside the clinic, I'll take you to get some ice cream if you'd like."

his voice was so soft.. so gentle. He still seemed a bit tired himself, but that was only because his body hadn't been up and about in two months now.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni nodded, and smiled. He'd like that very much. He'd also like Reive to stay, because he'd been lonely without him, quite honestly. But he couldn't say that, as it would be looked upon as... well... weak. And that is the one thing he didn't want Reive to see him as - especially when he had fallen into that coma right in front of him. He wanted to at least present the illusion of strength. And he had things to ask... questions to pose. Things to think about, too. Things that Reive may not like. Eventually, he was going to have to discuss these things... but right now, he just wanted to be here with him... And actually...

"Reive? Can you hold me?" he asked, shyly.

He didn't know whether or not the doctor wanted to take that step just yet. But he WAS cold, and he was under doctor's orders not to move much. Holding him might be a good way to warm him up... at least that's what Oni hoped that Reive was thinking.

[Kyrit]

It was a bit of an odd request, but the doctor could see where he was coming from. The room was cold, which meant that the others should have bumped up the heat a tiny bit, and there weren't exactly any more covers in the room. He stood up, pushing the chair back a bit. His movements were slow, careful of the fact that his body was still getting used to actually being used again.

Reive pulled Oni's covers back slightly and slid into the bed with him, gently moving the young boy to sit between his legs so that he could hold him close and keep him warm. "This a bit better?" he asked, pulling the covers back up and wrapping his arms around the other.

"I know the clinic seems cold, but it's actually best for things to stay cold so bacteria and such can't grow. We can always give people many blankets to help them stay warm." At the time, the kind hearted memorial kuhna would most likely do anything that he was asked by the younger guy.

[SpringsSong]

Two months had gone by, and in that two months, Amrita and Savarna had hardly left Amourana's side.  But today was different.  Amrita had stopped in for a quick visit, and Savarna had stayed the entire night.  Smiling up at her sisters, Amourana said in a weak voice, "I'm glad that you guys could stay with me... for this long..." At this, her eyes closed slowly.  Savarna gasped, and Amrita stiffened.  Without another word, Savarna looked at the machine that Amourana was attached to.  The lines were starting to go flat.  Amrita instantly punched the black button at hearing the beeps of the machine quicken.  Please let him be here... She thought.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni had felt something happen down the hall. He stiffened for a moment, then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he was out. His vital signs only showed that he was sleeping, so nothing was wrong with him. Something else must be going on...

Brecht elbowed his way in past a crowd that was staring, and gently moved the dying girl's sister aside. He took one look at the monitors, and pulled over a cart, opening a drawer, and taking out a syringe, holding that in his teeth while he pulled out another one, and injected it into the IV on the girl's arm. Then, he followed up that injection with another one from the syringe he had been biting. After both of those were injected, he whipped his stethoscope out from around his neck, and listened to see if there was any improvement. Hearing none - which was usually the case, unfortunately - he flicked the switch of the defibrillator on top of the crash cart to get it charging.

"Come on, sweetheart, I can't do this alone. Fight for me."

Once the paddles were charged, he worked fast to tear open her hospital gown, and spread the conductive gel on the pads, rubbing them together to spread it. He pressed the paddles against her chest in the correct places, then released the 'trigger' handles of the pads. A shock arced through the still body beneath. Now, he waited with his fingers against the girl's throat, five seconds, for a pulse.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ *** ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Oni appeared to the dying girl, inside of her mind. He was walking now, and not in his wheelchair, but it was Oni regardless. On and off, he'd been doing this for patients while IN his coma. He gently took her hand.

~ Kind Amourana... Don't give up. There is hope, and there are people that are waiting for you. I can weather this storm with you, I can be your anchor. So please... please don't give up. I will be able to sustain you, but I'll need your help to do it. Don't run away. You desire life, do you not? Then fight. I will help you - so fight. ~

[SpringsSong]

Everything had begun to slip away for Amourana when she saw Oni in her head.  She did want life--with every fiber in her being--but her heart was failing.  Looking at Oni in her mind, she said, ~I will try my best to fight... I want life, I don't want to die...~ She said quietly to the Cake Kuhna, faintly recognizing the shock being sent through her body.  She shuddered, but her eyes did not open.  She remained flat on her bed, the hospital gown ripped open and exposing her chest to Brecht.  It wasn't as well-developed as her sisters', but it was there.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni nodded, and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

~Then live. I will hold the reins for you. Go back to your family, and let ME handle your heart. I will not let you die.~

There was a great wrench, and Oni started to force the girl's heart to beat, absolving her of all responsibility for that.

~Know that I love you. You are my sister, so far as I am concerned. Don't be afraid, and let me hold control. Go back now. Before you scare them any further...~

With that, he 'settled' in a corner of her mind, and snuggled there, a constant, comforting presence that would not leave her side, no matter what the outcome of this illness was.

Brecht gave a relieved sigh as the second shock brought back a heart rhythm that was stable. Slow. But stable. And actually, starting to speed back up to normal. It was odd - for one of her condition - but he was just thankful that she was alive again. Despite his cold manner, he really did get attached to his patients - this one especially. She'd been nothing but kind to the other patients, and to him. And he had just been on his way back to tell her they found a heart. She was scheduled for the surgery in about three days, give or take. Depending on when they could bring that specialist over here from his freelance work.

"Welcome back, sweetheart. That was close.... You feel okay?"

[SpringsSong]

Amourana laid on her back, her eyes opening as she heard Brecht's voice.  She yawned slightly, then said, "I... I guess I feel okay..." She really wanted to say, I just felt my heart almost completely stop, and then this young boy just offered to keep it beating for me, how do you think I feel?!, but she refrained from saying such a thing.  Moving so that she could look at Brecht before she asked, "Have... have they found a new heart yet?" It was almost like Amrita and Savarna were no longer in the room, just her and Brecht.

[Kyrit]

Reive was, at first, extremely worried over Oni. That is, until he looked at the signs. Sleeping... The young kuhna needed his rest, and Reive was more then happy to let him get such a thing. He had figured that the cake kuhna felt at ease with him holding him, and was able to sleep that way.

He leaned back a bit, continuing to gently hold the younger kuhna. His head rested on the pillows, just laying there and holding Oni, content as could be...

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Brecht nodded when asked.

"Yes. I just came in to tell you that. I hardly expected you to go into Cardiac Arrest on me. You're scheduled for surgery in a few days... so rest up. You'll need your strength and your sleep for the surgery, believe you me."

He jotted something down on his clipboard, and sighed, looking at the other two.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave. She needs her rest. I'm sorry to sound blunt, but that's the way it is."

Oni slept soundly, all his energy going into keeping Amour alive. However, over the months he'd been out, he'd learned to use his energy wisely, and thus was not at all drained. He simply appeared to be exhausted, and to have fallen asleep on Reive's lap. Which was not at all a bad thing.

[SpringsSong]

Amrita and Savarna said nothing to Brecht as they silently walked out of the room and into the hall.  Amourana, meanwhile, looked at Brecht and asked in a quiet, almost scared voice, "What will happen if... you know, if my body rejects the new heart?  Will I ever... ever be able to go on seaside walks or joke around with my sisters again?" Then, inadvertently, she asked, "Will you be there when they do the surgery?"

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Brecht shook his head at the questions, and put a finger to her lips.

"Don't ask such things right now. I'll let you know everything before the surgery - but that's a few hours from now. You need your rest at the moment, so try not to talk."

He sighed, and looked out the window - not at her sisters, just staring off into space.

"I'll be there, assisting. You'll get to meet the doctor when he gets here. But like I said... that'll be a few more hours to a day. So don't worry too much right now."

Patting her hand, he smiled at her, and turned to walk out the door.

"Get some rest."