CHAPTER 5

"Mr. Itsuki, we are going to give you an anesthetic, so that you would not feel any pain during the whole procedure. After this, we will first bring you to a special germ-free ward to wait for the anesthetic to take effect."

After the injection, he was wheeled into a germ-free ward by a nurse. Inside the ward, he saw that there was a huge curtain separating the entire ward. he looked at the nurse with an enquiringly.

"That is the patient you are saving...... She is such a young child, poor thing, so young and yet suffering from leukemia. Without your bone marrow, she would not be able to live past next month...."

After that, the nurse left the ward, leaving only him and the patient. As the anesthetic begin to take effect, he heard a faint sniffle. It seemed to be coming from the same room.

"Hi.... are you crying?"

She was shocked. She was too overwhelmed by her own emotions that she had not noticed that there was another person in the same ward as her......

"No... nothing.... are you the donor?"

She asked softly.

"Er... yes......."

He was getting drowsy by the moment. But her voice seemed so familiar, as if he heard it before somewhere......

"Thank you......"

Where did he hear it from before? It really seemed familiar to him, but he could not remember. Maybe she is a television artiste? He thought to himself.

"You are welcome.... but why are you crying so bitterly? After I donate my bone marrow to you, you will recover..... and the doctor....."

Before he could finish his sentence, she spoke....

“I am afraid.... that if I never wake up again, I can never see him anymore......?"

"Who?"

"He is someone I love very much...... He said he love me too... But I guess, he doesn’t anymore.... after I broke his heart........"

"How old are you? The nurse told me that you were a very young girl......."

"I am actually 20 this year..... Nurse Todo always treats me as a little girl, but I am actually 20......"

Out of the blue, her image suddenly flashed across his mind.... Could it be that..... No, he shooked his head, how could it be? After all, she has already left this country, isn't it so? He struggled to keep himself awake.....

"Maybe, even if I die.... it would be better...."

She continued talking, not really to him, but herself as well.

"It would be better....to die.... than to live in a world without him...... Why.... when I gave him up,...then did you appear......."

Every word that she said pierced his heart deeply, as he could felt what she was going through....... Tears were flowing from his eyes.....it really was her.......

"I love you, very much.... that's why...... I cannot be with you. To begin a relationship with you means that it will end someday, but because....... I love you too much, I don't ever want to say goodbye to you..... I don't have much time..... I am leaving soon..... So, instead of having to start and end a relationship, if we never ever started, then we will be together forever ....... "

She gasped.

"How did you........."

Before she could finish her words, she fainted.......

CHAPTER 6

He tried to shout for help, but could not..... the drugs were taking effect. He was losing control of himself, as he succumbs to the anesthetic.

"Help.... someone.... Kotoko..... don't......"

As he drift in and out between reality and dreamland, he thought he heard a lot of noises......

"Hurry up, push her into the operating room...... she is slipping away....we have to perform the operation immediately now......."

As the sun ray shone on him, his eye lid flickered. Finally, he opened his eyes......

"Mr. Itsuki, you have woken up. We were so afraid that you might have an infection. Be careful...."

Nurse Todo helped him to a sitting position. What had happened? He tried to recall what had happen just before. Yes, what happened to her?

"How is she? How was the operation?"

He looked at the nurse anxiously, waiting for her to speak. But, the nurse seemed hesitant.... She cleared her throat and shuffled her feet, as if trying to drag time...... She had knew that he was the person she always told her of, the most important person in her life, and she also knew that he loved this young girl very much. So, how could she bear to break the news to him.......

Finally, she opened her mouth.

"The operation was rather successful, but her body was too weak and could not take the operation.... So... so... she fell into a coma......"

He was stunned....... coma? The nurse turned to face the window. She did not want to face Takeshi, did not want to face his grief. She herself was also very upset. She was such a lovely girl, so charming and always so kind to everyone.......

"I want to see her......."

He struggled to get out of bed. It was hard to imagine that so many things would happen within such a short period of time. A week ago, he had just confessed his love to a healthy girl, and now this girl is lying in the hospital, in a coma........ not knowing when she might ever wake up.....

Finally, he saw her. There she was, lying peacefully on the bed, as if nothing had happened, as if she was just in a deep sleep, as if she would suddenly wake up and greet him with a smile on her face...... But it was not so.... she might never wake up..... as he thought of it, tears welled in his eyes. Why? Why did Heaven play such a prank on her? She was such a good person, why did she have to suffer all these?

As he sat next to her clutching her soft hand, the doctor came in. He has also known about Takeshi's relationship with Kotoko from Nurse Todo. He patted him softly on the back, as if giving him encouragement.

"When will she wake up?"

The doctor paused for a while before he spoke

"Mr. Itsuki, there is something which I have to tell you.... During the operation, we also discovered a small benign tumour at the back of Ms.Mimura's head. Although we have successfully removed it, but there is a possibility that when she wakes up, she might lose her memory........"