Eternal Illusion
Hospital
SHOU
He traveled to where she told him scared and worried to the point where he was almost pulling his hair out. He didn’t even know where to start looking in this city. Something had happened to her and he needed to be with her. He needed to know she was ok.
His phone started ringing and he instantly answered it. “Hatsumei?” he said anxiously.
“No, but she is at the hospital. Please come see her. She keeps saying ‘I won’t forget; I can’t forget.’ She’s on the 5th floor, in the second room,” the phone said and hung up. Who just called him?
Shou made it to the hospital and found her room. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked the nurse.
“I’m afraid that information is confidential,” she said and he recognized her voice from the anonymous call. Shou went into the room and stopped a few feet away from Hatsumei. She was staring at the wall.
“I can’t remember him. I have to remember,” she repeated over and over.
“Hatsumei?” Shou said barely whispering. She didn’t seem to see Shou and it hurt to see her like this.
He came closer to her and put his arms around her. She made no acknowledgement that he had done anything. She didn’t notice at all. She was so far gone. Shou held her, his fingers combing her blond hair, as she repeated those words over and over until she finally fell asleep.
YOUR POV
I woke up in Shou’s warm embrace. My mind was playing tricks on me again. I pulled away from him and his eyes instantly opened. “Hatsumei,” he finally said after looking into my eyes for a long second.
“Shou, you’re real,” I replied. I realized he was here and I got up. “You shouldn’t have come,” I said angrily.
“What happened to you? Why did you leave?” he asked hurt showing in his features.
“You didn’t want to marry me,” I said softly, looking down at my feet.
“Yes I did. What makes you think I didn’t?” Shou said.
“You don’t want me, Shou,” I said. Shou’s expression turned frustrated.
“I asked you to marry me and I meant it. Now tell me what the hell is going on!” Shou said angrily. I looked at him in shock.
“I’m broken. You can’t love me,” I said; it was barely a whisper.
“Hatsumei, there is nothing you can do or say that will make me not love you, not want you. Now please tell me what is wrong!” he said through gritted teeth. Something inside me snapped and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I never asked for this! Why me?
“I’m dying Shou! I’m dying and I’m scared!” I screamed at him and covered my face loathing myself. His expression was surprised but then it turned sad. I cried into my hands cursing myself to the deepest pits of hell for hurting him. I expected him to hate me but then I felt his warm arms embracing me.
“I’m so sorry,” I cried into his chest. Shou kissed the top of my head.
“Everything’s going to be ok,” he said, his voice starting to crack. I knew deep down that it wasn’t and wouldn’t be ok. Deep down Shou knew that too.
When I pulled away from his shirt I could see it had blood on it. Shou saw too and looked at me. “I’m sorry,” I said again. Shou wiped my cheeks and smiled but it didn’t touch his eyes like it used to.
“Don’t apologize for something you have no control over,” he said and brushed his lips against mine.
He stepped away from me and reached to the back of his neck taking off the necklace I’d given him. he took the engagement ring off and placed it on my hand. “I still want you to marry me,” Shou said and raised my hand to his lips kissing my fingertips.
“It would hurt you,” I barely whispered. Shou looked at me his expression unreadable.
“I’d gladly take an eternity of pain to be married to you, Hatsumei,” he said and his lips crushed against mine. “Let’s get married. Right now,” he said breathlessly as he pulled away. I nodded. Shou flipped open his phone and dialed a number.
“Nao, we’re having a wedding so throw some things together,” he said into the phone. He listened to his response and chuckled. “Sorry I’m marrying Hatsumei. See you later,” Shou replied and shut his phone. “All right let’s go!” he said and picked me up. Shou carried me to his car and put me in the passenger seat.
“We’re not even dressed properly,” I complained looking down at my hospital gown and then over at his bloody shirt. He looked at me then down at his shirt and smiled.
“I guess you’re right. Let’s make a stop at my house,” he said and drove slightly faster.
I jumped in the shower when we got there and cleaned myself up. A white sundress was hanging on the bathroom door. I had bought it a couple weeks before I’d left and never got the chance to wear it. I put it on after blow-drying my hair. Then I curled my hair and put some eye makeup on. My stomach filled with butterflies as I thought of marrying Shou.
He traveled to where she told him scared and worried to the point where he was almost pulling his hair out. He didn’t even know where to start looking in this city. Something had happened to her and he needed to be with her. He needed to know she was ok.
His phone started ringing and he instantly answered it. “Hatsumei?” he said anxiously.
“No, but she is at the hospital. Please come see her. She keeps saying ‘I won’t forget; I can’t forget.’ She’s on the 5th floor, in the second room,” the phone said and hung up. Who just called him?
Shou made it to the hospital and found her room. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked the nurse.
“I’m afraid that information is confidential,” she said and he recognized her voice from the anonymous call. Shou went into the room and stopped a few feet away from Hatsumei. She was staring at the wall.
“I can’t remember him. I have to remember,” she repeated over and over.
“Hatsumei?” Shou said barely whispering. She didn’t seem to see Shou and it hurt to see her like this.
He came closer to her and put his arms around her. She made no acknowledgement that he had done anything. She didn’t notice at all. She was so far gone. Shou held her, his fingers combing her blond hair, as she repeated those words over and over until she finally fell asleep.
YOUR POV
I woke up in Shou’s warm embrace. My mind was playing tricks on me again. I pulled away from him and his eyes instantly opened. “Hatsumei,” he finally said after looking into my eyes for a long second.
“Shou, you’re real,” I replied. I realized he was here and I got up. “You shouldn’t have come,” I said angrily.
“What happened to you? Why did you leave?” he asked hurt showing in his features.
“You didn’t want to marry me,” I said softly, looking down at my feet.
“Yes I did. What makes you think I didn’t?” Shou said.
“You don’t want me, Shou,” I said. Shou’s expression turned frustrated.
“I asked you to marry me and I meant it. Now tell me what the hell is going on!” Shou said angrily. I looked at him in shock.
“I’m broken. You can’t love me,” I said; it was barely a whisper.
“Hatsumei, there is nothing you can do or say that will make me not love you, not want you. Now please tell me what is wrong!” he said through gritted teeth. Something inside me snapped and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I never asked for this! Why me?
“I’m dying Shou! I’m dying and I’m scared!” I screamed at him and covered my face loathing myself. His expression was surprised but then it turned sad. I cried into my hands cursing myself to the deepest pits of hell for hurting him. I expected him to hate me but then I felt his warm arms embracing me.
“I’m so sorry,” I cried into his chest. Shou kissed the top of my head.
“Everything’s going to be ok,” he said, his voice starting to crack. I knew deep down that it wasn’t and wouldn’t be ok. Deep down Shou knew that too.
When I pulled away from his shirt I could see it had blood on it. Shou saw too and looked at me. “I’m sorry,” I said again. Shou wiped my cheeks and smiled but it didn’t touch his eyes like it used to.
“Don’t apologize for something you have no control over,” he said and brushed his lips against mine.
He stepped away from me and reached to the back of his neck taking off the necklace I’d given him. he took the engagement ring off and placed it on my hand. “I still want you to marry me,” Shou said and raised my hand to his lips kissing my fingertips.
“It would hurt you,” I barely whispered. Shou looked at me his expression unreadable.
“I’d gladly take an eternity of pain to be married to you, Hatsumei,” he said and his lips crushed against mine. “Let’s get married. Right now,” he said breathlessly as he pulled away. I nodded. Shou flipped open his phone and dialed a number.
“Nao, we’re having a wedding so throw some things together,” he said into the phone. He listened to his response and chuckled. “Sorry I’m marrying Hatsumei. See you later,” Shou replied and shut his phone. “All right let’s go!” he said and picked me up. Shou carried me to his car and put me in the passenger seat.
“We’re not even dressed properly,” I complained looking down at my hospital gown and then over at his bloody shirt. He looked at me then down at his shirt and smiled.
“I guess you’re right. Let’s make a stop at my house,” he said and drove slightly faster.
I jumped in the shower when we got there and cleaned myself up. A white sundress was hanging on the bathroom door. I had bought it a couple weeks before I’d left and never got the chance to wear it. I put it on after blow-drying my hair. Then I curled my hair and put some eye makeup on. My stomach filled with butterflies as I thought of marrying Shou.