Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Flux ❯ Chapter Fourteen ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 14
Kurama watched worriedly as the Doctor and Tom Paris checked Hiei. He felt helpless. There was nothing he could do to help his best friend. The fire demon had stopped convulsing, but he was unconscious, which was more worrying to Kurama. His skin was almost pure white, and it looked as though his breathing was weakening.

"We can't use this on him . . . It would interfere with his third eye, and that would send him into shock and kill him . . ."

The Doctor looked worried, which made Kurama's heart go cold with fear that he would lose his best friend. No . . . This can't happen . . . But there was nothing he could do besides trust the Doctor and Tom Paris to do what they could. "What are you going to do?"

The Doctor frowned. "It looks like we're going to have to use old-fashioned methods to help him. We're going to put him in stasis for a bit to slow down the effects of the methylenedioxymethamphetamine and to give us time to replicate what we'll need." As he spoke, Tom Paris gently transferred Hiei to an antigrav stretcher.

Kurama watched, a strange feeling of protectiveness filling him as he watched Paris' every move. "What's methylenedi- whatever it is?"

"It's a drug from the late 20th and 21st centuries." The Doctor sighed. "You would probably know it as Ecstasy."

"WHAT?!" Kurama gaped. They used that . . .? During high school, he had taken a course on drug abuse designed to discourage teens from using them. "An overdose?" The Doctor nodded. "Why did he fall asleep then? That's not the effect an ecstasy overdose has."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, surprised by Kurama's knowledge. "The effects on a Human. Hiei is not Human, and his body was trying to fight the drug. It nearly put him into a hibernation-like state, which seems to be his body's automatic defensive reaction to major injuries or sickness. The drug eventually won over, and he had those seizures. It didn't have the exact same effects because he didn't go into a pleasure-state." As he spoke, Tom Paris re-entered Sickbay. "We need to get to work." The hologram pointed at a door. "The stasis chambers are in there. You can watch over him if you'd like." With that, the Doctor began his work at an efficient pace, not giving Kurama any more notice.

Kurama hesitantly walked through the door that the Doctor had indicated. He stood next to the cot that Hiei lay on, touching the force field surrounding him. It looked as though Hiei were in some sort of suspended animation. He wasn't breathing, but when Kurama Felt, he could feel the fire demon's ki. The youko watched over his friend, knowing that there was no way Hiei could know he was there in his suspended state, but wanting to be there anyway. Fight it, Hiei. I don't want to lose you . . .

He had no idea how much time passed before Paris came in. "We're ready. You'll have to leave. This is going to be tricky." At Kurama's look, the human continued. "I know how you feel. If it were Harry or B'Elanna, I'd feel the same way. I'm sorry, but we need to concentrate. I'll find you when we're done, and you can stay here as long as you like."

Kurama walked to the Mess Hall, worried out of his mind. He sat down, not noticing that Neelix was standing near him until the Talaxian cleared his throat.

"Is something bothering you?" The Talaxian looked concerned.

The redhead tried to smile, but failed miserably. "There was another attack . . ."

Neelix's eyes widened. "What happened?" I hope Hiei's not . . . The Talaxian cut the thought off.

"It was more of a covert thing. One of the attackers was a shapeshifter. It masqueraded as the Doctor and gave Hiei a drug overdose. The Doctor and Tom Paris are trying to save him, but . . ." Kurama sighed. "And they made me leave Sickbay while they're working on him. I'm worried that . . ." He trailed off, shaking his head and refusing to finish the sentence.

Neelix frowned, then sighed. "Worrying can't do much. Just hope . . . and pray, if you believe in that. In the meantime, I know just what you need." Kurama glanced at him, curious. "A lot of chocolate." The kitsune chuckled wanly, grateful for Neelix's attempt to cheer him up. "I'll make you up a special treat!"

Kurama watched as the Talaxian began making something containing an alarming amount of chocolate. He's right . . . I have to keep hope . . . and pray. Even if only in my mind . . .

Kurama sat on the bed in his and Hiei's quarters, holding the teddy bear that Naomi had given to his friend to his chest as he prayed to Inari and any other god or goddess that might be listening that his friend would be okay. It had been over an hour since he'd left Sickbay, and he was getting more worried with every passing second. How would he live without Hiei, if it came down to that? The brash, rude little hanyou had gained a place in his heart that could never be filled if he were gone. Why do I feel this way? Like a part of me is going to die if he does? He'd never felt this way for anyone except Shiori, when she was dying--only for his mother. Why do I feel this way now? For a friend? Even if he's my best friend, I never felt like this when Kuronue died, and he'd been my best friend for decades!

He jumped as the door chimed, and nearly tripped over his own feet in the rush to answer it. As he'd hoped, it was Tom Paris. "Is he . . .?" He was afraid to finish the sentence.

The blonde smiled gently. "We've stabilized him. Did you wa-"

"Yes. I want to visit him." The youko followed Paris to the turbolift, realizing as he entered it that he still had the teddy bear locked against his chest. I don't care . . . All I care about is finding out if Hiei's okay.

After a few hours that were really only a few minutes, they reached Sickbay. Kurama vaguely noticed that there was a chair next to Hiei. He sank into it as he looked at his friend. The fire demon was hooked up to a respirator that looked like it was from a 20th Century hospital to help him breathe. He was also hooked up to an IV. His heart was being monitored on modern technology.

The Doctor sighed. "We had to use older technology. He stopped breathing. We tried taking him off the respirator, but he had trouble breathing. He hasn't regained consciousness."

Kurama looked at the Doctor, his emotion-filled green eyes piercing the hologram. "Will he be okay?"

"He'll survive." Kurama's brow knitted, and the Doctor continued. "We don't know what side effects might pop up because of the overdose. We barely managed to save him. The possible side effects are insomnia, depression, anxiety or paranoia, exhaustion, et cedera. But those are the side effects in humans. There's no telling what side effects it my have on him." The Doctor sighed again. "We can only wait and hope." He went into another room.

Kurama turned his attention to his friend. He gently brushed a lock of hair from Hiei's face, watching his friend carefully for any sign that he Felt his presence. He ran his hands through the sanjiyan's hair, more to calm his own nerves than in hope that it would wake Hiei. He gently lay the bear next to Hiei. I've never been so afraid in my entire life . . . I thought I was going to lose him. I've lost friends before, though . . . This is effecting me more than any of them have combined!

The fire demon's breathing was regulated by the respirator, making it look unnatural and forced, which uneased the kitsune. It's as if he's dead and on life support . . . The youko's eyes widened, and he quickly Felt for Hiei's ki and consciousness. His heart nearly stopped when he felt how weak it was--barely there. Gods . . . Is he really there?! Then, sluggishly, Hiei's ki responded to Kurama's Touch. Barely, but it was a response. Relief flooded Kurama. He carefully picked up Hiei's small, cool hand and held it in his own, not aware of the tears of relief that were streaming down his cheeks. I couldn't live without him . . .

That thought led him to something else entirely. A thought that both shocked him, and made him tremble with the air of truth it held. I love him! He loved the bad-tempered little fire demon--as more than just a friend. I love him . . . He looked at his . . . love. My love . . . He would never understand . . . Especially with his past. He would hate me for it, for what it implies. I would lose even his friendship, and I could never deal with that. His tears changed from tears of relief to tears of despair. I finally love someone . . . but I can never tell him . . . and he'll never love me back . . .

---

Yes, this is only the beginning. MWAHAHAHA! I finally got Kurama to realize his feelings, and I managed to keep some angst in with the unrequited love deal. YAY!! See, while I do control the situations I put them in, I do not control their reactions to those situations. Their personalities do. I try to stay true to the characters as much as possible, otherwise they all become Mary Sues and I might as well change their names and make it original. Of course, I can create situations that make the characters . . . crack. *evil grin* I love writing sometimes. BTW, hanyou means half-breed, a la Inu Yasha. And "uneased" is not technically a word. I made it up because it sounded good there and it should be a word! Anyhoo, I have an announcement. Many of you have asked me to start an ML that would inform members of my fanfic updates. *blush* I had no idea I had this many people who like my fanfics. So I started an ML. Anyone who wants to join may, though it is NOT a forum for flames or bursts of intolerance. People who want to join and can abide by this rule should send a blank email to: rosethorneupdate-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Hope to see you there! ^__^