Fading Past and Erased Future

Chapter 6, The Final Chapter

One week passed and Yua didn't get any better. She had bruised ribs, three dislocated joints, a broken arm, a broken leg, a punctured lung, mild concussion and a fractured hip. The doctors knew she wouldn't get better. They just waited a bit to tell them.

When Hitoka, Tooru and Hajime showed up, the doctors asked them to talk to them outside for a bit.

"We've been waiting to tell you three this," He started. "But your friend doesn't have much time left." All three of them felt their stomachs drop.

"W-what?" Tooru felt his breath hitch.

"She's beyond repair. We tried, I promise you we really did but... we just can't. We're sorry." The doctor walked away with his head hung low.

Hajime started breathing heavily, trying to hold back his tears. He eventually lost his composure and fell to his knees.

"Iwa-chan!" Tooru put his hand on Hajime's back, kneeling down next to him.

"Goddammit. She's..." He looked up at Tooru, tears streaming down his face. "She's going to die." He grabbed his shirt where his heart was and collapsed completely, sobbing loudly.

"Iwa-chan... please don't cry." Tooru's voice was breaking and he felt his throat choking up. "Sh-she'll be alright! This is Setocchi we're talking about! She'll make it out ali-"

"Oikawa-kun, she's not going to make it." Hitoka whispered. "You can't cheat death. You just... can't." Hitoka sobbed quietly. Tooru joined, not being able to hold his tears back.

"Come on guys." Hitoka whispered. "She's waiting for us." Tooru and Hajime both got up, wiping their eyes and sniffling.

Once they pulled themselves together they walked into Yua's room.

"Hey Yua. How you holding up?" Hajime asked, with bags under his eyes. They all had red eyes and bags under them.

"Good. I heard you guys crying outside." Yua whispered. She couldn't speak louder than a whisper without it hurting.

"O-oh." Tooru looked at her, examining her body. Her bruised and damaged body just didn't look right. She was always strong and the one who helped them when they were injured, but now, she couldn't. She was the weak one. She was the one in need of help, she was the one who was going to die.

"I know." Yua confessed. They all raised an eyebrow.

"Know what?" Hitoka asked.

"I know I don't have much time left. The doctors told me before you guys got here." Tooru could feel the tears coming back to him.

Hajime punched the wall with a shout.

"I can't believe the person who did this to you didn't even try to help!" He shouted.

"Hajime, it's oka-"

"No it's not okay! Because they weren't patient enough to wait their turn, you're going to die!" Hajime balled up his fists again, his breath was shaky.

"Hajime, calm down."

"He's right, Yua." Hitoka interfered.

"Wha-?"

"It's not fair!" Tooru shouted, his tears falling down his face again. "Why're you the one who has to be taken from us?"

"Guys, I'm not dead yet."

"But you will be!" Hitoka yelled, sobbing hard. She ran over to her bed and gripped her hand, crying into the bedsheets.

After keeping Yua company for five hours, the three of them left her alone again.

The next day, the trio went to visit her, like normal. When they entered Yua's room, she looked pale and she was weaker than before.

"Good morning, Setocchi." Tooru greeted her as they walked through the door.

"H-hey guys." Yua gave them a soft smile. "If you guys wouldn't mind, could you pull up three chairs so you guys can sit around my bed?" The three of them looked around at each other then back at Yua and nodded. Just like she asked, they pulled up three chairs to sit around Yua's bed. Hajime and Tooru on the left of her and Hitoka on the right.

With what little strength she had left, put her hand on Hajime's cheek.

"I'm gonna miss you guys." Hajime put his hand on hers.

"Don't say that Yua. You still have time left." Yua sighed.

"Yeah." Yua smiled sheepishly. "Hajime, don't break your ankle again, okay?"

"Wait. Yua, no." Hajime felt tears in his eyes again. They all did. They knew what she was doing. "Yua, please don't."

"Promise me, okay?" A tear streamed down his face.

"Okay. I promise." She let go of Hajime's face and held Tooru's.

"Don't disappear off the face of the Earth again, okay?" Tooru couldn't help but start crying again.

"I-I promise. I won't." She then transferred her hand to Hitoka's face. Hitoka held her hand, just as Hajime did.

"Hitoka, I love you." Hitoka felt butterflies in her stomach.

"You, what?" She answered, her tone a mix of flustered and sadness.

"I love you. I have for a long time. I love you and I wish I could've been your girlfriend when I had the chance." Hitoka's eyes spilled tears and she gripped Yua's hand tighter.

The line went flat, and the beeping that indicated her life, stopped. They all started sobbing. Yua's hand fell back to her side. Hitoka gripped Yua's hand and she let her head fall.

"I love you too."

That night, Hitoka drove home, listening to their favorite song on repeat. She walked into her apartment and looked at Yua's apartment key that sat on the kitchen island. She grabbed it and examined it, turning it in-between her fingertips. She put the key down and walked into Yua's room. She sat on her bed and picked up a pillow from Yua's bed. She hugged it tight and laid her head on it. She cried herself to sleep that night.

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After Yua's funeral, Hitoka went to get herself a drink. She went to the same cafe where they met every Sunday and got the same drink Yua did the day they first met.