Small town secrets

Chapter 17 - Tai's perspective - Deserving

"Joe stop pacing" I said leaning against the wall
"The fact that your nervous is making me nervous" Kari added
"What are we waiting for?" I said
Just then the thing we were waiting for busted through the hospital doors
"Jim thank god" Joe said running over to the doctor that opened the door
"Oh Joe what have you gotten yourself into" He said
"I'm not quite sure"
"We're standing right here" I said rolling my eyes
"Hi I'm doctor Jim Kido I'm going to be helping with whatever is happening here. I'm not really sure what's going on yet."
"Oh so your Joe's brother" Kari said
"Yes that's me, I can't believe he doesn't talk about me more"
"So Joe didn't tell you anything?" I asked
"Well besides the fact that I'm doing surgery on someone, I know nothing"
"You might wanna sit down"
Jim looked stunned as he sat in the waiting room chairs in the darkly lit hospital with only a little bit of sunlight coming from the windows.
"So there may or may not be magic crystals in our heads that we kinda need out" I said
Jim let out a chuckle thinking we were joking. He soon realized this was no joke. He looked to Joe who was also not laughing.
"Oh my god, you're serious?" He said
"Dead serious, no pun intended" Kari said
I let out a snicker as Joe rolled his eyes.
"Now we know where she gets it from" he said
"Oh whatever" I said
"Okay so we're doing this for sure? It's going to be dangerous" Jim said
"We have too, It's the only way"
"Okay if you say so, let me go grab the tools"
Jim walked away disappearing down the darkened hallway.
"I should go help him but, you guys have to decide who gets which doctor. Keep in mind Jim is more experienced than me." Joe said running after his brother
"You can have Jim" Kari said quietly
"Over my dead body. You have more to live for anyway. Jim will be your doctor." I said firmly standing up to face away from her
"TAICHI SHUT UP!" she screamed standing up, grabbing my arm and spinning me around to face her "Your life is just as valuable as anyone else's. Don't you wanna see Sora again?"
She was right. I wanted to see Sora again more than anything. No, no, no. It's not working. I won't cave. She deserves life way more than I do. Whether she'll admit it or not. She's the perfect kid, it's always been like that, it always will be like that. Preferable I don't die today but better me than her. Whenever faced with a life or death situation I always think about the time Kari fell ill, as it was my fault. Back when I was just a kid all I wanted to do was play soccer, I knew mom told me to watch Kari and that she was sick but I was selfish, only focusing on myself, but I didn't want to leave her alone. I brought her along to the park where I wanted to kick a soccer ball around with her. I began to get a little frustrated that she couldn't kick it well, and tried to teach her. Not long after, she collapsed, and an ambulance had to come. I felt awful, some big brother I was. That was the first time my mother hit me. I don't condone hitting kids but, I definitely deserved that. She almost died of pneumonia. But what really kills me is what she said when they brought her home from the hospital. When Kari came home, she apologized to me for not being able to kick the ball right. It crushed me. It felt like a punch to the gut. It was my fault, yet she still apologized to me. I took the lesson to heart, and decided to look after her from that point on, like a good brother would have done in the first place. This wasn't a debate, she was getting doctor Jim. No negotiating.
"Hikari kamiya! I wasn't asking you, I was telling you. You know Tk couldn't live without you."
"I don't think you've called by my full name since I put a hole in your wall"
"Yeah and it's still there"
"Don't be salty"
"We're ready for you" Jim said standing in the darkly lit hallway
"I'm scared. Why did Dad do this to us?" Kari said
"I'm not sure, but it's all going to be okay in the end you'll see" I said
I pulled her in close for a hug, trying to cherish what could be our last. let's hope it's not but, only time will tell.

Authors note: sorry this chapter is so short, there wasn't really much to say. I just wanted to say thank you for reading the book and that new exciting chapters are coming soon :)