PriPara: Joy Or Sorrow (Finished)

Chapter 26

"How severe is this illness? I have known you had it since the celebratory performance of Winter Dream Idol Grand Prix... But that time, you looked so well that no one could think that you had a disease... Why now? Did the disease get more serious? What if she couldn't be cured?" - Hibiki thought in pain as she screamed. Although it wasn't too loud, but it was enough for the others to hear it.

- "Laala..."

- "Hibiki-san... did you... know about this?" - Non looked at Hibiki and asked.

- "..." - Hibiki looked down, refused to say anything.

- "What's going on?" - Mirei asked.

- "Please, dream tell us what's happening with her!" - Yui said.

- "Hibiki-san, please." - Sophie and Leona said.

- "She-" - Andou was about to say something when Hibiki interrupted him.

- "It's not my job to tell you all." - Hibiki opened her eyes and stared at Laala's room, "She said she wanted to tell you by herself. So wait for her to wake up." 

- "Laala..." - Shion and Dorothy worried.

The key in its human form looked at Laala from the distance. She wanted to help Laala so much, but was unable to. She was invisible to everyone in her human form, except for Laala, of course. She still had some power but it was pointless to help her precious person.

- "Laala... Please be alright." - A tear shed down.

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.

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The next day...

Laala was lying in the bed, sedated and barely conscious. Her breathing was barely audible and her skin was pale. She was surrounded by thin hospital linens, gown open to make way for the many wires and pads attached to her chest. She lay sedated, a breathing tube shoved down her mouth to help her with what her lungs couldn't do on their own. A steady drip of IV fluids entered her arm, which was resting at her side. The key was sitting next to her, holding her other hand. The only sound that filled the unsettling silence was the beep of the heart monitor. Her friends observed from the outside glass. They were feeling a wide range of understandable emotions.

After a few minutes, Himeka and her husband rushed to the hospital and met up with her daughter's friends.

A nurse texted Laala's dad from inside the following message: "She's getting better."

Laala's Dad gripped his wife's hand. Suddenly, Non dashed towards the ICU Room, yelling: "Onee-chan!"

- "Laala!" - The others yelled too.

Hibiki glanced at Andou. He nodded and blocked the lavender hair girl by holding her against the wall. Laala's dad walked to Non: "Non! We can't go in..."

Mrs. Manaka kneeled down in shock. She stared at her husband as he replaced Andou holding Non by her shoulders against the wall. Shion dashed across the hall and did the job for her friend's mom. Non panted and fell back against the wall. She too bursted in tears and rubbed her reddened eyes. Everyone was trying to hold back their tears, even Hibiki.

They stared at the see-through window for Laala's ICU. From inside the ICU room, they saw the heart slowly improve, but only slowly.

The nurse walked out of the room afterwards, telling them that they could come in when she woke up.

- "Laala... Can I share a bit of my strength for you?" - The key gripped Laala's hand, "You always get angry if I do that. And so will they. But..." - The key closed her eyes and then was surrounded with red light, forming two earrings. One was sun and the other was moon. They flew to Laala's ears.