Maki runs down the street, not really sure where she's running. She stops in front of a building to catch her breath. When she looks up, she recognizes the area. The building she's standing in front of is where Nico lives. Or at least where she used to before she suddenly left. The young girl stares at the building, tears starting to fall down her cheeks again.
"Why Nico-chan...? Why did you leave me?"
"Maki-chan..."
Maki turns around at the sound of her name. Her jaw drops open as she sees the pink sweater and the black pigtails tied up with red ribbons. For a moment she thinks it's impossible. Nico can't be here. She's miles away in another country. Gone forever and not coming back.
"N-nico?"
The older girl nods and slowly before her tears start to fall. She runs to Maki and hugs her tightly. Nico steps back for a second before wrapping her arms around Maki's neck and kissing her. Maki's eyes widen before she realizes that Nico is here. Her love is standing in front of her, kissing her.
"I'm so sorry Maki-chan! I wanted to tell you but I... I couldn't! I couldn't stand the thought of hurting you so... I didn't say anything. I-i was a coward! Please forgive me Maki-chan!"
Maki looks at the crying Nico. Her heart is doing flips. Nico is here. She just got a kiss from the girl she loves and Nico is asking for her forgiveness. Everything seems too good to be true...
Maki opens her eyes and shakes her head before groaning in pain. She sits up and looks around. Eli is sitting in Nozomi's lap in a chair beside the hospital bed. Both of the graduates are fast asleep. In the hallway, Maki can head Umi and Kotori talking quietly. She can see Rin and Hanayo cuddled up with each other fast asleep. Honoka is pacing up and down the hallway, looking extremely serious and worried. An unusual thing for the senior.
So it was all a dream...
The thought makes Maki sigh. She lays back in her bed and closes her eyes, trying to get a feeling for how many injuries she accumulated last night. Her hand pokes and prods at a few places and after a minute she can guess the extent of her injuries. Three broken ribs, a broken leg, a broken arm, and a nasty concussion. Possibly a skull fracture. Maki sighs again and tries to remember what happened last night after she ran from her house. Thinking makes her head hurt worse so she opens her eyes and just stares at the ceiling instead.
"So you're awake, huh?"
Maki grunts and looks over at Eli. The older girl climbs off of her girlfriend's lap and walks to stand beside her injured friend's bed.
"We were all worried about you, Maki-chan. Nozomi saw you get hit by that car. I've never seen her so upset. She blamed herself for it. It took hours for us to get her to calm down, but I'm sure she still blames herself... Do you blame her Maki-chan?"
"Of course not. She was just trying to help..."
"She told me what happened with Nico-chan. I'm so sorry Maki-chan..."
Maki looks away. She doesn't want to think about her love right now. It just hurts too much.
"Maki-chan. You should know something. It's about Nico-chan..."
Maki looks at Eli and notices the tears in her eyes. The younger girl's heart breaks. She knows that this isn't going to be good.
"Nico-chan came home. She was in a cab on her way here when... When the cab was hit. On the passenger side... Where Nico-chan was sitting... She... She might not make it..."
Maki jumps up before groaning in pain and coughing. She quickly covers her mouth with her hand. After the fit stops, she looks at her hand only to find that it's red. Eli gasps before running out of the room and calling for a nurse. Three nurses and a doctor rush into the room but Maki jumps out of bed. The hospital staff grab her arms to try and get her back into her bed but she fights back.
"No! Nico-chan! I have to see Nico-chan!"
"You can't! She passed an hour ago!" One of the nurses shouts.
Maki stops instantly. Her face falls and everything feels cold. Tears start to fall down her face as she crawls back into the hospital bed. The staff wheels her out of the room towards the ER. Nico-chan is... Gone? No. She's not gone. Gone means she can come back. Nico-chan is... Is... Dead...
A/N: Sorry for ripping your hearts apart and I'm especially sorry for the ending of this chapter. Please don't kill me
