Red Means Love

A Great Loss

  "I'm... Shiho, and this is my sister." Shiho points at the girl in the bed. "Please help me," he pleads, "my sister Mirai is dying." 

Shiho let me into the room so I could see if Mirai was alright.

"Who... are... you...?" she asked when I approached her. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at me blankly. She stirs in bed and tries to get up, but I stop her from doing so.

"No, don't get up," I tell her. I gently place her back against the mattress. "Are you in pain?"

"No," Shiho speaks. "She's weak. She has cancer..."

"Brother, please kill me," Mirai begs. I was actually startled to hear her say that. Was she giving up?

"No!  Why would I do that?" He knelt beside her bed and held her hand. "I want to keep you alive, Mirai. I can never let you go."

"Mirai?" I say her name. "I'm going to get my parents and see what they can do, alright?" Mirai groans and turns around to face her brother. She smiles at him and closes her eyes again.

I try to run out of the room, but I remember that I have stitches, so I walk out as quickly as possible. I go down the flight of steps and down the creepy hallway.

When I make it to my room, I throw open the door and tell my mom about Shiho and Mirai.

***

"There's nothing we can do..." My mom says hopelessly in Mirai's hospital room. My mom had her head down in disappointment. I knew she was upset because she couldn't do anything about it.

"Are you sure?" Shiho insists frantically. "Please, I'll pay you anything. I just... want my sister." He covers his face with his hands and starts to weep. 

"I'm sorry..." my mom apologizes.

"I can't live any longer, brother," Mirai tells Shiho in a tired voice. She lifts her hand to touch her brother's face. "I'm too weak. I'm going to die."

"Don't... say... that..." Shiho says in between his sobs. 

I watched the entire scene laid out before me: Shiho was in despair, my mom felt useless, and Mirai was waiting to die in her death bed. The entire thing was extremely horrendous to me, and I couldn't do anything to help them.

I watched Mirai close her eyes and drop her hand from her brother's wet face. Shiho looked up from his hands and began to cry harder when he realized that his sister-- his own sister-- had died right in front of him. He had tried as hard as he could to keep her alive, he really had. He was pleading and pleading.

Now, the end has come. I could see something in his eyes. I could see him giving up. He had failed his sister, and I didn't know how to comfort him. It was his obligation to protect his younger sister, and he had failed.

"Shiho..." I whimpered. I've only known this boy for an hour, but I feel as if I've known him forever. His sadness was so great that I could feel it in the room.

The depressing environment we were in was dispiriting everyone in it. All I could do was watch Shiho grieve his sister's death.

"Shiho?" I said his name again. My mom had left the room to get my dad, so I decided to speak to him.

"W-what?" He said, his voice shaking from his tears.

"Where are your parents?" I ask.

"Dead," he said loudly and angrily, "They both got the virus."

I was silent for a moment, thinking of something to say. Then, I thought of a great idea.

"Hey," I said finally, kneeling down beside him. I place a hand on his shoulder. "What if we could avenge your parents' death?"