Sword Art Online: Faithful Hymn

Chapter 64: Mother's Rosario

"Faster... faster...!"

...

"Yuuki... I'll be there for you..!"

...

"Please... hang on... for our sakes.."

...

 ****

Shoji managed to catch up to Asuna, who took a taxi to the hospital Yuuki was being treated in. Thousands to millions of questions soar through Shoji's mind. Just all kinds of things.

How is this possible?

There have been cases of people who could hold back the inhibition of viruses after being infected with HIV for more than 20 years...

Yuuki is only 15, her life was just about to begin! Why would the universe do this to an innocent youth like her?!

Both Asuna and Shoji didn't talk to one another. Not because they're still angry at another. It's quite the opposite, their relationship. Though they currently can't feel it, their friendship could easily have reached the highest possible point. But there was an urgent matter that took precedence over anything else.

Though his mind is in a vague void, Asuna and Shoji are not the only ones who are friends with Yuuki. It's mandatory that her other friends deserve to know what's going on, being able to visit her for maybe one last time in ALfheim Online.

For that reason, Shoji grabs his phone from his pocket and messages everyone in his contacts who has a connection to Konno Yuuki. He politely showed his screen to Asuna, who could not smile or show appreciation in response. The boy did not expect anything else. Of course Asuna is happy, but giving a smile was simply impossible at the moment. 

Both teenagers grit their teeth and grimaced. The two held one another's hand as they both thought the exact same thing.

"Yuuki, hang on."

****

Shoji and Asuna now both have arrived at the hospital, noticing that their arrival had already been foretold. Both rushing indoors, Asuna was about to open up her tense lips in front of the woman behind the counter. Before she could say a word though, the woman immediately gave her the pass that would allow access to Konno Yuuki's hospital room.

"Please hurry!" was all the woman could say.

The two kept their word to the woman, not wasting any time. They took the lift to the highest floor, where Konno Yuuki would be awaiting the two of them..

"Please hurry in", whispered a man in surgical clothing to the two, even nodding to ensure access was allowed.

Then, the insides of a white room immediately entered their gazes. While Asuna was already familiar with Yuuki's IRL appearance, as well as the Medicuboid's design, Shoji was a complete stranger to both of them. Never has he ever anticipated that Yuuki would look this... different... from her ALO character. 

Instead of long, purple hair with a purple, agile warrior's outfit, her short hair radiated a brown color, while she was imprisoned in a patient's outfit, with a white blanket covering her entire body all the way below her neck. She looked very frail and pale, and the electrocardiogram (ECG) above the girl's bed showed a green waveform.