Holy Hell High

[Rikugurl]

Ventus looked at his mother as she gave out her opinion. His car wouldn't start...? He looked back at the doors before nodding. "Yea... can we just stay a little bit longer?" He looked back at his parents and smiled a bit. "I mean... if his car didn't start he would of...."

He stopped and frowned. "Wait.... did you bring my cell phone....?"


Yuna blinked at the question.... but it wasn't like he never asked before. One was always pessimistic when it came to being sick. Especially this sick.
"Weeeeell, it shouldn't go up much higher than this." She looked at the temperature as it beeped.
105.8

She looked back down at him, giving him a soft smile. "If it does though, we'll just have to put you under and do some test. I'm sure there's nothing wrong but we just need to check." She patted his hand before getting up. "Is there anything I can get you?"
It was hard... telling him such things. It was kind of like Terra was her special case. She had seen him fight death as a new born... she was going to see him do it again at 18.

However... even if he got older... that didn't mean the fever was any less deadlier. If his temperature continued to climb like this and if they didn't find a cause for it.... chances were....
"Anything at all?"

[Reno]

The Holani family blinked and and then sheepish grins and smiles fell over their faces. Of course Bryna and Sirocco found out about the cellphone when Ven had tired to kill himself the first time. Sirocco had cleaned out the room and went through his backpack... and found it.

They couldn't figure this one out at first. They hadn't been getting the bill. Ven later explained about Zack and Terra joining him to their bill and that he'd had it for... well quite awhile. And of course the brothers knew about it.

"Well, that's a good thing to forget." Roxas said shaking his head.


He smiled ironically sad as he heard it beep again. He shut his eyes, breathing out harshly. In all the times he had gotten sick, only a few times after his experience as a bay had he ever had to be admitted... and each one of those times before, it had never ever been this bad. His temperature had never shot up quite this quickly. In less than an hour and a half he was already two degrees higher...

At her question he answered, his voice choked. "My mom... I wanna see my mom..."

[Rikugurl]

Ven frowned but nodded. If Terra wasn't going to be able to make it... he might of called his cellphone...
He needed to get home.

He looked back at his parents and nodded. "Actually... let's just go. I'm sure he left a message on my cell... and I just want to get out of here."
Sirocco nodded before he nodded to the receptionist. The family walked out and quickly ran to the car. The three boys laughed as they raced, the puppy barking along the way. Sirocco looked down at his wife, happy to see Ventus seem to gain the light of his life back.

They quickly got into the car and warmed it up. Hopefully this time, they would make it home before Ventus went insane again.
No one knew to this day what had happened a month ago...

Sirocco drove home as the boys and Bryna kept Ventus alert and AWAY from the windows. When they came into the driveway, they hurried back inside. Ventus smiled before pulling off his outerwear. It was warm and welcoming... and the tree was still up! The fire in the fire place was cracking and.... he was home.


Yuna smiled as he answered and nodded before leaving the room. She walked down the hall, passing some doctors and nurses before coming into the waiting room.
"Ida?"
The pale, dark brown haired woman shot up from her seat. She had fear run down her face, getting ready to hear the worse.
"Terra would like to see you."

The woman took a sigh of relief before looking back down at her husband. "A-alright."
"Just go through that door and down the hall. He's on the second room on your left." Yuna explained before Ida quickly followed the directions.

The brunette walked over and sat down next to Hatori. "Well... I'm not going to lie.... Terra's fever is still going up. If it continues... we'll have to put him to sleep and run some tests to see what is causing the fever." They had done this twice before, both times not having any luck. She didn't want to make the Tellus pay so much for these test if they couldn't find anything again... but they couldn't just wait and watch him fail....

Ida walked down the hall and came to the second door. Slowly, she turned in and stood at the frame. "Honey...?" She spoke softly as she saw her son. What... a mess. It hurt her heart so... She walked in slowly before reaching out and taking his hand.

[Reno]

The ride home was much longer this time around then it was from the hospital because it was so far away. But the family found it rather easy to talk to Ven and keep him occupied so he didn't go looking out any windows as they talked about the presents he still had to open and the dinners they would make - all his favorites - and such and such.

Halo was laying in Sora's lap, enjoying the ride but every once and awhile and would hope from his lap to one of the other boy's just to get some attention.

They made it home without any earth-shattering changes or ear-splitting freak outs, much to Roxas' and Sora's happiness. They didn't want to get slapped or knocked around again.

The family of five got out of the car, making their way to the door through the layers of snow. Five pairs of footprints and one of puppy prints tracked all the way to the door and, once their dad unlocked it, they all quickly got in into the warm hallway.

Halo shook herself out and, once released by Sora, happily went into the living room to sit near the fire. Sora chuckled, peeling off his own jacket and grinning at Ven. "Home sweet home. the only thing that's changed is now it smells like dog."


Terra smiled faintly as Yuna agreed and walked out of the room. He sighed and shut his eyes again trying to block out the bright lights. They weren't that bright an hour ago... were they?

In the waiting room, Hatori looked up as Yuna came towards the, his hand falling from his wife's slowly as she approached her. He swallowed nervously, but at the short exchange his heart rate slowed considerably and he breathed out shakily.

But his relief lasted for only a second before Yuna was addressing him. He placed his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together and laid his forehead atop his fingers, looking very much like he was praying. "I understand... do what you need to... anything if it helps him..."

Why... why was it so easy to face the likelihood of his own death in the war, but facing his son's was almost impossible?


Terra's eyes fluttered open as he heard his mother's voice. He smiled as she appeared over him, his fingers curling around hers weakly. "Hi mom..."

Another beep signified his fever going up... still. He was starting to feel the effects of the high-grade fever. He felt dizzy even though he was laying down, tears kept filling his eyes because they felt like they were burning, his senses especially his sight and hearing were losing their accuracy and his body felt sensitive to temperature difference - like his mother's cooler skin again his was sending shivers through him. This was what dying felt like, and he'd felt it more times than any boy his age should have had to.

He knew he had to speak now... before he became delirious or before they put him under. There was a chance... he might not wake up. Sleeping... raises body temperature. "They're... probably gonna do some tests mom..."

He smiled sadly. He... wanted to say so much, but his mother was so fragile, so easily hurt that... that he was afraid a simple 'I love you' would send her into a round of sobs and pleads. "You know... what I miss most about being a kid?" He asked instead. When his mother inquired back, he murmured, "I miss... when you used to read me stories and sing me songs before I went to bed. I used to think that my mommy had such a pretty voice and she loved me so much she kept away all the bad monsters that wanted to eat me." He chuckled. "Zack... could never fight off my fears like you sang them away."

[Rikugurl]

Ven couldn't help but chuckle. He really couldn't smell dog all too well. "Let me go see if Terra called!" He said suddenly before racing upstairs and into his room. He pouted as he looked around, seeing how... different it all looked. "WHO CLEANED MY ROOM!" He said with a slight bit of laughter.

Shit... maybe he could finally find stuff in it.

He walked around his bed to the other side, going to his backpack but blinked when he saw a red phone on the floor. That was his. He walked over to it and picked it up, seeing that he missed a bunch of calls. He hadn't checked it for over a month.
He flipped it open, seeing he had some voice mails.

He pressed one and enter before falling onto his bed.
"You have two new voice messages. First message:

"V-Ven...? Please... just call me back when you get this... I just - are you okay...?"
The blonde swallowed as he heard Terra's panicked voice. He could hear the sounds of other kids in the background. He must of been... in the cafeteria? It was the day... he had cut his wrist the first time. He pressed 7 and sighed.

Message deleted. Next message:

"I'm sorry Ven that... I couldn't make it... something came up and I uh had to go to work. I'll see you soon though okay? Just enjoy being out of that hellhole, k?....................I-I love you... bye."

End of messages.

Ven sat up, his eyes wide. Work...?

"Hahaha, alright, fucker... stop it already." The blonde laughed as he pushed Terra off him, his neck full of love bites.
"Fuck you~ I don't work Saturdays! I don't have to do shit."
"Oh? So you're just going to let my flowers look ugly?" The blonde pouted and crossed his arms.
"............Alright~"

Terra... didn't work Saturdays... and....
"....................I-I love you... bye."
He sounded so desperate. Something... wasn't right.

He suddenly padded his pockets, the jeans he had on when he was admitted. He reached into on, grabbing a business card. Aerith's Flowers. Now even if the store was closed, the store was still connected to her house... so she would still answer the phone. He dialed it as fast as he could. "Come on..... come on....."

"Helloooooooooo?"
A sweet voice came through the other end and Ven shivered a bit. "A-aerith?"
"Speaking."
"T-This is Ventus.... Terra's friend?"
"Oh! How are you? I heard you were getting out today. You must be---"
"Is Terra with you?"
"Huh....? Terra? Well... no. We're not open today."
Ven felt worry and fear run through him at the answer. "You mean... you didn't call him in?"
"Nope! It's way to cold for me to ask him to come up anyways."

Ventus just stared out blankly.
"Do you.... know where he went then? He said... he had to come to work today... and he wasn't there to pick me up..."
"Really...?" Her voice sounded quite worried now. "Did you try calling him...?"
"N-no... I'll do that now. T-thanks, Aerith. Bye."

Ven hung up and swallowed. He heard his mother calling from the bottom of the stairs and shook his head. "ONE MINUTE MOM!" He pressed 4, speed dialing Terra's cell.
All it did was ring and ring until the voice mail picked it up.
"Hey, you reached Terra. I'm not here so just leave your name and number. I'll get back to you when I can... or if you offer me some muffins."

"Terra? I just called Aerith and she said you're not at work. Where... are you? I hope you're not doing anything to surprise me because... I just want to see you... please call me back... alright? Love you. Bye..."
He hung up and sighed before calling the Tellus home.

It rang and rang... and the answering machine kicked in.
"Hey... it's me, Ventus. I was just seeing if---"
"Hello?"
A voice of a male came through the other end... and if Terra didn't tell him that Braig was living with them, he would of thought he had the wrong number. "O-oh... is this Braig?"
"Yea, who's this?"
"Uh... Ven. Is Terra there...?"
"Oh... no he's not. My aunt and uncle brought him down to the hospital this morning."
"THE HOSPITAL!? WHY!?"
"UH! I think auntie Ida said something about a fever?"

Oh no... oh god, no.
He closed his phone, hanging up on the other. Terra came down with a fever...?
He knew Terra long enough to know about how bad he got when he came down with a sickness.
He suddenly rushed from his room and down the stairs. "MOM! DAD! WE NEED TO GO TO HOPE!"


Ida bit her bottom lip and nodded when she heard Terra talk about the tests. She knew them very well... but every time Yuna ordered them... the technicians never found anything strange. Her blue eyes looked up though when he asked the question. "What's that...?" She asked softly.

Her eyes widened as her mouth gaped, listening to her little boy. Tears started to form as she could hear it... the sickness behind his words and that... desperate cry from his childhood. "Oh Terra..." She choked before shaking her head. She slowly got up and walked to the door, closing it slightly and turned off the lights.

The back lights came on, giving them a soft glow as she walked back and sat down. She took Terra's hand again and leaned in, running her fingers through Terra's hair. Ida licked her dry lips and cleared her through before smiling.

"O mother, lay your hand on my brow!
O mother, mother, where am I now?
Why is the room so gaunt and great?
Why am I lying awake so late?

Fear not at all: the night is still.
Nothing is here that means you ill --
Nothing but lamps the whole town through,
And never a child awake but you.

Mother, mother, speak low in my ear,
Some of the things are so great and near,
Some are so small and far away,
I have a fear that I cannot say.
What have I done, and what do I fear,
And why are you crying, mother dear?

Out in the city, sounds begin,
Thank the kind God, the carts come in!
An hour or two more and God is so kind,
The day shall be blue in the window blind,
Then shall my child go sweetly asleep,
And dream of the birds and the hills of sheep."

It was a song her own mother would sing to her when she was sick as a child. Ida had sang it to Zack when he grew sick... and then to Terra.
The boys knew it well... and it always seemed to give them some strength to hear the sweet voice of the woman who nurtured them and kept them safe.

[Reno]

"Mmmk, see you in a sec." Sora said happily going into the living room and plopping himself down next to his puppy. "Aaaaah~ Nice and warm!"

Bryna followed her eldest in sitting down on the couch with a happy sigh, glad her second son was finally home. She shut her eyes smiling.
"Hey mom, Ven can finally open his gifts huh?"
She blinked, before glancing over to the tree they had declined in taking down for the two and a half weeks and all the presents surrounding it all with the same names on it.
They were going to have quite a load of pine needles to clean up that was for darn sure...
"Yes I guess we can."

Roxas rolled his eyes and chuckled putting his and Sora coat (of which the brunette had just thrown on the floor like the messy weirdo he was) on the hooks before heading towards the kitchen to go get something to drink. "God I can't wait until spring."
He glanced back when he heard his dad asking him why and grinned. "Because then I can finally go to the beach!" He laughed, grabbing the orange juice - but before he could pour it, Sirocco offered a better deal. Cappuccino. It certainly wasn't the beach but...

The blond licked his lips and grinned. "Alright!!" Yeah a 16 year old who liked cappuccino, go figure.

While his father was setting up the espresso maker and heated it up, the two could hear Bryna in the other room. "Ventus! Come on honey we can open your gifts now!"
They heard the blond yell back that he'd be down soon. They left it at that - Ven HAD been gone a long time, it was no surprise he was trying to readjust being home - and certainly his phone had a lot of calls left on it.

Just as the cup was full of coffee, and they could hear Sora whining in the other room that he wanted some too, Ven's loud feet came stomping down the stairs and he cried out making the family jump.
Hope...? As in hope... hospital?
Instantly everyone was up and running to the stairs, all of them thinking the same thing. Ven had cut himself again. They'd need to do it ALL over again. No, that couldn't happen they couldn't take it, they weren't strong enough th-

But Ven was fine. No blood. No offending sharp objects in his hands. no tears of sadness. Just Ven, pale and scared looking.
"W-Why honey what's wrong?" Bryna asked, feeling scared in a whole different way. Her fears were confirmed as Ven started to stuttered about Terra and fevers and confusing things like that. Bryna reaching out catching his shoulders. "Baby, Baby calm down. Now say it again... slowly."

The blonde made a noise of frustration but seemed to calm some as he repeated himself and this time they understood. Terra was in the hospital. He was very sick. They needed to get their right now to make sure he was alright.


Terra smiled as his mother got up only to shut off the lights. He sighed happily, finding the dimmer lights much easier on his eyes. They lidded some as his fingers curled around his mom's hand once more.

He listened to her song... remembering it well. He'd heard it time and time and time again in his youthful days and even a few times in his teen years, though certainly not as much. He missed this song a lot...

His eyes shut half way through the song his smile not faltering even as the rest of his body relaxed and the grip he had around her hand weakened. He listened all the way to the end, and once she had finished he murmured. "Thank you mom..." He felt her fingers twitch in surprise - she must of thought he was asleep.

Though he would be truthful. He was certainly weary. The constant shiver spells he had been having since he left the house had been slowly sapping him of strength as well as the heightening of fever...

Still he managed to open his eyes and look at her, her face illuminated softly by the dimmer lights. And then... he sung back to her.
"Please don't cry mother dear.
For I am stronger than I appear.
Of that you must believe it's true
Because I'll fight, fight, fight for you."
His eyes fluttered closed again as he half-sang the last two lines.
"Remember that which you already knew:
Mommy I love you and dad and Zacky too."

It was the fifth 'invisible' verse. His eighth year had been a particularity bad one, and he had ended up in the hospital then too, having to go through test after test. When he was that young though, it was much scarier and everything was much, much bigger, He remembered hanging from his mother's dress and crying, begging her to not make him go and do anymore. The blood tests were particularly traumatic...
His mother convinced him though by singing to him. He went in and did his tests... and when he came back out, he sang that verse back to her. That had been the only time he had sung it, and only because he was trying to show his mom what a brave little guy he had been.

Now... he sang it for another reason entirely.

[Rikugurl]

Sirocco walked into the kitchen, hoping Ventus wouldn't blow a circuit when he saw that many things were taken out of his room. A few minutes passes... and it seemed like everything was alright up there. He blinked when he heard Roxas and laughed. "Why's that now?" He walked over and started to was his hands.

Who knew what was in a place like that.

He nodded and smiled softly. "Yea, the beach was always my favorite place too." He looked over, seeing Roxas about to pour some orange juice. "Hold on... how about something more warm? I wants to see if my espresso maker works. Tis a good reason of celebration to pull it out." He smiled happily and he knelt down and pulled it out of a bottom cabinet.

He started to work on it, plunging it in and watching it make up some rich coffee.
Sirocco and Roxas watched as the pot got full when the man looked up. "Alright, Sora! I'll get you a cup." He opened the cabinet and was about to pull out a glass when he heard loud feet coming down the stairs... and then a panicked voice.

He turned around and with Rox, rushed to the entrance hall where they saw Bryna and Sora at the base of the steps with a panicked Ven.

"M-MOM! TERRA! HE-HE'SATTHEHOSPITALBECAUSEOFAFEVERANDITMUSTBEREALLYBADANDANDAND!!"
He shivered as he felt her hands on his shoulder. He whined as he shook his head but panted and swallowed.
"Terra... I called to see where Terra was and Terra's little cousin said that... that he was rushed to the hospital this morning! He said he had a fever and you know how horrible Terra gets them! HE COULD DIE, MOM! WE HAVE TO GO!"

Sirocco sighed. Hospitals? He was pretty sick of them by now...
"Alright, alright. Ventus and anyone else who wants to take a trip go get your coats and such on..." He shook his head as he started to do so as well.


Ida smiled softly as she felt her son drift off. This song... always put him to sleep. She closed her eyes but gasped a bit when she heard him reply. He was still awake...?

She bit her lip again as she listened to him reply with a song. Her thumb ran over his hand softly, trying to sooth him as he drifted off. Tears continued to roll down her cheek as he closes his eyes... and only a moment after he finished, the monitor beeped again.
106.0
Terra just hit the critical high. She closed her eyes, trying hard to hold back a sob. Who wanted to take him away...?

She heard a slight sound behind her which made her glance back. She could see a woman through the crack of the door. Yuna. Ida sighed before slowly looking back at Terra. She leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her sleeping boy's wet forehead. "Stay strong my little warrior." She whispered before running her pale fingers through his wet hair. "I love you..."

She gently let go of his hand and backed away as the door opened more. Yuna could only give the poor mother a hopeful smile. "We'll begin the tests now, Ida."

[Reno]

Bryna's eyes widened some. Of course she knew... it had only been three years ago when the brunette was 15 that he was in the hospital for the same sort of problem. It was... when the boys' friendship had still been fairly new to them all...

They had gone to see how the brunette was doing, and that was when the parents finally met one another. Ida who worked in the law department, and Hatori an ex-lieutenant from the Army finally shook hands with the music-loving Holanis. They learned the story from the two stricken parents about Terra's susceptibility to sicknesses and how bad they could get.
Why now...? Terra had been such a wonderfully good friend to Ven while he had been admitted, he even was there for Christmas! Why... why was God punishing him?

"Alright honey. It'll be okay." The mother said as calmly as she could, hoping she could somehow offer some reassurance to the other as she drew her arm around his shoulder. "Get your coat and lets go."

Sora and Roxas shared a panicked glance together as Ven revealed the problem. Terra... was sick? Oh that was bad... that was really bad. And on top of it all, they knew something both of their parents didn't - Terra wasn't just Ven's friend anymore...

The family started to move towards the front door together, when Roxas paused. "Wait we can't ALL go?"
"Why not?" Sora asked, confused.
The blond gave the brunette a look before pointing to Halo.
"... Well, we'll just bring her too."
"Sora it's a hospital not a pet store! They won't let you bring in some infectious animal!"
"My puppy is NOT infectious!" Sora growled.

"Boys!" Bryna snapped, effectively halting their argument. Both wore identically ashamed looks as their mother glowered at them. "Sora, she's your dog. You stay here."
"Bu-" Sora started to protest, thought better of it, and nodded slowly. "Okay..."

He... was worried though. Not just about Terra, but about Ven too. He knew... that the brunette had a lot to do with Ven's quick recovery in the psyche ward, that the brunette's slightly sharp but caring nature had helped brighten up his brother's life in a way... that maybe not even Zack was able to accomplish.

They were a strange, VERY strange, couple - but wasn't that how love always was like? Two people who just never seemed right for each other to the public gaze... were just perfect in each other's eyes?

The brunette shut his eyes and smiled. And if they were perfect for each other... their love would help them through this, regardless of the outcome. "Give him my best wishes, okay?"

Roxas shook his head, going to get his coat - all he knew was one of them had to be there for there brother, to qualm the boy's hurts and fears that their parents weren't aware of. For this to happen to the brunette now, it couldn't of come at a worse time. Ven still seemed so fragile to emotional pain and Terra was still so new to this experience... were they really strong enough for this? Was Ven...?


Terra sighed as he fell asleep, hearing his heartbeat on the monitor slowing down and another sharper beep of his temperature going up. He knew nothing beyond that, not his mothers words or her touch, he knew not of the tests he would be going through. His mind was gone. And all his body knew was that it has a foreign entity within it and was attempting, and failing, to fight it off.

It... was not looking promising for the eighteen-year old.


Hatori looked up as he heard shoes tapping across the tiles towards him once again, seeing his wife with a troubled look on her face. "H-How is he?" The elder asked uncertainly as his wife took a seat next to him again.

[Rikugurl]

Ven nodded as he tried to calm down. Why didn't the fuck tell him... He pulled over his leopard coat. Idiot.... didn't want him to get worried probably...
Like he'd NEVER find out?
He looked back when he heard his brothers then at Halo who looked like she was wondering what was going on.

Sirocco sighed as he looked down at Sora and stopped getting dressed. "Bryna, you take Roxas and Ven... I'll stay here with Sora." He looked down at his paler, skinner blonde and gave him a hopeful smile. "Don't worry... he'll be alright."
Ventus nodded before looking up at his mother. He had better be alright...

The three rushed out and to the car, Ven in shotgun and Roxas in back. The car heated up quickly seeing that it wasn't sitting for so. The car was pulled in reverse and then away they went down a route that was well known to Bryna.


Yuna frowned as she saw the temperature reading back to her. This was very bad. No matter what they gave him or how much water he drank... they couldn't level the fever. Why was it so out of hand this time? Hatori must of overlooked Terra having a fever that night because there was no way that he could reach such a height in hours... unless there was something terribly wrong.

Some assistants walked into the room with a stretcher and carefully unhooked and moved Terra onto it. They were about to roll him away when...
"Stop."
They looked up at the doctor that sighed. "I'll be the head of his tests. I'm going to personally look them over." Maybe she could find something that the other doctors might of overlooked...


Ida shook as she sat down next to her husband. Her blue eyes closed as she leaned into him. "He... he just hit the critical point...." And she knew he was going to go higher...
"He...he's not going to...." She stopped as her husband interrupted and started going on, trying to give her some hope on her boy. However, he was interrupted as well when the door to outside opened and two blonde boys and woman stepped in.

[Reno]

Sora looked at his dad in surprise and smiled faintly. It wasn't he wasn't old enough to stay home by himself though, but he had a feeling his dad was doing it half just to get out of going. After all that happened with Ven... well it was easy to hate hospitals after such things.

He watched the boys and his mother dash out across the frozen lawn to the car, piling in it quickly to escape the cold. It wasn't long after the car was pulling out and speeding away.

Halo tilted her head, before looking up at the two males. "Well..." Sora started hesitantly, then grinned up at his dad, trying to be cheerful. "Look at it this way, we don't have to share the espresso."


Bryna drummed her fingers on the steering wheel nervously each time they had to stop at a light. She... would of preferred never having to return to a hospital for the rest of her years, alas it couldn't even wait a month.

Roxas sighed as he slouched in back looking out the window aimlessly. He watched the buildings and the streets pass by mechanically, able to remember the turns and roads they needed to take to get to the hospital. That was why he didn't even need to look up to know when they were close.

When they parked however, Ven practically jumped from the car, his kin quickly following. And Roxas grimaced for the third time as he walked into the ugly waiting room with the washed-out walls and horribly colored tiles he would probably be spending a good many hours just staring at once again.

Bryna's eyes quickly searched out the waiting room, easily finding the frail woman alongside her darkly tanned husband. Though she could not hear what Hatori was saying, from the way his arms were around her and his eyes had softened, he was obviously trying to comfort her.

She frowned walking towards them, her sons at her heels. As they came close Hatori and Ida both looked up and the man's eyes narrowed almost mistrustfully. At first she thought it was at her - but instead he was glaring at her boys. Probably aimed for Ven, but of course Hatori didn't have the intuition Terra seemed to, and couldn't tell them apart.

She unconsciously laid a hand on each of her boy's shoulders protectively, before sighing. "I'm sorry we're just... dropping in on you both like this, but we just found out. How is Terra...?"
"Well, that's kind of a wasteful question isn't it? If he was okay, he wouldn't be here now would he?" Hatori said. Ah, as amicable as ever, wasn't he?

[Rikugurl]

Sirocco laughed and nodded. "That's true." He walked to the kitchen, seeing the pot full and waiting to be poured. So he did. He took out his mug and a mug that had 'Sora' engraved into it. Of course it had to be custom made seeing that Sora, Ventus and of course Roxas weren't very common names at all.

He looked back at Sora was he walked in and smiled. "How about a game of scrabble. We haven't played it since Ventus threw it at the wall because you beat him." He shook his head and chuckled, handing Sora his mug. "I'm just happy that... we still have your brother."


Ventus frowned the minute he set eyes on the foreign, red eyes of the dark tanned man. He had no idea how Zack and Terra got one ounce of nice being raised by this man. Suppose it was all thanks to the pale, blue eyed woman sitting next to him.

Let's just say... Ven didn't like him all to much and vise versa. Hatori was an ex army guy and Ventus was a non authority loving punk in Hatori's eyes. He frowned as he felt his mother's hand and glanced up at her.

"Hatori! Stop it!"
Everyone blinked as Ida stood and sighed. She walked up to Bryna and looked down at her boys before she wiped her face from the tears. "He just reach critical high rate in his fever... they said... they were going to run him through tests right now..."

[Reno]

Sora smiled as he followed his father in the kitchen and, consequently, Halo followed him. He had to lean down to pet her because she was still so small - of course he knew it would not last forever.

He took his cup happily, smiling at his dad, chuckling at the mention of the game. Oh, did he ever.
"Aplomb. Alright, that's it, I win."
"Wait... what?! What kind of a fucking word that?!"
"It means poise and great self-confidence."
"Fuck that you made it up!"
"I did not!!"
"Well I'll show you a fucking bomb!" Ven grabbed the board suddenly and yanked it from the table. It sailed through the air and into the wall, tiles scattering everywhere. The brother growled before getting up and stomping out of the room.
Sora struggled to hold back his laughter. "It's aplomb not a bomb!"
"FUCK YOU!"

His smile turned a little more fond. They never did find all the tiles. "Me too dad... me too." He looked up and grinned. "I'll go get the board~"


Hatori blinked as his wife snapped at him and he frowned, slouching in his seat and crossing his arms like the emasculated male he was. Ida was probably the only person in the world who could make him cower like a kitten.

He still didn't like the stupid kid though or the family he was connected to. It was probably all that stupid kid's fault Terra was sick in the first place. Visiting a fucking crazy ward for a suicidal victim... what has the world coming to? Should just throw the fuckers in the army or something, show them some real discipline!

Bryna smiled shakily as the woman approached but it didn't stay long as the news was given. Critical? Already? But she had seen him not even two days ago, and he had been just fine!
"Oh Ida..." Bryna murmured softly, letting go of her boys to hug the distraught woman. She now knew... how hard it was to face these situations when it came to one's child.

It must hurt a lot more... when it just was part of God's great joke on life. Just unfortunate happenstance and not purposeful hurt...
She let go of the woman, hands on her shoulders and offering her a hesitant smile, before glancing at Ven. It... didn't seem this was easy for him to hear either.
"Do you mind if we stay here?"

[Rikugurl]

Ventus looked up at Ida as she talked... and the minute she said that sentence, his blue eyes seemed to go far, far away. Deep in thought.
Critical?
"Alright then, I'll be there."
"Really...?"
"Yeah, I promise."

He...was fine...and now... he was critical?
"You know what's scary?"
"What?"
"My mom said I almost died a few times after I was born."
"Why? Cause you were so ugly that--"
"FUCKING NO! I have some... kind of problem, I guess."
"Pffft, tell me about it."
"FUCKER!"

The blonde leaned close to his mother, wishing she could tell him that Terra was going to be alright... and that she could be right about it.

Ida looked at the woman, then down at the two identical twins. "T-that's fine... thank you." She slowly glanced back at her husband, her eyes narrowing a bit in saying 'Don't you dare start anything, Hatori Tellus'.


Three hours passed and the five figures remained seated in the same spot. Not a word was heard about Terra. Did it always take this long? Had Terra improved any? Ida sent Hatori to ask these questions but he always came back with the same answer.
Terra was still getting some tests done.

Ven's head was on his mother's shoulders and Ida was trying not to jump out of her skin. It never took this long...

[Reno]

Hatori looked up at his wife, as innocent as could be. 'Who me? I'm not hostile at all.'

Bryna smiled and nodded. "Alright." She ushered her two boys into the seats farthest away from the man, sitting down beside Ida. She had a feeling... it would be a LONG wait.


And she was right. 180 minutes later, still no news had been given. She felt very much like that night a month ago after Ven... in there own house...
She sighed, rubbing her son's arm comfortingly. He seemed tired but of course he would be. Being cooped up in a room so often, he probably wasn't used to all this activity and worry. Roxas, lacking tact, had at some point grumbled thta now the other blonde knew how they had felt. Bryna of course gave her youngest a glare and ordered him to go see if he could fetch them some food from the vending machine.

No one was really up to eating though, certainly not the Telluses.


There were a couple of reasons... why it took so long.

Dr. Riri sighed as she stepped up beside Yuna. Her appearance in the testing room was not one of comfort. She was, of course, the same doctor who had worked on Ven's arms after his... slicing. She was a neurosurgeon.

Terra had not been incorrect in worrying about falling to sleep. In a matter of an hour and a half, his fever climbed upwards unexpectedly. During the testing process he went past critical into hyperpyrexia, nearly making it to 110 degrees. He started to have convulsions, his breathing started to become erratic and his heart beat sped up to a dangerous rate.

They could of lost him...

But Riri was thankfully nearby and heard the commotion going on within, Yuna yelling orders. She came in and, after getting the story, gave the brunette a lumbar puncture, better known as a spinal tap. It released some of the pressure of the fever and it came down to 107.3, still hyperpyrexic but Terra's body seemed to calmed.
But if they wanted to save this boy, they needed the cause. The medication wasn't working because it wasn't the right kind...

Riri faced the distraught doctor, knowing this patient must be special to her to have come in on a Saturday. And the answer to this boy's plight... was much more devastating. "Are you alright Yuna?"

[Rikugurl]

Ven watched his brother walk off. Like he was going to be use to any food by the psych wards? He was hoping to have a nice, hot dinner with his family... but it looked like a honey bun was what he was getting instead.

He took it with a soft thanks and started to unwrap it. The sweet frosting and sugar gave him a moment of happiness.... but that was it. He slowly looked up Ida, seeing her face more and more worn by the minute. For such a fragile woman... he was shocked that she was in the law department.
Or maybe... that was the reason why she was so worn...

He sighed as he looked pass her at the two double doors. He remembered being pushed through them in a haze. What could be going on back there.


What Ventus didn't know was that Terra wasn't behind those doors. He was in the lab building that was behind the ER... but not very far away.

The room was dark and just the lights from the microscope could be seen. The brunette doctor sighed as she pulled away and pushed her chair to another one, looking through. These samples weren't going to help her any. She would have to send them away to be spared and sent back so she could read them more clearly... however.

She pulled away and looked up at the other woman. "I don't know... I feel like... I've become powerless. You know... when you spend all that time in college... you know that all this information will help you...so... why do I not know the answer yet? Why haven't I been able to just level his body heat? Why can't I... help him?"

She shook her head as she stood. "There's nothing I can do anymore until the samples come back from the lab. It's going to take exactly one week for them to be processed and readable for me to even find anything that might be wrong." She looked at her friend with hopeless eyes. "Will Terra be able to even stay with us for that long? I've saved his life so many times...."