Lost With You (part 3 of 9)

- PLEASE, STAY WITH ME -

"That's it! Hotaru-chan I found it!" Her father exclaimed excited. His lately empty eyes behind his strange glasses sparkled.

"What did you find, Papa?" The black haired little girl asked looking up at the tall figure beside her.

"I found the missing variable to add to the program. If it is the right one we'll be able to decipher the last part of DNA for our project." He said writing fast on a little note-book.

"Yai for you Papa! You're the best scientist ever!" The little girl exclaimed bouncing. Her father always talked to her about his work and even if she couldn't understand what he used to say to her she knew he had nobody else to talk about it, so she was the good, supportive daughter he needed. And she was truly happy when he accomplished some goal in his experiments. He loved his job and she had always thought his father could have changed the world for the better.

He looked down at his daughter and caressed the little bobbing head smiling, then, suddenly he withdrew his hand and stopped smiling. His eyes turned empty and his posture stiffened. When he started mumbling Hotaru knew her father was gone again. Her caring, always smiling father... once again gone far away from her.

But she was just a little girl and she wanted her Papa back, she didn't want that robot-like stranger who didn't even acknowledge her presence. So she grabbed his sleeve and pulled with all her strength.

"Papa? Papa!"

A pair of eyelids fluttered and two purple eyes opened to the bright sunlight.

"Papa?" A thin, sleepy voice said. "Have we arrived already?"

"Good morning Hime-chan." The husky voice that greeted her elicited confusion in her sleepy tiny features. Such affection in that voice was something long forgotten for her. But still something was wrong. Her still numb mind couldn't get what but something was definitely out of place.

"Papa are you good again? Papa...?"

"Sleepy-head are you all right?" The same caring voice and this time Hotaru knew it wasn't her father's.

"Oh, Haruka-san you're back!" The initial disappointment was forgotten after a moment by the young child and a smile grew on her face at the sight of the tall blonde.

"How was your sleep?" The tall woman asked from her standing position. She had dark circles under her eyes but she smiled nonetheless.

"I thought I was still on the plane and that we were almost arrived to New York." Hotaru said but without sadness. She just shrugged her little shoulders and sat up.

Haruka's smile softened even more at the thought of such innocence. That little girl was so unaware of their situation. She just took what had happened like it was natural, after all for that young life the world was still a discovery. 'I only hope she won't have to discover all the crap this world is able to offer.' That bitter thought was immediately blown away by the inquiring child.

"Did you find the transmitter, Haruka-san?" Hotaru was already standing and was caressing her own belly while she talked.

"Yes, we did, Hime-chan. Hey is that a hungry belly I'm hearing?" The child's stomach was protesting about its emptiness. And Haruka too realized just then that she hadn't eaten for more than twenty-four hours.

"Ops... Sorry Haruka-san." Hotaru apologized embarrassed.

"Come one Hime-chan, let's go get something to fill that noisy little belly of yours." The blonde car-racer scooped up Hotaru with just one arm and made her way towards the tent where the doctor was taking care of the child's father.

During their short trip they passed by Michiru and Setsuna chatting rather seriously. Michiru was talking and Setsuna was silent listening. Haruka noticed how Michiru seemed to be very tired and wondered if the violinist had been able to get some sleep or if she had been awake all night like her. During the journey back to the beach that same morning Haruka had tried – successfully – to avoid any contact with the aqua-haired woman. She sure had a great help by Seiya who hadn't let Michiru anywhere apart from him. The last conversation Haruka had had with the aqua-haired woman was still fresh in her mind and she still felt uncomfortable with its emotional strain.

When they were approaching the hospital tent Haruka could hear soft moans and when she saw Ami coming out of the tent with a grave expression on her tired face, she guessed Hotaru's father's conditions shouldn't be any better.

"Why don't you go say good-morning to Michiru-san and Setsuna-san while I get something to eat?" She said putting the little girl down on the sand. The girl's purple eyes glanced briefly at the tent and then at Haruka's teal ones. After a moment of hesitation she turned and left the blonde without a word.

Haruka was astonished at Hotaru's behavior. She had understood. That little girl had understood Haruka hadn't wanted her to see her father. 'And she's probably understood he's in very bad conditions...' The blonde wondered about the fact that sometimes that little, fragile girl seemed much older than she was. Shaking her head Haruka said good-bye to the distressed Ami and entered the tent.

Obviously she was right, the moans were Tomoe's. He was laid on his back with closed eyes and his face was contorted in pain and fatigue. Haruka stayed still for a minute, her eyes couldn't leave the painful figure of the white haired man.

"Tenoh-san, what can I do for you?" The tired voice of Dr. Mizuno came from her left.

"What?" Haruka was still unable of tearing her eyes from that deathly picture.

"It's hard... for him, I mean." The older woman stated somberly having noticed the blonde attention was on her moaning patient.

"Now... but what about all those years?" Haruka murmured the words unthinkingly.

"What?" The doctor wasn't sure about what she had heard, confusion plastered on her face.

"What? Oh... Nothing. I think the lack of sleep has taken it's ton on me. Sorry." The nonchalantly attitude hid the turmoil the blonde had inside. She had said out loud what she had sworn never to pronounce. And she had said that to an unaware dying man. 'Just cause you were too coward to say it to the right person.' Her inner voice scolded her.

"I wanted to know how he's doing and to pick up something for the kid to eat." The blonde was immediately back to business-mode pushing back those insane thoughts in the dark corner of her mind from where they had crawled out.

"Well... he's not responding to the treatment... I don't think he has any chance if they won't arrive within the next fifteen hours. Besides antibiotics are too important. If someone else should... Oh, please, forgive me, I don't want to burden you with these medical matters. It's just that..." Her voice traded off and the exhausted woman rubbed her temples closing her eyes temporarily.

"Don't apologize, we're all in the same boat. What were you saying about antibiotics?" Haruka asked with interest.

"Well, it's not like I'm one of those cynic doctors, but... Hell, I couldn't even tell my daughter." The frustration in the blue-haired woman's voice was evident. "Antibiotics are running out and he's not responding. If I quit treating him he's going to die..." She said.

Haruka knew something else was troubling the older woman. "But...?" Haruka prompted her to continue.

"But... If someone else will contract an infection I couldn't help them without antibiotics." The doctor said directly.

Haruka listened calmly but inside the strange, vicious feeling of fear was crawling to the surface. What was the chance for the rescue squads to arrive within that day? What was the chance for the rescue squads to arrive at all? She had made Furuhata promise to not tell anyone and she didn't want to be the one to brake the promise but... Moreover wasn't that like inciting the doctor to let Hotaru's father die? One life versus many lives...

"It's a waste of physical and mental energies to think about it now. The next dose won't be given within four hours, Tenoh-san." Dr. Mizuno said dismissing the troubling subject.

"Yeah..." Haruka's inner turmoil wasn't dismissed, though.

"We tried to apportion our food supplies, yesterday, to make them last as long as possible. They're in the blue thermal-box out there." She pointed to the back of the tent where an opening led directly to a group of trees that provided the tent with their shadow.

"Thank you, Mizuno-san." Haruka bowed to the woman and was out of the tent.

"He'll talk when he'll be ready to. Don't worry, he is not a kid anymore." Taiki reassured the dark-haired man but he wasn't so sure about his own words. Yaten had always been 'the kid', the one to be protected and spoiled. Even if he was a twenty-five man now, with a successful life and thousands and thousands of girls cheering him during concerts.

They made their way to the pile of luggage that they were supposed to rummage that day. It wasn't for medications anymore, now they had to search for everything useful even clothes or objects. That Furuhata-boy - the computer geek - wanted to fix the transmitter and he wanted them to provide him every technological item they could find such as laptops, cell phones, CD players, even electric shavers.

Umino and Molly were already searching. She was sat to not tiring herself cause a premature birth was nothing they needed just then. The boy was bringing her the suitcases to be searched and had to bring what she had picked to the spot they had designed to be the store.

Jade too had offered to help and was searching other suitcases in a secluded spot under a tree. When the three men – Yaten had reached his brothers just then - passed near him he pushed a blue rucksack behind his back nonchalantly.

"That guy does look like a jailbird." Yaten whispered into Seiya's ear even if the American man could have hardly understood his sentence.

"Come on Yaten-kun, just cause he has long hair... you're a rock-star you're supposed to like a rebel guy!" Seiya teased him.

Taiki smiled at his brothers. He was a little less worried than before. Yaten seemed to be back to normal, he was playful and snob like ever and Seiya's jokes were annoying him just the same as ever. Whatever he had seen the day before wasn't affecting him anymore... or that was what it looked like.

Michiru glanced at the leaving blonde over Setsuna's shoulder as they were talking. The troubled look didn't passed unnoticed by the older woman who locked her mysterious garnet eyes to Michiru's blue ones once she had turned back to her.

"Even more elusive than usual, isn't she?" The more Michiru stayed with the strange woman the more she felt uncomfortable with her incredible exactness in understanding – or was more like knowing – what they, all of them, were feeling. But this creepy attitude wasn't used against anyone. Right the contrary. So Michiru wasn't totally wary about her like Haruka was. She felt they could trust that woman but she guessed that Haruka wasn't the kind of person who could be comfortable with someone so insightful.

But Michiru was quite insightful herself and was capable of circumspection and wariness. So she tried to get some information from the strange woman. After all Michiru Kaioh's trust couldn't be just for free, could it?

"You talk like you have known her before..." The aqua haired woman said with a smile to dissipate suspicion.

Setsuna's eyes sparkled and a little amused smile crept on her thin lips. She locked her eyes with Michiru's for a long moment but without challenge, then she answered chuckling.

"Oh, no. No, I don't know her, but you know, she remind me of a person I had known many many years ago... And she's not the only one..."

Michiru smiled but inside she was sighing frustrated cause she had obtained just another mysterious answer.

"I finished. Now can I go see Papa?" Hotaru's voice torn the two women's attention from their conversation.

"I don't know dear, we should ask the doctor first." Michiru was just playing for time. She wasn't sure the the sight of her dying father was a good thing for the little girl but she couldn't decide to forbid her to see her father for what could be the last time. When she turned to ask Setsuna for help with the painful decision the older woman was nowhere in sight. 'It's not polite at all to disappear when you're needed the more...' The violinist thought annoyed.

"Michiru-san?" Hotaru pulled Michiru's sleeve waiting for an answer. The woman looked down and after a moment she had made up her mind.

"Listen, honey, I'll go talking to doctor Mizuno-san while you go searching for Yuiichiro-san and see if he can stay with you for a while. I'll come take you soon, ok?" Michiru tried to sound convincing but the little girl was looking at her suspiciously, then her big purple eyes watered rapidly and before Michiru could prevent it she was crying desperately.

"He's dead, isn't he? You don't want me to see him cause he's dead!" The sadness, the resignation of the too young child was breaking Michiru's heart. She kneeled down to be eye-level with the little girl and looked her right in her crying eyes. Then she hugged the little trembling frame.

"No, honey. No. I don't think he's dead. It's just that he's ill, very ill, and we really don't know if anyone can see him." Then she put her hands on Hotaru's little shoulders and looked again in those eyes. "We'll never lie to you Hime-chan. Me or Haruka-san. We won't, you can trust us... always." Those heartfelt words were something Michiru hadn't thought about, they just slipped out of her mouth – no, they slipped directly from her heart – she didn't know why she cared so much for that little girl, but she did. She really did.

The black-haired kid looked the violinist in the eyes for a long moment like she was searching those ocean blue pools for any trace of a lie, when she couldn't find any she sniffed and with a serious face she nodded and walked awaywhere the traditional clothed man was.

"I've been a good girl, Papa. Ask Aya-san!" She said seriously, prompting him to ask her baby-sitter about her behavior.

"I believe you, little girl. You're always a good girl. My little good princess." He said smiling indulgently at her as he put her down.

"It has been a good day to the lab, Papa?" She asked wanting to know why her father was so in a good mood.

"Yup, little girl. Your papa has a new job. A very important job." He said, his smile growing, "I could be a little more busy but it's for the better cause we will have a lot of money and I'll be able to buy you that little pony you want and maybe a bigger house with a big garden where it could have its stable. And maybe your Papa will have that Nobel prize he wants so much. How does that sound to you, Hotaru-chan?" He asked tousling her black hair.

"Yai!" The little girl just shouted excited.

"Hey Hotaru-chan, how you doing?" The clear voice of Yuiichiro greeted her. He was carrying a heavy-looking bag to Rei and was red in face from the effort.

"Hello Yuiichi-san. What are you doing?"

"What someone else is obviously not doing." It hadn't been Yuiichiro to answer but a noticeably annoyed Seiya. "I wonder when it was decided to make pregnant women work and arrogant car-racer not..." He mumbled.

"She's injured." Was Mina's prompt answer.

"Yes,sure..." Seiya's sarcastic reply didn't passed unnoticed by Darien who lifted his head and glared at the other dark-haired man.

"Less talking and more searching." Rei said without addressing someone in particular. She was troubled by something. Her grandfather had noticed that she hadn't had any more sleep last night after she had waken gasping after jut a couple of hours of sleep. He hadn't asked her anything yet, but he was resolute to do it before night came again.

"I understand, of course... Well then... thank you Tenoh-san. Changing the subject... how is your shoulder? You shouldn't move it."

"It's f-..."

"Michiru-san, hi. What are you doing here?" Ami asked preventing Michiru from hearing the rest of the conversation going on inside. Having no choice she turned to the blue-haired girl and greeted her.

"Hi Ami-san. How are you? You seem pretty tired." Michiru asked sincerely concerned for the younger girl. She had black circles under her eyes and didn't seem too eager to reach her mother in the tent.

"Oh, I'm ok. My mother should be the tired one, I had my couple of hours of sleep after all." Ami answered shrugging.

Before Michiru could reply the towel that served as a door was drawn and Haruka exited. When she realized someone was in front of her she lifted her down-cast look. When her eyes met Michiru's she was taken aback.

Michiru, on the contrary, couldn't believe her luck. The car-racer had tried to avoid her the whole morning and now she was stuck between the tent, Ami and Michiru. She was going to ask the blonde for an explanation when she noticed the troubled and tired expression of her teal eyes. They were filled with anguish and this fact shocked her so much that she remained there with her mouth open without any sound escaping it.

When Haruka realized Michiru was reading – almost literally – in her eyes, she straightened up her shoulders and her look turned cold as ice. She didn't want anyone – most of all the aqua-haired beauty – to see her inner turmoil.

"Excuse me." She said making her way through the narrow space between Michiru's and Ami's shoulders.

After a moment Michiru recomposed herself and turned to see Haruka leaving. She had her fists clenched and soon her quick pace turned in a authentic run along the shore until she disappeared from Michiru's sight.

Ami had watched the whole scene in silence and soon entered the tent thinking their patient was passed away. Right behind her Michiru too made her way into the tent concerned.

When they were inside they soon looked to the laying man. He was breathing harshly but his conditions seemed not different than before. Confusion was on Ami's face while a great relief was on Michiru's.

Even if her fear had been unfounded the violinist had come to a decision. 'I'll take Hotaru here to stay with her father. She deserve to be with him for the time he will be given... and I'm afraid it won't be much.' With that thought she told the doctor what she was going to do and exited to search for the little girl.

"Hell no! She's always up there with that kid." He pointed to the space near the tent with his head. He was obviously upset and he did nothing to hide it.

"And the tall blonde." Yaten added looking at Seiya for a reaction.

"What the Hell does she see in that... that..." He didn't finished his sentence cause of a strange and quite creepy noise coming from among the trees behind them.

"What was that?" Taiki straightened up and looked to his brothers who were incredibly pale and their eyes were wide with terror.

"It can't be... not here..." Seiya was whispering.

But after a moment nothing happened. The noise was gone and Taiki returned to his work. Seiya on the contrary turned to look at Yaten and he found him kneeling down on the sand trembling.

"Yaten-kun..." He said and that got Taiki's attention. When the elder brother saw the state of shock Yaten was in he was immediately to his side and was hugging him as he looked up confused to Seiya.

They made Yaten stand up and brought him in a secluded spot away from the tree and near the shore. Once there they sat and waited for the silver-haired boy to calm down.

"He saw it. When we were inside the airframe he was out and he saw the... the thing that made that mess." Seiya said to Taiki, he had told his brother about their journey already but he felt like emphasize that matter again.

"It should have been horrible..." Taiki commented looking at his brother with concern-filled eyes.

"I can't imagine how that thing could look like, if you just would have been able to see all those poor people... all that blood..." it was painful for Seiya even recalling to his mind that horrible scene. "And for him it must have been even more terrifying." He concluded gravely.

"Would you stop saying all those bullshit!" Yaten snapped to his brother angrily. He stood abruptly and looked at his brothers with tearing eyes.

"What? Why did you say that, Yaten? It was horrible!" Seiya defended himself then he stood himself to regain a vantage point due to his greater height.

"Cause those are bullshits! I... I..." The silver-haired man couldn't finish his sentence he broke down crying like a baby. His brothers were immediately on his side supporting his slumped frame.

"Shh... it's ok Yaten-kun. Calm down." Taiki was trying to calm him down but he was greatly confused.

"Explain yourself Yaten!" Seiya ordered angrily, even if he was concerned about his brother he couldn't understand his behavior.

"I... I..." Yaten's sobbing prevented him from making up a good answer so Seiya insisted until Taiki scolded him vigorously.

Then after a couple of minute Yaten calmed and lifted his head looking Seiya in the eyes obviously ashamed. "I'm sorry... It's just that I... I didn't..."

Seiya looked up to his younger brother his eyes softening. "What?"

"I didn't... I saw nothing. That's it." Yaten admitted.

"But... but you were terrified when Michiru-chan found you. All trembling and mumbling on the ground." Seiya said incredulous.

"You're right, I was terrified. I was so damn terrified that I just crouched down at that horrible groaning and I waited for it to... do whatever it wanted to do with me. I was so terrified I didn't even tried to run away." Yaten was obviously ashamed at his own powerlessness and lacking of survivor will.

"Don't worry Yaten-kun, it's nothing to be blamed about." Taiki tried to reassure his brother circling his shoulder with his own arm.

"Are you insane! Of course we should blame him!" Seiya was furious. His little brother had risked to be killed and he had done nothing to avoid it.

"Seiya! Behave!" Taiki was talking like he was dealing with two little kids, even if he could easily understand Seiya's anger was due to his fear to lose his brother.

"You're right Seiya, I'm a little coward. Do you know why I wasn't inside the plane with you? Do you know why!" Yaten was yelling too now and the others had lifted up their heads and was watching them from their spots.

Seiya didn't answer Yaten so the silver-haired man continued with a bitter laugh, "Cause when I saw the smallest bit of blood as I was entering the airframe I was about to throw up. So I remained outside trying to convince myself that was a damn nightmare. Do you understand? If the lives of those who were inside had depended on me... I would have let them die. This is me. This is your little brother." His words were like stones tossed to their hearts but both Seiya and Taiki remained silent, looking at their brother with sad eyes until he walked away returning to his job. After a while they followed him and they continued like nothing had happened.

A giggle coming from over her shoulder tore the priestess from her own thoughts. She turned to see Michiru standing right behind her intent in watching the improbable interpretation of a chicken by the dark-haired man. He had a plastic glove on his head as a cockscomb and was venturing in a loud cock-a-doodle-doo. Rei watched as the aqua-haired woman called Hotaru with a soft smile and talked with her for a moment. The little girl's smile turned even broader and she was up to run away when Michiru recalled her and scolded gently until the kid returned back and bowed thankfully to Yuiichiro before taking Michiru's hand and walking away towards the doctor's tent.

Rei's heart clenched. She knew where they were directed and why. She had dreamed about that. She had dreamed about lot of things that night - even if she hadn't slept much - and very few of those things were good. She knew someone was up to die that day and that death would bother more than just one heart. It was in those moments she almost hated her 'gift'. When she sensed terrible things like those she had dreamed that night she wished she was just a normal girl. Her grandfather used to tell her it was a gift and that she had to use it for seeking good and against evil but she felt just powerless and frustrated.

Her troubled expression should have been noticed by Yuiichiro cause she found him by her side after a moment. He remained silent but she knew he was concerned about her and she thanked him in her head for understanding and for remaining beside her without intruding.

A few steps behind them her grandfather smiled and decided to not disturb the couple. His granddaughter was a grown up woman, she was strong and wise despite her young age and - for his relief – she wasn't alone. With a last glance to Rei and Yuiichiro he returned to his job consisting to chop wood for that night's fire.

"What has happened to Aya-san?" The little girl asked anxiously.

"Nothing. This is Kaolinite and she is your new nanny. I will be very busy from now on so she will stay with you all day long and sometimes at night... And there's no need for you to go to school. Kaolinite will teach you at home." He said that without any expression in his deep voice.

Hotaru face fell even more. She should have start the new school within a couple of days and she was so excited about making new friends and learn lots of things.

"But Papa...! I want to go to school and I like Aya-san. I don't want a new nanny!" She was crying now. She wasn't used to argue with her father but she couldn't understand why he was making all those changes to her perfectly happy life.

"Don't discuss with your father, Hotaru-chan. You must obey him. He is a very busy and very important man and he doesn't need a whining brat like you to bother him. Now go to your room, I'll be there in a minute." The woman said without a ounce of gentleness in her deep voice.

Hotaru was mortified, she had never intended to be a bother or a burden to her father, she loved him and wanted him to be happy even if her mother had died and he was lonely. She had always tried to be his companion and to be a judicious little girl. With her look cast to the ground she went upstairs in her new, big and incredibly cold house. The tears started to fall from her eyes. Her father hadn't looked at her once. He hasn't even acknowledged her nor the red haired woman. He was gone even if he was physically there with them.

Suddenly Hotaru felt lonely like she had never felt before in her young life.

Her lungs hurt. Her legs hurt too. Her shoulder was crying out for vengeance. She was laying on the sand and didn't know how long she had run. But she could tell it had been for a long time, cause of the pain her body was in.

When her harsh breathing had quieted she stood. She was alone, completely. She was distant. At last. Distant, away, far away from everyone of them.

'Alone. This is what it's supposed to be. Me. Just me and no one else.' She thought looking around her. The shore, the sea and a couple of trees. When she was absolutely sure no one was there she let go all of her frustration and anger. She walked to the closer tree and begun kicking it. After a moment that wasn't enough and she started punching the trunk.

"Damn! Damn! DAMN!" She shouted. She felt the rough surface penetrating her skin and she welcomed the pain. Physical pain could be controlled not like that dull throbbing she felt deep inside her where her soul was.

The sensation of her own blood trickling down her wrist warm and slow was almost soothing. The same crimson liquid was starting to stain the tree's rind but she didn't notice cause her eyes were shut and, anyway, she didn't care.

She didn't care for herself, she was used to not care for anything and anyone. Not even her own life. After all she played game with death itself for a living. And she had never played games with someone else's life. Never. Not even her colleagues. They were aware of the danger like she was and they had agreed to take those risks.

"Damn!" punch "Damn!" punch "DAMN!" Something caught her arm but the force of her momentum was too much and she could punch the trunk again even if the blow wasn't as strong as it could have been.

"Stop it!"

"I'm here Papa." The sight of her father had been shocking for the little girl. He was very pale and his eyes were shut. Sometimes he grimaced in pain and every time he did that she gasped like she could feel his pain too.

"Hotaru-hime, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I should have been wiser..." His words trailed off and he fell asleep suddenly.

Hotaru turned and hugged Setsuna and begun sobbing loudly. The scene was one to break the hardest of hearts and Ami's wasn't sure that. She had large tears running down her cheeks and she found her own arms embracing herself.

After a couple of minutes the white-haired man woke again. His forehead was wet with sweat and his eyes were glassy but he set his look on his daughter and called her.

"I'm here Papa." Hotaru repeated like she was unable to say anything else as she was drying her eyes with her tiny hands.

"Hotaru-chan, I want you to do something for me." He paused to regain his breath then he continued looking seriously in his little daughter's eyes. "In my pants there's a letter. I want you to take it." He coughed and his body trembled. "We shouldn't have taken it. I wanted to talk to them about the experiment..." His voice trailed off before regaining some strength, "It was wrong. I didn't want to do something wrong."

"He's not making any sense." Ami murmured but she didn't move.

"Maybe he is." Was Setsuna's curt comment while she searched Souchi's discarded pant. She found the letter and folded it in her own pocket.

Hotaru continued to look at her father forgetting every thing was around her but her father.

"I booked another flight..." His eyes turned empty and he stopped talking. His breath calmed and he seemed to have fallen asleep again if it wasn't for his still open eyes.

Dr. Mizuno kneeled down beside her patient and Setsuna took Hotaru and they withdrew to let her check on him.

Ami didn't move, she stayed there embracing herself, but she murmured something.

"He's in a coma." Was the curt but pained comment of the standing doctor.

"Stop it, please." Now the voice was soft and gentle and she could imagine tears threatening to fall down smooth cheeks.

When the car-racer opened her eyes she could see her own blood staining the sand near her feet in thick drops.

"You're hurting yourself... come on." Michiru grabbed Haruka's outstretched arm and pulled the blonde away from the tree. She had expected some kind of resistance but the taller woman let herself being led to a shadowed spot on the sand and sat down docilely never looking Michiru in the eyes.

Almost fifteen minutes passed in complete silence.

Michiru didn't know what to say. When she had decided to search for Haruka she wanted to tell her Hotaru was with her father and that the little girl had asked for her, but she hadn't expected to find the blonde in such a state. Sure she had guessed her calm and confident demeanor was somehow just an attitude, and she had imagined some kind of temper hiding behind those sparkling eyes, but she hadn't expected the car-racer to... bail.

Haruka's silence was due to different things. First of all she was ashamed. Ashamed about letting someone see her in such a distressed state. Ashamed about leaving people behind when they needed her. Ashamed about her self-indulging behavior. But Haruka was silent also cause she had been taken by surprise when someone had found her and most of all cause that someone was the person she had tried to escape in the last hours.

"It has to be an island, after all." Said Haruka chuckling and breaking the silence. "I ran for what could have been hours... and here you are." She was looking at the sea in front of her, "It seems like I can't get rid of you, no matter how hard I try." Her tone was bitter and Michiru was hurt by that.

"If I'm the reason you tried to knock down a tree with bare hands, let me tell you you don't have to bother. You just have to ask." But the violinist didn't move. She was hurt and angry but a tiny part of her knew that wasn't the real reason Haruka had run away. She remembered her leaving after talking with the doctor.

On the other hand Haruka didn't asked her to go away so Michiru guessed the annoying speech was just a defense stance. That didn't mean she could take much more, though.

"I took her to her father." The violinist said. She didn't know if she had said that expecting approval from the blonde or not. When Haruka didn't replied she went on. "She needed it. I don't think he will pull through the night." Silence again. "I had to! There was no one to talk to... you weren't there." She concluded frustrated.

"Great." Was the curt reply. Michiru didn't know how to take in that last sentence and that was just increasing her frustration.

"I was the one there, the one to look her in the eyes promising her he wasn't dead!" Now Michiru was working off her tension. Haruka's stubborn silence was making the aqua-haired woman boiling inside.

"Say something, damn it!" At this Michiru was yelling. Haruka was looking down at her bloody hand, she could hear Michiru's panting after having let her stress out.

"It's my fault..." It was just a whisper and it was horse from emotion.

Michiru couldn't believe her own ears. "What? Are you insane!" She had intended to be gentle but her voice was still full of repressed rage. But again Haruka had decided she had just said enough and was back in her brooding silence.

"How can it be your fault? Come on Haruka, you had probably saved his life." This time her voice was sweet and gentle as ware her eyes when she searched Haruka's to reassure her.

"No. I killed him."

"Mom... isn't it time to give him his antibiotic? We risk to let the blood-level decrease, it's already past the maximum-efficacy time." Ami's voice dropped until it was just a whisper as she saw the anguished but firm look in her mother's eyes. "But..." She wanted to protest but her mother cut her off gesturing for her daughter to follow her out of the tent.

When they were outside Kimiko pointed to the group having its scanty lunch all sat in a circle with the exception of Jade who was under a tree away from the others.

"Look at them Ami. Look at her." And with that she pointed her finger to the smiling Molly. "What if she contract an infection? What if it is that little girl in there?" She shifted her look to the tent behind them. "You know, we have to face the possibility that the rescue squads won't arrive within hours or maybe days."

Ami understood but that didn't prevent her heart from breaking. All that situation was one of the thing that made her fear the job she had chose for her life.

"It isn't something I'll be proud of, but I know it's necessary. You're the expert when it comes to numbers and odds. What is his probability to survive this night, anyway?"

Ami felt sick at the thought but she had to admit her mother was right.

"I can't." The blonde didn't move.

"I can't believe you're such a coward... I'm telling you that poor little girl is scared, terrified and that she needs you and you can't!" The violinist withdrew her hand and looked at the sitting woman. "I know you're not that heartless... then why?"

"Because... she doesn't need me. She has you... and Setsuna. She doesn't need me, it's better this way." Haruka's last words were whispered and Michiru didn't hear them.

"Oh, come on! She hasn't asked for me. She asked for you!"

"Cause you were there and I wasn't. This is the difference between you and me." Haruka lifted her head and looked at Michiru, her teal eyes were hard. "You are there for her when you're needed... I'm the one who runs away."

"I don't understand. First you are so caring with her I almost thought she was your daughter and now you're refusing to support her in such a situation." Michiru's frustration was evident in her high tone.

"She's not my daughter." Haruka replied shortly.

"She could be." Michiru said tiredly.

"No. I won't have children... I'm not the motherly type." She stated.

Haruka had noticed the tired expression on Michiru's face. She didn't want to look at Souchi dying but she also didn't want Hotaru to do it.

'But that is exactly what both of you will do.' Her inner voice said, matter of factly. It wasn't fair to tear Hotaru away from her father in his last hours as much as it wasn't fair to leave her alone.

So Haruka stood up and looked the aqua-haired girl as a smile rose on those beautiful features.

'And it isn't fair to let Michiru deal with this alone.' Haruka thought as the violinist took her injured hand and caressed it gently not to hurt her.

"But, maybe, you're the fatherly type." Whispering that, Michiru led her to their makeshift camp.

When she entered the room she didn't find the usual artificial neon light. It was dark and her father was rummaging his closets in quite a frenzy until he noticed her presence and stood up looking at her surprised. He had his white hair tousled and his strange glasses were crooked on his nose.

"What are you doing up at this our Hime-chan?" He had that sweet expression that was able to chase away every dark thought.

She had had a nightmare and was in her purple pajama with her teddy bear held firmly in her arms. When he saw the incredibly cute view he went to her and hugged her tightly. After a long minute he whispered in her ear something she couldn't understand at that moment.

"I'll take you away from here. I'm going to take you away from them. I'm sorry, it was my fault, but now I know I made a terrible mistake."

The afternoon and the evening passed uneventful. The main group tried to fight the boredom someway. They had gathered around the fire and Mina had asked the three pop-singers to tell some tales from their tours. They were enjoying themselves, even Rei's grandfather seemed to be particularly interested when Yaten begun to talk about the large amount of girls who had offered to become their groupies. Jade was nowhere to be found and Lita was the only one who was busy in some kind of activity: she was checking and cleaning her set of knives. She had been very lucky and rummaging through all the suitcases she had found her own luggage where she had her 'tools of the trade'.

Then, sometime during the night, Ami noticed the rise and falling of the man's chest had stopped. She called softly for her mother to wake her from her light slumber and signaling her to check for his pulse. All that scene was watched attentively by the sitting Haruka and Setsuna. They looked at each other knowingly, sad expressions on their tired faces. The movement had woken the dozing Michiru while Hotaru remained asleep in Haruka's lap.

Dr. Mizuno certified the absence of a pulse and turned to them shaking her head.

This was how Souchi Tomoe - brilliant, well-regarded scientist and devoted father - died. In the silence of a makeshift tent, without inspired speech to his only daughter, surrounded by strangers, without dramatic fit of coughing or trickles of blood. His heart had ceased to beat while his daughter was asleep dreaming about something only she knew.

Haruka shook Hotaru's little frame to wake her up.

"Hime-chan? Hime-chan, wake up." She whispered in the tiny ear.

Two sleepy purple eyes opened blinking in confusion.

"It's time to say good-bye to your papa." The gentle words had brought tears in Michiru's eyes and a very sad smile on Setsuna's lips.

Hotaru looked at the blonde for a moment then she stood and went to caressed her father's unmoving face. She then hugged him and Michiru couldn't suppress a sob.

"Good-bye Papa. Kiss Mama for me." Then she turned around to look at the three figures behind her. Haruka was watching her intently with her jaw clenched in the effort of maintaining her composure. Michiru had grabbed the blonde's arm tightly and had tears running down her cheeks. Setsuna had sadness in her usually unreadable garnet eyes.

Hotaru turned back to her father and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry Papa, I have people caring for me here, I'll be good." With that she let go of Souchi's hand and lunched herself in Haruka's arms crying loudly. Soon two set of arms were around her and though she was incredibly sad she felt safe.

End of chapter Three.

Author's note: Ok that's it. I know this chapter is shorter than the others and that there isn't a bit of action, but you know... life on a desert island can be boring. By the way, the few medical details and Souchi's anonymous death come from my real experience. I'm studying to become a doctor and unfortunately I already saw these kind of things happening. It's always sad.