The Life of a Dead Man

Eleven

Zero woke up gasping for air. His hammock was swinging back and forth, causing an immense struggle for him to get up. He finally was able to throw himself out of it, landing on the floor, his knees hitting the hard surface forcefully and causing pain to shoot through his body. He yanked the cord from his oxygen tank, the one that was painfully empty, and crawled over to the nice collection of portable oxygen tanks that were filled with something his lungs were incapable of producing.

He knocked a good amount of tanks over before he was able to get to one with his shaky hands and connected the tube to the nozzle, grabbing the face mask that he normally didn't use. He breathed in the air quick and hard, feeling as if he just came out from under the water. He was sitting in the floor, his heels underneath him in an awkward manner, but he wasn't particularly worried about that part.

After a few minutes, his door busted open to show Kaname standing there with a worried expression on his youthful features.

"Are you okay?" He asked, taking note of everything looking as if a disaster had taken place solely in Zero's room. Zero kept the mask over his mouth and nose, thanking whatever greater power there was that he woke up in time to make a move. Finally, he felt comfortable enough to remove the mask and place the less bulky accessory around his nose.

"Tank ran out while I was sleeping, felt like I was thirty fucking feet below water and had been for a while." Zero stated before forcing himself off the floor, noting that his knees had turned an odd shade of blue and purple against his sickly pale skin.

"Can I get you anything? Water? Food?" Kaname asked, Zero could tell he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do about the situation.

"I just couldn't breathe, it's not like I'm dying." Zero retorted, sighing after he realized the reality of the issue. "Never mind." He slowly walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge and sighing. He didn't want to be anymore of a burden than he already was, but he was already causing a scene on his first night there. Kaname sat on the dresser across from Zero.

"I'm gonna stay up with you until you fall asleep, just to make sure you're okay." The brunet stated easily, and Zero knew he meant it. What Zero couldn't seem to understand was, how could someone be so willing to help someone? How could he just put off everything he had going on just so he could take care of someone else?

"You don't have to do that. You don't have to babysit me, I'm twenty-six fucking years old." The weak man said, his eyes growing more tired by the minute.

"It's not babysitting, it's caring for someone you care about. Besides, I don't sleep a whole lot anyway, so what else am I gonna do?" Kaname said while crossing his arms, taking note of the fact that Zero could barely keep his eyes open at this point. "Get some rest." Kaname told him, and he chuckled at the fact that Zero didn't put up a fight. His eyes dropped and he drifted into a sleep, one that was restful and comforting.

When Zero woke up again, he seen Kaname sleeping softly in the hammock that he had fallen out of hours before. It wasn't that late in the day, but it was still later than he normally slept. Zero swung his legs over the edge of the bed, almost silently touching the cold, hard floor with his bare feet. He picked up the oxygen tank and secured the strap of it on his shoulder before exiting the room quietly.

As Zero walked down the hall, his stomach growled rather loudly, signaling that he was surprisingly hungry. He wandered a little bit more before finding himself standing in a rather large kitchen with high end finishes and appliances. The countertops were a light colored marble, contrasting the nearly black wood cabinets. Stainless steel appliances adorned the space.

Zero went for the fridge, finding it stocked.

"Just what the fuck?" He asked no one in particular. He examined the contents, mostly including veggies like kale and broccoli, and fresh seafood like organic salmon and caviar.

"Mr. Kiryu, how are you feeling this morning?" A man said out of nowhere, making Zero nearly jump out of his skin.

"Holy fuck!" He yelled, involuntarily due to him being startled. He held his chest and turned to see an older man wearing a crisp, sleek suit, his hands elegantly folded behind his back.

"My apologies, sir, I did not intend to startle you." The man said, and Zero closed the fridge.

"No, it's fine. I never even heard you walk in." Zero replied. "Do you, like, live here or something?"

"No sir, I am Mr. Kuran's personal security and help. So, what would you like for breakfast? Or would you prefer brunch?" The man asked, a kind, welcoming smile on his face.

"Just some toast would be fine, really, and you can call me Zero. I've been called 'Mr. Kiryu' way too much in my life." He stated.

"Of course sir, however I was informed by Mr. Kuran that 'just toast' was not considered a sufficient meal. What else would you care for?" The man offered, bringing out a load of what seemed to be freshly baked bread and a cutting board.

"Surprise me? I've been eating toast and soup out of a can for so long, I don't really know much of what is considered 'sufficient'." Zero said, unsure, but the man simply smiled and nodded his head. "Thank you, Mister?"

"My deepest apologies sir, I am Mr. Greene." He said, and Zero nodded. "If you'd like to tour some of the house, I'll have your meal ready shortly."

Zero took that as an invitation to go outside. There was a large glass door leading to the back yard, which wasn't exactly huge, but you could see the entire city from the patio. It was a cool day, which meant it was freezing to Zero. He wasn't going to let that keep him from breathing in the fresh air and taking in the sites before him.

"It's pretty cool, isn't it? Having the entire city below you." Kaname said from the door.

"Kinda overwhelming, yet disappointing because none of those people down there even know this place is here, or who lives here, kind of defeats the purpose of it, don't you think?" Zero asked without looking at the man that had been asleep in his room after taking care of him.

"I suppose, are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, why?"

"When you get done eating, we're going to go out. But don't rush, we've got all day. I'm going to shower." Kaname said before returning back inside, and leaving Zero alone with the view.