An Angel's Whisper

Part 5: Pulse

The heart-rate monitor was incredibly slow.
Painfully slow.
Horrifyingly slow.

Haku was laid unconscious on the hospital bed. She was barely breathing, let alone moving.
Neru had hold of her hand, tight, as if to ask her to wake up, to show a sign that she was okay - but no matter how tightly she squeezed, there was no movement. The urge to start uncontrollably sobbing was overwhelming. She tried to hush herself from completely melting down.
"Neru?"
She turned around.
It was Luka, with Rin and Len on either side of her.
"I'm so sorry," the pink-haired lady said, her voice trembling.
"It's- it's not your fault." Neru let go of Haku's hand.
The Kagamines were whispering to one another.
Luka gave Neru a hug. She gripped on, crying harder.
"Hey, hey. Come on. We can be brave, can't we? This isn't the end. Not yet. Look at all this amazing equipment. All these doctors. There is so much hope for Haku-san. For now, we just have to wait."
Luka put her hand on the back of Neru's head, and slowly stroked her hair.
"Is she going to be okay?" Neru asked, her voice full of grief and sorrow.
"I really don't know. But I think she will be."
From behind, Rin asked,
"Is she dead?"
Neru let out a wail.
"Rin! Don't ask that!" Luka scolded, letting go of Neru.
Sitting down on the chair next to the bed, Neru grabbed hold of Haku's hand again. She began to quietly sing. It was a song that the two would sing all of the time when they were younger.
It was quite a sad song - one that fit the moment.

"Just stop your crying, it's a sign of the times,
Welcome to the final show.
I hope you're wearing your best clothes.
You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky,
Things look pretty good from here.
But you ain't really good,"

Before she could even reach the chorus, she heard a loud, long beep. Suddenly a wave of doctors came rushing over. Neru quickly dodged out the way. Luka pulled her backwards.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" she shouted.
"Look, I know this is going to be hard to take and so I need you to be mature."
"I am mature!"
"Okay. Alright. So, in a nutshell, right now, Haku's heart has stopped working."
"Wh- No..."
"The doctors are trying their best. You've got to stay strong."
Luka had both of her arms around Rin and Len, keeping them from running away.
"I- she's dead?"
"Legally, yes, but not entirely. They can still get her back. It's not too late yet. Time is the best healer - you know that, right?"
"She's- She's dead."
"No, she's not."
Hitting Luka in the stomach, not too hard but forcefully enough, she shouted,
"YES, SHE IS! AND IT'S MY FAULT! SO I THINK YOU SHOULD MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, FISH-FACE."
"Neru,"
"NO. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. GET OUT."
"Okay. I'll come back later."
Neru rolled her eyes.
Luka and the Kagamines walked out.
Peering around the corner, Neru saw the doctors shaking hands. There were three there to begin with, two of which had walked away, and the first doctor was lightly rubbing Haku's head. He looked up and saw Neru.
"Ah. Hello," he said.
"Hi."
"I'm assuming you're a relative?"
"Um, no. Just her best friend."
"Ah, okay. That's alright."
"Is her heart okay?"
"It should be. It's currently stable. I have to stay here to keep a close eye."
"Okay. Just, just make sure that she'll be alright. Please."
"I will surely try my best," the doctor smiled.
A wave of silence snuck over. Neru quietly walked closer to Haku.
"Would you like to give her a hug?," the doctor asked. Neru nodded, and leaned over to give Haku a hug. She could hear her faint pulse and pained breathing.
"It's- it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay." Neru began to cry.
"I- I,"
"Would you like some time?" the doctor whispered to her. She nodded.
"Oh, Haku. I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were thinking about this. You're everything to me."
Neru pulled herself away, and picked up Haku's hand.
"I- I love you," she whispered,
"P- platonically."

*******************
The sun was going down. Haku was still unconscious, but her heart rate was much more stable.
"I'm- I'm going to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Stifling a cry, she continued,
"Hold on for me, okay?"
As she left the hospital, she took her phone out of her pocket, and called her brother.
"My god, I've been calling you all day, and now you pick up?!"
"Nero. Not now. Can you pick me up?"
"'Course. Where you at?"
"The hospital."
"Oh. Oh damn. You good?"
"Yeah. I guess."
"Alright. You better tell me everything in the car, a'ight?"
"Will do."
"See you soon. Love ya."
"See you."
"Say it back."
"No."
"Say it or I'll leave you there overnight."
"Okay, Jesus, love you."
"There it is. On my way."
"Bye."

Neru was sat alone in the dark. The light of the hospital seemed like a protective source of light. Neru thought that every car that drove past would be out to get her.
And then she saw Nero and his sleek but flashy car.
"HEY! I'm here!" He shouted.
Neru silently got in the back and strapped herself up.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing."
"I mean, you've just come out of the hospital and now you're moping. What's up?"
"It doesn't matter."
"I'm your brother. You can tell me anything, who am I gonna tell? Mom?"
"I guess not. But I just want time to reflect."
"Okay. Will I be having to call you in the morning to get you up?"
"N- no. It's fine."
"Sure, sure."
Silence.
Deafening silence.
"Neru?"
"Yeah?"
"Rin texted me earlier, she said that you were gonna be grumpy. How did she know?"
"She was there with me."
"Why did you even go? You preggers or something?"
"I- WHAT?! NO!"
"Alright, geez."
"I- I was in there because I'm a terrible friend."
"Um, what?"
"It's- it's Haku."
"Oh. Damn. Okay. You don't have to say any more if you don't want to."
"Thanks."