Signs • SaTzu (Completed)

20

The sound of a car speeding forward.

Her scarf wrapped around Tzuyu's neck.

Brown eyes and a sad smile.

The feeling of urgency as she flung herself forward not knowing if she would make it in time.

Sana's eyes flew open.

She was breathing heavily, a panicky feeling in her chest. It was just a bad dream. Tzuyu was safe, curled up next to her on the bed. The heart rate monitor was beeping fast as Sana tried to calm herself down. Everything was okay.

She closed her eyes, trying to quietly steady her breathing and heart rate. Exhaling slowly, Sana opened her eyes, looking up at the ceiling. Her glasses were still on her face, having fallen asleep listening to the gentle rhythm of Tzuyu reading out loud.

She turned her head as much as she could with the neck brace, trying not to jostle the bed too much so she didn't wake up Tzuyu. It was the first proper night's sleep she'd had in days. Her head was resting against Sana's shoulder, her eyes flickered side to side beneath closed eyelids. A tiny crease between her eyebrows was the only thing marring her peaceful face.

Sana wasn't sure how long she lay there, listening to Tzuyu's slow breaths and feeling the gentle rise and fall of her chest pressed up against Sana's side. Morphine coursed through Sana's body, numbing the pain and making her feel drowsy. It was quiet as Sana lay there, thinking things over.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Tzuyu's breathing speeding up. Her eyebrows were knit together and a low moan fell past her lips. She was having a bad dream too. Sana tried to lift her arm to shake Tzuyu awake, but the morphine made her body feel loose and her arm was too heavy to lift. A quiet gurgle sounded at the back of Sana throat, not loud enough to wake Tzuyu up.

"NO!" the frightened shout tore out of Tzuyu's mouth as she shot up in bed. Turning to look at Sana, she visibly relaxed. Her eyes were wild and her chest rose and fell in time with her heavy breathing. She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it out of her face as she gasped for air. Once she had calmed down, she gently brushed her fingertips along the side of Sana's face.

"I dreamt that you died in my arms," she sobbed quietly, staring at Sana's face as if she couldn't believe she was actually here. Sana made a small sound in indignation; she didn't like the fact that Tzuyu was having nightmares too.

Settling back down on the pillows, Tzuyu curled up next to Sana, relaxing as she felt the warmth of her beside her. Right now, she was wishing that she could feel Sana's arms wrapped around her, making her feel safe. But it was enough to know that she was here.

They lay next to each other in silence, taking comfort in the fact that they weren't alone, until the nurse came in on his rounds. It was breakfast time, and for Sana that meant a watery porridge that could be dribbled in through the gaps in the wires. Tzuyu insisted on feeding her herself, and the nurse left, informing them that he'd be back later on to check on Sana.

Sara showed up as Tzuyu was scooping up the last spoonful. Sana and Tzuyu both looked over at the door as it opened and Sara poked her head in. She smiled at the two girls, getting a bright smile off Tzuyu and what resembled a grimace off Sana.

"Hi sweetheart, how are you feeling" Sara said, walking over to the bed and placing a kiss of Sana's forehead. She leant even further forward, placing a kiss on Tzuyu's forehead too. Sana tried smiling again, letting Sara know that she was feeling fine.

"You look tired honey," she told Tzuyu, rubbing her thumb along one of Tzuyu's cheekbones, just under the dark circles under her eyes.

"Oh I'm fine Sara, really," Tzuyu waved away her concerns, "I haven't slept as well as I did last night in months." Tzuyu's eyes flickered to Sana's for a second, before she smiled at Sara. She put the empty bowl on the tray, pouring a cup of water and taking a sip.