Title:Love and Bitter Memories.Chapter 6 Author:Tapestry E-mail:Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com URL:http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/5879 Standard Disclaimer Apply *denotes thought This part of the story is inspired by one of Crystal Heart's songs played on her page.(A Moonlight Rhapsody page.)The song just striked me as sad. :) Thanks to one of the song's on Crystal Heart's Page. :) ~Author's POV~ Serena sat at the seat outside the emergancy room,and wept....Mina was her only friend.....*Oh god......Mina...I don't want to be alone...* Serena whispered to herself.For the first time in years....all the emotions that had been locked away,burst through....tears washing her face. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darien sighed....he knew he'd act that way too,if the only person who was close like a brother or sister was in an accident....no matter how much both of them acted....there would always be a heart there.... Andrew watched on as Serena cried,hugging herself....the doctor had just said Mina was in a coma...and the baby that Mina had been carrying....was dead and gone....a life destroyed like that,with not even a chance at life. He sighed....tears escaping his own eyes.Walking towards his bestfriend and employer,Andrew placed a hand of his shoulder. Startled,Darien looked at his friend.... "Why don't you go comfort her??"asked Andrew in a soft voice. Darien merely nodded and headed towards,Serena's direction. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena wept.....her mind cursing herself for ever letting Mina in,so close.....now here she was...sad...in pain and all alone.... A hand settled on her shoulder....gently carressing the tense muscles. Serena whipped her head around and saw Darien Shields.He sat down beside her and massaged her tense shoulders..... At that....Serena felt as if her shoulders were on fire....using the back of her hand to harshly wipe away the tears for her red face,but the tears just kept falling.... "Serena..."whispered Darien. "Mr Shields....I-..d-do you think you could extend the time of the project a little.....I-"stuttered Serena. "Of course..."he whispered. "I hate this..."sniffed Serena. "Hate what?"asked Darien as he draped a shoulder around her,pulling her close... "This....being alone..."whispered Serena sadly. Her words cut through him like a knife....alone....he knew what it was... loneliness.....he knew what it felt like....In a way...Serena was like him. She understood what it meant to risk.... "I understand.."soothed Darien."You don't have to be alone..." Serena looked up at Darien....her eyes,heavy with emotion.....for once since Darien Shields knew her....her beautiful clear eyes were not made of ice.......it was full of sadness,loneliness,pain....and a heart made out of fragile glass....which was easily shattered. His head spun with emotions....making him slightly dizzy.... Slowly....he lowered his head towards hers...... Serena didn't protest,....when they were only a few centimeters apart, a coherent thought cut through the fog in her head,....*Anthony!!!In all the confusion...she's forgotten to call Anthony!* Coughing slightly,Darien and Serena pulled away. A red flush staining her cheeks.Quickly Serena got up and excused herself. "Uh ,I have to go call...Mina's...um-husband."stuttered Serena.With that, she walked away quickly down the hall where she'd seen some pay phones. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darien shook his head.*What are you doing???Her friend's in hospital,and here YOU are,going to KISS her!!*shouted his brain. The doctor came out once more.... "Excuse me,you can see her now.."called the doctor. Darien and Andrew turned towards the doctor and nodded. "You go on in first,I'll stay here and wait for Serena."said Darien. Andrew nodded and pushed the ICU ward doors open and entered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Few moments later..... Serena came back,her eyes wide and her face pale.Darien noticed this and went to her side... "Serena??" "H-H-He...didn't even know about the baby..."whispered Serena hoarsely. "What???"exclaimed Darien confused. "A-Anthony....he didn't even know Mina was..p-pregnant."choked Serena,as tears began to stream down her face. "Is he coming?"asked Darien softly. Serena nodded. "Serena,the doctor said we could see her now."whispered Darien. Serena wiped her tears away and smiled slightly."Mr Shields..." "Darien,please..." "D-Darien...thank you."whispered Serena. "Whatever for,Serena??"asked Darien. "For being here with me....you AND Andrew..." Darien nodded. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mina lay still on the bed...her body was connected to so many different machines....one for oxygen,another to monitor her heartbeat and pulse rate, another registering brain activity and others... Her body was badly bruised and bandages covered her body.Her face was pale....she looked so weak.... Serena's lower lip trembled....she hated to see her friend like this.... she didn't want to see her in such helplessness. Darien's eyes were hard....he hated this,because the scene reminded him so much of when his mother died..... Slowly,Serena sat down in an empty chair next to the bed.Carefully taking Mina's limp,cold hand into her own.Squeezing it lightly. "Mina...be strong....please????You promised you wouldn't leave me alone." pleaded Serena. Serena held her hand up against her cheek."Mina.....God...why'd this have to happen to you??"whispered Serena. Darien touched her shoulder...."Serena....she'll be fine."comforted Darien. At that moment,Serena cried again. "You can't be sure of that!!If she dies,I'm all alone in this world!!She's like a sister to me!!!The ONLY relative I have!!!"cried Serena."I'm an orphan!!!I never knew my parents!!" "Serena..." "You don't understand....you'll never understand."choked Serena. Pain stabbed at him.....his heart thumped painfully....he DID understand.. "You're wrong...I understand as well as YOU do...what it like to be all alone in this world....it's hell..."whispered Darien as tears fell from his hard blue eyes... Serena stared at him shocked..... "I think I'll go home...."whispered Darien turning away. "Wait-" "Serena!!"came a voice. "Anthony?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darien left the building....*He didn't know what it was like to be sad?? No...he knew it all too well....and he hated it....it was like a darkness.. trying to swallow you up...to leave you tumbling in the abyss. Tears were starting to fall....as he sped towards his apartment house, the moonlight shone down at Tokyo..... Entering his apartment,Darien didn't bother to switch on the light.... falling onto his couch,he fell asleep..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena plodded into her penthouse apartment.....her eyes were red and puffy....Anthony had not said anything about Mina's condition....*How could he be so cold???What am I thinking???He's a MAN!!*wept Serena. Sitting down in the darkness....Serena sobbed some more...moonlight shone through....illuminating the dark penthouse.... Then...a thought struck her mind.... Tonight,her hard cold shell had cracked.....she'd openly displayed emotion to the one person she didn't want to see her that way the most.....her client,Darien Shields.... ~FLASHBACK~ "You don't understand....you'll never understand."choked Serena. "You're wrong...I understand as well as YOU do...what it like to be all alone in this world....it's hell..."whispered Darien as tears fell from his hard blue eyes... ~END FLASHBACK~ "He really DID understand...."whispered Serena to herself. With that...she cried herself to sleep...she hadn't cried this much since she was 6 years-old in the hospital.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I'm alone.....so quiet....loneliness...whi is nobody here???Mother?? Father??So cold and black.....I'm all alone.....nobody loves me......nobody cares....They all hate me....why is nobody here???"whimpered a young boy. Darien sat up,cold sweat beaded his forehead....it'd been a dream.... "Just a dream..."whispered Darien to himself....but why didn't he feel so sure about that???? Loneliness....so cold....so black...it chills my soul..."Mommy??" "Hush my child." "Gimme your money!!" Gunshots....blood....so much blood... then blackness....swirling blackness.... "NOOOOOOoooo!!!!"screamed Serena sitting up. Her body was shaking and in cold sweat....her eyes wide and her face pale....*What was that???*she wondered.*Why does it seem so...familiar??* Serena buried her head into her hands...."God..."she whispered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three days later.... Serena awoke,the sunlight streaming into her eyes....her eyes were red and puffy....and they also hurt.... Glancing at the clock,she noticed it was 6.30am.Quickly,Serena rushed to the bathroom and washed her face.She wanted to see Mina..... Serena walked down the white and quiet hallways...the hospital seemed like a morgue in the early morning...Reaching the ICU ward,Serena entered. Mina lay on the white hospital bed....still as ever....the machines beeping steadily... Serena sat down by her friend's side...reaching for her cold hand, Serena sighed and closed her eyes....she wanted to cry...but couldn't. She'd cried so much the past three days.....for Mina...and also the unborn child that had died..... Dark circles were noticeble under her eyes....she could hardly sleep... and whatever little sleep she got was dominated by the horrible nightmare she'd first experienced three days ago... The doctors didn't know when Mina would reawake....there was a 50% chance she would never wake at all.....Serena couldn't accept that... Funny how Darien Shields had been the one to stand by her side and be the shoulder to cry on....and Andrew Brimstone had become a close bedside companion to Mina.... "Have you eaten anything??"came a voice. Serena closed her eyes.....how could she not recognize the deep voice that belonged to the one and only man who was being her friend?? "Hello,Darien.."whispered Serena. "You didn't answer my question." "No..I haven't had anything."replied Serena. "Well you should....we don't want YOU ending up in a bed next to Mina because you suffered from lack of nutrition do we??Besides....you should get more rest...you look terrible."stated Darien. Serena turned to a small mirror on the wall....she DID look terrible. Her blue eyes were dull...her face was pale with dark circles under the eyes and her hair usually in a neat ponytail or bun,was in an unruly mass of golden curls tumbling down her back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darien sighed.....the woman was more stubborn then a mule...for the past 3 days,he'd tried to make her eat something and rest.....shaking his head, Darien shoved a rosy red apple into her hands.... "An apple a day,keeps the doctor away,"joked Darien. Serena smiled gratefully at him...however it didn't reach her eyes....it never did.... Serena tossed the apple around absent-mindedly....watching the steady breathing of her friend.... "Mr Shi-I mean...Darien....why don't you go to work....??You've been very helpful and all...but I'm sure you've neglected your work long enough." said Serena looking up. "It's alright...I-" The soft beep of a cellular phone startled Darien.Switching it on, Darien spoke softly but heatedly into the phone. Minutes later... "They're calling you....you should go back to work." Darien gave a sigh of defeat...."Alright,Lunaria.....you win."conceded Darien.With that,he left....leaving a confused Serena sitting alone.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Oh Mina....what am I to do??I'm so confused.....I want things to go back to the way they were....before your accident...before I became friends with him......It's just so....confusing."whispered Serena sadly. Serena's thoughts wandered to the dead baby,who had been buried yesterday. ~FLASHBACK~ It was raining....not very heavy...but still....raining.... "This young child,unborn, No chance at life, Rest in peace..." Serena stood there.....her hatred for Anthony...according toa couple of Mina's friends....they'd seen Anthony with another woman...one with curly brown locks and smoky grey eyes....And here he was.....standing there.... and behind the diggers,standing at the graveyard gate....was a woman.... waiting..... Serena wanted nothing more than to slap the woman....and shout at the so-called wonderful husband of Mina's,Anthony...her fist balled up... Andrew and Darien who noticed this,restrained her from doing anything rash. ~END FLASHBACK~ Serena wept....for the baby....she remembered thinking....the woman with the smoky grey eyes was a murderer and a bitch.....she was probably the reason why the baby was dead....why Mina lay unconcious on the hospital bed....... Recent rumors said Anthony had broken up with the 'harlot'... He was a frequent visitor to Mina....one hour everyday in the evening. Ironic.....so ironic.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another week later... In the evening.... ~Serena's POV~ Anthony came again....every evening as usual.....for the last 9 days.... I still wanted to scream at him....but refrained as I was NOT a relative whatsoever.....Darien and Andrew are here. A frown on both their faces.....a look of distaste....I know it well... I wish he'd leave..... ~Author's POV~ Serena was sitting on one side of the bed,whereas Anthony sat on the other side.... Suddenly....Mina's hand twitched.... "She moved.."whispered Serena. "I'll go get the doctor."offered Darien. Anthony was getting excited. Slowly.....Mina's eyes opened.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To be continued..... Eeeeps!!Mina's awake!!!!Is she going to forgive that rat of a husband??? C'mon Sere....unjumble those feelings of yours!!!Watch for Chapter 7. In the mean time...e-mail me. :) My Shrine Library: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Lights/5079/archive.html