Chapter Eleven

Oxygen masks, weird tubes, wires, and all that stuff that makes a sick person look dramatic in those TV shows. Tatsuya’s grandfather lied still on the hospital bed as he and his sister sat down in the chairs next to him. He kept Kimi close to him as she continued to cry into his jacket. He didn’t seem to mind, though, as he was focusing on trying not to cry himself.
“Tatsuya,” his mother panted, running into the hospital room. She was still in uniform, so she must have been busy with other patients. “Tatsuya, is everything all right?”
“Yes, mom,” he said. “The doctors have examined him and stuff, and right now he’s just asleep. He hasn’t woken up once, though. They said they’re still trying to find out what’s wrong with him.”
“Okay,” she said, coming around the bed and sitting on the other side of Kimi. “Every thing’s going to be all right. Listen, I’m really busy with work right now, but your grandfather is my main priority right now. I still have my phone, so please call me if anything happens. And one of the doctors, too, because there’s not much I can do by myself. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” he said.
“Kimi,” Tatsuya’s mother said, taking Kimi off of his jacket and onto her nurse’s uniform. “I’m on my break right now, so would you like to come down to the cafeteria with me and get a bite to eat? I think we both could use a little break.”
Kimi shook her head. “No,” she sobbed. “I want to stay here with grandpa.”
“He’s going to be all right,” she said, stroking Kimi’s hair. “Tatsuya is here to take care of him. C’mon.”
Kimi reluctantly stood up and wiped her face with her sleeve. “Okay. But I get to come back and sit with Tatsuya and grandpa right after, right?”
“Of course,” she said. “I think we both could just use a little break. Tatsuya, take care of your grandfather. Remember, call a doctor if anything happens.”
Tatsuya nodded. “Just take care of Kimi.”
His mother nodded back, and she escorted the little girl out of the hospital room.
Tatsuya inched his chair closer to his grandfather’s bed, and put his hand on top of his grandfather’s. “Grandpa,” Tatsuya said, even though he knew that he couldn’t hear him. “Grandpa, I think I did this to you. And I’m sorry.”
Tatsuya’s grandfather moaned, and shifted his hand from under Tatsuya’s. This was the first time he had responded since Tatsuya called for help.
Tatsuya sat up straight, and leaned over his grandfather. “Grandpa? Are you awake?”
He groaned again, and opened his eyes to look at his grandson. He didn’t speak, though. Tatsuya imagined it would be hard to under all of those tubes and the oxygen mask.
“You don’t have to say anything, grandpa,” he said. “I’m just really glad you can hear me. I just need to tell you how sorry I am. I think this is all my fault. I know that’s kind of weird to hear, and you’re probably thinking how it’s even possible, but just know that I’m so sorry, grandpa. Thank you for being the father I never had. I love you.”
He still didn’t respond back. He simply gripped onto Tatsuya’s hand tighter. He blinked twice before closing his eyes and going back to sleep.
Tatsuya couldn’t tell how long he remained in that position. His grandfather dying in front of him, holding his hand, silence filling the air in between them. It might have been just a few minutes. But to Tatsuya, it felt like days, maybe even weeks, just sitting there in that position. He didn’t know how much longer he could stay still, how much longer he could go before he began to cry again. The minutes passed, and then the hours, but it all felt the same to Tatsuya. He couldn’t even think of anything else. All he could think about was how it was his fault, and how his grandfather was dying, and how he couldn’t do anything about it, and how it was all because of him.
The door opened, and Kimi walked in with Tatsuya’s mother. She had stopped crying, but she certainly didn’t look happy as she saw grandpa lying there motionless.
“Did he wake up at all?” Tatsuya’s mother asked as Kimi sat down next to Tatsuya again.
“He did once,” Tatsuya explained. “He didn’t speak or anything. He just looked at me and grunted a bit. And he fell back asleep right after that. He hasn’t woken up since.”
“Tatsuya, I want you to take Kimi home,” she said.
“Mom, I want to stay here until it’s over,” he explained. “Please.”
“It’s getting late, and you both have school tomorrow,” she said. “I don’t mind if you stay here, but please take Kimi home first.”
“I’m going to come back right after,” he said.
“Fine,” she sighed. “Just make sure Kimi is safe, okay?”
Tatsuya agreed, and she stood up and asked Kimi to come with him.
“What? No, I don’t want to go,” she said. “I know I have school tomorrow and stuff, but I don’t want to leave grandpa. Please, mom, let me stay.”
“I don’t want you staying here,” Tatsuya’s mother told Kimi. “Go home with your brother. You can visit your grandpa after school tomorrow.”
“What if he’s not there after school tomorrow?” Kimi shouted. “Mom, I want to stay here.”
“Go home,” she said firmly. Tatsuya had never heard his mother so forceful before. “Tatsuya, please take her home now.”
“C’mon, Kimi,” Tatsuya said. “Let’s go home for now.”
Kimi wasn’t usually one to argue, but she simply refused to leave until their mother began to slightly raise her voice. She never really yelled, but simply lectured. Kimi eventually gave in.
“Thank you for taking her home,” she told Tatsuya.
Tatsuya held his sister’s hand and left the hospital. He hadn’t realized how much time he had spent, and how late it was. The sky was orange, but pale for some reason. Kimi didn’t cry anymore, but kept close to her brother. They managed to make it home before dark.
Tatsuya walked his sister all the way into her room, and then he tucked her in her bed.
“It’s too early for me to go to sleep,” she said. “I should’ve stayed at the hospital longer.”
“I don’t want you over there,” he told her. “Please, just get some rest.”
She sighed. “Okay, Tatsuya.”
Tatsuya smiled at her, and then ruffled her hair. “That’s my girl. You behave yourself, all right? I’m going to go help mom out.”
“Okay,” she said, yawning. “Thank you, Tatsuya.”
“Goodnight, Kimi,” he said, getting up and closing the door behind him.
Tatsuya quickly ran into his room and picked up the journal of his great-grandfather quickly before scurrying back out of his house. He figured that there might be some sort of reversal, and that he might be able to save his grandfather before he passed away. He read the journal as he walked back to the hospital.

Kelly is gone. And I’m all alone now. Completely. The villagers refuse to come near my once Chie had told them it was my fault that so many of them were dying. I couldn’t think of anything better, though. I’m glad they’re staying away from me. I can’t bear the thought of killing anymore people.
I don’t know what to do. I really don’t. I don’t know what’s causing this, and I don’t know how to reverse it. There must be some way, but how will I be able to figure it out before I kill any more people? I can’t just keep ignoring people. My heart is starting to hurt.
I miss Kelly so much. She has my child, and I want nothing more than to be by her side and help her with the baby. I want to have a normal life with her, and with the baby. Starting and raising a family seems like such a distant fantasy now. I want nothing more than a normal life right now. I wish I knew where she was right now, or what she was doing. I want to know how she’s taking care of herself, especially now since she’s pregnant. I want to help her, but I don’t want any harm to come to her, especially if it’s my fault. I don’t want anything happening to my son or daughter.
I kind of wish I knew what the child was, though, my son or daughter. I have a feeling it’s a boy, though. My little Andy… I can practically see him now. It’s too bad I will never get to see his face.
I promised Kelly I would find her. I told her that I would find a cure for this weird power, and that I would find her and see her again and raise the child with her. I know I’m not going to be able to keep that promise, though. I’ve wanted to talk to Chie and find out more about the power, but he’s just too afraid to approach me. I would ask anyone in the village, but they’re all avoiding me. No one wants to get close to the mysterious killer. And I can’t blame them. If there was a stranger in the village killing off people one at a time, wouldn’t you want to stay away from them as well?
I guess I’m just kind of rambling right now. Honestly, I’m stalling. I can’t think of any other way to stop killing people. I can’t risk any more deaths, including the death of my own son. So there is only one cure that came to my mind. I think I’m just going to have to leave permanently. I know it’s such a cowardly way to escape any problems, but when it comes to the lives of other people, I’m willing to make such an escape. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, though. Hanging myself? Maybe that’s the best way. I just want it to be quick and painless.