The ghost

Part 10 - "Kiss of life"

Despite their haste, Rukawa remembered to lock the gym as they left. All three sat themselves on the oar, and then... Then there was something indescribable.

"This Botan has a distorted concepttion about a good flight." Rukawa thought, wrestling with nausea and barely winning. He clung to the oar as if for dear life. But Botan, smiling serenly, handled her oar like a crazy kamikaze fighter pilot. She constantly changed altitudes, made sharp bankings, nosedives, loops, and other crazy aerobatic moves. Maybe she wanted to show off her skill or maybe just avoid certain obstacles in the air, which only she could see...

In the meantime, her passengers were too busy trying to still their stomachs to notice her flying skills. Not only Rukawa suffered from crazy flight. Even Hanamichi had a greenish tint to his face. It was good thing that people below didn't see them. Or else it would be an interesting show: three humans, flying on an oar. According to Botan's words, people could not see her and Hanamichi, though. But Rukawa... Yeah, it would be interesting...

It seemed to Rukawa that an eternity passed before they reached the hospital. In fact, only a couple of minutes had passed. Dexterously diving in through the window, Botan flew into Hanamichi's room.

Jumping down onto the floor, Rukawa swore ilently that he would never ever fly with Botan on her oar again. With no small amount of relief, Rukawa noticed that his teammates, who were visiting Hanamichi before, had already left. It was quiet in the room, except for the low murmur of the life-support machine.

Meanwhile, something had happened to the ghost. He became more transparent. Carefully kneeling down near the bed, Hanamichi stared discomposedly at his comatoze 'twin'. Having thrown a sad glance at Rukawa, the redhead again turned to his prone body.

"So how should I help him?" Rukawa asked Botan.

Confused, the girl started to fiddle with her kimono. "You... You have to kiss him..."

"WHAT?!" the two boys exclaimed simultaneously.
"Yes," Botan reaffirmed, her voice small. "You have to kiss him and use mouth-to-mouth to give him part of your ki."
"NO," Rukawa objected resolutely. The ice eyes looked at the girl unhesitatingly.
"Huh?"
"I WILL NOT KISS HIM," he repeated clearly.
"But... That is the only way to save him!" Botan exlaimed, glaring at the fox-eyed boy.
"No."

At this time they heard the small sad laughter of the phantom boy.

And the Hanamichi-ghost disappeared into thin air. In the same instant all the devices went off, beeping like crazy. On the screen monitoring his heartbeat, there was only a flat line where before there had been high spikes.

"Hurry up!" exclaimed Botan, pushing Rukawa to Hanamichi's body. "He's dying! You have only a minute before the doctors come. And belive me, they cannot save him. Only you! You're his last hope!"

'...You're his last hope!...' Rukawa, discomfited, looked at the still body of his eternal foe... Then with a sigh he bent over Hanamichi. "You owe me for this, do-ahou."

With that he pressed his lips to Hanamichi's. He tried to transmit a part of his ki through the kiss...

And only Botan could see as Rukawa's bright ice-blue aura began to merge with weak orange one of the red-haired boy. The Hanamichi's aura became stronger and stronger, accepting given energy...

The life-support machines ceased their high-pitched whining and begin to work normally again. The straight line disappeared from cardiac display, replacing by an encouraging curve. Botan smiled joyfully. 'Now this redhead will survive.'

The girl carefully touched Rukawa's shoulder. The boy parted from Hanamichi and looked back at her.

"We should leave here immediately, if you don't want to explain yourself to the doctors."

Rukawa nodded and looked round in search of an exit. Botan spat on her oar behind her. Rukawa frowned, but the noises of footsteps and voices discouraged him. 'So where is my promise never to fly with this crazy girl now?' He jumped with a surprising amount of dexterity onto Botan's oar and the girl promptly directed her vehicle out through the window.

A mere second later, the concerned doctors ran into the room...

End of part 10.

© Star Mirage, 2000