Nothing But a Nightmare [Iwanako]

A/N: I originally wrote this to be part of Miki route. But... I liked it too much as a standalone. So whatever, I guess.

- - - - -

Streams of color fall around me. As the hues flow and fade, they are replaced with walls painted a pure white. Plain, simple, clean. The ceiling is plastered in a similar paint. Just where am I? The walls seem familiar, these bedsheets as comfortable as sandpaper. A tray sits next to my bed, bearing scraps of food and a half-empty glass of water.

“Hisao?” A voice. Dainty and light, one I had heard so many times before. The voice of my dreams, as I had mused earlier. It seems like it was just a few minutes ago I had that same thought. Memories rush back, that day in the snow pushing itself to the forefront of my imagination.

“Iwanako?”

She sits by my bed, hands in her lap and elbows locked straight. The bags under her eyes and unkempt hair tell much of her tale. Little pools of water well up near the bridge of her nose. Her hand reaches forward, fingertips grazing along my cheek. It's... strangely fulfilling. Like a prodigal son returning home, but bittersweet, in a way.

I react instinctively, letting my eyelids fall shut and easing into her touch.

“Don't do that.” My eyes snap back open, taking in the sight of a broken girl in desperation.

“Don't do what?” I ask. My voice sounds... groggy, almost like a croak. It feels like I haven't used it for some time.

“Don't close your eyes,” she answers. “I don't want you to fall asleep again.”

Again? What does she mean? I remember... a sharp pain in my chest. My throat clenching shut. Pins and needles along my arms. Then... nothing. And now, almost instantly, I'm finding myself in this bed. Slowly, I connect the dots. A hospital, that's where I am. Probably being treated for whatever happened that day.

“How long?” It's still so hard to speak. Her ears perk, standing at attention. “How long was I out?”

She checks her watch. “Two months, thirteen days, four hours, and... nine minutes.” Her exactness comes as no surprise, if a bit disconcerting and obsessive. She shows me the watch, just as confirmation.

“That long?” She nods. “And you've been waiting for me this whole time?” She nods again. Words can't describe my joy right now. This must be what it feels like to be home after a long tour of military service, what it feels like after exchanging vows at an altar. I wonder if I'll ever be able to make it up to her.

I plant my hand on the mattress, putting out as much force as I can muster. A few months of being asleep has sapped me of my strength. My elbow buckles before I can right myself. Iwanako break my fall with a gasp.

“You shouldn't stress yourself, Hisao.” She eases me back onto the bed and reaches down the side. Motors whirr, gears turn, and the mattress starts to rise. I have just enough strength to move myself around, placing my hips inline with the joint. I nod once it feels comfortable, and she releases the button.

“Thank you,” I say with a weak smile.

She responds with a grin of her own. “It's no trouble. -Someone- has to take care of you, right?”

We share a quiet laugh. This feels... right.

There's a short silence as our giggling fades. We still don't know each other that well, “Hey, Hisao.” She sounds brighter than before. A difference akin to night and day.

“Yes, Iwanako?”

She reaches for my wrist, gripping it gently around the catheter still lodged in my arm. With a slight twist, she turns it over, my palm facing the ceiling. Our fingers slowly intertwine. “Don't scare me like that again.” Scare her? Oh... right, the day in the snow. It's a faint memory, like a dream. “I was afraid you wouldn't make it. That you'd never wake up.”

The tears from earlier finally break through, streaming down her face. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's seeing a girl cry, especially over me. I force my hand free, granting her the same gesture that she gave me. Dried red skin hides beneath the rivers of sorrow as I brush them away.

“I'm not going anywhere,” I reassure.

Her nose twitches with a sniffle. “Promise?”

Adorable. “Promise.”

A smile finally carves its path onto her lips. This one feels genuine enough. “I'm glad.”

She falls forward onto me, resting her head on my chest. I wrap my arm around her and lean head back, basking in the bliss. My eyelids fall once more as a surge of comfort rushes through my body. This... this is what love feels like, isn't it?

...
...
...

She feels... light all of a sudden. Almost like she's not even there. I look down, watching her skin turn translucent and fade into nothing. A burst of adrenaline gives me strength, and I jolt forward. I try to lift her up, but nothing happens. She just lays there, disappearing before my eyes. No, no, not after all this time. Not after she waited for so long.

...but I can't just will her back. Before I know it, she's gone, and I'm alone in this bed again.