The Trials Of Love And Life

I do not own Beyblade of any of it’s characters. Any side character belongs solely to me and will not be touched or used by another.

Summary: Review to chapter 1.

Writing Style: Review to chapter1.

A/N: So yea, went mad crazy on the last chapter and added a tone of shit that might have cleared up a few things, or made you even more confused than before. But, know this, if you are confused, everything does get figured out as the chapters go on.


**~**~**~**~**~**


Chapter 13.


Tala ran at Kai’s side, the paramedic speaking quickly on his right. His gaze was rigid on the wheezing form of his best friends, pellets of sweat beading on his forehead, his eyes clenched tightly shut. His head rolled to the side, his breathing becoming faster and more erratic. Tala panicked, fearing everything. He wanted to reach out, but he didn’t want to slow the other paramedics down.

They rounded the corner and burst into the main floor corridor, students among students and their Professor watching with worry or curiosity as the stretcher bearing Kai was ushered down the hallway, the ventilator across the slate haired Professors mouth fogging with his every panting gasp.

Tala looked up, and a flash of yellow eyes caught his gaze. They were filled with fear, worry, anguish and shock. Ray was not watching him, but Kai as the stretcher passed. The paramedic at his side asked another quick question and Tala was pulled back to him, talking quickly himself as they hurried down the hallway and out of sight.

The front doors burst open, the Headmaster and driver of the ambulance standing waiting beside the vehicle, talking in hushed, quick, voices. Headmaster Dickinson’s forehead was beaded with sweat, his elderly, fatherly eyes filled with worry yet they held their strength and authority.

They turned as the stretcher was pulled into the ambulance, Kai’s breathing now painfully fast and coming out like it was a difficult job. His face was red with pain, deep creases across his brow were forming heavily. Tala jumped in just behind the stretcher and sat at Kai’s side, gripping the other mans hand and squeezing it.

He got no squeeze in return.

“Let’s move,” one of the paramedics yelled.

“Mr Ivanov – ” Tala’s attention was pulled, once again, away from Kai “ – has this happened before in the past?”

“Uh – I don’t – wait, yes ... yes it has,” Tala said, staring at the tall paramedic at his side. “Once a long time ago.”

“Pulse rate dropping ... ”

“Give me twenty CC’s ... ”

“Heart rate is one twenty over one hundred ... ”

“I need forty RPG’s of Glucophage and Diclofenac, stat ... ”

“Were losing him ... ”

Tala looked up so fast his neck twinged and he rubbed it, staring around him as the men and women worked frantically in the tightly closed space. They bumped together as the ambulance turned sharply, many sterile needles and contraceptive bandages fell to the floor through opened cupboards and drawers.

“Pulse rate dropping rapidly ... ”

“Come on, Kai,” Tala whispered.

“Heart rate has just reached critical. One eighty over one hundred ... ”

“You can’t do this too me,” the redhead whispered shakily.

“Someone give me ninety CC’s. NOW ... ”

“Please, I can’t lose you,” Tala now cried out. “Remember you’re promise ... our promise Kai. To die together, remember.”

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP .....

Everyone looked up, the three flat lines screeching loudly at them. The ambulance trundled over the sidewalk and squealed to a stop beside the hospital. The back doors burst open and Tala was pushed out, his arms tugged painfully as Kai was trudged out next on the stretcher, the paramedics talking loud and fast.

“No pulse ... ”

“Heart rate gone ... ”

“Let’s get him inside ... ”

“Kai ... KAI ... ” Tala screamed as he was forcefully held back, reaching out blind with fear.

“Mr Ivanov, please,” the large male paramedic said, forcing Tala onto one of the benches outside. “Calm yourself.”

“I need to get to him,” Tala said, breathing heavily. “He needs me now.”

“Mr Ivanov, you need to listen to me,” the paramedic said seriously. “You’re hyperventilating right now. Take deep, calm, breaths.”

Tala could feel it in his chest. He panted heavily, holding his chest. He took one painful deep breath and let it out, the tears drenching his cheeks stinging him as painfully as the horrible stitch in his chest. He took another calm breath and let it out just as shakily as the first, staring at the doors in which Kai had disappeared.

“He can’t die,” Tala whispered finally.

The paramedic watched him.

“He promised me ... he promised,” Tala cried, burying his face into his hands.

*~*~*

Ray slumped, weak legged, into one of the chairs around the table, his heart beating fast and his hands trembling madly. He barely blinked, staring directly ahead as the clock mounted on the wall ticked extremely loudly. His lungs burned from exertion and he felt like he was being suffocated.

The door opened and Max and Tyson walked in, talking quickly, both seeming to have just heard the news. They spotted Ray and sat down on either side of him.

“Did you here what happened ... ” Tyson began.

“With Professor Hiwatari?” Max finished.

Ray didn’t answer, but nodded his head.

“I can’t believe it,” Tyson whistled. “Wonder what triggered it.”

“Miguel said Professor Hiwatari was just sitting their and marking an essay when he began to cough. He said it sounded normal, until he started coughing up blood and gagging,” Max said, his voice hushed as if being overheard.

“Do you think he’s got tuberculosis?” Tyson asked.

Max shrugged and Ray sat as silent as ever. He was tapping one foot hastily on the floor, staring out the kitchen window and the tops of the black trees. His head was working fast, his heart thumping heavily and his fingers twitching as he tapped them along with his foot.

“Ray, you all right?” Tyson asked worriedly.

“Hmm,” was the reply.

“Did you see what happened to Professor Hiwatari?” Tyson said, leaning forward.

“It’s happened before,” Ray whispered to himself, forgetting that Max and Tyson were even there beside him. “It’s not recent. He’s had this before.”

Max exchanged a worried look with Tyson.

“Why didn’t he tell me,” Ray said, his eyes tearing up.

“Wow ... intervention,” Tyson said loudly. “Ray, what in hell’s name are you talking about?”

The neko snapped out of his daze and stared around the table at the others. He slapped a hand over his mouth as if he had just realized something and shook his head fast at them. Both Max and Tyson exchanged another odd look before they turned their attention back to ray, who still had a hand clamped over his mouth.

“Ray, is something wrong?” asked Max calmly.

Ray shook his head vigorously.

“Ray – ” Max said loudly, grabbing both of Ray’s hands and holding them from his mouth. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing ... not with me ... Ka – I mean – Professor Hiwatari ... he’s ... ” Ray babbled.

“We know, Ray,” Tyson said, smiling. “Miguel was in Professor Hiwatari’s class when it happened. He was the one that told Adrien to go and call for Professor Ivanov.”

“Adrien?”

“Adrien Pince,” Max explained. “A third year like Miguel and Claud. He’s one of their friends.”

“Anyways, he went and got Professor Ivanov and they took Professor Hiwatari to the emergency,” Tyson said.

“Do you think,” Ray began uncomfortably, “he’ll be alright?”

“He should be,” Max said.

“What’s with you man?” Tyson asked.

Ray looked away from them to the floor, examining the tiles and a small spec of dust that was slowly becoming bigger. He could feel their eyes burning into the top of his head as he avoided their looks of curiosity and confusion.

The door opened, and Ray felt their eyes leave him, his held breath being let out in a whoosh of gratification. He looked up as well as both Miguel and Claud came in, talking fast about what had happened. Max got up and moved over a seat as Miguel sat beside him, Claud taking Tyson’s and positioning the man on his lap.

“That was freaky,” Miguel said with a whistle.

“How did it happen?” Max asked, massaging his boyfriends pale hand.

Ray looked up, Miguel did in deed look very pale. His face was flushed with a line of sweat. His hands were trembling slightly and he had blood on his cheek and shirt. His eyes were blank, staring at Max with soft comfort. Ray looked away and back at the table.

“Were not sure,” Claud said, taking Miguel’s silence that he didn’t feel like answering. “He was fine before. Gave us our assignment, look some notes, had a discussion session and then went to work.”

“You guys did see anything – ?” It was Ray who spoke this time.

Claud looked at him and shook his head.

“He just ... Started coughing,” Miguel said, shivering slightly.

“It sounded completely normal, like he was trying to get a frog from his throat,” Claud said, leaning his chin on Tyson’s shoulder.

“Then it sounded strange ... like he was being strangled,” Miguel said, staring at the table.

“Weird,” Claud whispered.

Everyone fell silent. Ray stared out the window again, watching as the light over the trees at his doused the world brightly. The leaves fell colourfully to the ground as the moment of Autumn arrived cooly around the University. The campus grounds were flooded with students, all talking fast about what had happened.

Ray turned to the others.

“I’m going to my room to do up my essay for Professor Vector.”

They stared at him.

“If you hear anything on Professor Hiwatari, tell me,” Ray said.

“Sure thing,” Claud said.

“Ray, are you sure you’re okay?” Max asked one last time.

“Don’t worry,” Ray said, ruffling the blondes golden hair, making him bat his hand away with a playful frown. “I’m fine Max.”

*~*~*

“I need 40 milligrams of epinephrine ... ”

Tala stalked back and forth outside Kai’s emergency resuscitation room, staring fixedly at the slate haired man as his chest rose of the bed as he was shocked through the two paddles of the defibrillator. Tubes were running all along his body, in his mouth and down his arms. His face had gone extremely pale ... like death had seriously claimed him.

“Come on, Kai,” whispered Tala desperately.

“400 on the defibrillator.”

Kai’s chest rose again, his head falling back as he was shocked again. He fell lifelessly onto the bed, the monitor still showing four flat lines. The dozen doctors looked at one another worrisomely. One wiped sweat from his brow and placed the paddles back down into their charger.

Tala banged on the glass, but none seemed to hear it.

“Don’t give up,” he yelled. “YOU CAN’T.”

A blip appeared on the monitor.

The doctors turned, staring at it. The blip came again, beeping loudly; one after another, rising and falling. Kai’s chest rose in a gasping breath, weak and dry. He looked pained, his chest constricting. They swarmed around him, blocking Tala’s view. One of the doctors broke away, blood coating his fingers. He moved over to the sink, pulling off his gloves and rising his hands in the sink.

Tala slammed a fist on the glass, his legs trembling. He forced himself to stay standing, staring at the small crack through two of the doctors robes at Kai, who seemed to be coughing up more blood. One leaned over his, placing a dish under his chin as he vomited heavily, eyes still closed.

“Oh Kai,” whispered Tala.

“Mr Ivanov.”

Tala turned with a start.

“I’m sorry, I did not mean to startle you. May I speak to you over here a moment.”

The doctor indicated with his hand in the direction of an empty office. Tala nodded and entered, the door closing shut behind him as the doctor entered afterward. He stood uncomfortably, waiting for the inevitable. He shifted, his left foot aching.

‘Don’t say he’s going to die, don’t say he’s going to die, don’t say he’s going to ... ’

“Well, he’s very lucky,” the doctor said, pushing aqua hair from his face.

“Is he – ” Tala couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“Well need to keep him for a few weeks, find out what’s wrong with him,” the doctor said. “Do you know what might have caused this reaction in his body?”

“No, not at all,” Tala said softly. “He’s helping me on a – a lawsuit. I think it’s really stressing him out. He doesn’t want me to lose.”

“I understand,” the doctor said nodding. “I don’t think stress is causing this though.”

Tala watched the man apprehensively.

“In the past, has this happened?”

“Yes. Once, when his – his sister passed away,” Tala whispered.

“And what happened then?”

It was a soft question, but Tala felt it burn in his chest. It was vague to him how it all started, but it had, and he remembered. The images seemed to slide together behind his eyes like a film, each one flickering before his memory.

“After – after it happened – ”

“His sisters death,” the doctor said in understanding.

“Kai he – he disappeared for a few weeks. I didn’t know what happened to him, or where he went. He told no one ... ”

*~*~*(Flashback)*~*~*

Tala walked slowly down the hallway of the long dark corridor he was in. It was late ... passed midnight late. He yawned heavily, wanting to lie down in his bed and curl up next to his lover. Kai had been quiet – well, Kai was always quiet – but quieter than usual.

Understandable, Tala thought sadly, he did just lose his sister.

He stopped outside his shared accommodations and stared at the long iron door. Slowly, he creaked it open and peaked in. The long spacious living room was empty. The kitchen was dark and uninhabited. The bathroom door was closed and the light was off. The bedroom door stood ajar, the light also out.

“Probably asleep,” Tala said.

He walked forward, stepping lightly around the room and picked his way toward the bedroom. He peered in, the dark bed shadowed by the long sliver of light from the high window above. It looked unkempt and clean. Frowning slightly, Tala walked forward, searching for the light switch on the wall as he went.

“Damn,” he whispered, still searching. “Guess I’ll have to use voice activation. Light’s on.”

The lights blared down upon the bed. Tala winced at it and looked down. The bed was, indeed, unslept in. He stared at on of the two pillows o which the sheets sat neatly underneath and walked around it to the side Kai usually slept in. He sat down and picked up a folded piece of brownish paper, opening it slowly and staring fixedly at the beautiful scrawl of his lover in which three words were written:

Tala,

Wait for me.

Kai

Tala looked at the note, not understanding. He held it close, lying down across the bed and closed his eyes. A simple, salty, single tear slid down his pale cheeks as he clutched the note close and cried.

*~*~*(End Flashback)*~*~*

“ ... When he came back, he resined immediately from our team and left. I followed, naturally, and stayed by his side during the hardest times of his life,” Tala spoke, staring at his hands. “That’s when ... it happened ... ”

*~*~*(Flashback)*~*~*

Tala opened his eyes. He knew he had heard something, but didn’t know what. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. A hurling, heaving sound came from behind him and he froze. That was what he had heard before, what had woken him up. He turned to see the bathroom light open and the opposite side of the bed empty.

Dreading the worst, Taal bounded across the bed and ran tot he bathroom door, staring down at the toilet, the figure of a quivering figure hunched over the toilet, clutching at his chest, eyes screwed tightly shut, and his face pale and sweating heavily.

“Oh, God ... Kai,” Tala gasped.

He flew down beside Kai onto his knees and rubbed the mans back as he arched over the toilet and again and spilled blood from his throat. His body trembled as he sat back, eyes focused on the swirling bowl below. Tala felt sick just staring at it. He swallowed heavily and leaned up, flushing away the reminiscence of the putrid smell and colour.

Kai turned to him.

“Tala,” he croaked, and passed out into the redheads arms.

*~*~*(End Flashback)*~*~*

“ ... I called his private doctor when he had gone unconscious. He said Kai would be fine as long as he took a pill – I don’t know what it’s called – and then left,” Tala said, now staring at the desk. “I asked him what it was about, why it had happened when he woke up, but he said it was just something he was born with and forgot to take hi pill.”

“Do you believe he was lying?” the doctor asked as Tala took a moment to calm himself.

“I know he was lying, but I wasn’t about to pry,” Tala said.

“I see ... ”

“But then he told me – what was causing it,” Tala said, his voice airy now. “When he was young, he was operated on, just like his sister. They were both adorned with microscopic switched by their grandfather. Whenever he wanted, he could press a button and they would become robotic.”

“This ... switch. What did it do?”

“It controlled them. Kai told me, that when he left, he had gone to see his doctor. The man had removed the switch, but at a cost. Kai would suffer – the pills were given to prevent that suffering – or to postpone it,” Tala said.

“Do you know if he has continued to take these pills until now?”

“No. After we – split – I didn’t keep track of when he took his pill. When this began again, and I found him out cold on the ground at his house and the pills on the ground, I immediately fed him one and waited for him to wake up,” Tala explained. “Please, tell me he’s okay?”

“I don’t know.”

Tala stared at the ground and took in a shuddering breath.

The doctor nodded and stood.

“Thank you Mr Ivanov.”

Tala stood and he and the doctor shook hands.

“Sir – ” one of the fellow doctors had entered, “ – he’s regained consciousness.”

Tala stared, wide-eyed, at the other man. The doctor behind him clapped him on the shoulder to gain his attention.

“Well quickly talk to him then you can go in and see him,” he said.

Tala nodded.

The three men left, the two doctors entering the emergency operating room. Kai was lying in the bed, but his eyes were open. He looked weak, the ventilator fogged heavily with his breath. The monitor to his right was beeping with every heart beat, but his rate was down drastically and he looked to be in a deathly cold sweat.

The doctors took a few notes, asked a few, short questions in which Kai either nodded weakly or shook his head slowly before they all began to file out.

“You may enter now Mr Ivanov,” a lady Doctor said sweetly to him.

He thanked her and rushed to Kai’s side.

“Tala,” he croaked, his foggy eyes turning on the redhead. “W-what happened?”

“Kai,” Tala whispered, kissing the slate haired mans forehead with trembling lips. “God, your so cold.”

“They said I – I’ve been coughing up blood,” Kai croaked weakly.

“Shh, take it easy, get some sleep and I’ll tell you when you wake up,” Tala whispered.

Kai stared at him a moment before, without objection, turned his head away and closed his eyes. His chest burned badly. The taste of coppery blood was thick in his throat, His breath smelt of blood as well, and he felt horribly weak. He was surprised he was able to hold his eyes open for such a time. His muscles were still and his chest was pinching painfully with every breath he drew.

Tala sat at his side, their hands held tightly together and watched over him.

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A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I know I said a week, but school starting and all ... Well, here’s the update and I hope to get the next one up by next Friday, and if not then, by the Friday after that. Well, review and tell me what you think so far. Oh, and, Flamer’s are welcome any day *smirks evilly*.