Quantum Leap - Vol. 3 I Will Wait For You On The Other Side

C016 I Will Be Here For You

I was soaked in perspiration the moment I reached the Accident and Emergency ward and the nurse at the registration took down my particulars as I inquired about Akira that was brought in earlier by ambulance due to a freak accident underneath Ozone at the bus station.

The nurse passed me a box of tissues to clear my face that was strewn with tears and messy snot and I took a wad of the tissues from the box as I cleaned my face as well as I dry off the perspiration that had poured out in torrents. Seeing my difficulties, the nurse handed me a face towel to effectively clean away the mess instead.

The nurse at the registration station asked me about the relationship between the patient and me as I replied and explained to her that Akira was a "close friend" of mine and we both came from the same school.

I can't think of any answer to reason during that particular moment. I can't say boyfriend as it was not a concrete answer at that moment and I won't be caught lying to say I am her cousin or relative at all.

She took down all the necessary information that I had answered when being asked and told me to take a seat at the waiting area of the Emergency Room or ER. I almost pleaded with the nurse to let me know once Akira had left the ER and placed into the ward for observation as I went over to the waiting area and seated myself there. I looked around at the pristine condition of the hospital area and I touched my pants and discovered that the origami that Akira had made earlier was still there.

The nurse came to me sometime later and explained that Akira had suffered a massive blunt trauma on her head and had a broken right forearm. There were some superficial gashes but it's not life-threatening at all.

She further explained that the whole operation would take some hours and she would immediately contact Akira's next of kin that could be found in her belongings or contact the Asahigaoka's Head of Department tomorrow instead. 

"Would you like us to contact you too? You seemed best to take a rest for now. It does seem that you are more than a close friend to the patient right? In that case, we would let the nurses in charge contact you beforehand before they contact the rest of the next of kin as well as the head of the department of the school."

The nurse was very thoughtful and had somehow figured out that I was more than a close friend as what I had stated earlier when they took down my particulars.

I sat down at the end of the hallway, the white walls, squeaky floors and the strong smell of disinfectant soon forth brought me into another set of emotions. I took out the heart-shaped origami from my pants pocket and slowly stared at it while I examined it in both hands. There was a small puncture at the tip of the heart and I remembered that there was a laminated photo of us and somehow was detached from the string.

Drips of tears fell again on the heart-shaped origami as I stared intently and dared not move my eyes from it as I prayed for Akira's wellbeing. Sheesh...it looked like the onion ninja seemed to work overtime in this series.

"Akira... Please forgive me... I should be there and this incident could be avoided... I'm just too foolish... Please be safe... I'm waiting for you right now... I can't wait to be by your side... Please, Akira... I know you can hear me from inside... I wanted to tell you about my feelings... I want to share this world with you... You mentioned I am your first... And let me be your everything you hoped for... I want you to be strong and see the sunrays tomorrow... I liked you and I want to be with you for I loved you..."

I spoke these words rather inaudibly as tears streamed continuously down my cheeks and dripped some on the heart-shaped origami. My whole shoulders shuddered as I sobbed uncontrollably once more and soon I was a total wreck in both crying and sobbing mess sitting on the bench at the end of the ER's hallway.

Seeing me in a devastating state, the nurse at the counter rose from her seat, took some cold water from the water dispenser nearby and walked silently towards me. She took the empty seat right beside me, offered the cup of water to me and held out a comforting arm around my shoulders. She tried her best to comfort me but how in the world could I mention that I am a transmigrator and had travelled to this world and exchanged with the body of Shiro. If I tell her that, she must be thinking that she should admit me to the ward as well and have my head checked out...!

I felt alone... Tremendously felt so alone and was lost with no sense of direction of where I was to proceed to next. Was I going to Leap right after this or there was more to come in the chapters that the readers would be crying for... I do not think the author would leave anyone hanging precariously right? Maybe you all would like to know what happened to Akira as well as any charges that would be brought upon the careless driver. Also, there might be some CCTV footage on the streets where a crazy guy was running against the traffic to reach to the hospital nearby.

The nurse heard every word I mumbled and as she placed a comforting arm around my hunched shoulders with my head hanging down, I bawled into an inconsolable state, slouched over and released all the massive feelings of tearful torment that I had locked deep in my heart for the many years as Sam Mulder. Maybe I felt remorse for the feeling that I had bottled inside since I had suffered much in my past life and then suffered again as the MC in this series. Don't you find it a bit too cruel?

The nurse was there beside me, trying her best to comfort me, to support me and be my pedestal where I could rely on and stand to my overwhelming emotions. She comforted me while saying that I should not shed any more tears but pray for her wellbeing instead. "Be a man...! Stop crying like you lost your favourite toy...!" that was what she had said to me as she pointed me a small prayer room where I could find solace and peace and find God there and ask for miracles for Akira to pull through.

Finding God in a small prayer room? That's not the right phrase to use, right? Can anyone help me to rephrase this sentence to make it sounds more beautiful or something like that?

After wiping my tears off, I walked and entered the small prayer room where there was a censer and a few incense sticks to burn and offer some prayers. A string of squared prayer flags was strung across the front of the wall which faced the censer, a small tinkle bell, a 108 prayer beads and a metal prayer wheel were set beside it. It was quite rare to find such a facility in a hospital but in this series, anything goes...!

A small ornamental water fountain was in the corner of the prayer room and the flow of water seemed to roll the ball that was sitting on top of the fountain to revolve against the flow.

I removed my shoes and shuffled slowly towards the mini-altar. I kneeled down and sat with my feet underneath. I took a small incense stick and lighted the end. I held it in my palms of my hands and bowed several times before placing it in the holder.

Soon the slow spiralling smoke of the incense rose into the air and filled the room with a slight rose scent. I took the 108 mantra wooden beads in my both hands and chanted several prayers as my hands twirled the beads slowly with my fingers.

In the quietness of the room and with me silently chanting the prayers, I fell into a realm of peace and tranquillity as the encircling swirling smoke from the incense seemed to soothe my nerves. Somehow the meditation slowly worked its way and I was deep in meditation as I felt the swirling force moving around the meridians. Instead of praying for the safety of Akira, I was meditating for my own self. How selfish...!!!

Suddenly I fell over and fell asleep in a fetal position from where I was kneeling earlier... How embarrassing...!!!

Some hours later, I awoke after the Incense in the burner had long gone out. I placed the wooden mantra beads back into place and bowed several times before I slowly shuffle back and wore my shoes. I was wondering if the Gods were watching over me sleep rather than to send some guardian angels to ensure that Akira would go through all the medical procedures with no problems at all.

The nurse that I met before at the counter had already changed her shift. I had lost track of time and fallen asleep due to the sheer exhaustion of my overwhelming flow of emotions earlier. The clock above her counter showed almost 4 am...!!! Oh, Ma Gaa...!!! I had fallen asleep throughout the sheer exhaustion of both mental and physical. 

I immediately asked about Akira's condition and she told me that she had been moved from the Operating Theatre and into an observation ward upstairs. After thanking her I went straight up to Akira's room. I sought permission from the nurse in charge and she guided me to Akira was put up and told me to keep silence at all times. The earlier nurse was thoughtful enough to inform the nurse in charge of the observation ward to let me through once I had woken up from the prayers room.

I went inside the solitary room where Akira was lying in bed. The top side of her head was wrapped in thick bandages and her right arm was set and plastered. There were several other dressings on her left cheek and under her chin. An intravenous glucose drip was inserted into the left crook of her arm and an ECG machine was hooked up to her vital points.

The nurse that accompanied me earlier entered the observation ward with me. She withdrew her clipboard at the end of Akira's bed and explained to me the contents of the progress and informed that Akira is still in a coma and has not given any kind of responses yet from the doctors and other specialists.

I gently placed Akira's hand in mine and planted a light kiss on her hand while I used her hand to stroke the side of my face as if she was caressing it. I looked at her face that seemed so at peace and had made no sign of response when I stroked her head and touched her face as well.

"How long will she be in this coma?" I asked the nurse and she replied that she had no idea and it all depends on how strong her will would be. Suddenly I remembered that my body elsewhere was also in the same kind of state or much worse since I do not have a recollection of being in bed but was transmigrated to a sandy beach right after. I was wondering if Akira also transmigrated somewhere else and have to wait for some time for her soul to come back to the body once she had complete her set of Leaps, et cetera.

Oh... Come on now...!!! Does everyone in a coma ended up just like me doing Leaps, body exchanges and travels from one parallel universe to another? Nonsense, right?

I sat down alongside the bed and continued to hold her hand. The nurse informed me that her aunt had been notified and would be arriving at the hospital shortly after. She asked me if I need anything else but I replied that I am fine. All I wanted was to wait beside Akira as she regains her consciousness.

The nurse placed a gentle hand on top of my head as she patted it as if I was a large Labrador dog and explained that Akira was in a coma and would take some time to be awakened. I asked her what could I do to assist but my question was left unanswered as the nurse slowly turned and walked out of the solitary observation room.

"I am here, Watashi no saiai..." I don't wish to leave her side... I wanted to stay beside her all the time... I wanted to be able to see her flutter her eyes and sees me beside her instead of a swarm of nurses and doctors in white... All I wanted was her, by my side...