Chapter 22: Chapter 22

The next morning.

I wasn't able to have a good night sleep after that "girl-to-girl talk" with Reiko. Her last words suddenly got me thinking...

"That why you have to decide before time runs out." those words echoed into my mind again.

"But can I really make a decision before our 3-day trip is over?" I wondered to myself.

"---Nao? What's taking Reiko so long? We have to hurry or else we'll miss the bus and wait for 2 hours for the next one!" Van reminded me.

"Oh! I think she's in her room! Let me check on her again..." I said.

"Okay, I'll come with you." Van suggested.

We both went upstairs and stopped at a certain room.

"Reiko? Are you ready to go?" Van called out, while knocking at the door.

We heard a grunt from Reiko's room.

Van and I puzzily looked at each other.

"Reiko,are you alright? We're coming in!" I informed her, and then I opened the

door.

We instantly saw Reiko crouching on her bed, while holding her stomach. She doesn't look good.

I rushed to her and touched her shoulders.

"Reiko!" I called out,while looking alarmed.

"My stomach hurts... It's my usual ulcer attack. Don't worry,I already had my medication. I'll be okay in a few minutes. I'm sorry to spoil this trip,but. Could you just go without me?" Reiko forced herself to speak.

"But we can't leave you like this!" I protested right away.

"I don't need babysitters,Nao. And besides, we shouldn't waste our time by taking care of me. This is our much-awaited trip, remember?" Reiko tried to persuade me.

Van was still looking a little reluctant to leave Reiko all alone.

"Alright,guys. Here's the deal. Once I get better and I don't feel like sleeping...I could just follow you there. How's that?" it was Reiko's suggested.

"Okay,I get your point...It's no use to argue with her,Nao. Let's go and just wait for Reiko once we get there." Van finally gave in.

"O-Okay." I was forced to agree as well.

"So, what are you still standing here for? Go out and have some fun!" Reiko shooed us

away.

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Van and I were crossing the streets towards the bus stop terminal which will drive us to our destination. I was walking ahead from Van.

At the same time, Van was reviewing his plan which is written at the palm of his hand. He wanted this trip to be perfect, and he wouldn't want to bore Nao for the rest of the day.

"After strolling at the ocean park, we'll get some souvenirs, have lunch and--- what was it again?" he mumbled, while looking at his little notebook where he wrote all his plans for today.

Van also wanted to make sure if he has enough money, but he gasped in shock because when he tried to pull the wallet from his pants,there was nothing.

"Uh,oh... I left the wallet in my room!" Van groaned in frustration.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"I forgot my wallet at the villa." he relayed, while looking embarassed.

"Don't worry, I have my pocket money here." I answered him.

Van wildly shook his head.

"No,I won't allow you to use that! Look, I'll just run back to the villa and get my wallet.It won't take too long!" he said, and then he crossed the streets in a hurry.

"But----!" I was about to tell him that the bus will arrive soon,but the traffic lights suddenly turned green, and I know that he wouldn't hear me anymore because of the sound of the passing vehicles.

I sulkily crossed my arms unto my chest. I don't have any choice but to wait for another 2 hours for the next bus to come in.

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Van finally crossed the street. He was about to run again with all his might when he suddenly collided into somebody. His shoulders ached a little because of the impact, but he still wanted to apologize to the person that he bumped into...

"I'm so sorry! I was in a real hurry..." he said, as he looked up.

"Look carefully where you're going, idiot!" it was the girl living next to their villa. She looks really annoyed,

"I'm really sorry..." Van politely apologized again.

"Yeah, whatever!" the girl retorted back, and then she continued to run.

"Wait, the traffic light is till green! It's dangerous!" Van tried to warn the girl, but it was too late now.

Van held his breath in shock when the girl got hit by a passing truck...

====================

I heard the sound of the screaming tires. The curious people started to flock around towards the scene of the accident. One office lady squeezed herself out from the crowd, while looking antsy. She didn't bother to look at the commotion. She keeps on looking at her watch.She must be in a hurry to get to work. The woman didn't realized that her purse fell from her bag.

I decided to pick up the purse and followed behind her.

"Miss! You forgot your purse!" I called out to her.

But the woman didn't hear me.

"Hey, you should be careful! It's dangerous to stay here at the construction site!" one construction worker shouted at me, while he was doing something.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It's just----!" I wasn't able to finish my sentence when we heard someone shouting again.

"Look out! The debris are falling down!" cautioned the frantic voices.

Before I could react and save myself from the falling debris, I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of my head.

I cried out because of pain.

Then everything went really fast. The next thing I knew, there was a searing pain on my head,and after that, everything went pitch black.

=======================================

"There's another accident! A teenage girl!"

Van heard someone shouting. He was still in shock because of what happened to the girl that he bumped into just few minutes ago. That girl met an accident in a snap of a finger, and there's another one?

"Is the ambulance coming?" yelled the concerned bystander.

Van doesn't have any idea on why something is pulling him back the the location where another accident happened...

"Hey, I've got the identification of the two girls!" shouted the other one.

Just like a cue, two ambulance cars arrived at the scene. The paramedics checked their vitals first and after that, they put the victims in the gurneys.

Van almost died right there and then when he noticed the other victim.

It was none other than Nao...

He pushed the bystanders away as he tries to get near her. The other members of the medical team tried to stop him.

"Nao!"" Van screamed at the top of his lungs...

===============================================

The ambulance stopped infront of the emergency room entrance.

Van was holding Nao's hand, never letting her go.

The two gurneys was transported to the Emergency Room. The girls are in a critical condition.

"Please wait outside the ER!" the nurse advised Van, as she guided him outside the room.

Van was too weak to protest anymore. He feels like he's in a trance, but he just followed the

nurse's order and sank himself at the nearest chair...

Few agonizing hours have passed. The emergency room's door finally opened, and the doctor came out.

"How's my friend, doctor?" Van nervously asked him.

"Are you related to the patient who was hurt in a construction incident or in the traffic incident?" asked the doctor.

"The one who was in the construction site." Van's answered rightaway.

The doctor gave him a reassuring smile.

"Your friend managed to survive. She is in a stable condition now. On the other hand, the girl who was caught up in the traffic accident died few minutes ago...She didn't make it." informed the doctor.

Van felt sorry for the other girl, but he heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that Nao is finally out of danger...

A nurse suddenly came out from the ER and called the doctor's attention.

"The patient's heart stopped, doctor!" announced the nurse.

"What? For how many seconds now?" said the doctor in alarm.

"For two minutes now." informed the nurse.

The doctor excused himself from Van and hurried back to the ER.

Van froze as he watches them go.

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On the other hand, Reiko came running on the hospital's hallway. She looked so worried as well.

"Van!How's Nao?" she asked him.

But Van wasn't able to open his dry mouth to answer her.

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Inside the E.R.

Nao's vital signs showed a straight line on the monitor, but the doctor and the

nurses are still doing their best.

But it's already the end of Nishikawa Nao's life...