Part 10

Light paused outside Oki’s door to gather his thoughts then slowly walked into the room. Oki was lying in the hospital bed with wires stuck to her chest, and an I.V. in her arm. An oxygen mask was strapped to her face as well. She slept soundly despite the chorus of machine beeps and hisses and her obvious condition. Light walked over to the bed and took Oki’s hand in his.

“Well… I was beginning to wonder whether you had decided to pick Misa over Oki. Is that why you are late, because you stopped to see Misa before you came to see Oki?”

“I would never pick Misa over Oki. Plus, I have not seen Misa since yesterday,” Light replied, before looking at L with narrowed eyes.

“Why did you tell the hospital you were Oki’s brother?”

“Why does it matter what I tell the hospital? At least I am here for her,” L replied.

“What good does it do you to tell them you are her brother?” Light asked.

“It does me no good at all. However, it does help Oki. Her money is running low, what with paying school fees, household bills, her insurance, and the medical bills her insurance will not cover. She needs help to pay these new and past bills, and without this help she would soon be on the street. If that happened then neither her doctor, nor the hospital would agree to see her.”

“So you are paying her medical bills?” Light asked astonished.

“Yes. I have already paid her past medical bills and I am also paying this one. I shall also cover the costs of any others she may acquire before she leaves us,” L explained.

Light looked across the bed at L. “I am sure Oki will appreciate that, L.”

“She is not to know about this. Do not tell her about any of this.”

“But why? Oki won’t…” “Because you know as well as I that Oki will fight with me to get me to stop doing this for her. Like you say, Oki has enough to deal with, so let’s not make it any worse for her.”

Light nodded in agreement with L.

The door to the small hospital room suddenly opened and a doctor walked in.

“Dr. Wongfuu,” L said, bowing to him.

“Mr. Saito, it is good to see that you are still here. I was hoping you would be. The results of the tests I ordered have come in.”

“And?” Light interrupted, impatient to hear the news.

The doctor looked at Light – somewhat perturbed, then back at L.

“May I ask who this young man is?”

“This is my sisters’ boyfriend, Yagami Light,” L answered, “He has my permission to hear what you have to say.”

The doctor nodded and opened the chart.

“Well your sister has suffered a mild heart attack - at least what would be classified as a mild heart attack for someone without her problems,” Dr. Wongfuu said.

“What do you mean by that?” Light asked.

“Well as we all know a heart attack is nothing to play around with, even for someone without Oki’s condition. However, we are talking about Oki here, and her heart is quite weak because of her mesothelioma. With the cancer eating away at the very heart muscle itself, a mild heart attack for anyone else is a major heart attack for Oki.”

“So what does that mean for my sister?” L asked.

“I am sure you already know, but your sister does not have much more time with us…”

Light cut the doctor off, and in a frantic tone asked, “How long does she have?”

“Light, calm yourself…” L told him.

“I want to know how long,” Light demanded, gently squeezing Oki’s hand.

The doctor shook his head, “A month… Two at the most… But if she has another heart attack like this one, her life will end.”

Light shook his head and looked back towards Oki. A tear trickled down his cheek.

“It is not enough time,” Light whispered.

“I am sorry to bring you such bad news, but I am sure you knew that with the condition she has that she was not going to be with us long.”

Light nodded his head slowly as the tear fell from his cheek and landed on Oki’s hand.

“Thank you Dr. Wongfuu. You have taken great care of my sister since she has come to you. We are all very grateful to you for that,” L told him.

“You are most welcome, but this is my job - so really, no thanks are needed. I will follow Oki’s progress until the end. She has been a real joy to care for. I shall be honest with you Mr. Saito. Your sister should have left us years ago. Her will power and drive to live has inspired all of us here in the hospital and we shall be sad when it is time for her to leave us.”

“She deserved better from this life…” Light said not looking up from Oki.

“Yes she did, but I dare say that she will be relieved when she is finally called home,” Dr. Wongfuu said.

Another tear fell from Light’s cheek as he thought to himself, “A place Oki will never see because of her Death Note.”

L nodded looking Light and Oki’s way before slowly turning back at the doctor. “Thank you again.”

“I will leave Oki’s care in your hands, I am sure she should be waking up soon. If you need anything, have the nurse page me. I will be here the rest of the night.”

---

It was several hours after the Doctor left that Oki finally opened her eyes. Light sat at her bedside holding her hand, his head resting on the bed with his other arm folded under it. He had his eyes closed and appeared to be dozing. Oki smiled at him and then looked around the room spying L sitting across the room talking to the nurse. Oki lifted her other hand removing her oxygen mask. She then placed her hand on top of Light’s head. “I knew you would come,” she said.

Light jumped at the sound of her voice. “Oki! You’re awake!” He declared, quickly pulling Oki into his embrace.

“I was so worried about you,” he continued.

L and the nurse went to Oki’s side. “It is good to see you awake,” L told her.

“How do you feel?” The nurse asked while moving toward Oki’s I.V.

“In pain…” Oki told her.

“Well we can fix…”

“No!” Oki exclaimed.

“No? But Oki, if you are in pain…” Light pleaded.

Oki again interrupted. “No, I do not want her to give me my pain meds. It will knock me out again and I need to talk to you Light.”

Light watched as Oki looked at L and the nurse. “Could you please leave us alone for a little while?” she asked them.

“Are you sure about this?” said the nurse.

“Yes, I will be fine for a little while and you will only be right down the hall so I am sure that if I need you, you will get here quickly enough.”

“Oki?” said L.

“Yes L?” she turned to look at him.

“Please do not overexert yourself,” L cautioned her.

Oki smiled, touching L’s hand. “I will be fine, do not worry about me. You have greater things to worry about after all.”

L looked doubtfully at Oki, “I am not sure that I do.”

L followed the nurse out of the room and looked back into the room before shutting the door.

Oki’s concerned expression met Light’s own as he sat next to her on the bed.

“I am truly sorry, Oki. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid I was going to lose you…”

Oki placed her fingertip on Light’s mouth, “shhh…” she said, just as Amaterasu appeared in the room. Oki turned her head and smiled at her. Light turned to follow her gaze. When he saw that it was only Amaterasu, Light turned to face Oki again.

“I had a feeling you were lying to me about this, but I guess I just did not want to believe you were Kira. I think I was more hurt that you would keep this from me than that it was true. I love you, Light and it does not matter if you are Kira or not I will still love you.”

“Oki…” Light began, but Oki shook her head to stop him from saying sorry again.

“I have something I want to ask of you Light.”

“Are you sure this is what you want Oki?” Amaterasu asked her.

“Yes Ammy. You told me you cannot do this when the time comes, so Light is the only one I can ask.”

“Ask me Oki. I will do anything for you. All you have to do is ask me,” Light told her sincerely.

“If you feel for Oki as deeply as you told me you did, you too will not be able to do this for her,” Amaterasu told him.

“She would be better off asking Ryuk to do it. He would have no problems carrying out her wishes.”

Light looked over at Amaterasu, her face was empty and sad. He looked back at Oki, now fearing the worst.

“W… What is it you want me to do Oki?”

“Do you love me Light?” Oki asked him.

“Of course I do. You know that.”

“And it pains you to see me suffer?”

“Of course it does. I wish I could take all your pain away so you would never have to hurt again,” Light told her.

“Then when that time comes. When the pain is too great for me,” Oki paused and she touched Light’s cheek as a tear rolled down her own cheek.

“I want you to write my name in your Death Note.”

Light’s eyes widen in distress at what she was asking of him. He slowly starts shaking his head.

“No, NO! I will not do it. I cannot do it! Why are you asking this of me Oki? I love you! I cannot kill you!”

“You are all I have left besides Ryuk,” Oki told him.

Light got quickly to his feet and turned away from Oki. He drew his hand to his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Then ask Ryu…” Light stopped short of the completion of his comment and spun back to look at Oki.

“No do not ask Ryuk! He will do it for sure.”

“You’re all I have left Light. I do not want to suffer the pain. I have told you that the only thing I cannot handle is the pain. If you write my name in your Death Note, I will not have to suffer with it. I can die a peaceful death.” Oki’s eyes filled with tears.

“That is all I want. Will you deny me my last dying request?”

Light rushed to Oki’s side, taking her hand into his. Tears stained his cheeks.

“Please Oki. Do not put it that way. You know I would do anything for you, but I cannot kill you.”

Oki touched Light’s cheek wiping away the tears, “You will not be killing me Light. My illness will have already done that. You will only be saving me from future pain I would have to endure. It will be an act of mercy and kindness, not murder.”

“But Oki…”

Oki shook her head, “Will you do this for me Light?”

Light hung his head. He could not answer her and he did not want to answer her. He could not believe that she would ask him to do such a thing.

“I will write it all out for you so you know how it should happen. All you will have to do is rewrite it in your Death Note and add my name when the time comes.”

Light still sat there with his head hung. “I cannot do it Oki. I am sorry… But I will not kill someone I love.”

“Then you leave me no choice,” Oki told Light. “I will have to ask Ryuk.”

Light looked quickly up at Oki. “No, Ryuk will not wait for that last minute. He will do it whenever he feels like it.”

“Then you have to do it Light!” Oki exclaimed sharply.

“I CAN’T!” Light yelled back at her.

Just then, L burst in the door alarmed by Light’s raised voice. He looked quickly around the room and over at Light and Oki.

“Are you alright Oki?” L asked her.

“I am fine L. Light and I are still talking - could you please go?”

L shook his head. “No, I think this talk is over after that outburst from Light. You need to rest and should not be exerting yourself right now. This talk can wait until you are out of the hospital.”

“L is right. I do not wish to continue this talk. I gave you my answer lets drop it at that,” Light told her.

Oki sighed as the nurse also entered the room.

“It is time for your meds young lady and I am sorry to say that you two are going to have to leave. Visiting hours were over ten minutes ago.”

L and Light both nodded. Light leaned down to kiss Oki on the cheek.

“I am sorry Oki. I just cannot do it,” he whispered.

She wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him, as she whispered back to him, “Please Light you are all I have left. Please just think about it.”

Light stood back from the bed, tears filling his eyes and he let his hand slip free of Oki’s.

“I will come see you tomorrow after school.”

Oki nodded as L bent down to give her a hug.

“You rest. I do not want to see any dark circles under those eyes tomorrow when I get here.”

“Same goes for you,” Oki told L, holding back a giggle.

L touched the skin under one of his eyes, as he smiled shrugging his shoulders.

“I will do my best.”

Oki smiled. “Good night guys. I will see you both tomorrow.”

“Good night Oki,” they both said as they walked out of the room.