Part 8: "She honestly looks and sounds like she's dying."

After about fifteen minutes of chatting with Mikuru about movies, the car rolled to a stop.
"We're here," proclaimed Haruhi's cousin, pointing out the window, to a twenty story hotel. "Damn Haruhi," he said in awe. "How'd you book this place?" Haruhi looked down at her feet.
"My savings...all of them." Itsuki wrapped his arm around her neck.
"That's so sweet of you." Haruhi's cousin looked over his shoulder, and glared at Itsuki.
"Just because we're at the hotel," he growled. "Doesn't mean that I won't drag you behind the car for the rest of the trip." Itsuki pulled his arm away with haste.
When the six of them reached the lobby, lugging their suitcases, they were greeted my marble pillars, and floors, fountains that looked as though made of pure gold, and an enormous chandeleir with Italian crystal hanging from as many places as possible.

Kyon lounged on the couch, his arm around Mikuru. Itsuki was laying with is head in Haruhi's lap, and what Kyon wouldn't give to be in his shoes. Yuki sat quietly in a chair, reading a book titled Midnight Lovers: Badgers and Aliens Having Orgies. Haruhi's cousin was listening to his I-Pod Touch, and was singing an unknown song, loudly and off key.
That night, Kyon lay awake on the pullout couch, with Itsuki snoring beside him.
All of a suddon, Mikuru walked out into the living room, and sat at the foot of the bed.
"This will work," she said, touching Kyon's arm. "When I look into your eyes, I see pain, sorrow, passion, anger, and lust. But the thing I don't see, is hope. I only see, in general, doubt, you don't think that you can ever be with her, but heart this. I share a room with Haruhi, and she's having some sort of nightmare, because she's sweating, and crying, and she honestly looks and sounds like she's dying. She's screaming things like 'Save me, bring me salvation! Help! Help! I'm going to die! It hurts! I can't breathe! Dear god, I'm bleeding everywhere! All I can see is red! I'm loosing him! He's going to die! I'm going to die!'" Kyon stood up, his heart almost coming out of his chest.
"Show me. She does need me, Mikuru. And I have to be there for her."
They walked into the girl's bedroom, and saw Yuki hunched over Haruhi,who was screaming, and thrashing in her sleep. Kyon ran over, and pulled the blankets away. She was in her bra, and a pair of shorts. Her screams were paralyzing, but Kyon fought if is with every fiber of his being. He sat on the bed, and ran his hand over her hair. Her screaming became nothing but a low moan.
"Kyon, Kyon, Kyon, you came." He gathered her into his arms, and brushed the sweat from her forehead.
"Yes, I came," he whispered. "I'm here." He rocked her back and forth. He lowered himself down onto the bed, and rubbed her back.
"Heh," Haruhi chuckled in her sleep. "I thought you were going to leave me to die." Tears flooded Kyon's eyes.
"Oh Haruhi, I'd never leave you to die, you know that."
"Yeah," she cuddled closer to him, and rested her head on his chest. Then, she stopped moving, and fell into an even deeper sleep. Kyon placed his hand on her back, to feel her gentle heart beating, and closed his eyes.
Mikuru and Yuki pulled the blankets over them, and threw some other pillows onto the floor, for them to sleep on.