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t h r e e

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I recently had my 19th birthday.

My life cannot get any better. Yami and I have fought through everything together. I was in my room. I walked over to my window. I opened it, and I noticed the beautiful sunrise. I imagined Yami and I at our spot. I went over to my desk. I had a picture of us, my favorite one. I left my room. As I entered the main room, I found my daddy.

I darted over to him. "Daddy!"

I jumped into his arms. "There's my sweetheart!"

I laughed. I was so happy. He put me down. I reached out and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Tag! You're it!" I laughed again.

"I'm it!" He chased me all around the castle. I ran past mother and hid behind her. I peeked around her and when I saw daddy, I laughed. I dashed to the main room again. He wasn't close behind me.

I turned around, "You can't catch me!"

I ran back into the kitchen. "Who says?"

"I do!" I ran around the table. Then I dashed into the hallway to the main room again. I stopped and waited. He appeared out of nowhere and...

"I got you!" We wrestled on the floor a bit. I was laughing so hard. He was tickling me. Then I lay there. I glanced at the door.

Yami was standing there, laughing.

I laughed again. Daddy got up, I didn't.

I held out my arms to him.

"What? You want somethin'?"

"Daddy!" I laughed.

"All right! I'm just playin'!"

He helped me up. I tapped him again on the shoulder.

"You're it again!"

"What! Again!" I laughed. Yami was just standing there, laughing and watching us play.

Daddy chased me again all around the big room.

Then mother entered through the door.

"Having fun, are we,"

I laughed. Daddy had me again.

I lay there, smiling at daddy.

Yami walked over to me and sat down next to me.

I poked him.

"Poke!"

He poked me back.

"We all wore out?"

"You tell me. I chased her all around the castle,"

I laughed as he tried to tickle me again.

Daddy stood up.

"I don't feel like getting up!"

"I didn't ware you out, did I?"

I closed my eyes.

"All right, I'm leaving you!"

I opened them again. "No, daddy!"

I jumped up. "Oh, you don't want my help? Ok,"

I turned and faced him. "You mean I got up for nothing?" Yami laughed at me.

I looked down at him. "Shut up!"

"I guess so," He shrugged.

"Gee, I feel loved,"

I dropped back down. He came up behind me and tickled me for like three seconds, then stopped.

I looked up at him. He tapped my shoulder.

"You're it!" He jumped back.

"Aw man!" Yami laughed again. I lay back on the floor. I looked up at Yami. I smiled at him. He smiled back.

The sun shined in through the window.

Yami was holding my hand. We were walking around outside. We walked by our spot.

We were in the plains. He took both of my hands. He turned and looked at me.

He leaned in and gave me a kiss.

He smiled at me.

"I have one question for you," He asked me.

I smiled. "Yes?"

"My mother has been asking me about... marriage,"

I was so happy then. I was just thinking about marriage that morning. How I wanted to.

"Will you marry me... Nyru?"

I smiled again. "Yes!"

This time, I kissed him.

I rushed home. I dashed through the door.

"Mom!" I found her. She was speaking with Yami's mother!

"Nyru! We were waiting for you!"

I looked at them. "Then I bet you know what I have to say!" I was looking at Yami's mother.

"Did Yami ask you?"

I nodded. I was so happy.

"That's wonderful!"

My mom looked at her.

"Yami asked Nyru to marry him!"

My mother was excited. She swept me up.

We went to go find daddy.

She put me down when we found him.

"Daddy!"

"Hi sweetie!"

I jumped into his arms.

"Daddy! Yami asked me to marry him!"

Daddy looked surprised. "He did? That's great!"

He looked at mom. She was smiling.

I was in my room. I opened my window and ran over to my door. Jiji had looked up at me. I looked back at her. "Meow!" She said to me.

I ran down the stairs to the main room.

"Nyru! Sweetheart! Come here please!"

I looked up; my mom was calling from the kitchen.

I stepped off the last step and darted into the kitchen.

You wouldn't believe what I saw!

"It's beautiful!" I said.

"Surprise sweetie! Yami's mother made it for you!"

My mother was holding a white shining dress!

I looked at Yami's mother, smiled at her and dashed over to her. I hugged her.

"Thank you! I love it!"

Mother put it up against me.

"Just the right length!" She pulled out a tiara.

She placed it gently on my head.

"Beautiful," She centered it on my head. I smiled.

She got out a brush and fixed my hair.

She then pulled out a veil, and it was white. She placed that over the tiara. "You are going to look beautiful,"

My mother smiled at me. Then daddy entered the room. He saw my dress.

"Hi daddy," He smiled at me.

"You look just like your mother," Mother smiled.

I lifted my veil, and smiled. Then I laughed.

Mother took off the veil and the tiara.

"What do you think?" She asked daddy.

"I think she looks beautiful,"

He walked up to me. "You look really good in white,"

I hugged him, tightly.

My mother had put them away, and I was up in my room. I was lying on my bed petting Jiji. I was listening to the wind blow outside. Then I felt a sharp pain in my back. I automatically flinched and held my back. I could hardly move. Jiji seemed to know what was happening, because she jumped down and rushed out of my room.

A little bit later, my mother and father were rushing through my door.

"Nyru? Are you all right?"

They saw I was clinching my back.

"What's wrong?"

"I all of a sudden felt a sharp pain in my back," It was almost a whisper.

I could hardly talk.

My daddy rushed out of my room and he called the hospital. My mother tried comforting me. I could hardly move without it hurting.

I started crying. It began raining, harshly.

A little while after daddy came back in, the ambulance arrived. There were flashing lights outside my bedroom window and loud sirens.

"Daddy,"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"I'm scared,"

"You'll be all right. Be strong for daddy, ok?"

I nodded, and that's when they entered my room.

They were rolling a cart. They gently lifted me up and placed me onto the cart. As they rolled me away, I watched as my mother and father's faces faded out of my sight, ignoring the pain my back had given me.

All I could think about when I was in the ER was Yami. I desired to see his face. I wanted him to hold me. They were doing tests on me. Testing for any injuries.

When I was left alone, because they finished testing, I was hurting even worse. I wonder what Yami was doing.

Now that I think about it, this pain may have been caused from my injuries caused by Tyrone. All of this probably only happened because of Tyrone. I want Yami to be here. He makes everything better. I felt anger building inside of me.

I listened to the rain hit the roof and window.

"She has something serious. It may be fatal. She'll have to stay here a while,"

There was a short silence.

"I understand. Will she all right?"

"I am not sure. We will try everything we can,"

Fatal?

I don't want to die. Yami just asked me to marry him. I really love him. I can't die. I won't allow myself to.

Another sharp pain went through my back.

Please, I need Yami. I don't think I can handle this alone.

It started to feel cold in here. But I'm sweating.

I started to cry. I can't handle this alone. They came back in, and they were getting ready to do something.

"We need to do surgery. We'll need you to wait while we put you to sleep,"

I nodded. Surgery?

It started to become dark.

When I woke, I was in a room with other patients. I looked around.

"Nyru,"

It was my mother. She felt my forehead. I started shivering.

"Nyru, are you all right?"

I shook my head no.

"Are you cold?"

I shook my head no again.

I closed my eyes. I felt someone take my hand.

I couldn't tell how long I had my eyes closed. I listened to my heart beating. It sounded like it was slowing, very slowly. I coughed.

It hurt my throat.

I opened my eyes.

Yami! I wanted to say his name, but I couldn't speak. I smiled though.

He smiled too. All of this happened so fast. I feel overwhelmed.

I closed my eyes again. I heard the door open.

It was my nurse. She was checking up on me. I think she noticed my heart beat slowing. She checked my blood pressure. It was low.

I coughed again. My mother was standing next to me.

"Her blood pressure is low. Her heartbeat is slower than it should be. We'll need to do more tests," I could just feel Yami's stomach drop when she said that.

She called in my doctor. I opened my eyes again.

They stuck a needle in my arm. If I could talk, I would have yelled ouch. My facial expression told you what I was feeling. They took a blood sample.

I was still shivering, worse now.

I looked at my doctor. He was taking my blood to test it.

This is my entire fault. I thought.

I felt pain in my back again.

I coughed again. My nurse looked at me.

"Now, we need to see if your voice is ok,"

I was nervous.

What if it wasn't? Would I be able to talk again?

I felt Yami's grip tighten on my hand.

"You'll do just fine. Say something, like your mother's name,"

I didn't take my eyes off of hers.

"Diana," I said. It was scratchy.

I coughed again.

"Not as bad as I thought. It'll be fine soon,"

She smiled at me.

I built up more courage.

"Diana," I repeated. It didn't sound scratchy that time. She looked at me again.

"It sounds to me like it's better all ready!"

Then the doctor was there. He was finished testing my blood.

"Did you have her test her voice yet?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes, she sounds great,"

I was smiling. He glanced at me. Then he looked back.

"You don't look like you're in any pain to me!"

He was complimenting that I was smiling.

My mother put her hand on my shoulder.

"Did you find anything wrong with her blood?" The nurse asked.

"Not anything wrong with it,"

He was looking at the results.

"I do see something wrong with her back though,"

"What's that?"

"It's not in the correct place. We can fix that. It will require surgery though. Dangerous surgery at that,"

I was watching other patients, but when I heard that, I was looking at him.

He noticed.

"You'll be just fine. Don't worry about it,"

Knowing me, trust me, I'm gonna worry about it.

The doctor went to talk to mother.

Then she returned.

"Mommy, where's daddy?" I said without looking up.

Then he walked through the door.

"There's my sweetheart!"

"Daddy!" I turned to look at him.

"I heard what you have to get done,"

My stomach dropped. My face expression changed dramatically when it did too. I looked down.

"You'll be all right. Promise that for me, ok?"

I looked up at him.

I couldn't help but to smile. "Okay,"

"That's my sweetheart!"

He stood up and put a hand on Yami's shoulder.

"You're a strong girl, Nyru,"

Mommy and daddy left with the nurse. I was watching the other patients. Most of them were younger than me.

If they can do it, then I can.

Two other doctors walked past my bed. One of them was my doctor, and he closed my curtain for me.

"I didn't think I could do this," I started.

"Then you and the other little girls and boys showed me that's not how I should feel,"

I looked at Yami. I smiled.

"I'll always be here for you, Nyru. Because I love you," He smiled back at me, and he kissed me.

Then I fell asleep fighting to put a smile on my face.

I felt like I was weightless. I saw lines, green lines, on a screen that was making points at the top and bottom. It beeped every time they made a point. Then it all of a sudden made a loud constant noise and it was a straight line. I saw doctors rushing around a person on the table in the center. Everyone was yelling and grabbing things from all over the room.

Wait...

That's me!! That's my heartbeat! I'm on the table! My heartbeat stopped! How am I seeing this? Shouldn't I be asleep?

Wait, I must be dreaming...

...But...what if it's true?

"We tried everything we could..."

"It happened so fast..."

"We could not get to her in time..."

"I'm sorry..."

I let out a little scream and then I was in my bed.

"Are you all right Nyru? What happened?"

It was my mother.

I burst into sobs and tears were running down my cheeks.

She put me into her arms.

Yami was sitting, looking over at us.

I couldn't say anything, no matter how hard I wanted to. All I could do was cry.

What did that mean? Was I dreaming...

Why?

I was trying to calm down. I heard the noise, I saw the doctors rushing around the table (I remember I was on the table), and I heard the voices. It was too much for me.

I wanted to tell her everything. I couldn't.

"It...it was...terrible...mother,"

I found a pencil and some paper and began drawing. I drew everything I could remember. The green line.

The doctors around the table.

Myself on the table.

I drew it all.

My mother was watching me draw it. She did not understand it.

"How would you have seen this?"

I continued drawing; a tear trickled down my face.

"How would you have known this?"

Yami was listening to everything Mother was saying. I could just hear what he was thinking.

Oh no...what did she dream about...

I was still crying. I wrote what I heard someone say.

"We tried everything we could..."

"It happened so fast..."

"We could not get to her in time..."

"I'm sorry..."

My mother read them. I was still drawing.

"How would you have heard that?"

I couldn't answer any of those.

I could tell she was worrying about me. My daddy walked in.

"Come here. Look at this," She handed the drawing to daddy. Yami was watching him look at it, I could tell it was killing him.

"Nyru drew this. She woke up screaming, and she was crying. She drew this, because she couldn't tell me,"

I was looking down.

"Is that her on the table?" He showed mommy.

I looked up at them.

"Is that...you?"

I hesitated, and then I nodded yes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yami look at me.

I could feel he wanted to hold me close.

To comfort me.

Make things better.

Then my doctor walked into the room. It seemed like he broke the feeling of the room, like he made it change.

"She handled the surgery fine..."

He looked up and saw what was happening.

"What's this?"

He looked at it. He looked up from it and met my mommy and daddy's eyes.

He glanced at me and back to them.

"I was afraid of this,"

I looked up at him.

Does he know...

"I was going to wait and tell you this problem when she was still asleep...but...it seems like I won't have too now. Nyru has already showed it to you,"

I could tell Yami wanted it to stop, like it was eating him from the inside out.

He pointed to the line.

"That represents her heartbeat. It's a line, and you know what that means,"

I looked down.

Mommy said," Her heart stopped beating,"

I could feel Yami's stomach drop when mother said that.

The doctor continued," She must have hallucinated this. We must have brought her back after she seen and heard this. These were what we would have told you, but we brought her back,"

Mommy and daddy understood.

I could feel Yami looking at me.

I knew it. I did die. I saw my dead body on the table. I heard what they were saying.

I was calmed down enough at this point.

"She's fine now though. She needs some rest. That's just about what happens to everyone who has surgery in their back,"

He paused; he looked as though he was thinking.

He smiled and looked down at me. I looked back.

"It happened to me. I remember seeing myself on the ER table. It was a scary thought, to be told that I had died for a minute,"

That's how I felt. I nodded.

"That's how you feel, huh?"

I looked at him. "Yes," I was able to say.

He winked at me.

"She'll be just fine,"

I could tell Yami understood what happened now. He felt how I felt.

My doctor handed them my medication.

"If she has any of these symptoms, just let me know. She's all set,"

"Thank you,"

Before he left, he looked at me once more.

"She's a very strong girl,"

My daddy smiled. I smiled back at them.

That's what daddy told me...

I looked over at Yami, still smiling. He smiled back at me.

The doctor left. I sat up, slowly.

"Here Nyru. Let me help you change your clothes,"

Mommy helped me down off the bed and walk over to the bathroom. I almost stumbled, but I laughed about it.

In a few minutes, the bathroom door opened again.

As I walked over to the bed, I asked," How many staples did you say I have?"

"Seven,"

I looked up at daddy. "Feel my back,"

I saw him reach for my back.

"I don't feel anything," I said.

"You don't?"

"Her back is still numbed," Mommy said.

Then daddy found a spot that wasn't numbed. I jerked a little. "Ah!"

He pulled his hand back.

I laughed. "That tickled!"

My doctor walked back in. He looked at daddy and me.

"I see she's feeling better. I told you that you'd be fine," I smiled at him.

"Can you tell me how many staples you have?"

"Seven!" I said.

"That's it!"

Yami was walking over to daddy and me. He put his hands on my shoulders.

I was lying in my bed. We hadn't been home too long. I could feel that the numbness was warring off. My back was starting to hurt a little bit.

"Mommy!"

I heard someone approaching my room. My door opened. It was my mommy.

"I need my medicine now,"

My mommy was carrying them. She gave them to me. I swallowed them with some water. Then she left after she knew I was fine.

A little while later, Yami entered my room. I smiled when I saw him. And he did the same.

"How are ya feelin'?" Yami asked, walking over to me. I was still smiling.

"Better," I sat up. Yami sat down next to me.

The sun was setting, so it was a reddish color. It was shining through my window.

He leaned in, and he kissed me. I felt like everything I thought was wrong went right.

I realized I couldn't have handled that without him, the fight for love.

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All rights reserved.

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