Peace and Friendship (Discontinued) (Free! Iwatobi Swim Club Fanfiction)

Last Straw

(A/N: I changed the layout of the dialogue a little. Just warning you for this chapter!)

Haruka's Point Of View

After laying on the roof for a few hours, surprisingly no one looked for me at all. But the one phone call that I receive next, shook me to my core.  A week voice calls out my name.

"Haru...ka..." It is barely audible to understand but I know who it is...

"Mei?"

I can hear her breathing heavily on the other end. I stand up as she starts to talk again. "I had a dream... It was a long one... You were talking about the times we had... You, Makoto and I... And then, you were talking about how much I influenced you. Then... everything went blank... What did you say after that?" I am already running towards the hospital.

"Hello? Haruka? Are you there? I feel like... I'm fading out... please... answer... me..."

I hear the phone bang onto the ground. My heart begins to beat faster as I continue running. She must have just woken up. But... why would she fade out so quickly?! I have to get on a train but it would definitely take too long! Therefore, I keep running and running and within 20 minutes, I arrived.

I scan for the room that says, 'Sakamaki/Matsuoka'. The 2nd floor, farthest room down the hall on the left near the staircase. They had to relocate them to the recovery area. I notice Makoto outside of the room sitting in a chair with his head down. I reach him and quickly ask, "What's wrong?" Makoto looks up at me with his emerald eyes and smiles.

"Mei finally has woken up. But, she fell right back asleep. They are doing tests right now."

I fall to my knees in relief. She is going to be okay... finally... I sit besides Makoto in the chair and lean my head against the cold wall. I can sense Makoto looking at me. "You have feelings for Mei don't you?" I flinch and stare him right in the eyes at the sudden question. But I look away in embarrassment. Makoto chuckles.

"So that is where you were for the past few hours. You must have been realizing your feelings and organizing your thoughts. Unless of course, it was something else?"

I sigh and shake my head. Makoto somehow over the time I had known him, always knew what I was thinking. It may have been some talent he had, but honestly, sometimes he doesn't need to know what I am thinking. When I doze off in class, random things come to my head. It could be a complete fantasy, or a total nightmare within 20 seconds. I hear voices screaming, or people cheering. All of the above. But for the past few weeks, the only one who would appear in my daydream, would be Mei.

Makoto chuckles again. "Well. Rin had also woken up. He was a bit shaken up because of his eye, but he did get the surgery to get a prosthetic eye. He doesn't look that much different honestly."

Suddenly, as Makoto was about to speak again, sudden yelling comes from down the hall. It gets closer and closer until the figure who is being pulled back by doctors appears. The man who is being restrained, glaring this way and yet he is smiling. His smile looks twisted in a evil sort of way. He gets close enough to us to make me flinch. I hear Makoto step forward. When I glance at him, he looks strained and hurt.

"Ah! Tachibana!! How has my daughter been!!?? These men won't let me see her. Oh won't you let me see her and convince them to let me go?"

I gasp. Then... this man is Mei's father! The one who had made her life miserable! I mind rages but as I step forward, Makoto puts his arm in front of me to block me from going forward.