madimpossibledreamer

Main Points: Haruhi Suzumiya AU
Chapter Summary: Kyon is still dealing with the after-effects of ceasing to exist and being stabbed. He's generally not having the best of days.
Word Count: 824
Rating: T
Note: I haven't read everything, so this probably is not canon compliant.

Through a haze of pain

someone coming at me with a knife, "I'd say I'm sorry but that would be lying", voice strangely familiar but I don't know them

I heard some music somewhere near my ear. Oddly familiar.

messed up big time

Oh, right. Haruhi, calling me. I can't answer. She'll hear me dying on this end and I can't predict how badly she'll react to that, if everyone's right, if I'm really the

I scream, fall. the ones escorting me, they're laying on the ground and I know they're dead

Better she thinks that in fact I never existed, however painful that's

I'm not thinking straight, how to warn her because someone's definitely

I realize my mistake as her call goes to voice mail. She'll hear my voice, a definite piece of evidence proving my existence. I can hear her yelling at me from far away, even if I can't make out the words.

I reach out, fumbling, every cell screaming at me from the movement, and find it lying somewhere on the ground, fingers trembling. I pick it up, desperately try to get it open—

The signal cuts out.

The world's in danger and I can't

Black

No, no, stop it; have to open my eyes, have to

The phone begins ringing again, and I feel a smile tug at my lips. That's the Haruhi I know. She doesn't give up easily.

This time, shakily, I can hit the 'answer' button, lift it to my ear, even as I struggle to reach a position I don't have to hold the phone up, because any of that kind of strength is leeching out of me fast.

"Kyon! Penalty!" She greets me with anger, but I can feel the current of unease underneath the sure tone. She's worried about me. Does she...does she suspect? Does she know what

"Objection! Kyon doesn't deserve any of this!"

I manage a smile. It's good to hear from her, even after everything. It's weird, but I wouldn't want anyone else at my side at the end of the world. "Sorry about this, Brigade Chief."

"Sorry doesn't cut it! You're going to be buying food for all the starving kids in Kenya!" I hear the hitch in her voice. I know it means something, but my brain isn't cooperating with me on telling me what it means.

"Understood." My lungs are burning, and I'm having the hardest time holding on to my consciousness. "I wouldn't have skipped if I didn't feel like I was—" And then the coughing fit comes, wet and painful, and I have to pull the phone away or I'll get even more blood all over

A space, familiar and yet not, and Haruhi's looking at me with shock, who is this kid, this isn't Kyon, this is more like John Smith but it's not even him, and I know exactly where

"Like I was dying," I finished, with a slight smile at that phrase, even though it's not at all funny, because it's true, I am dying.

"You should be at the hospital," she orders flatly, trying to keep the emotion from her voice. I've seen it a thousand times, but this time it's as if it's new, as if everything is new

I know now, know how I always know, how I've always known, the changes in the earth and air and a single soul, with eyes that see and the imagination that soars and the simple step that can take you thousands of miles away. I know all of this, it's all familiar, but I'm seeing it for the first time again

"N-nah, it just sounds worse than it is." That tickle in my throat. I'm going to start coughing again, and I don't know if I can keep her from hearing me cough up blood again, and the point is not to freak her out more, because as much as I don't trust Koizumi, I don't want to make his job more difficult. "Listen, there were these people asking about you, and they creeped me out—"

the pain again, the red and the black, more of a crimson and the endless abyss of space, really

"—don't trust them." I can't help the cough, but I try to suppress it as much as possible. After a few seconds, I'm able to calm it down enough to finish. "I don't think talking is helping my throat too much, so I'm going to say goodbye and get some sleep so I can come back as soon as possible." I can't listen to her as she lets out a panicked 'wait', pushing the 'end call' button.

And then everything falls apart. I could hold myself together while talking to Haruhi. I had to, after all. But now it's all pain, and the coughing is so bad it's making me flop around, which isn't helping the pain from my stomach at all

lost