Between Two Worlds

Part 3

No one had been allowed in the operating room with Hiro. They hadn't even been allowed to watch through the window. It was family only, and Aunt Cass was still oblivious to the danger her nephew was in.

After they'd reached the hospital, the gang had been confined to the waiting room. Fred sat down and started reading the magazines, keeping himself occupied. Wasabi picked at his fingernails, alternating between sitting down in a chair and leaning against the wall. Honey Lemon kept asking about Hiro every few minutes, and the lady behind the desk eventually started up a conversation with Honey about chemicals. GoGo kept looking at the clock, biting her thumbnail as she paced the waiting room. Her eyes kept falling to Honey's cell phone, frequently thinking about calling Aunt Cass and telling her what happened. She had to keep reminding herself that Cass would be told after Hiro's surgery.

An hour had passed. Hour and a half. Almost two hours. Still no word from the doctors.

Now everyone was getting worried. Honey asked if she should call Cass, but GoGo snatched the phone before the blonde could reach it.

"We wait until after Hiro comes out of surgery," she insisted. "I don't want to tell Cass something bad happened to Hiro when we don't even know if he'll make it out." It stung her throat to say those words, but it was the truth. GoGo Tomago was never a softie when it came to anything. She didn't even cry at Tadashi's funeral when everyone else had been drowning in tears. No, she was the support. The one who stayed strong for the ones who couldn't. But this...this tested her. Tadashi had been her best friend ever since she'd started college. But Hiro...Hiro was more. He meant more to her than that. She refused to admit it, but that little genius had managed to steal her heart. She couldn't watch him die. Not after all they'd been through together.

Honey was about to retort, but was cut off by someone clearing their throat behind her. Everyone's head snapped up to the doctor that stood behind Honey Lemon. She stepped aside and looked at him anxiously.

"You're the people that came in with..." He paused, looking down at his clipboard. "Hiro Hamada?"

Honey nodded and GoGo walked closer. "Is he okay?"

"He's going to be fine." There was a collective sigh of relief from the group, then the doctor continued. "He lost a lot of blood, and we had to bring in a defibrillator during surgery, but he will live and he won't lose his arm. He'll have to stay here at the hospital for a while, though."

"Can we see him?" Honey asked softly.

The doctor nodded. "Follow me." He turned and walked down the hallway, followed by the gang.

Hiro's hospital room was no different than any other hospital room GoGo had been in. Same curtains, same bed, same wall paint. There was just one bed, making the room seem impossibly small. It made her feel oddly claustrophobic.

Hiro lay on the bed, wearing nose nubbins to help him breathe. A pint of blood hung from the IV pole above his head, along with the IV. The oxygen tank sat by the bed, the thin tube connecting it to Hiro. The boy's eyes were closed, his skin pale from bloodloss. A thick, white bandage was wrapped around his upper arm, concealing the horrible bruised slice everyone knew was there.

GoGo was the first to Hiro's bed, sitting in the chair that was placed by it. Honey walked around to the other side and sat on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on Hiro's left forearm. Wasabi and Fred stood at the foot of the bed, looking at Hiro laying in the hospital bed. He seemed so frail, laying there unconscious and injured.

The doctor checked Hiro's pulse and adjusted the blood bag before leaving the room, closing the door behind him and leaving the teens in peace.

GoGo sighed, gently gripping Hiro's hand. "He's been through too much since Tadashi died."

Honey nodded, her eyes pooling with tears behind her huge glasses. She reached out and brushed some of Hiro's dark hair away from his forehead. "I called Cass on the way up here," she said softly. "She's on her way."

"Good." GoGo glanced at the boys, both sitting in the chairs by the window. Fred just looked away when GoGo met his gaze, while Wasabi simply sighed.

Everyone's attention suddenly snapped to Hiro as he groaned softly, turning his head to the right. "Hiro?" GoGo asked as Hiro's eyes slowly opened.

"GoGo?" he whispered, and Honey nearly sobbed with relief. Fred and Wasabi came over to Hiro's bed.

GoGo couldn't help but smile. "Hey Hiro."

Hiro smiled slightly through his half-lidded eyes. "Hey." He looked at everyone in turn before looking back at GoGo. "So what happened?"

"Well..." GoGo glanced at Honey Lemon, "we were hoping you could tell us."

"You just collapsed after the battle," Fred said, trying to jog Hiro's memory.

"Oh..." Hiro looked down at his arm. "I--"

"Hiro?!" came Cass's voice from just outside the door. Everyone's head turned toward the door as Cass came running in, her purse hanging from her elbow and generally looking like she just ran through traffic to get there--which she might have. "Hiro!"

Hiro smiled slightly. "Hey Aunt Cass."

Honey moved off the bed and let Cass take her place, the older woman hugging her nephew tightly but gently. "Are you okay? Tell me you're okay."

Hiro hugged his aunt with his non-injured arm. "I'm okay."

Cass pulled back and smiled at Hiro. "Oh good. I was so worried when you didn't come home tonight, then when Honey called me and said you were hurt, I..." Cass trailed off, looking away from Hiro as tears filled her eyes.

"It's okay, Aunt Cass," Hiro said softly, squeezing his aunt's hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

The smile that lit up Aunt Cass's face was rivaled only by the one GoGo kept hidden in her heart.