𝗙 𝗔 𝗟 𝗟 𝗜 𝗡 𝗚 （ｔｏｇｅｔｈｅｒ）

08. 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡

It took days.

Like a silent whisper that comes and goes with the wind, he was something that was somehow always there, but I could never see. It took days to find him. Though I really couldn't blame him for it, he always was 'the man who's a bit too fast.' Every time I thought I'd seen him, or thought I'd finally found out where he was, he was gone just like that, just like the wind.

I stayed at the hospital for another week, going against my mother's wishes. It wasn't until that night that I got to see him. I remember it like it was yesterday. The usually bright and beautiful sunset seemed dull and desaturated, and the unusual humidity clouded the only windows in my room.

I'd been fresh out of the shower, and my hair smelt like a nursing home. I pleaded with mom to bring me some of my things so that I didn't have to smell like a public restroom and a musty closet had a baby, but she refused, insisting I wouldn't be there much longer.

The PT came and went, and though he told me my leg was healing fairly well, it was still a bummer to be stuck in this cold room all day. I tried reading books, sewing, writing, but nothing curved the boredom and worry that I felt.

A nurse, who looked about 30, had come in to check my vitals and give me medication, as well as help me stretch my muscles, when a grainy voice came through the intercom. The nurse mumbled something once she'd heard the numbers which came from the intercom, then dropped what she was doing and darting out of the room.

I could hear multiple people rush down the hallway, some skirting to a halt and discussing something in a panicky tone before hurrying off again. It peaked my curiosity of course, knowing that something bad had happened to another patient, but for once in my life, I stayed put. For the moment, that is.

About an hour later, the sweet nurse came back in, gushing apologies, then continuing with her duties. "Sorry, but could you tell me what that was all about?" I asked. She paused for a moment while washing her hands in the tiny sink, as though in thought.

The nurse grabbed a nearby clean rag and began to pat and wipe her hands dry as she came over to me. "I can't say specifics, because of patient confidentiality and all, but," she came closer, neatly folding and laying the rag over the rails of my bed. "We have a longtime patient whos comatosed, and... Well, she started to lose her fight. Her vitals plummeted out of nowhere and the drugs we gave her weren't helping anymore..." The sadness in her eyes was obvious as she started to nervously slide her hands across the railing.

"Is she... dead?" That was the only conclusion I could arrive at.

"No, No, thank the gods. But, it basically just confirmed that she'll never wake up. The doctor will probably have to talk to the family about seriously considering pulling the plug." She told me. I couldn't imagine how that family must feel, having to wait all that time for her to wake up, with every day passing knowing there's less of a chance they'll ever be able to talk to her again.

"Thank you for telling me." I told the nurse. We both knew it was none of my business to ask about it, and she surely wasn't obligated to answer. I tried to get a look at her name tag, but it was covered by her long, thick, black hair.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, sweeping her hair off her shoulder, proudly grabbing the plastic so I could see it clearly. "Its Namaiki Tora, and don't worry about it! I know how bland and depressing it can get in here sometimes.." Namaiki smiled, saying her goodbyes and grabbing all of her things before promptly leaving.

That night, however, is when the curiosity got the best of me. Night had befallen, and the bustle of nurses in the hallways was little to none. I grabbed the crutch the PT had left by my bed in case I wanted to practice walking on my own, and made my way out of the boring room. The door shut with a dull creak, and I was greeted by the annoyingly vibrant hallway floors, decorated with weirdly sized shapes and even weirder color combinations.

I stayed close to the wall as I shuffled in the direction which I saw all of the nurses and doctors go earlier, careful to not make much noise in fear of getting caught. I didn't have any idea as to what room this girl was in, I was just going with my gut, occasionally running my hand across the wall to feel the rough texture of the cheap paint.

I read every name plate I passed, though I was moving painfully slow, looking for one befitting a young girl, maybe even my age or a bit older. The way Namaiki talked about the girl and her family, it didn't sound as if she was fully grown.

Thank god the doctor finally let me change out of that awfully patterned hospital gown, or else right now, hunched over and taking a painfully long time between steps, im sure god and everyone would have a glorious view of my ass. I passed about five doors, finally arriving to the last door on this hall, and I looked up to read the plate, now being discouraged at my previous lack of success.

It read "Ichika Takami."

I pressed my ear against the door, my body almost completely flattened against the plank of wood. It didn't sound like anyone was inside, so while my reasoning was telling me it wasn't a good idea, and almost every bone in my body, broken or not, was screaming at me to not do what I was thinking, I did it anyways.

I turned the gold nob, the beeping of machinery becoming more prominent because of the lack of boundary. I took a peek into the room, only being able to see the lower half of the bed. I closed the door behind me as softly as I could manage with one hand, and crept my way towards the bed.

The girl before me looked pitiful, really, wires and such attached to her all over, stuck in that horrible gown for god knows how long. Her breathing was steady, and from what I could tell, she had recovered from her previous incident.

'Ichika, you're a really beautiful girl.' I thought

I didn't know if it was her relaxed face, or her somehow smooth hair. Maybe it was how young she looked, or her slender arms, but she looked peaceful. As though she was alright with whatever may happen to her. I couldn't bring myself to get any closer than the foot of the bed, scared to disturb all of the pure peace in the air around her.

My heart skipped a few beats, hearing the click of the door knob. I considered trying to hide, or run, but with my leg and crutch, that was impossible. I would've loved to be able to make up a good excuse as to why I was here, but nothing came to mind in the split second before the person had made it through the door. I said a quick prayer that whoever had come in was someone who wouldn't get terribly mad at me.

But instead of some furious stranger, I instead came face to face with those beautiful golden eyes, a bouquet of flowers in his rough hands.

"...Keigo?"

~~~
A/N

it's my birfday :)