Advent '09 [14/25]
Advent 09
December 14th - 11 days to go
Ren and Lory had spent the night waiting in the hospital.
Unfortunately, the doctors had been rushed off their feet treating everyone from the neighbouring resorts who also got caught in the storm.
When the doctor finally had arrived to update them on Kyoko's status they found that he couldn't speak a word of English, never mind Japanese. Thus they had to wait for a translator so they could find out just what was happening.
It was immensely frustrating and Ren was having a hard time keeping still, having taken to pacing the length of the waiting room, his hands clenched by his sides.
Around midmorning Kanae, Maria and Yashiro turned up, each looking rumpled and worried.
Ren's agitation had only increased with every hour that the translator didn't show up, so he wasn't in the best of moods to deal with Yashiro.
A stern look from Lory had him swallowing his sharp remark at Yashiro's state of dress.
Yashiro noticed his aborted comment and Ren saw him blank his face.
"Have you heard anything?" Kanae asked Lory, a hint of desperation in her tone.
"No, unfortunately," Lory sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, "The Doctor did come but there was a slight language issue. We're still waiting on the translator turning up so we can find out what's happening."
Kanae kicked the seat she was standing next to. "Damn it!" She cried, "Why does this always have to happen?"
There was silence as the group settled down to wait, for how could they answer that?
-/-
It wasn't until lunch that a doctor arrived that could speak with them.
"Kyoko Mogami?"
The L.M.E. group all looked up at the tired sounding doctor before clustering around him.
"Is she alright?"
"How's she doing?"
"What's wrong with her?"
"How long does she have to be in here?"
"What treatments are you performing?"
"She's not going to die, is she?"
The doctor's eyes widened at the sudden onslaught of questions and he subconsciously took a step back.
"Please, speak slower. I will explain all."
Lory quietened down the group with a look when they all seemed to want to ask the questions again to get some answers.
The doctor nodded towards him in thanks.
"Ms. Mogami has suffered from severe hypothermia, chilblains and frost nip. Fortunately she was found before it turned into frostbite. She is very lucky."
"What's being done?" Lory asked before anyone else could fire a question at the doctor.
"So far we've been warming her up, making her breathe heated air to help warm from the inside. We're also immersing her in a warm bath to increase the blood flow to her extremities as well as treating her chilblains and blisters."
"When will she be released?"
"We want to keep her here overnight tonight for observation, but if everything is fine and we're happy about the progress she's made then we'll see about releasing her."
"Really? She'll be released tomorrow?" Maria asked.
The doctor frowned, not wanting to commit to anything. "If we're happy with the progress she's made and we deem her satisfactory then yes. But not until."
Lory picked up Maria and settled her on her hip, effectively comforting her.
"Thank you Doctor," he said.
The doctor nodded once towards them all then started to turn and walk away.
"Doctor!" Ren interrupted, ignoring the quizzical glances that the rest of the group shot at him, "How is the boy that was brought in with her? How's Sho doing?"
The doctors face blanked, but he shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but I can't divulge that information."
"I just want to know if he's ok!"
"I'm sorry." The doctor said, but the way he held himself told Ren that it wasn't good news at all. He felt the growing pit of guilt in his stomach spread.
-/-
After the doctor had left the tension in the room had increased dramatically.
This was all due to the fact that Ren and Yashiro were sitting next to each other, shifting every so often so that they wouldn't come into contact with each other.
Ren was especially high strung, his nerves frazzled and the guilt growing he was teetering on the very edge.
Everyone seemed to know this and they kept quiet, hoping not to cause Ren to turn his attention onto them.
Unfortunately this had the side effect of making them even more uncomfortable and irritable. So it was to a fairly explosive atmosphere that Yashiro sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.
"I hate this," he said, "I hate waiting."
"And you think we don't?" Ren asked, finally having someone to vent his built up frustration on.
"No. I didn't say that. I just said that I hated waiting." Yashiro said calmly.
"What do you know about waiting?"
Yashiro gritted his teeth. "I don't think that's relevant. I'm just saying that I'm worried about Kyoko."
"And you think we aren't?"
"For God's sake!" Kanae burst out, interrupting their semi-argument. "Kyoko's in a hospital! She's injured and we hardly know anything or when she'll be able to go home!
"You're acting like children!" She glared at them, "Both of you. Now, sit down, shut up and focus more on Kyoko then your own petty arguments!"
There was silence as the occupants of the room just looked at Kanae who was standing by now and breathing heavily, like she had just sprinted. Her hands were clenched into fists by her sides and her shoulders were tense with anger and frustration.
Failing to get herself under complete control she snarled and help out her hand. "Come on Maria, I'll take you to get something to eat at the cafeteria."
Maria docilely took her hand and let Kanae led her out of the room. Before they left though Kanae turned back around and shot a glare at Ren and Yashiro.
"Get over yourselves."
Ren sat, taken by surprise by Kanae's outburst.
Despite this he couldn't bring himself to wait any longer. He needed to do something. Anything. He couldn't think about what was happening.
Without saying anything he stood and walked out of the room. He wasn't hungry so he was going to walk the corridors, hoping to clear his head.
-/-
Lory and Yashiro watched Ren leave.
"You know," Yashiro said after a few moments, "It's obvious that he hates me."
Lory turned to look at the manager. "Hate you? I wouldn't go so far as that."
Yashiro laughed bitterly. "He does." He said, "You can see it in his eyes. And he certainly doesn't trust me, you can't argue with that."
Lory made a non-committal noise, not liking how this conversation seemed to be playing out.
"I-I've been thinking..." Yashiro said hesitantly, "I think I'm going to have to resign as Ren's manager."
"What?" Lory asked, surprised.
"He doesn't trust me and I won't be able to do my job properly because of that. I won't be able to push him to the best of his abilities."
"That's not all you do..." Lory tried to argue.
Yashiro smiled sadly, "I've thought about this a lot over the past few days President Takarada. This is my official resignation."
Lory pressed his lips together, until they were only a fine line. "If that's what you want." He said at last, "But I won't let you leave the company. You're too good a manager for me to let go. When we get back I'll look at candidates for you to work with."
Yashiro bowed his head, hiding the tears that had gathered in the corners of his eyes. He had never expected such a generous offer. "Thank you." He whispered softly.
-/-
Ren had taken a wandering path through the various corridors and wards until he had calmed down somewhat. He was about to turn and head back when he saw a familiar looking person sitting on a row of seats and holding a coffee.
It took a moment for Ren to work out who she was as she had her head bent, but when he did the guilt came back.
It was Shoko, Sho's manager.
Ren debated with himself as to whether or not he should go over. She looked almost as bad as he felt.
In the end that was what decided him and he sat down next to her, uninvited.
She looked at him in slight surprise before a flash of recognition passed through her eyes.
"How is he?" Ren asked quietly.
"It's..." she started, clearing her throat when her voice cracked. "It's not looking good. The doctors don't think he's going to last the night.
"They said that he has profound hypothermia and stage two frostbite in his hands and feet.
"They were talking about amputating." She whispered in a small voice, as if unable to understand, "But they managed to warm him up quickly enough that they don't think they need to anymore."
Ren watched as a tear ran slowly down her cheek.
"It was horrible." She said after a while, "He was unconscious, but when they put him in the bath to heat him up he started screaming. He wouldn't stop!"
She rubbed harshly at her face. Ren let her talk; it seemed she needed to say this as much as he needed to hear.
"They had to sedate him! And you know what I realised?" she asked harshly, "I realised that this was all my fault!"
That took Ren by surprise, "What?" he asked, shocked.
"This trip was supposed to be a surprise present, for being booked on a world tour. It was supposed to be a celebration! It was my idea! If I hadn't thought of it he wouldn't be here! He wouldn't be lying in that hospital bed, sedated because he couldn't stop screaming!"
"It's not your fault..." Ren tried to placate her, but she brushed him off.
"It's kind of you to say but it really is. And now I have to live with the consequences." Her voice broke on the last word and she stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry," she apologised, "I have to...have to go."
Ren watched as she walked down the corridor, the guilt he was feeling threatening to suffocate him. Could he ever make this right?