Heart Shaped Clock - Chapter 22
Title: Heart Shaped Clock.
Author: shou_ni
Pairing: ToraxShou, some NaoxHiroto
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Romance, Angst, Fluff, Smut-ish
Disclaimer: I dont own anyone, just the story.
Summary: When a beautiful guy enters Tora's life, he's smitten. Unfortunately Shou has a secret and he doesn't want to share it
Tora is awake at the crack of dawn. Leaving Shou sleeping peacefully while he jumped into the shower. Unfortunately for him his flight was another early one, so he hadn't slept much, but he was sure that he could catch a few z's during the long journey.
Frankly he was dreading it. He'd freaked out going to Hawaii, luckily Shou was there to look after him- but now that he was going alone... he was starting to doubt that he'd even get on the plane.
He wrapped a towel around his waist as he left the bathroom, quietly trudging through to the kitchen, being greeted by the smell of coffee and toast wafting through the apartment.
"What are you doing up sweetheart, it's only 5am" He said upon seeing his tired looking lover frying some eggs in the pan.
"I wanted to make you breakfast before you leave, I won't get to see you for a week" Shou replied softly, transferring the eggs to the freshly made toast before handing the plate to the elder. Tora smiled and planted a kiss on his lips.
"I'll come and eat this in bed, You need to go back to bed. C'mon"
He almost regretted slipping under the covers when Shou's head came to rest on his lap, looking up at him through sleepy eyes.
"Are you going to be okay on your own while I'm gone?" he asked quietly.
Shou nodded "I guess so. I'm going to miss you like crazy though. You will send me an email as soon as you get to the hotel won't you?"
"Of course"
"And you'll call me in a few days to tell me what you've been up to?"
"Baby I'll call you every day, I promise" Tora smiled, threading his fingers through that silky hair. The action made Shou's heart flutter, the same way it did the first time they kissed all that time ago.
They stayed like that for a few moments, savoring their time together. The only noise in the room being the sound of Tora finishing his breakfast.
"I have to leave now" Tora groaned, crouching next to the bed where Chickin and Shou lay tiredly. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay on your own?"
A sweet smile graced the younger's lips "Yeah, I'll be fine. Anyway I have Chickin to keep me company" His fingers caressing the cat's soft fur affectionately making him purr.
"Alright then, I'll call you when I reach the hotel" He paused, resting a hand on Shou's warm cheek "You get some sleep now. I love you so much baby".
"I love you too" Shou reached over and grabbed something, pressing it to Tora's chest "Take this, if you get nervous on the plane then just cuddle it okay" Tora looked down to see the little plush tiger that the other had gotten for him in Hawaii.
"I will" He smiled "Take care of yourself" With one last lingering kiss he grabbed his suitcase and gave his lover a small wave, Shou making Chickin wave in return before he left.
The distant sound of the door closing seemed to ring in Shou's ears.
He sank further into the pillows and wished for the week to go quickly.
It didn't. The first few days were fine. He went about his normal daily routine, went to work, came home, cooked a meal for himself, fed Chickin and then curled up on the couch with a book before filling in his journal and crawling into bed. Simple and easy.
It was on the third evening when it hit him... how quiet it was. The silence that screamed at him every time his eyes skimmed across a word in his book. The lack of conversation, the missing sound of the guitar echoing throughout the apartment.
It was driving him crazy, he lay awake at night hoping to hear Tora coming through the door. He hadn't called since he landed, so in the end Shou grabbed the phone from the stand and punched in his number.
"Hello?"
"Tora!"
"Shou, what are you doing calling at this time. Isn't it really late in Japan now?"
Shou frowned at looked at the clock, red letters crying out 3am.
"But I missed you, you haven't called me at all. I've been worried" He mumbled.
"I'm sorry baby. It's been mad busy here, I haven't had much spare time yet" Tora explained in a sympathetic tone. Shou cradled the phone to his ear, his free hand stroking Chickin's fur tenderly.
"Is it nice where you are?" He asked.
"Oh Shou, it's lovely. You'd love it here, everything is so clean and pretty. This morning I went to a conference in this old rococo style building, it was amazing. I've been taking pictures of everything" He laughed, making Shou smile fondly "I have a free day tomorrow so I'm gonna do a little bit of sight seeing"
"Sounds like it'll be amazing"
The brunette lay back against the pillows. His eyes drooped with fatigue. Tora's voice soothed his silence filled ears with velvet tones, relaxing his tired mind.
"You should get some sleep love" The elder said softly "I have to go out for dinner with my co-workers soon. But I'll call you when you get off work tomorrow." He paused "Sleep well Shou, I love you"
"I love you too.."
Something hit Shou the next day, he wasn't sure what it was. He found it difficult to walk any faster than a snails pace, but he pushed on. Getting to work just on time. Miyavi welcomed him with a smile. It was one of those rare days that the two of them were running the shop together. Miyavi wasn't one to take a day off, when he wasn't at the hospital then he was at the store. Claimed that staying at home made him itchy. Ever the hard worker.
The moment Shou stepped through the doors the younger could see that something was off. He looked worn out, his shrunken posture being a large indicator of that.
Lack of sleep... most likely.
Improper diet... possibly.
Something more serious... maybe.
"Hey, Are you okay?" He questioned, pulling up a chair for the shorter male.
"Yep, never better" Shou replied with a forced smile.
"Are you sure, you look tired"
"I'm fine, stop worrying"
Miyavi knew he was lying, he could see it in his eyes. But that was just how Shou was, never one to ask for help, so annoyingly stubborn when it came to his health. Of course, Miyavi was blissfully unaware of just how seriously unwell his dear friend truly was.
"Right then. Well.. just to brief you up. We haven't had a single customer yet and it doesn't look like it's going to get crazy any time soon so I guess we can chill for a little bit. I'll go out and get us some lunch soon"
Throughout their shift, The raven haired kept his eye on Shou, monitoring him for any signs of fatigue. He seemed to be alright one they had eaten their yakisoba, brightening up somewhat. Perhaps he as just a little sleepy.
None the less, he decided to drive Shou home, dismissing his protests.
Shou had become quite talented at deceiving people. Tricking people into thinking he was alright, he wouldn't go as far as to say he was a liar but a master of illusions.
He kicked off his boots as he got through the door and padded through to the kitchen where he poured himself a glass of water.
He wasn't feeling good at all, his chest ached, muscled tired and head banging.
All he wanted to do was to take a nice warm bath and to slither into bed while talking to Tora over the phone.
However it seemed like in reality all he'd manage was to crawl into bed and sleep it off.
"Chickin, where are you boy?" He called out, rubbing his temples in an attempt to soothe the pain. The tabby was nowhere to be seen, lazy thing was probably in the living room.
"Chickin" A wave of burning heat stopped him in his tracks. Fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt as his chest filled with pain.
"No, please... not now" he whispered, stumbling through to the living room and attempting to support himself.
It hurt.
It hurt so badly that he could barely even see straight, suppressed cries of pain slipping from his lips.
He reached blindly for his phone, needing to call someone... anyone. He'd never been in so much agony, he just needed someone to come and save him. His body gave up, giving one last cry before crashing to the ground. Swallowed in a world of darkness.
Hiroto looked at his reflection in the mirror as the elevator ascended to his best friends floor. It'd been a few weeks since they'd been face to face. Not even a phone call was exchanged. He knew that Shou was feeling nervous about speaking to him, he could see it in every text. So he decided that enough was enough. Since he was now able to move around comfortably again, he'd pay him a visit.
The doors gave a pleasant ping before they slid open, allowing him to make his way down the corridor.
There were mixed feelings running through him, excitement, anxiety, annoyance, fear.. He just wanted to see Shou again. He gave his jacket a quick pat down before knocking on the door.
No answer.
He tried again, knocking slightly louder and leaning against the door frame. Perhaps he was out. With a small pout he pulled out his phone, dialing Shou's number before holding it to his ear.
That's when he headed it, the distinct melody of Shou's ringtone sounding out through the door. Strange... he though, Shou never goes out without his phone.
He crouched with a frown, peering through the letterbox.
"Shou" He called "Are you home?"
There wasn't much of a view through the small opening of the letter box, only the hall and part of the living room were visible.
His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.
That surely wasn't Shou's foot peeking out from behind the wall. Or was it?
He fished his keys out in a heartbeat, busting through the door. He didn't even bother taking his shoes off before sprinting through to the living room.
His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach, it was Shou alright. Laying dead weight in the middle of the floor.
"Shou, wake up.. please wake up!" He cried, gently shaking his friends unmoving shoulder.
He wasted no time in calling for an ambulance, practically shouting into the mouth piece.
The phone slipped from his fingers upon hearing a wimpier from the other.
"H..hiro..to?"
"Yeah, I'm here" He said softly, taking Shou's hand and cradling his head on his lap
"Pon, it hurts so much" The elder cried, clinging to his hand. He couldn't suppress the strangled choaks of agony that escaped him.
"It's okay Shou, the ambulance is on it's way.. everything is going to be alright"
Hiroto was scared. Terrified even. The paramedics were there in no time, strapping Shou to the stretcher and rushing him into the back of the ambulance. Hiroto with them every step of the way.
The scariest thing of all was seeing Shou fighting the pain, body thrashing around on the stretcher, near screaming. Only falling into silence as he passed out again.
There he was again, the familiar smell of disinfectant, the ever recognizable glare of lights and the customary feeling of loneliness and confusion.
How many times had be sat on that plastic chair outside of the theater? Alone with nobody telling him anything, it always drove him crazy.
It was a good few hours before anyone even approached him. In the end, he wished they didn't.
His fingers were shaking as he dialed Tora's number.
"Hello?"
"Tora.. it's Pon"
"Oh hey" He laughed "Listen, I'm really sorry but it's not really a good time, I'm just in a museum right now"
"It's about Shou" He cut the other male off, causing him to fall silent.
"What about him?"
"I found him in the apartment, He was unconscious but soon came around in alot of pain. We're in the hospital"
"Fuck.. fuck.. FUCK! Is he okay?"
Hiroto let out a shaky breath, running his fingers through his hair as he leaned against the wall.
"That's why I'm calling, I've just finished speaking to one of the doctors" He paused. His eyes filled with tears "They had to jump-start his heart, he's in a really bad way... It's uncertain if he's going to make it through the night"
That was it, the tears began cascading down his face. "I thought you'd want to know sooner rather than later"
For a moment he was sure that Tora had hung up, complete silence on the other end of the line.
"I'll be on the next plane home" Tora said calmly "Call Aki, I think he needs to know. Sit tight Pon, I'll be there as soon as I can"
That was all he could do. Sit on his hands and wait for any news. It was torture. The hours dragged on for what seemed like decades until he was finally called through.
The room that Shou was in was so white, void of any colour, save for brunette locks against the pillow. Ventilators and heart monitors created a morbid orchestra that smashed through the bitter silence.
He sat gingerly on the chair next to the bed. It was almost unreal, Shou didn't even look like himself. His eyes swollen and dark, lips chapped and bruised and his complexion deathly pale. It would've been surreal if he hadn't been here countless times before.
He felt fucking awful, he'd spent weeks avoiding his best friend all because of some stupid video, because he couldn't keep his lust under control. He took it out on Shou, sanding down the bond of friendship until it was just a thin thread, threatening to snap at any second.
How stupid could he be?
Those thoughts however, were interrupted by the sound of a dry cough residing from the rooms inhabitant.
"Hey" He smiled softly "Welcome back to earth". Shou simply gave a small "Thanks" before trembling fingers pulled the mark from his face. Hiroto jumped up but was stopped when he saw him reaching for a glass of water. He should've known, it was customary for Shou to want to drink an entire jug of water after an operation, how could he forget... he'd been there so many times before.
He grabbed the bed's control remote and raised the bed so that the brunette was almost sitting upright before he took the glass of water and held it to his lips.
The elder drained the glass in seconds, quenching the desert in his throat.
A cough echoed deep within his chest, followed by another and another. Wet sounding, the kind to take one's breath away.
Hiroto pulled the glass away and soothed brunette bangs from his forehead.
He wasn't prepared for what happened next.
Shou clamped a hand over his mouth as he heaved. A strangled cry reverberating in his throat. He heaved several times before suddenly spewing blood violently over the bed. Staining the sheets with deep crimson.
Hiroto nearly screamed, there was so much blood everywhere. It looked like a massacre.
Shou fell back against the pillows, panting heavily, ragged.
The blonde ran to the door, crying out for help. What was happening?
It didn't take long for a few doctors and nurses to come running, pushing Hiroto aside to deal with the fit Shou was currently having.
What the fuck was happening?
Miyavi hummed cheerfully as he rested his elbows against the tables surface. He was in the staff room having a well deserved break. He'd finished a shift with Shou at the music store and then ran over to the hospital to begin his shift on the ward an hour later. It was creeping into the early hours of the morning and it had been a long day to say the least but he only had a few hours left before he could go home and crash into bed.
He finished his coffee and made his way back to the station point where his computer was. he sighed, yet again someone had left files laying around on the desk, not exactly keeping them safe.
Being the intern he was most likely going to get blamed if they stayed there much longer. Reluctantly he picked them up and opened the filling cabinet.
"Yamamoto Misaki.... there you go.." He mumbled to himself, sliding the first file back into it's correct place "Tsukimoto Jin... back in there please.. Kohara Shou.."
Wait.
He knew that name.
He knew that name well. The name of his employee and closest friend. Shou?
Every fiber of his being knew that it would be breaking the doctor-patient confidentiality rule. Can't treat someone if you had emotional connections, it could get messy and things could go drastically wrong. That's one of the first things he learned in medical school. Yet there he was, fingers tracing over the file, mouth pursed. In the end he gave into his curiosity. Making sure that the coast was clear before flipping open the pages.
His eyes scanned over each word, taking everything in with furrowed brows.
Surely this wasn't the Shou he knew, Epilepsy.. failed transfusions.. Congestive heart failure.
"Now way!" He refused to believe it, shoving the file into it's correct place.
It was only when the silence was broken by the sound of shouting from the next ward. He jumped to his feet and sprinted down the corridor, pushing the doors open without batting an eyelid.
"Please, someone help me!"
That sounded like...
A flurry of doctors pushed past him, rushing into one of the room at the end. A familiar blonde was ushered out into the corridor, eyes shining with tears and legs trembling as he stared into the room.
"Hiroto?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Authors Notes- Phew, it's been a while since my last update. My parents surprised me with a trip to Canada for two weeks. so I haven't had much time to sit and write.
Poor Shou, Tora is all the way across the world and his heart takes a nose dive. Doubting that he'll make it through the night, whats gonna happpeeeeennnnn?
comments are welcome with open arms.
Author: shou_ni
Pairing: ToraxShou, some NaoxHiroto
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Romance, Angst, Fluff, Smut-ish
Disclaimer: I dont own anyone, just the story.
Summary: When a beautiful guy enters Tora's life, he's smitten. Unfortunately Shou has a secret and he doesn't want to share it
Tora is awake at the crack of dawn. Leaving Shou sleeping peacefully while he jumped into the shower. Unfortunately for him his flight was another early one, so he hadn't slept much, but he was sure that he could catch a few z's during the long journey.
Frankly he was dreading it. He'd freaked out going to Hawaii, luckily Shou was there to look after him- but now that he was going alone... he was starting to doubt that he'd even get on the plane.
He wrapped a towel around his waist as he left the bathroom, quietly trudging through to the kitchen, being greeted by the smell of coffee and toast wafting through the apartment.
"What are you doing up sweetheart, it's only 5am" He said upon seeing his tired looking lover frying some eggs in the pan.
"I wanted to make you breakfast before you leave, I won't get to see you for a week" Shou replied softly, transferring the eggs to the freshly made toast before handing the plate to the elder. Tora smiled and planted a kiss on his lips.
"I'll come and eat this in bed, You need to go back to bed. C'mon"
He almost regretted slipping under the covers when Shou's head came to rest on his lap, looking up at him through sleepy eyes.
"Are you going to be okay on your own while I'm gone?" he asked quietly.
Shou nodded "I guess so. I'm going to miss you like crazy though. You will send me an email as soon as you get to the hotel won't you?"
"Of course"
"And you'll call me in a few days to tell me what you've been up to?"
"Baby I'll call you every day, I promise" Tora smiled, threading his fingers through that silky hair. The action made Shou's heart flutter, the same way it did the first time they kissed all that time ago.
They stayed like that for a few moments, savoring their time together. The only noise in the room being the sound of Tora finishing his breakfast.
"I have to leave now" Tora groaned, crouching next to the bed where Chickin and Shou lay tiredly. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay on your own?"
A sweet smile graced the younger's lips "Yeah, I'll be fine. Anyway I have Chickin to keep me company" His fingers caressing the cat's soft fur affectionately making him purr.
"Alright then, I'll call you when I reach the hotel" He paused, resting a hand on Shou's warm cheek "You get some sleep now. I love you so much baby".
"I love you too" Shou reached over and grabbed something, pressing it to Tora's chest "Take this, if you get nervous on the plane then just cuddle it okay" Tora looked down to see the little plush tiger that the other had gotten for him in Hawaii.
"I will" He smiled "Take care of yourself" With one last lingering kiss he grabbed his suitcase and gave his lover a small wave, Shou making Chickin wave in return before he left.
The distant sound of the door closing seemed to ring in Shou's ears.
He sank further into the pillows and wished for the week to go quickly.
It didn't. The first few days were fine. He went about his normal daily routine, went to work, came home, cooked a meal for himself, fed Chickin and then curled up on the couch with a book before filling in his journal and crawling into bed. Simple and easy.
It was on the third evening when it hit him... how quiet it was. The silence that screamed at him every time his eyes skimmed across a word in his book. The lack of conversation, the missing sound of the guitar echoing throughout the apartment.
It was driving him crazy, he lay awake at night hoping to hear Tora coming through the door. He hadn't called since he landed, so in the end Shou grabbed the phone from the stand and punched in his number.
"Hello?"
"Tora!"
"Shou, what are you doing calling at this time. Isn't it really late in Japan now?"
Shou frowned at looked at the clock, red letters crying out 3am.
"But I missed you, you haven't called me at all. I've been worried" He mumbled.
"I'm sorry baby. It's been mad busy here, I haven't had much spare time yet" Tora explained in a sympathetic tone. Shou cradled the phone to his ear, his free hand stroking Chickin's fur tenderly.
"Is it nice where you are?" He asked.
"Oh Shou, it's lovely. You'd love it here, everything is so clean and pretty. This morning I went to a conference in this old rococo style building, it was amazing. I've been taking pictures of everything" He laughed, making Shou smile fondly "I have a free day tomorrow so I'm gonna do a little bit of sight seeing"
"Sounds like it'll be amazing"
The brunette lay back against the pillows. His eyes drooped with fatigue. Tora's voice soothed his silence filled ears with velvet tones, relaxing his tired mind.
"You should get some sleep love" The elder said softly "I have to go out for dinner with my co-workers soon. But I'll call you when you get off work tomorrow." He paused "Sleep well Shou, I love you"
"I love you too.."
Something hit Shou the next day, he wasn't sure what it was. He found it difficult to walk any faster than a snails pace, but he pushed on. Getting to work just on time. Miyavi welcomed him with a smile. It was one of those rare days that the two of them were running the shop together. Miyavi wasn't one to take a day off, when he wasn't at the hospital then he was at the store. Claimed that staying at home made him itchy. Ever the hard worker.
The moment Shou stepped through the doors the younger could see that something was off. He looked worn out, his shrunken posture being a large indicator of that.
Lack of sleep... most likely.
Improper diet... possibly.
Something more serious... maybe.
"Hey, Are you okay?" He questioned, pulling up a chair for the shorter male.
"Yep, never better" Shou replied with a forced smile.
"Are you sure, you look tired"
"I'm fine, stop worrying"
Miyavi knew he was lying, he could see it in his eyes. But that was just how Shou was, never one to ask for help, so annoyingly stubborn when it came to his health. Of course, Miyavi was blissfully unaware of just how seriously unwell his dear friend truly was.
"Right then. Well.. just to brief you up. We haven't had a single customer yet and it doesn't look like it's going to get crazy any time soon so I guess we can chill for a little bit. I'll go out and get us some lunch soon"
Throughout their shift, The raven haired kept his eye on Shou, monitoring him for any signs of fatigue. He seemed to be alright one they had eaten their yakisoba, brightening up somewhat. Perhaps he as just a little sleepy.
None the less, he decided to drive Shou home, dismissing his protests.
Shou had become quite talented at deceiving people. Tricking people into thinking he was alright, he wouldn't go as far as to say he was a liar but a master of illusions.
He kicked off his boots as he got through the door and padded through to the kitchen where he poured himself a glass of water.
He wasn't feeling good at all, his chest ached, muscled tired and head banging.
All he wanted to do was to take a nice warm bath and to slither into bed while talking to Tora over the phone.
However it seemed like in reality all he'd manage was to crawl into bed and sleep it off.
"Chickin, where are you boy?" He called out, rubbing his temples in an attempt to soothe the pain. The tabby was nowhere to be seen, lazy thing was probably in the living room.
"Chickin" A wave of burning heat stopped him in his tracks. Fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt as his chest filled with pain.
"No, please... not now" he whispered, stumbling through to the living room and attempting to support himself.
It hurt.
It hurt so badly that he could barely even see straight, suppressed cries of pain slipping from his lips.
He reached blindly for his phone, needing to call someone... anyone. He'd never been in so much agony, he just needed someone to come and save him. His body gave up, giving one last cry before crashing to the ground. Swallowed in a world of darkness.
Hiroto looked at his reflection in the mirror as the elevator ascended to his best friends floor. It'd been a few weeks since they'd been face to face. Not even a phone call was exchanged. He knew that Shou was feeling nervous about speaking to him, he could see it in every text. So he decided that enough was enough. Since he was now able to move around comfortably again, he'd pay him a visit.
The doors gave a pleasant ping before they slid open, allowing him to make his way down the corridor.
There were mixed feelings running through him, excitement, anxiety, annoyance, fear.. He just wanted to see Shou again. He gave his jacket a quick pat down before knocking on the door.
No answer.
He tried again, knocking slightly louder and leaning against the door frame. Perhaps he was out. With a small pout he pulled out his phone, dialing Shou's number before holding it to his ear.
That's when he headed it, the distinct melody of Shou's ringtone sounding out through the door. Strange... he though, Shou never goes out without his phone.
He crouched with a frown, peering through the letterbox.
"Shou" He called "Are you home?"
There wasn't much of a view through the small opening of the letter box, only the hall and part of the living room were visible.
His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.
That surely wasn't Shou's foot peeking out from behind the wall. Or was it?
He fished his keys out in a heartbeat, busting through the door. He didn't even bother taking his shoes off before sprinting through to the living room.
His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach, it was Shou alright. Laying dead weight in the middle of the floor.
"Shou, wake up.. please wake up!" He cried, gently shaking his friends unmoving shoulder.
He wasted no time in calling for an ambulance, practically shouting into the mouth piece.
The phone slipped from his fingers upon hearing a wimpier from the other.
"H..hiro..to?"
"Yeah, I'm here" He said softly, taking Shou's hand and cradling his head on his lap
"Pon, it hurts so much" The elder cried, clinging to his hand. He couldn't suppress the strangled choaks of agony that escaped him.
"It's okay Shou, the ambulance is on it's way.. everything is going to be alright"
Hiroto was scared. Terrified even. The paramedics were there in no time, strapping Shou to the stretcher and rushing him into the back of the ambulance. Hiroto with them every step of the way.
The scariest thing of all was seeing Shou fighting the pain, body thrashing around on the stretcher, near screaming. Only falling into silence as he passed out again.
There he was again, the familiar smell of disinfectant, the ever recognizable glare of lights and the customary feeling of loneliness and confusion.
How many times had be sat on that plastic chair outside of the theater? Alone with nobody telling him anything, it always drove him crazy.
It was a good few hours before anyone even approached him. In the end, he wished they didn't.
His fingers were shaking as he dialed Tora's number.
"Hello?"
"Tora.. it's Pon"
"Oh hey" He laughed "Listen, I'm really sorry but it's not really a good time, I'm just in a museum right now"
"It's about Shou" He cut the other male off, causing him to fall silent.
"What about him?"
"I found him in the apartment, He was unconscious but soon came around in alot of pain. We're in the hospital"
"Fuck.. fuck.. FUCK! Is he okay?"
Hiroto let out a shaky breath, running his fingers through his hair as he leaned against the wall.
"That's why I'm calling, I've just finished speaking to one of the doctors" He paused. His eyes filled with tears "They had to jump-start his heart, he's in a really bad way... It's uncertain if he's going to make it through the night"
That was it, the tears began cascading down his face. "I thought you'd want to know sooner rather than later"
For a moment he was sure that Tora had hung up, complete silence on the other end of the line.
"I'll be on the next plane home" Tora said calmly "Call Aki, I think he needs to know. Sit tight Pon, I'll be there as soon as I can"
That was all he could do. Sit on his hands and wait for any news. It was torture. The hours dragged on for what seemed like decades until he was finally called through.
The room that Shou was in was so white, void of any colour, save for brunette locks against the pillow. Ventilators and heart monitors created a morbid orchestra that smashed through the bitter silence.
He sat gingerly on the chair next to the bed. It was almost unreal, Shou didn't even look like himself. His eyes swollen and dark, lips chapped and bruised and his complexion deathly pale. It would've been surreal if he hadn't been here countless times before.
He felt fucking awful, he'd spent weeks avoiding his best friend all because of some stupid video, because he couldn't keep his lust under control. He took it out on Shou, sanding down the bond of friendship until it was just a thin thread, threatening to snap at any second.
How stupid could he be?
Those thoughts however, were interrupted by the sound of a dry cough residing from the rooms inhabitant.
"Hey" He smiled softly "Welcome back to earth". Shou simply gave a small "Thanks" before trembling fingers pulled the mark from his face. Hiroto jumped up but was stopped when he saw him reaching for a glass of water. He should've known, it was customary for Shou to want to drink an entire jug of water after an operation, how could he forget... he'd been there so many times before.
He grabbed the bed's control remote and raised the bed so that the brunette was almost sitting upright before he took the glass of water and held it to his lips.
The elder drained the glass in seconds, quenching the desert in his throat.
A cough echoed deep within his chest, followed by another and another. Wet sounding, the kind to take one's breath away.
Hiroto pulled the glass away and soothed brunette bangs from his forehead.
He wasn't prepared for what happened next.
Shou clamped a hand over his mouth as he heaved. A strangled cry reverberating in his throat. He heaved several times before suddenly spewing blood violently over the bed. Staining the sheets with deep crimson.
Hiroto nearly screamed, there was so much blood everywhere. It looked like a massacre.
Shou fell back against the pillows, panting heavily, ragged.
The blonde ran to the door, crying out for help. What was happening?
It didn't take long for a few doctors and nurses to come running, pushing Hiroto aside to deal with the fit Shou was currently having.
What the fuck was happening?
Miyavi hummed cheerfully as he rested his elbows against the tables surface. He was in the staff room having a well deserved break. He'd finished a shift with Shou at the music store and then ran over to the hospital to begin his shift on the ward an hour later. It was creeping into the early hours of the morning and it had been a long day to say the least but he only had a few hours left before he could go home and crash into bed.
He finished his coffee and made his way back to the station point where his computer was. he sighed, yet again someone had left files laying around on the desk, not exactly keeping them safe.
Being the intern he was most likely going to get blamed if they stayed there much longer. Reluctantly he picked them up and opened the filling cabinet.
"Yamamoto Misaki.... there you go.." He mumbled to himself, sliding the first file back into it's correct place "Tsukimoto Jin... back in there please.. Kohara Shou.."
Wait.
He knew that name.
He knew that name well. The name of his employee and closest friend. Shou?
Every fiber of his being knew that it would be breaking the doctor-patient confidentiality rule. Can't treat someone if you had emotional connections, it could get messy and things could go drastically wrong. That's one of the first things he learned in medical school. Yet there he was, fingers tracing over the file, mouth pursed. In the end he gave into his curiosity. Making sure that the coast was clear before flipping open the pages.
His eyes scanned over each word, taking everything in with furrowed brows.
Surely this wasn't the Shou he knew, Epilepsy.. failed transfusions.. Congestive heart failure.
"Now way!" He refused to believe it, shoving the file into it's correct place.
It was only when the silence was broken by the sound of shouting from the next ward. He jumped to his feet and sprinted down the corridor, pushing the doors open without batting an eyelid.
"Please, someone help me!"
That sounded like...
A flurry of doctors pushed past him, rushing into one of the room at the end. A familiar blonde was ushered out into the corridor, eyes shining with tears and legs trembling as he stared into the room.
"Hiroto?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Authors Notes- Phew, it's been a while since my last update. My parents surprised me with a trip to Canada for two weeks. so I haven't had much time to sit and write.
Poor Shou, Tora is all the way across the world and his heart takes a nose dive. Doubting that he'll make it through the night, whats gonna happpeeeeennnnn?
comments are welcome with open arms.