Forget Me Not (Chapter 3)
Sep. 5th, 2015 10:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dollmasterleeA/N
Gomen, this chapter is shorter than the others because somehow, I can't write hospital scenes with their needed depth and realism. Anyhow, here it is...
____________________________________________________________
Mao shot up from the sofa when the angry ringtone of his phone tore the silence of his apartment away. He glanced at the wall clock near the TV set and realized he'd slept for almost 8 hours.
Frowning, he grabbed his Iphone from the center table but when he saw Yuuta's name on the screen, his frown changed into confusion. Yuuta never makes international calls like this. He always contacts him through Line.
"Moshimo-"
"Mao! Why didn't you answer immediately?!"
"Eh?"
"Something happened last night!" Yuuta's frantic half-screaming voice alarmed Mao.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Daichan! He... he... there was an accident.. We're in the hospital now. The police said he was drunk driving. H-he almost collided with another car but he avoided it. His car overturned though and he's unconscious until now. Mao? Mao are you still there? "
Mao dropped his phone mindlessly. The world seemed to swallow him up and he felt like vomiting.
His hand reached up to cover his mouth as he tried to stop a scream from ripping out of his entire being.
"Hey... how is he?"
Ryoma sprung up from the cold tiled floor the moment Yuuta returned to the visitor's area.
"He's overwhelmed but he said he'd be catching the earliest flight he could." Yuuta addressed the group of men huddled near the ICU.
Last night, he got a phone call from a friend working in the hospital asking if he already knew that Daichan was rushed there. He was shocked beyond belief but nevertheless, he managed to contact most of Daichan's friends in the industry. Here they are, all wide-awake, waiting for whatever news the doctors might notify them.
"There are still a lot of repoters outside. Do you think Mao can visit unnoticed? I'd really hate for the tabloids to make assumptions as to why Mao would bother leaving his studies in America." Takki exclaimed exasperatedly. "Daichan wouldn't want Mao being harassed by them."
"I will talk to the hospital's security officers later. I'm sure they can arrange something for Mao's arrival." Keichan chimed in. The other men nodded.
"I still can't believe Daichan will drive after drinking. He always scolds us when we act irresponsibly." Kentaro sighed staring at the door of the ICU.
"Well, he probably has a reason for doing so." Yuuta leaned on the wall beside Takki.
"That's not the only thing that's making me wonder." Ryoma seriously announced. His eyes fixed on the woman talking to a nurse some meters away from their group. Beside her is a burly man whom Ryoma knew to be a certain Takeru-san."Daichan never mentioned having a girlfriend, especially a fiancee. I mean, he has his own personal life but do you think he didn't trust us enough to tell us this?"
Keichan followed Ryoma's sight and hung his head. "She's pretty though."
Ryoma glared at him. "That's besides the point."
Keichan just shrugged. "We'll know the complete story once Daichan wakes up. We'll have to keep on assuming until then."
Ryoma turned his sight toward the door of the ICU. He really hopes Daichan will wake up immediately. He doesn't like this uneasiness that has been gnawing at his stomach since he heard the bad news.
"He's my everything."
The person on the other side of the sofa was silent. Mao bit his lip to stop himself from saying things that might further worsen his situation. He heard his mother drawing out a deep breath.
"How long have you been feeling this?" Her voice was not with an angry tone but it was full of concern. Mao almost felt like sobbing again.
"For a long time now..."
"Does he know? Are you dating now?"
"No... I never told him. I couldn't." Mao absent-mindedly fiddled with the zipper of his travelling bag. He has already packed some clothes, ready to leave once he receives the e-ticket from his travel agency.
His parents and older brother have just arrived in his apartment when he told them about Daichan's accident. They were also shocked and worried since Daichan is quite close to their family.
He used to eat dinner with them when he visited Mao for script-reading during their Takumi-kun days. Well, they were more shocked when Mao announced his decision to go back to Tokyo to personally check his friend's condition.
"How about your studies?" His father looked ready to oppose him a while ago but a silent threat from his mother silenced him.
"Our classes will resume in mid-January. Daichan will probably be in a better condition that time."
Ryousuke, Mao's older brother was just silently listening to the conversation. He was sitting beside his father, on one of the stools placed around the dining table.
Mao's apartment is smaller than what he expected.
The dining area and the living room are not even separated by any wall. His bedroom though is spacious enough and he has a chic looking walk-in closet opposite the bathroom.
He has heard how Mao fell in love with the closet upon seeing the pictures sent in by their cousin living in Manhattan.
"Do you want us to go back with you, Kyouchan?" Their mother softly drapped her arm on Mao's shoulders.
"Mother, no! I have troubled you enough as it is. I wouldn't want to spoil your vacation too."
"Kyouchan, you know you're never a trouble for us, right? We'll always be here for you. No matter what you choose to become or what you want to do in life."
The tears that Mao has been trying to rein in fell from hearing his mother's words. He buried his face on her shoulder. After some time, he felt his father's hand on his hair. He looked up to see him smiling softly. "Father..."
His father nodded at him knowingly.
Ryousuke sighed, "Well, I guess I have to wait a few days more before I can punch Watanabe's smug face in for making you cry."
Mao was appalled. "You can't be serious Aniki!"
"I'm always serious when it comes to your happiness Kyouchan."
Mao pouted, "You don't need to protect me, I can do it for myself. Besides, it's not Daichan's fault that I cried. He-"
"Hah... look at what love did to you. You're becoming like an overprotective girlfriend."
"Mother! Aniki is bullying me again!" Mao turned to their mother for support.
"Hush, you two. Anyhow, do you know when your e-ticket will be emailed to you Mao?"
Mao glanced at his wristwatch. "In an hour according to the agency's message a while ago."
"You're really gonna be fine going home alone?"
"Mother, don't worry about me. I'm an adult already."
Mao's mother smiled warmly. Looking at her, one will realize from whom Kyousuke inherited his sweet smile.
"I know... and that's why I'm so proud of you my son." With that she enclosed her younger son in a tight embrace, praying to the gods above that he soon attains the happiness that he has been denied for a long time.
"My son's gonna be fine, right?"
Mrs. Watanabe is already a mess when she and her husband arrived at the hospital. When she saw Daisuke's unmoving form surrounded by tubes and beeping machines she almost completely lost it. Her son had been on surgery for more than 12 hours.
The doctor said he's stable but they'd put him in the ICU, checking on his condition every now and then.
"So far, his body is reacting positively. And we have already conducted the necessary tests. The other results will be coming in soon."
Earlier, the doctor explained all the injuries that Daisuke's body acquired from the accident. Aiko, who was allowed to hear the report was only able to comprehend the words internal bleeding, minor broken bones and brain swelling.
She didn't care about specific medical words though. The only word she wants to hear is Daisuke's throaty "Hello".
"What we're focusing more on now is the swelling in his brain. Although it isn't severe, we'll have to monitor it closely. The swelling will surely subside but despite that, we still can't assure you exactly when he will wake up."
Mr. Watanabe gripped his wife's shoulder tighter, "What's important hon is he's alive. Our son is a fighter. He won't let this accident be the end of everything."
Daisuke's mother nodded. "I know that. I know I have to be strong too. But at times like this, it seems I am a weak mother after all. Daichan will be angry if he sees me crying and yet I can't stop these tears from falling." With that, sobs ripped out of her mouth again. "I j-just want to see my son s-smiling at me like he used to."
Aiko placed her hand on top of Mrs. Watanabe's. She wants to comfort her badly but she doesn't know how to when she herself needs comforting.
"Aikochan, I'm sorry you had to go through this too." Mrs. Watanabe sadly held her hand, her thumb stroking Daisuke's ring placed on Aiko's ring finger. "I will properly scold my son for making you worry so much."
Aiko bit her lip. She knows she'll have to tell everyone the lie she made when Daisuke wakes up but right now, this feeling is too surreal it's blinding her. She feels like this is where she's supposed to belong to. With Daisuke's family and naturally with Daisuke himself.
After the doctor dismissed them, Aiko held onto Mrs. Watanabe's arm and helped her stand. The older lady staggered a bit and was grateful for her assistance. With Daisuke's father following behind, they exited the doctor's office together.
The small smile on Aiko's face was instantly wiped away though when, upon stepping out into the corridor, she saw with her very own eyes the timely arrival of the one person she isn't expecting to see.
A/N
In the next chapter, Daisuke will finally wake up.
Gomen, this chapter is shorter than the others because somehow, I can't write hospital scenes with their needed depth and realism. Anyhow, here it is...
____________________________________________________________
Mao shot up from the sofa when the angry ringtone of his phone tore the silence of his apartment away. He glanced at the wall clock near the TV set and realized he'd slept for almost 8 hours.
Frowning, he grabbed his Iphone from the center table but when he saw Yuuta's name on the screen, his frown changed into confusion. Yuuta never makes international calls like this. He always contacts him through Line.
"Moshimo-"
"Mao! Why didn't you answer immediately?!"
"Eh?"
"Something happened last night!" Yuuta's frantic half-screaming voice alarmed Mao.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Daichan! He... he... there was an accident.. We're in the hospital now. The police said he was drunk driving. H-he almost collided with another car but he avoided it. His car overturned though and he's unconscious until now. Mao? Mao are you still there? "
Mao dropped his phone mindlessly. The world seemed to swallow him up and he felt like vomiting.
His hand reached up to cover his mouth as he tried to stop a scream from ripping out of his entire being.
"Hey... how is he?"
Ryoma sprung up from the cold tiled floor the moment Yuuta returned to the visitor's area.
"He's overwhelmed but he said he'd be catching the earliest flight he could." Yuuta addressed the group of men huddled near the ICU.
Last night, he got a phone call from a friend working in the hospital asking if he already knew that Daichan was rushed there. He was shocked beyond belief but nevertheless, he managed to contact most of Daichan's friends in the industry. Here they are, all wide-awake, waiting for whatever news the doctors might notify them.
"There are still a lot of repoters outside. Do you think Mao can visit unnoticed? I'd really hate for the tabloids to make assumptions as to why Mao would bother leaving his studies in America." Takki exclaimed exasperatedly. "Daichan wouldn't want Mao being harassed by them."
"I will talk to the hospital's security officers later. I'm sure they can arrange something for Mao's arrival." Keichan chimed in. The other men nodded.
"I still can't believe Daichan will drive after drinking. He always scolds us when we act irresponsibly." Kentaro sighed staring at the door of the ICU.
"Well, he probably has a reason for doing so." Yuuta leaned on the wall beside Takki.
"That's not the only thing that's making me wonder." Ryoma seriously announced. His eyes fixed on the woman talking to a nurse some meters away from their group. Beside her is a burly man whom Ryoma knew to be a certain Takeru-san."Daichan never mentioned having a girlfriend, especially a fiancee. I mean, he has his own personal life but do you think he didn't trust us enough to tell us this?"
Keichan followed Ryoma's sight and hung his head. "She's pretty though."
Ryoma glared at him. "That's besides the point."
Keichan just shrugged. "We'll know the complete story once Daichan wakes up. We'll have to keep on assuming until then."
Ryoma turned his sight toward the door of the ICU. He really hopes Daichan will wake up immediately. He doesn't like this uneasiness that has been gnawing at his stomach since he heard the bad news.
"He's my everything."
The person on the other side of the sofa was silent. Mao bit his lip to stop himself from saying things that might further worsen his situation. He heard his mother drawing out a deep breath.
"How long have you been feeling this?" Her voice was not with an angry tone but it was full of concern. Mao almost felt like sobbing again.
"For a long time now..."
"Does he know? Are you dating now?"
"No... I never told him. I couldn't." Mao absent-mindedly fiddled with the zipper of his travelling bag. He has already packed some clothes, ready to leave once he receives the e-ticket from his travel agency.
His parents and older brother have just arrived in his apartment when he told them about Daichan's accident. They were also shocked and worried since Daichan is quite close to their family.
He used to eat dinner with them when he visited Mao for script-reading during their Takumi-kun days. Well, they were more shocked when Mao announced his decision to go back to Tokyo to personally check his friend's condition.
"How about your studies?" His father looked ready to oppose him a while ago but a silent threat from his mother silenced him.
"Our classes will resume in mid-January. Daichan will probably be in a better condition that time."
Ryousuke, Mao's older brother was just silently listening to the conversation. He was sitting beside his father, on one of the stools placed around the dining table.
Mao's apartment is smaller than what he expected.
The dining area and the living room are not even separated by any wall. His bedroom though is spacious enough and he has a chic looking walk-in closet opposite the bathroom.
He has heard how Mao fell in love with the closet upon seeing the pictures sent in by their cousin living in Manhattan.
"Do you want us to go back with you, Kyouchan?" Their mother softly drapped her arm on Mao's shoulders.
"Mother, no! I have troubled you enough as it is. I wouldn't want to spoil your vacation too."
"Kyouchan, you know you're never a trouble for us, right? We'll always be here for you. No matter what you choose to become or what you want to do in life."
The tears that Mao has been trying to rein in fell from hearing his mother's words. He buried his face on her shoulder. After some time, he felt his father's hand on his hair. He looked up to see him smiling softly. "Father..."
His father nodded at him knowingly.
Ryousuke sighed, "Well, I guess I have to wait a few days more before I can punch Watanabe's smug face in for making you cry."
Mao was appalled. "You can't be serious Aniki!"
"I'm always serious when it comes to your happiness Kyouchan."
Mao pouted, "You don't need to protect me, I can do it for myself. Besides, it's not Daichan's fault that I cried. He-"
"Hah... look at what love did to you. You're becoming like an overprotective girlfriend."
"Mother! Aniki is bullying me again!" Mao turned to their mother for support.
"Hush, you two. Anyhow, do you know when your e-ticket will be emailed to you Mao?"
Mao glanced at his wristwatch. "In an hour according to the agency's message a while ago."
"You're really gonna be fine going home alone?"
"Mother, don't worry about me. I'm an adult already."
Mao's mother smiled warmly. Looking at her, one will realize from whom Kyousuke inherited his sweet smile.
"I know... and that's why I'm so proud of you my son." With that she enclosed her younger son in a tight embrace, praying to the gods above that he soon attains the happiness that he has been denied for a long time.
"My son's gonna be fine, right?"
Mrs. Watanabe is already a mess when she and her husband arrived at the hospital. When she saw Daisuke's unmoving form surrounded by tubes and beeping machines she almost completely lost it. Her son had been on surgery for more than 12 hours.
The doctor said he's stable but they'd put him in the ICU, checking on his condition every now and then.
"So far, his body is reacting positively. And we have already conducted the necessary tests. The other results will be coming in soon."
Earlier, the doctor explained all the injuries that Daisuke's body acquired from the accident. Aiko, who was allowed to hear the report was only able to comprehend the words internal bleeding, minor broken bones and brain swelling.
She didn't care about specific medical words though. The only word she wants to hear is Daisuke's throaty "Hello".
"What we're focusing more on now is the swelling in his brain. Although it isn't severe, we'll have to monitor it closely. The swelling will surely subside but despite that, we still can't assure you exactly when he will wake up."
Mr. Watanabe gripped his wife's shoulder tighter, "What's important hon is he's alive. Our son is a fighter. He won't let this accident be the end of everything."
Daisuke's mother nodded. "I know that. I know I have to be strong too. But at times like this, it seems I am a weak mother after all. Daichan will be angry if he sees me crying and yet I can't stop these tears from falling." With that, sobs ripped out of her mouth again. "I j-just want to see my son s-smiling at me like he used to."
Aiko placed her hand on top of Mrs. Watanabe's. She wants to comfort her badly but she doesn't know how to when she herself needs comforting.
"Aikochan, I'm sorry you had to go through this too." Mrs. Watanabe sadly held her hand, her thumb stroking Daisuke's ring placed on Aiko's ring finger. "I will properly scold my son for making you worry so much."
Aiko bit her lip. She knows she'll have to tell everyone the lie she made when Daisuke wakes up but right now, this feeling is too surreal it's blinding her. She feels like this is where she's supposed to belong to. With Daisuke's family and naturally with Daisuke himself.
After the doctor dismissed them, Aiko held onto Mrs. Watanabe's arm and helped her stand. The older lady staggered a bit and was grateful for her assistance. With Daisuke's father following behind, they exited the doctor's office together.
The small smile on Aiko's face was instantly wiped away though when, upon stepping out into the corridor, she saw with her very own eyes the timely arrival of the one person she isn't expecting to see.
A/N
In the next chapter, Daisuke will finally wake up.
