The day, though sunny with a robin's egg-colored sky, was a very cold
one. Snow blanketed the landscape of Japan. The streets of Ningenkai had
been salted earlier that morning, only small patches of ice remained. Of
course it was the kind of environment anybody would expect on the first day
of the year. The guys were at the store buying snacks and beer for the
American Football party at Atsuko's apartment. "Urameshi, are you sure its
all right with your mom to be doing this? I feel like we are leaning on
her too much," Kuwabara wondered, feeling uncomfortable. "Of course, she
gave us permission. Her apartment is the only one with a satellite dish,
so the TV does receive ESPN," reassured Yusuke, "Besides we won't be
bugging her, she's with the girls at your house. Your sister's wedding
shower is today." "Oh yeah, forgot." Over in the beer aisle, Kurama
overheard the conversation and began chuckling to himself. "Dude, what's
up with you?" "Oh nothing, it just feels odd to me, you know?" "What is
so odd about it, this is game day. What, you feel you are going to lose
that bet?" "Not that, I have a de ja vu feeling, like from three years
ago." "Oh you mean the whole engagement thing," Yusuke realized. "It
feels unreal for me, a guy who has sent 300 years as a youkai, then 22 more
years as a single man. Not once did I think I would be a fiancé." "You
love my sister though, don't you? Been in love with her for three years."
"Yes I love Shizuru, never thought she'd be the one for me at first."
"Well," chuckled Yusuke, as the three headed out towards Kuwabara's white
Toyota, "you know what they say, love is blind." "Yeah, and you know
something, Kurama," said Kuwabara, as he opened the driver-side door and
started the engine, "I never once thought of you to be my future brother-in-
law. Not even in my dreams."
Over at the Kuwabara residence, Shizuru was getting the house ready for the party. In the dining room, she had a small spread on the table. It consisted of two veggie platters filled with baby carrots, celery, broccoli, and anything other crunchy veggie she had, with ranch dip in tiny bowls. Next to them were a fruit dish, filled with sliced apples, oranges, bananas, whole strawberries, and green grapes. In the center of that tray was a bowl with caramel dip. In the refrigerator, she kept a chocolate cheesecake tray. As she and Botan were preparing a hot shredded beef tray, there came a knock at the door. "Door's open," Shizuru yelled to the visitor. The door opened, and in walked Atsuko with a case of Pepsi cans and a bag of movie tapes. "Happy New Year to you," Shizuru sang cheerfully. Atsuko smiled, mimicking her words. "Are you here by yourself?" Atsuko shook her head. "Keiko and Megumi are still getting out of the car." Just as Atsuko said that, another knock came at the door. "Door's open," Shizuru repeated. It opened, and in walked Keiko with a car seat in one hand and a diaper bag hanging on her right shoulder. Shizuru's face lit up when she saw the baby. "How are you doing this fine wintry day?" "I am fine, Megumi still has that inner ear thing happening." "Well at least she is asleep," Atsuko sighed in relief, "She was fussy on the way out here." "Keiko, you can put her in the guestroom if you like, it gets very quiet back there." The young mother nodded and proceeded to the room. Atsuko gaze followed Keiko into the back room. A look of amazement had dashed across her face. "What's the matter, dear?" questioned Botan, reading Atsuko's face. "It's just I am a grandmother at my age, already. I am only 36 years old and I am just not used to that role yet." "Ah, well that's neat that you are though." "I guess, but," Atsuko sighed, "it is funny, Mrs. Akumaki in one of the downstairs apartments is also 35-36 years old and she has a son Megumi's age. Hell I am still young enough to have another kid of my own." "Well at least both your parents are still alive, Atsuko," replied Keiko, returning from the room, "At least Megumi will be able to see her great-grandparents. I never had that luxury, all my greats died before I was even born. And as for my grandparents, both my grandpas are dead." Atsuko smiled at her daughter-in-law, and tossed her a soda can.
Meanwhile, as they were heading to Atsuko's, Yusuke turned up the volume and station on the stereo in Kazuma's dashboard, trying to see if he could pick up the sounds of the game. "If you only had a big enough antenna," he pondered. "Yeah right. Like I need that on the car. As great as the reception is on this tin can, I would need an antenna to be able to reach the moon," Kuwabara exaggerated. "Aw, fellas, it is only a few minutes to your mom's house," Kurama reassured them, "If the game is on, its only the start of the first quarter anyhow, nobody would have scored a touchdown yet. The only reason you said that now is you know my team is doing better than yours," he snickered. "Oh, shut up, Fox Boy," Yusuke snorted back, pretending to be angry. As the car came to a stoplight, Kuwabara applied the brake, only to have the car suddenly lurch forward. "What the hell?" he shouted, in disbelief. "What's going on?" questioned Kurama. "Well for some reason the brakes locked." "Didn't you say when you bought the car, that it had anti-lock?" Yusuke wondered. "That's what has me surprised, it does." A look of concern streaked across Kazuma's face. "Do you think you should have that looked at?" wondered the redhead. "On New Years Day? What do you think is open? No body shop that's for sure. Everyone in town is taking a vacation day." The light turned green and the car continued on its way. As it turned a corner, heading to Atsuko's, Kazuma noticed a big ice patch too suddenly and failed to swerve to avoid it. What made it worse was the car was on a steep hill. "Oh shit, we are skidding," commented Yusuke, trying his best to sound calm. "Don't you know I am aware of that," snapped a nervous Kazuma, panic beginning to set upon his face. A sick feeling came over him, as he tried desperately to make the car stop.
"Kazuma!" Shizuru suddenly blurted, as if she had been daydreaming. Her eyes popped open and an uneasy tension resounded in her voice. Surprised, Keiko asked her why she thought of her brother all of a sudden. "I have no idea, but I have this strange feeling something's happened." "What could it be?" Botan pondered, worried about her friend. Shizuru said nothing and grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the top of the refrigerator. As she reached for the door, her hands began to shake. Her heart was beating, like that of a racehorse. "Are you all right?" asked a worried Keiko. Shizuru shook her head and stepped out the door. As she started to light a cigarette, she noticed the silhouette of a man limping and running down the street. At first she thought it was nobody she knew, until he ran closer view. To her shock, it was Yusuke. It had looked as though he had been in a fight. His forehead was bleeding, his legs were all scratched up, and his left knee was bloodied. He gave Shizuru a blank stare and collapsed in her arms to the ground. "What happened to you?" said a shocked Shizuru. He looked at her and started coughing, "Th-e-r-e, there's been an accident." "Come-come on inside and we'll bandage you." As they walked in, the other looked at him in surprise. Keiko ran up to him, put his arm around her shoulders to support him. His face was as white as a ghost, sweat poured off his face. His eyes still had a blank stare to them. "I have just been, just been in an accident. Th-the car, it was, we were on the way to the apartment. There was ice, the car slid. He tried to stop it." Yusuke's voice began trailing off. "Is everyone okay?" asked Atsuko. "The car was totaled, it hit a tree. Kurama, he's injured, but he's okay, about like me. But." "My brother though, how is he?" "He's. he received the worst injuries. Both of them are at the hospital right now." Shizuru closed her eyes, covering her face with her right hand. As she reached for her keys next to the hook by the front door, Keiko placed her hand on Shizuru's arm. "You are too shaky to drive. Let's take my car instead. Atsuko?" "I will watch Megumi for you," replied her mother-in- law without objections. With that Keiko, her husband, and Shizuru left the house, heading to the curb where Keiko's little red Mitsubishi was parked.
At the hospital, Kurama was leaning his back against the glass front of the entryway. His green parka had splotches of blood incrusted on it. His fingers began playing with the rough texture of the tan gauze bandage wrapped around his left hand. Though he felt a slight twinge in his right shoulder, he began combing his hair with his fingers. His mind kept playing the images of the accident, like that of a CD player on repeat mode. Every time he closed his eyes, even for just a blink, sight of his best friend being loaded on a stretcher all bruised and broken, almost felt like he was just in a dream. He felt himself wanting to wake up from it. The weight of the moment was becoming too much for him, as he began to slide his back down the glass doorway, sitting his butt on the concrete slab, his face pressing against his knees. Suddenly he heard a car pull up to the curb. Then he felt a leather glove rubbing his back and heard the voice of his fiancée call his name. He turned his quivering eyes to her, and he began to stand up slowly. "Is he all right? My brother, is he?" Kurama could barely respond; his voice became numb. All he could do was nod slightly. He let himself stumble into her arms, his arms hugging her tightly, and his lips whispering the words "I love you" profusely. He began feeling the warmth of her embrace, and the memories of the accident started to release their grip from his heart and mind through a shower of tears. As she massaged his back, comforting him, she asked him again about Kazuma, this time his voice seemed to ease a bit, enough for him to speak. "He's stabilized now, the docs still want to see him recover on his own within the next 24 to 72 hours. His neck is broken, left arm's broken, and both legs are broken." Shizuru felt as if her ears were deceiving her, the words coming out of her fiancé's mouth felt like a lie, though in her heart, she knew they were anything but. "Stabilized? What do you mean?" she asked, her voice becoming startled in fear, "Dear Lord, don't tell me he.he." "Almost. At one point, I almost thought I was going to call Botan. In the ambulance, he stopped breathing. I popped a heal seed in my mouth, then breathed into his mouth, forcing it into his lungs. It will aid his breathing at least." "Can I go see him?" "Of course, they are allowing visitors. I just stepped out here for some air."
Kurama lead his friends and girlfriend, through the hospital straight to the Intense Care Unit. Immediately Shizuru headed over to Kazuma. "Hey, Baby Bro, you okay?" Shizuru's voice was lowered to a whisper, her nose snuffling as she tried holding back her tears. His eyes felt too heavy for him to open. He tried to speak, but all he could do was whisper back. What he did say sounded incoherent. Shizuru closed her eyes, thinking about all the times he and his gang got into fights at school, and how she would scold him for the fights. She opened her eyes, still not believing that the brat she once knew that could not resist a fight, was now this same man lying on a bed in front of her, fighting with all his might to stay alive.
Over at the Kuwabara residence, Shizuru was getting the house ready for the party. In the dining room, she had a small spread on the table. It consisted of two veggie platters filled with baby carrots, celery, broccoli, and anything other crunchy veggie she had, with ranch dip in tiny bowls. Next to them were a fruit dish, filled with sliced apples, oranges, bananas, whole strawberries, and green grapes. In the center of that tray was a bowl with caramel dip. In the refrigerator, she kept a chocolate cheesecake tray. As she and Botan were preparing a hot shredded beef tray, there came a knock at the door. "Door's open," Shizuru yelled to the visitor. The door opened, and in walked Atsuko with a case of Pepsi cans and a bag of movie tapes. "Happy New Year to you," Shizuru sang cheerfully. Atsuko smiled, mimicking her words. "Are you here by yourself?" Atsuko shook her head. "Keiko and Megumi are still getting out of the car." Just as Atsuko said that, another knock came at the door. "Door's open," Shizuru repeated. It opened, and in walked Keiko with a car seat in one hand and a diaper bag hanging on her right shoulder. Shizuru's face lit up when she saw the baby. "How are you doing this fine wintry day?" "I am fine, Megumi still has that inner ear thing happening." "Well at least she is asleep," Atsuko sighed in relief, "She was fussy on the way out here." "Keiko, you can put her in the guestroom if you like, it gets very quiet back there." The young mother nodded and proceeded to the room. Atsuko gaze followed Keiko into the back room. A look of amazement had dashed across her face. "What's the matter, dear?" questioned Botan, reading Atsuko's face. "It's just I am a grandmother at my age, already. I am only 36 years old and I am just not used to that role yet." "Ah, well that's neat that you are though." "I guess, but," Atsuko sighed, "it is funny, Mrs. Akumaki in one of the downstairs apartments is also 35-36 years old and she has a son Megumi's age. Hell I am still young enough to have another kid of my own." "Well at least both your parents are still alive, Atsuko," replied Keiko, returning from the room, "At least Megumi will be able to see her great-grandparents. I never had that luxury, all my greats died before I was even born. And as for my grandparents, both my grandpas are dead." Atsuko smiled at her daughter-in-law, and tossed her a soda can.
Meanwhile, as they were heading to Atsuko's, Yusuke turned up the volume and station on the stereo in Kazuma's dashboard, trying to see if he could pick up the sounds of the game. "If you only had a big enough antenna," he pondered. "Yeah right. Like I need that on the car. As great as the reception is on this tin can, I would need an antenna to be able to reach the moon," Kuwabara exaggerated. "Aw, fellas, it is only a few minutes to your mom's house," Kurama reassured them, "If the game is on, its only the start of the first quarter anyhow, nobody would have scored a touchdown yet. The only reason you said that now is you know my team is doing better than yours," he snickered. "Oh, shut up, Fox Boy," Yusuke snorted back, pretending to be angry. As the car came to a stoplight, Kuwabara applied the brake, only to have the car suddenly lurch forward. "What the hell?" he shouted, in disbelief. "What's going on?" questioned Kurama. "Well for some reason the brakes locked." "Didn't you say when you bought the car, that it had anti-lock?" Yusuke wondered. "That's what has me surprised, it does." A look of concern streaked across Kazuma's face. "Do you think you should have that looked at?" wondered the redhead. "On New Years Day? What do you think is open? No body shop that's for sure. Everyone in town is taking a vacation day." The light turned green and the car continued on its way. As it turned a corner, heading to Atsuko's, Kazuma noticed a big ice patch too suddenly and failed to swerve to avoid it. What made it worse was the car was on a steep hill. "Oh shit, we are skidding," commented Yusuke, trying his best to sound calm. "Don't you know I am aware of that," snapped a nervous Kazuma, panic beginning to set upon his face. A sick feeling came over him, as he tried desperately to make the car stop.
"Kazuma!" Shizuru suddenly blurted, as if she had been daydreaming. Her eyes popped open and an uneasy tension resounded in her voice. Surprised, Keiko asked her why she thought of her brother all of a sudden. "I have no idea, but I have this strange feeling something's happened." "What could it be?" Botan pondered, worried about her friend. Shizuru said nothing and grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the top of the refrigerator. As she reached for the door, her hands began to shake. Her heart was beating, like that of a racehorse. "Are you all right?" asked a worried Keiko. Shizuru shook her head and stepped out the door. As she started to light a cigarette, she noticed the silhouette of a man limping and running down the street. At first she thought it was nobody she knew, until he ran closer view. To her shock, it was Yusuke. It had looked as though he had been in a fight. His forehead was bleeding, his legs were all scratched up, and his left knee was bloodied. He gave Shizuru a blank stare and collapsed in her arms to the ground. "What happened to you?" said a shocked Shizuru. He looked at her and started coughing, "Th-e-r-e, there's been an accident." "Come-come on inside and we'll bandage you." As they walked in, the other looked at him in surprise. Keiko ran up to him, put his arm around her shoulders to support him. His face was as white as a ghost, sweat poured off his face. His eyes still had a blank stare to them. "I have just been, just been in an accident. Th-the car, it was, we were on the way to the apartment. There was ice, the car slid. He tried to stop it." Yusuke's voice began trailing off. "Is everyone okay?" asked Atsuko. "The car was totaled, it hit a tree. Kurama, he's injured, but he's okay, about like me. But." "My brother though, how is he?" "He's. he received the worst injuries. Both of them are at the hospital right now." Shizuru closed her eyes, covering her face with her right hand. As she reached for her keys next to the hook by the front door, Keiko placed her hand on Shizuru's arm. "You are too shaky to drive. Let's take my car instead. Atsuko?" "I will watch Megumi for you," replied her mother-in- law without objections. With that Keiko, her husband, and Shizuru left the house, heading to the curb where Keiko's little red Mitsubishi was parked.
At the hospital, Kurama was leaning his back against the glass front of the entryway. His green parka had splotches of blood incrusted on it. His fingers began playing with the rough texture of the tan gauze bandage wrapped around his left hand. Though he felt a slight twinge in his right shoulder, he began combing his hair with his fingers. His mind kept playing the images of the accident, like that of a CD player on repeat mode. Every time he closed his eyes, even for just a blink, sight of his best friend being loaded on a stretcher all bruised and broken, almost felt like he was just in a dream. He felt himself wanting to wake up from it. The weight of the moment was becoming too much for him, as he began to slide his back down the glass doorway, sitting his butt on the concrete slab, his face pressing against his knees. Suddenly he heard a car pull up to the curb. Then he felt a leather glove rubbing his back and heard the voice of his fiancée call his name. He turned his quivering eyes to her, and he began to stand up slowly. "Is he all right? My brother, is he?" Kurama could barely respond; his voice became numb. All he could do was nod slightly. He let himself stumble into her arms, his arms hugging her tightly, and his lips whispering the words "I love you" profusely. He began feeling the warmth of her embrace, and the memories of the accident started to release their grip from his heart and mind through a shower of tears. As she massaged his back, comforting him, she asked him again about Kazuma, this time his voice seemed to ease a bit, enough for him to speak. "He's stabilized now, the docs still want to see him recover on his own within the next 24 to 72 hours. His neck is broken, left arm's broken, and both legs are broken." Shizuru felt as if her ears were deceiving her, the words coming out of her fiancé's mouth felt like a lie, though in her heart, she knew they were anything but. "Stabilized? What do you mean?" she asked, her voice becoming startled in fear, "Dear Lord, don't tell me he.he." "Almost. At one point, I almost thought I was going to call Botan. In the ambulance, he stopped breathing. I popped a heal seed in my mouth, then breathed into his mouth, forcing it into his lungs. It will aid his breathing at least." "Can I go see him?" "Of course, they are allowing visitors. I just stepped out here for some air."
Kurama lead his friends and girlfriend, through the hospital straight to the Intense Care Unit. Immediately Shizuru headed over to Kazuma. "Hey, Baby Bro, you okay?" Shizuru's voice was lowered to a whisper, her nose snuffling as she tried holding back her tears. His eyes felt too heavy for him to open. He tried to speak, but all he could do was whisper back. What he did say sounded incoherent. Shizuru closed her eyes, thinking about all the times he and his gang got into fights at school, and how she would scold him for the fights. She opened her eyes, still not believing that the brat she once knew that could not resist a fight, was now this same man lying on a bed in front of her, fighting with all his might to stay alive.