Title: Going Under
Author: Maedhros
Anime: Hikaru no Go
Note: -Spoiler- Takes place after volume 13 or 14 as the characters are going through their transitional phase (between childhood and adolescence). Just to bring things up to date: Touya Kouya collapsed and was taken to the hospital. Akira missed his match with Hikaru for this sole reason -or was it?
Chapter 1: One Foot Under
"Doctor Kobayashi! Doc, DOC!"
The double hinged doors to the hospital's dark room flung open like two floundering arms to reveal a disheveled looking health attendant in his mid twenties gasping for air. "Doc," he swallowed and without hesitation stride pass the various machines and shelves that towered gloomily in the dark, running a hand through his hair in relief as he went. "There you are, I was running up and down this damn place looking for you."
If it wasn't for that impenetrable look of concentration glowing in the dark the young nurse would have called again for attention but instead he waited patiently by the older man's side whose silhouette was sharply contrasted by the fluorescent screen ahead. Finally the wrinkled but nimble fingers gave the flimsy x-ray films one last tap before roughly ripping them down and shuffled them into a thick paper file which, the younger man noted with sympathy, was bursting from the accumulation of old records.
"My Toshio, what's with all this yelling business hm?"
Toshio looked away from the folder modestly and helped himself to a gulp of water from the tap, heaving a great big sigh of satisfaction and weariness. "My charge ran away," he rolled his eyes. "-again. One minute he was squirming about going to the John's, next he's smiling at me from a taxi –and don't grin at me like that." The nurse sourly took note of his mentor's reaction. "Sure, he's charming, all those girls giggling and cooing at our little scene. He knew I am desperate for a girlfriend and now I'm going to be single forever!" He all but wailed the last part. "Why did I get mixed up in this case in the first place?"
"Because when you saw first saw him he was quietly studying Go," the old doctor smiled fondly in remembrance of the child's brilliance. In all his years of doctoring he had never seen anyone quite like this boy, composed and focused, with eyes burning with passion. "It was either him or the other kids and all the other kids were kicking and screaming like hell on earth."
"Yeah, he was very sweet when he looked up and introduced himself, wasn't he? I've never met a five years old with so much manners in front of a pack of med students." Toshio chuckled lightly as his mood lifted. "I guess that's the payback I get for being the one to drug him last week eh? I never seen it coming though, I mean, he's so polite in the past and still is," he amended with a lopsided grin. "After a whole year of not seeing the little squirt for his checkups. Well, but he's not so little anymore huh?"
Dr. Kobayashi fingered the aged parchments in his hands before pulling open a filer and stored it alphabetically under 'T, A'. "He's thirteen now." The doctor locked the cabinet and added teasingly, "but apparently his tricks are never too old on you."
The younger male retorted, exasperated. "How 'bout you try following him around for a change?"
A snort. "And get locked in the bathroom by my own patient?"
"But seriously," Toshio set his cup down on the counter and leaned forward on his elbows as if sharing some great conspiracy, "If it wasn't for his father falling ill this time we would never have kept him here for as long as we did. I can't believe one of his guardians let us go as far as sedating him. Of course, afterward he was glaring at everyone for keeping him from his game or whatever it is that pros do. I swear, even the air felt a few degrees warmer around him. He had some pretty intense eyes when he is mad I tell ya," Toshio pushed away from the countertop and extended his limbs in a cat-like stretch. "By the way, when would we see our favorite runaway again?"
There was a sense of finality to the sound of the cabinet closing.
"I hope never."
"Huh?" The male nurse quickly composed himself, uncertain if he heard correctly. It was a fact there was no way this child could make a recovery without a transplant and the only place to do it was the hospital.
"He won't be coming back anytime soon," the doctor did not turn to meet him. "And do not look forward to the day when he does."
"Say what?" The young health attendant felt a lump in his throat as he watched the old specialist glowed eerily in the fluorescent lights.
"Mister Touya withdrew the consent to retain his son when he himself signed out of the hospital this morning."
Toshio felt all trace of blood and good humor drained from his face. "He can't… what did they do that for? We found a donor and everything! They waited for three years, three long years. I've never saw anyone worked so hard for a match-" He stopped and found himself unable to continue, visualizing the cold hard floor of the morgue, the blood red pattern he had come to memorize when his comforting shoulders were needed for his fellow coworkers. Toshio wrenched his fingers in tight knots. " OhGodOhGodOhGod, this can't be happening, this just can't, this can't…"
Dr. Kobayashi smiled his humorless smile, one he had mastered over the years and hated it. "Ultimately it was his choice. Toshio, you remembered that intensity in the kid's eyes yourself. Look closer, he had lost that."
"I'm very tired, Ogata-san." Akira's voice came through oddly calm and clear like bells among the harmonious song of the crickets, their melody low and sweet on the cloudless April night. Sitting next to the dark hair boy, Ogata 10-dan watched the lush grass and sturdy pine with mild interest. The moon was a blot of yellow on a blue cloth.
"Why don't you go back inside and sleep instead of inhaling all my smoke?" The tall blond man took a long drag of his cigarette. "Second hand smoke is bad for you, can't be too cautious about health you know."
"Obviously not since I am still sitting beside you," the younger pro smiled.
Ogata watched his trail of smoke coiling to the heavens. "Meijin is going to say I have a bad influence on you."
Akira ducked and shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Oh no, I believe father's exact words were 'You can learn a lot from Ogata'."
"Oh?" Ogata raised a golden eyebrow. "And I suppose smoking is one of them?"
"I think he was referring to Go."
The older man listened to the words laced with weariness. "Get some sleep," then he offered as he used to many years ago. "You can lean on my shoulder if you want."
In the dim light of the mansion that filtered through the paper screens, Akira's eyes widened and he felt heat gathered on his cheek like an electric stove. "Ah, thank you for the offer but I think I'll go inside when I need to."
Ogata let out a laugh. "Too old for this now?"
"No-, I-, it's just that I-"
"It's alright, I understand. Thirteen istoo old for these kinds of stuff." Ogata held up both his hands to show his withdraw. "But it seemed like yesterday I was giving out free piggyback rides, I guessed Meijin never did spend much time-"
"It has nothing to do with my father," Akira replied absently, his usual sharp instincts made rusty by drowsiness. Then it occurred to him a second later the older man was referring to his premature return from the hospital.
Ogata peered over the wire rim of his glasses, watching expectedly at the younger boy who stood up in a slight defensive manner. "Then what is it Akira?"
Akira pressed his lips into a fine thin line and instantly Ogata knew he wasn't going to get his answer.
Flicking off the glowing end of his cigarette, he watched the ashes danced in the wind before dispersing. "Never mind that, just go to sleep, you are hardly awake to hear me lecture about health and make a hypocrite of myself."
Hesitantly Akira bowed and headed for the door.
"And Akira," the foot steps stopped. "I wouldn't go in if I were you. They are waiting for you inside."
Akira blinked at him in surprise.
"Your father's study group is going to ambush you with interrogation. I'm merely warning you in advance."
A small 'oh' was all Akira managed.
Ogata patted on his own suit clad shoulder then on the spot next to him. "There's room for one more."
Author's note: First of all, thank you for reading! Feel free to tell me if anything is off or interesting. I'm still trying to harness the characters and timeline (sheepish I haven't read volume 13 or 14 yet but I've read bits and pieces before and after that, so this was written based on the timeline posted by the wonderful Toriyama). I typed up the chapter with Akira and Hikaru being thirteen/fourteen in mind, therefore this is a rather grey area between their more carefree younger self and their… well, less carefree older selves. Just a word of forewarning, I have a tendency to cook up stories from the middle and while that's wonderful to know it's going places, I'm still scratching my head over how to write the more recent chapters, like the next one. My apologies in advance for any turtle-express (slow) updates. PS- does anyone know how to double space on ff net? I've tried and failed miserably. :P
I would be delighted to hear from you and your wonderful muses. -smile-