Upside Down
It was just a trip to the practice match with Nekoma. Fukurodani was invited as well, but according to what Kenma had told Hinata over the phone, it was mainly because Bokuto had been making a fuss about his 'baby owl' and Akaashi finally couldn't take any more of it, bluntly telling their coach to schedule a practice match with Nekoma, and telling Kuroo to schedule yet another practice match with Karasuno.
Only problem? The bus had yet again been booked by other clubs-to be more specific, by the swimming and basketball clubs. Both buses were gone. And there wasn't enough time to raise cash to buy yet another bus, plus they wouldn't need it anyway. The bus they'd raised money to buy had been loaned to the tennis club on the say-so of the headmaster two weeks ago, since he reasoned that, "You guys aren't using it right now, so why not?"
Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai had their own private cars, but each could only transport four members, five if Nishinoya and Hinata were on the same car. Therefore they had to enlist the help of Tanaka Saeko, the driving nightmare.
Hinata had immediately claimed Takeda-sensei's car, and Nishinoya went with him, as the two chibis were a set. Kageyama followed Hinata, saying that he wanted to discuss more strategies with him. Asahi followed the libero, and Yachi claimed the front seat, since there were only three girls who did not want to be squashed in with the boys. Sugawara, Daichi, Tanaka, Ennoshita and Kiyoko took Coach Ukai's car, Daichi and Suga having some things to ask the Coach. That left Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Narita and Kenoshita in Saeko's car.
Hinata felt sorry for his fellow first years and the two second years who were looking slightly green at the prospect. Tsukishima didn't seem particularly bothered, having his headphones blast music into his ears and just 'Mmm…' when Suga asked him if he was okay with the arrangement.
Oh, just you see… Kageyama remembered the last time Saeko had given them a ride.
Takeda-sensei delivered his customary speech which amazingly, never failed to bring up their spirits. "I know this isn't your first practice match with either Fukurodani or Nekoma, but this doesn't make the reasons for us to give it our all and win any less. I know they have been tutoring you some on defense and attacks, and may seem like teachers to you, but once on the court, you are equals fighting for dominance. Prove that you have improved, prove that you can surpass your teachers and senpais, as the Crows of Karasuno!"
"Osu!" They replied, pumping their fists, and piled into their assigned cars. Coach Ukai's car took off first, its occupants being more mature and not fidgeting around marking their territory for the next few hours to come. Like Hinata and Kageyama are doing right now.
"Your elbow is digging into my side, dumbass!" Kageyama growled. "For someone so small you sure are wide!"
Hinata responded by digging his elbow even deeper.
"S-Stop it! At this rate we aren't going to make it to Tokyo in time!" Yachi tried.
Saeko's car took off as well, but much more dramatically compared to Coach Ukai as it took a tight swerve and skirted around the corner, tires squealing and leaving plumes of dust in its wake.
Takeda-sensei stared, mouth agape. "I-Is that even safe?"
"No!" Kageyama and Hinata chorused, finally settling down when Nishinoya clambered over to plop between them.
"When she drives, it's all like Uwaaahh and then Eurghhhh but suddenly it goes all Purrrrr…"
Kageyama did not want to guess what that Purrrr was referring to.
Nishinoya stared at Hinata in abject horror. "Really? Did it go all Gerghhh?"
" Yes! Exactly like that!"
Asahi gave up on deciphering their conversation.
Takeda-sensei had already started driving, but the cloud of dust was nowhere in sight. The excitable members had finally settled down, and given the steady pace of Takeda-sensei's driving, they were finally konked out. Nishinoya was sprawled all over Kageyama, and Hinata was sprawled all over him in turn. Kageyama was able to sleep despite all the weight on him. Asahi was quietly admiring the peaceful mountain scenery. Yachi was doing the same.
The route they had picked was fairly deserted, cruising through the countryside. In the wee hours of the morning, they could admire nature in its serene beauty.
Until they saw a peculiar lump of metal ahead of them.
"Was that a car accident?" Asahi questioned.
Yachi 'Eeep'ed and her overactive imagination came out to play once more.
Saeko had been driving really fast. She might have crashed into something…
"We should call the authorities." Takeda-sensei handed his phone to Yachi, who fumbled with it for a second and nearly dropped it. The car continued to close on the wreck. There were no signs of life.
"That's…There's…two cars." Asahi said, voice trembling. Yachi pressed 111 with shaking fingers and had to go back one space to put in the '0' instead of '1'.
Don't think that its them…it's definitely not them, of course. With the speed Saeko is driving they should be in Tokyo by now already.
Unless they crashed into Coach Ukai's car here and stayed like this until we got here…
NOTHING HAPPENED TO THEM ANYWAY NOW SHUT UP BRAIN.
"Hello, this is the National Police Department of Japan. May you please give your location and nature of emergency so that we can route you to the correct authorities?" A clear, crisp female voice was speaking on the other end and Yachi started, nearly dropping the phone.
"Um, hello, Police-san, I would like to report a car accident, um, on…" She looked to Takeda-sensei for help and caught a glimpse of the looming accident scene which was getting closer. There were shattered glass shards everywhere and he was forced to stop the car to avoid puncturing his tires or getting caught up in an explosion. The gasoline on the ground was a ticking bomb.
Takeda took the phone over. "Ah, we are on Sakura Highway, Lane 114." He paused for a while. "Ah, hai, there's gasoline on the ground and glass everywhere…I've stopped the car, yes. Two cars. No, I can't tell the amount of passengers…okay, got it. We won't go anywhere near the wreck. Understood. Thank you very much…Asahi-san!"
Kageyama woke up at the force of the yell emitting from their normally soft-spoken teacher, jerking and sending Nishinoya sailing into Hinata, which woke everyone up.
Asahi had opened the car door and ran straight for the wreckage.
"I'm sorry, it's my student, he's heading for the wreck…I know, I'm trying! Asahi-san! It's dangerous! It might go up in flames any moment!"
Nishinoya ran after him and Hinata was fully awake right now, having the libero clamber across him to get to the car door. Kageyama 'tched'. "Idiots!"
Asahi flinched a little when his shoes splashed through the gasoline, but he didn't stop, instead crouching down beside the nearest car and starting to pick out all the glass shards from the front window.
"Nishinoya! Come back here!" Takeda-sensei was getting really scared now. "Operator-san, sorry but I need both hands to restrain my students."
He then promptly ended the call and turned to shoot Kageyama and Hinata a death glare.
"Don't even think of it. Yachi-san, I'm counting on you."
"H-Hai!"
He thrust the phone into the girl's hands and ran after the two boys, who had cut their hands removing the glass shards to peer inside-
-only to see Coach Ukai's unconscious body.
"Ukai-kun!" The teacher shooed his students away, attempting to yank the volleyball coach out of the car. He had only hit his head on the steering wheel, thank God, and the gash wasn't bleeding profusely. He still had a pulse.
"Asahi-san, Nishinoya-kun, please pull him out to a safer place. Ask Yachi-san if any of the wounds can be treated by the first aid kit she brought for you guys."
Asahi lifted Coach Ukai all by himself, and Nishinoya ran over to the car in front, which was upside down, anticipating the worst as Takeda-sensei tried all the doors to the car, to no avail. Once the door was not in its original shape, it's near impossible to be opened by hand.
So he resorted to dragging Kiyoko-san out through the driver's window. The manager's eyelids fluttered a little. The airbag was inflated, and there were no visible injuries other than a big bruise on her head, so she should be okay.
Meanwhile, Nishinoya was struggling under the weight of Saeko's body as he tried to get a grip on her through all the blood.
Oh. God.
The glass must have cut her face in several places, because it was a bloody mess. Maybe her nose was broken as well. There had to be broken bones from those weird angles her limbs were.
Worse.
She seemed not to be breathing.
Takeda averted his gaze and focused on trying to get everyone before the gasoline reacted to all the friction they were creating by dragging people here and there. They should wait for the police, really, they weren't professionals.
But this was their team.
Asahi ran over to Nishinoya, Hinata and Kageyama in tow, apparently having taken advantage of Yachi's momentary distraction in the form of Coach Ukai to help. Takeda didn't protest when Kageyama helped to lift Kiyoko bridal style and bring her back to Yachi. Takeda set about breaking the window of the back seats.
Nishinoya appeared to be crying. Asahi was stoic, reaching in to yank Kenoshita out of the shotgun seat. Hinata was frozen, and was gently led back to assist Yachi by Kageyama.
Takeda hit the glass twice with a rock before it finally gave way and broke. Takeda cringed, wondering if any of the glass shards flying inward had hit any of his students.
Tanaka was slumped over Daichi, who had flung his arms over Sugawara. The silver-haired setter in turn had one arm holding on to Daichi and the other wrapped around his kouhai Ennoshita. Takeda reached for Tanaka.
I wonder how he'll react to Saeko's condition…
Another pair of arms was beside him, supporting the bald head as he struggled to drag the muscular body out. Kageyama nodded to him silently, and hauled him to Yachi and Hinata with Nishinoya's help. Nishinoya was sobbing aloud, but despite the tears he was doing his best.
Sugawara woke up when Takeda pried Daichi's hands off him.
"What happened, sensei?" He asked, momentarily disorientated. His eyes were unfocused, and Takeda made a mental note: Probable concussion.
"Car crash. We're getting you out of here. Can you help push Daichi out?"
Suga blinked hard, trying to focus his thoughts. "Sure." He gently let go of Ennoshita and took Daichi's legs as Takeda grabbed his upper torso. Together, they heaved him out of the car.
"Is everyone alright?" Suga asked as he maneuvered Ennoshita into hauling position. "You got Coach Ukai, Ryuu and Kiyoko-san out, right?"
"Yeah. You guys are mostly okay. The worst so far was probably Ukai-san's head wound, but Yachi-san's treating it right now." Takeda replied. Suga didn't need to know about the other car yet. He hauled Ennoshita out with Kageyama's help and reached out to give Suga a hand as he tried to clamber out of the window.
Suga's eyes narrowed. "You guys?"
Takeda was happy for the distraction when Suga's legs got cut on by the remnants of the broken window and he hissed, losing his balance and falling onto the ground. Not one of his final moments. "Oww!"
Kageyama helped him up and for a moment, Suga saw the world spin.
"Everyone's safe now?" He pressed on.
Takeda cursed Kageyama when he gestured wordlessly to the car in front.
Suga's eyes went wide, and he rushed over in time to see Asahi and Nishinoya working to extract Yamaguchi's broken body from the car.
"It hit us…turned…flew over our car…" Suga's right hand went up to tug at his hair, closing his eyes. A trickle of blood flowed down his arm.
It dripped down into the petroleum.
"…and turned 180 degrees upside down…"
Kageyama had a firm hand on Suga's arm. "Senpai. We need you to go over to Yachi and treat whatever wounds you have. The petrol could blow up at any instant."
"…crashing into the road like that how can anyone survive?!" Suga's eyes snapped open. "I'm helping! Where's Yachi? I have some medical knowledge, I can help. Tsukishima's the last one in there, right? That means Tanaka-san, Kenoshita-san, Narita-san and Yamaguchi-kun all need help. Yachi won't be able to handle so many at once."
"Okay." Takeda-sensei took the slightly panicky third year by the arm and led him over to where Yachi was probably hyperventilating by now.
They had just cleared the site when something rubbed wrong against the gravel and the wreck exploded, sending debris into the air…
With Kageyama, Asahi, Nishinoya and Tsukishima still in it.
Takeda made to run into it, but Suga stopped him.
They could hear Yachi and Hinata scream.
And water sprayed upon the wreckage like a rainstorm after a drought.
"So you were taking your students to a practice match in Tokyo. Specifically, Nekoma High School. And you did not use the school bus or the club bus because the headmaster had promised it to another club."
"Yes." Takeda-sensei had his head in his hands. Four of his students. Gone up in flames.
"I am very sorry." The policewoman's voice softened. "But we need to conduct a thorough investigation into this. So that whatever caused today's tragedy will never happen again."
Oh, it won't. Takeda thought bitterly. Tanaka Saeko was confirmed dead on the spot. No one would ever be put at risk by her reckless driving ever again.
"So your students, Azumane Asahi and Nishinoya Yuu charged in first without thinking, and you followed to try to restrain them, but failed. Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shouyou then followed, but Hinata-kun could not take the sight and went back of his own accord. A wise decision." Her eyes bore sharply into the teacher, and he could feel himself shrink a little. He should have dragged them back bodily, damnit.
And lose Ukai, Shimizu, Sawamura, Sugawara, Tanaka, Ennoshita, Kenoshita, Narita and Yamaguchi?
"Yes." He replied weakly.
The policewoman rose. "Thank you, that is all. We will interview the students later. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Welcome." Takeda mumbled, and left for the bathroom.
In the hospital hall, Tanaka was weeping into the embrace of his father. The doctor had checked him and dressed his cuts, but declared him fine. He was required to stay overnight like everyone else for observation, but otherwise had no serious injury.
Apart from the hole that had been ripped in his heart by his sister's death.
"I should have stopped her from driving so fast…My teammates complained but we all laughed it off!"
Tanaka's father only pressed his son closer, glad that at least this child hadn't come to any harm.
Hinata was in hysterics, on the other hand, and a counselor was called in to talk to both him and his mother. Natsu was clinging to her brother, confused and scared. Hinata's father was the only parent actually paying attention to the counselor as Mrs. Hinata was doing her best to soothe her son.
"Just one whoosh! Just whoooosh and they were gone!"
"Whooooosh?" Natsu imitated her brother in hopes to make him laugh, but instead the boy only cried harder.
Sugawara had been taken in for a scan to check for brain damage, and his silver haired mother was clutching her bag tightly and biting her lip. Coach Ukai's head wound was only superficial, and confirmed to have no brain damage. He was talking to Nekoma's coach on the phone, stone-faced.
"Yes, an unfortunate accident. Literally. I'm sorry, with the injuries sustained…I don't think this match can be delayed. Cancelled, more like."
"…delay it I don't care if we have to wait years! I want to see how my baby owl's doing!"
"Ahem. I did most of the teaching. You just spiked. Baby cat, more like."
"…both of you are third years. Good luck waiting years."
"…coach, did you put the phone on loudspeaker?"
"Ah, sorry about them. Seems that they have grown fond of your team. Don't worry, we'll just delay it first and not fix a date. We can always cancel later. So how's the team?"
Coach Ukai sighed and ran a tired hand over his face. Daichi's father had just strode in the room and gave his son a huge bear hug.
"Our captain is okay, only a few bruises and cuts. All of us are staying overnight in the hospital, to satisfy the doctor's paranoia-"
"Which one is the captain?"
"The short black haired one, dark brown eyes, wing spiker, number 1, built kinda broad." A voice rattled off.
"Uh, yeah, that one. Our vice captain Sugawara Koushi, setter, number 2, silver hair-"
"You could have just said silver hair, I know right off which one he is when you say silver hair."
"Bokuto."
"Hmm?"
"Shut up."
Ukai cracked a small smile. "He's undergoing a brain scan right now. I think he's got a concussion from the way he acted during the crash, but otherwise nothing big."
"Told you to delay it."
"Bokuto. Shut up."
"Hinata, orange hair, Takeda, teacher advisor, Yachi, blonde hair, girl, manager, all three of them are okay, They weren't involved in the crash in the first place, they just helped to get people out. Tanaka, bald, he's alright, cuts and scrapes too. Ennoshita, dark hair quiet second year, same as Tanaka." Ukai ran through the names faster and faster, almost blubbering. "Kiyoko, I've been told all of you think she's pretty, black haired girl manager, she's okay, we got her out in time."
A chorus of 'Thank God's from the other end of the phone.
"Yamaguchi broke his right arm, they say he flung it up to protect himself at the moment of impact and had a nasty gash-okay, multiple nasty gashes on his torso, but we got there in time, he won't die from blood loss."
The other end of the phone quietened down. Only the occasional squeak of shoes was heard against the gym floor was heard as someone-someone whose world hadn't been turned upside down continued to practice volleyball.
"Kenoshita hit his head pretty hard, he might go into a coma, no one knows. They're waiting to see if the blood clotting in his head clears, They might have to operate to drain the excess blood and fluid. Narita lost a lot of blood through a head wound, they did a blood transfusion and reset his broken ankle, so he'll heal."
There was a long pause.
"…Kei?"
It was Fukurodani's ace. Across the room, Kenoshita's parents were holding each other, foreheads pressed together, fervently praying for their son.
"What happened to Tobio-chan?"
How on earth did Seijoh's setter-
"We were supposed to show up as a surprise." Oikawa continued mournfully. "What about your ace and libero anyway?"
Ukai's breath hitched.
"They…Nishinoya and Asahi…Shortie with small patch of yellow hair in front of his head, huge long haired man, he wore a headband during the last practice match-"
"Ukai-kun. You're rambling." Came the soft voice of Nekoma's coach.
"…Kageyama. The three of them were trying to get Tsukishima out. He was the last one, we were so close. To all of us being safe. Takeda-sensei stepped out for a second, he was guiding Sugawara over to Yachi's place, and the gasoline blew up."
"It erupted. Went up in flames. It was hot, blistering. The firemen arrived right on time to put it out, but in that split second when the flames raged without control-I thought we might lose them." Takeda-sensei put in quietly. His sudden appearance nearly made Ukai drop the phone. "Good news and bad. Choose."
"I'm dreaming. I'm even being forced to choose between good and bad news. This has to be a dream."
It was unclear who spoke, but it seemed to be Oikawa. Or Bokuto.
"Bad." Ukai didn't even hesitate.
"Tsukishima may not pull through. The doctors finally made a full report of his injuries. In addition to the 36% of third degree burns he got on his legs, he also got second degree burns on most of his body parts. Before the burning, the doctors estimate that he broke two ribs, and one punched right through his lungs. The ulna of his right arm was fractured and may have damaged the tissue surrounding it. All the fingers on his right hand are broken. His left arm suffered minimal damage…but his left ankle was snapped too. Clean break. He also has a head wound, which is the main cause of the blood loss but the fire fixed that. It cauterized the wound, but no one is sure whether the bacteria got in first because he's currently running a high fever as well."
Ukai shut his eyes tightly for a second. The good news'd better be good. "And the good news?"
Takeda cracked a smile. "Nishinoya's awake. Apparently Asahi protected him from the worst of it and the worst he sustained were second degree burns. Plus, the water was sprayed directly onto him when the firemen arrived."
A collective sigh of relief echoed through the phone, though they were still tense after the news about Tsukishima.
Tanaka collapsed onto a seat when he heard the news.
"There was one casualty though. Dead on impact." Ukai said, grim once more.
"I thought that was everyone? Did you recruit a new member?"
"No, it was Tanaka's older sister, Tanaka Saeko. She was the driver."
And everyone faced the very real possibility of someone actually dying from this. Tsukishima might not pull through. Kageyama and Asahi, still unknown.
They hated this.
It was all fun and sunshine until someone decides to crash the car, it seems.
To those who expected a new Ao No Exorcist fanfiction-Sorry! I got myself hooked on Haikyuu! Please ride this Haikyuu phase out. I always return to Ao No Exorcist, don't worry. It's like my anime base. My first anime…
On the other hand, however. Can anyone guess so far who this story is going to be centered around? And take a guess at my two favorite characters as well :)
I'm up to date with the anime, but I'm just starting on the manga so forgive me for any inconsistencies.
Crystal di Angelo, out.