Disclaimer : I don't own Slam Dunk
This is my first fic, I'm sorry about my grammar and every mistakes because English is not my mother tounge
This story take place after Shohoku against Sannoh. And Sakuragi's back not made any permanent injury and he's just in the hospital for a while.
…...
When the game's end, Shohoku is filled with euphoria. They rejoice, screaming, yelling, crying, to expressed their happiness. In the court, in the middle of happiness, there's a sound of someone falling to the ground.
Everyone's suddenly get silent and staring at each other until they realize that is Sakuragi whose falling.
"It's hurt...my back..." Sakuragi sounds like crying. His body is full of sweat and trembling. Everyone's shiver to look at Sakuragi laying on his stomach at the ground. It must be very hurt, they thought.
"Help! Paramedic! Help!" Ayako is the first to react and get panic. She run to the paramedic which is standby at the side of the court.
"Hanamichi! Hanamichi are you all right! ? Hanamichi, stay awake!"
Ryota get panicked and try to make Sakuragi talk, but he only reply "It's hurt.. it's hurt.."
Yohei just stand behind the crowd and praying in silent. He can't stand to see Sakuragi's painful face. Sakuragi is never - ever cry or whining after he get hurt. When he fell from his bicycle when they were kids, or get punched and some gangster broke his arm, he just stand up and keep his pride. So, if he can't stand up and even crying, it must be really really painful.
Not so long, the paramedic team is coming and check Sakuragi's back. At the moment paramedic move him to the stretcher, Sakuragi's roar.
"NO! PUT ME DOWN! I DON'T WANNA GO TO THE HOSPITAL! NO! NO! NOT THE HOSPITAL!"
And then Sakuragi's crying so hard and screaming.
Everybody's shock and have no clue about what's happening.
"Oh my god" Yohei rushed to the front of the crowd.
"Hanamichi calm down! Hanamichi! Can you hear me!? Hanamichi,calm down! It's me Hanamichi, it's me! Listen, you just have to calm yourself and go to the hospital to fix your back, ok?"
"Yohei... *sob* sob* I don't wanna go there...uuuhuhuhu" sakuragi just face down the stretcher and crying out loud. Everyone's just speechless. They never see Sakuragi like this before.
Yohei take his wallet from his pocket and take a strip of medicine. He cut it open and take a tablet to his palm.
"Here, chew this and go to hospital!"
"Nooo! No no no no! I'm not gonna eat that stupid tablet Yohei! Not that stupid medicine!"
"Trust me Hanamichi, eat this and I will be there when you open your eyes. Trust me. Trust me."
Sakuragi's calm down a little and open his mouth and then chewing the tablet.
"There you go, tensai. Good boy!" Yohei patted Sakuragi's head. After that Sakuragi get calm and stop crying. The paramedic bring him out of the court.
"Ah.. wait!" Yohei called one of the paramedic. "Ano... it's a strong tranquilizer. Tell the doctor that he's traumatised with hospital, and that tranquilizers work for 6 to 8 hours."
The paramedic only nod and rushed out.
The team getting more shocked to hear what yohei said to the paramedic. A strong tranquilizer? Sakuragi's traumatized about hospital and need strong tranquillizer?!
"I'll go first with my motor bike, you guys catch up fast ok?!" Yohei said to the Gundan and then running fast to the exit door.
The team only fell silent once again.
"Ano... what's really happend with Hanamichi?" Ryota ask the gundan.
"Well it's a long story. In short, If you want to know the 'other side' of Hanamichi you guys should come to the hospital." Said Takamiya.
...
After showering and clean themselves as fast as light, the team ready to go to the hospital following the rest of the gundan.
They walk and take the bus. The team were extremely quiet all the time. No one even start a conversation. They just fly off with their own mind. But one thing the same about them is Sakuragi's painful face is flashed behind their eyes again and again.
Ayako and Haruko just fell quiet with tears in their eyes.
The boys just gaze the floor, and Rukawa shut his eyes tightly.
When they arrived, Sakuragi's just still unconscious in his room with Yohei stand in the corner of the room.
"Ah there you are. His back only a small injury, it's hurting him but not that bad. His back will heal in no time." Yohei said to the team and gundan. Suddenly they all relaxed.
"Thank god. .. thanks..." Ayako and Haruko crying.
"Anyway I need to pee right now. Just standby here for a while. I'll back with snack, ne, Takamiya?" Yohei rushed to go outside.
"No! Wait.. yohei, what if he wake up?" Noma asked, terrified.
"Just call and find me immediately! I will be at the toilet or vending machines alley!" and with that Yohei gone behind the wall. The gundan just stare at each other.
"Hey.. what will happen if he wake up?" Finally Mitsui talk.
"The tranquilizer had a side effect for him. Well.. after he unconscious because the tranquilizer, he will wake up and get in "semi-unconscious" stage. He will wake up but blabbering about everything and let out his depression thought. After he get tired because a non stop talking, he will sleep and then he will be normal when he wake up for the second time. That's why I said you will know hanamichi other side."
The team just staring each other.
"Nggh..." Sakuragi stirred and open his eyes, but staring blankly.
"Oh crap!" Noma rushed out of the room trying to find Yohei.
"Hanamichi! How's your feel?" Ryota touch Sakuragi's hand but there's no response. "Hanamichi?" Ryota wave his hand in front of Sakuragi's eyes, but still no response. His eyes open but no response. Ryota get scared. "What happend to him?!"
"When he's in this stage, he only listen and response to Yohei. Even his eyes open, he just see black. He will get panicked in no time if there's no Yohei."
"Aarghh!arrgghh! Yoheii!Yoheii!' Sakuragi's trembling and panicked with his eyes open and stare blank.
"Hanamichi! Hanamichi!" Ryota try to shake Sakuragi's body.
"It's no use. He only like robot and recognised Yohei's voice." Said Takamiya, stand still in the corner with Ookusu, not trying to calm Sakuragi even once.
"Why is that?!" Mitsui getting confused.
When Takamiya start explaining, Yohei rushed in with Noma and reach Sakuragi's hand.
"I'm here, I'm here! Sorry Hanamichi, I'm here!"
Sakuragi eyes still stare blankly but his hand searching out for Yohei's hand like a blind man.
"You fool! You said you will be here if I wake up! I'm scared, yohei! I'm scared! It's so dark and lonely!"
Everyone in the team just staring at each other again, drowning in confusion.
"I know I'm sorry ok? I want to pee I can't hold it. There, there, I'm sorry"
Yohei patted Sakuragi's head softly.
Suddenly, tears slowly flowing from his eyes.
"Why Hanamichi? How's your feel? What's on your mind?" Yohei said calmly and squeeze Sakuragi's palm.
"I'm scared Yohei. I'm feeling.. lonely."
"Why? You have me and the boys, and the team? The hell you guys just win against Sannoh!"
"You know... maybe I should die. I feel so damn lonely. I want to be desired. I want to be needed. I want to be loved."
"Well I love you, all the boys love you. Shohoku need you the tensai!"
"It's a bullshit youhei. I'm not that genius, you know that. I'm a doahou just like rukawa called me. Just a stupid human being. I'm useless. I'm useless! !"
Suddenly Sakuragi's trembling and crying loud.
"Why the fuck I'm alive?! My dad die because of me, Yohei! Because I'm a useless human yohei. Why on earth I am alive! Why! Why!"
"It's okay Hanamichi. .. it's okay... it's not your fault.."
"I'm tired of smiling and laughing like a fool. I'm tired to use my mask. I'm tired Yohei. I just want to smile from my heart. Not only because I want to hide my feeling. I want to smile from my heart... I don't like to wake up and face the reality that I am alone. Wake up and no one's there. Wake up in the silent. Wake up alone. Living with my own is not that fun...it's hurt"
"It's okay Hanamichi. . It's okay. Keep positive Hanamichi. If there's a way I could help you I will do everything. I will do. Because I'm here. Your friends is always besides you. Just try to open yourself, Hanamichi. It's okay to feel sad. It's okay to be weak. You can be yourself anytime."
Sakuragi doesn't reply. He just crying silently for some minutes. The room is filled with Sakuragis tears and sadness. No one dares to make a sound or move.
"I want a hug" he said in the middle of his tears.
"Make sure you hug me when I wake up, ne, Yohei? I just want someone hugging me. "
"Sure, hanamichi, sure."
With that, sakuragi's eyes close for the second time and he fall asleep. Without notice, Yohei's eyes is teary.
"What is that... what's the meaning of this!? Why.." Akagi's rough voice hanging in the air, wanted an explanation.
Yohei clear his throat and began.
"Well you see.. the one Hanamichi that you know is not the real him. Well yeah that smiling and big words is his nature. But behind that mask he is a man with depression and suicidal. When in junior high school, his father dead because of heart attack and he's too late to save him. He got into fight with a gang when he want to rushed to the hospital. After he got beaten and the gang was gone, he try to drag his father to the hospital near his house, not care if his father dead or alive. But when he arrived in the hospital, he fainted.
I got there when he fainted and stay beside him all day. And when he wake up, he get up immediately and looking for his father. When the doctor said that his father passed away, he scream and trembling uncontrolled. And I'm the only one who talk to him at that time and he's like only hear my voice. That's why doctor give him a medicine and make me as his personal 'psychiatric'. If he get unconscious or get panic attacks or something, he will only recognised my voice. So I always stick with him.
After that incident, he become depressed and always want to cut himself. He need a whole year to recover his mood and that's why when he get into Shohoku he decided to use that foolish mask. It's true his nature is childish and wild and cheerful. But after that incident he can't smile from the heart. He always feel guilty if he feel happy. He is not that dumb. I think you all know that."
All the team just gasp and tears flowing everywhere. The gundan even crying harder even tough they already know the story.
"I'm sorry Hanamichi, we never know..." Ryota said to the sleeping Sakuragi.
...
Sakuragi open his eyes slowly. He look Yohei sit beside his bed, smiling softly at him.
"Hello hanamichi" Yohei smiling from ear to ear.
"Why the hell you smiling like that?"
"Cmon, get up. Sit!" Yohei push the button and the bed move up slowly and make Sakuragi sit down.
"What? What do you want youhei?"
With a fast move, Yohei hug Sakuragi tightly and patted his head.
Sakuragi just close his eyes and smile.
"Thankyou, Yohei..."
...
A few next day, Sakuragi go to school normally. He got up and walk to school with the gundan. In the way to the classroom he meet some of basketball members and they just smile nervously around him, doesn't know how to react when Sakuragi greeted them normally.
"NYAHAHAHA THE TENSAI IS HERE!" and that afternoon, Sakuragi laugh in the front of gym door. Everyone just stop doing whatever they do and just stare at him, no one knows how to react. Sakuragi's laugh hanging in the air, and he doesn't know what to do next. It's a full awkward for the first time. The gym stand still like the time has stopped.
Even Akagi can't say a word.
And suddenly...
"Do ahou..."
Rukawa walk toward Sakuragi. At the second when Sakuragi want to start bickering, Rukawa hug him. Sakuragi's speechless...and then crying in rukawa's shoulder.
"What? You said you want a hug..." rukawa say in an emotionless tone like always.
Ryota and Mitsui hold their tears and joining embrace the two of them. Akagi come and join the embrace awkwardly. The others just come closer and crying.
"Welcome home, Sakuragi..."
Sakuragi just close his eyes and smiling. Smiling from his deepest heart.