VICTOR KATSUKI-NIKIFOROV SUSTAINS HEAD INJURY DURING TRAINING

TOKYO (Reuters) – Victor Nikiforov always did surprise his audience, although this might be the largest and most dramatic of them all.

The five-time World Figure Skating Champion sustained a head injury during a training session in Hasetsu while working with Yuri Plisetsky, 21, his current student in preparation for this upcoming skating season. According to reports from bystanders, Nikiforov was coaching Plisetsky on a jump when he missed his landing resulting in the crash to the ice.

Nikiforov, 33, was rushed to the local hospital where he is still undergoing treatment. Attempts to reach his husband, Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov, 30, have gone unanswered.

More as this story develops.

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Yuri Plisetsky clicked off his cellphone and slipped it back into his pocket. That had been the third story about Victor's injury that he had read in the last 10 minutes. At least this story had gotten their facts correct.

Sighing, he pushed off from the wall in the hospital waiting room where he had been standing and made his way down the silent, sterile hallways of Hasetsu General Hospital. He stopped in front of room 272, which had been left open just enough that he could push it open. Slowly, he did just that.

And the scene he walked in on was soul crushing.

Lying propped up in a hospital bed, hooked up to a ventilation machine and unconscious, was Victor. A large purple bruise had formed against his forehead from where he had landed against the ice after showing Yuri how to land a quad axel. The younger Russian had been having a hard time landing the difficult jump, which was fine since it had taken Victor until he was 29 and in his last season to land it cleanly.

Moving out of his thoughts, Yuri noticed the raven-haired figure that was curled up in a chair that had been moved next to the bed. Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov loosely held onto his husband's hand while his own head was resting against his own arm that had been propped up on the bed. His blue framed glasses were still on, which meant that he wasn't asleep. So perhaps he was just worn out? Anxious?

Who knew?

As quietly as he could, Yuri moved another chair next to the bed. Once he was seated in it, Yuuri lifted his head up and looked at the younger skater.

"This isn't your fault," Yuuri softly said, seeing the turmoil in the younger's eyes.

"Yeah it is," Yuri whispered. "If I hadn't been so insistent on learning that jump, then none of this would have happened. We wouldn't be sitting here in a hospital, not knowing what's going to happen when the doctors bring him out of whatever they did to him. For all we known, the brain swelling might never go down!"

Tears began to run down Yuri's face as the older man pulled him into his arms. "Shh," Yuuri cooed. "I'm sure that everything will be ok. You'll see."

"Promise?"

Yuuri smiled softly and nodded. "Besides Victor has more than just you and I pulling for him to be ok," Yuuri said as he gently ran a hand along his stomach.

"is that why you've been sick lately?" Yuri asked in realization.

Yuuri nodded yes. "We just had it confirmed yesterday. I'm roughly six weeks along."

"So your last heat?"

"Yes. We've been planning for a while and we got lucky on the first try it seems." Yuuri said, continuing to caress his stomach gently. "Victor was thrilled and he couldn't stop talking about everything we were going to do as a family. His excitement made me even more excited."

"All the more reason for the old man to recover."

A week had passed since Victor's head injury. Everyday, Yuuri would sit by his bedside, whispering things to him, while holding his hand. And everyday, Yuri would make sure that Yuuri would eat what he could and go home to get a good night's sleep – for both him and the baby. Yuri already felt bad enough because of Victor's injury. If anything happened to Yuuri and the baby, he would probably loose it.

"Good news, Mr. Katsuki-Nikiforov," Dr. Deek, the attending neurologist said after checking over the latest MRI scan of Victor's brain that had been taken just hours ago. "It looks like the swelling has gone down enough to rouse your husband."

It had been eight days since the accident.

Eight days with Victor in an induced coma to bring down the intracranial pressure from the crash to the ice. The doctors had treated him with a cocktail of different drugs – all of which had gone over Yuuri's head. The main thing he knew was that the crash had caused Victor's brain to swell. He had been put into an induced coma once the doctors had determined the first day that this was the best course of action, even when Victor had arrived unconscious to the hospital.

"Really?" Yuuri asked, with a smile on his face.

The doctor nodded. "It will take a while, but I am still optimistic about his outcome."

Yuuri sighed in relief.

For the next several hours, Yuuri sat silently next to his husband's bed, watching and waiting for any signs of Victor regaining consciousness. it was close to the end of visiting hours, when Yuri first noticed movement coming from Victor's hand. 'Finally! He's waking up!' Yuri thought as he sat up straight in the chair next to Victor's bed.

A slight moan came from Victor where his head had lulled to the side.

"Hey there sleepyhead," Yuuri softly said, trying to get Victor's attention.

Slowly Victor turned to look at Yuuri. There was a bit of confusion spread across his face and even in his vivid blue eyes. "Wha-wait...who are you? Did the doctor send you?" he slowly asked, his voice sounding gravely since he hadn't used it in over a week.

Yuuri didn't say anything to Victor's question, so instead Victor reached out and placed a finger against Yuuri's cheek. "Wow. Okay. Yooouuuu are EYE CANDY. You're so beautiful, you must be a model or something, right?"

A blush tinged Yuuri's cheeks as he slowly held up his right hand. "N-no, I'm Yuuri and I'm your husband," he slowly said.

"WE'RE MARRIED?!" Victor said in shock. "ничего́ себе́!"

Yuuri didn't say anything as Dr. Deek and a nurse walked in. "Well look who is awake!" the doctor cheerily said as he began to examine Victor.

Without saying anything, Yuuri sat by and watched. Had Victor really forgotten who he was? About them? What was going on? Would Victor be ok? Would they be ok?

He had to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he slowly ran his hands along his stomach, concentrating on their unborn child. He would be strong for their child.

They would make it through this.

Whatever this was.

Next chapter: Victor's diagnosis! Otabek moves to Hasetsu to help out and for Yuri's sanity.

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ничего́ себе́! – Oh wow!