THE SPIRIT 1

There were people talking.

At first, they were so far that he could not hear them quite clearly. But time after time, after sitting in the dark, dark room, wearing completely nothing and huddled in a fetal position, he could finally hear the words clearly. He understood them, but was confused. He had his eyes closed in that dark room, unmoving, his wrists and the back of his hands a bit numb.

His will to see grew and so he opened his eyes for the first time in so long and saw bright lights shining above and endless white.

*

Footsteps - loud and rushed. They were approaching him.

"Mr. Mitsui?" A voice called out. He could see a blur of flesh colors and black. He blinked several times and each time he did so, the vision cleared, revealing a face – tanned, old, glasses, dark hair and eyes – looking down at him. "Can you see? Mr. Mitsui?" He parted his lips to speak, trying to stretch out his vocal chords, but failed. All he could manage was a choked and raspy sound. "Water." The doctor instructed.

The nurse hurried to fetch the glass of water. Mitsui tossed his head to one side, annoyed by the bright light. His brows were knitted together in distress and he was biting his lower lip. Everything around him seemed to be drowning water – they were all wavering and slightly unclear. Maybe it was the light, he thought.

The nurse returned with a bottle and glass of mineral water. She quickly poured a glass then helped Mitsui sit up, propping his pillows and gently touching the glass to his lips. "Easy now." She said, and he took little sips, the cool liquid finding it somewhat difficult to get past his throat. He coughed several times, probably because he's been asleep for quite sometime and hasn't drunk or eaten anything. In the end, he ended up drinking the whole bottle and his throat felt a lot better.

"Tell me, Mr. Mitsui, can you see clearly?" The doctor asked.

He looked at him and narrowed his eyes, trying to focus his vision. It was still a bit blurry, but good enough to make out the features. It was the type of blur one got when he or she was extremely tired. "I can see you. Kinda' blurry though. I can't see very far."

The doctor heaved a sigh of relief. "Ah! That is good to hear, Mr. Mitsui. The reason everything is still blurry is because you haven't been using your eyes for sometime. It will be all right in a day or two." He gestured for the nurse to bring more water for Mitsui was rubbing his throat. "Do your eyes hurt?"

Mitsui tried to look at the mirror behind the doctor speaking to him. Not only was his eyes disarray but his mind too. Just what exactly was he doing in a hospital – again? His eyes ended up tearing when he tried to look at the mirror a good two meters in front of him. "If I try to look farther, yes it does hurt." The doctor nodded, but did not say anything. "What am I doing here? Why am I in a hospital again?"

The nurse came in that moment with three bottles of mineral water. She placed it on the bedside table and asked the doctor if he needs anything else, then she left. "Do you not remember?" The doctor asked.

"Remember what?" Mitsui tried to think back if he was involved in some gang fight again or anything along those lines. He ended up getting a bad headache just thinking. The more he thought the more his headache got worst. "No, I can't. It hurts. My head is a mess." He rubbed his head, wincing.

"I see." The doctor said, and pulled a chair to sit beside him. "You were hit by a car." Mitsui looked at him and tilted his head to one side, lips parting in question. "But you were lucky that the driver saw you and was able to hit the brakes before you took all of the impact." Mitsui closed his eyes and tried to remember.

He saw two bright headlights and a blue Toyota Echo.

"You were not entirely lucky. The impact pulled you towards the windshield of the car, and your head crashed the glass. That's why you still have a healing skull." He gestured to his head. Mitsui brought his fingers to his head and for the first time he felt the bandages. He also had long hair now. "You had a bad concussion and you've been in a coma for four months. The summer is long over. Winter is approaching."

Mitsui blinked again, trying to shake away the headache gnawing at him. "Four months? Here?"

"Yes, right here in this very bed." He answered with a nod. Mitsui looked at his nametag and read his name – Hajime. "We tried to contact your parents or any relative and could only reach one. Your uncle Ikari is the one paying for your hospital bills. I believe he is your only living relative. He is in Europe now and we've already notified him that you are now awake."

"Uncle Ikari." Mitsui searched for info in his head about that relative. His mind told him that he was his mother's brother who lost his family in a car crash and was now taking care of his business in Europe.

"The reason," He said, and looked at him seriously. "I keep asking about your eyes is because they received most of the damage. Your concussion was expected, and so was your coma. It is the case when a particular area of the head has been hit with a strong impact, which you are unfortunate to receive." He said, and cleared his throat. "Your eyes were in terrible condition when you were brought here. Many fine pieces of glass had entered and damaged your retina. We had to take out both your eyes and repair many of the blood vessels that were clogged with little glass pieces." Mitsui shivered and brought both his palms to his eyes, closing them for a moment. "We couldn't tell whether your vision would be normal once you wake up or not, but now that it is, I'm glad."

"You took my eyes out?" He said, still unbelieving. "How could you do that?"

"It was needed to be taken out or else you would be blind now, or your color vision would have been gone forever." He said, a small smile on his lips. "You'll be all right, you have been for four months." He got to his feet. "Now that I've told you everything you need to know about why you're here, I'm afraid I still have rounds to make. Ah! Yes, now I remember. A friend of yours is here too."

"Friend?" Mitsui looked up at him, blinking.

"Yes, yes. What an energetic bundle that boy is. I've never met anyone quite like him." He said, laughing. "I'm sure he'll be extremely happy of the good news. I shall inform a nurse to tell him about you. By the way, are you hungry?"

Mitsui looked a this stomach that was churning. "A bit."

"I will tell the nurse to bring you your dinner too. Don't strain yourself though. If your eyes or head begins to hurt badly, just punch 18 on the phone and I will be notified." He left the room, leaving Mitsui sitting on his bed, looking around him.

On his walls were posters of basketball stars – Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash. In one corner, on a table by the window, there were cards and a picture frame. Curious, he pushed the sheets aside and swung his feet slowly to the ground. When he got on his own feet, they buckled under him and he had to grab the sides of the bed to prevent himself from falling on the ground and risking another silly injury. He tried again and swayed on his feet for a few moments. His head was still wavering from being in one position for a long time and the sudden height made him feel a bit sick in the stomach. He walked over to the table by the window and picked up the picture frame. He stared at it intently, seeing the entire basketball team of Shohoku High pose in front of the camera, holding their flag, certificate of achievement, their trophy and all of them wearing medals for coming second in the district eliminations.

His eyes fell on the team members and he tried to remember their names. He knew them, but could not just pin point who was who. His mind was still a horrible mess – dusty, you can say. Someone would have to remind him of everything first before his head started running properly again.

The door opened and someone stepped in. "Mitchy!" He turned around and found a tall redhead. He looked at the picture and then back up. Yeah, he knew this guy. He was loud, noisy and called himself a genius. What was his name again? Something to do with flower. "Oh man! You're so skinny! Look at you!" He approached him and gave him a brotherly hug. "Glad you're awake! Man you scared the shit out of us, you know."

Mitsui looked at the warm and energetic brown eyes of the redhead in front of him. "I know you. You're in my team. What's your name again?"

"What?" Sakuragi took several steps back, shocked. "You don't know me? Do you know everyone else?" He approached Mitsui and began to shake him by the shoulders. "What is with you? Are you memories gone? Do you have amnesia? Answer me!"

Mitsui whacked him on the head with the nearest object he touched – a rolled up newspaper. "Idiot! I said I know you. My head is just mixed up. Everything is a mess. I just need someone to remind me of things then I'm fine! Geez, once an idiot, always an idiot."

"I am not an idiot!" Sakuragi protested. "Sakuragi Hanamichi."

"Ah!" Mitsui suddenly grinned and pointed at him. "The idiot."

"I am not an idiot!" Sakuragi stomped his feet and pouted. He and Mitsui stared each other down before bursting out laughing together. "You know, you should be sitting down."

"Last time I checked, Hajime was my doctor." Mitsui said, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh – " Sakuragi pretended to look thoughtful. "Last time I checked you were the one in a coma."

"Hey! Hey! I want to stand. How do you know what's it like lying down in the same bed for four months?" He asked, now a bit annoyed.

Sakuragi shrugged. "I do have a brief idea." He grumbled and pulled a chair, sitting down. "By the way, Mitchy. Does your eyes hurt? Dr. Hajime was pretty concerned about them."

"They're okay." Mitsui, looking up when the door opened. A nurse came in carrying a tray and told him that it would be better if he sat down for now. She placed the tray of food on the table that was folded at the side of the bed and then left, telling him that he felt sick or anything to just page the desk.

"Hey! That's sure a lot better than the stuff they feed me here." Sakuragi said, peeking at the tray Mitsui was now staring at. His mouth was actually watering and his stomach growling. Mitsui smirked and took some soup in. "Anou – I've been itching to ask this question, ever since you – you know." Mitsui looked up and blinked, setting his spoon down. It was only then did he notice that Sakuragi was wearing the silliest pair of pajamas he's ever seen. They were light blue with little yellow cows printed all over them. He choked on his own air, hiding a smile. Sakuragi gave him this look and he motioned for him to continue. "That night, after out first match in IH, when I was taken to the hospital, that was the same night you – you –"

"Got hit by a car." Mitsui said and looked at his bowl of soup. "Yes, who told you?"

"Megane." Sakuragi said. Mitsui nodded, and he knew that Kogure was the one who told Sakuragi. "He also said that you were angry."

"Angry at myself." Mitsui said, still looking at his soup.

"Why?" Sakuragi asked, leaning back against the chair and stretching his legs.

"Because –" Mitsui felt his eyes watering. "Because look what happened? That ball was meant for me to catch, or save or whatever it is I could do. I was supposed to be alert at all times, because I'm a shooting guard. But no!" He clenched the sheets of the bed. "I – I was a weakling. I couldn't even walk straight anymore. I was seeing two of everything all because of – of – of pride! Of bloody pride that made me stop playing for two years!"

"Mitchy." Sakuragi said, biting his lower lip.

"And then you came. And you somehow manage to save the ball just to get us some points. And then, you were no longer moving." Mitsui shut his eyes. "And look at you now!"

Sakuragi shook his head. "You shouldn't worry."

"Shouldn't worry?" Mitsui stared at him in disbelief. "I shouldn't worry? Damnit, do you have any idea how many depends on you? Do you have any idea how many people you inspire? And it's your back, of all parts! Your back! I – I was so afraid that maybe your injury could have made you paralyzed. Paralyzed!" Mitsui turned away, the despair that he felt that night four months ago hitting him hard in the chest. "It was raining that night, and you were sleeping here, in the hospital. We just left and were going separate ways. I remember that it was cold and everyone kept asking if I was okay." Sakuragi kept looking at his feet. "I did not want to be responsible for a teammate's loss." He looked up at Sakuragi, tears brimming in his eyes. "Believe me when I say that not being able to play anymore is the most difficult thing to accept."

"I know." Sakuragi said, nodding and patted his shoulders, handing him the box of tissues. "I know. Now quit crying. You're making me cry also! Stop it! We're young men aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are." Mitsui said, smiling and they both burst out laughing again.

Mitsui continued eating his dinner while both of them spoke of past games they played during the eliminations. They spoke till the wee hours of dawn unaware of the time, until a nurse came in and scolded both of them for making too much noise in their ward. Sakuragi was forced to return to his room but vowed that he would come the next day after his therapy.

Mitsui laid on his pillow sleep not coming to him at all. He dimmed the lights and tried to catch some sleep. For some strange reason, he was feeling sleepy. It was ironic because he's been asleep for four months. He rolled his eyes at his thoughts and instead he sat by the window and looked outside, beyond the hospital gates. He found a hospital patient walking through the gardens and found that strange. He continued watching the person who sat by the fountain looking in to the waters. Mitsui frowned. The hospital allowed people to wander in the gardens at night?

"Cool!" He said to himself, thinking that he might go and take a walk himself.

He left the window and pulled on a jacket over his pajamas. He left the room and casually walked towards the exit. He knew his way around because he spent quite sometime in that very hospital when he injured his knee. So he took the side exit that would take him directly to the swings. A little cool and fresh air may do him some good.

"Excuse me, sir? Where are you going?" A nurse asked, noticing him pass by the nurse's desk.

Mitsui turned around and blinked. "To the gardens. For a walk."

"I'm sorry sir, but you will have to go back to your rooms." The nurse said, folding her arms.

"Eh?" He suddenly voiced out, eyes blinking again. For some strange reason, his vision was blurring again. "But someone is in the gardens. That's why I thought I could go for a walk too."

"Just a moment." The nurse headed for the desk and dialed the security room. She asked if there was anyone outside in the gardens using the surveillance camera. She thanked the person and closed the line. "I'm sorry sir. But nobody is in the gardens right now."

TBC