Kono sat by Chin's bedside and did not bother hiding her tears as she watched the regular blips that were making their way across the heart monitor, one of the only signs that the prone figure in the bed was alive. The ICU was dark, the evening having moved on into the wee hours of the morning. Her gaze drifted from the lines moving across the screen to the figure the leads were attached to and suppressed the urge to sob.
A blanket was pulled to his waist, revealing stark white bandages that wound around his bare chest. To Kono, they made his usually toned upper body look swollen and deformed. An intubation tube was shoved down his throat, forcing air into his healing lungs. Too many wires and tubes snaked from his body to machines and bags, collecting data and performing basic activities that he was too incapacitated to do.
Kono reached out a trembling hand to grasp her cousin's hand, mindful of the IV that was attached to the back.
"Please, Chin," Kono pleaded, her voice raspy from crying. "Please, just hang on for a couple more hours. Doc says you'll pull through if you make it through tonight." Her fear was mounting with every heartbeat, fear that he would make it down to the final hour and just tank because his body wasn't willing to fight anymore. She glanced at the clock and tightened her grip.
"Come on, big brother, just three more hours 'til daybreak. Please, I don't know how I'm going to continue on without you."
She thought of all the times he'd been there for her, times she knew she wouldn't have survived without him by her side. When she busted her knee and was locked out of pro surfing for good, her soul had been ripped to shreds. Surfing was as much a part of her as her arms and legs and without it, she was as good as crippled. Extended family members dropped out of her life, unable to watch her misery any longer, leaving Chin and her parents to pick up the pieces and try to put them back together again. It was Chin who drove her to every one of her physiotherapy sessions, Chin who ignored the time and bought her grape shaved ice when she was so frustrated she cried. Most importantly, it was Chin who talked her through the pain, who held her when she cried and the thought of losing him was more than she could bear.
Her mind brought her back to the scene of the incident and she was terrified.
They have their guns drawn, fingers on the trigger as they stand back to back, watching the area around them with a wary eye. Kono can almost feel the terror that is emanating from the children crouching under the picnic benches. The family picnic's happy and relaxed atmosphere had morphed into one of fear and tension.
"Movement on your right," Chin says softly, his mouth barely moving. Kono presses her back against his as a sign that she has heard him.
"On my count," Chin whispers. He counts down and in that moment, time slows to a crawl. Kono pivots on her right foot and trains her gun on the masked figure crouching in the forest. Without hesitation, she depresses the trigger.
Two bangs ring and the children scream.
The figure freezes for a split second before pitching forward and landing in the bushes.
At first, Kono thinks that it is Chin who's fired the second shot. She's just about to turn around to ask him who he thinks fired the fateful shot when his hand grips her bicep and tightens. She turns to face him and at that moment, her heart almost stops. He is staring down at the blood that is blossoming across his chest, turning the yellow flowers on his bright Hawaii t-shirt into splotches of darkness. His gaze meets hers and she sees the shock and the pain in his eyes. What terrifies her, however, is the apology she can see, the apology that is meant for the pain he is about to put her through. His grip relaxes and his knees buckle, sending him towards the floor. Without thinking, Kono grabs him before he hits the ground. She screams for someone to pass her clean towels even as she is easing him onto her lap. His eyes are closed, breathing labored.
A stack of clean towels meant for the surfing that wasn't going to take place was thrust into her hands. She moves, her hands trembling as she presses one towel against the bullet wound, eliciting a low moan from her cousin. Someone is talking to her, but it seems to be coming from far, far away, like she is standing at one end of the tunnel and the speaker the other. She hears the words "ambulance" and "coming" and that's all that matters to her because help is coming. Help is coming for Chin, and in a way, help is coming for her as well.
She was jolted out of her flashback by the footsteps of a nurse who had entered to take Chin's vitals. The nurse, whose nametag read Cassie, flashed her a sympathetic smile as she went about her job quickly and efficiently. Kono's heart hammered in her chest as she watched Cassie's precise movements which painfully emphasized the inactivity of the man in the bed.
"How is he?" Kono asked, dreading the answer as much as she anticipated it. Cassie smiled at her as she jotted something down on a clipboard.
"He's doing great," she replied and Kono relaxed her death grip on Chin's hand. She leaned against her chair and released a shaky breath. "Don't worry," Cassie said as she rested a hand on Kono's shoulder. "He'll pull through. He's a fighter."
Kono chuckled, running a hand down her face.
"You have no idea," Kono replied. She reached out to grasp his hand again. Cassie squeezed her shoulder in an encouraging manner.
"I'll be back in about half an hour to check on him again," she said. Kono nodded gratefully.
"You hear that?" Kono asked softly as Cassie exited the room. "Even someone who's never met you says you're a fighter. I'm counting on you to fight your way back to me."
Kono jumped as Chin's hand tightened briefly in hers before relaxing once more.
"Cuz?" she asked, barely able to believe that she hadn't imagined it. His hand tightened again and his lips quirked into a small smile before he relaxed into sleep once more. Kono laughed jerkily as she propped her elbows on his bed and kissed the hand she held in her hands.
Chin was going to be fine and so was she.
Thank you for reading! (: