Prompt: Nagisa is dying of cancer, and his friends all surrounds him.
~oOo~
A Free! Fanfiction
Forever Be Remembered
~oOo~
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The room was still and silent, despite the beeping of the machines. A pale boy laid quietly in the white cotton bed. Three people in the room lingered around.
Knock, knock.
The door slid opened and there stood at the other side were the last remaining close friends of the patient.
"Rin... Gou..." A young man with glossed green eyes croaked. He stood up, almost completely towering over the other two.
"How is Nagisa, Makoto?" Asked the girl.
The other slouched, his head turned slightly to the side. "He's still sleeping..."
No one else talked after that. Rin and Gou made their way inside the hospital room. The taller of the two shut the door and placed a plastic bag onto the table against the wall.
"I bought you guys some food." Rin said as he slowly took out the contents of the bag.
"Ah... T-thank you..." A boy with red framed glasses had gotten up to help pass out the food. Rin only gave the younger boy a curt nod and a grunt before he gave a lunch box to a blue-eyed boy that sat next to the table.
"Hey. Haru." Rin said.
The boy's eyes rolled to the corners and they looked into Rin's. "Hm?"
"Here. Your food. Eat it." Rin grabbed Haru's hand and forced the box into them.
"Thanks..." He replied softly. Everyone had their own lunch and began to eat in silence as they watched their friend lie in the bed.
Rin stared at the patient with fierce yet remorse eyes. Makoto noticed and decided to speak up.
"He's been in here for three months and I'm still not used to Nagisa not having hair..." Makoto forced out a whimpered laugh.
The red headed boy frowned. His brows squished together as he stared at the bald boy.
"Mmnnn..."
Everyone was literally at the edge of their seats as Nagisa began to wake from his slumber.
"N-Nagisa!" Makoto cried.
The boy forced himself to get up but slumped back into his bed. His cheeks puffed out as he scrunched his face. "Could one of you help me sit up please?"
"Here." The red-framed boy took a small rectangular device from the bed and pushed a button. Half the bed erected, allowing Nagisa to sit up without having to use up all his strength.
"Thank you, Rei-chan!" Nagisa whispered.
Rei tried to push the corners of his lips up but failed as the smile became a pensive line. "You're welcome..."
The magenta eyed boy noticed two new faces in the room and recognized them immediately.
"Rin-chan! Gou-chan!" His voice bursted with lost enthusiasm. The two of them being there with everyone else had brighten his pale complexion.
"Nagisa, how are you feeling?" Gou asked. Her hands were placed on the edge of the bed.
He smiled impishly. "I'm fine. I feel fine. I guess, ha ha!"
"You sure are taking this lightly..." Rin commented.
Gou snapped her head around and glowered at her brother. "Onii-chan!"
Nagisa couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I don't really have much time now... So I may as well enjoy what's left of my life."
Rin clicked his tongue and folded his arm in front of him, his hand tucked underneath his elbows. "You certainly have changed... Haven't you?"
Nagisa shrugged. "I don't think I've changed that much."
Haru and Makoto then joined the other three and soon, everyone had gathered around Nagisa.
"How's the swimming going?" Nagisa questioned.
"It's fine. We've got some new members now, too." Makoto answered.
The bald boy beamed. "That's great news! Ah! I wish I could see the new members!"
Everyone continued to walk on eggshells at the fact that Nagisa couldn't leave the hospital room. Rin however, pushed any sympathetic feelings aside.
"Maybe when you get better, you could see them for yourself." He said point blank.
Nagisa's smile hadn't diminished, in fact, it grew. "Yeah... You're right, Rin-chan!"
A knock entered the room. The door slid open once again and in came a nurse.
"Visiting hours are over. Please leave." She said bluntly.
"Y-yes ma'am..." Makoto replied for everyone. She nodded and stepped aside, giving the others a clear pathway to exit the room.
"We'll come visit you again soon, Nagisa." Makoto said with a feeble look.
He nodded his head. "Mm! Be sure to come back again, all of you! It gets pretty boring here you know!"
They laughed solemnly.
"Of course," Rei agreed quietly.
One by one, Nagisa's friend left the room. Hoping to see the bubbling boy again tomorrow.
~oOo~
Everyone crowded around a casket. All dressed in black and listened to the eerie sound of the organ that played in the distant.
"Nagisa..." Gou whimpered. Rin wrapped an arm around his sister and brought her close to him. He rubbed her back while he comforted her.
"He was okay yesterday... He was... He was there... He wanted us to come back..." Rei conflicted. His head spun. He hadn't even noticed that his hand had started to shake.
"Life really is precious..." Makoto commented.
"He may be physically gone," Haru started. "But he'll always be with us..."
The other four turned and faced Haru.
Rin relaxed a little bit. "Haru's right. As long as we remember Nagisa, he'll always be here with us."
