This story is a bit old, but I'm still rather happy with it. Except, halfway through I realised that I needed to call Itsuki's cousin Koizumi, and Itsuki Itsuki. Hopefully that won't be too confusing.
Prepare for Itsuki torture!
*evil laugh* Ehem, poor Itsuki. But anyway, I hope you enjoy it.
A young man merrily walked into his homeroom with his trademark smile plastered across his handsome face. He waved and said a friendly, "Hello, good morning." to people that he was somewhat acquainted with.
This amiable young man is Itsuki Koizumi. He sat down, as class would begin soon. It wasn't until now that he realized how tired he was. 'Maybe I didn't sleep well.', he pondered, but decided that if he could get through the school day with Haruhi in a good mood, then he could go home and get some sleep.
His teacher came through the sliding door and told everyone to sit down. As his teacher began class, Koizumi found himself daydreaming and drifting off. 'It's gotta be the weather or something.'
It wasn't until third hour English class that he began to feel congested and developed a headache. He sniffed when he felt his nose would drip. When class was over, the girl that sat in front of him, Miyo Akera, turned around and asked, "Are your allergies bothering you, Koizumi-san?" 'I see, she must have noticed my constant sniffling.'
"Yes, that's got to be it." he said grinning back at her.
"Mine have been, too. Alrightie, well, feel better." she said skipping away.
This was Koizumi's conclusion until last hour when he began to feel nauseous and dizzy. He had his hand either supporting his head or clutching his stomach the whole class period. Despite this fact, he wouldn't even begin to think of missing an SOS Brigade meeting, in case of a Closed Space forming. 'I'd rather stay another hour than have to fight Shinjin tonight.'
He diverted his eyes from the cherry blossoms he'd been staring at outside when the bell rang and swiftly stood up. In reaction to doing that a tad fast, he stumbled slightly and grimaced as he stomach churned. Koizumi then lethargically dragged himself to the SOS Brigade club room. The long halls on the way there seemed to twist and spin.
Knock, knock. "You may come in." said the lovely voice of Mikuru Asahina, the undercover time traveler.
He came in and shut the door behind him. Sniffling, he seated himself across from Kyon. Kyon looked up at Koizumi and said, "Koizumi, you feeling ok?" It was rare to ever see Koizumi without his zeal or smile, unless there was a serious situation at hand. However, even his aura then didn't match the one displayed now.
He beamed at Kyon and said, "I am a bit under the weather, Kyon. I appreciate your concern. However, I assure you that I will be just-" Koizumi stopped right there and began a coughing fit.
"Oh, Koizumi! Here drink this." Mikuru said setting down a cup of tea on the table in front of him.
"Thanks, Miss Asahina." he said. He coughed again briefly before bringing the cup to his lips. Mikuru gave Kyon a cup, too, and he responded with a, "Thank you very much." and a gracious grin. She also offered some to Nagato, who did the same, minus the gracious smile.
Just as things were calm and quiet, Haruhi burst the door open. "Hey guys! Sorry I'm late! But take a look at this." She held up a flyer for an open mic night at a local cafe. "The SOS Brigade is going to be entering this!"
Koizumi brought his hand to his forehead and ground his teeth. Mikuru rushed to his side, but Koizumi soon recovered. Haruhi didn't even notice.
Kyon then pointed out to Haruhi that 'Koizumi wasn't feeling well and that you should quiet down.' She rolled her eyes and sat down at the desk that was labeled, 'brigade leader'. She wiggled the mouse to bring the computer out of standby and went to the site of the cafe.
Meanwhile, Koizumi clutched his arms around his stomach and sweat developed at his hairline. His breathing was heavy and he cringed every few seconds. Haruhi looked up and was about to announce that 'We are signed up!', when she noticed Koizumi.
"Koizumi-kun, you are dismissed." She said with her hands on her hips.
He looked up at her and smiled as best he could. Then said, "Thank you so much Suzumiya-san." He stood and bowed. He stumbled toward the door and collapsed on the ground, catching himself with his hands. "Koizumi!" everyone said in unison. Mikuru rushed to his side and helped him up.
"Thank you, Miss Asahina." he said slightly bowing. "I won't be a bother anymore. Im sorry. Goodbye." He said smiling and then opening the door.
"And Koizumi-kun, get well soon. We need you to sing with us!" Haruhi said smiling.
Koizumi smiled and headed out. After he did, Haruhi said, "Kyon! I have an assignment for you."
"And that is?"
"Go and walk Koizumi-kun home! It wouldn't be beneficial for his personal health and the sake of the SOS Brigade if he collapsed again. This is an order!" she said pointing her finger toward Kyon.
'And for the sake of this universe.' He thought. Then Kyon stood up and sighed. "Alright. See you guys tomorrow."
Kyon went down the hall in search of Koizumi, twirling his house keys around his finger. Then heard a faint whimper. He turned the corner and sure enough there was Koizumi on the ground leaning against a wall. His hand was clutched to his stomach and a tear fell from behind a wall of brunette bangs and onto his brown pants.
'What the heck am I supposed to do? What, should I say something?' Kyon debated in panic.
"Uhm. Koizumi?"
Koizumi's head snapped up, and Kyon could see that it made him woozy because he grimaced before looking up at him. Another tear rolled down his cheek.
"Kyon." he looked down again. "I can't take it anymore. I-" he swallowed hard and another tear fell, leaving another spot on his pants next to the one from before. "It just hurts so bad."
"What hurts?" Kyon said, crouching down next to him.
"My stomach, my head, I can't think. I'm-" he broke into a coughing fit and shuddered.
At first Kyon just thought, 'Get up, pussy.' But at this point, Kyon was genuinely worried. But he still felt awkward.
Just as Kyon was about to try and say something, Koizumi jumped up and raced toward the bathroom. (Which was luckily only a few steps away.)
"Koizumi?" Kyon said, stunned, and ran after him. He saw Koizumi emptying his stomach into the trashcan. Kyon didn't know what to do.
"Koizumi, are you...ok?"
Koizumi was completely non responsive. He sat there with his head hung, and then vomitted again, and began dry heaves.
When he thought it was all over, Kyon went to his side. "Koizumi. Um."
Koizumi went to the sink, ran the water, and splashed the cool liquid on his face. "I'm sorry I worried you. I can't believe I lost my cool like that." he bowed. But as he approached Kyon, his eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground in front of him.
Kyon's first thought was, 'Dammit what am I supposed to do?". The second was, 'Man, that floor is unsanitary.' Nonetheless, he crouched down next to him and nudged his shoulder. "Koizumi?... Koizumi?"
No response.
'I can't just leave him here.'
With no other choice, Kyon stood Koizumi up and slung his shoulder over his own. He then carried him all the way home. The whole way. Half way home, Koizumi noticed Kyon was dragging him along. He was surprised at first but smiled slightly before losing consciousness again.
When Kyon reached Koizumi's traditional Japanese house, he realized he would need a house key. 'I bet one would be in here.' he thought referring to Koizumi's schoolbag that Kyon had slung over his shoulder.
Once he found it, he opened the door and went inside. He took off his shoes and put on a pair of visitor's slippers that resided by the door. He then realized that neither of them took off their indoor school shoes. That could pose a problem later. But Kyon figured they would devise a plan of some sort. He remembered being here before when the filmed the movie for the cultural festival, so he knew where Koizumi's room would be.
Kyon laid him down and put the cover over him.
Koizumi was pale and his eyebrows were pointed up, displaying that he was in distress, even while he slept. Kyon watched Koizumi's chest slowly lower and rise for a minute or two before deciding he should leave.
As he proceeded to exit, he ran into a man who resembled Koizumi in a way. He had a yukata on, and a pair of sweat pants. He was handsome, had stylish glasses on the bridge of his nose, and was carrying a shopping bag from a local convenience store. Startled, he gasped and stared curiously at the man.
The man also seemed a bit startled, but looked down and back up, smiling.
"A friend of Itsuki's, I presume. " he bowed and continued, "pleased to meet you."
'So I guess he noticed my school uniform. Otherwise I could've been classified as a psycho rapist murder breaking and entering.'
Kyon, after recovering, bowed back and said, "Yes, pleased to meet you."
'Is this his dad? No, he said he lived with his cousin, so, this is him?'
As if he read Kyon's mind, he said, "I am Itsu-chan's cousin. You must be Kyon-kun. So what brings you here?"
'No. I am not Kyon. That is my nickname. Whatever, just call me what you want.'
"Oh, uhm, well. Koizumi wasn't feeling well, and he fainted, so I brought him home." Kyon itched the back of his head as he felt sweat forming on his forehead.
"Oh, really! Thank you, thank you so much. Would you like to stay a bit longer? I'll make some tea." he said.
"No, thank you, Koizumi-san. I must be getting home. Thank you though." Kyon said as a response.
"Alright, but you can drop by anytime." Senior Koizumi said, beaming just like his smaller cousin.
And Kyon left as soon as he could.
Later that evening, Koizumi (the bigger, more aged version) walked into Itsuki's room to check on him.
"Itsu-chan. Are you awake?"
Itsuki's eyes slowly opened and he whimpered, scrunching into a ball.
"I have some tea for you." Koizumi said putting the cup on the floor in front of Itsuki's face. (In case you haven't figured it out, at this point, to avoid confusion, I am calling Itsuki Koizumi, Itsuki, and his cousin Koizumi.)
Itsuki shook his head no and snuggled into the covers.
"But fluids are good for you when your sick, Icchan."
Itsuki repeated.
"Then would you like some plain water instead?"
Itsuki felt he was being rude to someone who just wanted to help. So this time he opened his mouth and let out a raspy, "No thank you, Nii-san." Then fell into a short coughing fit.
"Ok. Well you let me know if you need something. I'll take you to the doctor tomorrow." he patted Itsuki's shoulder, picked up the tea, and left.
The next day at the doctor's office, Dr. Inoue said, "Ok, Koizumi how are you feeling?"
Itsuki looked up. Was that supposed to be a joke?
"Nah, I'm sorry, it seems like you are miserable. So let's just get this over with and prescribe something."
So Dr. Inoue asked for his symptoms and checked his heartbeat and temperature. (102.1, by the way.) However, the most startling thing, was this:
"Ok, Koizumi, when was the last time you were weighed?"
"The school physicals this past April. I was around 57 kilos I think. (A/N That's about 125 pounds.)
"Ok, could you step on the scale, please?"
Itsuki did as he was told, and was startled by the doctor's reaction.
"You say you were about 54 kilograms?"
"Yes, I did." Itsuki replied.
"The scale is reading 50.8." (A/N That's about 112 pounds.)
Itsuki, stunned, reached his hand up his t-shirt and felt around. His eyes widened in shock. Those were his ribs. He could feel them. He could feel his own ribs.
" Well, all I can see it as is the flu." And Dr. Inoue wrote up a prescription.
For the next 6 days, Koizumi called the school to tell that he would not be attending school that day. And he never felt any better. After 6 days of swallowing horse pills, losing weight drastically, emptying his stomach any time something was inserted, and never getting any sleep, Koizumi called the doctor.
"He's not getting any better."
"Just keep up with the medicine. That's all I can see it as, the flu. And that's what I prescribed him for, influenza."
"But he's not getting better at all!"
"Then perhaps it's a virus of some sort. In tha case you'll have to wait it out. Give him some pain relievers and send him to bed with plenty of fluids."
"Doctor, You don't seriously think I haven't been doing that. My little cousin is suffering. He doesn't deserve that. Now I need a cure."
"I don't know how to help you, sir."
Then Koizumi slammed the phone on the receiver.
And if right on cue, there was a knock at the door. Standing there was a beautiful young girl with short bobbed hair and a blank expression. Yuki Nagato.
"I am here to see Itsuki Koizumi." she said monotonously.
"Thank you for your concern, Miss, but Itsu-chan is in really no condition to be visited."
"It is urgent. Extremely urgent." she said, just as monotonously, but, if you looked closely you could notice what could be a glare.
"I understand, this way." Koizumi said, a bit baffled.
When they entered Itsuki's room, Koizumi gasped.
"He's gone!" he exclaimed.
~~~~A half hour earlier~~~~
Itsuki's eyes flashed open. Closed space.
'I've been gone for too long, Haruhi is growing tired of me not being there. Or maybe something's happened to upset her. I've...I've got to go fight.'
Itsuki was a smart young man and knew his limits, but he also know he had a duty as an esper of the Agency. To fight the Shinjin giants in closed space. He moaned in pain as he lifted himself to his feet. His skin burned and his eyes were blurry. He was as nauseous, dizzy, and anything unpleasant you name, he was probably feeling that. He wobbled over to the window. He intended to sneak out before the older of the Koizumis figured out.
Itsuki made it out, and into the yard until his body told him to stop. He had to stop. Before his limit was exceeded and he was too late. He stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky and fell to his knees. Then to his hands. Then his eyes sullenly closed and he fell to the grass below, cherry blossom petals surrounding him.
~~~Present~~~
"His window." Yuki pointed out, without fluctuation in her voice.
Koizumi ran outside, and before he could make it too far down the road, he noticed the figure of Itsuki laying in the side lawn.
"Itsuki!" Koizumi exclaimed and ran to his side. He shook Itsuki and repeated his name over and over. "Itsuki? Itsuki? Come on, wake up. Itsuki! Itsu-chan are ya there?"
Slowly but surely, Itsuki's eyelids slowly opened. He smiled slightly. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused."
After Itsuki was settled again, Koizumi said. "What were you trying to do?"
All Itsuki could say was, "Closed space."
"That's what this was? Do you realize you could've gotten hurt. Seriously?"
"I understand."
"I don't care if you are an esper, know your limits." Koizumi clasped his hands over his mouth, as he remembered Yuki's presence, who had been a spectator to this whole scene.
"She knows, Nii-san." Itsuki said quietly.
"Ah, well now that that is over, I'll make us three some tea."
After he left, Yuki began one of her trademark explanations.
"What is happening to you is the result of a rebel of the Data Integration Thought Entity, similar to Ryoko Asakura, altering your data so that you would die within a week. I have eliminated this rebel, however your data is still corrupt and you are still continuing to die. The reason I've understood that this rebel has decided to corrupt your data is that the being wanted to see what would happen if a new universe were created, and resulted to eliminating those of The Agency to obtain that idea. You and the ones you work beside are what keep this universe from recreating itself from Haruhi Suzumiya's melancholy or upset. Therefore, if there are none of you, there is nothing to stop Closed Space from enveloping the whole world. Therefore, you and two other of your colleagues were infected and your data was altered."
After taking all of this in, Itsuki curiously asked, "So if there anyway to save myself, how am I supposed to be dying?" Itsuki has well since dropped his facade.
"These are speculations based on knowledge, but any of these are possibilities: Your heart could stop, your skin, muscles, and bones could eventually disintegrate, your lungs could spontaneously close up and you would suffocate, your heart could explode, you could-"
"Nagato, I understand. Just tell me how I can survive."
"I understand." she said never changing her facial expression. "I will alter you data and correctly set it in it's place so that you will recover as normal."
She stuck her han out in the direction of Itsuki and mumbled her incomprehensible hyper-alien talk. Itsuki felt not a thing.
"Data reconstruction has begun."
"So how did the closed space form? What happened with Haruhi?"
Yuki lowered her hand and said, "Today was the open mic night entertainment event. You were not present, and she wanted you to be there to enjoy yourself. You are dear to her. A good friend."
Itsuki smiled, and it was a plastic one either. "I understand. Haruhi is a dear friend of mine as well."
"Our brigade is bound by a love that the Data Integration Thought Entity has told me is quite impressive." And without pausing she said, in the same tone as ever, "Data reconstruction complete."
"Thank you, Nagato." he said bowing his head before cringing in pain slightly.
"It was not only a duty, but a pleasure." If you looked closely enough you could see her small, delicate face smile.
At that point in time, Koizumi walked in with a tray with three cups of tea set on it. "Who wants tea?"
Yay! I hope you liked it! I've been asked a few times if I am going to continue it. But, it's finished. This is the whole story and really wasn't meant to be a multi-chaptered. I apologise though, I probably ended it rather abruptly. But I'm really glad that people would want to read more! :D