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It was dark out. From the still time on his watch, Joshua knew it was around eleven thirty. As he walked down the empty roads of Shibuya, devoid of all life, he felt distinctly...uneasy. Maybe it was because it was too chilly for summer, maybe it was because not a cricket chirped. The lack of lights, even by 104, unnerved him. Even in early morning, the city was NEVER this dark or empty. His footsteps echoed, bouncing off pricey glass windows and store fronts like children on a trampoline.
There was no moon to speak of, no light source, but a pale white light illuminated the road glinting off of the letter four that hung on the well known building. Honestly? It was friggen creepy. But he'd never admit that, let alone show it, and Josh kept his calm pace as he walked down the abandoned roads. Despite his cool and collected front, he wanted to run. Something about this deserted city frightened him, a nightmare that he knew he was in.
A soft static began to filter through his thoughts, and now that he thought about it, that static had been there the whole time. It echoed with his steps, swished with his arms, and swiveled with each glance, like it was following him. Something was mimicking him, and he didn't like it. Something cold, sinewy and lifeless, grasped his shoulder. It wasn't rough, it was just barely there, gentle and he would almost say loving.
He paused, watching the road that lead to the Scramble nervously. Whatever was holding him, didn't want him to go there. Josh lifted a foot to walk, experimenting, and the hand turned more insistent, warning him. As much as he hated being ordered, he listened. Something told him it was in his best interest to listen to whatever was behind him.
Turning his head slowly, curious of who it was, he was met with glassy amethyst eyes. He blinked, and the dark and empty Shibuya was gone, the hospital room left in its stead. The static, he realized, had been his mother's cell phone going off on vibrate. Blinking quickly, glancing around, the silverette just lay there in confusion as his mother hugged him tightly, sobbing hysterically.
"You're alive! Oh god, I thought you were dead-"
Dead. The word woke him from his stupor, only to send him spiraling back into his thoughts. Eyes wide and cast them at his mother's quivering shoulder, the expensive fabric wrinkling as she hugged her son in a death grip. He wasn't sure if it was an act, right now it didn't matter. All he could think of was dull eyes and dripping black, and that twisted torso, and that large chunk missing from a lip. And the word dead pasted all over it, stamping over any other thought.
Joshua was hardly aware his mother was shaking him by the shoulders frantically, much to the nurse's dismay. The girl looked so drawn between stopping her or leaving her be. It wasn't the same nurse as before, this one younger and looking far more frazzled. The only thing that kept the panicking woman from all out slapping her suddenly unresponsive son was the sound of a a bored but firm voice.
"Okay, okay ma'am. If you keep that up, you'll hurt the kid."
Turning her head, the woman set her teary eyes on a young man, who looked young for his age. His hair was pushed back in a frizzy mess, a hair band lacing through the mass of bright orange, leaving none to frame his pale and thin face. Beneath his white coat he wore a black scrub, and tight pants that didn't look at all like work place material. Narrowing her eyes, the woman brushed her pale blond hair from her view.
"And you are?" she asked, though it sounded more like a demand.
"Koki Kariya, a doctor ma'am." he said easily, the white paper stick in his mouth shifting to the other side as he began to walk further into the room.
A frown still marred the woman's face, but she did stop shaking Joshua. The man strolled over to the teenager, bending down a little to see into blank violet eyes. Jokingly, he waved a hand in front of the pale boy's face, raising an eyebrow when he noticed how the eyes flickered over to him quickly. Something akin to familiarity lit up the silverette's eyes, before they went dull again in disappointment.
"How is he? Will he be okay?" Joshua's mother demanded, worrying her smooth and slim hands into the fabric of her skirt.
Standing up straight, the redhead didn't look at the woman, removing the lollipop in his mouth for a moment. "He's just in shock. One of the nurses let it slip that the kid he came in with died." he said, sighing a little. Said girl was probably worried sick about her position in the hospital right this moment, along with the guilt when her patient had fainted. "He'll be fine. We'd like to keep him a little longer, to keep an eye out for anything, like internal bleeding."
"Keeping him? For how long?!" the woman cried, and Kariya could feel a headache coming on. He hated dealing with parents. "Over night for now. If everything goes well, he'll be home by tomorrow." he said, replacing the candy, sucking at it absently. The taste of the bean paste helped ease the growing pain in his head, and he turned towards the woman.
She was thin, almost frail, with curly hair done up in a bun, her face thin and smooth with what had to be makeup. Her lips with full and painted, frowning in a way that said she rarely didn't get what she wanted, and he could tell it wasn't far from the truth, her clothing all expensive silks and ruffles. Her long fingers and manicured nails were digging into the frilly hem of her skirt, her painted eyes narrowed in distrust, or maybe just displeasure.
Standing, she heaved a sigh. Her eyes were dry now, the front of Joshua's hospital shirt streaked black and blue from her makeup. "I'm...going for a walk." she said quietly, aware that she was abandoning her son for the moment. But the stress was getting to her, and she needed to redo her makeup. With a quick graceful turn, she left the room, her higheels tapping the linoleum with sharp clicks.
Heaving a grateful sigh of relief, Kariya turned his attention back to Josh. "Are you really that outa it, or are you fakin' it?" he asked, chewing lightly on the candy in his mouth.
The man got no reply, only a faint roll of the eyes and a frown. He really wasn't in the mood to talk, too caught up in memories and his thoughts. He kept seeing Neku's dull eyes, and it was like he'd never left the scene. It didn't help at all that HE'D been driving the car, because he was the one with the license between the two of them. It felt like it was all his fault, and he wouldn't even entertain the idea it hadn't been, not right now.
Heaving a heavy sigh at the lack of response, Kariya turned to the nurse at the door. "Keep an eye on him. I'm goin for a break."
Blinking quickly, the woman frowned a little. "Didn't you just get off of break?"
"Yeah, but parents take the life outa me."
The redhead left the room with a lazy stroll, leaving the two to their own devices. Honestly, he really had no motivation today. It had been hectic all night, surgeries and autopsies and god knew what else, and he was far too tired to deal with a guilt stricken teenager and his uppity mother. It was too early for this...or was it too late? He just wanted to sleep.
Twitching, the redhead glanced around, the sound of faint static ringing in his ears. Maybe something was up with the computers? None of the stationed nurses seemed to be worried though. Too much work, he thought tiredly. He was hearin shit now...
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"H-How're you feeling today?" came a weak, but chipper voice.
Glancing up from the mostly untouched tray of food (His mother had insisted that he eat, going as far as to taste it to show him it wasn't poisoned. She didn't quite understand WHY he wasn't hungry.) Josh raised an eyebrow. The nurse, a young woman with cropped black hair, ducked her head. Stupid question, she thought furiously. She glanced at the nearly full tray and frowned, but said nothing.
Joshua said nothing, just leaned back into the bed and watched as the woman skittered about, collecting waste and checking machines. She had entered with a large garbage can, which she had left near the door, and was emptying the toxic waste baskets into it. Toxic wasn't really the right word, so much as gross, she thought, wrinkling her nose. Shiki wasn't sure what prompted her or her friend Eri to become nurses. Probably because they were short on funds, and their designing skills werent landing them any money, and this hospital was always looking for new employees. The rumors of ghosts and a curse on all those who entered was a put off, but she had dealt with worse, she told herself.
Moving towards the tray, she frowned softly. "Are you finished with this?"
The teen shoved it towards her with a graceful flick of the wrist. "Yes."
"You should eat more..." Shiki hummed, not taking the tray.
"I'm not hungry." came the defiant reply. Or, at least it seemed that way. The way he crossed his arms (Carefully mind you, the broken wrist hindered his proud pose too much.) and turned up his nose a little seemed reminiscent to a small child having a tantrum. Shiki repressed the urge to comment on it.
Tilting her head, she fought back a sigh. "Why? Do you feel ill?"
"I feel like puking my guts up." he admitted, though it seemed like he didn't mean to say it. Eye twitching, he quickly amended it. "It tastes bad."
She had little doubt it was due to trauma, but didn't point it out. "It really would be best to eat...even just the salad." she sighed. Joshua said nothing more on the matter, either not listening, or far too entertained by the sunrise.
The tray was taken and dumped, and Shiki was gone shortly after, mumbling about stubborn kids. Repressing a sigh, Josh leaned back more into the bed, shifting about to try and get comfortable. It did little good, aside from irritating the numerous cuts and bruises that laced his back. He bit back a frustrated growl, closing his aching eyes for a moment. He was tired, but it was too distant to grasp onto. But it did help the aching, if only a little.
Outside, the sun rose steadily over the horizon, shadowing the buildings. Even at six in the morning, little to no light filtered through the room, offering little warmth. With his good hand, the silverette pulled the bed sheet closer to his chin, shivering. Why were hospitals so...cold? It was like they delighted in freezing their patients. Even the food was cold.
Blinking slowly, he felt the urge to yawn. The silent room echoed with a faint buzzing of static, comforting to his ears for some reason. But at the same time, it nagged on his mind. Glancing at the monitors near his bed, he watched the steady blue and green lines etch little spikes across the black, lighting the room up faintly. A small pressure began to build in the back of his throat, and he could swear it was a yawn, but when he opened his mouth a little, nothing came forth.
His wrist felt especially cold suddenly, even under the itchy sheets. Reaching a lazy hand over, Josh brushed the pads over the surface of his cast, nearly jumping. Chilly was an understatement. Down right FREEZING, that was a better example. Blinking quickly, he lifted his arm, trying to see his wrist better. He couldn't see much, just the same pasty white his skin always had been.
Making a face, he bit his lip, tucking the appendage back under the blanket near his chest. It was nothing probably. The cold was probably from lack of blood the his wrist. Josh was half tempted to press the call button, because if the cast was too tight or something, he'd rather if fixed now. But a sudden tiredness had sunk in, not that he entirely minded it.
It was entirely too easy to close his eyes, no yawn escaping him.
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It was dark out. From the still time on his watch, Joshua knew it was around eleven thirty. As he walked down the empty roads of Shibuya, devoid of all life, he felt distinctly...uneasy. Maybe it was because it was too chilly for summer, maybe it was because not a cricket chirped. The lack of lights, even by 104, unnerved him. Even in early morning, the city was NEVER this dark or empty. His footsteps echoed, bouncing off pricey glass windows and store fronts like children on a trampoline.
There was no moon to speak of, no light source, but a pale white light illuminated the road glinting off of the letter four that hung on the well known building. Honestly? It was friggen creepy. But he'd never admit that, let alone show it, and Josh kept his calm pace as he walked down the abandoned roads. Despite his cool and collected front, he wanted to run. Something about this deserted city frightened him, a nightmare that he knew he was in.
A soft static began to filter through his thoughts, and now that he thought about it, that static had been there the whole time. It echoed with his steps, swished with his arms, and swiveled with each glance, like it was following him. Something was mimicking him, and he didn't like it. Something cold, sinewy and lifeless, grasped his shoulder. It wasn't rough, it was just barely there, gentle and he would almost say loving.
He paused, watching the road that lead to the Scramble nervously. Whatever was holding him, didn't want him to go there. Josh lifted a foot to walk, experimenting, and the hand turned more insistent, warning him. As much as he hated being ordered, he listened. Something told him it was in his best interest to listen to whatever was behind him.
Turning his head slightly, he caught a glimpse of black, before blinding white light hit his violet eyes. Being in the dark, his eyes weren't used to the sudden adjustment. It took a moment or two to realize he wasn't in that barren Shibuya anymore, and the hand on his shoulder was from a doctor. Staring up in confusion at the wide and relieved eyes, he made to speak.
And promptly coughed up a lung.
Heaving a relieved sigh, Kariya let go of the teenager, running a hand through messy gelled hair. He'd just been on his way out the door, but of course it couldn't be that easy. Cracking open an eye, he watched as Joshua slowly stopped his fit, chest heaving. "Geez kid, three times in a day? Are you cursed or somethin?" he teased.
Blinking his aching eyes, the silverette looked up in confusion. "W-What?"
"You almost died." came the annoyed reply, as if Josh should at least know why he was depriving a man of a good nights sleep.
Staring for a long moment, the teenager shook his head quickly. "Excuse me. I didn't quite hear you, did you say d-"
"Dead as a doorknob."
An awkward pause filled the room, Josh going pale. Dead? But he'd only closed his eyes for a few minutes. Looking from the irritated redhead, he looked at his wrist, feeling nausea overtake him. Three times...the accident, he thought, and now. What was the second time? Kariya shook his head, uncaring for a reply. The kid was going to be the death of him.
"I take it you feel perfectly fine." he mumbled.
As if to spite him, a sudden ache flared in Joshua's shoulder, bright and stinging. He winced, but quickly covered it up with a glare. "I feel fine." he snipped.
Pretending not to see the wince, the redhead shrugged. "Well then, great. You get another day here before we're settin you free."
"Another day?" Josh repeated, eyes narrowing, "But I-"
"You nearly died in your sleep twice in six hours." he cut him off, annoyed. "You ain't goin anywhere." Consider it revenge for denying me sleep, he added mentally.
He wanted to fight that, but with the reasoning, Joshua couldn't honestly say he would rather go home. Not yet, not if it meant imminent and slow death. He slumped a little, lower lip sticking out a little. "Fine..."
"Glad you agreed."
The subject was closed then and there, and Joshua found himself cursing the redhead as he waltzed from the room. Sniffing a little, he looked away from the wide open doorway, glancing at his right shoulder curiously. It was the same shoulder that was grabbed in his nightmare, and he was uneasy with the idea of looking. Slowly, glancing around quickly, he lifted his right hand, and tugged the shoulder of his hospital gown down, and glanced at the skin.
What he saw he was certain would haunt him.
Curved over the skin was a dark purple bruise, greenish around the edges. Easily it could have been Kariya's, or his mothers with how they'd grabbed him. But what unnerved him was that the tips of the finger shaped bruise, faced his chest, the grip obviously coming from behind. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he ran a finger over the bruises, wincing at the flare of pain.
"What the hell...?" he muttered, eyes narrowing a little from their wide look before.
The sound of a nurse cheerfully greeting him in the hallway snapped Josh from his staring. Quickly, he covered his shoulder up again. Even as he did so, his completely covered wrist flared with a chill, a silent threat. Josh didn't know who was threatening him, he didn't even know how he knew it was one, but it was loud and clear; Don't tell. Feigning annoyance at the bubbly nurse, he promised himself he wouldn't tell.
Who would believe it came from a dream anyway? Was it even from the dream? He didn't know. But he was covered it up, picking at the food the nurse had brought. No one would know.
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done for nows~!! yes, the repeating dream is meant to be repeating. Dont think it ends there~!!