Comatose
By: Megori
Disclaimer: Junjou Romantica (Egoist) and Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi both belong respectfully to Shungiku Nakamura and Kadokawa. The work you see here is merely a piece of fan fiction in appreciation to the awesome series.
A/N: I just read in some description that Nowaki's eyes are blue, not gray (I was going off an image). I'll be changing that from this point onward. I'm not exactly knowledgeable in a number of things too, but I did do brief look ups, so I hope it's okay. I know how I want the story to go, but writing it down the way I want it to go may take a while longer. Thanks for your patience.
Rating: PG
Characters: Kusama Nowaki, Kamijou Hiroki, Onodera Ritsu, Takano Masamune
Genre: Drama, Romance
Chapter 2: And Yet The Sun Rises Again
Ritsu was sure his heart was ready to pound its way out of his chest. The taxi couldn't have gone any slower, or so he thought. He tightened his grip on his sleeve as his right knee bounced up and down rapidly from a mix of emotions he wasn't quite sure how to name yet. Closing his eyes in an attempt to shut off his mind, he let out a quivering breath. It was all he could do to not lash out at someone or burst into tears, neither of which, he wanted to do.
"Sir, we're here," the driver's voice shook Ritsu out of his own thoughts.
Without fully registering what he was doing, Ritsu thanked the driver, paid and flew into the hospital far more quickly than he knew himself capable of.
"E-excuse me," Ritsu breathed heavily, not entirely sure if it was from the run into the hospital or his nerves simply ready to give out on him. "U-um, is um, a-accident, um..." Ritsu racked his brain, trying to remember what he needed to say.
The receptionist looked up at him, a knowing smile on her face as she waited patiently for him to finish his sentence.
Inhaling deeply, Ritsu willed himself to calm down, at the very least, momentarily. "T-Takano Masamune," Ritsu managed to breathe out, pleading desperately with his eyes for news of some sort to truly relax him.
"Just a moment," the receptionist replied as she began typing furiously on the keyboard before her. Her lips pursed briefly before she returned her gaze to Ritsu. "He was admitted here about half an hour ago and is still undergoing surgery. Would you like to take a seat and wait until they're done? I'll inform you as soon as I know."
Ritsu nodded, unable to find his voice at the moment. After several swallows, he finally managed to thank her and stumble toward the waiting area without being fully aware of what he was doing. As he fell rather ungracefully into a seat, everything finally seemed to finally settle into his brain.
Takano was in an accident. He was currently in surgery. It was a bad accident. It had to have been horrid. Oh god! What if Takano didn't make it through surgery? What if he was already dead? What if he-?
Before Ritsu could stop himself, his shoulders began to shake. His head fell into his hands and tears began falling from his eyes. The silent tears quickly turned into sobs as Ritsu's mind continued racing a million thoughts a mile.
Ritsu had already felt the loss of not having Takano once already, if he lost him again, permanently this time, would he be able to recover?
His shoulders began to shake uncontrollably as his sobbing got louder. Who was he kidding? The first time he thought he'd lost Takano, look how he turned out. Without knowing and uncaring what anyone thought anymore at the moment, Ritsu began to laugh in between sobs. Life was miserable without that giant oaf who thought he could just force his way back into Ritsu's life. All those years he'd spent abroad thinking he could forget about that heartless jackass was absolutely worthless in the end.
Half laughing, half sobbing, Ritsu knew he had to look hysterical. But the fact was, he was. For so long, he fought his feelings, telling himself he didn't love that stuck up bastard he called boss. And here he was, deathly afraid he'd never get the chance to tell him how much he actually did love him. He really was going hysterical.
"Here."
Ritsu looked up and saw a hand extended toward him with a handkerchief. He blinked several more times, his sobbing-laughing fit subsiding a bit. His green eyes met brown eyes.
"Use this," the stranger spoke again, shoving the handkerchief a bit closer to Ritsu.
Even through teary eyes, Ritsu knew the man was uncomfortable. Perhaps his hysteria drove the man to try and stop him, even as uncomfortable as it made the guy to do it. Ritsu hiccuped once before finally taking the handkerchief.
"Th-thank you."
The stranger's hand came to rest at his side, but he remained hovering nearby above Ritsu. Ritsu, on the other hand, dabbed lightly at his face, hiccuping as he went, his sobs finally subsiding.
"I," the man paused for a moment, looking as if he was trying to figure out what to say. His eyes were averted away from Ritsu's. "The wait," the man started again, "the wait is always the hardest part, but you can't let yourself lose hope." He paused again momentarily. "Not while the person you're waiting for is still holding on, fighting."
Ritsu blinked at him, confusion written all over his face.
"I saw you running to the reception desk," the man explained, pointing toward the desk. "It was kind of hard to miss hearing you stammer out, rather loudly, 'accident' the way you did."
"Ah," Ritsu stated without meaning to when it began to click. He blushed slightly and looked back down, still shuddering through the end of his sobbing. In an attempt to hide his face, he began wiping at himself again with the handkerchief.
"Someone important to me was also in that accident."
When Ritsu looked up again, he could see the pain etched into the man's face, even if it was through his profile only. His eyes looked far off as he crossed his arms, perhaps to calm himself, Ritsu surmised.
"We've been together too long for it all to just end here." He exhaled slowly before turning back to face Ritsu, his face softened a bit, as if in sympathy. "I'm Kamijou Hiroki." A weak smile played across his face as he nodded to Ritsu.
"O-Onodera Ritsu," Ritsu replied, nodding his head back in acknowledgment. He twisted the handkerchief in his hands briefly before speaking again. "Th-thank you, really. I—"
"Onodera!"
Both men turned to the source of the shout. A tall man in a slightly crinkled suit with deep navy hair ran to them. Ritsu stood up immediately, recognizing him.
"Y-Yokozawa-san!"
As the newcomer approached them, Ritsu felt Hiroki retreat to the row of chairs across from him.
"How is he?" Yokozawa wheezed as he came upon Ritsu, frantic and out of breath.
Ritsu shook his head, looking at the ground. "Still in surgery. I don't know, really."
#####
Hiroki sighed, wrapping his arms around him a bit tighter. Who the hell was he kidding? What was he thinking telling the kid not to give up? Here he was, ready to shit himself at any given moment because he just couldn't settle his nerves. If it weren't for his pride, he'd be bawling his eyes out too, but because there were people, though not many, out and about in the halls still, he forbade himself from crying.
He was worried. Of course he was worried! Nowaki was lying on a table in some room being operated on, why wouldn't he be worried? But more than that, he was angry. Angry at himself. During their last phone conversation, all he had to do was repeat Nowaki's "I love you" back to him, but even within the comfort and privacy of their home, he refused to say it in return. For all Hiroki knew, that could have been the last time they'd ever speak and he didn't tell Nowaki how much he loved him.
He was despicable. Utterly the most detestable person anyone could have as a lover.
Had he known that may have been the last time he'd get to speak with Nowaki again...
No! He refused to think that way. He wouldn't let his mind think Nowaki wouldn't make it. No matter how badly injured he was, Nowaki would fight to live. He'd crawl his way back from death just to be with Hiroki longer, wouldn't he?
Hiroki inhaled deeply and let it out slow. He rubbed his face, exhaustion quite obviously spreading through him. Closing his eyes, he breathed deep again before returning his gaze to the pair in front of him, if anything, just to keep his mind from wandering to depressing thoughts again.
The shorter, brown haired man noticed Hiroki's attentions on him again and stiffened before turning to the man by his side. "Ah, Yokozawa-san, this is um, Kamijou Hiroki-san," he stated, somewhat questionably, perhaps not entirely sure he remembered Hiroki's name. The man next to him fixed his gaze on Hiroki. "Kamijou-san, this is Yokozawa Takafumi-san."
Hiroki nodded at the newcomer.
"Kamijou-san is also waiting for information on another patient," Ritsu explained, seeing the questioning look on Takafumi's face.
Just as Takafumi was about to extend his hand to Hiroki, his cell went off. "Excuse me," he stated quickly before reaching to his waist. Looking at the caller id, he bowed as a quick apology before stepping toward the other side of the two remaining men.
"Kirishima." He paused as the person on the other line said something. "Yeah. I just got to the hospital." Another silence as he waited for the other man's response. "He's still in surgery. I don't know." Pause. "You don't have to," he replied, then lowered his voice and added, "but I'd appreciate it if you did come." Another pause. "Thanks, sorry."
Silence engulfed the three men, broken only when another man, tall with brown hair, and his daughter approached them. The newcomer spoke in hushed whispers with Takafumi by the door before returning to the waiting area. All four men and one little girl continued to sit silently. Hours passed as the darkness of the night gave way to the rising sun.
#####
"Is Takano Masamune's family here?"
Ritsu's head shot up. Spotting the doctor at the other end of the hallway, he turned toward Takafumi as if needing reassurance that he did, indeed, hear a call for Masamune's family. He made to start standing, but then paused, only just now remembering that he really had no relation to Masamune, aside from that of a boss and subordinate.
"What are you stalling for?" came Takafumi's voice, strained and every bit annoyed.
"But I—" Ritsu stammered out.
Takafumi yanked him by the collar and dragged him the rest of the way to the doctor. "How is he, doctor?"
"You're family?" the doctor replied with a questioning look.
Takafumi shook his head. "Unfortunately, his family cannot be here. I'm Yokozawa Takafumi. I've been named his medical decision maker," with that, Takafumi pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket, something Zen had handed him earlier in the night, "and this is Onodera Ritsu, a very close friend of his as well."
"Very well then," the doctor replied after looking over the paperwork. "Right this way then."
Hiroki scrubbed his face as he watched the two men disappear into the hall. He'd been waiting in the hospital for nearly ten hours already. At the very least, he kept telling himself, this means Nowaki's alive, right? He prayed it was so anyway. Looking up, he made eye contact with the remaining man who's daughter was napping soundly on his lap. He smiled feebly, still attempting to put up a front.
Still, another hour passed before Nowaki's family was finally called and Hiroki made his way toward the doctor. Twice already, he felt as if his legs would give out beneath him.
He let out a breath as he reached the doctor. This is it. Whatever may come, so long as Nowaki was alive, Hiroki would handle it all in stride. He had to. Nowaki being alive was all that mattered.
"Kamijou Hiroki," Hiroki breathed out slowly, trying still to calm his nerves. He held out his hand toward the doctor. "How is he?"
The petite doctor pushed up his round glasses and gave Hiroki his best smile. That many hours of surgery would totally exhaust anyone. "Let's discuss this in my office, shall we? He's being moved to ICU at the moment."
Hiroki nodded, trailing slowly after the man. Thank heavens, at least he was alive. Hiroki exhaled, holding back his tears.
#####
The next several days passed by like a blur for Hiroki. Upon getting Nowaki's diagnosis, Hiroki decided it was best to remain by Nowaki's side for as long and as much as possible. After all, Nowaki still hadn't regained consciousness yet. At the very least, progress was made when Nowaki was finally released from ICU. He was still in the hospital, but at least it wasn't intensive care anymore.
One fortunate thing, Hiroki supposed, was that Ritsu's friend, Takano Masamune, was also in the same room as Nowaki. Much like Nowaki, however, Masamune had yet to regain consciousness too.
With a sigh, Hiroki put down the book he had been reading aloud to the unconscious Nowaki. It wasn't much, but he had run out of things to say himself, but as he didn't want Nowaki to feel alone, he had figured it was better than merely sitting in complete silence. Perhaps it was doing it more for himself, as silence would let his mind wander into all of the what ifs. What if he never wakes up? What if he dies? What if—? He shook his head. He wouldn't allow such thoughts linger. He couldn't.
Just then, the door opened.
"Ah, Onode—" Hiroki paused mid sentence as the person he looked up to wasn't who he was expecting. "Akihiko!" He stood, though not wanting to leave Nowaki's bedside, he remained where he was. "What are you doing here?"
"Tch," Akihiko hissed, walking toward his childhood friend. "You've taken work off. Misaki was worried something had happened and made me find you to make sure you were still okay."
"Takahashi-kun?"
Akihiko grunted an affirmative as he slumped into a chair.
"Kamijou-san, there was—" Ritsu stated, walking into the room with a bowl of water and a hand towel. He paused as he saw the newcomer. "U-Usami-sensei!" Rushing to the side table next to Masamune's bed, Ritsu gently placed the bowl down before making his way to the other two conscious men in the room. "It's a pleasure to see you again." He beamed, as much as he could muster at the moment anyway. "What are you doing here?"
Hiroki stared from Ritsu to Akihiko, just as Ritsu stared from Akihiko to Hiroki.
"Ah," Ritsu stammered out, realizing the other two were probably in the middle of a conversation. "S-sorry. I just, um, I didn't know you knew Usami-sensei."
Hiroki laughed lightly, perhaps a bit strained too. "Akihiko and I are friends. I suppose you could say I'm also a fan of some his works." Hiroki's voice changed, ever so slightly, upon the word "some" and Akihiko cocked a brow at him. "You?"
"Onodera-kun was an editor for me," Akihiko replied, standing up to shake the younger man's hand. "It's been a while, Onodera-kun."
"Likewise," Ritsu replied, taking Akihiko's hand into his and giving it a light shake.
"Well, I should be going. A friend of mine, a student of Hiroki's, was worried he hadn't seen his professor in a few days. He asked me to make sure Hiroki was fine and since I now know that he is, my business is done here," Akihiko replied, turning curtly to Hiroki. "Give me a call should you need anything."
Hiroki nodded his thanks, allowing the man to leave without another word. Hiroki turned back to the man standing nearby when he heard a sigh and let out his first laugh in what felt like forever at the look of utmost admiration on his face.
"You're a fan too, I suppose?" Hiroki teased.
The next few hours, to both of their delight, was filled with conversations of Usami Akihiko's stories, the best of each title and what may or may not have inspired what in each book. For the younger man's sake, Hiroki kept quiet about the other genre Akihiko wrote for and his pen name. There was absolutely no reason to bring that up anyway, even if he, still, collected them.
#####
Two weeks after the accident and still both Nowaki and Masamune were unconscious. Hiroki noted that while Ritsu did bring work to the hospital with him every now and then, not much of it got done. Storyboards of shoujo manga lay on the ground near Masamune's bed as Ritsu was curled in the chair, drool oozing it's way down his mouth. Hiroki couldn't blame him, really. Masamune had spiked a fever several times since the accident and every time he did, Ritsu would lay awake next to him until it finally went away again.
Hiroki smiled. Although the circumstances weren't what he would have liked, meeting Ritsu and seeing the man in a similar situation, although the man denied having a relationship with the other patient, made his own situation a little easier to go through. He wasn't alone and Nowaki would eventually get better too. He sighed as he returned his gaze to the sleeping man in front of him. Nowaki will wake up soon and everything would go up from there.
Gently, he rolled Nowaki to his side, undid the knot of the hospital gown and slid it off Nowaki's upper body. Taking the towel on the stand next to Nowaki's bed, Hiroki dipped it into the warm bowl of water, squeeze it out and began wiping down Nowaki's torso.
"When you wake up," Hiroki began, smiling a bit in spite of himself, "we'll head to the children's ward. I know you won't be able to sit around and do nothing, so we'll drop by and say hi to everyone." With guided practice, his gentle hands continued to wipe the sweat from Nowaki's body. "Then once you're released, we'll finally have our anniversary dinner like we planned. And we'll take a stroll through the park. You know, the one you like? We'll stay there u-until—"
Without realizing, a tear dropped onto the arm Hiroki was currently wiping. He blinked. Was he crying? That didn't make sense. He'd been able to hold himself back up till now, well after he was told of Nowaki's diagnosis anyway. He'd been able to hold it together up to this point and no way did he want to show Nowaki he was caving in now. His lips quivered as he took in a deep breath, steadying his emotions again.
Wiping away his tears with the back of his left hand, Hiroki continued washing Nowaki as gently as he could. They'd make it through this and everything would eventually go back to how it was before. It was okay. They would make it through anything.
After having finished wiping down Nowaki, Hiroki settled back into the chair beside Nowaki's bed and slid his hand into his lover's. Although Nowaki wasn't able to squeeze it back in the comforting way Hiroki would have wanted him to, feeling the warmth of the hand was enough for the time being.
#####
Ritsu's head lolled off the comfort of his arm, jerking him suddenly awake. Blinking his bleary eyes, he unconsciously wiped the drool from his mouth in an attempt to recall where he was. Oh yes, the hospital. Judging from the darkness around him, it was evening. How late, he wasn't sure. Sometime during the day, whilst working on revising a storyboard, he had dozed off. Thankfully, he smiled inwardly, he had at least managed to settle the pile of pages properly on the floor beside him.
Rubbing away whatever remained of his drowsiness, Ritsu turned to look at the patient in the bed beside him. Upon locking eyes with him, he could feel his heart flying toward his throat. Oh god. Could it be?! Ritsu stood clumsily from where he sat, not caring at all at how his limbs cracked and ached from his sleeping position previously.
"T-Takano-san?" He took a step closer, praying his eyes weren't deceiving him. "Y-you're awake..." his voice came out a lot softer than he had anticipated. A smile crept over him without his realization as a confused gaze settled on him in the dimly lit room. "Oh god." Ritsu turned toward the door. Doctor. He needed to get the doctor. As he stepped toward it, he paused, turning back to the man on the bed. His smile broadened. "W-wait just a minute, okay? I'm going to go get the doctor." With that, he scrambled as quickly as he could out the door.
Within a minute or two, Ritsu led the doctor and nurse on duty back to the room and lights flicked on. Masamune blinked rapidly, attempting to adjust his eyes to the sudden brightness.
"Takano-san," the potbellied doctor stated, clipboard in hand with a smile on his own face. "Pleasure to see you awake, son." He scribbled something onto the clipboard as Ritsu went back to the bedside. "Could you tell me what year it is?"
Masamune blinked dumbly. "Who's Takano?"
The doctor looked to Ritsu, who only returned the confused and concerned look.
"S-Saga-sempai?" Ritsu stammered out, attempting another route.
"Who's that?" Masamune replied, looking at the brunette with a raised brow.
Ritsu's stomach churned horribly in his gut. This couldn't be happening.
"What's your name, son?" the doctor attempted another question.
"That," Masamune began. He paused, thinking. "I don't know."
"Do you know where you are?"
Another pause. "I'm not sure?"
"Do you have any recollection of what happened to you?"
He paused again. "N-no, but my arm," Masamune paused, barely lifting his cast covered right arm, "hurts, as does most of my body."
"D-doctor?" Ritsu breathed out, looking intently at the doctor for answers of any sort while the nurse came forward to check Masamune's temperature and other vitals.
After a bit of scribbling on the clipboard and a light shake of his head, the doctor turned his gaze to Ritsu. "It appears Takano-san may be suffering from a rare case of amnesia. Considering the blow to his head and loss of blood from the accident, it's not entirely unexpected. However, we'll have to do a few tests to make sure of it." He turned to Masamune. "Takano-san, you were in an accident about two weeks ago. A number of your scratches and bruises have healed, but you're still sporting a broken arm, four broken and two fractured ribs." He paused. "Everything else seems fine at the moment. Why don't you take it easy for tonight and we'll start the tests tomorrow?"
Masamune nodded. Whatever was going on, he'd eventually figure it out anyway. Either way, he hurt too much at the moment to do anything anyway.
After a brief discussion between the nurse and doctor, they both bid farewell to Ritsu and Masamune and quietly filed out of the room.
Ritsu blinked dumbly at the door. What the heck? Seriously, what the hell had just happened? How was everything "fine" when Takano couldn't even remember his own name? Surely, something was—
"Sorry but, who're you?"
Ritsu jerked his head to Masamune, who stared at his curiously. "I-I'm..." Subordinate? Lover? Underclassmen? Friend? Which one was he, really? Sure, he was his subordinate, but was that it? Was that really all it was? "You were my boss," Ritsu replied dumbly, unsure of what else to say.
"I was your boss?" Masamune replied, a smile slowly making it's way onto his face. "Really?"
Ritsu nodded.
"Takano?" Masamune stated, turning his gaze back to the ceiling. "That's my name?"
"Yeah, Takano Masamune," Ritsu replied weakly, backing slowly into the chair before he crumpled completely onto the floor.
"But you said Saga-sempai earlier," Masamune mused, his gaze flickering back to Ritsu.
"I," Ritsu stammered out, "that—" He paused. Saga Masamune. Without the memory of Saga-sempai, what was their relationship? What of his heart? His pain, anger and jadedness carried over all these years? He stifled a sob. "I should let Yokozawa-san know you're awake." Ritsu stood, fumbled with the cell phone from his pocket and darted out of the room before his legs could give out on him.
#####
A few more days had passed since Masamune first woke up. It was a rare case of post-traumatic amnesia. Apparently, he couldn't recall anything, but at the very least, so Hiroki thought, he was awake, unlike Nowaki. His injuries may be serious, but over time, they'd heal. With or without memories from his past, his future was a completely blank slate. The future was theirs to recreate. Hiroki was sure of it, even if Ritsu wouldn't admit to having anything more than a boss-subordinate relationship with the man. Hiroki could tell it was love from the way Ritsu merely looked at the other man. In many ways, it was the same way Nowaki looked at him, with so much love and concern.
He closed his eyes, hand still clutched tightly to Nowaki's. How he missed seeing that look from Nowaki directed to him. Only him. Hiroki had sworn, after Nowaki woke up, he'd never let his pride in the way of telling the man how much he meant to him. Never again.
Feather light. Hiroki felt it. The soft twitch of fingers in his hand. His head shot up.
"Nowaki?"
Silence.
"Nowaki?" Hiroki whispered, edging closer to the man's face. "Please, let me know if you hear me. Please." He squeezed his eyes shut, pleading silently to whomever it was that would listen and, hopefully, answer his prayer.
Again, the hand around his tightened, if ever so briefly. Hiroki held his breath.
"H-Hiro-san?" a hoarse voice, just barely audible, broke the silence of the room.
"I'm right here," Hiroki replied just as quietly, tightening his grip on the other man's hand. "I'm right here with you."
"H-hurt," Nowaki replied. "I-I," he swallowed, "t-t-th-thir-thirsty."
Hiroki pressed his lips lightly against the other man's forehead. "Okay. I'll go get the nurse. I'll be right back. It'll be just a minute."
With his eyes still shut, Nowaki nodded. Hiroki slipped his hand, ever so reluctantly, from Nowaki's and sped out of the room. Moments later, he returned with a nurse and doctor in tow. The nurse handed him the cup of ice chips as he returned to Nowaki's side, slipping his hand, once again, into Nowaki's.
"Here," Hiroki coaxed, placing an ice chip gently on Nowaki's lips.
"Kusama-sensei?" The tall, gray haired doctor finally spoke as he looked up from the clipboard in his hand.
Without opening his eyes, Nowaki nodded his head as much as he could. "Y-yes?"
"Can you tell me you're name?"
Having let the second ice chip melt completely into his mouth, Nowaki let out a light cough. "Kusama N-Nowaki."
"Good, good," the doctor replied, writing again. "Can you tell me where you are?"
"H-hospital," Nowaki wheezed out, finally blinking his eyes open. He locked eyes with Hiroki and a small smile crept onto his lips. He tightened his grip on his lover's hand.
"Excellent," the doctor continued. "I'm Sasaki-sensei and this is Nurse Fumiko. Can you tell me the last thing you recall?"
Nowaki's brow creased as he thought. "B-bus. I got on t-the bus a-and," he paused, closed his eyes and exhaled slowly before continuing. "I-I could s-s-see," he paused again and swallowed. "T-there was an a-a-accident." He closed his eyes as he finished and swallowed once again.
"Mmhmm," the doctor replied, scribbling quickly across his clipboard.
Hiroki looked at the man, concern written all over his face. "Doctor?" Hiroki swallowed the lump in his throat. "Is there," he paused, looking back to Nowaki, "is there a reason he's stuttering so much?"
"Without tests, I can't be sure," Sasaki replied as his brows creased. "There may be damage to his temporal lobe, but it could also just be him still attempting to get a hold of everything around him."
Hiroki nodded. No matter what it was, Nowaki was still Nowaki. Nowaki was awake. He was fine. Nothing else mattered so long as he was there.
"H-Hiro-san?" came Nowaki's soft voice again.
Hiroki turned to him. "Yeah?"
"Who's the doctor?"
"That," Hiroki turned a questioning glance to Sasaki-sensei. "That's Sasaki-sensei. He's your head doctor."
"I s-see," Nowaki replied, turning his own gaze to the doctor as well. "H-hello, Sasaki-sensei."
Sasaki-sensei blinked for a moment before returning the greeting. "Hello, Kusama-sensei."
"I-I remember," Nowaki began, swallowing hard, "t-there was an accident." He let out an exhausted breath and cringled. "M-my legs." Nowaki attempted to sit up and hold his legs but Hiroki pushed him gently back down. "I can't m-m-move my legs."
#####
Nowaki was alive. Hiroki knew that. He knew he ought to be happy, but he felt as if his heart had been wrenched from his chest, stomped on and thrown into the gutter. Nowaki was alive, but suffered anterograde amnesia, severe stuttering due to damage to the Wernicke Area of his brain and paralysis from the legs down. It was enough that he was alive, but to watch him wake up and realize he could no longer walk was heart wrenching. And yet, the sun continued to rise and set with each passing day, as if nothing was wrong and the world, his world at least, wasn't crumbling again slowly after finally having stabilized when Nowaki woke up. Beside them, Hiroki could see Ritsu thinking the same thing, if not something very similar.
End of Chapter 2
I apologize for rushing the story along. I was losing motivation fast. I'm also no medical student/expert, so whatever I said may have been completely wrong. I did a bit of research myself, but that isn't always accurate. From here, it may take a while until the next chapter is released.
