Aunt Cass sat in the police car with Tadashi. They wouldn't let her see Hiro yet, for fear she'd go into shock. Tadashi knew his condition was critical. He could still see Hiro's limp body carried to the stretcher. Tadashi shivered, wrapped in no less than 40 blankets. He was only wearing his boxers, since the water had soaked through his clothes.
Tadashi shook his head. "I'm an idiot."
"Tadashi, sweetie-"
"I let him go."
"No you didn't."
"I didn't stop him."
"You couldn't."
"I wanted-"
"Tadashi, you saved your brother's life." Aunt Cass said, wiping tears from Tadashi's face. "You are just like your father."
Tadashi tried to smile.
Hiro woke up strapped to one of those rolling hospital beds... what were they called? Stretchers? He was too scared to care. Not again, please. Not ever again. He thought. All the pain was returning, and he muffled a shriek by biting his lip. Sounds disoriented his low functioning brain.
"Shh, shh." Someone said quietly.
"Hiro, you're alright."
Someone blurry stood in front of him. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Hiro looked, confused. "Twelve, but I don't know how. Are you that 6 fingered man from 'The Princess Bride'?"
"Look at me, please." Hiro heard. A light was shone into his eyes. He stared at it, frozen and tired. "Where are you? I only see the light. It's fading, you should put more batteries in. How'd you know my name? I'm hungry."
"He's got hypothermia and I think he's passing out. Possibly a concussion too." Somebody said.
"Who?" Hiro asked, trying to sit up but only succeeding in getting pushed down again. "I wanna go to the petting zoo!"
"He's getting delirious from the pain."
"I lost my money."
"No, it's here."
"No she's not. She's dead."
"Oh, he said mommy."
"My name is Tadashi."
"Where is that anesthesia?"
"He's going crazy, hurry up!" Hiro was so confused, and began to strain against the doctor's arm.
"I'm having a panic attack!"
"No, you aren't. You're hurt and need to relax. Calm down."
Hiro could only see swirls of color, and hear distorted voices. He felt as though this was what it was like to be high, confusing and slightly hilarious.
Then he felt a sharp prick in his arm and he was asleep.
When Hiro woke up again, he was in the hospital. Hospital. Stomach ache. The lights, the party, the bathroom-
Hiro looked around panicking. He felt his heart rate speed up. He couldn't be there again. Not the hospital, not the incident, no none of that, please...
"Hiro, calm down. Take it easy. You feel of the pier." A nurse was there nearly instantly.
Last night flooded back to Hiro's brain. At once he burst into tears. They had found out. He was beaten. He was done. He'd lost, and the thing to keep his mind off the hospital had earned him a free trip back.
"Calm down. The more you react, the more you set off hormones for unhealthy responses." The nurse said.
"Can I talk to Tadashi?" Hiro asked.
"No."
"Why not?"
"You're in too much pain."
"He's my brother and I've hurt him doing this. Please. I can't live with this." Hiro said, but the nurse frowned.
"No."
Hiro looked up, dejected. He slumped back against the pillow and shut his eyes, trying not to let anyone see the tears. "Tadashi, I'm sorry." He whispered. Hiro let the pain, distortion, and confusion crash down again and he passed out into a long and needed sleep. The nurse came by and smiled. She felt better seeing him at peace.
Aunt Cass woke up in the hospital lobby, her head slipping out of her hand, which had been resting under her jaw. Tadashi was next to her, dressed in his normal school clothes, snoring away. She hasn't gotten word from the doctors yet about Hiro's condition. She stood up, kissed Tadashi's forehead, and went to talk to the doctor. She walked into the room. The doctor looked up. "You can go in, but please, hold onto something, you might be shocked. You don't know the severity yet-"
Cass Hamada ignored him. She burst into the room. Hiro was sleeping peacefully. Aunt Cass looked at him. His left arm was wrapped up, the bandages hinting at blood. He was still dirty and wet, as they couldn't clean him up until they had diagnosed everything. Hiro's leg was bent awkwardly, and he had several bruises. Aunt Cass froze, taking in the sight, and dropped unconscious.
