"Did you hear? Hikaru's in the hospital!"
"Are you serious?"
"I heard he contacted bronchitis."
Staring down the surface of his desk, Kaoru could hear all the rumors spreading about Hikaru's condition. No one was to know that Hikaru got sick from anthrax. Ouran didn't need an anthrax scare when only one person had it. For all they know, the school had shut down due to a fungal infestation and Hikaru's condition was not related to it at all.
"Does that mean there's no host club?" one girl had asked.
Is that all these idiots really care about when my brother is in the hospital? Kaoru chuckled a bit at the bitter thought. I almost sounded like Hikaru just now.
"Kaoru, you came to school?" Haruhi asked, surprised to see the younger twin, "I thought you would've headed to the hospital by now."
"I would, but the doctors called me when Hikaru was having trouble breathing last night. They told me to let him rest and come after school."
"What?! When was this?"
"Around four in the morning."
"You answered the phone that early?"
"I was already awake at the time."
"Kaoru, did you get any sleep last night?" she asked, concerned. Now that she got a good look at him, she saw the bags under his eyes, the tousled mess of his hair, his uniform wrinkled and unstraightened.
"I'll be fine," he mumbled.
But that was a lie. Kaoru's head kept bobbing during the first two periods as he attempted to stay awake. And in gym class, he was so dazed he had to go to the nurse's office after getting hit in the face with a soccer ball, leaving him with a red imprint on his lunch, he could barely pay attention to what Tamaki was saying (not that he ever did before, but this time he was actually trying). After that, he ended up sleeping through his last three classes.
Poor Kaoru, Haruhi thought, seeing his head resting on his desk, his hand still holding a weak grip on his pencil. She could tell how much this was affecting Kaoru. She saw how Kaoru tended to be more open and energetic around Hiraku. He wouldn't tell anyone how he was feeling except to his brother. Even though she hadn't know the twins that long, their love for each other was obvious.
"Kaoru, wake up," she said softly. He groaned and buried his face in his arms. "Kaoru, class is over. We can go see Hikaru now." With that, Kaoru shot up from his seat.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go," he ushered, pulling Haruhi by the arm.
•••
"We're here to see Hikaru Hitachiin," Kaoru told the woman at the front desk.
"...room 4118," she answered, staring at the young group carrying dozens of bouquets and several boxes of cake and cookies.
"I was afraid she would let us in with all these gifts from our classmates," Haruhi said as they entered the elevator.
"As much as I love our guests, they may have gotten a little carried away," Tamaki admitted, hands full with flowers.
"What gave you that idea: the millions of roses or the hundreds of custard filled cannolis in my hands?" Kaoru muttered. All he wanted to do was see his sick brother, not carry boxes of sugar cookies from rich girls who didn't care about Hikaru enough to make it themselves.
"Kao-chan, isn't that Hika-chan's doctor?" Honey asked once the doors opened.
They spotted Dr. Hiro near the front desk and quickly approached him.
"Ah, good afternoon," he greeted.
"So how is he, doc?" Kaoru asked nervously and to the point. He didn't have time for formalities
"The disease is progressing a bit too quickly. He's already having trouble breathing and complaining of chest pain. We put him under a mild pain reliever so he'll be a little drowsy, but you may all see him."
"Thank you," Tamaki said as they were directed to Hikaru's room at the very end of the wing. When the doctor opened the door, Kaoru gasped in horror. Glass walls surrounded the hospital bed that held his twin brother. They put my brother in a glass cage!
"Excuse me, but why is Hikaru in there?" Kyoya asked the doctor.
"His condition could be extremely contagious. We cannot risk having you exposed to the toxin."
"But we were exposed to it before and nothing had happened."
"It's possible to be in the same room as the toxin without contacting it. I know it's hard to see your friend like this but you are able to visit him," he said, motioning them in, "here is the speaker connected to the one by Hikaru's bedside. Just press and hold the red button when you want to speak with him."
Kaoru took a good look at his brother once he got over the glass walls. He was pale-white with a fever blush to his cheeks. His eyes were dark from lack of sleep. Kaoru didn't like these glass walls separating him from Hikaru. He wanted to be in there, holding Hikaru's hand and pushing his auburn bangs away from his damp forehead.
"H-Hikaru?"
"...h...hey..." he wheezed as he gave a weak smile, "how's it going...?"
"W-we're doing okay," Tamaki said with a brave face, though he was obviously frightened by his condition.
"Hika-chan, we brought you sweets!" Honey pipped.
"Your clients bought them to say get well soon," Kyouya added.
"You guys eat 'em...I'm not really hungry."
"Thats not good, Hikaru," Dr. Hiro chided, "You haven't eaten anything all day."
He hasn't been eating?
"Oi, doc...don't say things like that to worry Kaoru...don't listen to him...I'm okay..."
"Idiot, you have to eat! Listen to the doctor!" Kaoru cried angrily.
Hikaru chuckled at his brother's scolding. "You're right...I'm sorry, I-" he was cut off by a coughing fit erupting in his lungs. They sounded rough and dry, as he struggled to breathe in between.
"Hikaru!" Kaoru's breathing hitched, as if his breathing was connected to Hikaru's. He found himself gasping for air, holding onto the speaker for support.
"Kaoru," Tamaki said softly, holding him, "calm down."
Nurses rushed into the glass room, placing an oxygen mask over Hikaru's mouth. Soon the coughing slowed down, leaving Hikaru exhausted.
"...sorry...you had to see that," he said between breaths.
Haruhi ran out, tears forming in her eyes.
"Haruhi!" Tamaki called out as he ran after her.
"I'll go talk to the doctor," Kyouya sighed, exiting the room as well.
"Takashi, we should go give Hika-chan and Kao-chan some time alone. I want to get some pudding from the cafeteria!" Honey skipped with Mori following him, leaving the twins by themselves.
•••
"Haruhi?"
She turned around to face Tamaki. "I'm sorry," she mumbled as she wiped her eyes, "I shouldn't have ran out like that."
"No one is upset at you for that. What's wrong?"
"I'm scared, Tamaki-sempai. What if they don't find a cure? I already lost my mother, I don't want to lose Hikaru as well. I know you tell us not to think the worst but I can't help it-" Tamaki held her in his arms.
"I'm scared too. But don't you see? We can't lose hope. If we lose hope, so will Hikaru. These doctors are the best in the country. They will find a cure, and Hikaru will be okay."
"Thank you, sempai."
•••
Kyouya searched for the head doctor, wanting to ask a few questions regarding Hikaru's case. He found him talking with the scientists working for him on Hikaru's case.
"Dr. Hiro, may I have a word with you?"
He nodded, dismissing his employees. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if there have been any updates on the anthrax case."
"Unfortunately no. From what I can tell, this is no amatuer-made strain, it was created in a lab."
"I see, were you able to confirm what lab it was made in?"
"No, I couldn't," Dr. Hiro sighed, "There's dozens of labs all over Japan that have the ingredients to make anthrax. I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help."
"I know you're working hard on keeping Hikaru healthy. Please continue to look after him."
So whoever sent that letter has access to a laboratory...I will get to the bottom of this!
•••
"Look Takashi! They got chocolate, vanilla, and tapioca pudding!"
Mori watched as Honey brought two cups over to the table.
"Here you go, tapioca for you and chocolate for me," he said grinning with a spoonful of pudding in his mouth. "Mmm...it's good! We should bring some for the others. I wonder what flavor Kyo-chan would want, I know Haru-chan would want vanilla and Kao-chan likes chocolate. Maybe Tama-chan wants tapioca pudding? Why don't we bring a bunch over and let them deci-"
"Mitsukuni," Mori interrupted, "what's on your mind?"
Honey's smile fell off his face and in an instant, grew serious. "I'm tired of being kept in the dark about Hika-chan's condition. I know there's something bad about this 'anthrax' that no one wants to tell me. I want you to be honest with me and tell me how serious his sickness will get."
•••
The two were silent, the younger staring at the ground. "Kaoru..." he tried to get him to look up, "Kaoru...talk to me..."
He finally did, his concern-glazed eyes meeting Hikaru's tired eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel fi-"
"Tell me the truth."
"...it's cold here," he admitted, swallowing the lump formed in his throat (his pride, perhaps), "I couldn't sleep without you...your body heat keeping me warm...the scent of your shampoo lulling me to sleep...I can't even breathe without coughing every fifteen minutes...I miss you..."
"I miss you, too."
"But honestly, Kaoru...I'm not doing too bad...I'm okay. Don't worry so much."
"Easier said than done."
"I know," he sighed, "but try..." Kaoru nodded, eyes glued to the trembling form before him.
"Are you cold?"
"...y-yeah..."
"Hold on, I'll get a nurse."
"N-no! Don't go..." Kaoru froze, his brows twitched in confusion and concern. Hikaru had never sounded so desperate like that in his life.
"P-please, I was alone in here the entire night. And you'll have to leave soon….so just stay here…..w-with me….."
"Okay, Hikaru." He offered Hikaru a warm smile to comfort him as he sat in a nearby chair.
They talked for a while, mostly Kaoru while Hikaru nodded and laughed whenever Tamaki's name came up.
"...and then, he slipped and fell down the stairs in front of the girl's softball team."
"What an idiot..."
Soon, the rest of the host club united at the doorway, watching the brothers interact.
"Should we tell them visiting hours are almost over?" Honey asked.
"Give them a few more minutes," Tamaki answered, "it looks like Hikaru is about to fall asleep soon."