Double whammy of chapters tonight

It was 2:30am by the time Viktor, Phichit, Christophe and Yurio burst through the hospital doors. Stating Yuuri's name at the reception, the group were told they might have some wait before they could see him.

Viktor turned to the three skaters, 'you should all go back to your hotels, it's the final tomorrow after all'.

'No way', cried Phichit, 'I won't be able to sleep not knowing if Yuuri will be ok'.

Christophe nodded, 'we're not leaving you alone here, Viktor'. Yurio grunted in agreement.

'Thank-you', Viktor didn't want to admit it but he desperately wanted them to stay- he couldn't face the next few hours alone.

They settled in un-comfy seats in the waiting room; dead silence between them. Christophe was skimming through his mentions on social media when he saw an article that made his stomach drop.

'Katsuki Yuuri gets wasted the night before the grand prix final. Setting himself up for another failure?'

Underneath the headline, an image of Yuuri and Viktor outside their hotel hours earlier, Viktor sporting an angry expression with his arm around Yuuri, keeping him steady.

'What is it?' Phichit whispered, noticing Christophe's frustrated look.

'I'll send it to you', he whispered back, keeping out of earshot of Viktor.

Phichit's heart sank as he saw the article, biting back the will to yell in anguish.

'I should probably call up the association… let them know what Dubois did', Christophe said, standing up to find a quiet area to do so.

'Thanks', Viktor sighed, checking his watch again. 2:50am. Please be ok Yuuri.

A sudden realisation came to Viktor- the 8 months they'd been working together was leading up to this day and now Yuuri wouldn't be able to compete. Unbelievable. It just wasn't fair.

For about the 100th time that night, Viktor felt tears sting his eyes. He didn't bother trying to suppress them, Yuuri had cried more tears than this over the final.

Christophe returned 10 minutes later, phone in hand. 'Any news?'

'Not yet. What did they say?'

'They need a witness statement from us and Yuuri if possible… with enough evidence they can disqualify him and charge him', Christophe explained, 'there are police on the way here now'.

Yurio's phone buzzed in his pocket, he opened it to a text from Yakov.

'WHY AREN'T YOU IN YOUR ROOM? DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IS RESTING ON YOUR FREE SKATE TOMORROW?'

So Yakov did watch him whilst he slept. That perverted bastard.

'Viktor Nikiforov?' a woman's voice broke Viktor's trance. He shot up from his seat, desperately trying to gage a prognosis from her expression.

'Is he ok?' he gasped.

'He's fine. We believe it was a mixture of Rohypnol and Strychnine he ingested. He's on a drip at the moment to clear the toxins from his body but he should be better in a few days. Your lucky you got him here as early as you did'.

Viktor nearly fainted with relief, 'can I see him?'

The nurse smiled, 'Yes, he's already asking for you'.

Viktor turned to the others.

'Go ahead, we'll wait for the police', Phichit insisted.

Viktor nodded, following the nurse through the doors and down the hall towards Yuuri's room.

Yuuri was sitting up, his left arm attached to an IV. Viktor breathed a sigh of relief, there was colour back in his cheeks, he was alright.

'Oh Yuuri', he sobbed, throwing his arms around his pupil, 'i'm so sorry I yelled at you, i'm sorry I didn't believe you'.

'It's ok', Yuuri whispered, his throat raw from retching.

'How do you feel?' Viktor asked, softly stroking his hair.

'Sore all over. But better', Yuuri said, he looked up at Viktor, fire in his eyes, 'I'm skating in the final, Viktor'.

'Yuuri…', his determination was admirable but Viktor knew there was no possibility, 'you won't be able to, Yuuri. I'm sorry'.

'I will', he raised his voice, grabbing Viktor's hand.

'Yuuri, the competition starts in 6 hours; you need to be on the drip for 12', Viktor felt Yuuri's hand go limp in his, 'Yuuri?'

'So I really can't skate? All the training we've done will be for nothing?' Viktor could feel his heart breaking at Yuuri's words.

'There's next year, Yuuri. And by then you'll be in even better form', Viktor promised.

Yuuri shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks as he sobbed; the machine by his bedside begun beeping in quick succesion. Viktor could sense a panic attack brewing.

'Yuuri, breath slow for me', he said calmly, trying to stay relaxed for Yuuri's sake, 'this won't help anything'.

'I can't help it!' Yuuri shrieked, bringing his knees up to his chest, sobbing relentlessly.

'Yuuri, BREATH'

'I CAN'T'

His heart monitor was beeping faster and faster. Viktor backed out of the room, crying for help to a nearby doctor.

The doctor rushed in, took one look at Yuuri and yanked open a draw, removing from it a needle and a small bottle. Filling up the needle, he held down Yuuri's left arm and jabbed the needle into it, eliciting a loud cry from Yuuri.

Slowly but surely, his heart rate began to decrease and Viktor watched as Yuuri's eyelids drooped. Breathless from fear, Viktor turned to the doctor, 'what did you do?'

'It was just a light sedative, it's the best thing to do when his body is so weak', he deposited the needle in a 'sharp-ends' bin. 'He could probably do with the sleep anyway'.

Viktor nodded, turning back to Yuuri's unconscious form on the bed.

Meanwhile, two members of the Barcelona police force had entered the hospital waiting room. Quickly spotting them, Christophe, Phichit and Yurio nervously made their way over, introducing themselves.

'Is there an interview room we could use?' one officer asked the lady at reception; she nodded, directing them to a nearby room.

Sitting opposite the police officers, Phichit felt a twinge of nervousness. Their uniforms and stern demeanours intimidated him.

'We need separate statements from all three of you so gentleman, if you could step out for a minute', the officer gestured at Christophe and Yurio.

Phichit's anxiety only increased being left alone with the two native police officers.

'Your name?'

'Phichit Chulanont'

'Your relationship to the victim?'

'Um, a friend?'

'I need you describe in full what happened this evening from when Pierre Dubois first made contact with Yuuri Katsuki yesterday evening'

'Oh o-ok. We were playing cards and Pierre just sat down beside Yuuri and gave him a drink. It was odd because he had never spoken to any of us before and suddenly he was buying Yuuri a drink. He left as soon as Yuuri finished drinking it if I remember rightly'

'And then the victim began experiencing symptoms of the drug?'

'Uh, yes, yes he did'

Christophe and Yurio repeated the story almost verbatim. Once they had finished with Yurio, all three skaters were invited back in.

'You should know that Dubois was arrested tonight on suspicion of attempted manslaughter'

Phichit couldn't suppress a gasp. Manslaughter? Was Yuuri really that close to..?

'Of course, he denies any allegations', the officer continued, 'however, with your stories all lining up nicely, and a hospital report confirming the drugs which were in Katsuki's system, we should have grounds to charge Dubois'.

'That's good', Christophe commented, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

'As for the grand prix final, it has been cancelled for now'

'What?' they exclaimed in unison.

'We have been in contact with the directing association and they agree that for the safety of the skaters involved tonight, the competition should take place on a later date'

So it may not all be over for Yuuri in the end..?

I predict 1/2 more chapters. ;)