-Shindou's POV-
It was one thing to play soccer. It was another thing to teach it and normally I'd be good at it since I've been tutoring Kirino with math for the last few weeks but Kirino was my best friend and, well, he was completely healthy and it was math that I was teaching him.
No on could get hurt from learning math but with playing soccer, getting hurt was just part of the process. Just the thought of it made me panic because the person I was teaching was already injured himself but apparently that part wasn't a good enough reason to stop him.
"So what we do we do first?" Tenma jumped in front me with his excited questions while looking me in the eye or at least he would be without those bandages around his head.
That's right! Not only was he injured, he was blind to boot not it was still any good of a reason to him why this wasn't a good idea.
"Are you okay, Shindou?" Tenma asked me. "You seem out of it. You too, Tsurugi. Is anything up?"
Actually, I wasn't even supposed to be here. Tsurugi dragged me into this for some reason even though I had nothing to with it the least. The only reason why I agreed was because Yuuichi explained the situation to me. So here I am, behind a hospital building trying to teach my semi handicapped friend how to play soccer again while making certain that he doesn't hurt himself by tripping over, hitting a wall, or something like that.
*HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!*
"AAAH!"
Too late….
-Tsurugi's POV-
I just came here to visit oniisan when I bumped into Tenma who was walking around the floor while waiting for his relative. She was still waiting to be called by the doctor and so he decided to wile the time away by exploring the hospital grounds and somehow he made his way to the same floor as oniisan's room.
I scolded him, not that he took it seriously when oniisan found us and invited him in. It was alright until Tenma asked me to teach him a bit of soccer again. I would have said no but oniisan was completely on board with the idea and his support made Tenma even more excited. I couldn't reject him and he did save me from those falling beams. Unfortunately, I owed him that much at least except I know my methods can be rough but he would learn and progress and that was the point! Thing is, that would be in a normal situation wherein he was eager and able to learn. He was eager. Very eager but he wasn't exactly able, not without his injuries worsening. That was when I spotted captain passing by the room, probably to check up that leg of his. Whatever the reason, the important thing was that it was the captain who was my exact opposite! There was no doubt that with his methods, Tenma wouldn't get hurt at least.
I didn't care if he had a piano recital or errands to run, I hopped from my seat and dragged him in. Tenma was made to leave so he wouldn't hear the argument that ensued but thanks to oniisan, he agreed to help but I believe it was mostly for Tenma's sake.
The plot behind the building was pretty empty. There was nothing there that could get in his way so it was a good place to start but we were still worried so we discussed what to teach him exactly since something as simple as dribbling could end with another accident since he couldn't see he or the ball was going.
We were just about to reach an agreement when we heard a loud hiss and Tenma yelp.
"Ouch. So it was a cat." He sighed on the grass, totally unfazed by what just happened.
"Are you okay, Tenma?" Shindou went to ask him. Tenma got up and nodded. "Yeah. It just scratched and bit me. See?"
We stopped the lesson and rushed him back inside.
-Tenma's POV-
I heard some rustling nearby while waiting for Tsurugi and Shindou. Sigh, and I was so excited to finally try soccer for myself! Since my accident, it's all everyone would talk about. Soccer this and soccer that! It made want to pick up a ball and try it out for myself! Today was the same too and when Tsurugi was telling us about a powerful kick he made in practice, I just couldn't hold it in anymore! I even asked him to teach me just to be careful but now neither of them wants to teach me and all because a cat attacked me.
I guess it was my fault for startling it but the injuries it gave me wasn't so bad. Sure my hands were bleeding but it certainly wasn't anything to get so worked up about.
Even the nurse said the same thing but they still scolded me anyway then they made me promise them to wait until my eyes have recovered before I try again. If I had it my way, I would have tried again. After all, practice makes perfect, right?
"No is no!" the two of them yelled in unison. I sighed angrily and just sat down on a nearby seat, sulking. These two are such worrywarts!
"But you both said I was pretty good at it!" I persisted.
"Yes, when you could see where the ball was!" Tsurugi retorted. I pouted more.
"It'll only be for a while! Nothing will happen!"
"Like a cat attacking you? You're lucky it didn't have rabies!" he snapped.
"Rabies? What's that?" I asked.
"It's a viral disease that caused by a neurotropic virus that affects the nervous system which eventually leads to death by acute encephalitis." Shindou explained.
….what?
"It's basically an ailment for cats and dogs." Tsurugi simplified. Wait, dogs!
"Can Sasuke get it?" I asked worriedly.
"I'm pretty he must have been vaccinated for it so he should be fine." Shindou reassured. Just one thing, what's a vaccine? I should probably ask but something tells me that it would be pretty lengthy.
"The main point is that you can't play soccer in your current state!" Tsurugi reminded.
"But why?" I whined.
"You managed to get yourself hurt before we even started!" he rubbed in. That wasn't fair! How was I supposed to know that it was a cat?
"Can't you be reasonable about this?" Shindou asked me, backing up Tsurugi's earlier statement but I just puffed my cheeks and turned away. "No!"
"And why not?" Tsurugi asked me in the scariest (yet vaguely familiar) tone.
"What else am I supposed to do?" I frowned. "I can't make out tv or read a book and neither of you let me so much as walk inside my own house! Am I supposed to just sit and watch paint dry because that sounds real fun and by fun, I mean NOT. FUN. AT. ALL. And I can even do that!"
"So what you're saying is that," Tsurugi began. "you'll stop whining if we find you something to do?"
Eh? That wasn't what I meant but that sounds better than nothing. "Hmm!" I nodded. He grumbled a bit and muttered some obscure words.
"What about cat's cradle?" Shindou suggested. Huh? Wait, cat's…
*Ta-dah! A moth! Or a butterfly if you prefer.*
*Wow! How did you do that?*
*It's actually a lot simpler than it looks, like a puzzle. I could show you.*
*Really! Thanks!*
-Shindou's POV-
I hate to say it but Tenma does have a point. Even if it was all to protect him, we couldn't just leave him alone with nothing to do. Then again, what exactly can he do? Then it popped into my head. It was a game I used to play.
"What about cat's cradle?" I suggested. You didn't need your eyesight to play it and if we could teach him enough, he could play it by himself whenever he liked.
"What's cat's cradle?" Tsurugi asked, something I didn't find surprising. But what surprised me was who popped up to explain it. I was about to when Tenma answered before me.
"It's a game where you make all sorts of cool patterns with some string. It's really fun!" he said. Well, yeah, I guess that was one way of describing it but I was surprised he was able to recall it despite thinking for a time that soccer was the name of his ball.
I looked at Tsurugi who must have noticed but one look and we silently agreed to ignore it for the time. I guess he didn't want to pressure Tenma for the moment. He had suddenly became a bit more sensitive since the accident.
"Okay, let's look for some strings then." He said. "I think Nurse Fuyuka might have some." I told him. The last time I was here, I saw her sewing a few times so I was sure she would have some to spare.
-Taiyou's POV-
"But I feel fine! I don't need anymore check ups!" I whined angrily. Nurse Fuyuka glared angrily at me as she usually would and despite, I admit, how pretty she looked, her glares could send a whole cattle of angry bulls running for their lives.
"We need to be sure!" she snapped. "Even you are alright now there is still the possibility of relapse. We need to know that now and until the doctor gives the okay, you will keep coming here for check ups so we can run all the necessary tests!"
I grumbled and sank back into the seat. "But I want to play soccer with Tenma!"
"You can. LATER." She said sternly as she walked away with some of my blood in that horrible syringe of hers. I can't believe this! I thought that once I got the treatment, I could finally leave the hospital bed, the tests and medicines behind and finally go out and play soccer with his friends whenever he liked.
Instead, here I still am! Taking a bunch of tests just to make sure that I was 120% fine! Don't I at least get to go home? *sob!* At this rate, I'll never be able to keep my promise with Tenma!
I was about to cry but then I heard his voice. "Nurse Fyuyuka! Where are you? We need some string or maybe yarn! Yarn is better!"
That voice…! It was definitely Tenma. I ran out the room, ignoring Nurse Fuyuka's orders to put like in the old days and there I saw him, talking with Shindou and Tsurugi. I suspect that they were telling him off for yelling inside a hospital building but what did it matter? I ran and gave a great big hug from behind. "Tenma~!" I sang. "I-Omgh!"
….
…..
….ngghn…what?
"Taiyou! You're finally awake!" a voice sighed beside. I looked to my side and there was Nurse Fuyuka. I managed to pick myself up by my head was still spinning with questions. How did I get back in the room? And what happened.
"Ah! Tenma!" I just realized. Where was he? "He left with Shindou and Tsurugi a while ago."
He left? I can't believe it! We finally see each other and he doesn't even stay? "What? No way! That doesn't sound like Tenma at all!" I said back and I'm sure Nurse Fuyuka would agree with me on that one but she shook her face with a grimaced expression.
-Tsurugi's POV-
Tenma was playing with the yarn the nurse gave us as we both waited for his cousin and the doctor to finish talking. Shindou left a while ago to head home, leaving me to watch Tenma as he made another pattern with the pull of both his hands.
"Well? Does it look like a star?" he asked proudly. This was the umpteenth time I've seen it but I decided to pretend I was shocked which was very uncharacteristic of me. "Wow! You're right!" I said. Tenma looked silently at me for moment.
"You know it's just a game. Don't take it so seriously." He chuckled. I glared at him though he didn't see of course and just looked away to let him have his fun.
Tenma continued playing with his yarn game, making a new pattern. "I've been wondering," he began. "if I don't get my memories back, what's going to happen?"
"Huh?" I asked. That was the last thing I expected him to ask me. "What do you mean?"
"Well, everyone keeps on saying about how happy and energetic I was before." He said as he continued. "But I'm different now aren't I? I'm not the same as Tenma. So if I don't go back to who I was then, will everyone leave me?"
He was actually thinking that? I pondered. I looked down and noticed that he had stopped playing with the pattern now showing one that was simple. Only four lines, each parallel to one another. "Aren't you going to continue?"
"N-No. I don't like playing anymore…" he fumbled. Ugh, why does he to put the guilt trip on? I sighed and plucked two of the four strings pulled them. Watching Shindou and Tenma play was enough that I'm pretty sure I know all the patterns and what moves to do to make them. Pretty soon, a new pattern formed on my hands as the strings flipped over to my fingers.
"Your turn." I said and that brought back a smile to his face and he went to make the next move. After that we played for a while until Aki finally finished which was a good thing because I was starting to get tired of cat's cradle and asked Tenma to come in so the doctor could change his bandages and check his eyes.
I returned to him the yarn and we said goodbye. It was only when I got to my bed I began thinking about his questions at the hospital. What if everything he's said will come true?
If his memories never return, if things would never be the way they used to be, what do we then?
