Hey guys! I'm back with the third chapter, a little earlier than expected! From this one onwards things are definitely more interesting. The difference in length between the rewritten version so far and the original of this story is ridiculous. I'm already up to 20,000 words (not all posted yet though) and the original was only 6000! I'm shocked.
Before we start I'd like to thank Sinistera of the Akatsuki and Mika Starlight! Thanks so much for reviewing guys!
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Disclaimer: I regret to say that I still do not own YYH. Or the songs listed in any of these chapters.
Warnings: This chapter contains angst. That's seriously it.
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Chapter 3: How the Mighty Have Fallen
Yusuke and Kuwabara succumbed to the heavy silence that made its home in the empty, unwelcoming waiting room. Neither said a word for a long time, both men trapped within their own thoughts.
This probably would have continued were the two youths not disrupted by the echoes of swift light footsteps coming up the hallway. The footsteps grew steadily louder and the room's only two occupants lazily turned their heads towards the door-less entryway just in time to see a familiar red haired man walk into the room. The man's fearful emerald eyes landed on them almost immediately and he jogged over to the corner they had seated themselves in.
"What happened? Are you two alright?" He asked, his worried gaze scrutinizing.
"We're fine." Kuwabara assured their teammate. "Nothin' wrong with us at all." Relief washed over the concerned fox demon briefly before confusion rose up in its place.
"But then why…?" Kurama asked puzzlement written clearly across his face.
The taller ginger haired man faltered, reluctant to answer. He didn't know why, but he felt that somehow it was Yusuke's place to inform their friend of the incident involving the usually emotionless fire demon. Yusuke seemed to take his silence as his cue and he rose from his hard hospital chair.
...
The hanyou looked up at the clueless man standing opposite him. I've never appreciated how true that saying is before. He thought sadly. Ignorance truly is bliss. A soft sigh escaped his lips and he turned away from his friends. His fists clenched, his demon strength forcing harsh crescents into his calloused palms. He tried to contain the emotions running rampant through him but couldn't stop the few rogue tears that escaped and slid down his cheeks.
Kurama's sharp green eyes didn't miss a thing and he felt his apprehension skyrocket. Yusuke was a very emotional being; a hot-head who easily gave himself over to his feelings. But rarely did he cry. Kurama could count the amount of times he had seen his friend cry on one hand and the situations then were always serious. Deadly serious.
"He…Hiei he…he tried to kill himself." Yusuke barely recognized his own voice. It was hoarse from fear and emotion. He heard the sharp shocked intake of breath from the youko behind him. The raven haired young man forced himself to continue.
"Kuwabara and I…we found him in a park a while after you left. He looked so sad, so…fragile. It was hard to believe it was really him we were watching. There was no anger, no poker face, just sadness…" It was heartbreaking…It was…beautiful… "We-I was so shocked I just…I couldn't move. He pulled out his sword and he…he…And I…I couldn't do anything…" Tears fell freely as a strangled sob forced its way out of his throat. "I just stood there frozen until it was too late…I should have seen it coming! I should have been able to stop him…!" Yusuke sobbed silently, his shoulders shaking violently. His whole body tensed unable to handle the overwhelming feelings contained within.
"I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Yusuke screamed as he spun around, his fist stopping millimeters short of Kurama's face.
Emerald green eyes silently observed Yusuke throughout his story, pain filling him at the knowledge that his close friend had gone so far as to attempt suicide, but also pain for the hanyou in front of him. Yusuke was an incredibly strong man, both inside and out, and to see him breaking down like this…
The raven haired man's fist loosened and his arm trembled. Even more tears spilled from Yusuke's chocolate eyes and Kurama pulled his friend into a hug, comforting the other man as he sobbed brokenly into his jacket.
Despite the red head's strong concern for Hiei, he couldn't help but feel flicker of anger and betrayal. How could the observant fire demon not realize how badly his actions would affect their little group? How could he not know how much they cared about him?
After a minute Yusuke pulled away from his friend muttering a small sad "thanks". The three of them took their seats and waited in silence once more. Another hour passed this way, the tension in the room increasing as more and more time passed.
Finally footsteps again echoed in from the hallway and all three heads whipped in the direction of the sound. A tall man with chestnut hair and a haggard looking face stepped out from around the corner. He was dressed in a set of blood smeared blue scrubs with a long white lab coat thrown over the top, a clipboard was held tightly in his hand. He looked around the stark white room with pale blue eyes, finally setting his sights on the trio in the corner.
"Which of you is the one who brought in the stab victim?" He asked. The three glanced at each other before Kurama responded with a question of his own.
"What does the victim look like?" The friends watched as the doctor checked the papers on his clipboard.
"The patient is a short male with spikey styled black hair, a white headband, bandages on his right arm and pale skin. We also noticed when we were checking his pupils that he appeared to have red eyes. Contacts no doubt." He replied in a calm voice. Yusuke quickly abandoned his previous position and stepped up to the man.
"That's Hiei!" He exclaimed. The hanyou seriously doubted there was another person matching that description in the whole of the Ninjenkai, let alone the hospital they were in.
"Well I'm Doctor Lee and I'm one of the surgeons who were operating on your friend. And you are…?"
"Yusuke, Yusuke Urameshi." The raven haired youth replied, shaking the proffered hand. "This is Kuwa-I mean Kazuma and K-Shuichi. Anyway how is he? Is he gonna be okay?" He asked fearfully after introducing his two companions.
Doctor Lee couldn't help but smile at the genuinely concerned young man in front of him.
"Your friend, – Hiei did you call him? – is finally out of surgery and has been moved to a new room where we will be keeping him until he is healed. I have to admit I wasn't sure how he was going to make it out alive when I first saw the extent of his injuries." The brunette explained, chuckling at the mixed looks of horror and relief on the three males listening intently to him. "We removed the sword from the boy's abdomen to find internal bleeding throughout the area. And I seriously must question how someone of his seeming youth obtained such a weapon. First we had to set him up for a blood transfer, seeing as he had lost a full one and a half liters of blood. Then we worked on stopping the internal bleeding. Once we'd finished I stitched up the wound. Your friend is still alive thanks to you. The nurse said you looked as though you'd run quite a ways to get here and I commend you on your efforts. If you hadn't gotten him here as fast as you did, it's unlikely he would have survived."
Yusuke's body relaxed, a feeling so unfamiliar after the tense period of waiting and fear. He and the others shared a smile before he turned his weary, yet relief filled eyes to the doctor once more.
"Thank you…The news it…it means a lot to us." Doctor Lee smiled in understanding.
"You can come and see him if you'd like."
Yusuke's head seemed to act of its own accord, nodding fiercely before his mind could catch up with everything. The brown haired doctor's smile grew wider, gesturing the tired group to follow him.
...
The three young men followed the doctor back down the hallway, up the stairs and down another corridor, finally stopping at the third last door in the hall. The four of them filed into the small room. It was blindingly white and smelt strongly of blood and disinfectant. There was very little furniture; a single pot plant, a television hanging from the roof, an off white cupboard and two chairs pulled up next to the thin bed. There, looking incredibly small amongst the crisp white sheets, lay Hiei. The raven haired demon was hooked up to several drips with water, food, blood and urine going in and out of his pale body.
Yusuke felt his throat tighten and his eyes burn with welling tears at the sight of his friend and teammate, one of the strongest people he knew, laying there looking so fragile. Without a word Yusuke moved one of the hard hospital chairs right up next to the top of the bed and sat down. After a look from Kuwabara, Kurama took the second chair, the second red head opting to stand against the wall on the opposite side of the bed.
Doctor Lee watched the gloomy scene with a sad look in his eyes. It had been pretty obvious that Hiei's wounds had been self-inflicted. The general cheerful doctor could only imagine how heartbreaking it was for these boys. To see someone they obviously cared about a lot resort to this. Regretfully he cleared his throat, succeeding in gaining the conscious occupants attentions.
"Hiei should be fine. I saw nothing in the wound or areas around to indicate any likely complications. Now does Hiei have any allergies, diseases, any medical problems at all that we should be made aware of? We would also appreciate the names of any family members, a guardian, anyone who would need to be contacted about this incident?" He asked as procedure dictated. Yusuke turned his chocolate eyes to the fox demon next to him, knowing he had the most experience with Hiei. Kurama caught his friend staring at him, waiting for an answer. He sighed before turning to the doctor standing patiently just inside the door.
"No, Hiei is…generally very healthy. I doubt he so much as suffers hay fever. Though he has in the past suffered several physical injuries of varying severity, I assume they wouldn't be a problem. The only other point worth noting would be that ever since his birth Hiei has run at a slightly higher than average temperature. It's not usually that noticeable but I feel that you should know this. It doesn't mean he's sick in any way, it's just how he's always been."
Yusuke and Kuwabara stared with wide eyes at the red haired man.
"I…Never knew about the temperature thing." Yusuke couldn't help but comment. His friend looked over and smiled.
"Well of course not. Like I said, it's hardly noticeable. Hiei himself hardly thinks of it to my knowledge. It's just how things are." Kurama said, his emerald eyes sparkling with mirth at their reactions.
Doctor Lee scribbled down the notes on the medical chart before turning his sky coloured gaze upon the group once more.
"And his family?"
This time the two red heads turned to stare at Yusuke. Yusuke looked back and forth between them but it was obvious that Kuwabara knew the least of anyone here about the shortest member of their team and Kurama smirked at him, exacting his own subtle form of revenge. The raven haired man held back a frustrated sigh. What on earth was he supposed to say to that? He turned his gaze once more to the limp form of his friend before answering.
"Hiei has no known family." The hanyou lied easily. After all it wasn't like Yukina knew of her relation to the apathetic demon and as far as he knew Hiei had no other living relatives. "We're practically all he's got." Sadness filled Yusuke's voice at the last part.
Doctor Lee watched Yusuke carefully as he spoke, he saw the sadness and whether Yusuke was aware of it or not, he saw a longing in the youth's chocolate eyes.
"Now, usually hospital policy only allows for one family member to stay under any circumstances-" The doctor started to explain but was quickly cut off.
"He has no family! …But...I would like to stay anyway..." Yusuke tore his eyes from Hiei to look pleadingly at the doctor. "Please?"
Doctor Lee smiled widely, kindness and understanding evident in his blue orbs.
"I was about to say, before I was so rudely interrupted," He said with a teasing grin in the abashed detective's direction, "that I am willing to make an exception in this case. Just make sure to tell anyone who asks that you're the victim's brother, okay?" The thirty-odd year old man added with a wink. Yusuke's face broke into a small grateful smile.
"Thank you."
"It's nothing." Replied Doctor Lee as he moved over to Hiei's prone form. "Before I leave I'll just take off his headband and store it with the rest of his clothes in the locker here." He said with a flourish towards the thin white storage unite next to the bed. As he reached out to remove the bandana the doctor found his wrist captive in a strong hand. His blue eyes followed the arm up to see Yusuke staring at him with suddenly hard, fiery eyes. The two continued to stare each other down until Kurama intervened. He pried Doctor Lee's wrist from his friend's grasp and subtly moved the good doctor away from the demon unconscious on the bed.
"That's very kind of you Doctor Lee but I'm afraid you can't do that. You see, Hiei got involved with a rather…errr…unique religion a few years ago and that white headband is a symbol of his faith." The red haired youko lied. "He would no doubt appreciate it if you left it on." Doctor Lee nodded once though his expression remained one of confusion.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea. If it will make you feel better then I will leave it on." The brunette apologized before stepping back towards the door. "Yusuke if you need anything, just press that red button there on the side of the bed and one of the nurses should be with you momentarily. The rest of your friend's belongings are in the locker as I said before, I even managed to get his sword in there as well, though I advise either Shuichi or Kazuma take it home with them to avoid any more trouble. I will be back later in the morning to check on Hiei." With a last goodbye to the trio the doctor left the room, his footsteps growing fainter and fainter as he walked away down the corridor.
The three friends collapsed with relief once they were sure the other man was gone.
"Man that was too fucking close!" Yusuke groaned pitifully.
"Indeed. If you had been but a few seconds slower Yusuke, then we would have had a real situation on our hands." Kurama sighed heavily. "Well that's about all the drama I can take for one night. I think it's best if Kuwabara and myself take our leave. We'll return sometime tomorrow no doubt." Kuwabara yawned loudly in agreement and Yusuke bid them a quiet farewell. The two red heads wasted no time in shuffling out the door, the fox demon pulling Hiei's treasured katana out of the locker and taking it with him.
Now all alone in the small white room, Yusuke pulled his chair closer to Hiei's bed, his trembling hand reaching out to take Hiei's smaller, paler one.
Yusuke would never admit it to himself but he was terrified. Even now that Hiei was out of immediate danger his heart still clenched uncomfortably in his chest. Because he was frightened of losing him. Scared that if he let him, the shorter man would disappear. And so he grasped his friend's hand tightly in his own, making sure through the feel of Hiei's rough calloused skin against his own thick palms that he wasn't going anywhere. At least not tonight.
A small smile made its way across Yusuke's lips as he noticed how warm the demon's hands were compared to his own. Who would have thought someone as supposedly cold as Hiei could be so warm, he thought. Yusuke watched Hiei silently, slowly being lulled to sleep by the reassuring beeping of the heart monitor and the soft sound of Hiei's breathing. Finally he joined the smaller man in unconsciousness, his head landing softly next to their joined hands.
'Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came.
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life…
Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God, he hears you
And pray to God, he hears you!
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life…
As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you begin to wonder why you came.
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life…
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life…
How to save a life, how to save a life
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life…
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life…
How to save a life…
How to save a life…'
How to Save a Life by The Fray.
There you have it. What'd you guys think? Good, bad, eh? Next chapter will be up soon...Hopefully.
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