I MADE THE TENNIS TEAM! I am so proud of myself at this moment. I never played tennis before, but the coaches were insisting that I was a natural. =D So practices are everyday after until six, so I might not have a lot of free time, seeing that school starts on Wednesday. ='( I miss eighth grade... But I'll try my best to update the stories, so bear with me, minna.

Well, hope you enjoy chapter four!

Disclaimer: Believe me, I wish I did.

Ryoma groaned as he felt consciousness mentally tugging on him. Slowly, he tried to lift his tired eyelids open, closing them after seeing a bright blurriness through his lashes. Swallowing thickly, he grunted as he opened his eyes again, blinked and stared.

What was this?

Ryoma frowned in confusion as he gazed up at the pale white ceiling, then tilted his head to gaze toward his right, brows furrowing as he saw through the open door that revealed people unknown to him walking in the hallways. He was in a hospital, he determined as he also looked up to see an IV attached to his arm. Scowling, he moved to take it off. A hand shot out of nowhere, startling him, and stopped him from proceeding on this action.

"Oh no, you don't. Leave that there."

Ryoma gasped in surprise at the all-too familiar voice and his head jerked to his left, coming face-to-face with Momoshiro, who was smiling softly at him and removed his hand once he was sure Ryoma wouldn't fiddle with it. "How are you feeling?"

Ryoma didn't answer right away, trying to calm the overwhelming feeling inside of him. Why was he here? He should be dead right now, left to die in that alley. Why was he still alive? He didn't want to be alive. Ignoring the ache in his chest, he finally muttered, "Just peachy."

He thought absentmindly about he phrase and almost smirked as he recalled what Momo's name meant.

Momo chuckled. Ryoma groaned as a sudden wave of pain flashed through his head. Blinking hard, Ryoma looked at Momo and, while noticing for the first time how hoarse his voice sounded, whispered, "How did I get here?" But the question had barely left his lips before he went into a coughing fit, each throaty cough sounding more and more hoarse and painful. Momo's eyes widened and he helped Ryoma into a sitting position and rubbed comforting circles on his kouhai's back, waiting for it to stop.

After a while, Ryoma went silent and he turned to look at Momo. "You... You didn't answer my question."

Momo nearly rolled his eyes. But he answered gently, "You were in an alley. I found you there while on my way home from the store. You had only rags for clothes. Echizen... what happened? You were gone for so long... everyone was worried sick. Well, no one was as worried as Oishi."

Ryoma didn't smile nor laugh at Momo's lame attempt at a joke, and remained silent. Momo frowned in confusion and felt a flicker of worry inside him, and he leaned over, trying to see Ryoma's hung face. "Echizen?"

Ryoma ignored him. He instead went back into his original laying position, oblivious to his fierce trembling, but not to the sudden cold feeling he got. But Momo noticed.

"What's wrong, Echizen?" he asked.

Ryoma only shook his head as he settled underneath the covers again. "Nothing. I'm just really cold." He shivered as another cold chill spread throughout his body, tightening the sheets around himself.

Momo nodded, glancing down. "Yeah, the doctors said you might have these symptoms."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Symptoms? Of what?"

It was Momo's turn to be silent, but not nearly as long as Ryoma had been. He spoke after a moment. "Echizen, they said you have pneumonia."

XXX

About a half-hour later found Momo exiting the hospital after being kicked out of Ryoma's room by nurses insisting that visiting hours were over and that Ryoma needed to rest. Momo really wanted to stay, and only ended up agreeing when Ryoma said that it was alright, and that he could leave.

"It's fine, Momo-sempai. You can leave, I'll be alright without you for one day."

Momo sighed. He had been slightly hurt by that comment, but he knew that Ryoma was right; he would be okay without Momo. And since when did Momo start coddling an individual like this? So he left after promising to be back tomorrow. Ryoma had only acknowledged this with a slight nod.

And now Momo was desperately confused, not to mention incredibly bewilered. He knew Ryoma was a quiet, cold boy, but he was known to speak more than he had today. He had been unusually silent, and when he did speak, he answered only questions directed right at him and in short responses. Another thing Momo didn't fail to notice was the lack of life in Ryoma voice and golden eyes. He seemed dull, dead. Momo shuddered at that thought as he remembered the past night's events and how close Ryoma had been to death.

Indifference was something Ryoma did, something Momo was used to. But his usual indifference held some sort of emotion, most likely cockiness or annoyance. Today, it was different. Ryoma's face lacked of emotion, no sign of arrogance in his features. But what really scared Momo was that despite the stoic expression that was usually reserved on Tezuka's face, Momo could see a small flicker of something in Ryoma.

Defeat.

That was what scared Momo the most. Ryoma finally showed some form of defeat.

But for what?

He sighed, pushing open the exit doors and walking once again in the cold winter air. He would have to wait until tomorrow to ask Ryoma everything. For right now, he had to rest.

And Momo had to get more groceries, he remembered with a groan.

Uhh, my brain kinda went dead from sleep in the middle of writing this and I turned it off until the next morning, and when I began typing again, my mind was still foggy from waking up so I don't really knw how it turned out. Please review and tell me if you like it and what you would like to see in this story or something to help out!

Keep the feedback coming! =)