Chapter 6: The Injury

Rui walked up to me after the noise died down a little and patted me on the back.

"Never seen you run that fast before. Haha. At this rate, you could overthrow my reign." Rui chuckled.

I placed my hands on the ground, preparing to get up. I was about to smile when there was a sharp pain in my side.

"Argh! Ow!" I instantly held my side with one hand and supporting my body with the other hand.

Shutting my eyes tightly, I tried to take deep breaths, only to wince at the pain.

"Akira! Hey, you okay? Akira!" Rui immediately knelt down beside me, one hand supporting me, the other, holding my hand that was on the ground.

I could hear people shuffling and moving around me.

"What's wrong?" Kaoru and Hikaru asked worriedly beside Rui.

"Is he okay? I'll go call the teachers." Kakeru said before running off.

"Hmph, he's probably just trying to get our sympathy and praise for running so hard." Ikari scoffed loudly enough so I could hear.

I wanted to punch him in the face but the pain in my side wouldn't let up.

"Gahhhh!" I screamed before falling to the ground and clutching my side as it continued to throb.

My breaths came out in short gasps.

"Akira! Akira! Dammit, your side is hurting again isn't it? Crap! This wouldn't have happened if I just went with you that day!" Rui said angrily and I could tell that he was very upset.

"It's... fine... Just... give me... a sec..." I panted trying to catch my breath and cringing when the pain got worse.

"Akira!" Rukia and Mei's voice rang clearly over all the noise.

"Call the teachers and an ambulance!"
"Someone already did."
"What happened?"
"Is he okay?"
"Give him some space!"
"Do you need help?"

I could hear so many people shouting around me. The panic made it harder to think clearly when the pain already made it hard to think at all.

"What a brat. To think..." Ikari didn't have time to finish before I heard a thud on the floor near me.

"What the hell did you punch me for?" He shouted furiously.

"Shut up! What do you know? You have no idea what Akira has been through! Just... shut up!" The voice belonged to Rukia.

I couldn't muster up the strength to look up but I could tell that Rukia was crying when I heard her sniffing.

"Rukia... it's okay... Forget... it... So don't... cry... kay?" I said as loud as I could.

"Don't talk anymore. You'll be fine. Right Rukia?" Rui's voice sounded like it was going to break.

"Yeah..." Rukia answered softly.

Suddenly, darkness clouded my mind and the nightmare began to play in my mind again.

"...kira! Akira! Oi, Akira!" Rui's shouting brought me back from my nightmare.

"Get away from me!" I shouted when I thought that the person over me was the man from my nightmare.

I opened my eyes and saw Rui's hurt face above me. I was resting on his lap and my hand was clinging to his shirt.

"Rui? Omigosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it. I swear!" I frantically tried to explain to him.

He gazed into my eyes and smiled. I might have imagined it, but I thought I saw a twinge of sadness in his eyes.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it."

"Rui, I'm really sorry. It wasn't you. I was, er, having a... nightmare." I stared at Rui's face apologetically.

"Nightmare?" Rui and Rukia both asked curiously at the same time while the people around me stared.

I hesitantly nodded and then heard Ikari's mocking. "Hah! Nightmare? Little Akira is scared of a nightmare."

I turned to glare at him but when I moved my body, the pain came back.

"Argh! Dammit!" I gripped the closest thing I could grab tightly, wishing the pain would go away. I later realised it was Rui's arm.

In a few short seconds, I heard the wailing of an ambulance.

"They called for an ambulance? I don't need to go to the hospital!" I said frantically.

Rui knew the reason why I hated hospitals so much. He knew my fears of hospitals and fires. After all, Rui was my best friend back when the incident happened as well, so he would know best.

"Don't worry, I'll go with you." Rui held my hand tightly to let me know he wouldn't go anywhere until I wished otherwise.

When I saw his smile, I felt at ease straight away and slowly fell into unconsciousness.

When I awoke again, the white ceiling and walls surrounding me made my mind race and I started to panic. I quickly closed my eyes tightly in an attempt to calm myself down. A hand held mine and another hand wiped my forehead.

"Hey, you awake?" The oh-so-familiar voice whispered next to my ear. The voice that made me feel relief almost immediately.

I opened my eyes and saw Rui's face beside me.

"I'm here too!" Rukia chanted happily. "I thought you were going to die! You looked so pale." She added with a cheeky grin.

"Oww!" She protested when Rui smacked her gently on her head.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"Ah, Akira's laughing. It has been ages since I last saw you laugh." Rukia said before starting to giggle as well.

"The doctor said that you fracture a few bones in your side. So, they said you have to wear a brace for a month, without taking it off, in order for it to heal on its own." Rui told me while still holding my hand. "It's quite heavy, but they said you'll get used to it. The other option was to undergo surgery and put a smaller brace in. You wouldn't want that right?" Rui added.

I quickly shook my head. The thought of being in a hospital scared me enough. Going for a surgery? I'd rather die.

"That's what I thought." Rui smiled.

"Oh. That means I can get out of the hospital soon?" I asked Rui.

"Yeah. After the doctor checks on you again, you can be released." Rui replied and Rukia cheerfully added, "But the best part is, our mom asked you to stay over at our house so there will be people to look after you instead of you being alone."

I stared at the two of them, not believing what I just heard. Staying with Rui and Rukia? It was ten times better than living alone. I've been living alone for so long that the idea of living with someone else never crossed my mind.

"That sounds... great." I said and grinned.

"Hahaha!" Rukia burst out of laughing.

"Nani?" I wondered out loud when I saw Rui trying to hold back his laughter.

"That grin of yours is so kawaii! I miss it so much since you always wear a grumpy face. Omigosh! I should have taken a photo." Rukia said between laughs as she held her stomach. "Oh gosh! I'm laughing till I cry!" She continued as she started to tear from laughing too hard.

Rui finally couldn't hold his laughter back and he burst out laughing as well. I blushed before smiling.

As I watched them, I started to laugh along with them.