I am not as physically fit as I need to be. I realise this as the bridge finally comes into sight. I can't see anyone at first. The road is empty. This bridge is narrow, only wide enough for one car to pass at a time. There are no traffic lights or anything. It's not that popular a route.
To my relief, I spot Yasuhara waiting where the dirt of the riverbank meets the bridge.
"Oliver? What's going on? I can't see anyone here but you said someone is in trouble?"
I swear again and walk to the edge of the river. It's wide and although we're on the brink of summer, the water will be freezing.
"I think he jumped…"
I pull off my socks and shoes, dump my phone and keys in them and wade out into the water parallel with the bridge.
"What should I do?" Yasuhara asked.
"Call an ambulance."
"But we don't know if there's anyone—"
"If he won't need it, I might!"
I mutter several more swear words under my breath as the cold water creeps up my legs. When it is deep enough, I dive.
The water is murky and I can barely see anything. How long must he have been under this water? Is it a lost—
I can't finish that thought. I can't see anything. I break the surface and suck in fresh oxygen before diving again. I am blind in the water. Opening my eyes does very little. I reach the bottom of the river and feel silt.
I feel around, hoping to find something that isn't silt, plant life or rubbish.
My feet push against the floor and I soar to the surface for air again. Gasping wildly, I take another deep breath and dive yet again.
And again.
And again.
Every time I surface, Yasuhara shouts at me. But I ignore him.
I dive again.
Just as I am about to surface for the sixth time, my bare foot touches something as I kick. It feels warm. Not very warm. But warmer than the water.
I turn and reach for it.
It's a t-shirt. I grab it and push for the surface. The extra drag from Gene's body slows me down. I kick hard.
What feels like an age later, I break the surface. I pant and swivel around, keeping hold of Gene.
"I've got him!" I try to shout, but my voice is quiet and exhausted.
I want to lift his head above the water but I do not have the strength. There are other people on the river bank. Some of them wade into the water. As soon as I get close enough they grab me and pull Gene from my grasp.
They all but drag me to the river bank. Blankets are wrapped around me. I can't see Gene. I hear Yasuhara's voice. I swivel my head to try and pinpoint him.
Just as I spot Yasuhara, he collapses to the ground, clutching his head.
I hear, "He's breathing."
And I pass out.
I wake up in hospital. It is unsurprising really. I feel like death warmed up. But I supposed freezing cold water will do that to you.
I open my eyes.
Gene is on the bed next to me. He's still asleep.
But he's alive.
I smile. And I fall asleep again.
The next time I wake, I can hear noisy sobbing.
"Mum, I'm fine—"
The crying cuts Gene's voice off.
"I knew you were feeling off. I sensed it. I talked to Noll about it. But I didn't want to push! I thought I was just over analysing! Why didn't I act on it? My poor baby."
"Shut up Mum."
Luella lifts her head from where she had been sobbing into Gene's bedsheets and looks at me for a moment before flinging herself in my direction.
"And you saved him! How did you know? Noll!"
I barely understand a word after that. She cries a lot more. Martin is standing behind her. His face is red and puffy. I look over to Gene.
He's sort of smiling at me.
I can tell he wants to talk, but not with our parents in the room. It's understandable. I have questions to answer.
Eventually, the nurses usher our parents out. They promise to visit tomorrow. We accept further kisses and hugs. They go.
"I changed my mind," I say quickly without looking at him, as soon as we're alone. "It sounds cliche. But as soon as I realised I was going to lose you, I decided that I did not want that."
"I guessed."
"I want you to hang about for a long time."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him nod.
"The nurse said I'm lucky to be alive."
"I don't know how long you were under the water for," I say. "Reality had begun shifting. Mum and Yasuhara and Mai were forgetting you…"
"What?"
"Yasuhara knew someone had visited him, but not who you were. I don't know if he'll remember it now…"
"Well, I did do my best to try and die, you know. I'd have been very disappointed if I'd succeeded and reality hadn't—" He stops speaking at the glare I send his way. Instead, he changes tack and continues. "I cable-tied my hands and feet together. So I couldn't fight it."
My glare morphed into a look of wonderment.
"How…?"
He shrugs.
"I was gonna find a rock to hold me down but…" He shrugs again. "Nurse said that if the water hadn't been so cold, I probably wouldn't have survived. Something about the body needing less oxygen in the cold or something."
He puts a hand to his head as if in pain.
"My head feels a bit foggy," he mumbles.
"Hypothermia?" I suggest. "I presume that's why I'm in here."
"Yeah. We're both in for that. And they want to keep an eye on my lungs and oxygen levels in my brain. Oh, and they've put me on suicide watch. That's why you're in here with me. Something about bonds or something."
"Makes sense, I guess. I'm sorry, I suppose I've caused you a lot of trouble."
He laughs softly.
"I want to be flippant and say perhaps it would be easier if I had died. But given the circumstances…"
"I would avoid saying that around Luella."
"She did seem to blame herself."
"When it is my fault," I conclude. "She will be insufferable."
"I think we might miss our film date with Mai."
"What day is it today?"
"Saturday still," Gene says. "Just about. Your phone is there."
He points to the table on the other side of my bed. I pick it up. There are a lot of messages.
Mai: What was that phone call about?
Mai: How did you get this number?
There's a lapse in the time signatures.
Mai: Yasuhara said you and Gene are in hospital. Are you okay? What happened?
Mai: Yasuhara said Gene tried to kill himself, is that true?
Mai: He said you saved him, are you okay? Let me know if you're okay!
Mai: Please let me know what's going on. No one will tell me anything.
Mai: Yasuhara just called, he said that you and Gene were both stable. I hope you're okay.
And so on. I close the conversation with her and open up the other thread. This time, with Yasuhara.
Yasuhara: So you want him to live now? I collapsed after he was resuscitated and I sort of remember things.
Yasuhara: They won't let me see you both, but Gene's phone is off. I want to see you both. I need to know what's going on.
And his messages go on too. I pass the phone to Gene. He reads the conversations.
"We can ask for them to visit right?"
"I don't see why not," I reply. "Send a message to Mum and Dad, tell them we want to see them both tomorrow."
Gene complies, then puts my phone on the table between us.
"You should get some sleep," he says.
"So should you," I retort.
There's a silence that is not silent at all. It is filled with all the little noises that hospitals make.
"Are you sure about this?" Gene asks. "I don't think I have the strength to try—"
"Yes. Stay. Everyone has been telling me that I push people away and they're correct. It was just a little more… Extreme… With you, I guess." I swallow. "I would like to say I won't push you away again. But I feel like that is perhaps too optimistic. I will try to be less of an arse about it though."
Gene smiles.
"And this has nothing to do with you wanting Mai to like you?"
I roll my eyes.
"I'll admit her comments when she'd forgotten you stung a little. But no. That is just an added bonus."
"So you admit you like her?"
I sigh heavily.
"Fine, I suppose I will admit that she is okay."
"You're an idiot."
"Yes, an idiot that made a wish on a star. Though I will argue that I was gathering evidence on a scientific basis—"
"Idiot scientist then," Gene amends.
"Go to sleep."
"You go to sleep."
"I'm trying to!"
Author's note: One more short chapter after this! Please review :)
