Shin's heart was still pounding even after the boy arrived in the hospital. His injuries were too severe. He looked at the 2 other boys. Their faces were grave with worry.
Soon an influx of students came rushing into the hospital. 'They must be the boy's classmates.' Shin thought.
"Yamato, how's Ren?" One of the boys asked.
"I don't know. It looks bad though." The curly-hair boy answered.
Shin didn't want to hang around for too long, it would attract unnecessary attention. 'This should the hospital Minami works at, right? I'll just get him to keep an eye on the boy and update me about his condition.' He thought, and started to make his move.
"Wait, mister." A boy called out.
Turning around, Shin realised that it was the Yamato boy.
"Ano… Thanks for helping Ren." He said softly.
Shin nodded tersely, but turned around and left without saying a word.
Yankumi rushed to the hospital, tears staining her cheeks. As she arrived at the emergency room, she thought she saw a tiny speck of familiar red disappearing around the corner, but Yankumi was too distraught to give it any thought.
"Ogata! How is Kazama?" She asked.
His eyes were downcast as he answered "He's still in surgery… It looks quite serious."
Honjo's eyes were red as he whispered, "It's all my fault, I'm so sorry."
She patted his back comfortingly. "No it's not."
After what seemed like a lifetime, the emergency room lights were turned off, and the surgeon came out to speak to them. "Who's in charge here?"
"Doctor, I'm Yamaguchi Kumiko, his homeroom teacher. His sister is on the way. Can I know how is his condition?"
"Yamaguchi-sensei, we have tried our best to save him; but as his injuries are quite severe, there is still a 50% chance that he might not survive."
Yankumi nodded, but could not bring herself to utter a single word.
"He's in a coma now, so we will have to keep him in the ICU for observation. But if his condition does not improve in 48 hours, you might want to prepare yourselves for the worst…" The surgeon said sorrowfully.
For the rest of the day and the day after, the whole of Akadou class 3D and their homeroom teacher camped in the hospital waiting room. They hardly ate or slept. Every time a doctor or nurse rushed past, they would tense up, hoping that there had been a change in Ren's condition.
"It's bad, Shin." Minami was talking, his voice low. "None of the doctors are positive that he will pull through."
"He's a fighter though, this kid. I would put my money on him." Shin said quietly.
Minami gave a sad smile. "You rarely placed bets on anything, Shin. This kid must be quite incredible indeed."
Shin looked at his watch. The 48 hours were almost up. "Do you think you can sneak me into his room when nobody is around?" Shin asked.
"Dude. I don't see you for three years and the first thing you ask of me is to break the rules…" Minami started sternly, and then broke into a chuckle. "Of course I can buddy! Since when did we ever say no to The Great Sawada Shin?"
"Well… There was that time when you wouldn't break up with that girl…" Shin pretended to examine his nails.
"Yeah, and look where that got me? The worst beating I've ever had in my life. If Yankumi didn't show up, I might have died." Minami shuddered visibly. "Anyway, come on. Let's go before the next check-up at 4 o' clock."
Shin walked into Ren's room. The kid was covered with bandages. Wires and IV lines ran all over him. There were machines to monitor his heart rate, his breathing, his nutrient levels – everything. Shin sat down beside his bed.
"Listen, kid, can I call you Ren?"
"You may not know me Ren, but I saw you fight back in the boathouse. You're a goddamn strong fighter. But you know better than that, don't you? I heard about your story from Kuma. He told me about how your little friend, Yamato, used to harass you about the class leadership. Instead of wasting your energy to fight him, you fought to rescue him. That's what real leaders do, Ren. They fight to prevent more fights, not to create more."
"You've got potential, Ren. I am looking for someone like you. But first you have to prove to me that you're stronger than a bunch of silly little poles. Prove to me that you are not just strong on the outside, but even more so on the inside. I'll be waiting for you."
