A/N: Sorry for the looong delay...didn't how to bridge past chapters with the next event.
Recap: Miyuki announced his resignation from the baseball team. The following day, he lays it out to Sawamura, leaving a hurt pitcher to wallow in misery.
Chapter 8: Loneliness...
It had been a few days. The baseball club continued their practise, trying to fill the void left behind by Miyuki. They had a goal and they needed to achieve it, but it was difficult. Everything was disorganised, but worst of all, everyone's morale was effected.
Seidou had a practice game, even though the weather hadn't completely warmed up yet, that they gladly accepted to see how they would fair without their former catcher. Everyone was nervous. Miyuki had brought them so far and they didn't want to put all that effort into vain.
Sawamura was the starting pitcher. Ono was the catcher. Their opponent, Inashiro.
The game was well into the second inning. Both teams had no runners so far and it was Seidou in defense. Sawamura ran unenthusiastically up to the mound, his expression not changing, his actions not flamboyant. He was just serious.
"What the hell's wrong with him?" Narumiya complained to Harada. He was expecting a heated emotional pitcher's battle with the what use to be blabbermouth, but all he got was a lifeless, albeit pitching better than before, pitcher.
"Leave it alone... Miyuki resigned just recently." Harada sternly said.
"Fine...but I'm gonna hit a home run now...I'll get some reaction out of him, whether he wants to or not." Narumiya finished as he grabbed a bat and walked out of the dugout. The older left handed pitcher stretched before he was called up to bat.
"Looks like your pitcher's lost all life in him. Time for me to hit a home run." Narumiya whispered to Ono as he walked up to the batter's box, positioned himself and readied his bat for the home run he promised.
"His pitches are better than ever. You better focus on him rather than talking to me." Ono mumbled back. Narumiya had hit the bulls eye, but Ono wouldn't outright fall into the sly pitcher's play.
The Inashiro pitcher then turned his attention to the Seidou pitcher. His eyes were staring Sawamura down, analysing every muscle twitch and expression that extruded from the younger pitcher. But there was none.
'What the hell...where's his usual fighting spirit? I guess I'll knock him out of his stupor.' the now batter thought as he saw Sawamura throwing the pitch. Narumiya hated the stoic look on Sawamura's face. Of course, he was accustomed to the loud mouth pitcher that Miyuki had fallen head over heels onto. He didn't like the fact that Miyuki had chosen this, Sawamura's current state, over his, Narumiya's, more lively plays.
Out on the centre of the field, Sawamura was staring down at Narumiya. 'What's with the cocky look...are you looking down on us cause Miyuki's not here?...' Sawamura had a lot to prove, he was serious and baseball was no longer a fun game to him. The fun in baseball died the minute Miyuki broke his ties with those hateful words. But deep within the recess of his mind, he clung onto the thin dangling thread that suspended him from falling into the depths of darkness. It was a thread of the almost non-existent hope that if he could catch up to Miyuki, that everything would be fixed and he could happily play with Miyuki once again.
Narumiya could feel the pressure that the younger southpaw emitted. Sawamura winded up, swung his arm and released the ball. It initially headed straight down the middle and as Narumiya started to swing the bat, the ball's trajectory made its way towards the inner upper corner. Suffice to say, Narumiya quickly moved back as fear of getting hit swept across him.
"Strike one"
'Hmph, so it was in...let's see where the next one goes...' the blonde hair teen hit the bat against his shoes, knocking out the dirt that was stuck onto the soles. He repositioned and readied himself for the next pitch.
Again, Sawamura threw the ball and it flew straight towards the outer lower corner. It was perfect, right on the edge. '...better, faster, sharper...' that was the only thought running through Sawamura's mind as he threw the balls.
"Strike two" the umpire shouted.
Ono threw the ball back to Sawamura, who caught it as if nothing had happened. Narumiya stared at the stoic younger pitcher with distaste in his mouth. He hated Sawamura's serious attitude, which made him want to break the younger pitcher even more.
'Trying to act all cool? Think you're the best don't you? Whatever, I'll force a reaction out of you...' The blonde pitcher gripped his bat tightly and watched each and every muscle on Sawamura move.
*SWOOOSH* Narumiya swung his bat with eyes sharply following the ball's trajectory.
*PING*
'Keh...' Narumiya thought as he knew he messed up. It wasn't going to be a home run and all he could do now was run as fast as he could hoping that no one would catch the ball.
The ball ricochet off the bat and headed directly towards Sawamura, fast.
"Sawamura!" Ono shouted as he took off his mask, in hopes the pitcher can catch the ball and end the inning. He didn't want the pitcher to lose his momentum, especially while everyone was still trying to recover from Miyuki's resignation.
Sawamura raised his mitt towards his head in hopes that the high speed ball would meet his mitt, but at the same instant, a bright reflection hit his eyes as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, causing him to flinch.
*SMACK* The baseball hit the tip of Sawamura's mitt and whacked him in the forehead. The Seidou pitcher immediately fell onto all fours with his hands bracing him up. Pain surged through his head as his vision got blurry. He could see the baseball roll away from him down the mound. He tried reaching for it, but concentrating was hard. It was painful.
'Wha...happened...' he thought as his head spun.
Sawamura heard someone running towards him and grabbing the ball, followed by someone sliding to second base. He could hear every shout happening on the field as if time was slowing down as everything was amplified.
"Sawamura, are you ok?"
It was Ono's voice. Sawamura could see a shadow in front of him as the catcher knelt down.
"Oi, Sawamura! You're bleeding! Hey, quickly get the med kit, Sawamura's forehead is bleeding, he's been hit!" Ono shouted as everyone rushed towards the mound. Shortly thereafter, Sawamura collapsed. The last thing he could feel was blood trickling down his forehead as it fell onto the mound, soaking it in a small crimson pool of blood.
- Later that evening -
Sawamura slowly cracked his eyes opened. His head was pounding in pain and his body felt heavy.
"We're going to have him stay overnight, just to make sure everything's ok." a voice spoke not too far away from him.
"Thank you doctor!" a female's voice responded.
'Mom?' Sawamura thought as he focused on the figures standing a few feet away from him.
"Hey! Sawamura's awake!" a voice shouted. Sawamura recognised it as someone from the baseball club.
"Sawamura, are you ok? Geez you had everyone worried." another voice came.
The pitcher's vision eventually focused to meet everyone's worried gaze looming over him.
"Everyone..." a whisper came from the frail pitcher. "Where am I?"
"Eijun-kun, you're at the hospital, you got hit by the baseball..." Haruichi exclaimed in deep concern.
"Eijun, how are you feeling?" Sawamura's mother asked with a look a fear and anxiety as she made her way to the bedside.
"I'm ok mom." the pitcher whispered.
"S-sa-wamura..." a nervous voice came. "I'M SORRY!" It was Narumiya. He bowed down in front of Sawamura as he apologised with a face plastered with guilt.
Sawamura stared blankly at the Inashiro pitcher who kept his head bowed.
"Who are you...? Why are you sorry...?" Sawamura asked bluntly.
Narumiya quickly looked up at the bedridden pitcher, then quickly looked at everyone else. Of course, everyone's face was filled with shock.
"Eijun-kun, do you remember us?" Haruichi asked.
"Of course I remember you guys, how can I forget Harucchi...but who's this loser looking guy?" Sawamura returned his gaze back at a slightly shaking nervous Narumiya.
"Don't you remember him? He was the guy that hit you with the baseball." Kuramochi spoke loudly while pointing to Narumiya, who of course jumped at the statement.
"I didn't mean to!" Narumiya shot Kuramochi a dirty look while trying to convince everyone else earnestly. "Sawamura, I'm sorry!"
"Yeah I know...I was joking...and that hit was an accident." Sawamura said. He wanted to get Narumiya back for being cocky, but decided not to.
"Sawamura-kun, are you ok?" the doctor asked as he checked the teen's eyes. The teen nodded in acknowledgement.
"You're going to be staying here for a night or two. We want to make sure you're ok, considering you were hit pretty hard." the doctor said before leaving the room.
"Alright...everyone should head home now, it's getting late and Sawamura here should be resting." Kuramochi quickly said before directing everyone out.
As everyone made their way out, Sawamura shuffled himself around on the bed readying himself for sleep.
"Eijun, I'm glad you're ok." His mother said, still in a worried tone, as she tucked him in.
"Thanks mom..." Sawamura whispered before he slowly drifted to sleep. His mother placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before quietly leaving the room.
For the first time since Miyuki had broken up with him, Sawamura was able to sleep peacefully. The baseball seemed to have knocked some sense into him. The night flew by without a stir in his sleep and the day went well in the late morning before the pitcher found himself rustling under his sheets.
*Yaaawn* Sawamura stretched as he pushed his sheet aside. He looked around and suddenly recalled where he was and why he was there, which caused him to subconsciously rub his forehead. It still hurt, it was probably bruised and he could feel a bump under the bandages that wrapped his forehead.
'I guess I'll go for a walk...' Sawamura thought as he realised his body was sore from laying on the bed too long.
*Grooowl* his stomach cried as he realised the time. 'Whoa...I've been sleeping for so long...let's see what's for lunch.' Sawamura walked, aimless, while scavenging the entire hospital for food. Of course, he got lost.
'Where am I?' the clueless teen looked around. 'Oncology Department...' Sawamura read the sign. 'So this is where all the cancer patients are...' he thought somberly as he continued to walk through the halls. He saw people of all ages, kids playing in a room, some adults on life support and as his eyes continued to wander, he saw a familiar face.
"Mi...yuki..." Sawamura whispered, subconsciously calling the catcher's name, as he saw the frail older teen walk into a room with the aid of a nurse and doctor. Sawamura was stunned trying to process what he just saw. He stood in the hallway dumbfounded for a good minute before he uprooted his implanted feet and quickly ran towards the room. Peeking in, he saw Miyuki resting on the bed with the doctor and nurse next to him.
'Why's he here...It can't be...' Sawamura peeked from behind the door as he watched the three people inside converse.
"Miyuki-kun, your liver isn't doing well. I would advise you contact your parents to have them donate a portion of their liver to you. Please, it's still not too late for that..." the doctor solemnly said with a pleading look.
Sawamura could see Miyuki's skin yellowing from jaundice and feel a sense of fatigue coming from the older teen. His eyes had bags under them and his breathing seemed troubled and laboured.
"I...can't..." Miyuki said quietly, but loud enough for Sawamura to hear.
"Miyuki-kun please, even if your father's not in the country, he'll come back immediately if you call him." the nurse tried to reason with the teen. All the staff in the hospital kept asking Miyuki to reach out, but Miyuki just waived them and the idea off.
"I..." Miyuki spoke again, but was interrupted.
"Miyuki-kun, the cancer is causing your liver to fail. You have a few weeks at most. The recipient list is big so the chance of finding a donor on time is slim... it's not too late to have a family donate a portion of their liver to you..." the doctor hesitated. He knew he shouldn't be saying this, but he had to get the teen to contact his parents so that he could get a fighting chance for survival.
"Miyuki-kun...it's difficult to find a donor, it could take months...so please." The doctor grabbed the teen's hands and gave a reassuring squeeze.
As Miyuki looked up into the doctor and nurse's eyes, they could see his spirit was broken, the light within his eyes was diminishing and hope seemed long gone. Miyuki took a gulp as he adverted his gaze.
"They...they both..." Miyuki paused as he swallowed the saliva building within his dry mouth. He was unease with the topic, but recollected himself. "They...abandoned me..." Miyuki forced the words out his mouth. His voice was shaky as if it took ever ounce of himself to say those words.
"Miyuki-kun..." the nurse whispered.
*Cough cough* Miyuki flinched in pain as slight coughs erupted. His breathing grew heavier for a slight moment. Sawamura could hear the pain that the catcher was going through and he wanted to run in and hold Miyuki tightly, but he withheld himself.
"Miyuki-kun, please lay down..." the doctor said.
"I'm...fine..." Miyuki responded.
"How bout other family members?" The nurse asked.
"Ha...ha..." Miyuki started to chuckle, but not long after, a sniff could be heard. Tears started to form in his eyes as he looked downwards onto his lap. "I don't have family, everyone casted me away...and...and.." Miyuki was breaking into tears, as if he were like a lost little kid trying to find his mother. He brought his hand up and started wiping his eyes, but the tears just kept coming.
"The only person...I...*sniff*...I loved...*sniff*...I hurt him...I broke his heart..." suddenly Miyuki broke into a loud cry. He crumbled, the weight of his actions came crashing down on him. He had hurt Sawamura and this was the first time he talked to anyone about it. "I'm sorry Eijun...I'm sorry...I don't deserve to live after what I did..." Miyuki, with tears full of eyes, looked back at the nurse and doctor. "I've ended everything, there's no one else in this world left for me." he statement had conviction behind it even though he was still tear struck.
The nurse went to hug Miyuki in attempt to calm the broken teen. Miyuki dug his head into her shoulders and wept for all he was worth. The doctor placed his hand on Miyuki's back in attempt to comfort him.
Sawamura was standing outside with his back against the wall for support. Each phrase that came out of Miyuki's mouth felt as if they wrung his heart. The frail voice of the once strong catcher was siphoning his own vitality away. Tears cascaded down his face uncontrollably as he clasped his hand against his mouth to prevent himself from weeping aloud. He wanted so much to rush in and comfort the catcher as well, but he didn't want the catcher to know he was out there listening.
"Hey there, are you ok?" a sudden voice asked as a nurse knelt in front of Sawamura.
Shocked and stunned, he quickly wiped his eyes and nodded his head. "I'm fine..." Sawamura whispered before he quickly ran away. Before long, in the midst of the chaos that rampaged through his mind, he found himself back at his room. He quickly ran over to his bed and covered himself under his sheets. His appetite had vanished as Miyuki was the only thing left within his mind. He stayed that way in deep contemplation for a good portion of the afternoon, until he was interrupted.
Sawamura heard rustling in the outside world beyond the warmth of his sheet covers. He slowly peeked his head out from under and saw his mother. She was with the doctor, who was reassuring her that Sawamura was doing much better and that he should be discharged the following day.
"Eijun, you're finally awake." Sawamura's mother said as she looked towards her son.
"What's wrong Eijun, your eyes are red, are you feeling ok? Are you feeling pain somewhere?!" the worried mother asked in panic as the distress face of the pitcher was evident.
"Sawamura-kun, what's wrong?" the doctor asked as he knelt down and looked into the teen's face.
"Ummm...mom..." the hesitant teen spoke as he avoided eye contact.
"What's wrong? Please tell us..." his mother sat on the bed and held onto his hand in comfort.
Sawamura took a gulp. He had thought about the next few words very carefully for the entire afternoon.
"Mom...I want to donate a portion of my liver..."
A/N: I don't have any medical knowledge, so it is what it is :) Characters may not be "to character" traits, so it is what it is :O lol...sorry
Thanks for the reviews and favourites. And of course, thanks for reading!
Next chapter will be out in 3-4 weeks (no promises)
