"I couldn't believe it!" Nagisa's laugh rang through the small hospital room. "There he was, totally naked!"
"Nagisa!" Makoto rubbed the back of his neck, his face turning red with embarrassment.
"There's no need to make Makoto-senpai uncomfortable, Nagisa-kun." Rei closed his eyes and pushed his glasses back up.
"I think it's a wonderful story." Mai smiled. She was sitting up in the hospital bed, her hands folded neatly in her lap. "I am happy to hear Nagisa-kun laugh, it's so cheerful."
"Good morning!" Gou called as she opened the door. "I've brought well-wishers." She stepped into the room followed by her older, sulking brother, a taller dark haired boy with sad looking eyes, and a grinning orange haired boy.
Gou smiled and gave a small wave. "I was telling my brother about what happened to Mai and everyone wanted to come see how she is doing."
Two of the boys stood back towards the doorway. Rin had his hat pulled down low and his hands shoved in his pockets.
"When I saw how upset poor Gou-chan was, I couldn't help myself but to come and see how her friend was doing." The orange haired boy draped an arm across her shoulders.
"Mikoshiba-senpai…" Gou blushed.
"It's good to see you, Rin-chan." Makoto smiled. "It's been a while."
The red haired boy nodded his eyes flashing momentarily to the dark-haired boy beside Makoto, before returning to the wall he had been staring at.
"You too, Sousuke-chan." Makoto acknowledged the other boy.
"Sousuke?" Kaori leaned forward trying to look at him better, her eyebrows pulled together.
"Sou-kun?" Mai's voice raised in pitch. "Is that really you?"
The tall boy stepped out from behind Gou. "Hey there Mai-chan." He smiled. "It's been a long time."
"Sou-kun!" Kaori called before running over and wrapping her arms around him. "It's been so long!"
Makoto glanced at Mai noticing her cheeks were tinged a light pink. Everyone else gaped at the short girl with her arms wrapped around the standoffish boy.
"Sou…" Rei began.
"Kun?" Nagisa raised an eyebrow.
Mai laughed. "We all went to the same grade school."
"Yea." Kaori pulled away. "This kid here used to be shorter than me, and was scared of everything."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that…" He laughed.
"These two," Kaori motioned between Sousuke and Mai. "Used to be inseparable." She returned to where she had been sitting next to Rei. "I was convinced they were going to get married."
"Kaori!" Mai almost screamed, her face a deep crimson.
"Yea," Sousuke stepped up next to the bed. "When I heard that you were seriously hurt, I wanted to come see how you were." He rested a hand over her balled up fists. "I am glad to see you are alright, Mai-chan." His voice was abnormally kind.
The Iwatobi Swim Club stood in silence staring at the pair as they both stared at each other.
"I, um…" Makoto broke the silence. "I was just about to go get Mai-chan something to drink, would anyone else like something?"
"Just a water, please." Mai smiled up at the olive-haired boy. "Thank you."
He smiled as he quickly headed out of the room.
As he made his way down the hall towards the cafeteria he became aware of a rising pressure in his chest. It was a pinching feeling that he couldn't quite understand. His breathing was become ragged and he stopped to sit down.
"Oh, or maybe Sou-chan!"
Nagisa's voice rang clear in his mind. The tightness in his chest became pain as his head began to spin. He rubbed his chest with his right palm, and felt his heart pounding against his ribs.
"Is that it?" He gasped, tears forming in his eyes. "Is that how this ends?" The tears began to spill over the edge of his eyelids, rolling down his left cheek and getting caught in his eye patch on the right. As the bandage grew damp he rested his palm against it lightly.
"You should regain full sight, no problem." The doctor said as she unrolled the gauze they had wrapped around his head. "The tissue around your eye however…" She frowned when the cotton fell away, revealing the wound. "You will have scars, the skin around your eye was severely burned. We could do grafts later, but it would be costly and it will never look the same."
"You mean…" He reached up to try to touch his right eye.
"You shouldn't touch it." She stopped him. "Chances are with how badly the scars end up being, you won't be able to open it all the way again."
Pushing his hair back and trying to calm himself he sighed.
"Hey, Mako-chan…" He heard a soft voice call.
He sat up straight and looked down the hall. "Oh, Nagisa-chan." He relaxed when he saw the boy's familiar pink eyes.
"Are you okay?" The younger boy joined him on the bench.
"I am…" He searched for words. "I am tired."
"You shouldn't forget to take care of yourself too." Nagisa patted him on the shoulder. "You were only discharged from the hospital a few days ago."
"You're right." He rubbed his forehead. "I might head home early tonight, let Kao-san and Mai-chan have some time together."
"Good idea!" His grin was wide. "That is, if you can pull Rei-chan away…"
Makoto smiled. "He does like her, doesn't he?"
"I think so…" Nagisa smiled and looked back down the hall he had just walked down. "I think it's okay to like who you like." He sighed. "Even if it seems like a silly match."
"Yea…" Makoto lightly pressed his hand to his bandage again. "Everyone should be allowed to be happy."
"Mmm hmm." Nagisa looked to his friend.
"I am going to go tell Mai-chan good night." Makoto stood up. "Could you help me get Rei-chan?"
"Sure!" The boy hopped up.
As the pair headed back to the full hospital room Makoto couldn't shake the growing hollow feeling in his chest.
Slowly, Makoto unwound the bandages from around his head.
'It won't look good.' He reminded himself. 'It hasn't even been a week, you need to give it time to heal.'
He paused before removing the final bandage. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, but all he could see was Mai's smile. She was beautiful, even sitting in the hospital bed, surrounded by the sterile, white walls and harsh florescent lights.
Tightening his jaw he removed the final bandage.
The skin around his eye was a deep pink and seemed stretched, keeping him from opening his eye completely.
The tight feeling in his chest grew, overtaking him. He tried to pull air into his lungs, but only succeeded in gasping frantically. Tears began to pour down his cheeks, stinging his right eye. He sat down on the floor, hard. He held the sobs in his chest, trying to be as quiet as possible, he didn't want to bother his family. He clutched his head, pulling his forehead to his knees that were tightened against his chest. The sobs he had been straining to hold in shook his shoulders.
'I will never be able to look at Mai-chan with this face!' His eye stung from the tears that were pouring down his cheeks. 'I can't look at her smile with this…'
He let his head fall back and rest against the wall behind him. 'I have to let her go.' He sighed.
Makoto's shoulders were slouched as he made his way down the long hallway. Only days before he had been rushing down this hall, excited to see Mai's smiling face. This morning it was that same face that was making his heart sink into the hole in his chest.
'I have to tell her,' He grimaced as he placed his hand on the door handle. 'I can't drag this out, for her sake.' He jerked back as the door moved under his hand.
"Oh, good morning Makoto-senpai." Rei smiled as he exited the room, followed by Kaori.
"Good morning." He feigned a smile and bowed politely.
"Are you alright this morning, Tachibana-san?" Kaori asked when she saw his face.
"Yea, sorry." He forced his smile wider and rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't sleep well last night."
"You need to take care of yourself." Kaori frowned. "For Mai's sake."
"Yes." He flinched as the sound of her name caused pain to rip through his chest.
"Will we see you back at school today?" Rei asked as Kaori pulled on his arm, leading him down the hall.
The tall boy nodded. "Yes."
"Good." Rei smiled. "We will save you a seat at lunch."
"Thank you." He waved as he pulled the door to the room open. He watched the couple make their way down the white hallway. "Thank you." He mumbled before entering the room, the door closing behind him.
"Mako-kun!" Mai's cheerful voice filled him with more sadness than he knew he could feel. "Good morning!"
"Good morning." He smiled and sat down in the chair next to her bed.
"Are you alright?" Her brow furrowed. "You don't look well."
"I didn't sleep well." He tried to be convincing.
"You should take care of yourself." She patted his shoulder. "You are still recovering too."
He nodded.
"Could you do me a favor?" She leaned over the railing of her bed and grabbed for her purse. "If I give you some money, could you run to the vending machine and buy me a chocolate bar?" She pulled her wallet from the pink bag. "I can't stand the food here." She whispered as she held out the money for him.
He smiled and accepted the bills. "Of course."
"Thank you!" She grinned. "Thank you!" She clapped her hands together and bowed.
"It's no problem, really." He hurried from the room.
Once in the hall he pressed his mouth into a hard line, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.
'Get a grip.' He shook his head and turned to make his way down the hall, but ran into a person coming around the corner.
"Oh, sorry." The familiar voice mumbled.
"Oh, good morning, Sousuke-chan." Makoto smiled at the teal-eyed boy.
"Oh, Tachibana." Sousuke grinned. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Yea," He gripped the money Mai had given him tighter. "Just checking on Mai-chan."
"You two are really close, aren't you?" Sousuke stepped in closer.
"Um, you could say that." Makoto backed up.
"In that case, I think you should know…" Sousuke stepped in again. "I plan on pursuing her."
Makoto felt at the air leave his lungs.
"Oh, or maybe Sou-chan!"
"You got a problem with that, Tachibana?" Sousuke's voice was low, almost a growl.
Makoto averted his eyes and shook his head.
"Good." The taller boy backed away. "As long we understand one another."
Makoto nodded.
'This is for the best.' He watched Sousuke pull the door open and enter Mai's room. 'She deserves someone she can look at, and can look at her.'
The tears he had been fighting back were stinging his eyes as he exited the hospital, leaving the money Mai had given him on the floor.
