"Alright, is that everything?" Alice asked, handing her chart to the nursing station. It was just past ten that evening and the hospital was a buzz. Like predicted, there was several people from the fair getting their injuries taken care of. Alice had treated most of them herself, the worst being ten stitches on someone's arm. The chief nurse shook his head, checking the chart before filing it away.
"No, that should be everything, Dr. Lore," He replied, pulling another set of charts out. "Is Alistor back from his rounds yet?"
"No, he didn't have rounds. You put him in the OR tonight," She replied as she pulled out her phone, checking it for texts. "Hm..."
"Nothing about the little brother?" He asked as she lent up against the station.
"Not a word. He's got better things on his mind," She said, shoving the phone back into her pocket. "I'll give him a cal- What in the..." She asked as a crackle from the radio cut through the conversation.
"Prepare burn OR for use. Adult, male, with severe burns all over body with a partial severed leg arriving," The ambulance radioed in, sounding urgent. "Repeat, prepare OR..."
"I'll go head up," Alice said with a quick nod as the nursing station was suddenly busier, the chief calling in for preparation. While she wasn't a burn specialist, Alice was experienced in nerve damage and depending on how bad the leg was, she could be of some help. She wasn't about to let someone else lose their limb over a bad operation.
She dashed down the hallway, turning the corner to the elevator. Before she could get in, the ambulance team wheeled in a man covered in a aluminum blanket in, the scent of rotting and burnt flesh pungent in the air. She began to turn away from the patient, trying to keep herself from gagging.
"H-Hiro..." A weak familiar voice whispered from the elevator.
Alice turned around quickly, her face paling. Tadashi was strapped down on the stretcher, trying to lift his arm to reach for something. As he did, the blanket fell off, exposing the damage. The entire left half of his face was completely burnt and his eyelid had taken some severe damage. The burn covered the length of his face and neck, the skin already hardening. His body was completely covered in third degree burns and his left leg was in terrible shape, his white bones jutting out of the burnt skin. She lept into the elevator, taking his hand, doing her best to stay calm.
"Tadashi!" She said, her voice shaking. "I need you to stay with me, okay? Keep talking to me, you're going to be fine..."
"He... He got in..." Tadashi muttered, his good eye trying to focus at the ceiling above. "He's... In..."
"That's great, baby. Keep going..." She said as the techies loaded him off the elevator, Alice running along side them as they wheeled him down the long hallway. "What happened to him?" She demanded, staring the tech down for answers.
"I... " He started before his voice faltered, replaced by ragged breathing. He shut his eye tightly, face scrunched up in pain as he screamed, her heart stopping. "Ugh!"
"Hey, I need you to stay with me! We're almost there!" Alice said, trying to calm him down as they rushed him through the doors. He continued his wail, breaking into sobs as he tried to speak. The techs did their best to move him onto the table as the nurses worked as fast as they could to hook him up to an IV. He whimpered in pain, tears now running down his face as they did
"Callaghan... He t-took..." He whimpered, his arms now limp at his sides as the medication seeped into his system. "... Hiro's..."
"Shh..." She hushed him quietly as they began to hook up him to life support. Her hands shook violently as she pulled out a light from her pocket, checking the movement of his damaged eye. She swore under her breath as he eye refused to track the light. "Tadashi, please..." She whispered, watching as he laid there, his eye no longer focusing on anything. She tried to hold back her tears as she leaned over, kissing his forehead.
"... I'll be here when you wake up, okay? You just... You just hold on for me," She said quietly to him, watching him close his eyes as he drifted off, the pain medication kicking in. The doctors muttered to the others before a nurse came over and gently pulled her away and brought her outside of the operating room, stroking her back.
"I'm so sorry..." She said as Alice shoke, holding her face in her hands. "We think it's best if you sit this out... We'll do everything we can for him."
"No! I need to be in there!" She protested, trying the fight her way back inside.
"Dr. Lore, Please! We know he's important to you, but you're in no condition to work on him in the state he's in!" The nurse said faintly, holding Alice still by the shoulders as she stared at her, eye to eye. "You need to get a hold of yourself. ... When he's stable and we've finished with his burns, we'll come find you for his leg."
"I... I'm sorry..." Alice managed to whisper, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm so..." She trailed off as a small sob break free, the nurse wrapping her arms around her, stroking her back.
"I know, honey. ... I couldn't work when it was my husband on the table..."
After a moment, Alice excused herself from the nurse, who went back inside as she watched her go, getting quick peak inside before the door slammed shut. He was on a breathing tube and doctors were working on saving his eye. She stood there for a moment, breathing shaky as she slowly turned around and walked towards the waiting area, wiping her her face. As she approached, a familiar voice echoed down the hall.
"Tadashi!" She heard Hiro yell, choking on his words. "No, let go of me! Tadashi!" She dashed to the room quickly to see Alistor holding Hiro back, in tears as he clutched to Tadashi's ball cap.
"Hiro, please! You can't be in there!" Alistor protested, holding the younger man steady. "He's already gone into surgery!"
"Hiro," Alice said, keeping her voice and calm and steady as she could, walking over to him. "Just take a deep breath. ... What happened?" She gently took his hands as he heaved, sobs escaping.
"A fire started in the hall and... And he ran in to try and save Professor Callaghan but..." He managed to get out before Aunt Cass came running over, checking on him before grabbing Alice's arms tightly.
"Where is he? Is he going to be alright?!" She asked in a panic, squeezing her arm harder. She could feel her skin begin to bruise as she placed her hand on her shoulder, looking at both Hiro and Cass. "Alice, please..." Cass begged, watching her with fear in her eyes. Alice stood there in silence for a moment, unsure how to tell them what was happening to Tadashi in the operating room.
"... Tadashi has third degree burns all over his body. The damage is extensive to his left eye and leg. We're doing the best we can to keep him stable." She said, making eye contact with the two.
"Why aren't you in there?" Alistor asked, watching her as he let go of Hiro. She looked down at the floor for a moment, running her fingers through her hair. She stayed silent, watching Alistor help Cass sit Hiro on the couch, doing her best to comfort him.
"Dr. Lore?" A nurse said quietly, peaking into the waiting room. It was the same one that had lead her out of the OR. Alice looked over at Cass quickly, exchanging glances with Alistor as she walked over, turning the corner with the nurse. "You need to change into your scrubs."
"... Alright," She replied quietly, following after the nurse, glancing back at Alistor comforting Hiro and Cass. She had work to do.
The hospital was dead as midnight passed, the lights now dimmed as the many patients tried to sleep. Aunt Cass idly stroked Hiro's hair as he slept on her lap, clutching Tadashi's hat. She looked worse for wear as Alistor walked back into the waiting room, handing her a coffee as he sat down across from her. He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing as he looked up at the clock. It had been three hours since Alice had left and no word had come back yet about Tadashi's condition.
"How's he holding up?" He asked, nodding to Hiro. His eyes were red and swollen from crying and his sleep looked anything but peaceful.
"He just fell asleep..." Aunt Cass replied softly, rubbing her eyes. "It's been a... it's been a long day."
"Where's Wasabi and the others?" He asked.
"They were in the waiting room downstairs a few hours ago. ... I told them we'd call with news, there's no reason to keep them here," She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "... When do you think he'll be out?"
"Could be now, could be in four hours... I have no idea wha-" He started, becoming quiet as he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He placed his coffee aside, standing up as the person got closer. "Alice?" She stepped into the waiting room, her scrubs stained with blood. Alistor touched her shoulder gently, watching her concerned as she walked over it Aunt Cass, kneeling down to eye level.
"I need you to be strong, okay? For both of you..." Alice said quietly, glancing down at Hiro. "The damage to his leg was severe and he's suffered some serious blood loss. We won't know the full extent of the damage until he wakes up."
"What do you mean? Isn't he responding?" She asked quietly
"... His mind and body are functioning, but something's keeping him from waking," Alice replied after a moment, squeezing her fists hard. "We can only hope he'll wake in the morning."
But he didn't wake up that morning. Or the next or the one following. Tadashi Hamada laid in the hospital bed, comatose. Nothing would wake him, including Hiro.