Everything after that was a blur. Hikaru remembered the blue and red lights of the ambulance, the rushing of the people around him. He remembered how he had screamed for his little brother when he was wrenched away from him to be taken to the hospital. He remembered Kaoru's lifeless body.

And now here he sat, sitting in this damned waiting room in a classic, cliché display of grief. He leaned forward in his gray chair with elbows rested on his knees. His hands clenched together till they were white and pressed to his worried lips. He tapped his foot rapidly; it was the only thing keeping him from leaping up.

To top it off, his face was scrunched up in a dark frown, biting his lip. His eye twitched as the host club entered the small, quiet room and he tapped a little faster. The members swarmed around him, sitting in a huddle, silently comforting the Hitachiin.

Hikaru sighed, wrapping his hands into his soft orange hair and bowing his head to avoid any of the others' eyes. He wasn't crying; he wouldn't, not until he heard the doctor's final words.

"Hikaru… about Kaoru," Haruhi began from her seat to his right.

"He's in surgery," Hikaru choked out. He let the silence drop over the group; he knew if he tried to talk any more, the tears would escape.

"So he's okay?" Honey spoke up. His words made the whole group tense.

Hikaru looked up, blinking rapidly. "I don't… I don't know," Hikaru sniffed, still holding his tears back. "He… he flat-lined two times before surgery…" He trailed off as the hot pressure built in his eyes.

Silence consumed the group once again and Hikaru began to wander in his thoughts. Surgery was the only thing that could save Kaoru now, he had been told. And even so, there was a low percentage that he would survive. Hikaru sniffed again and wiped at his runny nose.

"Hikaru!" a woman cried running into the room.

At the sight of her, Hikaru jumped to his feet and ran over, "Mom!" They fell into a hug. Hikaru felt warm and safe buried in his mother's embrace. But it didn't feel completely right, not without Kaoru. Suddenly, without warning, Hikaru's tears burst over and he found himself sobbing into his mother's shoulder and clutching at her dress.

"Shhh," she hushed as she stroked his hair. "Kaoru will pull through this. He's stronger than any of us." But Hikaru heard the tremble in her voice and saw her silent tears. She was just as unsure as the rest of them.

Eventually, Hikaru pulled out of his mother's grasp and rubbed at his drying tears. And as he stepped back, his amber eyes locked with the eyes of his father. Hikaru froze; he'd never seen his father look so… sad.

Suddenly Hikaru was being snatched into the taller man's arms and held tightly to his chest. Hikaru's eyes widened as he stood with his hands at his side. He really hadn't expected this. "Hikaru," his father mumbled. "I'm so glad you're okay." Warmth spread through Hikaru and he reached up and hugged his father back. It was the first hug they've shared in years. It made Hikaru want to cry again.

"Oh," his mother sobbed as she rushed over and bundled herself into the hug.

Soon after that, they were all seated. The silence was daunting. The minutes ticked by as the surgery progressed; so far it was neither a success nor failure which kept the group hoping.

Hikaru defaulted back into his original position on the chair, tapping his foot steadily in time with his rapid heart. He glanced at the clock in intervals and he watched the clock approach eight P.M.

A memory rose up from the endless waiting and Hikaru was consumed by it.

"Hika, is this safe?" Kaoru called from behind him, his eyebrows furrowed.

"You are such a girl," Hikaru teased, leaning against the railing at the top of the stairs. They were about nine, an age full of mischief.

Kaoru scowled in defiance. "Am not! I just don't want to get hurt is all."

"You won't," Hikaru replied with a grin. "Besides, it's fun. Just do exactly what I do and you can't get hurt." He playfully knocked his little brother in the arm, earning a small smile.

"Okay," Kaoru laughed. "Let's do it."

Hikaru nodded and turned to the railing. It wound down to the bottom of the stairs and ended without a stopper. "Okay, Kaoru, don't forget to jump at the end because if you just let yourself fly off, you'll get hurt." Hikaru checked for Kaoru's nod over his shoulder to make sure he understood.

Hikaru turned back and pulled himself up onto the railing so that he sat facing up towards Kaoru at the top of the stairs. He smiled and yelled, "Here goes nothing!" And he let himself go, slipping and sliding all the way down as he laughed. Kaoru's laughter rose up to match his. Hikaru jumped at the end, tumbling and landing in a rush of speed.

He stood, "That was so fun! Your turn Kaoru!"

"Get out of the way then, stupid!" Kaoru yelled, pointing at Hikaru who was standing at the end of the railing.

Hikaru laughed and jumped out of the way as Kaoru climbed the railing. "Here I go!" he called. And Hikaru watched his little brother launch himself down the rail, the same way as Hikaru, and Kaoru jumped at the end, just like Hikaru, but something went wrong.

When Kaoru landed he didn't hop up, he just laid there and moaned. "Kaoru?" Hikaru asked, approaching the fallen figure but stopped dead. His little brother was clutching at his foot… which was bent a funny direction.

Hikaru immediately ran off to find someone to help, promising himself to never again to allow Kaoru to be hurt again.

Dammit. Why did Hikaru have to think of that now of all times? He gritted his teeth and bowed his head as the tears formed again. He realized that he had broken that promise and it hurt.

A door opened from the left and Hikaru flew to his feet in instant. His parents joined him as they met the doctor halfway from the door. The host club members watched anxiously from their seats.

Hikaru fiddled with his torn sleeve that was stained with his brother's blood as he watched the doctor leaf through the papers on his clipboard. His father placed a strong, steady hand on Hikaru's shoulder and squeezed once while his mother wrapper herself around his arm.

The doctor was wearing green scrubs with a mask pulled down around his neck. He had his hair pulled back into a surgery hat. He looked up at the Hitachiin trio with his dark brown eyes. "Kaoru's relatives?" he asked, grazing his eyes calmly over the three of them.

Hikaru's heart pumped faster as his mother nodded. "That's us."

The doctor glanced down at his clipboard one last time before striking a small smile. Hikaru's heart skipped a beat. "Kaoru's surgery has been successful," he explained.

"What?" his mother asked dumbfounded.

"Your son is going to be okay. All he needs is a little recovery and some stitches," the doctor full out grinned now, watching the shock and excitement cross over the face of everyone in the room.

Hikaru let out a laugh of a relief as his eyes spilled with tears. "He going to be okay," he sputtered. "Kao is going to be okay." His knees went weak and he let himself drop to the floor in disbelief, tears pouring from his eyes. "My brother is going to be okay!" he cried.

His mother crouched down and pulled her oldest son into a deep hug, crying with him. Behind them, the host club looked on with warm smiles and tears while Hikaru's father looked at the ceiling, blinking away tears with his hands behind his head.

Hikaru breathed out in relief. "Kaoru is so going to get it from me," he joked through his sobs. The others smiled in reply.

Yay, Kaoru, for pulling through! ^^ And also, just so you know, I will soon be starting my new fanfic because this one is close to its end. Exciting right? Well anyway, hoped you enjoyed the chap!

ALSO! Please go to my profile to vote on the poll I have for this story. I am having a little trouble deciding whether to add something in or not. I would really appreciate it.