Authors Note: Hey first hope everybody's keeping well. Finished this chapter a lot quicker than I thought I would so go me. I tried something a bit different with this chapter so it might be a bit confusing for some people at part but I'll explain more at the end. Anyway on with the chapter.
Johan's thrashing around on the bed, eyes rolled into the back of his head. Judai's never seen a seizure before but oh god Johan's having a seizure.
Johan's having a seizure, he's going to die.
Panic flooded his brain as his mind replayed that thought over and over again. He tried to grip onto the wall as he felt himself suddenly become shaky and disoriented. His breathing suddenly erratic.
Breathe Judai, breathe. In and out. In and out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
The walls shrunk around him as he repeated the instructions in his head over and over.
"Johan! Johan please… stop it… please…" Judai sobbed, subconsciously sliding down the wall. He doesn't have enough air in his lungs for anything other than gasps of desperation, his hearts constricting tightly before swelling hurriedly and then repeating the process again over and over. Feeling as if it's going to burst.
He brought his hands to his side trying to hold himself up against the wall but his head spins viciously as he tried to remember exactly how he's supposed to keep himself up. His knees feel weak and his lungs are caving in as the mandatory process of how to actually breathe properly fails him. His eyes snap up, he's suddenly very confused about his whereabouts.
Judai balled up his fists trying to think about something other than the wild blaze in his lungs. Even through the darkness, he could feel the walls closing in. He sunk to the ground as his weight suddenly became impossible to hold up.
"Help" he managed to choke out through a heavy gasp, a brand new onslaught of tears further obscuring his limited vision. "I-I Yubel, I need… I can't breathe- Yubel!"
His legs gave out as he fell back against the wall as the tiny room surrounding him thrust him into a hurricane. Make it stop. Make it stop.
"Yubel, someone. Anyone" he pleaded. "Please... Johan help.."
And then the lights turned on- the introduction of it so abrupt it caused spots to dance around his vision. Judai blinked through the wave of dysphoria, lifting his head to the group of spirits encircling him- it almost feels worse than the walls. Something must have registered on his face as they all took a collective synchronised step backward. He silently gasped a thanks through another onslaught of tears, begging for the air to actually fill his lungs instead of just dancing flirtatiously around him.
"Judai snap out of it. Look at me." Yubel's voice breaching through the sound of Judai's rattling, pathetic imitation of breathing. Yubel's voice was muffled as Judai stared at the wooden floor. He was distantly aware that he had his hands in his head but he couldn't seem to remember putting them there nor could he really feel them either.
Judai clamped his eyes shut as a vice clamped itself tighter around his heart. He tried to breathe again but now it was as if his chest had locked up, the fuzzy threads of panic began to weave in over the first. He sucked in another breath and his chest felt like it was screaming in pain.
Yubel pressed their palm to Judai's back, rubbing small circles in an entropic pattern across it. Judai tried to focus on the gesture, tried to zone in on Yubel's face, and let the rest of the room melt away but the murmuring in the background seemed to have intensified. Trying to sink into a world of just him and Yubel suddenly felt impossible.
Lines of broken conversations penetrated the muffled blanket surrounding his ears in small bursts, his heart thudded louder with each obvious whisper.
"Why's he doing that?"
"Answer us. Johan!"
"What's wrong with him!"
"Is he going to die…"
"Johan wake up!"
"Bi! Rubi!"
He can't put faces to their voices, everything in an unorganised collection of concerned sounds and who is saying what doesn't really matter to him.
"Judai you have to breathe." Yubel's voice brought Judai back to himself, but their request is another story. "Look at me. Please, look at me" they touch two fingers to Judai's chin, gently tilting his head up. "In and out. Nice and slow, follow me."
He followed Yubel, taking a big breath in and then one out again. He turned his head a little looking over their shoulder, witnessing once more the horrific scene playing out behind them.
Johan's head was thrown back as his limbs continue to thrash around uncontrollably.
Instinctively, Judai shut his eyes nice and tight, wanting simply to disappear. It's like all the eyes in the room are on him, he can feel their stares, the burning questions that are dancing wildly on the tips of their tongues demanding to know why he's not doing anything, why he was falling apart now of all times when he so desperately needed to keep it together. Nobody else could help after all.
Yubel's arms find their way around him. "Judai, sweetie, please-"
"I can't breathe" he whispered into Yubel's shoulder, his muscles as tense as everything else right now.
"Just follow me. Breathe in and I'll count, don't breathe out until I get the three okay?" Yubel spread their fingers out, pressing them into random parts on Judai's back. "Ready?"
Judai kept his head against Yubel's shoulder and nodded.
"Okay in…. keep going two, three, good now out." Yubel pressed a kiss to the top of Judai's head, delicate and reassuring just what he needed to tether him back down. "One, two, three in again now. One, two, three, and out again. You're doing great keep It up."
Judai didn't know how they sat there but it felt like an eternity. Yubel murmuring instructions while he followed them to a 'T' until they were breathing in sync.
"Good there we go" Yubel cooed giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Judai nodded into the crook of Yubel's shoulder, his head finally starting to clear as the oxygen flowed back into his lungs. He could think again, he could hear again, frightened and distressed yelling penetrated his eardrums. The veil of fuzziness lifting as everything came rushing back.
"Johan!" His neck snapped looking at the motionless figure, deathly pale and unmoving, one arm hanging limply over the side of the bed.
"No, no, no, no, no, no." Judai stumbled falling over himself as he crawled to the bed his focus solely on Johan.
"No. No. Johan wake up! Open your eyes" Judai shouted, shaking him forcefully. "Please wake up! Johan wake up!"
"Judai stop you'll hurt him."
"WAKE UP! JOHAN WAKE UP!" Judai screamed hysterically but Johan remained silent and lifeless.
"Judai!" Yubel shouted grabbing his wrists and turning him to face them. "You need to calm down. We need to go to the hospital alright. You understand?"
Judai nodded quickly taking a deep breath to calm his nerves and clear his head.
The gem beasts were nearly hysterical.
Ruby's distraught cries filled the room as she headbutted Johan's dangling hand fruitlessly.
"W-w-we can't feel him" Amethyst Cat cried tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Judai do something! Help him."
"D-don't worry. W-we're going to the hospital it's going to be fine. Johan's going to be fine" Judai babbled breathlessly, hastily grabbing Johan's deck off the nightstand and shoving it into his pocket beside his own deck.
"Shoes" Yubel reminded him and he carelessly crammed his feet into his shoes.
"Jacket" they echoed and Judai grabbed it off the chair folding it over his arm rather than waste time putting it on. Quickly making a mental note to make sure he has everything they possibly needed. What else did he need… oh right the sick person.
Judai bent down and scooped up Johan, ensuring that he was holding him securely. Johan was completely dead weight.
Johan Andersen don't you dare leave me.
Judai quickly summoned his powers and the pair disappeared within the darkness.
Judai teleported to the entrance of Bergen's general hospital. Shuddering as the air bristled over his exposed arms. Luckily there was nobody outside to see them appear out of nowhere. Judai ran through the glass sliding doors and to the desk, Johan held securely in his arms.
"Please, help!" he cried to startling the middle-aged nurse behind the desk. "You need to help! He's really sick!"
She took one look at Johan and turned her head shouting to somebody that Judai couldn't see. "Can we got a trolley out here please!"
"Okay can you tell me what happened," she asked calmly.
"I was visiting and he got sick…and h-he's got a really high fever a-and then he.. he was shaking and now he won't wake up. Please you have to help. Please."
The nurse nodded and immediately began typing on her computer. "Okay, sir calm down. I just need you to fill out these forms and sign him in."
Judai watched as not a moment later two more nurses appeared through the double doors near the desk pushing an empty hospital trolley. He could feel himself trembling as he allowed the nurses to take Johan from him.
"Just fill these out please and we'll get him in as soon as we can" the nurse behind the desk said kindly snapping Judai's attention back to her.
"O-Okay" Judai nodded accepting the form she held out to him.
Judai took the first seat he could find, leaning over the small side table and willing his hand to stop shaking long enough to fill out the forms.
Come on Judai, he told himself. Calm down stop shaking you can do this.
"Judai you're still shaking" Yubel whispered.
"I'm fine" Judai insisted. He turned his attention back to the forms. It couldn't be that hard.
Right, question one name. Yes, I know this one! Johan Andersen, he quickly scribbled across the top line.
"Wait it is Johan's name and stuff they want right?"
"It says patient name and that's Johan so unless you're planning to admit yourself, it's his details they want" Yubel supplied peering over his shoulder as he filled them out.
"Okay," Judai nodded, double-checking just in case. "Is it just Johan like?"
"What else would it be?"
"I mean like is Johan short for anything?"
"What the hell would Johan be short for."
"Johanopher? Johannesburg?"
"No."
"…."
"Judai come on next question."
Date of Birth: June 11th.
Age: 18.
Gender: Male
Address. Judai jotted it down, having it memorised from his frequent reading of Johan's letter.
National Identity Number. Eh…
Medial history. Uh oh.
"Bu-but I-I don't know it" Judai stuttered, starting to hyperventilate again. What if they won't see Johan because I couldn't fill this in. What if something bad happens to Johan because I've filled them out wrong. What if Johan dies because of it…
"Judai stop. Look at me you have to calm down" Yubel commanded calmly as Judai nodded taking a deep breath.
"Just try your best. I'll help you" they said.
"Wait you guys can help me!" Judai realised, gently patting his pocket and the gem beast appeared before him in a flash of colours. "I need to fill these out so the doctor can see Johan, please help."
"Of course anything to help," Pegasus said as the rest nodded frantically in unison.
"Thank you. Okay so does Johan have.. diabetes?"
The gem beasts each looked at each other.
"We don't know what that means…." Cobalt Eagle admitted.
"Oh umm… " Judai racked his brain trying to recall what little he knew about it. "Yubel?..." he asked hopefully.
"Nope, I've never even heard of that word."
"Right…" Judai paused. "I'm not sure but it's to do with sugar… and eh… insulin maybe I think."
"Well, Johan sometimes has sugar in his coffee in the mornings" Emerald Turtle supplied.
"But does he have the insulin stuff in it too?" Amber Mammoth asked.
"I'd assume so, you know Johan always trying these new things" Pegasus added.
"Yes, and people do put very strange things in their coffee nowadays" Cobalt Eagle agreed.
"Guys I don't think it's coffee related…" Judai pointed out.
"Are you sure?" Topaz Tiger pondered. "If so then what else does Johan have sugar in?"
"Judai just skip it and go to the next one" Yubel sighed.
"Right ok, any history of kidney disease?"
He was met with more blank stares.
"What's a kidney?"
"Judai just put no and while you at it put no for the other one" Yubel huffed impatiently.
"But how do you know?" Judai puzzled.
"Because if Johan had kidney disease I'm pretty sure they'd know what a kidney was" Yubel drawled motioning to the gem beasts. "And the same for the other thing they'd know if he had that too."
"Good point" Judai reasoned.
"Also has Johan mentioned ever having.." Yubel paused leaning over Judai's shoulder to read the next questions. "Liver, cardiovascular or lung disease."
"Well.." Pegasus began. "Actually it's not important. No none of those."
Judai ticked the relevant boxes. Seriously why do they need so much information.
"Ok has he got any allergies?"
"Yes, the professors back at North would always go on about Johan's homework allergy" Amber Mammoth piped out confidently.
Yubel internally facepalmed.
"My professors used to say that to me too but I don't think it's an actual thing " Judai pondered scratching his chin thoughtfully.
"What about pepper?" Topaz Tiger exclaimed. "Don't you guys remember it, Johan couldn't stop sneezing and his eyes were all red and watery."
"Yes but I think that was because he got the pepper stuck up his nose more so than an allergy" Amethyst Cat interjected.
"Eggs?"
"No, he just doesn't like eggs which is weird cause he likes omelets."
"But omelets are pretty much just made of eggs" Judai pointed out.
"Exactly like I said it's a bit weird but you know-"
"We don't have time for this" Yubel snapped. "Does Johan have any actual allergies that exist?"
Amethyst Cat threw them a sour look.
The gem beasts all shared a conferred look before shaking their heads.
"We don't think so."
No allergies Judai ticked.
"Next migraines."
"Getting one" Yubel huffed.
Yes, Judai ticked.
"What, when?" Cobalt Eagle questioned. "I've never seen Johan have a migraine before."
"Oh, we all got them back at Duel Academia, every time we went to Cronos's class actually. Only took him five minutes sometimes. Granted me and Johan didn't show up half of the time but still the man has a gift."
"We'll take your word for it I guess…" Cobalt Eagle shrugged.
"Next, Is he currently pregnant?"
"Judai!"
"Okay… putting no."
"Is he currently on any medication?"
Judai was met by silence on the gem beast's end.
"Guys?..." he said waiting for the no that never came. "Wait… is actually Johan on medication?!"
There was a slight pause before any of them spoke.
"Well um.. he sometimes…" Emerald Turtle mumbled.
"Sometimes…" Judai echoed.
"um…"
"Guys come on it could be important."
"…sometimes.. he uh sometimes…" Emerald Turtle stammered.
"Takes sleeping medication…" Pegasus finished.
"W-why does Johan need sleeping medication," Judai asked hesitantly scanning the gem beasts who all adverted his gaze. He had a feeling he already knew the answer.
"…I h-haven't seen him take them in a few weeks though…" Emerald Turtle stuttered. "It-"
"Right next question" Judai insisted gripping the pen tightly.
Cobalt Eagle spoke. "It's not what you think-"
"We're on the next question" Judai gritted cutting him off.
Yubel placed a comforting hand on Judai's shoulder a guilty look etched across their features. "Judai I-"
"I said next question! Right, we're on reason for visit. Wait what?!"
"That's like what's wrong with Johan now" Yubel explained gently trying to get Judai to unclench his fist.
"Well if we knew that we wouldn't be here would we!" Judai snapped drawing a line through it. "That's it I'm not filling out anymore."
Judai gathered up the sheets and ran back to the desk. Handing the nurse the forms.
"Where is he?" Judai asked frantically.
"Just on the other side of the doors we'll take him into an examination room now," she said typing a few more things on the computer in front of her.
She motioned for him to proceed through the double doors after her. He swiftly ran through them into a long hallway. There were three occupied trolleys lined up against either side of the wall.
There was a young girl no older than eight or nine sitting up on the first one on the left. Her arm was in a sling but there was a small smile on her freckled face as she chatted to the two adults beside her. From looks alone, it wasn't hard to conclude they were the girl's parents. The girl was the spitting image of her mother, she had the same fair skin and sleek brown hair but the same big brown eyes as her father.
The second was on the right side occupied by a frail old man with large round glasses. He was by himself propped up by two pillows, humming softly. The fine lines of his face crinkled as he gave Judai a small smile as he darted past.
Judai made a beeline for the visible mop of teal hair. Johan was curled up on his side on the last one on the left.
"Hey" Judai whispered softly, gripping Johan's hand gently. "I'm here, it's okay, you're going to be okay."
"I… dun 'eel" Johan slurred his eyes still closed.
Judai found himself gripping Johan's hand a little harder, his thumb sliding over Johan's knuckles in what was meant to be a soothing pattern.
"You're okay. You're okay. You're going to be okay" Judai whispered again not really sure which of them he's saying it to, which of them he was really trying to reassure.
Johan's breathing turned quick and heavy, his fingers tightening in Judai's grip.
A tear escaped Johan's closed eyes, sliding and dripping off the end of his nose and falling onto the back of Judai's hand, accompanied by soft whimpers in the back of his throat.
"Mommy, why's that boy crying? What's wrong with him?" Judai heard the little girl behind them ask.
"Karoline stop it's rude to point."
"But Mommy he looks so sad… Are the doctors going to make him better like they did grandpa?"
"Karoline shush quiet."
"Yes," Judai answered turning and giving her a watery smile. "Yes, they're going to make him better."
The little one gave him a big bright smile. "That's good. That way he won't have to be sad or crying anymore."
Yeah.
Judai gave Johan's hand another squeeze, feeling Johan relax slightly as his fingers loosening in Judai's grip.
"We're going to examine him now" the nurse explained coming up behind them and fastening a hospital bracelet onto Johan's wrist.
She pushed the trolley through a door labeled 'Triage', and then into a little room. Judai following swiftly behind them.
She flicked through the sheets Judai had filled in before bending over to shake Johan slightly.
"Hello? Johan? My name is Grace and I'm a nurse. You're in the hospital." She paused waiting a few seconds for a response but didn't get one.
"Johan, can you hear me? I need you to open your eyes for me."
The only response she got was a quiet moan as Johan shifted ever so slightly. Johan heard the voice, it's just that he's not paying attention to what it's saying. I'm dying he decided. This must be what dying feels like.
"Johan?" the voice yelled in his ear again electing a whimper. "Can you open your eyes please?"
Johan doesn't even make an effort, the thought of trying to open his eyes much too draining, the blackness that was welcoming him seemed much more inviting. All he wanted to do was sleep or pass out. Anything not to be aware anymore.
"Can you tell me what hurts?" the nurse tried again, still getting no response.
"I want you to squeeze my hands for me" she instructed taking Johan's hand in hers. "Johan, can you squeeze them for me." Frowning when yet again she got no response.
She started rubbing her knuckles on Johan's sternum and his eyes shot open with a sharp gasp.
All Johan can see is a blur of a painful bright colour swirling around him. He managed an incomprehensible slurred sound before his eyes rolled back asleep.
The nurse scribbled down another off-handed note. She then turned back around checking Johan's round eyes as well as his mouth and nose carefully. She pulled lightly at the skin under his eyes using the pad of her thumb. "He's really dehydrated" she muttered.
She moved her hand up to his forehead before running it down to his cheek.
She swiftly transitioned down to his wrist feeling for something with one hand while the other hand felt along the side of his neck.
Judai could hear her faintly counting under her breath so he assumed she found what she was looking for.
Nurse Grace reached over grabbing a device that Judai from all his time spent back in the infirmary in Duel Academia recognised as a stethoscope. She pulled Johan's collar down placing the stethoscope on his chest, listening for a few seconds before scribbling down something offhandedly on the sheets beside her.
Her eye suddenly caught something.
Judai could feel the urgency when she raised Johan's hand looking at it closely. Judai didn't need to guess what she was looking at, Johan's fingers were an unflattering unnatural shade of blue. She dropped his hand moving down to the end of the bed looking at his toes. They looked to be in a similar state to his fingers.
"Can I get someone in here" she yelled picking up the papers and flicking off the trolleys breaks as two more people dressed in blue scrubs burst in.
"ESI 2, it's already been more than five minutes we're taking him to the ED now! Finn, page ahead and let them know."
The man who Judai assumed was Finn nodded and ran out.
And with that, the other women grabbed the trolley with Grace and they hurriedly pushed it out the door and down the hall.
Judai's legs felt like jelly as he followed only for an arm to stop him at the door. Judai looked up to see another nurse who was a good few inches taller than him blocking his path.
"Are you a family member?" he asked looking Judai up and down doubtfully.
"N-no" Judai replied shaking his head, "I'm his… best friend."
"Then I'm sorry you can't go with him. It's hospital policy, only family over eighteen are allowed in the ED."
"B-but.." Judai stammered.
"Do you know of any direct relations?" he continued questioning.
"No…" Judai admitted quietly. "I don't think he has any… at least none that I know of."
The nurse frowned at this contemplating something.
"Please let me go with him!" Judai begged. "I'm all he's got at the moment. I don't want him to wake up all alone. He doesn't like hospitals, I can't let him wake up alone in one. Please you have to let me go!"
"Hospital policy I'm really sorry but I can't" he apologised with a pitiful look.
"You don't understand" Judai panicked grabbing at his arm. "I need to be there with him."
"Again I'm afraid you can't," he coaxed gently, shaking Judai's arm off. "You'll have to go to the waiting room for now."
"NO" Judai yelled as the nurse held him back as he tried to dart past him. "You don't understand I can't lose him! Not again!"
"Sir I know it's hard but you need to-"
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND I-"
Judai gasped sharply and recoiled back as he saw the gold reflected in the nurse's wide terrified eyes. He took another step back shaking. "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Judai chorused hysterically pulling at his hair. "I-I don't... I don't.." he stammered trying to comprehend what had come over him.
"It's okay" the nurse assured giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze, having gotten over the initial shock. Judai could still feel the small tremor in his hand though. "You're worried and stressed. People freak out like that here all the time."
"Here we'll go to the waiting room shall we" he suggests cautiously beginning to guide Judai in that direction.
"I-I'll go myself. Again I'm so sorry for earlier. I just… don't know what came over me."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, we've seen and had much worse " he assured with a small smile as he turned and left down the corridor they'd gone through with Johan.
"Come on let's go" Yubel whispered, their ghostly hands guiding Judai back to the waiting room. "The doctors are going to take care of him."
"Yubel quickly you can go" Judai stressed grabbing their arms.
"Judai what-"
"With Johan, they won't let me go with him but you can. They won't know you're there."
"Judai I think-"
"Please, please for me you have to. He can't be in there on his own he just can't."
Yubel nodded at the desperation in their beloved's eyes. "Okay." They place a quick kiss on his forehead before rushing down the hall out of sight.
It didn't take Yubel long to find them. They managed to catch up just as the nurses had reached big navy double doors. Emergency Department wrote in red capital letters above them.
"Incoming."
They entered the doors which opened into a wide area with a big round oval desk stretching all the way to the back. Yubel couldn't even see where it ended. Tall bookcases of files and many computers and people answering phones filled in a lot of the desk's interior.
The whirling sounds of machines, rhythmic beeping of heart monitors, and non-stop ringing of phones filled the air.
Glass panels and doors decorated the periphery each with a big blue number stamped across them. People were walking everywhere in all directions with clipboards, phones, bags of liquids, and other stuff they'd probably never seen before.
A few people rushed forward as they entered.
"Alright Grace, what we got?"
"Eighteen-year-old male. Hypotensive and Tachycardic, pulse is weak and threading. Respiratory rates around 24 and it's shallow. Barely responsive mostly to pain. No signs of trauma."
"Room two." Yubel heard someone say as they followed carefully trying to keep out of the way. It didn't seem like anybody could see them, nobody was screaming in terror or looking directly at them so that seemed to be the case.
Yubel watched as a cohort of blue scrubs and white coats surrounded every angle of Johan's trolley once they'd entered the designated room.
"On my count. One, two, three." They all lifted as Johan was transferred to another bed.
"Let's get him on the monitors." A young pale woman with dark hair commanded taking charge.
"Are you with us? What's your name?" she asked lightly tapping Johan's cheek but getting no response. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Stuporous, it's no use. I checked" Nurse Grace supplied fiddling with some machine.
The woman at the head of the bed titled Johan's head and chin back.
"Airway's clear."
"Equal chest sounds bilaterally."
"Auscultation sounds clear."
"Thoracic excursions look symmetrical to me."
"Cyanosis on the hands and feet."
"Oxygen stat's 87"
"Bag him and give 100% oxygen now."
"Reese get me two lines."
"Respiratory rate's 23."
"First ones in. Now I've got a 16 going in the left AC."
"IV lines are in."
"Keep bagging."
"Oxygen saturations rising, 89, 92, 94."
"Good make sure they stay like that. Pulse? BP?"
"Radial pulse is weak."
"BP's 84 over 40."
"Start saline fluids."
"Starting saline fluids."
Yubel folded themselves into the corner observing the chaos of machines, tubes, and wires that they were sticking into Johan as they shouted numbers that to them had little meaning. Silently thanking the nurse who made Judai stay in the waiting room. He didn't need to see this.
"Heart rates 136."
"Push 6 milligrams of adenosine."
"Pushing 6 milligrams of adenosine."
"Capillary refill's slow."
"Kid's waking up."
Yubel snapped out of their daze to see that Johan's eyes were barely opened,.
"Take over for me" the dark-haired woman announced, kneeling down to Johan's level.
"Hey, can you hear me? My name's Doctor Fleming. You're at Bergen general hospital."
Johan's eyes rolled as he stared blankly at nothing in particular.
"We're going to find out what's wrong okay? Can you tell me where the pain is?"
Johan's eyes weakly flickered in her direction for maybe a second before they dropped again and closed.
"Hey, hey kid stay with me. Stay with me."
"Heart rates down to 124."
"Push another 12 milligrams of adenosine."
"BP's still only 86 over 56."
"Up the fluids."
"Heart rates downs to 103."
"BP's backs up 90 over 65."
"How's his vitals looking?"
"They're holding steady."
"Can he maintain his airway?"
"Yes seems so."
"Right put him on a non-rebreather."
"Already on it."
"Alright, guys good job he's stable for now. Reese draw bloods I want an FBC, EUC, CRP, lactates, and cultures."
"On it" the man who seemed to be a lot younger than the rest replied as Yubel watched him draw the red liquid from Johan's arm.
"Erik order a CT scan, ECG and EEG."
"Will do."
Yubel tried to understand what they were saying but they might as well have been speaking a foreign language. They moved closer to the bed, kneeling down and tucking some stray hair behind his ear.
"Come on Johan, whatever fight you got left in you, you got to pull it out now" they whispered tightly.
"Hey, Grace you got a name?"
"Yes, his name's Johan. Johan Andersen" she replied.
"As in the duelist? I knew I recognised him."
"It is yes. My son's a big fan, he's one of his favourites. Just graduated from North Academy this year, top of his class. And won back-to-back youth European championships."
"Impressive. Right, let's find out what's wrong with our little dueling prodigy then."
The nurse nodded pressing a device across his forehead. "Temps 105."
"Not surprised, kids on fire" she nodded. "Lillian can you get a cooling blanket and some ice packs please."
"Of course."
"Looks like an infection to me" Nurse Grace theorised.
"Yeah, but the question is where.."
"Hey Johan can you hear me?" the dark-haired woman who had announced themselves to Johan earlier as a doctor asked as she lifted his lids shining a little penlight.
Johan squeezed his eyes shut whimpering as he retracted trying to get as far away from it as possible.¬
"Not good." Yubel heard the doctor murmur. "Nora start him on mannitol, dopamine and hypertonic saline his pupils aren't responding correctly looks like his ICP's up."
"You think it's neurological?" Nurse Grace concurred.
"Possibly. Get him up for a head CT and check his glucose levels. I'll be back in a few minutes, monitor him closely. Grace come with me."
One of the nurses Yubel recognised from before came running back in. "Got the cooling blanket and ice packs."
"Good Lillian thank you, try to get his core temperature down and keep an eye on his vitals. Any drop even just slightly in his blood pressure let me know immediately." Doctor Fleming instructed as she turned and left with Nurse Grace in tow.
Yubel looked between the bed and the door. They told Judai they'd stay with Johan but they wouldn't get any information from here and besides Johan was unconscious... Curiosity won out as Yubel followed the pair out into the hallway.
"Able to get any history?"
"Bits and pieces but most of its blank" Nurse Grace shrugged handing the doctor a file.
"Anybody able to get a hold of the family?"
"Nope we can't find any so far but we'll keep trying."
"Was there anybody with him when he came in?"
"Yes, his best friend. He's the one that brought him in."
"Okay, can you go get him for me please I'd like to speak to him."
"It supposed to be only family-"
"I know but you said we can't get hold of his family and we need to know more about his condition and there's a good chance that his friend knows something."
"Okay, I'm on it."
Yubel gave a sigh, they were going to let Judai in thank goodness. They turned back into the room as the two women parted ways.
The two nurses in the room were still adjusting bags of fluids and machines when they entered.
"Poor thing," one of them said with a shake of her head as she left.
Yubel sighed heavily still trying to process how this was happening but it was. They brought a hand up to cradle Johan's head, brushing a few more stray hairs back as a couple of soft whimpers escaped Johan's lips.
"Shh," they hushed, shuffling closer when a painful whine scraped through Johan's throat, one hand fisting the sheet he was lying on for dear life as his forehead scrunched in pain.
"It's going to be okay. They're going to make you better" they promised, lightly stroking the back of his hand with their thumb.
"Shh, It'll be okay. Judai's coming."
Judai understood where Johan was coming from. He hated hospitals too. There was something eerily unsettling about them and it put him on edge. All the time he'd spent in hospital as a child was probably part of it, no definitely part of it. But despite that above all else it was that nobody ever goes to the hospital for good reasons, never, not really.
Someone always had to be hurt, really ill, or dying to need a hospital. Like Johan…
And now he was being subjected to one of the worst parts of the whole ordeal, waiting.
The waiting room was cold and impersonal. Plain walls with a few health posters stuck up here and there with rows of uncomfortable seats. There weren't many people occupying them at this moment but those that were were scattered in different spots.
It was a mixture of all kinds of people, young, old, and even a family of four waiting. All there like him waiting, for different and yet similar reasons.
He shook his head looked up at the clock, the hands hadn't moved much since he last looked at it half a minute ago. The tv screen was blank and the old magazines lying in piles on the small corner table weren't even appealing in the slightest.
He could hear the sounds of the spirits in his deck, Hane Kuriboh had come out and settled in his lap to keep him company. The gem beasts were conspicuously quiet. Judai couldn't blame them though.
His mind kept flashing back to the look in the nurse's eyes and the gold reflected in them. How could he be so careless. How could he just lose control like that. He could've hurt that poor man or worse.
He looked around the room again just to keep his mind somewhat distracted as he absentmindedly stroked Kuriboh's fur.
He caught a man who was sitting by himself on the last row of chairs staring at him and Judai shrunk in his seat a little. He'd never seen the man before. He looked to be around mid to late forties, he was tall and well dressed in a neatly pressed business suit and a newspaper folded neatly in his lap. It didn't seem like the most appropriate thing to wear to the hospital but hey who's to judge. Thick-framed glasses sat proudly on his face and Judai couldn't help but notice the soft look.
Why was he looking at him.. wait, on second glance he seemed to be staring more at Judai's lap than Judai himself… Does that mean he can-
Judai jumped as a hand appeared on his shoulder.
"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you" Nurse Grace smiled apologetically. "I'd like you to come with me Doctor Fleming would like to speak with you."
Judai nodded eagerly. She was taking him to Johan, finally.
Judai blocked out everything as she led him down another hall into and through some doors and finally into a room. Yubel was kneeling down at the head of the bed but Judai's eyes immediately went to Johan's face, half-hidden beneath the oxygen mask.
"Oh Johan" Judai said breathlessly, shakily kneeling beside him and Yubel, grabbing Johan's IV hand gingerly between both of his. "It's okay, it's okay" he crooned his voice thick with unshed tears.
He looked to Yubel who just shook their head, their expression unreadable.
Yubel pulled Judai silently into their arms.
Despite them being in spirit form Judai sank into the embrace, glistening eyes transfixed on a dirty spot on the floor.
Judai jumped up abruptly at a small knock.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Fleming. I'll be taking care of Johan" the woman greeted extending a hand to Judai.
"Johan's going to be okay isn't he?" Judai asked tensely, running a nervous hand up to quickly wipe his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath to try and steady his breathing.
"He's stable for now but I'd like to ask you a few questions Mr…"
"Oh sorry," Judai apologised grasping her still extended hand. "It Yuki. Yuki Judai, but you can call me Judai."
"Okay then Judai, I just want to ask you a few questions about Johan's condition."
"Okay" Judai nodded frantically.
"So first can you tell me when did all this start?"
"Eh.. yesterday morning. He went to bed early the night before and didn't come down the next morning so I went up to check on him and he had a fever and was throwing up and stuff and it just got worse from there."
"Was he throwing up much?"
"Yeah, he couldn't keep anything I gave him down, not even water or medicine."
"Okay, and was there anything else, like did Johan complain about anything like sore muscles, stomach pain, or headaches maybe?"
"Yes he'd been having really bad headaches the day before and they just got worse. He also had a, well I think it was a s-seizure before we came… and the light" he added as an afterthought "he said that hurt too."
Judai didn't like the look of urgency that crossed her face as she turned to Johan.
"Johan does your head hurt?" she asked shaking him gently. "Does your neck hurt?"
Wait that's right his neck...
Instead of waiting for an answer, Judai watched as she tipped Johan's head forward a few inches towards his check.
Judai jumped when Johan let out a mangled scream.
"I'd take that as a yes.." Yubel mumbled.
"Can I get someone in here please" Doctor Fleming called, as she bent Johan's knee up towards his chest before straightening it, eliciting another agonising scream.
"Stop it you're hurting him!"
"I'm sorry but it has to be done."
"What happened," Nurse Grace asked running in with another nurse behind her. "I heard screaming."
"Lillian give him 10 milligrams of acyclovir, 2 grams of ceftriaxone, and then 10 milligrams of dexamethasone."
"Right away."
Judai blinked in confusion desperately trying to comprehend what exactly the doctor was saying.
"No you don't think.." Nurse Grace dismayed.
"Yes, I do." She began inspecting Johan's arms and lifted up his t-shirt to check his chest and torso while Nurse Grace began rolling up his pants legs and doing the same.
"Nothing here" Doctor Fleming declared.
"Nope no rash here either."
"Doesn't mean anything, we still need an LP."
"I know but his ICP's up it's too risky."
The nurse from earlier returned and Judai watched silently as they injected stuff into the IV and adjusted another two clear bags to the pole and stream of never-ending tubes.
"You said he had a seizure right?" Doctor Fleming questioned addressing Judai.
"Y-yes.." he stammered.
"Has he ever had any fits like this before?"
"No" Judai affirmed with a shake of his head.
"We need to get him up for that head CT quick as we can."
"I'll see what I can do" Nurse Grace promised.
"W-What's wrong with him" Judai choked.
"Doctor Fleming CT's ready."
"Okay tell them we're on our way up" she replied as the nurses began moving the bed and other equipment.
"Wait where are you taking him?!" Judai cried.
"For a scan. I'm sorry sir but you'll have to stay here" one of the nurses said blocking his path giving him a small sympathetic smile.
"Wait! What's wrong with him?!" Judai hollered at Doctor Fleming.
Doctor Fleming's features softened, feeling pity for the stressed and confused boy. "I'm sorry but I'm not a liberty to disclose patient information to non-family members under the current circumstances, hospital policy."
"B-but-"
"I'm sorry I wish there was but there's nothing I can do about it" she finished as her pager beeped.
Judai watched as the nurse wheeled the bed out of the door and down the hall. Judai got one last look at Johan's pale sleeping face beneath the oxygen mask before he disappeared with the nurse around the corner.
Authors note: First of all for the forms part I just want to say that I know Judai and the gem beast's aren't idiots but it's a really hard and stressful situation for them at the moment so the not thinking properly is plausible.
And people may have figured out what's wrong with Johan at the moment and if so please don't spoil it. I will get them to explain it more in the next chapter for those who hopefully haven't already figured out why he's so sick.
Also good bit of this chapter was just a big medical brain dump on my behalf (sorry lol). I know it's not 100% accurate but I'm pretty happy that a good chunk of it is. I'm just going to explain a few abbreviations and terms that might have been a bit confusing for some.
ESI = Emergency Severity Index. Basically how an emergency department in many parts of the world organises which patients to see first. Ranges from Level 1-5 with one being the must urgent patents that would die without medical intervention eg a person having a heart attack or bleeding out and 5 would be the least urgent like somebody getting a routine checkup. Johan's level two here cause if they leave him in the waiting room for like 10 minutes he's probably not going to die but at the same time he's still extremely ill.
ED= Emergency Department
Hypotension= low blood pressure
Tachycardia= high/rapid heart rate
Respiratory rate= amount of breaths per minute.
Stuporous= They're talking about Johan's level of consciousness here. Refers to a person who can only be aroused/woken up by a vigorous intense physical stimulus usually pain and usually once the stimulus is removed they fall back unconscious. So his consciousness level quite low.
bilateral chest sounds= same on both sides.
Auscultation= lung sounds.
Thoracic Excursions= breathing movement (chest rising and fallings).
Cyanosis= bluish discolouration on skin.
"16 going in the left AC"= 16 is the size of the catheter's needle size, 16 is big so allows you to get meds/blood/fluid whatever into the patient quickly. AC refers to the antecubital vein it's the one in the crook of your elbow.
Radial Pulse= pulse from radial artery which is found on your wrist.
BP= Blood Pressure.
Non-Rebreather= fancy term of oxygen mask.
FBC= Complete blood count (check for blood cell abnormalities etc)
EUC= blood test checking electrolytes in your blood.
CRP= C Reactive Protein. (made by the liver when there's inflammation somewhere in the body.)
Lactates= amount of lactic acid the body is making. Levels can be indicative of many things depending on result.
ECG= electrocardiogram. records electrical activity of the heart and gives a lot of information about rate and rhythm.
EEG=electroencephalogram. This one detects electrical brain activity.
ICP= inter cranial pressure. Basically this is the amount of pressure inside your skull.
Lastly anytime they say start him on or milligrams/grams comes after it it's medicine and the numbers are dosages.
Think that's them all. Sorry for rambling this note is probably so long omg. Think that's all I want to say hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway. If you did please review/like etc and let me know I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions.