Pain sprouts through Kuroko's small frame like a lightning bolt igniting his nerves with electric currents. With their head is pounding with every beep of the heart monitor and when his mind settles on his form and the blanket that is draped over him.

The blanket was a joke however, and as they start to come through they feel their nerves come alive and suddenly the thumping of their heart is loud in their ears. The room around him is dark and there is a smiling figure above him with the lights illuminating their form.

His words are echoing in his ears and suddenly he hear Taiga's cries as they pull them to their chest whispering sweet nothings into his ear as he fades in and out of consciousness. He feels a cry trying to escape his mouth but his mind wraps it's understanding around a tube that is lodged in his throat.

His hand flies up to grab at the object whilst tears burn in his teal eyes. He needs to get out, and he needs to do it quickly before he comes back.

Suddenly there are hands on his shoulders and he sees Haizaki's sneer again, his long and edged teeth showing through his lips as they lean down closer to his face and he finds himself shrieking past the plastic tubing and suddenly the tears in his eyes are spilling down his face and the hands around his shoulders are tightening.

I'm dead, he's going to kill me! These thoughts ravage his mind until he hears a familiar voice that fills his threatened thoughts.

He blinks past the tears to see the face appear before him, their dark blue orbs staring back at him as they clutch at his shoulder to keep him still.

"Stay still." The voice demands before pulling their hand away from their shoulder. " you shouldn't be moving around too much, you'll rip your stitches." Aomine looks him over again, still not beleiving the site of the small shadow.

He had not hesitated to come as often as he could to see the player, after everything they had experienced within the past few weeks, he needed to be here, to see him wake up, to see him alive.

"Aomine-Kun?" Kuroko chokes out through a wheeze, their eyes heavy with confusion. "Where..." is all they manage before allowing their body to fall back into the hospital bed.

"The hospital." Aomine says this in a calmed tone, not wanting the other to feel his own apprehension. "Kagami is here too. He's okay."

Whether the last part was true was unbeknownst to even him. He had not stopped to see the redhead at all, or to even talk with him about what happened. After all, he too had been a victim of the Generation of Miracles past mistakes and was forced to encounter this trauma.

From what the police reports and others had told him, their ace card had been there only to record this supposed lesson. They had not received any other information since Kagami had barely been able to discuss the situation with the teen before he would completely break down and start to panic.

This whole situation was hell and the bastard was still roaming the streets walking freely away from his crime. If he was present amongst them right now Aomine was sure he would kill him without even giving it a second thought.

"Aomine-Kun..." Kuroko starts pulling the others attention back to the present. "Water."

The word is so simple, but Aomine feels his heart drop once the younger opened their parched lips to request a drink.

Without missing another beat he reached towards his own duffel bag to grab out the bottle of water from the pouch and flicks the lid up before bringing it down to the others lips and tilts the bottle upwards so that it's contents can begin filling his mouth.

It's only a moment later before he brings the bottle away from the other watching as his forehead scrunches in discomfort from the light shifting of his body.

"Do you need something for the pain?" Aomine hates his voice as it wavers away from his natural uncaring tone and sounds more urgent. "Let me get a nurse."

He begins to turn away but feels the small boys fingers lace around his wrist, the hold is barely there, just like the touch of a ghost in all honesty.

The others light orbs stare into his own, they are petrified, filled with horror might have been a better way to depict it. His small fingers were trembling again his skin, like he had just seen a ghost.

"It's okay, Kuroko. I'll be right here." Aomine hates to admit that his voice falters, he can barely hold back the pain in his own voice by what had happened. He himself was an unwitting accomplice to the hell they went through and it was tearing him apart piece by piece. "I'm just getting a nurse."

"Aomine-Kun." It's only a mere whisper at this point, but he can still make out his last words. "He's coming back."

That's all it took, those three words to send chills through the talker boys body, to put every hair on edge. This was not what he needed to concern himself with after everything that happened. In fact, Aomine would not let anything or anyone harm him in this way ever again, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

"Kagami-Kun, he could come back to kill him. He told them what he wanted them too, didn't he." Kuroko's voice is so light, like silent chirps from an injured bird. What begged the question however, was what if the boy was right, Haizaki had no further use for any of them. Especially since he had clearly stated his point.

"Oi, oi. Do not fret about it. The police were made aware of the current situation and will make sure that you are safe." He says this smoothly, as though the other should not have a care in the world about what could happen because he knows if he shows any emotion towards the situation it would only make this worse than he had begun to make it. Not to mention the building anxiety in his throat and abdomen was making him feel queasy. "I'm going to get the nurse, stay put."

He steps away from his former member watching as his gaze follows him out the door. He hates the look in the shadows eyes, it is filled with contrition and overwhelming uncertainty and the only thing he could do was tell him he was going to get the nurse?

The truth was, he couldn't stand the sight of it all, he needed to get away from it, needed to run when things back to go awry. Like he always did, because it was too much to handle and he refused to face it or to burden others with his fears and emotions.

He barely makes it into the bathroom to an empty stall before his stomach is emptying any contents left in it. The teens body heaves as bile and fluids leak from his open mouth and tears sting his eyes. It was becoming a hinderance like an effort or something that was weighing in on his conscience like a bull chasing a waving blanket.

His body spasms with each wretch it puts into another heave until his throat is raw and his shoulders are shaking from the effort. He pulls away from the toilet seat to rest against the stalls.

Breaths continue to hitch in his throat as he tried to swallow his emotions down before he feels his walls falter and tears begin to slither down his face along with a hiccuped sob that he barely contains before it fills the empty stalls.

Before he knows it he is crying so hard that it feels like his chest may cave in on itself. Each cry is another stab to the heart dragging him further and further. The images that they had turned over to the police danced in his memory like a lullaby that continued to him through his mind. Every image of their bloodied shadow, the thoughts of their screams and pleads running into his racing thoughts.

He had failed him by not being there to protect him when he needed them most, if they had only played fair, if he had not taken out his anger or had left the whole thing alone, would this have happened?

Would their shadow have not been so badly hurt?

He doesn't know how long he sits there against the stall doors allowing the tears to flow freely before they come to a stop and leave him staring off at the wall breathing slowly through his parted lips since his nose was filled with nasal mucus.

Aomine can barely remember the last time he had cried this much, other than the time he had left Kuroko behind in the rain. He had felt such intense emotion at that time like he is feeling now. But knowing that if this sort of emotion was ever shown amongst his household in the sight of his father it would be beaten from his bones until he didn't feel it any longer.

He needed to stand, needed to at least get a nurse like he had promised he was going to do. How much time had even passed? What time was it?

He lets out a sigh before pulling himself up off of the ground and begrudgingly guides himself out of the stalls, stopping at the sink and clean his hands and to splash cold water onto his already dampened face. He focuses the liquid more toward his aching ryes to try and clear the red circles forming beneath and around them.

Closing his eyes tightly he brings the material of his oversized shirt to dry his face before bringing his attention back to the mirror. He would have to avoid Kuroko for now, at least until the puffiness would clear away.

After a moment more of looking into his reflection he moves away from the mirror and begins making his way out of the bathroom where he takes a sharp turn towards the nurses desk and asks the staff to send a nurse to Kuroko's room to check in on him before making a beeline for the doors.

"I'm sorry..." he thinks to himself as the chilly air strikes his face sending shivers through his body.

Kagami feels his own body shift beneath the blankets his head feels heavy and his thoughts weigh in slowly as though they are slowly falling through a cloud to the real world. There is the soft humming coming from his left side where someones soft vocals are singing along to a soft note.

"This is how a Shadow dies." The voice is unexpected and sends chills through his body. Before he knows it his body jerks forward as though it is trying to escape the hidden danger beneath his eyelids.

He moves to reach his hands out to battle against the person causing his fear only to find that they have been restrained against their bed.

"No!" he cries out, tears already beginning to spill down his face at the fear that Haizaki's voice caused him. "Please, Kuroko!"

A hand is on his face, voice soft and concerned against his ear. "Taiga," Himuro whispers into his ear, both hands placid against his shoulders to hold him down and refrain him from hurting himself. "It's okay, you're safe brother. I promise, you are safe."

It takes a moment before the others face comes into view, and he sees his olive dab green eyes staring worriedly back into his. His bangs are swaying away from his face giving Taiga a clear view of the scar that is hidden beneath his black locks. As crazy as it sounded, the others face brought him back to the current moments and he feels his body begin to rest back against the bed.

His breathing is sharp and causing pain to sprout through his damaged rib cage. After a long pause Himuro removes his hands and steps away from the redhead allowing them to continue to gulp at the air as though their lungs could not obtain enough of it.

Taiga feels tears continue to freely stream down his ashen cheeks not caring if it made him look weak in the presence of his friend. Even if he were able to control the forlorn feelings that were flowing through him.

Every fiber of his being felt as though it were still being torn apart as his body shook apart each new round of terror enticing through him like ink piercing through his skin to make its permanent mark on him.

"Taiga," Himuro's voice fills his ears again, this time the words are demanding him to hear him and to bring him back to the present moment. "You're okay." He states this with the utmost certainty before replacing a hand on his shoulder. "He can't get you here, you are safe."

"Kuroko, he killed Kuroko." His voice breaks with each word before a sob reaches past his words breaking them apart. "I was useless, he fucking killed him." Taiga can barely breath past his own sobs, and his body feels as though it is being struck with a knife that was lit ablaze and was tearing through the fibers of his flesh.

"Taiga, Kuroko is alive." He says this slowly, as though he is speaking to an erratic child after a tantrum. "You're okay, Kuroko's okay. I promise."

His red eyes finally meet theirs before he seems to come back down again; however, his body still shakes beneath his hold but he refuses to let him go until he knows that he is with him mentally.

They remain like this for several minutes before his breathing evens out and his tears come to a halt leaving his eyes puffy and irritated. He feels exhaustion encasing him again but he fights against it, he has too many questions.

"Did they catch him?" he asks slowly, voice broken and tired from the earlier breakdown.

"No," The smaller male says this in a low tone, hating that the police had failed to catch the man.

"How's Kuroko?"

"He's woken up, I heard he asked for you a few times, but they have him hopped up on some meds for the pain."

"Did my dad come?"

"Like that ass hole would show." Himuro says this without thinking but is quick to throw them a playful smile. "He checked with the hospital though to see if you were okay and says that he will be heading out in a week to meet you because from the looks of it your are going to be needing some help around the place."

Kagami stares at him in bewilderment for a moment before he flinches at the understanding of what he was gesturing towards. He had really done a number on his leg, and had fractured his hip bone.

"They say if you're lucky it will be healed within 10 to 12 weeks." His voice sounds off even to him, he knows that the words he said tore a hole in the players chest especially with all of the events and games coming up. "You're strong though Taiga, I wouldn't let it get you down."

"I want to see Kuroko." He declares ignoring the look of relief that floods the older boys features at the change of subject.

"Sure, ummm. I would have to check with the staff and I'll see what we can do." Himuro is quick to turn and head towards the entrance because the uncomfortable feelings in the air was suffocating him.

"Bro," Kagami calls out, his voice still hoarse. "Thank you for coming."

The other only nods before leaving the room and leaving the other to sit and dwell on his own thoughts.

Kuroko feels his tired eyes protest as he opens them to stare up at the blinding light above him. His body feels heavy but he does not feel any pain or discomfort due to the traces of morphine running ramped in his body.

His head lolls to the side where he stares back at tired carmine eyes that seem to perk up when they see them staring.

"Kuroko," Kagami says this with a hint of glee in his voice but they make no attempt to move from their position in the wheelchair they currently are stationed in. "Hey."

Kuroko feels his lips lift at the sight of his light before him.

"Can you believe they made me wait three days to see you." He almost sounds as though he is joking but seems almost taken aback by this fact. "Something about not being healthy enough, I feel great."

"Now that they gave you something Bakagami." Comes Rico's condescending tone from his other side. "Your brain is probably just swapping out the tendrils of drugs for discarded brain cells."

"How does that even make sense?" The other questions their features looking baffled.

But Kuroko can see what she means as his eyes glisten from the drugs that were impairing his senses and numbing his pain.

"Kagami-kun." Kuroko mumbles ascertaining his attention again.

"hmmm?"

"You look horrible." The words bring a smile to the tall players pinched face. He was being honest, the redheads hair was a chaotic mess, his eyes drooped from exhaustion and modeled dark circles beneath them giving his eyes the appearance of being sunken in. He has a visible gash across his forehead from his scuffle that had visible stitches through them.

"Likewise." He says flatly, but Kuroko can hear the soft echo behind the words indicating that he did not mean for his words to be harmful.

"You both look like crap." Rico points out, aiming her pen in their direction before putting the bridge of it back in his mouth. "speaking of which, I need to make a call. Stay put, I have been given permission to knock you on your butt if you try to get out of that wheelchair."

Without giving them a chance to respond she is already out the door, leaving the two behind to sit in the silence.

The room remains still the only sound being made is coming from the machinery surrounding them and the conversing happening outside of the hospital room either by staff or worrying patients.

"Has your parents been by?" Kagami asks, trying to break through the quiet space.

"Yeah, you just missed them." Kuroko answers. "Kise-kun and Midoriya-kun came in this morning before their classes, and Momoi-san has been here a few times too."

Kagami nods his head at this, before attempting to shift his position in his seat.

"Kagami-kun," His name sounds weird coming from his broken shadow, it sounds far off and distanced. "I'm sorry about this," he states making a feeble attempt to move his arm to gesture towards the others injuries. "You should have never…"

"Are you stupid?" Kagami asks, cutting him short of his sentence. "Do you think what I said back there doesn't count? You can't dictate others actions. This, this is nothing. I am just happy that your sorry ass is still alive. I thought…" He stops, gulping past the lump forming in his throat. "I thought he… that you were… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything back there. I was fucking useless." Kagami looks away from the small player embarrassed by the public display of emotions he was displaying.

It was an uncanny emotion, he wanted to weep and laugh at the joy of him living, at the fact that they had escaped such horrors, and yet, there was another part of him that wanted to scream in dismay and to pound his fist into the nearest object to alleviate these building sensations.

"Kagami-kun, don't blame yourself." He tries, but the other is no longer listening, his gaze is far off looking as though he is reliving the same nightmare again.

"I'm sorry, this is stupid." He says in a low tone. "How do you feel? How is your side? The doctors said that you had a lot of blood loss and shock or something."

"I'm going to be okay, but…" Kuroko never finishes his sentence before Kagami lifts his hand to stop him.

"Let's just speak comfortably, okay?" His eyes are pleading, searching for that sense of normalcy between them. "I only get you for another five minutes."

Kuroko gives a lax nod, though he hates to drop the subject as he can almost see the wheels of despair turning over in his head telling him how he had failed to protect them and was injured in the process of everything.

Not to mention that they would not have to sit out on the tournament unless by the grace of god they would postpone it for the time being. The whole situation was frustrating to any onlooker.

Not to mention the trauma, that was the part that neither wanted to really partake in as it required them to revisit the terrors brought about by a single man.

To be honest, the thought of getting past these events almost seemed unreal or downright impossible. Not to mention the awkward feelings that were flowing between them. It was exhausting to say the least.

"I heard that they were trying to force Hyuga to get a tattoo since he lost a bet." Kagami starts, switching the topic completely but the subject does garner both their interest and he finds himself smiling back at him.

This truly was going to be an exhausting ride.

It had been a week and a half since Kagami had last spoken with Kuroko. He had been released from the hospital only a few days following their conversation and he truly could not muster the courage to go back and revisit his shadow.

So instead here he was laying placidly in his bed with his injured leg lying against a pillow and his arm resting just above his head.

He felt fatigued but too frightened to sleep because that is where he was lying awake in the darkness ready to finish them off. These night-terrors kept him awake for hours on end and left him with unwitting trepidation. At times he would even find himself wondering if death might be better.

His father had left almost as soon as he came, spouting off about how he should have protected himself against this unwarranted event, and how his pain was a learning factor that he should take into consideration before he would become too lax in the future to protect himself.

Generally, the redhead would allow the harsh words to slide but they struck home this time. Not only was he powerless to fight against Haizaki but to his father he had it coming?

Kagami lets out an irritated sigh before thrusting his hand out against his bed. He could barely manage to move around on his own and the crutches felt like a joke. Bathing all in it's own was a whole new task that he found no enjoyment in and all he could do is sit there and feel sorry for himself.

Without much of a warning, there is a sound sound of pans clashing in the kitchen that sends cold chills through him.

His breaths begin to quicken as he reaches fervently for his phone that is to his irony out of sight.

"Shit…" He mumbles beneath a shallow breath. His ribs are on fire as he moves more erratically. He can practically hear his heart beating in his ears. This was it, he had come back, he was pissed off that Kuroko had lived, and the easiest target was one that could hardly move on their own.

"What the hell, man. You live in a shit hole." Comes an eerily familiar voice.

"Aomine?..." Kagami's voice is filled with disbelief, how had he even gotten in? "What the literal hell are you doing in my place?!"

"Aish, I wish I hadn't. It's a freaking death trap." He states running his hands through his own messy locks. "Anyways, Momoi said somethin about Kuroko ebbing to see you and I'm here to collect your sorry ass."

"I swear to god, I could literally have you arrested for breaking in." Kagami stammers back, before his hand falls to his chest.

"Did you hear anything that I just said, or?" Aomine asks before bringing his hand down to rest at his side. "And I didn't break in, your door was unlocked idiot. Anyways, just let me get you to the hospital, okay? Because she will not let this go at this point and its annoying as hell."

Kagami just stares back at the other in a stupor. Was he being serious right now? He had no energy to go anywhere, let alone a hospital. He had to be downright insane thinking he would want to go back there. There was too much guilt festering inside him to go back there and face his other half. He needed time to process everything, needed time to heal.

"Oi, are you still there? You look like shit? When was the last time you moved off your bed? And where the hell are your parents? Someone should be here helping you out." Aomine states before walking towards the others windows where he pulls the curtains wide allowing the nearing evening light come through.

"When did you start caring?" Kagami asks, still in disbelief at the other sudden appearance. "I can't go anywhere right now, I was told to rest."

"Yeah, yeah." Are these your crutches?" The player asks completely ignoring the others statement. "Listen, you either get your ass out of the bed or I rip you from this place by your injured leg kicking and screaming. The choice is yours."

The said choice wasn't an easy one, and Kagami still sat there wondering how on earth he had been forced from his room onto a bus and now sat back in the room along side of a sleeping Kuroko, and yet, here he was.

Aomine stood by the windows gazing out into the evening sky whilst Kagami sat fiddling with his fingers waiting for them to wake. There was a long pause between them and the air felt heavy with contrition as though they both were standing on eggshells.

"Oi," Aomine finally start, moving away from the window so that he can stare at the back of the redheads head. "What you did back there, for Kuroko, I'm sorry."

The sentence in itself felt difficult, as though he was pulling at different pieces of puzzles trying to make them all fit from different sets.

"Don't be sorry, you can't control a psycho's actions. No one would have known." Kagami replies, but his words convey feelings of lament towards the topic at hand.

But, Aomine can't help but feel the burden of it all hanging on his shoulders, can't help but feel that he was a contributing factor that played into this game. Not to mention the toll it had taken on the other two sport addicts.

"I'm going to grab a coffee, I'll be back." Aomine doesn't leave any room for Kagami to reply before he is heading out from behind a closed curtain to get to the door.

He nearly laughs at the other. The were nearly impossible to read and just did everything at their own stride and pace. Kagami's back begins to relax against the seat until he hears the former GOM member cry out followed by a harsh thud.

In that moment the world had come to a dead halt, every hair on his body stood on edge as his breaths caught in his throat.

Standing before him was no other than Kaizaki standing tall in a trench coat and baseball cap while wielding a long crowbar in hand.

Kagami watches in horror as little tendrils of blood slither from the end that he had used to harm the other boy that now laid unmoving at his feet with a pool of blood forming beneath his head.

"I guess they were right when they say a shadow never dies when it has it's light." He says this with such ease as he steps towards them. "But tell me, what if I were to kill you both?"