Kyoya starred at the shifting numbers on the elevator as it descended from one floor to another. He took one deep breath after another in an attempt to regain his sanity. It was taking too long for the damn thing to get to their floor.
"So he really raved about the whole color scheme?" Chizuru tried to process Kyoya's story.
Kyoya closed his eyes and nodded slowly. He couldn't process the whole thing as well. There were some things that aren't worth understanding. Tamaki was a deep abyss that didn't always need 100% comprehension.
Sensing the tension and the growing annoyance of the Ootori, Chizuru decided to shift the topic.
"Well, there's a new doctor from the surgery department. I heard he was cute."
"He does have a certain appeal that women fancy. I already met him the other day." Kyoya looked at his watch. His schedule for today wasn't as forgiving.
The two entered the elevator and the doors were about to close.
"Please hold the door!"
The newly employed surgeon everyone was talking about entered and smiled at Chizuru. "Thank you."
"Yes, Thank you." Chizuru was stunned. The rumors were true. She wanted to punch herself at that moment.
Who in the world replied thank you to a thank you? She wanted to die at that moment. She could have asked him what floor or maybe a 'you're welcome' was more appropriate, but the awkward silence was more than enough to make things worse. Kyoya's face was stoic, but she was sure he was making fun of her.
Then if things couldn't get even worse, Kyoya pressed the floor they had to go to. Her lack of action and awkwardness just made his morning. "Good morning Kabakura-sensei, what floor will you be going to?"
"Ah, Ootori-san I'll be going to the…" the poor doctor fumbled with his phone to see what floor he was supposed to get on.
"The General Surgery office?" Kyoya asked.
"Ah yes!" The man bowed several times.
Kyoya pressed the 10th floor and gave his usual polite Ootori smile. It was the smile that never reached his eyes.
What he didn't notice was how it affected the newly recruited doctor. Chizuru saw a one-sided crush forming. Her eyes welled up with emotion. The new surgeon was probably just as interested in Kyoya Ootori just like the majority of the women in the Ootori Group.
When they got to the 10th floor and Kabakura-sensei left, Chizuru broke the silence.
"I think he likes you."
"It doesn't hurt to like your boss."
"He 'likes' you." Chizuru said now with emphasis. "You two could be the next boy love manga for Renge-san to write down."
Kyoya stared at his reflection on the elevator door and recalled their previous meeting. Suddenly the nature of their interaction made sense. His politeness may have been misinterpreted. "He's-" Unable to finish his sentence as realization dawned.
"Yes." Chizuru crossed her arms. "Why are all the good ones also into men?"
Chizuru lightly gnawed on her lip as she read the reports. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. This case wasn't going to be an easy one. The other members of the medical team read the report as well and they were all at a loss with the next step.
"What do we do now, Maihara-sensei?" One of the senior resident doctors asked.
Chizuru flipped through the patient records once more. "We'll have to call the department head and get their opinion on this." She massaged her temples and sighed. "The boss made their position clear though."
"Maybe we can ask for Yamasaki-sensei to be part of it as well?"
"That's a good idea." Chizuru leaned against her chair and crossed her arms.
They were faced with a difficult choice. They could only save the mother or the baby. It was the daughter of the Prime Minister. A pregnancy out of wedlock and now she got into an accident and the patient's family was faced with a crucial decision.
They could save their daughter or save their unborn grandchild.
"They said we should try to save both as much as possible." Chizuru mused. "They make it sound so easy."
The Prime Minister's daughter drove the car under the influence. The entire situation was already difficult enough, but things just got complicated. The woman hit a car that carried a family with a husband, his pregnant wife, and their child. The child at the back seat died instantly. The husband was getting medical treatment, but the wife needed care which was more urgent compared to the Prime Minister's daughter. The medical team had exactly an hour to decide who gets treated first.
Chizuru had to decide who deserves to live. All the operating rooms were full. The other patient was in no condition to be transferred to another hospital. Even the surgery department was involved now. Both patients needed to undergo two simultaneously. She's tried talking to the other departments to see if she could use their operating room, but everything's fully booked.
The Ootori family was in full force that day in the hospital. Making sure things were hush hush. The entire VIP ward was closed. Security was tripled. Even Honey and Mori's families were now involved with guarding the whole place.
Kyoya made their position quite clear. They would prefer that the VIP patient go first. Chizuru knew that much. She knows that if she operates on the more critical patient first, the Prime Minister's daughter would have a lower chance of surviving. If she prioritizes the VIP patient the other patient would surely die. They couldn't even save the mother at this point. They were just going to salvage the baby.
This was when the business side of the healthcare system clashed with the ethics medical professionals followed. There were certain things that aren't crossed, but considering how delicate the whole situation was, they had no choice. She wasn't naïve and knew how the world works, but as a doctor it just didn't sit well with her.
They were just really some days when you couldn't save them all.
An urgent knock on the door was enough to snap everyone out of their individual thoughts. They all knew the clash of principles at the point. They knew who had the last say with all of this.
"Maihara-sensei, can I speak with you?"
Chizuru nodded and looked at her boss. This kind of scenario was enough to get Kyoya rattled, but he never showed it. She couldn't tell what he was thinking right now. She only could hope there was good news amidst everything that just seemingly went against their way.
"If I find a way to get you to use another department's operating room, can the department handle it?" Kyoya crossed his arms.
He knew that handling two simultaneous high-risk operations would drain the manpower, but this was something he could handle.
"I'll get the emergency room nurse to assist you and I can personally talk to the ophthalmology department head." Kyoya added.
"Their operating room would have to be closed for a few days just for the sterilization –"
"I'm aware of that, but the reputation of the hospital is at stake. They can make do with one operating room for the meantime. They rarely have urgent or life-threatening cases." Kyoya pushed his glasses. "I'm more concerned if you and your team can handle it. There's no other senior physician here except you."
"I called the others. They'll be here in twenty minutes." Chizuru felt like a weight was lifted off her chest. She knew what Kyoya was doing. He was going to pull a lot of strings, but he was going to make it happen. They had to do everything they could now.
"I suspect you'll be handling the VIP case?" Kyoya asked.
"Yeah, but I'll just be assisting. It's far too delicate for me to head." Chizuru admitted. "No interns and residents can assist so we'll be doing the work."
"I'll talk to the ophthalmology department then." Kyoya started to walk away.
"What if they refuse? They also have their own set of cases."
"They won't." Kyoya pushed his glasses up once more. He was still the son of Yoshio Ootori. They couldn't refuse the request especially when they see how delicate the entire scenario is.
Finally, the three hours of waiting was over. When Kyoya saw the operating team for the two critical patients. Luck was on their side. Both patients were saved and he may have 'accidentally' let an undercover journalist in.
Everything was going according to plan.
"You know I hate it when you use me for publicity stunts." Chizuru was sprawled on the couch. She was beyond exhausted. Now that the adrenaline that kept her running was all gone she was nothing but a pile of mush.
"I knew you could do it."
She sat up and pouted. "Don't try to praise me now."
"I admit what I did was-"
"You don't have to explain yourself, Kyoya. I know the Ootori Group comes first at times like these. I understand." Chizuru wasn't naïve. She knew how the world works. Money and influence did a lot of talking. Their lives were a product of this money and influence. That is how they're able to help others. When people think that being charitable means throwing all of your properties and giving alms to the poor.
That was a very idealistic way of doing it. Once a rich person sells everything they have and donates it, at some point it will run out. Resources will run low. However, keeping and remaining at a certain status enables them to continuously help those in need. That was something she learned from Kyoya.
No one knew better than an Ootori how much money talks and how power keeps families at a certain advantage. Kyoya was just slightly different that the rest that he knew how to provide a bit more opportunity for others.
"I apologize for not telling you there were journalists. I should have told you so you were prepared."
"Thank you." Chizuru sighed. She was also concerned that they accidentally have a photo of her in a blood-soaked scrub suit with her looking like she hasn't slept in a year. The thought that might surface on the papers the following day was giving her a stomachache.
It was the ultimate party that was one for the books. One of Chizuru's classmates from St. Lobelia just had her bachelorette party and it was beyond wild. Everything one could imagine in a luxurious, ultra-exclusive, no boundaries, and plenty of other things that were too crazy for most Japanese nationals occurred in a single night.
Chizuru clapped her hands when they entered the parking lot of her apartment. There was this sense of relief when she saw the empty parking slot. "Yes! I'm so lucky. Kyoya's not yet home so he can't scold me."
Her drunken smile was radiant and bordering annoying now.
Kyoya took a deep breath as he parked the car and repeated to himself that a drunk Chizuru wasn't reasonable to begin with. It was four in the morning and he was busy watching over Chizuru and Kaoru. The Hitachiin twin was passed out in the back of his car. He wasn't sure if Kaoru was even alive.
"Get out of the car." Kyoya put on his coat and wondered how he would carry Kaoru while navigating through the halls with Chizuru.
The Ootori thought he was going to die of insanity. Just the other day, he got a call from Tamaki saying that he saw Mori and his fiancé, Megumi Kanoya, staying at one of the Suoh Hotels. It was enough for Tamaki to conjure all sorts of theories about the two and he came to the point where he was talking about baby showers and baby names.
Kyoya didn't usually carry people, but he had no choice now. He carried Kaoru like a sack of rice over his shoulder and he held Chizuru's hand. He grumbled to himself since he was still the one taking care of everyone up until now.
"Are you holding my hand?" Chizuru gasped. Unable to walk in a straight path. "Are you my boyfriend?"
"I might as well be." Kyoya would have felt differently if the circumstances weren't as such, but annoyance was the dominant emotion right now.
The three entered the elevator without much of a problem. Kyoya was surprised with how light Kaoru was.
"You look so strong." Chizuru's hands started holding his arm and shoulder.
"Stop it." Kyoya scolded as he moved away from her. "You should never get drunk with strangers."
"Ojisan…you know…"
Kyoya raised a brow. "Ojisan?"
"You know…I saw the last guy I dated in the party with another girl." Chizuru looked like she was about to fall asleep as she told her story. "You know what he told me?"
He didn't answer since it seemed like a rhetorical question.
"Ojisan, are you listening?" Chizuru placed her head on his shoulder.
"Yes, I'm listening." He said as he held her hand. "Start walking, Chizuru."
Chizuru nodded and followed his lead. "He told me that I was bisexual because I was desperate. Then I told him that I was bisexual because I liked both girls and boys. If I were desperate, I would have stayed with him."
Kyoya let out a short laugh. "Did you now?" he said as he opened the door to her apartment. He dropped Kaoru on the couch and left them. He needed to sleep or else he would lose it already.
"I think I need to see an ophthalmologist." Chizuru closed her eyes.
"Why?"
"Because when I close my eyes, all I see is you." She gave a drunken giggle.
Kaoru temporarily woke up from his drunken stupor "Smooth, Chizuru. Smoshh."
Kyoya took a deep breath. He really needed to sleep or else he would lose his sanity permanently.
Once again Kyoya closed his eyes shut. This was unacceptable. How could he have let this get past through his attention? The losses weren't enormous, but it was still a loss. A loss he wasn't prepared for. The negligence over this seemingly small issue now grew into an enormous problem that was beyond his control.
He reviewed the email sent by the infectious disease specialists in their hospitals with the growing spread of this spore borne disease that caused an outbreak of a different strain of pneumonia with their patients in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit.
The source was a rare South American flower that was delivered for one of their VIP patients. He didn't have a degree in biology to fully grasp or understand the initial cause of things, but the outbreak started two days after the Brazilian ambassador's daughter was admitted so she could undergo a cosmetic procedure. Her fiancé sent a beautiful bouquet of rare flowers from the Amazon.
This wouldn't be as much of a problem, but it was the timing of the replacement of the filters of the whole air-conditioning system of the hospital and the time the bouquet was brought it. Like the stars aligned to cause such a mess.
The seemingly harmless bouquet has caused three children to go into sepsis and two newborn children to be intubated because of this rare strain of pneumonia that took their hospital by storm. He was able to keep things under control. The hospital administration had the entire situation under control. No press or media were found. It didn't help with his conscience though.
He reviewed again the process and was making new changes with the rules and how to avoid problems like these in the future. It was tempting to go on a spiral of self-pity and blame but he used all of his energy to not go towards that direction. It was tempting, but it wouldn't solve their problems.
Chizuru observed her companion as he tried to fix the dilemma he was faced with. At this point she felt nothing but awe. Most people would have beaten themselves up over this. Others would have probably quit their jobs, but if there was something she admired about Kyoya it was how he used setbacks as opportunities to learn.
"You're doing a good job." Chizuru said after sipping her coffee. She was reviewing a case she was supposed to operate on the following day. She knew he needed to hear it.
Kyoya briefly looked up from his laptop and rolled his eyes. "I don't have more food to feed you."
"This guy…really." Chizuru almost chuckled. "Think about it. People put you on some pedestal and think the moment you were born you were somehow magically gifted to run a hospital."
"People value effortless perfection, so I just have to project it as such."
It was the irony Kyoya Ootori presented. Ootori seemed synonymous with perfection, but what they didn't see was how well Kyoya knew how to learn from his mistakes. When there was something he failed to understand, he would do everything to understand it inside out. What people didn't realize that he was a person of continuous growth and learning.
It was also the same Ootori pride that made Chizuru roll her eyes. The things this man did to keep appearances was also astounding. She could hear Kyoya shifting in his seat and taking a deep breath.
"This won't do." He closed his laptop and took his coat. "I'm going out to buy food. Are you coming?"
"What are you in the mood for?" Chizuru was feeling a bit hungry, and she still had a plenty of work to do.
"Fast food."
Chizuru felt her heart stop. Kyoya was extremely stressed. His stress levels have gone to a point of no return and the only way to pacify him was greasy fat filled food.
"You can stay here instead, and I'll buy the food for us or we can have it delivered." Chizuru suggested carefully. Scared of stepping on a mine that could cause damage.
"I'll lose it if I stay in here." He replied without a second thought.
It was by far Chizuru's worst nightmare. To the untrained eye, Kyoya just looked hungry, but this was far worse. Kyoya was cranky, tired, and hungry. To top everything off, he was willing to leave his apartment at 11 o'clock in the evening to buy a snack. It went everything against the usual. This was the mood that made Kyoya glare at people if irked the wrong way. The sheer happiness and energy of other people would already make him angry. This was a state of national emergency.
"Why does it smell here?" Kyoya couldn't hide his displeasure with the fishy odor that was overwhelming his senses.
"A serious case of Bacterial vaginosis." Chizuru stated as she seemed unfazed with the aroma. She took off her gloves and got ready to leave the clinic. Luckily, there was a window for her to let the smell out so this has been slightly diffused.
She looked at Kyoya who was obviously uncomfortable with the smell. "You'll get used to it. I've got all sorts of scents coming in here. You can even smell if a patient recently had intercourse."
"I could have lived without knowing that." The smell was so overwhelming he almost forgot why he went to the clinics in the first place. "I have two VIP patients coming in later."
"Got it, boss." Chizuru gave him a thumbs up. "I'll have the cavalry ready. That's actress with triplets, right?"
She already had an idea. Her friends at the emergency room were already messaging her about the actress who came in with bleeding and it was disclosed from the public that she was pregnant with triplets. "I'm not familiar with the second patient, though."
Kyoya handed her the chart, and it was more than enough for her to get the picture.
"Another Mistress again? Things get unusually tense with these cases." She almost groaned. How certain men could keep multiple mistresses was beyond her. "Does he have a harem or something?"
"He might as well have one." Kyoya commented. "None the less, we will provide the same level of service to them."
"That's a given." It was non-negotiable for Chizuru then she understood the implications her friend was giving. "Oh my…they're both…with him?"
Kyoya nodded.
"Do they know?"
He shook his head.
"This might as well be a sitcom plot." Chizuru had to cover her mouth. She looked around to make sure no one was around and whispered, "But isn't his wife admitted as well?"
"Yes, but they got a suite room not the VIP ward." Kyoya had to say it. How does their client stomach having his wife undergo chemotherapy in a regular suite room and keep two of his mistresses in VIP rooms? There were certain things he refused to understand. He wasn't one to judge morals but having them all in one hospital was beyond him.
"At least he's consistent." Chizuru joked as she tried to make the situation a bit lighter. "They all have a certain resemblance." She held up the charts and put the faces of the patients together.
It was undeniable. Kyoya didn't notice it at first, but they were all different versions of the same aesthetic. "That explains his business ventures as well."
Now that he mentioned his first concern, it was now time to bring up the second. "Why is there a growing number of patients with a secret sponsor?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Chizuru looked away and started packing her things. "I think it's about time we go to the VIP wards."
"Don't avoid my question." Kyoya stated like a father scolding his daughter. "Why have you been paying for hospital bills for certain patients? You think I wouldn't notice?"
She was caught in the act and there was no choice but to come clean. "The other one was a single parent, one was an orphan, the other one was an illegal immigrant. They're not the type that social services will look after."
"I appreciate your concern for our patients, but we can't have you doing that all the time. It's not sustainable. Social services isn't doing anything anymore."
"It's just one bag, Kyoya. It was old and I wasn't using it anymore and it was more than enough to cover for three patients." Chizuru defended. "It also gives me a reason to get another bag to replace it with. I've been eyeing this new Hermes bag anyways."
"You can't sell your things and…you know what forget it." Kyoya cut himself. He knew Chizuru wasn't going to stop, he just had to make it viable for her to do it in the long run.
"It's not just me, don't worry. I know I'm not that good with money, so I get other people to join on. Besides, your father is fine with it."
Kyoya took a deep breath. "You got my father's approval?"
"Yes, and he gave me a list of names to contact."
"You really have my father wrapped around your finger." Kyoya could never do that himself. It was something only very few people could do. It was against hospital policy for employees to shoulder or defer payments, yet here was Chizuru bending the rules. Chaotic goodness at its finest.
Hikaru wouldn't stop shaking his legs as he typed away. Kaoru tried his best to ignore the fact that the leg shaking was making the entire table move. He was starting to feel dizzy since the whole room felt like it was moving as well.
"Hikaru, stop shaking your legs." Kaoru snapped.
He hoped the movement would stop, but the swaying was still there.
"I think there's an earthquake." Hikaru looked at his supposedly steady glass of water with the water in it swaying.
They both shrugged their shoulders and got back to work. It was only a matter of time until…
The door of their apartment slammed open and a distraught Tamaki was panicking asking them to evacuate.
"Everybody leaves this building in a calmy and orderly fashion." Tamaki stated as he continued to have a meltdown of sorts.
"Calm down, will you?" Kyoya said as he held onto the stroller, baby bag, and Tamaki's child in his arm. "It's not that strong so there's no need to panic."
"What if there are aftershocks? What if there's an incoming tsunami?" Tamaki paced the room and wasn't taking this phenomenon well.
"Milord, you've lived in this country for years and you haven't gotten used to the earthquakes yet?" Hikaru groaned. "You should have just went with Mori in his meditation sprees."
Kaoru had to stop himself from laughing. "He did. Mori-senpai gave up on him."
Some things in this world were futile attempts.
Kyoya glared at Tamaki from a distance and suddenly survival instincts kicked in. Between a natural disaster and a glare from Kyoya, a natural disaster was easier to handle. Tamaki slowly calmed down and sat beside Kaoru.
"Save me." He whispered to the younger Hitachiin.
"You brought this upon yourself, milord. I'm not helping you." Kaoru took his laptop and moved away. He moved his notebook and other things to the opposite side of the table smirking with Hikaru. The misfortunes of Tamaki brought them joy even until now. They thought they would outgrow it as they aged, but like wine it just tastes even sweeter now.
"I'll go check on Haruhi." Tamaki took his phone and hoped his wife would be done having her "me time" which is also known as trying to get chores and errands done without having to deal with Tamaki.
"My love…are you okay?" Tamaki now whispered as he curled up on the couch talking to his beloved wife. "Oh you felt the earthquake too? But you're fine?"
There was relief on Tamaki's part. He continued to listen to Haruhi's story about how the watermelon display in the supermarket collapsed and caused multiple people to trip.
"Haruhi! Did you get hit by a watermelon?!" Suddenly panic ran through his veins again. "What if you have internal hemorrhage? What if you're bleeding?"
The three could hear Haruhi pacifying Tamaki assuring him that she's fine.
"She handles him very well, right Kyoya-senpai?" Kaoru commented.
"Much better than anyone else." Kyoya replied as he continued to walk around with the sleeping next generation Suoh in his arms.
"So when are you going to get married and have kids?" Hikaru crossed his arms and stared at Kyoya. He was doing too well with babysitting for someone who's never had kids.
Kyoya ignored the question and went on with his business.
"He'd probably get married once he finds a woman who can take care of kids just as well." Kaoru joked lightly. "He doesn't fit the cool perpetually single uncle image anyways."
Hikaru started taking a video for his social media account showing that he's alive and well with all sorts of hashtags. He motioned Kaoru to join in the video as they waved and It also featured their two unsuspecting upperclassmen as well in the background. Tamaki having a meltdown talking to his wife and Kyoya walking around with the child still in his arms.
"Kyoya-senpai, why won't you sit down?" Hikaru asked as he watched Kyoya pace around the room.
"You want this thing to start crying again?" Kyoya pushed his glasses. "Tamaki and I have been taking turns for the last three hours."
These were the times Kyoya wished Tachibana would magically show up. He was extremely good with taking care of children. That's how he learned how to handle his niece and nephew. Children are beings from another universe, and he did like how their curious minds went on. One of their hospital projects was inspired by Daichi. They never thought inside the box.
"When will you tell Tamaki you're not actually doing errands?" Chizuru raised a brow and saw the lawyer lying about the whole thing.
"Not sure." Haruhi stretched her arms.
"He's going to lose his mind if he finds out you go visit your clients directly. Look where it brought us." Chizuru looked at the dilapidated apartment complex that was screaming trouble in all ways. Her instincts told her to run, but they couldn't do that now.
"Kyoya's fine with one of their doctors going around the city like this?" Haurhi retaliated.
"Not exactly, but he knows I won't listen anyways so I can accompany you as long as I have Tachibana, Ajima, and Hotta with me."
The two women walked to the entrance and saw a group of men sneering at them.
"I'm here with to represent the Kasanoda gumi." Haruhi said to the man sitting at the entrance. "Where's your boss? We have business to discuss."
Chizuru still wasn't used to this authoritative side of Haruhi. It was the effect of Tamaki's grandmother. She learned how to stand her ground and to make her authority felt when needed.
"The boss said he was expecting a visit from some lawyer not two girls."
It didn't take long for a man to come running to their area and whispered to the men guarding the entrance. Suddenly the men bowed and said their apologies that they didn't recognize her. They were buying the brothel on the border territory of the Kasanoda gumi and Yamaguchi gumi. It was being bought under the guise that the Kasanoda gumi was going to turn it into something else, but with Chizuru there that's definitely not going to happen.
The fight for equality in Japan had a long way to go and they had their work cut out for them.
Here it is. Another chapter of just ordinary stuff. Nothing too heavy but something to pass the time for everyone. Hope you guys like it.