"So you're plannin' on coming early?" Kiba pressed the cell phone closer to his ear as he poured food into his puppy's bowel.
"Yup!" Naruto slurped the rest of his noodles as he looked over his final project. "I finished this bad boy early so I can be excused. I hope my professor doesn't mind."
"I hope not. I really miss you, man." Kiba scratched Akamaru's head, the puppy whining once he moved away. "I want you to see my puppy and the girl I met."
"Is she like the others?"
"No," Kiba sighed out, a small smile on his face, "she makes me feel…different."
"Different good or bad?"
"Good."
"Good, I don't want any stupid woman to hurt you ever again. It's about time you found someone who loves you for you and not just settle."
Kiba laughed loudly, collapsing on his sofa. "When have you gone soft, dick head?"
"Ever since I left Hinata…"
They both stayed quiet before Kiba cracked a wide smile.
"Miss that pussy, right?"
"KIBA!"
"On a serious note, is this going to be a surprise visit or does anyone else know?"
"Nope." Naruto smiled widely, throwing away the ramen cup and stretching. "I want to surprise Hinata and my family. I don't know why but I just feel that I'm needed over there right now."
Kiba stayed quiet before looking out the window. "Ever since you left, the mood has been down. I can't wait to see you, man."
"Same here dude. Oh shit, gotta go. I need to get to school early and I have to catch the bus."
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"I love you dude."
Naruto smiled. "I'm glad you're my best friend dude. I love you too. Bye!"
Kiba laughed. "Same here dude. Bye."
Naruto looked at his phone and a part of him wanted to call Hinata to tell her he was coming home but he wanted to surprise her. See that big smile on her face and the emotional wave that'll hit her from seeing him again.
He'll wait just so he can see that smile again.
Determined, he put his phone on silent since he was going to have to convince his professor to leave early. It was his last class before the semester ends and summer school starts. He wanted to get back home before traffic hits hard.
'Hinata, I'm coming home,' he thought. 'Wait for me, babe.'
She still couldn't understand what's exactly happening. She was just getting home last night form hanging out with Toneri when she got a call from Neji.
"Your father's dying," is still being replayed in her head over and over.
It was a blur after that; rushing to her car, stepping on the gas, avoiding near car crashes, and making it to the hospital with tears running down her cheeks and her chest feeling heavy. Her sister was the first person to crash into her, sobs echoing off the hallway. "Hinata!" she wailed late last night, clinging onto her older sister. Hanabi seemed so small then. Her mom was next, her small frame trembling and Hinata looked at her with wide eyes, as if asking her that it was true.
Her father was really dying.
"Hinata." Her thoughts were broken off when Neji gave her a cup of hot tea. "Be careful, it's hot."
She simply nodded, the cup warming her cold palms. She felt exhausted suddenly.
"Have they said anything…about father?" Her whisper felt heavy and she sniffed, holding back the tears.
"No, not since he collapsed yesterday. I think I just saw Aunt Natsu go inside."
Hinata nodded, remembering seeing her mother being called by the doctor.
"I…just don't understand." Hinata gripped the cup. "How can this be happening now? How…why?"
Neji sighed, putting the cup beside him and hugging Hinata with one arm, pulling her close.
"I don't know either, Hinata. Your mother hasn't told me exactly what happened either."
"We just found him on the floor, not breathing." Both of the cousins looked up to see a pale, tired Hanabi who was looking down on the floor. Hinata quickly put her cup beside her and gestured for Hanabi to sit on her lap. Though any other time Hanabi would have rejected such an affectionate gesture, she quickly sat on her older sister's lap, hugging her around the torso. Neji grabbed Hinata's hand and squeezed it gently.
"He wasn't moving…" whispered Hanabi, holding onto Hinata tighter. "I thought he was gone but mom gave him an injection and he started breathing again and I overheard the doctors saying he doesn't have much time…What are we going to do?"
Hinata bit her lip before smiling tightly, cupping her younger sister's face and wiping away the tears.
"It's going to be okay. Father will pull through," No, he won't, "Everything will go back to normal," He's not okay, "Hanabi, I'm going to the restroom so finish my tea—"
"Hinata?"
"Neji-nii, look after Hanabi. I'll be right back."
She felt heavy and she clumsily entered the restroom. She locked herself in one of the stalls and took out her phone. Many missed phone calls from her two best friends and a few from her boyfriend. She wished she can feel the warmth she usually feels when she's with them.
The tired faces of her family popped up instead.
She imagined her father's unmoving body as well.
She began to cry, her sobs echoing off the walls.
Naruto excitedly ran into his dorm, his phone pressed against his ear. He had to convince the teacher for an hour on why he should go home early. It was a tough battle but he eventually won the argument. It was a good thing he knew the teacher well beforehand.
The call went straight to voice mail and he said, "Hinata! It's your most awesome boyfriend Naruto! I hope you're having a good day! I miss you so much and I hope school isn't killing you. I'm going—" He paused quickly, biting his tongue. He almost said the surprise. "I'm going to…to see the game later on tonight! You know how much school spirit I have!" He forced a laugh and he carefully grabbed a long, blue print that was rolled up. He slowly unraveled it and looked at it tenderly. "Just wait for me babe, okay? I'm coming home soon. I don't know when…but I am." He sighed, rolling up the blue print once more and putting it into a plastic container. "I have big plans for us both! So just wait there with a big smile okay? I promise the wait will be worth it.
I love you."
He looked at his unorganized packing and smiled widely. He couldn't wait to hold his mom and boast about how well his teacher's compliment him. He can't wait to drink a cold beer and talk to his dad about school and his upcoming future. He can't wait to hug Kiba and watch movies on his old sofa and catch up on everything and anything.
And he couldn't wait to have Hinata in his arms once more; kissing her like it's their first time ever.
He just really couldn't wait.
"I promise the wait will be worth it. I love you."
Hinata's eyes felt heavy, her mind was exhausted and yet she tried to cling onto any kind of warmth she was given. She felt dread, replaying the voicemail once more and tears welling up when her boyfriend's voice only brought a small comfort. She called Ino an hour ago and cried out the moment she heard her best friend's voice. Sakura was there as well and it added to the heavy burden that maybe she was bothering them. But as any good best friends, they comforted her and asked her what's wrong. After Hinata explained everything through broken sobs, her best friend's began to cry as well and said that they'll go to the hospital immediately.
So now Hinata's sitting beside Neji and Hanabi, replaying Naruto's voice mail over and over again, trying to find some kind of comfort in it. Her mother hasn't come out yet and it's been almost three hours.
Finally, a door opened and her mother walked out, a doctor on each of her side. She looked much older than when she went in and her eyes were red.
Hinata immediately put her phone away and ran to her mother's side. She took one of her mother's hands and realized how cold it felt. Neji and Hanabi were right beside her the next second, each taking the doctor's place.
"What happened?" asked Neji calmly.
One of the doctors spoke up, "We would like to inform you all what would happen from here on out. We had to explain to your mother what's happening to your father right so we apologize if the briefing took too long."
Hinata carefully directed her mother to sit down and Hanabi decided to sit beside her mother.
"Hanabi?"
She simply shook her head, holding onto her mother's hand. "I don't want to listen…not right now. I'll look after mom." Natsu had a faraway look. It was a look of a broken woman and Hanabi refused to leave her alone.
Hinata nodded, looking at Neji who looked conflicted for a second before nodding as well. They followed the doctor inside and they sat down. The office felt clammy but cold.
"I'm going to debrief you two of Hyuuga Hiashi's health as of now. Hiashi's health has been slowly depleting ever since he collapsed two years ago. The damage as of then lowered his immune system even more and he was at risk of a heart attack. The medicine prescribe to him was enough to warrant the attack but we didn't know for how long. As long as he kept taking the medicine, he was going to be okay. But it seemed he missed two scheduled appointments." Hinata gasped and Neji grabbed her hand.
"What do you mean?" asked Neji, perplexed. "My uncle is very punctual and will never miss any kind of appointment."
"Unfortunately, it seemed he forgot about them. He called after the second appointment and asked when he his scheduled appointment was. It was supposed to be yesterday. But things moved quicker than we thought.
"Your father had a stroke," continued the doctor, looking at the files, "and if the ambulance arrived even twenty minutes later, your father would have been dead." A few tears rolled down Hinata's face and Neji held onto her hand tightly. "Unfortunately, while your father is still alive, he isn't really here."
"What d-do you mean?" Hinata's lips trembled, knowing exactly what the doctor meant.
The doctor sighed, looking at the cousins gravely. "Your father is brain dead as of now. Your mother now has the decision whether to unplug him or not. I am so sorry for your loss."
The sound of wailing echoed off the walls once more.
