Chapter Two: Prognosis
Eiji was breathing but an oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and nose regardless. Aki shrugged off the shock blanket the female paramedic had placed around her shoulders, relentlessly insisting that she was fine, they should be focused on Eiji, not her. She held his hand like a lifeline.
Eiji's eyes fluttered open as they drove. The three paramedics instantly began shining lights in his eyes and checking for signs of concussion.
"What's your name, son?" One of them asked. He removed the oxygen mask so Eiji could answer.
Eiji's eyebrows knitted closely as he contemplated the question. "Number...23...Okumura...Eiji," he said with difficulty.
Aki, who had been fighting tears, lost it. The blanket reappeared on her shoulders as she began to sob. She had known Eiji had been stressed lately, but she hadn't realized his identity was so wrapped up in his athletic accomplishments. No wonder he was so anxious.
"Good," the paramedic said calmly. "Now, Eiji, can you tell me what day it is?"
"It's...March?...4th?" He managed.
"Very good, Eiji, it is March 4th. Do you know where you are, Eiji?"
Eiji looked around the ambulance with wandering eyes. He squeezed his eyes closed as the world spun and his head hurt from the blaring sirens.
"Eiji?" The paramedic prompted.
"I...I don't know...I'm sorry, I don't know where I am." A tear slipped out from his closed lid.
"That's alright, son. Do you know where you were before this?"
Eiji shook his head, causing pain to shoot through him. The hand Aki was holding twisted free from her grasp and fled to his forehead. The oxygen mask was slipped back onto his face.
"Okay, we're almost there Eiji. I know you're in pain, but we need you to keep your eyes open, okay? You have to stay awake."
Eiji forced his eyes open, a task that felt more strenuous than vaulting.
The ambulance stopped and the doors swung open. The female paramedic stopped Aki from running into the emergency department. "Wait, Mam, he will need surgery for his ankle, I'm afraid you can't go in there."
Aki looked at her with wide, fearful eyes. "Surgery?! But he's barely conscious! He can't be sedated—"
"It's perfectly safe, Ma'am, we do it all the time. He's in good hands, I promise. He'll be alright."
Aki tried to take a step forward but the paramedic held her in place. "But he's my son— I have to go with him! He's afraid! And confused! Please, I have to be with him!"
"He's in good hands, the doctors will take good care of him."
"No! Eiji! Please, please! I can't lose him!"
"He needs surgery, it's not safe for you to be in the operating room. You can help him by staying with me." She put an arm around the shock-blanket-clad Aki. "Come with me, I'll wait with you until they have his recovery room ready for you." She guided Aki into the emergency waiting room. "Your husband and daughter will be here soon. One of the medics from the dome is driving them here. I'll wait with you all as long as I can. They should have a room for your son soon, the census is pretty low today…" her voice blurred into background noise. Aki couldn't comprehend what she was saying.
The paramedic received another call right as Miyuki and Shun arrived. She apologized as she left and wished Aki the best. A half-hour later, a nurse came to bring them to the room prepared for Eiji.
"He's in surgery right now, and they'll need to monitor him for a little while after he's done and run some tests, but they'll bring him here as soon as they can. If you need anything, just hit the call button and one of us will bring you whatever you need." The kind nurse examined the room. "And I'll bring you one more chair, okay? I'll be right back." She returned only moments later with a third chair so they could all sit comfortably as they waited for Eiji.
At noon someone came by with a menu so they could order lunch. Miyuki had fallen asleep in the recliner beside the hospital bed. Aki refused lunch. Shun ordered them each a sandwich and fruit. "You have to eat," he told Aki. "You can save the sandwich for later if you want, but you have to eat."
He scooted his chair closer to Aki and wrapped a comforting arm around her. "I know what you're thinking. I'm thinking it too. I know you're scared. I'm scared too. But all we know is that the doctor's doing surgery now so he's in good hands. We just have to hope for the best."
Silent tears rolled down her face as her head found Shun's shoulder.
Eiji arrived on a hospital bed around three in the afternoon. The unsettling beeping of his heart monitor and the gentle sound of an IV drip made Aki's head spin with uncomfortable memories of her own past hospital stays. She forced the thoughts away. Eiji was in her presence once more. He was safe. He was alive. Shun, as if reading her thoughts, gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"He is still very much out of it," one of the nurses told them as she helped move Eiji to the hospital bed. "But the grogginess is from his surgery and pain medications, not his concussion." She propped up Eiji's injured leg in a sling that hung over the bed. "The doctor will be in later to give you more details about his injuries and recovery plans." She brushed the hair off Eiji's forehead. "You can try and talk to him, but don't be alarmed if he doesn't answer back or if it doesn't make any sense. He was going on and on about croissants in the recovery room." She chuckled, "Croissants, of all things."
Eiji's ears perked up, his eyes focused and found the nurse. "Did you bring me a croissant? I'm so hungry," he whined.
"No dear, you can't eat anything for a few more hours."
"But I'm so huuungry," he whined again. "And croissants are so buttery and," he licked his lips, "flaky and delicious."
The nurse smiled and smoothed his hair again. "I know, dear, we'll bring you one when it's safe to eat, alright?" She looked at Aki and Shun, "See what I mean? Loopy. But he'll be alright, he just needs rest right now." She gestured to the call button. "You can call for us if there's anything you need." Shun and Aki nodded and the two nurses departed, closing the door behind them.
Aki smiled tearfully. "Oh, Eiji, I don't even know the last time we've had croissants." She pulled her chair close to the bed and ran fingers through his hair. "I'm going to buy you sooo many once you're feeling better."
His eyes lit up and he smiled at her, almost drunkenly so. "Really, Mom?"
"Yes, baby."
Eiji blathered on about a variety of subjects while the anesthesia wore off. He talked at length about his love of croissants. Then he talked about how much he liked the beach back home in Izumo. That made him think of swimming and he begged for an hour for Aki to take him to the hotel pool. "We aren't at a hotel, Eiji," she told him. "We're at a hospital." He cried then, demanding to know who was hurt. When Shun told Eiji that he was the one who was hurt, he stopped crying and began complaining of hunger again. Then he would forget what they told him and ask again to go swimming. Worried, Aki called the nurse who assured her that asking the same questions over and over was a normal side effect of head injuries. The lingering anesthesia only made it worse.
Eiji was given a dinner tray at six, complete with a pre-packaged croissant. Eiji cried happy tears and fell asleep shortly after eating.
"I never checked out of the hotel," Aki worried aloud as the thought dawned on her. "All of our stuff is still in the room. They'll probably charge me for another night."
Shun instantly stood. "I'll handle it, what's your room number?"
"No, no, I'll go," she stood and grabbed her purse. Miyuki, munching on her dinner tray watched her parents argue for several minutes over who would pay for the hotel room, both too nice to let the other do it. Eventually, Shun convinced her to let him go. He assured her he'd pay for the room and bring all their luggage to his apartment. She hugged and thanked him, a sight Miyuki had missed recently. He kissed Eiji's forehead before leaving. "I'll be back, baby boy," he whispered to Eiji as he slept. "Feel better."
Eiji's doctor stopped by shortly after Shun left. He informed Aki that Eiji had shattered his talus and fractured his lower fibula, as well as torn a ligament. During surgery, he was able to reposition the fragmented bones and, with the addition of screws and pins, hold them in place. The torn ligament would heal with time, but if it didn't heal properly, a second surgery may be needed. He then addressed the head injury. He was lucky it wasn't more severe. His brain scans showed damage, but nothing completely irreversible. He told her he would likely suffer from dizziness, heightened anxiety, and difficulties with focusing and memory for a short while, but those things would fade with time. The doctor assured her that, with a little help and grace from his teachers, he should be able to finish out the school year. However, he'd have no choice but to put vaulting behind him.
Eiji woke an hour later. Miyuki had fallen back asleep and Aki, who had cried herself to sleep after the doctor left, now slept slumped in the uncomfortable wooden chair. Eiji groaned as he woke, his head swimming and ankle throbbing. The anesthetic wore off as he slept, leaving behind the giddy joy he felt when he first laid eyes on that buttery, flaky croissant. He tried to sit but soon realized the pain in his throbbing, suspended ankle suggested he remain prone. His head thumped against the pillow in defeat. Tears swam in his eyes. Both Mikyuki and Aki were asleep. Shun was nowhere to be seen. He was hardly surprised. Unfortunately, he wasn't awake to witness Shun's selfless deed and he had no memory of what transpired as he came down from the anesthesia.
"Mom," his voice sounded too loud in the quiet room.
Aki startled awake. "Oh, Eiji," she scooted closer to his side. "How long have you been awake?" The sleepy fog cleared from her eyes and she noticed the tears running down his cheeks. She instantly reached for his hand.
"I just woke up," he answered. "What happened to me?" He wasn't even sure he wanted to know.
"You...landed wrong, Eiji. You didn't clear the bar."
"I...remember...I meant how badly am I injured."
"You broke two bones, tore a ligament, and suffered a pretty severe concussion," she said calmly. "But the doctor says you'll fully recover, you just need time."
Eiji whimpered. He tried to roll over, to hide his tears from his mother, but his injured leg wouldn't allow it. "I don't have time," he whined. "I have to get better before next semester or I'll lose my scholarship," he worried.
Aki squeezed his hand, "Eiji...your surgeon…" She didn't finish her sentence.
Eiji propped himself up on his arm, hardly noticing how it made his head throb. "What?"
"Well, maybe I should wait to tell you…"
"Mom, tell me."
"Eiji, baby, you shattered bones. He doesn't think you'll be able to jump again."
Eiji fell back to his pillow, defeated. "Then that's it," he said dismally, "no more University of Tokyo. No Olympics—" his throat burned with unreleased tears. "That's it."
"No, Eiji, that's not it. You will recover. And even if you have to take a semester off, you can still go to the University of Tokyo. You can—"
"I can't, Mom," tears broke Eiji's voice, "I don't even know what I would study."
"Shhhh," she wiped the tears from his cheeks. "You don't need to have it all figured out right now. We'll figure it out together when you're feeling better. You should just try to relax. Do you want to watch some TV?"
With closed eyes and wet lashes, he shrugged. He didn't want to watch TV. He wanted to fall asleep and wake up in a hotel bed with all of this being nothing but a bad dream. Instead, he muttered, "Sure."
Aki flipped through the channels until she found a movie she and Eiji had watched many times before. He reluctantly opened his eyes upon hearing the familiar soundtrack. Aki stroked his hair soothingly as they giggled at the familiar jokes. When the door opened quietly halfway through the movie, Eiji was already asleep. He didn't hear or see his father come back and collect a very sleepy Miyuki.
"Come on, Mi-chan, you can sleep at my place. I'll sleep on the sofa, you can have my bed." Miyuki gave a sleepy nod of agreement before hugging her mother goodbye.
Shun placed another kiss in Eiji's hair. "Sleep well, baby boy," he whispered. "I assume you want to stay here?" He asked Aki.
She nodded, "I'll sleep in the recliner. I can't leave him all alone."
He handed Aki a keycard, "I rented you a room at the Dormy Inn Ueno. It's only a half-mile away. You're in room 113."
Her eyebrows creased with sentiment. "You didn't have to—"
"I wanted you to have a place to shower and sleep in a real bed if you want to use it. I rented it for three nights." He looked back at Eiji. "Hopefully, he'll be discharged before then, but you never know."
Aki stood and hugged Shun tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.
When he and Miyuki left, she curled up in the recliner that was previously occupied by Miyuki. She cried silent tears for a long time, both for Eiji and for Shun. It had been rough since Shun moved to Tokyo for work while she and the kids stayed in Izumo. She had asked him to stop visiting because it was far too painful. But as she sat there crying, with the keycard in her hand and the knowledge that her previous hotel room had been paid for, she wished she had never asked that of him. She still loved him and, in moments such as these, she realized he loved her too. She cried because she missed him and she believed there was nothing either of them could do about it.