That afternoon, just after lunch time, someone knocked on Room 721.
"Brother?" a chubby little boy clad in green shirt and brown pants peeped. Following him was another lad about 2 years his senior wearing a red-cream shirt and black knee-length pants. He also took a peep as if he's doubting about entering a sacred place.
"Hey there..." the patient's voice greeted although it doesn't seem to be a greeting anymore.
"Sorry, kid, but he's undergoing treat---"
"Let him enter, doc." this weak statement followed a cough --- a very dry cough --- shortly.
"He's my younger brother, so he has a right." With that, he turned to the two.
"Come on in." he reckoned.
Both followed, trotting meekly alongside each other.
"Brother, what's that?" pools of color similar as that of the patient's trained around and stopped over that thing pressed firmly against his brother's now pale skin. The older boy fixed his raven-black hair and seemed to be disgusted upon seeing faint red blood filling the tube. It's injection.
"It's my medication..." he coughed again. "I need one more of it for today. Tonight, if I remember well." he's talking to the doctor.
"But... does that hurt?" the black-haired boy inquired.
The patient being cured grinned shortly.
"Um, yeah..." he cringed as the needle made its way out of his skin and was soon replaced by a swab of cotton given by the doctor. As the black-haired boy observed, the needle was about 2 inches long and two hair's thick.
"Brother, I have fixed your room. Mom told me so and it's my promise, remember?"
"Also, I have tuned up your gear. You haven't done that since you checked in here." the older, his student, followed.
"Thanks. I am proud of you." he reached out for his younger brother's hair and shuffled it. The latter blushed slightly and chuckled. Then, the other lad noticed something. He focused on strands of brown hair scattered on his pillow.
"Hey, your hair... your hair..."
"Yes, I know." he smiled slightly although in pain. "It began this morning. It won't stop. I think it doesn't want my scalp anymore."
The older then grew silent. He now has an idea of what his mentor's going through. The patient just offered him a look as if saying that he should just keep quiet about it.
"Just do well, little bro." he shuffled his hair yet again "Do well and better than I did." the ototo, not having an idea of what he's saying, simply nodded. Right, he is so innocent of what his brother's going through...
... innocent of his slow farewell.
Soon, knocks rained on his door. The red-clothed guy rushed forth to open it, and there we can see a new bunch of visitors,
His friends.
"Alex, Shingo... you're here." This sentence was strangled yet again by incessant coughing which caused the three newcomers to have an idea of what he's into. Well, they already had even before going there. They exchanged glances.
"Hey, get well soon." the two offered flowers and their gifts for the past occassion.
The patient grinned. "Yeah. Well, let's just hope that I still can."
"Don't talk like that! We won't agree, we just won't." Alex retorted.
"You're a big... no, make that the biggest loss in our team." Shingo followed.
"I wish I could guys, but then..." he stopped and snapped shut. It's his big rule not to talk about it anymore.
No more
Just let it come
And pass like a quiet sandstorm
"Oh man, don't talk like that. We just can't afford if that would happen!" the eye-glassed lad named Shingo, returned.
"No matter what happens, we'll be here." Alex, the curlyhead concluded.
"Yeah. We're here for you."
The lad who accompanied the patient's brother just looked at the scene and smiled and no sooner secretly adored the way these three stick together, through good times and bad.
"By the way... " the last who spoke cut off, "He said that he'll be here... with the child you are supporting."
The news broke a smile, this time filled with an ethereal type of charisma, on the patient's face.
"At last, he'll be here! I have been waiting for him for so long. Ho---"
"Hey, keep it easy." Shingo exclaimed as soon as the patient complained of back pain. His coughs turned rougher.
"He's spewing blood!" The patient's student panicked as he saw spatters of red liquid, almost pinkish due to the loss of hemoglobin.
"Shingo, call the doctor!" Alex's face was almost out of blood due to sheer panic.
"Big brother!" the ototo shrieked due to severe worry.
"Get him out of here, Takeshi. He'd better not see his brother like this. Remember what he strictly requested us." Alex almost shouted, his voice inaudible to his ears due to anxiety.
"Wha-what happened to big brother?"
"None.... let's leave." Takeshi, the lad dressed in red, made the younger boy face away from all the commotion going on inside.
"Let me see, BIG BROTHER!" The little boy kicked his legs but Takeshi was strong enough to carry him away.
No sooner the doctor already appeared. The patient's ototo and the patient's student were about to leave when they head a loud blast of the calling machine requesting for more nurses.
And the room they will go to is Room 721.