"Wh-who...?" Ken stammered. His senses appeared to be overwhelmed by the bright flourescent lights and the people standing over him. "Aya...Omi...Yoji..." He looked around. "Where is - Ran!" Ken shot up in the bed as his eyes fell on the sleeping redhead. He then let out a sharp cry, his body in shock from the sudden movement.
"Just take it easy, Ken", Aya whispered, gently resting his body back onto the bed.
"But - but how did Ran-?"
"You and Ran-kun were injured on a mission", Omi explained.
Ken looked confused. "mission?"
"Yeah, you know. Those things Kritiker sends us on." Yoji put a straw up to Ken's mouth, offering the brunette a drink of water. Ken accepted, taking the cup from Yoji's hand.
"Kritiker? Mission?"
"Luckily, we were still able to kill -" Yoji began before catching Ken's terrified expression. "You really don't remember at all, do you?" He wished he had kept his mouth shut. Ken was looking up at him like a scared child. It was unnerving, seeing his fierce teammate in this state.
"We killed people?" Ken sounded like he was about to cry. "You're joking with me, right, Yoji? We don't kill. We sell flowers. I don't want to hurt anyone. I mean, I hurt Ran during sex, but-" Ken blushed. "Gomen. I was thinking out loud. But do we...do we really kill people?"
"No, we don't", Omi lied, thinking fast. "It's a game we play where we pretend to be superheroes and kill villains." He figured the truth was best left unknown for the time being.
"So, how did Ran and I -"
"Car accident on the way back from playing our superhero game last night", Omi answered, proud that he could think so well on his feet like this.
"Will Ran be okay? He looks like he's going to die", Ken observed, looking with horror at his lover.
"He'll be just fine", Aya said bravely, though she didn't believe it. "But when he wakes up, he may be different. He may think and act in a way that is strange to you. But he is still Ran, and you will love eachother no matter what, right?" She made her decision then and there. Ran was going to live. 'Maybe I'm selfish', she thought. 'But I'd rather have a brother who is a vegetable then no brother at all.'
*
Aya shuffled tiredly into the hospital room, looking for Ken, but seeing he was not around. She was holding a container of take-out ramen she had picked up for him on the way over. Aya had planned on making him tonkatsu for lunch, but she just didn't have the energy to cook. She hadn't been sleeping well lately. Even getting the take-out had been taxing on her body. She nearly threw up from the very smell of it.
'Probably at physical therapy', Aya thought, setting the noodles on the table at Ken's bedside. It had been two weeks since the accident, and everyone was amazed at the brunette's progress. He was already up and walking with the aid of crutches, and the doctors suspected he would be walking on his own within a couple of monthes. Ran, on the other hand...Aya walked over to her brother, hoping against hope for a murmur, a twitching hand, blinking eyes...anything! 'The tables have turned, haven't they?' Aya thought with a sad laugh. Once upon a time, you were watching me sleep, and praying that I would awake. She began crying, something she had been doing a lot in the past month. But her tears were interrupted when Omi and a nurse came in with Ken.
"What were you thinking, wandering out there like that? You know you aren't allowed up and out of the room without hospital staff accomanying you", Omi scolded the older man. "Where was your head?"
"I was...I got up because...I forget", Ken confessed as the nurse and Omi helped him back to bed. But I had a good reason, I'm sure."
Omi sighed, falling into a chair. "What are we going to do with you, Ken-kun?" He sat for a moment, lost in worry.The truth was, Ken's mind was wandering more than it should. He was becoming forgettful, and it was clear he would be incapable of taking care of himself once he was discharged from the hospital. 'He's more like a child than the friend that I knew.'
"Aya!", Ken piped up excitedly.
Omi jumped up, walking over the the woman and hugging her. "You were so quiet, I didn't even notice you were here. Hanging in there okay, Aya-chan?" he asked, looking with concern at her tired face.
"I'm doing my best", Aya managed to force out. "I brought Ken some lunch", she added quickly, pointing to the food on the table.
"Arigato!" Ken opened the package, slurping it down as if it were water.
"He's obviously happy to be eating something other than hospital food", Aya giggled.
"Hai", Omi sighed, wetting a paper towel and wiping excess noodles (and most of the broth) off of Ken's face, neck and hospital gown. "I'll get a nurse to get you some clean things. Be right back." He walked out, taking Ken's crutches with him.
"Where are you going with those? I need them. Give them back!" Ken pleaded. "You're trying to keep me here, aren't you? You don't want me to get better."
"Now that's just paranoid thinking." Omi rolled his eyes. "I'm taking these for your own good. We can't have you wandering off and-"
Both men turned suddenly, looking at Ran. Aya sat smiling with immeasurable relief at his bedside. Ran had let out a soft moan, and was slowly opening his eyes. He looked up at his sister, smiling weakly.
"Ran!" Ken looked pathetically at Omi. The younger man smiled, and, giving in, gave him his crutches. Ken hobbled over, and the three stood over Ran, looking at him with love and eagerness.
Ran looked up for several moments, taking in his surroundings and trying to figure out what exactly had happened. He opened his mouth, his eyes indicating that he had many questions. But all that came out was "ah." He tried again, determined to say all that he wanted to. "Ah. Ah!" Ran screwed up his face, frustrated at being unable to express himself.
Aya and Omi looked at Ran with sadness and sympathy, while Ken looked puzzled.
"Ran is a baby now", Ken observed, simply and sadly.
Aya looked down at her brother, silently agreeing with Ken. She looked at Ken, so changed these past few weeks. She put her hand to her stomach, trying to hold back her tears long enough to get out of the room. Then, when she was finally alone, she lost it.
Omi walked out to join Aya in the hallway, lifting her face up into his hands and looking deep into her sorrowful eyes. "What is it, Aya-chan? Is it because your brother can't talk?"
Aya nodded. "That, and a combination of other things", Aya told him between sobs. "Taro's death, everything with Ken, and now my brother...Ken said Ran was a baby, and...and..."
"You're worried that he will always be this way?"
"That's only part of it", Aya answered, still somewhat hysterical. I found out this morning...this is supposed to be a happy occassion, but..."
"But what?" Omi asked, placing a comforting hand on Aya's shoulder.
"I'm...I'm pregnant."
~~~~~~~~~~
Did you see that coming? Okay, maybe you did. I guess I've had babies on the brain a lot lately. Makes sense, since I myself am pregnant, and expecting my first child in March. I actually based Aya's symptoms on what I felt during my first trimester. Unlike Aya's unfortunate spouse,though, my husband is very much alive (and way sexy). But I won't bore you with the details of my life. I will, however, thank you once again for all the reviews I've received for this story so far. I've never felt so motivated to continue a fic before. So thank you.
~Koyasu
"Just take it easy, Ken", Aya whispered, gently resting his body back onto the bed.
"But - but how did Ran-?"
"You and Ran-kun were injured on a mission", Omi explained.
Ken looked confused. "mission?"
"Yeah, you know. Those things Kritiker sends us on." Yoji put a straw up to Ken's mouth, offering the brunette a drink of water. Ken accepted, taking the cup from Yoji's hand.
"Kritiker? Mission?"
"Luckily, we were still able to kill -" Yoji began before catching Ken's terrified expression. "You really don't remember at all, do you?" He wished he had kept his mouth shut. Ken was looking up at him like a scared child. It was unnerving, seeing his fierce teammate in this state.
"We killed people?" Ken sounded like he was about to cry. "You're joking with me, right, Yoji? We don't kill. We sell flowers. I don't want to hurt anyone. I mean, I hurt Ran during sex, but-" Ken blushed. "Gomen. I was thinking out loud. But do we...do we really kill people?"
"No, we don't", Omi lied, thinking fast. "It's a game we play where we pretend to be superheroes and kill villains." He figured the truth was best left unknown for the time being.
"So, how did Ran and I -"
"Car accident on the way back from playing our superhero game last night", Omi answered, proud that he could think so well on his feet like this.
"Will Ran be okay? He looks like he's going to die", Ken observed, looking with horror at his lover.
"He'll be just fine", Aya said bravely, though she didn't believe it. "But when he wakes up, he may be different. He may think and act in a way that is strange to you. But he is still Ran, and you will love eachother no matter what, right?" She made her decision then and there. Ran was going to live. 'Maybe I'm selfish', she thought. 'But I'd rather have a brother who is a vegetable then no brother at all.'
*
Aya shuffled tiredly into the hospital room, looking for Ken, but seeing he was not around. She was holding a container of take-out ramen she had picked up for him on the way over. Aya had planned on making him tonkatsu for lunch, but she just didn't have the energy to cook. She hadn't been sleeping well lately. Even getting the take-out had been taxing on her body. She nearly threw up from the very smell of it.
'Probably at physical therapy', Aya thought, setting the noodles on the table at Ken's bedside. It had been two weeks since the accident, and everyone was amazed at the brunette's progress. He was already up and walking with the aid of crutches, and the doctors suspected he would be walking on his own within a couple of monthes. Ran, on the other hand...Aya walked over to her brother, hoping against hope for a murmur, a twitching hand, blinking eyes...anything! 'The tables have turned, haven't they?' Aya thought with a sad laugh. Once upon a time, you were watching me sleep, and praying that I would awake. She began crying, something she had been doing a lot in the past month. But her tears were interrupted when Omi and a nurse came in with Ken.
"What were you thinking, wandering out there like that? You know you aren't allowed up and out of the room without hospital staff accomanying you", Omi scolded the older man. "Where was your head?"
"I was...I got up because...I forget", Ken confessed as the nurse and Omi helped him back to bed. But I had a good reason, I'm sure."
Omi sighed, falling into a chair. "What are we going to do with you, Ken-kun?" He sat for a moment, lost in worry.The truth was, Ken's mind was wandering more than it should. He was becoming forgettful, and it was clear he would be incapable of taking care of himself once he was discharged from the hospital. 'He's more like a child than the friend that I knew.'
"Aya!", Ken piped up excitedly.
Omi jumped up, walking over the the woman and hugging her. "You were so quiet, I didn't even notice you were here. Hanging in there okay, Aya-chan?" he asked, looking with concern at her tired face.
"I'm doing my best", Aya managed to force out. "I brought Ken some lunch", she added quickly, pointing to the food on the table.
"Arigato!" Ken opened the package, slurping it down as if it were water.
"He's obviously happy to be eating something other than hospital food", Aya giggled.
"Hai", Omi sighed, wetting a paper towel and wiping excess noodles (and most of the broth) off of Ken's face, neck and hospital gown. "I'll get a nurse to get you some clean things. Be right back." He walked out, taking Ken's crutches with him.
"Where are you going with those? I need them. Give them back!" Ken pleaded. "You're trying to keep me here, aren't you? You don't want me to get better."
"Now that's just paranoid thinking." Omi rolled his eyes. "I'm taking these for your own good. We can't have you wandering off and-"
Both men turned suddenly, looking at Ran. Aya sat smiling with immeasurable relief at his bedside. Ran had let out a soft moan, and was slowly opening his eyes. He looked up at his sister, smiling weakly.
"Ran!" Ken looked pathetically at Omi. The younger man smiled, and, giving in, gave him his crutches. Ken hobbled over, and the three stood over Ran, looking at him with love and eagerness.
Ran looked up for several moments, taking in his surroundings and trying to figure out what exactly had happened. He opened his mouth, his eyes indicating that he had many questions. But all that came out was "ah." He tried again, determined to say all that he wanted to. "Ah. Ah!" Ran screwed up his face, frustrated at being unable to express himself.
Aya and Omi looked at Ran with sadness and sympathy, while Ken looked puzzled.
"Ran is a baby now", Ken observed, simply and sadly.
Aya looked down at her brother, silently agreeing with Ken. She looked at Ken, so changed these past few weeks. She put her hand to her stomach, trying to hold back her tears long enough to get out of the room. Then, when she was finally alone, she lost it.
Omi walked out to join Aya in the hallway, lifting her face up into his hands and looking deep into her sorrowful eyes. "What is it, Aya-chan? Is it because your brother can't talk?"
Aya nodded. "That, and a combination of other things", Aya told him between sobs. "Taro's death, everything with Ken, and now my brother...Ken said Ran was a baby, and...and..."
"You're worried that he will always be this way?"
"That's only part of it", Aya answered, still somewhat hysterical. I found out this morning...this is supposed to be a happy occassion, but..."
"But what?" Omi asked, placing a comforting hand on Aya's shoulder.
"I'm...I'm pregnant."
~~~~~~~~~~
Did you see that coming? Okay, maybe you did. I guess I've had babies on the brain a lot lately. Makes sense, since I myself am pregnant, and expecting my first child in March. I actually based Aya's symptoms on what I felt during my first trimester. Unlike Aya's unfortunate spouse,though, my husband is very much alive (and way sexy). But I won't bore you with the details of my life. I will, however, thank you once again for all the reviews I've received for this story so far. I've never felt so motivated to continue a fic before. So thank you.
~Koyasu
