Disclaimer: I don't own SlamDunk and any of its characters except the plot of this fic...
Before start of chapter thanks to Digital Lavender and ChibiRulzYan Lan for reviewing...
Hope u enjoy the chapter...
Chapter 16
The sky was dark and not a single star was seen. Shohoku High school grounds were empty and gloomy. Lights shown through the windows of the gym hall and an eerie sound of 'thump thump' could be heard in a distance echoing through the night.
Rukawa ran across the court in full speed, ball in hand bouncing swiftly and professionally towards the basket. He leapt in the air forcefully as he was near his goal and swung his arms in the air clutching the ball elegantly before he did a dynamic dunk. There was a loud bang as he hit the basket, it reverberated the whole place. He land on the ground gracefully, the ball bounced not far from him after the dunk.
Without wavering in his motion Rukawa swiftly swoop the ball, which was bouncing in a distance from him again in his hand and continued with his practice. The memory of Yuiiko's injured state still vivid in his mind. He had watched the ambulance carrying her limp body out of the restaurant.
All he could do was watched silently and without knowing why, he had resolved to come here instead of going to the hospital. Despite the fact that he was actually worried of Yuiiko's condition but he couldn't bear to watch her bleeding any longer than he need to.
The only thing that came into his mind was basketball. He needed that to divert his mind away from her. Anything to erase that ghastly scene he had witness. The blood, Yuiiko's pale face and how she had smiled at him before she lay limp as a corpse in his arms.
Rukawa jumped and did a three pointer, it went in swiftly. That was right, basketball will wipe away the memory he wish not to remember….
Meanwhile, in the hospital ER…
"Pass me the scalpel blades."
"Yes, doctor…"
Yuiiko lay unconscious in the Emergency Room with two doctors and three nurses performing the surgery on her back. The doctors had frowned upon the matter that the bullet was so near to her heart. The Electro Cardio Gram (ECG) was blinking weakly in the distance, indicating her slowing heart.
They had to proceed with caution and swiftness to safe the girl's life.
"Doctor, the heart rate had dropped again…" One of the nurses announced.
Waiting room outside ER….
Haruko was whimpering softly with both her friends hugging her. The three of them where crying all the way to the hospital. They sat huddled together on the waiting room outside the Emergency Room.
Sakuragi was rather quiet and subdued sat two chairs away from the girls with three of his friends looking rather downcast and disappointed that they hadn't managed to take that man down earlier, so that none of this would have happened.
Youhei had a small frown on his face, leaning the far end of the waiting room away from the others. His arms crossed in front of him and his head leaned back on the wall looking up the ceiling. He had watched Rukawa walking away after the ambulance drove off, his impassiveness had been slightly worrisome. For the first time in his life, he had watched Rukawa nearly breaking into tears at Yuiiko's state. Did that boy ever cry over anything before? Well he wouldn't know since he hadn't known him that well. But it was unnerving to watch him suddenly void his expression from everyone again so soon.
He had asked him to come to the hospital with them but he disagreed and disappeared into the night. He had a strong feeling that there was one place Rukawa had gone to…
"I am sorry; I have a few questions to ask. We need to make a report." A police officer came by to them suddenly. "It would only take a while."
Youhei looked down and stared at the police officer who stood before them.
"Sure," Youhei answered when nobody bothered to acknowledge him. "What do you need to know?"
"Only a few questions that will be all…"
School Gym…
Rukawa was wreaked with perspiration and his legs were weak from weariness but he didn't stop. Nothing would stop him from ongoing practice through this appalling night. He didn't want to care. As long as he doesn't remember he will not care about anything….
He raced down the court again, ball in hand his mind picturing on his rivals in the up coming tournament…
Hospital ER….
"Pass the forceps…"
"Here…"
"It this almost done…"
"Check her heart rate."
"At the moment it hadn't drop…"
"Get ready the suter. We will be stitching her wound up soon."
"The bullet had been successfully taken out."
Waiting Room outside ER…
"Thank you for your information." The officer said after writing down every detail Youhei had told him.
"It is my job to get that bastard back in jail and never see the day light again." Youhei replied rather coldly. "How much is the chances?"
"This time it should a life time in jail in attempt of murder." The officer said keeping away his pad. "I will want all of you to come to the police station to get some papers sign, but this can be done tomorrow. I hope the girl will be alright."
"Thank you." Youhei replied pushing his hands in his pockets and looked back the door of the ER.
The light above the door of the operation room was still on, indicating that the operating was still carried out. However, Youhei nearly jumped when a nurse burst out the operation room quickly carrying a metal plate which what looked like a lot of blood.
Everyone at the waiting room stood up.
"Is she all right?" Youhei was first at the nurse side since he was the only one standing.
"My sister, she will be safe won't she?" Sakuragi asked with three of his friends pulling him back slightly because he looked like he was about to pounce on the nurse.
Haruko and her friends still looked teary eyed and scared watching the nurse rather despairingly.
"The bullet is taken out but she had lost a lot of blood." The nurse said.
"I am her brother; we should have the same blood type!" Sakuragi quickly said.
"Please wait for more instructions." The nurse could only say. "For now, please I still have a job to do."
Hospital, ER….
"The wound is successfully stitched…."
"Doctor, the heart rate is dropping rapidly!" One of the nurse exclaimed.
The ECG screening her heart rate suddenly went dead. The monitor showing a straight line…
(A/N: Don't kill me yet... just continue reading...)
School Gym…
Rukawa ignored his exhausted legs, while he continued to race down the court in top speed. Stopped around the outer circle of the court and jumped aiming for another three pointers. The ball sail through the air swiftly bounced on the rim of the basket and instead of going in like always, the ball dropped out of the basket and land on the floor bouncing away from him.
Finally Rukawa fell on his knees, his head bowed and his hands pressed flat on the floor, breathing hard….
"I never miss…" He whispered.
That must mean only one thing….
Hospital ER…
"Pass the defibrillators!" The doctor exclaimed.
The machine to jump start the heart was pushed up to the operation bed. Yuiiko was flipped around gently by the nurses. They swiftly cut opened her clothes and placed a cooling gel on her chest.
"All right, 1, 2, CLEAR!"
Yuiiko was jerked upwards from the bed as the two metal pieces placed on her chest…
School Gym…
A swift soft sound of the door opening made Rukawa looked up from his fallen state. He turned to the source of the noise and saw Youhei standing by the door. He was standing quietly; his hands casually shove in his pockets, watching Rukawa in an expression he couldn't tell of his feelings.
"I came to tell you about Yuiiko…." Youhei said softly. "I thought you would want to know."
Gradually Rukawa got up to his feet his eyes never leaving Youhei's…
Two weeks had passed….
"I am going to go crazy if I need to stay in this hospital bed for another day!" Yuiiko exclaimed heatedly while the doctor came to check on her. "When can I leave?"
"You young lady, nearly had a near threatening death experience should be in bed for another week!"
"WHAT! It is better that I am dead then…"
"Mya, mya, temper Yuiiko." Youhei smiled by the door, his hand clutched a bouquet of Gardenias. Yuiiko's favourite flowers. "So I can see you got back your energy…"
"Yeah," Yuiiko turned towards Youhei smiling brightly. "And I want to go out!"
"Doctor says not to exert yourself too much yet." Youhei said quietly placing the flowers on the table. "But, we have a wheelchair to push you out to the gardens if you want."
Yuiiko groaned, while the doctor only smile and left the room after his daily check on Yuiiko.
"By the way, your friend from your favourite centre had been release, just yesterday. He came to school looking for you since he didn't know about your condition."
"Yeah I know! It was his birthday…" Yuiiko said slightly sadly. "I was hoping to celebrate it with him but because of this retarded condition I am prohibited too…"
"Well, I can forgive you since you are bedridden." A voice from the door jerked Yuiiko's head towards it with surprise.
Negi stood by the door smiling at her.
"Negi-kun!" Yuiiko exclaimed happily. "You came!"
"I told him I'll bring him here today." Youhei said smiling softly and leaned over the table with wheels in front of the bed with his arms.
"I thought you hated hospitals…." Yuiiko wringed her nose slightly in disgust. "I hate hospitals too…"
"You can't blame it since we spent almost as often as our daily routine in here…." Negi said with a slight laugh walking over to her and gave her a hug. "I hope you get better soon…"
"I will of course!" Yuiiko replied hugging him in return.
"It is good to see you smiling like this again Yuiiko…" Youhei said. "Do you know how much I miss your unruly sense of humour…?"
"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Yuiiko scowl at Youhei.
He could only laugh. "You should take it as a compliment my dear girl…"
"I noticed you don't need your wheelchair anymore…." Yuiiko turned back to Negi with a grin. "How does it feel to be able to walk again?"
"Good of course…" Negi replied and flopped down on a chair next to her bed. "I hate to know when the doctor told me I was going to be paralyzed for the rest of my life. But… of course, you know me. I tried every single day to walk and a miracle happened of course."
"Ah, well at least you don't have my encumber feet!" Yuiiko said with sigh. "I will never be able to walk properly without my custom made shoes!"
"Be on the bright sight, its better than someone telling you that you will be paralyze for the entire life." Negi said nonchalantly, placing his hands behind his head. "I can't imagine if I ever marry and I couldn't even have se…"
"Save the details!" Yuiiko rolled her eyes, cutting him off. "I am sure Youhei-kun and I do not need to know…."
"You know, I never really seen the brighter sight of you…" Negi said leaning over to her, resting his arms on the edge of her bed. "Are you sure you didn't have a heart transplant or brain transplant that is…"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I never seen you showing emotions when I knew you at the centre." Negi said with a shrug and smiled. "But I like you like this, you looked so much prettier when you smile."
Yuiiko blushed slightly looking at Negi's face closed to hers as he stared at her.
"Aheemmm…." Youhei cleared his throat, feeling left out. "Are you sure we both are not going out or something?"
"HUH?" Yuiiko snapped her head back at Youhei with surprise.
"You both look like a cute couple to me." Youhei teased, smirking.
Negi smirked too.
"Yeah right," Yuiiko uttered sarcastically but her cheeks still burning. "Negi-kun never change, he always love to tease me like that…"
"My habit around girls…" Negi laughed lightly. "And I always had them charm…"
"Don't be too sure." It was Yuiiko who smirked this time.
"By the way, you do know that the basketball team is having their final round with Ryonan High today?" Youhei said. "Hanamichi only wanted you to know that was why he can't come to see you."
"Why aren't you there rooting for them?" Yuiiko asked rather surprised. "You never miss any of Hanamichi's matches before."
"I decided to keep this young brat company instead." Youhei quipped. "Are you honoured?"
"Very," Yuiiko answered dryly.
"And Rukawa also said he would be winning this game… er…"
"What," Yuiiko suddenly looked interested leaning forward towards Youhei who stood before her at the foot of the bed. "What did he say?"
Negi looked slightly surprised at Yuiiko's attraction by the news of a person name Rukawa.
"He says he will sure win this game no matter what."
Yuiiko raised an eyebrow, "Ah well, that is so like him anyways." She shrugged and flopped back on her fluffy pillow again.
Yuiiko could never forget that expression on Rukawa's face before she fell into darkness. His frightened eyes made her held on to her life so that she will wake up again to tell him everything was alright. She inclined her head and looked out the window.
She was surprised that she wasn't even disappointed that he never once came to the hospital to see her. Ah well, seeing as she never expected much from boys because she had a brother who never kept to his promises, she didn't anticipate anything from Rukawa.
Her thoughts straying slightly, somehow she had a slightest feeling that Rukawa cared about her.
Maybe….
But pigs would be flying.
Auditorium…
Their match had ended and they had won entitling Shohoku High to qualify for the IH matches in Hiroshima. This was the second time this year that Shohoku had made it for the IH tournaments. Five best players were announced and Rukawa was one of them. (A/N: Don't be too surprise at that, he is after all really good even in the anime and manga)
After the announcement, Rukawa couldn't help but thought back the time when Youhei came to tell him about Yuiiko's condition. He closed his eyes, shutting out all the cheers and claps in the auditorium…
"She had lost a lot of blood, her condition was critical after the operation but the doctors managed to safe her life."
Rukawa stared at him indifferently, but the funny feeling in his chest told him otherwise. He was relieved.
"She is alright?" Rukawa mumbled softly nonchalantly.
"Yes, doctor allows two visitors at a time to visit her, you can visit her tomorrow…."
Rukawa slowly opened his eyes again and recalled how he had yet to go see her. Would she even care if he did or didn't? He never knew, since she was as cold as he was with her stoic character. Who could blame her anyways? He had never shown her that he cared until that night when she was shot. He never knew that he cared either.
Little did Rukawa know that he will be in for a shocking realization when he sees her again…
TBC
After this chapter everything will be lighter and no much angst or Yuiiko's attitude aren't so curt with Sakuragi anymore... so till next chapter... if anyone notice... Yuiiko still calls Sakuragi by his name but we will see how the following chapters go yeah!
More Rukawa and Sakuragi... LOL.