Hi guys, I researched ribs. At first I thought they were like nerves or something, but I was wrong. It turned out that they are bones after all, as the reviewers had pointed out. there are 24 ribs, 12 pairs in all. There are three kinds: true ribs, false ribs and floating ribs. True ribs are attached to the breat bone, while the false ribs are attached to the last true rib, while the floating ribs are attached to the spine and not attached to the front at all. The ribs protect the lungs, the heart, and the stomach, amongst the other body parts located in that region. I guess in Rukawa'scase, he was really lucky.Oh, and about the blood loss, I really wouldn't know, because I've never had a blood transfusion before, but in this case, the hospital had some small smount of O negative blood, but they needed more.
Sabrina: Ciao, Sabrina! Felicitazione! Buono giuoco ieri! Er, that's all I know, I'm not even sure if that's right. Anyway, congratulations on the game last night! I watched every minute of it, it was so exciting. I was ready to have a heart attack if they went to penalty shootout, but thank the heavens you won! I'm so happy, I was jumping up and down up until midnight last night! Congrats! A presto!
jhydl: Hope you like
neko11lover: yes, I like to think that Sakuragi-kun is a very sweet person, er, deep deep deep down.
Elena: Er, math has nothing to do with this story, it's just a little conversation neko and I have, oh and about the ribs, you were right, read up there, sorry, I'm not a doctor e...Really sorry.
jenjen: Thank you!
You Mean, Rukawa has a best friend?
Chapter Twenty One
It was then that Kira noticed that there were no red heads amongst the team in the middle of the court. She looked around. Sakuragi Hanamichi was sitting in a far end corner of the court, looking down at the floor. She excused herself from Ayako and Haruko and went to Sakuragi.
When she got closer, she saw that Sakuragi was huddled, his head hang down on the floor. She didn't think that he noticed her approaching. She sat down, Indian style next to him.
He looked slowly at her, then turned back to the floor.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hn," he grumbled.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
He mumbled incoherently.
"Sorry?"
"I don't really hate him," he said suddenly, looking at her.
Kira didn't say anything.
"I know that he's slightly better than me," Kira fought back a smirk,"and we fight often, but I never wished that he would go to the hospital." he began to sit the same way she did and facing her directly.
"It's not anyone's fault," said Kira, trying to convince herself as much as Sakuragi, for deep in her heart and mind, she couldn't help but blame herself for all that's gone wrong.
Sakuragi looked up at her. She was surprised when she saw that he genuinely looked worried. "But what if he doesn't get better? Or what if he can't play basketball anymore? I won't have a rival anymore, then this game won't be any fun!"
Kira stared at him. "You like playing this game because of Kaede?"
"Not entirely," said Sakuragi reasonably. "But my fights and competition with him makes the game more...lively, and it wouldn't be as fun if he can't play anymore."
Kira didn't know what to say. She wondered whether he had been this open to anyone before. Sakuragi looked down at the floor again. She smiled at his figure. She liked this Sakuragi, the honest, not too boastful, sincere kind. She then started rubbing his back. "He's going to be fine, Sakuragi-kun," she said, "and no one can really stop playing basketball, you know. I'm sure, once he wakes up, he can't wait to be back in here."
Sakuragi looked at her, and smiled. "What about you? Are you all right?"
"I feel better," she said, "I'm not the only one worrying about Kaede after all. I really thought I was the only one."
"A lot of girls will be worried about Rukawa once they hear the news." said Sakuragi, who then turned to the door. "You better ask for a private room for him, he's not gonna get any rest once they find out where he's at."
"I know," she said, smiling, "I'm sure his parents are working on it."
Sakuragi looked at her. "You are all right now, aren't you?"
"I'm better."
She smiled.
Sakuragi grinned.
"We're going to be all right, aren't we?" he asked.
Kira nodded. "Sure we are," she said. Talking to Sakuragi had cheered her up significantly, "Us redheads, we're survivors. We'll get through this."
Sakuragi nodded, and Kira decided to stay and watch practice, imagining Rukawa practice in front of her.
Hello!
Since Rukawa had figured that he was more talkative in his dreams, he decided to shout. He was in the dark, he knew, since everywhere around him was darkness. He didn't know what was going on, but decided that maybe there were people around him there, somewhere.
Can anyone hear me?
His voice echoed on and on, until it disappeared into nothingness. He shouted again, but none respond.
He was on the verge of giving up when –
Kaede…He looked up, but saw nothing. He could have sworn someone was whispering his name…
Kaede…Kira?
Kaede…Kira!
Wake up…But I am awake!
Please, wake up…Rukawa looked at his hands, and felt his face. His eyes were open…that means he's awake. He told dream Kira so, but it just said Wake up… again.
He then realized that this was a dream, so he pinched himself hard on his hand, and felt himself shake…
He was waking up…
"Good morning," greeted a voice he didn't know.
He groaned silently. Whoever this person was, and by the sound of the voice, it was a she, she was letting the light in from the window. The sun hit him directly in the eyes, and he promptly turned away from the window.
As he turned, he winced, and instinctively his hand went to his torso. He looked down and saw it was completely bandaged.
This isn't his room, he thought, as he looked around. Everything was white and there was that strong hospital smell.
As soon as the smell hit him, he remembered being hit by a car, and hitting the cement road hard, and Kira's screams…
"How long have I been here?" he asked the nurse, now that he now had a good look at her.
"Oh, about three days," said the nurse. "You've broken your ribs, um.." she looked at the clipboard holding all his information, "…Rukawa, and you were unconscious, until now."
"Who brought me here?" he looked up and saw a bag full of blood with the blood type, O(-).
"Your friend," informed the nurse, who had a small smile in her face, "your lady friend, with the red hair."
"Kira…"
"Yes, that's the one," she said, shaking her head, "we all saw her come in with you, she was crying her eyes out. Poor thing."
"Crying?" asked Rukawa.
The nurse nodded. "She calmed down enough to tell us all about you, and she left supported by another boy, about as tall as you."
Sendoh, he thought, with a mix of gratefulness and white hot jealousy. He looked at the blood bag again. He knew that his blood type was rare, and his parents weren't in the country so…
"Where did you get O negative blood?" he asked the nurse.
The nurse looked slightly concerned at the question. "Oh, you're very lucky Rukawa-san," she said, "we didn't have a lot of that blood in stock, only about 200 ml, and you needed more."
"So where did you get it?" he asked again, slightly irritably.
The nurse smiled this time. "It turned out," she said, "that you and your lady friend, Kira-chan, share the same blood type." She pointed to the blood, "that's her blood right there."
Rukawa didn't say anything, but felt extremely comforted. Kira's blood in my body…
"The dear wanted to give more," said the nurse, smiling at him, "but she already gave half a liter, more than enough."
Rukawa looked out the window. The fact that her blood, his best friend's blood, the blood of someone he cared for most in the world, the blood of the woman he loves, was flowing in his veins, was giving him warmth and comfort he usually feels during victories in basketball games. Though his ribs were throbbing slightly painfully, he didn't notice it at all. He wondered when she'll be visiting...
"I'd expect that you'll see her later," said the nurse, reading his mind. He glared slightly at her, returning to his normal self, but the nurse just smiled and said, "after school. I'll be back with your breakfast then."
She closed the door after her, not seeing the small smile that formed in Rukawa's face as he looked out the window.