The current long clinical rotation was bearable with the velvet box inside of Nowaki's pocket. Whenever someone irritated him or pushed his buttons, Nowaki touched the box. The physical representation of his future with Hiroki brought a wave of calmness onto him. The usual smiling mask, which helped him throughout the years, was cracking.
When his lead called him back in for a twenty four hour shift, he was incensed. More than incensed, he was furious. The large hole he left in the wall outside of his cabin left him with bruising on his knuckles. Bruising he excused as accidentally slamming the door on his fingers in his haste out the door. His seniors patted his back, amused at his enthusiasm to work. Nowaki bit his tongue to stop himself from snipping at them.
He soothed himself with the thought that Hiroki was waiting for him at home, Relying on him to bring in money, take care of him, and to love him without restraint. He couldn't ruin all this hard work for an emotional release. There were plenty of opportunities to scream in the woods on his way back home.
Despite the draining hours, Nowaki got all his breaks, received no critical patients, and ate a decent meal from the cafeteria. There were no pestering coworkers bothering him. He reviewed studies during whatever time he received in between patients.
During the last few hours of his shift, he was called inside of the lead's office.
Nowaki entered inside, sat down across from the lead, and gave the impression of paying attention. While the lead finished typing, Nowaki gave the room a onceover. There were some new trinkets since the last time he went inside of the room.
There was a large smile on his face when he claimed. "I called you here to let you know that we are beyond amazed at your hard work. Exceptional!"
Nowaki demurred. "Thank you, sir."
The lead continued on, "I am thankful for your continuous eagerness to take on shifts. This hospital is smaller than those in the big city and we are grateful you have chosen us."
Nowaki knew the lead was leading up to informing him on his new shifts. Every single manager he ever had padded their explanations before hitting him with their requests . Requests to take on another shift or to stay another hour, maybe another four hours.
He hated it.
But hard work paid off.
Nowaki gained connections throughout various industries. If he failed as a doctor, he knew different acquaintances who could help him find a different job. Becoming a doctor was a means to an end. The access to drugs, medical equipment, and the bragging rights.
The thought of presenting himself as a doctor to his in-laws was for naught. They plastered Hiroki's supposed kidnapping on TV, making it impossible for them to return unscathed. Nowaki couldn't take back Hiroki, claim he nursed him back to health, and continue living a normal life. No. Hiroki's parents were impatient , unwilling to let their own son find happiness.
As much as it pained Nowaki to watch Hiroki miss his parents, Nowaki was thinking of their safety. The police would assume Nowaki kidnapped him when all he ever did was save him. Had it not been for him, Hiroki would have bled to death, or worse, been run over by another car.
"There is another twenty-four hour shift you can take." The lead hid his face half way with a clipboard as he read the schedule. "One of the residents has gotten ill and we need all the help we can get."
"Another–"
His lead arched his brow, lowering his clipboard to present his frown. "Yes. Another twenty four hours. Of course, there is a six hour break in between the end of this rotation and the beginning of the new shift. We have sleeping arrangements for you to sleep in to get some sleep. Is there a problem?"
Nowaki denied the claim. "N-No problem!" He fingered the box inside of his pocket. "I will work."
The lead smiled. "Good."
Nowaki left the office, a friendly mask in place, giving none of his anger away to passing nurses. They fluttered to him or passed by him with a wink. He knew what they wanted. It was apparent in the way they looked at him, flirted, or attempted to breach his personal bubble. From the break room gossip, residents had taken the offer and already slept with them. He was one of the few who remained distant.
He was a challenge to these women.
Nowaki didn't understand the disloyalty.
None of these nurses thought of their spouses, finding it easy to forget about their spouses for moments of sex. All Nowaki thought about was Hiroki, none of these nurses compared.
Not even close.
Many of these nurses were married or set to be married. This fact didn't seem to bother them. The flirtatious comments continued despite his rejections. His denial seemed to fuel them even more. Once he admitted he was with his lover, their interest grew .
Nowaki mentally noted which nurses were the ones to avoid. Especially in enclosed spaces. He didn't want a scandal where one of them claimed unsavory business.
Managing to handle the nurses, Nowaki rushed away, back to the floor where work was to be done. The nurses on the floor didn't behave in the same manner as the other nurses. He was grateful these nurses were professional while they treated their patients.
Going through the rest of his day, Nowaki wondered how Hiroki was doing. He was probably waking up, confused as to why he slept a whole day away. Nowaki could have explained it well enough. Hiroki was still so weak, so fragile. He needed rest. Lots of rest.
With the phone lines cut in the cabin, there was no way to communicate with Hiroki that he was stuck in the hospital for another day. A whole day. Away from his heart.
As he finished the last hour of his shift, Nowaki entered the breakroom, wanting to drink water instead of coffee. He would drink coffee once he finished his nap inside of the accommodated beds. Drinking caffeine would only ruin what little sleep he would get.
"Kusama sensei!" A familiar, friendly voice chimed behind him.
Nowaki turned to see Nurse Narita, wearing the usual scrubs, hair tied back in a high bun, with a cup of coffee in her hands.
Sighing in relief, Nowaki faced her, genuinely smiling for the first time in hours. He could always count on her to respect his relationship.
Feeling the weight leaving his shoulders, Nowaki announced. "I have the ring."
Nurse Narita screamed in delight. "Oh, my goodness! You're going to propose to Hiromi?! May I see the ring?"
"Sure." Nowaki nodded his head with a goofy smile. "I thought about it and it's best that I tie myself with my beloved. I don't want them to think I'm not serious." He removed the box from his pocket and opened it.
There was a single gold band with engravings throughout the band inside of the velvet box. In the middle of the ring, a single diamond shined underneath the lights.
"It's a bit minimal, but Hiro-san isn't the sort for extravagant rings."
She nodded her head. "Of course, career women tend to enjoy a simple ring above all else. I remember my sister hinting about marriage before she reached thirty. My mother encouraged her ridiculous behavior. It doesn't feel genuine if the man doesn't want to propose on his own terms." Kana smiled up at Nowaki. "She will appreciate the gesture for sure!"
Nowaki beamed. "I hope so! With these consecutive shifts, I'm surprised she has not grown frustrated with me yet."
Waking up to another IV in his arm, Hiroki cursed out Nowaki.
" Fuck him . I knew that fucker drugged my food." Hiroki spat out as he sat up on his bed, The arm where his IV was inserted ached from the sudden action. "Why the hell did I need this?"
The thought of Nowaki leaving on extended days was possible. Whenever Nowaki left for days at a time, he drugged Hiroki into a deep sleep, keeping him in place. Hiroki should have known better. This happened more than enough times for him to know the signs.
Inspecting the IV bag, he realized it was a simple saline bag. A means to hydrate him. At least, the bits of drugged food Nowaki fed him and this solution kept him in good condition. He wasn't left to starve.
Sliding his legs over the side of the bed, Hiroki got up onto his feet. Holding onto the IV, his legs trembled from the weight, but he managed to stay up. Breathing through his nose, Hiroki slowly made his way to the threshold of his bedroom and listened for noise.
Slowing down his breathing, he was relieved to hear nothing.
There was no one in the cabin.
He was safe.
For the time being.
Gripping the IV stand, Hiroki wandered over to the restroom across from his room. With careful hands, he tended to his aching ass and realized the tears were miniscule. An immense relief for him. Nowaki had not harmed him much . Afterwards, he did his business, washed his hands, then walked out of the bathroom.
Dragging the IV bag along with him, Hiroki slowly made his way inside of the living room. He searched around and found no indication of Nowaki's presence. Everything was spotless.
Turning on the tv, Hiroki looked at the time and was surprised it was early in the morning. Clicking the channels, he settled on a channel which showed a newscast, which was surprising. Nowaki blocked most of the major news channels.
Waiting for the announcer to speak of the day, Hiroki was astonished to hear of the actual date.
Nine months had passed since Akihiko's birthday.
Nine months.
Fucking hell.
Hiroki blinked back tears as he listened to what he used to constitute as boring talk. Talking about weather, good and bad stories, Hiroki soaked everything he heard.
His hand clenched onto the sofa and the IV stand.
Hiroki listened to the whole broadcast. Ignoring the pains on his limbs, Hiroki felt tears dripping down his cheeks, sliding down his throat. His blurry eyes focused on the screen. Blinking rapidly, he released more tears.
Frustration leaked through his eyes.
Anguish trembled through his body.
The more he listened to the nonsensical news stories, the old feeling of annoyance over the news washed over him. Hiroki huffed through his nose.
Hiroki let out a chuckle. "Oh…I hate the news." Wiping the tears from his eyes, he muttered. "I needed this though...I can't keep holding onto these emotions. I might explode on him and then I'll be worse off."
"This is the perfect chance to really look around though." Hiroki turned around and looked toward the hallway. "But…I don't even know if he is on his way back. Fuck." He pinched his skin before he uttered. "I'm no fucking coward. I'm looking inside of that room."
Careful in taking slow steps down the hall, Hiroki kept a hand on the wall while the other gripped the I.V stand. The curiosity of Nowaki's room pushed him to risk his limited energy to figure out the interior. Even if nothing interesting resided in that room, he wanted to sate his imagination before he worked himself up.
Out of every room in the cabin, Nowaki never carried or guided him into that room. The door remained open. Tantalizing him into wanting to leave the living room and brave himself to inspect the area. Before his body regained some motor functions back, he didn't dare go in that room.
In the beginning, Hiroki made a note of the room. Keeping it as a place for him to inspect whenever Nowaki left. The bedroom might have something for him to use to escape, but the hope for an easy way to escape was low.
His weakness kept him from going there.
The risk of being found in Nowaki's room shot fear through him.
Nightmares of fainting in Nowaki's room and being woken up to his icy blue glare was nerve wracking. In other nightmares, Nowaki would interrupt him in his search and chain him to a smaller room.
Despite these fears, there was nothing left to lose.
He needed to look in this room.
Hiroki's knees buckled, but he managed to catch himself by grabbing the door. The bottom of the I.V stand screeched on the hardwood floor. Hiroki flinched from the noise and looked down to check on the damage. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw nothing different on the floor.
Giving the room a quick glance, Hiroki noted the bedroom didn't have much furniture. While his room had a bookcase, a nightstand, and a bed, Nowaki's room only had a bed. There were sliding doors possibly hiding a closet, but there was nothing else.
Strange.
Hiroki hesitantly stepped inside.
He pushed the door wide open. Looking to the left, the wall and the space around the bed was empty. When he turned to the right, he saw multiple scattered pictures of himself were plastered on the wall.
In a daze, Hiroki stumbled inside even further, wanting to see these photos even closer.
Staring at all of them, he recognized a majority of the places he frequented during his university days. There were instances of himself in the arms of a one night stand, the men's faces were scratched out from the photo. Other photos showed men who he tried giving his heart to, men who he thought abandoned him, blacked out with markers.
He tried not to assume Nowaki killed these men. After all, Nowaki appeared to hyperfocus on him. Only him. He must have gotten rid of these men through threats or assumptions about Hiroki.
His stomach plummeted at the sight of himself sleeping in bed. Checking that section of the collage, he lost count on the different photos of his sleeping face. Nowaki was in his apartment. He snapped photos of him without his knowledge.
His heart accelerated.
The ones which showed him in his new apartment made him want to run. Other than his job and his closest people, he gave no one his new address. He made sure to cover records of himself because of his instinct to escape his stalker. His old apartment didn't have a forwarding address for misdirected mail. He didn't care. He wanted to have peace of mind away from his stalker. One that he almost fooled himself into thinking was a figment of his imagination.
Nowaki stalked him for years .
This photo gallery was physical proof of Nowaki's obsession with him.
From the looks of the torn and ex'd out photos, Nowaki would go through with his threat in killing him if he so much as broke out of this act.
Scooting closer to the altar, he saw his missing red scarf folded under his old locket. He stopped himself from touching it. Moving anything in the altar would alert Nowaki that he built up enough strength to make it to the other end of the cabin.
Nowaki was in the false disbelief of Hiroki's fragile health. Hiroki made sure to appear weak, useless, almost boneless. With his bedroom being closer to the front door, his little walk to the front door was seen as extraordinary.
With this discovery, Hiroki was enthused to hurry up. Time was of the essence. There had to be a way out of this place.
He needed to escape.
Fast .
Hiroki checked around his room for cracks in the walls.
He dragged his I.V while crouching and bending his body in different positions. The ache from the needle digging into his skin made Hiroki slowly remove the IV from his arm. There was no need for it. The bag was almost empty, but he kept it inside for the extra fluids. Keeping this IV inside of his vein did nothing more than hinder him in his search.
Pushing the IV stand to the side, he began bending in various poses to check around his bedroom. The surrounding area of the bed was intact. There was nothing for him to break into or to use. The flooring was old, weathered out, but there was nothing to indicate there were cracks. Scrambling back up, he inspected every corner, the walls, even the ceiling.
There was nothing.
Annoyed, he peeked behind the bookcase and was thrilled to note a significant crack on the floor.
Sighing, Hiroki began pushing the bookcase with his weak arms. Grunting in frustration, he moved the bookcase an inch at a time. His old strength made it possible for him to move his well stocked bookcase without breaking a sweat. Now, his weak bones made it impossible for him to clench his fist without his hand beginning to shake.
After several long minutes, Hiroki managed to move the bookcase. Just enough for Hiroki to fit through. He got on his knees, searching around the floor for anything to use to break the wood. He almost damned Nowaki for his incessant need to deep clean everything in sight when he saw a single nail in the lowest shelf of the bookcase.
Hiroki grabbed the nail from the floor and chipped at the crack on the floor.
He kept going despite the cramping of his hands. Desperation fueled him to make an indentation of the weakening wooden flooring. Even if the hole he managed to make was small, he would force himself through. His body shape wasn't as bulky and filled out as before.
Days passed and Hiroki saw no difference in digging the nail into the areas surrounding the hole in the floor.
There was a basketball sized hole, but without his original strength, Hiroki couldn't do anything else. The added anxiety of Nowaki returning at any given moment made
After all the effort, Hiroki gained a draft inside of his bedroom, but nothing else. Frustrated, Hiroki threw the nail against the wall and watched it fall through the hole in the wall. He kicked the bookcase back into place before Nowaki entered the cabin ten minutes later.
For the first time in days, Hiroki saw Nowaki and was taken aback. Nowaki appeared dead on his feet, lacking the looming aura he used to push Hiroki into submission. Nowaki dropped his usual work bag onto the floor, kicking off his shoes to the side, and wandered inside.
Hiroki stood a distance away, watching his every move.
Nowaki's eyes were half mast, but he appeared distracted. Almost as if he could barely remain awake. Hiroki suspected the man was dragged into extended clinical rotations. He heard stories from old acquaintances who went into medicine. The hours of hospital rotations were not for the weak of heart.
At the sight of him, Nowaki's spirit seemed to lift. Nowaki pushed himself forward and grasped onto Hiroki's hands. Hiroki remained frozen in place, waiting for him to do his usual kissing routine. Then, Nowaki would walk away from him to shower and return to do another skinship act. Hiroki was used to this after work treatment. He could disassociate throughout the event and not show his displeasure.
Instead, Nowaki released his hands, giving Hiroki some reprieve. He thought Nowaki would leave for a shower, but he remained in front of him. Nowaki dug into his pockets and removed a velvet box. He opened it to reveal a golden ring with a stone in the middle.
Hiroki's stomach plummeted.
"Will you marry me?" Nowaki gripped Hiroki's hand, unknowingly digging his fingers into his skin.
Flinching, Hiroki attempted to remove Nowaki's fingers, uttering out. "You're hurting me, let go…"
"Hiro-san, will you marry me?" Nowaki repeated again, emphasizing the last bit of his question.
This wasn't a question; this was a demand.
Hiroki knew better than to talk back. This was not the time for him to make a witty remark.
Nowaki's gaze was maddening. His blue eyes were bloodshot, with dark bags underneath them. His breath smelled atrocious. There was a lingering smell of antiseptic. The type used in hospitals, clinging onto Nowaki's clothing.
As much as Hiroki wanted to say no, there was nothing else he could say.
"I do."
Nowaki's half dead state lessened at the sound of his acceptance.
Hiroki tolerated his slobbering kiss and the ring placed on his ring finger.
TBC
