It was early February that Akira found himself dodging pedestrians and running through the city as if the hounds of hell were on his feet. It would've been more apt to say that a hail of swords were on his heels instead as Futsunushi urged him to run faster, to be ready of what was to come. Akira had bolted out of the house the moment he'd felt Zaou-Gongen and Vishnu cry out in pain, a signal that the Velvet Room had been compromised. He'd been expecting it, had been ready but the pain of having his bond to Igor dulled and the bond with Lavenza severed, split into Justine and Caroline still hurt.
It was as he was running to Shibuya that Akira felt Zaou-Gongen and Vishnu make way as Futsunushi lurched to the forefront of his mind and took over like how Ongyo-Ki had two years ago, affecting Akira within the real world. He could feel the bud of hope that would soon bloom into the Magician's Arcana deep in the bowels of Mementos, even far above in the real world he could feel the Velvet Room as it was shackled within the Prison of Regression.
It was within the span of ten minutes that Akira found himself donned in his black metaverse costume with his hair slicked back; a small change compared to his usual frizzy-hair in the case that he encountered Goro within the Metaverse. As he entered Mementos; he'd realised he'd actually forgotten to bring Paradise Lost and Tyrant Pistol along with him in his rush, but it hadn't mattered as they still appeared on his person.
A familiar honking noise welled from its depths as a familiar small blue car came into view. Well, it was more accurate to say that the tower of items held down on the back came into view first. "Big Bro! All of the lower floors have closed!" Jose parked in front of him and quickly scrambled out, "There was a big rumbling noise before walls started popping up in the lower areas!"
Akira crouched down to Jose's height and places a hand on his egg-shell head to calm him down. "Calm, Jose… are you okay?" Akira looked over the grey moon and star-clad child.
Jose nodded. "Mhmm! My car managed to get me out but I don't think I can go back down. All of the doors won't open for me."
"Okay, I'll go down and check it out then," Akira exhaled in relief before standing. He was quickly stopped, however, as Jose climbed back into his vehicle. "What are you doing?" Akira asked as Jose drove up alongside him.
"I'm coming with you of course!" Jose chirped. "This is an excellent opportunity to see what could cause a complete shutdown of the collective unconscious of humans. It may increase and assist in my research. Do not worry, I can defend myself."
Akira wasn't worried about that. He'd seen Jose toss around bombs with the strength of Megidolaoans and run over shadows underfoot with his car. He was more worried that he was genuinely considering having Jose, who was by all accounts a child accompany him. Unfortunately, his better judgement failed to win out.
"Okay then, let's see if you can keep up," Akira grinned as he broke into a dead-sprint, Futsunushi's influence over him increasing within the Metaverse compared to how it had been in the real world. Akira blurred through the path of Qimranut, Jose keeping pace the whole way down till they reached the second floor, a familiar well with red etchings barring their path.
"See? These things started popping up… it's making gathering flowers difficult…" Jose said as the two approached.
Akira stared at it for a moment, eventually placing a hand on the etched wall that blocked the way further downwards. A familiar heat emanated from his chest as the world shifted; the door beneath his hands rumbling as it slid out of place and into non-existence.
Akira smirked as he made stepped forward but stopped at the lack of an engine following him. He looked back to see Jose out of his car looking around in befuddlement.
"Jose?"
No response.
He took a few steps towards him before Jose recoiled in surprise.
"Ah!" Jose let out, yellow eyes widening. "You just vanished through the wall big bro!"
Akira rose a brow and looked at the empty opening behind him. Raising a hand and pushing it through the opening, he couldn't say he felt anything there. "It doesn't feel like there's a wall to me?" he uttered and looked back at Jose only to find him looking at his outstretched arm in amazement.
Jose moved forward but stopped just a couple inches before the edge of his wrist. Akira watched as he tried to move forward but failed to do so.
"Hmm…" Jose looked downcast as he still tried to move forward but only made to seem as if he was pushing at an invisible wall. "Nope… the wall's still here for me… how are you doing that?" Jose asked as he looked at the red-etched wall that Akira's outstretched arm seemed to sink into without any rhyme-or-reason.
Akira didn't know how to respond, instead, he knelt down and gently grabbed Jose's hand and pressed it forward. It stopped mid-air not moving an inch forward and Akira could see as the palm of Jose's metal hands flattened perfectly against an invisible surface. Grabbing a hand of his own and pushing forward, Akira was met with a lack of resistance on his part, able to move past whatever was preventing Jose from proceeding.
Akira could hazard a guess as to exactly how he was moving forward. He could feel as his own body shifted between realities; this one and the one within his pendant. He could feel as he was pulled between a Mementos that's depths he'd opened and one he hadn't and most likely only he could feel it, judging by Jose's lack of ability to proceed the effect most probable not extending further than Akira's own body.
It was something he'd noticed when he'd first arrived; he'd always had a connection to Mementos wherever he was and he knew it had something to do with the reality hanging from his chest. When he'd first entered the Mementos of this world his pendant had blurred the division between this reality and his own allowing him to slip through where the line blurred.
In the real world, he'd been able to feel his own Persona; something he'd never been able to do before and they were able to influence his body to a certain degree. Enhancing his physical abilities, making him faster and stronger, endurable as they prevented a knife from slitting his throat when he'd threatened Tsuda all the months ago.
The pendant Igor had forged Akira knew to be more than it let on; the biggest reminder of this fact being Wakaba Isshiki and the cognition of her that had been the one to die as opposed to the real one. Just as the pendant could blur the reality between the worlds; it allowed a cognitive memory of Wakaba Isshiki from his own reality to take the place of the real Wakaba.
His pendant was able to blur the line between his Mementos and this one. The line between his reality and this one weakening within him; his reality having once been fused with Mementos allowed him to access his Persona to a certain degree in the real world. The history of his own world was able to affect what happened here. It was how Wakaba had survived; a fragment of his own reality falling between that blurred line and that fragment repeated the death of Wakaba from his world at the same time the Wakaba of this world was meant to die. The only thing was that Akira wasn't entirely sure behind the how of any of the inner workings of the pendant, the only one able to truly explain to him currently imprisoned by Yaldabaoth.
He wasn't one to turn a gift away but the way an item forged from his reality was able to so heavily affect an outside reality gave Akira straying thoughts at times.
Shaking his head Akira looked at Jose. "I'll go on ahead. I need to take care of somethings down there. Will you be okay with staying up here?" Akira looked Jose in the eyes.
Jose nodded slightly downcast but nodded nonetheless as he wasn't able to get past the wall. "Okay… but make sure to get me flowers for my studies."
Akira chuckled. "I'll make sure to get you some flowers," he nodded as he stood back up and walked down the escalators leading down to the Path of Aiyatsbus. The emanating heat from his pendant eased as he passed through the wall.
Aeon Arcana – Rank 3!
Akira's knew from past experience that there were sixty-five more floors till he reached the Path of Iweleth and subsequently the Prison of Regression. He'd once tried to proceed past the Path of Iweleth a year ago but the entrance failed to open for him at the time.
He had a hunch it wouldn't this time.
With Futsunishi aiding him to an even greater degree than in reality; Akira blitzed past the shadows that roamed the depths of Mementos. At the end of the Path of Aiyatsbus once more he felt a heat emanate from his chest as he watched the wall in front of him disappear. Any further thoughts of pondering the why behind him being able to proceed were swiftly discarded as Futsunushi lurched into existence behind him.
It could feel Morgana below as he almost finished forming; the dregs of human hope almost being forged as Igor's last-ditch effort. Abruptly the tiles beneath Akira's feet shattered as he disappeared in a burst of speed. In a matter of minutes, he'd blasted past the eight floors of Chemdah, the ten floors of Kaitul, twelve floors of Akseriyyuth, thirteen floors of Adyesach, and the fourteen floors of Sheriruth before he found himself before the door of Iweleth.
He walked up to the door; placing his hand against it he felt his chest heat up but rather than an uncomfortable warmth it felt like lava flowed through his veins; akin to when the fragment of his realities Wakaba fell into the real world, replaying her death. Even with lava flowing through his veins and his own body wracked in pain he lifted his hand and pressed it against Iweleth. The door rumbled as the giant slabs of etched concrete rose, allowing Akira passage into its depths. Rather than fading the heat within his veins intensified as he sprinted through the depths of Mementos.
It was soon that Akira found himself deep within the Prison of Regression before the Quarantine Cell housing the true Velvet Room. Futsunushi disappeared back into his mask as they could both feel something fighting its way through the Quarantine Cell and into the prison.
Akira could barely stop the grin that tugged at his face as a red-and-black pool bulged from the ground before exploding revealing Morgana. The familiar yellow of a velvet room's resident faded from Morgana's eyes to a velvet blue. With Morgana looking around with an almost confused franticness, it pained Akira to do this as he placed his hand over Morgana's rotund head pressing his thumb against his forehead.
"Dormina."
It was Morgana's duty to guide the Trickster to avert ruin and Akira was no longer the Trickster. That title belonged to someone else in this reality. It was Akira's duty to ensure Morgana was delivered to the Trickster by any means necessary. Morgana was out like a light, Akira catching his small prone form before he could collapse against the floor. Akira's heart welled as he took in Morgana's breathing form, tears of joy threatening to fall even as his veins continued to course with lava.
"Who's there?!" a voice yelled, the shadow guards of the depths finally having noticed that there was someone outside of their cells. "An intruder?!"
Akira stood up as Futsunushi manifested within the depths, Morgana cradled within his arms as the god of swords hovered imperiously behind him. Identical swords floated in the air as the shadows erupted into corrupted versions of Fuu-ki, Sui-Ki and Kin-Ki. Akira wasn't going to take any chances when it came to ensuring Morgana's safety.
Akira didn't look up as he ordered Futsunushi.
"Charge. Myriad Slashes."
The corrupted forms of the predecessors to Ongyo-Ki's fusion fell dead in the face of the ultimate persona of the magician arcana. Swords glowed an ominous red before flashing forward, once, twice, then thrice before returning to their wielder. Less than five seconds had passed before the battle ended.
Ensuring that Morgana was cradled safely, Akira began making his way out of the depths of Mementos swiftly, Futsunushi enhancing his base agility as he once more ascended through the sixty-seven floors of Mementos, arriving at the entrance.
He crouched down as he laid Morgana's sleeping form against a pillar, but he couldn't just leave Morgana like this. Two weapons formed in his hands, a scimitar with a golden handle and a slingshot made of a similar metal. The Sword of Liangshan and the Liangyang, they weren't the strongest of weapons but they would allow Morgana to protect himself.
As much as he wanted to leave Claiomh Solais and Sudarshana in Morgana's possession, it would likely raise questions but also hinder his growth something Akira didn't want if he was to face the Holy Grail in the future.
Raising a hand to Morgana's head and placing a thumb on his forehead once more, Akira whispered.
"Patra."
Morgana stirred beneath his hand, blue eyes looking at directly at Akira.
"Makajama."
The blue of Morgana's eyes dulled as his memory was wiped, just as it had once been in Akira's reality. One day, when he returned to the Velvet Room those memories would be restored. One more time, Akira used his power on Morgana.
"Marin Karin…"
"You have been tasked with finding the Trickster, prevent the coming Ruin. This is your duty…" Akira whispered as he left a deep-seated compulsion to fulfil those orders within the depths of Morgana's mind.
Morgana had only ever been given a feeling to find the Trickster which all occurred by happenstance. This time, Akira would make sure that Morgana knew what to do. Removing his hand, he ducked behind a pillar as the moments before Morgana would act upon those orders would occur.
Watching silently, he looked on as Morgana shook his head, picked up his weapons and trotted out of Mementos with a confused look on his face, soon to travel from Palace to Palace in search of the Trickster. The moment Akira had seen him leave he sunk against the pillar, the lava flowing within his veins disappearing as the pendant's glow died down.
The game had begun and it was his duty to rig the game in the favour of the Trickster.
Shaking his head and getting up he left Mementos, a warm heat pervaded his body as reality blurred, the line between worlds thinning before he was once more in front of Shibuya station.
Akira was waiting at a traffic light, the pedestrian light red as cars passed by in front of him. Headphones on and listening to some soothing piano music, Akira fingered the pendant around his neck, its familiar coldness relaxing.
It was around late afternoon when Akira found himself in Shibuya, deciding to make his way home and get ready for dinner he began his trek back to the house he and Goro shared. Mementos always left large fatigue on both the body and mind.
He was therefore slightly irritated as he was roughly pushed to the side not once but twice; his grasp on the pendant falling loose but still staying attached to the cord around his neck. He noticed someone run ahead of him.
He looked up and saw the pedestrian light was still red.
His brow furrowed.
In his peripheral vision, he could see an oncoming truck barrel down the road at high speeds. The headphones around his ears slipped onto his neck as he rushed forward, grabbing the second girl that had pushed him aside, the other having been pushed out of harm's way.
Akira's next moment was that of bright lights, pain and ambulances.
He was marginally glad that Futsunushi had resistance to physical attacks, because judging from the many shattered ribs he could feel, that truck should have killed him. He was gladder that Paradise Lost and Tyrant Pistol hadn't returned with him from Mementos.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he pushed himself into a seated position with a groan, his ribs shifting uncomfortably, well painfully actually, as he moved. Akira was decidedly uncomfortable when someone began shining a light in his eye. Shaking them off with irritation, he looked at whoever it was, his eyesight blurry only to be seized by the arms, dragged up gently and placed on a stretcher. Judging by the blue uniform and the bright flashing lights, they were most likely paramedics.
"Holy shit, they're alive!" he heard one of them remark before he passed out, the toll of a whole days' worth of Mementos then being hit by a truck becoming noticeable. Strangely he was also pretty sure he'd heard someone sobbing.
It was close to seven in the evening as Goro burst through the entrance to the Shibuya Private Hospital and with ill-concealed haste made his way to the receptionist's desk. The receptionist had barely looked up before he'd asked for Akira's location. "I'm looking for an Akira Kurusu, I received a call an hour ago asking to come in," Goro blew out as his index finger tapped in agitation.
The receptionist looked at him for a moment before typing into her computer. "I'm going to assume you aren't family. Are you his guardian?" she looked at Goro.
Goro froze.
"Yes, I'm his guardian," Goro nodded quickly. That seemed to please the receptionist as she pulled out her drawer and withdrew a lanyard with the words 'VISITOR' splayed across it. She handed it to him along with a sheet of paper, "I'll need you to fill out that form and return it to me before you leave. Kurusu-san's room is Room 5-A in the Intensive Care Unit ward."
Goro snatched the lanyard and sheet, taking nary a moment to place the lanyard around his neck before dashing off in the direction of the Intensive Care Unit ward. It took a few minutes before he found it, slipping through the open door he found Akira laying on a bed, an IV and heart monitor attached to his arm and strapped to his finger respectively. Beneath the hospital clothes they'd garbed him in Goro could see his chest and most likely below had been wrapped in large swathes of compression gauze.
Grasping the edge of the hospital bed, Goro found himself breathing heavily, wanting to make sure that Akira was okay but didn't know whether he could touch him.
"Would you be Goro Akechi?" a voice asked causing him to whirl around in surprise, not having noticed that the room he'd entered was a shared room.
A doctor with a stethoscope hung around his neck walked up to him. "I'm Doctor Hisegawa, the one in charge of Kurusu-san and Yoshizawa-san," he greeted politely while extending a hand. Goro extended his own glove-clad hand as his eyes took in the other patient in the room. Yoshizawa sounded familiar
She looked familiar with red hair, pale skin, and a beauty mark beneath her left eye, the colour of which he was unable to discern with her eyes being closed. She was similarly wrapped with gauze, a small amount wrapped around her head where dried blood was absorbed and an IV and heart monitor attached to her with the addition of a respirator; small puffs of air fogging the machine as she took in shallow but constant breaths. The four of them weren't the only in the room Goro noticed; a young girl and an older male by the red-headed girl's bedside.
The girl had a similar shade of red to the patient but as opposed to how the patients' were in a ponytail; hers was more akin to a waterfall that fell straight down. She also lacked the beauty mark under the left of her eye but wore a pair of spectacles instead. Looking over to the male Goro found himself surprised that he'd actually recognised him.
"Director Yoshizawa?" Goro muttered, the familiar face of Shinichi Yoshizawa, director of one of the news outlets he'd been to many times, surprising to find in the same room as him.
The man looked up, brows raising in surprise as brown met Goro's red. "Akechi-san?" he muttered while the one who Goro had quickly come to realise as his daughter Sumire looked up. Then that meant that the girl on the hospital bed was…
Kasumi Yoshizawa.
"Ahem…" the doctor who's hand he was still grasping coughed awkwardly causing Goro to let go as if his hand had been burned. "Thank you," the doctor thanked before turning so that both Goro and the Yoshizawa's were in his field of vision, "Now that the both of you are here I can you the assessment of both Kurusu-san and Yoshizawa-san."
Goro inclined his head. "Why the both of them together? Is there a link between the two?" he asked, frayed nerves forcing him to keep himself talking.
The doctor gave him a strange look before a gleam of understanding dawned in his orbs. "Kurusu-san and Yoshizawa-san were both injured within the same vehicle accident; given that they shared a similarity of injuries, for the most part, I decided it was best to hold off until someone arrived for Kurusu-san," Doctor Hisegawa explained.
"Now I have both good news and bad news," the doctor said as he walked over to the wall between Akira's and Yoshizawa's beds, plucking a clipboard from the wall. "I'm not going to sugar-coat it, both of them should be dead. The speed at which they were both struck should have rendered the two of them dead on impact; it's quite frankly a miracle that they two are alive. Rest assured, however, that the two of them should make a full recovery given time."
Director Yoshizawa seemed to sag in relief, while Sumire Yoshizawa sobbed. Goro was just relieved to hear Akira would be okay.
"That was the good news. Now onto the bad news," Doctor Hisegawa exhaled tiredly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yoshizawa-san is currently within a minor coma, likely shock-induced. She also has a minor amount of broken bones mostly centred around her ribs while we found hairlines fractures around her temple, the shock from the injury causing her to fall into the coma. We've also found several broken ligaments and fractures around her lower body, her knees and lower legs containing the majority."
Director Yoshizawa had a sharp intake of breath. "H-How long will she be asleep for?" he asked hesitantly, putting everything else aside for the moment.
Fortunately, Doctor Hisegawa gave him and Sumire a smile, "We've projected that it shouldn't be any longer than a month, a month and a half given extenuating circumstances. Of course, this is excluding any therapy required for her to gain her mobility and to ensure that all of her injuries are healed."
Yoshizawa-san sagged in relief as he held Sumire tight to him, a tear of joy falling from his cheeks. The news that she'd only be in a coma for such a short period of time was a relief to hear compared to finding it could have been permanent or worse that she was dead. Sumire's sobbing had died down into a quiet silence. "Thank you, Hisegawa-san," Shinichi thanked Doctor Hisegawa who only nodded before turning to Goro.
Goro stood up straighter.
"Kurusu-san while not falling into a coma sustained the majority of the injuries between the two," Hisegawa sighed as he moved over to a lightbox on the wall and placed an X-Ray scan on it.
"We had to do a shallow X-ray so we knew what we were dealing with. If you look here…" he said pointing towards the torso shown in the X-ray, and just from a glance you could see the broken fragments of bone and cracks along the right side of the ribcage. "The body of Kurusu-san's sternum has hairline fractures running through the whole length of it while the numbers one through to ten of his ribs alongside the right-side are in differing states of either hairline fractures, broken, or outright shattered."
The doctor took down the X-Ray and turned off the lightbox. "We assume this was the side Kurusu-san was struck, it's nothing short of a miracle that his whole right side wasn't shattered and caved-in from taking most of the impact; much less piercing through his lungs and several vital organs," Doctor Hisegawa said professionally but turned to Shinichi with a look. "Truthfully, if Kurusu-san hadn't taken most of the impact we don't believe that Yoshizawa-san would have survived the impact. It's thanks to him that Yoshizawa-san is still alive."
Shinichi nodded, sending a grateful look towards both Akira and Goro.
A wet shuddering cough pierced the silence.
"W-way to make everything sound depressing Doc," a wheezy voice spoke immediately after, Goro's head shooting over to Akira as he slowly struggled to get up. He rushed over, about to place a hand on his chest to push him down before recalling his injuries.
"You need to lay down, Kurusu-san," Hisegawa placed his hands on Akira's shoulders and gently pushed him back down being careful to avoid placing too much pressure on the teen. Grabbing a flashlight from his coat pocket he flashed it in one eye then the other, Akira flinching slightly from the sudden bright light. "Your pupils seem to be working fine, can you look up for me? Recite the alphabet?"
Akira did so.
"Well, no signs of concussion and your mental faculties seem to be sound," Doctor Hisegawa leaned back and scratched the back of his head looking down at Akira in amazement. "Sorry for my language but kid you're a bloody medical miracle. We dosed you with enough painkillers to keep you out for the next week, you shouldn't be able to even speak straight."
Akira snorted but stopped abruptly as he clutched lightly at his chest and wheezed. "I'm seeing l-little dancing demon snowmen and metal angels looking down at m-me grumpily so I'd say those painkillers are still working. Considering I can't feel anything below my chest that's saying something," he joked with a stutter but the last of his sentence causing Hisegawa's brows to furrow.
Pulling down the sheets, revealing his legs, Hisegawa took out his flashlight and flipped it placing the metal end on Akira's legs. "Let me know if you feel anything," he said as he ran the end of his flashlight down the length of Akira's right leg.
"I can feel it but it feels like my legs covered in a layer of foam," Akira said, this time without wheezing but judging from his slightly heavy breath his injuries still had an effect on him. The doctor did the same for his other leg getting the same response.
"You had me worried for a second. I'd thought maybe your T-11 or T-12 discs had slipped out," Hisegawa shook his head in relief. "I think that's just the painkillers numbing agent. You weren't supposed to actually be awake so it shouldn't be too surprising if you can't really feel anything for the next couple of days."
Doctor Hisegawa turned to the three visitors. "That's all in-terms of injuries so I'll take my leave for now. If you need anything just press the help button and it'll notify my pager. Just a reminder that visiting hours end at nine," he said as he bowed before walking out of the door closing it behind him.
Goro looked down at Akira who just gave him a shaky smile. Goro's eyes narrowed. The sound of chairs shuffling and feet moving cause both Akira and Goro to look up and find the two conscious Yoshizawa's before Akira's bed.
"Kurusu-san, I wish to thank you for saving my daughters," Shinichi Yoshizawa bowed lowly while Sumire did the same.
Goro didn't think he'd ever head Akira speechless. Turning around he saw Akira had actually passed out, the painkillers knocking him back out.
"Ah… it seems we may have shocked him," Shinichi chuckled lowly unperturbed that his daughter's saviour had fallen back asleep. Shinichi then turned to Goro.
"Akechi-kun, it's good to see you again," Shinichi extended a hand to which Goro shook. Off to the side, Sumire was looking down at both Akira and Kasumi. "If I may be intrusive, might I ask how you know this young man?" Shinichi asked, a glance at the three showing who he was talking about. Given the topic of the previous conversation, it wasn't all too terribly hard to decipher the pronoun game.
"We actually live together, I'm his guardian," Goro replied as he looked at Akira's sleeping form. "I got a call at six while I was at the precinct saying he'd been in an accident. I rushed here as soon as I could."
Shinichi rose a brow. "Oh, you take care of him? I wasn't aware that you could become a guardian at a young age."
Goro realised he'd slipped up. He wasn't Akira's guardian, he didn't actually have one. "Well more like he takes care of me. Truthfully we're housemates, we've lived together for two years now; at this point, I'm basically his guardian," Goro mixed truths with lies through gritted teeth.
"It's not my place to pry. The young man did save my daughter, after all, it would be rude of me to pry into either of your lives," Shinichi's brow still rose but eventually shook his head. "I-I just want to thank the both of you."
Goro looked at him in surprise.
"Kurusu-san for saving my daughters and you for being here for Kurusu-san," Shinichi explained. "I understand that you've been quiet about your private life whenever you come to the station, but it doesn't take much for a father like me to see when a child is an orphan. If you ever need my assistance; know that I'm always happy to lend my help."
Shinichi surprised Goro even further by bowing at his waist, towards him.
"T-Thank you, Director Yoshizawa," Goro sputtered but was cut off as Shinichi looked at him.
"Please after what Kurusu-san and you have done for me and my family, call me Shinichi," Shinichi requested.
"Sh-Shinichi-san…" Goro stumbled over his words, the end result causing Shinichi to smile.
"As much as I would like to stay and thank Kurusu-san when he wakes up, I think it's best if Sumire and I leave for now to gather some things for Kasumi. Also, to give you and Kurusu-san some privacy," Shinichi said as he straightened himself.
"Sumire?" he called out.
Sumire lingered by Akira's bed for a moment longer than she lingered at Kasumi's before she followed her father out of the door, eyes trained on the floor. Goro watched the door close before he sank, sitting at the foot of Akira's bed.
"You seem happy," Akira's wheezy voice entered Goro's ears causing him to look at the teen who was now suddenly awake.
"You can't take a thank you," Goro retorted causing Akira to nod his head conceding. "They're really thankful, you know?"
"I know… I…" Akira said as he laid his head against the pillow supplied to him by the hospital. "How do you accept thanks for something that happened by accident?"
"By saying 'you're welcome' …"
Akira stayed silent for a moment. "Heh… maybe you're right…"
The two sat in silence.
A loud gurgle broke that silence, Goro looking at Akira in amusement as his face fell flush. "I haven't eaten since breakfast, okay?!" A deep chuckle left Goro's chest as he got up and gently pat Akira's leg careful not to place too much pressure on it.
"I'll go get us some food, do you want anything?"
"Can I get some pudding?"
"Something that you won't choke on, I don't know how much or what you can actually eat right now," Goro denied with a shake of his head.
Akira pouted. "Can I have some ramen soup or something? Or even just miso soup?"
Goro nodded, closing the door behind him as he made his way to the hospital cafeteria. When he returned with a tray in hand Akira was once again asleep. He stayed there for a few minutes longer; eating through the cheap sushi he had bought and leaving the container of miso soup on Akira's side table before he left to go home and pack some stuff for him.