Author thingy : i still lack on description... well i'm not a descriptive person, i'm an imaginative person... *chuckles awkwardly*
Inaba Municipal Hospital | Afternoon | Year 2012
"He is just exhausted."a 40-year-old male doctor says to both Yu and the woman who came together with him bringing the child who is now resting peacefully on a hospital bed. "A few hours rest will be enough."the male doctor with a stethoscope hanging on his chest continues as he veers his eyes to the small sleeping child on his left.
"What about his stomach? He said it hurts."the woman adds still in a worried tone.
"It seems there was some pressure on his stomach, but the organs are fine. The abdominal muscles were just contracting heavyly. But it is alright now."explains the doctor.
"I-I see. Thank you doctor."after bowing her head, she runs to the right side of the bed, patting the child's hair slowly.
"Are both of you his family, or relatives?"
"No, we-"Yu is about to explain how and why they brought the child there when the woman suddenly gasps.
"H-he's awake!"the woman says. The doctor quickly turns his attention to the child and walks to the bedside across the woman. Yu is standing at the bottom side of the bed, holding the cold iron handle as he sees the child slowly opening his eyes.
"Ngghh... D-daddy..."the child mumbles. The first he sees when his vision is getting clearer is the doctor's face that's hovering over him.
"...Are you alright?"the woman asks softly while keeping her hands on his head. The doctor puts his stethoscope on both his ears and checks the child's breathing. The woman and Yu stay silent until the doctor pulls his stethoscope away from the child's chest and hang it over his chest again.
"His breathing is normal. But still needs some rest.". The child looks around as he met with the woman's eyes. She smiles saying 'are you okay' and some comforting words as a mother would do to her child. Yu finds the woman's worry about the child is...overwhelming, since they just met him around an hour ago.
"Daddy!"the child shouts as his eyes found Yu who is standing right in front of him. He makes an effort of sitting up, reaching his right hand towards Yu as if trying to grasp. The doctor spontaneously holds the child to calm him down, but his effort is not going as he expected, the child tries to jump off the doctor's hands and throws him away. "D-daddy!". The doctor looks to Yu and the woman, demanding some explanation on why the child is claiming Yu to be his father while Yu seems too young to be one. Getting the doctor's signal, the woman voices.
"Um, doctor, actually, the thing is-"
"Daddy! Mommy!"the child apart from shouting, is now crying and moving more vigorous. Watching the child, Yu can't help but feeling sorry for the child, then he slowly walks beside the woman. The child doesn't waste any more breath. The second Yu is within his range, he practically jumps off the bed and the doctor's hold to hug Yu, crying, feeling a little relief.
"Daddy...". The woman steps back to give Yu more space. She admits this may be the best idea to calm the child down as she sees Yu sits on the edge of the bed and returning the child's hug, to comfort him. The child's cry is calming down a bit. The woman sighs. The doctor shifts his shirt, also sighing.
"So,"the doctor starts, getting Yu and the woman's attention. They know what the doctor is going to say afterward. The woman makes the initiative on explaining.
Dojima Residence
Nanako is putting the groceries she and Yu bought from JUNES on the fridge. She sorts them one by one, which goes to freezer, which goes on pockets.
"Ah,"Nanako stops. "Big Bro is still carrying his bag."she mutters to herself. "He should've left it to me to bring it home."Nanako continues putting the groceries. The last is some celeries to be put inside the free case at the bottom part of the fridge. "But maybe it's too heavy."she then closes the fridge. Nanako is going back to her room when she heard a familiar vehicle sound outside the house. "It's dad!"Nanako runs outside. Right enough, a car is entering the house garage. On the driver seat is a man wearing a long-sleeved grey shirt. When the car is parked nicely, the man lets go of his seatbelt and gets off the car carrying a bag. He walks around to the other side of the car where Nanako is eagerly waiting.
"I'm home, Nanako."the man says putting a smile to his tired face.
"Welcome home, dad!"Nanako answers happily, and offers to carry the bag her father is carrying.
"Thank you."her father says. Both then enters the house. Just before the man slides close the door behind him, he feels his phone vibrates in his pocket. "Ugh, I just got home, and another phone call..."the man sighs.
"Dad, I'll put the bag in your room, okay?"Nanako asks.
"Huh? Oh, yeah."the man says nodding. Nanako walks away to the man's room. He picks out his cell phone while throwing his shoes randomly, doesn't even care for the moment to put them in order. Without looking the caller's identity on the screen, he flips his phone open and brings it on his ear. "Dojima here."the man says in a very tired voice.
Nanako puts down the bag Dojima was bringing on the floor next to a folded futon. She takes a glance at the work table on the right. A photoframe is standing on the right edge of the table. She smiles while looking at the picture of her, Dojima, and a woman who seems to be her mother, the three of them smiling. "Mom..."she mumbles while stroking the wood frame softly.
"Nanako.". She hears her father calling. She lets go of the frame and walks out of her father's room.
"Yes, dad?"
"Where's Yu? Didn't he come today?"Dojima says loosening his tie and takes a seat on a wood dining chair in front of the kitchen counter.
"Um, Big Bro is in the hospital."
"Why? Did something happen?"he puts himself in alert when he heard Nanako says that.
"Big Bro and I were on the way home from Yukiko nee-chan's house, and then there was a child crying on the road. He seemed hurt, so Big Bro and a woman took him to the hospital."
"Hmh. Was it on the shopping district?"
"Y-yeah, how do you know, dad?"
"So that's what the crowd was about."Dojima mumbles to himself, looking at the floor, rubbing his temple. "And the one running was Yu then."he looks up and meet with Nanako's anticipating eyes. "Oh,"he louds his voice for Nanako to hear. "I was passing by the roads to the office when I saw the crowd, and two people running from there, one carrying a child."
"That's Big Bro.". Just when Dojima stands up sighing, the house phone rings. Both look at the table with a phone on it. Nanako walks toward it and picks it up.
"Hello?"
"{Oh, Nanako-chan? Is Big Bro home?}"
"Chie nee-chan. No, Big Bro's not home yet."
"{Huh? Where is he? I called his cell but he didn't answer.}"
"He is in the hospital."
"{What? What happened?}".
JUNES Foodcourt
"What happened?"Chie says while on the phone. The sun is starting to set on the west, a hot dusk moment is filling the open-air foodcourt. She, Yosuke, Kanji, and Rise are sitting on a circular aluminium table they once called 'Special Headquarters'. Hearing Chie lets out a 'what happen' and a worried face, they look at each other, worried as well. "{Big Bro is bringing a child to the hospital.}"says Nanako from the other side of the phone.
"Eh?"Chie glances at the others.
"{When we were on our way home, there's a child on the road, and Big Bro brings him to the hospital because he looked sick.}"
"He's by himself?"
"{Uh huh. He told me to go home ahead.}"
"Alright, we'll catch up on him. Nanako-chan, wait home, okay?"
"{Uhm.}". Chie then clicks end the phone call and turns to them.
"Hospital? What's wrong?"finally asks Rise as she has been restless upon hearing Chie's conversation.
"Yu-kun is bringing a sick child to the hospital. Maybe that's why he wasn't answering his phone."
"What? Why would he?"Yosuke says.
"I dunno. Nanako said they found a child on the road, and he looked sick, so,"
"Senpai FOUND a child...?"Rise says confused. "Oh, a missing child, maybe?"she says getting a little concerned.
"That Yu,"Yosuke sighs, tapping his palm on his forehead. "He just got here and already dragged himself into the hospital. Hospital, of all places.". Chie and Rise both sigh in agreement.
"So, are we going?"Kanji asks, starting to stand up, placing both his palms on the table. His chair is pushed on reaction of him standing. "I bet he's going to need our help."
"Yeah,"Chie answers, standing up from her seat. "Let's go.". They all stand up and walk towards the elevator. The elevator dings when the group just stand in front of the door signaling it just arrived. The door opens and comes out a housewife. They walk inside the empty elevator and Yosuke presses the 'G' button. No one starts any conversation, when they are usually loud on some silly matters. Yosuke takes a deep breath. He feels...uneasy for some reason. It occurs that not only Yosuke who is feeling that way. The other three, whilst don't want to admit or avoiding any unnecessary thought to be said aloud, stay silent. But because of some kind of bold and solid connection that has formed among them all leads to Yosuke turns his head to his left, taking glances to all of their faces. The three sensing Yosuke's eyes on them, unwillingly glance back at him. Yosuke then know, by seeing their expression, they also feel the same.
"W-what...?"Chie breaks the meaningful silence. Her voice is a bit shaky, could be from the very slight fear and uneasyness she, and maybe everyone, is feeling. Yosuke stares at Chie intently for a moment, and then throw his eyes to the elevator-panels in front of him.
"...". Kanji puts his hands on his pockets. Rise is biting her lips. The atmosphere is almost tense. "...This-"Yosuke starts.
"W-wonder how Senpai's doing at the hospital...? Heheh..." Rise says. She is giggling, but not smiling.
"He, uh, must be fine...I guess?"Kanji responds, with the same awkwardness. Then a 'ding' sound echoes, followed by the iron elevator door sliding partways.
Inaba Municipal Hospital
The male doctor who is currently taking care of the child crosses his arms and lets out a sigh. He just received an explanation from the woman.
"Well, he might be in shock knowing his parents...missing. And maybe,"the doctor says, turning his attention to Yu who is unable to free himself from the child's tight embrace. Yu lifts his head, throwing his attention at the doctor as well.
"I look a lot like his father."Yu completes. "Since he...'recognized' me so quick. Considering there were a lot of people around, that's most likely to be the case."he finishes. The doctor and the woman appear to be thinking, since they are the 'adults' on the room.
"Maybe the police is the best solution?"the woman proposes an idea she has been thinking from the moment she saw the child. "So that, like, they can put a search to his parents."she veers her eyes at the child. The child has been surprisingly calm. No more crying and shouting desperately. She notices he's been like that since he hugged Yu. "I...can't stand seeing a child suffers."she adds. A hint of sadness can be seen on her face.
"Then, I should probably contact my uncle."Yu says. "It'll be easier that way.". Easier? Both the doctor and the woman think. They put a questioning face on Yu.
Catching both's expressions, "My uncle works for the police."Yu adds. "But, he is out of town at the moment.". An anticipation then turns into disappointment. The doctor lifts his right hand up and look at his wristwatch.
"To be honest, I have an appointment to attend to right now."the doctor says. "Can I leave you two here for the time being? Since you're the only one who can keep an eye on him."
"Oh, sure, doctor."the woman replies.
"Well then, excuse me."the doctor then heads for the door and goes outside. The woman walks closer toward the father-child combination. She can hear sobs from the child who is burrying his face on Yu's clothes.
"You know, I never seen him before."the woman says to Yu. "So I can positively say he's not a local."
"You're saying he got separated from his parents while on a trip?"
"It IS summer vacation."the woman sits beside Yu, also on the edge of the bed. "It should be a fun vacation for him, but then tuned out like this."she pats the child's dark-grey hair, resulting in the child pulls his face and looks at her. His eyes and nose red, lips curled downward, and sobbing a bit. She opens her eyes wide upon seeing the child's face as close as that. "Oh my..."she says in a surprised tone. Yu tilts his head slightly to her.
"What's wrong?"
"No, but, he DOES look a lot like you!"she says increasing her tone. She hasn't been paying any attention since, but looking at the child's face upfront like that, she is strating to make herself believe that Yu is the child's father. "Except for the bangs..."she looks at Yu's face, comparing the child's and Yu's hanging thick bangs on his forehead. "Now I can't blame him for mistaking you as his 'daddy'."the woman chuckles. She looks at their faces again. Repeating over the comparison session. The more she compares, the more she is sure that they both is sort of kind of related in some way. "...You sure you're not-"
"I'm sure."Yu replies ahead, with a quick motion. The child's sobs is more quiet now, as he is feeling safety from his 'father'. His eyes are focusing and seems now able to handle bits of conversation, the woman thinks, so she leans herself close to him and puts a smile.
"What's your name?"she asks nice and softly. The child looks left, right, and to Yu nervously, as if hesitating whether to answer or not. But since she looks like not doing any harm to him, he then stays still, ready to tell what the woman is asking for.
"...mm...Yuki..."he says hesitantly. The woman 'mmm' in affrimation.
"A good name."she smiles. It strikes Yu. Yuki, he thinks calmly. Yuki means 'snow', at the mention of it, reminds him of his girlfriend, whose name also means snow. He can't help but smile while imagining her face smiling to him. Through his answer, she feels she can ask him more, as his eyes are showing more 'friendly' look to her, and also to dig clues on how he ended up crying alone on the road. "And your last name?"she asks as soft as before.
The child grabs the fabric of Yu's clothes. His eyes looks down at the bed for a moment, and then carefully look up before answering, "Yuki...Narukami.".
Author thingy : yeah, yup, uh huh, well... My Mind Is On...On...Fi..re~?