But it sadly wasn't just a day.

The next day he was too weak to get out of bed, too tired to do anything. He was coughing more and more recently. It was three days before the show when Hiro collapsed with a fever and shallow breathing.

According to Baymax's scan, the tumor had grown.

Tadashi remained calm around Hiro as Baymax made the report and calmed his brother down. However, once the younger Hamada had fallen asleep again, Tadashi stormed into the garage, pulling Baymax behind him. He cursed in ways he normally wouldn't as he worked on the robot, trying to push his technology to its limits, until he collapsed in tears.

Why was this happening?

Why now, when Hiro finally had a reason to fight the cancer? Why did he lose his parents and now was losing his little brother? It wasn't fair!
He was nice - some even called him a saint - so why was his world the one crumbling down into tiny little pieces he had no hope to put back together.

Why was nothing he did ever enough?

Tadashi shook and withered as he curled into himself, feeling nothing but despair and coldness, even as Baymax hugged him close and produced heat.

Cass called the doctor the next day and after confirming the diagnosis, he scheduled immediately for the boy to be taken to the hospital for treatments.

"I can't go…" Hiro murmured at the doctor.

"You don't have a choice, son. We need to begin treatments if the tumor is going to grow like this." The doctor frowned.

He shook his head, "It's two days before the big SFIT showcase. I-I'm going to get in and I'm going to go to school with my brother and work with him. I don't have time to go to the hospital."

"But Hiro, you have to," Cass frowned.

Hiro shook his head stubbornly, "No. I'm not going. I'm going to stay here and work on my project and I'm going to be there."

"Hiro, you're being unreasonable. You can't go to that showcase. What if you don't get in? What if you go into a coughing fit on stage? You could hurt yourself: you can't participate," the doctor said firmly.

"No!" the boy hissed.

"Hiro!" Cass frowned gently. Oh, where was Tadashi? He was so good at handling his brother.

Just then Tadashi was coming in from the garage, walking up the stairs lazily when he heard the arguing and stopped where he was, hand on the wall. His grip tightened on the railing at the doctor's words. That's what he hated about doctors; they were too rough when their patients didn't need that!

Hiro just needed time!

Tadashi walked the rest of the way up. "Doctor, forgive me because I'm no professional, but are your words supposed to help my brother - when not even a week ago you said that the goal was helping him?" Tadashi questioned, his voice slightly raspy from crying his heart out last night, but luckily his appearance seemed normal. If he could just keep it out of his voice then he'd be fine; after all, he was good at masking his problems.

"You can't legally force Hiro to go anywhere he doesn't want to, and from personal experience, I can guarantee you he'll find a way to be at the showcase anyways. Besides, mental health is just as important as physical. I believe my brother won't fail, I think he'll do amazing. And if you want to talk any further then I want a consular with you," Tadashi said before turning to Baymax, who came up with him. "Baymax, take Hiro to the garage."

"But Tadashi, you bl-"

"Baymax… Please." Tadashi said desperately and the robot complied, carefully picking up Hiro and carrying him downstairs with Tadashi not far behind them.

"Tadashi, please," Cass grabbed his arm to stop him, "I know just as well as you do that Hiro is going to do whatever he possibly can to go and participate in the showcase, but he can't. I know that he can do this and I know that he'll get in with no problem. But this medication isn't working, and he's been miserable the past few days. You saw how hard it was for him to even sit up for the examination today! What will hurt him more than not going, will be going up there and having a problem and then not getting in. If he passes out or has a fit, they won't judge his invention and he won't get in, and that will devastate him." She explained quietly and sternly.

"I agree, the doctor shouldn't have acted or said what he did," Cass glared at the man before looking back at Tadashi, "And this goal has been the best thing to happen to Hiro. But, it would be better to have him strive for the next showcase and even improve his invention in that time, than have them disqualify him and break his heart. I'm terrified that if something happens and he doesn't get in, that he won't have the will want to fight anymore." Cass told him, tears in her eyes.

She was at her wit's end too. She was terrified of losing her youngest nephew and it was killing her to see him suffer. She just wanted to do whatever was the right thing to make him better and keep him happy.

"He's already upset enough about the growth," she sniffled, "I don't know what is the right or the wrong thing to do, Tadashi. I just want him to be okay."

Tadashi dropped his act to hug her close. Hiro and Baymax were out of the house already anyways. "I know… I'm scared too and I want him better…but if…if he is going to be forced to leave us then I want it to be on his terms. Not depressed and in a place he hates. Please, Cass… We both know that if he does fail then he'll try again, but if we don't allow him to go, he's going to be angry and upset at us.

"Putting him in the hospital will do nothing - yes they have medicine, but that's only for the physical problems. You know as well as I do, the most Hiro will stay in a hospital is a day before he's driven into deep depression," Tadashi pointed out sadly. "You know I wouldn't do this for no reason."

"I know, I know sweetheart," Cass breathed, sighing softly as she wiped at her eyes and hugged him tightly. "I'm just…I know. I want him to go through with this. You two have worked so hard and I'm so happy for him to have something he's aiming towards."

"But it's too much of a risk. He could over-exert himself and cause further problems. As it is, his fever is too bad to be doing something like that. I know he doesn't like being in the hospital, but he has to of he wants any chance of surviving," The doctor argued.

"Okay, okay this is what we'll do," she decided, turning to the doctor, "The day after the showcase, he'll come by the hospital for tests and a treatment, but he is going home after. Yes, he is going to that show and he is going to blow away those judges and dammit, my nephew is getting into that school, got it?" Cass huffed.

"Fine," the doctor frowned and packed up his stuff, storming out after.

She sighed heavily and covered her face. This couldn't get any worse. Tadashi hugged her again.

"Thank you Aunt Cass, and I know Hiro and I don't say it enough but, I love you." He said, kissing her cheek before pulling away with a small sigh. "Don't worry. Hiro will make it through this - I know he will," Tadashi said confidently and kissed her cheek again.
Cass kissed him in return, "I love you boys with all my heart, you're both my entire life. I know he'll make it, as well: you boys have your father's spirit. My brother never gave up on anything and I know neither will you two." Tadashi smiled and nodded before going downstairs to the garage.

Baymax had laid Hiro down on the couch and seemed to be guarding over him when Tadashi entered.

"Hello, Tadashi," Baymax greeted. Hiro was lying sleepily behind him, his oxygen tank running and he frowned at Tadashi.

"T-they're going to make me drop the showcase, aren't they? I don't want to go back to the hospital! Please don't make me," He begged weakly.

Tadashi sat on the floor next to the couch before reaching up to comb his fingers through Hiro's hair and smiling.

"Don't worry, otouto. Cass and I talked and we sent the doctor away. We're not making you give up the showcase - not when we both know you worked so hard. Besides, we both want to see you go up there and blow everyone away."

Hiro leaned into the combing fingers and gave a few weak coughs. "Good. I'm glad…I wanna make you proud. But, do you think there is any way they'd let me sit in a chair and explain my invention? The showcase is tomorrow night and I don't think I'm going to have enough strength by then to stay standing that long." While Hiro hated admitting weakness, he knew that especially because of the fight he'd put up with the doctor, he needed to be realistic as to what he was capable of.

Tadashi smiled. "Yes, they let you set the area as you like and if you do it right you can use that to your advantage."

Hiro smiled, "Good. Tomorrow will be awesome!" Tadashi let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, it will be." He agreed, kissing Hiro's forehead, being mindful of the oxygen mask. Hiro closed his eyes, snuggling into the couch. "I love you, Nii-chan…."

Tadashi smiled and pulled back to run his fingers through Hiro's hair again. "I love you too, otouto. Soshite, nani mo sore o henko shimasen." (And nothing will change that.) He said affectionately.

Hiro smiled slightly and closed his eyes to sleep.