Ren

I had been awake for two hours before the nurses and doctor came in with Yasu. Nobu stumbled in while I was in the bathroom and I could hear my two friends mumbling about 'her' in hushed tones, through the door. I heard enough to know that she had punched Nobu for trying to force her to come visit me.

Nobu had introduced himself and we spoke at length twice that first day before I finally remembered who he was. The band we had formed and anything passed that was still a fog to me but I knew who he was, or at least who he had been as a years ago.

"What is the last thing you can remember?" The doctor asked taking out a tiny flashlight. I had grown used to this but that didn't mean I liked the light in my eyes. Each time they asked me that question I seemed to be able to recall something more recent though I was still years behind.

I thought for a moment then I told the doctor about having breakfast with Moriko or Emi or was her name Akane? It definitely wasn't Nana and I sure as hell wouldn't have married her, she couldn't cook. If I remembered correctly she had invited herself to stay with me weeks ago and at first that was fine with me, but I had been growing impatient and sick of her presence. We'd had a fight because she wanted me to skip a gig to spend time with her on Christmas. She wasn't even my girlfriend yet she demanded my time and attention.

"She burnt the food," I might have thrown her out, I was so sick of her complaints. "I wanted her to leave already." My mind wandered from throwing out the clingy girl to going to work. "I went to work and I think I saw Nobu and invited him to our gig. We're playing a special Christmas gig so I gave him two tickets, but I guess we already did that. I gave him a ticket for him and one for his girl."

"How old are you Ren?" My doctor asked but I couldn't remember how old Nobu had said I was. He always told me too much so he was no longer permitted to be alone with me. Yasu and the doctors had agreed that I should remember things on my own.

"Eighteen?" I already knew that was wrong.

Clicking off his flashlight the doctor scribbled illegibly on my chart. "It's been a couple of days since you first woke up." He took my bandaged hand and began to unwrap it. "How are you feeling?"

A look passed between him and Yasu and not for the first time since waking up I got the sense that there was some hidden meaning behind the routine question. I could have told him I was miserable and in need, of what I didn't know but I wanted it bad. By the way he posed the question as if waiting for me to feel something unusual I could tell it was nothing good.

"Fine I guess." I answered determined to make it true. If I told myself I didn't want it, I hoped I wouldn't need it. I could make believe that nothing was missing except my wife, but I knew deep down that she wasn't the only reason I felt so empty.

"Good." Scribbling on his chart he turned my hand.

"Where is my loving wife at the moment?" My tone was harsher than I had intended and I could tell it seemed to worry Yasu. The doctor paid no mind to me as he examined my melted hand.

"Your left hand is healing nicely." There was a curious R stamped all over it which Hachi had explained to me was from a chain Nana had given me. Her name was also Nana and I found the name could be very cute if it came with a sweet voice and smiling face. Had my Nana smiled when I woke up? I remembered her tears but I could not imagine those lips upturned and happy for any reason. The more I thought of her the more I was convinced she was a miserable person who did not want to be near me. She must have been disappointed when I woke up, that's why she never visited. But then I had not imagined the kisses that left my skin tingling with a need I had never felt so strongly before.

"Nana is," Nobu started but there was a knock on the door that interrupted him. I looked up nervous and hopeful but the voice that requested to come in was not that of my wife. Though she was still very pretty and I was happy to see her my smile wavered when Nobu opened the door for Reira. There were two other people in the hall with her, familiar faces that I quickly recognized.

"Naoki, long time no see. I was wondering when you'd come to visit me." I allowed the blond to hug me and nodded back to Takumi who leaned against a wall.

"Takumi says they're releasing me today. I'll be going back to work so I won't be able to visit you as much." Reira sniffed seating herself on the floor by my legs. "How long do you think you'll keep him locked up here?" She asked turning pleading eyes to the doctor. "He'll want to get back to work too." I looked down into her expressive eyes pooling with tears. "You will come back to the band won't you. I won't sing for anyone else."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I couldn't so much as grip a guitar. How could I play something I couldn't hold? Takumi however had no problem coldly scolding her.

"I told you not to ask Ren such foolish questions. His only job right now is getting better." He was as heartless as my wife was proving to be. "Saying selfish things like that will only make him push too hard and he'll hurt himself. Don't forget how he ended up here in the first place." No one would tell me that either but they liked to argue and blame each other for it. Yasu had growled those same words at Takumi a few times when they thought I was asleep.

My doctor stood still writing on my chart. "With a lot of effort and a lot of pain Ren should gain function in both hands. Nothing will come easy and it may always be difficult for him to function as he normally would but he'll be able to do basic things eventually. His leg will be fully healed soon. He's very lucky but relearning the guitar will take extra time and effort. He may never reach his past skill level again." He turned to Yasu then. "Good moral support is imperative so that he doesn't have a relapse. Where is his wife? He'll need to be released into her custody." Relapse? I wanted to ask him about his choice of words but didn't think I'd get a straight answer.

"He can go home with me." Both Yasu and Takumi assured the doctor who's eyes narrowed.

"So he can, but I'm recommending you send him home with her. He doesn't watch the door waiting for any of you to come." No I was waiting for that damned woman and every time the door opened to reveal some one else my body shook just a little, craving some sort of release from the pain. I think my doctor knew exactly what I wanted to cure the ache in my heart, even if I didn't.