Care-taking
Takahiro blinked momentarily confused by the single questioning word that Usagi-san's childhood friend spoke. He thought that perhaps the smaller man might not have recognized him for they did rarely meet and greet as they were neither in the same class, even if they were in the same year, nor were they planning to attend the same University. Although, considering the circumstances he'd not be continuing on with his education, for he'd need to work in order to support both himself and his younger brother.
He smiled down at the brunette who'd only moments ago awakened, "Kamijou, I'm Takahashi Takahiro, Usami Akihiko's friend. And this is my little brother Misaki"
Cinnamon red eyes just stared blankly at Takahiro, his brows furrowing deeply and forming small wrinkles between them over the bridge of his nose, "I'm sorry, but I have no idea who you're talking about. I don't know who Kamijou, you, Usami Akihiko or Misaki are."
Dark blue eyes widened, as did that of the green eyed child's, both thinking that something was seriously wrong.
Misaki clenched his hand into Takahiro's shirt, looking up at him, "Are you sure he's Kamijou-san, Nii-chan?"
The older brother ruffled the younger ones chocolate brown hair, "I'm positive its him, unless he has a twin that no one knows about."
The child's mouth rounded into a small, "Oh," and looking down at the floor he murmured, "but he doesn't remember who he is?" He frowned as he gazed back up into the dark blue of his brothers eyes, "Then, is he like that woman on that movie we saw, the one with amna-amanasia?"
"Amnesia," he corrected his little brother, it suddenly dawning on him that that was a very likely possibility.
The patient they had come to see glared at them, "Must you talk as though I'm not even here to hear your conversation?"
Takahiro turned his head back toward the irritable man in the hospital bed, who had a bandage wrapped around his head, just above his eyes. It looked as though they hadn't needed to cut his hair, if it weren't a bandage he might have thought it one of those sweatbands some joggers wore.
"Forgive us Kamijou," he bowed his head in apology for a brief moment.
Speaking the mans family name reminded him that he should at least explain that it was he whom he was addressing.
"You," he pointed at him, even if it may have been rude, he thought it necessary in order for the other to understand whom exactly it was he meant, "are Kamijou, your full name is Kamijou Hiroki an eighteen year old soon to graduate from High School."
There wasn't much more he knew about the other young man and even if he did he thought it best if he alerted a doctor.
Lightly patting his little brothers head, "Misaki, stay here with Kamijou, I'm going to go see if I can track down a doctor."
The eight year old blinked up at his brother, "Why not press the button for a nurse?"
Hiroki, quietly took in the information that this Takahashi Takahiro had just given him, trying to digest it while the two brothers spoke. The name Kamijou Hiroki slowly turning around inside his mind, as though trying it on to see whether or not it fit.
'How the hell can someone forget their own name? Especially me! What if he's lying?' His eyes closed tightly, teeth clenched together as his fingers tug into the white sheets that lay over him, a dull throbbing ache starting at his temples and the center of his forehead.
While Kamijou was quiet, Takahiro stared down at his brother, before giving him a large smile, "Sometimes Misaki you amaze me! I wish you'd be more like that with your school work," which earned him a pouting frown from his baby brother.
He reached for the call button that he found next to Hiroki, his hand brushing the others thigh through the hospital sheets that kept him warm. Never before had he been close enough to even touch the brunette, about the same age as himself, even accidentally.
However as he lifted the call button, where his hand had brushed against the other mans leg, he felt a strange tingle. He however put it aside, thinking it was the fault of the bedsheets.
Moments after pressing the button which one could hear buzz dully and light up a little orange light over the right side of the bed did a nurse enter the room.
Cat-like light brown eyes lit up, a smile forming on the young nurses countenance as her eyes settled upon the young patient of the room, after greeting his two apparent visitors.
Walking over to him she gazed down into confused russet irises, "I see you've finally regained consciousness. I'm your nurse for this afternoon, you can call me Nurse Aizo. Now, is there anything I could get for you?"
Only about half an hour ago had she been in the room, checking the high school boys vital signs.
Hiroki blinked at the woman in white, he realized this here was a nurse, something so trivial in comparison to his name.
"Excuse me, but could you explain to me what exactly happened that I wound up here?"
The nurse was momentarily at a loss for words, but quickly recovered with a smile, though it didn't look quite natural to any of those within the room, "I'm sorry Kamijou-kun, but you'll have to wait until Sawagari-sensei is here and he'll fill in all the details for you."
She looked at Takahiro and Misaki, "If you could, please wait until the doctor gets here," then to Hiroki, "I'll go get you a pitcher of water, I'm sure you must be thirsty."
As she turned to leave, Takahiro followed after her, "Excuse me, Nurse Aizo, can I speak to you for a moment?"
The nurse blinked, then nodded as they stepped out into the hall.
"Aizo-san, Kamijou didn't even recognize myself nor his own name."
At that the nurse's brows furrowed, "That sounds like it might be a case of amnesia, but I think Sawagari-sensei should be able to shed a bit more light on the matter. He'll be in within the next fifteen minutes as he's currently running his rounds, until then please don't say anything about the accident or anything else regarding his memory. Doing so could cause further complications, but on this particular subject I am no expert."
The only thing Takahiro could do was to agree with a nod of his head, "Of course, thank you Nurse Aizo," and with that he watched the nurse walk off down the hall, he himself turning back into the room and going over to once more stand at Kamijou's bedside with Misaki.
Misaki had been staring down at the floor the entire time his brother was outside the door with the nurse, whispering to one another about the patient Kamijou Hiroki. With the way the older brunette's eyes had been furrowed and his eyes narrowed he'd been too afraid to stare him straight in the eye, even though, like his Nii-chan he was concerned for him. However he was frightening! He was so glad when his brother came back into the room and stood beside him.
Looking up, he lifted his hand to clasp it in Takahiro's.
Hiroki couldn't do anything more than frown, confused about his own identity and these two brothers; confused too as to why he was there as well as the dull ache in his head that just felt as though it were gradually getting worse. Clenching his teeth once more, he glared down at the bedsheets as he tried to sit up.
Takahiro, noticing that Kamijou was trying to sit up, gently removed Misaki's hold on his hand so that he could bend down in order to help him.
Silently, green eyes watched the two, his Nii-chan really was kind as he moved around the bed to sit in one of the chairs the room offered for visitors.
He was too tired from crying, unable to sleep after the events leading up to this moment.
Slowly his eyes fluttered closed, unable to keep them open any longer, wishing that his parents too could have survived as Kamijou Hiroki had, even if they might have forgotten.
It was unfair that the culprit had gotten away with barely anything more than scratches.
Soon the child was lightly sleeping.
Hiroki looked up into the eyes of Takahashi Takahiro, they were filled with sorrow, but also a kindness as he smiled while helping him to sit up.
He frowned however, not wanting his help, "I can sit up myself!" It felt strange having him touch him, even if it were only as a gesture of kindness.
The taller man blinked, then smiled, "Kamijou, I'm only trying to help, I don't want you hurting yourself anymore than you've already been hu-..." abruptly he stopped, knowing that that would only lead to more questioning on Kamijou's part. Someone as smart as he was, was certain to ask, after all he along with their mutual friend Usagi had passed the entrance examination for Teito University after-all.
Reluctantly Hiroki allowed him to help him, though he did not smile nor thank him.
Just at that moment, a knock came from outside and then there appeared a man somewhere in middle-age wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope dangling from his neck and holding a clipboard.
Looking up from the clipboard and in Hiroki's direction the man grinned, "Well hello there! I'm glad to see that you're finally conscious Kamijou-ku~n. We were worried that you might possibly never wake up with how positively stubborn you were being! Oh, by the way I'm Swagari-sen~sei!" He ruffled his patients hair with a chuckle.
One of Hiroki's eyes twitched, thinking that this doctor was decidedly odd, while he fixed his hair after the strange man had removed his hand. However there were questions that needed answers. And while he asked them, Takahashi –- the older one, remained quiet while the younger continued on with his little nap.
"Is my name really Kamijou Hiroki? Why am I here? What happened? I don't remember anything, even who I am and that's just strange!"
Bombarding by so many questions, the doctor blinked, before holding up his hand and becoming more serious than a moment ago, "Excuse me, but please slow down with your questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability."
Hiroki clamped his mouth shut, his lips pursed as he waited for answers.
"First, your name really is Kamijou Hiroki. You had your I.D. with you when the accident happened, so we were easily able to identify you."
"Accident?"
The doctor nodded, "That is the very reason you are here. You were in a collision, a three car pile up. The car behind you was rammed into yours when the third driver, of a very large truck rammed into them. The people in the middle car, the Takahashi couple, did not make it. As for why you cannot remember anything, it appears to be a case of amnesia. You did get a shard of glass lodged into your head, but I do not recall it having gone so far as to hit your brain. However you did have a pretty bad concussion, so at some point you may have hit your head pretty bad. That or the trauma you suffered just experiencing the accident caused it. It may only be temporary, but can take weeks or months for your memories to return. Few cases have taken years and even fewer have never remembered anything at all, unless of course there was damage done to the memory part of the brain dealing with their life events."
To Hiroki and Takahiro both, it sounded horrible. While the doctor had mentioned that the Takahashi couple had not survived, his eyes had turned to Takahiro's, whose eyes had looked on the verge of tears before bending his head.
At least he knew now what was going on, what had happened, but, where was his family. He hadn't realized he'd asked that aloud.
It was Takahiro who answered, lifting up his head, taking a deep breath to be strong. He had Misaki to take care of after all and if he broke down, he doubted anyone else in their family would look after him.
"They're on another honeymoon, they'll be back a day before the graduation ceremony which is a couple weeks away."
Hiroki frowned, unhappy with that revelation, gazing at the doctor, "When can I go home?"
"If your parents had been home to call, you could leave today, but we can't let you go anywhere alone since you're still recovering. Now if there were someone you could stay with..."
At that Takahiro spoke up, "He can stay with us, with my brother Misaki," he pointed toward the sleeping eight year old, "and I. School is over so I should be able to take care of Kamijou until his parents get home if we can't get a hold of them before then."
The doctor looked skeptical, but Hiroki did not want to stay at the hospital. Even if he had to stay at someone elses place, since he had no idea where his home, then so be it.
"I'd like to stay with the Takahashi's doctor. We do go to the same High School. There shouldn't be a problem, should there?"
Sawagari-sensei shook his head, "No, I suppose not..." he paused turning to gaze at Takahiro, "Takahashi? Are you..."
Takahiro nodded, "Yes, but please don't let that be an obstacle. In a way we share an experience, even if Kamijou doesn't remember right now, so I think its important to take care of one another if possible."
"Right..." the doctor sighed, "I'll get the paperwork ready and you can sign him out. A nurse will be in with a wheel-chair as it is the policy of all hospitals to see every patient out and into a vehicle in one."
Hiroki frowned not liking the idea, not wishing to in any way at all appear weak, but he'd have to suffer through it least they change their minds and keep him here.
Takahiro smiled, shaking the doctors hand, "Thank you Sensei."
As the doctor left, Misaki stirred from his short slumber, rubbing his fists over his tired eyes, "Nhnn, whats going on?"
"Misaki, we're going to be taking care of Kamijou, he's going to stay with us for awhile."
At that the little boy winced, but in resignation sighed, smiling as he stood up, "Okay."
Hiroki grumbled under his breath, "I can take care of myself," though inwardly he felt elated that someone, outside his family, would be so willing to take care of him.
It wasn't much later that they left, after the nurse had brought Hiroki a pitcher of ice water of which he drank one cup before they were able to depart the hospital. And while they all sat in the back of the taxi, Hiroki, from beneath his lashes, his head bent so that his bangs blocked his eyes from view, he gazed secretly at Takahiro.
