Programmed Lives – Fifth Stage

Chapter Twenty Six

Doctors Akiko and Ryosuke Takahashi allowed Akito to leave the hospital six weeks after he had crashed his Dallara at the second round of the GP2 season and only after they had done every single test available to make sure there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.

'About bloody time,' Akito said as he bypassed the wheelchair the nurse had ready to take him out of his room and into the car park.

'Excuse me,' the nurse said trying to get Akito to seat on it.

'Ma'am,' Akito started, 'the only reason I would ever use one of these is if my legs ever stop working.'

With that, he just walked out of the room with his girlfriend and his parents following him.

'Sorry about that,' Takumi said as he picked up Akito's bag, 'he can be a bit stubborn.'

Look who's talking, Natsuki thought as she too smiled apologetically at the poor nurse.

Meanwhile, Akito had already called the elevator for he had never been any more eager to get home.

'You shouldn't use your right hand yet,' Ryoko reminded him.

'It's alright, it doesn't hurt anymore, it's just a bit stiff, that's all…' he said as he rotated his fist to prove his point. This movement made his shoulder crack making him remember that whereas his wrist was indeed fully healed, his collarbone was not.

They had had to insert a titanium nail in it in order to keep it stuck to the shoulder's articulation and, because of this, the healing process had been a bit slower than usual and now, despite the fact that he no longer had any heavy cast which would prevent him from using his arm at all, he still had to be very careful and lifting it up was absolutely out of the question.

'You hurt yourself just now, didn't you?' Ryoko asked frowning at him.

'Only a bit, but it's alright,' Akito replied rubbing his shoulder with his left hand.

'No it's not,' Ryoko said, 'when I broke my knee's ligaments I had to go through a lot of rehabilitation in order to be able to ice skate again. Your right arm is the one you use the most on the steering wheel, you should make sure it heals properly or you won't be able to race ever again…'

Akito looked at her and, knowing that she was right, he nodded.

'Okay, I'll be careful, I promise.'

'Good.'

Right then, Akito's parents arrived with the hospital's discharge papers and all four of them got onto the elevator which would take them to the car park where they all got onboard Natsuki's Micra. It was kind of funny seeing Takumi driving the small car, even though Akito knew that his father could probably make it drift if he wanted to.

About an hour later, they parked the car outside the Fujiwara's garage and, getting into the house…

'SURPRISE!' Itsuki exclaimed.

'Welcome home!' Haruko said running towards her older brother followed by their grandfather Bunta.

'Hey, guys…' Akito started, trying to hide the fact that he was getting very emotional seeing all three Ex-Lonely Drivers and their families, Kyosuke with his girlfriend Kizuna, Seisuke and the rest of the Golden Arrows and, of course, Ryosuke, Akiko, Keisuke and Kyoko.

'It's good to be home, isn't it?' Bunta said passing an arm around Akito's shoulders, frowning as he noticed his grandson flinching a bit, 'you're okay?' the old man asked.

'Yeah,' Akito replied trying to convince himself too, 'I guess it's just some reflex thing…' he added.

'I guess,' Bunta said not sounding very convinced and Akito saw that his grandfather was probably making himself a mental note to discuss this with him later. Luckily, the old man let his grandson have fun at the welcome home party Haruko and Ryoko had insisted in organising.

'Have you thought of my proposal?' Akito heard Keisuke ask as the eighteen year old was getting up to go to the kitchen.

'Yeah,' Akito replied, 'I'll give you my answer shortly. I need to do something first…'

Keisuke looked at him for a bit then, slowly, he nodded.

'Sure, take your time,' the younger of the original set of Takahashi brothers said and, with this, Akito walked to the kitchen so he could get some more Coke. As he arrived there, he heard a couple of feminine voices talking and, for some unknown reason, he stopped before he could be seen.

'When are you going to tell him?' that was Ryoko's mum speaking.

'Not yet,' he then heard his own mother say, 'it's too soon: he just got home and the last thing he needs to know is that I've been suspended…'

'WHAT?' Akito shouted as he rushed into the room.

'Akito…' Natsuki breathed as she and Kyoko walked towards him.

'When were you going to tell me?' Akito asked sounding as hurt as he felt.

'Baby, it's just that…'

'Your parents thought you had enough to deal with as it was,' Kyoko explained seeing that Natsuki had trouble finding the right words.

'That's right,' Akito agreed, 'still, I would have liked to be informed…'

'Why?' Natsuki asked, 'I mean, it's just like your father said: this is our problem and we've got to fix it.'

'Yes,' Kyoko said, 'Akito, I should think you have your own issues right now…'

Once more, he agreed with that for it was true that he still had to figure out what he would do now that he'd finished high school and that he no longer had his racing job.

'What are you going to do?' Akito asked.

'Don't worry about that,' Natsuki replied, 'the headmaster told me that the suspension is only until the gossip calms down, after that, I'm probably going to be readmitted on some sort of probation…'

'PROBATION?' Akito shouted, 'Mum, you've working there for over thirteen years, they can't put you on probation!'

'Baby, that's how it normally works,' Natsuki explained and, as she went to put her hand on his right shoulder, he moved away instinctively, 'are you okay?' the woman asked frowning at him worriedly.

'Yeah,' Akito said, 'I don't know why I keep doing this…' he added sounding quite concerned.

'It's normal,' Kyoko said, 'I remember that after Keisuke's broken ankle had healed, at first he seemed reluctant to use it because he probably feared that he would hurt himself again.'

'Yeah, that's probably it,' Akito agreed, 'at least it's just my shoulder. I would hate it if I had broken my legs or something…'

'So would I,' Natsuki said and, for the first time in years, she tousled Akito's hair, 'you need to get a haircut,' she added noticing how long Akito's hair had grown for his fringe fell all the way down to his cheeks.

'I don't know,' Akito said, 'Ryoko likes it like this,' he added as he passed his hand through the whole length of dark and straight hair.

'Oh well, if she does then it's alright,' Natsuki teased him as she and Kyoko laughed softly.

'Okay, I'm going to get some Coke and go,' Akito said hoping to run away from the two laughing women as fast as possible.

That same evening, and after everyone had gone to their respective homes, Akito walked into the living room where his father was sitting on the couch with Natsuki and Haruko.

'Dad,' he said sitting on one of the armchairs, 'are you busy?'

'Obviously not,' Takumi replied looking at his son, 'why?'

'I need your help with something…' Akito replied and, noticing the curious looks his mother and sister were giving him, he got back up from the armchair and added, 'please, let's go outside.'

'Okay,' Takumi said getting up from the sofa and following his son to the front door then, noticing Akito was grabbing his car's keys, he said, 'Akito, what are you doing?'

'Dad,' he said as he put his shoes on, 'I need to so something and I need to do it tonight.'

'You're not thinking of driving, are you?' Takumi asked.

'That's exactly what I want to do,' Akito replied as he finished doing up the laces of his trainers with quite a lot of difficulty considering he couldn't use his right arm very much.

'Akito, you can't drive yet, Ryosuke said…'

'Dad, I know that,' Akito said looking at his father with the same expression Minami used to get Takumi to do whatever she wanted, 'I just need you to take the V-86 up Mt Akina for me so I can check something up.'

Takumi looked at his son for a bit and, as usual, that expression worked for, sitting down next to his son, he started putting his shoes on too.

'Natsuki!' he then shouted from the house's entrance, 'Akito and I are going out for a while.'

'Okay,' they then heard Natsuki say.

'Can I come with you?' they also heard Haruko ask.

'Sorry baby, not tonight,' Takumi replied and both he and Akito smiled at each other hearing Haruko's protests and knowing that it would be Natsuki's job to deal with them.

A few minutes later, and with Takumi driving the V-86 up the Mt Akina pass, drifting the car in a way that made Akito gasp, the eighteen year old said:

'Dad, thank you.'

'Oh it's nothing,' Takumi replied, 'I kind of fancied a drive anyway, even though I would have preferred driving my AE86.'

'No,' Akito said, 'that's not it. I'm thanking you for not asking me to quit racing. I know how very worried you and Mum have been…'

'Son,' Takumi started, 'do you remember the promise you made me when I allowed you to start racing?'

'Yes,' Akito replied.

'Are you still having fun when you race?' Takumi asked.

'Yes,' Akito repeated.

'Then, as long as you have fun and you don't think this is all too much for you, I'll let you race.'

'Thanks.'

'Besides, who am I to ask you to quit racing?' Takumi added, 'it is true that I almost died when I saw you crash your car and I simply don't know what I would do if…you know…'

'Dad…'

'You're the only thing I have left from your mother, you know, your real mother,' Takumi continued, 'and even though racing is dangerous, your real mother would probably agree with me thinking that, as long as it makes you happy, then it's okay for us to cope with the risks racing brings with it.'

'Dad,' Akito said and, hesitating for just a second, he asked, 'you still miss her?'

'Just a bit,' Takumi replied honestly, 'but it's been a long time and, right now, I've got a whole family to take care of.'

'I see,' Akito said, 'you know, all those questions the journalists asked me about her have made me quite curious and…'

'Akito,' Takumi said, 'if you have any questions regarding your real mother, please ask them to me.'

'I will,' Akito said and, seeing his father stop the car made him realise that they were already at the small parking space where all the races in Mt Akina started from.

'So, what do you want to do?'

'Let's switch places,' Akito said.

'Akito, you can't drive…'

'Please Dad, I just need to test something,' Akito begged.

'Okay,' Takumi replied as he got out of the car while Akito was doing the same then, since this was the first time Akito sat behind the steering wheel of his car since the accident, he took a few instants to get used to it, 'it feels good, doesn't it?' he heard his father ask.

'Yeah,' Akito whispered and as he went to place his hands on the wheel, his shoulder cracked audibly.

'Ouch,' Takumi said looking at his son worriedly, 'are you sure you want to drive?'

'Yeah,' Akito repeated and, pressing the clutch, he inserted the first gear, released the handbrake then he pressed the accelerator as he let go of the clutch making the car go forward. He then made a three point turn and got the car to face downhill.

'Akito?' Takumi asked.

'I need to do this,' Akito replied and, taking a deep breath, he started accelerating while trying to get the car at the speed he usually went when racing.

'Okay,' Takumi said and then he observed his son as he tried to negotiate the first corner of the course, frowning and biting his lower lip as he saw that his kid had a lot of trouble turning the steering wheel. Takumi got even more worried as he felt Akito braking violently in order to prevent the car from crashing against the guardrail.

'Shit,' Akito said with a very frustrated tone of voice as he hit the steering wheel with his left hand before moving it to cover his face with it.

'Akito…'

'It's too painful,' Akito said with his voice sounding muffled because of his hand.

'Akito, it's also too soon,' Takumi reminded him, 'you need to give yourself some time.'

'I can't,' Akito said removing his hand from his face so he could look at his father, 'if I don't start driving as soon as possible I…'

'You're afraid you'll get out of practice?' Takumi asked.

'No,' Akito replied and, since it was his father who he was talking to, he decided to be honest, 'I'm afraid I'll be too scared to drive fast again…'

'What?' Takumi asked now sounding definitely worried.

'Dad, I…'

'You're scared of the speed?' Takumi asked and, very slowly, Akito nodded, 'wow.'

'Tell me about it,' Akito said, 'I need to overcome this,' he added pointing at his shoulder, 'and I need to work on my concentration too so I don't have any more stupid accidents like the one I had in Suzuka.'

Takumi felt as the frown on his face relaxed: seeing the determination on his son's face made him realise that whereas his son was understandably afraid of driving fast, he was also very much resolute to get over that fact so he could, once again, be the fabulous driver he'd become in his many years of active racing.

'Let's try again,' Takumi proposed.

'Okay,' Akito said.

'Only that, this time, we'll do it differently,' Takumi added, 'let's just pretend this is a Gumtape Deathmatch.'

'A what?' Akito asked.

'A Gumtape Deathmatch,' Takumi repeated, 'you know, where you tape your hand to the wheel so you can't move it…'

Akito looked at his father and, understanding at once what his father meant, he smiled and said:

'That's an excellent idea, this way I won't have to move my arm so much.'

'Of course it's an excellent idea,' Takumi said using the arrogant tone of voice which had made Bunta Fujiwara so famous. Akito laughed softly at that.

'Okay, let's do it,' Akito said.

'Ah, not so fast,' Takumi said, 'for this you'll need a special technique I'll teach you tonight…'

By the time both men got back home, Natsuki and Haruko had been in bed for several hours but Akito had never been happier in his whole life. Using the technique his father had just taught him, he had managed to make it down Mt Akina in more or less the same time he used when driving normally.

'Dad,' he said as he went to open the door of his bedroom and as Takumi made his way to the room he shared with Natsuki.

'Yes?' his father asked without turning round.

'Thank you very much.'

'No problem,' Takumi said.

'Dad,' Akito repeated.

'Yes?' Takumi said, this time facing his son.

'I'm very lucky to have you as a father.'

With that, Akito got into his bedroom leaving an absurdly moved Takumi standing there, feeling too emotional to remember that he had to go to bed.

The next day, Akito got up very early in the morning and, even before going to eat his breakfast, he took his mobile phone from his bedside table and dialled Kyosuke's number.

'Hello?' he heard the older Takahashi brother say.

'Hi, I'm sorry I'm calling so early,' Akito started.

'Oh, don't worry,' Kyosuke said, 'Kizuna and I have to go the centre this morning so you didn't wake me up.'

'Ah, okay,' Akito said, 'listen, can you contact Junya?'

'What for?' Kyosuke asked sounding suddenly confused.

'Because I want to take up his challenge,' Akito replied.

'What?' Kyosuke asked, 'Akito…'

'Next Saturday, ten pm,' Akito said, ignoring Kyosuke's worried tone of voice.

'Akito, it's too soon…you…'

'Please, Kyosuke,' Akito begged, 'next Saturday, ten pm,' he insisted.

'But…'

'Thanks Kyosuke,' Akito said and, without giving his friend time to argue, he pressed the button to finish the call.

To be continued…