13 - With Me
Rukawa Kaede - POV
It was only half past ten in the morning when I'd parked my car about a quarter block away from the hospital. This morning we would be getting a follow up from Dr. Suki about Akira's physical therapy progress, and Akira told me on the phone last night that he wanted me to come.
So, of course, I did.
Normally, I would park in the garage to save time and effort of walking a long way. Today, though, was beautiful. The air was crisp and fresh as a spring breeze whispered around me and tickled my cheeks as it went. My hair became a bit messy, but I didn't care.
Mornings like this were too gorgeous to pass up, and I couldn't help but feel a niggling hope in my tummy that today was going to be a great day. For the first time in two months, I was completely at ease.
So, I walked through the middle of the city, looking through countless pristine windows of shops and towering skyscrapers, I was taking it all in, because I'd had to recently learn that you never know when life will change, whisking you away with no time to react or look back.
I took my time, strolling with small steps down the concrete sidewalk leading to the hospital's main entrance. Once I reached the doors, I took the last sip of my coffee and disposed of the cup before walking in through the sliding panels.
I signed in at reception and patted the visitor sticker on my shirt when a woman with kind eyes handed it to me. The elevator ride to the sixth floor was short, feeling much different now than it had just about a week ago.
Before Akira woke up, everything I did felt like a chore. My stomach was constantly churning with angst and worry, and I felt physically sick from all the emotions I was feeling at once.
Now, I knew I was going to walk into a room where my best friend was awake, able to talk to me, laugh with me, and smile at me. Nothing was one-sided, anymore.
The elevator dinged as the doors slid open, and I stepped out into the crisp white hallway. I strolled down the long corridor looking for the numbers of Akira's new room he'd been moved to shortly after my last visit. He was no longer on the trauma floor, and was moving to the floor where most people were admitted when they were meant to be discharged.
I stopped in my tracks when the door in front of me read the numbers 711, and raised my fist to knock lightly.
Once I heard a muffled 'come in', I opened the door slightly and entered. The first thing I saw was Akira's toned upper body, clad in a long sleeved grey shirt sitting upright in his hospital bed. His bottom half was sprawled out lazily, legs covered in light grey joggers that he always managed to look so good in. I coughed slightly, hoping that nobody noticed my ogling.
I hadn't seen him in a week. I started going back to work again, as I was finally recouping. I was still shaken up and I still had nightmares, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. As nice as it was to finally go back and see my co-workers and do some work, I still wished I could see Akira more often. When my shift ended in the evening, it was usually already half past five. I never wanted to just show up at the hospital to see him because for all I knew, he was probably exhausted from all the physical therapy he'd been doing and wouldn't want visitors.
Also, I knew his family was visiting a lot last week so I didn't want to intervene. They needed time with him, and I fully understood that.
It then occurred to me that he wasn't the only one in the room. Sitting in chairs on the other side of the room were his parents and his older brother, Aleen. Sendoh's parents didn't seem to notice me come in, as they'd been engaged in a conversation tice me come in, as they'd been engaged in a conversation with a nurse, laughing about something.
Seeing me enter, Aleen rose from his seat and made his way over to me, "Kaede!" he clapped my shoulder in a very stereotypical best-friend's-brother kind of way that was familiar, "it's been a couple of weeks since I've seen you! How have you been?" He and Akira definitely shared their good looks. While Akira was handsome, sharp in all right places, and charming as ever, Aleen was older by five years. He was more matured and refined, but more lean than his little brother. They both had dark blue eyes and gleaming smiles that stood out from anyone else's.
Everyone seemed to be jealous of the perfect brother duo, but I found myself being rather endeared by how alike they were rather than envious of their blessed genes.
Also- I would take Akira's slightly more boyish features over his brother's more rough, manlier ones any day.
"Aleen," I bowed lightly, grabbing the hand he held out toward me and shaking it lightly, "I've been doing well. What about you and the family?" I referred to his wife and their daughter of one year. I'd met his wife at their wedding a few years ago and seen her at various family get togethers that a Akira insisted I come to. She was a very kind woman with soft features that matched her airy voice. Their daughter was adorable as well when I'd seen her and very lucky to have a family that loves her so dearly.
"They're doing good!" His kind smile softened slightly as he turned his head to look at Akira who I noticed was sprawled across the hospital bed messily just staring at us with a bored expression, "Well, I shouldn't keep you from him much longer."
We both let out a chuckle and I excused myself to walk over to Akira's beside, "Morning, Akira." I greeted him softly, patting him on his messy hair, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm good." he looked up at me as my hand ran through his soft hair. His eyes closed slightly at the feeling of my fingernails on his scalp before opening then again and giving me a small pout that pulled at my heart, "Physical therapy has been going well. I can use my hands pretty good again and I haven't had any trouble walking. Of course, you would've known that if you'd been here."
The corners of my lips turned down, my brows furrowing, "Hey," I said softly, letting my hand slip from his hair, "your family was here with you a lot. I didn't want to be in the way and bother everyone." As my hand fell, he caught it before it could swing down to my side.
He held my hand in his and yanked it a bit, causing me stumble slightly closer to him. His leg that was hanging off of the side of the bed nudged between my own, the contact making me shiver slightly.
"Kaede," his voice was harder than usual, "you are family." His eyes never left mine and his hand squeezed my knuckles lightly, as if forcing the words into my stubborn skin.
I gulped, looking down at my feet and nodded. I forced a small smile onto my face, looking back up at him and meeting his eyes.
Family.
His best friend.
My heart selfishly sank to my stomach as the realization hit. That's all I could ever be- nothing more, nothing less.
He looked a bit off, eyes searching my face like he could tell that my smile didn't quite reach my eyes. Thankfully before I had to say anything else to ease the moment and change the subject, a knock at the door sounded.
I let out a sigh of relief and patted Akira's hand lightly before pulling my other one out of his grip. I walked over to where his family was sitting on the other side of the room, not wanting to be in the way.
I quickly greeted Mr. and Mrs. Sendoh and stood next to Aleen, his kind eyes relaxing a bit as Dr. Suki walked into the room.
"Good morning." he greeted everyone with a kind smile as he waltzed over to each of us to exchange a shaking of the hands. He strode over to a small swiveling chair next to Akira's bedside after greeting him as well and sat down, the nurse that had already been in the room quickly walking over to him and handing him a clipboard.
"I come bearing great news!" He sounded ecstatic, the wrinkles on his matured face standing out with his wide grin. "Akira's physical therapy has gone extremely well over the past eight days. At this rate, we feel that it is perfectly acceptable for him to be discharged as of this afternoon, if he feels ready."
Mrs. Sendoh gasped in happiness, her hands going to cover her open mouth in awe as she looked to her husband who had an equally shocked look on his face. Aleen smiles brightly at his brother, giving him a goofy wink that made my own lips quirk up a bit.
Akira's eyes met mine, and for a second the whole world seemed to freeze. It was so damn easy to get lost in his gaze. His blue orbs could melt you down to a puddle in seconds, and the slightly bashful smile on his lips was enough to weaken my knees. He was never one for loving all the attention he got, even if others constantly gave it to him. With that being said, his cheeks pinked just slightly as the room exploded in happy laughter and cheer.
It was a sight that could melt even the iciest heart.
I was snapped out of my daze when Aleen clapped me on the shoulder absentmindedly as he said something to his parents. I couldn't quite pick it up because my mind was still fuzzy with the thoughts of Akira and how affected I was by just his gaze meeting mine.
I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly as I flitted my eyes back to Akira's for a second only to see him still watching me, but this time with a bit of a smirk on his lips. I choked a little, coughing into my fist as Aleen looked over to me with a raised brow and patted my back gently.
I gave him a quick flustered smile, a blush hot on my cheeks as I looked down and closed eyes slightly.
Why do I always have to embarrass myself?
Dr. Suki spoke again after the noise died down, "While he is in great condition, he still shouldn't be completely on his own yet- just in case something were to happen." He readjusted the black-rimmed glasses on his nose before continuing, "I highly recommend that he stay with family or someone who can look after him a bit closely for a couple of weeks."
A silence filled the room, Mr. and Mrs. Sendoh sharing worried looks with one another before speaking.
"We'd love for Akira to come home and stay with us, then. However, we're quite busy with the company and we don't get home until late. I'm worried that something will happen while we're gone." Worry was apparent in Mrs. Sendoh voice as she and her husband looked at one another and exchanged words quietly.
Dr. Suki nodded in understanding, scratching his chin as he waited patiently for the family to make this important decision. He began filling out a few sheets on the counter in front of him as he spoke to the nurse stood his side.
"I can ask Nara if she'd be alright with him staying over?" Aleen offered, eyes moving from his parents to Akira.
Their parents sighed, a bit deflated as they tried to weigh their options. Before anyone could speak, Akira's stern voice resonated through the room.
"Absolutely not." Akira sighed frustratedly, running a hand down his face as he eyed his brother with a stony expression, "You and Nara have a baby to take care of. There's no way in hell I'm barging in and making more work for both to do."
Aleen opened his mouth to speak at the same time their parents did, surely about to make a scolding remark about how he needs to be watched over as Dr. Suki suggested. However, Akira held up a hand, silencing them.
"Also, I'm not a baby. I'm twenty-one years old. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and calling someone if I need help." His voice softened a bit as he looked at them pleadingly, "Please, don't worry yourselves about me. I'm fine, now."
A weary silence resonated through the room, and it felt stiff. Then, Akira moves his eyes looking at me and spoke. "I can live on my own. Right, Kaede?" his tone was pleading me for support his suggestion.
Suddenly, a feeling pulled at my heart and my gut, telling me what to do. However, my brain tried to stop me.
This is a bad idea, don't think about it.
Everyone's now heads to turn in my direction a bit startled.
Akira's eyes still met mine, brows furrowing on his forehead slightly as he tried to read what I was thinking.
Rukawa Kaede, this is a very bad idea.
"No," my voice came out soft and reluctant, my hands wringing tightly in front of me. I forced my mind to stop running in that moment. I shut out my thoughts and listened to my heart- to what it was telling me I needed to do.
"You stay with me."