Hello everyone! I hope you've all had an amazing Christmas and New Year! Sorry for so much delay with these stories; my life is a mess (laughs). Anyway, please enjoy and I hope to be updating more frequently now! Yours, PB 3
"Hospital?" Jin repeated with wide eyes.
It was late afternoon at the Nagori household, and Jin was using the front door for the very first time. A momentous occasion. However, Amai wasn't there to celebrate with him.
"Yeah, the hospital." Yuriko, Amai's big sister, raised her eyebrows. "You a friend of hers?"
Jin replied offhandedly that he was, indeed, a friend of Amai's. His brain was entirely focused on the idea of Amai in the hospital. She must've been hurt. Why hadn't she texted any of them to say she was hurt? Unless she was so badly injured that she couldn't even text. He turned on his heel and took off, ignoring Yuri's indignant shouts.
That is how he found himself purposefully gliding near hospitals, attempting to find Amai's spirit energy. Unfortunately, there were many, many humans of varying spirit energies and honing in on hers was difficult. Eventually, he managed to focus in on her earthy spirit. Levitating by the window, he peered inside and saw the room was empty, save for Amai who slept peacefully in a hospital bed.
With a little help of the wind, Jin managed to open the window on the 33rd floor of Saint Katsuka's Hospital. He tiptoed inside the building, ears wiggling at the slightest sound.
Soon he was standing over Amai's bed, studying her for signs of injury. She certainly seemed okay, though she was hooked up to all sorts of beeping things and tubes. He dared not poke at anything, though he was extremely curious.
Amai's breath was a soft whistle, and she seemed so calm while asleep. Usually she was buzzing with energy, wiggling and tapping her fingers… but in sleep she was so steady.
Jin was confused for several reasons but most importantly… Amai didn't seem to be hurt, externally. He began investigating further, sincerely worried about her condition. Jin lifted the sheets some, checking her arms and legs until he noticed the hospital shirt roll up on one side. Heavy gauze was taped to her lower abdomen. Jin leaned closer to look.
"Aaaaahhhhhhhowwwww!"
The cry was at first one of shock and terror but it quickly turned into a groan of pain. Jin shot up instantly, a worried look on his face as he hovered over Amai.
"What're you doing here!?" Amai grumbled, leaning back into her pillows.
"Thas' what Ah'd like ta ask you!" Jin retorted, his hands on his hips. "What're ye doin' in a hospital? Are ye hurt, lass?"
"No," Amai shot back, flinched, and amended. "Yes. I mean, not really. I had to get my appendix out."
Jin quirked an eyebrow and Amai sighed. "Appendix. It's like, this useless thing in your body that ruptures whenever it feels like it and it super sucks and you have to have surgery to take it out."
At least, that's what she remembered from school. Was it entirely right? Who cared. All she knew was that her stomach felt way worse than it ever had, she'd started crying in the middle of class (not embarrassing at all, no way, of course she wasn't mortified and scarred forever), and the ambulance had rushed her to the hospital.
"Humans," Jin shrugged dismissively, causing Amai to wonder if demons had appendixes. "Ye had me worried sick, Amai!"
"Why?" Amai asked, narrowing her eyes. "I like, literally just got here today."
Jin breathed through his nose and leaned on the bed, his hands grasping the sheets. "When yer sister said ye were in the hospital… well, Ah thought somethin' real bad had happened to ya."
Amai thought of several scathing, sarcastic things to say but instead, sighed to herself and placed her hand over one of his.
"Well, I'm pretty okay," she told him. "Just… missing a useless appendix now. Maybe I'll be better at controlling reiki, now that's it's gone!"
Jin snorted and Amai smacked his arm. He really did seem like he'd been worried… Amai wasn't used to that. She blushed deep red and frowned. If he'd been so worried… did that mean…
"What're all these things fer?" he asked, pointing to some of the wires and machines.
She explained as best she could, but after a while she found her eyes drooping. Though she'd experienced that spurt of awareness when she'd felt his presence, she was slowly falling back under sleep's spell.
"Hey, when're ye gonna be-" Jin turned to look at her and found that she had fallen asleep.
Smiling wryly, he brushed some damp hair from her forehead and shook his head. Only Amai could cause him to worry so much. It seemed silly now, that he'd panicked at the thought of her in the hospital. She must mean more to him than he'd previously thought.
Jin's ears stood straight up and he suddenly frowned at Amai. That thought had seemingly come out of nowhere but the surprising thing was that it was right. She really did mean more than he'd realized.
Now he was rather glad she was asleep. He had time to think about this. Jin turned to leave, but found his hand still firmly grasped in hers. He squeezed gently before prying his hand free and, hesitating, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"Feel better soon, lass," he ordered her sleeping form. "Ah'll be back ta visit again later,"
It was a promise, and as he climbed out the window and shut it behind him, he glanced back at Amai once more and smiled before floating off to tell Yusuke (a mistake that Amai would hold against him for longer than necessary, as Yusuke found the whole situation utterly hilarious and immediately went to the hospital to make fun of her).
The air was cool, where Jin was floating atop the hospital. He glanced around to find Yusuke's apartment, but caught sight of the slowly sinking sun. He decided to bring Amai up to the roof, when she felt better (fear of heights or no). He wanted to show her the world.