Title: Anger over Fear

Summary: Shirako and the rest of the teams go to have a nice relaxing picnic, but at the end of the fun, Mother Nature decides to test them and their friendship. Can Shirako save Porkchop from his own fear, or will the teams lose another one of their friends.

Parings: ShirakoXPorkchop friendship.

Sixth chapter: Waking up

Disclaimer: Don't own Acceleracers

Hey there everyone, sorry that it took me so long to update, had some family problems to deal with, anyway, everything is fine now, so I will be back to writing stories and all that fun. Hope that you guys aren't to upset at me. Oh, I'm really sorry about the spelling problems in Chapter 5, I'm trying to break the habit of spelling Karma's and Taro's name wrong, so bear with me please. Anyway, here you go.

--DP-- : means different person, just so you guys don't get confused

Chapter 6:

Waking up

Both the Metal maniacs and the Teku were sitting in a white room, with a small bed off to one side of the room, with its head board against the wall. Beside the bed and close to the wall was a heart beat monitor with its soothing and constant beep and an IV bag. At the moment, the room was filled with quite conversations going on, everyone being careful not to talk too loudly in the room, least they wake up the person sleeping soundly in the bed. Of course, then having to face the wrath of the two women by the bed was a factor as well. The first one, with her long black hair covering her face like a curtain, was sitting right up against the bad, or as close as her chair would allow her to be. She had one hand going through the hair of the sleeping young man in the bed. She had a small smile on her lips as she watched him lean into her touch even in sleep. Another woman, with straight brown hair that reached just a bit below her shoulders was sitting in a chair by the young man's feet. He had been sleeping for two days now, the doctors saying that it was quite normal due to the trial that he had gone through, and then being put under to have his right leg stitched up. Even thought they had been tolled that he was going to be fine, everyone was still waiting in his room, having been there all day yesterday, and would be here all day today, until he woke up. It seemed that everyone just wanted to be there, just to convince themselves that he was indeed going to make it, and they would not have to face another loss. All of them fearing the devastation that would follow this loss, so soon after the last one that they had faced. Indeed, one large man with orange hair looked nerves, and every few minutes would throw a glance to the young man sleeping in the bed, as if to make sure that he was still there.

--DP--

It was dark, and warm. That was the first thing his tired mind registered. Slowly, very slowly, as if his body was against it he began waking up from the dreamless sleep that he had been in. The next thing that he registered was that there was a hand that was slowly and lightly going through his hair. Not that he minded, it felt nice and helped him to keep relaxed. Finally, the sound of quite talking filled his ears, to quite to make out what anyone was saying, but it was voices that he knew he should know. He realized then that he was lying in a bed, but, it was not his own. Just by the simple fact that there was no music. Not to mention that there was this annoying beeping every few seconds. For a few more moments, Shirako kept his eyes closed, and his body relaxed. He just let himself enjoy the warmth of the bed, and the hand that was still going through his hair. He tried hard to remember what had happened, cause, he somehow knew that it was important, though he didn't understand why he knew. For another few moments, he slowly tried to remember. But his memories were muggy and all jumble together, and he knew that he was still missing a few. There had been a picnic, with the Teku, and the metal maniacs had come as well. He remembered that much. They had raced to the clearing, and then had eating lunch together. Shirako paused, he couldn't quite remember after that. There had been a river, and water, lots of water, cold numbing water. That had tried to pull him down. He had fallen… no jumped into the water. Because …because….Taro, Karma, Vert, Tork, and Porkchop had fallen in, and had disappeared in the river!!

Shirako gave a strangle gasp and threw himself up from the bed and its blankets that seem to be trying to keep him pinned. He ignored the beeping to his left that had just increased rapidly, almost to the point were it was just one long beep, and flung his head to where his sister was. Automatically knowing it was her, since ever since he was little she would run her hand through his hair when ever he was hurt or upset. Without even waiting for a pause, Shirako began to talk to her in his native langue. Something that he only did when he was deeply upset.

"Sydney!! Sydney!! Karma,-Taro,-Vert,-Tork-and-Porkchop-feel-into-a-river-and-were-swept away!- Do-you-know-if-they-ok,-do-you-know-if-they-made-it?!-Porkchop-made-it-out-with-me,-and-I-last-saw-Karma-with-Taro-and-Tork-with-Vert!" Shirako was struggling to get out of the bed, but he was getting twisted in the sheets, not to mention that he felt strangely weak. He was panting, and a small part of him realized that his right leg was on fire, but he ignored it in the face of his concern for his friends. He knew that he was panicking, but he was so scared that one of his friends might have been hurt when he had been sleeping all comfortable in a bed. And a small part of him realized that there was a chance that one of them could be dead. With that thought, he began to struggle even harder, one of them might have died already and he would never get the chance to say good-bye again. And that god damn beeping would not shut up; it just kept getting faster and faster, just like his heart, which he dimly realized was racing from his hard fear.

"Shirako Tetamoto!! You hold it right there, or god help me I will destroy every singe Cd you have!" Sydney yelled at him in their native tongue, with the voice of command. There were other cries of "Shirako" being yelled out, but Shirako ignored them for the time bring.

Shirako stop struggling so much on the bed, but that was mainly because his sister had flung herself over him so that her hands were on his shoulders with all her weight, keeping him pinned to the bed. Shirako weekly struggled against the iron grip, and a small part of him wondered how she got so fringing strong.

Shirako cried out in English "But, But the others, they fell in the riv-"

Shirako gave a small cry of pain, now that he was no longer panicking as much, his right leg decided to remind him that it had been hurt less then two days ago, and it did not appreciate the fact that he had been using it to try and kick the blankets off him. Shirako bit his lip hard and squeezed his eyes close, trying to fight the tears that came with the pain. His fingers bit into his palm as he squeezed them, hoping that the pain from his hands would help to get his mind off the pain from his leg. He took a few straggled gasps of air, hoping that it would help bring the pain down. His sister right away took her hands of his shoulder, and then very gently brought him to her chest almost as if to protect him form his own pain, just like a mother would. She moved his pillows up as Shirako took a moment to slowly bring himself up and untangle himself from the blankets, so that he was sitting up and not laying. At the same time he felt a small blush rise to his cheeks as he looked at what he was wearing. He was basally wearing a light blue cloth that was shaped like a house coat. There was a string at his right hip that tied the cloth together. He also noted that it was a bit on the short side. He brought his blanked up around his waist and thanked God that the blankets had not fallen off when he had been struggling to get up. That would have been bad.

"Shh, it's ok. Now are you going to stop freaking out, and let me tell you what's going on, or do you want me to belt you one?" His sister said sweetly, this time in English. Shirako looked at her, and then had to blink a few times when she wavered in and out of his vision.

"Now, if you were to look around, you would see that every singe one of your friends is here. " Shirako stop and did what she said. It was at that point that he realized that she was right. In fact, everyone single one of them had rushed over to his bed the minute the heart monitor had gone into overdrive. Shirako felt the heat rise into his cheeks, as he became the center of attention.

"Oh…did anyone of you get hurt?" He weakly said.

Karam smiled at him. "You were the only one who had to go to the hospital. How are you feeling?"

Shirako pause, and then answered truthfully. "Weak. My leg really hurts, and I'm kina tired. But other then that I'm fine."

"Ya, well no more freaking out, you need all the rest you can get." Nolo commanded as the leader of the Teku.

"You just about gave me a heart attack with that little stunt just now." Kurt laughed. And with that, everyone else added their little comments and good wished about getting well.

It was at this moment that Porkchop pushed through, having hidden behind everyone when Shirako calmed down. As Porkchop looked down at Shirako, everyone seemed to quite down, knowing that Porkchop had been waiting to say this ever since he found out that Shirako had risked his life to save him.

"Hey, look, I, uh, just wanted to say thank you, for, you know, saving me and all that. And I'm real sorry that you got hurt helping me out too." Porkchop said nervously, all the while not really looking Shirako in the face. As if preparing himself for what Shirako might say back to him.

Shirako found himself once again turning bright red. "Hey man, don't worry about it. I owed you one anyway, and besides in the end you saved me too. So see, no big deal" Porkchop didn't look convinced, but at the same time, he was no longer looking like someone was going to shoot him.

"Aww aren't that soo cute, I think I'm kinda hurl!" Markie yelled out, but that was all it took to beak the silence, as Kurt punched Markie and a few of the others glared at him. Yet most of them just laughed, and began to talk once again.

"Hey, how long till I can get out of here?" Shirako asked, as Vert and the other's finally finished telling him what happened after he passed out. Luckily no one made a big deal out of the fact that he had passed out, and then had to be carried to the medics. Shirako found it embarrassing, considering in all the movies, it's always the girls that passed out. He knew it was really stupid of him to think like that, but really, you don't really feel like a man when someone is bridal style carrying you to help.

"The doctors said probably in another day or two, depending on how your leg is healing. They said that since the cut was so deep, they just want to make sure that it heals properly before they let you out." Taro answered. Considering that it was due to Taro that Shirako had a full room to himself, it was Taro and Sydney that the doctors talked too.

Shirako looked a bit upset over this, but at the same time knew that it was probably for the best. "Are you guys going to visit me again, or are you guys busy?" Shirako asked around, letting them know that he meant both the Teku and the metal maniacs.

"Of course we will all came and visit you. You don't even have to ask." Karma said, speaking for everyone, as they all nodded their heads and added their agreements.

"Hey, do any of you know what happen to my earphones?" Shirako asked, as he realized that it was not on the small table beside him.

Everyone looked at each other, wondering which one of them should break the news to him. Karma gave a small sigh, as she gave the sign that she would break the new to him.

"Shirako, when you jumped into the river, they got swept away. "

"Oh" Shirako looked heart broken as he realized that his headset that he had had for years was now gone.

His sister took one look and with a sigh, ruffled his hair. Almost everyone there sniggered at the siblings play fight.

"Hey!" Shirako yelled at her, as he pushed her away from him, and tried to brush his hair with his fingers.

"I'll go get you a new headset tonight and load some of your songs on it, and then tomorrow I can give it to you. Pulse, I will also bring you a pair of cloths to wear too. Ok?' Sydney said with humour dancing in her eyes. Considering that she had been the closet to him when he had tried to fling his blankets off, she had been able to see just what it was that he was wearing.

Shirako glared at her, as he once again felt the heat rise in his cheeks.

Shirako did not know how long they had been talking after that, only that it was getting harder and harder to stay awake. It was about the sixth time that he had slightly jerked up when he was about to fall asleep that Karma got up.

"Alright, I think it's time to leave, since Shirako here is ready to fall asleep." Shirako felt himself blush once again as everyone looked at him. He looked down at his blankets so that they could not see his face, and began hopping that his leg would heal really, really fast, cause he was getting tired of blushing all the time.

With that said everyone began to slowly leave, with good wishes and promises to visit tomorrow. Karma was the last to leave, but not before she kissed his forehead and wished him sweet dreams.

"I'll be back in a few hours. I'll pick you something to eat as well." With that, Karma left

Sydney looked at him and smiled.

"All right then, I think it's time for you to get some sleep." Sydney paused, and as an after thought she added "You know something, you really have good friends."

Shirako playfully pouted at her, but he offered no complaints when she helped him to lie down. He was really tired, to the extent that for the last 10 minutes it had seemed that everyone had started to become blurry.

"I know. I'm really glad that I met them all." Shirako gave a yawn "I don't know why I'm so tired, I slept for two days already, and I've only been up for a few hours."

"Considering what you had gone through, how much blood you lost, and the fact that your body is trying to heal, I'm not surprise. Pulse, you might still have a bit of the sleeping drugs the doctors gave you in your system. Now go to sleep."

"Are you going to be here when I wake up?" Shirako asked. If anyone else had heard him, they would think It was just a normal question. But looking into Shirako's eyes, Sydney knew that he was asking her to stay here with him. Not that she blamed him. Sleeping in a place that you have never slept before, and with people you don't know would be a bit scary. Not to mention that he was hurt, and hospitals were scary to begin with. She smiled at him, and once again started to weave her hand in and out of his hair.

"Of course I'll be here when you wake up. Just go to sleep, I'll be right here" With that said, Shirako once again relaxed into the bed and within a few minutes was fast asleep. Ever since the day they realized that both their parents truly did not care about them, they both had made sure that they were at least there for each other. Sydney shook her head; he should have known that she would be there when he woke up without having to ask her.

It was about two hours later that Karma came back, carrying some fast food in her hand. "Hey, I'll keep a watch over him, if you want to go get him some of his stuff." Karma said, while passing her a bag of food.

Sydney smiled. They were both very protective of Shirako, and she felt no hesitation in leaving Shirako with Karma, knowing that Karam was like an older sister to Shirako. Karma took her chair, and began to weave her hand in and out of his hair. Sydney took one look and started to leave but she would be back here right after that. And then they would both look after their little brother, until the next day when his friends would once aging arrived.

I wasn't planning on it being such a family thing at the end of this chapter, but I kinda like how it turned out. Anyway, I got one more chapter after this, and then this story will be done. Hopefully you all like it. :)