Note: Remember when I bold and italicize Tsuna's words? Well I decided to make it normal… since it's quite easy this way. Anyways, hope you guys will enjoy this!
Chapter One: The Ghost of a Comatose Patient
The sounds of loud noises were audibly heard throughout the whole neighbourhood. Neither the neighbors were asleep of the loud endless crash as they tried to hide themselves in the comfort of their pillows. But as soon as they recognize the source of the mayhem was in fact the large apartment—larger than the rest of their mundane houses—they knew that they would be at peace.
None would even mind calling the cops anymore.
None would even dare to check up what's up in the residence.
Because after all, who would dare to intrude the home of the scariest man alive?
All they did was pray that the intruder would learn his lesson and leave in peace.
And hopefully, they silently plea in their weary state, that the lesson wouldn't be over till dawn.
….
"Hiee! St-Stop!" He dodged another tonfa as it crashed onto another expensive antique. The surgeon gave another tched as he whacked the translucent man again. But said paranormal being easily invaded that attack as he swift to an opposite direction.
Hibari didn't know why but to see someone—whether it was human or from the supernatural being—trespassing in his house deserved to pay the price.
Either that or he was just relieving some stress.
"I didn't!" Dodge. "Come." Dodge. "For harm!" Dodge. Despite on popular beliefs, the innate ghost could actually feel pain from the couple of strikes he gained. The way the ghost invaded most his attacks meant that he was a worthy opponent to beat.
If only he could stop dodging and fight him.
"P-Please stop!" With this, the ghost, wherever he got that sudden strength, grabbed the upcoming tonfa before him. The sudden halt of his strike made the doctor a bit surprise.
Wao.
He loosened his stance and slowly, the ghost followed his way.
"Hn, for a cowardly herbivore, you sure can avoid my attacks so easily," he said, staring at the now exhausted ghost. If he could easily exhaust himself for a measly hour of dodging away from his attacks, then Hibari could say he still had a long way to go before the carnivore phase.
"S-seriously wh-what kind of a doctor are you?" The ghost panted, falling in his knees. He flinched suddenly when said doctor was glaring at him. Apparently, Hibari was the type who never kids around.
Just before he could even raise his tonfa, the ghost raised his arms and waved, frantically. "That's not what I meant! Please l-listen to me!"
Hibari sighed as he crossed his arms. He would have never thought that this comatose boy—or probably a man by his rightful age— was right here in his house.
This boy with that wild auburn hair and that baby face was no doubt his patient, Sawada Tsunayoshi.
And by the looks of his whole body was transparent than normal, it was without doubt this boy was definitely a ghost.
He definitely must be dreaming.
"What brings you to haunt me, herbivore?"
The ghost responded with a nervous laughter. "Actually I'm not a ghost, or when I used to think that I am." He sighed, unenthusiastically. He slumped down against the concrete wall. "To answer your question, believe me or not," he paused for a bit to look for a better reason. "my intuition l-lead me here. That's all."
Call this a carnivore's instinct or not but Hibari knew something was off with what he said. "Prove me that you are not a dream," he snarled as he raised a tonfa which came from nowhere. "Prove it or I will bite you to death."
The brunette's eyes widened with surprise as he raised both palms of reassurance. "C-Calm down, d-doctor! Let's try to have a normal conversation, please?" It was a desperate measure and Hibari knew that this so-called ghost won't be leaving soon.
"So what do you want from me?" If this was really a dream, he should just go on with it.
There was a slightest hesitation before the brunette respond, "I think I came here," he inhaled in one go. "To ask you for help. I believe that you can help me bring me back to my body."
Hibari stared, incredulously at the ghost who gave him, by far, the most unusual request he ever got as a doctor.
"Do I look like a paranormal specialist to you, herbivore?" He snarled.
"Do you always call your patients 'herbivore', doctor?" He was slightly taken back by the cool eerie the brunette output himself to him. The way he said that changed all of the sudden. Right in front of him was a man who knew was best for the both of them.
"Ah, that's right," he laughed, softly. The atmosphere reverted itself back to what it seemed like a friendly one. But Hibari knew that cool manner didn't even change a bit. "I am also at fault for bringing myself here without introducing myself. I am Sawada Tsunayoshi. The same person, who you personally took charge this morning—well, per see, currently in a form of a ghost at the same time, was not." Then a translucent hand offered a friendly shake. "But call me Tsuna."
Hibari just stared blankly at him. At that moment, the man who called himself "Tsuna" quickly withdrew his hand, seeing his refusal of hand gesture. "And you must be Doctor Hibari Kyoya."
"There was something off towards that story of your case," he said. "When I checked the vital signs of your body it was stable. Neither of your cerebral cortex or your brainstem inflicted any stimulus of brain damage which was normally the cause of involuntary unconsciousness." But then, he mentally thought that there are so many ways that caused a coma. "Herbivore, do explain how you ended up getting comatose."
"Well, to put it simply," he said, glumly. "I don't recall how I ended up being comatose or even was even aware of how I get into the warehouse."
"How inconvenient."
"Sadly yes," he frowned a bit then continued, "And afterwards, I woke up, confused of the whole situation as I saw my own body was put in the ambulance. I didn't know how that happened. Later on, I soon realized that I was the only survivor in that warehouse which I didn't ever coming to. And two whole months without any contact with people was dreadful."He sighed. This time Hibari wondered why the ghost was sighing a lot often. "But I'm glad that I came here! You can hear and see me!" He gave a tired smile. "If what the people said about you as a great doctor, surely you can help me return back to my body!"
"That's impossible, herbivore," he said, frowning. "I am a doctor. I'm certain you know what that means."
"I know that! But I know that it has to be you!"
"Now what am I supposed to do?" Truth was, he had the pride of solving conflicts either with his tonfas or his scalpels. To question his own ability made him want to get a hold of his tonfas and—
"I don't know. Honestly, I don't know." He shook his head, nervously. "But if we stick together, maybe something good will happen!"
How the hell can that solve everything?
Heck, this wasn't his problem at all.
There was a sound of ringing and both of them stared at the phone lying in the coffee table.
He flipped the phone.
"G-Good evening, Doctor Hibari!" There was panicky on the other line. Apparently, the intern in the hospital communications was afraid to call the infamous feared doctor in this hour. "The operation room needed you in their care. It's about that new patient of yours."
"Is it about the patient under the ICU?" he stated, nonchalantly. He glanced at the direction of the brunette who apparently was listening to their conversation. He gave him a glare for the immorality of butting people's businesses.
"Yes! The p-patient no. 169: Kazue Chizu."
"Calm down, herbivore," he snarled, turning his attention back to the receiver. "What is her condition right now?"
"I-it appears that the patient is having a heart attack. D-Don't worry! We already put the oxygen mask! But her vital signs seemed to be dropping by the next moment." He paused then, "A-Also, it seems that the patient c-can't even hear things clearly, sir even though she looks fine this afternoon."
A curious brow arched. Heart attack? Loss of hearing?
"And also, doctor. The diagnostics files stated that the patient is diagnosed of o-oligodendroglial tumor (#1) It said that if the tumor in the brain should be removed before it spreads in her brain cells…so—"
"Shut up," he said in an irksome tone. "I got it. I be there within fifteen minutes. Make sure you prepare the patient under induction. (#2)"
"R-Right away, doctor!"
"Hn," he grunted as he flipped the phone down. He glared at the ghost brunette who was listening all this long as he said, "I won't come back for a while. Don't make a mess or I will bite you to death."
Tsuna didn't look startled at that threat as he stood up.
"Can I go?"
Hibari sighed. It was not the right time to bite him to death. "Listen up clearly, herbivore. There won't be a matter of time to waste if you will be obedient enough: Stay."
"Eh?" He gawked. "I'm not a dog! Besides, even if you will go, I can still follow you wherever you go." Then he added, getting to the point. "Even if you locked me here in your apartment, I can still pass through walls and stuff like that!" As what he stated, he passed through his thick concrete walls and immediately went back to the living room. "See?"
"Fine," he muttered, wearily as he grabbed his coat and suitcase. Apparently, arguing with the moronic resemblance of the blonde goof won't do anymore damage if he give in. "Don't slow me down or I will bite you to death."
"Alright."
….
The brunette was right.
No one even noticed the floating ghost beside him when he was conducting a thorough reading on the file of Kazue Chizu. According to the diagnostician's record, his patient, Kazue Chizu, age 28, was an office lady from a telecom company. After further observation in the Intensive Care Unit for two weeks, the patient was diagnosed with oligondendroglial tumor.
But what bothered him was the current symptoms she had when the intern called him. It was not stated by the file about her progressive loss of hearing.
"Hibari-san, if you please check the x-rays." The young intern handed him over a scan of the patient's brain.
Certainly, the tumor in her brain cells was spreading. And without doubt it already spread throughout the cerebellum. But that doesn't explain about the loss of hearing, he mentally thought.
If possible, he wanted to give another x-ray towards the patient once more but an operation must begin now.
Then there was another nuisance in his way. Since the ghost brunette tagged along with his normal routine, he didn't know what he would do with him.
But apparently, he stood there, staring at him as he washed thoroughly with his hands.
"The operation room might get you bored," he said, coolly. Turning off the faucet, he put some gloves and a mask around his mouth.
Tsuna smiled that the doctor didn't forget his presence even with a crowded of his interns around the room. They were probably like five of them so far. "I won't. Besides this will be the first time I can get to see an operation."
That's what all first timers would say. But then again, a thought came and he wondered he would do with this nuisance.
He turned to his so-called assistants who all flinched at his steel gaze. "You are all dismissed."
"Eh?" Even Tsuna gawked along with the interns. Like they all say, herbivores with the same fur (and ironically they were all brunettes), herd together. Or it was just him saying all this. But that was not the point.
"You crowd before me and I won't be able to concentrate on this operation."
"B-But d-doctor, without any hands, s-surely you won't—"
"You dared to question my authority?" He glared at the squeaky intern as he cowered behind his cowardly herd. Afterwards, they gave their consent to leave as they all exited. After all, who would dare to question the dangerous doctor known to mankind?
"A-Ano, Hibari-sensei," the brunette began to speak up. Much to his displeasure of this discomfort, he had the gall to talk. "Why did you just dismiss them all?"
"Because they are crowding."
"What?" He blinked, confusingly. "That didn't mean—"
"You want to assist me in this operation or not?" Clearly, the brunette didn't expect that as his eyes widened.
Then, sighing in defeat he said, "A-anyways, shall we?" His face reverted back to that grinning look again. "I can't wait to see how you operate, Hibari-sensei!"
Seems like the ghost of his Christmas Eve was started to enjoy this doctor drama which Hibari concluded was sort of like it.
Ah wells…
And they both proceeded inside.
…
Holy Cow.
That thought came out loud enough for the fierce surgeon to give a glare. It wasn't his fault though. It was his first time seeing something like this in his life.
He was really the real deal. This Hibari Kyoya knew what to do.
Not only that, he was surprised that Hibari was by himself during the surgery. In fact, he was the one who handed him the materials he was assigned to.
It was no wonder why with his solo-flight into the emergency room.
"A-Ano, Hibari-sensei…" He even dared to talk.
"Shut up and hand me that suture, herbivore," he said, nonchalantly. Tsuna stared with bewilder. It had been five hours and Hibari Kyoya remained oh-so-calm all this time! Even his ghostly figure started to sweat due to this anxiety and weariness.
He sighed as he handed him the specific item that he grew to know. True, he had no knowledge of any meaning towards medical equipments but after getting "used" to stitching up his wounds due to his "job", well he quickly knew what Hibari meant in the end. Much to the doctor's silent satisfaction.
But he couldn't help questioning why the doctor opened up somewhere in her stomach right after he successfully took the tumor from her brain three hours ago.
But his intuition never failed to warn him.
There was definitely something wrong with this girl other than in her brain.
And Doctor Hibari knew that.
"Forceps."
But seriously, all he had been doing was giving stuff to whatever Hibari was demanding. Can't he at least tell him what's wrong with the patient?
"What is her vital sign?"
"A-Ah! I-It's still stable, doctor."
"Hn."
But surely when it came to surgeries like these, there tended to have blood surrounding the patient and for some reason, Tsuna started to regret coming here in the first place.
But it was a human life after all.
This doctor is trying to save her life.
….It was something he couldn't even achieve.
"Herbivore." There was a growl in that tone.
"E-Eh! Oh right, forceps!"
"It seems that you haven't been paying attention to this surgery," He said, irritably. Oops, he made the scary doctor mad again. "If this had been a serious surgery with extra pre-measures, you are bound to be a hassle here."
He laughed, weakly. "Sorry, sorry." He stared at the vital signs once more. "Oh, she had been stabilized, doctor!" Then he realized that the doctor had already sutured the patient some time ago when he had been drifted to his thoughts. "Oh, the operation is already over." He was an idiot for speaking that loud enough.
But the raven haired didn't pay any heed to his silly statement as he was jotting down some notes in the diagnostic file.
"E-Eto.. Hibari-sensei…" he looked at the traces of his handwriting. Such grandeur handwriting like the ones he could see from historical books. Normally, doctors had the worst handwritings but Hibari's penmanship seemed beautiful than that. But what made him curious even more was how he marked out the patient's condition and replaced it with "Von Hippel-Lindau disease".
"This herbivore, was something that came to my mind after I was analyzing her symptoms," he said, as a matter-of-factly. "The symptoms diagnosed by the diagnostician were different now after the rapid progression earlier this day."
"Then what can this mean?"
"It was a highly rare genetic disease that characterized of the growth of tumors across her body. The cause was unknown but chances usually came from the heritage." He gave a sideways glance at his patient. "This disease, the Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome was highly unlikely to be recognizable due to its unknown spreading of the tumors. However it was to be said that the tumors first spread within the blood vessels or in the nervous system."
"If I haven't been informed of her sudden heart attacks and her loss of hearing, she would either lose her sensors around her body or be in the same state as yours."
"Eh? That's horrible!" Tsuna was surprised how Hibari could notice this even when the diagnostic file said that it was supposed to be the oglicon-whatchamcallit. Well, he was never good in memorizing stuff, anyways. As soon as they went outside the operation room and headed towards his office, Tsuna couldn't help but smile at the words spilling out from his mouth. "But you are still incredible, Hibari-sensei. After all, if you haven't found more of her symptoms, maybe she won't be cured from her disease." And not to mention will permanently lose her sense of hearing.
"What are you talking about, herbivore?" He growled as he was sitting down to his desk. "Have you listened to me just now? It's a genetic disease." When he noticed Tsuna's face who showed a "What?" look he sighed."I just stopped the progression but that didn't mean that she was cured from Von Hippel-Lindau. If given more proper observations then, we can be sure that we can stop certain tumors that can become harmful to her body."
"I see…" Tsuna was oblivious to these words but he was sure glad that this doctor had saved her on time. It was a difficult surgery, yet he did it with ease. No wonder he was a famous doctor all over Japan.
Then a thought hit him, his eyes brightened at that thought as he beamed at the doctor, who was…well, being stiff as he normally was. "That's it! Hibari-sensei, I might know how to bring me back to my own body!"
This time this taken back the doctor as he looked mildly surprised at the declaration.
"Operate me! That's what it is! You are going to operate me and see the cause of my comatose state! I'm sure there is something wrong with me!"
"What?" It seemed that Hibari was unconvinced.
"There must be a reason why you can see and hear me. More so, when you also inflicted pain in me. So perhaps it had something to do you with you as a doctor, right? So operate me."
"Hn."
"You can't?"
He crossed his arms as he gave a fierce glare at the brunette, "Are you doubting me after all that praise from you. You are indeed a hypocrite, herbivore." He grinned a bit when he saw how the brunette frowned at that statement.
"If this is the only way to keep you away from disturbing the peace and order I established then I give what I see fit."
So did that mean he would do it? Well, it didn't matter for Tsuna cause obviously for some reason Hibari wasn't against this.
"Thank you, Hibari-sensei!" he smiled, almost tearfully from the thought of this blissful news. With great determination, he thrust himself up, clasping his hands as he leaned in front of the doctor. "If there's anything, anything at all with my power, to repay you, please do tell!"
"Oh?" There was glint of mischief in the way he looked at the brunette who sadly, didn't realize what would come next. "You mean what you offer?"
"Really." Again, Tsuna wasn't aware of the thoughts running through the doctor's mind.
"Since you put it this way," he said, while grinning. And this time, Tsuna felt regrettable for such an inviting declaration as he felt the chill throughout his office. Funny, Hibari didn't turn the air-conditioner, surely it won't feel this cold so suddenly. "After being a sudden nuisance to this surgery, I will bite you until you are deader than you are now." He gave that darkening smirk as tonfas from out of nowhere came to view.
"Hieee!"
Wait, seriously. Where did those tonfas come from anyways?
"Now, you won't mind being my stress reliever?"
Tsuna flinched, blood seemed to leave him as he was pale as a paper sheet. He wouldn't dare to tackle him in his own office, right?
Right?
Hieee!
Oh how wrong you are, Tsuna.
….
Okay, so I made a mistake for delaying this due to this sudden thought of a good operation (which I failed epically with just Tsuna's POV when it came… I will definitely write an awesome operation someday) and I realize how silly of me to put it this way without any plans at all. And for delaying this, I am really sorry about that. Actually, I have no real intentions of focusing the hospital theme in this story. Since this is an 1827 story mixed with a supernatural phenomenon, I don't think operations will be mixed here in the story….unless if necessary. And err…besides I have no knowledge or experience towards the hospital life. All these were based from what I see from movies, some of my rare visits to the hospital and the Trauma Team that I played (which I recommend by the way!) So let's say this chapter shows who Hibari was as a doctor. Hope I really DIDN'T make him OOC. DX
The misconception between Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome and oligodendroglial tumor did happen from an article that I read. In reality, Von Hippel-Lindau is a disease difficult to depict due its very extremely rare occurrence in life. Thus, only doctors who have high knowledge and incredible analysis can tell the difference.
But I was wondering, did I have any misconceptions towards the diseases? :/
Anyways, R & R?