The door opened and a drenched Natsume stepped into the hospital room. His wet hair fell into his pained and exhausted eyes. He wore a slightly thoughtful expression. He had blood smeared on the side of his face from a new cut on his cheek. They all noticed the blood on his hand and assumed he had tried to wipe to blood off of his face. Every one of them looked relieved at him.
"Natsume!" Tsubasa said a mixture of emotions ran in his voice. Relief, worry, guilt, anger. "What happened? Are you okay?"
Natsume looked at Tsubasa from top to bottom searching for any wounds, he was relieved when he didn't find any. "I'm fine." He answered Tsubasa.
It was what all had expected Natsume to say and Tsubasa knew he wouldn't get any answers from Natsume about what had happened down in that basement. He also knew that Natsume wasn't fine, but then again he never was. Tsubasa had found that always, if you looked deep enough, you could see the everlasting pain that always lingered in his eyes. It was from something Tsubasa was powerless to stop, his alice. But now he was in a lot of pain everyone noticed that, they also saw the exhaustion and the slight shaking of his hands. They were afraid he would collapse at any moment.
Subaru, always the doctor, got out of his chair and steered Natsume toward it. Natsume sat down. The lack of protest let them all know how tired he really was.
Natsume sat unmoving while Subaru cleaned the cut on his cheek and put a Band-Aid over it.
"Natsume?" Misaki said. Natsume looked over at her. "Thank you for getting us out of there and thank you for taking care of Tsubasa."
Natsume shrugged and asked, "How long had you been down there?"
"Maybe an hour, I don't know how long Tsubasa had been there." Misaki said.
Natsume looked towards Tsubasa.
Tsubasa answered, "Since yesterday. I found him standing by your bedside. He was probably going to wake you or maybe even take you. But when I came in he must have decided just to make do with me. I've never tried to report to him before." Tsubasa finished absentmindedly.
Subaru startled Natsume by suddenly touching chest. Natsume's eyes jerked from Tsubasa to Subaru.
"Calm down." Subaru told him, when he felt Natsume heart beat erratically against his hand. "You're bandages are drenched."
Subaru walked from Natsume to a small closet that was in the room. He pulled out some clothes and threw them to Natsume.
"Get yourself dried up. Call me when you need me to change your bandages. It won't do your wounds good to be soaked." Subaru said and opened the bathroom door for him. Natsume stood up swaying, he had no wish to obey him but found that right now he didn't have the strength to argue.
After some time Natsume called Subaru. Subaru went in and left the others silent in the room. Even though they weren't in there they could still here Subaru muttering to Natsume, though it was probably something he didn't want or didn't expect them to hear.
"You just had to go after them into the rain, and ruining all the work I had done. Only just woken up and you already pushed your body over its limits?"
"It was necessary." They heard Natsume whisper.
They were silent for a while, until Subaru muttered: "Did he hit you in the ribs?"
They didn't hear Natsume's reply but everyone assumed that Persona had.
"Why do you always force yourself to look strong when you're in this much pain Natsume?" They heard Subaru whisper.
They heard Natsume cough a couple of times, but no reply. They could hear Subaru opening some cupboards being opened and water running.
"Here drink this." Subaru muttered.
After some time Subaru came out of the bathroom with a grim expression on his face.
Tsubasa hesitated but asked him, "Is Natsume okay?"
"What du you think?" Subaru said solemnly.
"Is there anything we can do?" Tsubasa asked.
Subaru passed his hand over his forehead and said, "You can leave, so he can get some rest."
Before Tsubasa got a chance to reply they all heard coughing coming from inside the bathroom.
"Goddammit!" Subaru exclaimed before hurrying into the bathroom. He closed the door firmly behind him, so no one followed him inside.
"Come on Natsume." They heard him say after Natsume's coughing grew more violent.
It was excruciating for Tsubasa, Misaki and Narumi to stand outside and hear Natsume's coughing, knowing that he was probably fighting for his life in there.
As the coughing dimmed they began to hear gasps for air instead.
"Come on Natsume. Breathe." They heard Subaru coax, "That's it come on. I know that it hurts Natsume, but keep breathing."
Natsume's gasping gradually became less and less.
"That's it." Subaru whispered, "How long has it been since you have taken the pills?"
"…A week…" Natsume murmured painfully.
"…Keep holding onto that necklace. I'm going to get the pills and while I do that I'm going to leave Narumi in here with you. Don't you dare loose consciousness when I'm not here!" Subaru stormed out of the bathroom.
He, with meaning to, left the door open enough for them to see Natsume curled up on the floor deathly pale.
"Narumi you've been trained in first aid right?" When Narumi nodded Subaru continued, "Go in there and make sure he's alive when I come back. Okay?"
Narumi nodded.
Subaru turned to Misaki and Tsubasa, "Go back to the dorms."
Tsubasa shook his head, "Not until I know he's okay."
Subaru sighed, "Then sit in the hallway, I don't have time for this." Subaru walked quickly out of the room to get the pills for Natsume.
Tsubasa and Misaki went out and sat in the hall just like he had said.