A/N: More flashback! Also, thank you to those who reviewed!

To Ku lassa: Thank you! The part with Himuro and Nijimura was written in Replace V, a light novel series for KnB. It's not in the manga, but the author/artist of KnB illustrated it, so you could say it's canon. Kind of like an omake :)

AspergianStoryteller: Exactlyyy it's definitely a real danger and a troublesome issue, and I'll be touching on that in the following chapters soon.

Fiammie: Yess we'll see more of that in the next couple of chapters, and also some of Nijimura's stubbornness haha. The miracle bbs still pretty much regard him the same way they did back when they were in Teikou, so it's nice to bring back that side of them in the present time.

Saturday

Akashi was never the superstitious type—no, that was Shintarou's particular foible—but there was something quite ominous in the way one of his teacups cracked and fell apart at the handle. The subsequent ringing of his phone a second later had him raising an eyebrow, and he set aside the broken ceramic to answer the call—it was from one of their branch hospitals in Tokyo.

"A-Akashi-sama?" a tentative voice came. "We understand that you have requested that we inform you of a specific patient to be admitted here—"

Akashi squinted at his shattered teacup. Tokyo was where Tetsuya, Shintarou, and Daiki stayed. Or maybe Nijimura-san's father—

"—so I've called to inform you of a Nijimura Shuuzou that was brought into the emergency room roughly…thirty-five minutes ago."

He stilled, his grip on the phone tight. "Could you repeat that? The name of the patient."

"N-Nijimura Shuuzou."

Akashi tensed, his voice going sharp as he muffled the urgency he started feeling. "What happened? What is his condition?"

An audible gulp could be heard from the other end. "He apparently collapsed during work and was rushed to the ER. He's running a high fever and is having difficulty breathing, so we've put him on a respirator. We still don't have full details on his condition so we'll be running some tests first before getting the final diagnosis."

Akashi was mentally putting together the scarce bits of information he was told and ran a list of the possible conclusions that could be drawn. He shut his eyes and gathered his thoughts—he can't be certain of anything until he hears from the doctors themselves. As of the moment, only one thing needed to be assured of. "Is there any danger to his life?"

The caller hesitated. "H-he's in serious condition but we're bringing in our best nurses and doctors as you previously requested—"

"Is there any danger to his life?" Akashi repeated.

"N-no. No. He'll make it. We'll make sure of it."

Akashi released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Good. Contact me if anything comes up. I will be there as soon as possible."

"Y-you'll what—"

Akashi ended the call and immediately dialed another number, keeping the phone to his ear as he moved to the wall phone and pressed a finger over the call button.

"Seijuurou-sama?" a man's voice spoke.

"I need a ride to Tokyo," Akashi simply announced.

"Understood. The car will be waiting at the front gate."

"Thank you."

On his cellphone, the receiver picked up, and a low voice answered. "Akashi?"

"Shintarou," Akashi said, pulling on a coat as he headed to the door. "I need you to pay a visit to the hospital."

A pause. "What happened?"

"It's Nijimura-senpai,"Akashi answered.

"Nijimura—not his father?"

"No. He was rushed to the emergency room after collapsing at work. I'll explain the details later. It'll be at least an hour before I get there." Akashi found his car humming at the front gate, and nodded to the driver as he went in.

"Alright," Shintarou said, swallowing. Akashi could hear the rustle of clothes on the other end. "I'll be there in a few minutes. I'll tell the others, too."

"Please do. I'll inform Atsushi. I will also tell the staff that you're coming."

"Okay. I'll see you."

After he had swiftly called all he needed to call, Akashi settled against the cushion of the seats, leaning his head back and exhaling. Something heavy seemed to have seeped under his skin, and he was only vaguely aware of a growing dread weighting over him, making his body tense with anticipation. He had hoped he wouldn't hear anything come up with Nijimura-san's father, but he had prepared for it just in case. He just didn't expect it to have actually been Nijimura-san instead of his father, and not in the way that he came in.

The ride was far too long, so Akashi busied himself with more calls, and by the time they were rounding the corner to the hospital, he had already gathered enough information to more or less understand Nijimura's situation, and stubbornly narrowed out a list of diagnoses from what he'd put together. He was ushered and filled in on details he already knew—Nijimura had collapsed unconscious at the karate dojo he was working as an assistant instructor in, and was brought to the emergency room while under a high fever and difficulty breathing. Fatigue seemed to be the primary suspect of his collapse, and he had apparently continued overworking himself for consecutive days without paying attention to a growing illness. The test results were incomplete, but they had hooked him up to an IV drip and respirator and kept his condition from getting worse, although he wasn't out of the woods just yet.

Akashi felt a tinge of anger at Nijimura-san's lack of a sense of self-preservation, thinking about how he filled in for his co-workers and put out extra time to train his karate students and supported his family practically all on his own. Akashi let out an exasperated sigh and made a mental note to bring it up with Nijimura-san later. But first: he has to recover.

At the waiting room, Shintarou, Tetsuya, and Daiki had gathered, and all looked up as he approached, worry creasing their brows. There was small relief upon seeing their faces, and Akashi had half a mind to sit beside them but thought against it—he felt like he may crumple at the seat under the weight that had settled over him. Instead, he remained standing, and regarded them all with a nod.

"The doctor says its pneumonia," Shintarou spoke, tone grave and strained. "And fatigue."

Akashi briefly closed his eyes. Pneumonia. It was one of his top guesses, and one he had hoped wouldn't be the case. "What's his current status?"

"Stable, but still not well enough. They say it's actually lucky he collapsed," Shintarou grimaced. "Or else it might have been too late."

The dread that was barely hanging over Akashi felt like it had dropped right there, and it was the heaviest feeling, realizing that he had been so close to—to losing someone, and almost as abruptly as the call that had brought him there.

To one side, Daiki was bent down on his seat, elbows resting on his knees, fingers entwined together so tight that his fingertips were white. Tetsuya stood nearby, and looked at Akashi with solemn eyes, quiet. Akashi moved to stand beside him, closest to the door of Nijimura-san's hospital, and crossed his arms over his chest as he waited. Ryouta appeared not long after, and both Akashi and Shintarou explained the situation to him. He understood immediately, and huffed out a breath as he sat beside Daiki in a slouch, covering his eyes with his forearm. And it was the first time since Akashi came that Daiki had moved when he put an arm around Ryouta's shoulders—but for whose comfort exactly, Akashi wasn't sure.

The sliding of the door snapped them all out of their stillness, alert. Two nurses and a doctor stepped out, and bowed slightly when they saw Akashi.

"How is he?" Daiki was first to speak.

"He's still running a high fever, but we've given him some medication," the doctor said. "We've also given him some sedatives since we've put him on a respirator, and so that the pain in his chest eases a little bit. It looks like he's been in bad condition for a while, but right now it all depends on how strong he is for him to recover."

Daiki gritted his teeth, Shintarou clenched his fists, and both Tetsuya and Ryouta just stared. Akashi gave a stiff nod, and a beat passed before he spoke, "Can we see him?"

The doctor flinched under Akashi's gaze, pursing his lips. "I'm afraid not. He's different kinds of contagious right now, and he's asleep—probably will be for a few hours—so I think it's better to visit when he's better, and safer."

Akashi nodded again, slowly, and fought the urge to argue. "Alright. Thank you, doctor. Please inform me if there are any developments."

The doctor let out a breath, and then pulled his expression into an accommodating smile. "Will do, Akashi-san. If you'll excuse me, then…"

He gave a rather confused bow and left, nurses shuffling behind him and bowing to Akashi agitatedly. When their footsteps faded into the elevators, Akashi moved towards Nijimura-san's door.

Shintarou pushed up his glasses. "The doctor just said—"

"I know," Akashi said, and he sounded stronger than he felt. "I'm just taking a look."

He leaned against the door and peered through a small gap he pulled open. Inside, lying slightly inclined on the hospital bed, Nijimura-san slept, a faint knot on his brow as he breathed through a respirator mask, chest rising and falling more heavily than normal. He was pale, and despite his muscular build, he looked limp and weak, especially with an IV drip attached to his left hand. Akashi watched the rise and fall of his chest for a few more beats before pulling away and shutting the door. He closed his eyes and sighed, and then turned to look at his companions, all of them looking stressed and tense with anxiety. Akashi hoped he didn't look as worn out as he felt, and straightened his back to regard his former teammates.

"You heard what the doctor said," he announced. "We can visit again tomorrow. For now, we have to do what we can."

"What do you mean?" Ryouta said, eyes ragged around the edges.

"I'm sure you heard—that Nijimura-san collapsed during one of his part-time jobs," Akashi stated. "He has a total of three part-time jobs, so we'll have to do something about that while he's hospitalized."

"Three?" Ryouta exclaimed.

"What the hell," Daiki muttered. "That dumbass."

"I share the same sentiments," Akashi said, finding Daiki's remark rather appropriate, despite everything. "But in any case, he has a shift at a nearby restaurant in a few hours. I'll go there and sort things out."

"I'm going with you," Shintarou said, straightening up.

"Me too," Daiki stood up.

"You said three jobs right? Then we'll need as much people as possible," Ryouta let out a sigh.

Akashi stared at them, then felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to find Tetsuya looking straight at him, with that unwavering gaze that shined with a kind determination that didn't take no for an answer. "We'll all go."

Akashi thought of arguing, but rather felt more relieved. He gave a nod, glancing at Nijimura-san's door, and then turned, the others following behind him.

They ran into Atsushi and his teammate—Himuro Tatsuya—at the entrance to the hospital. Himuro was apparently a friend to Nijimura-san, having met sometime after middle school in Los Angeles. Akashi nodded at him, remembering how Nijimura-san had moved to LA briefly because of his father's treatment there. They told them what they knew, and Akashi explained the details of Nijimura-san's situation—that he had three part-time jobs: after school hours at a fitness center serving as a personal trainer and occasional front desk receptionist, a night shift at a restaurant nearby, and an assistant karate instructor on weekends. At the same time, he was a second year high school student, and took care of his younger siblings while his father was getting treatment abroad.

They had heard it already, but they still grimaced at the weight of all of Nijimura's burdens. They tackled the restaurant first, explaining the situation to the boss, who was fortunately accommodating enough to understand. Ryouta volunteered himself to fill in for Nijimura-san, which the boss wasn't too keen on—though when Ryouta displayed his copying abilities, he changed his mind shortly. Daiki stepped up and volunteered himself for the job as well, explaining that he lived closer, and would rather be able to get to the hospital if anything came up, while still having either him or Kise to do the job. Akashi was taken by the logic in Daiki's decision and pushed for it, giving his own arguments that left more benefit to the restaurant than disadvantages, and had the boss agreeing fully in no time.

Tetsuya and Shintarou had a match of rock-paper-scissors to determine the appointments they'd fill in for at the fitness center, arguing against Akashi that Kyoto was too far away for him to take any of Nijimura-san's jobs. Shintarou emerged as the victor in taking the hours that didn't overlap with basketball practice, and they went through a crash course and tour of the center, the managers somehow unable to fight back against Akashi's persuasion.

The group had argued over who would watch over Nijimura, and when. Himuro and Atsushi asserted their concerns over that issue, and Akashi did not accept any opposition against doing the same. They managed to come up with some form of shift schedule for the task, and both Himuro and Akashi agreed to handle the school-related bits that Nijimura will likely miss.

They ended up returning to the hospital after the sun had set, getting word that Nijimura was stabilizing and breathing more normally, albeit still running a high fever. Momoi showed up then, and told them that she'd gone to Nijimura-san's place and worked things out with his siblings. They had another debate on who would stay at the hospital for the night, and Himuro asserted his seniority, but neither Daiki nor Akashi let up, and luckily Akashi's influence (and probably his piercing glare) had allowed for it to happen that the three of them would stay.

They had settled into the hospital room after taking a light dinner, and Shintarou and Ryouta tiredly left, making promises to visit again as soon as they could. Tetsuya lagged behind them, and fixed both Akashi and Daiki a look, regarding them with a firm yet gentle stare.

"Get some rest, Aomine-kun, Akashi-kun."

Akashi noticed Daiki's eyes soften, and they both nodded. "You too."

Tetsuya slowly nodded, bowing slightly to Himuro. "You too, Himuro-san."

Himuro smiled at him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Tetsuya gave a small smile, and then quietly closed the door as he left.

Akashi let out a sigh, allowing himself to relax his shoulders and slump. Across him, Himuro was staring at Nijimura, and how the fog of his breathing faded in and out against the respirator. Beside Himuro, Daiki was watching the rise and fall of Nijimura-san's chest, and Akashi found himself doing the same, feeling greatly comforted over the assurance that Nijimura-san was right there, alive.

It was a strange thing, Akashi thought, for him to have encountered Nijimura-san again in this manner. It had been more than a year since he'd last seen him, not since he'd graduated from Teikou and the basketball club after they had won their second championship in a row. Akashi didn't put much thought in seeing him again—although he had hoped that it would be on the court someday—and it struck him now that he had come so close to never seeing him again—his scoff or quick temper or heedless violence, and those determined and unrelenting eyes that never wavered. Akashi vaguely realized that it meant something to him if that would happen, and wasn't sure he understood the feeling.

Akashi busied himself with trying to figure it out, watching Himuro and Daiki's somewhat distant concentration. He followed Himuro's gaze, which landed on Nijimura-san's face, and he felt a strange prick in his chest at seeing his brows furrowed in pain, breaths coming in both weak and strained. It was different from seeing people injured in the court—this was someone he realized he didn't want to see hurt, just as he'd felt anger when Tetsuya was elbowed in the head by one of the Kamata West twins, or when Shougo pulled that stunt against Ryouta during their Winter Cup match. This was someone he'd once called 'captain' and followed for years, one of the few he would openly respect, and for more reasons than just basketball.

When Nijimura's breathing deepened and his eyes fluttered just barely open, the puzzle in Akashi's head snapped into place as he stood in alert. The heart rate monitor to the side was beeping more noticeably, and the three of them in the room had snapped up and watched, anxious. Nijimura's eyes were glazed, flickering between staying awake and succumbing to sleep, and his body tensed as he shook, shivering against a shaking chill that swept over him. Akashi moved without thinking, pulling up his blanket and solidly resting his hand on his shoulder, not sure of what else to do. The shaking faded slightly, and Nijimura's head moved just a bit, his steely eyes peeking from under his lashes, glassy and yet looking straight at Akashi. His breathing evened out somewhat, though his chest rose and fell heavily, and Akashi felt tethered to their locked eyes, and after a moment, Nijimura's eyes fluttered shut, body shaking again against an inner chill. Himuro held Nijimura's tense hand, concern washing over his features, and exhaled when the shaking ceased. Daiki did the same, collapsing back on his seat beside him.

Akashi stood frozen where he was, watching the rise and fall of Nijimura-san's chest. He felt strained, and forced himself to sit back. "Shaking chills," Akashi spoke, pulling out a handkerchief. "It's going to happen quite often, at least until his fever goes down."

Himuro sighed, resting his head on the hand that held Nijimura's. "That scared me."

He didn't say it out loud, but Akashi felt the same. He looked at Nijimura again and found comfort in his rhythmic breathing, and lightly dabbed his handkerchief on his former-captain's forehead, clearing away the sweat from his face. He just continued to watch him, almost counting the beats of his breaths, until he'd felt his eyelids go heavy. He heaved himself up and closed the room lights, finding that Himuro had fallen asleep with his head next to Nijimura's hand, his own just lightly resting on top of it. Beside him, Daiki was quietly snoring, arms crossed over his chest. Akashi tugged on his jacket and pulled it over Daiki, shrugging off his own jacket to roll it up into a small pillow and put it behind Daiki's head, letting him rest more comfortably and keep his neck from going stiff.

Akashi settled back on his seat and exhaled, rolling his shoulders to release the tension that had built up. He went back to watching Nijimura-san breathe, letting it dawn on himself that what he'd rarely felt was something he experienced with his former teammates, and something that made him move almost on instinct, even without thought for any recompense. As he found comfort in seeing Daiki's softened expression, and in Nijimura-san's gentle breathing, he felt himself feeling protective over them. He realized that he cared for them, at least in his own way. And as he closed his eyes, feeling at ease at knowing that, he fell asleep to the sound of breathing.

[tbc]

A/N: More flashback in the next chapter! Again, thank you for the faves, follows, and reviews! They are always appreciated :)