A/N: I'm not sure if Kotoko's treatment is making any sense at all. I hope it does. Thank you so much everyone.. :)
Kotoko's disease, diagnosis, causes, symptoms, treatment- everything is written out of imagination which does not have any logical explanation.
Restlessness
(Naoki POV)
I dropped the phone on the table. I just talked to Kotoko. She seemed worried for some reason. She said it was work. It was good to see her so much engrossed in her work but it still had some kind of bitter taste. Because she is so busy now a day with her work and studies that she rarely calls me. I kind of miss her pestering me all the time. My eyes fell on the unused spare key of the apartment I collected for her. But she never came to Kobe after I got it. I sighed. Maybe that's because I'm less busy now. I'm done with my research and it was already published this week. A conference is going to be held next month in Kobe. All the renowned doctors from around the entire Japan will attend it. I informed Kotoko about the completion of my research. But what I didn't tell her is that I will be moving back to Tokyo soon. I finished my studies and got a degree on the pediatrics dropping few of my courses. Dropping out of those courses won't matter much except that I will have fewer credits. But who cares. I also decided to stop working at Kobe. It already has been a year since I last saw my wife. Since she doesn't have any intention to move to Kobe, and her work won't allow it either, then I should return home. Oka-san complained last month that Kotoko is over-working herself. She doesn't rest or eat properly and falls ill from time to time. I had no idea that she gets sick frequently. Probably she avoids calling or answering me during that time. I wanted to visit home right after I got the call from oka-san but then I delayed and decided to move back permanently. I can visit Kobe for 3-4 days next month for the conference. There is no need for me to stay anymore. 'See you soon wifey.' A smile crept on my face.
...
(Kotoko POV)
I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. I kept panting for a while. It was a nightmare. Nightmares are nothing new to me anymore. It's been a while since I keep having bad dreams and keep waking up at nights. Those dreams are meaningless but they clearly reflect my thoughts and stress. Either my father is crying for me or my mother calling me. Oka-san, otou-san, Yuki-kun, Jinko, Satomi, Kin-chan- everyone visits me in the dream from time to time. Sometimes they accuse me for not sharing my condition with them and the other time they either cry or look sad. But I see Irie-kun almost every day. His sad expression or shocked face, either one is enough to agonize me even in my sleep. I went down into the kitchen to drink some water. My water bottle was empty and I again forgot to bring more water with me after dinner.
I leaned on the fridge and drank some water. My head was hurting so much. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep now so I went to the balcony for some fresh air. I was really worried about the treatment progress. Some new complexity aroused into the treatment. The medicines that were being used to destroy the Neuroshia cells started to have less effect on me. The last 2 therapy did not clear all the Neuroshia cells from my blood. That is dangerous because access presence of these cells in blood interrupts the blood supply in brain. Hence the brain gets deprived of oxygen and nutrients which ultimately can result the brain cell to die. Since the medicine used in the therapy weren't working properly so I needed more powerful medicines. But powerful medicines have too many side effects on me. I already fainted 4 times since last month. Twice I fainted at the Hope and once at home in my bedroom where I was unfortunately discovered by Yuki-kun. It was my day off and I studied the whole morning. He came in my room to call me down for lunch but he found me on the floor unconscious. Thankfully no one else was at home. He picked me and put me on the bed. It wasn't hard as I was much lighter than I used to be. Yuki-kun had sprinkled some water on my face. The touch of the cold water droplets helped me get my senses. I saw his worried face hovering over me in confusion.
"Yuki-kun, what happened?"
"Baka! You scared the hell out of me." He exhaled a deep breath.
"I fainted?" Dreading it that I did. I sat up leaning on the headrest.
"Yes you did. Why do you go biting off more than you can chew?" He was angry.
"I'm sorry? I what?" I was confused. He sighed.
"Why do you over work yourself? You should take rest."
"Oh..." I smiled. "Don't' worry, I am fine. Thank you Yuki-kun."
"I called oni-chan but he didn't receive."
"You did WHAT?" I was so shocked that I nearly shouted.
"Baka! Keep your voice down." He scolded again.
I swallowed. I was so glad maybe for the first time that Irie-kun never answers his calls on time.
"Yuki-kun, please don't tell him. Not only him, please don't tell anyone at home. They will worry too much." I pleaded him. He raised a brow.
"Well..." He started to say something but I cut him.
"Look, I am really fine. I read too much this morning and it made me dizzy." I grinned to assure him.
"Fine, if you say so." He believed it and decided to let it go. But what touched me was that he cooked lunch for me that day and told me to rest. He scolded when I tried to help. For the infinite times, 'I love this family'!
The other time was in the street. I was taken into the Hope emergency since I wear my nursing ID whenever I go out. 'Please contact the Neuro-Hope Hospital for any emergency' was written on the backside of my ID. This is just a precaution to make sure that I was taken into the Hope and not in any other hospital. I also put Hana and Mio as my emergency contact so that in emergency other people will call them and not at home. Dr. Ayano said I needed to get admitted into the hospital for longer period of time during the therapy as my body will get weaker if I switch to powerful medicines. But I'm delaying the switch because I don't know how to explain that at home about my longer staying in the hospital. That will be really weird if I tell them I am going to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks straight on duty! This is insane. I don't know what to do anymore. I went back to my room hoping I will get some sleep.
...
(Naoki POV)
I did exactly like I decided. Within a week I managed everything and left Kobe to return to Tokyo. I didn't inform home before I left. I didn't need oka-san to make a big deal out of it. It was 6 o'clock in the evening when I reached home. Oka-san and Yuki were surprised to see me. Oka-san literally jumped up and down and hugged me. Otou-san's and Kotoko were at work. Oka-san called Kotoko several times but she did not answer.
"Why is Kotoko-chan not answering?"
"Stop calling her, she won't answer." I told oka-san as I suddenly remembered Kotoko will be busy today. Her patient had therapy yesterday and she is on duty for 2 days straight.
"Why?" Oka-san was surprised.
"She must be busy with her patient. She had therapy yesterday." I got up from the sofa to go upstairs.
"Oh yes. I forgot. Kotoko-chan is going to be sick again." She said sadly.
"Sick again? What do you mean?" I stopped at the base of the stairs.
"She always gets fever after the therapy of her research patient. I didn't notice the pattern until Yuki mentioned it the month before last. Kotoko-chan assured its nothing but yet she had fever last month."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I was surprised by the fact that none of them told me anything.
"I would have if she gets fever this month too."
I nodded my head thinking what was going on. I went to upstairs into our bedroom. The whole room was tied up except the table which had several messed stacks of papers, files and books on it. I went near it and kept my handbag on the chair and my luggage near the chair. Then I opened our closet to get my cloths. I needed a bath. I went down before dinner and met otou-sans. They were very happy knowing that I returned.
"Are you done with your research work?" My father asked me.
"Yes. It was published this month."
"So you won't be returning to Kobe, right?" Kotoko's father asked.
"Yes, I'm officially done with Kobe. But I will have to visit Kobe for 3 or 4 days next month. A conference will be held there for all the research works around the Japan."
"Wow that sounds something big." Yuki said.
"It is." I replied to him.
"It's good to know you are back son." Otou-san (Kotoko's father) said. I looked up at him. "Kotoko misses you so much. She must be working too hard just to keep her mind busy so that she won't miss you." He sighed.
I felt bad and looked down. I miss her too... a lot. But where is she? I glanced up at the clock. It was nearly dinner time. I sighed. Now the only person who was yet to know about my sudden arrival was my wife who I was eagerly waiting for.