Part 31: Yukari
Ibaraki Route 2
Ooarai City
To call Yukari Akiyama apprehensive would be an understatement.
The previous night, when she and Miho had heard that Isuzu was awake, the Commander immediately offered the idea to visit her the next day. Akiyama had of course agreed, given the atmosphere of the night, and that she hadn't really thought about it. Now, she was seated alone in the backseat of Reizei's car, while Miho rode shotgun with Mako. The pair's conversations were sporadic, and none of them included Yukari, a fact she was likely massively overthinking.
Yukari attempted to distract herself by rereading the letter attached to the flower bouquet at her side, a tactic that very quickly failed. Instead, she glanced over her shoulder and watched the Ooarai carrier, the most prominent fixture of the town's skyline, at least when she was in port.
"What do you say to one of your closest friends after she tries to commit seppuku?"
The troubled Loader didn't get a chance to answer that question, as the hospital soon came into view. A large green cross on a white background to the left, and a parking attendant on the right. The man in a reflective jacket waved at Mako and asked where the girls were going.
"Visiting." Reizei answered flatly. The attendant pointed his red stick forward and explained where the parking area was. Mako nodded along, but she already knew the layout. She and her grandmother were frequent flyers after all.
Parking and exiting the car, the Ankou trio made their way through the main entrance. Before being able to speak to the woman at the nurse's station, a voice called out to the girls. Yukari turned her head first, and visibly tensed when she spotted Takebe jogging down the long hallway.
"Hey, guys." Saori quickly moved in for the hugs, but didn't seem to notice Akiyama's hesitance. "Hana's room is this way."
"How is she?" Miho asked as they began walking.
"When we first got here, it was touch and go. She took a bunch of the pain meds that she got at Saunders." Saori guided the group around doctors and nurses going about their daily routines. "It seems like afterward, she had second thoughts, and she even said so. But she passed out before getting everything up." Yukari allowed herself to drift to the back, letting Reizei pass her. "Like I said the other night, Shinzaburo was the one who found her. Other than me, he's been here the most. Yuri stayed here last night, but had to return to the flower shop today."
"Speaking of…" Mako threw a thumb over her shoulder. Saori followed it and saw Yukari carrying the large flower bouquet. "Oh, I almost didn't see those! Very nice, Yukarin."
Yukari smiled weakly, then looked down at the floor again. The flowers had been her idea, and she was glad for Takebe's approval, but she was still impossibly nervous about how the visit was going to play out.
Something, contrary to her belief, Saori had noticed.
"Right through here." The Radio Operator pointed at a large, wooden door. Miho took the lead inside, with Mako close behind, but before Yukari could follow, Saori turned around to face her.
"Are you okay, Yukarin?"
Akiyama opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Eyes darting around, she caught sight of Hana through the closing doorway. She happily embraced Reizei in a hug, before the door closed all the way. Eventually, she let out a sigh and let her head fall.
"I just… I haven't… spoken to Isuzu in a while. I know she forgave me at Saunders, but… I'm not sure… how she feels about me." Yukari glanced at the flowers in her hands. "Which, in a different context, could have an entirely different meaning."
Saori broke into a fit of giggles, and Yukari even chuckled at her own joke for a moment. It took a few breaths to regain her composure. "Yukarin. I promise you don't have anything to worry about. Hana actually talks about you quite alot." She gestured to the closed door, where some muffled chattering and laughter could be heard. "Whenever she does, it's in the form of telling a tale of selfless bravery, with lots of quick thinking. It may not be my place to say it, but she feels eternally grateful to you. You saved her life that day. Who knows what else that interrogator was planning to do to her?"
Takebe's words sounded true enough. She had always been rather charismatic. Fitting, given her position on the team. Yukari took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling as she let it out.
"You're right. I'm… seriously overthinking all of this, aren't I?" The Loader said finally. Her friend smiled.
"I almost feel bad for saying it, but, yes you are. Now. Let's go allow Hana to meet her knight in shining armor." Saori grinned, taking the lead towards the door.
"...so now we have another Freshman tear-assing around the carrier." Mako concluded, eliciting a giggle from Isuzu and a hearty laugh from Shinzaburo. Nishizumi herself had been surprised at the news that Aya had acquired a sparkling new sports car, but wasn't surprised to learn that Sawa was involved. At the conclusion of an earlier conversation, Yukari had said that the only person on the team more selfless than Miho was Azusa.
Miho took some time to study her bed-ridden friend. It had been nearly a week since Hana's breakdown, but she was already showing signs of improvement. A lunch tray, that Shinzaburo had said once contained a large sandwich, potato chips and a handful of cookies, was completely barren. On the nightstand was a large card full to the brim with signatures from the team, and Hana's other school friends, all of them extending wishes for good health and a quick recovery. Isuzu herself looked somewhat better than she had the night of the party. While she still appeared thin, and had dark bags under her eyes, she was smiling. For the first time in weeks.
"Do we have room for one more in here?" Miho turned her head when she heard Takebe's voice. From the doorway, the ginger girl entered and stepped to the side, allowing Yukari to come in. The Commander shot a glance at Hana, who's previously tired but happy face lit up.
"Yukari." Hana said, her eyes beaming. "You're here."
"Of course." When Akiyama approached, Isuzu embraced her tightly. As much as she could, given that she was still connected to a heart monitor and an IV stand. The hug further erased any doubts Yukari had, which encouraged her to hand over the bouquet when Hana loosened her grip.
"These are for you." The Gunner looked over the bundle with her Ikebana eye. There was a cluster of wisteria, her personal favorite. Pink roses and olive flowers were arranged in circles, leading her to believe that Saori and Mako may have played a part in the selection. What caught her eye the most was Yukari's dandelions mixed in with a clutch of lily-of-the-valley.
"They're beautiful, but…" Hana began. "Lily-of-the-valley represents an apology." She looked up at Yukari with a curious expression. "What is the apology for?" Akiyama shuffled her feet.
"For the position you're in." She said sheepishly. "And the… part I played in putting you there."
"Yukari-san." Hana set the bouquet aside. "I promise you that you have nothing to do with me being here. Unless… one were to count the fact that I wouldn't be if you hadn't rescued me, because I would likely be dead. Nobody here is responsible for this." She looked down at her bed. "I was merely in a very bad place, both mentally and emotionally. Somehow, I did not take into account the support network I have, filled with the best, most wonderful friends anyone could ask for." Hana made eye contact with everyone individually. "If it was not for the actions of everyone in this room, I would not be here today." Her steel gray eyes began to mist over. "So, if anything, I should be the one apolo-"
Before she could finish the statement, Yukari stepped forward and firmly locked her hand to her shoulder.
"Don't you dare apologize, Hana." She ordered. "As you said. Nobody in this room is the cause of this. That includes you."
Isuzu pulled her friend in for another hug. Doing so made the both of them miss Miho, Mako and Saori smiling at each other.
A/N: Safe to say that Yukari and Hana have made up. Or rather, Yukari has made up with herself
We're wrapping up here. I'm looking forward to putting a nice pretty bow on it all, complete with the fates of a few of our friends from Pravda
Questions or critiques? The comments section and DMs are open!
As always, thanks for reading