Awaiting Haru's response, Yasushi's jaw clenched, his muscles tightening as he fought to control the rage threatening to consume him. The heart monitor's beeping grew more frantic, its rapid tempo a staccato counterpoint to the pounding of his heart.
Haru remained silent, his expression carefully neutral in observation of Yasushi's intense reactions. Choosing his next words with care, he took a deep breath."Yasushi… I'll explain everything that's happened these past several months. But first, you need to be checked out."
He reached over to the side of the bed, his fingers pressing the nursing button near the heart monitor. The soft chime of the alarm pinged through the room, alerting the medical team for assistance.
As they waited for the team to arrive, Haru turned back to Yasushi, softening his expression. "As for Kaname… she's been by your side every night since the incident. No one was more worried than she was."
Yasushi's eyes widened, a splash of surprise darting across his face. Before he could respond, the door to the hospital room burst open. A team of nurses rushed in, their faces lined with concern hurrying to Yasushi's bedside.
Haru stepped back, making room for the medical team. Catching Yasushi's eye, he gave him a small nod of reassurance and turned to leave the room.
As the door clicked shut behind Haru, a flurry of activity overwhelmed Yasushi. Nurses checked his vital signs, their hands cool and efficient adjusting the various monitors and tubes surrounding him. Others pored over his chart, murmuring to each other in low, serious tones reviewing his condition.
A brown skinned, scruffy, medium-built doctor emerged from the group. His unkempt hair and wrinkled lab coat gave him an air of eccentricity. His dark hair, once thick and lustrous, streaked with gray. His eyes, a deep, soulful hazel brown, held a sharp intelligence belying his disheveled appearance. Across his right cheek, a jagged scar that had healed over the years, cut a path from the corner of his eye to the edge of his jaw.
"Yasushi," Doctor Chiyo greeted, his voice warm but tinged with disquietude. "It's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"
Yasushi rolled his eyes agitated. "I'm fine."
Doctor Chiyo frowned, put off by his standoffish demeanor. "I know this must be difficult for you," he continued, stepping closer to his bedside. "But I need to ask you a few questions to assess your condition. Can you tell me everything you remember about the incident?"
Yasushi turned away from him, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. "I don't want to talk about it!"
Doctor Chiyo nodded, picking up his medical chart. "I know it's painful," he said meekly, going over his vitals. "But it's important that we understand what happened so we can help you recover. Can you at least tell me if you're in any pain? Are you experiencing blurred or double vision?"
Yasushi bit his lip, wrinkling his face. "If you know what I've been through then how do you think I feel Doctor Chiyo?" he sarcastically snarled.
Exhaling at Yasushi's disrespectful tone, Doctor Chiyo placed the chart back into the bedside holder. I expected some level of trauma after the ordeal the young master had been through, but this level of anger is quite concerning.
"Yasushi, I've known you your entire life. I'm the one who took care of your mother and delivered you. You survived an incredibly traumatic experience for being so young. It's going to take time for your body and mind to heal."
The doctor held up his hands in a placating gesture. "This is a lot to go through for someone as young as you are, especially all by yourself…"
"Are you saying I wasn't strong enough? That I can't protect anyone?!," Yasushi snapped back.
Working around the conversation, the nurses approached, ready to begin a physical examination. Touching Yasushi's arm to check his IV, his anger boiled over. "I SAID DON'T TOUCH ME!" he yelled, pulling his arm away from the nurse. "I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND GET OUT!"
The nurses froze, their eyes heightened with shock at the sudden outburst. Doctor Chiyo coughed and patted his chest staring at Yasushi, the increasing unease bubbling within triggered his heartburn.
"Everyone, please give us a moment," he quietly muttered.
The nurses nodded, their faces coated with anxiety filing out of the room. Doctor Chiyo turned back to Yasushi, visually monitoring signs of physical and mental distress.
"Yasushi," he softly voiced. "I know you're angry… and in pain. But please, let us help you. We only want what's best for you."
"What's best for me?... Tsk… Why aren't you listening?" Yasushi whispered as anger and frustration burned in his veins.
Taking a syringe out of his pocket, Doctor Chiyo motioned forwarded towards his IV. "Your heart rate and blood pressure is too high Yasushi. I'm going to give you something to help you relax. Then we'll draw some blood-"
A flicker of dark energy erupted in Yasushi's eyes, the force so tainted it made the doctor's skin crawl. Transfixed and unable to look away from the eyes piercing his, the doctor's eye color transitioned to violet, revealing a terrifyingly dark aura circulating around Yasushi.
Using every ounce of his strength, Doctor Chiyo wrenched his gaze away, breaking eye contact with him. He stumbled back, heart pounding in his chest, fighting to control the trembles gripping his hands.
Without another word, the doctor turned, hastily exiting the room.
Sitting outside the door waiting for an update, Haru abruptly stood up, interrupting the doctor's hasty departure.
"How is he?" he inquired, taken back by Doctor Chiyo's frantic disposition.
The doctor patted his chest down, his hands shakily pulling out a cloth from his inner chest pocket. "Well... it's difficult to say."
Wiping the beads of sweat forming on his forehead, he stammered. "He absolutely refuses to cooperate and allow us to conduct a physical examination."
He then folded the cloth, using it to dab at the remaining sweat trickling down his face. "However, …it is normal for children who experience significant trauma to act out and become violent."
Haru's eyes widened in disbelief. "Violent?," his voice slightly rising. "Doctor, you have cared for Yasushi since he was in the womb. When have you ever known him to be violent?"
The doctor shook his head, his eyes haunted by the intensity of Yasushi's gaze. "Never," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But Captain, there's something... different about him now..."
"What do you mean, doctor?" Haru asserted, stepping closer. "Yasushi may be overzealous at times, but he's always been kind and gentle. He is a shining example of the best the Chika clan has to offer."
Doctor Chiyo led Haru to the side, standing in front of him as he shoved the cloth back into his pocket. "Captain..." he whispered, his expression grave, eyes wavering with a deep apprehension.
"Based on his…state of mind… all the injuries Yasushi sustained, I suspect he was very much conscious for. Hell, It was a miracle that we were able to repair his broken body in the first place. Physically, he may seem okay, but mentally... emotionally... that boy is a ticking time bomb."
Watching a group of nurses pass by, Doctor Chiyo managed a weak smile and further lowered his voice. "What's more troubling is his aggression. I'm no psychiatrist, but I believe it's best we keep him here hospitalized for a while... For everybody's safety."
A combination of shock and disbelief warred on Haru's features as he processed his words. Knowing he couldn't ignore the warning, he nodded in agreement.
Doctor Chiyo patted Haru on the shoulder, offering a brief moment of comfort. "I'll notify the King he's awakened."
With a slight bow, the doctor shuffled past Haru, leaving him alone to his thoughts.
Haru closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath.
DAMNIT… IF ONLY I'D…
After a moment, he opened his eyes, fixing them on the closed door of Yasushi's room, his hand hovering over the handle.
There's no going back now. It's time we face the monsters we've created…
Masking his solicitude, Haru sighed entering the room, the weight of the conversation still heavy on his shoulders. The soft beeping of the monitors and the distant chatter of the medical staff faded into the background as his gaze settled on Yasushi's form, silhouetted against the bright sunlight streaming through the window.
Yasushi sat upright in bed, his attention absorbed in the nature beyond the window's glass, as if desperately searching for answers in the delicate petals and swaying branches. The Tsukiyama garden stretched out next to him, a sea of vibrant colors and delicate blooms swaying gently in the newly spring breeze. The cherry blossom trees were beginning to bloom, their pale pink petals drifting lazily through the air, carried by the wind in a mesmerizing dance.
Haru cautiously approached the bed, his footsteps soft against the wooden floor. His heart ached at the sight of Yasushi's tense shoulders, eyes drowning in ambivalence, fingers gripping the bedsheets with a white-knuckled intensity and slight tremor.
"Yasushi…. I spoke with the doctor and he thinks it's best you stay here for a while. You've been through-"
"Haru..." Yasushi interrupted, his tone surprisingly calm. "I… I'd like to know everything that's happened over the past 6 months."
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