Rainbow Veins

Chapter 16

His voice died down immediately the second his gaze fell on the other boy.

"... made" he finished the sentence low-keyed and dropped his arm promptly.

No.

This wasn't Keiji.

That wasn't the boy he said goodbye to two weeks ago. It had to be someone else, right?

This pale boy with greyish skin and dark bags under his eyes, countless tubes and wires coming from beneath his blanket, connecting him to a bunch of supporting devices; it just couldn't be him.

Said boy slowly opened his eyes and glanced at him with the faintest hint of a smile.

"Hey ..." was everything Keiji managed to say, before his lids fell shut again and he burst out in a breathless cough.

Koutarou felt his eyes starting to tear up immediately.

"What's going on" he muttered and looked away from the boy on the bed, staring disbelievingly at the nurse fumbling with one of the devices.

This just couldn't be.

"Time's running out..." the nurse explained patiently. "If he doesn't receive a new heart soon, his lungs will give up as well."

Koutarou dropped himself down on the chair next to Keiji's bed, the bento long forgotten and placed neatly in his lap. His gaze lingered on the boy in front of him, watching as his chest raised and sank heavily in a weak attempt of getting enough air. He lay on his back and there led a tube from his nostrils, probably to provide him with oxygen.

"I've been only gone for two weeks, how..."

The silver haired teen's voice almost broke when he talked.

"Why didn't you tell me? We... we texted everyday... I had no idea..."

Keiji's opened his eyes again and his gaze locked with Koutarou's though hooded lids.

"I'm sorry. I... didn't want to worry you..." he spoke in a hoarse voice and it was all it took for Koutarou to finally break out in tears.

"You're such an idiot..." he sobbed, took Keiji's hand in his and refused to let it go until he had to leave again late in the evening.