Intertwining Path

Trigger

At the private hospital ward: Kujou Tenn Pov.

Tenn seriously was in a shitty mood of all the times his body decided to collapse on him it had to choose now. Well considering the fact that he's been pushing himself to the extreme with his busy schedule and combined with his insomnia these past few days needlessly to say it was no wonder he was burning with a nasty fever right now. Thanks to that he was now lying in the hospital bed staring at that erringly white ceiling that his brother used to silently wonder would be the last thing he would see before he passed away.

Ever since the young man could remember he has always hated the hospital. He hated the heavy smell of medicine and disinfects that filled the room as well as the large beeping sounds of those giant machines that were hooked up to his brother's small body as if threatening to take him away the moment they saw an opening. He couldn't stand seeing the doctors and nurses walk in and out of the room before finally coming to talk to his parents whose faces had instantly turned pale white as a sheet.

He knows it was these things that kept his brother alive and that without them his fragile body would have long expired by then. Still, he couldn't help but resent them. Every time he heard the beeping sound he would silently curse them inside his heart for adding to his brother's suffering.

Why!? Why!? Why!? What did his brother ever do wrong!? He was a good and kind-hearted child! He was only 6 years old! He did nothing wrong! Yet why was the world so adamant in making him suffer!? There were so many scumbags in the world that were deserving of punishment yet why did they get off scot-free while his innocent brother was left to rot in the mud!? It was unfair! It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair!

Like that his mother would gently hold him in her arms letting him cry his heart out at the cruelty and unfairness of reality. She would whisper to him words of apologies that she had repeatedly told his brother for having failed them as their mother and for only being able to bring only of them healthy out into the world.

Riku knew his body was a ticking time bomb. Although the doctors had told his parents otherwise that with stable treatment his condition would improve to the point it would not hinder daily activities and prolong his life well into his old age, he knew better. They might have not said it but he understood between the lines of the meanings of the unspoken words that the doctor had refrained himself from speaking.

Like the doctor had said, so long as he continued with the treatment, he could possibly improve his condition and extend his lifespan. But that was only if some accident didn't happen to him. Unfortunately with his body as it was he was prone to many accidents.

One time Riku had been asked what his greatest wish was. The young small boy had answered that it was to not be a burden to his family any more than he already was whether it meant through acquiring a healthy body or death. As long as he can see his family smiling and be together with them for whatever short time he can then it'll all be worth it.

Hearing this his mother couldn't stop crying and his father's grip hardened to the point that it was bleeding. In the end, that was what ultimately convinced them to sign the documents for Riku's discharge from the hospital and cancellation of his current treatment plan.

Tenn was absolutely livid when he overheard the doctor and his parents talking about canceling his brother's treatment.

"Why, why how can you do this!? He's still alive! He still has a chance! He's my brother you can't do this to him!" Tenn remembers screaming at his parents.

His mother tried speaking to him begging for him to understand. They didn't want to do this anymore than he did. If they could they wanted to continue Riku's treatment so he could one day recover and grow up as a fine young man in the future. However, with their company going bankrupt and them being heavily in debt they could no longer afford it as much as they wished could. They didn't have a choice.