Doctor Hanahaki

I promise the ending always stays the same. [1]

It fucking rained.

It always seemed to rain in this area of Japan, the raindrops pouring against the glass windows by his desk as he filled in the spreadsheet for one of his patients while preparing for the next. Valentine's day was just around the corner, meaning there would be spikes in Hanahaki cases all over the globe. That being said, the day was almost over and Akaashi could head to the ramen place downtown with his coworker and fellow doctor (dare he say, friend?), Dr. Sugawara.

Despite Hanahaki being his area of expertise, Akaashi still found himself not understanding the disease. To devote oneself so much to another only to have their heart broken seemed... pointless? Yet he always knew no matter how distasteful he grew of the concept of ejecting bloodied flowers filled with bile, two things:

1. He had Hanahaki as a teenager.

2. It almost killed him.

The rest of the memories were a blur, not that Akaashi minded. Without the emotions of love holding him back, he could live his life free as an owl. He could pursue a medical career making six figures and becoming one of the best doctors in the country. If anything, he was grateful for the opportunities given to him. From a young child in Japan with a childhood as clear as polluted water to an aspiring doctor with a clinic in the cities of his home country. A second chance at life, if he decides to be all philosophical.

"Akaashi?" Kiyoko Tanaka (Suga called her just Kiyoko since he knew her before she got married, Akaashi was working on the first name basis), the nurse of the doctor's office, poked their head into the hall where Akaashi stood. "Yamaguchi Tadashi is waiting for you in room 3. Did you know you are on time for once?" She grinned and brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ears. "I'm sure your patients are happy about that."

"Right," Akaashi brought his laptop into the room. Just two more patients. His fatigued personality shifted into something more comforting; he had gotten the skill of being a sympathetic doctor down decently well. "Yamaguchi? I'm Dr. Akaashi, nice to meet you. I heard you aren't feeling too well, want to tell me what's bothering you?"

He was an interesting one, Yamaguchi. His charts said he was only in his early twenties, practically a kid in Akaashi's eyes (although pediatrics was more in Sugawara's department). Akaashi knew it was Hanahaki the second he walked in, seeing the patient gripping the edge of the sink sputtering Sakura petals. The classic case of unrequited love to his best friend, who was very conveniently (or not so conveniently) taken. Akaashi wasn't sure whether to recommend him for the surgery or just medicine and an inhaler until the feelings went away; they would have their follow-up within a week.

If it was only occasionally sputtering petals, Akaashi could afford to wait a bit longer.

His next patient was nothing too extraordinary. A college student who believed they were madly in love with their teacher's assistant, bullshit. Akaashi could easily prescribe rest and could guarantee the symptoms would go away on their own.

The receptionists, nurses, and the other doctor had left, leaving Akaashi and Sugawara and the quiet office. There was a routine, make sure the lights were off and to wave to the janitors entering their nightly shift, lovingly tap the glass of the fish tank in the waiting area (to make sure they were alive, Sugawara insisted), and then finally leave with the ending of the day's work. "Keiji!" Sugawara waved as he put his laptop into his bag. "Ramen and drinks, on me. Remember? It's Wednesday!"

"Right, can't say no to that!" Akaashi nodded and exited behind Sugawara and running under the rain to their respective cars. There was a ramen place downtown which the two had a tradition of going to every other Wednesday after work, and Akaashi did not mind since he did not have any alternatives. He was a young doctor (in relativity, he wouldn't consider being in his late thirties as young) trying to keep up with work and making sure he had time to eat even if there was no time to cook (he knew how, and decently too, just no time). He appreciated the sentiment of their shared tradition, especially since Sugawara did have a home and family to go back to.