Control Alt Delete (A BH6 crossover)

Chapter Twenty: Just hang in there.

"I've locked up," Aunt Cass said. "I had to persuade a few last minute customers to leave by giving them a free coffee, but we should be good to go. How is he?"

Hiro tried to turn to see his aunt as she moved to grab her purse but couldn't. It hurt too much. "I don't feel so good," he croaked in misery.

Cass moved back into view, gently caressing his face with what felt like fingers made from ice. "It's going to be okay, sweetie," she promised before heading back down the stairs. "The truck's already pulled up in front," she called over her shoulder.

"Where's Baymax?" Hiro asked as Tadashi moved once more, following their aunt. "I want Baymax." He had to cling to his brother's jacket as the dizziness welled up once more, hissing from the sudden movement of Tadashi's more hurried movements down the stairs. Did he have to jump from one level down to the next?

Tadashi strode through the door Aunt Cass held open for him, then waited patiently by the truck as she locked up and came around to open the truck door as well. "Shh," he crooned. "It's going to be okay. You can see Baymax when we get back." He was obviously more set on comforting his distraught brother than on anything else. His expression was tense, as was the rest of his body, like something had gone horribly wrong. But what?

Hiro cried out as Tadashi settled him on the bench seat, sliding in next to him while Cass got in on the driver's side. His brother moved him so his head could rest on his lap, but just that movement was more than enough to send pain shooting up through his abdominal cavity. He couldn't help but cry out.

"Sorry!" Tadashi apologized as he tried to smooth his brother's hair, now damp with sweat. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. Just hang in there."

Hiro's stomach rebelled and his entire body heaved. Fortunately, he hadn't eaten anything since the night before. However, there was still enough of something to come back up that he made a small mess on Tadashi's shoes as he leaned to one side in an attempt to not get his brother. He panted from the effort. Was this a side-effect from breaking his ribs? Or getting shot? Or drowning? Or... Where were those ideas coming from?

Tears leaked from Hiro's eyes as Tadashi took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, waving off any apologies his brother tried to make. "It's okay, bonehead," the older Hamada repeated. "They can be washed. It's not like that's the first time it's happened."

Hiro zoned out. For a blissful span of time, the only thing he felt was the throbbing pain below his stomach. It was a nice change to the constricting pressure he'd felt on his ribs. He floated in the ether, more than happy to not feel the burning sensation of inflamed skin, the tightness of throat he'd felt before losing consciousness in the bathroom. Then something pressed against the sensitive part of his abdomen.

Hiro's eyes flew open as he gasped out a scream. But the pain continued as someone kneaded his right side, closer to his hip. He tried to push the probing hands away, but they were too strong, another set holding his hands to keep him from pushing the other set away. That and someone pressing his shoulders back against the rough pillow he felt behind his head.

"Stop that, knucklehead. Can't you see they're trying to help you?" Tadashi reprimanded. "Don't be such a baby."

Hiro's eyes went wider as his older brother's frame blocked out the sight of the emergency room. He was the one holding his shoulders down. "T-Tadashi?" He felt a familiar pressure as his older brother moved to hold his hands, taking the place of the nurse who'd held his arms so she could do other things. "But, you're dead! I saw you die!" Tears trickled down his flushed cheeks.

"Don't be ridiculous," the older Hamada retorted as he continued to hold Hiro's hands away from the ones probing his stomach.

Were they pressing some kind of scanning device against him? Out of the corner of his eye, Hiro saw the doctor nearest him give an odd look. At least they'd stopped probing his belly. But it still throbbed like someone had thrust a hot poker through it.

Hiro blinked, still not sure if he could believe his eyes. Everything was mixed up inside and he wasn't sure what was up or down or left or right. Was he dreaming or was this reality? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

And then there was Aunt Cass standing in front of Tadashi, closer to his head. When had she gotten there? Had he dozed off again? What was going on? Had his brain glitched? Had he experienced a mental train derailment and just hadn't realized it?

One of the doctors approached. "Mrs. Hamada? Can we talk out in the hall?"

"Ms," Cass corrected as she followed the man. For the briefest of moments, Hiro saw his aunt through the swinging door leading out of the room where he lay. Then she moved out of sight as the door stopped moving. He stared at that door, almost as if fixated by it.

"Hey. You're not zoning out on me again are you?" That was Tadashi again. But he couldn't possibly be there. He couldn't. It just wasn't possible. He was dead. Wasn't he?

"Tadashi, what's going on? I don't feel good and I'm scared." Hiro suddenly felt much smaller than he was, like he was only eight years old instead of...what was it? fourteen? Fifteen? Somehow, his hands now lay at his sides, though he couldn't remember moving them. "Why won't anyone tell me anything?" He felt tears leaking from his eyes again. He thought he saw the doors open once more, hoping it was his aunt, but he was disappointed when another nurse entered the room to check on something out of sight instead.

"Come on. You're going to be fine. Just hang in there, okay?" Tadashi squeezed his brother's hand in comfort, using his usual calming voice in an attempt to keep him from losing it. That wouldn't end well.

The doors opened again. This time Aunt Cass came back in, followed by the doctor. "Hey, Sweetie." She gave Hiro a wistful smile as she approached the bed, moving to stand near Tadashi on one side.

Were those tears in his aunt's eyes? Hiro couldn't be sure. Someone, maybe the nurse from before, moved into his immediate view. She hung a small bag of fluid on a pole, next to a larger one already there. She attached it to some tubing at the top. It was only at that moment that Hiro realized he was covered in wires and tubes. Little pads stuck to his chest and someone had removed his clothes, exchanging them for a hospital gown. At least from the top half down. He couldn't see past the sheets covering his lower extremities. But there was some tape pulling at his left wrist where they'd stuck an IV catheter. He'd seen enough of those to know in his lifetime to what it was.

"Aunt Cass," he rasped, his throat feeling as dry as a desert. "Am I sick?"

Cass moved to his other side, brushing the hair from his sweating face. She then grasped his other hand, the one Tadashi wasn't holding. "Yes, Sweetie. You are. But you're going to be okay. They're going to fix you up, okay?"

He wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself. All that mattered was that the pain stopped.

"They're just about ready for him upstairs," a nurse announced. Another nurse made sure the last of the liquid from the smaller of the two bags had emptied down the clear lines and into Hiro's body. She then announced he was ready to go.

Hiro blinked and found he was moving again. But Aunt Cass was by his side. Or was it Tadashi? Whoever it was, they were still holding his hand on either side. "I'm scared," he said again. He had no idea what was going on or why. Maybe they'd told him and he just couldn't remember. He wasn't sure. It was hard to concentrate. Had they given him something that messed with his reasoning?

"It's okay, honey," Cass replied as she squeezed his hand. "You're going to be fine."

"You've got this," Tadashi said as he let go.

The world stopped moving and another adult moved into view. He wore scrubs and a funny looking hat. There was a surgical mask pulled down near his chin. "Hello, Hiro," he man said. "We're going to give you something for the pain. Just take some deep breaths. Okay?"

Hiro nodded weakly, more than ready for some relief. He felt his aunt's fingers slip from his own. Someone else moved into view with a syringe. But before he could protest, they'd injected the serum into his IV line. The world began to swim again and his mind went blank.