The Return of the Beloved Son

Nobody

"No, I want to keep it with me." The doctors didn't want to argue so they would leave it at that.

Subaru was visited by his friends the day after he met his parents. They were all happy to see him back, but no tears were shed, they all didn't want to seem weak in front of Subaru who appeared to be holding himself together.

He tried to answer all their questions. All their bright faces couldn't wait to hear about Subaru's misadventures. But unlike with his parents, Subaru didn't want to say anything weird about where he's been in front of his friends so he went with some vague answers.

"Where've you been?" Somewhere else.

"Were you kidnapped by people?" No, but I did get some help though from a woman. The witch.

"Who was she?" I don't know really.

"Why were you gone so long then?" I got used to it.

"Used to what?" Not being here.

The questions went on for a few for minutes until the talk shifted to school.

One of Subaru's good friend, Klein, said Subaru had missed a lot.

No sh**, idiot! I was gone for a whole year. But Subaru didn't say that, he just smiled, "Yeah."

Subaru was sure how he felt about having to go back to school. It meant him having to go through his Junior year without his friends as they progressed to their Senior years. Nobody pointed this out, but it still hung in the air like a poisonous gas.

After another hour of talking and reminiscing a nurse came by and ushered the boys out of the room say that visiting hours were over.

The man that used to be next to Subaru was gone, he was moved to another section of the hospital to be closer to the x-ray room. An empty bed took his place. Subaru never realized he could feel so lonely without him. His little quips here and there brought some life into his time at the hospital. Subaru just didn't realize it before. He should have been nicer.

.

.

.

.

.

Now out of the hospital, Subaru was eased into a car by Kenichi. Not much was said on the ride home, Subaru mainly looked outside at the blooming cherry blossoms and buildings, all of which passed by his vision in a blur.

"I'm glad you're back, Son." Kenichi took a hand off the wheel to rub Subaru's shoulder, "You know, for the first few months I wasn't sure your mother was ever going to stop crying over you."

Subaru looked at the side of his dad's face. Kenichi's eyes were wet, but he didn't cry. A small grin formed across his lips.

"She thought you ran away, but I knew better. I knew my son would never leave his mother behind, broken, left to a state where she cried every night for months." Kenichi wiped his eyes with a tissue. A bag of them rested on a dashboard. Left there for when Naoko would have her Subaru moments in the car. "But after a few more months, I lost hope in you ever coming back. We prayed for your safety. Wished you would live peacefully wherever you were.

Subaru wasn't sure what to say, and under his expressionless face, Subaru was dying of guilt. He never thought that while he was living a happy life with Rem in the other world, his parents were suffering in this one. Suffering over him.

Subaru, again, looked at his dad who was trying to hide his tears. He felt sorry for bring tears to his dad's perfect face.

The last time Kenichi cried this much was when he saw the comatose Subaru on the hospital bed. Kneeling, Kenichi took one of Subaru's hands into his own and whispered a silent prayer into. Pleading to whatever god was listening, to wake his son from his own dreams.