The Truth About Yuuri Katsuki

Einundzwanzig

The door to the basement burst open and light from the outside shined down. Yuri stood there with police sirens in the background. This basement was the type that had the entrance from outside that made it seem like some sort of slaughterhouse when you opened the giant metal slabs. Yuri raced down the steps and jumped. His feet went directly into Otabek's father's face and the guy fell to the ground. He was unconscious, for now. 

Otabek was silent. His eyes were blinded by the light. He could barely tell what was going on. He was too disoriented. "Otabek?" Yuri's voice was close. He just didn't know how close.

"Y-Yuri?" he asked. He hadn't used his voice in such a long time. That's what it felt like. Otabek was feeling the pain of hunger and thirst. He wasn't sure what was going on aside from that.

"I'm going to get you out of here, right now," Yuri tore at Otabek's ropes. He carefully lifted the guy and tried to help him walk. Otabek could barely move a muscle. Yuri frowned. Some parents he had. 

A hand grabbed Otabek's ankle. "Where do you think you're going?" the voice said. Otabek wasn't sure it was real. He still saw things in the shadows. Yuri took charge for him and kicked his father in the face. 

"We are leaving this place," Yuri glared at the unconscious body and continued to help Otabek out of the death trap of a basement and over to the ambulance. He needed a trip to the hospital. That much was clear.

"He is going to be in the same room as your grandpa," Jean-Jacques whispered into Yuri's ear as the two got into the vehicle. Yuri had forgotten all about his grandfather when he'd seen Otabek. A twinge of guilt flooded him. What if he was dead now? It would be like he had completely neglected him. The only family he had left. Some relative he was. 

"Is he..." Yuri began. He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. 

"My mother said he is fine, for now, but you better hurry back," Jean-Jacques sighed. "I'm not sure how long he is going to be 'fine.'"

Yuri had two people he cared about and they were both going to be in the hospital. What kind of life was he living? Why were things this way? It simply wasn't fair. He wanted them both to be safe and happy. Life was being too cruel. He didn't deserve this. No one did. 

"Otabek," Yuri held Otabek's hand as he was thrown into the chaos of a medic unit. People hovered around him throwing needles in his arms and doing various tests. Yuri couldn't do anything but hold his hand. Otabek didn't seem completely there. Yuri didn't know what happened to him. He didn't want to. He just wanted Otabek to be okay. Would he? Was he ever okay to begin with?

Yuri felt like an idiot. He didn't know anything about his friend. They'd been together all this time and Otabek felt like a stranger all of the sudden. Yuri didn't like it. He hated the feeling that Otabek might wither away into nothingness and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. 

He watched as Otabek was wheeled away once they'd gotten to the hospital. He watched him close his eyes and drift off into a long and distant sleep. He also noticed that his grandfather was being wheeled out of his room and Otabek was being wheeled in. It was too late. He hadn't been there when his grandfather passed. Guilt swarmed his mind. His body. Every piece of his existence. He wasn't there the one time his grandfather needed him the most. Yuri forced himself to move. He forced himself to verify the facts. He raced towards his grandfather. He ran. 

A person on the medical staff grabbed his arm. Yuri had seen this person a couple of times. The person knew that Yuri was a relative, "He is dead." 

"No, that can't be right," Yuri denied it. "Why?" he asked the universe before bursting into tears. "Why did it have to be like this?" he cried. Yuri couldn't have a meltdown here. He had to stay strong. He had to go back to Otabek. Otabek needed him now. He couldn't think about anything else. 

Yuri sat beside Otabek. He heard various medical staff say things like 'maybe he has given up' or 'he might not make it if he loses his will to live' or 'something isn't right but it might be all in his mind.' Yuri chose to ignore it. Otabek couldn't leave him behind like this. He couldn't lose the two people he cared about in the same day. Yuri grabbed Otabek's hand. He muttered things and hoped his message would reach Otabek somehow. 

"You can't die," he sobbed. "I can't lose you too," he said. His voice was just a whisper. 

Day by day Yuri would return to the hospital and hold Otabek's hand. He wanted everything to be okay. He wanted Otabek to sense him in some way. Would it work? Only time would tell. Yuri would speak to Otabek and tell him random things about that school day. Victor and Yuuri were still making scenes. They were still the talk of the high school. 

"Otabek," Yuri held Otabek's hand in both of his. "I need you to wake up now," he said. How long would it take? How many days would he have to return to see that Otabek still was unconscious? 

Otabek's eyes opened but he couldn't speak immediately. He had just woken up from a very long sleep. It was taking time for him to regain control of his body. "Yuri?" his voice was quiet. He didn't remember much of what had happened to him. That was probably for the best. 

"Otabek?" Yuri began to cry. He jumped onto Otabek and hugged him. "You're awake!" he smiled. He laughed. He sobbed. "Welcome back."

"I'm back," Otabek replied.