Free! - Sink to the Bottom

(1) - Chapter 8: Sleepless

Makoto Tachibana

I stare at the palms of my hands. Still wrinkled from the water.

I wonder if Haruka is doing okay. I wonder if the nurse got him to speak the truth.

Next to me Rin, Nagisa, Gou and Rei are sleeping. They've all fallen asleep somewhere around ten PM. It's half past eleven by now.

I tried sleeping, but it didn't work. Maybe because of Haruka, maybe because of the extra large cup of coffee Gou got us while we were waiting.

I sigh.

Why can't I just be like Nagisa? He fell asleep less than a minute after drinking his coffee. He's now sleeping with his head on Rei's shoulder. Rei's sleeping as well, his head carefully leaning onto Nagisa's head and his glasses about to fall off his head. Gou's sleeping as well, by now at least.

Then there's Rin – he took a lot longer to fall asleep. I could clearly see that this sudden chance hit him deeply. It hit me deeply, too.

I stare into the distance, waiting for a doctor to walk to us. Waiting for anything, some kind of news.

But nothing happens.

My eyelids feel so heavy. After staring at the dark hallways for a little longer, my eyes finally start to close and I slowly move away from reality.

My feet feel heavy as I stand on the starting block.

I hear Nagisa and Rei and Gou cheer for me.

I look next to me; on one side there's nothing, just a wall. On the other side of me there's a starting block, and someone standing on it.

Purple goggles hide his eyes from me, but I know who it is.

It's Haruka.

A loud noise sounds and Haruka dives into the water. His dive isn't as neatly as normally, it's less flawless.

Haruka falls into the water and he slowly but surely sinks to the bottom.

"Haruka!" I yell as I get ready to dive in myself.

I need to save him. I have to.

"No!" I jump in and right when the water hits me in the face...

... my eyes open.