Chapter Two: The Worried Big Brother
"Mura, I need help...it's Hana." Kozue's voice echoed in a panic tone in Hana's head. The hospital wasn't that far away but he knew if he tried to move her there was a possibility that he would only make it worse for his sister.
"Kozue?! What happened?!"
"Hana was invited to play some Basketball. I told her she had to be careful and if she started not feeling well to stop playing! You know how stubborn she can be and that she doesn't want to worry others. I didn't catch it in time! I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright, I'll be there shortly. You're at the park right?! Just have do her breathing exercises the three of us practice until I get there."
"Yeah, please hurry Mura!"
"Kozue, listen to me. I need you to stay calm. If you panic Hana will feel that energy coming from you and then she'll start to panic. Remember when she was younger and she would have these kinds of attacks? You always kept her calm, you need to do the same now."
As usual Mura's motherly words were able to calm down the panicked teenager. As Hana and Kozue got older and Hana's attack became more and more frequent, Kozue's calm demeanor became less and less.
"Alright, I'm sorry for freaking like that. I'll see you when you get here."
Kozue hung up his phone and turned his full attention to his sister.
"Alright Hana, this is just like all the other times this has happened. Lean up against me and take long, slow, deep breaths. If you need to, grab my hand and squeeze if the pain in your chest hurts too much." Kozue propped his sister up against him. Holding tightly onto her hand and he could feel Hana trying to take the long, slow, deep breaths she was though to do.
"Excuse me, but what's wrong with her?" Tsubaki asked with a worried look on her face.
"Hana was born with a rare illness that's slowly shutting her body down. Everyone at the hospital she stays at are doing all they can to find a cure for her. What Hana has doesn't even have a name yet."
"Where's your guy's parents at?" Kagami suddenly asked.
"They... I guess they haven't found a way to deal with Hana's condition. They come up with any excuse to not be around. The doctors and nurses, especially Nurse Mura, are more like family then are own parents are."
"D-don't talk like that about mom and dad... Kozue. They just need time." Hana manages to pant out.
"Don't defend them Hana. They've had six years to find away to deal with this their own way. Leaving and only coming back only to pay the hospital bill only to leave right after."
"Kozue! Kozue! Is Hana alright!?"
Kozue turned to see Mura running their way with a medical bag at her side, as well as a fellow doctor.
"M-Mura...! I'm... I'm sorry for not being careful..." Hana tried to say through a gasps for breath.
"It's alright Hana. Just continue with your deep breathing. Now, can you cough for me?"
Hana tried to let out a cough but she couldn't catch enough air to make a cough.
"N-no... I can't. I-I can't breath Mura, Kozue... I can't breath!" A look of panic started to take over. Tightly Hana squeezed her brother's hand like he said she could when the pain got too much.
"Alright Hana. Don't panic," Mura tried to quickly calm Hana. "alright, head back to the hospital and get everything ready for her. Be sure that there's enough medicine for her breathing treatment." Mura turned to the doctor who came with her.
"Right away ma'am!" Quickly the doctor rushed off back to the hospital to get Hana's room prepared for her.
Once the doctor took off towards the hospital Mura turned her attention to Hana.
"Hana, we need to get you back to hospital, which means your going to have to help us out and walk."
Quickly Hana shock her head. There was no way she could walk all the way back to the hospital, even with help from Mura and Kozue.
"I-I can't Mura... I can't..."
"You need to try Hana." Mura then looked over to Kagami, Kuroko and Tsubaki. "you young man, can you help us out?" Mura pointed to Kagami.
"Me?"
"Yes, can you help us carry Hana back to the hospital. You look like you would have no problem in doing so. Please, we need to get her, her treatment or Hana will stop breathing."
Kagami looked down at Hana who was now gripping at her chest. Her short black hair was sticking to sweaty face. Without saying anything Kagami knelt down and started to pick Hana up off the ground. This sudden action shocked Hana as she felt herself being lifted up bridle style.
"K-Kagami?"
"I'm just helping out like the nurse asked. Your health is important. You should take better care of yourself." Kagami's face turned a light red.
"Th-thank you... Kagami-kun..."
Hana was returned safely to the hospital with the help of Kagami. She was placed in her bed and right away he breathing treatment was established to her. Quickly her breathing went back to normal.
A great sigh of relief rushed over Kozue when he saw Hana was starting to look better then she did before. Kozue then turned and then bowed to Kagami, Kuroko and Tsubski.
"Thank you for helping me out with Hana you three. What happened must have ruined your game, and I'm sorry for that, but I would also like to thank you for allowing Hana to play. It's been awhile since Hana has been able to do anything that active in a while. Thank you."
"There's no reason to thank us Kozue. Hana was a real gem to have join our game. It also made it more fun to have even teams instead of Tetsuya and I playing against Taiga. He can get a little overbearing when he gets into the zone of playing basketball." Tsubaki smiled and slapped Kagami on the back.
"But still, thank you, all of you."
After thanking Tsubaki, Kuroko and Kagami, Kozue took a seat next to Hana as she slept with a slight whistling coming from her nose. When Kagami heard the nose whistling he couldn't help but smile. It was strange for him to find something so small to be so amusing at the time. He took the seat on the other side of Hana's bed and sat down.
"Hey Tetsuya, look at that, Taiga is smiling. But it's not like a normal smile. I've never seen that kind of smile from him before." Tsubaki whispered to Kuroko.
"Yeah, it's a bit scary to me." Kuroko whispered back.
"What the hell are you two whispering about. You're starting to piss me off." Kagami snapped when he noticed the two shadows whispering to each other.
"Th-thank you... Kagami-kun... thank you..."
Hana suddenly reach out and grabbed Kagami's shirt while still in her deep sleep. This surprised Kozue and everyone else in the room. This was the first time Hana has ever reached out to anyone else besides her brother while still asleep.
"Look at that. This is rear thing for Hana to do you know Kagami. She's friendly with everyone but she's usually calling out for me or our parents. You must be s lucky one." Kozue said with a smile.
"How is that being lucky. I don't get it." Kagami blackly said.
"Well, how can I put this? Little moments like today, I think help Hana a lot because she can't do a lot of the things other teenagers like us get to do. She had such a great time today. I could see it on her face, even when she was having a hard time at the end. I don't think you really realize just how precious moments like those really mean to someone like Hana. Someone who doesn't know when their last day will be. Someone who knows they won't live that long of a life. It's little moments like these today that give her strength."
After a few more moments of talking the visiting hours bell suddenly went off and an announcement started over the intercom.
"Attention hospital visitors. Visiting hours are now coming to an end. Please gather all you belongings and other members of your visiting parties and make your way to the exit of the hospital. Thank you for visiting and please come again."
"Well Kozue, it's time for you to head home. I've been noticed that you've been missing a lot of school, you need to stop that and go to school starting tomorrow. Got it!" Mira scolded Kozue.
"Yes, I get it." Kozue bitterly said.
"As for you three, I would like to thank you for all your help today with Hana. She tries to be so strong and tries not to worry people. I just wish sometimes she would know her limits to her abilities. Please, come and visit anytime you're free. Now, if you would excuse I have other patients to look after."
Mira left Hana's room, leaving Kozue, Kuroko, Kagami and Tsubaki in the room alone. The four started on their way out of Hana's room when Hana started to slowly wake up.
"Kozue?" Hana weakly spoke.
"Hey there flower. How're feeling?"
"I'm fine, but you know you don't need to call me flower anymore. That's something you did when we were younger. There's no need for it now."
"That may be true, but it always seems to cheer you up. Visiting hours are over so I have to go now. I'll come and see you as soon as possible. You just rest now alright." Kozue leaned over and kissed Hana's forehead.
"Alright, and Tsubaki,"
"Yeah?" Tsubaki stopped as she was about to leave Hana's room.
"Thank you for asking me to join your's Kuroko-kun's, and Kagami-kun's basketball game. I had a lot of fun, even at the end."
"I'm glad you had fun. We should do it again sometime, but next time tell us when you're about to pass out, alright?" Tsubaki walked up and held out her hand to make the deal.
"It's a deal and sorry about that."
"It's fine. We all had fun in the end. Right Tetsuya, Taiga?"
Both boys gave a brisk node of there heads. Two boys of few words as always.
"Well, it's time for the three of us to get going too. It was a pleasure to meet the two of you. Hana... Kozue." Tsubaki and Kuroko left the room together, leaving Kagami left in the room. He was just about to leave when a sudden feeling came over him.
"Umm... Hana, right? It's just... I hope you feel better." A light plus he's showed on Kagami's face.
"Thank you Kagami-kun."
The blush on his face got even redder as he took off after Kuroko and Tsubaki. Something was coming over Kamgai. It was something that happened to him before, and now a random girl he just met today was making him feel something different, something strange.
When he caught up with Kuroko and Tdubaki a sudden smile appeared on his face. Slowly he looked over his shoulder, back at the hospital to the floor that Hana's room was at. Standing in the window was Hana. She was waving at him with a smile. Kagami then waved back. With a smile on his face he couldn't help but think about what Kozue had said.
"It's little moments like these today that give her strength."
"Little moments like today's huh?"