The Darkest Day

Part 4: Misdiagnosed!

It's the fourth day, and Yukito's condition failed to improve. Now, even the slightest light caused him intense discomfort. The pain was a constant companion, worsening as time progressed. He barely opened his eyes now. Not only was he afraid of the pain. He was more afraid of that white patch in the middle of his vision. Iie. It's not a patch. It's his entire world. He can't see beyond it.

He washed it with water, hoping it will come off, but it won't. One time, he braced himself to touch it. It was spongy, not firm. It was part of the eye. Yuki tried to hold back his fear, knowing it won't do him any good, but he couldn't anymore. He cried and cried and cried.

The high point of his day was when Touya arrived from school. When he was strong enough, Touya tutored him. That way, he didn't fall behind much. But his 'well' time decreased steadily.

"Yuki, how are you doing?" Touya finally confronted him. "Tell me the truth."

Yuki almost jumped off his skin when he felt Touya's touch on his cheeks.

"Yuki?" There was an edge of trepidation in Touya's voice as he forced Yuki to look up at him. Yuki stared at a spot beyond Touya's head. He couldn't even see him.

* * *

Fujitaka drove swiftly. Touya came rushing to him that night, demanding they take Yukito to the hospital. Touya had been staying over Yuki's house for days, but Fujitaka assumed that it was just a simple case of fever. When he arrived there to pick the boy up, he was horribly wrong.

He was very pale, and when they helped him to the car, he felt light as a feather. The boy was aware though, but obviously in pain.

His son hovered around his best friend like a mother hen, chiding Fujitaka for being so careless when Yukito unintentionally moaned in pain. They helped Yukito to the backseat, very slowly, guiding him each step they took.

He caught the pair's reflection on the side mirror. Yukito, in addition to the blanket, was fully sheltered in his son's arms. Touya's eyes were set in an angry glare at the passing motorists, daring them to flash their headlights on his friend's eyes.

A thought floated in Fujitaka's mind. Were the two together? He peeked again. Yukito looked very comfortable in his spot, like a cat in his home burrow. And Touya's hands were absently caressing Yuki's thin arm.

Fujitaka sighed. He can't discern if that's just extreme male camaraderie, or something else.

The towering hospital building loomed over them, and he stopped the car near the entrance. He couldn't get any nearer for there were ambulances and other cars blocking the way.

"Touya, I can't get any nearer," he said.

Touya glared, like he was about to order him to get nearer.

Then he caught Yuki smile at his son, and Touya's glare vanished in the wind. Touya gently escorted him towards the hospital, his arm around the delicate boy. Fujitaka finally understood.

If those two weren't together now, it won't be long until they'll be. It would be sad not to have a grandchild from his only son, but if love happened, it happened. Anyone would be better than his son's ex. A slight feeling of revulsion automatically flooded him. Using them like that… (plugging: yeah… Kaho used Touya to get to Fujitaka. Sad ne? Read the whole stuff in Kaho's story: Skeletons in My Closet)

* * *

Yuki gripped Touya's shirt so hard. The car ride was so difficult. The vibration shook him, and the headlights were like fire on his eye. He felt Touya wipe the tears away. He wasn't even aware of those annoying tears. He wasn't crying! Why do they keep spilling over his eyes? Why can't he do anything about it?!

"Yuki, stay here," Touya gently said. Yukito felt Touya tenderly coaxing him down. He felt for the couch that he assumed was there before finally sitting down.

"To-ya, where are you going? Don't leave yet, please?" he whispered.

Slight brush on his shoulders. He tried to catch Touya's hand before he let go but he missed it. What did he expect? Then he lost Touya's footsteps from the myriad of people in the lobby.

He opened his eyes inspite of the pain. He bit his lips as he tried to find Touya.

"Yukito…" he heard a familiar voice beside him.

"Fujitaka san…!"

The distress in Fujitaka's eyes when he saw him was more than Yukito could bear. It fueled his fear. What's wrong with him? Why can't his right eye see?

"There's an ophtha in room 18. C'mon," Touya briskly said as he helped him on his feet.

Yuki pressed the handkerchief harder as a deeper pain jolted his head. Touya's hands were reassuring, and it overflowed with confidence as he navigated for him in the crowded corridor. They paused, and Yukito heard the sound of a door opening.

"Yuki, I have a feeling. I want you to brace yourself," he murmured.

"But Tou-ya, didn't the Doctor say…?"

Then another voice which he didn't know. He must be the Ophtha.

"Well, hello? What do we have here?"

Do doctors always have that congenial tone? Yuki thought as Touya sat him down again. He felt Father and son taking the seats behind him.

"I… I can't see, sir," the mere saying of it made him jittery. "I see a big pie in my eye."

"A big pie?" the doctor's cadence was more worried now. "Let me see your eye, son."

Yukito felt large hands, removing his. He let go of his eye, and now that his hand and handkerchief were out of the way, the doctor finally got a good glimpse of it.

"Why did you wait this long?" his voice was larger, with an undertone of accusation.

"W-What?" he also heard Touya chorus with him.

"We went to the clinic, four days ago," dear Touya explained. "The doctor there said it was sore eyes, but we wanted to be sure since he's in pain… You mean it's not sore eyes doc?"

"Can you see this?"

Yukito wasn't even aware what the doctor was asking to see. He raised his arm to look for it and bumped unto the doctor's hand. He heard a slight clicking from the man's tongue, and he wasn't reassured with that.

The doctor guided him to a seat, and to a device. It must be an eye test of some sort. He positioned his head on a head rest, like a clamp.

"Look into the light, please" the ophtha.

The bright light sent waves of pain into his head, and Yukito flinched, involuntarily facing away.

"Gomen ne," the doctor gently dropped some cool liquid in his eye, and the pain almost immediately began to subside. He tried looking at the bright light again. It still sung. But he could bear it now.

From a mirror in the device, he caught a glimpse of his own eye. It was swollen, and red. The veins were angry little lines traveling toward the center of the eyeball. Yukito cringed. Was that his eye? It looked worse! And the whiteness has spread and intensified. Touya saw that everyday when he helped with the medicine! He stifled a wave of revulsion.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the doctor made his diagnosis.

"I'm afraid son, that you have second degree ulceration of the cornea."

<<To Be Continued>>