Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Mend my Heart ❯ Gains and Losses ( Chapter 11 )

Nitelyfe – Thank you very much!  I’m so happy you are enjoying! ^_^

Sudden fan -  Aww, thanks. ^_^  I hope this was quick enough for you!

Now on with the chap!

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Despite his weariness, it took Ran a while to get to sleep. The first thing he did when he got home was contact Omi. The teen was excited to know that Ken had managed to wake up. He asked if it would be possible to come visit tomorrow, but Ran was hesitant. Not that he didn't want Omi there just that it may be too much for Ken at the moment. They only spoke briefly and the whole situation for the goalie was probably overwhelming at this point. But he did assure the young florist that he would at least ask Ken if it would be all right. Then he finally went to bed.

Now he was on his way to the hospital once again, feeling such a mix of emotions he couldn't name them if you asked him. The only thing he was sure of was his excitement. He had been longing for this for what seemed like ages and finally he would be able to converse with the young man who had snared his attention weeks ago. His stomach did a flip-flop as soon as the Hospital came into view. Taking two steps at a time, the light flutters continued to tickle his abdomen. The anticipation was almost too much.

He strode purposefully into the ward and didn't even bother waving to the nurses on duty. He stepped into Ken's room expectantly and immediately stopped dead in his tracks. A pristine hospital bed with sheets drawn tautly over it sat empty in the corner. Panic paralyzed him. Ken was gone. Glancing at the table beside the bed, he noticed that even the flowers were missing. His mind raced, fearing the worst.

Where is he? Did something happen? Is he ok? Oh my god, did those people find out he woke up and come after him? I have to find him! Spinning on his heels he ran back out into the hallway. Looking around he hurried over to the nurses' station. "Where is he?! What's happened to him?! Tell me where he is now!" His hands gripped the edge of the counter until his knuckles bleached.

The woman behind the desk looked blankly up at him. He barely squelched the desire to grab her and shake the information out of her. Just then a hand touched his shoulder and he spun to see Kiki standing there, "Ran-kun, calm down." She had added the kun shortly after he had taken up vigil in the goalie's room. He guessed that it may have been her way to show she approved and thanked him for the help. But right now that was farthest from his mind.

Strong hands instantly moved to wrap around her arms. "Where is he? Where have they taken Ken?"

"It's alright, Ran-kun. Take a deep breath and I'll tell you." The frantic look in those violet depths made her soften her voice and hold his arms in kind. He waited anxiously for her answer. "Ken's fine." Those two words alone almost sent the young man to his knees in relief. "Since he's woken up, he doesn't need to stay here. They just moved him one floor down to the recovery ward. Here, I'll give you his new room number, ok?"

Ran's racing heart slowed marginally, but the scare was enough to stick with him until he saw the brunette with his own two eyes. Relaxing, he released her and muttered apologetically, "Thank you." He waited for her to go behind the desk and pull up the information.

When she came back around, she placed an arm around his shoulders and ushered him along. "You know, I really should be thanking you for what you've done. I know the sacrifice you made to help Ken and not many others would. I'm glad that he finally woke up. And I believe your sister will one day too. Take heart in some of the accomplishment you have achieved here. You really have done a wonderful thing."

"Thank you." He regarded her thoughtfully, again wondering how much she knew and her reason for guiding him to the brunette's side. She handed him a little slip of paper and smiled.

"Take good care of him and don't worry about Aya, I'll watch over her until you get back." He offered her a surprised yet appreciative smile. A soft laugh escaped the woman as she pushed him into the elevator she summoned. "Now hurry up. He'll wake soon and I'm sure you'll want to be there," she added cheerfully as the doors closed and cut them off.

Ran stood there dumbfounded for a moment. The morning had already proven itself to be full of surprises. But for some reason he felt better knowing that Kiki would be watching over his imouto for the time being. Now his thoughts turned back to the other brunette who had taken control of his life and the butterflies returned full force.

Stepping out of the elevator, Ran scanned the area and spotted the nurses' desk up ahead. There he inquired where Ken's room was and they pointed him in the right direction. Taking a deep breath he stood in the doorway and smiled. In a room similar to his sister's, the young man slept. He carefully moved into the room. He watched the young man for a moment glad that he hadn't missed anything as far as he could tell. The redhead turned to pull the chair over and noticed the flower arrangement Omi brought sitting on the sill. So they brought that down too. Good.

Taking up his usual position, he opted to wait for Ken to rouse on his own. But not long after he arrived, he couldn't help reaching out to brush away a few errant strands from the boy's face. However featherlight the touch was, Ken must have felt it because he drew in a sharp intake of air. Stirring, lazy eyes cracked open to peek at the world. When their eyes met, a small upward quirk played at the corner of his lips. "Hey," he whispered.

"Ohayo, Ken. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess." He tried to push himself up and Ran quickly moved to assist him, adjusting the bed and pillows. "A bit thirsty," he added sheepishly. The redhead fetched a cup of water from the sink then offered it to him. "Thanks." He took a few tentative sips remembering the redhead's advice the night before.

For a few moments, silence passed between them. Each one mulled over their thoughts trying to figure out where exactly to begin. It ended up being the impulsive brunette starting things off. His voice was soft and thoughtful, "Do you know how long I've been out?"

"Just about three months." Another pause as the words sank in. The question was itching to be asked and now that he had his opportunity he was going to take it. "Do you remember what happened?"

Ken sat there for long minutes sifting through his memory. For some reason he couldn't seem to focus on anything and ended up with nothing. Sighing, he just shook his head. But before more could be discussed they heard someone at the doorway. "Oh, I thought I heard voices in here." She walked in confidently. "And how is our new addition this morning?"

"Fine."

"That's good to hear." She was checking some monitors making sure everything was as it should be. No longer really looking at them she carried on, "And who is this fine young man? Brother?"

Ken glanced at Ran awkwardly with a hint of speculation. The redhead cleared his throat, keeping eye contact with the brunette and answered, "Friend."

"Oh," she did her best to sound nonchalant, but the quick flick of her eyes in his direction and blush on her cheeks proved she was more than curious. "Well, everything seems to be good. I'll let the doctor know that you're up and he'll be along shortly."

The two watched her go and as soon as she was gone Ken turned back to his companion. Tentatively, he asked, "You don't work here?"

"No." Kinda surprised at the question.

"I just thought that….”  He frowned and shook his head.  “Actually I have no idea what to think."

"About what?"

"I don't want to sound rude or ungrateful, but I just don't really know who you are. I assumed that you worked here and that's why I heard you. But if you don't then, well, why?" It seems that maybe Ken had done some thinking too and had some questions of his own for Ran. He really shouldn't have been surprised, and now he wondered exactly how to answer. "Are you a fan or something?"

He had to laugh a little at that. "No, actually I don't care much for sports."

Ken’s frown deepened.  "Now I'm really confused."

"I don't doubt it." Reticence followed before Ran continued. He decided to start from one aspect and see where the conversation took him. "I was leaving one night after a visit when I heard a noise coming from your room. The night nurse wasn't around and I was curious if someone had woken up. That was the first time I ever met you. Although I'm sure you can imagine it wasn't much of a meeting. The nurse said you might wake up soon but not yet. I got curious. I wanted to know if it was even possible to wake from a coma. So, I kept coming back. I found out your name and learned that you had been a Soccer player, so I did a little bit of research to figure out who you were. Since then, I've been by your side encouraging you."

Ken seemed to be absorbing this new information carefully.  Something was missing from the picture, that much he knew.  There was one question that plagued his thoughts right then.  "And Kase?"  Where was his best friend?  Something had happened but he couldn’t remember what.  Slowly, pressure began to build behind his eyes.

Regretfully, Ran answered his question.  "To be honest with you, I have no idea why he isn't here."

"He's alive? He isn't hurt like me?"  The confusion clearly evident on his face.  The redhead began to wonder what Ken meant by his questions.

"No Ken-san, although he's no longer an active player.He's taken on more managerial responsibilities within the team." He let the words sink in.

Ken's gaze turned inward as he searched again. Something just didn't feel right to him. "We were together, I know we were." He mumbled to himself. There was a series of images flashing in his mind's eye and he tried to decipher them. Walking down a hallway. Talking to teammates. Just him and Kase. Raised voices. Shower. Pain. Real life echoed the memory as another sharp pang shot through his mind. He heard Ran's voice speaking to him through the white flame in his head.

"Ken? What is it? What's wrong?"

Gasping, he simply resigned himself to just breathe and release the pain rather than following the fleeting trails of faded memories.  Long minutes passed before he could gather enough air to answer.  "I don't know." Frustration took hold as the torment subsided. "It’s all so confusing.  Nothing is making sense."

"Just try to relax for now. Don't push yourself,” he patted Ken’s arm then added softly, “especially if it only hurts you."

Ken swept through his emotions swiftly; confusion, pain, anger.  It was obvious he was a passionate young man and would not be so easily dissuaded.  He turned those captivating sea-kissed eyes on the redhead, searching for something to grab onto.  "But I want to know what happened to me? Why I lost three months of my life."

Sighing, Ran said, "You're not the only one. We all want to know the answer to that."

"We?"  Some of the fervor in the raging seas faded, replaced by curiosity.

"Yes, there are few of us that question certain events leading up to your accident."

"Accident?"  Every time something new was revealed, it left the brunette feeling even more lost and out of place. 

Ran tried to explain as best he could.  "The news said you were involved in a hit and run after the game. But we don't think that's true."

"You keep saying we, who else besides you?"

"Your friend Tsuki Fujikawa for one. As well as someone I bumped into after I started visiting you. He seemed to be a fan of some sort but not a die hard one. He was happy to hear that you've woken up and would like to come visit you. Do you feel up to seeing anyone?"  To be honest, Ran disliked posing the question right then considering his companion was desperately trying to piece his life together again.  But he wanted to ask before he forgot.  Besides, maybe with Omi there they could try sorting things out together.

"I guess so,” Ken mumbled.  Hands came up to rub at his face.  “I'm just confused s'all."  There was so much he didn’t understand, so many questions, and thus far no answers that seemed to be right to him.

Ran touched his arm again, drawing the younger man’s attention back to him.  Then he spoke encouragingly, "It will probably take some time for you to get used to everything again. Just take it one step at a time."

"That's very sound advice, young man." An elderly man with a stethoscope around his neck said from the entrance. "It is good to see you, Hidaka-san." The man walked right up to the brunette and extended a hand. "My name is Doctor Makoto and I'll be checking in on you while you are with us." He then turned to Ran and held out his hand again.

He immediately responded while taking the proffered hand, "Ran Fujimiya."

Makoto nodded in greeting, "Fujimiya-san." Looking back at the brunette, he grabbed a nearby stool and sat down placing a folder in his lap. "I would like to go over a few things with you now that you are up, Hidaka-san, would you mind?"

Ken glanced over at the doctor with haunted eyes.  "No, I'd like to have some idea of what's going on."

"Understandable." He opened the folder and began leafing through it. "It looks like when you were first brought into the emergency room you were classified on the high end of the coma scale.(1) While you were comatose, they treated your other injuries prior to moving you to our hospital."

Curious, Ken asked, "Coma scale?"

"Yes, most medical practitioners utilize the Glasgow Coma Scale to determine the depth of which a patient is under. The scoring goes from 3 to 15, 3 being completely under and unresponsive. According to your chart you scored an 8, which is the highest you can be placed and be determined comatose. It looks like much more recently, they were stating you were closer to 13/14. We call that a Responsive Coma as the patient responds to outside stimulus."

Ken mulled over this new information while Ran sat quietly waiting since he already knew about the GCS due to his sister. A moment later, the brunette inquired, "You mentioned injuries. How badly was I banged up?"  He should have expected it since the redhead had said he was involved in an accident, but once more he felt something nagging in the back of his mind.  Something that frightened him.

"Looks like it was rather nasty in here.”  Mokoto said matter-of-factly as he looked through Ken’s file.  “You had a number of fractures in your arm, ribs and skull. Countless bruises and lacerations. And your left patella was all but shattered. They had to do a couple of re-constructive surgeries to get it back to normal."

Ken's eyes widened in horror. "But it's ok now, right? My knee. It'll be fine right?"

"You still have a light brace on for the moment. And it will take a lot of physical therapy to have you up and walking again. I would say probably about 18 months worth in total. It'll definitely be stronger, but I can't guarantee that it will ever fully heal. The patella shattered causing significant damage to the surrounding tissue and bone. Only time will fully be able to tell if you'll have full movement with it again."

Never fully heal?  No!  It can’t be true!  Swallowing hard, he asked, "But what….what about Soccer?"  It was his life, his escape.  He can’t lose it, not now.  Especially, not now.  He begged silently to the gods above, Please.  Please, don’t.  Anxiously, he waited for the doctor’s next words.

"You're young Hidaka-san, you should be able to find a new career without a problem."

By the look of absolute terror on Ken's face, the man may as well have leaned over and ripped the boy's heart out with his bare hands. Ken was devastated.  To say the least, Ran could tell.  Anything else the man said fell on deaf ears. It was a good thing the redhead was there to take up the information so later he could relay it to the youth gradually. "Makoto-sensei, may I ask as to the reason for the extended therapy?"  For some reason, it just sounded way to long for normal recovery time. 

"Most knee surgeries often are very stressful. On a normally healthy patient we suggest anywhere between eight months to a year's worth of sessions. Of course the beginning is really where the bulk of work is done. Usually near the end it's only routine checkup sessions we request. However, in Hidaka-san's case his previous state was both helpful and hindering. Because he barely moved most of the time, the bones were able to set and heal with relatively quick speed. But due to the lack of movement the muscles surrounding these injuries weakened. And since there was some tissue damage to his knee as well as surgery followed by gradual atrophy, I estimate it will take a while longer for the joint to return to normal, if ever."

"So what happens now?"

"Now, we try and get Hidaka-san ready to go home. He'll be enrolled in some therapy while he's here to get his muscles going again. Depending on how well he does he may be able to leave as early as the end of this week. Although I would like a nurse or relative around until he is capable of doing things on his own."

"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem."  He had already vowed to himself he would see to Ken’s wellbeing until he was back to normal.  So he accepted this comment without hesitation.

"Do either of you have any questions for me at this time?" He glanced between them then stood when they didn’t respond. "I will be back later on today to see how things are going." Then he excused himself leaving the two alone.

Ran looked worriedly back at the brunette. He hadn't said a word since the doctor's comment about his career. Cautiously, he reached out to lay his hand over the tightly clenched fist of the goalie. "Ken? You can't let it get to you. It's only one man's opinion, we can always get another. Ken?"

The shocked expression slowly gave way to something much darker. Slowly, his hand unfurled and moved down to pull at the blanket. At first Ran didn't understand what was going on, but then he heard, "I want to see." He kept yanking at the sheets slowly revealing his stiff leg. It was currently wrapped in a knee brace that kept it from moving at all. The small whole in the front revealed a scar line. Ken's hands fisted, gathering the thin material in his lap. His head lowered so that you couldn't even see the turbulent seas past the earthen bangs.

"Ken?" Ran leaned forward, his heart racing. He could feel the tension filling the room and it set him on guard.

In a voice rough and harsh he ground out, "I'll get those bastards. I'll show them, they won't stop me. They'll see."

"Who, Ken? Who will see?" Ran asked desperately, hoping that Ken figured out what had happened. But he doubted it when the brunette's head snapped to the side to look at him. It was almost as if he had forgotten he wasn’t alone. And the bewildered look in his eyes reflected his confusion.

Suddenly, the young features formed a determined frown. Throwing off the covers completely, Ken started wiggling to the edge of the bed. "Help me."

Frowning in kind, more from concern than anger, the redhead cautioned, "I don't think you're ready for this yet."

"Help me, or move and I'll do it myself."  It was obvious he would not be deterred.

Ran sighed and moved to assist the stubborn young man.  They set Ken's feet carefully on the ground beneath him. Sluggishly, he commanded them to move and at first they did nothing to listen. After some long minutes, with a grunt of effort, Ken managed to get his unencumbered leg to step forward awkwardly. Panting, Ken focused his energy on his other leg.

More long minutes passed while he worked at it. Finally, it moved only a few inches but enough. But as Ken switched his weight to keep going, a sharp pinch of pain shot up his leg and through his spine. He cried out and slumped against the redhead for support. Ran held him close, taking on as much of the youth's weight as possible. Softly he admonished, "You're pushing too hard."

Ken clung to the front of Ran's shirt desperately. His face contorted with pain and raw emotions. It took him a moment to overcome the fire in his leg, his head buried in the other man's chest. When it finally gave way, he felt the mix of anger and despair crash over him. The tears began to fall unknowingly as he struggled with the world he had woken up to. "It's not fair. Not fair. Why me?"

"I don't know, K-ken…" He whispered back. But the uncharacteristic stumble of his tongue left him wondering. He felt he should have used a more endearing nickname, but he didn't know what.

Turning his head to get more air, the brunette let out a soft gasp. "Kase…"

Ran at first thought Ken was lost in his thoughts, but froze when he heard an answering voice, "Ken…" His back was mostly toward the door and he slowly turned to look at the origin. There in the doorframe stood Kase Kouichiro.

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1.)  Alright, for all this medical mumbo jumbo, I must confess I'm on both ends of the field here. The Glasgow Coma Scale is very real. I have been able to pull up some information regarding this. I have also heard that there is a difference between a comatose patient and a 'responsive' coma, so I did apply that here. I have also done a bit of research on knee surgery, even going as far as an interactive walkthrough on one website. However, I have not been able to find much information on the normal practices of physical therapy for either coma patients or knee surgery patients. I did have a couple of people I asked who knew someone who had knee surgery and they were doing PT for about 8-12 months. They said the beginning was more intense while the end was follow up. So I may have stretched things here for dramatic purposes. I hope you don't mind. :8)

 Thanks again for reading folks, and please remember REVIEWS are an author’s best friend!  Don’t let me be lonely!

Ken: Um, excuse me?

S-k: Yes?

Ken:  You’re just going to leave it there? ! ?

S-k: Ch’ya.  It is called a cliffie for a reason, silly. –rolls eyes-

Ken:  B-b-but you can’t leave it there!  We have to see what’s going to happen next!

S-k: Oh really? –crosses arms and looks over at the figure in the corner-  Tell me, are you eager to see Kase show up?  -receives death glare from redhead- That’s what I thought.

Omi: Ken-kun, it’s ok.  All we have to do is wait until next week and then we’ll know exactly what happens.

Ken:  But I want to know now!

Yoji:  Keep your pants on.  Or better yet, take ‘em off and I’ll take your mind off the wait. –throws an arm over the brunette’s shoulders-

Ken:   -blushes furiously- Yoji.

Aya: Kudou. ­–tone warning, death glare-

Omi: Yotan.

Yoji:  Oh, don’t worry chibi.  I was just trying to get a rise out of the Icicle over here.  You should know me better than that. –winks-  -Omi blushes-

Aya:  Then take your hand off, Kudou. –growls-

Yoji: Hey, it’s cool.  ­–throws hands up in surrender­-

S-k:  Are you all finished?  It’s late and I would like to go to bed.

Yoji:   -saunters over and wraps arm around shiki-  I hope not alone.

S-k: Course not, baka! –growls and lifts left hand as proof-

Yoji:  I was just teasing.

S-k:  Whatever.  Just hurry up!

Yoji: Fine, let’s go chibi.  –guides a blushing Omi out-

Ken: Um, I just wanted to say Thank you to those who voted for us.  I’m glad you are enjoying this as well as the story.  I can’t wait for the next part!  So don’t forget to review so Shiki’s muse will keep writing for us!  Thanks.

Aya: Alright, come on.  –grabs Ken’s arm and heads for exit, trying not to sound too jealous-

Well, I think that’s it for now.  Doesn’t look like Ran’s happy with Kase’s sudden appearance.  Can’t say I blame him.  Anyway, let’s hope everything works out for the best, ne?  coughREVIEWcough  Woah, got something caught in my throat there.  Well, it’s sleepy time so I’ll see you minna next week. THANK YOU! :D