บท 39: Harbinger of Trouble

Hinata woke at the crack of a new day. He had slept through the night. His mind was still waking up when Kou entered his room.

"Oh. Good. Awake sleepy head." Kou gracefully knelt before Hinata.

Hinata stared at him with sleep ridden eyes. He felt awake when Kou's large hand reached out for his face.

"Can I?" Kou asked, his hand hovering within reach of Hinata's nose.

Hinata nodded. Kou's hand moved to his nose and over his face. Feeling the contours of his cheeks, jawline and ears.

"You truly are a beautiful man." Kou noted. "I wanted to see if you were doing okay actually."

"I am." Hinata let out with awe. "I don't think I'm beautiful. For you to be able to sense where I am and find my face is amazing."

Kou smiled. "It's a skill learned from war. There were times I had to move without seeing in trenches and tunnels. Having no sight is not a hindrance to me."

His voice drifted into a troubled sigh. Hinata frowned when he noticed twitching to Kou's hand when he lowered it back down to his side.

"War's a terrible thing." Hinata soberly commented.

"Indeed." Kou added. "Terrible thing."

Hinata gulped at the tear that escaped one of Kou's eyes.

"I'm sorry Ishikawa-san." Hinata began to apologize.

"Kou." Kou frowned and finger flicked Hinata's forehead. "How many times I have to tell you that. My father is Ishikawa-san."

Hinata stared at Kou's pouting expression and burst with laughter. He looked childish.

"Okay, Kou-san." Hinata relaxed into a warm smile.

Kou sighed. "Guess that'll do."

Mei-san politely knocked on the door and entered at Hinata's permission. Hinata warmly greeted Kou's woman. He almost giggled at this fact. The idea of her love being reciprocated was adorable. He internally prayed for many blessed days they would share together.

"Together." Hinata wistfully sighed as his thoughts went to Eiji's face then Akira's.

The men he loved had suffered because of him. Eiji was dead. Now Akira might be. All because of him. He was to blame. He didn't deserve the kindness of people.

"Listen. Do you mind giving me a moment alone while I dress?" Hinata asked the couple.

Mei-san escorted Kou out of the room. Hinata laid back down on his futon. His mind slipped into darker thoughts with an urge to secretly leave the place, so he could avoid bringing further trouble to others.

"I'm a harbinger of trouble." Hinata declared of himself.

It wasn't a new self perception. He had been doing his best to a provider and supporter for others. To give them a good and wholesome life during these hard times. At one stage, he honestly believed he could. Especially after Rocko's words to him.

With Akira fighting for his life from a knife wound that happened because of him. Kou, Yuri, Mei-san, Hinata and the children's plight from the secret police were because of him. Now his own village was being made to suffer more than they should. All because of him.

"Akira needs to get better." He sat up with a decision. "Please, Okamisama. Make him run again."

He dressed and left the house for the hospital. Shouta cheerfully greeted him with Miwa. They were cradling something within their shirts. Food no doubt. The insect kind.

He smiled feeling his heart lighter at the sight of them. The boys hurried inside the house.

He continued his journey and place by Akira's side when he entered the main ward. His heart raced with worry when Akira was sleeping and wasn't showing signs of waking.

Ryōsuke saw Hinata enter. He frowned at the man's agitated expression and stirring of Akira. He went over to him.

"Chikafuji-san," Ryōsuke said. His eyes widened with understanding.

He checked for Akira's pulse and took vital readings. They weren't looking good and had dropped since his last check about half an hour earlier.

"Get me that compress on that table." Ryōsuke calmly ordered Hinata.

Hinata responded with a shocked expression upon seeing Akira's paling face.

"Chikafuji-san!" Ryōsuke snapped at Hinata to bring him around.

Hinata nodded and did what Ryōsuke had asked of him.

Ryōsuke routinely went about pumping Akira's chest with efforts to keep his heart operating, whilst cushioning his wound to lessen impacts from his hand compressions. He persisted in working on keeping Akira breathing and heart beating. The man wasn't responding. His beats were becoming faint and irregular murmurs. His breaths were weak and shallow.

"Come on!" Ryōsuke cried out as he desperately struggled to keep the man alive.

He was losing him.