Starter for @hcmoanima || Outbreak TL
“We haven’t found him yet?” Yugamu brushed his tongue against the back of his labret piercing, fiddling with it in thought. A storm of curiosities led him to wonder how things got this far. Each came up short. Answers dwindled and more questions emerged. The data he collected yielded inconclusive results. “More infected? That makes five.” As calm and calculated as he may seem on the outside, he was shaken up within. Seeing her, one of his notable friends from the Second-to-last Defense Academy, lying motionless, tugged at his core. But if he showed even a bit of concern, his comrade would also lack the confidence to explore further solutions.
He had to stay strong for Takumi.
several hours before outbreak.
“Please save my Sister Dearest!” Ima tugged on Nozomi, without giving any information. His urgency should have been enough, but she still questioned it. “What’s going on? Something wrong with Kako?” The Tsukumo twin continued to tug on her arm, practically dragging her out of the cafeteria.
Some of the others lingered in the cafeteria after breakfast. They were either spending some free time conversing or eating scraps left behind. The ones left to watch Ima’s display were Takemaru, Hiruko, and Shouma. “Kako is hurt?” Takemaru sat up, hands beating onto the table, shaking it with his force. Shouma backed off and hurried to a corner. The ever observant ice queen Hiruko stood up as well. She locked eyes with Nozomi, who was struggling to understand why Ima was so desperate for her help, then resumed assessing the situation with barely any given details. Something wasn’t right. Kako and Ima were fine several minutes ago. In fact, they both ate their eccentric meals, laughed, and were the usual fixated children. What could have changed in such a short amount of time?
“Sister Dearest won’t wake up! Please, Ms. Kirifuji! Wake her up! And if you refuse, I’ll have to–”
“Enough! We’re going! Now!”
Hiruko slammed the table, scraps Shouma was hoarding now danced in the air, landing on the floor. “You, too.” She pointed at the self-deprecating mouse, urging him to follow. When it came to Kako, they knew Ima wasn’t playing one of his many childish tricks. With all in agreement, they all hurried out of the room.
The sight they expected to see bore a more rotten fruit. Kako’s face was filled with so many red blotches that her pale features were barely recognizable. A musk of heat puffed from her straining breath. She lay there flat, unmoving, unresponsive, which made them all feel unnerved. “It wasn’t this bad before.” Ima whimpered then hurried to her side—small droplets formed on his eyelids. He held her hand tightly. “Sister Dearest! It’s Brother–It's Ima! I’m back and I brought help.” He eyed the three that followed him. “You will help her, right?”
Hiruko was stunned. Although she didn't let it show, his question was left unanswered. Nozomi went straight to work. “Hiruko and I will go retrieve some medical supplies. Shouma, help Ima with whatever he needs. Takemaru, bring lots of bottles of water so we can keep her hydrated. I– I won’t lie, Ima, I don’t know what’s going on, but we’ll save Kako!” Ima had no choice but to believe her. Watching them all disperse, but Shouma, who was left behind, Ima returned to look at his sister. A streak of blood trickled down his nose. “Huh?” The last thing he saw was Shouma rushing over to help him.
Before any sort of procedure, Yugamu enjoyed classifying the medical tools in order of use. Several empty syringes lay in a row. He labeled them and matched them with a petri dish. Adjacent to them were his scalpels, forceps, retractors, and adhesive bandages. His PPEs were placed on an overbed for easy accessibility. After his healthy heaping of Turtle Liver, Yugamu was prepping to explore more of the school's outskirts for recreational herbs and dismembered spoils of war. “Hehe..” Just the thought of puncturing one of those School Invaders sent a shiver down his spine. A sensation he both adored and hoped would overststay its welcome. He wanted his imagination to run wild, but was brutally interrupted by the Bio Labs door flying open.
He looked back to see an odd duo entering the lab. Hiruko cycled through his inventory with a look of disgust. “Yugamu!” Nozomi looked stressed but relieved. “I’m so happy to see you here!” He couldn’t pinpoint her emotions. His instinctive reaction was a large smile on his lips. “Oh, really? I’m needed? Who wants to be tortured–I mean massaged today?” They rushed past him and eyed his equipment. “Kako… She’s sick. We need to help her.” Hiruko spoke up, grabbing any sort of useful tools she could find. Though they completely ruined his setup, his worries went elsewhere. What was wrong with Kako?
Their eyes burned the image of the twins in their minds. The often playful kids were now sharing a bed, gripping each other's hands as if holding onto the last strand of life left in them. Both were covered in rashes that now spread to different parts of their body. They hadn’t been gone that long. How is this spreading so quickly? Takemaru came in running behind them, holding an entire pack of water in either hand. His heart sank. “What the hell, man? How the hell did this happen?!” Nozomi shook her head, then looked at Yugamu, almost signalling him to help her. Their unspoken resolve was what ushered them to save the twins.
Despite the blemishes, pus-filled bumps, and erupting fevers, they were still alive. That kept their hopes high. “Where is Shouma?” Hiruko glanced around. That’s right, Shouma was taking care of the twins. Where had he gone? Yugamu gave the room a quick inspection. It was empty save for the usual. “I’ll go find him!” Nozomi got up and was instantly dismissed by Hiruko. “No, I’ll go. I’ll also go inform the others of the situation–” Blood trickled down from her nose to her lips. Like clockwork, the others also experienced the same bodily response. All except for Yugamu. One by one, they collapsed on the floor, leaving him in a room full of infected bodies.
“Oh, for the love of murder. All these cuties have such terrible immune systems.” The retort was to psych himself up for what was the clear truth: He needed help. He went to the only person he knew he could mildly trust. At least, it was someone who could shoulder the burden. But to avoid infecting the others, he began taking samples.
After a much-needed cleansing, Yugamu hunted the school grounds for their adorable, fiery red-headed leader. He brought a spare pair of surgical gloves and KF94 Masks. They were color coordinated on purpose. If they were going to be a doctor and nurse, might as well play the part in the best way possible: As a cute pair.
He wore the Nitrile gloves, growing oddly heated from the latex wrapping around his skin, brushing his fingers together to enhance the furor in his body. He couldn’t wait to see how well it looked in Takumi’s hands or how it felt if their hands touched together while wearing them. Yugamu brought enough for their remaining classmates but set aside the best ones for him.
Nerves started to strike him. What if he were the only one left to deal with everyone? Could he deal with both the invaders and his sick comrades? That worry spread across his face, but in a flash, he removed it. An assassin needed a good poker face or else even a single mission could be ruined by giving up before it even started.