The text was almost instantaneous. She was coming. That was all Nidai
needed to feel a little more relaxed. Having Mikan around him would
surely help ease the feeling of frayed nerves that he got whenever he was
in the hospital like this. Despite the struggles at the beginning of their
friendship, Nidai was closest to none other than her, gladly referring to
her as his sister even though they shared no blood between them. All he
was going to have to do was wait here for her to arrive.
He feels guilty that he’s dragging her from work– she didn’t have to come
right this instant, but he knew that she would because that was just how
she was. It wasn’t but a few minutes after their brief exchange of texts
that Nidai realized that he hadn’t even told her the room number, then to
realize that he didn't even know the room number he was in. When he
had woken up, he had already been on the bed with everything hooked
up and the steady beeping of the heart monitor right next to him.
Hopefully, someone would walk by so he could ask them what number his
room was as the button that he could press for a nurse to come to him was
nowhere to be found (it was most likely hidden under his blankets). As he
waits there, the Coach drums his fingers against the plastic bumper of his
hospital bed, eyes watching the door like a hawk for anyone to open it and
tell him that either he had a visitor or that it was time to take his vitals.
When the door finally does open, Nidai opens his mouth to ask about the
room, but quickly realizes that it’s Mikan as she enters the room.
Immediately his face lights up into a smile. “Do not apologize! I asked
for you to come here and I am glad to see you!"
And really, he was. She lifted his mood drastically by just showing up.
However, the questions that she ask make him sigh softly, a hand
coming up to rub at the back of his head as he stares down at his lap.
The soft tone of her voice towards the last guess hit the nail right on
the head. "No– no one tried to harm me…The doctors told me that
I suffered from a heart attack. Mild, but still very dangerous."
She was one of the only people that he had spoken to about the dirty
details of his heart condition. Sure– it may be common knowledge
that he suffered from a bad one as a child, but not so much that it
still affected him this badly in his day to day life.
As relieved as he was to see her, she was relieved to see him; such relief was short lived as he shared what had caused him to end up the hospital. For a moment the young woman was speechless, so many thoughts and ideas of what to say to comfort him, yet remain honest ran flitted through her mind but nothing seemed to fit the situation, to convey just how she felt.
She was silent as she reached out, taking one of his large hands between both of her own. The bandages wrapped around the palm of one of her hands didn’t allow her to really feel his hand, but the warmth that emanated from it was enough to once again reassure her just the slightest bit. He was alive. He was still there, with her. Though it was a heart attack he was still able to draw breath and just be around--and for now she would be thankful for small miracles.
“I...” She drew in a shaky breath. He was the one that had suffered a heart attack and here she was getting overly emotional--though for her it seemed to be the norm, even more so since she cherished his presence so. “I’m so glad you are s-still alive.” Her voice was scant audible, it came as no surprise that tears trailed down her cheeks as she gripped his hand tighter.
Though Mikan was often considered weak--and for good reason too--she had a remarkable ability to be strong for her patients; even though Nidai wasn’t a patient under her care she could treat him in a similar manner. Nidai had been her strength when she needed it--which was all too often--so she would do the same for him in this moment. “At l-least it was mild.” She gazed at his face, checking for any sign of facial drooping or weakness in either arm--both common side effects of a heart attack--but found nothing. For being unlucky enough to have a heart defect he was...lucky.
“You will get through your t-time in the hospital and before you know it you w-will be back to coaching others.” She offered a shaky, but reassuring smile. “Just...please do not overexert yourself.” She regarded him with open concern, managing to look abashed after a few moments. “I am sorry, but...I forgot to ask if I should have brought you a-anything. I was so concerned it j-just slipped my mind. I promise to m-make it up to you as soon as you are out and a-about.”
She just hoped they would release him, what if the doctors and nurses feared he was only going to rapidly deteriorate in health from here and decide to keep him in the hospital for an extended period? She knew he would do anything in his power to prevent it--Nidai didn’t belong cooped up in a hospital. The place she felt was as close to a true home as she was ever going to get was a prison for the male, it wouldn’t be fair to him to keep him caged up even if he was only getting worse. Medicine could only delay the inevitable sometimes. Mikan stared blankly ahead as she thought this, brows furrowing ever so slightly as she gripped his hand.
Why did it have to be him--someone so honestly good and kind--that had to suffer so?