Chapter Text
Tokyo Airport, 08:57 AM
“This
is an annoucement for passengers on flight 232 to
Ontario. The flight has been
delayed due to bad weather
conditions. Our new departure time is 09:50 AM. Thank you.”
“Nice, I can't even go home now...”
Checking the departure board once again, he collected his bag and,
annoyed, made his way to one of the seats in the terminal.
The moment he sitted his phone began to ring. Sighing, he picked up
without looking at the screen.
"Oh, Dai-chan!" a raspy voice resonated into his ear.
"Hello, Kashiwara." he answered coldly.
"Oh my God, what a sad man you are! I can see your long face from here,
you know?" the other laughed.
His only answer was a loud grunt.
"Listen buddy, shouldn't you be up in the sky?"
"The fact that I picked up the phone should be self-explanatory" he
huffed "...The flight got delayed for fifty minutes" he then added,
murmuring.
"Well, since you have nothing better to do, come here at the
hospital, ASAP."
"Why?" he asked while a bad feeling made its way into his mind. And one
heck of a headache too.
"No chit chat, young man. I can't tell you on the phone." the other
said in a sudden serious tone before hangin up.
He remained still for a few seconds with his phone on his ear and a
blank look on his face. Irritated, he got up and hurried outside the
airport to try and catch a cab as fast as he could.
Luckily for him one was already in the parking lot. He rushed inside
and, after giving the driver the indications he needed, he
opened his travel bag and pulled out his immaculate medical coat.
Rubbing his fingers on it, he stared at the name on the plate. Daisuke Higuchi.
He always sustained that the name his parents chose was not
suited for him. Daisuke meant "great help" and he, as a surgeon, never
helped anyone in his career. If anything, he did the exact contrary.
Even if he was the head of his department, he felt that responsibility
so heavy on his broad shoulders, because he knew he didn't deserve that
position.
Sighing deeply, he slowly put it on, with the growing and itching
feeling to throw the coat out of the window.
Totally lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't hear the driver telling
him that they reached the destination. Daisuke darkly glanced on the
other side of the glass before giving a quite good amount of money to
the other man and getting out of the vehicle.
"Here we are..." he thought out loud, looking at the imponent structure
before him. Jutendo
Hospital. Sighing again, he took his travel bag and
started walking up the stairs, when he say someone running torward him.
"Higuchi-san! Welcome back!" a young and crystalline voice greeted him,
the young girl before him was all smiles and slightly panting.
"Mmh" he muttered. Airi Fukimura, a young, chirpy nurse who looked more
like an escort than a person who were supposed to assist patients.
"Kashiwara-sensei is waiting in your office" she then said, looking
worried.
He let out a grunt "Can you please take care of my
belongings?" he asked gesturing at his bags.
"Of course!" she chimed happily before urging him again to go inside.
With
slow and forced steps, he reached his office, his only sanctuary of
peace and quiet during the most stressful working hours.
But it looked like it was not the case that day.
He opened the door to an utterly rare sight in that hospital.
All of the surgeons were gathered in that tiny room and now all of them
were staring at him with worried eyes.
"Welcome back Higuchi" the only present woman greeted him.
He nodded at her, making his way behind his mahogany desk. Sitting, he
stared back at his co-workers. No one dared to speak.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on? Kashiwara?"
Said man cleared his throat "First of all, don't panic, but you father
was suddenly taken ill."
Higuchi's eyes darkened "And maybe you were waiting for my ass to be
landed in Ontario to tell me this?"
"No, of course not. He's fine, it's not serious. He collapsed because
of what's happening."
"And can you
please fill
me in?" he tried to contain his tone.
This time another surgeon spoke "Daisuke, do you remember the...little
incident that happened three months ago?"
"Three months ago?" he thought about it "It doesn't ring any bell.
Continue, Tetsuo"
The other took a deep breath "When your father refused to hospitalize
that young boy with a heart condition, son of a Yakuza dude. Remember?"
"Ah...yes" it all came back clearly "And so?"
"So...This young man's father called and he threathened us to turn the
entire structure into fireworks if we don't take care of his son." he
explained with a blank expression.
"But, the boy is still in the waiting list. We can't find a compatible
donor for a transplant" the woman added.
"Maiko...where do we find a healthy and compatible heart in such a
short time?" Kashiwara said, worried.
"Wait, there's a time limit?" Higuchi asked, dismayed.
"A week." Tetsuo answered.
"That's crazy!" he finally shouted "It's impossible!"
"Settle down, buddy, we don't want you to all freaked out like your old
man" Kashiwara patted him on the shoulder and earned a glare.
"If I'm not wrong, that guy said that if we hospitalize his son within
this day he would think about extending the time
limit..." Maiko said thoughtfully.
"Where's the boy now?" Daisuke asked, rubbing his eyes.
"His father told us to call him if we decided to take him in." Tetsuo
said and then handed him a piece of a paper "Here, there's the
number"
He took the paper and stared at it for a good bunch of second before
taking his phone and dial the number.
"Turn on the speakers!" Kashiwara murmured. He complied.
"Hello?" a deep, masculine voice picked up.
"Are you Aishi Ryousuke?"
"Yes, who is it?"
"Daisuke Higuchi from Jutendo Hospital. I heard about your call this
morning"
"I don't think I talked with you, my dear" a sarcastic tone made his
eyebrow twitch.
"You were so kind to make my father collapse, so I'll be the one you'll
refer to from now on"
"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that" now it was a falsely sad one.
"I decided to hospitalize your son today"
"Now that's a reasonable choice"
"On the condition" he stopped him "That you retract your insanely time
limit"
The other fell deadly silent.
"Sir?" he called out after a few seconds.
"Why?"
"Because it's impossible to find a donor in such short time" he
replied, like even a child would know it.
"That's bullshit"
"Now listen carefully. To have a donor with a healthy heart is not a
simple thing, It's not like buying frozen meat at the market. It takes
time. If you want your son in this hospital, you'll have to accept our
conditions" he was almost raging.
"...Very well, I accept. I'll bring him to you in a few hours. But let
me be clear" his tone was now openly threathening "If my son dies
before the transplant you'll have a one-way trip to your beloved
ancestors." and he hung quickly.
The brown haired man fell back into his large chair, sighing heavily.
"At least time is in our favor...right?" Kashiwara asked after a couple
of minutes of plain silence.
"It seems like it" Daisuke smiled faintly.
"I suggest we get ready to...welcome this young boy" Maiko grinned
sheepishly.
Two
long hours had passed since the phone call. All of the people who were
in that room were now lined up in front of the main entrance of the
hospital. Kashiwara was now in a total panic state, biting his thumbs
and glancing furiously at Daisuke who was tying up his brown hair.
Maiko was chatting with Tetsuo and a nurse, regading rooms disposal and
various preparations.
Suddenly, Airi rushed to them and almost screamed "He...He has
arrived!" she panted pointing at the E.R. entrance.
"I'll go get him" Daisuke said rushing down the stairs.
He got aroung the corner and saw a ridicously long limo parked in front
of the E.R.
He stopped to stare at it before getting closer. A huge, muscular man
suddenly got out of the car, dressed in an all black suit, completed
with dark sunglasses
"Are you Higuchi Daisuke?" the incredibly tall behemoth said.
"Yeah"
"Ryousuke-sama is wating for you." he politely said opening the door.
Hesitant, the brown haired man got in, where two pair of eyes were
staring at him.