The Sun with A False Eternity

A 3AM Trip

  "Hhhhm...?' Kageyama rolled over in bed, feeling all of his muscles screeching in protest. What was that?

Something was really loud. Persistently loud. Kageyama clamped his hands over his ears, trying to get whatever the noise was to stop. He was trying to sleep.

My phone.

Reality set in for the teen and he sat up in bed, reaching out to his left drowsily, attempting to get a grasp on his phone that was insistent on ringing. He picked it up and flipped it open, rubbing his eyes.

What in the world could someone possibly want at three in the morning? He answered it anyway, his gut telling him it was something important.

"Hello?" He mumbled into the phone, trying his best to not yawn.

"Oh thank god you picked up," a voice said on the other end, sounding relieved.

"Mr. Takeda?" Kageyama felt his heart skip a beat. Why was the teacher calling so late?

"Look, don't freak out," the club advisor spoke in a slow tone as if trying to ease whatever was coming next. Kageyama instantly felt more awake, desperate to know what was going on.

"What is it?"

"Hinata's at the hospital again." 

Boom.

Kageyama's heart felt like it stopped. The darkness in his room became much more apparent, and there was a slight ringing in his ears.

"What?" The setter spoke, his voice hardly above a whisper. He hadn't intended to speak, his voice moved of its own accord. "What did you say?"

"Look, I'm in the car right now on the way to the hospital," Takeda continued, and even over the rough audio of the call, Kageyama could tell he was trying his hardest to make sure his voice remained steady. "I don't know all the details, just that Hinata was rushed there about an hour ago. I just got the call from his mom. She said something about Hinata requesting you," he sounded more uncertain now as if he wasn't sure what to do with the information he withheld.

"What do you mean he requested me?" Kageyama didn't even try to contain the way his voice shook, as each word had its demon to beat before escaping his mouth. "Is he okay?"

"As far as I know, yes." The teacher attempted to calm Kageyama's nerves. "I think he passed out, but before he did he said something about needing to talk to you. I know it's late, so don't feel pressured. But I was wondering if you'd like me to swing by your house to bring you there with me."

Hinata is in the hospital again. Takeda's words echoed through Kageyama's mind. He shouldn't have been in the hospital in the first place, never mind more than once. He didn't even have to think twice about his decision.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Alright, see you then," Takeda hung up the phone before Kageyama could get another word in. The teenager leaped out of bed, intent on making good on his word. He rushed to change, even in his slight panic wanting to make sure he was still looking presentable. He ran a comb through his hair and shoved his phone in his pocket, not bringing anything else.

He left the room quietly, even though he and his mother were the only ones home. It was probably just a force of habit, he was used to leaving his room at early hours in the morning; just a few things were different back then. When he had to leave early for volleyball practice in his early days of junior high, his sister was still home.

And Kazuyo was still alive, Kageyama shook his head to clear the thought.

He knocked on the door to his mother's room. As desperate as he was to just leave without telling her, he had promised that he would keep her updated.

He walked into the room after a few seconds of not getting a response. He walked over to the side of her bed and gently shook her awake, trying not to startle her.

"Tobio?" She yawned, looking confused. She looked over at the clock in her room and blinked slowly. "What in the world could you possibly need at a time like this?"

Kageyama bit back a sharp response and simply told her straight: "my friend is in the hospital again. Mr. Takeda from school is on the way to pick me up right now. I don't know when I'll be home, but he'll probably be willing to drop me off. You told me to keep you updated, so I did."

"Alright," was the only response his mother gave before laying back down. Kageyama waited for a few moments, unsure if she was going to say more. When she didn't, he simply left the room, shutting the door behind him.

He contemplated grabbing something to eat before he left, but his stomach felt like it was tied in a thousand knots.

I'm not even this nervous before a competition, Kageyama tried to ignore the thought, but the bile creeping its way up his throat disproved the notion. The dark-haired boy quickly exited the room, trying not to be sick. He went out to the road in front of his house and began to pace, trying anything and everything to convince himself that the boy he cared about was alright.

It wasn't long before headlights turned onto his street, alerting Kageyama that his ride had arrived. He quickly opened the door to the passengers' side and climbed in, hardly giving the club advisor a nod of recognition.

"I tried to get a hold of Ukai," Takeda broke the silence after a few minutes of driving. "But he wouldn't pick up, must be exhausted from yesterday."

"Yeah." That was all Kageyama could think to say. Nothing Takeda could say or do would fully distract him from what was going on. As much as he hated the thought, he was heading back to the hospital.

But while the last time he had been dreading it, this time Kageyama was urging Takeda to go faster in his head. He needed to see Hinata for himself, to stop the guilt that was wrenching its way into his mind.

I saw him looking weaker. I saw him and I didn't say anything. I didn't try and convince him to sit out, I didn't make sure he was taking care of himself, maybe if I had... The voice in his head trailed off. Suddenly the win they had claimed the previous day didn't feel quite like a victory anymore.

They arrived much later than Kageyama would have liked. At least, it felt much later. They quickly got out of the car and rushed into the building. Takeda quickly checked the two of them in while Kageyama stood and watched, everything the two adults were talking about going straight over his head.

All he could think about was how intent he was on getting to see the middle blocker again. He could feel his heartbeat picking up once again as he rounded the corners of the hospital, hardly noting the strong antiseptic scent that he hadn't smelled in over a month.

Kageyama knocked on the door this time, trying to brace his nerves for whatever horrible sight awaited him on the other side of the door. As the entrance opened, Kageyama couldn't stop a repressed memory from surfacing.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Young Kageyama looked up at Miwa, tightening his grip on his older sister's hand.

"I'm sure he will be, they'll let him out soon," Miwa pushed open the door to the hospital room firmly, not bothering to knock first.

"Miwa! Tobio! You made it!" Kageyama's grandfather smiled at them from his hospital bed, his warm presence lighting up the room immediately. "I'm glad you're here!"

"Kazuyo!" Kageyama cried, running over to his grandfather's bed and giving him the tightest hug he could without hurting the old man. He could feel his grandfather laughing as he buried his head tightly into the man's chest.

"Everything is gonna be okay, right?" Kageyama's voice squeaked out nervously. He heard his grandfather laugh again.

"Of course Tobio, of course."

"Is everything alright?" A voice whispered from the room. Kageyama snapped out of his trance and looked into the hospital room, blinking a few times. He nodded as he stepped in, greeting Hinata's mom who once again sat in the corner of the room. The only difference from the scene this time there was a child in the parent's lap, who looked like she was fast asleep.

Kageyama turned his gaze away and instead looked over towards the person he came for.

Hinata.