Metanoia

Accident

All Tobio could see was a red and blue flash as his eyes closed, the ground he was laying on felt warm and sticky as Miwa's arms tighten around him. He tried to decipher the noise that the people around him made but the dull ringing in his head prevented him from doing so. His right leg was on fire when he tried to move it, taking deep breaths Tobio tried to open his eyes once again but closed them when the bright lights hit them, it made his headache even worse.

The air smelled like iron and in his mouth, he could taste a little bit of blood. He felt something warm run down his forehead. Tobio could feel Miwa's chest going up and down oh so slowly, she was saying something to him but all he could make was 'You are ok, you will be ok' her voice sounded strained as if talking was taking too much effort in her part.

The last thing Tobio saw before the world around him turn black was a white ambulance.

___

Shinsuke didn't believe in deities nor did he ever bother doing anything for the gods, but at that moment when he received the news, for the first time he prayed. He prayed to whatever god was up there to protect his family, he didn't care if said God took everything away from him just that his aunt, uncle, and cousins survive.

His grandmother, Kita Yumie prayed by his side as the train took them from Hyogo to Miyagi. The last time he had gone to Miyagi had been to pay his respects to Tobio's and Miwa's grandfather, Kageyama Kazuyo. That was two years ago, know he was going back once again but this time he hoped that it was not for another funeral.

Shinsuke thought back to Miwa, how she was always taking care of him when their parents went out, how they played together before she moved away from Hyogo. He recalls the sapphire blue in Tobio's eyes when Shinsuke for the first time carried him once he was brought back home from the hospital.

How Tobio's little hand wrapped around his finger, how Miwa had a soft look in her blue eyes whenever the two of them interacted or when the three of them played with Kazuyo while their parents were away.

Shinsuke felt his eyes sting with unshed tears, he couldn't cry, not right now. He had to be strong for his grandmother, this was also her family, her only family other than Shinsuke.

Taking his grandmother's shaking hand Shinsuke held it as if to say that everything will be ok even when Shinsuke himself felt his gut telling him otherwise.

___

Miwa hated many things in life like how people would be rude to you for no reason, how her parents open her door and not close it, and when someone just busts in her room with no permission. But what she despised the most was when her baby brother got hurt, it didn't matter if it was physical anything that caused him harm or put him in harm's way was put in Miwa's to hate list with absolutely no hesitation.

At this very moment, the person that Miwa hated the most was the one who crashed their car. She had seen the car before she could scream a warning to her parents. Miwa's body moved on its own and pulled Tobio to her in a hug, not once letting go as the car driving in fast speed crashed theirs. She felt the blow and screamed in pain, it hurt so bad but still, she held on to her baby brother, no once letting him go.

The car had flipped, and she felt the pieces of shatter glass dig her skin, she was bleeding from her forehead and felt a headache coming in. Taking a shaky breath Miwa opened her eyes and looked towards the front were her parents were and she had to bite her tongue to prevent a scream from coming out.