The Galaxy is Endless (I thought we were, too)

Chapter 13

"Ah, so we finally meet. Kuroo over here mentions you at least five times a visit." The man in front of Kenma extended his hand, which Kenma lightly gripped into a handshake. "I'm Dr. Yamazaki."

"Kozume Kenma." Kenma's tone was clipped. He'd never met this man because Kuroo had either asked Kenma to wait outside, or Kenma had a business meeting run overtime. If Kenma had it his way, he would have grilled this Dr. Yamazaki for as much information as possible immediately.

Perhaps that was why Kuroo had tried to keep them separate for so long, giving Kenma ample time to process and come to his own conclusions before giving him a chance to hound a doctor. A smart move, but he wouldn't admit it.

"And I'm Kuroo," Kuroo unhelpfully added from beside him. The doctor laughed. Kenma wondered if he should be doing the same.

He wasn't a big fan of this hospital, his mood immediately sombering once he'd stepped foot onto the pristine white floor, the scent of hospital-grade antiseptic filling his lungs. Kuroo had asked if he wanted to wait in the car. He'd declined immediately.

"Right, do you mind coming with me for a moment to run some tests? Nothing major, just bloods." The doctor had a kind voice, but Kenma found himself disliking him anyway.

Kuroo nodded, pushing himself out of his seat in the private meeting room they currently resided in. "Sure thing, doc."

Kenma shuffled to get up and go with them, but the doctor interjected. "You can wait here, Kozume, we won't be long at all. Then we can discuss the plan from here."

At least Kenma had a reason to dislike him now. He never had taken a liking to anybody who tried to separate him from Kuroo.

Kenma looked up at Kuroo, concern written clearly in the crease of his brows. He didn't know if Kuroo wanted to go do tests alone, the thought sounded awfully isolating to Kenma. But Kuroo smiled, placing a gentle hand on Kenma's shoulder. "It's alright, Ken, we'll be back in a sec."

"He's in good hands! Don't worry. Help yourself to the biscuits on my desk." Kenma scrunched his nose up at that, his stomach doing too many backflips to even fathom eating.

With that, Kuroo and Dr. Yamazaki departed the room, rendering Kenma alone in the office. He'd never been a person who detested solitude, he'd often found comfort in it. In a hospital, however, it felt soul-sucking.

Had Kuroo come to any appointments alone? Surely with the MSBY Black Jackals training schedule, Bokuto hadn't been able to accompany him to each one. Which means he'd sat in waiting rooms and offices like these completely unaided. Tears pricked the corners of Kenma's eyes at the thought. His Kuroo had always been too brave for his own good.

He hated this office more than he knew how to say. The white walls and floors made the room seem bigger, or perhaps, made Kenma feel smaller. Dr. Yamazaki had no personal belongings on his desk, no photos or trinkets, just the name plaque. Just an empty desk. Completely impersonal, no sense of comfort at all. The blinds on the adjacent window were drawn shut, the light in the room instead coming from the fluorescents overhead, creating an unnaturally white light. It looked exactly like a stereotypical hospital.

Kenma pulled out his phone to pass the time, answering a couple of work emails that he'd disregarded prior. Then he swiped through a couple of mindless games, willing time to go as fast as it could.

Ten minutes turned to twenty, then thirty, and then forty-five. The unease was growing inside of Kenma's chest increasing with each passing second. They should have been back by now. The temptation to venture out of this office and find Kuroo was growing, but in such a large hospital, he knew it would be nearly impossible.