Betrayal in its simplest form

Part 23

The first thing Kuroko felt when he woke was—nothing? His body was completely numb. His emotions, however, were a different matter. Confusion, fear, betrayal, wonder: He couldn't depict them out. It was odd to be floating through emotions while his body felt no pain. Wasn't he supposed to feel something? Was physical touch a lie to his mind, too? Had he been imagining the agony all along?

Where—was he? Why couldn't he open his eyes? Come to think of it, a background beep . . . beep . . . beep. . . kept on attacking his sensitive ears. What was it?

"His heart's rate is going back to normal, and his breathing levels have heightened. Hm?"

A soft murmur. Deep, professional—what?

Heavy footsteps echoing. It disappeared after a few seconds. The sound of a door softly clicked.

Kuroko slowly opened his eyes. Soft, white light greeted him. He squinted, despite how dim it was, since it hurt his blue eyes. Turning his head slowly, very slowly, to the side, he observed his surroundings. A small window, a tiny chair that only a child could fit in, health posters on beige walls, and two vase of flowers that had his name enscripted onto a tag: Tetsuya Kuroko.

He turned his head to the other side and found the monitor that caused the endless beeping. There was a computer next to him, and a clipboard on a little table. He looked at his left arm and closed his eyes when he saw the IV. Needles were something he could not handle. It was not because of the pain—Kuroko could handle that—but it was simply the thought of a tube-like needle inserted into his skin. With an IV it was worse, as some type of liquid was flowing through his bloodstream.

I am in a hospital?

The teal-head opened his eyes and lifted his head. A pair of golden-brown eyes met his. Kuroko hadn't noticed him at all.

Kise sat there, shocked and pale, his chapped lips partly open because he didn't know what else to do. His blonde hair was extremely dishevelled from sleeping left and right on the large recliner. Dark circles were painted under his eyes, unbefitting for a model. He had woken up from his restless sleep at the sound of slight movement on the bed. It looked like he was right to wake up, since he was now the first one Kuroko would greet.

"K—Kurokocchi?" he rasped and then cleared his dry throat.

Kuroko blinked from his pillow. "Kise . . . –kun?"

"Kurokocchi!" Kise almost yelled and scrambled from his chair. Kuroko winced at the sound. Aomine, whom the teal-haired teen just noticed—popped open his eyes at the name and looked around in wonder. When his gaze locked with Kuroko's, his dark blue eyebrows shot upward.

It was after that Kuroko realized almost everybody was here. The Generation of Miracles, Kagami, and his father. They were all sprawled across the room; two on the mini couch, one on the floor, one sitting against the wall, one on the recliner, and two on the extra comfy chairs.

Kise rushed over to Kuroko's bedside and leaned over the injured boy. "Are you okay, Kurokocchi? No, that's a stupid question, of course you're not! Well, are you pain? Haru-san told the doctors to give you lo-o-ts of anesthetics, but I'm not sure if they helped. Are you numb? I think you should be numb. If not, I can—"

Aomine cuffed Kise gently on the back of his head. "Give him some space. He just woke up. Oi, Tetsu, you in pain or anything?"

Kuroko was dizzy from the onslaught of comments. So that is why I feel numb.

"I—am fine," Kuroko tried to say, wondering why his throat was so dry and scratchy. "Why am I here?"

The two tilted their heads in unison. "You mean you don't remember?" Aomine questioned.