Of Cats and Crows (Sugawara Koushi)

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Bokuto and Sugawara were already aware of what was going on. They managed to notify their coaches to let them know that there was a slight probability that they wouldn't be at the practice that evening due to an emergency. Both of them were just as worried as their two friends were. Mitsumi met Kuroo at the train station. She was bundled up in a thick sweater and scarf. The cold autumn weather had finally arrived.

Kuroo had a serious expression on his face. This was a look she had never seen before in his life. Mitsumi craned her neck up to try and read his emotions. He looked empty on the inside. "Hey, Tetsu, the train is here." She said as she put a comforting hand on his arm. It had been a while since she had used his childhood nickname.

He only followed her onto the train and plopped into the seat next to her. His foot tapped anxiously against the floor the whole ride. Kuroo was oddly quiet the entire walk from the station to the Nerima City Hospital. Mitsumi walked up to the visitor check-in desk and handed him his visitor badge. She didn't know what was going on besides that his grandfather was hospitalized. By the way he was acting, it was something serious.

"Kuroo, you can go on ahead. I'm going to pick some flowers up at the gift shop." Mitsumi grabbed the end of his jacket sleeve to get his attention. She parted ways with him and made her way towards a cart of flowers. She decided to update Bokuto and Suga on the situation before going up to the room.

The long hallways were empty and oddly quiet. A nurse would pass by periodically, but there wasn't anyone else on the floor. Mitsumi could hear some laughter and then some coughing coming from one of the rooms. She sighed in relief and slid the door open. "Pardon the intrusion!" She noticed Kuroo sitting on a chair next to his grandfather. His grandmother was sitting on the other side of the bed with a welcoming smile.

"Chie is here." The Grandmother told her frail husband. "And it looks like she brought you something."

"Chie? I thought you were too busy to come all the way here." The bedridden man let out a small cackle. You wouldn't think he was sick by the way he acted. But, the sound of multiple monitors and an IV pump said otherwise.

Mitsumi clicked her tongue a little bit. "I brought some flowers." She set the vase down on the table before joining everyone. Now, she could see why Kuroo was extra concerned. His grandfather's bones were practically showing through his skin. His eye whites had a yellow tint to them and it seemed like he couldn't sit up. "How are you feeling?"

The old man let out a cough. "What do you kids say, like trash?"

Kuroo was a bit relieved to hear that his grandfather still had a sense of humor. He choked on his water and let out an ugly cackle. "Grandpa! That was unexpected."

"You want me to say that I'm okay while having kidney and liver failure?" He looked at who he considered to be his kids and smiled gently. "Look you two, Grams and I know that I don't have much time left." His tone went straight into business mode. There was no need to dance around the matter. "Do what you both do best and be sure you are happy with your life."

The grandmother watched her grandchildren's eyes well up with tears and grabbed the tissue box. "Now, Tetsuro, Mitsumi, it's a fact of life. There is no need to get all emotional over something that is a fact of life." She handed them a few tissues each before standing behind the both of them and putting her arms around them.

Kuroo's gaze locked onto the floor, "Gramps, you better pull through and at least make it to watch us play in the Collegiate Nationals." His fist crumpled the tissues in his hand into a ball. He had watched almost every major tournament they had played in.

Mitsumi wiped her eyes and nodded in agreement. The emotions she had chosen to suppress were finally starting to surface. She didn't know what she would do if she knew her honorary grandfather wasn't watching. "Gramps, just take care of yourself for now. We'll make sure we live a happy life for you."