Zorome X Miku: The Forgotten Plantation

10: Accident

A shiver ran down Miku's spine as the blood-curdling scream echoed eerily through the woods, piercing her ears in spite of the loud sounds of the storm. Her heart froze for a moment before it began beating extremely fast. She struggled to catch her breath as she tried to keep herself calm. It felt like ice was flowing through her veins.

That was Zorome! 

Wasting no time, Miku ran in the direction the awful scream had come from. She shoved branches out of her way and had to dodge several twigs that broke and fell from the trees. Her feet splashed against the puddles that formed as the rain relentlessly continued to pour down. Panic gripped her chest. 

Another scream rang through the air, though this time it was much, much closer. This scream was followed by a massive thump noise. It only took Miku a few moments to find Zorome and Futoshi. The two of them were beneath a massive oak tree and both boys were on the floor near the gnarled, twisting roots. Futoshi was crouched down and Zorome was lying sprawled out across the wet grass. 

Gasping, Miku darted over to Futoshi's side. Horror gripped her chest when she saw that Zorome's eyes were closed. There was a bloodied gash on his arm where some fabric had been torn from his uniform as well. His leg was twisted at an odd angle and a massive oak branch was lying beside it.

"Futoshi, wh-what happened?" Miku cried as she stared down at her partner's unmoving form.

Futoshi's eyes were equally horrified. Panic flickered within the depths of his brown gaze. "Zorome decided to climb the tree. I-I told him to come down because of the storm but he didn't listen. Then he started to fall but he landed badly and that branch hit him on the way down." He pointed to the thick oak branch that was lying close to Zorome's twisted leg.

"Is he okay?" Miku's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. She didn't want to look at her partner's wounded body anymore. It made her heart ache. 

"He's breathing," Futoshi confirmed. "I checked his pulse but he's still unconscious. We need to bring him back to the others right now!" 

"Y-yes," Miku agreed shakily. "I'll help you carry him."

Together, the two teammates lifted their injured friend's body. It felt weird to hoist his limp form and it made Miku's spine chill. The two of them gently carried his body through the woods, though it took quite a bit of time for them to make their way home through the thick of the storm. The rain was beginning to become harsher with each passing moment. Then, to their horror, it ended up turning to sleet. At least his body was light, though they still struggled to carry him without some sort of stretcher or platform. 

Just as they reached the edge of the forest, Miku was relieved to hear the sounds of her friends outside. They noticed their arrival and immediately went to their aid with Goro in the lead.

"What happened?" Goro demanded as he stared at Zorome's limp, wounded body. 

"Zorome fell from a tree," Miku told him and the others breathlessly as they crowded around them. "He needs to be taken care of."

"Bring him inside, now!" Goro ordered them sharply. "We have to get him to a warm bed as soon as possible. This weather isn't going to help him."

He and the others helped bring Zorome into the boarding house. They carried him up the stairs and set him down on Futoshi's bed. The entire squad all stood and watched as Ichigo and Ikuno observed his body.

"Everyone else should leave," Ichigo said as she inspected Zorome's wounded arm. "Crowding around him won't help. Just let Ikuno and I handle it. We'll let you know if we need any further assistance."

Miku nodded numbly and left the room with the rest of her squadmates. Each one of them looked worried. 

"I shouldn't have let that happen," Futoshi mumbled regretfully as they walked down the stairs to sit in the lounge. "I...I should've done something else to stop him from climbing that tree."

"Don't blame yourself!" Miku blurted. "Zorome wouldn't have listened to anything you said. He's just an idiot like that. You did everything you could." She sat beside him as he sat down on one of the couches. Panic and anxiety gnawed at her chest like a dog chewing on a bone. She just wanted her partner to be alright. The condition he was in looked horrible and she could only hope that Ikuno and Ichigo knew what they were doing. She could hardly bear to think about how lifeless he'd felt as she and Futoshi had carried them through the storm. He was never that still! The thought made her feel sick to her stomach. She wished she could've found him before he'd decided to pull such a stupid stunt.

"We should eat," Goro spoke up. "Our food has long grown cold. It won't do any good for Zorome if all of us go to bed hungry."

Miku reluctantly muttered an agreement and followed the yellow-haired boy into the dining area. As she plopped down into one of the chairs, Kokoro went to stand by her side and gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure Zorome will be okay," Kokoro told her softly. "He was still breathing and it didn't look like he lost enough blood to kill him. I'm sure Ikuno and Ichigo will figure something out. You and Futoshi did a good job carrying him home."

Miku nodded and glanced gratefully at her friend. "Thank you, Kokoro. I hope you're right."

Ai went to Kokoro's side and begged for mashed potatoes, which was the only thing she ate aside from breastmilk. Kokoro put her on her lap and started to feed her. 

Miku tried to eat her food but couldn't help but think of Zorome's condition. It made her feel nauseous and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep her food down. She just prayed Kokoro was right.