Melody of You | Yuzuru Hanyu

33.

"What's going on?" was the first question that came to Yuzuru's mind.

"Can I come in?" Ghislain asked in a very serious way.

The skater gestured to his coach to come in and slowly limped behind him. The face of the coach was serious and still. Very unusual for the funny coach.

"Ghislain, you're scaring me."

"I know... I just don't know how to tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"Hum, it's probably better that you sit down"

Yuzuru wordlessly did as he was told. He wasn't sure what this was about but seeing Ghislain's face he knew it was bad. The question he asked suddenly popped into Yuzuru's head and he worried even more.

"Is this about Sophia?"

"Yes..." the coach answered making Yuzu gulp loudly and watch the coach intently. " This morning, I saw something on the news and after our talk, I connected the dots. I don't want you to panic, but...?"

"What the hell happened?" the skater stood up almost immediately, if it was on the news it wasn't good.

"There was an accident with one of the buses that was taking the London orchestra to Chicago." the coach said, making the other man gasp loudly. Ghislain could see Yuzuru panic almost immediately, his breathing started getting a bit more labored and the wheezing sounds grew. It was an image Ghislain knew well and wasn't nice at all. "Yuzuru, breathe. You have to calm down"

The skater wasn't sure why his coach jumped to his side, fussing over him but he could barely hear his words. In seconds, breathing got harder and harder, and he felt his airway tighten and his chest hurt.

 Suddenly, Yuzuru couldn't breathe.

Asthma attack, he hadn't had one in ages. Ghislain was at his side, talking about something he couldn't understand.

"Yuzuru, look at me!" the man dragged his face to look at him in the eye. It was hard to focus but he did it eventually. "Where's your inhaler?"

He managed to understand his coach just slightly, knowing the last word well enough. Coughing uncontrollably now, Yuzu managed to point at his backpack and Ghislain ran to it, fumbling around until he found the dreaded item.

After a few puffs and several minutes later, his breathing improved and Ghislain guided him to safe ground before falling back on the bed.

"That was stressful"

"Sorry. This hasn't happened in a while..." Yuzuru said before the memories started coming back and the worries increasing. "The accident... how bad?"

"You won't have any other attack if I continue?"

"I think I'm past the shock... I didn't expect anything like that... But I have to know."

"I don't know if your friend was there... She may be just traumatized and not using her phone right now."

"She would've told me... How bad, Ghislain?"

"Bad... there are a few deaths and quite a few injuries."

Yuzuru gulped hard, what was his coach trying to tell him?

"Who died?" he managed to ask, even if afraid of the answer.

"They don't know, it's not out yet"

If anything, that answer only made him panic more, and started fumbling around the room.

"I need to know that she's ok... I have to!" The skater couldn't help the tears that fell on his face. Not knowing anything about Sophia was bad, but even considering the possibility of her being hurt was far worse. 

Reaching for his phone, Yuzuru started dialing every single number he could remember until Ghislain stopped him.

"Yuzu, that's not going to help."

"I will ask my team, they can find out!"

"Yuzu..."

"No! I have to know!"

"You need to rest, you've been through a lot today."

If he wasn't so worried and hurt, Yuzuru might have laughed at that. There was no way he could sleep that night or any night until he knew she was safe and speaking to him.

"I can't sleep, Ghis... It doesn't matter, I just can't"

"You have to"

"I can't! Sophia... she's..."

"Your friend, I know... but not sleeping isn't going to make the situation any better."

"You don't understand."

"Then tell me"

"I love her! I fucking love her! The possibility that she might be hurt kills me inside and I can't think straight. So let me, for the love of god, try to know how she is."

"Oh god..." was all Ghislain said before standing up. "I think we should call Brian."

"I..."

"I will help you. But you have to stay calm, please...The ankle is bad enough. " With a quick nod, Yuzuru agreed. "I don't want to point out the obvious, but have you tried calling her?"

"Just texts. I didn't want to risk her being in rehearsal or performance. He usually text or video call when we are far away."

"It won't hurt to try."

Yuzuru took his phone, now slightly calmer, and dialed her number. It didn't surprise either of the men that the call was unsuccessful but Yuzuru kept trying.

Meanwhile, Ghislain was making a few calls on his own, trying to know anything more. It seemed like a sleepless night awaited both of them since nothing seemed to be working in their favor.

After what felt like the hundredth attempt, Yuzuru's call was answered.

"Hello?" a male voice asked on the other side of the line.

"Who's this?" Yuzuru asked.

"Hum... Josh...Who are you? Sophia only listed you with a Y and a heart."

Josh, one of Sophia's best friends. He had her phone...

"It's Yuzuru."

"Oh! Hello"

"Why do you have her phone? Is she okay?" Yuzuru asked before even thinking about anything else.

"Have you heard about the accident?"

"Why do you think I'm calling like a madman?"

"Fair... huh... we were all in the bus, it was so scary...I was lucky to be on the other side but Sophia and Hilary... they are in surgery right now."