Memories Can Be Deceiving

Chapter 22

When Kokichi opened his eyes, ears ringing, body numb, all he saw was white. White walls, white floors, white bedsheets. He gasped and sat up so fast that an IV ripped out of his arm, but he barely felt it. All he felt was the adrenaline, all he felt was the fear of being back in that horrid hospital.

He felt an arm wrap around him. He saw blue, the same color as Kage's hair. Wait, it was Kage's hair, they were hugging him. Kokichi was slowly calming down as Kaito gently convinced Kage to give him some space and told Kokichi to lay back down. They both looked scared, scared but relieved, and he figured he looked the same.

A nurse came soon after. Kokichi still hadn't calmed enough to talk, but she was helping him with breathing. A truck had crashed into them, she told him, he remembered. The driver was fine, he'd fainted of a previously unknown condition, but he was fine, and he was sorry. Kokichi knew those things happened, he didn't blame him.

Kokichi learned he'd been out for two days, that explained Kage crying, Kaito holding his hand like he'd die if he let go. Kokichi didn't have any major injuries aside from a pretty bad concussion, but he seemed to be recovering fine from that, and his dislocated shoulder had been fixed right away with no complications. Kage had broken an arm, that must've been what'd he'd heard. Kaito had gotten away with nothing but a broken nose. All in all, they were extremely lucky. Kokichi finally started crying.

Kaito sat beside him and pulled him close, and Kokichi hugged him without any hesitation. They could've died, but they all made it. They were finally healing, and that could've been cut short. Kokichi had felt what it was like to die once, and he couldn't experience that again, not so soon. Worse, he couldn't bear to lose the two people who'd helped him learn to forgive and love himself again.

Before she left, the nurse said that he'd have to stay one more night, but afterwards they'd all be free to go. Good, he couldn't stand these walls for long.

Kokichi scooted to sit with his back against the wall so it was a bit more comfortable, Kaito and Kage on either side of him. His heart was racing, he couldn't believe he'd evaded death twice in less than a year. It had been a while now since Danganronpa, hadn't it? It still felt like it was yesterday. 

Kokichi was the one who broke the silence. "My name is Bon, isn't it? I remembered a lot while I was out. Not everything, but I relived a few memories. You two always made me so happy."

"Yeah." Kage nuzzled their face into his neck, their uninjured arm around him. He felt tears on his skin, but said nothing. He just stroked Kage's hair gently. "You loved the meaning of it, to be greater than anyone ever expected of you. I like it too."

Kokichi spent the rest of the afternoon recalling memories, with Kage and Kaito's help, and finally had a true sense of who he was. His memories of Danganronpa were becoming more fiction than fact, like a bad dream, which in a sense it was. Kage explained that Rantaro and Kaede were taking care of Roxie so they and Kaito could both stay with him. Kage was going to be discharged the next morning as well, their arm being pretty badly broken, and Kaito had been staying nights with Kokichi, so neither had been home.

The next morning, Kokichi was quick to rush through anything that needed done before he could go home. He had no intentions of staying longer than needed. Kaede and Rantaro had been waiting to pick them up, their car having been damaged too badly to drive. Thankfully, they'd be able to get it replaced for little cost.

Their friends were happy to see them, happy they were okay. They'd visited once, while Kokichi had still been unconscious, and were relieved that he'd woken up quickly. They'd dropped Roxie and her things off just before heading to the hospital.

When they got home, their cat was very glad to see them, having not understood what had been going on. Naturally, all four of them were glad to be home. Rantaro and Kaede left not long after, wanting to give the three some time to relax, seeing as they knew better than most how much stress a hospital could cause somebody.