The mind can forget... but the heart never!

Chapter 43

Restless, Mamoru paced back and forth in front of the clinic. He had taken an indefinite leave of absence and had yet to muster the courage to enter the hospital. For a week now, he had stood outside the entrance every morning without once visiting Bunny. His colleague had informed him that she was still in a coma.

He had the entrance under constant surveillance, knowing when she was visited by whom. Her parents, her friends, and Seiya's brothers maintained a steady rotation. Only Seiya was never seen. Mamoru assumed Seiya was with her, but shouldn't he also return home at some point? Mamoru didn't want to cross paths with him just yet. He settled onto a bench and continued to fix his gaze on the entrance.

"Ah, Dr. Chiba, back again?" came a voice from his right, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. Mamoru looked up to see Takeru standing beside him. He managed a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, but not for work."

Takeru looked puzzled down at him. "Then why are you here?"

Mamoru took a deep breath. "My girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, I'm not exactly sure, was attacked. She's up in the ICU."

Takeru sat down next to Mamoru. "The little blonde who was with you at the ball?"

Mamoru nodded.

"Staying out here won't change anything. I don't know what happened, but I'd advise you to go see her."

Mamoru knew Takeru was right, but could he bear to see her? Could he bear to see Seiya by her side?

Seiya had become a mere shadow of himself. For eight days now, he had sat by Bunny's bedside. When food was placed in front of him, he ate. When Taiki or Yaten sent him to shower, he showered. Other than that, he simply sat there, holding her hand and hoping. He slept sitting up, leaning against her bed. His brothers had given up trying to persuade him to go home.

The drainage bags had been removed. The doctors said her wounds were healing well. Her face was still slightly swollen, and the bruises were noticeably smaller. Their color had shifted to a brownish-yellow hue. As the door opened, Seiya's head snapped up. He had expected one of his brothers, but it was only a nurse.

"Seiya, we need to take your friend downstairs. The doctors want to check if the brain swelling has gone down," she said gently. Since Seiya adamantly refused to leave the hospital, he had practically memorized the entire nursing staff's first names. Seiya nodded and shifted slightly to the side.

With practiced movements, the nurse disconnected the tubes and cables, released the bed's brakes, and wheeled Bunny out of the room. Seiya watched her leave, then briefly glanced at his phone. Several missed calls from Yaten, Taiki, and Rei. They had called so often that he had put his phone on silent. There was also a missed call from Ikuko, Bunny's mother. They spoke every day, so Seiya took advantage of Bunny's absence to return the call.

She picked up after the first ring. "Tsukino."

"Hi, Ikuko, it's Seiya."

"Any news about Bunny?" she asked immediately.

Seiya leaned his head against the cool windowpane. "Not yet. She's being examined right now. If we're lucky and the brain swelling has gone down, they'll start weaning her out of the coma."

"Does that mean she'll wake up?" Ikuko asked hopefully.

"It's possible. Would you and Kenji like to join the conversation or should I call you?"

"We'll come. Thanks for letting me know. See you soon."

Seiya continued to gaze out of the window, exhaustion weighing heavily on him. A knock on the door made him turn around, and he tensed. Mamoru had just entered Bunny's room.

"You? What do you want here? Haven't you done enough to her already?! How dare you even set foot in here!" Seiya yelled after a moment of shock.

Mamoru raised his hands in a pacifying gesture. "I just wanted to check on her. I wanted to apologize to you all for everything that's happened."

Seiya snorted contemptuously. "Do you really think that makes everything alright? I've been trapped in this hellhole for days, not even getting a drink. And don't even get me started on Bunny's situation. Do you know what she's still going through because of you? She's still in a coma, all because of you! She almost died, because of you! Because of your messed-up past!"

Mamoru wanted to respond, but he knew Seiya was right. It had been his fault. "Where is she? Can I at least see her briefly?"

"You honestly don't think I'll let you near her again!" Seiya shouted.

The door opened again, and Kenji walked in, followed closely by Ikuko. "What's going on here? Your voices can be heard all over the station," Kenji hissed at the two.

Mamoru avoided their gaze, fixing his eyes on a spot on the floor as he struggled to keep his composure.

Ikuko positioned herself closer to Seiya and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "What's going on? Why are you so angry at him?" she whispered. Seiya's throat burned with anger. He had kept everything to himself so far, but now Mamoru was standing there so provocatively, wanting to be near her. "Ask him why Bunny is here. Ask him who's responsible for her condition."

Ikuko and Kenji stared at Mamoru in disbelief. "Is this true?" Kenji gritted his teeth, waiting for Mamoru's response. When he finally nodded, Kenji's face turned red.

He swung his arm to deliver a slap to Mamoru's face, but Mamoru's hand shot up, easily blocking the blow. "I understand that I'm not welcome here," Mamoru said dryly, let go of Kenji, and left the room.

Barely had Mamoru exited when Kenji turned to Seiya. "Alright, my boy, spill it. Tell us everything you know about the accident."

Seiya had been on the verge of telling Bunny's parents everything so many times before, but he had always held back. But now he couldn't hold back any longer. He sank back into the chair, his head in his hands. Ikuko and Kenji stood before him, waiting eagerly. Seiya debated where to start. Then he decided to tell the whole truth. With each sentence Seiya recounted, Ikuko grew paler.

Seiya had just finished his account when the door opened again, and Bunny was wheeled back in, followed by two doctors. She was reconnected to her tubes and cables. The doctor smiled at them. "There's been an improvement. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin weaning her off the anesthesia."

"Does that mean she's finally waking up?" Ikuko sobbed. It was all just too much for her, and she desperately needed some good news.

"Mrs. Tsukino, it's possible, but it might still take some time. Also, we can't say anything about potential limitations," the doctor's tone turned serious as she delivered the last sentence.

"What do you mean by limitations?" Seiya asked in a hoarse voice.

"As I said, we can't provide any answers yet. The brain is very complex. She could be completely fine, but it's just as possible that she could have mobility issues, speech disorders, or memory loss. We'll only know for sure once she's awake."