Atrocities

Chapter 3

Cough, cough

Maki turned her head at lightning speed to Kaito. "You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just-" Kaito's words were interrupted by more coughing. Maki was done acting like everything was fine. "Okay, we're gonna go see a doctor. You've been coughing since 4:00 this morning."

"Wait, Maki-"

Kaito couldn't even finish the sentence. Not with an overprotective girlfriend on his hands.

"Maki, it's fine." Kaito said trying to comfort her.

"No, it's not!" She shouted fearfully. "Did any radiation seep through your helmet?" Kaito just huffed at the childish remark. "No. If the helmet was loose, I would've died from the lack of oxygen."

"Well, let's not talk about death while you're hacking a lung here." Maki insisted. "I wont be able to relax unless I know you're okay."

They walked into Towa Hospital with their faces full of dismay. Maki was scared for Kaito, and Kaito was scared that something bad was gonna happen to him. He just crossed his fingers hoping that nothing was wrong with him, because if there was one thing he knew about Maki, is that she was always right.

If there was something wrong with Kaito as she predicted, she'd be correct.

A tall young man with brown hair walked into the room. "Kaito, you're up." Maki's legs
were quivering. She felt that the worst could happen, but she had to do this. She had to do it for him.

"Sm, what's the issue?" Asked the doctor.

"I've just been coughing a lot lately."

"And you're an astronaut, right?"

"Mhm."

The doctor typed on his computer, and quickly looked up. "Kaito, you need to get tested."

"Tested?" Maki whispered.

"Maki roll, it's okay." Kaito said with a sliver of monotone. Maki held her head in her palms. "No, it's not! I wake up to you coughing your lungs out, and now you're getting tested for something!"

"Maki, what's a stupid illness gonna do? Kill me?" Kaito said with a pinch of sarcasm. "I don't think so. The great Kaito Momota never dies!"

Maki smiled in hope that his words were true.

Another doctor walked in. "Kaito, it's time for your screening." She said. Maki felt her breathing get heavier. She just wanted the doctor to tell Kaito that he was okay, and get over it.

Maki was debating rather or not she wanted to be in the same room as Kaito during that moment. She wanted to be there and listen to the doctor say that he was negative for whatever disease he had, but at the same time she didn't want to be there to hear whatever bad news and big, fancy words the doctor spewed that clearly meant no good.

Maki plugged in her earbuds and listened to music, but not even that could distract her.

She kept thinking about what Kaito said about the stars on their date night, and a wall of tears barricaded her vision. She could never look at the night sky the same way again without thinking about Kaito and his coughing fits.

After the screening, Kaito just stood next to her in the room. His expression blank, as if he just saw something gruesome.

"Shall we leave?" Maki asked.

A sigh crept from Kaito's throat.

"Yeah."

The car ride was even quieter than the one from last night. "So, what'd the doc say?" Kaito didn't answer. With all the mini panic attacks Maki has been having, he didn't even wanna talk to her.

"Just tell me!" She demanded.

"I can't."

Maki groaned. "Kaito, please. I need to know what's going on."

Silence.

Kaito couldn't even speak. He was too worried about being bombarded with questions.

Does it hurt? Are you on any medication?

Kaito wasn't gonna speak if it meant Maki's anxiety was gonna do the talking.

Maki tossed her keys onto the counter, and sat down at the kitchen table with her arms folded. "What. Happened." It wasn't even a question. She just wanted an answer.

"Can we just drop this? I'm sure the doctor will call you." Kaito said without making any eye contact. Maki slammed her hands on the table. "I want answers!" She shouted, seeming like she was gonna cry.

Kaito left out a sigh.

"I have cancer."