Knowing Love

Chapter 3

"The patient's right arm is broken due to the collision and there are multiple bone fractures on the ribs and right leg area. Some of the lacerations on his upper body and limbs may leave scars after they heal but otherwise, the bleeding and bruises should not be a cause for concern. That said, the most worrying is the traumatic brain injury he suffers. We will continue to monitor him for the next three days. Depending on his condition by then, we may or may not need to perform surgery on him."

The smell of medicine hangs heavily in the air. Despite the late hour, there are still quite a lot of people in the corridor — doctors, nurses, and patients' relatives alike. Some are speaking in murmurs, some are sitting in silence, and some others are sobbing into their hands. Every now and then, there will be medical personnel passing by, pushing a stretcher into and out of the operating rooms.

Towa walks out of the ICU in slow steps. He sweeps his gaze emptily at the people sitting on the benches in the waiting lounge, almost filling all the seats. He hears their indistinct voices, he hears the noises made by the stretchers' wheels when they pass by. For some reason, none of these sights or sounds are registered in his brain. They seem to be nothing more than a fleeting breeze, appearing and disappearing without leaving any particular trace.

"Towa."

Just then, from among the visitors in the waiting lounge, one person stands up upon noticing his presence. He is a tall and good-looking young man, with long pink-colored hair tied up into a ponytail and a buzz cut underneath. He wears multiple piercings on his ears, but while someone of his appearance will usually become a source of intimidation for others, his gentle expressions make him very easy on the eyes instead.

"Towa, how is it? What did the doctor say?" Izumi Rei walks over to him with a worried face, "Is Fujieda-san alright?"

"...I don't know," Towa says quietly.

"You don't know?"

"They said they will need to monitor him for three days before deciding the next course of action," replies Towa again, "Until then, there's nothing more they could say."

"I see... So even the doctor doesn't know yet when he will regain consciousness."

Rei casts his gaze down and sighs deeply, looking even more upset than Towa himself.

It was a regular car accident like any other. Someone was driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in his car running all over the place, hitting pedestrians left and right, before finally coming to a stop after it crashed into a lamppost. There were multiple victims in the vicinity, Fujieda included, and they were all hauled straight to the Shinkoumi General Hospital as soon as the police and ambulance arrived. That's why the waiting lounge is full of people although it is already close to midnight. Just like Towa and Rei, they are waiting for the doctors to come out bringing news on their relatives' conditions who also fell victim to the accident.

"I heard the driver passed away on the spot from a severe injury to the head," Rei tells him, "Seriously... I was already shocked enough to witness that kind of scene out of the blue while running an errand for the manager. When I saw that Fujieda-san was among the victims, I..."

"It's good that you weren't injured, Rei," says Towa in an even voice, "Thanks for letting me know about Fujieda."

"Well, yeah, but..." the pink-haired young man continues to stare at Towa with a complicated expression.

In return, Towa looks back at him, throwing him a questioning look.

"What is it?"

"No, it's just... I'm grateful that you're concerned about me. But Towa, what about you?"