Oshi no Ko: What If

Chapter 5: My Savior (1st Half)

As the evening slowly fell, Ai gripped the sheets while Dr. Suguru carefully listened for any bowel movement with his stethoscope. Despite how attentive he was, it didn't stop the cold metal from seeping through the bandages, making it extremely difficult for her to stay relaxed. "H-how much longer, doctor?" she stammered a pained whisper.

"Just a little longer, Ms. Hoshino," the doctor answered calmly, resuming his assessment. Ai sighed exasperatedly and gritted her teeth, attempting to bear the mixture of coldness and discomfort.

Aya offered her hand, sympathetic to Ai's situation. "Here, Ai. Hold my hand."

The idol hesitated for a moment before nodding and grabbing ahold of her hand, squeezing it tight. "Thanks, bestie," she joked despite the unpleasant sensation in her gut.

Aya chuckled with a wink, "You're welcome, bestie!"

Dr. Suguru looked up at the both of them, confused at their new profound friendship. "Since when were you two so close?"

"Since five minutes ago!" the ladies said unitedly, friendship sparkles hovering over their heads.

"Oooook?" he responded nonchalantly, blankly staring at them. A few more moments passed by until faint gurgling occurred inside Ai's abdomen. Immediately, Dr. Suguru retracted the stethoscope and perked his head up. "Ms. Aya, we have movement!"

Without hesitation, Aya nodded as she released her grip from Ai's hand, hastily reaching for the blood pressure monitor and wrapping it around her best friend's arm. The young 20-year-old idol was amazed at Aya and Dr. Suguru's synergy; she didn't even have to ask him for any questions regarding the procedure. Amazing... I've never seen a nurse and a doctor move so synchronously before. My eyes can't even react quickly enough to their movements! Ai pondered, astonished.

Meanwhile, Dr. Suguru wrote vigorously on the clipboard, mumbling to himself, "Bowel movement is slow but functional. Patient's vitals are stable and blood level, stable..." After confirming her blood pressure, Aya removed the cuff from Ai's arm, packing and rolling it until it was fit enough to be stored in a pouch.

"Blood pressure is also stable, doc," said Aya, turning to him. "It seems like she's recovering far quicker than the average trauma patient."

"Indeed, she is." Dr. Suguru jotted a few more notes before returning the clipboard to its pocket at the edge of the bed. He reached for something in the medical cart beside him; it seemed like a rolled-up poster, which was tied neatly with a white string. After untying, he spread it down and proudly revealed what was inside to Ai. "So, this is what the human circulatory system looks like..."

Unfortunately, the diagram the doctor wanted to show off wasn't even the hospital's official one. In a rush, Dr. Suguru decided to hastily draw a diagram on an empty sheet of poster paper with some colored pens. In the end, it looked like something a 5-year-old would make! Despite the silly drawing, Ai stared at it as her star eyes shimmered brightly, unsure whether to be amazed or confused. "Wow, what a cute drawing doc!" she exclaimed, mouth gaping open. "Did your child draw this for you?"

Aya groaned silently at her mentor's silliness, covering her face with her right palm, "Idiot..."

"A-ahahaha... no, actually. I don't have any kids... nor am I married for that matter!" Dr. Suguru announced, a mixture of enthusiasm and sadness.

I didn't need to know that, but sure. Thanks for the extra info. Ai thought with an awkward grin.

Clearing his throat, his face became serious as he pointed to the diagram. "So this is where you were stabbed," he explained, beckoning toward the center of the figure's abdomen. "The blood vessel that was punctured is called the abdominal aorta. It's one of the major arteries of the circulatory system as it connects directly to your heart." Ai squinted, trying to comprehend the rather complex terminologies as well as the arrows in the drawing. Dr. Suguru continued, "Normally, a wound of this caliber could lead to certain death if not treated right away. You're quite lucky, Ms. Hoshino. When you were admitted earlier today, we all thought for sure you wouldn't make it."