𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙥𝙚 | 𝘢𝘬𝘪 𝘩. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

28. | ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛɪᴇꜱ

Touko let out a soft groan as she slowly began to wake. Her eyelids felt heavy, the sleep that had held her fast still reluctant to let go.

As her mind began to clear, she tried to open her eyes. The light in the room was dim, the air cool and sterile. The first thing she noticed was a dull, throbbing pain that permeated her entire body.

Her mind was a blur as she struggled to remember what had happened. The last thing she could recall was fighting... that devil. That monstrous devil. And then...

She winced as the painful memories flooded back to her. The fight, the sudden pain in her stomach, the look on Aki's face...

Her eyes finally opened fully, adjusting to the dim light of the room. The room was small, sterile, and undeniably a hospital room. White walls flanked her view on both sides, the ceiling directly above her was plain white.

Every limb, every muscle, seemed to ache, as if she'd run a marathon. She tried to move, but a wave of sharper pain washed over her from her midsection. Her hand instinctively moved to the source, feeling a thick bandage wrapped around her stomach.

As she took in her surroundings, she became aware of movement near the side of her bed. Her head slowly turned, and she saw Kishibe sitting in a chair next to her, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward in the chair.

Kishibe, who had been quietly observing her, noticed the subtle movement of her trying to sit up. His eyes flicked to her face, taking in the pained look on her features. "Easy there," he said, his voice gruff but gentle. "You shouldn't try to sit up too fast. You've sustained serious injuries."

Touko's eyebrows lifted in mild surprise upon seeing Kishibe. She had expected to find Aki by her bedside, not the grizzled old hunter-devil. "Kishibe," she said, her voice a little hoarse from lack of use. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Kishibe leaned back in his chair, his eyes studying her with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "Aki and the others were stable enough to be able to take care of some things while you were unconscious." he said gruffly. "So, I volunteered to keep an eye on you for a while."

Touko's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean 'still stable'?" she said, her voice a little stronger now. "Weren't they all injured?"

Her confusion must have been clear on her face because Kishibe let out a dry chuckle. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it," he said. "Everyone else is fine. Or, as fine as they can be given the circumstances, at least."

Touko's mind whirled at his words. She couldn't quite understand how they could be described as "fine." If they weren't injured, why weren't they there with her? "But if they're so stable, shouldn't they be here?" she asked, trying to sit up again. "Why are you here and not them?"

Kishibe reached out with surprising gentleness, stopping her from sitting up. "Didn't I just tell you to take it easy?" he said, a touch of gruffness in his voice again. "You shouldn't be trying to sit up yet, not with your injuries."

She reluctantly lay back down on the bed, letting out a frustrated huff. She knew he was right, but it was just so damn hard to stay still, especially with the urge to know what had happened to everyone else.

He leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. "Everyone else has minor injuries compared to you," he said frankly. "You were the one who got hit the hardest during the fight. The rest of them just have a few shallow cuts and bruises, that's all."

His gaze lingered on Touko's face, his expression a mix of gruffness and worry. "You worried us, kid," he said, his voice gruff but laced with a hint of genuine concern. "You've been out for two days now. We almost lost you because of how much blood you lost."