Espresso (Satoshi Isshiki x OC)

Quinto

After a half hour of sitting beside the sleeping girl, Satoshi's eyes were finally dried of tears as he focused on the soft curves of her face. He hadn't let go of her small hand as he methodically rubbed his thumb across the top of her fingers.

"Are you two from Totsuki Culinary Academy?" The voice startled the boy. Leaning on the doorway of the hospital room, a middle-aged doctor crossed her arms over her chest. She wore a smirk, but it wasn't malicious, merely in understanding of how the boy felt. "I noticed her uniform."

"Yes, we are." He said, his voice raspy with exhaustion. He returned to looking at the brunette longingly. "What happened to her?"

The doctor stepped into the room. She sighed deeply. "She suffered from a prerequisite to a heart attack."

"What?" The chestnut-haired boy gasped, horror reflecting in his cobalt eyes. "A heart attack?"

"She did not have a heart attack." The doctor emphasized. "But if this happens again, it will very well be the real thing, so this still isn't something to play around it." She informed, proceeding to explain. "Because she's young, her body could tell that something was wrong. Before the heart attack happened, her brain turned off half of her body, forcing her to faint so that her body could repair what was wrong in her body."

"How can I keep this from happening again?" Satoshi asked in a low voice, squeezing her hand.

"We won't know for sure until we get the results from the blood tests. But I have seen similar cases before, so I have a good idea of what may be going on, but I'd rather wait to be sure." She looked at Harumi's body quizzically. "What is her diet like? Does she drink a lot of caffeine?"

"Yes. She's known for espresso drinks at Totsuki Academy." The boy admitted, unsure as to why the doctor was asking. 'She eats a lot of fruits and vegetables, but not a lot of meat. She likes grains as well."

"I see..."

He looked at the curious woman, and when their serious gazes collided, she grinned at him. With a hand on her chin, she mentioned, "Do you love this girl?"

"Yes, of course."

The doctor released a chuckle. "Everyone who comes here to visit patients for reasons other than medical, economical, or law purposes loves them. But what I mean is: Do you love her in the way that you feel connected to her beyond friendship or family?"

Slightly shocked from being questioned with such an odd topic, Satoshi sighed deeply. "Yes."

"But you haven't told her that, right?"

He shook his head and gently stroked Harumi's soft, warm cheek.

"In the worst case scenario of this happening again with a possibly even more dangerous outcome, you should let her know." The woman lifted her chin with pride over her words. "Unless you're scared."

His blue eyes widened, finally noticing one of the few things he feared: Being rejected by the girl; not as a boyfriend, but as a friend as well. He felt content with his distance, yet still happy with how close they were. He feared losing that relationship he treasured. However, his heart longed for more.

"Are you some kind of counselor, now?" He joked, his gaze slightly lightening from its previous haunted state.

The doctor laughed. "Sometimes, it comes with the job description." As she prepared to leave the private room, she turned to the boy with a light heart, but stern voice. "Visiting hours have ended, so you can either leave and return in the morning, or you can stay through the night. Just don't make phone calls in the room."