Where You Go, I'll Follow

Food

Hide is checked out of the hospital a week and one day before Kaneki, but he visits him everyday. He sits in silence for hours, eventually ushered out by the nurses saying "You can't stay here forever, visiting hours are over." and he complies. Hide has gone home everyday hungry, not because he doesn't have money for food, it's because he can't eat. The first day he comes home, a news channel catches his attention as he's channel surfing.

"Ghouls can't actually eat human food. If they try to, they become overwhelmed with nausea." A female reporter states. Hide hesitates on the 'next channel' button. The news report continues, them talking more about ghouls.

"A-am I...a...ghoul?" Hide says, remembering the hospital food, vomiting it up after one bite. Slowly, he stands and walks into the small kitchen of his apartment. He gathers what non-spoiled food is left and dumps it onto the counter top. He opens a bag of bread, taking a slice and hesitantly raising it to his mouth. Swiftly he takes a bite. He chews once, twice. His face twists into disgust and he's running for his toilet, throwing up the bread. When he's expelled the vile bread, he slowly rises to his feet. That's all the proof he needs. When bread tastes like Styrofoam. 

Kaneki awakes on day seven, pale and weak.

"You're awake!" Hide practically screams as he walks, now runs, to Kaneki's bed. Hide leaps at his best friend, dragging him into a tight hug. Confusion is the only thing Kaneki knows at the moment, except for the pain in his abdomen.

"H-Hide you're hurting me!" Kaneki stutters. Hide pulls away immediately, a huge, beaming smile upon his face. The two talk for what feels like hours, but is only a few minutes, before a nurse comes in carrying Kaneki's breakfast on a boring hospital tray. A fried egg topping a ball of rice, wonton soup and a glass of orange juice. She sets the tray on the table that connects to the bed, swinging it over into Kaneki's reach. She leaves immediately. The raven haired boy stares down at the tray of steaming food, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. The two boys are revolted by the stench, but only Kaneki goes to pinch his nose shut.

"Oh come on, you love eggs!" Hide exclaims, breaking a bite of egg off with chopsticks and lifting it to Kaneki's mouth now slightly parted for air. Kaneki doesn't bother to dodge the food, He obliges and eats it, chewing slowly.  A few moments and he's leaning over the side of the bed chucking the egg up. Hide is frozen, horrified at the thought that Kaneki may be a ghoul as well.

"Hey hey, Kaneki." Hide rushes over to the other side of the bed, careful not to step in the 'egg' Kaneki was depositing on the floor, and grabs his shoulders when he's calmed down.

"Look at me." Hide pushes Kaneki's shoulders, forcing him to sit up. Brown eyes meet one gray eye, the other, is not human. The sclera has become completely black and the once beautiful gray is now an alarming crimson. Red veins extend out to the skin surrounding his eye. Hide jumps back, more so out of sudden shock rather than freight. He rushes back and lays Kaneki back down.

"Just, go back to sleep 'Neki, you don't have to eat right now." The blonde says, his words a string of lies.