Feel My Heart Beat

Pull

Asami thanked Kirishima as the man handed over a takeaway cup of coffee. He wasn't sure how many hours he had been sitting in the hospital waiting room but a glance outside the windows showed a faint grey tint to the sky. Morning was on its way. He watched as his secretary handed out cups to the other occupants of the waiting room. Suoh sat on his right and Nariko, face pale and drawn, was on his left. A few chairs down sat Ueda's mother and one of his younger sisters, beside them sat Fujioka's father. Teiji's emergency contact had turned out to be a friend that advised they would pass on a message to his family but he had told Kirishima that they most likely wouldn't come, even if he died. Asami wasn't one to pry into the private lives of his subordinates but he found something sad in such a capable and loyal young man being so estranged from his family. A number of Team Takaba also sat around the room, quietly waiting for news.

All four were currently in surgery and had been for a number of hours. Akihito had regained consciousness sometime on the trip to the hospital and they had been able to make a relatively accurate diagnosis. Clean break to the forearm that thankfully didn't cut open an artery or even damage too much of his skin but was still required to have urgent surgery to ensure correct healing and no infections. Two metal plates and a number of screws were required to put Akihito's arm back together. He had also fractured both his left kneecap and femur in his fall. Luckily those were both relatively minor and would heal on their own provided he didn't stress them. A high grade concussion was also likely. Fujioka had been completely unresponsive since the walkway gave way and apparently suffered similar injuries as Akihito just with a harder hit to the head. Brain swelling and internal bleeding was their biggest concern. Teiji had taken a bullet to the shoulder from police fire while Ueda had suffered both from the fall and a bullet that they believed was from Sudou.

Kirishima sat down beside Suoh with his own coffee and fired off a few more messages from his phone. All the members of Team Takaba that weren't here were all together back at Sion doing their own silent vigil while they waited for news of their peers. Asami had to admit, he never expected the security force for his little soulmate be to so close knit. They were almost like a family unit at this point and even treated Akihito as one of the members. It was good though, it meant they all worked together extremely well and never got complacent. He truly believed that at this point any one of them would follow their oath to protect Akihito with their own lives if necessary. He just hoped it would never come to that.

He was pulled from his musing when a doctor entered the room. The oppressive silence that blanketed the waiting room suddenly seemed strained.

"Kasaya-sensei, good news I hope?"

"Asami-san," he said by way of greeting, "Yes. All four surgeries have been successful. Both Fujioka Daiki and Himura Teiji are already in the ward to start their recovery under observation. Takaba Akihito and Ueda Shoji are both finishing up in surgery and will also be transferred to the ward soon."

A collective sigh of relief could be heard around the room. Everyone had made it through, there was no Sion casualties from this entire affair. It's a shame the same couldn't be said of the trafficking victims. Shinji was currently trying to orchestrate an investigation into the whole affair but the media were going to have a field day once it hits the early morning news. Police opened fire on a warehouse full of unconfirmed targets during an unauthorised raid. Asami had already given the go ahead to disclose Akihito's presence at the shoot-out. Adding to the victims deaths, the undercover journalist responsible for the Kikkawa arrest was in hospital due to the raid. It would get the public on Akihito's side and hopefully help limit the organised crime unit's movements for some time due to the fallout from the scandal.

A nurse stepped through the doors and offered to guide them to the rooms. It was a quiet procession that moved further into the hospital. Kirishima gave his leave and stepped out as they left the waiting room, no doubt to call the team and organise Sion for the next few days. All of the security team also left, barring one who fell in step beside Suoh as though in some silent agreement to ensure Asami's security now that his secretary has left. He realised it was the same person he had entrusted to bring Akihito to the hospital earlier.