I Won't Leave Again (Touken)

Chapter 4: Unconscious

Touka felt time freeze as she looked at Kaneki laying unconscious before her. 

"Is he..... alive?" Nishiki asked. 

"Yes, but barely" Kaya responded. 

Yoshimura went up close to Kaneki's mouth and heard subtle breathing. He was somehow barely alive; still beat up from the explosions at Kanou's lab. He didn't have the power to regenerate but wasn't bleeding enough to kill him. It was truly a miracle. 

  Touka noticed his surprised reaction. 

"He's alive?..."  

"Get some food for him now!" Yoshimura snapped. Touka was still frozen in place with tears crawling down her cheeks. Luckily nobody noticed. 

"He's alive..." Upon hearing Yoshimura, Touka snapped out of her trance and darted down the stairs faster than a jet, grabbed meat out of the fridge and dashed back up to Kaneki. She handed the meat to Yoshimura and he worked on forcing an unconscious Kaneki to eat the human meat. After getting all of it down his throat and into his stomach, they watched. 

Touka had her hands together praying. "Please.. please be OK... don't have come back just to not make it" 

Slowly the small wounds on his body healed over as his skin took some colour. His breathing picked up, but he remained unconscious. 

Yoshimura checked his breathing. "It's stable. He's been injured for a long time. He seems to be in a healing coma right now. He'll be OK, but he'll be out for a while. 

"He's alive!" Touka internally shouted gleefully. 

Nishiki was shocked, but smiled ear to ear.

"Kaya how did you find him?" Yoshimura questioned. 

"I was out shopping in the 2nd  when my nose picked up a scent that felt familiar. So, I followed it into an abandoned building close to the lab and found Kaneki unconscious but breathing lightly so I wrapped him up as to not draw attention and bolted back here, I'm surprised nobody else found him" 

"Not many ghouls have that keen sense of smell, they're more concerned with humans anyway" Yoshimura informed. 

"Thank heavens he's OK, what a pleasant surprise Kaneki. I look forward to speaking with you when you wake up. By the way, someone should stay with him" 

"I will" Touka responded less than a second after Yoshimura finished his sentence. 

Yoshimura smiled. 

"OK Touka, let us know if anything happens. He could be out for a long time" 

"I will sir!" 

Kaya and Yoshimura left. Nishiki looked at her smirking before turning away to leave. 

"You know it's invasive to kiss people when they're unconscious so don't go doing anything pervy." 

An object flew his way as he chuckled. 

"Shut up you dick! It's not like that.." 

"OK suuure" Nishiki left before another object could be thrown. Touka glanced away from the door, eyes softening as she turned her attention to the man that lay before her, Ken Kaneki. 

Touka quivered as she grabbed his hand noticing it still had a warmth too it. She hadn't been this joyful in such a long time. 

"Why did I have to fall for you, you idiot" she whispered as she pulled a chair beside the bed. She continued holding his hand and watching for movements dropping it whenever people came in to see him.

Roma, Koma and Yomo all came in to see. They all reacted the same way with Roma especially being gleeful which Touka admitted to herself annoyed her. 

"It's good you're happy, but you don't have to be THAT happy" Eventually the quiet night settled and Touka remained in the room clutching his hand, there for any possible need.

Early the next morning Hinami burst into the room like a bolt of lightning. She had to contain herself from yelling but noticed Touka sitting beside Kaneki looking dreary. 

"Onee-Chan? Have you slept?" Hinami was concerned. 

"Mmmm wha?" Touka was dazed. 

"Clearly not" Hinami scoffed. 

"That's not healthy. I can watch him for you if..."

"No I'm fine" Touka interrupted abruptly. 

"Alright well let me know" Hinami walked over beside the bed. Kaneki remained breathing in and out at a slow peaceful pace. She teared up. 

"Kaneki Onii-Chan, thank god you're safe we thought we lost you. I've lost enough family" Hinami whimpered and shook. 

"It's OK Hinami he's going to be fine" Touka hated seeing Hinami upset and offered a smile. 

Hinami nodded and smiled. She decided to stay too.

Later that day, Yoshimura came in to check on Kaneki. Hinami had left, but Touka still hadn't left the room since last night. Kaneki's room was small but had a bathroom in it so she had what she needed right there. 

"He seems to be doing well; his breathing is smooth and his body doesn't seem to have any external damage" Yoshimura stated checking him over 

Touka rubbed her tired eyes. It was afternoon, her hair was a mess and she hadn't slept. 

"Touka, get some sleep that's an order from your manager" 

"But sir I'm fine" 

"Touka.." 

"What if he wakes up and leaves while I'm asleep" She looked down petrified at the thought of that becoming reality. 

"He won't, I promise" 

".........OK but I'm not leaving this room, I'll sleep on his couch" which was positioned perpendicular to the head of the bed against the wall. (The couch was between Kaneki's desk and bed with the bathroom being located near the foot of the bed). 

She lay down knowing she would never fall asleep. 

"I'll have others come and check on him" 

"Mhm" Touka responded. It may have been her tiredness, but that couch sure was comfortable. Before long, her eyes screwed shut and she lost consciousness as her body charged its internal battery. 

A few hours later, Touka was in a deep sleep. On the bed beside her, a white haired ghoul started stirring. A few minutes later, the silver eyes belonging to the half human, half ghoul named Ken Kaneki cracked open for the first time in three weeks.