Rigid Crow

A Lot More Serious

     "Nice serve, Kageyama!" Sawamura-san encourages me. Tossing the ball in front of me, I take my approach and jump into the serve. I make contact with the ball and it soars over the net. However, it doesn't land where I was aiming. Argh, not now!
    It may not have landed where I wanted, but it's still in play. As I ready myself for when the ball comes back over, I wonder what could have thrown off my serve. I've had problems with power in a serve before, but I've never hit a serve off course in weeks! Has Hinata's injury shaken me up this badly?
Our points go back and forth, us still in the lead, until we reach a score of 24-22. I can see everyone's tension building up. It's the match point for Karasuno. This decides everything.
Takeda-sensei signals a player change, and holding up Tsukishima's number is Suga, standing in front of him. Using a setter swap while I hit is our best shot right now. Yamaguchi already did a pinch serve in the second set, but the Dateko captain picked it up fast. This is what we've got to work with now.
Tanaka is up to serve. After he does, the libero is the one to receive it. They set up for an attack. Suga and I exchange a brief look. Sawamura-san will cover this one. He jumps to block the attack. He can't manage to completely stop the attack, but he can reach it.
"One touch!" He shouts as the ball hits his fingers and soars behind his.
Noya-san takes the receive and makes a perfect pass to Suga as I make my switch with Suga. The four of us, excluding our libero and new setter, run together and jump for the attack. The Date Tech players frantically look around at us, wondering who the pass will be to.
They never expect me to make the attack until it's too late. I feel the momentum pumping through me. I hit the ball with everything I've got. Three players on the other side dive for the ball, their last chance, but none of them make it, and the ball slams to the floor even before I land.
"Yes!" Suga and I shout, victorious. The rest of the team does the same. Noya jumps about a meter in the air, pumping his fist toward the ceiling. I'm sure Hinata will do the sa-
Hinata. I look over to the bench where he and the coaches are sitting. His pale face has an edge of green to it. He looks sick to his stomach. Ukai shouts something frantically to Takeda, but I can't hear what he's saying over the roar of the crowd and my teammates. Takeda looks equally concerned, but it looks like he's trying to reassure Coach of something.
"Kageyama, are you alright?" Suga-san asks me from behind, putting a hand on my shoulder. "It's time to line up and shake hands."
We walk together to the end line, though I keep stealing glances in Hinata's direction. Suga notices this and does the same. He seems just as concerned; whether for me or Hinata, I'm not sure. "I hope he'll be alright," Suga murmurs to me as we approach the other team. "Coach and Sensei are doing everything they can."
"Good game!" We all shout in unison, shaking the hands of the players directly opposite us. I try not to dwell on the crushed faces of the other team. We made it. We're moving forward... but is Hinata? We have another game tomorrow!
"Suga-san, do you know what's wrong with Hinata?" I ask quietly as we walk back to the side.
Sugawara suddenly looks like he's going to be sick. "I-I was eavesdropping on what the coaches were saying." He looks at the floor and we stop in our tracks. "It's a lot more serious than they're letting on. They just haven't told us so it wouldn't affect our playing."
"What's wrong with him?" My voice catches in my throat.
Suddenly, the two Karasuno alumni who always cheer for us burst through the gym doors, leading the band of paramedics behind them. A few of them with a stretcher approach Takeda, who leads them to Hinata on the bench. The others ready medical equipment. I hear ambulance sirens outside.
The crowd and the players in the gym begin go silent, and the only noises are the medical jargon and reassurance of the paramedics, Takeda and Ukai answering questions, and my own shaky voice asking Suga what the matter is.
In only a few minutes, the gym is paramedic-free. People begin to talk again, quiet, nervous chatter. Our own team looks shaken. Suga won't continue to tell me what's really happened to Hinata. I whip my gaze over to Takeda-sensei. He'll tell us what's wrong.
Sawamura-san beats me to the question. "Sensei," he states. Even he is sounding a bit shaken. "What's wrong with Hinata?"
We stare down Sensei, who is starting to not look well himself. I know he was just keeping calm for us, but how will he react now that Hinata isn't here? "Let's go out into the hallway," Takeda sighs.
Saeko, Yachi, the Karasuno alumni, and Kiyoko-san join us as Coach and Sensei escort us out of the gym.
Usually, we get glares and threats from the losing team, but today, they look just as startled as we do.
Sensei leads us to a private section in one of the hallways of the building. Nobody has spoken a word since we left the gym. We all stand still; no one speaks up for a moment.
"Sensei, do you know what just happened to Shōyō?" Nishinoya asks Takeda, serious concern in his voice.
Takeda is silent for a moment, finding his nerve to speak. "I-I do," he says at last. "I've heard of it before. I just... never could have imagined that it would happen to one of you. I-I'm so sorry." He looks at all of us, pain behind his gaze.
My heart seems to have jumped into my throat. "Please," I urge him on. Everyone looks at me, and I avert my stare to the floor. "Please continue." When Takeda fails to continue speaking, we all look to Ukai. Coach won't meet our gaze.
Sensei takes a deep breath, and then looks at us with a authoritative gaze, as if it's his responsibility to tell us. "Okay."