Seven Weeks: A Seven Days Fanfiction

WEEK FIVE: Thursday, Part 2 (Yuzuru)

"You're sure?" I said, staring at Okada in desperation. "He's still at the hospital?"

Okada nodded. "My senpai said he was taken into surgery as soon as he arrived. Then they took him to the mental health ward on suicide watch. His parents have him in a private room."

I jumped to my feet, and he caught my arm. "Shino-kun, mental health patients aren't allowed outside visitors unless they're escorted by family."

"I don't care." I yanked out of his grasp. "He's here. He's here, Okada-san."

He called my name as I went tearing down the hallway, but I wasn't stopping. "Nurse Megumi, where's the mental health ward?" I demanded breathlessly.

"Building C," she replied, "fourth floor. Did you need somethi—"

"Thanks." The elevators were too slow, I'd take the stairs. I shoved the door to the stairwell open and went pounding down the steps as fast as my legs would carry me. Building C was adjacent to this one, but once I got to the first floor it was a long run down a busy hallway. I dodged gurneys, medical staff, and patients wheeling IV stands. Conveniently enough, there were a ton of signs directing people to the different departments of the hospital, so I followed the ones for Building C until I burst out a set of glass doors into a courtyard. It was chilly outside, but the sun was shining.

I ran across a paved driveway toward another pair of doors. As soon as I got inside I had to look for the elevators. I found them arranged in the same configuration as the ones in Mom's building, so when I ran to the end, the door to the stairwell was in the same place too. I shoved it open and started climbing.

It took eight flights of stairs to reach the fourth floor, and that slowed me down a bit. I was breathing hard when I finally got to the door marked with a large blue number four. A bulletin board directly across from me proclaimed that the mental health ward was to my left, so I turned and started running again.

The mental health lobby was large and open, with a receptionist's desk framed by silk plants, several wingback chairs and a sofa arranged around a coffee table strewn with magazines, and a large set of windowless metal doors set into the far wall. I ran up to the reception desk and collapsed over the top of it, panting.

"Seryou Touji," I wheezed at the woman behind the counter. "He's here, right? I need to see him."

She squinted at me in distaste. "Are you a family member?"

"He's my boyfriend," I answered without thinking.

"I see. Sorry, but you'll need his family's permission to visit. Not to mention, visiting hours are ending in five minutes. Come back tomorrow with one of his relatives."

"But they won't let me talk to him," I protested. And then I clamped my mouth shut as it occurred to me just what I was doing. If his parents caught me, they'd send Seryou off to New York without a second thought. Was I a complete moron? Crap, Yuzuru, you want to get him exiled from the country after all? Idiot!

"Those are the rules. But I can tell the family you were asking, if you want."

"No," I said quickly, "don't." That would be a disaster.

She shrugged and went back to typing on her computer.

I bit my lip and glanced toward the big doors. Seryou was somewhere behind them, and the need to see him prickled under my skin and through my stomach like a hive of ants. But I couldn't stay. I couldn't risk being seen here, or—

The doors opened.

And wouldn't you know it, Seryou's parents were right fucking there.

"Oh, shit," I gasped, looking around for a place to hide. There wasn't much to choose from. Desperately I dove behind the potted silk tree next to the reception desk, picking it up by the trunk and moving it in front of me to try and camouflage myself. The lady behind the counter didn't so much as twitch. I'm not sure she was even paying attention. This was the worst hiding spot ever. I felt like some bumbling character in a kids' cartoon.