Rising Endeavor

Confusion and pain.

That's what Enji felt. He laid in the hospital bed, doped up on paid medication, crayon in hand as he colored a picture of a shark jumping out of water. He scribbled the blue crayon all over the page, not staying within the lines at all. He wasn't really interested in coloring. What he was really captivated by was what his mother was talking about with the doctor. He didn't understand a lick of what they were saying but maybe it could tell him why his tummy had been hurting so much.

"So... He's going to need a new one?" Moe Todoroki asked in a hushed tone. Although, the woman wasn't known for her quietness. She was pretty loud even when she whispered.

The doctor took her hands in his, knowing full well how it went in pediatrics, distraught or grieving parents being all too familiar. "I'm sorry Ms. Todoroki. But yes. His left kidney is failing. We have him on some medicine to help, but he is going to need a transplant. There's no way around it." The older gentleman was solemn.

"Mommy, whatsa kidney?" Enji asked from his bed. Moe turned around and hushed her four year old.

"Just color baby. Don't worry about what we're talking about." She turned back to the doctor. "But I thought he could be okay with one kidney?"

The doctor removed his hands and shook his head. "His right one is pretty weak I'm afraid. That's what's causing his higher than normal blood pressure and the fatigue." He shifted his gaze over to the youngin, his gray eye brows knitting together. "His right kidney will have to be closely monitored after the surgery. That one could fail as well. I'm sorry Ms. Todoroki."

Moe held in a couple trickles of tears. "I... I don't have any money.... I don't have a modest job to get enough money for surgery. I don't even have insurance!" She tried to hold back her ache.

Enji heard the despair behind her words. He heard it almost every night when the men left.

"Is there anyway you can do it for free? What is it called? B-bones? Pro-bones?"

The doctor shook his head. "Pro-bono, and no. I'm sorry. The medical board no longer allows them here. I would love to, for the sake of your son's health, but I can't loose my job if I'm caught. I'm so sorry."

Moe swallowed hard. She was fearful for her son. "I'll leave you to talk to your son. Call a nurse if you have any questions and they'll call me." With that, the aging doctor left.

It was just young Enji and his mother, surrounded by childish decorations of smiling bears and butterflies. Moe removed the run down blue crayon from her son's small hand and pushed the bed tray aside. She sat next to the boy, extending her arm across his back as comfort. She smiled down sweetly at him, using her other hand to push away a stray brown lock that fell into her turquoise eyes, wanting to see her little boy better.

"Mommy do the doctor know why my tummy hurts?" Enji cocked his head to the side, looking up at his mother. He confided in her. She was the only adult in his life after all.

Moe gulped. She let out a breath, "Yes." She tried to stay collected. "You have... You have a villain in you! A nasty villain is attacking you and the doctor is going to save you!" She softly poked his upper abdomen, careful of his medical issue. She gained a giggle from the boy, to which she responded with a caring laugh.

She laid her son back into the pillow behind him, laying back as well, half hanging from the bed. She pulled her young one close and bent down to kiss his red hair. "My little Bonfire..." She whispered.

A couple days had passed. Enji seemed to get worse. His blood pressure rose a smidge more. He was refusing to eat or drink. But no matter if he didn't eat he was getting sick every so often. This all greatly worried Moe.