A Different Path (Growing Up)

Hospital

It had happened so fast.

One minute she and her Papa were walking down the street hand in hand as they headed to their local grocery store, and the next minute Ayano was on the ground, staring at her Papa who laid still a few meters away.

"P-Papa...?"

Everything was spinning, and Ayano could only stare at her Papa where a small puddle of red grew beneath him, tears rising in her eyes, she didn't realized that she screamed for him. A horrible feeling came over her, a feeling she had never felt before.

She hated it, Ayano wanted to stay emotionless.

Then Ayano found herself in the ambulance, a heavy but warm blanket wrapped around her and someone trying to talk to her. She responded, looking up at the person trying to call for her attention.

"You're responding, that's good." A blue uniform woman said. She had ice blue eyes and silver-hair tied up into a tight bun. "My name is is Kasumi Ruto. How are you feeling?"

"M-My head kind of hurts, but that's all... W-Where's my Papa?"

"You're Father is in critical condition, I'm afraid." Kasumi said, frowning as Ayano stared at her with rather desperate eyes. "He's still breathing, but we have to get him to the hospital now if we are to save his life."

"T-Then do it!" Ayano yelled, tearing up. "Please save my Papa! I don't want to lose him either!"

"Stay calm little one, what is your name and your Father's?"

"H-His name is T-Tatsui A-Aishi... A-And I'm A-Ayano Aishi."

Kasumi nodded and patted her head, giving her an easy smile. Ayano just stared, still feeling distressed felt some kind of comfort in the woman's smile.

Ayano, after getting her head bandaged and making sure she wasn't injured anywhere else besides the small scrapes, was now waiting in the emergency room. Not only waiting for Tsumura and Nemesis, but just staring blankly at the red light that was still on for the emergency room.

She didn't notice when a black-haired boy took a seat besides her.

"Y-Y-You're A-Ayano A-A-Aishi... R-Right?"

Flinching, Ayano turned and looked at the boy sitting next to her. He was fidgeting badly, but he was looking at her right in the eye. He had short curly black hair, but his curly bangs were long enough to hood over his eyes, but she could see he had light purple eyes. He was wearing a black shirt with a white spider in front and grey shorts.

Ayano didn't answer, just staring at him. This made the boy fidget more, but he continued on softly.

"M-My name is O-Oko R-Ruto... M-My Mom was the o-one who t-told me about you... S-She to-told me to k-keep you company..." Still silence. "...A-Are you okay?"

While Ayano would've just said yes and continue back to what she was doing prior, she felt tears rising in her eyes. She blurted out, hiccuping.

"N-No... I-I'm scared... I-I don't w-want my Papa to die...!"

Then she would be alone. Ayano never realized it before, but she didn't want to be alone. She never wanted to be alone again. She didn't know what she was going to do if her Papa suddenly disappeared from her life.

Feeling something wet run down her cheeks, she touched her cheek and looked at her hand, she stared at her wet hand in shock. She was crying...

She had never cried before, not even when the realization her Mother would never be returning home or when the bullies went to far with their words and painful hits. But that horrible realization that she might be alone just caused her throat to tighten and her eyes to grow more blurry. Hiccuping, she started crying even more, bringing her fist up into her eyes.