Walk With Me

Chapter 6

Tamaki was in pain.

Not the type of pain met with a tumble down the stairs, or bump to the elbow. Nor the type of pain that's caused by belt lashes and harsh words. This pain was like it wasn't really there, but it made up every inch of him. It was like a tidal wave held back by a paper dam. It felt as if the right side of his face was exploding and reforming in a slow and drawn-out cycle.

The first thing he heard was a slow Nocturne No. 9, one of Chopin's better works. Pleasant, but out of place. From the scratchy sheets and slow beeping, Tamaki would guess he's at the hospital. So either the hospital has taken up playing classical music for their sleeping guests, or someone was here to visit him and knew he liked Chopin. Which means ...Kyoya was here.

Tamaki grunted, twitching his hands.

"Guys he's awake!" someone, sounded like Hikaru, whispered.

Tamaki opened one bleary eye. Instantly he shut it again, because it was so bright in that room.

"How are you feeling?" Haruhi asked. "Do you want me to go get the nurse?"

"You're not supposed to wake up yet. The doctors predicted another few hours at least," Karou accused with a sad smile on his face. "It's okay, you can keep resting. Don't strain yourself."

"No nurses. Please, I'm fine. Just turn off the supernova in the room, I'm bright enough for the seven of us." Tamaki joked with a scratchy voice, but no one laughed. What's wrong? He could see the sudden absence of the harsh light through his left eye-lid, it was now more dull. On the other hand, the right one was completely dark.

Mustering up enough courage, he finally cracked his eye open. Thankfully it was much darker, and as he looked around, he saw all of his friends. Mori-sempi, who looked rather green, was sitting in one of the plastic chairs. The twins were on the ground next to them, pointedly studying the wall and not their surroundings. Haruhi was standing by the door, looking a mixture of tired and terrified. At first he was gonna ask were Kyoya was, but as he opened his mouth to ask in the black haired beauty himself walked in, followed by another black haired man who Tamaki assumed was Kyoya's older brother. This was an Ootori hospital,after all, so that means Kyoya's brother works here.

"Yes Kyoya I wi- Oh, Mr. Suoh finally woke up?" The man said as he walked in. Kyoya flashed a heart-broken smile before sitting down next to Mori-senpai, his face shifting till it was impossible to read. Everyone was acting really strange. Suddenly it hit him.

"Oh fuck!" He croaked. Instantly everyone leaned in, ready to help him if he needed anything, worry on each person's face.

"I have to tell you all. I.... something's wrong with me. I went to the doctor last week and it turns out.... I have cancer. I will be prone to bloody noses and stuff like that," Tamaki said, innocent concern on his face. For some reason, they all laughed at him. What's so funny? He thought they'd worry.

"Tono, we kinda figured something was wrong when you wound up in the hospital!" Hikau said between chuckles, the fear on his face momentarily obscured by his smile.

"What!? Oh. Yeah, right. Hospital. So that means what?" Tamaki said. For some reason, his brain was really muddled.

"Well Mr. Suoh, this... is an anomaly, I'll admit. The tumor in your eye had grown onto the optic nerve, creating a pocket of blood that had pooled and pooled until it had burst three days ago. We had to remove the tumor but it was too closely attached to the optic nerve. There was extensive surgery, but you survived and seem to have no lasting brain damage or swelling." The doctor said slowly, pausing several times to let Tamaki catch up and checking his vitals.

"Wait, what does this mean?" Tamkai said, completely lost.

"Basically your eye almost killed you and you should be dead but you're not." Hikaru said plainly, receiving a swat on the back of his head by Haruhi.

"See? That made sense." Tamaki muttered, before looking up in shock. "Wait, did you say three days!? I was out for three days!?"

"No Tamaki." Mori-senpai said softly. "You were out for four days, not three."

"So are you in any pain Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi asked, staring unabashedly at his right eye. In fact, everyone was stealing glances and frowning at it. Unconsciously, he reached up and felt his eye, only to touch a bandage.

"So it happened ahead of schedule, huh?" Tamaki said, cruel realization slowly dawning on his face. "I was in extensive surgery, my eye was badly damaged, and you removed it?"

"Yes," Kyoya's brother said, sadness creeping into his eyes. "As I said the tumor was excessively large and should have killed you. But it didn't. However, we had to act quickly, and I'm sorry if this came without warning. I will leave you all to.. Catch up."

Tamaki ashamed. He waited to tell his friends at the right time, and instead they had to hear it from the doctors as it was happening. What kind of person did that to his friends?

"Ahead of schedule...You knew?" Kyoya said softly. Tamaki couldn't look at any of them, both out of physical inhibility and guilt. He didn't want to see the disgust on their face.

"Yes. I got the call a few weeks ago. Last week I went to the doctor, I was supposed to figure all of this out before I told you all I'm so sorr-"

"It's okay Tama-chan. We know this must have been hard to explain," Honey-senpai interrupted, putting his hand over Tamaki's and patting him gently. "We're sorry we didn't ask you what's wrong sooner."

What? They weren't mad?

"Tamaki why would we be mad?" Kyoya murmured, pushing his hair back with slow fingers. Oh, he said that out loud? Oh well. Tamaki focused on the hand in his hair, leaning into the contact and practically purring.

"My dad will be. I'm damaged goods now," Tamaki said softly. Kyoya's hand froze, tangled in Tamaki's golden waves.

"You leave that to me Tamaki. You just focus on recovering, you deserve a break" Kyoya's glasses glinted, his eyes almost demonic in their rage. Hikaru patted his arm, giving him a serious look.

"Kyoya's right. We already let the nurses know and they are prepared in case anything... goes wrong."

"Thank you, you guys... this has been... really hard without you," Tamaki whimpered, tears leaking down his left eye. He missed his friends, he was glad they were here with him now.

"Oh Tamaki, we promise to stay here with you now,," Haruhi said sadly, wiping the tears from her own eyes as well.

"Yeah, but from now on you have to promise us you'll come to us the second something happens or changes, okay?" Kaoru said in a low voice, rubbing a comforting hand up and down Tamaki's arm. "No more avoiding it."

"I promise."