Broken Ace (Shizaya story)

Chapter 1: Confusion

        A deep sigh escaped the man’s lips. He looked to the side, staring at the still figure on the bed. Shizuo Heiwajima let out yet another sigh, brushing his fingers through his hair as he kept his gaze level at the other person in the room.

   Izaya Orihara lay there, silent and unmoving. There were bandages wrapped around his head and neck, though Shizuo could still see some of bruising that extended down his throat and along his collar bones. Numerous other wrappings covered his body, including a cast around one arm and gauze pads strapped to his face. The doctors had told the blond that the man had sustained grievous damage to his body, but hadn’t given him too much information.

    Still watching his rival, Shizuo grumbled, “Just what the hell happened to you flea?” He leaned back in his chair, eyes falling shut as he thought back to when he had found the battered male.

                                             Flashback - 1 week ago

        Shizuo walked through the streets of Ikebukuro, hands in his pockets. He was a little on edge. It had been a while since the blond had last seen the bane of his existence, one Izaya Orihara. For the past six months, he hadn’t seen hide nor tail of the mischievous informant. Normally, such a prospect would make the enforcer content with life, but in all the time he had known Izaya, the male had never gone this long without pissing the Heiwajima off by showing up in his town. It made the man paranoid, and even a bit worried, about the unruly brunet.

  As he was caught up in his thoughts about his enemy, Shizuo turned down an alley way, walking automatically towards his apartment before he slipped on something slippery. The tall man crashed to the ground, head landing against something firm, yet soft.

  The male’s thoughts snapped back to reality as he slowly got to his knees. “What the fuck did I just slip on? Snow?” He mumbled, raising his hand to his face to get a better look. His eyes widened when he saw his hand was covered in red. ‘Blood? What the hell?’ Shizuo looked at the ground around him, trying to figure out what he stumbled into. What he saw made the lit cigarette fall from his lips, the flame eextinguished by the snow. He scrambled over to the figure that lay in the snow.

     “Izaya? Hey flea, wake the hell up! What happened? Who did this to you? Hey! Izaya! Answer me, dammit!” he yelled, grabbing the brunet and shaking him. The info broker’s head moved back and forth lifelessly, eyes remaining shut. The lack of response made a small bolt of fear go through Shizuo. Sure, he hated Izaya to his core and wanted to kill him, but this...this was brutal.

 The brunet was covered in blood, bruises, and scratches, some still oozing. His face was swollen and he could see light tear treads trailing on his face. The blond placed Izaya back on the ground gently, leaning forward on his chest to see if he was breathing. He was,  but the sound was severely labored. The male suspected that the Orihara had several cracked or broken ribs. The sensation of the man’s chest beneath his head made Shizuo realize that the thing he had hit his head on earlier was Izaya himself.

 The enforcer sat up, scrambling to pull his phone out of his pocket. He dialed for an ambulance, quickly reporting their location and telling the dispatcher to get someone there as soon as possible. As he waited, he stared at the man, a foreign feeling filling him. ‘Just...what happened to you, flea?Who the hell did this to you?’

 The paramedics arrived fifteen minutes later, moving Shizuo out of the way as they placed a C collar and backboard around Izaya, then lifted him onto a gurney and into the ambulance. They allowed Shizuo to ride in the back with the male. The blond could only bring himself to stare at the brunet, wondering what would become of him.

  Once at the hospital, the Orihara was whisked off to the operating room. His rival was forced to wait outside the room. He sat there pensively, hoping the brunet didn’t die.

                                                               End Flashback

        A knock at the door drew Shizuo back to present. He granted the person outside permission to enter. The door opened, revealing Izaya’s doctor. She was a woman of average build, with long black hair and warm grey eyes. She smiled at Shizuo.

        “Hello Heiwajima-san. I just came in to check on Orihara-san. Is that all right with you?” she asked. The blond blinked, but nodded slowly. She smiled brightly and got to work, checking the various machinery attached to the brunet on the bed. She checked his vital signs and cognitive function.

        After several moments of examination, the doctor pulled back to write on her clipboard. Shizuo looked up at her curiously. “So, uh, how is he?” he asked, hoping to get some more info on Izaya’s condition. The woman, Dr. Hitomi Ayasegawa, sighed and turned to the man with a haunted and sad look in her eyes. She gestured towards the door.

        “Let’s talk in my office.” she said, moving to open the entrance and walk out, a confused Heiwajima following behind her. She walked down the hall before stopping in front of a door. She opened it and let Shizuo in before closing it behind them. She motioned for the man to sit at a chair in front of her desk. She sat down opposite him.

        A solemn sigh escaped her lips as she sent the blond a sympathetic look. “Heiwajima-san, I’m sorry to say that it will be a very long time before Orihara-san recovers. He has sustained some serious injuries. In total, he has the following: layered bruising around his neck that suggests repeated choking over a period of time, a black eye, scratches on his face, a spiral fracture in his right arm from having it bent back too far, 3 fractured ribs, bruises along his hips and thighs, and…” Here Dr. Ayasegawa paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, eyes downcast, “he...he has internal scarring in his anus...consistent with that of repeated rape.”

        Shizuo stared in shock at the doctor. He found himself frozen. He was unable to speak, move, or even breath. ‘Izaya...Izaya had been...’ he thought shakily. He bit his lip and held down his head, horrified. Hitomi looked at him with sympathy. “I’m very sorry this happened to your friend, Heiwajima-san.” she said quietly.

        He looked at her, an look of sorrow and pain in his eyes. “He’s...We’re not friends. He’s my enemy. But...even I...can’t help but feel bad for him. He may be a no good flea...but no one deserves this.” he respsonded, standing up and leaving the room. He reentered Izaya’s, shutting the door and moving to sit next to him.

        He watched over the brunet once more as chaotic feelings washed over him. ‘Izaya...when you wake up...I’ll make you tell me who did this...and I’ll kill those bastards with my bare hands...’ he said silently to himself, slightly surprised by his protectiveness of the informant. He reached out, brushing back his hair gently. As he did that, a pair of tired red eyes fluttered open and looked up at him hazily. Shizuo felt his breath catch for a moment.

        “I-Izaya?” he said, staring at the male in shock. Said male’s brow furrowed in confusion before he spoke in a raspy whisper, “Who...are you? And who’s Izaya?”