If Love Could Be The Cure We Need - A MakoHaru Medical AU

Chapter 5: Hometown Smile

Haruka Nanase

Makoto points at me with his mouth just barely opened. His eyes are huge as they glare at me with their green brightness. "You're Nanase, right?" he asks, and before I can nod he adds, "Haruka Nanase, we were five years old, swimming lessons!"

My first reaction is to frown, but that quickly turns into a gasp when I realize that Makoto does remember me. I didn't think he still remembered me, at least that's what it looked like; he even introduced himself to me even though we're been friends for well over half a year.

"Tell me I'm right!" Somehow Makoto seems so excited and I don't exactly what for. Of course, I'm also happy to see him again after he suddenly stopped showing up to swimming lessons, but I didn't think he'd be this excited about it.

I nod and reassure him that he is right indeed.

After the rush of excitement passes Makoto's face grows gloomy. He lets go of the doorknob he's been holding for the past few moments and says, "I'm sorry that I suddenly disappeared."

I shrugged, even though back than it was a big deal to me because Makoto seemed to be the only person I could talk to with ease. But I accepted it after a while, because getting mad or sad over it wouldn't help and I knew that.

"It's just... something happened and..." Makoto really seems to struggle talking about it, but eventually he's able to explain how he got scared of water after he nearly drowned on a family trip and his parents decided to make him stop going to swimming lessons. "I didn't know where you lived, so I never got to really say goodbye."

I nod and almost feel like smiling since Makoto looks so glad he was able to tell me that. Not that it matters right now, because we're both here and there's no need to make up for it anymore.

"I'm not mad," I reassure him, which makes him look even happier. We stand there for a moment, just looking at each other.

It's a little awkward, probably because we haven't seen each other in ages.

Right when Makoto's smiles fades and he opens his mouth again to say something nurse Aki wanders into the hallway. The look on her face is rather shocked and she immediately tells us that it's long past lights out and we should be in our dorm rooms.

I guess she can't see, because both Makoto and I are only one step away from our dorm rooms, but apparently that doesn't matter when it's past lights out.

Makoto glances at the floor, while the clicking of nurse Aki's heels come closer with every second that passes.

"Come on, boys," she says, walking over to me and laying her hand on my shoulder. She's basically pushing my inside of my room. "Time to go to bed."

Luckily before the door closes I can hear Makoto saying, "Good night, Haruka" and I know that we're not going to part ways without telling goodbye another time.

Nurse Aki closes the door behind me and with a disappointed frown she says, "It's your first day, but doesn't mean you don't have to stick to the rules, Haruka."

I sigh and think to myself that I'm aware of that.

In the time that I was away this afternoon, they placed a machine in my room and when nurse Aki catches me glaring at is she says, "That's a Dialysis machine."

I have no idea how to use it and it looks rather complicated, but I'll figure it out. At least that's what I think until nurse Aki adds, "But we'll have to place a HD catheter first. This'll be more comfortable with your chemotherapy and when using the Dialysis." She pauses and her eyes meet mine. "They'll have to put you under general anesthesia tomorrow morning, so you'll probably miss your classes tomorrow."

I feel a lump appearing in my throat; in all the years I've lived I've never been under anesthetics, nor have I ever had a surgery before. All of a sudden I feel a little nauseous, but nurse Aki doesn't give me any time to be actually nervous about it. She immediately tells me that I won't feel anything during the placement of the tunneled catheter, a little discomfort afterwards should be all. She also explains that this way I'll avoid having to get painful injections every day to use the Dialysis and chemotherapy, which sounds like a good thing.

Before she tells me to put on my pajama and go to bed she lets me know that I'll be expected to arrive at the medical building at ten the following morning. "You shouldn't eat before the procedure, so you can skip breakfast tomorrow and sleep until nine or something," she explains. "And the rest of tomorrow you're expected to take a sick day to stay in bed and rest, okay?"

I nod, hoping she'll go away soon so I can at least try to go to sleep. Eventually she goes away, telling me to go to bed in an instance.

This, I do, but I can't get myself to sleep. Not because of the nerves that come with having to go under general tomorrow, but it's more like happy fluttering in my stomach; it's because, after twelve years, I've finally talked to the only person who actually felt like my best friend. I've seen Makoto again!

I'm very happy about this until I close my eyes and the grateful fluttering suddenly turns into creepy aching; if Makoto's here, that means he's sick too... it means he's also dying, maybe even sooner than me.

I shake away the thought in pure horror. Instead of worrying I'll have to do something else; I'll just have to be grateful for the time we do have and make the time we have left enjoyable and fulfilling.