One Moment-IwaOi

2

          A knock breaks up Iwaizumi and my moment. My mom walks in with a doctor.

"Oh! Honey, you're awake!" Mom rushes over to me. She puts a hand on Iwaizumi's shoulder, "Thank you for being here."

He nods and steps back. Mom leans down and kisses my forehead before I could complain.

"Tooru, this is Dr. Kulima. He's been your doctor since you've been here."

"Hi."

"Hello, Oikawa. How are you feeling?"

"Um, okay, I guess. My body hurts."

"Where exactly?"

"Um, well, my arms and legs are kinda numb, but they still hurt. And, my stomach," I pull up my hospital gown to show my waist. "Hurts the most."

Iwaizumi chokes out a cough and I look over. His face is all red and he's averting his eyes.

I pull down my gown.

"Are you okay, Iwaizumi?" Mom looks concerned.

"Yep, I'm fine," He clears his throat.

"You sure, Iwa-chan?"

He glares at me and repeats, "I'm. Fine."

I giggle.

Mom looks between us quizzically and then says, "So, doctor, what's the news that you were waiting to tell us?"

"Oh, yes. Oikawa has been getting better. His right arm is a quarter healed, and the left is right behind it. While you still have a concussion, it's better than before. I can prove that because you finally woke up. I don't know if you remember this Oikawa, but during your first two days here you were in and out of consciousness. You also had a high fever.Your concussion was severe, so you couldn't wake up. But once your fever went down, your concussion started to heal.

"I know it's kind of confusing, but it's the magic of the human body. We should all be very thankful that you're alive and getting better. If you fell at any other angle, you may not have been laying here right now."

Mom squeezes my hand. "When can Tooru come home?"

"Well, what day is it. . .Sunday, okay. So, you probably will be able to go home in a few weeks? It may be a month. Your leg is still badly broken, but it'll definitely heal soon. The mark on your forehead,"

I reach up to gently prob at the burning sensation on my head. A sticky scar covered a large amount of my left top forehead.

"Will certainly be a scar. But it'll get smaller, so it won't be as noticeable. And last but not least, your stomach injury. The surgeons were able to stitch up the puncture the best they could, but it's still a large injury. It won't heal for awhile, so if you go home, you will be in bed or on the couch for a long time."
"When will I be able to play volleyball again?"

"Well, honey. . .I don't know about that. . ."

"That. . .all depends on how your body heals. If it heals well, then maybe in a few months. . .but if it doesn't. Hopefully in a year."

"So I won't be able to play this season?" I perk up.

"Maybe. Maybe is a very strong word in this hospital," He chuckles.

"But I'm the team captain! I need to play! It's my duty!"

"Tooru, you hurt yourself badly, let's be thankful that you're alive!"

"Volleyball is my life, mom! What am I supposed to do after school?"

"Rest. If you rest sooner and longer, then you will be able to play. I know you can find strength in you Tooru."

I pout.

"Iwaizumi will take over for you, won't you, Iwaizumi?"

"Uh, yes, yes I will."

"Fine. But I'm going to play again, I don't care what you say."

"We'll talk about this later," Mom says.

"Well, I'll leave you guys be, let us cross our fingers that Oikawa can check out in a couple of weeks!" Dr. Kulima leaves with his fingers crossed.

Silence fills the room. I don't look at Mom, but she squeezes my hand anyway.

"Tooru, I'm going to call your dad to say that you're awake. I'll be right back."

I nod but still don't meet her eyes. She kisses my forehead quickly and then steps out.

"Crappykawa, you know you may not be able to play this year right?"

"Yeah, I do know. But, I don't want to think about it. We are so close to nationals, I don't want to blow it for the team. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself!"

"It's not your fault, it was the group of trashed teens that hurt you."

"Sure, but I didn't have to climb on the wall, I coulda stayed on the pavement."

"What's fun about walking on pavement? You always say that to me. You've been straddling that wall since we were kids."

"I'll stay on the ground next time. . .if there will be a next time."

"Oikawa, there will be a next time, just maybe not very soon."

"Yeah, but my knee was already in a brace, so breaking it didn't help a lot."

"It'll get better, remember what the doctor said? The magic of the human body. You'll heal and things will slowly go back to normal," Iwa-chan's words seemed rushed and panicked.

"But what if they don't? What if my body's not strong enough? What if. . .I'm not able to move normally?"

"Stop! Stop talking about that! Okay? Just, stop," Iwaizumi stands up with his hands on his face.

He walks over to the bed and motions me to slide over. I struggle to the left, and he carefully stretches out next to me.

"What are you doing Iwa-chan?"

He doesn't say anything as he scoots next to me and leans down. I do the same, my heart beating quickly.

It takes a long time for him to say anything, so we just sit, side by side, staring up at the blank ceiling.

"I don't like hearing you speak like that."

"Like what?"

"Like, you won't be strong again. Like you won't be able to be a volleyball player anymore." He sighs. "Like. . .the Oikawa I know can be gone in a split second."

I'm quiet for a second, taking in what he just said.

"Iwa-chan, I know I should be happy that I'm alive. I know that my life could have been over if anything else had happened, but it's not like I'm going to be the same. I don't remember a lot from the incident, but I do know how much pain I felt, and how scared you were. After being in a situation like that, a person can't be the same. Right now it's hard for me to see the bright side. Especially since I may not be able to play volleyball ever again. Or at least until when we're third years."

"Remember when you got your knee brace?" He looks over at me and I nod. "Remember how much that hurt, and how depressed you were about it?" I nod again. "You kept complaining to me that you would never be able to play volleyball again. But, after a month, we were able to practice."

I stare at him while he smiles and a single tear drops down his cheek.

"You were so happy that you could set to me just like before. We went out to eat afterwards with the team. The next morning you couldn't go to school, because you had a stomach ache from all that meat." He laughs, "But that weekend we won our practice match against Shiratorizawa. Again, you drove me crazy from your excitement. But, it proved that you didn't change," He turns his head so we're nose to nose, my tears matching his tears, eyes staring into eyes. "It proved that hurting yourself wouldn't make you quit."

He doesn't say anything, and neither do I. I can't say anything. If I opened my mouth I wouldn't know what to say. So we just smile at each other, letting our eyes speak for us.