Tadashi Returns - A Big Hero 6 Fanfiction

Chapter Eighteen: Cass Reflects

Strain had made its home firmly in the Hamada household. The younger brother refused to talk to the older, while the oldest lay wondering why he was thought to be the bad guy. In Hiro's mind, Tadashi had broken his trust. He couldn't understand why Tadashi had falsely accused him of bot fighting and why Wasabi had tattled on him. Hiro was furious with them both because he had done absolutely nothing wrong. Hiro thought heroes were supposed to have perfect judgment, but little by little Hiro was beginning to see that his brother was just as imperfect as himself. He was watching his world that had been so carefully taped together fall apart again. College projects weren't so revolutionary. His marks in each class were tanking. When grade reports came home, he'd burn the papers instead of proudly sharing them on the refrigerator. Hiro began to disappear from family life and hid in his room for what seemed like days at a time.

Aunt Cass silently worried about her young nephew, but she herself had a lot on her own plate. Cass tried to balance the café, appointments, caretaking, and parenting. On occasion she would try to coax Hiro out of his room for some errands or a family dinner, but he'd decline and keep to his room. Once a week while Hiro was at school she'd go in to tidy that room. The room was a pigsty: half-eaten plates of food stacked on his desk, the bed unmade, and a screen pulled completely in front of Tadashi's section. On this particular day, Aunt Cass took a moment to sit down on Hiro's bed and stared at the mess, trying to understand exactly what was happening to her nephew. The behavior was reminiscent of when Tadashi had first been declared dead. What kind of loss had Hiro undergone recently to make him this apathetic? She wished he would tell her and that she could help him through it. However, no matter how much she wanted to help him, unless Hiro wanted help he wouldn't accept it.

She wasn't sure how to help either of them with tragedies anymore. Her solution when her sister and brother-in-law had died was to try and distract the children from the pain as much as possible. After Tadashi had grown up a bit, he told her how much pain he hid as a growing child, Hiro however didn't seem to have much memory of that time. The time when distraction was a solution was long gone. Hiro had been through more pain than she ever could have thought possible for a child his age. Seated there surrounded by Hiro's mess, Cass stared at a photograph of the dead couple and her mind went back to that terrible night when the news had come to the family.

While the boys waited for their parents to pick them up, Hiro and Tadashi built structures out of blocks on the floor. Aunt Cass swept up the café from a busy night both in the café and in spoiling her nephews. Hiro filled the space with his happy little chatter, but when the tower he built inevitably fell down, a string of disappointed sounds took over until Tadashi helped him pick up and try again. Cass loved having her nephews there. The boys brought a different energy into her life. Cass kept her eye on the clock, but she noticed the arranged time for pickup had long passed. Where were her sister and brother-in-law? A sharp knock on the glass store door drew her attention. She was surprised to see two police officers standing there. "Can I help you?" Cass asked. "We've come to relay bad news," one officer said quietly, "Mr. and Mrs. Hamada were in a car accident and were killed on sight." After regaining her ability to speak, Cass quickly stammered some questions. What? Where? Her heart beat fast as her mind raced with worry. The boys! What would happen to the children?

Tadashi had paused playing to overhear the conversation his Aunt was having with the police. Dead? What would happen to them? Would they be put in a home for children? Could Aunt Cass keep them? He left his blocks and Hiro behind to cling to Aunt Cass' arm, "Aunt Cass? What's going on?" he begged. The tender young voice broke her heart, "Shh, it's all going to be okay." Even though she tried to sound in control, Cass was anything but. Her mind flooded with anxiety. Would it really be okay? Her two nephews were orphaned at ten and three. How would they all carry on after this?

The police asked her another couple questions and left. Cass went over and sat down quietly beside Hiro while Tadashi stood, "You both get to stay with me another night, okay?" Hiro resisted but Aunt Cass gently lifted and carried him upstairs while Tadashi followed. Cass ghosted around while getting Hiro ready for bed. Her movements were direct, but she felt like there wasn't any life force inside her anymore. After she put the toddler down, Tadashi lingered by the screen, "Aunt Cass? What's going to happen?" Cass would try her hardest to be strong but a sob came out, "I don't really know, Tadashi," Cass took a deep breath to calm her nerves, "But try and get some sleep okay? I'll take you to school in the morning."

Her mind shifted to what followed; endless days of lawyers, meetings, and driving around like crazy for school conferences. Cass tried so hard to keep everything balanced and normal for the boys, then Tadashi's accident capsized their lives again. Cass shook her head to keep the painful memories from progressing any farther. Right now, she had to put it all away so she could get moving. Cass got up, stacked plates, made the bed, and opened the blinds to let natural light shine through. Then she'd be off to get Tadashi to his appointment.

Cass found Tadashi lounging on his bed downstairs, procrastinating his exercises for physical therapy, "Aren't you getting ready to go?" He looked up and smiled weakly, "Yeah, I am. Were you going to come?"

"Of course."
With a gentle tone, Tadashi insisted that he was fine to go to therapy alone. Tadashi felt like Cass was working too hard and he needed to test his own limits of independence, hopefully allowing her to have some much needed rest. Aunt Cass adjusted his jacket collar anxiously, "But it's no problem to help you on the bus. I don't mind waiting for you in the waiting room. Honest." The memories and the emotion in Hiro's room left Cass delicate, worrisome, and afraid to let Tadashi go alone. Tadashi smiled a little and took her hands very gently, "I love being with you, Aunt Cass, but you're tired. I really don't want to have to keep asking you and Hiro to take me places when you both are clearly busy." He loved his Aunt Cass, but because of all the arguing with Hiro, he was beginning to wonder how much of a handicap he truly was. His aunt would never say that the caretaking was too much for her, but Tadashi could see it written clearly by the way her eyes had become swollen, the constant yawning, and distracted reflexes.

Just at that moment she did suppress a yawn. In truth, a break did sound nice, and she knew with her head that Tadashi would have to learn at some point to take care of himself again. "Alright," she acquiesced, "I will help you on and off. The stairs can be difficult." Tadashi hugged her and put his legs over the edge of his bed to begin his warm up exercises. He was indebted to Aunt Cass for doing everything that she had been for him but he couldn't wait until he could release her and rebuild his own life.