Dare to Move

[Baka]

It's not fair.
Who ever said life had to be fair?
I thought you'd be more upset about this than anyone!!
He was doing his job, these things happen
HE WAS YOUR STUDENT!
...and he IS your friend. Blame cannot be cast on anyone at this point...now go see your friend.
It's not fair...
It never is...


The walls of the infirmary were bare. Despite the wealth that the city of Jinkouju had accumulated since it's founding the buildings themselves were not fantastically impressive. While, the equipment within the hospital was the finest money could buy, the hospital itself was plain with bare white walls and clean white linoleum floors.

Sitting in a chair beside Teratin's bed, Rihei rested his head in his hands, his brow resting against his fingertips. Soft violet eyes peered out at the silent, unmoving form of Shirokuro Teratin.

"He'll never...be the same..." Rihei muttered to himself in a bitter voice.

It was true, his friend would never make a full recovery; not without resorting to forbidden means. However, what hurt Rihei the most was not his friend's injury. Rather it was the fact that his friend's assailant had made it away unscathed and would avoid prosecution by the cities military simply because of her family. The shirokuro family had decided that the incident would remain within the clan, and that the outside authorities would not be getting involved.

Rihei had been given no choice in the matter and at Teratin's insistence, had gone along with the Shirokuro clan's request. He couldn't refuse Terating, especially while his friend stared up at him, bleeding to death.

Gritting his teeth in rage, Rihei sat up and pushed his chair across the room fixing the nurses who looked in on him with a glare.

"It's not fair!"

[anti]

A soft groan emitted from the bed for the first time in a few hours. He’d had his second surgery not long ago, when stray shards had been found in his back. These were discovered too late. Shirokuro Teratin was now paralyzed.

They said he’d probably never walk again. He hadn’t been allowed to look at himself in the mirror. He didn’t want to anyway. He was afraid of what he’d see, or what little he would. His vision seemed heavy to the left- when he held his hand in front of the other side, he couldn’t see it. Half-blind.

When he was still able to move, he’d dragged his good hand across his face. It was ravaged by stitches then. Right now the anesthesia was so heavy he couldn’t even feel himself. He had no idea Rihei was here either. He mostly stared at the ceiling, fading in and out of darkness.


She stood outside the door, gazing absently at the silhouettes on the interior. A few hours ago, they’d sent her in for questioning.

Both of them had lied.

Noa had been honest to the point of painfulness her entire life. Even when it hurt her social abilities, embarrassed others and stunted her family life, she’d been truthful. And now, for the sake of those boys from whom she felt so separate, she was a liar.

She heard Rihei shout something in anger and wondered if Teratin could hear him. She wanted to tell Rihei to shut up and let him rest.
She wouldn’t bother to show herself now, though. This was Rihei’s time alone with him, she reasoned to herself. Besides, she wasn’t sure how to feel about Teratin’s accident. Terrified and sad for her friend and his family, yes, but there was a selfish part to her that knew she would rise in position without his competition.
This only made her feel worse.