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Hiiro came out from the double doors. Sweat was soaking his shirt. He looked upset, he looked... sad. Everyone stared at him, Parado having tears in his eyes. The surgeon glanced around at them all before he finally spoke. "He's still critical. I did all that I could for now. We couldn't continue the surgery; we had to stop for now. His body is too weak to handle any further operations at the moment, but I was able to at the very least stabilize him to where he isn't going to die. At least... he will not die today."
"Brave... what do you mean he's not going to die today?" Taiga asked, staring at the surgeon. Kiriya was now kneeling on the ground, rubbing Poppy's back gently. She was in her Asuna guise, but she collapsed onto her hands and knees, crying. Parado had a hand to his heart, just glancing away.
There was a strong and deafening silence before Hiiro spoke again. "Pneumothorax. His thoracic cavity caved in and his sternum shattered on impact. His heart was nearly crushed and his left lung had completely collapsed. His right lung is barely functioning, an estimated 30% working. He... is going to be on a ventilator for a while. At the moment, they are setting up an ECMO for his room in the ICU. He will need that machine while we let his lungs and heart heal. I had to remove a majority of his sternum. Not to mention the damage done to his left kidney; he will be receiving dialysis for a while." Hiiro paused. It seemed he felt guilty from something. "He wouldn't have survived any longer, we had to stop after that. If he makes it through the next two nights... then he will likely survive and we can eventually replace his sternum. His heartrate will seem slow, it will seem incompatible with life while he's on the machine. So... don't panic when you see his heartrate."
Another long pause, a long beat of silence. Poppy stood up with Kiriya's help. She was still crying. Hiiro's gaze went to Parado, noticing the bugster was staring at him with wide eyes, his bloodied hand on his chest. The blood that was Emu's. Then he sighed.
Parado just glanced away. "That's why I can't feel Emu's heart and mind... it feels like he doesn't exist right now..." a mutter. "Brave, I do have a question. What exactly does an ECMO do again? Emu's explained it once before when one of his patients was on it but I didn't quite understand."
Everyone glanced to Parado. Hiiro just stared when the bugster glanced back at him. "Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation. It's going to replace his heart and lungs until his body is strong enough to oxygenate blood on its own."
"When can we see him?" Poppy finally managed to ask; her voice wavered. Normally she was so calm in these situations, but not this time. Not when it involved Emu. In fact, no one was calm. They were all shaken and upset. Even Hiiro himself was shaken when he got the call about the emergency surgery and knowing it was Emu.
"At the moment, we can only wait in the ICU waiting area. He will be 1:1 with the nurse for a while. He's critical still, he needs constant monitoring and care for now. I'm going to go change, you guys may want to go ahead there." He walked off. To a normal person, it would've seen cold with how he was acting and speaking, but they all knew Hiiro was upset. This wasn't how he normally acts. They saw the fear in his eyes; they saw the hurt. He almost couldn't save the one person he wanted to save the most.
Kiriya and Poppy both then glanced to Parado. Kiriya sighed. "Emu's probably going to be limited to one or two visitors once he is completely stabilized."
Poppy nodded in response. All she could see in her head right now was seeing Emu being brought in on the gurney. Parado was running with the paramedics, crying out for Emu to live. Seeing the blood all over Emu's face made her realize how bad the situation was. They were using a manual ventilator, but his vitals crashed and he likely wouldn't survive. She panicked so badly once he was brought through those double metallic doors that she collapsed with tears in her eyes. There was no time to prepare or anything from anyone before the call came in. She'd normally help with a surgery but there was no way she was fit to help Emu... not when she saw him like that.
. . . . .
They waited in the ICU waiting room for a total of 6 hours before Hiiro came in with another doctor, a cardiologist. Parado and Kiriya stood up when they noticed them. Hiiro let out a soft sigh. "Emu's been somewhat stabilized. He's still 1:1 with his nurse, but they're allowing for two visitors at a time. No more than that. They need to make sure they have the space to work on him when they need to. We will review his vitals and lab work tomorrow and the following day to determine if he can undergo further operations. Parado, you are part of him; you can stay with him at all times if you want to."
. . . . .
Parado was now standing in Emu's room, on the left side of Emu's bed. He was staring at his unconscious host. Emu's eyes were closed and he looked very peaceful. There were so many sounds, but no sounds were made from Emu. The sounds were all from the machines keeping him alive. The ventilator that was down his throat, automatically breathing for him at a lower rate than average while the ECMO was constantly running, giving oxygen to Emu's blood. The heart monitor was showing Emu's heartrate was only about 45 bpm, his blood pressure was about 70/55. It was far too low, nearly half of what it should be. At least his oxygen levels were teetering around 83%. It wasn't ideal but it wasn't too low given the circumstances. There was even a dialysis machine, since his kidneys were also in danger from how weak his body was at the moment.
His gaze was now on the other wires and tubes on his host. He was on so many medications, so many IV lines. It was then he recognized that Emu had a port with double access, leading him to be able to receive more medications at once. The ECMO machine was placed with peripheral cannulation through his jugular vein and auxiliary artery. Just seeing the machine taking Emu's blood to oxygenate it freaked him out a bit. Did this mean Emu wouldn't wake up? Would he never be able to play games with his host ever again? Was Emu going to eventually die on these machines instead of eventually opening his eyes?
With Parado currently was actually Kiriya, who was sitting on the couch in the corner of the room. The coroner was leaning forward, his left foot bouncing in anxiety as he held his hands under his chin and his elbows rested in his thighs. He sighed briefly. They decided for now it'd be Kiriya and Parado in his room. Hiiro said he needed to sleep for a while, that his phone was on him if he's needed. Poppy had to go back to pediatrics as a nurse even though she was shaking and almost couldn't, but it was Kiriya who convinced her that Emu wasn't going to die. Taiga went back to his clinic.
Emu's nurse came into the room, she had the nursing cart in with her. Parado knew this nurse from times Emu worked with her. She was nice, she was a good nurse. Now she was on Emu's right side, checking his pulse and blood pressure manually, comparing to the machines. Her gaze went to the two in the room. "Do either of you need anything?"
Parado glanced up, shaking his head. Kiriya put his hand up briefly. "Can I have a warm blanket and maybe something to drink?"
"Coffee?" She asked.
"Please. Ahhh—can I have extra sugar and creamer, too?"
A soft smile as she nodded. "Sure." She left and then came back, handing them to Kiriya who bowed his head and thanked her. He put the creamer and sugar into the coffee. As he was now sipping on it and leaning back, she was preparing more of Emu's medications to inject into his port access. "Emu's going to survive, Parado. Right now, his body just needs extra help."
The bugster just glanced away, nodding briefly. "I know." He just wanted to feel Emu's heart again.
The nurse was now injecting the medications. "The first 48 hours are the most crucial. But... he will survive. I know he will. We will make sure he does."
He didn't respond, but Kiriya did. "I know he will, too. He's in one of the best hospitals in the country. Not to mention he has the best people taking care of him." Parado knew that Kiriya wasn't just saying that to make the nurse seem happy; it was true. Parado had met most of the nurses at this point and he knew a lot of them were here because they were good nurses. Not to mention the other doctors that Emu had taking care of him. Kiriya wasn't lying when he said that.
. . . . .
Emu did make it through the night. His heart was a bit faster today, but everything else was the same. Parado continued staring at his host, watching the machines that kept him alive currently. Poppy, in her Asuna guise, was currently brushing Emu's hair. They were treating him like a comatose patient, treating it as though he may be asleep for a very long time. "Oh man, Emu. I already miss hearing your voice." She softly muttered to herself. "I hope you'll come back to us soon." Parado could hear the wavering, he could hear how she was about to start crying but was desperately trying not to. Even though Emu had a few scrapes on his face still, he looked peaceful. The multitudes of machines that kept him alive were cluttering his entire body just about. How many wires and tubes were there, even? Parado had lost count and normally he knew he was good at counting.
The next day after that, after it had been over 48 hours, Emu's body was more stabilized. Hiiro decided to take him back to surgery, reviewing his labs. He made the decision himself.
He glanced around to Kiriya and Parado. "His vitals have stabilized—I've already spoken with Poppy and she believes I'm making the correct decision but I'm asking you two what you want for him. His body should be able to handle another surgery, finally. Emu has a high survival rate."
"Then do it." Parado muttered, his gaze on the floor.
Kiriya briefly sighed in relief. "I second that."
Everyone told him if he thought that it was safe, to do it. They trusted his judgement.
"Then we will take him to surgery within the hour. Even though he is stable, be prepared just in case it goes awry. While he's stable, that doesn't mean there won't be complications—especially given the extent of his injuries."
"I know." Kiriya was leaning back in the chair briefly. "We trust you, Genius Surgeon." The title of 'Genius Surgeon' wasn't just for show; Hiiro had the skills to back it up. He had the expertise. Parado remained silent. He didn't even know what to say or if he could even say anything.
. . . . .
Parado was chasing Emu. "Emu!"
Emu cried out, yelling at the driver to slow down because of the kid who was absolutely oblivious. Emu managed to scoop the child up and throw them towards Parado—who caught the child, but his eyes were fixated on Emu. Emu, who smiled in relief for a split second before the truck obstructed Parado's view as it came to a squealing halt. Blood splattered on Parado's outstretched hand, collecting on his sleeve. He set the child down and cried out Emu's name as he ran forward and nearly tripped when he went to kneel down.
Blood was smeared on the concrete and there was blood on the bumper of the truck. The little child was crying, a bystander now consoling them, calling an ambulance. The driver of the truck was checking on Emu, they looked upset. They were scared.
Emu's eyes were closed.
Blood was pooling underneath of him from his mouth—from his head. Emu didn't even look alive with how still he was.
Parado could hear Emu's heartbeat in his head. It was stopping.
He was dying.
Emu wasn't going to make it. Parado had screamed his name, desperate to bring him back to life as he cried. "Emu... Emu!" He continued screaming his name even as someone was calling an ambulance in the background. Parado could feel how broken Emu's body was just by looking at him and feeling his body with his own virus. The tears weren't stopping as he let out another scream.
Emu's breathing stopped in that moment and all Parado could do was scream in agony.
Parado suddenly gasped awake, crying out Emu's name one more time. "Calm down, will ya?" He glanced, seeing Kiriya was the one who spoke. At the moment, Parado was sitting in one of the chairs in the OR waiting room while Kiriya was crouched briefly in front of him. "You good?"
"...Yeah. Just... had a nightmare is all." He sat up straighter; Kiriya then stood up. "How long was I asleep?"
"Just about an hour. Emu's still in surgery." The coroner took a deep breath before sitting back down across from Parado. "Asuna's helping him with this one. Taiga's at the cafeteria with Nico right now."
There was a long pause. Parado just put his hands over his face, leaning forward. Kiriya knew he was crying. The coroner stood up again to sit next to Parado instead of across from him. "He's going to make it, Parado."
"I should've run to get the kid instead, but I chose not to." His voice was barely a whisper. "...I would've been much faster than him... but I chose not to, Lazer. It's my fault."
"It's not your fault."
Another several moments of silence. Parado began crying. Kiriya just sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're thinking about when Emu was 8, how he's now afraid to die after that. But Parado, he's not going to die this easily. He's... he still wants to live. I believe in him and I believe in the power of medicine, of Hiiro, of our healthcare system."
The bugster just let out a loud sob.
It was more silence after that, once his crying calmed down.
The only sound was the clock ticking.
Footsteps were heard roughly an hour later; Taiga and Nico came in asking for updates on Emu's condition. Kiriya told them. "About two hours ago they told us his heart is still relatively weak, that it's going to take a while for that to heal. The other part is Hiiro is going to replace Emu's sternum and use Methyl methacrylate—to help keep his thoracic cavity from collapsing again. It could be another several hours before we have another update."
His gaze went to Parado, who pulled his knees up to his chest while waiting in the chair.
He didn't speak much more for the remainder.
"The hell is methyl methacrylate?" Nico finally asked, her head tilted a bit to the side.
"It's basically a type of cement for bones and cartilage." Taiga said, he was speaking very calmly. "It's a good and moldable replacement, especially in a situation like this where Emu's thoracic cavity needs the extra support. It is most definitely not something to use lightly... Emu's x-rays were probably really bad for him to need to consider using that." A brief sigh from him. "I'm almost afraid to know what it looked like."
Another two hours later, someone walked in. They all glanced to see Haima and Kyotaro both. They looked a bit relieved. Parado stared at them while Taiga and Kiriya both stood up. Haima then took a deep breath before he spoke. "Hiiro is still performing the operation on him. The replacement for his sternum and thoracic cavity seems to be doing well for the most part. He completely removed what was left of Emu's sternum, adding in a titanium plate. On top of that, his right lung has been showing improvements. His heart is weak and his left lung still isn't functioning. However, the surgery is almost complete."
Kyotaro then interjected. "Hiiro was able to perform a rare miracle, one that I wouldn't have been capable of back then. Emu will live. He will have some severe complications and will need more future surgeries, but he will live."
"What kind of complications?" Taiga asked.
A pause.
"He'll likely have to be on oxygen until he can regain at least half function in his left lung. His diet will also need changed, which likely won't make him happy. He will also need a caretaker fulltime while his body recovers. Either he needs to go to an assisted living palliative care facility, or he needs to move in with someone who has a better accessible home than his apartment."
Parado continued staring at him. That's right... Emu lived in a high-rise apartment complex. It didn't have very many accessible options for someone with disabilities or needing assistance. He put his head down. Emu liked living there because he liked taking the steps and trying to stay as healthy as possible.
Everyone looked a bit sad at that. Emu must've been relatively bad off for that to happen.
"I'll have him move in with me. My apartment isn't too far from my clinic. Aside from that, it's on the first floor, accessible, and I have a spare bedroom. That's not even counting Nico's damn guest bedroom." Taiga let out a soft sigh. "I have the space. Parado can even move in if he wants to, I know he's been living with Emu."
"Snipe..." Then Parado glanced away again. It did make sense, though. He'd been to Taiga's apartment once when Emu had to go pick up a few things.
"Are you sure?" Kyotaro asked him.
"I'm sure. It's better than him going to an assisted living facility after the shit he's suffered in his life. I don't want him feeling that way ever again."
"I agree." Nico lifted her head up to look at them. "Plus, his place is nice. Not to mention, he can use supplies from his clinic!"
Taiga stared at her. "Yeah." His gaze went back to Kyotaro. "I use to live in my damn clinic but Nico was the one who convinced me to buy that damn apartment near there. I guess now that is finally coming in handy."
"See!"
Kyotaro looked a bit relieved. No one wanted to send Emu somewhere or have to hire some stranger to take care of him while he recovers. "In that case, I'll get the paperwork for you, Taiga. It will be a lot, but the Ministry will help support you with everything you need to take care of him."
. . . . .
The next day, Emu was still on the ventilator and the ECMO machine, but his vitals were seemingly improving. Hiiro was talking to Taiga and Parado right now. "We're going to take him off of the ECMO later tonight. His oxygen levels might tank a bit, but he'll still be on the ventilator. His heart now is at least pumping adequately and seems to be doing better. It's best to avoid as much stress as possible with him and his body." He let out a soft sigh. "I hope he can be taken off of the ventilator soon, so we can wake him up. But... that may not be for another week or more."
"I see. What's the rest of his recovery looking like, other than needing a caretaker?"
"Good. His body doesn't seem to be rejecting anything so far. I'm just grateful he didn't have a severe head injury... his skull would've fractured on impact based on how his other wounds are." Another brief sigh. Hiiro was staring at the patient in the bed. "At any rate, we can begin the process for his recovery once he does wake up."
. . . . .
He was currently laying on his back, staring up at the sky. It was raining but he couldn't move, he was paralyzed. Why couldn't he move? He was panicking so badly! The rain just kept getting worse.
As he tilted his head, he saw a car coming towards him. He was going to get hit.
He was going to die. I don't wanna die..!
The car kept getting closer and he was willing himself to move, to scream, to do something..!
He squinted his eyes shut, bracing for the impact when he heard his name called. It sounded muffled, it sounded soft. It sounded like Parado.
Right when the car should've hit him, he suddenly gasped awake, opening his eyes. His breathing was ragged, he was struggling to take in air. Then he winced, squinting. His entire body felt heavy and it was aching at the same time. While his vision was blurry, someone was now leaning above him. They were blocking the blurred ceiling. He knew who was in front of him based solely on the colors. He wanted to say their name, but nothing came out of his mouth.
"Easy, there." Kiriya's voice. Someone put a hand on his head gently, brushing the hair away from his face. "Good to see you awake again."
Again?
Parado could tell how confused he was. He let out a brief sigh. "Calm down, you're in the hospital."
Then he remembered.
He ran out in front of a truck to save a little girl, throwing her to Parado before he smiled. He smiled because he was grateful that she was safe back then—and then the truck hit him. The last thing on his mind was: "Thank God she's safe". He didn't even feel the impact; he didn't even feel the pain. There was nothing, nothing at all until that sudden nightmare and now waking up.
"The kid you saved is fine. She and her mom wrote you a card, too."
Oh, Parado was talking. Kiriya was the one who brushed the hair away from his face using his fingers. "You uhhh... you probably won't be able to talk for a while, you were taken off of a ventilator just a few hours ago. Ahhh, but Parado said he can feel your mind now, at least." Kiriya was trying to smile but it was more of a nervous smile; it was most definitely the type of nervous smile that Kiriya had when something was really wrong but he was trying to keep himself of all people calm.
That made sense. That made so much sense.
Sleep was calling him again suddenly.
"Let yourself drift, pro. We'll be here when you wake up." Kiriya's voice had quickly faded out for him.
Upon his next time waking up, he was more aware and he had more feeling in his body. There were covers over him. His gaze went to the left, where he saw a few life support machines that weren't being used but seemed to be there just in case he coded. Did that mean he had coded a few times? Were they expecting him to code? There was an ECMO, a ventilator, a defibrillator, and even dialysis. None of them were being used, sure, but usually they'd remove them from the room for other patients unless that particular patient needed them at any possible moment. He knew that to code meant to stop breathing and/or need extra support to keep living, essentially. It made him wonder that if he did code, was it announced? Was he a code blue?
"You did code a few times. They have the crash cart right outside of your room."
His gaze then went to the right, where Parado was seated. He did code?
"You're... mostly okay now." Then Parado smiled at him. It was a sad and worried smile, but he was trying. It quickly faltered. "Oh—you're going to have that oxygen mask on for a while. And... please don't remove it. You really do need it. They've already mentioned that if you remove it, they'll probably put a trach in or ventilate you again."
Parado's words made him realize how bad his situation was. Having coded three times, needing oxygen, the life support machines—it made Emu wonder how bad he was injured. Yet no one was telling him, not yet, anyway.
"Um—" he finally managed something.
"Don't ask that right now, please."
It was bad.
He knew it was just by Parado's tone of voice.
. . . . .
The following day, Emu was more awake. He was still struggling to talk so he was mostly head nodding or shaking his head for answers. Hiiro was in the room, as was Asuna and Parado.
"Emu," Hiiro began; "Since you're more awake, I'll finally tell you a few things. You were comatose and on a ventilator for a total of 6 days. You were on an ECMO machine for 5 of those days. Your heart is weak. I had to replace your sternum with a titanium plate and part of your chest cavity with Methyl methacrylate. That was the third day. The first day was just stabilizing you and making sure you'd survive the night. Do you understand everything I've said so far?"
A nod. He did understand, but it scared him.
"Then I'll continue. Your left lung was completely deflated, it was punctured by pieces of your shattered sternum. It was at 0%, completely incapable of holding any air. As of right now, your right lung is functioning at 55% while your left is barely at 10% function. You are to remain on oxygen until further notice. If you dare even try removing your oxygen mask, Emu... I will ventilate you again. You need the oxygen; your body will fail without it." His face was as serious as usual, but Emu noticed Hiiro looked a bit scared. What had he seen? What had they all seen?
Emu just stared at him. He was still scared himself.
Then Hiiro sighed. "That aside—you are showing signs of recovery. Tomorrow we will talk about more things in depth. For now, just rest. You need your rest. Okay?"
A head nod.
. . . . .
The next day, Emu was able to talk a little bit, but he still struggled. Taiga and Hiiro finally told them about the practitioner signing to be Emu's caretaker. He was a bit surprised about Taiga offering. "It's already been filled out." Taiga sighed; his arms were crossed as he was leaning back in his chair. "Aside from that, you still have a long way before you'll even be discharged."
Emu glanced away, his gaze going to the window.
"At any rate, you're going to be on a strong regime for the next week or more." Hiiro said, he seemed relieved.
"Hiiro—" Emu managed to talk, his voice a bit raspy. "How bad am I?"
Hiiro let out a soft sigh. "Bad enough to where they've kept the crash cart right outside of your room. We weren't allowed to close the curtains at all. You had to be visible at all times from the nursing station. You were 1:1 with the nurse for a few days."
Emu being 1:1 with his nurse; he knew that was bad. Most nurses would have two patients. If a nurse in ICU only had one patient, one singular patient that needed them constantly, it was bad. Most of those patients would constantly code—sometimes they'd end up as DNRs if there wasn't much hope and their family or whoever was in control of their medical stuff agreed on it. His gaze went back over to the life support machines again. The oxygen mask was making it a bit hard to think sometimes, only because he was still trying to get use to the constant supply of oxygen. When his gaze went back to Hiiro and Taiga, he was going to try to ask something else. Before he could, he began to feel really sleepy, he realized. His vision blurred as his eyes began closing. He hated how quickly he was falling asleep and losing consciousness.
"Don't fight your sleep, Emu." Taiga said. "You need it."
He couldn't think any further before sleep took him.
They all felt guilty about watching him having to go through this. Parado was the one who felt the most guilt—he felt as if he should've been able to save the girl instead of Emu getting hurt like this.
. . . . .
Parado was in his room roughly two more days later. Earlier, the little girl and her mother stopped by to bring a vase of flowers. The girl also brought a little teddy bear that said 'Thank You' on it. It made Emu cry, because he wasn't expecting anything. He was just happy that he could save her. He had told her he was thankful she's alright, that he himself will recover.
Once they had left, he was now sitting up a bit against the bed and talking to Parado. "...I'm still surprised Taiga offered to be my caretaker."
"You keep saying that." Then Parado smirked at him. "I'll be coming in, too."
"Part of me just doesn't understand why everyone was so willing to drop everything because I decided to jump out in front of a moving truck to save a child."
"That's just it—you didn't do it to kill yourself this time. You did it to save a life."
Emu stared at him, his mouth agape as if he wanted to respond but words escaped him.
"You saved a life, Emu. Isn't that what you doctors do anyway? Save lives, right?"
"Yes but—"
"Isn't the reason you became a doctor was because you didn't want other kids to suffer like you did?"
A sigh. Emu nodded.
"There you go. Aside from that, it's not your fault. Really, it's not anyone's fault. The driver was going the speed limit, he was being cautious. The girl was just playing when her ball went out into the street. By the time she ran after it and you caught her, the driver had already slammed on his brakes. It was definitely too late by then and you lost a lot of blood from internal bleeding after he had hit you, but... you wanted to save lives, right? You did."
"Ah—but wait, did the driver get in trouble?"
"Nah. The girl vouched for him; she even admitted it was her fault for running out to chase the ball. Her mom felt horrible about the whole situation but was beyond grateful that you had saved her life. The driver also paid for every medical expense that wasn't covered for you. All is well—no one's in legal trouble, especially since we knew you wouldn't want that to begin with."
Emu just stared at him. He managed to smile warmly with tears in his eyes. "Thank you."
"Now get back to sleep, you need rest so your body can recover from this eventually."
The smile turned into a frown. "Fine." As he closed his eyes, he decided to ask the question he wanted to ask Taiga before he fell asleep yesterday. "Um, Parado..." his voice trailed off. "I need to ask you something..." his voice trailed off.
Parado sighed. "You needed 6 transfusions of whole blood to combat the blood you lost before, during, and after the surgeries. You're on a morphine drip but the dosage has been decreased. They tried to see if you could breathe on your own without oxygen three times and each time your levels dropped drastically and you couldn't breathe. Just... please, Emu... please don't fight with us this time."
Emu stared at his bugster, unable to read his facial expression for once but he could feel the fear and the dread.
. . . . .
Later that night, Emu did seem to be asleep, but he was actually awake and listening at the conversation that was being had. "I've got most of the things set up from my clinic in the room already. Sure, I know Ex-Aid's recovery is definitely going to be quite the process with the extent of his injuries, but everyone's going to be helping. It won't just be us."
"I know." Parado briefly stared off to the side. "...I feel so guilty either way. Sure, I know it was mostly inevitable, but..."
"Calm down, Parado. He's alive and he's going to survive."
"But you heard Hiiro! He said it was likely Emu wouldn't be able to walk again."
"He said he'd need help walking. There's a difference. Aside from all of that, you and I both know your damn host is stubborn as hell. Some way or another he will end up figuring out how to walk on his damn own. The only thing I'm really worried about is how he's going to handle the oxygen."
"Probably going to have to argue with him on putting it on."
Taiga let out a brief laugh at Parado's remark. "Before you and him became friends, you remember when Graphite nearly killed me while Brave was practically manipulated by Chronos?"
"Yeah, it's hard to forget a lot of the violence that Graphite and I caused..." his voice trailed off. "Why?"
"When I woke up from the surgery, I took my own damn oxygen mask off and Ex-Aid here plus Poppy pretty much yelled at me to keep it on properly."
Then Parado couldn't help his own grin from that. "Seems just like you, Snipe."
"Be quiet."
Emu laughed, but the laughing turned into coughing.
"You've been awake for a while, haven't you?" Parado asked.
Emu nodded with his eyes closed. "Just a bit." He started coughing again, briefly gasping. "Ow."
"Get your ass back to sleep, Ex-Aid."
"I don't wanna sleep, though." He was still coughing a bit.
"Well, if you don't sleep, then I'll get your nurse to give you sleeping medication. You need your sleep if you want to recover."
Emu just stared at Taiga as he spoke. He then glanced away, his face twisting into an upset frown. A nod before he closed his eyes again and nestled his head against the pillow. When he felt someone pulling the covers up further, he did briefly open his eyes back up. It was Parado. "You'll be alright, Emu."
"I believe you." He closed his eyes again.
It didn't take him long to fall asleep.
The door opened and it was Kiriya walking in. "Yo. How is he today?"
"He's definitely talking more and refusing to sleep." Taiga said rather bluntly. "Though now we finally just got him to go back to sleep."
"Sounds about right for him." Kiriya couldn't help his brief grin. It then quickly faded when he was staring at Emu's face now. "Its going to be a lot longer for his recovery than it was when he was 8 years old. Back in 2016, when I was looking into Emu, I found his hospital records and everything."
"You mean when you thought he was lying to us about the compatibility surgery?"
"Yep. Apparently, it took him a total of 7 weeks to be able to leave the hospital. From the records..." his voice trailed off. A sigh. "Apparently they noted that his thoracic cavity was weakened, that they wanted him to do physical therapy and also get checked up every 3 months to make sure he would heal properly."
"That's why his damn sternum shattered and his entire thoracic cavity caved in?"
"That's my thought process on it. Guess what else was noted..."
Parado was being silent while listening to the two doctors talk about Emu. He had a feeling he knew. "...His dad never took him back to the hospital after he was discharged." The bugster finally lifted his head up again to look at him while speaking.
"Yep. It was literally noted that his father specifically was told but Emu himself wasn't since he was considered to be so young." Kiriya's gaze darkened further. "His injury this time could've been more avoidable. He wouldn't be in such a bad shape even at the speed the car hit him if it wasn't for the fact his thoracic cavity was already weak."
"Tch..." Parado sneered briefly.
Taiga just closed his eyes, crossing his arms again. "I'm not surprised in the slightest. Let's not forget the damn injuries he had received alongside us during Chronicle and Mighty Novel X." He paused. "At least now Emu has all of us to take care of him and make sure he'll be alright but knowing that just pisses me off further. It's no damn wonder that he had tried to kill himself when he was a kid."
"I'm still surprised you offered to be his main caretaker. I would've offered, but—"
"You only have your motorcycle. I have an SUV."
"Yeah..."
"Aside from that, my place was the best option considering everyone else lives in one of those fancy high-rises."
"That's also true. Man... I never thought I'd say this, but I really hope Emu doesn't try to handle any of this alone because it will quite literally kill him." Kiriya was now pulling the extra chair and sitting backwards in it after he spun it around. "He's going to struggle having to rely on us to take care of him. All because his father couldn't give a damn about him. Couldn't even be half-assed to take him to the fucking doctor back then. You'd think being such a high-end medical manufacturer that he'd have some common sense regarding that." Another sigh.
Parado was staring at his host still, looking a bit intently at him when he noticed his breathing was becoming heavy and his face was looking pained. Kiriya and Taiga both had also noticed. Taiga stood up to check on Emu, seeing if he was alright or not. Everyone noticed that his heartrate was suddenly increasing but his blood pressure was dropping; his oxygen was suddenly decreasing. "I'm getting the nurse." Taiga wasted no time in heading to the door and opening it to call for the nurse. One of them was seemingly already on the way, having been alerted.
As she entered the room, Parado and Kiriya stepped backwards to let her check on him. Her gaze went to his oxygen briefly. "We may need to increase his oxygen..." she had also brought the nursing cart in and was now using an infrared thermometer to take his temperature. "39.3°... its high grade." She quickly pulled that away. "I'm going to call in his doctor—if his fever gets any higher, he may need ventilated again." The nurse took the phone out of her uniform and dialed Emu's main doctor. Hiiro was listed as his surgeon and secondary doctor.
After a while, it was Hiiro who came in. He was quick to assess Emu for himself. The nurse took the temperature again and it had increased to 40°. The surgeon was now taking out his stethoscope to listen to Emu's heart and lungs. "He may have fluid in his lungs... I'm calling him in for scans." He and the nurse then started to pull the sides of the bed up so they could then unhook and make things ready for transport. Hiiro's gaze briefly went to Kiriya, Taiga, and Parado. Then his gaze went back to Emu before he took his own work phone out and called radiology as they left the room.
The three just went to sit in the ICU waiting room again.
It took at least an hour, but Hiiro did finally come back. "He's coming back now. His left lung had seemingly collapsed again and he may have an infection forming. Parado—"
"That must be what I felt..." Parado muttered. "I thought I sensed another pathogen inside of him, but I couldn't quite detect it. Is he okay?"
"Yes and no. I had to increase the oxygen dosage for him. He's now on the second highest dose. On top of it, I'm waiting for micro to get back on the ID and sensitivity from the sample we took so we can get the proper antibiotics. If his fever gets any higher, I will have to ventilate him. His body is struggling enough as is—adding an infection to that is nearly a death sentence. I'm also putting him on a high dose of acetaminophen and Tylenol. He may not be aware much for the next few days. So, Parado... I have a question for you."
"What is it?"
"I know you're his virus and you're able to manipulate his body how you want for the most part... are you able to use your virus to help his body fight the infection?"
A nod. "I can try. I have done that before, but I was afraid to since my virus in general can react to his immune system on accident—but that's only if he gets too stressed. I'll do what I can."
"Believe me, I wouldn't ask you if I thought you'd hurt him."
. . . . .
It took at least three days before the medication and Parado were able to bring Emu's fever and infection down. Not once did Emu wake up since that night. At least his breathing had improved a bit.
It wasn't until the fourth day since that he was able to be awake and aware.
Once he had been in the hospital for a total of 3 weeks, his doctor told him it was time for him to try to stand. Emu was in pain, his chest kept aching. He was currently with Taiga and Hiiro, who were both currently holding onto him while trying to help him stand. His physical therapist was right behind him with the wheelchair ready while those two were helping him. Taiga had a relatively strong hold of him, letting him lean his weight against him since he was struggling so bad.
The portable oxygen was being held by Hiiro via his other hand. There was a chest protector still over his sternum, just in case he'd fall.
Emu's breathing was a bit ragged after a few steps. Just walking four steps took him roughly a full half of a minute and he was most definitely worn out. Taiga noticed, so he glanced to the physical therapist and they locked the wheels. "Come on, let's sit you down." He said as the doctors helped guide Emu back into the wheelchair. The patient just lightly wheezed a thank you.
Hiiro had placed the oxygen on the back of the wheelchair in the spot made for it. The physical therapist was the one who made the call for Emu to go back to his room for now. As they were wheeling him back, Taiga was the one pushing the chair while Hiiro was walking next to him. "Hey, Emu—" the surgeon began to speak. Emu turned his head to look at him. "Whatever you do, you don't need to feel guilty. Everyone wants to take care of you on our own free will. We're not doing it to pity you. We're doing it because we care about you and want you to get better."
He glanced away again. "...I know. I appreciate it." He dipped his head.
. . . . .
Parado was helping Emu transfer out of the bed and into the wheelchair. At the moment, Emu's lower body wasn't working very well. It was far too weak and he could only walk maybe 10-15 steps before he would collapse—and that was with help. He was being discharged after spending three months in the hospital, two and a half of which were in the ICU. "Oh and I already moved everything to Taiga's place. He helped me with it."
Emu just let out a soft sigh. He currently had a nasal cannula for extra oxygen, the oxygen tank was on the back of the wheelchair. He also had an access port on both arms, since he needed medications quite often. Asuna came into the room and glanced to both. "Emu! I bet you're probably ready to leave the hospital."
"Yeah... I just wish I was leaving to go back to my own place. But..." his gaze drifted down. "I understand."
"Believe me, we all were hoping it wouldn't have come to this. But—Hiiro paid for your apartment and said he will keep paying for it until you're able to go back to it. For now, Taiga's going to help take care of you."
"I know." He did end up smiling softly, bowing his head. "I'm grateful to all of you, for taking care of me."
"Well, we're your family, so."
A nod from Emu.
Asuna then took over pushing the wheelchair for him while Parado carried his things. Once they were outside, Emu noticed Taiga was already in park at the pick-up and drop-off area. He was getting out of the SUV to open the trunk and the passenger side for him. He was quick to help Parado bring him up. Emu managed to walk the few steps to the SUV while the other two helped him sit down in the chair. Taiga then went around and loaded the wheelchair into the back of the SUV.
. . . . .
Taiga was now helping Emu transfer from the wheelchair to the bed. It was a hospital type of bed, one where he could change the positioning easily, but the mattress was very comfortable. "I've brought all of your games and clothes here. The only shit I left in your apartment was the furniture. Though as you can see, I did bring your desk."
Emu glanced at him and then smiled. "Thank you. I'm... sorry you have to—"
"Emu. Don't you dare apologize. Not only did you save someone's child, but you also did it knowing what could happen to you. But it isn't your fault. So don't even."
Emu remained silent, staring at him. Another smile. "Thank you."
. . . . .
After the first week, Emu was finally settling in better. Right now he was sitting up in the bed, having adjusted it so he could lean against it. He had the nasal cannula still, the oxygen tank had a placeholder on the bed. Currently, he was actually playing a game on his phone. When he heard his name, he saw Parado in the doorway, walking in with his medication. There was also two IV poles. Parado started to hang one of the bags up as Emu took his sleeve off so Parado could hook it up to the access port.
Everyone learned how to give him the medication and they all constantly checked on him—Taiga was adamant about him calling for help when he needs it while also trying to let Emu maintain some independence when at all possible. When it came to bathing, Parado helped Emu with that. Anyone else helped him transfer to the wheelchair or other chairs. He really hated having the constant supply of oxygen needed. They had two portable oxygen machines and one required a tank with it. He truly hated having to maneuver with it.
There were a few times he'd remove it, taking it off. They had an alarm set if his oxygen level or respiratory rate got below or above certain levels. Taiga or whoever would then come in looking a bit panicked before realizing. It made Emu feel guilty for wishing he could take it off and leave it off. Right now he had his red jeans, a long sleeved pixel green shirt, and socks that had grips on them. Parado was currently away, having been called to help Poppy with something. Taiga was still in the apartment, but he was in the kitchen cooking dinner while Nico was on the phone. "Oh yeah! I'll probably come visit again next week, I've got nothing else planned." She stated over the speakerphone to him.
"Whatever. Just remember to be quiet and shut your damn mouth when Ex-Aid needs his sleep."
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
Emu was listening to the conversation. He felt like a burden with Taiga having offered to take care of him. At the moment, he took his oxygen cannula out, it was sitting on the bed next to him. His breathing was a bit heavy and he was trying to control his breathing—but the alarm for his oxygen level briefly went off.
Without a warning, Taiga came bolting into the room. "Emu—" then he let out a sigh. "Nico, I'll call you back." He hung up the phone before he laid it on the nightstand and walked up to Emu. "What the hell have I told you about your oxygen?"
"But I don't—"
"Emu." Taiga was staring at him before he grabbed the oxygen cannula and rather gently pulled it back around over Emu and where it should be. "Your left lung is barely functioning as is and your right lung isn't 100% anymore. You need to keep the damn oxygen on."
Emu glanced away, tears welling in his eyes.
The practitioner just let out a sigh. Emu's bottom lip quivered. "I'm... I just—"
"I am serious, Emu. If you don't keep the oxygen on, I will make you go back to the hospital and you know they'll make you keep it on."
Emu put a hand to his head, the tears falling. "I'm sorry..."
He sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him. "Calm your ass down, alright? Everyone's afraid to lose you. After almost losing you several times, we just really want you to—" then he sighed again, letting his head briefly tilt forward. "Look... I know we're being selfish here, but even you know what you need in order to continue living."
Emu nodded, wiping his tears with his sleeve.
"I know how damn stubborn you are, but I am not going to play nice doctor and let you get by with it putting your damn life in jeopardy after almost losing it to be a hero. Afterall, remember the stupid shit you said to me during Chronicle?"
Another nod.
"Then that includes yourself, too."
The pediatrician was now sobbing, wiping his tears with his sleeve. Taiga let out yet another sigh as he put his hand on Emu's back and pat him on the back gently.
. . . . .
The next day, Parado sat next to him after administering his medication through the lines. "Emu—"
The patient let out a soft sigh as he leaned against Parado. "At least she's okay."
"...Yeah." Parado went to adjust his oxygen cannula, putting the one tube behind his ears like he should since it was hanging down. "You want to try walking again today?"
"No, not today." Emu sighed again. "Too mentally exhausted."
"That's alright." Parado rubbed his shoulder gently.
"Maybe tomorrow I should try, though.". . . . .
The day following, Emu was attempting to walk with Taiga's help. He really hated how weak his legs felt, how his chest always felt heavy. When he learned what they had to do to save him, he was both in awe and also surprised. He learned that Hiiro was quick about getting what he needed to save his life. If Hiiro didn't make split second decisions like he did, Emu would've died within minutes.
Taiga was helping Emu walk out of his room and to the living room. At the moment, Emu had one of the portable oxygen generators that he could wear like a backpack or a bag. "Did you want to go with me when I pick up Nico at the airport tomorrow?"
"Sure—I'll probably be in the wheelchair though." They eventually sat on the couch, Taiga making sure Emu was comfortable before he let out a brief sigh.
"Surprised you're not arguing with me on using the damn wheelchair when leaving my place."
"Eh?" Emu looked up at him with very innocent eyes. Then he grinned nervously, but that then turned into an innocent smile. "I'm just happy. Sure, I'm frustrated at how bad off I am after nearly completely losing my lungs and nearly getting crushed to death after saving that little girl. But... I'm just glad she's safe. I'm glad she didn't have to suffer the same fate. And you were right the other day—I really need to take my own advice."
Taiga just stared at him before he let out that usual huff he does. "At any rate, you're improving physically. You will be okay, Emu." Part of him wanted to tell Emu the real reason why his lungs and thoracic cavity collapsed—he wanted to tell him it was because of his shitty father, but Parado told them all just not to say anything. Kiriya even said it was for the best that Emu didn't know.
"Yeah. I know I will be." The injured doctor turned patient was leaning into the couch, his eyes closed. "I've got you all with me. I'll be okay."
After a pause, Emu then laughed briefly, causing Taiga to stare at him while he was now leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. "What the hell are you laughing at?"
"Just..." he opened his eyes. "Didn't think you of all people would be willing to take in someone like me—someone who kind of needs a lot of care right now. You really are a doctor." He grinned again. "Does this mean Nico and I are both your patients?"
"...Be quiet." Taiga pinched the bridge of his nose. "But yeah, you're my damn patient, too."
. . . . .
The next day, they got home with Nico. Emu was sitting up in his bed currently. Parado was sitting at his desk, playing one of his games on his handheld. Nico was actually in the room, too. She was playing against Parado while sitting on the floor against the wall. Emu was enjoying watching the both of them play. Everyone was acting normal around Emu for the most part—albeit also taking care of him and trying to help him. At the moment, he had one of his medications going through his port access on his left arm while it was hanging on the IV pole. Taiga had brought a lot of things from his clinic to his apartment to accommodate Emu.
Sure, they ALL would constantly look at him or check up on his medications and how he was doing, but they otherwise tried to act normal. Since everyone was in the medical field, it did help for the days he didn't feel so good and could barely vocalize about how he felt. Taiga almost always would get a cooled damp cloth to put on his head if he was getting feverish or in pain before he then would get the medication. There were some nights in Emu's sleep that he would actually have nightmares and struggle to breathe. Some days they had to switch his nasal cannula for an oxygen mask if his breathing didn't improve that day.
Some days, when Taiga would be at his clinic, someone else would come by to stay with him and help. Other times Emu would go with him, but he'd stay in the wheelchair and sometimes help with what he could.
While he was sitting on the edge of the bed, he was briefly staring down at his legs. He hated being so weak, but it's worth it. It's worth it if that child could live their life without suffering. There's no pain that Emu wouldn't go through to save someone else. There's a reason they all called him a 'self-sacrificing idiot'.
He briefly smiled and laughed when Nico was yelling at Parado over losing to him. Parado of course was acting relatively cocky towards her. The bugster lifted his head up, smiling back to Emu. Part of Emu hated having to rely on the others to help take care of him, but the other part was grateful that he was still alive—that the child he rescued remained unscathed.
. . . . .
After it had been 6 months in total since the accident, he was now able to walk a good bit. Granted, he had to use wheelchair when he'd get exhausted or sometimes had to use other forms of mobility aids, such as a walker. There were many times someone just offered to help him walk.
His lungs have mostly healed, so he was able to spend most days without oxygen. He unfortunately would have to wear oxygen at night or when he was to be doing a lot of walking or running errands. He wasn't able to move back into his own apartment yet, so he was still with Taiga. Most of it was because his left lung was finally functioning at 40% while his right was about 70%. Sometimes if he started to run fevers or get sick, Taiga would make him put the oxygen back on.
Right now was one of those times. He currently had a fever, so Taiga had put his oxygen back on. Emu was currently laying in his bed, struggling to breathe a bit. The practitioner went to go get a cold compress, putting it on Emu's forehead. Emu opened his eyes briefly to look at him. "...sorry..." he muttered.
"Be quiet. I'm going to administer Tylenol through your IV. If your fever gets any higher, I'm calling an ambulance for you."
Parado then came into the room, handing Taiga the bag of IV Tylenol. The practitioner quickly took it and hung it on the IV pole before connecting it to Emu's port access. Earlier he had told Parado to get a few things from his clinic while he tried to bring Emu's fever down and make him comfortable. Whenever Emu did have these fevers, he wouldn't be able to move much; he struggled to do anything. He closed his eyes again, briefly coughing. Taiga sighed.
When he took his temperature a few minutes ago, it was 38.7°. It was climbing, becoming high grade. The practitioner's gaze went to the monitor next to the bed that had Emu's heart rhythm, oxygen levels, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. His oxygen was around 94% while everything else was increasing. The fact that Emu didn't argue about the oxygen, the blood pressure cuff, or the PulseOx being put back on his finger was always a sign that Emu felt really bad.
Emu then fell asleep roughly a few minutes later.
He woke up a little while later, when he felt someone take the oxygen cannula off and replace it with an oxygen mask. For some reason, he couldn't open his eyes. "His breathing is getting worse, as is his fever. Parado, how far is the ambulance?"
"About two minutes."
Emu's consciousness was lost again.
. . . . .
They were sitting by Emu's bed, just Parado and Taiga. His fever only became worse. Hiiro came into the room, his face looked a bit dark. "Emu's body is now rejecting the titanium implant. I need to remove it and replace it with porous alumina ceramic instead. The problem is we need to have that custom shaped to his body, which may take days."
Taiga let out a soft sigh. "What's the options until that gets here?"
"We can either put him in a medically induced coma while waiting after I remove the titanium plate, we can let him remain awake but he will need to be on bedrest until it arrives—that means he can't move very much and he will need to stay in bed, or..." his voice trailed off. Hiiro let out a sigh. "...or we will have to ventilate him without sedation."
"Of course it's always something." Taiga was crossing his arms as he leaned back in the chair. Parado was just staring at Emu. "Which one has the best outcome?"
"The second one, the one where we keep him awake. The only problem is we cannot allow him to leave his bed. He cannot risk the possibility of falling and crushing his organs." He sighed. "But it does have the best outcome. We don't want to ventilate him if we can keep from it, because that would lower his immune system and cause more problems."
"I guess we're going with that." Parado put a hand to his head.
"I'll get the OR prepped so we can remove the titanium plate."
. . . . .
When Emu woke up, he groaned briefly. He opened his eyes. Before he could move, someone put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't move."
He glanced over. "Parado..?"
"Yeah. Listen, you need to stay still for a few days."
"Why?"
"Uhhh... you don't have a sternum right now. They had to remove the titanium plate."
"They... They what?"
"Yeah. Your body was suddenly rejecting it. Hiiro had to custom order a replacement sternum for you. Until that gets here, you shouldn't move."
Emu stared at him in horror before he sighed. "I understand." His gaze then went to the cords from the bed, realizing they had bed alarms and several other things for him. "...I'm being treated as a high fall risk, aren't I?"
"Yep."
"So, if I got up right now—"
Parado interrupted him with an annoyed look on his face. "I will possess you."
Emu stared at him before briefly laughing. "I'd expect nothing less from you." Then he glanced down, pulling the covers briefly up. There was a chest guard they put on over his hospital gown, just in case. His gaze then went to the monitor for his oxygen and heart. It definitely had the alarms turned on; he could tell. So, he didn't remove the oxygen mask. "Uhh—"
"Yes, I have your phone." Parado handed it to him. "I've got your console, too. I also brought your charging cables with me."
"You thought of everything while bringing me here."
Parado smiled at him. "Yeah. Snipe did, too. Although, there's more good news for you. After you have this next replacement for your sternum... they're going to put you back into physical therapy. If you can walk without help and go up steps successfully—you'll be able to go back to your apartment."
"Huh..." he stared at his bugster. "But what about... actually getting to the apartment?"
"Well—in the last three months, your landlord has actually been installing railings for the stairwell. Uhh... the Ministry is also paying for them to put in elevators and make them compliant with the disability services. So... there's that, too. Not to mention the landlord said you were one of his favorite tenants and he wants to make sure you're able to go back to the apartment you've had for nearly 12 years."
Emu stared before he managed an awkward smile again.
. . . . .
After it had been three months since the new replacement for his sternum, he finally made it back to his apartment. He had mostly recovered. Walking was a bit hard and he still required some assistance with either a walker, a cane, or someone helping guide him at times. He'd sometimes struggle even getting out of his bed or chairs and Parado or someone would have to help him. Other than that, he didn't mind. Everyone was trying to help him and he was learning to accept it finally.
He knew he'd be alright, especially since the child he saved didn't have to suffer. He would be okay. He knows he will be okay. He knows everyone will be there for him when he needs them.
At the moment, he was walking with Parado holding onto him and taking most of his weight. Right now they were walking to the store. Emu was struggling a bit but managing because of Parado's help. "I'm just happy to be able to walk again—even if I need help."
"Believe me, we're all grateful you can walk now, too, Emu." Parado couldn't hide his happiness. "I'm thankful."
"Me too. I'll be alright, Parado."
"I know. Life is beautiful and it's better not to waste it."
Emu smiled. "It's cheating to read my thoughts and take the words out of my mouth."
"Nah."