Destined

Spilling the beans

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Koharu's POV

The familiar ringtone of my phone rouses me from my dreams, and I reach around for it, still half asleep.

What time is it?

My fingers close around the familiar casing of my phone.

The bright light of my phone blinds me for a second, but the screen reads Brian.

And it's 5.54am, my screen informs me.

How convenient.

"Hey Brian, what's up?" I try not to sound sleepy, but my scratchy voice betrays me.

"Um, really sorry for waking you up, but it's Yuzu, he's been coughing really badly, and he sounds weird," he says, slurring some words together. He probably just woke up too.

"Wait, he sounds weird?" I ask again, half alert, and sweeping my hair out of my face. Bed hair, I decided, is the worst thing ever.

"Yeah, like um, maybe a whistle? I'm not sure--" he says, but I cut him off.

"I'm coming," I mumble, hanging up quickly. Crossing the room in wide steps, I grab my first aid backpack, and dash out, not bothering to out on any shoes.

The elevator seems to take forever, and my fingers are twitching uncontrollably, a little nervous and scared.

Please hold on please hold on please hold--

Ding, the elevator rings.

I sprint down the hallway, trying to remember which room they were staying in, but a door opens and I see Brian, gesturing to me to come in quickly.

The sight that greets me isn't pretty.

Yuzuru's curled up on his bed, his hacking coughs disturbing the silence of the room. In between coughs, I hear the distinctive wheeze of his airway tightening.

Here we go.

"His coughing woke me, and he's a little disoriented, I'm not sure if he's awake--" Brian tells me, and I nod, throwing my backpack on Brian's bed.

I approach Yuzu carefully, as he launches into another coughing fit. I press my hand against his forehead, and he's a little too warm. Maybe a low grade fever.

"Yuzu? Yuzu wake up, can you sit up for me?" I ask, stroking his head gently, using my other hand to turn him around on his back.

His chest heaves, rising but he doesn't seem to get enough air.

His eyes crack open slightly. "Ko?" He croaks, wheezing.

"Yeah, it's me. Can you sit up straight?" I ask again, now supporting him with my arms and pulling him up against the pillows.

"I'm...sorry," he chokes out, struggling for air. I've guilt tripped him to the point where he's struggling for air but he's still apologizing to me.

"It's okay, it's okay. Where's your inhaler?" I ask, pushing his hair away from his forehead.

No point trying to hide his condition now.