A few minutes later...

"Thank you for telling us what happened to Akari," a nurse said to Jyushimatsu after several other nurses and doctors had gone out to find her. "Thanks to you, she didn't die."

"No problem," Jyushimatsu said, taking a deep breath. "May I go visit room 344 now?"

"344 is empty at the moment," the nurse replied. "The last patient there was Ichimatsu. He's been moved to the second floor in room 212."

"Okay!" Jyushimatsu replied optimistically. He turned to his four brothers and motioned for them to follow him.

"What were you talking about?" Choromatsu asked as they all squeezed into the small elevator.

"Ichimatsu was moved to the second floor yesterday I think," Jyushimatsu replied.

"So does that mean he's in less intensive care?" Osomatsu asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I hope so!" Todomatsu squealed. "Nothing seems right without Ichi around,"

"Yeah," Karamatsu said, not bothering to say something painful.

The elevator door slid open, and all five brothers spilled out of it.

Jyushimatsu was the first to get out, looking excitedly for the room down the long hallway. It didn't take long to find it at all.

It was the sixth door to the right.

Jyushimatsu knocked on it then opened it up, only to find a doctor in the room with Ichimatsu.

"I'm glad you arrived," the doctor said, spinning around in his small round chair with wheels. "Please, take a seat." The doctor motioned to give small folding chairs in the room. "I heard you were sextuplets from one of the nurses, so I thought it would be kind of me to set up five chairs for you all."

Jyushimatsu uneasily sat down.

"Why isn't he awake?!" he thought, a sickening knot tying in his stomach.

The other four brothers sat down, each exchanging nervous glances at each other.

"I am afraid that I have some...terrible news for you all," the doctor said clearly.

"What's the matter?" Todomatsu asked.

"Ichimatsu's condition had worsened. There is no hope that he will ever wake up, and if he does, it will be a miracle." he replied, giving the five brothers a sympathetic look.

"How the heck can you not help him?!" Osomatsu yelled angrily, standing up from his chair. "He's our brother! You can't just let him-"

"Sit down, Osomatsu," Choromatsu said calmly, pulling on his brother's hoodie.

"It's not my fault, but I am very sorry. There is nothing I can possibly do to help him anymore," the doctor said, slipping out of the room.

Jyushimatsu stood up, not saying a word as stumbled towards Ichimatsu's bedside.

"Did you give up, Ichimatsu?" he whimpered. "Did you r-really...give up?"

Jyushimatsu hugged Ichimatsu's warm, yet almost lifeless body tightly.

"He's right here. Right. Here. And I can't do anything to help him!" Jyushimatsu thought, starting to cry. He sniffed, wiping his eyes with his hoodie sleeves.

Karamatsu stood up from his chair and joined Jyushimatsu by their brother's bedside.

"Don't be upset, Jyushimatsu," Karamatsu said softly, hugging his brother, and immediately, the rest stood up from their chairs and joined in.

"We're always here for each other," Choromatsu said, glancing at Ichimatsu. "No matter how far away we are."