Jyushimatsu ran into the hospital the next day, not even taking the time to catch his breath. He didn't ask the nurse if Ichimatsu had even been moved over night. Something deep inside of him told him everything was going terribly wrong.

He stood inside the elevator, breathing in the disgusting air, waiting impatiently for those few seconds inside it to end.

"Please tell me you're okay, Ichimatsu..." Jyushimatsu thought, stumbling out of the elevator, not looking where he was going.

He stopped only for a moment when he heard a small sniffling sound coming from the sitting area.

"Akari?!" he gasped, taking in huge gulps of air. "What's wrong?!"

"The surgery..." she choked. "I-I..." She burst into tears. "I decided...to have
t-the...s-surgery..."

Akari covered her face with her hands, trying not to show her extremely red, puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks.

"Akari," Jyushimatsu said, sitting down on the sofa beside her wheelchair. "Homura-chan will be proud of you..she'll be very happy,"

"That doesn't help!" she screamed, crying even harder, "Even if Homura is happy, what if I die?" she wheezed. "What if today is the last day of my life?! I don't want to go yet! I want to have those cookies one last time. I want to see your brother when he gets better! I want to see a new world outside of this terrible hospital!"

"Even if you die, you will see a new world, Akari! You'll be in the sky with Homura! And when she sees you all well again, she'll be so happy..." Jyushimatsu replied just as a nurse came up behind Akari.

"You have to stay in your room for the rest of the morning, Akari," she said, grabbing the bars behind her wheelchair, pushing her away. "The doctor has a lot to tell you about."

"Goodbye, Akari! I'll see you soon!" Jyushimatsu said, waving goodbye to his friend.

"Bye, Jyushimatsu!" Akari replied, trying to sound happy, even though she was still crying.

Jyushimatsu stood back up and walked to Ichimatsu's room, pushed open the door, then quietly closed it behind him.

When Jyushimatsu sat down beside his brother, something strange began to happen to Ichimatsu.

His heart monitor began to go faster and faster, but not fast enough to alert the doctors. Then he began to jerk around in bed, letting out small distressed noises.

Jyushimatsu backed away from the bed in fear.

"Ichimatsu!" he yelled, backing even farther away from the bed. "Wake up! Wake up!"

He ran towards the door and swung it open, yelling down the hallway.

"SOMEONE HURRY! ICHIMATSU IS MOVING AROUND! DOCTOR!"