Part two: Waiting

Junno was half-sick with worry. He paced the hospital waiting room. He still wore his bloodstained clothes. His arm hurt. He tried to ignore his hurt arm. It didn't matter to him, what mattered was Ueda Tatsuya. Just because Ueda had broken up with him didn't mean that Junno had suddenly stopped loving him. Ueda was the other half of his soul. Junno couldn't really see a life without him.

Maru and Koki had arrived minutes after his call. Kame had wanted to come, but was busy with filming a show. Junno was secretly glad. He didn't like Kame or his PM. Kame would have only gotten in the way and faked concern.

So Junno paced. The room was nine paces long and fifteen wide. His arm had begun to throb with pain. It was a reminder, that he had failed his lover when he needed him the most. The guilt was about to overwhelm him. He blamed himself for Ueda's attempted suicide. He knew it was best if he left.

"Sit down!" Koki ordered.

"You're not helping Tat-Chan by getting this upset." Maru said gently.

"It's been an hour," Junno tried to put the pain in his arm out of his mind. "Why won't they tell me how he is?"

"He's still in the emergency room." Maru reminded him. "He lost a lot of blood."

"Sit!" Koki got up, facing the taller Kat-tun member.

Junno sat on a couch. Koki moved so that he was sitting on one side of Junno, Maru on the other. Supporting him, he was surprised that the two would support him. They were Ueda's friends, not really his. Junno always felt like the outsider in the group. He had only one real friend, Ueda. The rest really didn't like him. He had always known that.

.

He had been thinking of leaving the group for quite some time. He hadn't only because Ueda with a smile and gentle words had always talked him into staying. Ueda had always told him there would be a time that Junno wouldn't simply be a back dancer. He would have to work as hard as he could, and someday he too would be the star of the group.

Now Ueda had left Junno, he was alone. He had other friends in the agency, but he had always had troubles getting along with the rest of the group.

*I almost killed him,* Junno thought to himself.

"Remember what you told me after Jin left?" Junno asked Koki.

"No, I don't." Koki said. "Was it important?"

"You told me that you wished that I was the one that left the group." He moaned and moved his arm.

"Koki!" Maru gasped. "You didn't really tell him that!"

"It's the truth." Koki said. "All Junno's good for is to do back flips. I'm even better at those then he is. Junno's not funny, he has no talent, and he's boring."

Junno got back up; he went to the window and looked out of it. He could see reporters stationed outside the hospital. He decided to tell the rest his choice. "After the New Years shows, I'm going to leave Johnny's."

"What about you and Ueda?" Maru asked. "Won't he be upset?"

"Tat-Chan’s left me." he said softly. "Now I'm alone."

"That isn't the only reason, is it?" Maru looked him over. "What Tat-Chan did wasn't your fault."

"If I hadn't left him alone, I might have been able to stop him." a tear rolled down Junno's face.

"In the state of mind he was in, he just might have killed you."

"Junno, your arm's bleeding." Koki went to his side. He reached out touching Junno's arm. Junno yelped in pain and tried to snatch his arm away. "Shit, what did he do to you?"

Junno looked at the bandage arm, it was soaked in blood, and the blood went up the arm of his shirt. "I had an accident, that's all."

"Did he attack you?" Koki demanded. "You were foolish enough to let him have a knife."

"He didn't stab me." Junno said. He tried to move his arm from Koki, this time his friend let him. "I was trying to help him."

"What happened?" Maru asked.

"Ueda got hysterical tried to guide him to the couch, he scratched me hard." Junno suddenly felt a bit faint. 'His nails were so sharp. I didn't know nails could be that sharp."

"You need to get it looked at." Maru's voice was very gentle.

"Later, perhaps."

"What about if I ask the nurse's station for some more bandages?" Koki asked. "Would you at least change them?"

"Sure," tears stung his eyes. He was now very depressed. Neither Koki nor Maru had asked him to stay. He realized that his choice had been the right one.

Koki left, Junno sat back down on the couch.

A few moments later, Koki returned with a doctor and a nurse. Koki looked at Junno. "Sorry, I told."

The doctor went to Junno. "How are you doing?"

"It doesn't matter about me." Junno said. "Ueda-kun...."

"He's undergoing treatment." The Doctor looked down to his arm. "Why don't you come with me, and we'll get that re-bandaged?"

"Can we come with him?" Maru asked.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked. She was a small petite woman who reminded Junno of someone he had seen in a CM.

"I'm Nakamaru Yuichi, this is Tanaka Koki," Maru introduced. "We're Taguchi-kun's friends."

"Follow me." The Doctor said.

Junno followed the doctor to an exam room. He was followed by Koki and Maru. He still wasn't sure why the pair had insisted that they come along. He also didn't know Maru had lied and said they were friends. The Doctor had Junno sit on a chair beside a table. Koki and Maru stood at the other end of the small exam room.

Junno could hear the sound of a ventilator and a heart monitor. He looked, through a curtain he could see medical staff coming and going in the next exam room. He realized that's where Ueda must be.

The doctor used scissors to cut away the bandage. Then she examined the wound. "This is bad; you're going to need stitches."

"It can't be that bad." Junno looked at his arm. There were open puncture wounds where Ueda had dug his fingers into his arm. Then there were the scratch marks, which were very deep. The scratches looked more like cuts “I don't remember it being this bad."

"You were probably in shock when you bandaged the wounds." The Doctor pushed a button, and two nurses came in. "I need to stitch the wound." Then she gave a nurse a list of things she needed. One nurse left.

"Doctor, do you think there will be scaring?" Maru asked.

"Perhaps, but nothing a wrist band couldn't cover." She said.

Junno couldn't help but notice that Koki was able to watch what was happening in the next exam room. His eyes seemed to be riveted on what was happening. Junno suddenly felt jealous. He wanted to be the one watching his lover.

"Doctor, I don't mind waiting." Junno told her. "Treat Ueda-kun first, I can wait."

"His condition's been stabilized. He'll be moving to ICU soon." The doctor told him. "If you get your arm fixed now, you'll be able to see him once he gets to his new room."

"You're right," Junno admitted. "Go ahead and give me treatment."

"You know, you saved Ueda-kun’s life." The Doctor told him. "If you hadn't tied his arm he would have bled to death."

"I did what I had to do." Junno said softly.

The nurse returned carrying a small container with the items the Doctor had requested.

Junno turned away from the doctor as his wounds were being stitched. He looked at the curtain that separated Ueda's room from his. He could still hear the doctors working on him. Then Koki reached out, and touched the curtains, with a flick it opened enough for Junno to see Ueda. His friend was very pale; he had a tube down his throat to help him breathe. A nurse was giving him yet another transfusion. Ueda was so still, that Junno wondered if he was really alive. The nurse treating Ueda went to the curtain and pulled it shut. Junno closed his eyes and again said a prayer. This time to the fairies that Ueda believed in.