Complete!

[sawanai]

Title: Backing to the cliff's edge
Characters: Hisoka, open
Location: outside, then Belldandy's room
Rating: PG-13. Angst, suicide attempt
Summary: Keep him from freezing to death
Day/Time: 70, afternoon

Comments

[strngrthnuthnk]

Sakura ran through the halls, clutching her medical bag tightly. A nurse had come to her moments ago to tell her Hisoka had been found outside in the early stages of hypothermia. It had been a very long time since she had last felt so panicked over a patient. And even back then she'd had Shishou to depend on. This time, it was her alone.

When she finally came to the door to Belldandy's room, Sakura ran in without so much as knocking. She was sure the therapist would forgive her considering the circumstances. Sakura only hoped she could be of some help to the young boy. She felt badly that she had been somewhat absent lately.

When she entered the room her eyes landed on a sight that very nearly took her breath away. Kneeling next to Hisoka was Sasuke. Sakura hadn't even been aware he was at Malaise. She felt irritated and betrayal bubble in her chest at the fact he hadn't sought her out at all upon arriving at the hospital. Still, now was not the time to dwell on that. With long strides, she made her way to Hisoka's side and kneeled to the ground, placing her bag beside her.

Not even sparing a glance at Sasuke, she asked, "How is he doing?"

[presentkindness]

"Yuuko won't care what Belldandy says about her if it helps Hisoka!" Dani snapped at Sasuke, glaring at him.

"No...he's right. I was getting close there." Belldandy said with a sigh. "So...I won't use a patient again."

And then Sakura came in. Dani looked at Sakura, looking worried. "He still wants to die..."

Belldandy smiled sadly at Hisoka. "It won't. You aren't useless, Hisoka-kun. You know they care for you deeply. Just seeing their concern over what happened with Tsuzuki-san, it's easy to see that they love you." She said. And that wasn't confidentiality. ANYONE could have seen it if they were paying attention. "And when someone cares for another, that person is never 'useless' in their minds. And there is never a soul that is useless." She said, reaching out to touch his shoulder again. "Every soul has the potential to soar or fall, and that potential never stops until the person no longer lives. And just as it can soar or fall, it can be happy or sad. There are a lot of sad souls in this place, Hisoka-kun. I want to do everything I can to keep them from feeling so much sadness again."

"And I want to help you be happy, Hisoka-kun. And I don't want those people who care for you feel more pain and loss. People make mistakes and hurt others sometimes, but the ones who will always remain, and try to make up for their misdeeds are the ones to stay for. It doesn't manner if it's one or a hundred, those are the people that...is wonderful to have." Belldandy said.

[apatheticnurse]

Sasuke kept his face stern, looking towards Dani and shaking his head. ``If you can't keep quiet, I will ask you to leave. I know what I am talking about, seeing as how I work here and you do not.``

He huffed lightly towards the crying child, bringing his hand up which was covered with his sleeve and wiping at Hisoka's tears. The boy didn't have to be so upset about something so small, though he didn't know what was wrong exactly. Lowering his arm after a moment, he rested on his knees and blinked when he heard the door open again.

His head turned, dark eyes glancing over his shoulder towards the nurse before she was at his side now. He raised an eyebrow in curiousity, wondering who exactly this person was. For some reason, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he'd remember eventually.

``He's doing much better,`` he replied, looking back to Hisoka once more then towards Dani. ``The tea, please. Even if we have to force him to drink it, it would be best to get the sugar into his body.``

[sawanai]

Every touch made him flinch and pull away. Couldn't they leave him be?! Hisoka hissed painfully when his chest began to ache, but he stayed sitting down. In their bickering over him, they hadn't tried to get him in a warm bath, so only his skin had warmed up.

"No tea. I don't want-" He couldn't finish speaking because his chest suddenly hurt too bad. It ached to breath. It probably had before, but he'd been trying to make them understand and hadn't noticed it.

Hisoka's vision went fuzzy and he slumped over, barely conscious. The teen's pulse and breathing had slowed; the shock of still cold blood pumping through his heart, combined with extreme stress, had made it beat irregularly. If he didn't get some warmth to his insides, his core temperature wouldn't rise and he could still die.

[strngrthnuthnk]

Sakura was beginning to get irritated rather quickly with the people around her. They still hadn't gotten Hisoka warmed properly!

"There's no time for the tea!" she barked. His voice cutting off couldn't be good. She turned her head quickly to look at the other patient in the room. "You! Make sure that bath is still warm!"

She then looked at Sasuke. "Stay out of the way unless we need you. You're making Hisoka uncomfortable!"

Finally, she turned to Belldandy. "Help me carry him. We need to get him the bath now. He's been superficially warmed, but it's no use it we don't get his internal temperature up."

Truth be told, Sakura would probably carry Hisoka on her own. He was a small child, and she was no wimp, but she's rather be safe than risk hurting Hisoka more.

[presentkindness]

"Hisoka!" Belldandy cried, grabbing his shoulders. Too much time had passed.

"Yes!" Dani said, not even setting down the tea cup as she went to check the bath water. "It's still warm!" She called. At least this doctor seemed like a good one, unlike Mister Cold Nurse. Yes, be cold and unfeeling to the suicide case sounded like a wonderful idea. But as long as Hisoka got better...

Belldandy nodded to Sakura, picking Hisoka up with her and carrying him into the bath. She made sure to take off the clothes when he was in the water. It'd just make the contact harder. She didn't think Hisoka would become so bad so suddenly that he would even refuse aid. It was enough to actually make her angry at Cox for doing what he did. Why didn't he at least say good-bye?

[apatheticnurse]

That feeling of rage began to boil up inside of him again, his eyes flashing that red tint then fading once more. He bit back the urge to growl towards the doctor, his hands clenching into fists. No one told him what to do.

``I'm sure that I was here before you were,`` he started, tossing his hair out of his face. ``If this patient was so important, why weren't you here before I was?`` A hint of a smirk pulled at the corner of his lip, his eyes shutting in his confident words.

Really, Sasuke could care less if this boy wanted to die. It was his own choice to be an idiot and throw away his young life, especially when he apparently had so much to live for.

He shrugged his shoulders and pushed himself up swiftly, somehow still looking elegant in the harsh movements. ``The sugar in the tea would help him more, but it doesn't matter.`` He started towards the door, ready to take off since he obviously wasn't needed here anymore.

[sawanai]

He tried to struggle even a little as he felt arms wrap around him, picking him up. But it was useless. All he could do was reach out and grab at something, even if that something turned out to be the grumpy nurse's shoulder. Anything to keep from going into warm water.

It didn't work, of course, and he whimpered weakly when Belldandy tugged the new clothes off of him and lowered him into the tub. Hisoka couldn't even make the effort to cry any more. He simply felt numb to everything.

[strngrthnuthnk]

Sakura glared at Sasuke, though she was more exasperated than anything.

"Still as much the drama queen as ever," she muttered. Suddenly, she was struck with an idea.

"Sasuke! You can do something for me! Go to my room, it's right next door. I have cupboards filled with ramen. Grab a package and make some." She hoped she could get Hisoka to eat the ramen; it seemed to have cheered him up a bit last time. She wasn't going to bother answering to any of the questions posed by Sasuke, however. She was doing her job, and she didn't have to explain anything to him. At least not at the moment. It didn't help that Sasuke didn't seem to recognize her. If she weren't busy trying to save a life, she would feel extremely betrayed.

She looked at Dani. "It's no use crying right now. Go finish making that tea. He can drink it while in the tub." That is, if we can get him to she thought mournfully.

Sasuke had been correct in saying the sugar in the tea would help. The only flaw in his plan was that they couldn't force him to drink it. Getting Hisoka in the bathtub was much easier.

She finally took the time to look at her patient. Her eyes softened. It was a waiting game now. She wished she knew what to say to Hisoka, but sadly, she didn't.

[presentkindness]

Belldandy lowered Hisoka into the tub so the water was covering most of his body, making sure to keep most of his head out of the water, stopping at the point where temperature registered at the back of the neck. After all, it would be horrible to get him more and just let him drown himself in the tub.

Dani had determined by now Sasuke wasn't a very good nurse for here. Sure, that might be a good attitude for a NORMAL hospital, but some bedside manner would be good for people MENTALLY UNSTABLE. Acting like someone is just a job when they tried to kill themselves wasn't helpful. And she DID want to say all this, but now wasn't the time. She didn't want to upset Hisoka more. After all, Hisoka was precious to Yuuko and Yuuko was one of the few people who Dani almost trusted fully. She looked at Sakura and nodded. She ended up putting down the cup on the bathroom sink and had effectively spilled most of it in her rush. She picked up the cup to make some more tea. She looked at Sasuke as she entered the room. "A good nurse would get the ramen." She said, almost a challenge. If he blew off something Sakura, a caring doctor, thought might help, she just might have to find him and kick him in the shin as hard as she could.

"Hisoka-kun, do you think you'll drink the tea for us?" Belldandy asked in a gentle, worried voice. "Don't you think it would be sad to keep trying to die when people want to help you? Maybe you can say that we're all just doing our job, though I know I'm not this worried because of that and neither is the doctor," to add Sasuke was probably a boldfaced lie, "but even Dani is helping. She's only a patient. The reason she's helping is because she honestly wants you to get better. Don't you think she could become a good friend, if you lived?" Dani could be a rather cooperative girl and it seemed she could understand how reclusive home life could be if she ran away, so hopefully it would be a good fit. If nothing else, Dani did seem close enough to her roommate to want to try.

[apatheticnurse]

Hearing the comment from the doctor made him halt, his dark eyes flashing before he turned and stared back towards her, an eyebrow raising curiously. How in the world did she know him? Was this someone from his past? Maybe that was why her voice was so recognizable.

He bit back the urge to gasp when he heard his name, head tilting to the side then his hands clenching tighter. Another order!? Despite wanting to just keep walking back to his room, Sasuke sighed and hurried out of the room to go to the doctor's room as quick as possible.

Of course, he couldn't care less if the group of girls decided to talk about him, it didn't bother him at all because he knew what he was talking about. He slipped into the room when he found it, looking around before moving towards the cabinet, opening it up and taking a package of the ramen out.

As he was looking at the package, a memory flashed through his vision; a blond spikey haired teen with vibrant blue eyes and scars on his cheeks. The way he smiled, it was almost contagious. Another, this time of an older girl with bright pink hair and almost as bright green eyes. She smiled too, but it was like it was almost too soft.

The visions were gone as quick as they had come, leaving Sasuke to stare at the ramen pack before he shook his head and hurried back to the room once more, pushing through the door as soon as he got there.

``I've got it,`` he started, heading over towards the other cabinets in the room and opening one up, searching for a bowl and a sauce pan.

[sawanai]

Hisoka whimpered softly as warm water surrounded him. His chest still ached, though it was nothing like the agony of earlier. With so many people here watching him, trying to save him, he couldn't have tried to drown even if he'd considered that an option. Not being able to breath was an experience he never wanted to go through again. Trying to hang had scared that out of him.

Eyes still closed, he moved his legs to try and get the aching tight feeling out. It would warm him up, but the teen no longer had the energy to fight their efforts. For now he'd have to live and see what happened to him as a result of things. "She doesn't know me. She only cares because she knows Yuuko too," he whispered in reply to Belldandy's words about Dani.

He knew they couldn't have let him die once she brought him in. Being mad at them would be foolish. And the girl had only done what anyone would have after finding someone half frozen. As much as he hated it, he couldn't make himself stay too mad at any of them for saving him. "I don't think I can hold the cup myself," he said, slightly louder, as he noticed that his hands were shaking underwater. He'd drop anything he tried to hold right now. "But I can try to eat or drink something."

Hopefully they wouldn't expect much more than that from him.

[strngrthnuthnk]

Sakura felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders at Hisoka's words. She knew they weren't out of the woods yet, never mind the fact she would have to put the boy on suicide watch yet again, but still, it was a victory. She would worry about the other stuff when Hisoka was far away from death's doorstep.

"Thank you, Hisoka," she said softly. "Dani, please bring me the tea." While she waited for the warm beverage, she redirected her green eyes to the pale boy in the bath. "Hisoka-kun, many times wonderful friendships can come from common acquaintances or friends. Ultimately, it is your decision who you want to befriend, but just keep that in mind. She brushed a bit of wet hair from his eyes. She smiled faintly at the fact he already seemed warmer.

Taking care of Hisoka like this, talking to him like this, she was reminded of years past. Of a stubborn, untrusting teenage boy with black hair in the most curious of styles. She had been able to get through to Sasuke before, and she hoped she could do the same for Hisoka.

[presentkindness]

"And anyone who Yuuko thinks is worth caring, is someone worth caring for." Dani said as she walked into the bathroom, hearing the words. She held out the cup to Sakura.

Belldandy smiled as Hisoka said he'd eat and drink. She glanced at the room as she heard the sounds. "The cabinet near the coffee pot. Bottom self has pans, middle has a small stove, and basic dishes are on the top." She called. If he was going to cook ramen, those were what he needed. And she believed he was most likely cooking. She looked at Hisoka and smiled. "And doctor-san is right. People need to find ways to meet before they become friends and friends of friends is one of the better ways."

[apatheticnurse]

When he heard where the items were at, he quickly got to work, taking out a pan and a bowl, which he set to the side for now. He moved over and filled the pan with water, already having memorized how much he would need and setting the pot onto the burner he'd flipped on.

Sasuke looked the package over, wondering if he should break it up to help the boy eat a little better, but if he didn't like it that way . . . He shrugged and broke it in half for now, opening the package and dumping the contents into the water to let them boil together.

Turning around, he leaned back against the counter and propped his elbows up, waiting for the ramen to start boiling and get soft so he could add the spice package afterwards. At least while he was waiting, he could listen in on the group's coversation. Good, the boy was going to try and eat then.

Maybe it would all be fine.

[sawanai]

This had to be one of the worst ways to meet someone who wanted to be his friend. Hisoka didn't want anyone's first impression of him to be like this, failing at death and now a complete mess of emotions he wouldn't begin to figure out today.

He looked up when he felt a hand on his hair, big green eyes seeming dimmer than usual, and eyed the tea as Sakura held it. It suddenly seemed very appealing, as did the sounds of ramen being made in the next room. They were both warm and he still felt cool despite the warmth of the water and the general heat of Belldandy's room.

"Sakura, Belldandy, can you please not tell anyone what I said about my scars?" It seemed like a silly thing to ask for at a time like this, but Hisoka didn't want everyone else to know the reason for the red marks all over his body. Absently, he touched some of the markings again, still upset but no longer crying. All he wanted was to curl up and sleep.