It's a cool, quiet spring afternoon outside Mitakihara General, with the sun descending towards the horizon. Inside the hospital, however, it's always comfortable and mostly quiet for the patients, especially up on the second floor where Kukai Souma is in one of the beds.
His unconscious form is wrapped in bandages, including a long bandage from left shoulder leading diagonally down under his robe and the blanket, and his head is covered in bandages and padding as well. Little bandages and wrappings cover his arms and face, and where they aren't, there are harsh looking bruises everywhere. In short, he looks like he got into a fight with a wall and lost.
Sitting on the other side of the room is a tall young man, older than Kukai, made of muscles - a barrel chest, arms like corded ropes, and a six pack that you could break bricks on. He's talking on the phone quietly for the moment, trying not to disturb Kukai, even though it probably isn't possible. A little blue haired Chara is sitting on the side table of Kukai's bed, watching him closely.
The local wall objects to this description; he had nothing to do with Kukai's injuries. Of course, he isn't sure what did have to do with them; it's possible that the newspaper article told the truth, but not immensely likely. Still. That's probably going to remain a mystery for a while. For the moment, his primary role is a fairly unnecessary one. Makoto Kino doesn't actually need an escort, after all. But having someone around to open doors or carry things is a bonus.
(And having someone around capable of making quietly certain that the hospital is not a present target for certain malevolent plants is also a bonus. So many flowers.)
Having someone to open doors for her is a very useful thing right now; Makoto's hands are occupied with the unlabeled white bakery box she's carrying, so it's more convenient to let Kunzite - Kazuo, she takes pains to remind herself - handle things that would otherwise require more of a balancing act.
But Kazuo hasn't been compared to a wall for no reason, so it's Mako who peeks into the room first, with a softly-voiced, "Excuse me."
Impossible not to see the room's primary occupant first; equally impossible to keep the horrified dismay from flashing over her face at the sight of Kukai's condition. Her attention shifts to the other young man a moment later, and seeing that he's on the phone, she doesn't say anything else, but she does slip the rest of the way in and clear the doorway so that Kunzite has room to follow.
Daisuke Hansuke is not arriving with Kunzite or Makoto. In fact, he wasn't even here to visit Kukai originally... he has a thick binder of paperwork that is being dropped off from his father's local practice because one of his patients is in Urgent Care right now of some sort. He's dressed in a simple suit jacket, a deep red, and burgandy slacks. This is his office work wear. He looks professional!
He's filing away the paperwork when a particular paper catches his eye and he reads it, his brow furrows, then concern--- then he decides he's going to go pay a visit to Kukai.
Sounds like something serious happened.
Touching the door as soon as Makoto enters before Kazuo can let it close he smiles. "Excuse me. Can you hold that a second, thanks." he says before he lets Kazuo slide in before him-- not pushing ahead of anyone, and he'll be the last to close the door. For whatever reason- he hasn't particularly seen through Kazuo's ID yet, mainly because he hasn't gotten good face looks yet and seems more focused on seeing in past the door.
"Hey Makoto." he waves with a smile- and a wave.
He gives a wave over to....
The buff handsome boy over there. Well that's a meek little emabarassed wave. "Hey." he says as he looks back over to Kukai.
The other young man appears to be in his mid-twenties or so. His face has a stern, unyielding, unbreakable look to it, even when he looks over at his little brother. When he sees other people beginning to enter, he leans down. "There are people coming into the room. I'll talk to you later. Yes. Goodbye." He taps on the smartphone for a moment as the three of them enter, then pockets it and stands. "Hello. I am Kaido Souma. You're friends of Kukai's, I assume?"
He looks back and forth at the three of them with that same stern, impassive look, examining them for a moment. He looks like he could make two of Daisuke or Makoto, and probably a Kazuo and a half if he tried. No scars or anything though, just muscles underneath a simple blue tshirt and black pants. "The doctor came in earlier and said he was doing a little better, but he still hasn't woken up yet."
Daichi sits up as people enter. A girl he doesn't know, but... He flies up, moving over towards Kazuo and Daisuke, then grins. "Hey, you're that guy! What did Kukai call you..." He rubs his head. "But I saw you before, with the other guy. Hi! And you, um..." He sighs at Daisuke. "I can't remember anything right now. Everything is so crazy. But I remember you too. Kukai had a meal with you..." He looks over at Kaido, then back at the three of them. "He can't see me, so don't worry about that..." He slumps, looking tired.
The flicker of an evaluating glance over Kaido is reflexive. (Evaluation: if for some reason there's ever a need to take this boy on solely hand-to-hand, get Nephrite do it.) It doesn't interrupt making sure that there's space for the third guest to enter, and space for the door to be closed; it also doesn't interrupt the polite bow of greeting. Which in turn does not interrupt Kunzite's normal lack of expression. There are probably people who would try putting bets on which one of them would break and show a reaction first; fortunately, they're not presently in the room. "Kazuo Takeba," he answers, which is a useful answer to both Kaido and Daichi at once. "And yes. I'm pleased to hear he's starting to do better." General courtesies; Makoto is so much better at being social, he doesn't risk more, glancing to Daichi for a moment instead. Then to Daisuke for a similar instant's evaluation, just in case.
(There has to be someone they can get in here without posing a risk to the hospital. Problem: Mamoru isn't it. Problem: he doesn't actually know anyone else. Though there might be someone he might be able to track down... if that someone doesn't attack him on sight.)
Makoto's green eyes flick towards Daichi, tracking the little Chara as he flies across the room to greet the guys, and she cracks a slightly awkward smile before her attention is drawn back to Kaido. A little bob of her head answers his words.
"I'm Makoto Kino," she says. "Souma-kun's helped me and some of my friends out a few times, so..." Trailing off, she offers over the bakery box. "This is for you and your brothers. I heard from Chiba-san that you guys have been here watching over him, and I'm sure that food hasn't really been one of the first things on your minds lately."
After some deliberation, she decided that another batch of baking wouldn't be uncalled for. It's not like the extras won't get eaten, one way or another. So the box contains muffins, both blueberry and oatmeal brown sugar, and a generous number of chocolate chip cookies.
"If they're gone before he's well enough to have any," Makoto adds, "I can make more. But hopefully it won't be that long."
Daisuke Hansuke looks to Daichi and gives a soft nod to his words, not a good idea to talk to invisible tiny sportsball fairys when there's someone who can't see them in the room. Speaking of that.....
"Hey, yeah that's right." he says to Kadio. "I'm Daisuke Hansuke." he says. "I'm actually here from my dad's practice for a visit. Kukai isn't one of his patients but I saw his paper in the files and came up to see what's up." he frowns.
"What happened exactly?" he asks Kadio as he walks over to the bedside. He purses his lips. IS there something he can do here? Well. He can try but---
Makoto's safe. Kazuo and Kadio are unknowns...
Wait. Is he?
He's suddenly squinting a bit at Kazuo. Doesn't he know that face? Does he know this guy's name? He wears a neutral expression. No frowning. Wait--isn't this the same sense of Deja Vu he's been feeling forever? Ugh! No! This is supposed to be over, right!?
He can't exactly magic heal with at least Kadio in the room.
Kaido nods to Kazuo before turning back to Makoto. "Kukai helped you with something? That's good. He usually helps everyone he can." He looks down, taking the bakery box, then bows his head to her slightly. "Thank you. It's been hard to eat recently. Everyone works, then comes here for a while, then goes home to sleep." He closes the box and sets it to one side. "Hopefully he will be awake soon enough to enjoy some of them."
He looks over at Daisuke for a moment. "It was in the news - a nearby diner's gas main exploded in a freak accident and he was caught in the blast. There was nothing anyone could do." His fists clench for a moment. Daichi looks over at Kaido for a moment before looking at them. "...Kukai went to go get a stolen Heart's Egg and some weird gun-devices things he thought WPS and Miss White had. One other person went with him, but she didn't help a lot - he ended up fighting Miss White and the others that were there after he... um.. put some holes in the building. She convinced him that she didn't have the Heart's Egg, but her friends ambushed him while he was talking to her and..." Daichi looks over at Kukai, lying in bed.
Hansuke looked at Daichi.
Kaido Souma hasn't. But that third guest did. Looked at him, and acknowledged him; it's more than chance.
it's deliberate, then, that Kazuo nods slightly to Kaido's explanation, then gives the same slight nod again at the end of Daichi's. Let Kaido think he came to some internal conclusion, or whatever else he will. "Perhaps we can help with that," he offers. "I have brothers of my own; cooking for a few more would be no trouble." The way Usagi's been acting recently, they could just temporarily divert what they usually prepare to cover her visits. Not that that's a good thing either, granted.
Makoto catches Daisuke's squinting at Kazuo at the edge of her vision, and for a moment she pauses to look his way, offering a reassuring little smile. It's hard to adequately convey 'it's cool, he's with us' with Kukai's brother standing right there, but she tries.
And then Kunzite is suggesting that help with food for the Soumas could be a thing and Mako's whole attention is once more occupied. "Yes, we'd be happy to help out with something like that," she agrees, nodding quickly. "It really wouldn't be any trouble, if it would make things any easier for you. I've never really gotten a chance to thank your brother for the things that he's done, so it's the least that I could do in the meantime, until I can say it directly."
Daisuke Hansuke has to get Kaido out of this room- if he's going to do any sort of helpin tonight. He could ask Makoto for help slyly- and he considers this as he looks over to Makoto and smiles. "Those cookies are always dleightful, I'm sure you and everyone else will enjoy them-- and Kukai. When he wakes up." he says. He's trying to keep a good besides manner.
He looks at Kazuo again and his eyes trace over to Kaido again.
"Oh. Right." he says. "When I asked about the files down in the office, they said something about paperwork? Maybe you wanna go down and check on that?" he asks. "Probably just some sort of release forms for medical information I'm sure." he says. "But sound important." he says.
Yeah he's lying through his teeth, he can always claim he misheard later.
He /hates/ lying.
Kazuo may be able to pikcup the fibbing undertones. He's hoping Kaido does not.
He does give Makoto an apologetic look.
Hate lying, SO MUCH. Still, he waits to see what Kaido does. "Don't worry, we can sit up here for a small bit and wait with him." he smiles.
Please work, he thinks.
Kaido shakes his head. "No, thank you. We can cook and take care of ourselves. It's just a matter of remembering to do it. Rento and Unkai are fixing something now, I think. If I have to I can get something from the cafeteria before it closes, or the canteen. The baked goods are plenty." He nods. "We appreciate the offer, though."
Kaido hmms and rubs his head, examining Daisuke for a moment, eyes narrowing, before nodding. "I had thought they had given us all the paperwork." His eyes are on Daisuke for a moment before nodding. "I suppose you can have a minute or two alone with him, if you want." He heads for the door past the three of them, heading for the office.
Daichi looks at the three of them, then sits down on the bedpost. "I'm so tired. I think part of it's from Kukai, but.. at least I think he's gonna be ok. I mean, if he wasn't, I'd..." He shivers, rubbing his sides. "So why'd you send Kaido away?"
Cue another brief, sharp nod in return from Kazuo. Pride and self-sufficiency are things he understands. And there are likely enough visitors, knowing Kukai even as little as he does, that if any of the four of them do start slipping badly, someone will catch them.
Whether that will involve any well-meant stalkerish behavior on his part this time is up in the air, really.
He's the closest to the door, so he makes space for Kaido's passage. Then, once he's out and the door's closed again, he leans casually against it. "Good question," he says to Daichi. His attention flickers to Daisuke again, cool and grey and measuring, then back to Makoto; it's her turn to get a nod again. She knows him. Benefit of the doubt. "Whatever it is, I trust it's quick."
Makoto, as ever, has no poker face to speak of. She could've easily believed that Daisuke was being nothing but above-board about there being paperwork, but the apologetic look her way has her brows drawing together in the beginnings of understanding.
Perhaps it's fortunate that Kaido is preoccupied.
"You're going to try healing him?" she asks Daisuke quietly after the door has closed and Kunzite is leaning against it.
Daisuke Hansuke watches Kaido leave and he takes a relaxing breath. "Okay, he bought it." he says. He fixes his tie a little. "Well." he finally talks to Daichi. "I'm going to try to fix some of this, yeah." he says to Makoto. "Dunno if it'll wake him up. But maybe we can shave a few days or a week of this." he says. "Can't do it with him here. Sorry. Don't wanna have to explain stuff away." he says.
He smiles some. "Excuse me, you two." he says. "But I need to get to work with this before he comes back."
He turns around back toward's Kukai and puts his hand up and closes his eyes- that ring on his finger flashing--- as it takes the form of a snake staff for which he is so vehemently nicknamed by mooncats for.
"I'm not surprised." he says as he grips the staff properly now, placing it's bottom at the ground with a soft tap. "Considering how I think you guys are tied n' all. If it was worse you'd be well. Gone." he says a little solemly.
He leans down and squints. "Yeah he's bad." he says.
Another flash, Daisuke lets that robe take form around him- as he lets himself transform a little more fully because, well, he's going to need to, to heal. He isn't so lucky as to be able to do it without the power boost.
"This'll only take a minute. Watch the door, just in case." he says as he holds the staff upwards, and grips it lengthwise over Kukai.
It glows purple. Asclepius closes his eyes and concentrates, letting purple energy flow from the slowly glowing staff, down into Kukai. He's trying to heal what he can. Healing like this isn't always the full soultion, but he'll do what he's able to do in these moments. It's tingly and pleasent feeling. Maybe like the warm spring day it is outside.
Daichi stands up, watching closely as Daisuke changes outfits and form, making a little 'o' face as the robe and staff form. The healing power flows down into Kukai, giving Asclepius a better look at what's going on - almost a skull fracture that lead to a concussion, which is what knocked him out, a long slice from some sharp blade from left shoulder to right thigh, a broken rib that was reset and is healing slowly, and dozens of bruises, lacerations, punctures, and the like all over him.
As they watch, the worst of the bruises fade from dark blue and purple to a faint yellow and brown, and perhaps some of the cuts and scrapes under the bandages will heal - it's hard to tell. At the very least as Asclepius works it seems that Kukai is able to rest easier.
It's only a few minutes before whomever's watching the door can see Kaido turn the corner and make his way back towards the room. He looks annoyed.
The staff manifests, and the robe -- and Kazuo's eyes widen slightly. Well. That settles the 'tracking down' problem. He turns away, all the same, to keep that eye on the door. Kaido's not the only one who might want to come in, after all; nurses are an everpresent possibility.
And he's not particularly eager to have the likely next conversation with Asclepius here and now. Which means he lets Makoto handle any talking between times, whether with the healer or with Daichi.
"Incoming brother," he notes quietly when the time comes, and makes certain that he's not actually in the way of the door. Back where he was when Kaido left.
Makoto, at least, seems to have been expecting the transformation - even if she's never properly seen it before, she doesn't look especially surprised. She does stand back to keep out of Asclepius's way as he works, and likewise keeps quiet.
Conversation can wait until it's not at risk of distracting the healer.
She doesn't especially have an eye for these things, but it does look like Kukai's condition is improving at least a little, and seeing it brings a look of faint relief to Makoto's face. That look turns into a wince when Kazuo speaks up; she glances quickly back toward Asclepius to make sure he's heard. "Better hurry," she murmurs.
It's going to be hard to explain if Daisuke is still in henshin when Kaido comes back in, and there's really no reasonable excuse to stall him.
Daisuke Hansuke hurry, hurry, hurry he's channeling strong and hard and he's helping, but he has to cut it out for various reasons. Number one is that he isn't a fountain of infinite energy and he doesn't want to wake up in his own hospital bed having passed out from overdoing it. The second reason is of course, the oncoming brother.
"That's all I can do then." he mutters as he let's his transformation sort of blink off in a sudden 'flit' of purple light and he shoves the staff behind his back as he works to get back into it's ring form.
He should be done juuuuuust as the boy comes back in the room. There he is, standing by the bed with his hands behind his back.
Yup.
"Hey, you look annoyed. Wasn't too hard was it? Or something you can't fill out yourself?" he asks curiously, looking at the probably still annoyed boy.
Yeah he's doing his best to still play that angle.
Kaido enters the room, looking around at the three of them for a moment. "Would have thought I would have found you all three gathered around the bed." Those hard eyes scan over all three of them for a moment. "The office said I'd filled out all the papers. You must have misheard." It's hard to tell if Kaido's being polite and not mentioning things at this point or not. He looks up and down at Daisuke for a moment. "In any case I think Kukai needs his rest for now." He looks back to Makoto and bows his head. "Thank you for your gift, miss Kino."
Daichi grins and looks over Kukai, flying over him. "He's doing better... thank you so much! I think he'll be ok soon." He sits down on the pillow besides Kukai's head, and then lies back, giggling exhaustedly.
Kazuo arches an eyebrow, and glances aside at the still clearly unconscious Kukai; then returns his calm grey gaze to Kaido. Gathering around the bed when the occupant can't tell? Clearly there's no point in that. He inclines his head to Kaido anyhow at the dismissal, unworried and unoffended, and turns toward the door. No visible reaction to Daichi; no visible protection of Daisuke. Why would he? Clearly nothing happened while Kaido was gone.
"Of course." Makoto answers that bow of Kaido's head with a slightly deeper bow of her own, not just her head but her whole upper body dipping down slightly with the gesture of polite respect. "It was my pleasure. And nice to meet you, as well, in spite of the circumstances."
After she straightens, she begins to follow Kazuo towards the door. "I'll be thinking good thoughts for Souma-kun's quick recovery," she adds as she's leaving, and glances back briefly towards Daisuke just to make sure he's coming too.
Daisuke Hansuke fixes his tie. "Eh? Really?" he asks. "Sorry, maybe they got mixed up?" he asks. "No worries, better to be safer than sorry, I figure." he says. "Hey. I'll come back later, more prepared for a visit." he says.
He listens to Daichi and smiles a bit to himself, but doesn't react too heavily for this.
"IF he wakes up, let him know I owe him lunch next time." he says with a pursed, bemused look to his face.
He looks back toward's Kazuo and purses his lips again. He crosses his arms.
"Coming~" he says to Makoto as he makes for the door with the others.