Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ "Catch Me When I Fall" ❯ Chapter 3

Summary: One wrong turn can change you life forever

Disclaimer: Tennis no Ohjisama, characters and settings are the property of Konomi Takeshi.

Date Started: June 6, 2004

Status: complete

Revised:

Word Count: 1800

"Catch Me When I Fall" Part 3 by Andrea Readwolf

"All things considered, you're a very lucky young man."

Eiji shot the doctor an amused look. "You just told me I can't have sex for who knows how long, and you're saying I'm *lucky*?" he quirked.

"Eiji!" his boyfriend protested, coloring that lovely shade of pink from embarrassment.

"Eiji, baby, don't tease Syuichiroh," his mother commented nonplus.

The doctor, a middle-aged man with a rather good personality and sense of humor, laughed. "Let's work on regaining some control over your limbs first before getting into sex. That's where the rehabilitation center comes in. They'll have counselors there for you and your family to address any of your concerns a lot better than I could."

"Okay, okay, so let me get this straight," the redhead nibbled his lip before mewing. "I only, like, bruised my spinal cord, right? It's not really broken or anything like that?"

"That's correct--it's completely intact, it *hasn't* been severed."

"And as soon as this cast if off my arm and neck I'll be able to *use* my arms, right?"

"Yes, but you're fine motor skills and dexterity will probably be reduced until you can build--"

"And as soon as all these drugs you have pumping through my system wear off I'll actually be able to *feel* some stuff, right?"

"Correct." The doctor waiting this time.

Eiji sighed and "leaned" back into the bed--really just tilted his head back a bit--closing his eyes.

"When I was six, the doctors told me I'd never be able to run around and play like other kids; that games like Fruits Basket and Hide 'n Go Seek were out of the question."

"Because of the hole in your heart," the doctor nodded.

Eiji grinned. "I like doing the impossible, doctor. How long do you think this rehabilitation thing will take? Months? Years?"

"It varies, Eiji," the doctor replied, smiling back at his patient. "It depends on a lot of things--facilities, the nature of the injury, the support of family and friends...but mostly it depends on *you*."

"Mou... then I'd better not take too long, huh? I have a tennis game I need to finish."

~~~****~~~

"Booo~red!" Eiji moaned.

A laugh from the doorway caught his attention, and although he couldn't really turn his head to see who it was, he really didn't need to.

"Oiya! Fuji-ko! Come to keep the invalid company?"

"You shouldn't talk like that, Eiji," Syusuke reproached him mildly, setting the fresh flowers he'd brought with him in one of the vases under the sink. "It makes some people feel uncomfortable."

"I know, I know," the redhead sighed and pouted. "But *you* try being laid up in here like a raw vegetable for two weeks. It *sucks*."

"I can imagine."

"Don't worry, though," Eiji smiled softly at his long-time best friend. "I've been here before, in a hospital, surrounded by doctors and mean nurses... I have no intentions of staying here."

"I'm glad," the honey-haired blond replied, setting the fresh-cut flowers on Eiji's 'nightstand'.

"Mmmm. So how goes it? Things on the outside world? Come, come, tell me all the new gossip!"

Fuji laughed at his fiend's vocal antics. He could picture easily in his mind the flamboyant arm motions and bouncing of the other boy if he hadn't been bedridden. He dutifully regaled his best friend with all the recent 'gossip. It was nearly two hours later when he rose to leave.

"Ne, Fuji? Tell me the truth--how's he doing? Outside of here?"

There was really no need to ask who 'he' was--there would always ever be one 'he' for Eiji. Fuji sighed. "Syuichiroh's not sleeping well--but I'm sure you figured that out from his appearance. I've stopped by your apartment a couple of times, and frankly, it's not a pretty site. His... grades are slipping, too; but I guess that's to be expected, really. The fish still look good, though," he offered.

"Mmm...." Eiji sighed, eyes shut tight. These were all things he'd known...he'd just needed confirmation, and of course he couldn't just *ask* Syuichiroh, 'cause the other boy would have denied anything was wrong and...

"Syusuke? I know it's a lot to ask, but... will you and Tezuka take the fish for a while?"

Fuji blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I think... yeah, we also need to see about getting rid of the apartment--it's not exactly wheelchair accessible," he added before sighing and looking over to his friend. "Besides we--S'chiroh and me, we will probably moving pretty soon."

"Moving?"

"Mmm... to a rehab center," Eiji confessed softly before shooting his friend a conspirator's grin. "I need to keep my body working if I plan on playing tennis and having sex again, you know?"

"Ah." Fuji smiled back at his friend, offering all the support and love any smile of his could. "I understand."

~~~****~~~

Oishi sat in the armchair, papers and books spread out on whatever surface space that was within reach--including Eiji and his bed. It wasn't that Eiji minded, really. Not even close. He liked spending time with/near Oishi at the best of times, and, well, now that he really couldn't *leave* or go *anywhere*, the time they got to spend together was so much more special---even if Oishi was stressing over some crazy homework assignment that was way beyond Eiji's willingness to comprehend, even if this *was* Oishi...

But that was the fifth time Oishi had sighed that bone-weary sigh that meant not only had he not been sleeping well recently, but he was stressed as all hell, and what he really needed were nimble fingers moving over his neck and shoulders, followed by nibbling lips and teeth and...

Eiji sighed, turning his attention away from the anime on the TV. "Okay, out with it. What's bothering you, babe?"

His lover blinked. "Eh?"

Eiji just *looked*... and was only extremely concerned when his lover slumped back into the armchair.

"I... I've been thinking about changing my field of study," Oishi confessed softly, rubbing his eyelids wearily.

It was Eiji's turn to blink, apparently. "But... I thought you loved pediatrics?"

"I do," Oishi agreed. "But rehabilitation will let me help you, and I love you more than anything."

Nine years.

Eiji had known Oishi Syuichiroh for exactly nine years that spring.

"Come here," he whispered, throat hoarse and suddenly dry.

Oishi frowned, but was already clambering out from under his piles of papers and books. "What is it? Need something to drink? Some juice okay?"

"Come here," Eiji repeated. Oishi hovered at his bedside, frowning as his fingers moved gently over Eiji's right arm--he could feel the callused fingertips brushing over the hairs of his arm now, even if he *couldn't* move. "Closer."

The other boy was leaning over the bed, but, "Closer," Eiji whispered, ignoring Oishi's clueless frowning face in favor of inching that little bit he *could* move to close the distance between their lips in a series of opened-mouth kisses.

"Eiji..." the other whimpered.

"Shut up and don't stop kissing me until I tell you to," the redhead managed to get out in between numerous little kisses, one of which ended with Oishi's lip caught between Eiji's teeth, eliciting a rather delicious sounding moan.

Too bad he really couldn't do anything... Ah, but those fingers were still on his arm, and the other had moved over his head to play in his hair... and Oishi's breath was so warm and sweet against his face...and his tongue and teeth and lips moving so perfectly against his....

"If you boys are planning on making out, you should really close the door first," an amused voice began. "I could come back in a little bit..."

Of course the damage was done--Oishi had jumped away from him so quickly, blushing beet red, Eiji could have been a tin can left out in the sun all damn day. "No, Mama, not interrupting anything," Eiji replied flippantly.

"Then I guess I don't have to give away any of these chocolate chip cookies I made as an apology gift then, ne?" the older Kikumaru woman replied back brightly, settling the small plate of delicious smelling treats just outside of Eiji's view.

"Mou! Mama's mean! Give me one! Please!"

Instead, the woman dropped a packet of papers on Eiji's chest and *then* selected a cookie to feed her youngest and, still in many ways, her baby.

"What are those?" Oishi asked, somewhat recovered, from the safety of his armchair and books and papers.

"Information on different rehabilitation centers," Kikumaru-san replied, offering Oishi the cookie plate. "Your parents and I highlighted the ones we think would be best. Needless to say, we *would* prefer you to choose a national facility, but, of course, we only really want what's best for you, and if that means you should go to France or America or Australia, well.... I *have* always thought it might be nice to travel..."

"You... you've discussed rehabilitation centers with my parents?" Oishi asked dumbfounded.

The older woman shot a worried look at her son before looking back at the other boy she considered a son. "Well, we assumed that you would want to go with Eiji, but, if that's not the case--"

"Of course I will," Oishi interrupted, looking pale and slightly shaken. "I mean...gods, yes, wherever... but, I just didn't expect--you to discuss it with my parents..."

"Syuichiroh, they're your parents. Of course they should have some say in the suggestions of where you two might head off to," Kikumaru-san frowned softly. "They worry about you two, too..."

"I... excuse me," the dark-haired young man mumbled, gaining his feet again and exited the room quickly.

Eiji's mother sighed and looked sadly at her son who was frowning in direction of the door. "I think a change of scenery will do Syuichiroh-kun some good, too. He's too stressed."

"He worries too much," Eiji agreed softly.

"He's worried about you."

The son sighed. "I know, but I wish he wouldn't. I'm going to be just fine."

"Mmm..." She broke off another bite of cookie and gave half to Eiji. "In a lot of ways, I'm very thankful that I wasn't there to see you fall, baby. I don't think I could've handled it as well as Syuichiroh's doing. It was bad enough just waiting in the waiting room, praying you were still alive... I don't think I could have stayed even a little bit sane if I had actually *seen* it...."

Eiji tried to smile, he really did... "Mama's already not sane."

"Well, of course. I have you for a son, and quite frankly, you've given me enough scares and worries to beat out all your brothers and sisters combined!"

~~~****~~~

To be continued.