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Miss Anri, Kaiser thinks, should really fucking focus on driving this car or they’ll actually have a reason to visit the hospital. They’re halfway through and it's the third time she almost bumps into something. Ever since he and Noa (mostly Noa) have woken her up in the dead of the night to drive them to the ER she’s been a bundle of nerves, twitchy and unfocused; looking over her shoulder way too often. Now every once in a while Kaiser can feel her staring - silently calculating. It’s like she’s expecting him to disappear the moment she turns away. She’s an idiot but so is his temporary coach.
“...you stopped talking” as on cue comes Noa’s voice on his left. Contrary to Anri, he shows no signs of tiredness or nervousness. He sits still with a straight back, hands neatly on his sides while his eyes remain sharp. The only giveaway that this is actually the middle of the night is the way his words slur - they’re slightly accented in a weird way that makes Kaiser wish he would just speak in French and let the translators do their job. “Kaiser”
“Because it’s fucking stupid” he bites and hopes for this shitshow to end. He’s been talking almost non-stop since Noa found him in the recording room and growled at him to talk like this shit was supposed to help him somehow. He looks through the darkened window, the road is long and straight; a few cars before and behind them. It’s not too late to back down, he thinks, they can still return to the facility and forget about the whole thing…
“You need to stay focused, don’t let your mind waver” grunts Noa.
Kaiser grits his teeth and is about to say something about his so-called lack of focus but Anri beats him to it - as she has been doing for the last 15 minutes or so. He can’t quite make anything of the little numbers hidden by the steering wheel the same way he can’t fathom why they’re even in the car.
“Mr. Noa,” she says and isn’t this title preposterous? “is right, you– you should remain present until we reach the hospital. Before I applied for this job I had to pass basic medical training and they always said that remaining conscious is crucial with head and neck injuries” she adds before almost crashing into the delivery van driving before them. Noa’s face remains impassive but from the way his fingers twitch against the seat, Kaiser’s sure he’s considering whether calling a taxi would be a better option.
In the end, he only tells her to keep looking on the road. The woman blushes madly at that but agrees. Somehow Kaiser doubts she’ll focus on it for longer than a few minutes. He shifts in his place, trying to find a more comfortable position. He feels so hot and clammy in this car that he could (ha) suffocate.
Noa looks at him as he snickers at his own joke; eyes pale, glowing in the night. He wonders whether someone ever told him he looks like an owl with this unblinking stare. Probably not which is a shame in itself.
“Keep talking” he orders and Kaiser rolls his eyes.
“About what?” He half asks half hisses to not give away how strained his throat is. He must slip at some point though because for a moment the ever-emotionless facade that is Noa’s face cracks near the brows. It’s a little thing but for someone who has been studying him for the last few years, it’s only natural to notice.
“Maybe– start by describing what you can see.” Cuts in Anri who must have already forgotten that Noa told her to focus on driving. She brings a finger to her lips. “Oh, I know! Try to name 5 things”
He blinks slowly at her image in the mirror. He noticed it before, but now he knows what she’s doing - she actively keeps the conversation from escalating, like she’s afraid of where it would go if she didn’t stop it. She probably thinks it’s a good thing to do, that it reduces the tension. A common misbelief really - Kaiser knows from experience it’s putting a sticky note to a forehead with ‘target’ written in capital letters.
Or maybe that's just his memories talking through him because the next thing he sees is Noa nodding in approval. He leans against the window. What a strange night.
And to think none of it would happen if he closed the damned door after he told Ness off…
“You’re drifting again” Kaiser rolls his eyes and immediately regrets it as the action makes him nauseous.
“Am not.” He scowls trying to keep the world from spinning. “Just… thinking. If I name one thing but describe it… will it be sufficient?” He asks with a newfound energy.
Noa shifts, sensing deceit.
“We’ll see” he grunts.
“Then…” Kaiser starts slowly, building up the tension. “Right now…” he waits. “My very eyes see two people who should mind their own fucking business instead of dragging me through dirt roads of Japan.”
Anri looks positively horrified, her face turning white and red interchangeably while Kaiser can only smile in satisfaction. Maybe if it wasn’t prohibited to give the translators to outsiders then he could try to convince the staff that she’s the one in need of medical attention.
He looks at Noa. The man sits still and doesn’t give him any visible reaction. Tough crowd.
“4 things,” he decides, like his word is law. Kaiser grits his teeth. Someone should bring him down from his high pedestal.
“Steering wheel, streetlights, the road, traffic light,” he recites in one breath without breaking eye contact with Noa. “Now can we stop and get back to the facility? You can see I don’t have brain damage or any other shit that needs supervision”
“That’s not for you to decide,” Noa says like it’s obvious; so much for treating him as an equal. Somehow, Noa knows exactly where his thoughts went and adds: “You lack the understanding of your situation. You were unconscious when I found you”
Well obviously, that’s exactly what happens when you deprive someone of oxygen, you don’t have to consult a doctor to know that.
“Yes, I’m aware and I said I’m fine now!” And the way he can’t properly scream shows up again. Kaiser turns away feeling his face heat up while Noa has the audacity to send him yet another unimpressed glare. Fuck this guy.
“Name 5 things you can feel,” he ends the discussion. Kaiser won’t have any of that.
“I know psychology,” he says, slowly chewing through words. “your little tricks won’t work on me”
As always Noa remains impassive, staring blankly at him. Any more of it and Kaiser will think the other doesn’t despise him.
“If what you claim is true, then you should know why I'm doing it”
To ground him, yeah. Except Kaiser doesn’t need it. It’s not like he has never lost consciousness from lack of air and when he did he always managed to get himself together the next day. Once he even did it before a match and he remembers it went pretty well considering the circumstances.
The point is - whatever Noa is trying to do here is pointless. He never needed comfort afterward because it was the comfort. Not to mention it’s all in vain now. All his efforts ruined because the master striker couldn’t just sleep like every other human being and instead decided to go on a stroll.
There’s a hand reaching out to him. Kaiser slaps it away, irritated. Noa studies him for a moment but when he talks it’s not to him this time.
“We're close, isn’t that right, Miss Anri?”
The woman behind the steering wheel twitches at her name.
“Ye-yes we’re almost there. I informed the staff beforehand so they should have someone waiting for us” She sends Kaiser another sweet smile and all he can think of is it’s a waste to bring him there. He’s aware his sleeping patterns are terrible but even he would be asleep now. Not to mention he may miss the next day of practice and that’s the last thing he needs right now.
Anri's brows furrow. “Strangulation is not something to take lightly. It can have a long-lasting impact on your health”
So his sleep-deprived self must’ve spilled something again. What a joy. He looks at Noa but the other’s eyes are locked on something in the distance, long before the car they’re driving and the car before and before and… when Kaiser tries to look in the same direction he sees a towering white building in the end of the road - their destination.
***
Anri was right and a doctor is waiting for them when they arrive. The man looks relatively young and smiles at them nervously. He greets them and without any additional nonsense leads them to a separate room. It’s rather small and looks practically like a general practitioner's workplace rather than an ER room. There’s a desk, a few chairs, and a computer. In the corner stands an exam table. Since there are only two chairs Kaiser and Anri sit down while Noa stands awkwardly near the door. The room is well lit and although Kaiser always preferred warm light to the sterile white, he doesn’t mind that much.
It changes when the doctor walks in and switches on the additional light, making Kaiser shiver at its sharpness.
“Ask him if we can turn the lights down” commands Noa from behind, already acting like he owns the place. In the first moment, Anri doesn’t understand what the fuss is about but when she looks at Kaiser her gaze softens. He doesn't know what she finds so endearing about him fidgeting. He wants to leave this place as soon as possible.
Anri speaks to the doctor, translators in Kaiser's ears catch every word but the man doesn't have that advantage. He supposes this is one of the reasons Noa decided to take her with them in the first place.
“We have to wait until the examination is complete” She delivers the news as if he and Noa didn’t hear that a second ago. Kaiser fights the urge to squint his eyes.
“Whatever, it’s fine”
The woman presses her lips into a thin line, still concerned despite his reassurance. If he didn’t know any better he would think she’s actually worried about his well-being instead of fearing losing her job.
Now the doctor starts talking. He introduces himself and begins with the usual sets of questions - the very same asked by Noa and Anri on the way here. He smoothly answers what his name, surname, date of birth is, how old he is, and if he knows where he is. It's mundane especially now that the adrenaline he felt during the ride is starting to wear off. Anri translates all his answers and Kaiser observes her while doing so, checking if she delivers it right.
Then the questions get more methodical: does he have any black spots in his vision, if his throat hurts while talking, whether he’s feeling nauseous…
“He’s lying” The doctor stops typing and looks in Noa's direction, undoubtedly surprised that the temporary coach had actually said something instead of glaring menacingly in the background. When no one says anything the man turns to Anri waiting for translation but her eyes are only on Kaiser.
She’s scrutinizing him with a new focus as if she could read the truth from his smized eyes. She holds his gaze surprisingly well but not well enough and Kaiser doesn’t plan on staying here till morning. He smirks.
“Alright I might be slightly dizzy” he admits after a while.
Anri exchanges looks with Noa and then delivers the message. The doctor starts typing once again but Noa is not convinced about his declaration. It shouldn’t come off as a surprise and yet it leaves a bitter taste in Kaiser’s mouth. His daily tolerance of the master striker must be nearing its end. He rolls his eyes. “I wasn't lying about the rest, my throat doesn't hurt despite how I sound,” then adds. “It should be fine in a few hours”
Noa still doesn’t look convinced but at least the staring stops. At this point, Kaiser doesn’t care what it is about.
After the initial data is gathered the doctor tells Kaiser to sit on an examination table and take off his shirt, then proceeds to listen to his breathing via the stethoscope. It takes a long time– longer than what he’s used to on regular appointments. It’s probably because the guy is new in the field, he reasons, the doctor can’t be much older than him, not to mention he has Michael Kaiser in the flesh sitting right before him. Everyone would be nervous in his place, he’s sure of it.
The examination continues, and Kaiser notices that the usually cold ending sticking to his back is no longer cold; that the man has been holding it to a particular spot near his lower left rib for some time now. Fuck.
The man says something.
“Deep breaths” supports Anri softly. Kaiser nods and tries to take a deeper breath to show that his lungs are actually doing great and his problem only occurred due to increasing panic– and apparently, it’s too much for his throat because a moment later he's whizzing like an old accordion. He writhles forward and the doctor steps away, giving him space. When he’s done, he asks:
“How bad… is it?”
Anri only offers him a weak smile. “Don’t worry about it. You’re doing great”
Kaiser doesn’t bother asking again.
The man says he needs to check his eyes. He brings a set of equipment and something resembling a flashlight. Kaiser digs his fingers into the tense muscles of his tighs and is unpleasantly reminded that he’s still in a sweaty Bastard suit. He didn’t even manage to take a shower. Suddenly he becomes hyperaware of how clammy every part of his body is - even the face and he vividly remembers splashing water on it after the match.
The doctor tells him to look up and guides his head in different directions with a rather uneasy expression while it takes everything in Kaiser to not punch him in the face and get out of here. The flashlight keeps blinking, changing its power sometimes becoming a round dim shape only to pierce his eye like a needle a second later. He needs to keep his cool, he knows, especially after whatever happened earlier.
It’s only a flashlight, he reasons, and the hand isn’t even that close to his neck… and yet it’s hard to keep his breathing steady and his eyes open when he feels everyone in the room staring at him; making him feel like he’s covered in ants.
He hates every second of it.
When this circus is over the doctor says his reactions are fine but that his eyes are sensitive to light, which wow , like Kaiser didn't know that already.
He expects to be put through another similarly valuable test but the doctor announces that he needs to arrange the scan room.
Scan room, sure, whatever. The man leaves them. Soon after Anri goes too, saying that she has to discuss some formal matters.
“I really need to take care of it now” she pleads, but it’s not like Kaiser or Noa even said anything.
A deafening silence falls upon the room. It doesn’t help that even though the chair next to him is free, Noa still prefers to stand over him, burning a hole in the back of his head. Kaiser taps his fingers against the desk for the first few minutes until he can’t take it anymore.
“I can feel you staring, old man. Just say what you want and leave me be”
At first, Noa says nothing. Then after a long while:
“Why?”
Why why why
The most basic and foremost question of humankind. He knew Noa never possessed the ability to articulate his thoughts coherently but this is a new low.
“Why what ?” Kaiser answers the question with another question, not even trying to hide the frustration.
The man doesn’t notice that his words are flowing with venom. It makes Kaiser wonder what kind of process went through that head when he saw him on the floor. The machine standing before him right now would surely pass by without so much as a blink.
“Why do this? It’s counterproductive” Of course for someone like Noel Noa it is counterproductive while for Kaiser it’s the only relief he can get. He doesn’t want to explain it. He doubts there’s a single cell behind those gear-like eyes that would understand what he’s talking about. And even if - there’s no middle ground for them to share. He refuses to say anything but Noa doesn’t give up easily and strikes again.
“You’re aware this can have a lasting impact on your sports career?”
Well, obviously, but so far it hasn't and Kaiser can either be invincible or dead in a ditch. There never was much choice for him anyway. A few seconds of bliss - that much he knows he deserves.
“Everything can have an impact on my sports career, should I have diets prepared for me with dieticians measuring every grain I eat now?” he wits with a half smile while Noa’s brow furrows and arms cross. Oh, he’s angry.
“It’s not even a close comparison”
“For you, maybe”
Before Kaiser or Noa can add anything Anri comes back. She has a troubled expression on her face. Both of them must be looking at her with some kind of question because she raises her hands the next moment and explains that there were a few complications, but she mostly handled it. Whatever it means.
She also hands a few papers to Noa.
“The hospital policy requires it.” She insists. “There wasn’t a form in German or French but I got an English copy. Do you know English, Mr. Noa?”
The man nods and takes the papers from her hands. He takes a spare pen from the desk and starts filling in the papers.
Meanwhile, Anri stands awkwardly at Kaiser’s side. She pretends she isn’t staring at him but she’s terrible at it. Kaiser catches her the second time. He doesn’t do anything at that because her gaze isn’t as intrusive as Noa's.
“Why can’t I do it?” He asks when one single paper turns into 2 and then 3. Surely it cannot be some silly little form with no/yes answers. Not to mention he doesn’t trust Noa to write whatever he wants there. It can be dangerous. His reputation won’t be intact after all this circus is over, he knows as much, and the only thing he can do right now is minimize the damage.
The woman winces at his hoarse voice - no doubt a consequence of his little talk with Noa earlier. “It’s an inside matter really! They need it for the archive... And since you were unconscious at the time, Mr. Noa is the one who should do it.”
Kaiser looks at her and can with all confidence say she’s not lying and yet the lingering feeling remains in the back of his head. What if it has some compromising questions, what if it’ll be used against him? He must see it when Noa’s finished. For now though… he has to sit still and keep himself from making rushed decisions. Sounds easy enough.
“How are you feeling?” Asks Anri alarmed by his continued silence. She also blocks his view of Noa. His eye twitches. He knows she’s only doing her job but he can’t help but feel irritated every time she opens her mouth. How is he feeling? How can he be feeling?
“Great” he spits.
Her thin brows furrow like she doesn’t like his answer or his tone or his–
“I know you’re angry and scared but please, don’t lash out at me. I’m only trying to help”
If it were any different day, any different situation he might’ve felt embarrassed and well– not apologize but at least turn around and forget about the whole thing. An equivalent of an olive branch in his dictionary, really…
The problem is this is not a different day or different time or a different fucking situation.
“You sure do have a funny way of showing it. First dragging me here against my will and now demanding me to be pleased. Well, I have a surprise prepared for you: I’m not.” His voice gets weaker the longer he talks while his fury only increases without finding an outlet. “I’m not.” He repeats and his voice cracks - an ugly little thing. “With how things are looking I won’t even get to practice tomorr– today. And I can assure you Miss I didn’t come to Blue Lock to be stuck in some shitty ho–”
“Cool it down, Michael.” Anri shifts to the left to let him see Noel Noa in all his monumental glory. He looks like a sculpture, his body frozen in a writing position with an unnaturally straight back and an expression that can be anything. Like everything it’s only a facade and his insides are filled with gears, clocks, and some deep-rooted self-esteem issues if thinks he can scrutinize Kaiser like that. “You did it to yourself. You should be grateful Miss Anri decided to help you keep a low profile. If it wasn’t for her, tabloids would’ve been all over the place”
“I’m supposed to be… grateful?” He laughs finally finding some outlet for all his anger. “All of this would never happen if you didn’t want to play a fucking savior!”
Noa doesn’t say anything for a long while. Kaiser can already feel a sick satisfaction at proving the other wrong - even at his own expense, until:
“When I found you, your hands were still on your neck. If I came any second later you would be dead.”
Now it’s Kaiser’s turn to be silent. What he heard sounds so ridiculous that at first he’s sure he must’ve misheard or hallucinated it from sleep deprivation or– It doesn’t make any sense! And yet here he is, the statue of a man looking at him without any particular emotion, except Kaiser knows he’s angry. He looks at the gray tiled floor. Why now?
“You’re lying” he accuses, because it can’t be true. Every other time he has lost consciousness he ended up sooner or later waking up with hands near his torso but not congealed around his neck. This is wrong. Noa must’ve seen something wrong. Maybe he’s trying to scare him into being quiet? Everything’s confusing and his biological clock is ringing at him to end all of this and go to sleep. He stares at Noa, and Noa stares back. He only says two words but the weight they hold is much heavier:
“I wish”
Anri gasps and looks horrified at Kaiser, her eyes comically big and with a weird gloss over them. She takes a step back and shakes her head. So he didn’t tell her. How convenient.
Noa looks at him for any reaction but when Kaiser doesn’t say anything, he turns away and continues writing.
So typical of Noel Noa - bombarding him with something like that and then turning away, expecting him to somehow deal with it. What is Kaiser supposed to do with this knowledge? He’s not suicidal by any means and the very thought of ending his life makes him laugh. Back when he was nothing more but a runt lonely strolling the streets he always clung to that hope of making it out and– just being worth something. Now that he’s halfway through and his dream is starting to take a more physical form than a silent whisper he was supposed to… what? End it all?
The three of them continue to sit in tense silence with the only sound coming from the pen writing. Anri tries to start a conversation a few times but is ignored by both Kaiser and Noa. At some point, she realizes it’s pointless and takes out her phone. The doctor comes in a few minutes later.
***
The scans come out alright and it only makes Kaiser suspect that Noa lied or at least exaggerated what he said earlier about seeing him still choking after losing consciousness.
It’s nearly six in the morning and all three of them are struggling. Anri is barely sitting straight and her eyelids keep dropping, while Noa is drinking yet another coffee. Kaiser wonders how much will this trip fuck up his perfect routine and diet, and to god he hopes it’ll be noticeable. If it will, he just might be the first person on Earth who managed to shake the monotone image of the best striker in the world.
The thought, although pleasant, doesn't bring him much joy. In an hour Ness will wake up and realize that something is wrong. Kaiser wouldn't be surprised if he started to tear down the place just to find him. Maybe he’ll even cry… he’s emotional like that.
Well, if his barking and wailing won’t wake up the others, they will still be up soon - the cafeteria opens early in the morning and all those freaks are afraid of losing any second on doing anything that isn’t training.
…he supposes that’s the one thing they all share.
He has been moved to another room - one with a huge hospital bed, a chair with a table on each side, and a small window that lets in the first rays of sunshine. Earlier, a nurse came by and started attaching to him various devices: one that measures his heart rate, an IV, and something on his chest– he has no idea what this shit does.
The thing is when he asked her how soon he would leave this place, she said it has to be determined yet but for now, they need him to wait until the IV is finished. Well if the doctors don’t know when he’ll leave, it surely can’t be anytime soon. He can forget about participating in today’s practices.
He looks at the IV pinned to his hand and the way the lucent liquid drops drops drops oh so slowly like it has had the whole time in the world. Kaiser considers whether shaking it would speed up the process.
“Don’t pull at it” comes Noa’s tired voice.
Kaiser makes one additional pull for pure amusement and lets his hand lay still on his stomach.
“Can’t help it. I forgot to take a phone with me.” he looks at the man. “I’m bored”
Noa puts the empty cup on the table near the bed but doesn’t fall for his sad face. “I’m not letting you use mine”
Kaiser can’t even be surprised at it. It was worth a try though. He looks through his head for a potential topic to kill the time and uneasiness.
“Who will substitute for you today?” he tries.
Noa doesn’t say anything and for a moment Kaiser wonders if what he said was not audible enough. The bandage around his neck is tight and unpleasant while his voice still leaves a lot to please. When the staff were examining his throat earlier Kaiser cursed and whined so much it’s actually embarrassing.
“I imagine it will be Loki,” he says finally.
Imagine… So he didn’t arrange shit. The world’s best striker at his finest, ladies and gentlemen! But jests aside doesn’t it mean…
“Does anyone even know? That I’m here, I mean.”
Noa looks thoughtful. “...Miss Anri called Ego a few hours ago.”
“And?” he prompts.
“No one else.” Noa fidgets a little on his chair which is too little for someone with his posture. It’s weird seeing him in so much… disarray. “This can’t go on, Kaiser”
Noa looks at him with a serious face– which is his usual one just with a promise of ultimatum burning behind his eyes. Kaiser doesn’t want any of this. He turns towards Anri who has somehow managed to find a comfortable position to curl up and doze off. Her form steadily rises and falls with every breath. Lucky her.
“This is a serious matter, don’t act like a child. No club will want you with such high risk”
Kaiser rolls his eyes. “They don’t need to know”
“The same way I didn’t need to know?”
Kaiser's breath hitches.
“It was an accident. Of course, I wouldn’t normally let it go that far…” he says but still doesn’t feel like he has the upper hand in this conversation. Noa must sense it like he always does and refuses to give him a chance to turn the tables. Why of all people it must have been him to find Kaiser? He can’t imagine any worse person to spend hours at this white white white hospital than Noa. He’s hardly fun, always knows how to get under his skin, and says the most ridiculous things. He doesn’t bend to Kaiser’s will and won’t waste any opportunity to point out how immature he’s acting.
He looks at Anri again, her face is half-hidden by her tangled hair and feels himself growing jealous. He too would like to sleep - he knows he needs it, and that it doesn’t much matter now whether he stays awake or not… and yet finds himself restless. He guesses this is when he should finally admit that he might be a little… scared.
Right now he’s on stable ground: he’s waiting for the results, sitting in this sterile room, with sterile light and a sterile, huge bed; but the moment he leaves? He has no doubts that Ego freak will want to talk with him. Hell, it’s not even the biggest problem - Kaiser wouldn’t be surprised if Noa told about everything to his main Coach and then… In the best circumstances, he’ll be under observation and forced to see a shrink arranged by the management– which means everyone will know and–
He can’t talk about this shit. It’s too much and he’d rather swallow his tongue before he’ll let some stranger–
The mere thought makes him feel like throwing up, and it’s still his best option. In the worst-case scenario, they’ll get rid of him after his contract ends, maybe even earlier. And as Noa said no one will want him if there’s a noose around his neck. What is he supposed to do then? Where is he supposed to go? Where can he go?
And that’s why he doesn’t want to sleep - when he wakes up, he’ll have to answer all these questions and somehow find a way to keep his head above the water.
No, he needs to turn this in his favor– lie or blame someone for it. He didn’t get out of that shitty house in that shitty neighborhood only to get back and become just like his father and he’ll be damned if it all happened because–
“...Is it because of Isagi Yoich?”
“No, it’s fucking not!” He yells and almost makes it only to twist a second later. A fit of coughs consumes him from within. “Why does… everything… always come back to him!? He’s nothing! Just a side actor, a clown, a fucking– pebble on my… way to… climb–”
He can’t finish the sentence, his throat too raw. He twists in half and buries his head in his knees while his hand goes for his neck but can’t quite reach it.
The IV was a relief for a short while but now Kaiser would kill for a cup of water. Still coughing, he pries an eye to look at Noa to (despite the doctors’ orders) get him something to drink. He’s only met with an unimpressed if a little bored look.
“Fuck… you” he splutters.
Noa walks around the bed and suddenly yanks him by the arms into a sitting position. At first, he wants to kick and fight but soon realizes that it’s easier to breathe like that. He takes one breath after another with Noa sitting just behind and a strong hand resting on his shoulder.
“Contrary to what you believe, I'm not an emotionless machine.” Noa starts, using up the opportunity that Kaiser is still gasping for breath. “I can see that you’re struggling… but I won’t have any more disrespect coming from you”
Noa’s grip tightens and Kaiser finds himself nodding. The man stays on the bed for a moment longer but then returns to the chair he was sitting on. Kaiser observes his every move, not letting him get in any blind spot. Noa notices him glaring. If he were a human being he would probably sigh but the only thing he does is stare back. Then:
“Get some sleep, Kaiser. It’s been a long night”
Kaiser doesn’t go to sleep, he doesn’t even lie down, he just stares. “Will you tell everything to my coach?”
“Yes”
Kaiser grits his teeth. “It’s a death sentence”
“It’s an opportunity” Noa counters. “I’ll say it once more: things can’t stay the way they are now. This is your way out”
“When will it hit you that I didn’t ask for this? In fact, I was plenty comfortable before you came along. It’s you who made a mess out of it.”
Noa doesn’t say anything to that. He seems lost in thought, his eyes reaching somewhere far away. Kaiser looks at the IV. The bag is half-finished. Is it too slow or too fast? He doesn’t want to stay here another day and yet the perspective of confronting the consequences of his outburst is even less preferable. He decides on a third option. He turns towards Noa.
“I don’t want to talk with you anymore. Go on a walk and find another person in need or stay here– I don’t care just– leave me be. I’ve had enough of this– all of this – I’m going to sleep. Don’t wake me up unless it’s something important” he says and buries himself in the sheets.
Noa still doesn’t say anything but after a while, when Kaiser is still finding it hard to drift away he hears a shuffling of a chair and a click of doors. Through the corner of his eye, he catches Noa holding a phone in his hand, then the door closes. The room becomes quiet again save for the occasional beeping from the monitor and Anri’s snoring. Somehow Kaiser drifts away all the same, running away with time still tickling in the background.