Chapter 173：Careless

Takeshi shifts his focus from his meal when he hears Aiko is non-stop coughing. "Are you okay ?" Takeshi asks while standing and gets to her side. Aiko is nodding but still unable to stop her cough. Takeshi rubs her back with one hand, his other hand pours water on an empty glass then takes it in front of her mouth. Aiko takes a couple of gulps. Her cough is subsided after that, but she seems to have a little trouble of breathing. "I'm okay," she says with choked voice after punching her chest few times. Her tears are dripping. "No, you are not," Takeshi rebukes her, wiping her tears with his handkerchief.

Aiko holds the handkerchief when Takeshi is about to wipe her mouth. She smiles. "I'm fine. Maybe just a catch of influenza". Takeshi widens his eyes. "You can not belittle influenza," he chides her in worry. His hand is on her forehead. She has fever again. "Have you seen your doctor ?" Takeshi asks. Aiko shakes her head. "But you had your monthly checkup, right ?" Takeshi asks her again. Once again she shakes her head, this time slower.

"What ?! Why didn't you do your monthly check up ?" Takeshi asks her in a slightly high tone. "I.. I was sick. I had high fever so I couldn't travel," she answers him fearfully. "That is even more reason to do your checkup. He is your family private doctor. You could just call him and he would pick you up, or even did the check up at your house," Takeshi disproves her reasoning. He then sighs when Aiko just lowing her head and trying to muffle her cough.

"Let's go there now," Takeshi decides. "No. We don't have to. You have filming schedule tomorrow.." Aiko tries to reject.

Takeshi doesn't listen to her, instead he calls Hiroshi to postpone his schedule for tomorrow then calls her doctor to ask an emergency appointment.

"Come on. We still can catch a bullet train to Osaka tonight," Takeshi insists her to go after asking for bill. Five minutes later they are on their way to the train station.

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Takeshi sits on one of chairs in bullet train. Aiko is beside him, wearing his jacket, while Takeshi rounds his arm to cover her body. It is still an hour before they arrives at Osaka. He is tired after scolding Aiko non-stop for about half an hour.

He doesn't understand why Aiko is so careless about her own health. Her type of cancer had a quite big probability to return. She should do a routine monthly checkup after her chemotherapy, so if the cancer is back, it will be noticed and taken care immediately.

Aiko must be tired of being scolded. She cried and said her regret over and over. She is now asleep, but restlessly. She has fever and her cough doesn't stop even when she is sleeping. Takeshi closes his eyes, tries to relax his mind a little bit. His hand constantly strokes Aiko's shoulder.

"Takeshi-kun.." Aiko calls him with hoarse voice. "Yes ?" Takeshi answers. "Do you really love me ?" she asks while raising her head a little to be able to look Takeshi in the eyes. "What.. Why did you ask me that so suddenly ?" Takeshi asks her back in surprised. Aiko only stares at him. "I do," Takeshi answers it after few seconds with a silent sigh. Aiko smiles then snuggles her body closer to him.

"Would you sing me your song as lullaby ?" Aiko makes another request. "Is that why you asked if I love you or not ?" Takeshi asks her back. Aiko shakes her head. "No," she says sadly. Takeshi sighs then pulls her head closer to his chest. Then he is humming a tone of one of his song while tapping her shoulder matching the song's rythm. Takeshi can feel her smile raising on his chest while her embrace getting tighter. He continues his hum. The song is one he created for Xiao Ping. He deliberatedly doesn't sing the lyric also focussing his mind on the monitor across him that showing adversitement so he doesn't think about Xiao Ping.

Slowly, Takeshi loosens his hand from Aiko's grip. It is an easy job to do since Aiko has fallen a sleep. He then stands and fixes the blanket that cover her thin body. She must have lost weight.

Like him, once they arrived yesterday night, her doctor chided her for skipling the scheduled check ups. He then gave her an injection to relieve her cough and did a thorough inspection on her. This afternoon, the doctor asked him to call Mr. Waseda and had him went to Osaka. The doctor didn't want to reveal the diagnosis to Takeshi, since he wasn't a family. This gave Takeshi a hint, something bad has happened. He called Mr. Waseda and the old man just arrived an hour ago, went straight to the doctor's office.

After making sure that Aiko is already in deep sleep, Takeshi decides to look for Mr. Waseda. The doctor couldn't possible to talk to him this long. He silently opens the door. To his surprise, he finds Mr. Waseda sits on one of bench in front of Aiko's room, crying without a sound. Both of his palms cover his face while his shoulders jolt occasionally.

"Sir.." Takeshi calls him in whisper. He then sits next to the old man with chaotic heart. Mr. Waseda opens his palms. His face is totally wet with tear and snot. "She.. she is dying, Takeshi.. Aiko is dying," he informs Takeshi with a heartbreaking voice then hugs him tight and cries again.