I Risked My Life To Save The Cheeky Girl, And As A Result, I Lost My Right Arm. - Chapter 3.1: The Hospital Room at Midnight. (Part 1)

The Hospital Room at Midnight. (Part 1)

The accident I had occurred on October 31st, right on Halloween.

After that, I spent a long time in the hospital, transitioning from autumn to winter as the seasons passed.

As she had promised, Hasegawa supported me wholeheartedly. It was almost painful, the extent of her devotion.

Every single day, without fail, she came to the hospital. She would bring fruits and sweets to cheer me up, feeding them to me. And she never left my side, staying until the visiting hours were almost over.

At first, she even skipped school just to stay with me all the time, refusing to leave even after visiting hours ended.

“Because I promised to stay with you, 24 hours…” she said, gazing into my eyes.

Of course, I had to stop her. I wanted her to go to school, and I didn’t want her to worry me by not going home. She looked almost ready to cry, but eventually, she understood.

That’s how our fragile relationship started to build a connection.

***

December 15th.

Around 4:00 PM, the faint snowfall could be seen outside the window.

As usual, Hasegawa came to visit me after school.

“Senpai, please open your mouth,” she said.

Sitting on a small chair beside my bed, she picked up a mandarin orange and brought it to my mouth.

“Ah, open wide…” I said, feeling embarrassed, but I opened my mouth, receiving the fruit from her like a baby bird.

Because of this scene, there were times when the nurses mistakenly thought we were a couple, but in reality, our relationship wasn’t anything so sweet.

To be honest, being fed like this was embarrassing, and I didn’t really want to do it. But if I refused, Hasegawa would look so terribly sad.

To ease her guilt, I figured it was better for me to rely on her a bit. So, despite my embarrassment, I allowed her to feed me.

“By the way, my mom told me yesterday that the guy who hit me finally got caught by the police.”

When I said that, Hasegawa replied, “Really?”

“According to Mom, the guy was speeding, drunk. He didn’t even notice you on the road. And when he hit me, he panicked and fled the scene.”

“Drunk… but it was still daytime?”

“Drinking in the middle of the day… it’s the kind of thing that makes you think he’s beyond help, like a hopeless adult.”

“…Yeah, I suppose so.”

“So… about that…”

I scratched the bridge of my nose with my left index finger and spoke to her.

“It’s not all your fault, Hasegawa.”

“………..”

“So… what I’m trying to say is…”

“…It’s okay, Senpai. You don’t have to comfort me.”

“Huh?”

“It’s clear that I’m the one at fault.”

“………..”

“I went onto the road. If I hadn’t done that, your arm wouldn’t be…”

“Well… yeah, I guess that might be true, but the car that was speeding is the one to blame the most. You shouldn’t have to take all the responsibility…”

“………..”

Without saying anything, Hasegawa lowered her gaze.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything more, so I stared out the window at the falling snow.

“………..”

“………..”

There was almost no conversation between Hasegawa and me. We couldn’t talk like we used to anymore.

The old Hasegawa was, of course, cheeky and bold, but now, seeing her like this, I found myself wishing she could go back to being the lively girl she once was.

Now, I even started to think that her cheekiness back then was just a part of her charm.

“………..”

For a while, silence hung between us, and then… something changed in my body.

My “right arm” started to hurt immensely.

This time, the pain was like my arm was being twisted off. It felt like I was being wrung out like a towel with incredible force.

“Ugh…! Guh…!”

I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes.

“W-What’s wrong, Senpai…?”

“Ah, the phantom limb pain… again…!”

“Huh…!?”

“Ughhh…!! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!”

“S-Senpai! Are you okay!?”

“Ughhh!! Aaaahhh!!”

While Hasegawa was by my side, I screamed in agony, beads of sweat forming on my forehead.

Hearing my cries, the doctor and nurses rushed in.

“Alright, Nakamura-san, we’re going to administer a sedative!”

“AAAHHHH!! Please! Please stop it! Why is this happening to me?! Why does it have to be me going through this?!”

Unable to withstand the overwhelming pain any longer, I began to cry heavily.

I gritted my teeth, my breathing becoming erratic.

From the depths of my heart, I felt an unbearable terror. I hated everything. It felt as if, if I didn’t scream right now, I might die.

“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!! Damn it!! DIEE!! This is bullshit!! DIE YOU PAIINN!!”

“Nakamura-san! Breathe in deeply, try to take a deep breath!”

“Ahhhhh! Stop crying me!! Don’t be such a pain, you idiot!! What’s wrong with you?!”

My mind was a mess, and disjointed words spilled from my mouth. Tears clouded my vision, and I couldn’t even make out the faces of the people around me.

It felt as though the rationality within me was being torn apart. Deep inside, the dark magma sleeping within me erupted, burning me from the inside out.

“I can’t take it anymore!! Someone, please help me!! Hahhh!! Hey!! Please, I beg you, help me!!”