Aftermath

The doctor had just finished his check-up on Shun when Shun's mother and father reached the hospital.

They ran to the coach, just as he was about to get an initial report on Shun.

Shun's dad called out to him,

Dad: "Coach, Koetsuji-san!"

Coach looked to the side to see Shun's parents walking towards him. He turned to the doctor and said.

Coach: "They are the parents."

The doctor nodded and waited for Shun's parents to arrive and catch their breath.

Shun's mom immediately asked the doctor about Shun.

Mom: "Doctor, how is Shun? Why did he collapse?"

The doctor looked at the worried mother and smiled to calm her down and ease her worries.

Doctor: "Please don't worry about your son, he collapsed due to exhaustion and side-effect of an Adrenaline rush.

We have not done any tests, but from what the coach explained to me and from what I saw, your son exhausted himself while playing, but the adrenaline rush masked the fatigue, and he kept playing.

So, when the adrenaline rush ended, he ended up collapsing.

You can take him home in the evening. He needs to eat and rest well, and he will be back to normal in a few days.

He is sleeping now, but we will wake him up in an hour or two, to feed him."

With that, the coach and Shun's father went to the reception to complete formalities, and Shun's mother entered the room.

She felt a weight lift off her chest when she saw Shun sleeping in the room. Seeing Shun with her own eyes filled Shun's mother with relief.

She pulled a chair, set it beside Shun's bed, and silently looked at her son as he slept.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Shun slept for two hours before waking up to see his parents at his bedside.

He squinted from the light in the room. He felt tiredness to the core of his bone.

Shun groaned, which alerted his parents that he woke up.

Shun's mother immediately got up from her seat and moved closer to her son. She grabbed his hand and asked.

Mom: "Shun, how are you feeling?"

Shun looked at the worried face of his mother, and even though he was in no mood to smile, he did it for his mother.

A small smile appeared on his face as he clenched his mother's hand and said.

Shun: "...Hey, mom. I am fine, just a little tired and maybe a little hungry."

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Shun ate at the hospital, and after the doctor once again examined Shun, he allowed the discharge from the hospital.

Shun didn't speak much that day.

He only opened his mouth to speak when he was spoken to first.

That day Shun went to sleep early.

He laid in his bed, and the game played inside his bed.

The second half of the third-quarter flashed inside his mind, him running around the court to catch up to Akashi's passes stuck in his mind like gum to a shoe.

Shun: 'If only I didn't play less aggressively back then. Maybe I could have played in the fourth quarter.

I had slowed down the games' speed when we had a fifteen point lead maybe then I could have played in the fourth quarter.

Only if I had devoted more time to endurance, maybe then I could have played in the fourth quarter.

Only if I was a little more sturdy, maybe then I could have played in the fourth quarter.'

Shun stared at his ceiling with such thoughts swimming in his mind.

Shun decided that he didn't want to think about the game, and the best way to achieve that was to go to sleep.

Shun closed his eyes and slipped to the domain of Morpheous.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

When Shun woke up in the morning, he was thankful that he didn't get any dreams.

Shun sat on his bed. His eyes were attracted to his first-year jersey that he had hung on his wall.

He looked at the black-purple jersey with number thirteen printed on it.

Shun sighed as he noticed that he had been looking at his jersey for a couple of minutes and then got up from his bed.

Shun groaned as he felt muscle ache throughout his body.

Shun: "Urgh, I didn't stretch after the game."

Shun looked at the clock and saw that it was already ten o'clock.

Shun furrowed his brows and then remembered.

Shun: "Ah, father said that I wouldn't be going to school today. Well, that is good. I don't want to walk even a single bit."

Shun stretched his body a little and felt the ache cruising through the body.

Shun: "This sucks."

Shun walked out of the room and searched the house to see if his parents were at home.

He walked to the dining room, looked in the kitchen, glanced into the living room, and peeked into his parent's bedroom.

At last, he moved to the study and saw his father sitting on his desk, doing some work.

Shun knocked on the door and said.

Shun: "Dad."

Shun's dad looked up from his work and smiled.

Dad: "Good morning, Shun. How are you feeling?"

Shun leaned on to the door frame and replied.

Shun: "Good morning. I am still tired and have a lot of muscle ache."

Shun's dad chuckled and spoke.

Dad: "Well, you didn't stretch yesterday."

Shun smiled as he was expecting the reply and the asked.

Shun: "Why are you at home. Shouldn't you be at the clinic?"

Shun's dad smiled as he rested his chin on the palm of his hands.

Dad: "You were really out of it yesterday, huh. We discussed that I would stay at home to take care of you."

Shun thought back to see if he recalled something, but didn't find anything. He furrowed his brows and said.

Shun: "You didn't have to do that. I can take care of myself. Come on; you should go to the clinic. Aren't you busy these days with Yumiori Giants."

Shun's dad shook his head. He got up from his chair and walked to Shun.

Shun had to look up to match eyes with his father. Shun's height gene came from him.

Shun's dad ruffled his son's hair and said.

Dad: "Nonsense. I will be with you, no matter how busy I am. And, taking care of you is not the only reason that I am at home."

Shun titled his head in confusion and asked.

Shun: "It is not?"

Shun's dad sighed and held Shun's head and turned it slightly to both sides and spoke.

Dad: "Are you sure you didn't hurt your head yesterday?"

Shun removed the hands from his face.

Shun: "No, I didn't!"

Shun's dad looked at his son with an amused expression and spoke.

Dad: "We talked about this yesterday. Your coach is coming to the house after lunch. He wanted to talk about the summer camp."

A bulb appeared above Shun's head, and he remembered the FIBA training camp.

Shun: "Ah, that. So, he asked you yesterday, huh."

Shun was interested in knowing about the camp. So, he looked forward to it, but for now, he was hungry and wanted to stuff himself.

He looked at his dad and asked.

Shun: "What's for breakfast?"