Flatline

"Is Akiko all right? Kirsu-san?!" Hajime exclaimed, his face turning pale.

"Ah uh, please get in, I'll explain on the way," Kirisu said with urgency as she opened the door to the front seat and urged Hajime to get in.

Without hesitation, Hajime got in, wondering why Kirisu had this stiff expression on her face. Most of the time, she was always cheerful, and easygoing. However, right now, she was the polar opposite of those characteristics. It's as if a flip was switched and Hajime was looking at someone else instead of the usual Kirisu he knew.

Kirisu got in the driver's seat and started the car. "I'm sorry for coming so late, but I thought you ought to know this as soon as possible. Fortunately, I was on my way to the hospital and your house is in the same direction."

"Did something happen, Kirisu-san?" Hajime repeated.

"Yes, actually— "

.....

Beeeeeeep~

A long beep resounded in the hospital room, waking the nurse who was supposed to be looking after the patient. It was one of the basic mistakes she could ever make but fortunately, the beep was loud enough and she managed to hear it.

Chest compressions.

The nurse didn't waste any time doing chest compressions, sweat flowing from her forehead down to her chin as she screamed for the doctor. If by any chance the chest compression didn't work, then they'd have to go with the last resort of using a defibrillator. The nurse gritted her teeth, fully knowing that it wasn't her fault that the patient's heart stopped. But then again, she couldn't help but feel a modicum of guilt after falling lightly asleep. How could someone who was supposed to look after a patient overnight do such a thing?

"DOCTOR!" She screamed a second time, panicking in her mind.

Slam! The door to the hospital room slammed open and the doctor came in. As soon as he was informed about the condition of the patient, he rushed out to get the defibrillator. There was not a moment to lose. A patient's life is on the line here.

"I know who that is... she had been here for one year, fighting, her older brother too." The doctor said to himself, running at full speeds down the hall and running back with the defibrillator in tow. His face showed genuine concern and worry even though the patient wasn't his relative. He knew about the life story of the patient, and right now, even if they couldn't do anything regarding her current condition, then they should at least try their best.

"Continue the CPR, Izumi-san," The doctor said in an urgent tone.

"Yes,"

"Tuning on the defibrillator, setting it to defib... set to 200 joules..." The doctor then rubbed the electric pads against each other, activating them. "Clear!"

Thump!

"No response, maintaining 200 joules... clear!"

Thump!

"Third shock, set to 200 joules... clear!"

Izumi-san, who had been standing beside the patient's bed closed her eyes shut, listening to the long resounding beep and praying that it would return to its normal short beeps. A stray tear fell from her eyes, as she listened to the doctor performing CPR once again.

'Please, you can't die here,' The nurse screamed inwardly.

Meanwhile, the doctor kept thinking of one word in his mind. 'Fight!' He repeatedly thought.

'Fight!'

...

Beeeeee... beep beep...

beep beep...

... beep beep...

One breath. Two breaths. After the third charge, the patient started breathing again, her demeanor was peaceful as usual. She didn't move an inch despite all those charges, but at least her heart started beating once again.

Usually, the doctors couldn't use a defibrillator on someone with a coma unless, of course, the patient's relatives allowed it. There are also certain conditions before using a defibrillator, but since the patient was young, and she's most likely to survive the defib, there wasn't that much danger. Also, the patient's only living relative had already okayed the process in the case of an emergency. No one knows whether he did so out of a whim, but nevertheless, it saved his younger sister's life.

"She's feverish. Look after her properly, Izumi-san, and report to me if you notice anything wrong. We're out of dangerous waters at the moment but that doesn't mean it cannot happen again."

"Thank you, doctor," Izumi responded, her head slightly dipping down as the doctor made his exit.

As Izumi collapsed on her seat, she heaved a sigh of relief. There seemed to be a commotion outside as soon as the doctor got out of the room but she ignored it. Right now, she felt temporary ease, thankful that the patient she looked after didn't die on her watch.

"She's strong, even after a year, she's still fighting, huh," Izumi-san said to herself.

.....

Hajime didn't speak another word throughout the trip. The only thing forefront in his mind was his sister.

Just a few minutes ago, apparently, Kirisu-san received a message regarding the situation of Sasajima Akiko. Apparently, she entered asystole, and she had to be 'defibbed'. Kirisu immediately drove towards the hospital to check up on her while the resuscitation was still ongoing and she picked up Hajime on the way.

And now that they're in front of the hospital, she couldn't help but worry. What if they went inside only to receive bad news? Just the thought alone made her feel all anxious. She didn't want to enter the hospital.

On the other hand, Hajime immediately got out of the car and rushed through the halls of the hospital, quickly arriving at his younger sister's room. At the same time, the doctor was just exiting it.

"Is my sister all right?!" Hajime didn't waste any time asking, his eyes swollen as tears flowed from them.

"Aside from her fever right now, I'd say she's fine." The doctor responded. He didn't go around with his explanation since he knew that that would just add to the anxiety of the person asking. With a bow, he excused himself. He was actually on break, and before Izumi called for him, he was actually on his way to the breakroom to get a few minutes of shut-eye.

"She's... that's a relief... that's a relief," Hajime uttered, wiping the tears off of his face.