It was another twisting walk back to the waiting room, Takao set the bag down on one of the chairs and opened the bag rummaging for a button down shirt of his and a loose undershirt, before coming back to help you up "Shall we go for a walk Tecchan? A bathroom break, changing shirts and getting your blood flowing again." You nodded getting up carefully "Nn, I'd like to call Momoi after if we have time… There was something I didn't get the chance to talk with her about earlier…" Takao was confused but nodded "Roger that, then lets head over to the bathroom first, We can just walk around the waiting room and phone area; There aren't many people down here, it's pretty open." He rummaged through the bag again before placing your phone in your left hand and linking his left with your right leading the way.

You could tell it was a rather weaving path, but you didn't mind too much. Takao was explaining where you were going, apparently there was a bathroom close to the waiting room, but it was out of service, so you were going towards the elevator and call area, he was gentle explaining the surroundings; the cold white tiled walls the plain walls painted green along the trim and hanging simple paintings like flowers and the like. There weren't that many people at the moment probably because of the snow raging outside. It took a couple minutes to reach the bathroom, but Takao led you inside and guided you to the stall. It was weird to not be familiar with the bathroom, but once you got your bearings you nodded and Takao stepped out. Feeling the back of the door you found the jacket hooks and hung the new shirts there while you carefully removed the jacket and other shirts you had on. Your fingers brushed the necklace you were wearing and smiled a bit, you wondered what Momoi would say when you asked her what she meant earlier… Perhaps she could explain what Takao was hiding as well, or would it be best not to ask? Frowning you carefully pulled the undershirt on, it was slightly big on you; Takao probably intended it to be easy to remove if needed so he gave you one of his. It was weird having someone be so considerate, like an older brother? Maybe that was all.

After changing and using the bathroom, you carefully picked up your shirt from the door hook before heading out of the stall. Takao's voice guided you down the little path to the sinks and you found them without his physical guidance; it sounded like he joined you and he turned on the sink near you before turning on another, his voice was like a gps you found the soap dispensary under his guidance and he chuckled "Seems like I'm getting used to giving directions like this~ When we first started I wasn't precise enough and we were having a ton of issues huh… I'm glad I got better so quickly, after all it'd be awful if you were under awful directions up until you got better!" You chuckled and nodded "You really were awful at first Takao-kun…" You could hear him fluster and laugh as the water turned off, he guided you to the paper towel taking his own after you, and he threw them both away taking the shirts from you "Shall we go to the call area then, want me to wait outside? Momo-chan is probably going to be over the moon to have you call her~" You tilted your head and nodded "Just about 5 minutes, that should be long enough" He gently patted your head and smiled "You got it Tecchan~ I'll run and put this back in the bag and come straight back, and it'll be roughly that long. Sound good?" You nodded assent and he brought you to the phone area, he guided you to the back where it was safe to walk around and there were some chairs if you decided to sit. "Well then Tecchan, I'll be right back!" He closed the door behind him and you took your phone out of his jacket pocket.

Momoi-san had her number saved on speed dial, so you held the '9' key and waited. After a moment you heard the ringing and lifted the phone to your ear. A startled, excited voice answered "Tetsu-kun?! Are you okay? Did you miss me that much? I should have told Imayoshi-senpai I'd stay with you and Takkun!" You blinked and chuckled, just like usual Momoi was good at blowing away your worries, similar to how Takao or Kise could. You sighed softly "I'm glad you got back to the hotel safely Momoi-san… I just had something on my mind is all…" You could hear the confusion in her moment of silence "Tetsu-kun? Did Takkun do something to bother you?" You could hear her close a door behind her, she'd stepped away from whatever she was doing and was getting into her 'serious' mode. You closed your eyes lowering your head although she couldn't see you, a frown appeared on your lips "Not quite… It's just something you said earlier, combined with how hard he was hiding his injury; I was confused… How bad was Takao-kun's lip? The doctor we just saw treated it, apparently he made it bleed…" You heard her gasp and frown "That damn ganguro… I'm going to scold him again… Hm.. Aomine has a lot of strength you know Tetsu-kun… From what he said, he didn't hold back at all when he punched at Takkun, but Takkun stepped back to lighten the impact…. Even so the force of his mouth getting hit by Aomine's fist… And his lip pinching against his teeth it wasn't nothing… His lip and chin were bruised and the middle of his bottom lip was split like a gash… It's like something you'd see in a contact sport, not on a basketball player. If he made it bleed he had to have bitten it at some point, he is trying his hardest not to worry you Tetsu-kun so be sure to scold him if he makes you stress out over stuff like this!" You chuckled "Mm… I'm not really 'stressed' I'll be meeting with the specialist in a while and they might operate so I'm a bit concerned about that… But Takao-kun is being really supportive… I think he might be more concerned than I am…" Momoi was startled hearing your offhanded praise and was startled when you asked "Momoi-chan… What did you mean earlier when you told Takao-kun that you would 'support him'?" She flustered a bit "Y-you heard that Tetsu-kun? Oh uhm… It's just Takkun really is doing his best, I don't want to lose to him… It's kind of hard to explain, I just… It's amazing how Takkun is handling this, he probably blames himself the most for not saying something a little sooner, just like you normally don't miss things like these, if he hadn't missed the timing he feels like it would be different… He really treasures you Tetsu-kun, and I think there's something he really wanted to say to you if he played well in your next match? So I was supporting his wishes so we get you back and he can finally say what he wanted to…"

You tilted your head and murmured "He did say he had something he wanted to say… He absolutely won't say it before the surgery… I wonder what it was?" Momoi giggled and you could hear her kind smile "Make a fast recover Tetsu-kun and then you'll find out~ I have to get back to a meeting with the captain~ Call me again later okay Tetsu-kun? I love you! Good luck!" She hung up in a flash before you could even say goodbye. You sighed and phoned your grandmother, letting her know you were okay and just doing a bunch of tests so far. You told her you'd be staying in Kangawa for a little while and that because of the snow you'd be spending the night at the hospital so you probably wouldn't be charged for the hotel accommodation for tonight. She said she heard from Takao this morning, but she was happy to hear your voice, she wanted you to stop by once you were better to spend time together. The call was short, you disconnected and powered off your phone. Slowly walking around in little circles.

A minute passed and Takao knocked on the door before coming in "Tecchan~ Are you done?" You chuckled, really he was too considerate "Mm, Momoi-chan was in a meeting so she couldn't talk for long; and my grandmother was getting ready to rest so I finished quickly. Thank you Takao-kun" You felt him fluster and he chuckled "It's nothing Tecchan, shall we head back?" Carefully you nodded then walked over to him, and he took your hand again. "Alright, the transport should be down to get us soon. I wonder what Dr. Johnson is going to be like in the end… If he could order extra testing without even meeting you, he must really be worth the reputation he has~" You blinked, having not considered that you nodded "Maybe this really is all almost over?" Takao hummed and said "It'll be lonely not having you living with us anymore, but I hope it is over soon~ You need to recover and accomplish your goal~"

The walk back to the waiting room felt shorter and somehow awkward, as he helped you settle back into the wheelchair and put your phone back in the bag and reported he texted updates to the seniors. The seniors included the 'guardians of the rainbow' Mayuzumi-senpai, Himuro-san, Kasamatsu-senpai, Imayoshi-senpai, Miyaji-senpai and Hyuuga-senpai were his initial contacts. Though he also had contact numbers for Mibuchi-senpai, Kiyoshi-senpai, Izuki-senpai, Momoi-san, Kise-kun, Sakurai-san, Midorima-kun and Murasakibara-kun according to his report a while back, you wondered when he got so close to everyone to get their numbers. Not that it really mattered, he had recorded his number in your phone as well so you had it in case you needed him when he wasn't by your side. He was saved under speed dial 10. Frowning a bit your hands curled around the blanket and Takao asked "Hm~ You okay Tecchan? Whats on your mind?"

Blinking you sighed "Nn… It's nothing, I'm sure I'll hear about it later."

Before he could answer you, a bored voice called out "Kuroko Tetsuya-kun, Takao Kazunari-kun? Ah there you two are. I'm Mizuki Oe, I'll be the last transport for you two today. We're off to see Dr. Johnson on the upper floors. After your consultation, I'll be bringing you to set your things down in your assigned room. We'll be moving ahead with the procedures after dinner, all the staff for the planned operation are here on site, and as it's dangerous to leave, we'll move forward today instead of tomorrow; As we're expecting a lot of emergency cases tomorrow due to the severity of this storm." The two of you were rather dumbstruck at the bored voice saying that they would operate tonight as if he were asking for someone to pass a seasoning. Takao sighed softly "You must be exhausted Oe-san… Thank you for telling us, we'll be sure to prepare after the meeting with Dr. Johnson… We'll be in your care…" You nodded, and heard Oe-san walk over behind you, Takao patted your shoulder and you heard him pick up the bag "Ready Tecchan? Seems we really are entering the final quarter already" You couldn't help but chuckle at his awful attempt at a joke "I think even Izuki-senpai would hesitate to say something like that Takao-kun?" As the chair began to move Takao playfully hummed "He wouldn't risk it, he gets carded too often by your captain y'know. I could tip him off though~" You couldn't help but wonder how it was that this hawk was coming up with so many puns on the fly, but you were almost afraid to ask "Did you steal one of Izuki-senpai's joke books?"

Takao coughed "What he has joke books? No way~ I fly solo, I either remember my jokes or come up with them off the wing" You heard Oe sigh as he realized and asked "...You two… Are basketball players?" You nodded ascent "Yes." Oe hit the call button leading you both into the elevator "I see… Though how exactly did you two end up like this then? A frontal lobe injury with enough force to cause retinal damages is one thing with your height… But that lip injury… That looks like a rugby or x-league injury…"

You both sighed and Takao chirped up "Well Kuroko's injury was from a practice match… An elbow made contact with his head at a pretty fast pace… Mine was from off the court… Tecchan is one of the players from Teiko's Generation of Miracles, if you've heard of it… And so the other Miracles who stood at the forefront are craaaaaazy protective of him… One of them ended up punching me to let out their frustrations and even doing my best to lessen the blow it ended up like this…. We have a lot of muscle to play basketball like we do after all. I'm no match for an ace throwing a punch aimed to hurt..." Oe-san blinked hearing the explanation and nodded "I see… Kiseki no Sedai? I think there was something in the papers about that when the school session started this year no? That one of them came to Kaijou High School?" Takao hummed "Yup~ Kise Ryouta enrolled at Kaijo, he was one of the six miraculous players, and one of the five prodigies." Oe didn't hide his confusion "Six players, but five prodigies?" Takao chuckled and nodded "Correct Kuroko isn't one of the 'prodigies' his talent was something practiced and honed, he was the 'Phantom Sixth Man' of that team, his lack of presence is the reason he's in a wheelchair, nothing else~ Because a wheelchair draws attention, which Kuroko naturally avoids after his years of practice. Think of it like a magic trick~ Even when you're watching suuuuuper closely they make things disappear right? It's like that, Kuroko uses 'magic' on the court but disappears from everyone's mind since he's not the one scoring~" Oe blinked and nodded "I see… That sounds like a sad life for an athlete, but it makes perfect sense…" You felt your face get a bit warm, Takao had praised your ability so easily and explained it so well that Oe-san was being supportive… To a non-athlete explaining the role of a phantom player was normally no easy feat, yet Takao seemed to be glib enough to manage.

The elevator sounded as the doors slid open, you'd arrived on the upper floor where the specialist was waiting. Sighing softly Takao murmured descriptions as you walked, you could imagine him crossing his arms behind his head as he took in the floor and shifting them to his pockets when you came across other people, a natural cool kid persona. You chuckled and took a breath, Oe-san knocked on a door bringing you to a stop, you heard Takao turn on his heel waiting patiently as well. His hand found your forearm and patted it reassuringly, you let out a breath you hadn't realized you drew and a voice inside called out "Ah Oe-san? Come in." You heard the door click open and your chair entered the room. You heard Takao follow and close the door, he took a seat beside you and casually placed his hand over yours and smiled "Pleasure to meet you Dr. Johnson." You lowered your head slightly in a bow as Takao greeted him and the doctor chuckled "Hm… I think I can understand all the annoying notes on this file now." You heard Oe-san laugh softly and nod "Yes… This pair of students have quite a bit of character. This is Kuroko Tetsuya and that one is Takao Kazunari. The staff seem to have a knack for finding the wrong things to say, they're both good kids. But if something is going to be too risky, there's no second chances." His voice was more amused than bored this time around and Takao sighed softly "I almost don't want to guess what everyone has said so far… I get that everyone is having a rough time because of the weather~ But taking it out on the high school kids from Tokyo isn't really the right way to go about it~ Sorry if you had false expectations Dr. Johnson~"

The answering voice was elegant, and quite authorative; You couldn't help but imagine someone similar to Akashi was sitting across the desk from you. "Well it is to be expected, you hopefully shouldn't be dealing with any more short tempers. The team we'll be working with tonight will be well rested and mistakes are a non-issue. That being the case shall I begin the explanation of your condition and the recommended treatment Kuroko-kun, Takao-kun? There are quite a few images, I'll do my best to explain; feel free to interrupt me if you've got questions or don't understand. This isn't school, this is your body Kuroko-kun, I want you to be comfortable with what is going to happen so you don't get anxious." You nodded and Takao squeezed your hand, you could hear his grin as he answered "No worries there Doctor, Kuroko has been saying I'm more anxious than he is, his mind is set on recovery; So understanding what's going to make him better is just like an 'I told you it was no big deal' kinda~" You covered your mouth with your free hand to chuckle and the doctor merely said "Well then, that's ideal."

You heard the rustling of paper, and plastics. The explanation began "Alright first allow me to explain the testing and the results we received. I'm certain you felt that was an excessive amount of tests. First you went through the blood testing; As you're aware it was primarily to test for substances that could pose potential problems during the procedures. However the second reason which was noted to not have been explained was to test for genetic concerns. Where you're so young Kuroko-kun, you haven't needed extensive genetic testing yet, however running blood tests allows us to know of issues that could arise due to your unique genetic make-up. For instance there are rare genes that can cause blindness if the wrong drug is applied, even if the dosage is correct. So to ensure that you have no additional risk factors against the general anesthesia, or undeclared illnesses like a strain of cancer or the like we perform thorough blood work, which is why they took so much. The lab took a bit of extra time to process, thankfully this facility recently got the equipment to run the tests on site, or we would be in a bit of a pickle. Despite that, the results were promising, there will be no complications and there were no anomalies that would cause us to rethink our action plan." The doctor paused and both you and Takao simply nodded.

"Next you went through the CT or CAT scans. It is a unique test similar to an xray that takes cross-sectional images of your brain. It's ideal in your situation, it helps us locate and identify any hemorrhaging or the like. The results from this alone were sadly inconclusive which is why it was partnered with an MRI, they two are used to detect similar things; However even it's name explains the differences a Magnetic Resonance Image. It scans the soft tissues of the brain unlike a CT scan, and it allows us to detect things like minute brain tumors, softening from traumatic injuries, even things like developmental anomalies, multiple sclerosis, stroke, dementia, infection, and the causes of headache. The brain is a very fragile organ and it essentially controls whom we are as a human. The MRI was able to disprove the original fears of brain damage. Although it is fact that you were faced with extreme blunt trauma to the frontal lobe, this did not cause internal bleeding. Although there is a chance of bruising that is not life threatening. It would merely prove unpleasant. That was not was the important factor though."

"Through the MRI we were able to identify there was indeed bleeding and it became an immediate flag, we needed to find that source. So the next two tests were issued. Now I'm sure having heard what a CT scan is in essence made you question why I ordered x-rays? Although they use similar technology, an x-ray itself is primarily used for bone; while a CT scan is more able to read the smaller details of muscles. We needed to see if the bleeding was from a fracture to the skull or something similar. Although there was a small chip, there was nothing to be alarmed of with the xrays. We did see the area the blood was hemorrhaging was around the eye sockets which gave the Ultrasound technician an indication of how to proceed. An ultrasound is by far the cleanest test you underwent, it uses high frequency like sonar to detect the muscles, organs and internal things we can easily miss. It's used primarily for pregnancies or organ damages. Using this imaging method we triple checked for any brain damage and also located the key problem."

The entire time he was speaking he was pressing on images, likely showing them to Oe-san and Takao-kun, forgetting you couldn't see them. Takao's hand was a gentle vice around yours, you were almost certain even if you tried to move your hand it wouldn't escape his. You carefully turned your hand over and gave a light squeeze in return reassuring your worried caretaker. There was no brain damage, that was reassuring to hear. Then where did the issue come?

"The cause of the issue, the bleeding and the blindness is retinal detachment. In this case Exudative retinal detachment, this occurs when happens when fluid builds up behind your retina, but there aren't any tears or breaks in your retina. If enough fluid gets trapped behind your retina, it can push your retina away from the back of your eye and cause it to detach. There are quite a few options for recovery, however time is of the essence when dealing with detachment. The issue lies with the fact that you managed to suffer a double detachment, treatments are generally for one eye at a time. Due to the pressing issue of time, if you're willing; I will perform a new procedure; It has been tested and approved overseas, however it is still not common practice on the eastern seaboards. The procedure can be used on both eyes without needing a break."

Both you and Takao drew a breath as you tightened your grips and listened intently. This was not going to be a 'light' decision.

"My proposed operation is similar to a vitrectomy. A traditional vitrectomy the surgeon will make very small openings in your eye wall and remove most of the vitreous from your eye with a suction tool. Then either use a gas bubble, or laser to treat the detachment. What I'm proposing is, using a tool to drain the blood from behind the eye. We'll then use a method similar to pneumatic retinopexy. Using a specialized tool we'll hook behind the eye and essentially freeze the retina back into place. The risks of this are significantly less than using the buckle method which would leave a band permanently on your eye. And considering it's blood and not vitreous fluid it's a poor idea to use a gas bubble or laser based operation because the retina is only being held out of place by the blood hemorrhaging behind your eyes. The procedure would be simple only taking an hour at absolute longest; to drain and connect. You would be under general anesthesia the entire time, we need you to be still for the procedure so that's a given. As you're already enlisted to stay over night you would have no worry about after effects, and by the time you get discharged in the afternoon, your vision should be back to normal. In the morning after you first wake it will be a bit blurry as you adapt and your body normalises the crypto connection; it would naturally lessen the chemicals there if needed and you might be a bit teary early on. Although you would need to get a check up in two weeks before returning to your sport or any strenuous activity. So it would be advised to remain in Takao-kun's care unless your parents return in the meantime?"

Nodding the two of you frowned and Takao asked "Hmm what do you think Tecchan?" You sighed softly, honestly your head was swimming. You were silent for a bit as your mind raced, you were aware that Takao had obviously studied to the point he was this exhausted today and so you asked him questions quietly. He seemed to understand this more, so asking simple questions he answered. Back and forth neither Oe-san nor Dr. Johnson interrupted, your conversation was soft and it was unlikely either could hear the full thing. At least ten minutes passed before you had your resolve, you turned your face back towards Dr. Johnson and said "I would like to go with your proposal… It seems less detrimental…" Takao smiled and ran his thumb over the back of your hand. This little shadow was the strongest of the rainbow squad even if he wasn't a prodigy and that assessment would never change.

Dr. Johnson smiled "I'm glad to hear that Kuroko-kun. Oe-san will bring you to your room on the sixth floor for now, please order dinner and try to get some rest, if you're groggy the general anesthesia will be more fast-acting. Your room will be in a safe zone, so you don't have to worry about texting in the room; though I still advise stepping out for phone calls. We'll begin the procedure in two hours." You both nodded and Takao gently withdrew his hand and rose "Thank you Dr. Johnson; We'll be in your care then." He seemed to wave and Oe-san guided your chair out of the room. Oe-san spoke his surprise evident as he called the elevator "You two really are unique among high school students. You didn't need to ask many questions; Are you honor students?" Takao chuckled and hummed "We're both average~ Well on studied subjects or things that matter I'm generally able to remember things. I wanted to be able to do everything I could; since I took a short leave I've been researching so I knew best how to help Tecchan~ Like I said his friends are scary~ So I have to do more than expected for it to feel like enough. I happened to see a medical post about cranial injuries causing retinal detachment by chance so I read it anyway and so I was aware of the normal treatments, and I even watched some videos on it" You could feel him shiver, you didn't want to imagine how unpleasant it would be to watch someone getting needles stuck in their eye, or seeing blood or a thick fluid flowing out. You felt queasy imagining it and thankfully the elevator doors opened and accepted the three of you.

Oe-san his the button and the clank of the door shutting seal that conversation with a chuckle "Well you certainly deserve praise for going so above and beyond Takao-kun you're like the older brother everyone needs."

Takao chuckled and shook his head "I really didn't do much though. At this point I'm just like a reassuring ghost~ I can only offer support" Oe-san blinked "Whatever is wrong with that? Without support the whole procedure can be a lot more intimidating you know?"

Takao chuckled softly and smiled "Hm? I just don't see how staying by someone's side is praise worthy? Isn't it natural if you have the ability to keep someone close to you from being alone when they need someone by their side?" You chuckled that was indeed Takao logic that no one would be able to argue easily. Oe-san was caught off guard and couldn't resist the urge to laugh "Oh you have infallible logic don't you Takao-kun? Your girlfriend must never know how to handle you." Blinking he shrugged and you sighed "I doubt even his teammates know how to handle him" You heard Takao snicker "Hm~ It's true, my pineapple photo collection reflects that." You sighed and shook your head helplessly "I think I'd like to see that collection, your seniors are truly… Fascinating" Takao laughed happily hopping out of the elevator when the door opened "Mm, Miyaji-senpai and Kimura-senpai work well to make sure we really feel their wrath~ I don't recommend playing dodge the pineapple though~"

You felt the chair moving forward and Oe-san finally interjected "...Pineapple?" Takao laughed and hummed "Well you see~ One of my seniors is from a family that runs a fruit store; And because of our generation of freshman a lot of schools have put first years on the rosters for the first string. We've beaten out a bunch of seniors and overthrown the hierarchy so to speak. So one of my seniors who has a short temper has taken to throwing the green pineapples that my other senior's family can't sell at me and the other first year whenever we get 'out of hand' because we're too cocky." You could almost see Takao with a hand behind his neck grinning like a fool pretending it was no big deal as he laughed it off "See my school, Shuutoku, has a loooot of upperclassmen and the fact that two first years made it to the first string is unheard of, but for victory we have to get into shape faster and so the 'abuses' are a different kind of guidance~ So I started an album of pineapples, I'd use them as props or dress them up or whatever for fun~ Since they're trash anyway might as well keep a record of how many of those prickly weapons I face~ Fun right?" Oe-san was once again at a loss, you could imagine him slightly gaping, it wasn't normal to think of abuse so lightly… And since Takao was actually talking about being hit by physical fruit that caused injuries so lightly, anyone would normally be startled, and concerned for his well being. Takao obviously knew this and smiled his voice took on a cool serious tone and he seemed slightly distant as he said "It's not like I don't understand my seniors feelings. They don't know how to treat us and we have to work really hard… So if they don't keep some distance between us… They're afraid that it might become them that get left behind… See my fellow first year is suuuper scary good and none of us want to be a burden for him. The only reason he gets hit with flying fruit is usually his wishy-washy personality~ He's such a tsundere."

You couldn't help but chuckle that seemed reasonable, Midorima's personality was hard to deal with so pineapple therapy might be a good thing at least to level it out. You felt your chair go over a bump and then Oe-san sighed "Alright.. I'll take your word for it that it's not as bad as it sounds. I'll be leaving you two here then, I'll see you tonight to escort you for the procedure. Please use the room phone to call down to the kitchen, they'll have a runner bring up your meals." You could hear him bow saying "Well then, rest up." And the door slid shut behind him.

Takao explained the layout of the room, apparently it was a room that could house two, you'd be in the bed by the window. There was a dresser and table that could wheel over the bed. The bed had a section that pulled out to allow an overnight guest to sleep there. You didn't have a roommate, there was a call button and normal set up of vital readers on the wall behind the bed. There was no television or the like in the room. The curtains were apparently open and the snow was so thick that he couldn't see from where you two were. He carefully helped you up and guided you to the bed, and then plugged your phone and his in to charge before stowing the dufflebag into the dresser. And picking up and reading the menu off the table, reading it to you; they had very healthy foods and it was primarily soups, rice dishes or fish dishes. You both decided it was probably best to stick to soup so Takao called down the order and chuckled afterwards "After I update your grandmother and our seniors would you like to do some light exercise? There's plenty of space at the end of the beds by the bathroom so there's no risk of bumping into anything. Or we can skip today~ I just can't imagine how stiff you are from being stuck in that wheelchair for so many hours…. Since we left Tokyo, it's been over ten hours I think…" You could imagine him looking around for a clock and then heard him sigh "I was off by a bit it's already almost eleven and a half hours we've been here for an entire school session now~ Kinda weird to think about in that sense"

You could hear him by the window typing out a message, probably exactly what the doctors said. The type of surgery, the anesthesia factor, the 'down time' or recovery time and such. You shivered instinctively hearing the wind slam against the windows, it must be a nightmare outside. You were relieved that hospitals had backup generators, there wouldn't be any risk of issues due to lapses of power with a generation like that set up.

Takao announced "And sent~" Not even three minutes later you heard his phone ringing and he paled a bit as he sighed "And… Sei-chan…" Reluctantly he answered and you could hear Takao sighing as the voice by his ear interrogated him, the hawk answered as detailed as he could on the procedure, the anesthesia, the conditions of the hospital, the success rate. Things that were discussed in the meeting, things he saw that you hadn't, the testing you had undergone. Akashi seemed to be draining all the information out of Takao, finally he asked a question in return "Sei-chan, aren't you in a meeting right now? Is this really the best time for you to be playing 1000 questions? I've told you what I know, my opinion, the statistics that I happened to have looked up before we came, the risks of the other types of operation… I'm not writing you a book report you know? I still have other calls to make, and I'm still with Tecchan, I know you're just as desperate for Kuroko's recovery as us… Just have faith. They'll be performing tonight. You'll hear from me again, either through Chi-chan or directly, depending on how much time I have to send messages." There was another fit of sighing and he said "Don't put other lives in jeopardy. Do you see how bad this storm is with your phenomenal eyesight? Relax, wait until the storm ends… I'm hanging up" And he hung up, you could hear a muffled voice trying to yell to stop him but the call cut. "...Sei-chan… is really something else…."

"I'm calling your grandmother and then my attention is all yours again Tecchan~" You could hear the number tones as he dialed and you waited, wondering if after tonight you would be free from this darkness again. Did that mean you'd be leaving Takao soon? You idly wondered if that was going to make the hawk lonely, since you two had been practically inseparable recently… Even though it'd only been a couple weeks… You two would be together for the remainder of the month if your parents didn't return, and it was unlikely they would.

Takao's phone call with your grandmother was quick; There wasn't much to update. She asked him to call with the results whenever that might be she'd wait by the phone. You smiled a bit, it felt bad to think you were worrying her to such an extent. She was generally the 'early to bed, early to rise' type so for her waiting for a call when she wouldn't bother with holiday nights or anything was rare.

Your heart felt heavy and your hands balled a bit, Takao ended the call and he turned. For a moment you couldn't but wonder what happened. Yet soon you felt his weight beside you and he gently petted your hair again "Tecchan… You don't have to worry. We're all waiting for the results because we all care. No matter what weather separates us, how many miles. Near or far, we're all waiting with you. You're the one who has to go in, but all of us are waiting on pins and needles. It's our holiday wish for you to recover. So no matter what happens. All of us will be waiting. You'll still be under the anesthesia when I'm making the calls, but I'll be by your side when you come to. Granted I know I'm not the first thing you'd wanna see when you open your eyes again." He laughed at himself and hummed ruffling your hair lightly "So let us worry, let us wait. Because all that energy is going to be with you while they work! And now~" You felt the weight on the bed leave and heard him land on the floor. At the same time a faint knock came from outside the room.

Sometimes his senses were eerie, not that you were one to talk. A nurse from the kitchens came in with your trays she set them down for the two of you and excused herself. Takao set you up for your meal and set his aside, he chattered like a bird. Telling you how much snow he could see, about the room, about the flood of texts of well wishes from the rainbow. He just talked about random things. After you ate, you felt fatigue creeping up and frowned ever so slightly. Takao didn't fail to notice moving your tray away "Resting now wouldn't be a bad thing; Don't they normally say being groggy for anesthesia makes it effective faster? Dunno if that's true or not but, if you're tired just rest."

Takao chattered about superficial things while you rested. Things like his hobbies, random stories about small snowland creatures he'd watched videos of, just small things. When you finally drifted off you had a dreamless sleep, but it felt like everything was going darker and blacker and it was horrifying, but there was warmth from one of your hands that kept you anchored.