Chapter Text
"Haru is getting in the way of Albert’s progress.” The man in the wheelchair spoke to the swim race starter over the phone. “I am going to give you a real gun. And you are going to shoot him.”
“I can’t do that! I’ll go to jail! Probably for life!” The man yelled back into the phone.
"Obviously. But I’ll send you enough money to have a good life in there. And I’ll hire a good lawyer for you if you want.”
“A good lawyer isn’t going to be able to do jack shit when there’s clear evidence I’ve shot him!”
“I am promising you more money than you could think off.”
“I can’t spend it on much when I’m in jail.”
“I’m being nice. Kill him…or I’ll kill you.”
The man hung up, but he knew he’d convinced him.
-
Haru was ready for the race. He wouldn’t stop for anything. He got into position. He glanced at Rin beside him and frowned. They’d had another fight. Haru had convinced Rin to do front crawl with him, but Rin was struggling as he was trying to master two strokes. Hopefully this race would further convince him. He smiled.
Rin was not ready for the race. He wanted this all to just stop. He got into position. He glanced at Haru beside him and frowned. They’d had another fight. Haru had convinced him to do front crawl, but he was struggling as he was trying to master two strokes. Due to his uncertainty, he glanced at the race started, and he’s forever glad he did. The man pointed the gun in the air. “On your marks!” He yelled. He seemed nervous. “Get set!”
Then he pointed the gun at Haru’s heart, and Rin’s own heart stopped. Panicked, he clumsily fell off the diving board and ran to cover Haru’s body with his own.
BANG!
The swimmers dived in and began to swim. Someone screamed. Then the whole audience was screaming. Haru fell to the ground as Rin crushed into him. What the hell? This was the olympics! If Rin really didn’t want to do front crawl he should have just said no, not drag him down with him! Then his heart stopped. In Rin’s left shoulder, so close to his heart, there was blood. He’d been shot. Then everything was a blur. Sousuke full on jumped out of the stands and fell beside Rin. Albert tackled the race starter. Haru held Rin. “Rin!” Oh god, no, no, no! This couldn’t be happening.
“Rin!”
“Sorry, Haru.” Rin coughed blood.
“Don’t apologise damn it! What the hell? Why is this happening? Rin! Stay with me!”
But Rin was so tired. And the darkness welcomed him. He took one last glance at Haru and Sousuke. Then he let the darkness in.
(Some hours later)
Sousuke paced the hospital floor. "That self-sacrificing idiot." He muttered under his breath, thought everyone could see the tears in his eyes. Gou was actively crying into her hands. Nagisa was trying to comfort her, putting his hand on her back, but it didn't help. "I already lost dad, I can't lose him to. I can't go through it again." She sobbed. Rin's mother sat motionless on one of the seats. Rei was also trying to comfort her to no avail.
Haru was uncharacteristically in the hospital church. He sat on one of the pews, tucking his knees in to bury his head in them. Makoto was the one to find him. He sat down next to Haru and Haru sobbed into Makoto's shirt. "I was angry at him." Haru admitted. "All I was thinking about was the race. I didn't even look at the man with gun." Haru cried. The man who was now in jail. "He's doing better, right? Tell me he'll wake up. Promise me."
"He'll wake up." Makoto said, but both of them knew that wasn't a promise Makoto could keep.
-
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Ow.” Rin groaned.
"Rin!" Sousuke cried, and ran over to him. "Are you okay?"
"My shoulder hurts."
"I bet it does, you were shot."
"I was WHAT?"
"The race starter tried to shoot Haru in the heart. You covered him and it hit your shoulder." It all came back to Rin. "You could have died!" Sousuke finished.]
"Maybe, but if it had shot Haru in the heart he definitely would have died." Rin said reasonably.
"Do you have no survival instincts?" Sousuke yelled at him, but he was crying tears of relief.
"Maybe not. Where are the others?" Rin asked, sitting up in his hospital bed.
"I'll go get them." But before Sousuke could, Gou ran into the room and hugged Rin.
"Ow." Rin winced.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm just so glad you're alive!" Gou cried. Rin used his right arm (the one that hadn't been shot) to hug her back.
Then his mother came in and the same thing happened again. Then Rei and Nagisa. Then Makoto. "Where's Haru? Is he okay?" Rin aked.
"Physically he's fine, thanks to you." Makoto tried to laugh. "But he'd been in a bit of a state since the incident. I'm sure seeing you awake will cheer him up. He might want it to be just you two though."
"That's fine by me. I just want to make sure he's okay."
They all left and Makoto pushed Haru through the door to Rin's ward and shut it behind him.
It was just Haru and Rin.
Haru's eyes were watering. He stumbled forward. "Rin-" He managed to get out before throwing himself at Rin and bursting into silent tears. Rin held him through it, using his right hand to run his fingers through his hair. "It's okay, I'm okay." Eventually Haru fell asleep. Rin didn't mind. Makoto came in.
"All good?" He asked.
"I think so. You might want to find him somewhere else to lay down though. I can't feel my legs." Rin laughed a little anxiously. Makoto apologised and took a half-asleep Haru to lie down elsewhere. "Can you ask Sousuke to come in?" Rin called after him. Makoto gave him a thumbs up.
As soon as it was just Rin and Sousuke, Rin burst into tears. Sousuke rushed over to him. "Rin, what's wrong?"
"I won't be able to swim." Rin cried.
"Suer, for a bit, but you can in the future. I've already been through the recovery period so I can help you through it." Sousuke explained.
"I can't compete in the Olympics." Rin cried.
"Maybe not this year, or for a few years even, but you will."
"I can't Sousuke! I can't. You don't understand, I-" Rin coughed through his tears. "Since I woke up, I can't feel my left arm." He finally admitted.
Sousuke froze. Rin began crying again.
"Okay, okay. It's okay. We'll bring the doctor in and see if it's a temporary paralysis or, or not." Sousuke reassured him.
The doctors came in and they did their tests. They concluded that Rin did have paralysis in his entire left arm. They said it wasn't temporary. That it would be forever, or at least for tens of years. Rin stopped crying. Stopped talking. Stopped doing anything, really. He'd eat, sleep, repeat. Sousuke knew of course, and Rin asked him to tell him mother and sister about his arm. Then Rei and Nagisa. Then Makato. Then Nitori over the phone. Then his coach. But Rin wanted to tell Haru himself.