Chapter Text
Yokohama, Kanagawa.
For whatever the psychological reasons, Tsukishima Kei, though hated humans, couldn't live without any other humans like Yachi Hitoka and Yamaguchi Tadashi.
Kei would like to believe that the only human being mattered to him was the human being on his Operation table but his brain and long dead heart somehow didn’t work that way.
And life also didn’t work that way.
Why?
Because Kei had just finished his junior residency for the matching hospital as a medical student, that meant it was his only beginning to be a surgeon.
Considering the experience he needed to gain, and additional knowledge of human’s body, or in his case the human's literal heart and the thoracic anatomy. He needed the guidance of other senior surgeons. Let’s be honest, the heart that Kei handled all these time as junior resident either under supervision or a cadaver’s heart.
So anyway due to various reasons and some other reasons like companionship and friendship he would like to not talk about, Kei had decided that he needed another human being.
Hence he agreed to meet Yamaguchi and Yachi-san in a gaudy Bar on one street of Yokohama a day before he began working in his dreamt hospital. “Congratulations on being accepted Tsukki!!” Yamaguchi sounded a bit weepy.
“And welcome to Yokohama.” Yachi-san clanked her beer glass. “You will like the city.” She grinned widely.
“The light is too bright and the city is too crowded.” Kei murmured.
“Come on Tsukki don’t be a killjoy, who knows once you get used to living here you wouldn’t have even needed to mix your beer with Cola again.” Yamaguchi finished his beer glass.
Yachi-san snorted, Kei rolled his eyes, “Yamaguchi shut up.”
Yamaguchi wiggled his forefinger, “Uh-uh that kind of stuff wouldn’t work on me again.” He said, “I’ve been yelled at by some rude doctors with god-complex for two years and I'm getting stronger.”
Yamaguchi graduated from Kyoto University majoring in Bachelor of Nursing Science, getting the certificate as emergency care and also acquiring a license to be a flight nurse. He worked in Yokohama Johsai university hospital.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Yachi-san added wisely.
“Or suffer.” Kei rolled his eyes. “And he is the prime example of the byproduct of suffering.” Kei jabbed his finger to point at Yamaguchi.
“Wow, that's just several degrees of rudeness but I can’t really refute it.” Yamaguchi sighed. “Because it’s true.”
“Take the positive side, Yamaguchi-kun. Now we are hardened by the work situation, we are no longer the wimpy freshmen in PE class.” Yachi-san had the way to make everything super positive.
Sometimes her positivity hurts Kei’s eyes because her smile literally looks like a sunrise over your ass.
“Ukai-sensei is nasty right? I heard he has been replaced by his Grandson since three years ago,” Of course Yamaguchi was the one who still kept in touch with their kouhai or shit.
Kei, Yamaguchi and Yachi-san studied in the infamous Tohoku University though each of them took different majors, Kei with 6 years of medical School, Yamaguchi, duh, obviously 4 years of Nursing school and Yachi Hitoka in six years of Dentistry school. They met for the first time during the General Course. P.E exactly.
P.E which is taught by Ukai-sensei.
“Good for him then. His heart wouldn’t last longer with the amount of screaming he did,” Kei commented. “I thought he would have a heart attack when Yamaguchi threw the ball to his literal ball.”
Yachi-san snorted and choked on her beer, Kei patted Yachi-san’s back and handed her tissues.
Yamaguchi blushed, “Tsukki!!! Will you ever forget about that?”
Kei shrugged, Yachi-san hit her chest several times. “But on the positive note, it’s the great incident that made us friends.” She let out a deep smile like she just didn’t laugh over Yamaguchi’s misery.
“It is amazing that you can see the positive side in everything, Yachi-san.” Kei rolled his eyes, “Shouldn’t you be embittered by the harsh reality of the working world?”
“My coworkers are lovely.” Yachi-san replied, “We don’t really have cutthroat competition and nobody has god complex.”
“Because you only deal with cavities, not real shit in human’s form.” Kei said easily,
“No, because our purpose is to improve people’s lives by pulling their wisdom teeth, not opening their chest or stomach up to sew over their veins.” Yachi-san seemed to have the arguments ready. She smiled brightly, “I prepared that argument if my mom jabbed on my profession again when I visited her.”
Yachi-san’s mother aka Yachi Madoka was a world renowned Fetal surgeon. For someone who dealt with a baby on a daily basis, that woman had the maternal feeling like Pterodactyl. She never hesitated to show how disappointed she felt when Yachi-san chose to be a dentist instead of a surgeon.
Yamaguchi finished the beer on his glass again, “Good Job Yachi-san. She needs to appreciate how a dentist makes her smile shine for her book’s cover.” Yamaguchi became mean when he felt tipsy.
Well it was natural. He had finished two tall glasses of beer while Kei was still on his first beer-cola glass.
Yachi-san grinned to Yamaguchi, “Thank you Yamaguchi-kun. I’ll use that insult too if she still hurled a jab.”
Both Yachi-san and Yamaguchi’s eyes met and they somehow could make the atmosphere become awkward by flushing like monkey ass or something. Kei just wished the earth would swallow him alive.
Kei wasn't a literature or fanfiction type of person, but damn it. Yamaguchi and Yachi-san were like the slowest burn of strangers to friends and to lovers. And Kei was either the friend whose soul they needed to save or chaperone of Awkwardness.
Yamaguchi cleared his throat, “I am going to get some beer again. Yachi-san, do you want some?”
“Sure. Let’s celebrate your days-off Yamaguch….”
It wasn’t rocket science to figure out why the hell Yachi-san stopped talking because they heard a loud glass breaking, the singer on the stage stopped singing and then chaos exploded. People were screaming, panicking and yelling. “Help!! Help!! Is there a doctor here? Someone called an ambulance?”
Honestly Kei didn’t want to move because it was probably a drunkard antique but Yamaguchi glared at him. “Tsukki! Check on him!”
“The ambulance will come.” Kei assessed the situation and he saw the smart bartender had called an ambulance, “if you want…”
“You need to check on him now! He needs CPR!” Yamaguchi emphasized each words, “I can’t do that! Because I chugged five glasses of beer.” He gritted his teeth, “And you have an oath.”
Damn Hippocrates.
Damn Yamaguchi.
And Damn Yachi-san who looked at Kei like she couldn’t believe Kei would let a man die. Which might be an exaggeration but like Kei stated before for whatever the reason he needed Yachi-san and Yamaguchi as friends…
It may look like they spent minutes to bargain but the exchange was probably less than 10 seconds, because Kei was still quick enough to reach the patients.
The man was in his late forties with black greasy hair, and a heavy scent of alcohol and tobacco. Kei tried to mute off a woman’s voice whofrantically explained she didn’t know what happened to the man, yada, yada, yada.
“Sir, can you understand me? If you did, please clench your hand?” Kei asked. The man opened his mouth and tried to say something out but the effort lasted probably two seconds before he lost his consciousness as his pulse was getting weaker.
Kei began the chest compression because his main priority was to keep this man’s heart pumping for whatever the reason that made him stop breathing and his pulse weakened.
“Nee, what happened?” The woman screamed, “Kuriyama-san! Kuriyama-san!!!”
“Please stand back, Ma’am.” At least Yamaguchi wasn’t stupid drunk, he might have become a meaner asshole but his brain was still working. “Kuroo-sensei.”
Kei didn’t care who the hell was Kuroo-sensei Yamaguchi just greeted because damn, CPR wasn’t for the weak. Damn it. Damn his nonexistent muscles and stamina, because it wasn’t like one cycle of CPR would magically make the heart work again.
“Kuroo Tetsurou, Yokohama Johsai Hospital.” A man appeared beside Kei, “I’ll take care of the CPR.”
Kei finished the count, before letting the man aka Kuroo-sensei take over the CPR.
Ambulance and Paramedics finally arrived after the 10 minutes of CPR. And fortunately, the patient somehow regained his heartbeat back, Kuroo-sensei relayed the information, “Man in his forties, we lose him but after 10 minutes CPR he comeback. There’s a hematoma in his left arm due to fall impact, and he has consumed alcohol.”
Kei watched the paramedics move the patients to the stretcher before they hooked the monitor and Ambu bag to him. Kuroo-sensei seemed to know what he was doing as he took out his phone, “You will take him to Yokohama Johsai, right? I would call Nekomata-sensei to stand-by.”
“Roger,” The paramedic hurried to bring the man while Kuroo-sensei called Nekomata-sensei and moved to inform him.
As Kei wasn’t either a professional eavesdropper or a useful informant right now, he decided to stop standing there like an invisible lamp post and turned around. Kei expected to see the disappointed look from Yamaguchi or Yachi but instead he saw…
“What happened? What happened to Kuriyama-san?” the woman with the patient asked.
She had the audacity to touch Kei’s hand which Kei somehow understood due to panic but that didn’t mean he liked it. “Kuriyama-san is taken to Yokohama Johsai hospital for further treatment, The doctors in hospital will explain further to you.” Or In other words, please just go to hospital.
Or in other words, the hospital would contact the family and if this woman weren’t family then deal with the patient’s family if she really cared about the patient.
The woman’s face paled, she covered her mouth with palm before she let out a sob. “Will Kuriyama-san be okay?” she asked.
“I can’t say for sure.” Kei hoped this woman would cease the crying, which of course his hope would never come true because this woman somehow interpreted Kei’s words as Kuriyama-san was going to die soon, so she wailed.
If this woman began confessing any sin Kei would, what? Shut her mouth? Kei looked around for Yachi-san or even tipsy Yamaguchi. Heck even in his tipsy state Yamaguchi would be more useful than Kei but of course Yamaguchi and Yachi were busy with others.
“Ano…miss, he hasn’t died yet.” Kei said awkwardly to the woman. Which was apparently wrong thing to say as it didn’t help to stop the crying so Kei just wanted to add, “The doctors..”
“Ojousan,” Kuroo-sensei came back from his calling and cut Kei off. “The doctor in our hospital will do their best to save Kuriyama-san. We will do our best to make sure Kuriyama-san received the best treatment.”
Kei didn’t know whether it was the choice of the words, or the freaking luck or the fact Kuroo-sensei’s tone was like the chocolate milkshake from a Maji burger that would make Kei’s mom cry 3 days 3 night if she knew Kei knew the taste.
Which in other words forbidden fruit, that was why it was so tempted.
Yeah fuck no. No. No. Kei must have been tipsy if that kind of thought crossed his mind.
Kuroo-sensei sighed deeply, “Megane-kun.” His voice now sounded more normal. “You have a very bad bedside manner or likely you have a poor choice of words.”
That instantly dismissed any tempted thought in Kei’s mind as he felt the irk. Kei let out a smile, “Oh I am really sorry if I am not a good liar, Sensei.” He rubbed his neck, “I have always been taught to be honest”
In hindsight it was probably better for Kei to not imply that Kuroo-sensei was a good liar. Kei had hunch that Kuroo-sensei would be his senpai in hospital, the last thing Kei wanted to face was an enmity from senpai.
“You are tactless.” Kuroo-sensei pointed it out. “Being honest without wisdom would only escalate the situation, in emergency you need to deescalate situation to work.”
Well Kei didn’t plan to work at the emergency department for long time, but he didn’t need to make an enemy so he only said, “Yes, sensei.”
Kuroo-sensei squinted his eyes but then he smiled, “Are you a doctor too? Which hospital do you work in?”
While Kei didn’t want to make an enemy out of Kuroo-sensei, he didn’t plan to get chummy too. Actually Kei hated to be chummy with anyone that potentially became his competitor. Kuroo-sensei might be a few years older than Kei and in the same department too.
Kei was saved from answering when Yachi-san called him, “Tsukishima-kun.”
Kei bowed politely to Kuroo-sensei before deciding that he would buy Yachi-san the ugly rug she wanted from that antique shop when Yachi-san moved.
And well, Kei understood now somehow why he couldn’t live without Yachi-san and Yamaguchi.
***
Yokohama Johsai general University hospital or Yokosai was the dream hospital for any aspiring surgeons to spend their fellowship as the hospital situated in the heart of busy Yokohama port town, which also functioning as emergency center as the hospital was equipped with Doctor Helicopter programs to reach location faster.
As the name implied Yokosai was also a research hospital, and most of the complex cases would get placed there.
Yokosai was a shining dazzling star of Japanese medical care.
Or so it was from outside.
Inside it was a damn black hole with the gravity that sucked the life out of Kenjiro.
“Yohooo, the most prestigious scholarship holder and most promising pupil star of Washijo-sensei of Toronto who came into our Hospital last summer, Shirabu Kenjiro-sama.” The main attraction of the blackest hole Oikawa Tooru swirled inside the station dramatically.
Kenjiro inhaled deeply, “What do you want, Oikawa-sensei? My life, my blood or my soul?” he asked.
Oikawa grinned, “For now your attention will do.” He dropped his ass on the stool.
“Don’t you have a patient to attend to?” Kenjiro asked him.
“Duh, I have succeeded in stopping the Reaper from harvesting their life by performing thoracotomy and clamping the right vessel so his condition is stable enough for Nekomata-sensei to provide follow-up care.” Oikawa replied easily
Kenjiro reminded himself. This megalomaniac Narcissist was one of the best young Trauma surgeons in this entire hospital. Heck even Irihata-sensei respected his skill so the possibility Oikawa would be kicked out from the ER was nil.
Kenjiro also had to remind himself that he needed this Doctor Helicopter training which meant he had to work with Oikawa for a couple more years if he wanted to be the most sought surgeon.
“Oh good for you,” Kenjiro commented drily. “Then what is it?”
“Well….” Oikawa slid the pink folder to Kenjiro’s front. “Tomorrow we will welcome three newbies that succeeded in passing all the requirements to join us in this hybrid Emergency room.”
“What requirement? Being weirdo?” and as the cue Tsutomu Goshiki the second year resident crashed into the cart.
“I’m sorry, I am sorry,” Goshiki apologized to the cart and all of the surgical equipment. “I’m really sorry.”
“Poor Tsutomu-chan,” Oikawa looked more likely amused than sorry, “I like it better when he apologized to ECMO machine yesterday.” He scrunched his nose.
Shirabu had to remind himself that he needed to work this form of human trash for at least a couple of years. “You realize the longer he acted like an amateur, the stress you would be,”
“Don’t worry, Tsutomu-kun improves appropriately according to his residency periods.” Oikawa didn’t look too bothered about it. “He just needs a little bit of a calmer approach when it comes to emergencies.”
Then Goshiki had no business in this Flight doctor program. Kenjiro wished he could say that but he knew if Goshiki transferred out of this damn emergency room then they would be damn.
As weird as Goshiki was, he was much more competent than the damn trainees who already came home because work time was over. “Please tell me they are not newbie.”
Oikawa opened the folder, “Oh my child, your wish comes true.” He knocked his properly trimmed nail on the first page, “At least one of them has already proven to be a good resident of General surgery. Akaashi Keiji from the University of Tokyo research hospital.”
Now, Kenjiro felt a slight enthusiasm for this newbie. Akaashi Keiji had dark hair with metallic blue eyes who looked calm and intellectual. “Tokyo University research hospital also implemented the same flight doctor program as Yokosai. Why does he move here?” Kenjiro wasn’t complaining but it seemed all Akaashi’s boss gave nothing but compliments on his introductory pages.
Oikawa shrugged, “Yeah but Yokosai has the best challenges if you want to improve faster than others. According to statistics we perform 15% more surgeries than any hospital in Japan. For the same reason as you, the genius chose Yokosai after Toronto.”
Yokohama had become the most populated area of Japan in recent years, not to mention its proximity with countless entertainment venues which are accident prone like Casinos, ski resorts, beaches and racing venues. Well their surgery technology and research also quite advance.
“Fair enough.” Kenjiro agreed, “Then the other two? Please don’t tell me they come fresh from Exam?”
“Nope. They have finished their super rotation.” Oikawa flipped the page and the first thing Kenjiro saw was a blonde hair that framed a perfect face with golden eyes, straight nose and slightly full lips. Oikawa whistled, “Oh la la. Finally some lookers.”
“I hope he isn’t as vain as some people here,”
“Nah, with a face like this he deserves to be a little vain.” Sometimes Kenjiro wondered whether Oikawa had self awareness, but he realized even if he had that trait, he didn’t care. “He scored a perfect grade on his exam, and according to Professor Akaizawa of Tohoku university hospital, he is his best student.”
Kenjiro couldn’t help but to snide, “That’s a big blow for your ego right? Considering you come from the same region.”
“Nuh uh, Professor Akaizawa is from Cardiothoracic surgery while I am the pride and joy of all the general surgery professors in Sendai.” Ah, Kenjiro should have known it would take more than one blow to knock Oikawa from his high horse.
Kenjiro looked at the attractive blonde, “Tsukishima Kei.” He read out loud. “Is he the youngest son of the late Professor Tsukishima?”
Tsukishima Toshiyuki’s research and journals were one of the most studied and prominent medical publications that any aspiring surgeon in Japan would read, including Kenjiro. While Kenjiro didn’t plan to specialize in Cardiothoracic surgery, he still read the publication for its detailed and marvelous study of human’s heart.
Heck, Tsukishima Toshiyuki found the method that cut off the amount of open heart surgery by hours, hence lowering the risk for surgery so many patients could undergo the life-saving surgery despite their ages. It was unfortunate that Professor Tsukishima was involved in an accident that took away his and his colleague’s life.
Tsukishima Toshiyuki was rewarded with a Posthumous medal by Tohoku University and Government.
“Yup, the one and only. The highest of the highest modern pedigree in the Modern medical world.” Oikawa said easily.
“Where is the older son?” Kenjiro asked.
Oikawa shrugged, “I guess he is not as talented as his younger brother.” He said easily. “Not everybody is cut out to be a surgeon. Some got their calling in other fields.”
“The younger one hasn't proved anything aside from graduating with flying colors.” Kenjiro reminded Oikawa, and his eyes caught the references, “And positive note from the Professors.”
“Well at least we hope this one inherited his father’s talent and core for surgery.” Oikawa commented, “Somebody needs to be the Head Omega bitch in CT surgery. That place is reeked of Alpha.”
Ah yeah the infamous old patriarchal system. Everybody could become a physician in Japan as long as they finished 6 years of Medical school, and 2 years of Junior residency however only 42% women would become surgeons, and the demography of male and female omega combined only made up 30% surgeons.
Yokosai was probably the only emergency center and research hospital that employed more omegas than any hospital.
Kenjiro honestly couldn’t care less about that stuff. It happened, and he had too many things on his plate already. He would rather delegate that fight to anyone who could deal with it.
“Ah so, wait, is he going to work in our Emergency room and in CT surgery?” Kenjiro asked.
“Hence we called it a Hybrid program.” Oikawa shrugged easily. “exclusively crafted for young ambitious and best surgeons who want to improve their skills rapidly in Emergency and their own specialty.”
“Whoever created this marketing tactic to attract young surgeons deserved a special place in hell.” Kenjiro muttered.
“Eh don’t be hypocrite Shirabu-sama.” Oikawa said easily, “You have to admit it is a smart move that benefitted a qualified doctor like you.” Oikawa was an expert to slip insults and dig in his words,“And they can always resign from this Flight doctor program if they couldn’t take it anymore. Plus he would encounter a lot of emergency heart problems here.”
Oikawa’s tone was light but Kenjiro realized that he knew exactly how this worked to motivate any surgeon and solve the less number of residents their ER received each year.
This field encountered death more than any department. Not everybody was cut for it.
“Right.” Kenjiro agreed, “Then who is the last one?”
Kenjiro had never expected that Oikawa’s tone could become cold, “The Genius Kageyama Tobio.” He said before he blinked, “My Kouhai in Medical school, too bright, too stupid, too Silly, too genius and too upright.”
“There are too many contradictions in that sentences” Kenjiro muttered.
Kageyama Tobio had dark hair, slanted blue eyes, and a grim looking smile. He was quite good looking but Tooru didn’t sing praise of him.
Oikawa shrugged, “Laser-like focus on Human’s anatomy and the oath of saving all despite the cost, and he didn’t know how to play politics. Refusing to write paper and relying on his skill alone.”
Kageyama Tobio’s resume was almost identical to Oikawa, well at least from where the university he graduated and his Junior residency and Ugh, the specialty he chose. Trauma and general surgeon.
“The same professors that raved about you seemed to rave about him.” Kenjiro remarked.
Oikawa looked at him flatly, “Inferior copy.” He said then he smiled, “But at least Tobio-chan would help you and you don’t really have to worry about competitors as he has no interest to write anything but charts.”
“Yet still he passed all Yokosai requirements.” Kenjiro muttered, “How good is his skill until Professor Mizoguchi so adamant to recommend him to be here?”
Kenjiro might take pride in his skill, heck even the vain Oikawa also had skill to back his big mouth up. While Kenjiro cared nothing about hospital politics, he didn’t go out of his way to reject the system.
Anyone who wanted to be best in University and Research hospital needed to contribute to the journal, and the impact factor.
“I don’t know.” Oikawa’s voice sounded not so light anymore. “Honestly, I don't care.”
“He might be more than capable to help you.” Kenjiro reminded Oikawa.
Oikawa scoffed like Kenjiro just suggested the worst suggestion ever. “I would rather have Traffic Accident patients come continuously like diarrhea than get assistance from Tobio.”
Like the universe wanted to humble Tooru so fast, the phone rang loudly and Misaki Hana, the night shift chief nurse picked the phone then announced, “Sensei, motorbike accident on Yokohama Highway, 2 patients. Broken leg, and another one ruptured liver. Ambulance will arrive in 5 minutes.”
Before even Misaki-san finished the information, another nurse Kuribayashi-san said, “A fight broke out in the Casino, 3 patients with knife wounds and broken bones, one might have Traumatic brain injuries.”
Kenjiro pinned Oikawa who gave the command to all personnel, “Everybody gets ready, Hana-san please contact NS consult.” he stood up. “What are you waiting for Shirabu-sensei? Move. Goshiki, prepare Scan, and intubation.”
Kenjiro followed him to accept the patients from the ambulance, but not before giving Oikawa his piece of mind. “Next time challenge the deities when I am not around.”
***