I found (y/n) in her closet the next day.
"Hey," she said, looking up at me as I crouched down.
"Hey yourself," I said, smiling.
"How's Kaneki doing?"
I hesitated in a moment of guilt. I'd been dropping in to see him, but I'd been spending more time with (y/n). "He's recovering."
She looked down. "That's good. Great."
She thinks that I'll abandon her once Kaneki gets out... But even if I assured her that it wasn't true, I wasn't sure that she'd necessarily believe me. I guessed it was just best to wait until the time came and prove my dedication with actions. "Hey!" I said suddenly, reaching into my bag. "I brought something for you!"
She looked up. "What? Why?"
"Because, I thought you needed a little cheering up gift." I pulled out a phone keychain that had a bunny on the end. To be fair, I wasn't really sure what to buy a girl that you were friends with, but the convenience store manager had assured me that a keychain was a good idea.
"What is it?" she asked uncertainly.
"A keychain, for your cell phone."
She was quiet for a long moment before reaching out and taking it. Her fingers touched mine for a second, and I breathed in sharply. But then they retreated with the bunny keychain, and I quickly put on a smile to cover my nervousness. "Is it okay? I didn't know if you liked bunnies or dogs or cats-"
"Cats," she said softly. "I really like them. But bunnies are okay. Thank you, Hide."
I felt my face heat up a little bit. "No problem. Want me to show you how to put it on your phone?"
She shook her head quickly. "I can do it."
Ah, shit, I made her feel helpless again...gotta stop doing that. Of course she can figure out how to put on a keychain by herself. "Right, right, sorry."
She nodded, smiling and playing with the bunny with her fingers, but then she stilled. Then she put a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening. Then she began coughing, big heaving coughs that wracked her whole body. I saw blood cover her fingers and seep through the gaps.
"(Y/N)!" I yelled, unsure what to do. Was this normal? Even if it was, she needed help. "What is your room number?" I asked, trying to think quickly. She probably had equipment in their to help her, or a nurse call button at least...
But she shook her head.
Frick. What am I supposed to do?!
Then an idea popped into my mind. "Stay here!" I yelled over my shoulder before running out of the closet and to the nurse information desk on the first floor.
Damn! That doctor is gone!
I was about to interrogate the nurse when I saw a tall man in scrubs holding a brown paper bag walking away from the desk.
"I'm on my lunch break."
He must have just finished. I ran after him, and he turned around just before I could tap him on the shoulder. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his tone clinical and concise.
"(Y/n), she's having some kind of an attack. I don't know what to-"
But the doctor was already speedwalking toward the nearest stairwell and climbing rapidly, not quite a run, but a very purposeful walk. Without even asking for the patient's last name or location, he headed straight for the storage closet and went in, closing the door behind him.
What's wrong with (y/n)? I wondered, scared. What if this was it for her? What if she died holding a bunny keychain? What if she only died because I kept meeting with her outside of her room, where she would have been safe?
The guilt came crashing down again. I'd failed Kaneki, and now I'd failed (y/n).
I waited outside the closet for fifteen minutes before the doctor emerged, his scrubs now flecked with blood.
"Is (y/n) okay?" I asked hurriedly, standing up from where I'd been sitting on the bench. Is she's not coming out, then what happened? He's not calling for a team to recover her body is he?
But he nodded. "She'll be fine. She has attacks like these every now and then. Nothing particularly to worry about, at least, not for you. But she needs time to rest. Please cut your visiting time short for today."
I nodded, taking a few steps before turning and bowing to him. "Thank you, Doctor."
He seemed surprised, but he nodded. Then he turned and walked away.
I sent a last glance toward the closet before I did the same.