糞 - kuso!

He can hear talking, no, shouting but it sounds like he's under water.  The sound is warbled and fades in and out.  There is pressure in his head, but he can't actually pinpoint where exactly.  There is a pinch felt on his hand, or no, his elbow.  Then another bit of pressure on his hip and the shouting continues but everything clearing and he can make out the people that belong to those voices.

Sumi is yelling something about vitals were stable and not to blame Keibiin.  Harold is growling, actually growling something about qualifications and medical degrees.  Like he's one to talk.  Keibiin isn't shouting but is trying very hard to keep herself under control as she continues to use pressure point stimulation to bring Benjimin further into the present world.

Benjimin's consciousness grabs onto the pressure point on his wrist that is stimulated and hangs on the impulse until the next sensation is felt.  He grabs on to the next one and then the next one, until his consciousness is flung back into this body, his soul follows right behind.

He takes a deep breath and smiles as he slowly lets it out.  Keibiin notices the change and smiles, "Welcome back, Benjimin.  How are you feeling?  What can you tell me about this moment, right now?"

Sumi and Harold stop in mid sentence and whip around to look at Benjimin.  "I hear my dear friends arguing and blaming each other for something they have no control over."  They both sigh heavily and hug each other while looking at Benjimin who still has his eyes closed.

Keibiin turns back to Benjimin, "We will proceed as we did last time, okay?  Just keep your eyes closed and use your other senses to bring you fully back to this plane.  What do you smell?"  Benjimin inhales again and holds the breath for just a second.

"I smell, uh, sake?  And," he inhales again, "meat… maybe pork?  Soy sauce and another spice I'm not familiar with but it's subtle."  He says as a low rumble can be heard coming from his stomach.

Everyone in the room tries to hold in their laughter but fails miserably as Sumi and Harold are holding each other up while rocking with laughter.  Keibiin is trying very hard to not crack, but eventually fails and joins the other two in stifled laughter.  All the while, Benjimin is still sniffing the air.

"I will assume what you feel is hunger, which is good and means you have fully returned." She pats Benjimin's hand and looks at Sumi and Harold. "Please dim the lights." Sumi nods and heads for the controls by the door.  She lowers the lights to a comfortable level.

"You can open your eyes." Keibiin says to Benjimin.  He slowly opens his eyes, blinking a few times as they become accustomed to the light.

Sumi bounds over to Benjimin's bedside and grabs his hand.  She smiles down at him and then up at Keibiin, "Keibiin and I cooked dinner!  We were bringing the food in here for everyone to eat together when we found you unconscious and unresponsive."  She smiles back down at Benjimin.

"I'm sorry to have worried everyone, but I'm fine.  Just must have been more tired than I thought.  Really.  Now I'm just hungry and cant wait to eat some solid food!"  He smiles and pats Sumi's hand.  He then looks at Keibiin who looks at him as if she knows exactly what happened.

Benjimin quickly looks away from Keibiin and finds Harold still standing by the door wringing his hands together and staring at the floor.

"Harold, come here please.  I really am alright." He looks at Sumi with an expression that says Help me out here!  Sumi gets up from the where she was sitting on the side of the bed, "Here Harold, come sit with Benjimin while Keibiin and I serve dinner.

Harold moves slowly to Benjimin's side and sits in the chair by the bed.  Benjimin takes his hand and gently strokes his thumb over the back of his hand.  "I'm really okay, Harold.  Please don't worry yourself.  I'm sure Keibiin will do a battery of tests to make certain there are no lingering effects." 

"Could this be from what happened before?  Are you not fully recovered from the coma?  Is there something else causing you to fall unconscious so deeply?  Maybe we missed something or didn't account for something or it's - it's - maybe - " Harold breaks down, continuing his downward spiral in his mind.

Sumi suddenly appears at Harold's side and turns his chair to face her.  She gets down on her knees to be at his face level, and holds his face in her hands.  She gently rubs her thumbs over his cheeks just under both eyes causing him to focus on her face. "Harold, listen to me.  You are okay, I'm okay, Benji is okay.  Everything is fine now.  You did nothing wrong, you did everything right.  You have no reason to worry about what happened.  It's over."  She smiles and gives him a little kiss on the forehead.

"Now breathe, Harold.  Come on, with me…" She inhales through her nose and holds it for a second, then blows it our through her mouth.  She continues this until Harold is breathing along with her.  After about a minute, he closes his eyes and places his hands over hers on his face.

"Thank you, Sumi." He looks around at everyone, "I'm sorry, I get trapped in my own head sometimes."  Benjimin touches his shoulder, "It's okay, Harold.  I'm sorry my condition has you so worried.  I promise I will get better, with your help, Okay?"  Sumi lets go of Harold's face and he climbs into the bed with Benjimin and into his arms.

Keibiin watches everything unfold and raises an eyebrow as the two men snuggle in the single person hospital bed, hugging each other like it's an everyday thing.  Sumi walks to Keibiin's side and whispers, "They have been close like this from day one.  Benji is like Harold's older brother of sorts."  Keibiin looks at Sumi with a slightly confused expression, "I don't believe Harold sees Benjimin that way."  She looks back at the two in the bed.

Sumi shrugs and claps her hands, "Let's eat!  Harold, get off Benji before you crush him and help me serve this before it gets cold."  She uncovers the plate for Benjimin, "First we have rice in vegetable broth for Benji."  She hands the plate and bowl to Harold.

He takes the food to Benjimin who is rubbing his hands together.  "It smells wonderful!"  He silts up a bit and moves the tray from the side of the bed to over his lap.  Harold puts down the bowl and lays out the silverware.  The then takes the napkin and shakes it out with a professional flourish before tucking it into the top of Benjimin's hospital gown.  "Your dinner is served, sir." Harold bows deeply and starts to laugh.

"Oh knock it off you clown."  Sumi says as she hands Harold his plate of pork fried rice.

Benjimin looks at his bowl and then at Harold's plate.  "Trade you, Harold!"  He beams his best smile at Harold.  "I think this would be a little rough on your stomach, but we can make it again when you are eating more regularly.  Keibiin showed me how to make it perfectly!" Sumi says with a proud smile on her face.

They all settle into their chairs with their meals and smile at everyone.  "Okay, let's eat!" Sumi says looking at Benjimin.  He seems a bit lost all of the sudden.  "Shouldn't we get Omoide?"  Benjimin says looking at everyone in turn.  They all look at each other, realizing Omoide never came to Benjimin's room after the gym. 

Keibiin reaches inside her pants pocket and retrieves her phone, "Let me send him a message.  He was going to check some emails and probably got distra…" Keibiin's face goes pale when she unlocked her phone and saw the last text from Omoide. 

Omoide: I'm being summoned………

"Kuso, kuso, kuso!  Omoide needs me, I will be back later, enjoy your meal."  She says as she bows and then rushes out of the room and heads for Omoide's room.

Harold and Sumi just nod and take more interest in their food than Keibiin's change in demeanor and rushed exit.  Benjimin, on the other hand, frowns deeply and returns his spoon to his bowl. "Don't you think that was strange?  The way she swore openly and then rushed out.  Shouldn't we be concerned?"

"Benji, I have yet to figure out their true relationship, but Keibiin is very devoted to Omoide and she missed a text from him so I'm sure she was upset that she wasn't all professional and catering to his every need.  That's probably all it is." Sumi said between shoveling rice into her mouth.

Harold makes a face as he watches Sumi inhale her food "And Omoide did tell me that he had some work to get done before dinner so maybe he needed her help with something work related and like Sumi said, she missed the original text and now is trying to get to him quickly to make up for it."

Benjimin picks up his spoon and scoops up a generous portion of his rice, "You're probably right.  I just have this weird feeling making me want to check on him or something."  He finishes, putting the spoonful of rice in his mouth.  His eyes close and he hums a little, "Oishii!  So good!  I never thought rice in broth could taste so good!"  And with that, Omoide was temporarily forgotten.