Chapter Text
Normally, Tsukishima wouldn’t be anywhere near the pediatrics ward; years of school and medical training could never change the fact he was Not Good with children. But they were short staffed and the nurse- Hikari maybe? Said that he would only be doing one or two more examinations before she would send him back to the main building where he could walk around and examine adults with his lab coat flaring dramatically.
Tsukishima was almost ready to call his time in pediatrics a success- none of the kids had been bratty or annoying, but then, a little boy with dirty blond hair, too-pale skin, and a light spattering of freckles started crying.
“Hey now,” he said, bending down to the kids level to talk, “What’s your problem? It’s just a check up.”
The kid started to cry harder, rubbing at his face and kicking out his legs on the examination table. Yep. Tsukishima was definitely Not Good with kids. He awkwardly patted the boy’s shoulder, not prepared to deal with the waterworks, and hoped that a nurse of the kids parents would show up to help.
Then the father showed up; and sure, Tsukishima was used to seeing old classmates and ex teammates, nothing could have prepared him for this.
Standing shell shocked in the doorway was no one other than Yamaguchi Tadashi, and though he still had the same freckles and cat-like eyes, it was obvious things had changed since he had rejected Tsukishima, years ago at a team reunion. He was skinnier, and his sweater drooped around his shoulders like he was drowning in it, but at the same time, when he looked over to Kaito he seemed more alive, more awake than Tsukishima had ever seen him.
Before they could have a proper reunion with Tsukki asking where the hell he got a kid, said kid spoke up, yelling, “Papa!” before sliding off the table and limping to Yamaguchi, enveloping his legs in a hug, “Papa I don’t like the hospital can we go home?”
To Tsukishima, it felt a bit like his heart had just sunken into his chest. Sure, his crush on Yamaguchi was old (and if the last time they saw each other was an indication, unrequited) but seeing him comfort his own kid still hurt. Clearing his throat, Tsukishima tried to remain professional, “Yamaguchi, can you get your kid to stay calm? I can get this over with quickly, and you can go home faster that way.”
Yamaguchi gulped nervously and nodded, picking up his son and placing him on the table, “Kaito,” he asked, “Can you promise me you’ll be good for the doctor? If you are, we can go look at the pet store.”
“Really Papa?” Kaito said, now looking at Tsukishima as if he had the answers to the universe, “Can we see Dad too?”
Well. That was new, Tsukishima almost choked and he looked at Yamaguchi who was very carefully not meeting his gaze. He spoke softly, staring at the child’s scale next to the door, “No Kaito. Dad has a girlfriend now, remember? Just remember, Doctor Tsukishima just has to look at what hurts… Can you tell him what’s wrong like a big boy?”
Kaito huffed, and crossed his arms clearly used to this answer, “My leg hurts an’ my arm hurts a bit an’ I keep gettin’ nosebleeds. An’ Kou says I have cooties when I cough so she won’t play with me.”
“Really?” Tsukishima asked, letting Kaito prattle on about his friend as he looked over the offending areas; there were lots of bruises littering Kaito’s skin, but he could just be an energetic kid… yet there were little red spots, almost like a rash surrounding them. That was more alarming. Gently, Tsukishima moved Kaito’s head, and seeing enlarged lymph nodes on his neck he knew there was definitely an infection, but as he ran his hands down the small chest looking for any odd bites, he noticed how Kaito’s stomach was slightly swollen. The soft touches and quite room seemed to lull him, and soon Kaito was dosing off on the examination table, slumping and making the thin paper that covered it crinkle and crack.
Inside his head, Tsukishima put the pieces together, and cringed. He could be wrong, after all, he didn’t usually work with kids, and sometimes strange infections popped up, but Kaito would need blood tests…
Turning to the smaller man, he decided to remain professional and gave the bad news, “Yamaguchi, you need make an appointment with a pediatric oncologist. There is one at the hospital here, and she can take the blood tests needed to confirm my diagnostic.”
“Tsuk-Tsukishima, you didn’t say the diagnostic yet.” He pointed out, whispering as if Kaito wasn’t passed out on the table, biting his lip and worrying at the sleeves of his sweater, “Is Kaito going to be ok?”
Tsukishima chewed the inside of his lip, normally breaking the news to a family wasn’t this hard, and he could generally stay over the drama, but this wasn’t a stranger. This was Yamaguchi Tadashi, the boy who used to take home birds when they fell from nests and who screamed at him when his pissy attitude become too much. Deciding bluntness was the best option, he said “He probably has leukemia, but it would take looking through his family history and getting tests to see if I’m right.”
It was like all the colour in Yamaguchi drained out, he stood stock still like a deer in the headlights, “You’re- Tsukki we aren’t in high school- Don’t joke around. That’s too mean.”
“This isn’t something I’d joke about” He replied, and Yamaguchi seemed to shrink in on himself. The soles of his shoes scrapped against the floor and he stumbled backwards, letting the wall support him. Scrubbing at the freckles on his cheeks, he let out a shaky breath, and tried to collect himself.
After an age of silence, Yamaguchi let out a shaky laugh, “I’m sorry. I’m being pathetic right now. We- I need- Payment plans.”