The young medic opened his mouth.

But he didn't say anything. He looked at the four carriers, at Raizen and at the soda bottle wedged under his arm.

He sighed like a man who had seen worse days. "Technically... He is not walking"

Nobody moved.

The medic flicked his eyes left, then right. He stepped past them, pulled a service door, and held it open with his foot.

"Shortcut" he said. "Three turns. Keep your voices down. If anyone asks, tell them that you were supposed to bring him from me"

Arashi bowed from the spine. "Bless you, sir"

"Don't bless me" the medic said. "Go"

They went.

Esen led them in like a careful truck. Ichiro handled corners with the precision of a cartographer.

Arashi broke the silence again. "Left turn. Spiritual danger"

"Bro, can you shut up!?" Ichiro snapped.

The service hall was narrow. Random lights buzzed. Someone had left a mop in the middle like a trap. Esen stepped over it. Arashi almost kicked it, but managed to control himself. Then, he started aggressively staring at needles and other sharp things around.

"Second door on the right" the medic called behind them.

"Thanks!" Raizen shouted back.

"Drink water" the medic replied. "Also don't do this again! They might tie us both to beds!"

"No promises" Arashi interfered.

"Don't say that" Ichiro rolled his eyes.

They hit the back stairs. One short leap. Everyone set their jaws like they were lifting a house.

Halfway up, One of Obi's coins slid out of his pocket.

"My legacy" he laughed, trying to bend down, without knocking Raizen.

"Leave it" Ichiro hissed.

Obi didn't leave it. He dipped, scooped, and rebalanced in a single ridiculous motion that should have broken his spine. Esen cursed in admiration. Arashi almost applauded and then remembered he needed his hands.

They reached the top.

The same medic appeared by another door like a helpful ghost. He peeked into the hall, then waved them through.

"Clear" he said. "Move quickly, like you have somewhere to be"

"We do" Raizen smiled, shaking his soda.

The medic stared at him for a full second. Then he smiled. "Whatever keeps you out of my field, I guess"

Raizen's door waited. Closed. Patient. He prayed to every quiet corner that nobody important would be on the other side. Teachers. Wardens. Hikari. Kori. Essentially, anyone.

Ichiro nudged the panel with his elbow. The door slid open.

The room was empty.

All five of them breathed out like it was a sport.

They set Raizen down gently. Bed springs creaked a tiny note.

Esen shook out his arms. Ichiro cracked his neck once. Arashi did a victory stretch that looked very weird. Obi, beaming, stepped forward and lifted the bottle.

"I have never seen this flavor" he said. "It calls to me"

"Careful" Raizen warned. "It has been on a journey"

"Oh, please" Obi laughed. "I am a professional!"

He popped the cap.

The soda erupted like a volcano that had trained for this moment. A bright arc went straight up, then straight into Obi's face, then everywhere. His hair caught it. His shirt caught it. His pride caught it most of all.

Silence.

Then the room exploded too - with laughter.

Real laughter.

The kind that kicks knees and steals breath.

Esen folded over the chair and slapped the seat. Arashi staggered back into the wall and slid down it, cackling. Ichiro put both hands over his mouth and failed to be quiet. Raizen laughed until his ribs complained and then he laughed softer because he just could not stop.

Obi stood there, dripping, eyes closed, body language set to ancient dignity.

"I'm fine" he said in a very calm voice. "I chose this"

"You have been baptized by sugar" Esen wheezed.

"The true reward of the Scrapper's Gauntlet" Arashi said, tears in his eyes.

Ichiro handed Obi a towel with solemn grace. "Somehow your clothes are worse than Solomon after Esen blew up that geyser"

Obi took it, without saying a word. He wiped his face, then his curly hair. Then the floor like a responsible adult for exactly four seconds, then gave up and wiped his face again.

Raizen tipped the bottle and got half a mouthful. It tasted like sugar, jokes and the exact opposite of hospital air.

"Worth it" he said.

"Always" Esen agreed.

"Never again" Ichiro had to break the harmony.

"Tomorrow again!" Arashi declared.

Obi wrung the towel and pointed at Raizen with it. "You will remember this as the day I saved your life"

"You almost flattened me under a vending machine" Raizen raised his brow.

"Team effort" Obi replied, noble.

They sprawled wherever they could find space. Esen took the chair. Arashi sat on the floor with his back to the bed. Ichiro commandeered the window ledge like a cat. Obi perched on the end of the bed with care.

The room felt full and easy.

Ichiro stood again and straightened the blanket that had betrayed them earlier. He set the fishing book back on the table. He aligned the chair by two centimeters like Kori might judge the angle from a dream.

"Evidence control" he said.

"Who actually checks for evidence? We didn't kill anyone!" Esen raised his hands.

"We weren't far either"

The laughter cooled to a warm quiet. Breaths synced. The Med Wing hummed its soft song again. Raizen looked at their faces in the low light - these idiots, these anchors, these people who made a hospital room feel like a kitchen when you would do anything for a midnight snack. We've all been there.

For a minute, he forgot about mountains. He forgot about Nyxes. He forgot about numbers and reports.

He remembered a village night with a bonfire.

He remembered bad jokes and someone dropping a fish and pretending it was on purpose.

He remembered being a boy.

He missed being normal. Not power. Not glory.

Just this.

"Thank you" he said, and it was not about the soda.

They all heard it anyway.

Esen nodded like a promise. Ichiro's eyes softened.

"Anytime" Obi said. "But next time I open it over your face"

"Please don't" Raizen surrendered.

The city kept breathing beyond the glass. The bottle sat on the table, half empty.

For the first time in weeks, Raizen did not feel like a weapon or a patient.

He just felt alive.

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