Comfort on the Line

Ayaka sat alone in the treatment room, her crutches leaning against the wall, the faint hum of the air conditioner filling the silence. She was early; she was not expecting the therapist for another hour. It was a pleasant surprise that they had let her into the room early; she had planned to wait outside while she called home.

She made sure to keep her back straight while she was on the phone; she did not want to suddenly break while talking to them. In times like this, she had to be the one to reassure them.

“The doctor says I will be on the ice before I know it, Okaasan,” she said with confidence. “I will be skating at nationals. I expect all of you to be watching when I do.”

“You know we will be cheering, we always do,” Keiko replied, trying to hide her tears.

Her father, Fujimoto Souta, could be heard in the background. “Stop crying, she said she is fine. You need to believe in our daughter for once.”

Keiko snapped back, “When have I not believed in our girls?”

The exchange both lightened Ayaka’s mood and made her miss home at the same time. It felt like she had spent half her life training. She had missed so much.

“Let me talk to her, Okaasan,” Yui pleaded in the background.

“Yui wants to talk to you,” Keiko said as she handed over the phone.

“Onee‑chan! Can I come visit you?” Yui’s voice shifted her pleas to their next target.

Ayaka smiled at the sound of her beloved little sister. Yui had always been her biggest supporter.

“Yui!” Ayaka showed no less enthusiasm. “I need to concentrate on my rehab right now. I will send for you before Worlds so we can go together.”

The delay did not dampen Yui’s mood. “You going to win me another medal?”

“No, I am going to win me another medal,” Ayaka retorted.

“Yet here I am looking at all these medals,” Yui teased. “How many can you see?”

Ayaka had always sent her medals home; she did not keep a single one for herself.

Suddenly, Yui’s voice faded as she yelled, “Otousan!”

Ayaka’s voice came alive, brighter than it had been with the rest of the family. “Hello?”

“Ayaka, I know you will achieve everything you want,” Souta grumbled, and she could practically see him giving the others a pointed look. “I don’t know why they always question everything.”

Something told Ayaka he was not only talking about her in that moment.

“I know, Otousan is the only one who truly believes in me,” she said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

In the quiet room, a rarity at the training center. She felt as if they were all there with her. The warmth of their voices lingered even after the call ended, and she drifted into a peaceful state she had not felt since her last visit home.

Her peace was interrupted when the therapist entered the room some time later and found Ayaka happier than she was used to. She smiled and took a look at Ayaka’s foot.

“We’re going to start ultrasound therapy today,” the therapist informed her.

Ayaka lost the lingering warmth her family had left her with at the sudden change in treatment. “What is that?” she asked.

The therapist held up a bottle of gel. “We’ll put this on your foot first.”

The cool gel shocked Ayaka enough that she almost pulled her foot away. It wasn’t cold — just cool enough that she had not expected it. The therapist smiled as she applied it.

“You seem to be in a better mood than usual today,” she said, trying to distract Ayaka with small talk.

“I was able to talk to my family today without interruptions,” Ayaka shared. “That’s rare around here.”

“I bet. Everyone probably wants to be your friend,” the therapist continued. “You have such a bright personality.”

Ayaka found the comment amusing. There was a good age difference between her and most of the skaters, so she never really considered them friends.

“I certainly have some lively teammates,” Ayaka offered as a compromise.

“Okay, all done here. Now I will use this transducer to emit sound waves to encourage some light tissue healing.”

“A magic wand that talks encouraging words to my wounds,” Ayaka chuckled. “I should take it with me when I leave.”

“Morita‑sensei might hunt you down if you do,” the therapist replied playfully.

Ayaka smiled and watched as the “magic wand” hummed softly against her foot.

Morita showed up just as they were finishing. “How is my favorite patient doing today?”

Ayaka looked up at him. “Can I be your favorite person? I do not want to be a patient.”

“She’s coming along nicely,” the therapist interjected. “Far more patient than the other athletes, I’ll tell you that.”

“That’s only surface level,” Morita snickered. “Deep down, she’s more raring to go than all the rest combined.”

Ayaka gave a nervous laugh. “Proof I’ve been here too long; Morita‑sensei knows too much about me already.”

Morita glanced at her chart. “You’re making progress, but you’ll be staying with us a bit longer, I’m afraid.”

Just as Morita was setting the chart down, the door burst open. Kaito turned the corner with almost inhuman reflexes, sliding behind the door in one swift motion. He held his breath like a man being hunted by a predator that could sense even the slightest movement.

A moment later, reporters thundered past the doorway. Ayaka couldn’t help but laugh. Kaito peeked out from behind the door.

“Fujimoto‑san?” he said, more surprised than questioning.

“Hayasaka‑san, nice of you to join us,” Ayaka replied as if she had been expecting him.

Kaito regained his senses and noticed the other two in the room. He straightened immediately and gave Morita a stiff, respectful bow.

“Morita‑sensei, forgive me,” he said in his usual awkward manner.

“We understand, Hayasaka‑san,” Ayaka said, pointing toward the hallway where the mob had just passed. “Cannibals. They are vicious.”

Kaito blinked. “Oh… no, they were reporters.”

Ayaka nodded. “Same difference.”

Morita did not want to ruin the mood in the room, but order had to be kept. Someone could get hurt if people behaved like this in the medical area.

“Hayasaka‑san, I understand the urgency, but you have to keep your calm in this area,” he warned. “What if Fujimoto‑san had been about to exit that door and you injured her further?”

Kaito instantly turned to Ayaka and bowed his head. “I am sorry.”

His social awkwardness had a way of grabbing her attention and making her want to protect him.

“Sensei, the cannibals,” Ayaka said, redirecting the conversation.

Morita cleared his throat. “Ah. Yes. I will take care of the cannibals for you.”

“Thank you, sensei,” she replied in a sweet voice that almost hypnotized Kaito.

As the doctor left the room, Kaito bowed again and followed behind him, almost as if Morita were a shield.

“He lacks the charisma from his commercials,” the therapist noted.

Ayaka nodded. “But he makes up for it with an awkward charm, if you get to know him.”

The therapist helped Ayaka onto her crutches, and the two made their way out of the room.