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Kakyoin flew a decent distance before hitting a water tower, getting stuck in the hole he created. It hurt. Everything hurt. His abdomen hurt as blood was spilling out of it, his back hurt as it pressed the hard broken steel of the water tower, his chest hurt as he took heavy breaths in. He was shaking, lying in the cold water splashing underneath him, mixing up with his blood. But at least, now he knew.
Kakyoin knew how Dio managed to cut through Hierophant Green in less than a moment. Time. He could stop time. It sounded like a paradox, but... Dio just proved it to be real. All Kakyoin knew, he had to warn the others about it. Joseph was there, he was near, but... Kakyoin couldn't push a sound out of his mouth, except for pained wheezes and groans. But he had to warn him. He had to do anything useful before dying.
He felt he was going to die. His insides were ready to spill out, everything hurt, and he was sure that everything in his body was broken. His sight... It was slowly slipping away from him. His vision was blurred. Sight was the first thing people lose as they are dying, that's what he read. But he still managed to catch a glimpse of something that could warn Joseph Joestar about Dio's stand. A clock tower.
Gathering all the strength he had left, Kakyoin summoned Hierophant Green. He knew it would take all of his energy, but he didn't care. You don't need energy going to the better world, right? He used it for his last Emerald Splash, which came out of Hierophant Green together with a splash of blood from his mouth. The emeralds were aimed at the clock tower, and despite Kakyoin barely being able to see it, he hit exactly where he meant to. A small smirk cracked on his blood-covered lips. Yes, he did it. He did something useful eventually. He just hoped that Joseph will understand the message.
Now all Kakyoin had left to do was count the time until his death. Thoughts that didn't come across his mind throughout the journey took their time to appear now. How were his parents? Were they worried? They didn't even know that he was in Cairo right now, and that soon his heartbeat would stop. What was going on in school? Did anybody wonder where he and Jotaro had disappeared to? Did anybody try to contact them? Look for them? How was Ms. Kujo doing? Was she still holding on? Kakyoin hoped that Jotaro will beat Dio in time. Ms. Kujo was a rare type of person, a precious one, he could say, people like her deserve to live.
All of Kakyoin's thoughts were cut short as he realized that the incredible pain went weaker, and that he couldn't see his surroundings at all now. He could barely hear what was happening around him now, and his muscles went limp. He let his eyes close, as he no longer had the power to keep them open. Gradually, his thoughts got quiet, since he was too exhausted to think as well, and eventually, he felt like collapsing into complete black. He felt so light...
The Speedwagon foundation sent a helicopter to pick Kakyoin up. From the first glance, they were ready to claim his death, however...
-He has brain activity!
One of the paramedics exclaimed. The news were passed on to Joseph and Jotaro, and the hearts of both dropped down to their feet. Less than a minute later it was claimed that his heart stopped, but CPR was impossible, since it would cause his broken ribs to pierce through the already damaged lungs.
-Get me to him. Now!
Jotaro commanded to the first paramedic he came across. Any arguments were useless- Jotaro would burn down anybody who dared to argue. He knew for sure that he won't allow any more deaths. Mostly Kakyoin's. Kakyoin was the only person his age Jotaro could call a friend, and he won't let him die.
Jotaro was transferred to the helicopter that took Kakyoin, and his own heartbeat had almost stopped. Kakyoin was bandaged all over his body, and the bandages were soaked with blood. Blood was leaking from his mouth, his eyes were closed and relaxed, as if he was already dead. He wasn't, but was very close to be.
Jotaro summoned Star Platinum, and performed the same thing he did with Joseph- had his stand restart Kakyoin's heart. The paramedics rushed to inject into Kakyoin medicines, talking about his fractures and organ damages, but Jotaro didn't listen, neither would he understand. He was focused on Kakyoin's vitals. After he felt that it was no longer Star Platinum who activated his friend's heart, but rather it was beating alone, he allowed Star Platinum to let go.
Jotaro was supposed to be shoved out, but he forced the medics to make him stay in case Kakyoin's heart stopped once again. Luckily, this incident didn't repeat itself, but it didn't make Jotaro feel any better. Kakyoin was barely powering through, and the medics couldn't guarantee his survival for much longer. All this time Joseph and Polnareff were kept informed about Kakyoin's condition, and the only thing they could do was pray.
There was nothing else that could be done. There wasn't a way they could heal Kakyoin's wounds by killing someone with a stand, or by killing Dio again like they healed Holly... It was all in the hands of medicine and God now. And they, his friends, were helpless.
In almost record time the team was transferred to the best local hospital. Joseph was kept under watch, Jotaro and Polnareff had their wounds patched while Kakyoin was rushed to the operational table.
Whatever was happening there- stayed there, but the small group prayed almost tearfully that whatever it was, it would save Kakyoin.
For a week, nobody was let near him. His parents were called and informed by the Speedwagon Foundation that he was hospitalized in Egypt, with no additional information provided. Joseph was settling things to transfer him to a hospital in Japan, although there were arguments on this topic, as the Speedwagon Foundation seemed to search for the best country to take care of such serious case. Germany and multiple more countries were brought up, but the transference itself wasn't soon to happen, as Kakyoin wasn't yet ready to be moved in his condition. He endured operation after operation, and eventually, fell comatose. The doctors gave him a month to wake up, but the underline was that, considering the injuries he was dealing with, it would be a miracle if he woke up at all. They said that after a month, they would stop hoping for his recovery.
After a long week, the door was finally open for the team to visit Kakyoin and try talking to him in hope that it would help him wake up. Polnareff was hyped to go first, see that someone, at least one who was promised to be dead, was there, still alive. But Jotaro took the lead and went on first, knowing that in his current mental condition, which was absolutely wrecked after Avdol's and Iggy's death, Polnareff was most likely to burst into tears upon seeing Kakyoin's mangled figure.
Gathering all the nerve he had into a fist, Jotaro entered the room. The view hurt him almost physically. Kakyoin was bandaged and basically sewn together, covered by countless devices and stitches, his face was covered with a breathing mask, and almost every piece of skin peeking from underneath the bandages had a device stuck to it. His vitals were stable, but very weak. But at least he wasn't conscious to feel the pain of it, although Jotaro stuck to the theory that people in coma heard what was going on around, so why couldn't they also feel it? What if in his sleep, Kakyoin suffered even more?
Jotaro dropped down on a chair beside the bed, looking down at Kakyoin's gentle figure. Gentle in his eyes, at least. Kakyoin wasn't exactly small or weak, but compared to Jotaro's buff figure, he was almost tiny. Jotaro thought now that he would probably be able to bear easier such an injury, while Kakyoin... Well, it will be a gift from God if he powers through.
-Well, ugh... Hello, Kakyoin.
How the hell do you start a conversation with someone in coma? That was a question that had Jotaro braining about it.
-I guess you will be glad to hear that uh, well, Dio is dead. He was a pain in the ass in battle, but he got what he deserved. And my mom is alright now... I talked to her already, she is fine. The old man and Polnareff are good too.
...Neither did Jotaro know how to continue the conversation. If Kakyoin heard him, he had to say something to help him gather the will to wake up. But what? He let him know that they all were alright, Kakyoin knew already that Avdol and Iggy were dead... There wasn't much to say, was there? But Jotaro was searching for words anyways.
-So, uh, I can stop time like Dio. For a couple of seconds though but this is something. I guess I should have worked on this ability more.-
He paused and brought his hat down on his eyes, as if hiding them. From whom? Kakyoin couldn't see him. But, he just felt that he couldn't keep his eyes up. What was it? Guilt? For what? For not learning to perfect this ability like Dio? Or for not being there when Kakyoin was confronting Dio? Probably both.
No more words left Jotaro's mouth this day. He watched as Kakyoin's chest rose and fell rhythmically as his lungs filled with- and emptied of air, sometimes bringing his eyes up at his face in hope to see any movement, but there was nothing. Kakyoin was still.
This process repeated itself day after day. Jotaro came, said a few sentences, and after that plainly sat there, mentally punching himself. Polnareff eventually fought his way through and got to visit Kakyoin, and needless to say, his speech sounded much more impressive than Jotaro's, but it had no effect. Kakyoin was still comatose, with stable, steady vitals. After a week and a half, everybody began getting desperate, but not giving up. Joseph had even tried calling Kakyoin's parents to have them talk to him, but there was no answer from them.
Once again Jotaro came to sit by his friend, most of the time in silence, because he couldn't find anything to say. Well, he knew what he wanted to tell Kakyoin, but he couldn't put it into words without it feeling awkward. Until now he was trying to put the words the way they suited him, letting him keep his cool and not seem soft. But now that he thought about it, what was so important to him in keeping his cool? Kakyoin was dying, damn it! He heard his parents cry on the other line of the phone when they were informed. He saw Polnareff with his head dropped, mumbling about how he wished that at least Kakyoin will survive, if Avdol and Iggy weren't destined to. He watched the old man and the Speedwagon Foundation members go back and forth day and night, discussing different medicines around the world, looking for doctors of "the next level", always hanging on the phone with hospitals. He heard his own mother over the phone, apologizing to the entire team that her life had already cost two of their friends', and was close to costing the third one, and how she prayed quietly for Kakyoin to power through. Joseph had to explain to her that with the two lives gone, not only hers, but many more lives were saved from Dio, and she had nothing to apologize for.
So, what did it matter now if he showed his soft side to someone?! Kakyoin had seen beyond his normal self anyways. They were close enough to have deep conversations and reveal each other some information others weren't allowed to know. So, why not have one of those conversations now?
-Noriaki, listen, I have no idea if you hear me or not, never've had to talk someone in coma before you, and wasn't in one either, but we all are waiting for you to wake up, and you can do it. You went through this damned journey with us! You survived being under Dio's control! You got through the heat of this darned sun stand or whatever the fuck it was with us! You-you... You had your eyes cut and came back like new! You powered through injuries, heat, battles... You faced Dio face to face, damn it, and you would've finished him if not this fucking time stopping stand! Good grief, you've seen shit most people in this world wouldn't be able to live with! And I refuse to let you die because I couldn't get rid of Dio earlier, dammit!
That was it. He was pouring it out. In the middle of his speech he jumped to his feet, but now he slid down to the chair once again, dropping his head into his hands.
-I could perfect Star Platinum's ability before. I could have gone with you... And I could have stopped Dio from wounding you... Good fucking grief, I knew that Star Platinum is the only one close in strength to Dio and I still went behind! And now I can lose you and I could have lost my old man if only... If the damage done to him would be bigger... I could've ended it earlier! I hate it, I hate it all, I fucking hate it all!
If not the equipment around, Jotaro would have wrecked the entire room to dust. His head hurt. Why did it hurt? Why was this pain so weird? It was.... In his forehead, between his eyes... His eyes felt hot, as did his entire face. His teeth were gritted stiff. Was he crying? Was that it? Well, he could allow it. Nobody was in the room, except for Kakyoin, who couldn't even see him. Maybe he could hear him, but Jotaro made sure that no sound followed his tears. Not like he could control it completely, though, and quiet sobs or sniffs still escaped his lips.
-If not you, Kakyoin... We wouldn't defeat Dio... We wouldn't save my mom... We wouldn't get through this journey. And yet... Yet we can't repay you. There's nothing we... Oh good grief, there's nothing I can do to save you! I'm sorry, Noriaki.
Jotaro pulled himself together, cleaned his face of the tears, putting on the usual careless expression, gave Kakyoin the last gaze for today and left, disappointed that he let himself break down out loud like that, and that there was no improvement to Kakyoin's condition. Although he might have missed something...
-He's awake!
A nurse shouted from Kakyoin's room. Doctors began filling the room, shouting about how much of a miracle it was. Jotaro had exited literally two minutes ago when he had to return there. Joseph and Polnareff had already put their way through the avalanche of medics and stood by Kakyoin's side. Jotaro has almost jumped above the doctors to get closer to Kakyoin, who had his eyes concentrated on the ceilings. Jotaro had to push himself into a corner as Kakyoin was being taken care of. The doctors spoke of his diagnosis, his future and the therapies he will have to go through, Joseph was listening to this while Polnareff was tearfully thanking Kakyoin for being alive. Eventually, as Jotaro noticed, Kakyoin put on a painful smile. It exhausted him to do just that, but it made Polnareff smile from ear to ear because now he knew: Despite everything, Kakyoin wasn't planning to leave soon.
His transference back to Japan was scheduled for next week, and that meant that Jotaro also had to go back there. Until now he was delaying his comeback over and over. Even the argument of "Don't you want to see your mother?" didn't convince him. Of course he wanted to see his mom, but now that she healed, she wasn't in danger, she wasn't going to just disappear, while Kakyoin briefly escaped death, and Jotaro felt that if he will be close, he won't be in that much danger. It was just this feeling that, despite knowing that he couldn't do anything, he had some sort of control over the situation.
After the room cleared from people, Jotaro allowed himself to step as close as possible to Kakyoin, and eventually took the same place he commandeered over for the past week and a half- on the chair. Kakyoin moved his head to face him, a small smile visible from under the mask.
-Hey... Jojo...
He whispered painfully. Jotaro had to hide his eyes under the hat. Kakyoin was the only person to actually call him "Jojo", everybody else just called him by his full name.
-...Please... Don't blame yourself.
The phrase made Jotaro flinch. He noticed that Kakyoin barely kept his eyes open, and hurried to answer before the other fell asleep:
-You heard me?
-You killed... Dio. You did great... I keep getting hurt... Becoming a trouble... First my eyes... Now this...
His voice was getting quieter and quieter, since the last strength Kakyoin had, he was wasting on staying awake. Everything hurt, his head was foggy, and the only thing more or less clear that stayed there were Jotaro's words. He didn't even consider what was happening around him in the past minutes, not the doctors, not Polnareff... Only thinking about Jotaro's words, which he heard as if through thick glass in his coma, and they lead him to think of his own failure. First he had to stay behind because of his eyes, and now... Now he wasn't sure if he will ever get off the backs of people around him.
-If I were there when you faced Dio, you wouldn't have to deal with half the damage you took. And don't you dare blame yourself, damn it! If not you, we wouldn't even know what Dio's stand was and all die!
Jotaro argued. He flinched when he felt his hand being grabbed lightly- Kakyoin attempted to grasp into him, and the next moment the redhead's smaller hand was sandwiched between Jotaro's both larger ones, as if they attempted to reassure each other that everything will be alright, that they are here for each other, and neither of them knew which one was actually trying to calm the other down.
-I'll... Power through.
Kakyoin smiled wider. Jotaro's heart ached as he heard that, running in his mind all the predictions the doctors mentioned. Kakyoin probably won't be able to use his legs again since his spine was broken, his organs barely functioned, even despite most of them being taken from donors by now, and he would have to take countless medicines and sit on harsh diets. But despite all of that, Kakyoin kept a smile on. Maybe he realized how his diagnosis looked, maybe not, but he was too stubborn to die.
-Yeah, power through and go back in school.
Jotaro noticed. Now the smile turned into a smirk.
-We were skipping school all this time... hah... I hate it...
Kakyoin's eyes closed and he turned his head to a side, sighing deeply.
-What will we tell them...? Why did we... Disappear? Will we be kicked out?
He whispered thoughtfully, gradually falling asleep.
-Who cares, at least we are alive. Didn't miss the annoying girls anyway.
-Mhm... At least... But we... Will finish studying...
-Whatever you say. Better think about getting back on feet rather than getting back to math class.
Kakyoin didn't listen any longer. His hand became relaxed and Jotaro let go of it as his friend fell asleep.
-Stay stubborn, Noriaki. Imma save you a seat in class.