The next morning...

Sakura woke up when her alarm clock rang. Sakura went to shower and got dressed in her usual office outfit. Sakura poured herself a mug of hot white coffee. Sakura made herself a sandwich before leaving as she had an early appointment with one of her young patients. Sakura left the apartment and made her way to her office which was a fifteen minute walk from her apartment. Sakura slipped on her doctor's coat and met up with her friend, colleague and senior, Chinen Yuri, who was her patient's paediatrician. The two went to visit their patient, who was a seven year old girl, Nakayama Aki, who was diagnosed with childhood cancer, to be specific leukaemia. Yuri had taken care of her as she grew up and Sakura made sure that she grew up like a normal kid, such as a proper growth in height and learning difficulties.

"Aki-chan, how are you feeling today?" Asked Yuri.

Aki nodded her happily, "I'm feeling fine!"

Sakura checked her temperature before the nurses moved her to a wheelchair so that she could be taken back to the clinic for a detailed check-up. Aki had her height and weight taken as well as a hearing and sight test, Sakura gave Aki the check-up while Yuri spoke with Aki's parents. The nurse wheeled Aki out of the check-up room and Sakura handed her a lollipop.

"She's growing normally, except she's rather short for her age. I will write a letter to the hospital's meal office to include a bottle of milk for her daily meals to help her grow taller." Said Sakura.

"She needs to get a lot of rest and not overexert herself, otherwise it will worsen her condition." Said Yuri.

"I'll write that letter for you, while you bring Aki-chan to the childhood cancer centre." Added Yuri.

Sakura nodded as she would take at least two to three hours in the childhood cancer centre to check Aki's blood cells. Yuri headed into Sakura's office and typed the letter on her behalf as he knew Aki long enough to know what she needed and what her body lacked.

Sakura and the nurse wheeled Aki to the childhood cancer centre with Aki's parents. Sakura spoke with another of her colleagues and close friend, Watanabe Miyuki, who was a paediatric oncologist and Aki's doctor when she comes for her leukaemia treatments.

"She's growing normally, except that she's rather short for her age." Said Sakura.

Miyuki nodded, "I'll do a check on her blood and send the details over to you in a couple days after the lab test."

Aki was wheeled into Miyuki's office where Miyuki took a blood sample from her. Aki then went for her treatment which was done by another doctor, Kojima Mako. Miyuki sent the blood sample for a lab test while Sakura waited in Miyuki's office. Miyuki poured Sakura some water from the water dispenser in her office.

"Anything on your mind lately?" Asked Miyuki.

Sakura shook her head, "I met my old best friend yesterday and I feel kind of uneasy."

Miyuki paused from her typing, "I'm sure things will be fine after a while."

"I hope so." Sighed Sakura.

"Anyway, do you want to have dinner with Mayu, Ryoha, Haruka and myself this evening? Mayu asked Jurina and Anna too." Said Miyuki.

Miyuki's younger sister, Watanabe Mayu, was a doctor at the children's Accident and Emergency ward. Sakura's close friends from her university days, Shimazaki Haruka and Kitagawa Ryoha worked at the same hospital too. Haruka was an oncologist while Ryoha was an ophthalmologist.

"Sure, I'm free later." Said Sakura.

Miyuki smiled, "Mayu and I are preparing a Korean barbecue dinner at our apartment tonight."

"I'll head down with Anna and Jurina later tonight." Said Sakura.

Sakura accompanied Aki and her parents back to her ward before going back to her office. Sakura found a lunch box on her office table beside the printed letter which Yuri had typed for her. Sakura figured that Jurina must have stopped by and left her lunch in her office when she wasn't around. Sakura signed her name at the bottom of the paper. Sakura handed it to one of the nurses so that she could deliver it to the hospital's meal office. Sakura opened up her lunch box and ate her lunch. Sakura checked her schedule and found that she didn't have any patients for the rest of the day which meant that she was done for the day but she may be called due to an emergency. Sakura made herself a cup of coffee using the clinic's coffee maker. Sakura sat in her office thinking back to her past with Shori.

Flashback

Seventeen-year-old Sakura was dressed in a blue and white gingham checked dress while seventeen-year-old Shori was wearing a simple white shirt with brown slacks. Shori and Sakura accompanied their parents to a Chinese food fair.

Sakura had no idea why she chose that particular dress other than the fact that Shori was the one who picked it out for her as a present for her sixteenth birthday, with some help from his and her mother. Sakura watched as her and Shori's mothers browsed through a few cook books on the shelves. Sakura and her father were handed a cup of hot soup each for testing as they walked along the aisle of the stalls. Sakura let the soup cool before drinking it.

Sakura threw the cup into the bin as she saw Shori and his father checking out packs of instant coffee. Sakura saw a cook book on Chinese cuisine which caught her eye. Sakura picked it up and handed it to her mother who bought the book.

Over the next few days, Sakura tried cooking a few of the recipes from the book. Sakura gave some of them to Shori's family who praised her cooking. Sakura felt happy when Shori praised her cooking and promised to prepare lunch for him next time.

End of Flashback
 

Sakura lay back in her chair and lowered it slightly. Sakura sipped her coffee and set it back on her table as she stifled a yawn. Sakura soon feel asleep and her fellow colleagues let her take a nap as they currently didn't have any patients to take care of and the staff were mostly having a break. The head nurse, Okada Nana, covered Sakura with a blanket and left the young doctor to sleep.

Sakura woke up an hour later and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Sakura put away the blanket and refilled her coffee cup. Sakura sat down in her office sipping her coffee until she received a emergency call from the A&E ward. Sakura rushed to the A&E ward and many of her fellow doctors headed to the A&E as well. Four school buses had been involved in an accident and they needed as many doctors and nurses that they could get. Sakura rushed over to the children's A&E ward. She spotted Yuri, Miyuki and Mayu among the crowd of doctors and nurses. Sakura rushed into one of the nearby rooms and checked on the patient. Sakura's patient was a thirteen year old girl, Nishino Nanase, the girl suffered scratches from the glass shards and Sakura removed them carefully. Sakura carefully bandaged up the cuts before sending the girl outside. Sakura did the same for her next few patients.

"Sakura, you should take a break. You've been working non-stop for the past four hours." Said Mayu.

Miyuki handed Sakura a cup of water which she accepted. Sakura drank her water and leaned against the wall as Yuri took care of another patient.

It was nearly ten in the evening by the time they finished treating all of the victims. Miyuki, Mayu, Haruka, Ryoha, Jurina, Anna and Sakura gathered in Miyuki and Mayu's apartment and the Watanabe sisters prepared the barbecue dinner/supper that they had promised. They showered and got dressed in their casual clothes. Mayu set up the grill as Miyuki set the food on the table.

"That was chaotic." Said Mayu.

"I wonder how that accident happened, luckily no one was killed." Said Ryoha.

"At least no one suffered any major injuries." Said Haruka.

Anna nodded, "So many kids were hurt."

Mayu and Miyuki called them over for their supper. The seven ladies had their supper while discussing the condition of the students.

"Which school were the students from?" Asked Mayu.

"I heard that it was Tokyo Elite Middle School."

Sakura froze hearing that name, because it was the middle school she attended.

"No one was hurt at the very least." Said Jurina.

Sakura nodded, "They are just middle school students, and they were probably traumatised by it."

Sakura enjoyed her supper and she returned to her apartment with Jurina and Anna. Sakura pulled out her cellphone and decided to call Shori. Sakura waited for Shori to pick up the call.

"Sakura, what's up?" Asked Shori, on the other line tiredly.

"Did I disturb you?" Asked Sakura, checking the clock which showed 11.57pm.

"Not at all, I was still awake doing some stuff." Replied Shori.

"Did you hear about the bus accident? I heard that they were students from our middle school." Spoke Sakura.

"I heard it from the principal." Said Shori.

"Do you want to visit the school next week? To speak to the kids, they were probably traumatised by the incident." Said Sakura.

"Sure, why not. I think that it would be good for the kids." Said Shori.

"I have a day off next Tuesday, are you free then?" Asked Sakura.

"I have a day off on Tuesday too." Said Shori.

"How about we discuss this further when I visit my parents tomorrow?" Suggested Sakura.

"Sure, I'll come by in the afternoon." Said Shori.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Said Sakura.

"I'll see you tomorrow too." Said Shori.

Sakura hung up and tossed her phone onto her bed. She had no idea why she suddenly decided to call Shori. She felt that she could confide in Shori and Sakura wanted to do something for her juniors. Since Shori went to the same school as well she thought that he would want to do something for them as well. But Sakura was glad that the phone call went well and Shori accepted her suggestion.

Sakura covered herself with her blanket after she placed her phone on her bedside table. Sakura snuggled into bed and fell asleep, feeling the fatigue from treating patients continuously in the A&E for four consecutive hours.