Title: Trauma Center Spinoff for Makio-Kuta
Rating: T
By: ToastWeaselofDOOM
Summary: AU. A spinoff of Makio-Kuta's Soul Eater AU fanfic, Trauma Center. Stein is reconnected with old faces as he needs to save the live of an old friend.
Warning: Unbeta'd. Probably OCC. SPOILERS for Makio's Trauma Center. You have been warned. Do not flame me, because if you do, I'll report your ass and that will be it. Thank you.
A/N: I started writing this about ten billion years ago after I read Makio's Trauma Center. I coned her into telling me the whole plot, and I decided that I needed to write a little spinoff. Merry Christmas, Momma, I hope you enjoy it~! ^^
If you haven't read Trauma Center, go read it now.
....and Momma, steal whatever the hell you want from this and make it your own. I'm the one dabbling your world, after all. :3
FEAR THE LONG ASS STORY. FEAR IT. FEAAAAR IT. -shot-
Nygus sighed. Ever since Stein had left to work at Shibusen, it had been quiet. The clinic was now but a simple doctor's office, and it seemed more empty than usual. She remembered Stein always complaining about it being slow, but she had never been affected by the quiet and stillness as he had been . . . at least, not until now.
The nurse leaned back in the desk chair and twirled a pen in her finger. She realized with a jolt that while faint, there were still stitches drawn with silver sharpie running down the side of it. With another sigh Nygus stood and stretched. With a quick check at her schedule she verified there were no more appointments left in the day, and it was a relatively slow one at that. She decided to close and call it a day.
As she packed up her things, the phone rang. She snatched it from its cradle and put it to her ear. "This is the doctor's office, Nygus speaking."
"Nygus!" Her eyes widened; it was Sid, and he sounded panicked. "There's been a horrible accident! I'm pretty sure this guy won't hold out until the chopper from Shibusen gets here! Can we bring him to the office?"
The nurse took a deep breath and sighed. "Sid, how bad is 'horrible?' You tend to make a mountain out of a mole hill, sweetheart, and you have to remember I'm not able to perform surgery now that . . . he's gone."
"It's bad enough!" Sid told her. "Please, Nygus?!"
The woman sighed; her boyfriend pitiful. She wanted to do something. "Fine, bring him here. But I'll just be able to stabilize him, if that. Probably nothing else."
"We'll be there shortly!" Sid said before the line went dead. With a sigh the nurse set the phone in its cradle. Perhaps her day wouldn't be so boring after all.
Nygus tied her hair up and put on a hair band to keep her braids out of her face. She hurried back to the old surgery room to where the old gurney and stretchers were kept. The nurse rolled one from the OR and brought it down the hallway to the waiting room.
It wasn't long after she's washed her hands and snapped on latex gloves that the bells over the door jingled and Sid rushed in. The man he carried had long black hair and a swallow skinned face that was covered in red. The man's blood was soaking into Sid's cop uniform, and Nygus helped her boyfriend get the man onto the gurney.
"Who is he?" Nygus asked as she felt the man's wrist. The pulse was faint; almost non existent. She cut the man's blood-soaked shirt from his body so she could have better access to his chest. "And what happened?!"
"He's Masamune Nakatsukasa," Sid told her as she worked. "Tsubaki's older brother. He pushed her and Black*Star out of the way of a semi truck and got hit instead. I saw it go down; Shibusen has been called and there's a chopper on the way."
"Get me some gauze," the nurse ordered. The police officer hurried off and came back with a hand full, which the woman took and pressed against the deep lacerations and puncture wounds on Masamune's chest to hopefully stem the bleeding. "Sid, go wash your hands! Then get a set of gloves and come help me!"
"But, Nygus, I—"
"Don't argue with me, Sid!" Nygus snapped fiercely. "This is a two person job. Now go!"
The officer gulped but did as he was told. He held the gauze to Masamune's chest while Nygus washed the man's arm and hooked him up to an IV for plasma and blood transfusion; she vaguely recalled him getting his blood drawn at the clinic while Stein was still the doctor, and she didn't have time to go pull the records to check his blood type. She hoped she was right.
The nurse was checking his ragged breathing when the 'whup whup' sound of chopper blades became audible. It grew louder and louder still as the helicopter drew nearer. The windows rattle as the machine landed in the parking lot.
Two paramedic burst into the office, sending the bells on the door haywire. They wore the black and white uniforms and patch of Shibusen and they raised their visors to look at the situation. "Is this him?" one of them asked.
Nygus nodded and helped transfer him onto the gurney they had brought with them. She stripped her blood-covered gloves off her hands and went to the file cabinet behind the counter. She rummaged in the 'N's before pulling out a folder and handing it to one of the flight nurses.
"His name is Masamune Nakatsukasa. He was hit by a semi and I hooked him up to a blood and plasma transfusion. I did my best to stop the bleeding from the lacerations on his chest; it's up to you Shibusen guys now."
The flight nurse nodded and took the file. "We'll do our best, ma'am. I'll make sure someone informs you of his condition after we get to the hospital and they work on him. Good day." He hurried out and the helicopter soon lifted from the asphalt and raced towards Shibusen.
An eerie hush blanketed the offices and Nygus began to clean up. Sid did his best to help, but he mostly stayed out of her way as she threw the bloodstained items into the trash bin marked 'biohazard.' The cleaning was almost finished when the bells over the door tinkled once more and a young woman rushed in.
"Tsubaki-chan!" Sid exclaimed as the girl doubled over, gasping for breath.
"My brother!" she said, looking almost in tears. "Masamune! Is he here?!"
Nygus shook her head sadly. "He was airlifted to Shibusen."
The young girl sank onto the waiting room couch. "Will he be alright?"
The nurse could only shake her head. "I don't know. He was badly injured, though."
"Where's Black*Star?" Sid asked her.
"P-Police Station," Tsubaki stuttered, trying to compose herself by taking a deep breath. "They released me to come here."
Sid nodded. "I'll bring him here, then." He tried to smile reassuringly before leaving the clinic.
Nygus finished her cleaning then took off her bloodstained doctors coat. She draped it over the empty gurney and took a seat beside Tsubaki.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," she told the girl gently. "Stein works at Shibusen; he's in good hands."
-/-
The sound of helicopter blades was audible even inside Shibusen, and it roused Stein from the uneasy sleep he was catching in the break room. He sat up from the couch and adjusted his crooked glasses blearily. The pager on his belt beeped urgently and he hurried from the break room to Medusa's office.
"There you are," the nurse said coolly. "Hurry up. We're needed to perform surgery on an incoming patient."
Stein felt his excitement rise. A patient and surgery meant cutting flesh and blood. Two of his favorite things. He fought to keep a grin off his face as he asked, "What happened to them?"
"He was hit by a semi protecting his younger sister and her friend," the nurse said indifferently. "Go get ready; we'll be with a team in Surgery 3." Medusa walked off down the hallway, and Stein followed.
The silver-haired man cranked his bolt several times while stepping into the prep room for Surgery 3. He twisted it one last time before putting on his doctors smock, mask, and cap. He scrubbed up and an assistant helped him put on latex gloves. The doctor pushed through the double doors to the main room just as their patient was wheeled in.
The air nurse handed Medusa what Stein assumed was the man's file before helping his partner move the injured man from the gurney to the surgery.
"Is he anesthetized already?" Medusa asked, skimming the file before closing it with a snap and handing it to one of the nurses.
"No, Miss Gorgon."
The blonde nurse scowled under her mask and snapped her fingers at the anesthesiologist, who hurried to put their patient under. Other nurses wheeled trays of tools up next to the operating table and another cleaned and sterilized the patient's chest as best they could. Stein was growing more and more impatient by the second.
Medusa looked the situation over before turning on her voice recorder and stepping up to the operating table. "Let's start the operation."
Stein nodded and stepped up as well. The other nurses fell back to their various positions and Medusa started to recite for the records. "Our patient is Masamune Nakatsukasa, age twenty-nine. He was hit by a semi truck and has suffered massive internal damage and bleeding. Our objective is to stop the bleeding and repair as much as is possible. Doctor Stein, whenever you are ready you may begin."
Stein's maniac grin was hidden by his surgical mask as he cut into Tsubaki's brother. He was soon in the chest cavity and the extent of the damage became apparent. There was pooling blood from broken and punctures arteries and veins, and many of the man's ribs were broken. One was puncturing the left lung, and it was dangerously close to deflating.
"We'll do the lung first," Medusa said. "Quickly, his vitals are dropping." Together, they pulled the bone from the lung and Stein carefully stitched it up. They moved on to searing, tying, and stitching the arteries and vein's back together. Stein's hands were quick with a needle and steady on the scalpel as Medusa handed him the things he needed.
Despite all of their work, it did little to improve Masamune's vitals, which were steadily dropping. They continued to fall and warning buzzers began to go off in the room.
"Too much more and you're going to kill him!" one of the nurses in the room warned. Medusa looked the situation over and the extent of the patient's injuries.
"Stop, Stein." She ordered suddenly. "His vitals are too low for us to work on any longer without ending his life. Someone put stabilizing medication in his IV. Stitch him up, Stein; we'll operate again when he's stable."
Stein's grimace of disappointment was hidden by his mask as he stitched Masamune's chest back up. The patients vital's improved almost instantly and the warning alarms stopped. Stein finished the last stitch and cut the thread. "Alright, done."
Medusa nodded crisply as two nurses wheeled Masamune to the recovery bay and the others started to clean up. "Get washed up and then fill out the paperwork," she told him. "I've got things to do." She walked into one of the prep rooms leaving Stein in the surgery by himself.
After he striped of his bloody clothing, he went to the office he shared with Spirit and settled in his desk chair to fill out the surgery paperwork. After he finished, he took it downstairs and turned it in. As he turned to walk back upstairs, he saw that there was a scrap of paper in his mailbox.
He took it out and read the note.
'After the operation, call the number below and update them on the situation.' It wasn't signed, and he didn't recognize the handwriting, but did recognize the number given. The number of his old clinic.
That's right. Masamune was Tsubaki's older brother. He remembered him now . . . sort of.
The doctor sighed and went back to his office where he could be ensured of some privacy on the phone . . . that is, if Spirit wasn't there.
-/-
The phone to the medical office rang in the early morning hours. Nygus answered it quickly as to not wake the sleeping Black*Star and Tsubaki.
"Medical offices, Nygus speaking."
"Nygus?" She recognized the soft, cold, and familiar voice.
"Stein?!" she asked incredulously. "Is that you?"
"It is," the doctor confirmed. "Am I wrong to guess that you aren't alone?"
Nygus shook her head, then remembered he couldn't see her. "Black*Star and Tsubaki are here, too. They're asleep at the moment; it was a long night. Are you calling about Masamune?"
"I am."
Nygus glanced at the sleeping young adults on the couch before asking, "And how is he?" There was silence on the end of the phone.
"Not good," said Stein finally. "He was injured pretty badly. We operated but had to stop because his vitals feel to low. I suggest you prepare Tsubaki for the worst."
Nygus gulped. "I see; I will. And how are you doing, Stein? You sound tired."
"It was a long night," he replied. "I was about to leave when—" he was cut off by a voice asking,
"Talking to your girlfriend, Stein?!"
There was a heavy sigh. "No, Spirit. My nurse from the clinic I used to run."
"Woah, I didn't know you were like that!"
"Get out, Sempai." Stein sighed again. "Sorry, Spirit's . . ."
Nygus laughed. "Don't worry. Go end your shift, Stein."
"Yeah . . ." They exchanged pleasantries before ending the call. The moment it ended, Nygus punched in a number.
It rang several times before it was picked up with a bleary, "He . . . llo?"
"Sid, get up and get dressed," Nygus told her boyfriend. "We're taking a little trip."
-/-
A day later, Stein and Medusa swiped their ID badges to start their shifts.
"Good morning, Doctor Stein, Miss Medusa." Azusa greeted them without looking up from her computer. "No operations have been scheduled for you today, as of this moment in time."
Medusa nodded curtly and disappeared in the direction of her office. Stein sighed and started in the direction of the office he shared with Spirit but changed mid-way and headed off to start the rounds. The hallways were quiet for the morning and as he finished, his beeper sounded, directing him to the hospital front. When he rounded the corner to the lobby and his green eyes widened slightly. He quickened his pace and stopped at the counter.
"And here is Doctor Stein," Azusa said, gesturing at him. The first thing Nygus did was give the doctor a hug.
"Stein!" Sid exclaimed, hitting the silver-haired man hard on the back, causing him to lurch foreword. Tsubaki smiled and Black*Star gave him a big thumbs up.
"Yosh, Black*Star has arrived!" the blue-haired young man said with a grin. He was quieter them normal, but Stein suspected this was probably because Nygus and Tsubaki drilled it into his head to be quiet at the hospital.
"I suspect you are here because of Masamune?" Stein asked. The four nodded together and Stein turned to Azusa. "Do you have visitor's passes for them?"
The black-haired women nodded and slide four badges over the counter. "Sign your name on the line and write your badge number beside it."
Each took the clipboard and signed in before Stein showed them upstairs to the zone Masamune was held in. The doctor swiped his ID card to be allowed into the intensive care ward.
"Masamune's still in pretty bad shape," he told them. "Technically, he's not allowed to have visitors. However, the Director suspected you would come and granted you special access. Masamune is under heavy pain medication, so he probably won't be able to recognize you."
Stein swiped his card to open Masamune's room and held the door open. "Go in, if it makes you happy."
Tsubaki entered with Black*Star, and the moment she saw her brother, burst into tears. The teal-haired young man did his best to comfort her as she sobbed into his chest. Stein, who would never really understand the emotion behind these things, stood awkwardly by the door with Nygus and Sid.
"Stein," Nygus said quietly, "what's the probability he'll die?"
"Quite high," the doctor said with almost no emotion in his voice. "He might turn around, but if we can't take another look inside and fix him up, he'll probably die." The dark-skinned nurse grimaced but said nothing. Tsubaki was at the bedside, holding her brother's hand and was murmuring something. Black*Star was leaned up against the wall, watching his friend.
"What's going on in here?" a sickening sweet voice demanded. Stein didn't even need to turn around to identify the speaker.
"They're visiting Masamune, Medusa," he replied without even looking.
"He's not supposed to have visitors," Medusa said coolly, breezing past Nygus and Sid to stand in front of her partner.
"The Director gave the special permission," Stein retorted, staring stubbornly into her golden orbs. "They are allowed to be here."
Medusa stared him down, before relenting and smiling. "My apologies, Stein; I was out of line." Nygus and Sid eyed the two Shibusen staff warily before going into the room. Stein stayed at the door with his nurse.
"I came here to tell you we'd be operating on Masamune tonight," the nurse said softly, nodding at the man on the hospital bed. "You've been itching to cut him, haven't you? Ever since we operated last night . . . am I correct?"
Stein ignored her last comment. "Tonight?"
"Yes, tonight."
"I'll make a note of that," Stein muttered, keeping his eyes on the people in the room, looking straight over Medusa's head. He was fighting the insanity that plagued him, and she wasn't helping in the slightest.
"I'll see you tonight, then," Medusa cooed sweetly before walking around the doctor and down the hallway. Stein only relaxed when the sound of her heels disappeared.
"Alright," he said, gaining the attention of every conscious being inside the intensive care room. "I've just been informed we'll be performing a secondary surgery on Masamune tonight."
Tsubaki paled and clutched Black*Star's arm. "W-What will you be doing?"
"Examining his abdomen for damage," Stein replied. "We weren't able to do it yesterday due to his low vitals. It's basic; if we find any damage we'll repair it."
Tsubaki nodded.
"I assume you have a place to stay?" Stein asked. Nygus and Sid nodded.
"We're staying at a hotel near the hospital," Sid told him. "Close, y'know."
"Good. . ." Stein said distractedly. His pager beeped and he checked who was sending him a message. Kid. Wonderful. "Are you done? I'm being paged to a meeting that if I don't show up to in eight minutes exactly, the one holding it will have a hissy fit." Everyone's eyes turned to Tsubaki.
"I'm ready to go," she said softly. "Can I visit him just before his surgery?"
Stein shrugged. "I don't see why you wouldn't be able to, but I'll have to check hospital policy. Now, let's go." The doctor led the party downstairs, then check his watch. He was a minute off. Kid wouldn't be happy.
The doctor bid everyone goodbye and hurried upstairs. He sighed as he reached the meeting room; might as well walk in late and face the music then not show up at all. Stein grimaced and pushed the door open.
-/-
Stein scrubbed up, keeping his eyes on the swirling water in the drain. He was excited fro this operation; anyone would think being excited for surgery was weird, but this was normal for him.
He got to cut someone again. He could almost feel the scalpel blade in his fingers and the skin parting under the sharp metal. He licked his lips in anticipation. This would be fun.
Stein walked into the OR, where the patient was already hooked up to the machines that monitored his vitals and was being put under anesthesia. Medusa was drawing cut lines on the patients pale skin, and with each dot, Stein's eagerness increased. Five minutes later, the operation got under way.
The doctor cut along the lines Medusa had drawn and reveled in the blood that pooled there. His nurse placed the suction and it vanished before Stein cut again. They found the abdominal cavity to be filled with blood. They worked quickly to remove it all.
"His organs are damaged," Medusa said for the recording of the operation. "There are severe injuries to the liver, kidneys and intestinal tract. It's a miracle his stomach didn't rupture."
It's a miracle he's still alive," Stein murmured. "The damage is rather extended, but nothing can be done about it; most of it would require opening up the organs. . ."
"Which is what you want to do, right?" Medusa hissed softly enough that the recorders couldn't pick it up.
Stein ignored her. "We can't do much but repair the broken veins and arteries. Let's begin with that."
Medusa frowned, but complied and handed him a set of clamps. The doctor worked to fix what he could, then stitched Masamune's torso up.
"Get him to the recovery bay," Medusa snapped at the nurses, who scurried to comply. "I'll do the paperwork. Stein, go brief his sister . . . and friends."
The silver-haired doctor nodded and tore of the bloody latex gloves he wore. After his blood-spattered doctor's smock was removed and his arms cleaned, he descended to the waiting room. He found Tsubaki, Sid, Nygus, and Black*Star sitting there, looking grave. Even Black*Star, who was normally loud and boisterous, was quiet. Nygus nudged Sid, who was drifting off.
"How is he?" Tsubaki asked as Stein drew near. The doctor pulled a chair away from the wall and sat down backwards, propping his arms on the backrest.
"It's not looking good for Masamune," Stein said bluntly. "He has severe internal damage to most of is organs. We stitched up all the puncture wounds and tears, but we could do little for inside the organs themselves. The rest is in his hands now; whether he lives or not is entirely up to him."
The dark-eyed young woman bit her lip, which was quivering slightly. "My brother . . . what is the chance he'll die?"
The doctor shrugged. "I couldn't say."
Tsubaki nodded, taking a deep breath. "Can I see him?"
Stein nodded. "Yes, do the three of you wish to come along?"
Nygus and Sid shook their heads, but Black*Star stood. "I'll come."
The doctor stood as well and waved the two to follow him. The young adults hurried after him. Stein let them into Masamune's recovery room and stoof at the doorway as Tsubaki and Black*Star drew closer to the bed. Black*Star was soon awkwardly comforting Tsubaki (again), who had turned to sob into her friends chest.
"Poor thing." Stein jumped; he never knew Spirit could be so solemn or quiet.
"Spirit," Stein said, nodding at him. "What are you doing here?" Spirit shrugged before looking back at Masamune and the two by his bedside. Several minutes later, Tsubaki raised her head from Black*Star's chest and took a deep breath.
"I'm okay," she said quietly, then turned to leave the room. "I'm done." Stein nodded and closed the door behind Black*Star.
"Spirit, please take them downstairs," the silver-haired doctor ordered. "My shift is ending." Stein didn't wait for his fellow doctor to answer before sweeping down the hallway.
-/-
The sound of buzzing woke Stein from his fitful sleep. He groaned and found the hospital issue pager and turned it off. So much for sleep.
He caught a cab to the hospital after changing into his uniform. Azusa was still stationed at her desk, tapping away at her keyboard. "Good evening, Doctor Stein. You're needed upstairs; he isn't looking good." The silver-haired doctor didn't need an explanation to know who "he" was. Stein simply nodded, swamped his ID badge to sign in, and headed upstairs.
The intensive-care room was filled with nurses, all trying to stabilize Masamune. They parted like a shoal of fish and let him through to the bed. Stein's olive eyes narrowed as he saw Medusa standing off to the side, observing. The doctor didn't have time to dwell on this fact, though, and he switched his attention to the matter at hand.
"What's his condition?" Stein asked, snapping on latex gloves.
"His vitals are continuing to drop," one of the nurses told him. "We've injected his IV with stabilization, but they haven't taken affect yet."
"How are his chest and abdomen sounding?"
"Normal, sir. Heart beat is a bit fast, though."
"Have you tested his blood yet?"
"That is being done right now, sir."
"Good." Stein did a few additional tests of his own on Tsubaki's brother. Time passed, and slowly, his vitals became to go back to normal.
"He's clear," Stein declared after Masamune's vitals climbed to the green zone and stayed there. "He's fine . . . for now."
"Go back to your stations," Medusa ordered from the corner, speaking for the first time. "Now." The other nurses filed out and Medusa smirked. She was about to leave as well when Stein clamped a hand on her shoulder.
"Not so fast, Medusa."
His nurse turned, a sickening sweet smile on her features. "Yes, Doctor Stein?"
"Why were you not assisting?" Stein asked, his silver brows furrowed. "You stood to the side."
Medusa's smiles widened. "There was nothing to do. The other nurses were handling it."
"That's not like you," Stein murmured. "You would have taken charge. What are you hiding, Medusa?"
"Hiding? Why, nothing at all." Medusa looked shocked. "I think you are still tired. Go back home and sleep." She smiled and swept off.
The doctor stood, frozen in place. Maybe he had just been imagining it? Maybe it was all a product of his sleep-addled brain. But Stein could have sworn he saw a victorious smirk on Medusa's features as she watched them struggle to bring Masamune's vitals back up. He rubbed his eyes and sighed audibly.
"Doc . . . tor?" Stein's eyes widened and he looked at the bed. His patient's eyes were open, though barley, and looking at him blearing. "Please . . . bring my sister. . . There's something I need to tell her."
-/-
"Masamune!" Tsubaki almost threw herself at her brother. "Thank goodness you're alright!"
Stein shook his head at the scene. Once again, he could not understand why they cared so much. They were all going to die eventually, right?
"You look tired, Stein," said Sid, who was rubbing sleep from his eyes as he spoke. "Did they page you back?"
"I could say the same for you," the doctor replied. "His vitals decided to drop suddenly about an hour ago. They called me to deal with it."
"Why were his vitals down?" Nygus asked.
Stein shrugged. "I don't know. His blood is being tested as wee speak."
Nygus' brow furrowed. "I see."
"Excuse me." The three adults turned to see a young nurse standing by the door. "I was told to give Mr. Nakatsukasa some more stabilization medication. If I could get through . . .?" They three parted so she could pass.
The nurse went over to Masamune's IV drip bag and injected a needle full of medication into it. Stein could have sworn he saw something black enter the bag, but he glanced again and it was gone. He frowned, but saw nothing. The nurse slipped past them with a smile. Meanwhile, Tsubaki was holding her brother's hand, listening to his talk.
"Tsubaki," he muttered, running a hand across his chest with a grimace on his face, "I want you to promise me something."
"Yes?"
"Take care of that imbecile over there," Masamune said, nodding his head at the foot of the bed, where said blue-haired imbecile was standing. "And Black*Star . . . take care of my sister, understand? I'm probably going to be at the hospital for a while."
Black*Star grinned widely and flashed a thumbs up. "Don't worry, this star'll take care of her!"
"Good." Masamune ran his hand across his chest again. "Tsubaki, smile. You aren't my sister when you don't smile." Despite herself, Tsubaki smiled.
"Hey, Doc." Stein turned from the doorway. "My chest hurts. Can you get me something for it?"
Stein frowned. "It's from your surgery. You should have had another dose of pain medication by now." He fiddled with his pager sent the message out.
Medusa arrived several minutes later, a scowl on her face and a needle and vial in her hand. She swept past the adults in the doorway and Tsubaki moved so Medusa could work. The nurse tapped the glass vial with a painted nail and drew the solution in the needle. The needle was stuck into the IV bag, and Stein watched to see if the black flash would be there. It didn't show up and the doctor shook his head. Maybe it really had just been his imagination.
"Doctor Stein," Medusa said as she walked by him. "You should go home and sleep. You look exhausted. Since the crisis is over, I'll go home as well. I'll meet you in front and give you a ride back to your apartment." The nurse swept off, and Stein stared after her.
"Black*Star, Tsubaki, we should go as well," Nygus said. "Tsubaki, your brother will be here tomorrow. You both should get some sleep."
"Miss Nygus is right," Masamune murmured. "Go sleep, little sister. I'll still be here in the morning."
"Alright." Tsubaki smiled and kissed her brother on the cheek. "I love you, big brother. Get better."
"I will."
"See you later."
"Bye."
Tsubaki and Black*Star left the room and Stein led them downstairs. Medusa was waiting for Stein in the lobby. Azusa had already left.
"Good night, Doctor Stein," Tsubaki said with a smile. "And thank you." Stein simply nodded and followed Medusa out to her car to go home.
-/-
The hospital was quiet as Spirit roamed the hallways. It was late, almost two, and his shift was about to end. He peered into the last room on his run before he visited Maka, and gasped.
All vitals were flat-lined. Maka would have to wait.
-/-
The hotel room's phone rang out of the gloom and Nygus picked it up on the fourth ring. "Hello?"
Silence as she listened. "Oh no . . . I'll tell her. Thank you." Dread in her stomach, Nygus hung up the phone and rolled out of bed. She crossed the room to the other bed and shook Tsubaki awake.
"Tsubaki . . . something's happened to your brother."
-/-
Stein was woken up byu a sharp knocking on his apartment door. He rolled of the coach where he had fallen asleep once again and stumbled to the door. Medusa was on the other side when he opened it.
"Good morning, Doctor, she said, he voice sweet. "Not planning to go to work today, hmm?"
Stein looked down at himself. He was unshaven, in the wrong clothes, and still half asleep. The clock read that he was soon going to be late. "Give me a minute," he mumbled, closing the door.
The doctor changed and shaved quickly before grabbing his keys and hurrying out of his apartment. Medusa was idling at the curb when he exited the complex. Stein climbed into the passenger side of the car. He had barely clipped his seatbelt before Medusa had put the car in gear.
"IN a hurry, are we?" Stein asked his nurse.
Medusa scowled briefly. "If someone was conscious when I arrived we wouldn't be late." The rest of the car ride was silent.
The doctor and nurse walked through the automatic doors of Shibusen together. It was quiet, strangly so. There seemed to be a depressing cloud that hung over the hospital. Stein and medusa walked up to the counter, where Azusa was typing.
"Good morning, Azusa," Medusa said, swiping her ID card to start her shift.
"Oh, Miss Gorgon." Yumi seemed strangely distant. "Good morning." She looked up and spotted Stein.
"Doctor Stein." Stein nodded his head and swiped his ID. He zoned out before, "Doctor Stein, I'm talking to you!"
" . . . What?"
Azusa sighed. "You're patient, Masamune. He died last night."
What?" Stein's eyes widened and he glanced at Medusa. Her face was stretched in a victorious smirk before it morphed into apologetic features.
"He died last night," Azusa repeated. "At approximately 1:54 AM he was pronounced dead. You have a message from the Director." She procured a black envelope decorated with white skulls shaped like the director's mask. Stein took it wordlessly and slit the seal. He pulled the folded paper from the envelope and began to read.
'Doctor Stein;
Please join me for some tea in my office as soon as you read this message! We will discuss the recent death of your patient.
-Director Shinigami"
Stein's face was impassive as he folded the paper, stuffed it in it's envelope and threw it inot the shredder underneath Azusa's desk. He started for the elevator, but was stopped by,
"Doctor Stein!"
The silver-haired man turned and was shocked to be given a rather forceful hug. He looked down at the person who had suddenly embraced him. It was his deceased patient's sister, Tsubaki.
"I just want you to know," the young woman said quietly, "that I don't blame you for my brother's death."
For the third time in as almost as many minutes Stein heard himself saying, "What?"
"You did all you could for Masamune," Tsubaki murmured. "Thank you." She let go of the doctor and looked up at Stein. Her dark eyes were rimed with red, but were tear free.
"Thank youfor Black*Star, and for what you did to save my brother."
Stein looked at her, slightly shocked. "You're . . . welcome."
The dark-haired young woman smiled. She hugged him again before turning to thank Medusa for her efforts. The doctor simply shook his head and continued his amble to the elevator. The doors opened, and he stepped inside.
Stein pushed the button decorated with the Director's mask, and leaned against the wall as the elevator began its accent. He'd been forgiven by one. Now it was time to face the Director of the establishment that tried to stall the inevitable . . . and he'd just failed in that mission.
A/N: The end. I'm evil, I know.