If an average of the hospital admissions of the members of the Japanese branch of SPR was taken, then the person with the most would be, by far, Taniyama Mai. Usually her trip would be because she had been locked in a room full of chemicals, knocked out by something or fallen down a well or a sewer.
After her, would probably be Hara Masako, who would be admitted due to falling down stairs, out of a wall or some other high up place.
The third most likely person would be Shibuya Kazuya and there was only ever one reason why he would be sent to hospital; he had used his PK. Such actions would result in heart failure or some other form of collapse.
That is, there was only one reason for his admittance until now.
On a case in a house on the outskirts of Tokyo, a particularly vicious spirit had immediately targeted Shibuya Kazuya or, as he affectionately known by his colleagues, Naru.
The spirit's attacks had started small; slamming a door on his hand, an exploding tea cup and scalding hot water in the shower. But on the final day of the case, the spirit took things a lot further.
"You know, it's kind of nice not being the target of the spirit for once." Mai had been saying as she and Naru had been returning to the base with John and Bou-san in tow.
Yet before Naru could make some sort of cutting remark, he had been thrown forwards down the stairs. John and Bou-san had leapt into action and Mai had run to Naru's side. He had been knocked unconscious and when they arrived at the hospital, they discovered both of his legs had been fractured.
And that was how Naru found himself in his current state; wheelchair bound for a minimum of six to eight weeks with casts around both lower legs. Needless to say, he hated it.
He had had to use the service elevator to get up to the office and had to have Lin move temporarily back in with him to help him do menial tasks that he was unable to without some form of assistance.
Everyone had noticed the foul mood of their boss and had done their best to stay out of his way lest they found themselves the subject of his fury. Lin had known the young man long enough to be able to ignore his actions, but everyone else, excluding Mai who had no choice, had avoided the office like it was contaminated with a deadly virus.
While Naru had been hospitalised, the others had exorcised the spirit and finished the case with Bou-san taking the lead. They had all discovered the reason Naru, out of all of them, had been targeted. Yet all of them had failed to mention the reason to their boss.
"He'll work it out on his own at some point," as Yasuhara had put it.
This had not settled well with Naru. He hated not knowing the reason and yet was too proud to ask any of them. He had, however, pointed out to Mai that she had failed to mention it in her report.
"You asked me to write the report in English, I couldn't adequately portray the reason in another language, so thought I'd leave it to those more fluent in that damn language to fill in the gaps." She had said. "There are several other reports written for this case, I'm sure someone would have mentioned it. I mean, I'll happily write another report with business level kanji with all reasons included if you want?"
And with that she had scooted out of his office without so much as another word. As she had already provided him with tea, he couldn't very well call her back without a good reason. He certainly didn't want a report filled with bloody kanji. It was a stupid writing system.
It took Naru over a week to finally admit that he needed some help while in the wheelchair. It was never with very big things. Usually it was something like holding a door open or carrying something or reaching something from a high shelf. But it had taken him a week to shelve his pride.
Yet a week later and the entire situation had become too much. And unfortunately for Mai, she received the full brunt of Naru's wroth.
She had just brought him a cup of tea when it happened. He had had to cut down on the tea as drinking too much meant needing the relieve himself too often considering the length of time it took to go to the bathroom with the damned wheeled contraption.
"Mai, do you think I contradict myself?" Naru asked casually as she placed the tea on his desk.
"Um, no?" She replied uncertainly.
"Well I either do or I don't."
"No, you don't." Mai stood in front of his desk, clutching her hands in front of body, thoroughly confused by the question.
"Do you think I am cruel? Do I lack empathy?" He spat the questions out at her.
"Well, maybe a little harsh, but not cruel." Mai replied, not meeting his eye. "I mean, you gave me a job, which was because of empathetic feelings towards me, wasn't it?"
He ignored her question.
"Do I lack a mature conscience?"
"What do you mean?"
Naru rolled his eyes.
"Is my moral intelligence that of a six year old? Do you think I wouldn't do something just because it was illegal or would hurt someone?"
"No… You would never try to hurt someone. Why are you asking me these questions?" Mai asked.
But he ignored her question again.
"Do you think me envious or competitive in ridiculous ways?"
"Hardly."
"Do you think me dismissive towards others?" The interrogation continued.
"Well sometimes you appear so, but that's generally because you're thinking further ahead than some people realise."
"Do you think me extremely sensitive to person criticism?"
"No."
"Or extremely critical of other people?"
"Well you can be…"
But Naru was not listening to her answers.
"Do I complain constantly? Am I passive and lacking in initiative?" His voice was beginning to rise in volume. "Am I naïve? Or pathetic despite my arrogant exterior? Do I live in grandiose delusions of my absolute power and genius?" He was almost shouting now. "Do I have no sense of humour? Am I ignorant to the passage of time? Do I suck up to authority figures? And cling to the opinions of said authority figures as if nothing else is more important than their words? Do I work only in order to receive gratification and admiration from lesser beings?" Mai could feel tears coming to her eyes and she began backing away subconsciously. But Naru was not finished yet. "Do I expect privileges to which I do not deserve? Do I pay you so little that you think me overtly frugal? Does nothing other than outward appearances matter to me? Am I impulsive? Do I think any emotion I feel must be felt by everyone? Do I hate myself so much that I hate living alone? Do I? Do I Mai?"
Mai knew if he was capable, Naru would have been on his feet and shouting in her face and she briefly wondered where this anger had come from.
"No…" She whimpered as she shook her head.
"Those are all characteristic behaviours of a narcissist, Mai." He spat her name out like it was venom. "So why, apart from the fact that I recognise my own ability and looks, do you think yourself capable of diagnosing me with such a personality disorder?"
"I… I don't." Mai felt the tears escaping her eyes now. "I never meant any harm from it…"
And she turned and fled from the office. She grabbed her things and left with tears streaming down her face.
"What did you say to Taniyama-san this time?" Lin said from Naru's office door.
"I merely pointed out to her that I barely fit any of the criteria of narcissistic personality disorder." Naru was still fuming.
"And she is crying because…?"
"Do you know how a true narcissist treats someone who loves them?" Naru posed the question after a few seconds silence and Lin shook his head. "They treat them like belongings. If a narcissist knows someone is emotionally attached to them, they use them like a tool. If this usage objected to, then they then employ emotional blackmail against them."
"Your point being?"
"I am disgusted that someone I love thinks that I would treat anyone that way." Naru hissed.
"If you'd admitted that a few weeks ago, then you wouldn't be in the state you are now." Lin turned to leave. "Perhaps you ought to tell Mai that."
"Tell Mai what?"
"Exactly what you just said and no, I'm not driving you anywhere." And Lin returned to his own office, leaving Naru to begin wheeling his way out of the office.
Author's note: So I'm not really sure what happened with this... I just sort of wrote it. I've had the two ideas (Naru in a wheelchair and someone pointing out that he isn't actually a narcissist) in my head for a while and combined them into this.
If anyone is interested in where I got the info about Narcissistic Personality Disorder from give me a shout. I know when it's used in this the anime/manga they just mean it in the way I have interpreted it above. But even if we go back to the route of the idea, with Narcissus staring at his reflection and all, Naru only does that to see Gene... So I don't think it's the same really.
So yeah, please review?