Disclaimer : Standard disclaimer applies.
Chapter 1 : Mind Numbing Pain
The nurses rushed in and out of the emergency room as the wailing sirens of ambulances could be heard over the ruckus of the already-crowded hospital. Hell seemed to have broken loose all over the city. The hospital phone lines were tied up with the numerous amount of emergency calls, ambulance drivers worked overtime to help transport the latest of victims and every available member of the hospital's staff had their hands full tending to the patients which seemed to endlessly pour through the doors, each with injuries worse than the last.
Over the past few hours, an organization calling themselves the Dark Horizon had started a massive riot. No one really knew what their purpose was. They had been almost impossible to control. Within minutes of the riot, nearly half of downtown had been ransacked. Houses were broken into, shops were robbed and entire establishments had been held hostage.
Naturally, the police and armed forces had responded immediately. The insurgencies had been put to a halt momentarily but many feared that the current peace would lead to a larger outbreak of madness. Truly, hell had indeed broken loose.
In one of the hospital's many wards, a group of eight people waited restlessly as they mulled over the current turmoil. However, the usual idea spawning slash brainstorming session had none of the usual inquisitive aura that it was so famous for. Instead, what lurked over the five students and three detectives was a sense of mistrust, dread, anger and anguish.
Dan Morihiko, the legendary private investigator sat rigid and motionless in his wheelchair by the window. The evening sun cast a deep orange glow over the elderly man's aged features. So obviously deep in thought, his face held a deep frown that was extremely uncharacteristic of him.
Katagiri sensei and Nanami were huddled up next to each other on the sofa next to the door. Occasional whispers were exchanged between the pair as Katagiri sensei continued to change the numerous bandages covering her friend's upper body. The injuries were not severe, but the bleeding showed no signs of slowing down. It was all the female teacher could do besides tying him down to a bed and forcing the detective to stay still.
The two beds in the room were occupied by two of class Q's students. On the first one lay the heavily bandaged Kinta. He was partially conscious due to the side-affects of the anesthesia given to him when the doctors removed the bullet which had pierced his gut. He also obtained an injury to his spine due to his involvement in the recent brawl. Kazuma sat quietly on the plastic chair beside him, scared stiff but otherwise unhurt.
Kyuu lay on the other bed, unconscious. He had suffered a concussion to the head and several broken ribs, which, according to the doctors claim, would have killed him had he not reached the hospital on time.
Megumi stood directly beside Kyu's unmoving form. The nervousness and fear that radiated through her could practically be smelled in the air. The pink haired girl continuously fidgeted with her fingers in anxiety and kept looking from the room door to her cell phone every five seconds, as if expecting someone.
Ryuu stood in the corner, looking as pale as death. The carnage he had witnessed today shook him to the bone. Sure, he had seen corpses which looked worse but never before had he seen such brutality among men. He would never forget the look in the eyes of the men and women who had so willingly hurt and damaged others.
He knew, because of his experience in Pluto, that this sort of tragedy that had befallen all of them transcended way beyond things like political, social or even religious issues. This sort of thing concerned the human behavior itself. It had come to a point where a person's judgment had been clouded completely and the line between good and evil, black and white, had been virtually non-existent.
He looked at the pig-tailed girl from where he was standing. She had captured his attention from the moment he had seen her on that ship. Her bubbly nature had been so out of place amidst all the chaos, death and mystery that surrounded them. He constantly wondered what a girl like her would be doing in a place like this. Of course, he would never neglect her amazing talents. He accepted the fact long ago that practically none of the cases that they had been handed could have been solved without her. She was the missing piece of the puzzle that bound the entire team together. An essential part of class Q that made it what it was. And for that, he was grateful.
He had come to care for her as a friend. And seeing her in this state of distress made him itch to do something. Half of him wanted to go over to where she was standing and envelope her in a hug. Hold her small, shaking form and convince her that her sister would be alright. But that would seem to personal. He mentally cursed his impulsive self. He had being keeping his interactions with her to a bare minimum since he first started. This was because he knew, if he were to get to close to her, it was likely that he would never let go.
He moved closer to her and took one of her hands in his. Her hand felt cold and clammy in his. The sudden stiffness of her body told him that she registered his presence. She looked up to him and he twitched his lip in half a smile and said,
"Its gonna be okay"
He said this in barely a whisper as he did not want it to carry across the room. He was sure no one had noticed until Katagiri sensei looked up from the arm she had been bandaging at the two of them. A soft smile graced her tired face as her eyes drifted from his face to his hand which still held hers.
Suddenly, there was a soft knocking on the door. A nurse stepped in as soon as Dan-sensei asked her to enter. The nurse, though still in her youth, looked hassled and tired, as if she had not rested in a long time.
"I'm sorry to disturb you sir, but I was informed that.." she paused to check her clipboard "Minami Megumi, sister to Minami Akane is in this room?"
"Yes, that's me!" she answered instantly. She had an unmistakable look of hope on her face and she suddenly ripped her hand out of Ryuu's and walked towards the nurse.
"Do you have news about my sister?"
The nurse's expression morphed to a look which meant bad news. All eyes were on the newcomer as she said slowly,
"I think we should go outside, Minami-san. There are some things which-"
"It's alright, these people are like my second family to me." Her voice had softened.
The nurse looked unsure of herself. Dan sensei took one long look at Megumi and gave the nurse a nod of approval.
"Your sister was recently involved in an accident. It seemed that the bridge crossing that river had been rigged with explosives. Your sister was caught in the explosion"
"No…" she said weakly
"The police have found no survivors as of yet but the chances of survival are extremely slim as…" the nurse hung her head "… everything was destroyed in the inferno after the explosion
"
Meg's legs gave out under her as she fell to her knees. Mind numbing pain filled her heart as she barely registered the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She could not feel the strong arms that held her tight nor could she hear the voices which continuously called out her name. At that point, she wished for her life to end.
Author's Note :
My first go at a DDS fic. Reviews will be an encouragement for me to keep on writing. No flames please!