Fragments

"Grief mixed with shock is such a difficult state to be in; it's hard even to describe it. On the one hand, I was numb and felt like I was in some sort of dream state - I couldn't believe she was gone, but I knew it was true. And despite the shock, which makes you feel like you're muffled in cotton, my nerve ends were screaming. I was in emotional pain so intense it was physical." -Robert Wagner

…

He always came to pick up his comrades from the hospital.

"Yuuto Nishimura?" A hospital orderly called, clipboard in hand and a slightly drawn, if neutral look on her face. He stood up and made his way over to her. "Right this way sir."

Pale, washed out institutional beige walls. Mottled, off white linoleum floor tiles. The passing of an odd lab coat wearing staff member. No eye contact.

The steady clip of hospital efficient footsteps. Military efficient footsteps. Clack, clack, clack.

He always came to pick up his comrades. Especially his kouhai.

He'd trained the brats. He had taken them under his wing, so to speak and was on several of their emergency contact lists.

That was part of why he was here.

A metal door. Nothing special. One of many in the hallway, evenly spaced out between stretches of impersonal, blank walls. 104M.

"Here we are." She unlocked the door and led him through, "If you could confirm identification on any of them…?"

A military at ease stance. Show no emotion. Keep it together. Green eyes focused on the woman's face, steadfast ignorance of a room full of drawers.

"Here we go," she said easily as she pulled out a drawer. Inside was a body. It was a morgue after all.

"Number 663. Retreived from Sector 427S13. Multiple wounds to the head, chest, and right upper extremity. Severe wound to the neck."

Kazuto had light brown eyes that almost reminded him of Remus' gold. He liked running, thought it was relaxing. Told the corniest jokes like they were going out of style. 'You don't call, you don't write…' Hated the color pink. Was dead, dead, dead on the table.

"…-eived from Sector 429S06. Traumatic partial decapitation due to high explosive tag. Vault of the skull laid open and brain eviscerated. Severe fragmentation of the bones of the vault and bones of the base of the skull on the left side."

She had pulled out another one. Deep, even breathes. Stay calm. The scent of blood and death overlaid by hospital standard sanitation.

Merlin. It was Kaname. He recognized the tattoo on his wrist. Merlin. Merlin. Merlin.

He had trained them. Sharpened up their edges and polished them up nice.

They were his…

Focus.

"… Sector 429S10. Multiple wounds to head, neck, chest, and upper and lower extremities due to fragments of rock. Possibly from a shattered Doton jutsu."

Yoshihide. One of Kaname's teammates. His students. His subordinates. His kouhai. His comrades…

"Sir. Can you positively identify subjects 633, 638, or 653?"

He turned to face the technician, tearing his eyes from the remains. Rule 25. "A shinobi must keep emotions on the inside, no matter what the situation."

He straighten imperceptibly, with steel in his green, green eyes.

Yuuto always came to pick up his comrades from the hospital.