03 - The Call

Dr. Sakata took an elevator to the third floor while Sougo quickly sprinted through the emergency stairs to catch up, almost bumping into a lady clothed in a white medical gown. Sougo was just in time to see Dr. Sakata enter Room 79. He made a mental note of the room's isolated location as it was situated on the farthest corner of the third floor.

[ooo]

Dr. Sakata closed the door, oblivious to the eavesdropping janitor just outside the room. There were no openings to the astonishingly white room. Everything was also organized. Not a single thing out-of-place. Even the blanket was neatly folded without a crease.

He looked at Kuraba's medical chart again.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D.). Type: N/A.

Cause: Undefined.

Allergies: None.

Other notes:

-No chemical or psychological treatment received prior to admission

-Previously involved in an illegal trade of drugs, women and weapons with Joui extremists

He smiled. These patients were always a joy to work with. He liked instigating different personalities out of them. Especially, out of criminals. It suited his playful personality the best.

"So, who am I speaking with today?" He asked.

Kuraba narrowed his eyes. Before he could respond, a certain ringtone sounded from just outside the door. Kuraba looked anxiously towards the direction of the sound.

Since cell phones acted as distractions to patients, they were supposed to be banned in the hospital. When Dr. Sakata quickly opened the room to reprimand the owner of the cell phone, he was met with the sight of his eager lavender-haired stalker nurse. He quickly shut the door without further investigation.

"Who was that?" Kuraba inquired with a troubled voice.

"I have bad news." He joked with a serious face. "I'll have to diagnose you for schizophrenia, too."

[ooo]

Of all the days that I forgot to turn off my phone…

When Sougo's phone rang, he quickly put some distance between himself and Room 79. Thankfully, the doctor's stalker had just stepped out of the elevator and had taken his place by the door just in time.

"Hello ane-ue." He quickly greeted with the most polite voice he could muster.

The last time that he saw her was when she bade him farewell a year ago, right before he had to go undercover. He realized that he really missed her voice.

"Oh, Sou-chan. Is this a bad time?" She noticed his heavy breathing.

"No. Not at all. I was just-uh-jogging."

"Ah. I see. Make sure to stay hydrated then."

"Did you need something from me, ane-ue?" He filled a styrofoam cup with water at the break room and started to drink it.

"Well...I know you said I shouldn't call unless there was an emergency, but-" his sister paused, "I'm getting married next week and I'm hoping my little brother can be the best man to my groom."

Cough. Cough.

Sougo spilled more than half of his water on his jumpsuit once he heard his beloved sister say that she was "getting married".

"Sou-chan. Are you okay?"

Okay? OKAY?! How was she expecting me to be okay after dropping a bomb like that!

"Sou-chan?"

Sougo chose his words carefully in order not to make his sister unhappy.

"Anything for you, ane-ue." He spoke carefully. It's not like he ever had the heart to turn down any of her requests. It's just, whoever this groom iz, he'll make sure to torture him once they meet.

His older sister drew out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in.

"I'm glad to hear that. One more thing. Since I can't accompany you the whole time, I reserved two seats for you. Bring a date along to keep you company."

Sougo wanted to sigh. Even though he understood his sister's kind intentions. In the end, it sounded like an unreasonable request. He has never dated before so it sounded like a hassle to get someone for the wedding.

"I'll think about it." He replied.

"I think it's time you start thinking about the future too, Sou-chan."

"Hmm." He solemnly agreed.

His sister ended the call with the excuse of last-minute wedding preparations and Sougo was left to ponder the news.

The future, huh?

With the amount of blood that stained his hands, the future wasn't something he had the privilege of thinking of.

"Requesting a spill clean-up in Room 32." The same soothing voice appeared through the P.A. system. "Again, requesting a spill clean-up in Room 32."

Sougo snapped out of his trance and looked around the janitors' break room. The sun had long set and no one else was around so he took it upon himself to head to Room 32 with a mop and a bucket in hand.

He headed to the second floor where all of the rooms were shared by a maximum of three patients. Due to lack of funds, only the third floor had private rooms for patients. Once he reached the first room on the right, he overheard a conversation that made him stop in his tracks.

[ooo]

Two minutes ago.

"Nn." The young lady on the bed was stirred awake when she sensed the presence of a man behind her.

"Who-who is it?" She asked, unable to see in the room with the lights off.

"Shh." The man tried to undo her hospital gown from the back.

"Are you a doctor?" She asked without suspicion.

"Yes. Now stay still. I need to do a full body check-up." The man assured her.

Splash.

Before the male patient knew it, he was covered in ice cold water. Sougo had poured the contents of his bucket at the man before he could go further with his misdeeds.

"Why don't you calm down, Mister? The night is still young. I'll play with you instead." Sougo threatened him with the handle of his mop aimed at his throat.

"I give. I give. I'm sorry. Whenever I get these urges, I just can't stop."

"I'm afraid sorry doesn't cut it." Sougo held the mop's handle tighter against his neck until the man passed out.

He dragged the body to a pillar in the center of the room and tied his hands around the pillar using the man's bed sheets. He pulled out a permanent marker from his coveralls and started to draw on the man's face.

"Mister, what are you doing?"

She watched him write 'I'm sorry' on the man's forehead then 'I like' on the man's left cheek.

"Giving out justice." He finished the sentence by drawing a long oval sandwiched by two smaller circles on his right cheek.

"Justice? Wasn't he a doctor?"

"Doctors don't give check-ups in the dark like this." He kindly explained but the puzzled look on her face remained.

"That is called a molester." He taught her. "Guys like these need to be tied up and humiliated to kill their ego. The marker should last for a week. Try to avoid this type of scum in the future."

"Okay, I will." She complied. "Then are you a doctor?"

"No. I'm just an ordinary janitor. Doctors wear white coats. Next time, check if someone is actually a doctor if their ID matches their face."

Kagura vigorously nodded her head like a schoolgirl attending lecture.

"Then, is he a doctor?"

Sougo watched her line of sight directed at the door.

"Yes. That one is a doctor. Good job. You learn fast." He praised her by patting her head. "Can't say much about his sexuality, though."

Dr. Sakata smirked at the scene.

"And I can't say much about you, either, ordinary janitor." He countered. "Let's talk outside."

After Sougo coaxed the lady into sleeping, he closed the door to her room.

"I admit I had my suspicions when I first met you so I tried to look up your medical files."

Sougo watched the doctor open up a folder and read it out loud in the hallway.

"Okita Sougo. Twenty-two years old. Unmarried. Healthy as a dog until July 27 five years ago. It seemed like you were in some sort of a fight, resulting in severe internal bleeding and several stitches on your back. You were practically covered in bandages after the doctor was done with you."

"What do you want?" Sougo grew wary of the doctor.

"Not much really. You see, the old hag...err...I mean director's been receiving several complaints of harassment from a janitor, a receptionist and a nurse. In only one week's time, too. That's a record."

"Go on." Sougo urged.

"I wanted to warn you that the director's onto you. Think of it as returning the favor for using you as an excuse earlier." The doctor explained. "She wants you gone and as her right-hand man, I have to make sure that happens."

"I see. I'll go." Sougo complied.

"Really?" The doctor was surprised. He expected Sougo to put up some sort of resistance before being forced to leave. "Alright. I'll leave you to it, then. Just keep in mind that you're banned. I better not see you around here again. Is that clear?"

"Sure. Sure." Sougo replied nonchalantly.

There wasn't anything he could do if his cover was blown. He'll just have to trust this perceptive doctor to find out that Kuraba's been lying about his condition and release him to police custody.

"Just one more thing." Dr. Sakata added. "Thanks for saving the little lady. I owe you one."

"I'll keep that in mind, then."

The two parted ways. Sougo headed to the break room and changed out of his jumpsuit. He didn't have any other belongings to take with him except for the clothes on his back. He yawned as he exited from the back door of the hospital, feeling at ease, that the case will be closed soon.

Right before the door shut, someone else had exited.

He didn't bother turning around. He figured it was just another one of the staff leaving late.

But when the footsteps kept following him down the block, he started to grow suspicious. He abruptly stopped and so did the pair of footsteps. When he continued to walk again, the other person did too. Finally, he decided to turn around. Standing a few feet away was a lady in a white medical gown, staring back at him as if she was a deer caught in headlights.

"Miss escapee, why are you following me?"

[ooo]

Up Next: The Store

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