Chapter Three

Batou and the Major stood outside of an ICU unit, looking inside through the one-way glass. Togusa's emaciated body lay sedated on the bed within, covered in blankets. An IV in his arm, sending fluid into his system. Another in the opposite hand was giving him blood. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth, fogging slightly with each shallow breath he took.

"He was always skinny… but now…" Batou trailed off. "he looks like a skeleton."

The Major nodded. "At least we found him, finally."

Batou clenched his fists. "yeah, but at what cost? He thinks we all took part in the killing of his family, that we tortured him. That I tortured him…"

Footsteps echoed up the hall towards them, silencing any response the Major might have given. Saito, Pazu and a redheaded woman in a long white lab coat and a nametag that read "Dr. Ruka" joined them at the window.

The Doctor held out her hand to the Major. "Dr. Ruka, tell me, how is Togusa doing?"

Dr. Ruka opened a file on the small pad she drew out of her pocket. "Severe damage externally and internally, broken bones, bruised organs. He has a bad case of pneumonia and is very malnourished and dehydrated. He… he was also raped, repeatedly. We have to keep him sedated, not only to keep him comfortable, but also because he is hallucinating. He seems to think that some people called Section Nine are torturing him, and that we are working with them." She glanced sideways at Barou. "That wouldn't happen to be you people, would it?"

Batou's jaw clenched. Batou! Don't let her rile you up. The Major ordered. If you want to stay here, then calm down. If you can't control yourself, then leave and go back.

Batou glared from the flirty doctor to the Major. Finally he turned around to look back through the window at his friend. Fine. Was all he said.

The Major cast one last look at him before returning her attention to the doctor. "We rescued him after he has been missing for over a year. He was held captive by a group of people impersonating the Section Nine he is referring to. As to why, we are uncertain yet."

A beeping noise interrupted anything Dr Ruka may have said. She glanced at it. "I have to go take care of this. If you want, you can go inside and visit him for an hour. I or one of my suppordinates will be back after the hour is over to take you out." She left before any member of Section Nine could say another word.

In silence, they filed into the room. Batou immediately took a seat next to his friend, while the rest stood around the bed, staring down at their sleeping comrade. Machines softly beeped and whirred, keeping their friend alive and comfortable, and monitoring his vitals.

"How do we know he even is the real Togusa?" Saito demanded suddenly. "Maybe this is one of their tricks."

The Major shook her head. "On the way to the hospital, once he was sedated, I brain-dived into his memories. Its him, as far as I can tell. All his memories are there, though the past year is nothing but jumbled half-thoughts and confusion and pain. His body is real, not cyborg, and there is no sign of plastic surgery either. I don't see a way anyone could resemble Togusa without any of that."

Batou reached out to cover Togusa's skeletal hand with his own. Behind his back, The Major and the others stared at him. "Why did they do this to him? What did they have to gain from doing this to his family, and to him?"

Silence greeted his question. After a moment, the Major said quietly, "I think the more important question is why is there a group of people out there who resemble us at Section Nine, and what are they planning to do. We need to find that out as soon as possible!" She switched to cyber-speech. "Ishikawa, have you found anything in the computers that were in the building where Togusa was found?"

"Most of them were erased or destroyed, Major." Ishikawa replied. "We're doing our best with what we have-"

"Well work harder and faster! We need to know what was going on there, and what they're planning!" The Major interrupted, rising to her feet. "The kept Togusa alive this long for a reason, and he is in no condition to tell us why, if he even knows. We need to find out everything NOW. We will head back now. I will take another look at building."

The men filed out of the room, except Batou. He still stood next to Togusa's bed, gazing down at him, taking in every bruise, scar, burn and cut. He tightened his grip around Togusa's hand briefly before letting it go. "I'll find out why, Togusa. I promise."

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The Major walked into the building, crouching past the police tape that had been erected periodically. She glanced up the stairs, where she had first gone when they first stormed the building two days ago. She changed direction and headed down to the lower levels, where Togusa had been found.

Batou had said all of the other cells had been either empty or their occupants dead. Thankful she could disable her scent receptors, she kept walking down to the door that was open, a huge, Batou-size foot dent in the door. Dried blood was crusted on the floor, and especially in the far corner, most likely where Batou had found Togusa. There was a tattered, half rotten blanket cast on the floor. There was a round camera mounted on the ceiling, allowing for 360 viewing of the cell. She glared at it. Like he wasn't put through enough, they also watched him constantly?

Growling, she exited the cell and headed back up the stairs.

"Major! We may have found something."

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