Notes: Fixed, updated and added on January 10-2018
Kaito's medical condition was ...hmm... now better thought of but not fully detailed, I'm not a doctor... so I improvised a little xD let's just say that he is alive thanks to a miracle! A BIG one xD and I do not like to mention details concerning blood and that kind of stuff...
Enjoy~
Chapter 3: Caught
Konosuke Jii did everything he could to keep Kuroba from dying, while Nakamori drove like a crazy racer between the trees on the uneven hard ground. Hakuba nearly had to perform CPR, had it not been for the strong-willed Kaitou who did not surrender to his respiratory difficulties. Conan kept most of the wounds secure from the reckless Nakamori in a hurry, as they were about to lose Kuroba. Terrified while thinking of the worst, Ginzo saw the hospital's hidden location ahead.
Between large amounts of cramped trees was a tunnel covered with grass and stones, carefully disguised as a terrain that led a long way underground. The van went inside the tunnel that Ginzo opened with a special device. He knew the place like the back of his head, so he knew how long they had to reach the hospital's doors. The tunnel was wide enough for two vans, with a hard angle downwards that reached straight grounds after ten meters. Once the ground was straight, the doors were five meters ahead. Nakamori stopped the van right in front of it and quickly turned to the men in the back. "Open the door!" he shouted. Hakuba and Jii opened them and three doctors got inside.
Megure thought it was better to have the doctors move the patient instead of the paramedics since the officer's condition was too critical.
Besides, he preferred to have someone to watch closely, just to confirm that no BO members recognized the face of the officer.
After having the doctors believe that the man lying half-dead before their eyes was a targeted officer (which most others knew), it was safe to assume no one would go snooping around just to see the famous thief. The inspectors kept the victim's identity under a low profile, in case anyone came to kill him or a slip came from any of the officers or doctors to the public during their civil lives.
The first doctor, Shon, brought the stretcher inside the van and placed the teen carefully on it, while the second doctor connected the breathing tube and wires.
After assuring that the officer was stable and breathing; the third doctor went down and spoke through his wireless device. "We're getting him inside!" he helped them bring the stretcher down and went inside the hospital, directly to the emergency room. The operation began immediately.
As time was passing, Kuroba's friends were waiting outside on the chairs adjacent to the wall facing the ER door. The eldest two, Nakamori and Konosuki, were vexed despite their straight faces. 'All that blood!' there was nothing mysterious about it, they have to be idiots to think the thief wasn't in the danger zone.
'Even if Kaito Bocchama didn't die from the crash, he'll die from the blood loss!' the mere thought worried Jii.
Hakuba was standing with his back to the wall beside the emergency room's doors, while Conan was walking back and forth in the narrow rectangular corridor. There were twelve grayish doors of standard size rooms, on the corridor's right and an elevator at the far left side of the entrance doors. The doors and elevator were provided with a complex security board, in addition to cameras in hidden places. Conan's carefully honed eyes spotted three in the ceiling vents, four in the flower pots and three in plain sight pointed at the staff room, the medical room, and the elevator respectively. There were also guards stationed to keep everything under control, each guard stood between two doors.
To Conan, that wasn't enough. He knew how the syndicate acted, and something as simple as that just wasn't enough. At least he had to admit that the terrain was well made, and the cramped trees concealed the hidden door well. The camouflage was a great choice, and whoever made it was a genuine artist. Conan didn't even realize it because it looked natural when he peered through the windshield as he told the inspector the Kaitou was in a secure condition. He wished he hadn't because Ginzo sped up like a lunatic heading towards the trees. For a second, Conan closed his eyes ready for the impact, and only opened them a second later and found out they were in a tunnel-like place.
'He nearly gave me a heart attack!' he mumbled to himself and returned the innocently sign above the ER doors, where the lunatic inspector was looking at since they arrived.
Nakamori was sitting, merely drifting in his musing for some time before landing his sight on the old man beside him. "Konosuke-san?" he began with a shaky voice, "Do… Do you think he'll make it?" The old man's eyes were sad, yet considerate. 'Kaito-Kun's been in this mess for quite a while now... Why didn't I listen to everyone and tried to know why KID returned the jewels he stole?'
Konosuke was silent for a minute, he saw past the inspector's worries after knowing him for so long thanks to his 'night job'. "I hope so, Keibu" was all he said for that moment. He sighed and directed his eyes to his hands he had on his knees. "It's a miracle he didn't die before he crashed!" the three confirmed, KID was really lucky. "In any case, we can't tell for sure..." he stared at the none hidden cameras for a brief moment and turned back to the inspector. "Are you sure they won't find him here?" Ginzo knew what the question truly was, 'Will he be safe here?' Ginzo couldn't blame the old man. Five officers and seven guards weren't enough since they were dealing with the most prepared criminals they have never known about until a few hours ago.
With his knowledge about the shadows, Jii knew he couldn't count on the police alone. They needed to act too, as professional Kaitous. With their skills, they can stop the Ravens from striking again. Hopefully, that wouldn't be anytime soon, not with Kuroba in the operating room.
As for Ginzo, he watched the pale wrinkled face for a second longer. Jii was Toichi's assistant, a loyal one worth admiration. He even looked after Kaito since the accident; the least Ginzo could do was to assure him somehow that that very boy wouldn't die now.
"Yes, don't worry. They took the bait for now, so KID can't show up. He'll be safer here, and by the time he wakes, everything will be over. We'll stop that syndicate..." his voice trailed off, "I just hope his partner wouldn't interfere with the plan…" Jii was sure no one else could hear what the inspector mumbled to himself, but he heard it clearly. Mentally, Jii smiled to himself assuring he had no intention to get his leader killed. He just hoped the surgery was going well.
Did the inspector suspect him to be the partner? He watched him secretly, 'Nah, he couldn't have~'
"But what will KID do?" Conan said and they turned to see him in front of them. How did he get in front of them so quickly? He was playing the child act now, speaking with wide, curious eyes and an innocent childlike tone. "He won't_" He was immediately interrupted by Ginzo. Conan didn't like the act any more than his detective friends did, but he had to act like a child with people who didn't know his secret. He thanked God that neither Hattori nor Haibara were there to laugh at him and that the inspector saved him from more acts.
"KID won't know, Conan-kun" Edogawa swore to himself that he saw Nakamori with dead persistent eyes. It wasn't out of order or work, it was out of care and worry. he understood it clear, Kaito was a son to him. "He's done enough, he needs to rest now. He has to if he wants to make it," Ginzo looked at the bright ER sign. It had been on for two hours, and the doctors hadn't confirmed anything yet. 'Is he okay? Did anything go wrong?' The questions kept troubling him for a long time. He didn't want Kuroba to die. 'Just let me protect you' He tried to keep himself from rushing to the ER to see what happened, as he knew it would make things worse that way. The doctors will come out when they are done, he just needed to wait. 'It'll all be over before you wake'
When he thought of what happened back in the forest, he knew nothing was going to be the same anymore. Despite the reason KID gave him, he couldn't think the same again.
The elusive mischievous Kaitou KID, who usually escaped when the police arrived, didn't move when they reached his crashing site. Most thought that it was just another trick. They knew he always made the run for it if he could, but this time was beyond his ability. When they approached and pointed their guns at him, he didn't move. The two detectives glared them, "He's unconscious you idiots!" Conan yelled and swallowed immediately, but the officers paid no attention to his outburst and lowered their guns. He should have filtered his thoughts before speaking.
The thief didn't wake, no matter how many times Hakuba called him, he reserved motionless, completely out as if he was dead. Nothing troubled them more than seeing the smiling thief weak and dying. That was when they realized he was just a human even with the magical and impossible heist he continuously pulled, despite the phantom nature he was given. Yeah, they forgot that he had weaknesses too; that he wasn't unreachable as everyone (and themselves) had claimed.
Who would have thought what his intentions were? If Ginzo knew, he would have helped him, he would have protected him. No, Kaito wouldn't be where he was now. In the emergency room, hanging between life and death. What worried him more was what he would do when he would open his eyes. Whether he woke soon or after months, will he escape from them?
'Kaito wants nothing more than his friends' safety,' Conan's eyes drifted back to the sign.
'He wants them away from danger; he wants to stop the syndicate on his own.' Jii had the same look on his face.
Saguru's eyes continued their facial expressions in his head. 'Surely to be expected' it was almost like they could hear their thoughts on that matter. Except for Ginzo.
'Now that we know the Kaitou Kid isn't a criminal, but the law's friend, what will the law do?' Ginzo allowed his mind to dwell on the 'what if's and truly hoped things would turn out differently. He didn't want the boy behind bars. The fact remained that KID was caught, although not in the way Ginzo hoped it to be. He wanted to catch him without anyone getting hurt, but was that the current situation? No, KID was almost murdered last night, there was a murderer _a whole killing syndicate_ out there, and Kaito was struggling to keep his life. They just hope he'll stay in this world, and not dwell in that of the dead.
So far, no one came out; no one laid the good news or the bad. They feared that. Ginzo knew one thing, whoever and whatever KID was, he wouldn't let him out of his sight. True, the boy on the operating table was his friend's son and his daughter's friend, but it didn't change the fact that KID was still in his custody. He can't let him escape, not until he was okay and back on his feet…until the syndicate was gone once and for all. Interpol was probably having a party now. Either because they knew the thorn in their backs was dead or because they caught him. 'Cursed higher-ups, it's always dead or alive with those people!'
At least his task force thought otherwise. Sure, KID was_is_ an international criminal, but he was targeted and needed protection now. If those Interpol idiots could open their eyes and see the bigger picture, they could understand that KID was only trying to pluck out criminals_ real criminals_ and on his own. Ginzo didn't know what they thought for sure, but he knew that he thought such a person was not only foolish but also worth having some respect for.
The Task Force never treated KID like a filthy thief, the guy was a gentleman and they did somehow enjoy the harmless chase. Ginzo laughed dryly, the Interpol would lose a couple of nerves when they learn Kuroba Kaito, the average teenage high schooler, took it on himself to catch the criminals and decided that involving the police would not only be risky but also foolish. Who knew, they sure didn't, that they had spies among them. It was the same for every single profession that anyone could think of, having syndicate spies, while playing them like puppets.
The syndicate had too much power to stop, and worse of it all, anything anyone tried would reach them. Counter plans and attacks were their favorite methods, eliminating everything that got in your way with the slightest ease. Gin loved it, especially when he could shoot them in the head.
Merely thinking of those guys got Conan in deep worries, and that elevated when the strongest was now in the operating room. The KID was just too skilled to be figured out. For some time now, it got Conan thinking if he could lend them a hand in nailing the bad guys down. His wittiness and disguise skills would make him the best spy, not that Conan didn't think Akai and Kir weren't good. They weren't enough, they needed more help. Who knew how many BO members were out there!
The boy remained thinking in silence as he walked the corridor a few more times, also concerned for the thief. Regardless of his intentions, KID should have gone to the police or requested some sort of help. 'No, why should he have? I keep this secret to myself because I didn't want them to get hurt. KID did the same; he only wanted to save everyone from the organization. He couldn't tell the police because it will risk their lives. Besides, anyone connected to them will perish. With so many spies everywhere, nowhere is safe!'
He moved his gaze to the blonde by the wall, Saguru sure knew how to keep his cool in such situations. After discovering him speaking with the voice changing bowtie in Kudo Shinichi's voice with Megure on the phone behind the museum, he had to explain something. He didn't have much time on his hands since he needed to get in the helicopter and chase KID, so he told him the basic info. Hakuba didn't look surprised, and there Conan was sure he suspected something about the 'smart' Edogawa Conan before. It seems that with KID and his antics, the teen didn't have trouble hearing supernatural things. It stunned him when Saguru said he will join the chase (he didn't wait for an answer anyway) to keep KID from getting hurt.
Funny how the table turned for the tiny detective as he found himself asking Saguru who wanted to hurt KID. Eventually, he told him there were multiple attempts at the heist on KID's life, that most of those were secretly altered and done without the police knowing about them. No one had evidence to begin with, nothing aside few bullets discovered at the roofs KID usually was seen jumping off to fly away with the Heist target. It worried Conan more when Saguru told him none of the culprits were caught, and KID never confirmed anything when inspector Nakamori tried to ask about the case. KID only told them that criminals found it a golden opportunity to target him, become his partners or to have him work for them. In the end, the thief assured that he wasn't in any danger and that he could handle himself.
"Now why would the police want to help me~?" Nakamori nearly tackled him when he said it like that. He then smiled, putting the mischievous act away and talking with a normal tone. "Don't worry, Nakamori-keibu. No one can catch a phantom or control him" he winked and disappeared with a puff of smoke. He left behind a note and a white rose. 'I appreciate your concern, Keibu. I am a lone thief and I intend to remain that way. I prefer to have cheerful events for my fans, their safety is my priority' the note had his doodle and a heart beside it.
Nakamori shredded it.
"Cheerful events my A*, I'm gonna catch you next time!" he shouted after the flying glider.
Edogawa mentally laughed, imagining how the scene went between the two. Ginzo sure liked to shout whenever he wanted to. The poor thief must have lost his eardrums by now. Just how many notices did he shred so far?
His hunch told him that he shred enough to get kicked out in some cases. Literary. Oh well...
Striking midnight, with no answer, their eyes began to close.
'Tell us what's happening!' none could voice the question, merely vexing themselves with it. Even Konosuke knew how difficult it was. The nine bullets that KID took needed time to be stitched correctly and purified, not to forget the server damages and interior head bleeding that he endured.
Everyone was tired after the major attempt to keep KID from Dying. Eventually, the four fell asleep, still seated in the corridor. They were tired, beat, and concerned even in their dream. The Doctors didn't wake them; they went to the ER and pursued the operation. Following another hour, the surgery was completed.
When Ginzo woke up at four in the morning, he was greeted by the second staff. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, "Nani!" he repeated stunningly as the news knocked the sleep out of his eyes.
His shout alarmed the detectives as they cracked their eyes open and turned their gaze in his direction. It was then that they realized that they had fallen asleep while waiting for the surgery to be over.
"Yes, it took some time, but don't worry," said Dr. Shon as they walked across the aligned rooms. He took them three floors below the already underground floor, to an isolated room at the end of the corridor. He took out his card and slid it into the device beside the door; then provided his fingerprint along with a code. The door unlocked after making a peep and the doctor opened it, allowing them to look inside, "He was severely damaged, but we managed to stop the bleeding" the two teens peered inside before following the doctor in. "Don't worry, he's okay for now, but nothing rests for sure"
Nakamori, Konosuke, Hakuba, and Conan followed without a word, carefully watching the boy on the bed. Kuroba was comatose and beat to the last breath. More than 'tired' screamed his face. They knew he wouldn't wake and that he would only stay in the 'seemingly dead' state for a long time. The life-support was attached, and with his vitals displayed on the monitor, they knew he was nowhere near okay.
The kaitou was breathing heavily, almost too fast for the machines to keep up. There were stitches on the injuries his face held, with bandages covering them and his head. The detectives didn't miss the difficulty the Kaitou was breathing in, as the pressure itself was hard on his exhausted body.
The detectives observed his condition in utter silence. Edogawa sat to Kaito's right, while Hakuba and Nakamori took the left side. Because he was still physically small, Conan could not see well. Konosuke noticed how his partner's heartbeats were below normal, plus he looked too pale to not worry. Conan finally got to see his rival's face, although it wasn't the way he wanted it to happen. So much for capturing the thief by himself, without a scratch_ aside from the hellish soccer ball.
The situation couldn't be helped with the Ravens involved.
"You are in big trouble now, KID" he observed the teen with cautions, sad for what he was in now. Nakamori didn't know whether to approve or deny. The Kaitou was a criminal in the police's eyes. He couldn't let anything pass without judgment, and that was hard on him.
Konosuke neither sat nor added a word to their conversation; as he only kept his limits up. It wouldn't be long before they discovered his connection to both phantoms.
"Konosuke-san, please sit down." The young detective bid with a warm smile. "Thank you for helping us"
Eventually, he sat silently for a second before giving him a warm fake smile. None seemed to realize it. They stood no chance against the shadows that way. "It's the least I could do for Kaito bocchama and the least for his father. It's not like he has anyone else now…" his mind trailed away for a moment. 'We're all he has now'
"What do you mean? And his mother, where is she?" Hakuba held in concern, surprised to hear that. Somehow the inspector didn't look surprised to hear that. Hakuba mentally tensed.
"Chikage-san is in Vegas" Jii replied calmly, Conan realized the agitation in his eyes. "She's been away since she last came here for her son"
Hakuba turned his gaze on the man standing by the bed's end. "Won't we inform her about Kuroba-Kun's condition, Keibu?"
"No, Hakuba-Kun. Currently, no one can tell her anything." He paused, deciding to say what he knew about the matter. "She... She had an accident last month, and she is in a coma, she hasn't woken up since. That's what I heard Kaito-Kun saying to Aoko when it happened" Ginzo was silent for another moment. The old man was frequently visited by Kaito for a few years now, surely he would have heard it from him, maybe he even told him personally. "Konosuke-san, have you heard any news about her?"
The old man did not answer directly. What could he say? 'Yes, I heard. She's with us because she was almost murdered' No, he couldn't tell them that she was targeted, even though eventually, they would come to know that she was the retired Phantom Lady. That wouldn't be hard to believe, considering that her late husband was the first KID. Moreover, he couldn't tell them that he was the assistant of the original Kaitou KID and now the currents.
Everything was backfiring in his face now. He really needed to make stronger lies, and some poker face lessons should be added to his training.
Both Phantoms were knocked down, and he was still trying to free the current KID from the 's never an easy task on his own.
"I heard from Kaito Bocchama that she recovered, but we don't know when she will wake. It might take her some time; probably a few more months because she was badly injured in the accident." at least he managed to recruit a lie. He watched their faces, merely analyzing them. 'Will they buy it?' None said a word until the inspector broke the silence.
"I see. Do inform me when she wakes." Ginzo bid, staring at KID in deep thoughts. His expression said it well, there was no real need to voice it. 'Fight it, Kaito-kun. Don't leave us too'
Konosuke rolled his eyes away, hands clutching his pants. Wasn't it ironic that they were gathered here only after the crisis fell on their heads?
The Doctors outside the room were discussing the officer's condition. Moreover, they didn't know how to help him survive through the night; no one knew! They were told that he was snipped at during the KID heist, as he tried to protect his friends. (Well, most of it wasn't a lie), the officer was brave in their eyes, getting himself nearly killed in the line of duty.
Shon was sad, "He's just a kid... I don't even know why he joined the force at this age!"
The face was too young to hide, too cheerful that the paleness and tiredness carved in it seemed unnatural, so not like him. How come if they knew he was the always smiling Kaitou, both in ego and his personal life? Sort of, Kaito always wore a smile, even when he was breaking behind his poker face.
"We'll try our best. We won't let a kid die when we can do something" they gave him an assuring smile.
"He'll be on his feet in a month or so, I am sure" another one smiled.
More like… months, if they were being honest with themselves. IF he lived to see nightfall.
Jii headed to the restroom at the corner and passed calmly by the guard. With no one around, he knocked his fist into the wall, little tears in the edges of his eyes. His heart was full of bitter regret and fear. 'Bocchama, how on earth are you going to survive? How on earth are you going to wake up? Why did I agree to put you in all this! Why!' the proper question would be: 'why did we instruct him to all this when we knew he'll be killed at some point'
What was Toichi thinking when he left that tape? Kaito never got to learn the true contents, despite all their efforts to fix it, the tape was beyond saving.
"He'll be okay"
Someone said confidently and Konosuke turned and saw a man by the door. Wearing black entirely with a cap on his head of matching color, the face screamed fake as he laid himself on the door's inner frame, having one leg in front of the other. "Our leader won't give up easily. He'll fight it, I am sure. Just stay with him; he will need us until he is safe. I will stay here disguised and find a way to take him back once we can move him"
The old man approved, the partner had a point, and they had to be strong now. "All right, just don't let him die"
"There is no way in Heavens that I will allow that to happen!" the partner's tone was serious, Jii wasn't used to seeing that unless during his special secret missions. "Kaito won't let us down, he won't give up; not after reaching this far. Now, return to the others, so you can keep an eye on the syndicate when you leave."
Jii nodded, "Okay, and I'll go check on Chikage-San later too" And he returned to Kaito's room.
The 'Good party' wavered between arresting the thief and being on his side. While the poor thief, ignorant of everything around him, laid there unconscious on the bed. At least he wasn't feeling any pain, thanks to the drugs. That was the only thing that brought comfort to the people around him.
A/N: I think three hours of surgery was enough...
and I really find it absurd to use the 24 record thingies that Toichi made in the remake, so I stuck to the tape. As most of my plot was build on the Magic Kaito anime, not the remake MK 1412 or the manga. (Corbeau is excluded though, hehe)
As some of you know, there are two versions of the K.K.S, one human level and one supernatural level (for the KIDs), but...The first nine chapters are the same in both story versions. So if you are a common reader with the other version, don't bother checking the updates there too (if you reading them here) unless you reached ch 10 (which is the ch that sets the plot apart from this version)
Thank you for reading~
