"Ma'am," the nurse chastised, "You must take your medicine! I will not ask you this twice!"

"..."

"Ma'am!" A knock came from the door. The nurse shot her patient one last glare and opened the door. The sight of the person behind it made her smile and sigh in relief. "Ah, thank goodness you're here, Roxas. Maybe YOU can put some sense into her."

Roxas stepped into the room. "Why, what happened?" he asked worriedly.

"She won't take her medicine. It's the only way to stabilize her body and ease the pain. If she doesn't take it, the next surge of retreat may be too much for her."

Again."...I'll see that she takes the medicine. Thank you." Roxas bowed his head.

"See that you do." The nurse nodded and left the room.

Roxas closed the door behind him and slowly lifted his head again. His eyes glinted, stuck by the light in the dim room. Why...

The dark-haired woman sitting in bed finally made her response. She turned her head towards him and smiled. Her eyes were dark, lifeless, and hollow. Her hair was incomplete disarray and greasy. And her body was absolutely cadaverous. "Roxas," she hummed and beckoned him over.

Roxas consented and approached her silently.

"What is the matter?" the woman asked. "You seem upset." She placed a cold hand on his cheek and smiled again.

Roxas' eyes shimmered.

"My, how you've grown... It seems it's been ages since I last saw you. Have you been eating well? You seem somewhat thin."

"Stop it!" Roxas shouted and slapped her hand away. He looked up, his face covered in tears. "Stop it already! Mom, don't act like this. I don't have it with me."

All of a sudden, the woman's smile disappeared and her eyes widened. Her hands shot out and grabbed the boy by his collar. "You don't have it?!" she asked fiercely. "What do you mean you don't have it?! Do you have any idea what you've just done!?!"

Roxas struggled to keep a stern stare. "There's no point in sending you here if I keep giving that stuff to you!" he fought back. "You need to get better!"

"Aaaahhhhh!!"

Roxas' breathing hitched as his mother threw him to the ground. She hasn't changed. He attempted to stand up, but was quickly knocked back down when she struck him with her food tray.

"You worthless thing!" she screamed and threw her glass of milk at him. "What good are you!?"

Roxas cried harder, enduring the pain the best he could. I can't give up now. I need to have faith. The object stopped coming and he made the move to take a glimpse of her. I still believe in you...mom.

His mother jumped off of bed and walked around the room. With a ferocious shriek, she threw everything aside, ignoring her son who was still on his knees. "I asked for a small favor," she hissed, "A small, itty-bitty FAVOR. Damn it, boy! Why didn't you bring it?! You know I can't live without it! So why!"

"Because I love you too much to lose you!" Roxas yelled at the top of his lungs.

The whole place fell silent except for the sound of Roxas' sniffs. The door flew open and an angry doctor stomped in. "Mrs. Takahashi!" he roared. "I think it's time to take you to a chamber! I have had enough of your behavior!"

A team of nurses ran in the room and wrapped the woman in a straightjacket. "No!" she screamed, "Let go of me!" Her screms were instantly muffled when one nurse wrapped a thick cloth over her mouth.

"Move out!" one nurse ordered and they dragged her out of the room. "Yuriko Takahashi is to be moved swiftly!"

The doctor walked over to Roxas and helped him to his feet. "Are you all right?" he enjoined.

Roxas wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded.

"Listen, son," the doctor sighed. "Your mother is becoming quite a problem in this rehab centre. If she keeps this up, I'm afraid we may have to remove her. She's disturbing other patients and we can't have that."

"What?!" Roxas looked up at the man, eyes wide. "N-no, please! You can't take her out! She needs help! And this..." He looked down at the ground and glared at the spilled milk. "This is the only place I can afford right now."

The doctor studied the blond and eased himself a little. Poor kid. "Alright," he conceded. "We'll keep her here for a little while longer. But if she doesn't change her behavior, it's out with her."

Thank goodness. Roxas nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

"What I don't understand is how she has not improved in her condition after 4 years in this centre. She hasn't been given any drugs and has been steered clear of it ever since that incident with you."

"..." It's my fault.

"By the way, how are you? Doing any better?"

"It's been 4 years, doc. I think I'm okay now." Roxas regained composure and walked towards the door. He placed a hand on the doorknob. "Please," he spoke solemnly. "Wait a little longer. I believe in her."

The doctor couldn't help but smile at that statement. "I know you do," he answered and watched the young teen walk out the door.


Namine stumbled as her mother pushed her along the hallway. "Mother, where are you taking me?" she yelped.

"Honey, just keep moving." They reached a door at the end of the hallway. The blond woman opened it and pushed her daughter inside. "Stay here and stay quiet. And no matter what happens, do not make a sound! Please!"

"Mother..."

"Please, Namine. I want to keep you safe."

Namine held her mother's hand. "What's going on? I'm scared."

The entrance door boomed with consecutive knocks, turning both the blonds' heads. "Namine," her mother pushed her away. "Stay quiet." She closed the door and went over to the living room. She opened the main door.

"Cassandra." A man with dark hair and casual clothing stood by the door. "It has been a while."

"What are you doing here, Yousuke?" Cassandra scowled. "You know very well that you're no longer welcomed here."

Yousuke stretched out his hand and touched the woman's cheek. "So soft..." he commented and leaned forward for a kiss. He was coldly rejected with a hard slap on the face. He stumbled backwards, wincing in pain.

"Don't you dare touch me!" Cassandra ordered. "You monster!"

From her end, Namine could barely make out anything the adults were saying. But she heard their voices enough to tell that they were in an argument. She stepped away from the door, praying to be hidden in the darkness that she stayed in. No. Why did he come back?

Yousuke slammed the door shut and shoved Cassandra to the wall. "You have no right to tell me what to do," he growled. "As a woman, you are powerless against me!" He went in for a strike but stopped. He looked around. "What was that?"

Cassandra felt her heart stop. "What was what?"

The man didn't respond but ran up the stairs and down the hall.

"No, stop!"

Namine gasped as her door shook from the hard knocks that fell on it. Don't scream. She bit her tongue and looked away. Stay quiet like she said. Maybe he'll go away.

"Stop it, Yousuke!"

Namine turned to the door at her mother's voice.

"You can't keep me from seeing Namine," Yousuke replied. "She's my daughter, too." He knocked on the door again. "Namine, sweetie, open up. Daddy's back."

"She's not in there!" Cassandra cried and grabbed her husband by the shoulders, trying desperately to pry him away from the door. "Stop!"

"Why so defensive, huh?" Yousuke turned around and pushed Cassandra vigorously. He watched as she fell backwards and hit her head on a rod. "You still haven't learned your place!"

Cassandra's body stiffened and she fell on the floor. The ivory carpet beneath her head turned red.

"Oh dear, what have I done?"

Namine's eyes widened. Mother's voice. What happened to her voice?! She opened the door and gasped at the sight. Her mother laid lifeless on the floor and her father stood next to the body, apathetic. "What did you do to mother?" she asked him, now crying.

"Ah, Namine." Yousuke left his wife's side and walked over to his daughter. "How long has it been since I last saw you?" He placed a hand on her head. "How long would you say?"

"...2 years...father."

"Oh, yes, 2 years. My, it's been so long!" He eyed her carefully. "You're the spitting image of your mother, Cassandra. By any chance, have ou seen her? I want to tell her how much I've missed her since my vacation to Traverse Town."

Namine held her breath. His illness is still there. "Mother...you...you killed her," she mumbled. More tears fell.

"Who?!" Yousuke's eyes turned savage and he grabbed Namine's hair. "Who killed Cassandra?! Answer me, you brat!"

Namine screamed in pain. "Please, stop it!" she begged, her nails digging into his large hands. "You're hurting me, father! Please, let go!" She got her wish and was thrown to the wall. She winced as she made contact with it and cried as she fell to her knees.

"WHO KILLED MY WIFE!"

"Y-you did..."

"Son of a- I'm going to kill you for that!" Yousuke rolled up his sleeves and advanced.

Namine could only look on helplessly as her father brought his fists down on her fragile body. She tried to protect herself by putting her arms out, but they nearly broke from his punches. It's hopeless now. He slapped her in the face. Mother is dead. He wrapped his hands around her neck and began to suffocate her. I have no friends. She began to lose her vision. I'm all alone in this world. She closed her eyes and let out one last cough.

Yousuke realized what he had just done and quickly released her. "Oh, no!"

Namine hit the floor. After that, she began struggling to breathe, gasping and coughing.

"Oh, Namine..." Tears formed in the man's eyes as he picked up the limp teen into his arms. "Oh, Namine, I'm so sorry. I just...I just..." He embraced her. "I just miss your mother so much. I don't know what happened to her."

Father... Namine blinked. She had no strength to move her arms or head.

"Don't ever upset me like that again, you hear me?" Yousuke pulled away and gave Namine one last slap on her right cheek. "Now go to your room and don't come out until I tell you to!" He threw her back on the ground and marched his way downstairs. "I'll be right back."

Namine remained still. Her body was too weak to move. Her eyes shifted to her dead mother next to her. "M-mother," she managed to utter out.

Miraculously, the body stirred. She looked up with a small grin. "Namine," she whispered.

Tears of joy trailed down Namine's cheeks. "Mother, you're alive!"

Cassandra chuckled softly. "I won't be here long, my love, so please...listen well and take this to heart."

Namine gathered her new-found strength and crawled over to her nurturer. "I'm listening, mother," she told her.

"Namine, you were a very brave girl just now," Cassandra said hoarsely. "But you must...get away from him...your father. At all cost. You won't survive another one of his tantrums if you stay."

Namine's face fell. "Where a-am I supposed to g-go?" she choked.

"Far away. Get as far away from Yousuke as possible." With that, Cassandra took her last breath.

"Mother?" Namine shook the lifeless woman. "Mother!" She heard her father's footsteps coming up the stairs. He's back... She stood up and ran but fell back down. Her legs weren't functional yet.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

Namine looked up in horror to find the monstrous spouse of her mother looming over her. "Nowhere," she answered quickly.

Yousuke tightened his grip on the rope he now held. "I told you not to upset me again..."