CHAPTER 9- My promise

Yo everyone! For this chapter, Shinichi's flashback will continue. Just to clear up confusion, when I am referring to Conan, I am talking about Shinichi in his shrunken form. When I say Shinichi, I mean him in his teenage body. I kind of treat them as two different people so hope it won't be too confusing! I am not using italics for the flashback for this chapter as this entire chapter was what happened before. Sorry that the flashback is so long! Next chapter won't be in the past anymore!

For those who reviewed, thank you so much! Your reviews are the only reason I'm continuing this story!


Previously:

"BANG!"

A searing pain flooded Conan. It stung worse at his chest. Conan looked down and saw blood soaking his white shirt, staining it with its scarlet liquid. Conan felt everything slow down. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder. Blood was pouring out from a single, well-placed bullet to the chest…

Conan closed his eyes. He was floating. His consciousness was slipping away. They said that when your life was coming to an end, memories of your life would flash in front of your eyes. But why wasn't he seeing anything? All he saw was Ran…

And that was the final word he said before darkness was pulled over his eyes, shutting him from the world and his thoughts.


Conan opened his eyes groggily. The moment his eyelids cracked open, he shut them immediately due to the stinging light hurting his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut again, tearing up slightly. He waited for the sting behind his eyes to subside before gathering enough courage to open his eyes again. He raised his left eyelid gingerly. Feeling no pain, he opened his eyes fully to inspect the surroundings.

White plastered walls. White tiles on the floor. The window at the side of the room was dark-stained. There was a metal table beside the silver door which was shut tight. The LED lights of the room that were too bright for Conan's eyes flickered slightly. The ceiling was covered by white tiles as well. Conan felt a little suffocated in the box of white walls. It was blinding him with its purity.

Conan sat up slightly, wincing at the sharp pain at his chest. He grabbed hold of his chest and wondered why he was filling such pain. Looking down at his chest, he saw that he was attached to an IV drip. His eyes followed the IV line all the way to its bag which hung from a metal pole beside his bed. The bed was way too big for his child body; he didn't even take up half of the bed. The sheets were white again and the pillows behind him were flattened; evidence that he had been lying in a comatose for quite some time. Conan raised his hand weakly and ran through his dark brown hair, wondering why he was in a hospital.

Then memories of the ambush returned to him. He remembered him shooting Gin and how Gin was so ready to die just so he wouldn't be taken by the FBI. He remembered Bourbon standing behind him and the terrible pain that flamed from his chest to the rest of his body. Memories of him dropping to the ground like a ragdoll whose strings were cut flooded his mind followed by Vermouth screams.

"We need to bring him to the hospital now!" she screamed in her husky voice. Her voice was piercing as she held him tight, trying to stop the overflow of blood.

Then, Ran. Her face swarmed through his mind and he remembered whispering her name as though it was a lucky charm before passing out. He remembered no more after that.

Conan slowly pulled his hand out of his hair and shakily covered his eyes as he recalled the past events. The other hand gripping his chest tightened as he mentally hit himself for being so careless. He took his attention off Gin for a minute and he was shot. Conan traced the bullet graze under his left eye, noting that it had turned into a line of knotted skin. Conan sighed as he thought about how he was going to explain it to Ran when he returned.

Conan jolted up when the door creaked open, wincing again because of his wound. Jodie, Ai, Agasa and a doctor came in. They were whispering in low voices as they entered.

Then Jodie noticed Conan staring at them. "Cool Kid!" Jodie squealed as she rushed over to his bedside, "You're awake!"

Ai and the hakase went over to his side as well, their faces filling with worry. The doctor walked over and began to check his vitals. He took his heartbeat, pulse and inspected his breathing before going to the foot of the bed and taking the clipboard which hung there.

"He seems to be fine," the doctor stated.

The other three breathed a sigh of relief. Conan smiled, thinking about how he was able to return to Ran alive.

"How long was I out?" Conan asked everyone.

"Three days," Ai replied, "You woke up earlier than a normal person would after a heart surgery."

Conan noticed that the doctor had looked away for a second, biting his lip. Conan gazed at the doctor, wondering what the doctor was so worried about. The rest didn't look worried at all. In fact, Jodie was happily chatting away about how they managed to capture the rest. Ai glanced at him and when Conan caught her eye, he somehow knew that she had managed to retrieve the data about the apotoxin. Conan couldn't help but smile slightly. He could return to Ran, in his full form. But Conan had a strange feeling that something wasn't right.

He glanced at the doctor and said, "Is anything wrong doctor?"

The doctor started; shocked that he was being watched. He shook his head hard, his neat, black hair flying all over his head. His face looked flustered and he bit his lip harder, nearly drawing blood. Conflicting emotions passed through his eyes and the doctor finally released his lip.

The doctor slammed the clipboard on the bed, causing everyone to jump. He looked furious but no one knew what he was angry at. His brown eyes shot to the door which was safely closed.

"I can't keep this anymore," the doctor whispered loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear, "I just can't."

Conan felt fear and doubt rising in him. "What do you mean?" Conan asked quickly.

The doctor checked the door again which remained closed. "The surgeon lied," he whispered after a moment's pause, "The bullet in your heart; it's still there."

"What?" Conan said loudly, causing the doctor to shush him. Conan quietened and glared at the doctor before asking, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you don't have long to live," the doctor replied hurriedly, avoiding Conan's blue eyes. "I'm sorry but that is the truth."

Silence fell over the room. Conan could feel his heart nearly crashing to a stop when he heard the doctor's words. He began to tremble as his heart began to speed up in fear of the revelation. Conan could almost feel it; the bullet wedged beside his heart.

Then Ai spoke, breaking the silence. "How near is it to his heart?" she muttered, her eyes hooded.

The doctor looked at her confusedly before answering hesitantly, "About two centimetres. It's way too close to take out without hurting your heart. The surgeon decided to lie as he was afraid that you would kill him." He jerked his head to Jodie whose gun was visible through her slightly translucent shirt.

Ai muttered, "Two cm. That means you only have about two and a half months to live Edogawa-kun." She didn't look at Conan who was staring at her in shock, lost for words.

Conan's feelings of joy that he survived slipped away faster than a speeding bullet. He just sat up straight, not even batting eye when the doctor escaped the room with Jodie hot on his heels. Conan was stuck in time as he tried to understand the flood of emotions that were overcoming him. He thought that he would be able to return to Ran, alive and well. He believed that he could be with her forever. But then, the unexpected turn of events had just flipped everything upside down. He couldn't be with Ran; at least not forever. He was going to die.

Death always followed Conan. People dropped dead like flies around him. Somehow, dead people just seemed to turn up when Conan's around. But Conan never thought that it was a sign of anything. Now he knew. Death was following him around, trying to shoot him down with its powerful reach but it kept on missing the real mark and people around him ended up victims. Conan was supposed to die when he was fed APTX-4869; the drug that was meant to kill. But he managed to escape death and death was not happy. It had been following him around; trying to claim what was rightfully its. Death could finally reclaim him; the one who had escaped.

Conan took a deep breath after realising that he wasn't breathing for some time. He brought in the precious air that was so important. But right now, air had lost its vitality and Conan just couldn't understand why he was even taking it in. He should just stop and drop back into his flat pillow, dead. Yet life still kept hold on him, forcing him to breathe. It was depressing to know that he was going to live the next two months or so with the knowledge he was going to die.

Ran. How was he going to tell Ran? He had promised her that he would return to her. He remembered the oath he had made when he turned back into Conan after solving a murder case. He had brought her to the restaurant where his parents had taken the next step to their future together and he wanted to do the same with Ran so badly. The apotoxin just had to work at the moment he wanted to tell her everything he had ever felt towards her. Talk about perfect timing. He turned back into the dratted child-form and was forced to ask her to wait for him again.

"Someday... I'll come back. Even if I die. That's why... I want you to wait for me."

That promise was the one killing him, beraking apart his already injured heart. He could return to Ran but he couldn't stay. He thought about Ran and the promise he made, realising he could still fulfil it but not in the way he wanted. It will never end the way he wished it to be. His heart called out to Ran; screaming as he tried to tell her how much he loved her. But she could never hear those words.

"You still can meet her."

Ai stood at the foot of his bed, her arms crossed against her chest. She was looking at Conan with a determined look on her face. Conan just blinked at her; unable to speak as his throat had died with his will to live.

"You can still meet her as Shinichi," Ai repeated slowly.

"How?" the hakase asked the exact question Conan wanted to ask.

Ai dug into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out a thumb drive. "This is the research of APTX-4869," Ai said, "I can make you an antidote to return to Shinichi. It would take perhaps a month or maybe more. That would leave you about a month to say…" Ai stopped, unsure about how to continue.

Both of them gazed at Conan who was staring at the thumb drive. He wanted to throw it out of the window and just die but he wanted to see Ran too. He needed to return, to tell her to move on without him. She would wait forever if he never came back. She would never have a chance to live her life. Even if it was without him, Conan always wanted a good life for her. He then realised that he needed to do whatever it took to stop her from loving him. It was the only way for her to forget about him forever and not be burdened by her love for him.

Conan nodded once. His throat relaxed slightly and Conan took the chance to speak. "Haibara," Conan spoke out in a constricted voice, "I need your help. To end it all."

Ai just nodded solemnly, her eyes reflecting the sadness of their souls. She too felt the pain but she couldn't show it. This was the only way for her to help him.

"What do you need?" Ai asked.

"I need you to help me to make Ran forget about me," Conan stopped. His voice had just died when he wanted to say the most important keyword of his want.

He took a shaky breath and forced out the word.

"Forever," he whispered, his eyes slowly brimming with the tears that he had held back for so long.


Light had been shed on Shinichi's purpose for whatever he had done so far. reader238 you had guessed right! I guess I put too many hints about what happened eh? Maybe next time I won't put as many.

Please review after reading! Let's see if this story could reach 40 reviews! I'll be holding back the next chapter till then! I am horrid I know… So please review if you want the story to continue! Thanks everyone!