Shigure trailed after a hurried Kazuma and Haru with a sigh. "All this running back and forth, and I still have yet to get any sleep! Really, and I just came this way not half a minute ago…" he lamented, his pout virtually audible.

"We'll go on ahead, Sensei," Haru waved from the elevators down the hall.

Shigure looked up and blinked in bemusement; those two really were in a hurry. "Fine, fine; I'll catch the next one," he called, waving back as the elevator doors slid shut.

Silence fell upon the two in the elevator, which was blissfully devoid of any horrid music. Haru couldn't help but steal glances at the man standing next to him. It was odd, he thought; when things had been so uncertain regarding Kyou's condition, Kazuma had kept quite calm and patient. Now that he knew Kyou was out of danger, he could not stop fidgeting and worrying everything from his bottom lip to his shirt sleeve. It was like the dam holding back all of his worries had broken in one huge flood of relief, slipping past his control. Haru couldn't help feeling relieved as well, seeing the martial arts master coming back to himself.

Finally the electric doors opened onto Kyou's floor, and Kazuma rushed to the waiting room with Haru close behind.

"Ah, Kazuma; a moment, please," Hatori's cool voice called the man to a halt.

Kazuma watched the younger man approach anxiously. "Is he…can I…?"

"The staff here have agreed to overlook the breach in visiting hour regulations, though it took a bit of persuading," the Sohma family doctor said, sticking a hand into his pocket. "Honda-san is in there with him at the moment. We felt it appropriate to give them a moment alone."

"I…I see…" Kazuma replied, looking slightly dazed. He sank into one of the waiting room chairs and slowly bent forward to cradle his head in his hands, willing them to stop shaking. Hatori politely looked the other way, his eyes unwittingly meeting Haru's as the boy finally meandered closer to join them.

"Is Kyou going to be alright?" Haru asked quietly, since Kazuma didn't seem to be able to.

"He's going to be off his feet for a while, and he'll have to abstain from any vigorous activities for even longer; but the emergency surgery was successful, and he will make a full recovery from his injuries." Hatori indulged in a small sigh. "I think what we have to worry about the most is trying to keep him from training while covered in casts and stitches."

Kazuma had released his head at the news, though his eyes remained on the floor. He felt too relieved, too grateful that Kyou would be alright to speak or even crack a smile at the other man's jibe. He suddenly took a deep breath, getting to his feet and gathering his wits. "How long has Tohru-san been with him?" he asked softly.

Hatori glanced at his wristwatch. "About ten minutes; apparently it took Shigure quite some time to find you."

"Apparently it's taking him quite some time to get back…" Haru observed, glancing toward the elevators.

Hatori's eyebrow gave a twitch as Shigure's line a few hours ago, promoting the excessive 'book research' he could accomplish with the nightshift nurses, came back to him.

"I guess it'd be pretty easy for him to get distracted here," Haru continued at Hatori's disgusted silence. "Though I thought he liked high school girls better."

Hatori only grunted tersely, lifting two fingers to rub at his temple. "…He had to have been joking about finding night nurses for book research…"

"Hm…well it makes sense to me. But not even you know when to take him seriously?" Haru asked.

"I think between you and Ayame I take enough of the idiots off everyone's hands," Hatori frowned, then blinked at the empty space that had once been occupied by Kazuma; he had already slipped away.

------

Tohru had sat in silence for a good five minutes before Kyou finally decided to feign a fit of coughing to get her to say or do anything; a slightly underhanded trick, perhaps, but effective nonetheless. He didn't like that silence. It seemed heavy with something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was nothing good.

"A-are you alright, Kyou-kun?" Tohru asked, voice somewhat higher in her panic. She had been on edge since entering the room, really, most likely from seeing Kyou's right arm in a cast and the rest of him in braces and bandages. "Here, here's water!" She quickly poured some from the pitcher that sat on the bedside table into one of the provided disposable cups and gently held it to Kyou's lips.

He sipped slowly, noting the tremble of her hands as they neared his bandaged face. When he was finished, he stared at her for a moment in silence. "I'm going to be fine, Tohru," he said, his voice hoarse and rather foreign even to his own ears. "I'm not that fragile, so stop looking like this is gonna be the last time you'll see me."

Tohru only turned her face away at that, eyes downcast. "I…I know, Kyou-kun. It's not that… I…I-I'm sorry, Kyou-kun…"

Kyou only waited for her to finish, too exhausted to do much arguing. But she never got the chance to elaborate, as a soft knock came at the door before it opened to allow Kazuma's head to poke in. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything…?"

"N-no, of course not!" Tohru said, forcing a smile onto her face. "Shishou-san, please come in! I…I was just going to get myself something to drink from the vending machine, so…" She crossed the room as Kazuma stepped out of the doorway.

"I'll be out in the waiting room; Kyou-kun, I…I'm glad you're okay…" she trailed off, then stepped out into the hallway and shut the door behind her.

Kazuma blinked at the door for a second before turning to face his foster son, deciding not to ask about Tohru's hasty exit. He padded silently over to the boy's bedside, dragging one of the extra chairs along with him and setting himself down in it. He trailed his gaze over the damage; he had wanted to hurry and talk to Kyou, but now faced with the boy he found himself at a loss for words.

"…Is there some cat wandering around with all your tongues today or something?" Kyou rasped.

Kazuma gave a small smile. "I guess you could say that there is, though the 'wandering around' part isn't exactly true at the moment."

"Ha ha," Kyou replied stoically. "If my arm wasn't currently strapped to my side, I'd punch you for that one."

"I'll let you have a freebie when the cast comes off, then," his Shishou said. Suddenly he stretched out his arm and touched his hand to Kyou's forehead, about the only place on the boy's face completely free of bandages or gauze. He couldn't help it; he had to reassure himself that this was real, not some hopeful dream he would wake up from to find himself still in that cold waiting room.

Kyou's eyes slid closed at the comforting gesture, almost against his will. He didn't want to be lulled into sleep yet, not when Shishou was finally here with him. Though he had been glad Tohru had come rushing to his side after waking, that strange and heavy feeling had quickly clouded her relief and had left Kyou almost preferring solitude. But with Shishou, he couldn't help but feel at peace.

The warm hand slowly drew away from his forehead, and he snapped his eyes open. The nurse on duty had told him he'd been unconscious all day, and he was afraid falling asleep so soon after coming to might let him slip away again. He focused all his attention on the man settling back into his chair at his side.

"You…sound kind of hoarse, Kyou," he said softly. "Do you need some water?"

Kyou tried to shake his head until he realized how doing so made his head spin. "No, I'm fine. You'd sound like a frog too if you had a tube stuck down your throat during surgery," he said wryly.

"I suppose you've got a point there," Shishou replied, the ghost of a grimace coming over his face. "Are you in any pain?"

"Not really," Kyou said. "They've got some pain killers in this IV bag, but some things just feel kind of…off."

"You look like you could use some sleep."

This time Kyou shook his head in spite of the dizziness. "I've been out for eight hours, at least; sleep is the last thing I need any more of."

Shishou smiled gently, seeing through the bravado. "You'll be fine, Kyou. It'll just be ordinary sleep this time."

The injured boy didn't have anything to say to that; since it came from Shishou, he found himself reassured. But he still didn't want to go to sleep quite yet. "Tohru mentioned something about 'others' being here when she came in. I'm assuming she meant you, but that doesn't account for the plural…"

"Shigure and Hatori are here, too…as is Hatsuharu," he added the last name hesitantly.

Kyou blinked up at the ceiling. "That's an odd gathering for something like this…they're still here? All of them?"

"Yes, they're in the waiting room as we speak." Kazuma watched the boy for any reaction in regards to Haru's presence.

Kyou's mind, of course, had stuck on the fact that Haru was here. Tohru and Shishou being there was a given, and he supposed the two other men had aided in transportation; but Haru? Kyou began chewing slowly on his bottom lip, an unconscious gesture that did not escape the notice of the man beside him.

"He told me he was waiting for you at Shigure's house," the dark-haired man continued. "He said he wanted to talk to you about…what happened."

Kyou's exposed fingers twitched in his cast. Undoubtedly, he would be clenching his fist right now if he could. In spite of the fact that talking to Haru had been the goal, he couldn't stop the feeling of panic starting to bubble and churn in his stomach - he thought he wouldn't have to face him for at least another two days! 'More, if possible,' he thought despondently.

"…You don't have to see him if you don't want to," Kazuma said quietly. "You are the person in control of who can enter your room, excepting the medical staff."

"Knowing that idiot, he'd just come in through the window - even if it is on the fourth floor," Kyou retorted, coughing lightly.

Kazuma chuckled and set about pouring Kyou a new cup of water. "He does have a stubborn streak on par with yours, after all."

"I resent that."

------

A silence had fallen between Haru and Hatori after they had realized that Kazuma was gone. Hatori eased himself into a nearby chair, though Haru remained standing.

"…Have you seen him yet?" the boy asked suddenly.

"Not while he was awake," Hatori replied, sliding his eyes shut and rubbing at them with his thumb and forefinger. "As his family doctor, I was allowed to look him over after the emergency had passed."

"Oh." Haru glanced towards the elevators again; still no sign of Shigure, the little lost puppy. "Is it okay if I go see him?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself? He is awake, after all," the older man replied. He silently cursed the numerous NO SMOKING signs decking the walls; he could really use a cigarette right about now.

Haru hesitated a little, a signal that caught Hatori's attention. "I…don't want to aggravate his condition," the cow said, staring at a corner of the wall opposite him.

Hatori couldn't suppress the snort of laughter brought on by that. "You must have done quite a number on him at school yesterday if the mere sight of you would be enough to endanger his health. Even if you do manage to give him nightmares on any other day, his medication will certainly take care of that here."

"Ha'ri gets mean when he's off the nicotine," Haru muttered just loud enough for the man to hear.

"Ha'ri needs nicotine to get through days surrounded by this kind of family," the man mimicked, beginning to feel around in his pockets for his smokes and a lighter. "My point is, Kyou's not going to die if you go in there and say, 'Mind if I come in?' And he's too incapacitated to throw anything your way, let alone punches, so you don't have to worry about suffering bodily harm for your trouble."

Haru couldn't think of anything to say to that, though he did feel more convinced. He watched Hatori stand to fish out a lighter from his coat pocket and stick a cigarette between his lips.

"I'll be on the balcony; if Shigure comes back before you manage to get into Kyou's room, don't let him know where I am." And with that, Hatori strode down the dim hallway to where thick glass doors led to a heavily-fenced balcony that ran along that one side of the hospital.

Left without any distractions, Haru plopped himself down on the chair the man had just vacated and stared at the floor. Even if Hatori was right and Haru went in to see Kyou, what could he say now? He hadn't known what he would say to him before this car accident, but now… What if, even now, Kyou would only look on Haru with anger and disgust? Even now, sitting broken on the impersonal hospital bed, would he shut Haru out with that horrible look of hatred? He brought his knees up onto the seat at the thought, wrapping his arms loosely around them.

Haru did not care what other people thought of him. He had learned when he was still very young not to listen to what other people said about him. But Kyou was not 'other people'. Kyou was important. He liked Kyou. He had always liked Kyou. Back when they were in training together, before Yuki had come around, Haru had gotten to know Kyou little by little. Even back then he had admired the cat's fire, his passion to prove himself.

Kyou had been one of the first people who didn't ridicule him for being something he wasn't - he'd only ridiculed him for what he was. Taunts of 'You suck!' and 'Don't get yourself lost on the way out!' had flowed from the young cat almost continuously, but Haru never really minded it. It was true; Kyou was better at martial arts than he, and he had had to help him find the bathroom almost every day. If Yuki had been Haru's first love, then Kyou had been his first friend.

And Haru had abandoned him.

When Yuki gave him those words to find the courage to be himself, he had needed to vent anger in the dojo less and less often. He saw Kyou less and less often, and he didn't bother to make much of an effort to stay in contact - he was too busy tailing after Yuki, his new obsession.

Years had passed since then, years where their friendship was reduced to the yearly greeting at the Sohma New Year's gathering. They had been thrown together a lot in the past year (and quite literally lately), yes; but frankly, Haru couldn't blame Kyou for hating him now.

He was suddenly snapped out of his reverie by the soft scuffle of shoes on the polished floor of the hallway that opened up into the waiting room. He looked up and saw Tohru slowly making her way back from Kyou's room. She looked deep in thought, and not a little bit sad. By the time she entered the waiting room, she still had not noticed Haru's presence.

"How is he?" Haru spoke up after waiting a minute for her to look up.

Tohru gave a start, snapping her head up and staring wide-eyed around the room. She relaxed as her eyes landed on Haru, and she gave an apologetic smile. "S-sorry…I guess I was spacing out a little," she said, moving forward to take a seat by the boy. "He seems…he seems well enough, considering… Well, Shishou-san is in there with him now," she finished lamely.

"Yeah, Shigure came to tell us that Kyou was awake," Haru continued, aware that the subject was difficult for the girl next to him. "The doctors said there was a risk of brain damage…did he seem…different to you? Did he say anything?"

Tohru nodded, staring at a spot on the floor in front of her. "Yes, we were talking for a bit…but he didn't seem different. Just…tired." She suddenly gave a small smile. "He seemed to be quite himself, actually."

Haru wondered if that was a good thing, mostly for his own sake. "So he was pretty okay, then."

Tohru nodded again.

"So what's there to be sad about?"

Tohru sat frozen, eyes staring blankly at that spot on the floor. Haru was mildly disturbed to see the normally bright and cheery girl in such a state - but that was why he was asking, wasn't it?

Tohru, meanwhile, was not thinking of how to respond. Her mind was not racing; no, her internal battle was far less complicated, and yet so much more difficult. It wasn't the problem itself that held her tongue - it was simply the decision to admit to someone else that the problem existed. Tohru didn't have problems; she could get along just fine as she was, no need for her friends to worry about something that doesn't need fixing.

Not a day went by where she didn't have to forcibly tell herself that.

'But isn't everyone worrying anyway?' a tiny voice said from the darkest corner of her mind. It was true; even Kyou, who had suffered serious bodily damage, a blow to the head, and was under god-knew-what kinds of medication, had noticed something was seriously off with her. Every time something bad happened, even after it turned out okay, it became harder and harder to keep up her smiling façade.

'Aren't you tired of pretending?' the voice whispered. 'Aren't you sick of being a hypocrite?'

And suddenly, Tohru was sick and tired. She leaned forward in her chair, nearly putting her head between her knees. Maybe it wasn't so difficult after all, to open the lid of that box that hid away her darkest feelings, to finally let them go…

She felt a light touch on her shoulder that alerted her to Haru's forgotten presence. She felt deflated by such a small thing, and allowed the hand to keep her grounded while she began to talk in a whisper so faint Haru had to lean forward himself to catch her words.

------

Author's Note: Yo. God this is a lot of angst. I'm just gonna change the "General" part of the genre to "Angst." If I remember. I hereby promise that my next fic will be nothing but crack. I have no idea what kind of fic it will be or what fandom, but it's gonna be crack, dammit.

Yes, next chapter will be Tohru's confession. It's about time she tells someone, right? And if things go well, Haru will finally get to visit our crippled cat. I hope y'all don't hate me for ending it here, but the chapter was going to be too long if I didn't. With all the cliffies I give you, I've learned to put my author's notes at the end of the chapters. >.o

Oh yes, and thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I hope I don't disappoint.