Set in the first week of Kaito's recovery, so probably at some point in chapter 22

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There wasn't much more humiliating than having to use a damn bedpan, Kaito thought, face impassive as Ran and Haibara helped lever him into position. On the one hand, it could have been a catheter. On the other, there was no way to go about bodily functions without having his nether-parts bared to the world. Kid was supposed to be suave and mysterious. Not drugged, aching, and having to have help situate his privates just to take a piss. Thank every deity that might be watching he'd been extremely out of it the first few days between the pain meds and his concussion. Now at least he could get his hand and arm to function enough to take care of some of the ordeal.

"You don't have to make that face," Haibara said as Kaito went about his business. "It's not like you have anything the rest of the male population doesn't have."

"I'm quite sure I'm not making any face right now," Kaito said.

"Right, because 'blank mask' doesn't count as an expression." Haibara snorted.

"Ai-san," Ran said, a warning note in her voice.

"Look, if he wanted to save face, he shouldn't have gotten injured in the first place."

"I'd be rolling my eyes, but I'm not making any faces right now," Kaito said.

Ai snorted and took the bedpan away. "Your sense of humor's a constant in this at least. Ran-chan, you can clean him up. I have a test I need to do."

Ran hummed and Kaito relaxed fractionally as Haibara left the room. He couldn't let his guard down around that woman, she made him want to find the high ground and go on the defensive but he couldn't do much of anything right now. There was still the awkward matter of Ran, but at least there it was a little less awkward.

"You really don't need to be self-conscious," Ran said, helping him tidy up.

"Because you've seen it all before?" Kaito quipped.

Ran pretended to swat his shoulder, careful not to actually touch. "No, because there's nothing wrong with accepting help when you need it."

"Kudo-san—Ran-san..." Where were the boundary lines now, what could he call her? "There's a difference between accepting help and being helpless and lacking in all dignity."

"Not all dignity," Ran said, straight faced. "You're still mostly clothed."

That startled a laugh from him and Ran smiled.

"But really, it won't be for long and it's not awkward from my side at least."

Was she framing the situation like she would if her husband was sick or like how she cared for her children? Frankly, Kaito didn't believe for a second that she didn't feel at least a little awkward. "I know this is a burden on you and your family. And it puts you at risk. And your children at risk. So I apologi—" He cut off as Ran shoved a finger in his face.

"No."

"No?"

"You tried to say all that two days ago when we got the wrong pain med dosage and you were high as a kite. I said it then and I'll say it now, we don't regret helping you. Do you regret helping Shinichi years ago with his Black Org?"

"Well. No, granted I was coerced a bit into that, but I guess not."

"Do you regret getting to know us?"

"Of course not. And that was one-sided considering I was essentially stalking you which I also should probably apologize for considering the circumsta—"

"Kid." Ran raised an eyebrow. She said it in just the right tone of Mom voice that Kaito shut up on instinct. "Shinichi and I forgave you a long time ago. He only ever shows up at heists these days when he needs a break from his usual line of work."

"I know." It was rare for Kudo to regularly attend heists and had been for years now since...since Kaito asked him not to when he almost got shot. The rare times Kudo was there, he tried to make it more whimsical. More like his old heist style and when Kaito's luck held, those were fun heists instead of feeling like the ax could fall at any moment.

"Now if you've been up to anything creepy lately I don't want to know because forgiving the past is one thing but..."

Kaito grimaced. "No! Really no. I check up on you two maybe once a month if even, and it's just a quick glance by. Promise. I like knowing people are alive."

Ran nodded like it made perfect sense. She did marry Kudo though, and Kaito would bet Kudo had a lot of weird coping mechanisms for his traumas that he covered up just like Kaito had his. For a few moments they were silent, Ran finishing up helping him and Kaito torn between his thoughts and feeling embarrassed.

"I feel like I should make a joke about going out on a date before pants removal, but that ship had sailed, circled the world, and left on another voyage by now."

Ran grinned. "You're lucky I don't mind being a nursemaid."

"I can't say I've had a prettier nurse," Kaito said with full sincerity. That got him the faintest bit of a blush. Well. Even half-dead and without dignity he had some skills.

"Flattery gets you nowhere, thief."

"You sure? Because I'm pretty sure flattery once almost got me a kiss back in high school."

"I thought you were Shinichi!"

"Mm, but that doesn't explain the other time."

Ran threw up her hands and Kaito grinned, or he did until the motion made his face ache at least.

"Clearly you're going to be fine," she said.

"Of course. I do the impossible, remember?" It wasn't quite a joke considering the circumstances.

"Keep being impossible," Ran replied. "Do you need anything else? Are you still okay on your current pain med dosage?"

Kaito took stock of the pains he had by and large shoved into a corner of his mind. They were uncomfortable even with the medication, but not unbearable or impossible to ignore. The worst was the lingering ache in his skull from the concussion and the edge of nausea where it dovetailed in with milder side effects from the morphine. If anything, the pain's constant background presence was keeping him more aware and in the moment, so it worked out some with the paranoid side of his mind that needed to be clearheaded and at least marginally functional. Never mind that he still could barely move without aggravating something right now. "I'm fine. Thank you, Ran-san. Kudo-san?"

"You might as well call me Ran. If you refer to both of us as Kudo it will get confusing. Hakuba-san keeps doing that."

They weren't close enough for a first name basis though, Kaito understood. "Thanks, Ran-san"

"You're welcome," she said. She gathered up her things to go. "I'll be back in a few hours with dinner. If Hakuba-san is back, I'll send him over instead."

"He's out?"

"He had some errands I think. He and Shinichi are keeping busy..."

"Not to sound ungrateful, but they are going to burn themselves out." Kaito knew what detectives were like. They hyper-focused and that wasn't healthy when it was something this big. Not that he was really one to talk; Kaito knew he worked too much. But Kaito had also always made a point to enjoy things to the fullest as well.

"Don't worry," Ran said. "I'm forcing them to take breaks and eat."

"Good. Kind of defeats the purpose if they run themselves into the ground."

"I'd pass that along, but considering you literally ran yourself into the ground..." Ran gave him a look that was half teasing, half chiding.

Kaito raised his better hand up a bit in a gesture of defense. Ow. Note to self, still not fun to move. "I get it. I promise to rest and recover to the best of my abilities."

"Please do. See you in a few hours, Kid."

Kaito watched her go. And now there was nothing to occupy him at all. Drat. That left napping again and possibly more strange morphine-induced dreams. Joy. Kaito closed his eyes, resigned to the fact that all he could do was wait the injury out.