Shinichi.

Tears well up in Ran's eyes; she didn't think she had any more left to cry, but they come, no matter how hard she tries to stop them. She doesn't let that stop her, though. In an instant, she's by his side, the mop handle with its sharp head clattering to the floor, working the thin sturdy wire inside the round metal cuff of the restraint around Shinichi's ankle.

"Who—?" Shinichi starts, his voice as then as a thread, "R-ran?" he sputters out, shock filling his voice. He's shivering, but his eyes aren't dead anymore. They're filled with brightness and warmth.

"No time to talk!" Ran says as the lock clicks open. She moves to the second one. It's getting easier the more she does it, so this one barely takes any time at all.

"Y-you look—" Shinichi says, and there's rising panic in his voice. "How?" he says, dragging out the word, breathless.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Ran says, moving to his wrist. Oh, his skin is so cold, it's like ice. The minute his hand is free he covers himself. "C'mon," she says as she unlocks the last metal cuff. He pushes himself halfway up and falls back down, frustration written on his face as his arm refuses to hold his weight at all.

Ran grimaces. He's worse off than she is. And she knows how much heat those tables leech from the body.

She holds out her arms. "Come on," she says, gesturing towards herself with both hands.

"N-no!" Shinichi squeaks, scandalised. "I c-can w-walk," he says, his teeth chattering. "J-just give me m-minute."

"Oh come on, your dignity isn't worth your life! We don't have a minute! We're kind of in a hurry and you're freezing," she says, plowing right over him and ignoring his stuttered protests just like she used to do when she thought he was Conan and being particularly stubborn. Hmm. Come to think of it, that had usually worked on Shinichi too.

"B-but Ran," Shinichi whines as she scoops him up and puts him on her hip. He wraps his arms around her neck.

"Let's get out of here," she says, adjusting her grip under him to make it sturdier.

"W-we have to g-get the data," he says, clinging to her neck. "F-find it," Shinichi says. "T-take it with us."

Ran shakes her head. "We need to get away while we still can," she says, crouching to pick up the broken mop.

"Y-you don't know what they could do with it," Shinichi says, his voice growing steadier. "We need that data."

"I may not be a mystery freak like you," Ran says, fighting to keep her voice even. She's not a child, but he's treating her like one. He's more like one than she is right now! "But I'm pretty sure I have an idea. Is it worth our lives?" she asks, completely serious.

Shinichi gives her a long considering glance, and then he nods.

"Detour it is then," Ran says brightly, forcing the chipper tone. "Any idea where it might be?"

"I don't think they keep it on this floor. Vermouth didn't give me much to work with," he grumbles. "But I know at least that much."

"Shinichi, who is she?" Ran asks as she makes her way back into the hall. "You knew her. You knew them."

"It's a long story," he tries to deflect.

"Shinichi, don't give me that," Ran says, heading for the storage room. "You owe me that, at least."

"Ran I don't want you hurt—"

"No!" She says, tucking the mop under her arm to open the door, setting him down on one of the spare crates as soon as she gets inside, locking the door behind her. "Shinichi, please. I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate the intent behind it, but I'm already here," she unzips the top of the coveralls to his widening eyes, his face turning red, but she's only showing him a long set of stitches over her heart. "I think I died," she says, stressing the word, and the color rushes away as fast as it rose. "There's nothing they could do to me now that they haven't already done," she says.

"Ran," he says, and his voice cracks from the bitterness of grief, and it's awful.

"Shinichi, look where we are. Hasn't the worst already happened?" she asks him. She's not trying to rub salt into the wound, but she's tired of him trying to go it alone. They need each other here, and Ran needs information.

"You—you're right," Shinichi says. "Ran, I'm so, so, sorry, I never meant for any of this to touch you." He's clutching at his heart again.

"Shinichi, are you okay?" He was clutching at his heart at the beginning of all this. Ran hopes he doesn't shrink again, this time into nothing.

"Fine," he says.

"Shinichi," she says again, warning note in her voice. She hands him what looks like a clean towel; it's just big enough to wrap around his waist and cover him. He's so small like this, Ran marvels again.

"They kept injecting me," he admits, after a long pause. "I don't know what it was, but there's a sense of euphoria. It makes it hard to think," he says. "Everything is so bright and foggy. I think it's some kind of narcotic," he said in a small voice. "My heart's beating too fast."

"Won't that interfere with finding out what made you shrink?" Ran asks.

"I don't think Madeira cares," he asks. "She's not like, she's not like—"

"Sherry?" Ran asks.

"How do you know that name?" Shinichi says.

"It came up. I'm not stupid, Shinichi. I can put two and two together and have it come out four."

"I never thought you were stupid. Idiot," he says.

"Because that is so convincing," Ran says, but she's smiling. "Come on. Let's get you into the ventilation shaft. We'll talk on the way."

She keeps her hands on him to keep him steady. Once again, she's amazed at how small he is as she easily lifts hm and keeps him from falling as he climbs up to the open grate.

Then it's her turn. She takes a deep breath, and starts climbing herself.