Author's Note: Thanks to those who review constantly and those who review thoughtfully, this chapter is for you. I'm on a big streak with the story and I hope it doesn't die out any time soon.

Disclaimer: I only own Suzumi, Haruka, and the Osiris Brethren. Voltage owns the rest.

...She Prescribed pills
To offset the shakes
To offset the pills
You know you should take
It a day at a time

Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks - Panic! At the Disco

Eleven.

"You do realize that Eisuke will know about this? I can't keep anything from him." Haruka helped Suzumi scrub down the dining room table, having brought the medical supplies the woman had requested.

"Eisuke knows how to keep his mouth shut. It's Baba and Ota who don't have muzzles. You're working now anyway, so it hardly matters. You're doing your job by helping a penthouse guest," Soryu said from his seat on the sofa. The two women glanced his way and began setting up the medical supplies in an easy to grab set up for Suzumi to use quicker. Soryu, while sitting as though nothing was wrong, was starting to look paler than usual.

Haruka pushed Suzumi to the kitchen. "Go wash your hands and arms, use this." She handed her a hospital grade soap and hand sanitizer. "Soryu, come here and I'll help you onto the table. She's about ready for you."

Soryu frowned. "I can get up fine. Are you staying to help her? Aren't you needed elsewhere in the hotel with the other maids?"

"I am, but…"

"Don't worry. I'll be guiding her and my cell with be nearby. Expect a call if something goes wrong, though we should be fine. If something does happen, immediately call Eisuke, then Kishi." Seeing Haruka wring her hands in worry, Soryu smirked. "Don't you trust Suzumi? I trust her."

Eyes wide, Haruka took in his words. She laughed softly before bowing. "Of course. Everything is set up, so I'll let you both to it then. I hate to say it, but I look forward to a call. Bad or good." Casting one last glance his way, Haruka left the suite with a quiet snap of the door. At the same time, Suzumi came back from the kitchen, looking nervous.

"Hop up, Soryu. I don't want to waste any more time."

Nodding, Soryu careful sat on the table before adjusting himself to lay fully along its length. The movement, however brief, had another dribble of blood exiting the wound. Standing next to the table, Suzumi looked down at the man she was performing an impromptu surgery on and grimaced. Her confidence was nowhere near Soryu's in her ability to pull this off, but she was certainly determined to try.

"First, relax. If you're too stiff or nervous, you're more likely to mess up."

"Okay…"

"The first part here is going to be the worst. You need to stick your finger in and find the bullet."

"What?!"

"It's less damaging than digging around blindly with metal tools and you'll know immediately where it is and how far you need to go then," Soryu explained patiently.

Letting out a breath, Suzumi did as she was told and slowly inserted her finger. "Let me know if I'm making it hurt or if something feels wrong. I don't want you to die because I poked you with my finger."

Soryu nodded. "It hurts but not anything beyond what it was before. Unfortunately, pain medicine would thin the blood further and cause more bleeding." He felt her shudder slightly and had to keep in his chuckle. It would harm him more than the humor was worth.

"Oh!" Suzumi gasped and bit her lip. "I think I found it."

He could feel her finger brush against the bullet, which in turn moved it against his muscle and nerves. She was exactly right and it caused him to hiss in pain. "That was indeed the bullet. Grab the forceps."

"Which one? Haruka gave me four different kinds."

"Nothing pointed. If there's one that's slightly angled, that would be best."

Suzumi stared down at Soryu's torso, splashed in red and bared completely to her. It was a frightening thought that a man's life could very well be in her hands. As she wiped off her fingers from the blood, she turned her gaze away and looked over the tools Haruka had provided her. Indeed, there was an angled pair of forceps with blunt tips and she gingerly picked up the tool.

"Now what?"

"Gently go back in. When you get to the bullet, carefully try to grip it with the forceps. Don't tug too hard in case you grab tissue. Feel for the slight shift that indicates it's moving toward you."

"So no pressure." Suzumi let out a breath. "Let me know if something doesn't feel right."

Twenty six minutes later, Suzumi threw a blood-covered bullet and surgery tool into the metal bowl set off to the side and shakily sat in the cast aside chair next to the table. "It's out, Soryu."

"Good job, Suzumi." Soryu smiled and reached out to pat her head. "Put some pressure on it for a bit, then tape me up so I can stand."

Suzumi followed his orders once more, grateful to be cleaning the wound once more instead of digging around inside of him. Holding the bandage against him, she listened to the even breathing coming from the man and felt calmer than she had in days. Unfortunately, it was short lived when the suite door opened and Haruka walked in was an unfamiliar man.

"Soryu? This man says he was sent by Luke?"

The man, standing much taller than Haruka who kept him from coming too far into the room, bowed after shutting the suit door. "Luke Foster called me and asked to fill in for him regarding a bullet wound. My name is Kujo."

Suzumi frowned, looking to Soryu. She didn't know many people in this new world of shadows or the Tres Spades and this new character left her feeling clueless. However, she saw a spark of recognition in Soryu's eyes before he nodded.

"Yes. You can come in. Suzumi, he can finish anything else I need. He's an underground doctor." Nodding Suzumi stepped away from the table and allowed Kujo to replace her vacated spot.

Noting the bloody bullet, Kujo sanitized his hands and looked down at Soryu. "Looks like the bullet has been removed?"

Soryu nodded. "Suzumi helped. The bleeding was getting excessive."

Kujo pulled back the bandage that she'd left and nodded, looking satisfied. "She did well. Little tissue damage from removal and bleeding has reduced to almost nothing. I'll clean you up, stitch the wound, and replenish your blood."

"Suzumi, come get cleaned up." Haruka laid a hand on the woman's arm and guided her away from the table. "You're covered in blood. Let's run the bath."

/*\

When Suzumi stepped out of the bath that Haruka had run for her, she saw that the woman had cleaned up most of the mess from the night and was just throwing a pair of disposable gloves in a large, fully stuffed trash bag before tying it shut.

"I could have cleaned up," she said, frowning.

Haruka shook her head and smiled. "I get paid to do this. Plus I know how to get rid of it without anyone finding it and getting suspicious. Kujo is finishing up with Soryu's blood transfusion right now if you want to check in on him. Soryu was asking for you." Picking up the bag, the maid left the room, leaving Suzumi alone in the living room.

"Miss? Mr Oh is asking for you. He heard you talking to the maid." Kujo poked his head around the corner, gesturing for her to follow. Obeying, she followed the doctor into the makeshift surgery and saw the set up pumping blood and medicine into Soryu's system.

"I've given him a bit of blood, but not everything that was needed. His body will replace the rest, he's young and healthy so it should be sooner than later. I'm going to leave some medications and I'll go over them before I leave with you. I'm assuming you'll be in charge of his care?"

"Uh, well…"

"Yes, Suzumi will be taking care of me." Soryu answered from his position, watching her reaction. She didn't disappoint with her wide eyes and baffled expression. When Kujo turned to take the medications from his bag, she narrowed her eyes at Soryu, who kept his face neutral.

"About my fees…"

"Whatever it is, it will be taken care of."

"Good. Today's visit, plus the supplies is about two hundred thousand."

Suzumi blanched. "Dollars?!"

Kujo didn't react, just kept writing on his notepad instructions for her. "Certainly not goats or wheels of cheese. Of course dollars."

Soryu didn't seem surprised either, just nodded. "Give us your information and I'll have it given to you before lunch. Suzumi."

Snapping her head in his direction, she nodded and responded, "Yeah?"

"Thank you. Kujo says you doing that helped."

"It's true. The bleeding was becoming severe and the would would have tried to start healing around the bullet, given the timeline I was provided." Kujo confirmed, dismantling the hospital gear surrounding Soryu. When he was finished, he bagged up any left of used medical equipment. "I'll dispose of this bio waste. Don't hesitate to call me again if needed. I'm more than happy to help when Luke is unavailable. Just ask for Taiga Kujo." He motioned for her to follow him to the door with his finger and began making his way towards the exit of the suite.

"I just administered a high dose of morphine so any moment, he'll be painless but he will also be a little mellow and sleepy. If he's comfortable on the table, leave him. But I'd recommend putting him in bed. Here's my direction for the medicines I'm leaving, please make sure he takes most of them over the next several days. Not sure what kind of work he does and I don't want to know, but my strong recommendation is that he not. He needs to let the wound heal before he runs around."

"Was it that bad?" Suzumi frowned, looking towards the dining room where she could see Soryu's legs and feet on the table.

Kujo shook his head. "Not necessarily but I would say he needs to let his body recover the blood it's missing and for the wound to internally stitch before he rips himself open again or faints." He took out a blank card and pen, scribbling a phone number in blue ink before handing her the card. "In case Luke is too busy to find me. I'm fairly local. Try not to lose or misplace this." With one final bow, the doctor left, leaving Suzumi to head back into the makeshift hospital room.

"Soryu?" she murmured, walking up to the upper half of his body. The man opened his eyes slowly, looking up. "Do you want to go to your bed?"

Sighing, Soryu seemed to debate the pros and cons of moving. Finally, he nodded, reaching a hand up for her to pull him up. Wincing when he sucked in a breath through his teeth, she cried out an apology before draping him across her shoulders and starting the slow trek to his bedroom across the suite. When she was able to get him laying on the bed as gently as she could, she scurried out of the room to bring with her the medicines and water, along with extra bandages and antiseptic.

Soryu watched her fret around him, trying to make him as comfortable as possible and make sure he had everything he needed. He smiled as she muttered to herself, amused at how serious she was taking the situation. "Calm down. It's not the worst I've had. I just need a good sleep, I haven't slept since the night before I saw you last."

"What? That's not healthy!" Suzumi chastised the mafia boss, frowning. "Have you eaten? Do you want food? Can you eat?!"

"I know. No, no, and yes. Relax." When she continued to bite her lip and shuffle the bottles on the nightstand for the third time, Soryu reached out to grab her hand, halting her movement. "Relax," he said again, firmer. It took her a moment, her body stiffening still in reaction to being touched, but after a heartbeat the tension in her seemed to fade. Giving her hand a squeeze, he looked up and grinned at Suzumi. "What's the first instruction the doctor gave you that you'll have to do?"

Suzumi pulled her hands away and dragged out the paper from her pocket and scanned it. "Once you feel like the morphine is wearing off, I give you a yellow pill with a little bit of food."

"Okay. Until then, go to bed. It's nearly six and the sun is coming up. I'll survive until you get some rest."

"No!" Shaking her head, she bluntly refused. Disappearing for a moment, only to reappear with a dining room chair, Suzumi dragged it to sit beside Soryu's bed and dropped herself into to roughly. "This is my fault and I will sit here until you're sleeping. Then I'll consider it."

"You're a lot more stubborn that I thought you'd be," Soryu said wryly. Closing his eyes, he murmured, "Thank you for your hard work, Suzumi." All at once, it was as if the will to fight her was sucked out of him and the last few days were finally crashing down on Soryu. Despite his urge to err on the side of caution when it came to safety in what was his very dangerous life, he found falling asleep as easy as letting out a deep breath and gently closing his eyes.

When Luke, Haruka, and Eisuke came to check in on the situation just after lunch, all three were flabbergasted at the sight that greeted them. Soryu with his bedroom door open, lying asleep and undisturbed by the noise the trio was making coming in. Usually the man woke with any noise. And Suzumi, leaning over the bed, knees on the ground as though she'd fallen asleep mid prayer, holding onto Soryu's hand, and head resting on his forearm.

Eisuke's cool mask was completely shattered, a look of complete shock painted on. Mouth open and eye twitching, he was at a loss of words for the sight in front of him. Haruka smirked, satisfied. She knew Suzumi would take the care of Soryu seriously. Luke, standing at the foot of the bed, assessed the situation.

"Are you sure this is the same girl from twelve weeks ago?"

Both Haruka and Eisuke nodded.

"Good for you, Sexy Bones. Should we wake them?"

"At least wake the woman up. She's looking worse for wear and she'll need to attend to Soryu," Eisuke suggested, looking at his girlfriend.

Haruka frowned. "I think I should wake her just so she can go to her own bed. Isn't that why Luke is here?"

"I suppose."

"Seeing as Soryu is still alive, it looks like Taiga took good care of him and got the bullet out successfully," Luke mused, looking through the medicines on the nightstand.

"Nng, Suzumi took the bullet out." A groggy, labored voice rose from the bed and all three turned to look at Soryu, who was rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "You're all too loud." Yawning, he tried to sit up but was painfully reminded of the hole in his side.

"Relax. Let's get Suzumi detached, some meds in you, then we can get you up." Luke looked to Haruka and indicated that she help him pry sleeping woman from Soryu's arm.

"Don't bother. Just put her in this bed. She'll just come back in here. I already tried twice to get her into her own room since that Kujo left."

Soryu looked down at the mass of curls on the edge of his bed and squeezed her hand with his before wiggling it out from her grasp gently. Somehow, he managed to keep her from waking, and he flexed his arm to get back the feeling he'd lost in it hours before. Looking around, he saw the various degrees of surprise on the three other faces in the room.

"What? If you could actually act like a doctor and give me some pain medication, Luke, it would be appreciated. The morphine wore off an hour ago."

While Luke prepared Soryu's pills, Haruka had a begrudging Eisuke carry the still sleeping Suzumi to the other side of the large bed. Making sure he didn't throw her down, Haruka guided him and shooed him away to settle the woman in with the blankets and pillows. Behind her, Eisuke tsked and rolled his eyes.

"Why didn't you wake Suzumi? I thought she was your nursemaid?" Eisuke asked, frowning as Soryu took his pills.

"It was fine. What kind of man am I if I can't handle a little pain?" Soryu muttered. Betraying to stoic facade, Soryu grunted in pain when Luke sat him up in the bed and piled more pillows behind him to prop him up.

Luke handed him an apple that had been left on the nightstand and motioned for him to eat. "From a medical professional's standpoint, you're in fairly good condition. However, the more strict you follow the guidelines that Taiga gave you and that I agree with, you will heal faster and be back on the streets, so to speak."

"And the timeline?"

Luke seemed to ponder for a moment. "Depending on how you heal, of course, perhaps a week. An average person would be two weeks. Knowing you, you'll want to be back today or tomorrow. Which I forbid. At least give yourself five days."

Soryu frowned. "I can't afford that. The enemy is into some dark things and trying to frame the Ice Dragons."

"You can't afford to bleed out in front of your men, either," Eisuke pointed out, arms crossed. "You won't do the Ice Dragons any good dead. You just became their leader recently."

Soryu thought about his options, frowning at what he wanted and what he needed refusing to line up. As usual, Eisuke was right, even if he was pointing out the very obvious, something that he hadn't really needed to hear. Sighing, he admitted defeat.

"I can work from here and use Inui and Samejima. I can't let the men know what happened."

Sitting in Suzumi's abandoned chair, Eisuke's frown became more pronounced. Arms crossed and looking like he wouldn't take no for an answer, Eisuke murmured, "You need to tell me what's happening and just what your songbird has gotten you tied up in."

A/N: Reviews are lovely, confidence boosting things. And I post quicker when I see more of them. Thank you for reading! :)