"An' then he just wrapped his arm around her, hangin' half way off his horse, and just pulled her to safety." Heiji finished.
"Sounds like you had a heck of a time." Conan commented, "I'm glad everyone came out safely. What happened to the dad?"
Heiji shifted the phone to his other ear, "He's in the hospital being evaluated last I heard. He'll probably be moved to a facility later."
"It's for the best." Conan added.
"So, Kudo, about Mic…what do you think about him?" Heiji inquired.
"I don't know him well enough to form a solid opinion but he seems…friendly." Conan mused, "Why do you ask?"
"I just- nothing feels off to you?" Heiji stressed.
There was a pause, "What do you mean?"
"Like, I don't know, I feel like something big is going to happen soon." Heiji said staring at his ceiling, idly swaying his chair to and fro. "And his eyes-"
"You know I don't believe in that kind of stuff Hattori." Conan deadpanned, "You imagination is carrying you away."
"Oi, my 'imagination' saved your ass once, remember that?" Heiji demanded.
"Coincidence." Conan answered. "Anyways, if you think he's that big of a deal then why don't you just go hang out with him?"
So that is how four days after his conversation with Kudo, Heiji found himself parking his bike outside the D mansion gate. The house was a pretty impressive three stories. Western style with a few large bronze stars stuck to the sides. He walked through a door in the fence that surrounded the property and up a walkway that lead to the front door.
A press of a bell later and the air was filled with howls. Within moments the door opened to a familiar purple sight. Ronnie looked up at him from the door, apparently keeping back a pair of dogs with her legs.
"Hattori-san!" She exclaimed.
"Hey Ronnie-san, mind if I come in?" Heiji said.
"Of course." She answered and opened the door all the way. She turned and attempted to shush the dogs away but they simply rounded her and approached Heiji. He got the door closed behind him and took note of the circling marble staircase to his right while he absently scratched the dogs behind the ears.
Ronnie put her hands on her hips and shook her head, "They seem to like you. You've met McClain. She's Sundance." She said pointing to the golden retriever. "Anyways what brings you here?"
Heiji straightened and scratched behind his ear, "Uh, actually I was wondering if Mic-san was around."
Ronnie blinked in surprise and nodded, "Yeah, you got here just in time, he just woke up from a nap." She motioned for him to follow her and stopped him from trying to remove his shoes. Ensuring him that they did not uphold that tradition in their house.
'Western' was really the right word for the style the house was furnished in. Ronnie led him through a pair of swinging saloon doors into a kitchen and the sight before him made him pause in surprise. Mic was standing at a large oven, spatula and skillet in hand, wearing a kerchief on his head and a pink apron. Behind him sitting at the island was Hilary, who was reading over some documents.
"Mic, you have company!" Ronnie said taking up residence beside Hilary.
Mic looked over at Heiji, grinned and waved the hand that held the spatula. "You're just in time. I'm making some grilled cheese. Want some?"
Heiji shook his head quickly, "Uh, nah, thanks though."
"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Mic said brightly.
"Well, I was just wondering, if you weren't busy or anything, if you wanted to catch the baseball game this afternoon. It's nearer to your house than mine and I thought since you were new to town and everything…" Heiji rambled but stopped when he saw Mic pause.
Mic flipped a sandwich and turned back to him, "Really?"
"If you want to." Heiji answered.
Mic nodded, "Yeah, sure! That sounds great."
This perks Heiji up, "Good, well then, um, it starts around five so-"
"Why don't you stay until then?" Ronnie said picking up her school things, "To save gas and everything."
"Yeah, why not stay?" Mic said turning around with a virtual tower of sandwiches on a plate that he sat between himself and Hilary.
Heiji shrugged and let Mic lead him to a chair at the island. He couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated being in such close proximity to Hilary who leered at him before Ronnie elbowed her in the side. Hilary and Mic both took a sandwich and began eating.
"So, how's the folks?" Mic began. Heiji chuckled and answered, falling into conversation with the D family easily.
After a while, both Ronnie and Hilary left to go to their respective rooms and work on their respective projects. Leaving Mic and Heiji sitting at the island sipping on sweet tea with the two dogs curled up behind their chairs.
Mic was quiet for a few moments, "Hattori, tell me honestly, how has Ronnie been doing in school?"
Heiji thought for a moment. Ronnie seemed to be a cheerful, if a bit shy and intelligent young girl. She had carved out a place for herself in the school with relative ease. Kazuha may have had a hand in helping her find her place and meet new people but people genuinely seemed to like her. Heiji says as much and Mic sighs in relief.
"Why do you worry about her so much?" Heiji finds himself asking.
Mic's expression saddens, his eyes drifting to his glass, "When she was ten she was diagnosed with leukemia. She had a bone marrow transplant at eleven and she was finally declared in remission at twelve."
Heiji felt his stomach drop, "So, she is ok now though right?"
Mic nodded, "Yeah, she's health as can be. But her immune system is weak and she gets sick easily. I'm just…We're all scared one day it might come back. And this time…" He sighed heavily.
Heiji tried to wrap his head around the horror of that kind of situation. Mic stood and untied the apron, "Worst part of it was, none of us could help. Couldn't even be her donor. We had to- Well I guess it doesn't matter now."
"Why couldn't you be donors? I thought family members were the most likely to be viable." Heiji asked in confusion.
Mic hung the apron on a hook near the back door and turned to look at him for a moment. "Oh, yeah I forgot you didn't know. My parents adopted Mark, Hilary, and Ronnie. One a year till I was four, the year my dad died."
"I see." Was Heiji's response.
Mic poured some more sweet tea and put the sandwich plate in the dishwasher. "Let's see…Mark was adopted when I was one, Hilary when I was two and Ronnie when I was three. Ronnie was just six months old when we got her. Man how time flies."
"And how old is Hilary and Mark by the way?" Heiji questioned.
"Hilary's nineteen and Mark is twenty." Mic explained.
Heiji nodded in response mentally adding the information to what he now knew about Mic's family. What was the saying? 'Curious-er and Curious-er!' If only now he could ask about his parents, but that would be overstepping all sorts of lines.
"So which way we going?" Mic asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Heiji asked wisely.
Mic smirked, "We could take my truck or your bike? It's nearin' five o'clock now and we don't want to be late."
"Oh, yeah, right. My bike is fine since I know the route." Heiji answered, standing and stretching his back.
Mic agreed, "'Kay just let me go get ready and I'll meet you out front."
The two of them walked through the living room once more and parted ways at the foot of the stairs. Mic trotted up them and disappeared down a hallway at the end. Heiji walked out the front door and back to his bike. He waited a few minutes and then Mic came through the door in the fence.
He was wearing his ball cap with the fishhook clip on the brim. He turned it around and shoved it snugly onto his head. "Hope you don't mind drivin' since I ain't got a helmet."
Heiji put his own helmet on, "I guess we don't have a choice do we?"
"Nope." Mic grinned and waited for Heiji to straddle the bike before hopping on behind him.
The drive to the baseball park was only a bit awkward from Heiji's point of view. When they arrived they paid for their tickets. Mic eagerly buys hotdogs from the vendor by the gate, enough for both of them. When they track down their seats, they end up being on the aisle. They make themselves confortable and eat their hotdogs before starting to chat again.
Mic confesses that he never spent much time with sports, besides horses and shooting, but he enjoyed watching them live when he could. Heiji talks about his love for the sport and his passion for kendo. He'll admit that he bragged a bit.
By the time the game started they were telling stories of their triumphs like old friends. So when the third inning rolled around they never had an inkling of what was about to conspire.
A man with salt and pepper hair drunkenly made his way up the steps, a beer bottle dangling from his fingers. It struck them as odd, because they didn't believe that alcohol was allowed on the premise. From their observations they could tell the man was a surgeon but then he passed by them and they decided to ignore him.
A loud thump a few moments later caused them to begin to glance over their shoulder, but then a sharp crash below them brought their eyes forward. The beer bottle lay on the steps, broken in half with the sharp ends pointing skyward. Then the man hurtled past them and landed on the bottle with a sickening sound.
Mic and Heiji stared in shock as a woman began to scream about the blood pooling out of the man's mouth and under his head. The two got their wits about them and shouted for someone to call an ambulance, jumping to their feet and rushing to the man's prone form.
The bottle had gone through the back of the surgeon's neck, severing it. He had died instantly. The boys shared a look, "If I hadn't seen that with my own eyes…" Heiji began.
Mic shook his head, "This is crazy."
The two kept people away and assured some of the people who needed it. The game stopped and officials arrived. The ambulance got there some time later and confirmed what they already knew. The police arrived to take statements.
The policeman recognized Heiji. "This has been the craziest few weeks of my career." The man admitted, "This guy had it coming to him though. He's always been a drunk. Rumors are he has caused a lot of problems during his surgeries, like leaving things behind inside people and I think a person even died under his care. So the bottle killing him? Ha."
Mic gave the man a strange look, "What do you mean about these past few weeks? How can anything odder than this happen?"
The man shrugged, "Just a few days ago a guy got struck by lightning in broad daylight! He had been an electroshock therapist back in the day…and the others? It seems like karma has come through town if you ask me."
"What others?" Mic asked. Heiji wondered what had Mic so interested in the freak accidents but didn't ask.
The policeman went on to tell some of the wildest stories Heiji had ever heard, and if it weren't for how serious he looked, Heiji wouldn't have believed half of it.
The guy was called away and Heiji turned to Mic, "I guess we might as well leave. The game has been canceled." He stretched, "Why does this always happen?"
Mic was quiet a moment then nodded, "Yeah, I got some phone calls to make anyways. Sorry about the game though, it was just getting good."
They began to make way through the crowd and suddenly Mic spotted something, or someone, in the crowd. Mic froze solid and then suddenly started off into the crowd. Heiji followed closely behind, careful not to lose him, wondering what had startled him so. Mic suddenly grabbed a man by the shoulder and turned him around.
The man began to say something and then stopped, stared, and broke out in a wild grin. "Mic!"
"Grandfather!" Mic blurted as the two hugged fiercely.
'Grandfather?' Heiji thought, the man couldn't be older than forty.
The two stepped back and the man began to appraise Mic. "Well look at you! All grown up since the last I saw you. What are you doing here?"
Mic chuckled, "We just moved here and we-" he stopped then, seeming to remember Heiji's presence, "Uh, right, Hattori! Um, this is Gabriel…my uncle."
Heiji stepped forward, arms crossed. Gabriel had the same eyes as Mic, if a shade darker. They were definitely related. He stuck a hand out, "Hattori Heiji. I go to school with Mic's little sister."
"Pleasure's mine." Gabriel chuckled, shaking his hand. "So Ronnie's doing better since the last time we saw each other. How is everyone? I'd love to see them." Gabriel said clapping his hands together.
"I could take you there." Mic rubbed the back of his neck. "Hattori, I think I'll catch a ride with him if you don't mind. It's been a few years since we last saw each other."
Hattori shrugged, "Sure, I bet you have a lot of catching up to do. I'll see ya around."
The two said their goodbyes and Heiji turned to make his way to the bike. A few steps later and he remember something he wanted to tell Mic, and turned around to say it.
Gabriel and Mic where gone.