Still own nothing~! Still having my italics brutally un-italicized by ff.n, too. .

Warnings for this chapter:

Physical violence.

A note, cause someone mentioned it…in a previous chapter, I wrote in a bed with straps for Takaya. I did a lot of research before I wrote the hospital scenes, but in the end, short of calling up a hospital and asking, I couldn't come up with much of any information on how suicide patients are treated by the hospital staff (most of what I came up with were comparisons on how the staff treats suicide patients from twenty years ago to today). Figuring out how they do it in Japan is even more difficult.

I know people that have attempted suicide, but I refuse to ask them because it's something painful. I'd rather have an unknown and possibly incorrect fact in a fanfiction than bring up something nasty in someone's past. So, that chapter is staying as-is, straps and all.

Onwards!

Chapter 13: I'd Do It Again

I'm screwed.

That was all Shuugo could think as he felt his back hit the wall. When had he moved away from the doorway? He didn't even remember.

Could it have been when Abe-senior was walking towards him? Had the man been forcing him to take steps back away from his only escape? Is that why Takaya had kept looking at him?

He was trying to warn me…Shuugo's heart was beating a mile a minute as he stared up at what was quite possibly his doom. His mouth was dry, and his hands clenched to try and stop their trembling.

"Takashi…" the woman said in a warning tone.

"He heard something he shouldn't have, Misae. And if he really does have an adult backing him up…that could be troublesome."

"What are you going to do?" Shuugo was scared, but still talking. "You can't hurt me…they know I'm here…"

"Who does? We requested no visitors while we were seeing him." The man, Takashi, smirked nastily. "The fact that you're here means that you snuck in. Nobody knows you're here."

In one fell swoop, Shuugo suddenly felt the air being smothered from him. His back slammed into the wall , and it took him a moment to realize that the man had a beefy hand wrapped around his neck. He's…choking me…he's really a psycho! I'm gonna die…!

"Let him go!"

Shuugo cracked an eye open as he gasped for air around the crushing pain.

Takaya had ripped the IV out of his arm and ran over, and was now attempting to pull Takashi's hand off.

Takashi narrowed his eyes and lifted his other hand.

Shuugo tried to shout a warning, but it just came out in a pained croak as spots began to dance in front of his vision.

With a crack, Takaya was smacked off, and hit the ground.

That didn't deter him, however, and after a cringe, Takaya surged back to his feet, grabbed the arm that Takashi was using to hold Shuugo, and bit down as hard as he could.

Even he knew he was no match against his father in a fight; the man had size and weight over him, after all. However, he had bit and scratched when he used to be ganged up on, and occasionally, it would make someone let go of him.

Takashi cursed and, sure enough, let go of Shuugo in pain.

Shuugo coughed as he slumped to the ground, attempting to get air back into his lungs, when someone grabbed his hand and tugged him to his feet.

"Come on!" Takaya urged as he pulled the boy out of the room moments before his father made another lunge for them.

Shuugo managed to get his legs to work, but it was difficult after nearly being choked. Still, after a few moments of running down the hall, some strength was returning to him.

After a couple failed attempts at talking, Shuugo finally managed it. "Where are we going?"

"No idea," Takaya responded.

"We have to get to the reception desk…there are doctors and nurses that frequent there. We'll be safe," Shuugo said as he remembered all the activity in the afternoon.

Takaya nodded. He was tired, but knew that his father wouldn't give up the chase so easily. If he figured out to go down to reception, then father must have figured it out, as well. He'll try to head us off. "What floor are we on?"

"First. Well, actually, it's the second floor…first floor of rooms, though."

"Guess they put their suicide-watchees on that floor since they can't throw themselves out the window to fall to their deaths, then…" Takaya muttered.

Shuugo couldn't help but grin at the sarcastic humor, which was actually nice to hear in light of their situation.

"Do you know the way?"

"Yea, but I always took the elevator."

"There have to be stairs near an elevator…we'll go down them. It'll take too long on the elevator…he'll head us off." Takaya cringed as his legs felt slightly heavy, but he knew that his old man would be trying to do what he said instead of pursuing them, so staying behind to act as bait wouldn't work.

He had to get Shuugo out…it was his fault that this was happening.

Takaya gritted his teeth and ploughed ahead as Shuugo took the lead. My fault, again. He was trying to help me, and was nearly killed…

Shuugo cursed and muttered something, then paused to kick off the hospital slippers.

It was only a short reprieve, but Takaya took that moment to suck in air as he placed a hand against the wall to steady himself. I've run far before…why am I so out of breath from just running a short distance?

"The elevator is here…darn slippers were making it hard to run in…so the stairs should be around here, too, then…" Shuugo panted as he looked for any indication of stairs.

Takaya, too, looked, and it didn't take the two long to find them. We're at the end of the hall…there's probably another elevator and set of stairs at the other end. Right now, we have the advantage since this route was shorter, but we're going to lose that advantage soon enough.

Shuugo pushed open the door, and the two went through.

Takaya's vision blurred a moment as they started down the stairs, which went to a small platform, then turned to the final set that would take them to the base level.

When they finally reached the landing and turned for the other set of stairs, Takaya's vision spun, and he stumbled and grasped at the wall with one hand while he rubbed at his eyes with the other.

Shuugo paused and turned around from the top couple steps. "What's wrong?"

"…not sure. Everything just suddenly got blurry…" Takaya gasped, his face ashen, as he tried to stay on his feet. His vision was fuzzy, and his body felt weak and heavy, and didn't quite move the way he wanted to. He gritted his teeth and attempted a couple steps, but nearly collapsed, instead.

Shuugo raced up and steadied him. Was it because he was hurt? He pulled one of Takaya's arms over his shoulders and gripped the boy's wrist, then put his other arm around Takaya's lower back. "Come on."

"You should go…" Takaya grunted.

"I don't leave people behind to get murdered by their parents. We're going." Shuugo started to help the other down the stairs. It was difficult, since the railing only had half of Takaya's weight while he had the other. Takaya wasn't very broad, and certainly wasn't fat, but he had muscle on him, which added much more to his weight.

Though the second set of stairs was shorter, it was almost a painstaking process as both boys attempted to go as fast as they could.

When they reached the door, Shuugo pushed it open with his foot, and stumbled to help Takaya through.

Takaya tried to get his feet to move properly, but they were being stubborn, and trembled under his own weight. Is it because I still haven't recovered from the blood loss?

The two were about to turn the corner that would lead to the more populated reception room, when their path was blocked by a huge shadow.

Shuugo gulped as he recognized it to be Takaya's father.

Takaya cursed under his breath. Damn…he managed to get ahead of us.

"Going somewhere, boys?" it was a wonder nobody stopped Takashi to ask if he was alright, what with that dark, dangerous look on his face.

Shuugo took a step back, and both boys tumbled to the ground since Shuugo's legs were shaking out of fear, and Takaya's out of weakness.

"Looks like that's the end of that…" Takashi stepped into hallway. If any nurses passed behind him, they probably wouldn't see the two boys beyond the man's girth, both figured.

Shuugo trembled. He's going to kill us… He blinked when something went in between him and the man, and he realized it was Takaya.

Takaya wanted nothing but to collapse on the ground, but he was at least able to get his body to move protectively in front of Shuugo. "Ka…Shuugo…" Takaya knew better than to use the boy's family name in front of his murderous looking father. "Go back up and hit the call nurse button…barricade yourself in the room if you have to."

"What?" Shuugo exclaimed as the man came closer to them.

Takaya struggled to get to his feet. "I'll…hold him off…"

"No way!" Shuugo caught the other when Takaya collapsed in a failed attempt to get to a standing position. "I already told you, I don't leave people behind! Especially friends!"

"Please!" Takaya's voice had raised, then came out hoarse as he squeezed his eyes shut from emotion. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me!"

"Takaya…" Shuugo mumbled, then shook his head and moved between Takaya and the giant. "It's not because of you…it's for you. We're friends…this is what friends do for each other!"

Takaya was almost glad that Shuugo was in front of him, because he couldn't stop the tears from sliding down his cheeks.

"Cute. But, the two of you are going to stand up, and go back to the room. Then, we'll…" Takashi started, but was cut off as the door to the stairs opened.

"And then you'll what?"

The boys looked behind them in surprise.

A nurse and a doctor stood there, and both could see a shadow of two figures in the stairwell behind them.

The nurse crossed her arms. "Just what exactly is going on, here?"

Takashi's dangerous look dropped as if it had never been there, and a smile wormed its way onto his face. "Oh, I was just getting my son back to his room, that's all. He's a patient, here…"

"You were trying to kill him, you liar!" Takaya didn't feel he had much strength, but he at least had strength enough for that.

"Why would I do that?" Takashi looked at the other two adults. "He suddenly pulled the IV line out and took off with the other boy…he must be slightly delusional from the dizziness."

Takaya trembled. Surrounded by adults…of course, they're going to believe him. When my old man and that bitch that used to call herself my 'mother' really want to, they can act quite well.

Shuugo had a dark look on his face as he held onto Takaya's arm protectively. "That man is lying. He said really nasty things to Takaya, and when I told him to stop, he tried to strangle me!" If he was going to be killed, he figured he might as well die after giving the truth. That way, when the man did kill him and he disappeared, the nurse and doctor there would remember his words, and hopefully say something to the police.

"What nasty things?" the doctor inquired.

Takashi tried to interrupt. "The boy is lying. He just wants to get out of trouble…"

"I'm not! You and your wife were telling him that he should have died!" Shuugo glanced back at where the doctor and nurse stood, not quite trusting Takashi enough to turn his body completely to face them. "It's the truth! That man really said that!"

Takashi shook his head. "You must have heard wrong since you were on the other side of the door at that time…"

"My hearing is perfect!" Shuugo was getting desperate. It appeared as if Takaya had given up already, and he didn't blame the boy. It looked like a dismal situation, after all. Even Shuugo had pretty much accepted that this was the end; he just wanted someone to know what happened so that when he wound up strangled to death, Takashi would fall under question in the least.

The doctor had walked over to stand behind the boys. The nurse stayed closer to the stairwell, and if Shuugo and Takaya had glanced behind them again, they would have definitely been able to identify the earlier shadows from the stairwell as being two security guards.

Shuugo all but held Takaya to him protectively.

Takaya was only half conscious, though the break from running was at least allowing him to get his breath back.

The doctor stared at Shuugo, or, more specifically, Shuugo's neck. Then, he turned to the nurse and said something to her about calling in a code across her pager.

The nurse looked surprised at the order, but nodded and did as instructed, giving the code and their location.

Shuugo gulped. We're doomed. He turned to the weakened boy, and whispered, "I'm sorry. We were really close…"

Takaya finally seemed to come to life a bit, though his eyes were still lidded from exhaustion, and shook his head slowly. "No…I'm the one that should apologize. You got involved…"

"I got myself involved…and I don't regret it. I'd do it again."

Takaya chuckled weakly. "You're a lot like Motoki."

"Yea? I noticed some similarities between the three of us, only I don't have evil parents."

Perhaps they were joking around because they were nervous, or perhaps it was some attempt to thank the other for trying to help them in what could be their final moments before they were left alone with the deadly man once more.

However, none of their dismal thoughts came to fruition. The doctor spoke to Takashi about mundane things and how Takaya should be resting while the boys were carrying on their own conversation, so nobody realized what was going on until another male voice spoke up behind Takashi.

"Abe Takashi?"

The man turned around, surprised to see two men in uniform standing there, and not hospital uniform, either, but security uniforms. "Yes?"

"Please come with us…we have some questions we want to ask you about the incident that just occurred," the man on the right spoke evenly.

"Incident?" Takashi frowned.

The one on the left gestured beyond them to the boys. "Yes. It's just standard procedure…we just need to know what happened, that's all. This isn't the place for a story. Don't worry…your son will be returned to his room."

Shuugo could feel Takaya shudder, though he had shivered around the same time, too. Sure, it meant he would probably be safe, but what about Takaya?

The doctor's hand on his shoulder nearly made him jump.

Shuugo opened his mouth, but the doctor held up his other hand in a gesture for silence, and winked at the boys.

Shuugo and Takaya blinked in confusion.

"Well, alright." Takashi had finally agreed to go with the security. When he turned back around, the doctor was standing once again and the boys looked as confused as ever. The man gave them a nod. "We'll talk later."

The two security guards then had Takashi follow them, and were all soon out of sight.

"Don't worry," the doctor was finally able to verbally reassure the boys. "You two aren't in trouble, and he won't be allowed anywhere near that room again, or either of you."

"I don't understand," Shuugo voice what was on the minds of both boys, particularly as he saw two more guards emerge from the stairwell and the nurse walk away after saying she would get a wheelchair.

"What…?" Takaya questioned.

The doctor smiled at the confused boys. "Even if there wasn't the cameras, once I came down the stairs and saw the situation…plus, I saw the mark on your neck, young man."

Shuugo let go of Takaya with one hand to finger where Takashi's hand had closed around his throat. There's a mark?

Takaya nodded when Shuugo looked at him. "It's red." Then, he looked back at the doctor in confusion. "Wait, cameras?"

The nurse returned then with a wheelchair, and started to help Takaya into it. "We have cameras throughout the building for security purposes for our patients. Typically, someone is watching, but that person had to put in a call since a young child got lost, and the other person…well…"

"Will be looking for a new job in a couple minutes," the doctor muttered.

Takaya leaned back in the chair, trembling from the exertion and the release of adrenaline. We'll be safe, then…

Shuugo stood up, but slumped against the wall in relief. "Thank God…"

The two looked at each other, then chuckled in a release of nervous tension. The security guards from the stairwell had long since left when they saw there was no problems getting Takashi to go with the others.

Shuugo then blinked. "So…they were so late in responding because some moron wasn't doing his job?"

The nurse nodded sheepishly, and the doctor mumbled something about praying nobody sued. Sure, one of the guards did his job, and was the one to alert them, but that other one…

"I wanna hit the no-good slacker," Shuugo groused, which just caused Takaya to chuckle again since he agreed whole-heartedly. "Should we tell Haruna-san?"

"I don't want to see my friend go to prison for attempted murder."

"Ah…good point. We'll leave that bit out, then…"

TO BE CONTINUED…