riddlefame135: Mark is the main/player's character in IoH and SS ^^ not an OC. And thanks for the encouragement! ^^

teamBLAZE: yeah, I love the stories from Peds as well! ^^

It had been a few weeks ever since the Kreiss sisters' confrontation at the ER. People began to suspect that Allen and Reine were not seeing each other because they didn't feel that sense of exclusivity between the two of them—the way that they would usually notice in Allen's other pursuits. Allen went off with Reine almost in every chance they had and if there were an outing to the Pit, most probably Allen and Reine would come together, sit together and leave together. However, they would sit among the crowd and never made an effort to be 'exclusive', like he would usually have done with his other female companions.

They were close, sure—just not in that way.

Those words, of course, reached Gwen's ears in one way or another. She began to ask herself, whether Allen and Reine had been together; she began to remember that Reine was—in her nature—a very approachable person.

Talk to Reine for a minute, and you felt like you've been friends with her for a year; go on for another ten, and you have ended up telling her the story of your life: your most recent breakup, your first love, your latest trip, your dream job. And she would remember it all. She might not remember your voice, but she would remember every movement your lips made. Even the slightest tremor of hesitation—she would remember it. She would remember, because that's who she was.

A living time capsule.

The underlying different between herself and her little sister, she knew, was Reine's willingness to see each and every detail and commit them to her memory. Even now, Gwen couldn't be sure whether it was a boon or bane—but she knew that made the difference between them, although both of them were born as living camcorders, albeit perhaps muted.

Unlike Reine who—unbeknownst to Gwen—had chosen to compartmentalize each and every memory in her head into what she called as 'boxes', Gwen chose to filter what she saw and thus what she remembered. She learned to close her eyes—and to turn a blind eye was something she had to master to survive, or so she thought. Only now Gwen realized maybe she had been turning a blind eye for too long, that she had forgotten one cold real fact right in front of her eyes.

The person her own little sister was.

That was the first step for Gwen to uncover the truth. Naturally, she found herself asking: why did she choose to turn a blind eye on that fact—the fact that many other siblings would remember like it was carved at the back of their head without needing eidetic memory that she had been blessed, or cursed for that matter, with?

Hospitals were a collage of life. Each day, people came and went, bringing with each of them their stories. Knowingly or not, once one stepped into the building of life and death, one would leave a bit of one's story behind. Each and every bit came together and formed that collage of life—and for those more familiar with this building, they began to cultivate the skill not only to add something to this collage, but to read this collage and find it somewhere in between, something they could learn; something they could identify with; something they wanted to take away with them.

Soon, it would be the sisters' turn. Even if they could remember everything that they had seen in the world, one lifetime would never be enough to see everything in the world, and more importantly to understand them.

What does that mean?

It means that even for people like them, there would still be something new to learn each day.

Reine received a new chart from Georgia when she went to the ER that morning. Reine tried to gulp her coffee down in one go, but instead of adrenaline rush she desperately needed, she felt an imaginary hammer was banging at the back of her head as if there was no imaginary board and nail somewhere. Nevertheless, she took the chart. She read the treatment column first—a habit she had had ever since she was still a resident—before the patient's particulars. "Thirty sutures on her left wrist?" Reine asked.

"Yes Ma'am." Georgia said. "It was a… suicide attempts, it seems."

Reine glanced up to the particulars. Caitlyn Jones, 29-year-old, presented with haemorrhagic shock due to the severing of right ulnar artery. "Where's she now?" Reine asked.

"Third floor, room number 11."

Reine took the chart and went to the room. Inside, Caitlyn Jones seemed to have regained consciousness from her operation. "Good afternoon, Mrs Jones, I'm Dr Kreiss who will be checking your condition."

"…they took it."

Reine moved closer to her, "I'm sorry, Mrs Jones?"

Much to Reine's surprise, suddenly the young woman went ballistic. "THEY TOOK IT!" she screamed while banging her hand on the bed railing. Reine quickly went to her side and restrained her, "Mrs Jones! Calm down!"

"THEY TOOK HIM! NOW THEY TOOK IT!" she yelled while pointing forward at an upward angle. "THAT'S MINE! MINE! THAT'S ALL I HAVE LEFT!"

The nurse seemed to have heard the commotion because one nurse came in rushing and injected some tranquilizer into her cannula, and soon the young woman slumped on Reine's arms. "They took it…" she murmured as Reine helped her to lie down.

Reine finally got the chance to see what she had been pointing at, and she felt a kick right to her heart when she saw it.

It was the American Flag.

Behind her, Gwen was watching the whole ordeal—being the one who had alerted the nurse earlier.

"The folded flag that was found with her was completely soaked in blood." The police officer said.

"Okay, I understand." Reine nodded.

"It seems to me she's in major clinical depression." Rod commented after the officer left. "This is a psych's case."

Reine closed her eyes and that scene flashed out in her mind. She was wearing a knee-length black dress, her hair tied into a bun and she wore the kind of hat with the net covering her eyes. Gwen was wearing… an identical dress and accessories. Helena arranged for that.

An officer dressed in his full uniform bent down and handed a triangularly folded flag to Gwen. Then there was a bugler playing Mom's favourite song, Amazing Grace.

Reine's head was badgered with pain as it kept playing the same thing.

The flag, folded slowly into a triangle with the stars visible.

The officer, bent down to reach Gwen.

Gwen holding the flag close to her chest.

Amazing Grace played.

Reine brought her hand to her forehead, trying to stop it from hurting. Rod then began to realize something was wrong with her, "Reine? Reine?"

Reine lost the strength of her legs, and she dropped to the floor.

When she opened her eyes, Gwen was standing over her and an IV line was attached to the back of her palm. "Where's this?" she asked.

"Your second home," Gwen replied. "ER."

"Huh?"

"You passed out." Gwen explained briefly, "You overworked yourself, so it seems."

"Oh, okay." Reine replied, "and… why are you here?"

"Because I happen to be your next-of-kin?"

Reine managed to chuckle, "Yeah, right…" she said weakly. "Sorry for bothering you."

Gwen didn't immediately answer. She folded her arms and stared at Reine. "Look, Reine, I saw Mom held the flag… when they buried Dad." She said slowly, "You were too small to remember, you were just a baby."

Reine frowned, trying to focus her gaze at her sister, and noticed that tears were fighting their way out from her eyes. "And then… I was the one holding the flag on Mom's."

Yeah, I remember that one… Reine noted inwardly.

"I don't want you holding any flag on any funeral." She said, "That's why I turned the offer down."

Reine let silence took over for a moment as she gathered her strength, just enough so she could sit on the bed. She propped herself up when she felt she was strong enough to do it, and Gwen came to help her and fixed the pillow so that she could lean on it. "Look, Gwen, Mom's death was ruled as LODD. She was working on a case." She said, "If someone's not continuing her work, Mom's death would be counted at one of those pointless deaths, alongside the list of the innocent victims we could have avoided."

"We lost our parents, and I honour them by… doing what I'm doing." She said, "Just like how you honour them by doing what you're doing."

Gwen nodded. "I know." She said, "Just… don't die before me. Receiving one flag is enough."

Gwen reached out to Reine and pulled her for an embrace. Reine hugged her sister back, but she knew she couldn't promise her anything, as much as she wished she could.

So a hug must suffice for now.

Seems like finally Gwen comes clean with Reine about her reservations!

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Thanks for reading! Please rate and review!

A/N: I would like to dedicate this chapter to all of the servicemen and women and their families, regardless of your country. I know this might not be the best out there, but I just want to let you know that I am deeply touched by the sacrifices you make for your country, even if that's not my own country. Even letting your loved one to take up arms is a sacrifice, and I guess that is even a harder sacrifice to make. Cheers.