Title: Regression

Chapter: 21

Disclaimer: I am not torturing my own characters; I am borrowing the Gravitation cast.

Summary: AU When Yuki's sessions with his psychiatrist increase, he hates it. Can a certain pink haired receptionist change his mind?

"Here's a photo of him Seguchi-san," Hiro said, handing Tohma a photograph of his best friend. Hiro, Maiko, Mika, Tohma and Eiri were congregated in Eiri's living room. Tatsuha was on his way – Mika had found out that he'd been staying with a friend in Tokyo. Everybody minus Tohma and Eiri watched tersely as a copy of the photograph was taken and sent to Tohma's various contacts with an accompanying message to help find him or look out for him.

Once the message had been sent, everybody stood awkwardly. Eiri could see that Hiro was itching to get back on his bike and continue his search and he was too. The brat wouldn't do something stupid, would he? He wasn't the type to deliberately put himself in danger, was he? Eiri realized how little he really knew about Shuichi.

Hiro and Maiko started up a low conversation. Eiri heard Hiro saying comforting words to Shuichi's sister, who was biting the skin around her nails hard enough to draw blood. Tohma joined Mika on the couch. The stillness of the room and the atmosphere that was building up was driving Eiri insane.

Eiri was about to announce that he was going to keep driving around when the doorbell rang. Maiko stopped mid-sentence and her eyes lit up with hope. Eiri wasn't as optimistic, but that didn't stop his heart from speeding up as he went to the door. Opening it, he found Tatsuha and Maiko bust into tears. Mika went over to comfort her, murmuring reassuring nonsense. So she really was human.

"Sorry guys," Tatsuha said seriously, rubbing his forehead guiltily, "I didn't mean to get your hopes up like that. I should have called." He looked uncharacteristically ashamed of himself. They stood in silence for a while longer.

"I'm going to look for him," Eiri announced, this time without interruption. Tohma looked as if he was going to protest, but he held his tongue and Eiri was grateful. Hiro nodded at Tohma, communicating that he too would go out looking for his little friend. They made their way to the door and exited, the door clunking closed and echoing around the silent apartment. Tears snaked down Maiko's cheeks but she stayed unmoving and quiet.

Eiri was now worrying a great deal. He'd been driving around for the past hour and the sun had set, leaving the streets shadowy and foreboding. Nowhere seemed to be a safe enough place for Shuichi to be. He drove slowly down a small road that he believed led towards the stadium and squinted to peer down little side roads and pathways. Where would Shuichi be? He'd run out of places to look and – he had to face it – Shuichi could be anywhere, in or out of the country by now.

He parked the car to rest his head on the steering wheel and close his eyes. He needed to calm down. He wasn't used to feeling this way and he was beginning to feel very nauseous and claustrophobic. He breathed shallowly and wound down the windows. He inhaled shakily and pushed back his hair. Stray strands stuck to his forehead. He was sweating.

He remembered now that he hadn't taken any of his medicine. There'd been no time. Hiro had distracted him and thoughts of Shuichi had chased away his routine. He hadn't taken his pills. He exhaled slowly through his mouth. And then he heard Shuichi's voice. His eyes snapped open and got out of the car without waiting to see if it really was Shuichi and not his imagination. He ran in the direction from which he'd heard the voice. He'd found him. Thank god.

He stopped suddenly in his tracks, gripped by rationality. Was it Shuichi or un-medicated thoughts? He swayed slightly and pressed his cool fingertips to his forehead. It creased as he thought hard. Was it him? What if it was? What if it wasn't?

He was confused and knowing that he hadn't taken the medicine he'd been taking every day for six years was making his stomach churn and his head spin. He couldn't drive in this condition and Shuichi could be around here somewhere. He cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Shuichi!" He bellowed, pushing aside any inhibitions he had for the time being. He had to be sure of this one thing. At least one thing. "Shuichi!"

Shuichi heard Yuki shouting his name. He sounded far away. Someone kicked him in the ribs and his vision swam as a hot wave of pain crashed inside of him. "Yuki?" He cried out, earning some laughs. He panted, summoning as much energy as his battered body could give him. "Yuki?" He yelled.

"What the fuck?" Taki asked, doing a sarcastic double-take. "Is he calling out for Death? No one around here is going to help you faggot-chan." He'd reverted back to the hurtful nickname from what seemed like years ago when he was shaken but safe. Tears leaked from between Shuichi's tightly closed eyes and dripped down Shuichi's cheeks leaving salty tear-tracks in their wake. Taki laughed cruelly and Shuichi sobbed, wishing he hadn't run away from Yuki. Wishing he hadn't shouted at Maiko and Hiro. His poor Hiro would be so upset when he didn't come home. Maiko would be devastated to lose her whole family. And he'd betrayed poor Yuki.

Somebody yelled in pain and Shuichi heard a horrific thud as that somebody's head connected with the brick wall. He cracked his eyes open, whimpering, to see Yuki's fist connect with another's ribs with a sickening crack. For a split-second Taki looked terrified, and then his cocky smirk was back in place. "Yuki," Shuichi moaned, his voice cracking with emotion, "get away Yuki." Taki kicked him roughly and he cried out in pain. Yuki turned to Shuichi, shoving the man he'd just punched roughly to the ground where he wilted, slumping with his head on his knees.

Yuki walked quickly towards Taki and Shuichi saw Taki pull a short knife out of his back pocket. Shuichi opened his mouth to talk but another wave of pain wracked his body and blood filled his mouth, dribbling past his lips. The coppery taste made him retch and his body seared. His vision wavered between sight and blindness as he watched with difficulty as Yuki lunged at Taki and wrenched the hand holding the knife forward and pulled it from him and putting the blade against his throat in a swift turning-of-tables.

A few of the others attempted to pull him away from Taki. Some succeeded in grabbing him; others weren't so lucky and got the knife up to their faces. Eventually they backed off to keep Yuki from killing their leader. The number of assailants had diminished somewhat, Shuichi noted dazedly as he watched on from his place on the floor. He prayed that Yuki would be okay.

His eyes kept closing as his body tried to mend its broken self and though he struggled to keep watching Yuki fight it out with Taki his sight was fading. He didn't know what he'd do if Yuki was hurt. He drifted off into blackness.

"Shuichi? Shuichi?" It was important to keep him awake. Basic first aid. "Shuichi?" Shuichi's eyes fluttered open. Good, he was awake. He was conscious.

"I'm okay Yuki," Shuichi said, sounding slightly drunk as he pushed himself into a sitting position, slumped against the wall for support.

"I'm going to help you walk over to the car Shuichi. We just need to go to the hospital." Shuichi nodded and struggled to get to his feet. His face contorted and he flopped forward, hunched in obvious pain. When he lifted his head his skin was pale and covered in a thin layer of sweat.

"I don't think I can get up Yuki." Shuichi panted, eyes creased in an effort to reduce the pain he was feeling. Eiri bent down and wound his arm under Shuichi's arms, taking his weight to lift him. Shuichi wobbled on his feet once he was as upright as he could hold himself and he and Eiri walked slowly over to the car.

"I'm going to let go of you. Can you stay up?" Shuichi nodded and held onto the car as Eiri removed his arm to open the car door. The shock caught up with Shuichi now and he shivered violently and his fingers slipped, making him lose his grip on the car and begin to fall to the floor. Eiri grabbed him quickly, and he gasped in pain. Yuki had grabbed him around his bruising middle. He retched, his legs folding underneath him. Eiri let him fall to the floor, unprepared for his loss of control over his limbs.

Maybe he should call an ambulance, he worried. He looked at Shuichi, who had managed to lift himself back up to slump against the car breathing shallowly with his eyes half-closed. He wasn't bleeding (that he could see) and he was only a bit bruised and scared (he thought), so calling an ambulance shouldn't be necessary. He also took into consideration that Shuichi had a penchant for exaggerating. He helped Shuichi to get up again (avoiding his stomach region this time) and helped him onto the back seat of the car, where Shuichi lay down on his back and closed his eyes.

Eiri saw the blood now, staining Shuichi's t-shirt. It wasn't much though he noted with relief as the flutter of something he had just felt disappeared. He ran his eyes on the boy once more and then closed the door. He slid into the front seat and allowed himself another glance until he drove to the hospital, just to make sure. He'd be fine, he assured himself.

He backed his car up in a three-point turn and drove as slowly and smoothly as he could to the hospital. Shuichi spoke every now and again to ask where they were going and where they were and to ask him to drive a bit more slowly because the bumps were hurting him. He went quiet for the last few minutes of the journey and when Eiri looked in the mirror he saw that he was sleeping. That was good; it was the first step in his recovery.

He arrived at the hospital and parked his car in the A&E department. Paramedics came to his car and he showed them Shuichi. A female paramedic leaned over him and examined him. Eiri saw her exchange a glance with her colleague. He rushed into the building and returned with a stretcher. She and her colleague slid the stretcher onto the seat and pulled Shuichi onto it. Eiri watched on worriedly – he was sleeping, wasn't he? He wasn't…?

Shuichi was wheeled away and he was left standing by his car with a third paramedic. "Yuki-san, why don't you follow me?" He did so, being led into the heart of the Accident and Emergency building by this man. The paramedic led took him to a side room and offered him a drink. Eiri declined politely and took the seat being shown to him. The medic sat down facing Eiri.

"I need to know what happened to the patient, Yuki-san." The paramedic said gravely, leaning forward in his chair. "He's in a bad condition. He's got a few broken ribs and he's suffered serious trauma to his head. It was very dangerous for you to move him yourself. I want to know why you didn't call the hospital instead of bringing him here yourself." Eiri narrowed his eyes – was this man accusing him?

"It wasn't me, if that's what you mean." He replied bluntly, making himself look more menacing as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Of course not," the man soothed, "we're not making any accusations. We just need to know what happened. What is your relation to the patient?"

Tough question – what was he? He chose friend. "I'm a friend." The man mm-ed.

"Could you give me the patient's details? Name, address, age etcetera."

"His name is Shindou Shuichi and he's 18. I'm not sure of his address." The medic looked at him disbelievingly, as if he wanted to question his friendship, but held his tongue. "I can give you his friend's mobile number. We're not close friends." The man nodded his head once and Eiri pulled out his mobile phone, searching in his phonebook for Hiro's number.

Once the number had been taken and Hiro had been called, Eiri was thanked for helping out and was tossed out of the office unceremoniously with the suggestion he wait in the waiting room until they spoke with Hiro or a suitable person. He was feeling the effects of being without his medication again and buried his head in his hands, startled to feel dampness where his palms touched his eyes.

He hadn't cried for six years.

Thank you, lovely reviewers. I have a request (a small one) – want to help me get to 150 reviews? Please?

A huge 'thank you' to blaqksilence who beta-s my work brilliantly and gave me some lovely feedback for this chapter. Smiles.