So, if anyone makes AMV-type things... I heard a country song, Jason Aldean, 'Gonna Know We Were Here', and thought that it is one of those songs that would be well-used in a Kaito and Shinichi vs. BO sort of AMV. My ability to make videos is literally nonexistent, though, so I can't do it myself. If anyone feels like giving it a go...

Chapter 35

"Kudo-senpai?"

Shinichi woke slowly, blinking as he pushed himself partially upright to twist and look towards the door. Hakuba had sounded… worried.

"Hey, Hakuba-kun," Shinichi cleared his throat, trying to rid himself of the tired rasp. "Kaito'll be fine. It's an α-neurotoxin, so…"

The British detective closed his eyes for a moment, clearly relieved. "Good. Good. Was… did you…?"

"Know?" Shinichi sighed, "I—yes, I, what I saw—Kaito wasn't there, and I'm starting to think I'm not… supposed to try and change it."

Hakuba grimaced, moving to sit in the open guest chair, "That… I don't know what to think about that. I don't know much about…"

Shinichi rubbed his forehead tiredly, "I guess I could ask Akako. She might know something."

Hakuba blinked, "Akako? As in, Koizumi-san?"

Shinichi nodded, "She's the most powerful Red Witch of this generation and knows more about curses, prophesy, and intended fate than anyone else I know of."

Hakuba frowned, "She seems so—I don't—I can't think ill of her?"

Shinichi quirked a shoulder up in a half-shrug, "She's got an allure spell in constant effect. It doesn't work on Kaito—which is why she was so obsessed with him—or me, but she knows better than to mess with me. I have no qualms about ridding her of her sorcery if she becomes a threat. Kaito is… kinder than I, and I deferred to his judgement when she endangered his life in the past, but… well, I have a claim to stand judgement, now."

Hakuba was silent for a few seconds, clearly processing what he'd been told and likely deciding what to ask about. Finally he just shook his head, "Is there any way I can negate this 'allure spell'?"

Shinichi half-shrugged. "I never thought about it, to be honest. She said I have 'eyes that see through all deception'—which apparently includes her illusionary spells as they are, by nature, only deception—and Kaito is immune to outside manipulation of his thoughts or emotions, so I've never had to worry about it. I can look into it, but awareness of a lie weakens it, so that should help."

Hakuba shook himself all over with a grimace, "I really don't like mahou, have I mentioned that?"

"You have now," Shinichi offered a wry smile, "Not that I hadn't guessed by how you cringe every time Kaito or I use it in your presence."

"I don't 'cringe'," Hakuba refuted unconvincingly. "Anyway, the idea of Koizumi-san playing with my emotions—literally—is much more unsettling than watching you bend the laws of physics."

Shinichi tilted his head in acknowledgment of the sentiment. Something altering his perceptions was scarier than something altering the world around him, after all.

"Anyway, what did your parents have to say?"

Shinichi blinked, "My parents?"

"They haven't come in to see you? I passed them in the hall outside the cafeteria."

That meant they had come in to see him and Kaito, but not wanted to disturb Shinichi's rest, which in turn meant... "The would have come here, first. Since they didn't wake me… well, that isn't my parents' 'the initial fear has passed' behavior. Something must be bothering them besides the obvious. If you see them on your way out, will you tell them I'm awake?"

"Of course," Hakuba agreed readily. "I'm glad Kuroba's going to be all right. I'll let Nakamori-keibu know—no one's told Nakamori-san yet; Nakamori-keibu asked that it be kept from her until he could tell her himself. At least this will be better news than earlier. Do they expect a full recovery?"

Shinichi shrugged, "I do, and the doctor did say 'should restore normal motor function'. Even if the antivenin therapy doesn't by itself, though, I can probably work out a way to help it along."

Hakuba nodded, "Good. I'll go report to Nakamori-keibu. Oh, and that Osakan is down at the Beika building with Division One. Did you want him updated? I heard he was there when it happened."

Shinichi considered; Hattori didn't really know him (or Kaito) yet, but he had always invested himself pretty strongly in anything he was even peripherally involved in. "Hattori… yeah, he seemed pretty freaked out. I didn't have time to do anything about it, then, but he'd probably feel better if he knew Kaito's going to be okay."

Hakuba nodded again, "Well, I should probably go. I'll get your school assignments for you until you and Kuroba can come back, Senpai."

Shinichi waved thanks, "See you tomorrow, then."

xxxx

Yuusaku frowned down at the (terrible) cup of hospital cafeteria coffee cradled between his hands on the tiny table. Yukiko was doing much the same with something that was about one part coffee, one part hot chocolate, and one part sugar that couldn't really be called 'mocha'.

The earlier visit to the boys' room showed Kaito hooked up to an external pacemaker and a respirator as well as an EEG that seemed to indicate sleep while Shinichi was drugged to unconsciousness and hooked to a heart monitor.

The entire thing was wrong, and even the memory had Yuusaku shivering.

"Yuu-chan?"

Yukiko's tiny-voiced question was almost as wrong as the boys being hospitalized with one so close to death. Yuusaku looked up, tilting his head in silent question.

"Will they be okay?"

They, yes, because already the two were a unit. Yuusaku didn't know what would happen to one if the other died, but he did know he didn't want to find out. He wasn't sure how to answer that, though, because the doctor had expressed cautious hope, but pointed out that they weren't sure. Still, the writer opened his mouth to respond when a cleared throat to the side made him pause.

"You are Kudo-senpai's parents?" It was less of a question than lilt at the end implied.

Yuusaku turned to see a very gaijin*-looking teen, a bit taller than Shinichi or Kaito and with brownish-blond hair. The flawless Japanese meant probably not gaijin, so perhaps a mixed heritage. "Hai," Yuusaku replied.

"Hakuba Saguru," the blond offered a slight bow, and Yuusaku recognized the name. A high-school detective like Shinichi, half British, who had spent the majority of his childhood in England. Famous in Great Britain, and recently moved to Tokyo. "Kudo-senpai is awake; he asked me to let you know. And… he says that Kuroba should make a full recovery in time."

Yukiko blinked back tears, and Yuusaku closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself. "Thank you, Hakuba-kun. We'll go see him."

"He will appreciate that, I think. Those two…" Hakuba shook his head with a wry smile. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised anymore. Not after the magic."

Oh? Shinichi and Kaito trusted this one enough for that? "I see. Well, Hakuba-kun, I will be in touch. Meanwhile, though, we are going to go see our son."

xxxx

*Gaijin roughly translates to 'foreigner', although it might be slightly more accurate to say 'someone who is not Japanese'. Not entirely sure on usage, but I haven't noticed it being used to reference anyone Japanese being in an outside country. If anyone knows for certain…?

Wren Truesong has elaborated for me: gaijin is apparently a contraction of 'gaikokujin', which translates as 'outside-country-person' with 'country' implying Japan.