Tamao sat upright in the bed and stared at the thin blanket covering her legs. The room was well lit, and the brightness bothered her eyes during the first minutes of her awakening. Several members of the hospital staff had passed in and out of her room taking blood samples and checking her vital signs. She was growing tired of being poked and prodded, but there was no way for her to leave. There was a deep heaviness in her chest that weakened her body. Moving was too painful to attempt now. She gingerly leaned into the pillows that were placed behind her back and glanced at the ceiling. One thought overclouded her senses as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Where is he?" she whispered.

She couldn't allow herself to think beyond that question. Why did she want to see him anyway? What would she say to him? None of those things mattered to her now. Tamao needed to find Yoh for reasons unknown. Perhaps seeing his face would answer questions she was too afraid to ask. Maybe he could clear up some of the confusion and calm her down.

Yukari entered the room suddenly and startled her. She stared at the woman with slightly widened eyes as if she had been caught doing something inappropriate, but the nurse only smiled at her.

"More tests?" Tamao asked apprehensively.

"That's all for now," she replied warmly. "You're doing quite well. There are policemen here who would like to talk to you."

"Okay," Tamao replied nervously, "but I really want to see Yoh first. Can you stall them for me?"

"Sure," Yukari answered. "Since Mr. Asakura hasn't arrived yet, would you like to see some of your friends? They've been in the waiting room for a while."

"That's fine," she replied.

Tamao couldn't hide her anxiety as she attempted a weak smile. There were terrible shivers that ravaged her spine as she glanced at the door. Yukari exited the room, leaving the door slightly ajar, and there was an uncomfortable pause as Tamao waited quietly for her to return.

Ryu sat on the edge of the patient bed and surveyed the floor with worry. Manta was leaning against a wall behind the bed of the small room and glanced at the door. The muted tone lingered in the air for several minutes until Ryu decided to speak.

"We shouldn't have let him go."

"Yoh's an adult," Manta replied. "What could we have done?"

"He's not ready to talk to Tamao. Not after that fight with Ren. This is too much right now."

"There's something wrong with Lyserg," Manta blurted. He had no intention of changing the subject, but the encounter bothered him too much to keep silent.

"What do you mean?" Ryu asked inquisitively.

"I...don't really know what to say about it," he sighed. "Something is wrong between Ren and Lyserg. Something strange."

"He's afraid of Ren, but I'm not sure why."

Manta glanced at Ryu with a frown but quickly darted his eyes away.

"Did something happen?" he asked gravely.

"Why would you say he's afraid of him?" Manta countered.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" he answered. "But, back when Pirika was in the hospital Horo had a fight with Ren, and Lyserg freaked out."

"Freaked...out?" Manta repeated with a frown.

"Well not really like that," he sighed. "He just froze up and wanted to stay out of it. At the time I thought it was odd."

"Ren hit him," Manta added reluctantly. "Hard. Right in front of me. Lyserg didn't hit him back or anything. He didn't say a word."

Ryu scratched his neck and exhaled. Manta sat next to him on the bed and stared at the floor.

"It's worse than I thought."

"When Lyserg picked me up from the clinic we had an argument," Manta said sadly. "I said some things I shouldn't have said. He was so angry with Ren, and there was something he was trying to keep a secret."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Manta confirmed. "I asked him to tell me what happened with them, but he stonewalled me. And today he was a completely different person."

Ryu narrowed his eyes but didn't speak.

"When Ren's not around he would almost say that he hates him," Manta continued, "but when he's there Lyserg won't even speak up for himself. It's almost like he has a split personality."

"No, he's just afraid to be honest," Ryu rebutted. "It's time we find out what's going on."

"But how?"

"We'll have to force it out of him," he answered.

"He's with Ren now," Manta sighed. "Lyserg won't talk to us with him there."

"So, we'll have to wait until they're separated," he suggested angrily and stood from the bed. "I'm sick of everyone keeping secrets. Someone's going to talk."

Hao rested his hands against the tall brick ledge that outlined the roof of the building and closed his eyes as the soft wind rustled gently through his hair. When the access door opened he didn't turn around but opened his eyes and stared at the trees in the distance.

"Were you followed?"

His voice was shallow and littered with anxiety. Hao smiled from the sound and slowly turned around.

"Is it against the law to meet with me, Takeda?" he asked playfully.

"Nakashima is waiting to talk to Tamao," he replied without answering. "He doesn't know I'm up here. What do you want?"

"Yoh won't be doing any more interviews," Hao said sternly, "so don't come to my house harassing us."

"We don't have a case," Takeda said plainly. "There's no weapon. The crime scene was cleaned before we got there. You probably destroyed the clothes he was wearing..."

Hao watched as he walked to the ledge and leaned his back against the brick a few inches away.

"Unless Tamao tells Nakashima who shot her, we have nothing."

"I need a favor," Hao said abruptly.

"I won't do anything illegal," Takeda replied. "I want to keep my job."

"I'm not asking you to," he sighed. "I'm really not asking you do to anything at all."

Takeda glanced at him with a frown but didn't respond.

"I have something very important I need to do soon," he said gravely.

"And?"

"When the time comes, I need you to look the other way."

"I won't let you commit a crime!" Takeda protested. "If you're doing something against the law I have to-"

"It's important," Hao interrupted calmly.

Takeda was suddenly distracted. Hao placed his hand delicately against his shoulder and stared at the concrete. The contact caused his heart to race, and he couldn't immediately respond.

"One of these days," he continued, "you'll have to choose whether you want to be my friend or a cop. You can't be both."

Hao stepped closer and wrapped his arm tightly around his shoulders. Takeda held his breath in response and widened his eyes.

"I'm not asking you to do anything illegal," he added. "I'm just asking you not to take any action. Can you do that?"

"I...can't control my partner," he whimpered and stared at his feet.

"Can you do that for me, Makoto?" Hao repeated.

"Yes," he said with a whisper.

Hao took a few steps in front of him. Takeda continued staring at his feet, but his entire body trembled when he was released.

"Don't worry," Hao assured him. "This will be fine."

"What are you going to do?" he asked timidly.

"I would tell you, but I don't think you want to know."

"No," he sighed. "I don't."

"Thank you, Makoto," Hao said softly. "If I can trust you with this, there may be other things in the future I can trust you with as well."

"This is fine," Takeda replied with a smile. The statement made him blush, and he redirected his gaze to the access door.

"In the meantime, you can stop Nakashima's urges to arrest my brother," he said. "That would help."

"I like this," he answered as his eyes softened.

"What?" Hao asked with a frown.

"You depending on me," he said proudly, "and using my first name. You don't do that often unless you're mad."

"Okay," he sighed slowly and took a step back.

"I won't let you down, Hao!" Takeda said enthusiastically and hit his chest with his fist. "I'll help you in any way I can."

Anna tightened her grasp of his hand as they slowly walked down the hallway. His skin was warm and calmed her down. Horo wondered if he was handling the situation properly. He wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible, but the contact increased his anxiety. After several minutes of roaming in silence he gently pulled his hand away from her and leaned his back against the wall.

"I wasn't trying to dismiss you before," he said with a worried expression.

She glanced at him with a frown and stood a few feet in front of him.

"If you want to talk," he continued, "I'm a good listener."

Anna loosely folded her arms over her stomach and exhaled while staring at the floor. She knew this would come eventually. This was his way of probing her without being invasive.

"You should just ask," she replied with frustration.

"It's none of my business," Horo said politely and looked away.

"But you're curious," she sighed.

He didn't respond.

"I won't be offended," Anna insisted.

Horo was staring at her when she lifted her eyes from the floor, and a sudden chill trickled down her spine as she waited for him to speak.

"Did something happen with you and Ren?"

Anna heard the question but couldn't respond. Her belly ached mercilessly, and she tightened her folded arms. Horo noticed the discomfort immediately and darted his eyes away from her.

"You don't have to answer that," he added abruptly. "I'll stay out of it."

She clutched her tricep with her fingers and bit her bottom lip. There was a long pause that made them both uncomfortable, and she briefly closed her eyes.

"We'll talk about it," she answered finally, "but not now."

"Okay." He seemed satisfied with her statement and decided to say nothing else.

As she walked away he followed her down the hallway until reaching the waiting room. Pirika was sitting there alone in one of the chairs, and she quickly stood when she saw them enter. Her face was red and puffy from crying, and she clasped her hands nervously together when they approached.

"Anna," she started, "I-"

"Let's not talk about it anymore," Anna replied calmly.

"Okay," she said reluctantly.

Pirika was immediately bothered. She didn't know what to say, and since no one was speaking this increased her discomfort. Manta and Ryu walked in moments later, which was a relief, and she smiled at them as they sat in two adjacent chairs.

"Yoh is talking to Tamao," Ryu said gravely.

Anna sat in a chair across from Ryu and stared at the floor with a frown. Horo sat beside her, and Pirika sat beside Manta. They all expected Anna to comment on the matter, but she didn't speak.

"What the hell do we do now?" Horo blurted. "They're going to release her. What then?"

"I really don't know," Manta replied sadly. "We can't just...let her go home, can we?"

"We have to figure something out before they let her go," Ryu decided. "We need a plan."

"She belongs in a mental institution," Anna said angrily. "If she won't go on her own she should be forced."

Pirika stared at her with a nervous expression as silence resumed. Although Anna was right, they didn't want to agree with the idea. It would be to admit that Tamao was unstable, and that was something no one wanted.

"That would just make things worse," Horo countered. "They'll just drug her until she can't talk."

"She's crazy," Anna added bluntly. "That's where crazy people belong."

"Come on, Anna," Ryu sighed, "Tamao's not...crazy. She had a breakdown."

"When people have breakdowns, Ryu, they throw things," she said angrily. "They cry a lot. They may even damage property. They don't go on a rampage trying to kill everyone they know."

"I'm not defending her," Ryu argued, "I'm just saying-"

"You're not? It sounds like you are."

"Let's just calm down," Horo pleaded. "Anna's right about one thing. Tamao is different now, and we can't treat her the same way we always have."

"Why is everyone afraid to say she's crazy?" Anna asked and hit her thigh with a closed fist. "SHE'S CRAZY. That's what's wrong with her. "

"Anna, she's our friend," Pirika rebutted. "She's important to all of us."

"Tamao and I were never friends," she retorted. "We've never liked each other. That's not new. She's not important to me, and even if she were it doesn't change the fact that she's a nutcase."

Pirika stared at her with an angered frown but didn't reply. She was greatly offended by Anna's words and was suddenly irritated no one challenged what she said.

"I agree with Anna, guys," Manta added sadly. "She's out of her mind, and we need to start thinking in that way or we won't be able to help her."

"So...what do we do?" Horo asked weakly.

"We knock her out and tie her up," Anna explained, "put her in the trunk of Ryu's car and drive her to the hospital."

A pregnant pause lingered over them quickly, and they all stared at her in partial shock.

"I think you've been spending too much time with Hao," Manta sighed.

"She's not going to volunteer," Anna added with irritation. "If you want to help her, that's the way to do it."

"Crap, Anna," Horo mumbled.

"Unless you want her running around wreaking havoc all over this town," she snarled. "If you don't lock her up and she comes after me again, I'll beat the crazy out of her."

"Anna, you need to calm down," Ryu said nervously. "Please, just...cool it."

"If you have a better idea, let's hear it," she replied.

"I understand you're stressed out," Ryu continued, "but we have to think about this objectively."

"How can you be objective when you won't even admit she's insane?" Anna said as she elevated her voice. "There's no other plan. Go get some rope, and let's do this already."

Yoh walked down the hallway with a sluggish pace watching the tile pass beneath his feet. There was a nagging headache he couldn't seem to shake, and he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. Although Ryu and Manta were successful in finding a nurse for him, he was informed he didn't have a concussion. This was the main reason Ryu didn't want to leave him alone, but now that the excuse was debunked he left them in an empty patient room and demanded they not follow. He wanted to be alone for now. His thoughts were jumbled and confusing. He could no longer identify if he was angry or if something else bothered him.

Of course he was angry. Ren didn't have to say anything to him. A simple smirk was enough to push him over the edge. The entire altercation was for his benefit. Ren wanted to provoke him, and he fell perfectly into the trap. He knew this in the moment but couldn't calm down enough to walk away. Even as friends Ren had an extremely effective way of getting under his skin, but it was something he intentionally overlooked. But now he couldn't think of the man objectively anymore. The mention of his name tensed his muscles and made his headache more severe. He was angry he allowed that man to push him so far. He was furious Ryu was strong enough to subdue him.

And he was infuriated that Lyserg had the audacity to defend him.

"Mr. Asakura! You're here!"

Yukari's voice startled him; he wasn't accustomed to hearing her speak so cheerfully. He smiled at her with an expression that was partially sincere and dropped his arms limply at his sides.

"Ms. Tamamura is awake. I'm assuming your brother gave you the message."

"Yes," he replied.

"We ran several tests, and she seems to be responding well to everything we've given her," she continued. "Dr. Tanaka would like to keep her for a few more days to ensure her lungs are working properly and for general observation, but after that she'll be released in your care."

Yoh stared aimlessly down the hallway and didn't respond. His expression was completely blank, and he blinked his eyes very slowly as if he didn't hear her.

"Mr. Asakura?"

"When will she be released?" he asked faintly.

"Don't worry," she offered happily. "We'll only keep her a few days. Five at the most."

He closed his eyes and exhaled.

"She's waiting to see you. I'll take you to her room."

Yukari led him down the hallway with a quickened pace. She was definitely happy to see him there, and this was evident in her demeanor. Yoh's mind raced uncontrollably as he followed the woman into a smaller hallway. He wasn't prepared for this meeting. In all honesty he would never be prepared. Never seeing Tamao again in life would be comforting, but that wasn't his reality. He had to face her, and this was unfolding right now whether he wanted it to or not.

"He's here," he heard her say softly as she leaned against the partially open door. She smiled and left him standing near the opening. His hand trembled as he pushed the door open, and he gently closed it once entering the room.

Tamao was staring at him when he glanced at the bed. Her eyes were widened as she stared at him with an ambiguous expression that was deeply uncomfortable. The silence in the room was terrifying. He walked toward the bed but stopped near a chair that had been placed along the side.

"Hi."

It felt idiotic to say, but he couldn't think of anything else.

"Hi, Yoh."

The silence resumed as a chill ran down his spine. She closed her eyes and clutched the blanket in her lap with weak fists. He held his breath until she opened them, and he released a shallow breath that entered the air as a delicate whimper.

"I had a dream before," she said calmly, "that I was dying. You were there."

"I was?" he asked nervously.

"You were trying to convince me to stop fighting," she sighed.

Her eyes narrowed as she paused, and his hands began to tremble.

"It seems you want me to die even in my dreams."

"I don't want you to die," he said quickly. "I'm glad you're awake."

"Interesting."

Her expression didn't change as her eyes pierced through his body like a sharpened spear. The trembling was noticeable now; he couldn't control it. Tamao's demeanor was unreadable, and he was frightened by it.

"There are policemen waiting to talk to me," she added. "They want to know what happened. What should I tell them?"

Was this a trick? He buried his hands into his pockets as he hesitated to respond. What did she want him to say? Tamao's blank tone was interfering with his ability to think properly. He decided to take a risk.

"I told them there was a man who broke in," he answered pensively. "He...was trying to steal some of Hao's things and...he didn't know we were there."

"And we startled him?"

"Yeah."

"He shot me...because he was scared?"

"Yeah."

She closed her eyes again and exhaled. Yoh's guilt overwhelmed him for a moment, but the feeling was quickly disintegrated by fear when she opened her eyes.

"That's what happened?"

"Yeah," he whispered.

"I don't remember anyone else in the house with us," Tamao said softly. "I remember being there with you. I remember Hao's gun. I remember you pointing it at me..."

He swallowed hard and briefly looked away.

"So what should I tell them?" she asked again. "Your story or mine?"

Yoh didn't answer.

Tamao stared at him with fear suddenly and clutched her hand over her chest, holding the gown firmly with her fingers. He watched her with a confused frown but didn't speak.

"Oh officer, it was terrible!" she shrieked. "I don't know what happened to him! Yoh was so angry! I tried to reason with him...but he just lost it. I mean...he snapped! When he shot me, I thought I was going to die. He...he said he wanted me to die! I was so scared!"

Her expression went immediately blank, and she stared at him with narrowed eyes. Silence resumed, revealing an overwhelming tension that pierced his muscles.

"What do you want from me?" he asked lowly.

Tamao's intentional pause was torturous, and nausea rose from the pit of Yoh's stomach when she suddenly smiled at him.