Though her hair is gray and her face is seamed with wrinkles, and in spite of dressing conservatively, Sei's eyes are bright, and she would be recognizable to her friends from fifty years earlier. She and her husband, also gray haired but with bright eyes, stand together with linked at the intersection where they first met.

Sei turns to Kyo and smiles. 'Do you regret it?' she asks.

He smiles and says—

-Sei woke up. She blinked and took a moment to recognize the hospital emergency room. She'd fallen asleep on a couch in a small waiting room. Her coat over her as a blanket.

She thought about the dream image, and the first time, didn't feel like crying.

Don Laobon stood in the door; Jo, Meg, and Amy were sitting nearby. Meg saw Sei stir and said, "'Morning."

Sei sat up. "What time is it?"

"11 AM," Meg said.

"What's the latest?"

Jo said, "Doc's optimistic, though he has no idea what the after effects of that stuff will be because they have no idea what it was or where…she…got it. His parents are with him."

Sei nodded and turned to her grandfather. "Bailan is paying for his treatment?"

"Of course. But, Sei, there is the question of-"

"Grandfather, if you are going to say what I think you're going to say…I would ask you not to put me in that position."

Don Laoban thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'm sure we can rely on the young man's discretion."

"Yes, we-"

Mr. Tachibana appeared in the door. "Sei?"

Sei stood. "Yes?"

"He wants to see you."

8

8

Sei stepped into the small room, the girls, cops, and Kyo's parents outside, Laoban waiting just outside the door. Kyo had a fair humber of cuts and bruises, IV tubes in his arms, machines beeping nearby.

Sei said, "Hi."

"Hey, Sei," Kyo said weakly with a slight smile.

Sei returned the smile as she went to sit on the edge of his bed.

Kyo added, "You look like crap."

"Nothing a day at the spa won't fix."

"Just hold the squid."

They chuckled.

Kyo said, "So, they tell me Eriko slipped me a Mickey and a couple of weeks have gone by?"

"And you don't remember any of it?"

Kyo shook his head. "Mrs. Genji told me Eriko wanted to meet me. Then she gave me something to drink. After that, nothing. I guess you were right to be worried." He smiled. "But you saved me again, right?"

"Kyohei…I don't deserve your thanks. I am the reason you got in trouble."

"I don't understand."

"Eriko and her grandmother wanted to take revenge on me. They used you to get to me."

"Why?"

"The details don't matter. What matters is I am the ultimate cause of your suffering, and words cannot express how sorry I am for-"

"No, Sei, I mean, why me? Of all the people to go after, why choose your goddamm cook?"

"Because…because you're not just the 'goddamm cook,' Kyohei, not just the gaddamm anything. You're part of the team, part of our little family. And…you're one of my closest friends. I like you a lot. Eriko and Mrs. Genji knew that. That's why they targeted you."

"Great. Talk about an occupational hazard. With friends like you, I don't need any enemies." He looked away for a moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No, Kyo, I deserved that."

"No, Sei, you didn't. I don't think you're a bad person. None of you are. But your world is messed up."

"And you are in it with us."

"Yup. So, what now?"

She stood. "Rest. We'll talk more when you feel better."