Chapter 8: Sick

October 6th, 2002

Seoul, South Korea

"Dr. Sohma, It's good to see you again. I trust the trip here was kind." Dr. Sato said, extending his hand.

Hatori smiled and shook his hand. "It was Dr. Sato, thank you for having us again. You remember my partner Dr. Yanagi?" Hatori asked, gesturing to Kazu who stood next to him.

Dr. Sato smiled. "Of course. I'm very glad the two of you came to the conference again this year."

"O-Of course. We wouldn't miss it." Kazu said happily, trying to not sound distracted.

"Well I'm glad. I'll see you two tomorrow morning at the conference." He said, before remembering something. "Oh, Sohma."

Hatori looked over at him.

"I know it's a little late, but congratulations on your engagement. I'm sure your fiancé is doing well." He said happily.

Hatori nodded. "Thank you, and yes she is doing good." He said with a smile.

"I'm glad. The three of us will have to get dinner this week and catch up." Dr Sato said, before waving and walking off. "See you boys tomorrow."

Kazu chuckled slightly. "Alright, I have to ask. How'd you weasel your way into Dr. Sato's good graces?"

Hatori picked up his bag. "Would you believe I just have good people skills?"

Kazu shook his head and Hatori laughed slightly. "Alright, my father knew him. I hadn't officially met him till last year though."

"Ah that makes more sense." Kazu said as they entered the elevator.

Hatori looked at him. He was definitely thinking about something. Hatori could almost see the gears turning in his head.

He wanted to ask but decided against it.

They walked into their hotel room and split to unpack their things in their rooms.

Hatori heard his phone ring and he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey stranger. Get to the hotel alright?"

Hatori smiled at the sound of Erin's voice on the other end of the line. "Of course. I'm just unpacking now. Everything alright at the house?" He asked, sitting on the bed.

She laughed. "You're not worried about me I hope?"

"You know me. I always worry about you."

"I'm fine, I promise. I have plenty of school work to keep me busy. Plus Jirou's new place is closer to our house so if anything happens he's not far. I'm actually going there tomorrow for dinner." She said before she paused. "And I'm gonna drive myself." He could hear the smile in her voice.

Last month Erin finally got her license. She was very excited and now asked him frequently to drive places.

He was in the process of buying her a car, however work had kept distracting him. Now of course it was time for the medical convention once more.

Another work thing to keep him busy. One that also left her alone, with his car.

He drummed his fingers against his thigh as he tried not to worry about his car.

Erin was a good driver.

However, she got distracted easily. She also liked to play the music loud. She could very likely get distracted and bump into something, or scratch the paint.

She would also most definitely eat in the car. He frowned at the thought of crumbs.

However, saying those things seemed, well, rude. They were such little trivial things. Easier to get her her own car so he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

Easier, but an impossible task seeing to how he had no time to actually do it.

"Sounds fun." He said, with a smile.

"Don't worry Hatori. I'm a good driver. The car will be fine." She said, seeing right through him.

He laughed slightly and sighed. "I'm more worried about you then the car. Just be careful and drive safe." He said.

There was a pause.

"Are you sure that's all you have to say?" She asked.

He chewed on his words before speaking. "Please don't eat in the car. I don't like crumbs."

She laughed. "You got it doc. No snacks. I do have a question though."

"And that is?"

"How fast can an Audi drive?" She asked.

"Erin." He said in a warning tone.

She laughed again. "Just a joke, just a joke. I'll be safe and won't snack."

"Good. Now let me go. I have to unpack, then me and Kazu will have to get dinner." He said.

"Alright, just be safe." She said.

"I will. Oh and Erin?" He asked.

"What's up?"

"You'll be alright tonight?" He asked, worry falling into his tone.

He knew his worries weren't probably needed. Erin had gotten so much better at night. She often just went to bed. She wouldn't pace or get nervous anymore.

However, he was still there in case she did.

Now he wasn't, and just like last year, he worried about her going to bed alone.

There were still nights she had bad dreams. She would still wake up and cling to him.

His heart ached at the thought of her reaching for him, only to find empty cold sheets.

"Hatori, I'll be fine. I've gotten better at going to bed." She said proudly.

"I know you have. I just still worry about you. I'll always worry about you." He said.

"I'll call you if I get scared." She said.

He nodded. "I'll sleep near my phone."

"Alright, now go unpack. I love you so much." She said happily.

"I love you more." He said.

"Y-You do?" She asked, stuttering slightly.

He imagined how her cheeks probably turned pink from his words. The idea of that gave him butterflies. "Yes. Goodbye Erin."

"Bye Tori." She said happily before hanging up.

He smiled as he slipped his phone back in his pocket.

He walked out of his room to find Kazu sitting on the sofa, typing away on his laptop. He glanced over at him and smiled.

"Someone just got off the phone with Erin." He snickered.

"How do you know that?"

"Your face is all blushy." Kazu teased.

Hatori made a face and shook his head. "Are we getting dinner or not?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He said, closing his laptop.

They walked out onto the busy streets and headed towards the restaurant.

It was a cool night, causing Hatori to button his suit jacket and stick his hands in his pockets.

As they walked Hatori noticed Kazu staring at him.

Well he didn't see him staring at him, he just could feel it.

It had been 2 years since his curse broke. However, he still hadn't shook the habit of constantly being aware of everyone around him.

He could feel Kazu behind him keeping a polite distance. He could almost feel Kazu's green eyes staring at him.

Odd.

He was quiet too.

Kazu was never quiet.

Kazu was always talking about something or teasing him in some way.

Something must've been bothering him.

What was bothering him was the question.

Hatori couldn't figure it out.

Kazu had been fine on the plane. He talked the whole way. Then at the airport he had been fine. He had been practicing his Korean.

In fact he was fine up until they got to the hotel.

Maybe he didn't like the hotel?

No, it was the same one they stayed at last year.

Maybe he was just overthinking. Maybe there was nothing wrong.

Hatori knew he was probably looking too deep into it.

They reached the restaurant and sat at a table.

Hatori noticed the way Kazu just stared quietly at his menu.

No he wasn't looking too deep. Something was definitely wrong.

After they got their drinks and ordered, Hatori raised a brow at him.

"Alright, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" He asked.

Kazu looked up at him surprised. He laughed. "Nothing's wrong."

"I don't know you seem… quiet. You're never quiet."

"Hey, I'm quiet sometimes." He said with a smile.

"Kazu, you're never quiet." Hatori said matter of factly, crossing his arms.

"And here I thought you'd enjoy the quietness." He said, taking a sip of his drink.

"I thought I would, but it's quite...deafening."

Kazu laughed as he stared at his drink. "Nothing's wrong. I was just surprised at what you said to Dr. Sato. At first I thought I was hearing things."

Hatori gave him a questionable look. "What did I say?" Did he say something insulting without realizing it?

"You called me your partner. Not your assistant." He said, not taking his eyes off his drink.

Hatori thought of this. "I apologize. I didn't realize." He said plainly.

Kazu drummed his fingers against the tabletop. "Sooooo…"

"So what?" Hatori asked.

"Well did you like… mean it?"

"Mean what?"

Kazu crossed his arms. "Don't be like that, you know what I'm talking about!" He exclaimed.

Hatori chuckled slightly. "Well you do a lot of work. I can't say the assistant title fits you. You have your own patients and your own office and exam room. I don't have to tell you what to do. So I wouldn't say you're my assistant."

Kazu thought about his words before a smile spread across his face.

"Well I guess that does make us partners."

Hatori nodded before taking a sip of his drink.

"Dr. Sohma and Dr. Yanagi. Two best friends against the world." Kazu said excitedly.

Hatori rolled his eyes and laughed. "Let's not get carried away."

After that, Kazu became talkative again. He started going on and on about the tv show he had been watching.

As Kazu talked, he watched Hatori's gaze shift to his watch. It was an action he did often. He always wore the same watch. Kazu assumed he just always kept an eye on the time, however he was starting to think there was a different reason he was eying it.

"You must either really like that watch or you're late for something." Kazu said, resting his chin on his palm.

Hatori looked over at him before looking back down at the watch on his wrist. "Well it is my favorite."

"Favorite? I never see you without it on."

Hatori thought about it. Kazu was right. He only took it off when he slept or bathed. Ever since Erin gave it to him. He couldn't bare to not wear it. When he wore it, it was like he could have a part of her with him.

"Erin gave it to me." He said plainly.

Kazu smiled. It all made sense now. "Well I have to say, you're doing much better with being apart from her this year than last year."

"Well Erin's doing much better this year than last year." Hatori said matter of factly.

"That is true. What about you? Are you doing alright? I know this restaurant is a little busy. Plus work has been crazy as of late."

Hatori waved him off. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Kazu nodded. However, he didn't really believe him. Hatori was never one to talk about his feelings. It was always hard to get a good read on him. Even after all these years.

"Well as your friend, it's kind of my job." Kazu said, shrugging.

Hatori smiled slightly. "I guess it is."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Yay Erin, you're here! I just got here not too long ago." Kat said happily, grabbing her hand and leading her inside. "I hope the drive was good." She said happily.

Erin blinked. "Um, yeah, It was good. I didn't get lost."

Erin had known her brother's girlfriend for a while now. She really liked Kat. She was really nice. However, she'd be lying if she said she still didn't get nervous around her sometimes.

Katsumi was that perfect girl. She was pretty, personable, funny, and… Well normal.

She was like Suki.

Erin found herself always becoming self conscious around her. Even if she tried to prevent it.

"Oh well that's good. I got lost the first time I came here." She laughed.

Erin struggled at what to say next as she fiddled with the car keys in her hand.

The door opening pulled her from her thoughts.

"Oh good you made it. I was afraid you'd get lost." Jirou's familiar voice said as he walked in.

She looked back at him. "Oh come on, have a little more faith in me." She laughed, relief flooding her.

He smiled and tousled her hair. "You're right. So, what do you think?" He asked, gesturing to the house.

Erin looked around at all the boxes and raised a brow at him. "I think you need to unpack."

He laughed and waved her off. "I know, I know. I'll get around to it."

"I bet the garage is already unpacked." Erin said matter of factly.

He raised his hands. "Hey, gotta do the important things first."

Erin laughed and rolled her eyes. "You're so predictable."

"You know it." He said happily, before walking into the kitchen. "Alright, I'll start cooking dinner, I'm making ramen."

Erin perked up at the idea of eating her favorite food. "Ramen sounds good… Wait a minute, you're cooking it?" She asked.

"Well of course." He said, slinging a dish towel over his shoulder. "I wouldn't expect one of you two to do it. You're guests."

Erin looked at Kat and then back at Jirou. "Can you cook?" She asked.

"Of course I can cook. Have a little more faith in me." He said with a smile.

Erin smiled as well. "Alright, alright. I believe in you."

"Jirou is actually a pretty good cook. Except when he forgets ingredients." Kat teased.

"Hey, that was only a couple of times."

"I'm pretty sure it was a little more than a couple." Kat laughed.

"I'm on Kat's side here. You are pretty forgetful. You'd forget to put milk in your cereal." Erin laughed.

"Hey haven't you girls ever heard of being nice to the man cooking your dinner?" He laughed, laying out the ingredients.

"Okay, okay. We'll be nice." Kat said happily.

"Good. You girls go sit at the table and relax. This shouldn't take me too long." Jirou said, looking over the ingredients.

The anxiety that had left came back in full force at the thought of sitting at the table with Kat alone. She'd have to make conversation with her. Which means she'd have to actually think about what she would say.

"You sure you don't need any help?" Erin asked.

"No, you relax. I got this." Jirou said, shooing her out of the kitchen.

"Come on Erin, you can tell me all about your wedding." Kat said happily.

"Okay." Erin said quietly.

They sat and talked. Luckily Kat carried the conversation, so Erin just had to answer her questions.

"I'm so excited! I can't wait. I love weddings. I got my invitation and I was so happy." Kat said, clapping her hands together. "Thank you for inviting me."

Erin smiled. "Well of course. I wasn't not going to invite you."

Kat held her hands. "Well I'm still honored. I want us to be friends. I mean just think if me and Jirou were to ever get married one day, we'd be family." She said quietly, giving her a smile.

Erin thought about that. Friends. She didn't have many. Wasn't that what she told Kazu at the beach?

"You really want to be my friend?" Erin asked.

She laughed. "Of course!"

Erin's face warmed at the thought. "O-Okay."

"You two look like you're having fun." Jirou said happily, laying the ramen bowls on the table.

Kat smiled. "We're talking about wedding stuff."

"Uh oh. Careful Erin, Kat has wedding fever. It's all she's been talking about since she got the invite." Jirou laughed, sitting down.

"Oh come on, can you blame me? It's exciting!" She said happily.

"It is… But I'm a little nervous about it." Erin said, her eyes falling to her food.

"Why?" Jirou asked, tilting his head.

"Um… You know it's a lot to plan. Plus there will be a bunch of people and they'll all have their attention on me. It sounds like a recipe for disaster." Erin laughed nervously.

"You'll be fine. You'll probably have so much fun you'll forget about everyone there." Jirou said, eating his food.

"Yeah, don't worry it'll be amazing. And if you need any help with anything, just ask! I'll gladly help!" Kat said excitedly.

Erin smiled and nodded, her worries easing slightly.

"I can't wait to see Hatori's face when he sees you in your dress." Kat said happily.

Erin's face warmed at the thought. "Oh I don't know if he'll be that impressed."

"Don't be ridiculous Erin. He'll think you're beautiful." Jirou said matter of factly, before thinking of something. "Speaking of Hatori, is he and Kazu doing flu shots at the clinic?"

At the words flu shot, Erin frowned. Her yearly checkup was coming up. Which meant one thing.

Vaccinations.

A chill ran up her spine at the thought. Needles and her definitely didn't get along.

"Yes." She said sadly.

"I see. Think I can swing by and get one? You know before I forget." He asked.

Erin nodded. "Yeah. I know Hatori wouldn't mind. He loves giving shots." She grumbled.

"It must be nice being with a doctor." Kat said, thinking about it.

Erin shrugged. "It's a little more trouble than it's worth." She sighed as she thought of the shots, constant reminders to eat veggies, take vitamins, or wear sunscreen.

However, the thought of all those things caused an ache in her chest. Even though they bothered her, she would never give them up. She would never trade Hatori for anything.

She thought of him in Seoul. She missed him terribly.

She was doing much better than last time. However it was still hard being away from him.

"I don't know about that, I think it's really cool. I always worry about Jirou and his line of work." Kat said quietly.

Erin blinked as her words sunk in. Jirou was a police officer. His job was dangerous.

Why hadn't she thought that before? What kind of sister was she?

Jirou could easily get hurt. He could go to work one day and never come home.

Had she really been so absorbed in her own issues and wedding to not realize this?

She thought back to when she used to be completely unaware of the guilt he felt over what happened to her. It wasn't until he told her that she finally knew.

She'd never be a good sibling like Jirou. She never even thought of these obvious things.

Jirou read her like a book and quickly spoke up. "Kat just means that I'm overworking myself. I spend a lot of late nights at my desk and don't get enough rest." He said, trying to placate her.

The last thing he needed was her stressing about him.

Erin looked over at him and nodded. "Oh, I see."

However Jirou knew she was still thinking about it.

"Yeah, he does a lot of desk work. I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything. Hey, this ramen is good isn't?" Kat said.

Erin realized she hadn't even tasted it yet. "Oh right. I forgot about the food." She said with a small smile.

She took a bite. To her surprise it was actually good.

"Wow Jirou, this is actually good." She said happily.

He laughed. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Remember that time you tried to make me a grilled cheese and almost burned the house down?" Erin laughed.

"Okay well in my defense I was 13." He said laughing as well.

The night went on and the three of them talked about a variety of topics.

Before Erin knew it, it had gotten quite late. She yawned. "I should probably head out. I have school tomorrow."

Jirou looked at the clock. To his surprise it was already nine. "Oh geez it is late. Will you be alright driving home?" Jirou asked, tilting his head slightly.

Erin nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm not tired." She said, grabbing her purse.

"Forgetting something?" Jirou asked, holding up the Audi keys.

She laughed. "Oh yeah, that would help wouldn't?"

He laughed as well. "Here I'll walk you out."

Erin nodded and said her goodbyes to Kat, who gave her a cheerful goodbye, before walking out.

"I'm glad you two get along well." Jirou said, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Were you worried we wouldn't?" Erin questioned, tightening her coat against the cool autumn air.

"Not really… I don't know, maybe I worried you wouldn't like her." He said, shrugging.

"No, you don't have to worry about that. I can see Kat makes you happy." Erin said, looking up at him.

He smiled. "Yeah, she does make me happy."

She smiled as well. "Well I'll let you get back to her." She said, turning to walk away, but Jirou caught her wrist.

"Hey, I wanted to ask, but I didn't want to in front of Kat." He said, looking at her up and down. "Are you alright? I know it was hard last year for you with Hatori gone on his business trip." He said, thinking back on how he had to coax her out of the coat closet last year. The memory broke his heart.

He knew she had gotten better. However, he couldn't bare the thought of her being that scared all alone.

"Yeah. It's lonely and a little hard, but I'm alright. I went to bed just fine last night." She said with a small smile.

"Well that's good. Hey I'm not too far now. I could get to your house in 15 minutes on my bike. So if you do need anything, you can call me." He said tousling her hair.

"Alright. I will."

"I mean it Erin." He said, raising a brow.

She laughed and waved him off. "I know. I'll see you soon." She said, waving goodbye. "You worry too much Jirou."

He gave her a look before opening his mouth to say something, but she interceded.

"And I know what you're gonna say. 'No, I worry just enough.'" She said with a smile.

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Hey well it's true."

"I know, I know. But really I'll be okay. I promise." She said, trying to placate him.

"Alright. Get home safe, love you." He said, before turning to walk back in.

"Love you too." She said before getting into the car.

Her drive home was easy and not too long.

She sighed as she walked into the empty house. Would Jirou ever not worry about her? She should be the one worrying about him.

She thought back to what Kat had said about Jirou's work.

How could she never think about that before?

She groaned as she plopped on her bed.

Did she always just think about herself? How much was she blindly unaware of?

She ran a hand down her face, before looking at Hatori's empty side of the bed.

What would he say if he were here?

He would probably just say she was thinking too much.

She made a small whine. She missed him.

She got up and walked into his closet, looking at his large collection of pristine suit jackets.

She smiled. Hatori sure had a way of being extremely organized and neat. She looked at all his dress shirts and ties perfectly hung, his shoes perfectly lined up.

He barely had any normal clothes. He never actually dressed down. She'd have to get him like jeans or something. It was a little weird that he never wore normal clothes.

She ran a hand across all the suit jackets. She probably shouldn't mess with them though. They were all probably crazy expensive.

A dress shirt slipped off the hanger and fell to the floor.

She startled slightly at the movement before relaxing herself.

"You don't always have to be so jumpy Erin, geez." She whispered to herself, picking up the shirt.

She felt the familiar material and sighed. Looking through his things wasn't helping how much she missed him.

She pressed the shirt to her face. This shirt smelled like him.

She clung to it tightly and brought it back to bed with her.

Holding it tightly, she willed herself to fall into a restless sleep.

He would be home soon. He always comes back.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

2 weeks later

"Hey Erin, did you do the reading assignment last night?" Hideki asked, sitting at the desk next to her.

"No? It was only a reading assignment. Who actually does them?" Erin laughed, going back to her doodles.

"Yeah I thought that too, but apparently we have a test on it today." Hideki sighed.

The saying pulled Erin from the little hearts she had been doodling. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck!" She exclaimed quietly, pulling out her book. "How much reading was it?"

"Like 3 chapters." He said exasperated.

Erin groaned. "Great, this is just what I fucking need."

Hideki tilted his head. He didn't speak English.

"Well guess we're winging it." She said quietly as the professor entered the class.

It was their lucky day though and there was no test, and class went as planned.

"You know I'm never believing you again." Erin laughed as they walked out.

"Hey my friend has that class in the morning. He said they had a test." Hideki laughed. "You got plans today?" He asked, as they walked toward the parking lot.

She sighed. "Yeah. I have my yearly checkup."

"Ew. Well I guess you can't avoid stuff like that when your fiancé is a doctor." Hideki said.

"Yeah, tell me about it." She said, thinking at the inevitable shots she was going to have to get.

"I actually need to get my flu shot soon." He said, sticking his hands in his pockets.

She looked at him surprised. "Really? I thought you didn't believe in flu shots."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah I know, but my mom is telling me to get one. Apparently we're in for a bad flu season. She made my appointment with Dr. Sohma next week."

She nodded. "Well don't worry. Hatori is pretty good at shots. He's pretty gentle."

"Good to know. Speaking of him." He said gesturing towards the parking lot.

Erin's gaze found Hatori waiting for her. Butterflies rushed through her as he walked up to them.

"Hello Hideki. I hope you're doing well." He said politely.

"Hey Dr. Sohma. Yeah I'm good." He said happily.

"We were talking about flu shots." Erin said looking up at him.

"Ah I see. As a matter of fact Jirou came in today to get his." He said.

Erin winced at the idea of the inevitable needle.

"Alright, I should head to my next class. Good luck with your check up Erin." Hideki said, giving her a smile before walking off. "See ya next week Dr. Sohma."

"See you then." Hatori said before looking down at Erin. "You ready?" He asked.

She frowned. "No. Not really."

He gave her a smile. "Don't worry. It'll all be fine."

"Easy to say when you're the doctor and not the patient." She mumbled.

He smiled and held her hand, leading her back to the car.

"Maybe I can just skip out on the flu shot. It's not like I actually need it." She said.

"Erin, the clinic has already been swarmed with sick people. I don't want you getting sick." He said matter of factly.

She sighed. She knew it was a long shot trying to fight it.

"Having the flu isn't fun. Plus with your sickness induced asthma, getting the flu could put you at risk for pneumonia. That's not a risk I'm taking with you." He said sternly, opening the car door.

She sighed and got in.

The car ride however was too short and before she knew it they arrived at the clinic.

She walked in and sighed.

"Uh-oh. Someone looks like they're gonna get a shot." Kazu said, looking down at her.

She nodded.

"Don't worry little miss. It won't hurt. Hey if you want I can give it to you. I'm amazing at shots." He said with a smile.

Her eyes widened. She trusted Kazu, but not like that. "N-No. Hatori can do it." She said quietly.

He rested the stack of papers he had in his hand on her head for a moment. "Alright. But if you ever need blood taken have me do it. I'm better at finding veins." He bragged.

"That's sadly true. Kazu is the best at that." Hatori said as he walked up behind her.

She shuddered at the idea.

She liked her blood where it belonged. Inside her body.

"Sadly true?" Kazu laughed. "Sounds like someone's jealous."

Hatori shook his head. "No, not jealous. Go get me the vaccine."

Kazu smirked. "Now Hatori, what's the magic word?" He asked, and Erin laughed quietly.

He gave him a look. "Get me the vaccine please." He said dryly.

Kazu smiled and walked off.

Hatori sighed and laughed. "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with him."

"Oh stop, you know he's your friend." Erin said, sitting on the examination table and swinging her feet anxiously.

She watched Hatori wash his hands, before putting on his glasses. He flipped through papers on her chart.

"You're still taking your medications?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

"Your therapist said that if you ever want we can prescribe you with something to help your anxiety. I know she's been offering it for a while." He said looking down at her.

"Um… No thanks. I keep telling her I don't want to be on medication for that." She said, staring at her feet.

"Okay. Well it's your decision. If you ever change your mind just let me know." He said, turning the page.

"You think I need it?" She asked. However, she wished she didn't. She was scared of what his answer would be.

He looked at her. "Well it's not really my place to say. I'm not a psychiatrist. However, I believe you've made lots of progress on your own. So no, I don't think you need it."

She sighed in relief. "Well that's good to know."

"Other than that, everything else good? Any issues?" He asked, looking over her.

She shook her head. "No everything's fine… I mean at least I think."

He smiled slightly and put down the charts. "Well let's see." He said, unlooping the stethoscope that draped around his neck, plugging the ends in his ears.

He pressed it lightly against her chest. "Take a deep breath and hold it." He said.

She did as she was told, taking breaths when he told her to.

"Good. Your lungs sound good. Just remember to keep taking your inhaler if you need it." He said, looping the stethoscope back around his neck.

He checked her eyes and ears. "No more ear pain right?" He asked.

"No, I've been good." She said.

"Good." He said placing his cool hands gently on her neck and pressing around it.

She looked up at him and he smiled. "Well I have to say, you look perfect to me."

"Perfect enough to not get a shot?" She questioned.

He sighed as he moved his hand up to hold the back of her head and run his thumb along her cheek.

"If I didn't have to I wouldn't. You know that." He said gently.

"You don't have to." She said, leaning into his hand.

"Yes I do. As your doctor and fiancé keeping you healthy is my job." He said, kissing her forehead.

Her cheeks warmed. "Fine. Just be careful."

"I always am." He said walking to get the shot Kazu had gotten for him. "Luckily you only need one this time." He said.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, lucky me."

He laid the shot down and prepared a bandage. He saw how she looked at it warily.

"Erin." He called softly.

No answer.

Using his thumb and forefinger he tilted her chin up gently. She finally met his gaze.

"It'll be fine. I promise." He said in almost a whisper.

He watched her cheeks turn pink as they always did. Making her blush was so easy. However he'd be lying if he said he didn't love that about her.

Her face was inches from his. It was at times like these when Hatori took in how beautiful she was.

Her freckles, her big brown eyes, her dark hair, everything about her was perfect.

Something he had realized that fateful day on the beach 2 years ago. After he saved her from nearly drowning.

She had been soaked and shivering, her pink lips blue from the water, but it was then when he finally realized the simple truth that had been in front of him.

Erin was absolutely beautiful.

She always would be. Nothing would ever change that.

He stole a few moments more, just analyzing her face. Wanting to burn it in his memory.

If only he had his full vision. He wondered what she would look like through both eyes.

She finally dropped his gaze, her nerves getting the better of her. "I know it'll be fine. I just… I don't like it."

He smiled slightly, remembering the task at hand. "I don't like it either." He said wiping her arm and quickly administering the shot.

She winced slightly but sighed in relief that it was over.

"See? Now was that so bad?" He asked.

"Maybe it was." She said, crossing her arms.

He laughed slightly and rubbed her arm. "You know all this work has made me quite hungry. Would you like to get some ice cream?" He asked.

Her eyes lit up as she looked up at him surprised. "You want to get ice cream?"

"I don't see why not." He said happily.

"You. Hatori Sohma. Want to take me out for ice cream before dinner?" She asked, still not believing what she was hearing.

"Well unless you would rather not go." He said, taking off his glasses.

"Oh no. We're going. You can't take it back now. In fact I'm putting this on the calendar." She said, hopping off the table.

He laughed. A real laugh. Erin looked up at him, wishing she could bottle the sound and keep it forever.

"I'm sure you will. Come on, let's go." He said, removing his doctor's coat.

They got their ice cream and walked through the park.

It was a cool autumn day. The late afternoon sun shone through the red maple trees. The cool breeze blew leaves off their branches and sent them floating through the air.

Erin brushed the hair from her face as she looked around at the autumn foliage.

"I can't believe it's already autumn. We're getting closer to spring and that means closer to the wedding." She said, taking a bite of ice cream.

He looked down at her. "Well I hope you're not getting cold feet."

She laughed. "Are you kidding me? I would be crazy to get cold feet on someone as perfect as you."

Hatori frowned slightly. There she went again. Talking about him being perfect. Something he was so far from being. If she knew the truth… Well she would be saying something different.

"You shouldn't say that you know. I'm not perfect." He said.

She looked over at him. He looked like he had something gnawing at him. "Well no one's perfect but you're pretty close...Hey you look sad, is something the matter?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. I just hope I'm good enough for you." He said.

"Oh come on Hatori, don't be silly. Of course you're good enough for me." She laughed.

He nodded, but didn't say anything more.

She wanted to ask, but she spotted a couple deer in the trees that stole her attention.

"Woah Hatori look! They're so cute!" She said, bouncing up and down.

He smiled at her excitement and watched her run ahead.

She watched the deer before she got distracted by stepping on leaves.

As he watched over her, her words weighed heavy in his mind.

Perfect.

He wasn't even close.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

November 1st, 2002

Hatori let out a long sigh as he massaged his temples.

For some reason he seemed to be exhausted, and he had a headache that just wouldn't go away.

He took off his glasses and leaned back in his desk chair.

Luckily it was Friday. Hopefully he wouldn't stay late tonight.

It just didn't make any sense. Why would he be so tired? He slept fine last night. He didn't do anything strenuous. He shouldn't be this exhausted… Or sore.

He rolled his shoulders, hoping to ease the persistent ache that seemed to radiate throughout his body.

A thought crossed his mind but he pushed it off.

He just had to finish up his work. If he did that he would feel better.

However, as the day progressed, he only felt worse.

By lunch he had to fight off dizzy spells and there seemed to be a chill in the air that just wouldn't go away.

He walked down the hallway when suddenly there was a hand on his forehead.

His eyes widened and he stepped back to see Kazu's green eyes staring at him.

"Kazu what are you-"

"I knew it!" He exclaimed, crossing his arms.

Hatori furrowed his brows. "Knew what?"

"You're sick." Kazu accused. "You're burning up."

Hatori waved him off. "I'm not-"

He started to say but a particularly strong dizzy spell forced him to shut his eyes.

"Oh come on. I'm a doctor too, remember? I know a sick person when I see one." Kazu said. "I mean didn't you get your flu shot?"

The thought he had pushed away before came back.

The flu.

Damn.

He had completely forgotten to get it himself. He had been so busy making sure everyone else was covered, to remember he was at risk as well.

Doctors weren't immune to sickness.

Hatori sighed and opened his eyes. "Even if I am sick, it doesn't matter. I have work that needs to be done."

Yes he was way too busy to be sick. He still had to pick Erin up from school today.

"Hatori come on. If I was sick you'd tell me to go home. I mean what if it was Erin who was sick? Would you let her go to school like that?" Kazu asked.

Hatori of course knew the answer to that question. "Of course I wouldn't."

"Okay, then treat yourself the same way and go home. Don't worry your partner can handle things from here." Kazu said happily.

Hatori wanted to argue however, he didn't seem to have the strength.

"Alright, alright. I'll go home." He said going back to his office to pack up his things.

"Damn." He inwardly swore before glancing at his phone.

There was still something he had to do.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Here, just finish these up. Should only take a few hours." Yamamoto said, placing a stack of papers on his desk.

Jirou smiled. "Just leave it to me."

She laughed slightly. "Always so enthusiastic."

"Yeah well, I like my job." Jirou said, thumbing through the files.

"Alright fair argument. Just don't lose that. I like having you as a partner." She shrugged.

He laughed. "You mean that?"

She looked at the work on her desk. "I don't repeat myself, and I don't say things I don't mean."

"Well if it means anything, I like having you as a partner too." He said.

She made a humming noise as she tied her sleek black hair into a tight ponytail. "If we get this done, we'll probably be out of here early." She said, sitting at her desk.

"I like the sound of that." Jirou said, diving into his paperwork.

"White-san, you have a call from a Hatori Sohma." The secretary called.

His head snapped up. "Okay I got it!" He called back before answering quickly.

"Hatori? What's up?" He questioned. "Everything alright?"

"Everythings fine." He said. However Jirou could hear how his voice sounded off slightly.

"I'm just… I'm afraid I'm not feeling well. I hate to ask you, but can you pick up Erin from school? She's done at four." He said.

Jirou was surprised. Hatori must really not feel good to have to call him to get Erin.

"Yeah, of course I can get her. I'm actually getting off early today. Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I just need rest." He sighed.

"Alright well rest up. I know you're a doctor and everything, but you should try drinking peppermint tea. It helps. My mom used to give it to us when we were sick." Jirou said.

"Thank you Jirou, I will give it a try." He said.

"Hey don't thank me. I'll pick Erin up. I'm sure she'll be pretty worried about you."

Hatori made a hum. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Assure her I'm fine and I'll see her later."

"Alright, see you later." He said before hanging up.

"Well that's never happened before." Jirou said looking over to Yamamoto, however she had the strangest look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Hatori Sohma?" She asked.

"Oh yeah. He's my sister's fiancé. He's not feeling well so I'm gonna pick her up." He explained. However the weird look on her face didn't go away. "Wait do you know him?"

She shook her head. "No. But I know the name. You know someone from the Sohma family?" She asked.

He gave her a questionable look. "Yeah? Like I said he's engaged to my little sister."

"You never said she was engaged to a Sohma." She said going back to her work.

A million questions formed in his brain.

"Wait, how do you know the name?" He asked, craving answers.

She looked at him like it was obvious. "Well first of all, the Sohma family is one of the oldest and richest families in Tokyo." She said, crossing her arms. "However, that's not what's strange about them." She said.

Jirou slid his chair closer to her. "Well? What's strange about them?"

She sighed as if she regretted bringing it up, however she continued.

"A few years ago, when I first joined the force there was a report. The hospital filed it. Apparently a young girl in the Sohma family had been admitted with pretty serious injuries. Apparently she had been pushed from a second story window. Because of her age the hospital filed a report for child abuse." She said, looking over at him.

"My partner at the time, was tasked with investigating the report." She said.

Jirou blinked thinking of everything she said. "Okay, so what did he find?"

She leaned in close and spoke quietly. Glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

"He found lots of things. Reports of assaults, unexplained hospital visits, neglect, attempted suicides. They all floated around the Sohma family." She said quietly.

Jirou's eyes widened in shock. "Are you sure?"

She nodded "Yeah. However the tricky thing was that none of it was reported to the police."

Jirou thought back to Erin's incident with the head of the family. That had never been reported either. Anger flicked inside of him.

"My partner discovered that the family had paid off hospitals to keep quiet about everything about it. They also have their own doctor on the inside who handles all their medical affairs. So it's easy for them to cover things up."

At the words doctor Jirou's ears began to ring. He knew their family doctor.

He was just on the phone with him.

Sure Hatori wasn't the family doctor anymore. But he was. He had been.

He was when all this had been happening.

"So… What happened?" Jirou asked. However, he had been scared to hear the answer.

"Well one day the chief told him to drop the case. He said the report from the hospital had been a mistake, and he was to halt the investigation." She said. "Of course my partner had been furious. He knew the truth. That the Sohma family was paying off the police department to shut it down… He was incredibly stubborn. He never gave up on a case."

"So naturally he continued to investigate. One day he said he was going to go to the Sohma main estate and confront the head of the family. He was incredibly stupid to think it would actually work." She said, dropping her gaze. "I tried to convince him not to go, but he went anyway."

"Okay. So did he go?" Jirou asked, leaning forward.

She sighed. "I… Well that's the thing I don't know."

Jirou furrowed his brows. "Wait, how do you not know?"

She waved him off. "You won't believe me if I tell you."

"Try me."

She took a breath. "Well the thing is…" She said before pausing to look at him.

Her voice was so low, Jirou almost didn't hear her. "When he came back the next day, he had no memory of any of it."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Happy Saturday! Sorry I'm a little late today haha.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! We're really getting into it now. Woohoo!

So maybe I'm just crazy, but writing Hatori at work or 'doctor Hatori' Is just... So freakin attractive. Like damn. Lol. If Hatori Sohma was my doctor i would be getting sick all the time hahaha.

Also rip Hatori for getting the flu. I full heartedly believe that Hatori is one of those people who never get sick, but when they do it's bad.

Now for tonight's character analysis we have Erin's school friend Hideki!

Hideki is in pretty much all of Erin's classes. They often schedule classes together.

They're in the same major. However I haven't exactly decided what that major is? Oops. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually haha.

I realized I never explained what he looks like. I mean he's not a big character by any means so you could picture him however you want. However, I always picture him as on the shorter side. Short brown hair on the reddish side, brown eyes. Has that dorky yet lovable look to him. He's kinda like that golden retriever friend haha.

He's a good student. However like Erin he has a tendency to slack off at times and forget assignments. They definitely have their moments when they panic that their going to fail.

They hang out a lot at school and Erin will occasionally go to his house to do school work.

When Hideki first started talking to Erin I like to believe he had a small crush on her. He probably thought she was cute at first glance. He probably tried to talk to her often. However knowing Erin's social skills she probably took a little bit before she spoke back. Hideki most definitely dropped his crush on her when he saw her with Jirou. Jirou is really tall. (He's actually taller than Hatori. At about 6'2". He's also pretty built.) Hideki saw them together a lot and instantly assumed they were together and definitely wasn't trying to get in some sort of fight with him. Little did he know that was her brother, however sadly in his case she was taken all the same haha.

However, he's over that now obviously. He's just content to be Erin's friend.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Sorry I was a little late with this update. (It's like 11pm) lol. Oh well. Better late then never haha.

I'll see you next Saturday for Chapter 9: Memories!

Love you guys!