Greetings and welcome once again to the premiere showing of "Cold November Rain" here at the one and only Angst Theatre!

{cheers happily since he's as pleased to have this back to being actively posted as the readers possibly are!}

After taking longer than I thought it would for all the usual unpredictable and bizarre reasons that I lump together under the heading of "Real Life Monsters", I am utterly delighted to announce that the rough draft of this Angst Epic that has ruled my life is done! Currently weighing in at an astounding 1,202kb, the unedited complete version is easily larger than many novels I've read and I sincerely hope that everyone reading this feels it was worth not only their effort to read it but also my effort to script it!

{feels extremely grateful to a few readers who've gone out of their way to endorse his lengthy approach for presenting this and hopes that sentiment is shared by everyone else, too}

As you will note in the indicia below, there's a total of *62* huge Parts to this one as of now and since there will possibly be epilogues added later as well as definite side-story additions with separate titles, this tale isn't even truly finished yet! However, since everything that I wanted to achieve in the primary or base fic is included in the rough draft, I felt it was safe to go back to posting runs and that explains why I'm here to entertain you tonight!

{puts on the music for "The Entertainer", slips into the borrowed tuxedo which was freshly cleaned after Vicious and Gren enjoyed an unexpected Spring Break vacation together and the white-haired bishounen needed it, then lights the marquee and gives you a playbill with a smile}

Tonight's performance opens with the actual Part 52 which replaces what will hopefully be the final intermission notice at fanfiction.net in case you wondered about the numbering system there. Our focus returns to the men of Weiss at Tokyo General Hospital as Norwegian introduces a new member of his staff and sees to it that both Yohji and Ken receive thorough medical exams. In Part 53, the portly Kritiker physician provides the men of Weiss with a great deal of news but it's not necessarily everything they need to hear despite the crucial importance of most of it as it pertains to the man who nearly died five days prior.

{hopeful smile as he mentions a couple of little things then turns you loose on more of the fic}

When I sat down to edit this for you tonight, I almost forgot that these scenes are set to occur almost simultaneously with Nagi's reunion at the Schwarz penthouse. Of course, as soon as I remembered that, I was good to go as to why they're talking about Yohji's headache still and everything else. If you think keeping track of this is confusing for *you* imagine what it's like for *me* since I was writing a piece datestamped "day 30" in the continuity earlier today!

Oh, another thing before you get started on these last five posting runs, the timeline in the story is about to *finally* pick up speed. Please watch the date and timestamps that begin each and every Part since they're your guides to not only how long has it been since Ken was shot but also where the characters are in the calendar year in a general sense. {sweatdrops} Um, at least, they are *supposed* to be doing that for you, but it's not been mentioned in reviews or feedback lately and I'm never sure if readers notice stuff like that even though I lose sleep worrying over continuity issues and details, myself.

Last but not least, my apologies to those of you who signed up for my Updates ML and haven't heard anything yet. My swiftly sailing plans for that hit a submerged rock and part of the keel was torn off. As soon as I bail enough water out to get them afloat again, there *will* be a message with the new stuff I want to do, but for now I just want to get CNR out for all my dear friends to read first. I hope this is an acceptable decision to the majority and I now turn you over to your regularly scheduled fic!

{looks extremely tired yet pleased as he *finally* gets to say three of his favorite words again}

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who wishes to point out that due to Melpomene needing to squeeze a ton of details and angst out of him to add to the story before it ended, the remaining *11* Parts are actually longer than the first *16* were which were already the size of *20* regular GW-llama-fic Parts! wow, talk about inflation! looks like those "instant gratification warning flags" are here to stay, ne?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 52/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions"

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC.

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old.

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him?

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 5. time: 1130-1245 hours. ++

*****

Even as Nagi was experiencing a fairly dramatic yet ultimately heartwarming reunion with his own "family", his boyfriend's teammates were receiving a visit from a trusted friend who had arrived with a combination of both good and bad news.

Norwegian knocked politely at the door to Room 646 and then entered with a cautious smile, more than a little concerned that Omi might be angry with him regarding what had occurred there the day before. He needn't have worried, though, since the cerulean-eyed boy hadn't disagreed with what the man had tried to do only the manner in which it had come to pass. Without his usual mask of fatherly confidence in place, the gray-eyed man asked hesitantly, "How is everyone doing today?"

With a sad smile of his own, Omi looked at him from where he sat on a visitor's chair near the window which boasted the brightly colored flower arrangement and answered, "We're okay, I guess, Norwegian." Glancing at the cold, empty chair near his own he added quietly, "Nagi left already to go home."

"I see," the portly physician nodded slowly, then apologized quietly, "I'm sorry for making him so uncomfortable yesterday, Omi. However, I hope that perhaps my words will not go unheeded. He truly *does* need to eat far more than he had been in the past and if his nutritional needs aren't properly met, I fear what long-term risks he may be facing."

"I understand," the sad blond teen agreed then sighed heavily. Gazing guiltily at his hands where they lay listlessly in his lap, he shook his head slightly and said, "I feel pretty stupid for not realizing that sooner. I mean, you guys only saw him without a shirt the other day, I'd seen him naked plenty of times and it never even occurred to me that the fact that he was so very slender could be a bad thing."

Behind him and standing near where Aya sat beside Ken holding the brunette's hand gently, Yohji cleared his throat to get their attention then said, "Don't hold yourself responsible for that, Omiitchi. You're as much a kid as he is and no one expects you to stop enjoying a moment of passion to analyze the way your lover looks searching for flaws." Jade eyes sliding down and over the two men beside him he added tenderly, "I know that I sure won't be when that time comes around for us again."

Both of the men looking back at him smiled to one extent or another to acknowledge the fact that while Omi had taken his time returning to their sides after saying good-bye to Nagi, Aya and Yohji had told Ken about their vow of abstinence while awaiting his full recovery.

The chocolate-eyed teen was a practical man, though, and he already doubted that this was a healthy decision for the elder of his two lovers if for no one else, yet he wouldn't cause anyone sorrow by pointing it out just yet. He'd simply bide his time and if Yohji seemed to get too edgy, he'd remind him that there were all sorts of perfectly wonderful things they could do with their mouths that didn't require as great a level of health as a full sexual experience might. Granted, that suggestion would be overruled in favor of an all-or-nothing approach, an error in judgement that would take months to sort out.

While he appreciated the Weiss team's ability to discuss intimate matters openly, Norwegian knew there were other issues to address and so he changed the topic of conversation entirely by asking, "Balinese? Did you have any further trouble with the headache that hit you yesterday?"

Looking distinctly unhappy, Yohji nodded and admitted, "Unfortunately, yeah, I did, Norwegian." Shaking his head and causing long wavy locks to shift and flow around his face, he added with obvious distaste, "I even had to take a couple more of those pills last night. I really hate taking stuff that knocks me out like that, but it seemed better than suffering."

"Of course it was, Yohji," Aya unexpectedly commented hoping to grant some of the reassurance he once wouldn't have even bothered to try to share. Now that he was more capable of expressing his emotions in circumstances like this, he gazed up at the jade-eyed blond with concerned amethyst eyes and stated flatly, "There's no more reason for you to be miserable than there is for Ken to be. If there's a medicine that helps either of you, then just take it and be glad that you have the option."

From where he lay on his mound of pillows, the brunette added his own opinion on the matter, "Aya's right, Yohji. And if I'd been there, I'd have said the same thing, of course." With an expression of worry he then asked Norwegian, "But what caused the attack in the first place, doctor? I feel stupid that he convinced us not to worry about the ones he'd had a few weeks ago, so I hope there's some answers."

"Unfortunately, I don't really know, Siberian," the Kritiker physician answered truthfully, "but I intend to find out if I can. Balinese, I had mentioned to Abyssinian that I wanted to give you an exam and perhaps run a few tests regarding this if you experienced a relapse. With Weiss deactivated for a few months, now would be an excellent time to address any underlying medical issues that affect any of you."

With an elegant shrug of his shoulders, Yohji agreed, "Sure, if that's what you think is best, Norwegian. Want to get that out of the way right now or wait until we can do this over at KMC?"

"Now will be best," the doctor answered then added as he paged Javanese, "Besides, there's a few other things we need to deal with as well. Give me a moment, won't you?" He moved to step outside the room pulling the door partially shut behind him and left behind four rather confused young men who obediently remained where they were wondering what was going on.

In the hallway, muffled voices discussed something none of the members of Weiss could make out and then the door opened fully to reveal not only the two Kritiker medical personnel, but a certain shy 30-something male nurse practitioner as well. With a regretful smile that spoke of his sadness about even temporarily losing one of his most well-loved and respected associates, Norwegian said, "Gentlemen, may I introduce you to Kritiker Medical Center's newest addition to its staff? Nurse Okazaki has accepted my offer to join my team to replace Korat and he will be alternating shifts with Javanese during the remainder of your stay here at Tokyo General, Siberian."

"That's great!" Omi responded with sudden happiness, surprised yet pleased by the news that the quiet man who had somehow impressed his boyfriend enough that Nagi had asked that he be included in their feast two days prior would be someone that they would continue to interact with. Standing and going over to shake the man's hand, something that caused that same curious shy smile to brighten a bit, he added with gentle curiosity, "But if you're a Kritiker operative now, don't you need a cat codename like the rest of us, Hideo?"

Modestly glancing at the floor, the man who was only a few inches taller than the teen in front of him answered quietly, "I'm sure one will be assigned to me sooner or later, Omi. Um, I mean, 'Bombay'," he blushed slightly as he tried to remember that he needed to follow the Kritiker way of doing things now. Then he said more firmly, "But right now all I want to worry about is seeing to it that you are all given the best of care. If Norwegian and Javanese believe that I might be of some small assistance, I will endeavor to serve you as well as I am able."

"I think you'll be great, Hideo," Javanese smiled warmly at him and added gently, "and don't worry about codenames and stuff like that. You got to know the Weiss team by their real names first and it's okay if you call them that while we're here at Tokyo General. Once we get you established back at KMC you'll pick up on all this stuff as well as get the standard Kritiker orientation and training which will make it a lot easier, okay? For now, why don't we just do what we came here for, all right, Norwegian?"

The doctor smiled warmly at his associate who had done so much behind the scenes in a short amount of time to make acquiring Okazaki's skills possible. With a glance at the trays of medical implements that had sat patiently awaiting their use, he instructed, "That's an excellent suggestion, my dear!" Turning towards the men of Weiss, he resumed his role of medical provider and stated simply, "We need to do some blood work on both Siberian and Balinese. There are a few neurological tests that I want to perform on Balinese, too, of course. Then, I'd like to give Siberian a complete check-up before relating to all of you the results of some lab tests that were evaluated at KMC last night and this morning."

"Oh? Results on *whose* tests, Norwegian?" Yohji asked, not questioning the need for his own tests which he was agreeable to if it meant he might not be hit by anymore debilitating headaches. "Ken's or Sokoke's?" In his heart he desperately wished that Nagi's name was on that list, too, but now that this was out of the question, he tried not to dwell on it.

With a grim smile on his face that told them nothing of what was to come, the portly physician lost all of his joviality and he answered simply, "Both. Now, come with me, Balinese, we need a room with less sunshine in it for these tests."

Blinking jade eyes in surprise not only at the man's words but also the fact that he hadn't noticed that it was indeed fairly bright for a change, he shrugged and followed the older man and Javanese as they headed out of Ken's room. They ended up in a small, unused office area where they accomplished the assorted tests quickly and efficiently ending with the nurse easily collecting several vials of blood from him without explanation. Yohji barely refrained from asking about the mysterious test results since he knew they'd all hear them at the same time and merely did his best to answer the questions the Kritiker physician had for him even though they didn't tell them very much in the final analysis.

Meanwhile, Okazaki drew a significant amount of blood from the recovering patient while quietly telling Ken, Aya, and Omi what each tube was for and what it would measure despite the fact that the three assassins had no clue what most of it meant. In between various steps, he accepted their words of welcome to the Kritiker team in his usual humble manner, smiling slightly when Ken pointed out that he thought that the man from the small fishing village had a better bedside manner than Javanese did.

The self-effacing nurse assumed this was empty praise, yet it wasn't. The brunette simply preferred the quiet man's lack of personal questions that he didn't realize were actually part of the female nurse's routine job requirements since the medical staff was expected to monitor the Weiss members for mental health as much as anything else.

As the last few notes were made on Ken's chart regarding simple vital signs like pulse rate, blood pressure, etc, the other three returned.

Glancing at his newest team member, Norwegian was pleased to see that Okazaki had already achieved the fundamental data and sample gathering and then he asked, "Siberian? Do you want your teammates to stay during this exam or would you prefer some privacy?" Seeing a curious look in chocolate eyes, he added pointedly, "I did say this would be fairly *comprehensive*, you know. It might be a bit more than what you wish for them to share with you since memories of certain things do tend to linger." His deliberate implication that what they might see could be fairly startling and unpleasant was clear, yet it made no difference to the patient himself.

With a small shrug since he didn't want to aggravate the broken arm that was throbbing painfully since Norwegian had ordered a reduction in painkillers prior to the exam so that they wouldn't mask any symptoms, Ken commented pragmatically, "That's up to them, doctor." With a quick, appreciative glance at his lovers and friend, he added in tones that spoke of his appreciation and gratitude for his teammates' efforts, "They saved my life by hauling my butt in here the way that they did. If they want to see what else it took to keep a stubborn ex-goal keeper like me alive, that's up to them."

Norwegian hid a satisfied smile behind some paperwork as Aya snorted in annoyance and stated simply, "I'm not leaving, Ken. You're alive and healing. There's nothing that can possibly disturb me about anything that was done to guarantee *that*!"

"Same here," Yohji said with a proud smile that was directed at both of the brave souls he was honored to be able to call his lovers. Then he cast a worried glance at Omi, a boy he knew could handle seeing the results of radical surgery better than he himself could yet knowing this was reminiscent of what had caused his boyfriend to collapse not so long ago concerned him. The cerulean-eyed teen had experienced so much pain in the past few days and the elder blond couldn't help but wonder how much longer his young friend could hold up under the pressure if he didn't find some kind of distraction soon.

Not to be deterred by what had happened in the past, the Weiss archer spoke up confidently and remarked, "I'd like to stay, too, Ken-kun. I know the wounds were well cared for and I'd like to see how well they've healed by now."

"Okay, guys. Sounds good to me, too," Ken agreed, pleased that they were as fearless in the face of this type of thing as they were in all others then he said with gentle pride in his surrogate family, "There's your answer, Norwegian. Do whatever you need to and let's get this over with so we can talk about those results you mentioned."

"Very well," the Kritiker physician set aside the chart he'd been glancing over and then he motioned to his two nurses to close the door fully and the examination began in earnest.

Almost a full hour passed as each and every suture was examined other than the ones where various screws and bolts had been installed to help the compound fracture in Ken's left arm to heal properly. The heavy cast which held the shattered bones securely in place would go undisturbed for some time to come. Even after the healing process had proceeded fairly well for two months, there would be additional surgery to removed the metal and it would cause additional time to be added before Siberian was given a clean bill of health in late Spring.

The ins and outs of assorted catheters and Foley tubes were closely examined and in all honesty the ones which were assisting in the removal of bodily wastes were about the only thing that caused even mild embarrassment for anyone in the room. Despite having intimate relations with someone, seeing soulless plastic entering and exiting a person's body in certain places could be disconcerting.

By the time they were done, the former athlete was covered with almost entirely new dressings on his wounds and despite feeling tired from the experience, Ken was pleased to have heard as many positive comments regarding his progress as he had. He mistakenly thought it might mean he was leaving Tokyo General sooner than he was, but a little optimism wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Satisfied that he'd given the claw-wielding assassin a full exam and feeling he needed a few minutes of peace to record his observations, Norwegian quietly indicated that his two nurses needed to take care of post-exam matters then stepped outside the room. It was unusual for him to repeatedly need time alone, yet the two mysterious deaths he had no answers for yet plagued his thoughts, distracting him from thinking clearly about the living who needed him more than the dead did. The gray-eyed doctor wanted to make sure that he was focused and wouldn't gloss over any key details for either of the two florist/assassins who he was concerned about and so Norwegian gave himself the extra time that seemed so self-indulgent.

As Javanese prepared a syringe that would allow a faster delivery of painkillers to compensate for Ken having gone without them longer than usual, she asked, "Hideo? Would you go ahead and get Siberian a blanket now? We're done for the most part and I think he's probably cold."

"Yes, ma'am," Okazaki responded respectfully and went to get one from the special warmer that they had by the nurses' desk since he always thought those were better for situations like this than the ones that were stored on a shelf in the room.

The bluish-black-haired woman laughed slightly and shook her head before commenting, "He's making me feel old calling me that." Coming from a small rural area, Hideo was far more polite than most of those present and seemed to refer to everyone deferentially, a nuance that had become rather obvious during the intense medical examination.

"Yeah, I can well imagine, Javanese!" Yohji snorted quietly, smiling adoringly at Ken whose hand he held at the moment hoping to show him all the love he felt for him through that simple contact. With a smirk, he added as he gazed at his dark-eyed partner, "How'd you think Kenken here musta felt being called 'sir' over and over during the last hour or so?"

"Respected, maybe?" Ken found the energy to tease back and then he yawned and clasped Yohji's hand more tightly before adding, "Not that I don't usually feel that way, of course, it's just strange to hear it from someone that isn't a part of my team. The gods know that the fangirls at the shop never call me that!"

"Of course they don't," Aya remarked from where he leaned against a wall with a secretive yet adoring smile on his handsome features as well. With a slight twinkle in eyes the color of amaryllis blossoms he added, "The only one at the Koneko who calls you that on a regular basis is Momoe's grandniece and we haven't seen her in months. Either way, though, if you'd rather the fangirls started calling you that, I'm sure we can find some way to influence them to do so, wouldn't you agree, Omi?"

Picking up on the artificially lighter atmosphere they were trying to create as they all awaited the doctor's revelations, the blond youth nodded enthusiastically and offered, "Sure we could, Aya-kun! But they'll all be so glad to see you again whenever you get to go home, Ken-kun, I doubt we could make much of a difference any time soon, though." With a tiny frown he remarked, "By the way, I think that the motorcycle accident cover-story is a good one for this, but do I really have to mess up your Kawasaki to make it believable? Who's going to check?"

"How should I know?" Ken answered then smiled as Okazaki returned and draped a deliciously warm blanket over his deeply pained, cold body. With a contented sigh, he added, "Don't worry about faking a wreck if you don't feel like it, Omi. We can always say I trashed a rental or something, right?"

"That sounds better," the cerulean-eyed boy smiled gratefully, relieved that he wasn't expected to damage his friend's treasured machine in the name of verisimilitude after all.

Not that it would be the first time they'd done something like that, though. In fact, Yohji's car had been given cosmetic damage once to cover for injuries the lanky blond had sustained in an unexpectedly brutal confrontation with Schwarz months before the two blue-eyed assassins had met at the café, yet it had been disheartening to have had to do it. The idea of taking a sledgehammer to the smooth metal of the Kawasaki that would most likely go unused for months anyway simply depressed Omi and was an unnecessary negative in their lives.

Glad to have that seemingly minor detail out of the way, Ken allowed himself to relax against his pillows and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of those around him. This wasn't as pleasant as a quiet evening at home by any means, but it seemed nicer and less stressful than things had been lately and he simply enjoyed the sensation of sunshine falling upon his hospital bed in peace for a few moments.

Omi quietly contemplated his hands where they lay clasped in his lap and he briefly worried about his boyfriend and hoped fervently that everything was all right for Nagi even though he doubted that was the case. He sighed deeply and felt helpless for a moment, then tried to put it out of his mind.

Neither Yohji nor Aya was willing to break the momentary quiet and neither were either of the Kritiker nurses, leaving the room to be filled with a silent atmosphere of anticipation as they all awaited Norwegian's promised sharing of various lab results.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion.

Please be advised: Parts 52 & 53 will be posted together.