A Dog Among Cats

By: Atsureki

Disclaimers : If they were mine Weiss would be very diffrent. *evil grin*

Warnings : Shonen-ai, OCC, angst.

Notes : Stuff written in Italic are thoughts. Stuff within //yadayada// is the telepath talking in someone's head

Chapter 7. Come Back To Me

He was uncomfortable, he was in pain, he had a hard time breathing, he was… drugged half out of his wits. Ran groaned and tried to get up. No use someone or something was holding him down.
"Easy there Fujimiya-san," a female voice said. "You're at the hospital and you really need to lie still." Ran took a deep breath or at least tried to. A hiss of pain escaped him. "Try to calm down Fujimiya-san. You have a punctured lung." With irritation he did as the voice told him. His back hurt even though they had pumped him full with drugs.
"Ran-kun?" a very soft and caring voice asked. Omi, the redhead thought and desperatly wanted to turn his head to check. "It's me, Omi. I shouldn't be here but I just wanted to see how you were doing. Yoji is here too but he's out smoking or flirting." And Ken? Ran asked in his head. Where's Ken? Is he okay?
"K… K…n," he gasped slowly.
"Ran-kun you've been here for a week," Omi said and the redhead could tell that he was avoiding the issue he had raised.
"K… en?" he asked again almost managing to pronounce his lover's name.
"Ken-kun is… is…" The petit blonde was stalling.
"Ah so you're awake at last," another voice said. Yoji, Ran mentally nodded to himself. If Omi didn't want to answer his question than the playboy damn well would.
"Ken?" It was a little easier to speak now.
"Fujimiya-san you shouldn't talk. I think you're friends should leave so you can get some rest," the first voice he had heard, most likely a nurse, interrupted. Ran let out an irritated huff and almost blacked out from the pain it caused.
"Ken?!" he demanded for the fourth time. In his head he knew that there probably was just one reason why Yoji and Omi refused to answer and he didn't want to hear it but he had to find out. "Dead?" he finally asked and closed his eyes.
"No Aya, he's not dead," Yoji answered with a deep sigh that told Ran that that answer perhaps wasn't as bad as a yes but not far from it. So if Ken wasn't dead then where was he?
"You two out!" the probable nurse ordered.
"Yeah, yeah don't get your panties in a twist lady," Yoji muttered.
"And you Kudou-san should be in bed, resting and so should Tsukiyono-san!"
"I'll gladly go to bed if you'll join me sweetie although I doubt we'd be resting much," the lanky blonde said with a lacy tone in his voice. The nurse huffed at him and then Ran was alone again. The redhead shuddered. He was laying on his stomach on a strange bed. His head rested on a strap of some sort and the only thing he could see was the floor. For a moment he wondered why but then he remembered. Takagi had whipped him badly and then stabbed him in the back, of course he would have to lie on his stomach. It still was uncomfortable though. And where was Ken? The last time Ran had been in the hospital the brunette hadn't left his side until the doctors had released him. Why aren't you here Ken? Is there something the others aren't telling me? he asked in his head and suddenly felt extremly tired. His eyes drifted close even though he fought to keep them open and then his mind blanked out.

Ran opened his eyes again. The last time he had been awake he had only spoken to the nurse and she had had no answers to his questions. They were keeping him on a load of drugs that kept him sleepy and unfocust and he hated it. But at least they had allowed him to move to a normal bed where he could lie on his back.
"Are you awake?"
"Aa," Ran answered with very little enthusiasm. Being awake was hell and then some.
"Listen here Aya… I mean Ran. I know you have questions about Ken but I…"
"Yoji, spill!" the redhead demanded harshly. Yoji looked tired and like he was in a lot of pain.
"I hope you are gratefull for me being here because it hurts like hell to stand up," he growled and winced.
"Please," Ran finally begged and gave the blonde a pleading look.
"Ken is… gone," Yoji sighed. "He told Omi he was leaving Weiss. All his things are gone from his room and Manx hasn't heard a word from him." Amethyst eyes closed slowly. Come back to me Ken, please, Ran begged. He needed to hear Ken's voice, needed to see those loving eyes more than he needed his next breath. Something spilled from his eyes, ran down his cheek and dripped down on the sheats.
"Leave," he choked out.
"Ran I'm…"
"Leave!" Yoji gave him a sympathic look and vanished from his view. Ran sobbed and it was painful but he couldn't stop himself. If Ken had left it was most likely because of what Takagi had said. 'Has he ever told you those three little words? Has he ever whispered them in your ear?' The redhead remembered it all too clearly just as he remembered how Ken's face had looked.
"That's not why he left," an unfamilier voice suddenly said. Ran frowned and blinked.
"Who?"
"I'm Marcus, Borzoi's son," the voice answered.
"Why… are…" It was too difficult for him to talk in full sentences. //I know it's hard for you to speak Ran-san so why not just do it this way instead? If you don't mind that is?// You're a telepath too? //Runs in my family,// Marcus answered in his head. Ran almost rolled his eyes. You said that that wasn't why Ken left? he asked and waited impatiently for an answer. //He knows you love him. Ken-san left because he feels guilty for what mother made him do, for doubting your feelings for him and he thinks he's responsible for Takagi almost killing you.// The redhead closed his eyes and moaned. But that bastard would have tried to kill me anyway, Ran objected. //You and I both know that and so did mother but… Ken-san isn't seeing things clearly at the moment. He feels so much guilt, shame and he's hurting inside. I know all of this is my mother's fault and I really want to help you all,// the young man sighed inside his head. Is Borzoi… dead? No one had told him anything about the woman. //No, Takagi wanted to kill her but she got away. He figured out she was trying to betray him so he used me to blackmail her into fooling you… She didn't want to but he forced her.// Ran sighed.
"The last thing she said to me before she disappeared was that she was sorry," Marcus said out loud and the redhead could hear that he was crying.
"Bastard," Ran growled and winced in pain.
"I don't know where she went but I know she's not coming back. Everything she's done in her life pains her so much. But she was trained to kill others from childhood by my grandfather so she knows nothing else." Marcus came into his view. The young man was a perfect male copy of his mother. "I really want to help you and Ken-san but I can't get through to him, for some reason he doesn't want to come back." When he heard that something inside Ran broke. Without realizing it some part of him just gave up…

Yoji huffed as he got out of his car. He had been hurt plenty of times before but this time was seriously starting to piss him off. The pain should have been gone by now but it wasn't which meant that he had to go and see his doctor again. With another huff he looked around and saw Ken's bike parked outside one of the doors. So he had at last found the lost brunette. It had taken him some time but he hadn't been a PI for nothing. Slowly he made his way to the room where he expected to find Ken. To knock or not to knock? he muttered in his head. If he knocked Ken would most likely not let him in which meant that his best bet was to just go in. With a sigh he tried the door and found that it was open. The room he entered was dark, messy and smelled rather badly. Yoji narrowed his eyes and searched the dusky place. There was a form huddling under the covers on the bed.
"Ken?" he asked and took a few steps forward. The form moved a little and a mop of brown hair came into view.
"Go away Yoji." Ken's voice was tried and hoarse.
"I don't think so Ken. What are you doing here?" The brunette sat up and rubbed his face with a shaking hand.
"Just leave me alone, I'm not coming back," he answered slowly.
"Too busy feeling sorry for yourself huh?" Yoji asked flatly. "Listen Ken… I don't know what the hell you're thinking but Ran needs you right now." Sad eyes met his.
"I'll only hurt him again." The lanky blonde gritted his teeth. He was tired of having to stop his team-mates from running away and bringing them back.
"I've had it with you Hidaka! Get your ass over here and let's go and see Ran! You can't just lie there and mope for the rest of your life!" Ken shook his head and clinged to the blanket. "Oh for crying out loud! Do you really think Ran blames you for what Takagi did? He knows what happened between you and Borzoi and he understands so would you just stop acting like such a child already?!"
"You don't know what your talking about Yoji!" Ken objected. "Takagi said that Ran didn't love me and I believed him, just for a brief moment but still I doubted Ran's feelings for me!"
"And? I doubt Ran is human most of the time! The longer you stay away the more doubts you plant in Ran's head. At the moment he might really think that you are seriously thinking that he doesn't love you. Is that what you want?" Ken winced at that. Stupid hot-headed stubborn soccer-obsessed idiot! Yoji muttered inside. "Well are you coming or do I have to drag your ass to the hospital?" the blonde growled and tapped his foot.
"He think that?" Ken asked so quietly Yoji almost didn't hear him.
"How should I know? He refuses to talk to anyone but I can see it in his eyes. Besides, I'm tired of being a babysitter. I don't even like kids all that much!" Ken looked confused.
"What?"
"Weiss has gotten a new fifth member, he's only four but he shows promises for the future," Yoji chuckled and set his sparkling green eyes on Ken's face. "He's driving Omi insane by playing with his beloved computer and he has already managed to win all the girls' hearts at the Koneko."
"Suzuki?"
"Who else? Now let's go back home. I don't like this place, it smells." Ken slowly got off of the bed and swayed for a moment. It wasn't the room that smelled it was the brunette. Yoji wrinkled his nose. "But first you're going to take a shower and change. I am not having someone that stinks that much in my car!"

Ken was not a happy camper but Yoji presistently dragged him towards Ran's room. During the drive there the blonde had told him exactly what was wrong with Ran. The redhead refused to talk to anyone, his wounds hadn't healed the way they should have and were infected and the doctors hadn't been able to do much since Ran refused to fight.
"I don't want to," Ken muttered and dragged his feet. Yoji gave him a nasty look and huffed with annoyance.
"How old are you again Ken? 5?" He could tell that the playboy was tried and fed up. "Look… I'm in a lot of pain, I haven't slept for days and my patience is wearing thin so don't mess with me!"
"But I…"
"Shut up Hidaka!" Yoji snarled and swirled around. "For two weeks I've been covering all of your shifts at the shop, I can't even remember the last time I had a drink or went on a date! Now you are going to see Ran even if I have to carry you in there! Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes," Ken pouted and started walking again. Yoji muttered something foul under his breath. All too soon they were standing outside the door to the redhead's room.
"Well? Go inside!" the blonde said and pushed Ken towards the door. Sighing deeply and shaking like a leaf the brunette opened the door and slowly stalked inside. Ran looked like he was asleep. His face was a ghostly shade of white and even his hair seemed paler than usual but to Ken he was still the most beautiful man alive.
"Ran," he whispered and took a seat beside his sleeping lover. "I'm so sorry Ran." Eyelids fluttered open and amethyst eyes glanced at him.
"Ken?" Ran's usually deep voice was thin and raspy.
"Yes it's me," the brunette answered weakly and swallowed.
"I thought I… Where have you been?" A pale and shaky hand reached for his and Ken grabbed it almost desperatly.
"I'm sorry Ran I just… didn't want to hurt you anymore." Ran's eyes had closed again. Carefully Ken watched his lover's chest until he was certain he saw it rise and fall.
"This is all my fault," a soft slightly hoarse voice suddenly said. The brunette turned around and stared at Borzoi. "I should have known better than to get involved with Takagi again."
"What are you doing here?" Ken asked with confusion and eyed her up and down.
"Ran thought I was a dog among cats and he was right. I cause problems wherever I go, I always have. When I first joined Kritiker I had to use my telapathy all the time just so that my teams would split up because of me. You see my father thaught me to use my body to get what I wanted. I use men's desires for me, cause friends to fight, break lovers apart, kill without a care and I betray anyone if I think it'll benefit me enough. Just look at what I did to you and Ran," Borzoi said sadly and lowered her head. Ken didn't know what to say, he felt so much hate towards her but he also pitied her. "I'm sorry Ken. I know it doesn't change anything but I really am sorry for what I did," she added when he didn't say anything.
"Can you help him?" The auburn haired woman shook her head.
"I can't reach him. He's too sick and too lost, there's no way I can sort out his thoughts." Ken sighed deeply and hugged the limp hand in his.
"He's dying, isn't he?" Borzoi came closer and set her deep blue eyes on Ran's pale face.
"It's not his wounds Ken, it's his heart. He begged you to come back to him so many times but when you didn't he just gave up. But you're here now and if he just can understand that maybe he'll get better," she said quietly and turned her eyes to the brunette. "Ran survived Takagi's beating and that knife for you. You're the only thing that really matters to him Ken."
"I hurt him by being there and then I hurt him even worse by leaving," Ken mumbled and felt tears slide down his cheeks.
"No, don't say that. This is not your fault! I'm the one to blame for this whole mess, that's why I came back. Kritiker wants me removed but I refuse to run away before I've sorted this out."
"How? You said yourself that you can't reach him."
"I can't, but you can Ken. Just stay with him, talk to him so that he knows you're here," she answered and turned around to leave. "When his mind clears up I'll help him."

Ran's mind was a maze. He hurried back and forth trying to find a way out but he just couldn't. Then suddenly a voice reached him, a voice he had begged to be able to hear for so long. Carefully he opened his eyes and dimly saw a familier face.
"Ken?" he asked and desperatly prayed that it wasn't just another illusion.
"Yes it's me." Ran felt his body shiver with relief.
"I thought I… Where have you been?" he asked with confusion and reached out. The bruentte took his hand and squeezed it. Ken was back again and that was all that mattered to Ran. He was safe now. Ken was there holding his hand, finally he could get some rest. Exhausted he closed his eyes again and drifted away.

~TBC~

There we go Ken's back where he should be *phew* But can he get Ran back to the living again? Ano Ran *pokes him* You can't just die on us now *cries* Wake up please?

Oh just one more chapter left! *bounces*/Atsureki