She felt bounded. Thrashing wildly, the covers fled from her.

Where was she?

She half threw herself at the door, it opened at her insistence.

Where was she!?

No one seemed to notice as a slip of a girl melt into the hallway. She made it to the elevator, almost free, when she felt her stomach flop.

The elevator doors opened, and she felt it.

Demonsdemonsdemons

Yamato stepped out of the elevator.

North

"You're at a hospital. My father's." His voice speared through the dull hum of orderlies and life support.

"You didn't answer why."

He flinched at the unspoken accusation, she didn't trust him and it shone in her eyes. "This is a little much to just spit out Marron. I don't think-"

"That I can handle it?" Her eyes hardened, "Please. I may be a little unwell but I'm not stupid. If you're keeping something from me I'll find out."

"You're the only one who's keeping yourself in the dark!" He let go of her arm, almost shoving it back at her if not for some unconscious concern, and stepped away. He started again hesitantly, unwilling to meet her glare, "There was… an accident. You're family… You wouldn't stop blaming yourself."

"I…" She abandoned whatever feeling had surfaced. "My parents are in Europe. My father is in France. They called to tell me they were getting a divorce-" Her voice cut off in a sob.

She wasn't crying about the divorce.

"Christ Marron, you think this is easy for me to say? Whatever position you've dreamt up for me, I still remember us to be friends since childhood." He took her into his arms, and she let him. "And I won't let you destroy yourself…"

He rocked her slowly, letting her breath subside into sighs.

-----------------------------------------------------

"Noin."

The doctor spun around sloppily, catching himself before he fell.

"Ah! Nagoya-san... I was just … coming up to um deliver these uh… flowers?"

"My office isn't anywhere near the Psych ward."

Noin sweatdropped and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "…Wrong turn?"

Nagoya pushed aside the flowers, "You were going to Kusakabe-san." He waved Noin's protestations aside, "I know you feel responsible. But you can't help her."

Noin let the flowers drop to his side and leaned against the wall. "I know that. I sent her into hysterics the first time I came to apologize. I… well I didn't really have high hopes for this time either."

"Then why do I keep finding you here?"

"Remember when she was younger? I was a resident and she always came to visit me. Said I was a grumpy old man and needed to give her a lollipop. Took two when I wasn't looking." He chuckled, "Gave one to your smartass kid, other to her brother." His eyes swam with the long gone past.

"I'm sorry you were the one to tell her."

Noin laughed sadly, "I'm not. Couldn't let some stranger tell my little thief."

Nagoya patted his shoulder and left him. There wasn't anything left to say that hadn't already been said.

Noin marked his passing, swallowed hard, "Couldn't save her brother either."

-----------------------------------------------------

Marron sniffed and hiccupped a laugh, "I'm not going to learn anything if you keep getting yourself worked up."

"What, me? You Marron, have a very skewed view on reality." He blanched silently. "Sorry."

She sat up, waving it aside. "Like I'm going to remember?"

"Oh, you've picked up on that trend?"

"Not-"

"-Stupid. Yes, I know."

"So?" she prompted.

"What? Going to need a bit of direction on this."

She sighed impatiently, "Accident? Some rot on my blaming myself?"

"You sure you don't want to talk about the wedding?"

"No, I don't want to talk about the- what!?"

Chiaki laughed openly at her fish mouth. She caught on and punched his arm, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Told Miyako I could handle you." He lounged smugly against the window frame.

She hit him harder, he flinched. "Jackass. And are you calling my friend incompetent?!"

"She's my friend too."

"Right, like you're the king of social grace."

-----------------------------------------------------

Miyako squatted quietly outside the door. A sad smile dancing on her lips. She couldn't help Marron, wouldn't have tried if Chiaki hadn't insisted. She knew he would retract his demand if he saw it was too much for her.

She didn't have to act hard to pull that off.

She listened to their good natured teasing, drawing herself back to a time before, when she was just as likely to be put off for being left out. She was ashamed of it now, the world those two made was not hers to take.

Of course, she wasn't left out by herself.

Her hand bunched closely around her shirt, where her heart used to beat so confidently.

She missed him terribly.