KudoEdogawa presents...

"Everlasting"

***

Chapter 7::

There were three police cars parked downstairs when he arrived, and the hospital have put up a sign saying that no more visitors and new patient will be allowed except emergencies. Takagi and Satou were waiting outside and sighed when they saw Shinichi and Heiji arrive, they were relieved that he got here safely, but also sad for him as the afternoon sun mercilessly reflected its rays on his disappointed face.

Sonoko, Kazuha, and Eri sat on the bench outside the room that Ran was supposed to be in. Kazuha was blaming herself and sobbing softly, with Sonoko and Eri comforting her. Though Eri appeared to be alright, her heart was in deep pain, if Ran's being with Shinichi meant so much suffering, then would it be best if he left her? Or, if worse comes to worse, she leave him. Eri closed her eyes and shook her head lightly, how could she do such a thing? After all, she and Kogoro were so deeply in love as well, it was unbearable for her when Kogoro had died, and she thought that Fate was unfair to her... and who is she to decide Ran and Shinichi's happiness?

Heiji leaned on the wall opposite to Kazuha and Shinichi was facing the wall, his right arm leaning against it and supporting his head. He was to blame for this all, not the Organization, not the Eagles, and certainly not Kazuha, but himself. If he had just controlled his own curiosity and sense of justice for one single night, then none of these would've happened.

Inside the room, Officers Megure and Shiratori were command a group of inspection team who were busy scanning the entire room and finger-printing every squared millimeters. "Don't worry," Megure said more than once, "We'll help you get Ran, and Hiro-kun back. This has gone too far, those people must be stopped."

"She doesn't deserve this, Hattori," Shinichi said hoarsely. "Her life changed ever since that night, she's not supposed to be so unfortunate."

"You don't deserve it either, Kudo," Heiji comforted. "Everyone knows how much the two of you love each other, and I know that the pain in your heart right now is not lightly measured."

"I can't even protect someone I love!" He shouted, but only so that Heiji hears him, "I wasn't there to help her in the end at the theatre, and was instead protected by her when the restaurant blew up, she almost got shot in that castle, and then she lost her memory and almost got ran over by a train, and then she risked her life to save me, once at the Gemini Towers and once in the game! And that time in Kyoto... they almost got us....*"

"It's not your fault," Heiji said and laid a friendly hand on his shoulder, his own expression sorrowful.

"You might want to stop crying, Kudo-kun," a tiny voice said behind him.

He turned around: it was Haibara. Looking quite bored with her hands behind her back. "Just to let you know, that girl who looked like me has not shown up for quite a while."

"And...?" Shinichi questioned.

"Nothing," Ai replied, "Just thought I'd let you know. And by the way, Ayumi-chan said that the nurse at the front desk refused to let Ran go, but whoever took her insisted." And she walked to join the Detective Boys, who were busy questioning every nurse and doctor in the hospital.

Shinichi remained silent for a while and though to himself. He must calm down, he cannot let his anxiety and pressure take over. He closed his eyes and thought. There were no clues. Not yet, for the finger-printing process was not complete. But if a member of the Eagles or the Black Organization came and took her, the nurses must know something's not right by their looks and attitude. Plus, Officer Megure have long declared that Ran is a special patient and no one except certain people may see her. ...Which meant that it was someone who Ran knew, Shinichi thought. Heiji did not interrupt him, he need to think and be left alone, so he stayed and supported Shinichi with silence. But Shinichi could not concentrate, all he could think of is what could've happened to Ran by now, and his mind sped through his memory to high school, the happy times before he was shrunken. But somewhere in between those memories two letters flashed, he could not read it the first time, and the letters flashed again. One is the letter L...

The other is C.

Shinichi sped downstairs to the parking lot and hopped onto his red car--Ran had picked the color, obviously. Heiji had offered his help, but Shinichi insisted that he go alone.

After all... this is something that only he could solve.

~*~

"It's strange how cruel Fate could be, isn't it Ran?" Her hand brushed away the hair that covered Ran's eyes, the afternoon sun shining on the lifeless face. "It's like you can't trust anyone anymore, and everything you've known to be true in your life has been a lie, even those that you had so much faith and trust in, right?

"If you were conscious now, I know that you'd hate me... don't. You deserved it. As much as I like you and appreciate the times that we've been friends. Fate is so unfair, is it not? Just when I was the most happy, you had to come and destroy it all. Right when I thought that I have a perfect and normal family, I realize that my family is just a part of a great threat to society... do you know how much harm that realization was? You don't, do you? After all, you have everything you need, a family, tons of friends, a husband, AND a son. You were never pressured to continue the family business and to keep making money. You had it all... family, friends, love, and happiness. I hate you for that.... You took him. Him and I were not friends as we used to be, and he's got his thoughts all spinning around the little Hell that is you and your son!!"

The woman calmed down, and retrieved a gun from the inner pocket of her black jacket and pointed it at the girl in front of her. "It was nice to meet you... you gave me a reason to hate. Goodbye now."

Through the windows she could see a red car approaching, moments later the doorbell rang. Frustrated that she'd have to leave the murder for later, she left the bed where the girl was placed, returned the gun to its original position, and went downstairs to meet her guest.

"Where is she?" Shinichi said as the door was opened.

"Who?"

"You know who. I know you've got her, now where is she?!" Shinichi made an attempt to go into the house, but the woman pushed him aside.

"Calm yourself, Shinichi! Now what on Earth what your talking about?"

"Don't play games with me! Now you can either give her back to me, or I'd have to hurt you!"

The woman was stunned... the man whom she's loved for so long would actual hurt her... for that other woman?

Shinichi seized the chance and dashed in the house. He was reaching for the handrail of the stairs when a bullet hit and busted the delicate structure.

"Stay right there! Or else you'll die before that woman!!" The woman cried.

Shinichi turned around, his expression calm, yet also disappointed. "So it is you isn't it?" He said, "...Shiho."

====================================================================

*Referring to all of the incidents in the movies

Waaah... I didn't get any reviews last chapter. Oh well, this chapter took quite a while, for rants and excuses, go to my profile page.

Hmm, hmm... could this possibly turn into a S/S like "Always"? You'll hafta find out ^_~