Disclaimer: We've been through this ten million times, so I've run out of witty things to say...

Kurama watched the boy carefully for a reaction to his impending doom. He tried desperately to appear relaxed about the situation, and did a moderately good job of looking calm. Maybe he was simply tired of fighting the inevitable.

Hiei only looked at him in bewilderment, as though he didn't know quite what to make of the other boy. "Death doesn't scare you?" he asked in astonishment.

Sighing deeply, the redhead sobered slightly. It was refreshing, meeting someone who didn't know everything about his situation. Someone who wouldn't tread carefully about him, both physically and mentally, as though he were a glass doll that might brake with the slightest movement.

At the same time, it was tiring. The questions he asked caused Kurama to question himself in ways that he was generally trying to avoid. If the situation called for it though, and if it was going to keep the other boy from leaving him for a while, then it was most defiantly worth it.

"Well," Kurama replied carefully. "It doesn't scare me, per say. It's more that the...questionable end is more frightening then the end of my current life." He laughed, although it was clearly forced. "After all," he said, raising his arms to motion at his bed, "What kind of a life is this?"

Hiei watched carefully, as though seriously considering the other boy's response. Then he nodded in understanding and replied with another question. "Are you just used to it then?"

"I wouldn't put it quite like that," Kurama said, wincing slightly. The question was a good one, although the idea of becoming used to death scared Kurama in a way death itself did not. "It's more that my death is so...inevitable that I've simply come to terms with it. Everyone dies, but for most people it's just a far off dream, more of an....impossible legend then a fact. Children, particularly, live in a world all of their own, where, even if everyone around them dies, they themselves won't because it doesn't happen to them, only other people."

The redhead sighed deeply. "Perhaps it's simply that my entire life I've lived with the very realistic possibility that I could die any moment, that it would be so easy."

He laughed again and once more was it sounded forced. He shook his head, as though shaking loose something that was lodged deeply into the very back of his mind. "I remember," he commented, "that I was never quite allowed to act like a child at all. I have always been very sickly. I wanted to go out and play with the other children, but either I had a fever, or not enough energy, or was simply not able to walk. I've completely lost my ability to walk now," he told Hiei casually. "Nerve problems, the doctors said."

Hiei frowned. "But why—?"

The opening of the door cut him off. The broken froze in horror as Kurama looked up obliviously at the woman entering, a happy smile adorning his face. This was not good.

"Hello Mother!" The redhead greeted happily, grinning up at the pretty, black haired woman entering the room as she closed the door softly behind her and took a seat at the edge of his bed.

"Good morning, Kurama dear," she smiled down at him. "My, you're looking happy today."

Hiei knew what he had to do. If this conversation progressed much farther, then something very bad was going to happen. There was only one option, one emergency "exit" so to speak that he had never employed before.

Taking a deep breath, he imagined feeling. The wind across his hair, the sheets of Kurama's bed beneath him. The taste of his own saliva in his mouth and the softness of his own clothes around him. He opened his eyes, still unsure of his success.

"I made a new friend today," Kurama was telling his mother. "This is Hiei," he smiled at the other boy, motioning with his hand. His mother's eyes opened in surprise, and for a second Hiei thought he had failed and Kurama would be carted off to the insane asylum.

"Oh, hello Hiei," the redhead's mother greeted softly. "I didn't notice you there."

I'm sure you didn't, Hiei thought to himself allowing himself a slight turn of the head to acknowledge her presence. Then he turned to Kurama. "I really ought to be going ," he said. "I still have to find that person you know."

Kurama frowned. "You don't have to go, you know," he told the other boy. "I'll still help you."

"That's okay," Hiei shook his head. "I wouldn't want to trouble you. See you later."

Then he completely forgot, and walked straight into the door. Cursing slightly and waving off Kurama's concern, he opened the door and stepped back out into the hall, making himself invisible once more. It was too weird, being solid.

Then he noticed something. Next to the door were the other boy's health papers. It was mostly boring gibberish understood only by the nurses and doctors, but the Broken was suddenly stopped when he came down to the bottom of the paper.

There written in perfectly neat type it said:

Expected lifespan: Under a month

Loyal fans,

I know, I know, I've been terrible about updating. And it's not even that I'm not reading fanfics anymore, it's just that I don't know where to go with most of my stories. Well, I have a general idea, but how do I get the characters there? It's too hard! So, my stories haven't been updated very often. But I will tell you, I haven't dropped them! I still need to fix up the recent chapters of "Fox Child" as it's quality has been deteriorating, I know this, so you needn't tell me. I haven't the faintist idea about what to do about "Fire Thief" so if anyone has any ideas, PLEASE email me. "Don't the Dead" has essentially been dropped and I'll probably take it offline. Everything else I'm hoping to continue. Also, I'm getting a webpage up soon, so I'll let you all know when that's up!

Thanks and Sorry for the delays! Huggies

Dream Fox