Chapter 3

This still all seemed strange to her. Was she dead and had gone to some odd far off world? Or was she simply in heaven? Whichever the cause, it caused her a tremendous amount of emotional pain. Even with all the recognizable faces and places, it all seemed distant to her. The only person who didn't seem distant to her at the moment, was him.

Shinichi..

She hugged him tighter, her sobs silently stopping. He returned the favor, hugging her as tight as he could, comforting her in anyway that he could. Anything that could help at the moment, made him happy to do. She layed her head on his chest, her fingers wrapping themselves around the edges of his shirt.

Please tell me..Shinichi. Is this all, real? Is it a dream?

The sobs came back for another round.

Is this all a dream?..

"Ran.." He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to lift her up to face him. "What's wrong?" His eyes looked into hers, filled with concern.

She didn't know whether to tell him or not, but her instincts told her not to. Even though she wanted to tell him so badly, she just couldn't. "...nothing." She replied, not daring to look up at him. She was afraid to look at his eyes, those eyes that were easy to deduce so many things. He was, after all, a boy with extraordinary reasoning skills. She was afraid that with just a look into her eyes, Shinichi would be able to figure out everything.

He looked at her, and then sighed. He got up, and walked towards the door. "If you need anyone to talk to, just call me, alright? I'll come and help you." Before he walked out of the door, he turned around. "Oh, and Ran.."

She glanced up, rubbing her eyes trying to take away any new traces of tears that fell.

"...I'll always be here for you." With that, he closed the door behind him, and walked away from the Mouri Detective Agency. She was left there alone, to rethink his words in her head. She didn't know whether to continue sobbing, or chase after him and spill everything. About how she was laying in a hospital room with a bad fever, and then all of a sudden she found herself in their classroom.

But..

She sat there on the couch, completely frozen. It was at that moment, that she realized..how truely alone she was.

The doctors looked over Ran, writing down a couple of things in their clipboards. The only thing that Conan could do at the moment, was watch. He hated feeling like he couldn't do anything to save her. He'd do anything for her, just as long as she wasn't like this. He glanced over his back. Sonoko had a box of tissues with her, talking through her cellphone to her boyfriend, while Eri and Kogoro were discussing things silently to themselves in another corner.

He sighed, walking towards the door that lead to Ran's room. He leaned against the wall, and luckily for him, the door was slightly ajar, so he could hear the conversations that the doctors were having.

"I don't know what's making her act this way doctor.." A nurse would reply, checking over Ran.

"It could be that the fever was so high that it enduced her to go into a coma.." The doctor replied.

"You could be right.." remarked the nurse. "Her fever isn't getting any better either.."

"I hate to say this.." He removed his glasses and cleaned them with a small hankerchief. "But there might not be a chance for her.."

Conan couldn't believe it. There might..might not be a chance for her...? He could feel a heavy burden hovering over his heart. If, she only had a little bit of life left in her, he had wanted to spend it with her as himself, instead of stuck in this damn body. Unfortunately, wishes don't come true so easily. He stumbled to the ground, and looked down on the floor. He sniffled a bit, a few tears falling from his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, as he stood up shakingly, glancing at Ran's somewhat life-less body.

Ran..

"Huh?" She looked up. After Shinichi had left, Ran settled herself for a shower, hoping that that would help her calm down. But it was unfortunate. After wearing a comfortable pair of clothes on, she layed on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly to herself as she layed there. Her eyes were now red and puffy from all the crying. Her face was no longer full of happyness, but of sorrow. Some strands of her began to stick to her face, due to the tears. She sniffled a bit, before laying her head on her pillow thinking to herself. I thought I heard someone call my name..

"Ran, oy Ran!"

She stood up, and looked towards her door. "..Otou-san?"

"Ran!" Indeed, it was her father. "Did you make dinner yet?"

She sniffled a bit, and then rubbed away all traces of tears and sadness from her face. "N-No, but if you want I can make it now." She walked out of her room, and went straight to the kitchen. She grabbed her apron, and washed her hands before turning back to her father.

He seemed shaky as well. His hair was messy, and his eyes were as red and puffy as hers. "Ran, are you okay? You don't seem so good."

"I should say the same thing to you Otou-san.." She sighed. "Were you drinking again?!"

"Bleh, It's not like I can stop it anyways." He scratched his head, and walked to his desk. "Jeez.." He would remark. Ran sighed, placing all the ingredients she needed to make tonight's dish. And that's when she heard it..

Ran-nee-chan!

She dropped the fork to the floor. "What was..?" after picking up the fork, she walked back towards her father. "Otou-san, did you hear anything?"

He blinked. "I didn't hear anything. You're hallucinating."

She sighed, and shrugged walking back to the kitchen. Cleaning the fork, she continued on her task, when she heard it again.

Ran-nee-chan!

She turned around. Unlike the first time, this time it was louder, and sadder. I wasn't hallucinating. I did hear that! She looked over her back, and then to her right and to her left. But nothing. There was nobody in the kitchen that could've said that. She walked out of the kitchen, and looked around the hallway. Still nothing that could've said it. Unless her dad was playing some joke on her, but he didn't really sound like a 7 year old to her.

The voice never came back. It was already the evening, and the food was prepared. She helped her father to his plate, and ate together watching the local news. Nothing strange or of the ordinary happened. The news was just..plain. After the evening news, they finished their meal. Kogoro proceeded to go out with his friends for a few drinks, leaving Ran alone once again. She started to pick up the alcohol bottles and cans left by her father in his room, and cleaned the dishes, and sweeped as well as mop the floor.

She was glad that the voice didn't come back to haunt her. She didn't really enjoy much of that kind of stuff. Once she was done with all her chores, she sat down on the couch, and looked outside the window. She placed her arms on the armchair of the couch, leaning her head on it.

Maybe I'm just thinking too much..

...I mean, this can't be some weird world.

It's probably just my imagination.

Either that or I'm probably dreaming

...but it all seems too real.

Just then, the phone rang. She quickly shook her head, and ran towards the phone. Picking it up, she responded:

"Hello Mouri Detective Agency?"

"Ran, are you feeling better?"

It was Shinichi. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was still filled with concerned over what happened earlier. She sighed, opening her lips to speak. "I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." For the first time, a smile appeared on Ran's face. "You don't have to be so concerned over me Shinichi. I'm alright"

Shinichi could surely tell that Ran was doing okay, and then happily sighed. "I'm glad. I was beginning to worry about you over there.."

She shrugged, and sat on the couch. "It's okay. I'm feeling much better now" Well, somewhat..

"That's cool." He replied. "Want me to come pick you up for school?"

"No, no it's okay. I'll go to your place and we can walk from there.."

"Alrighty, if you say so." They both paused. Ran's lips were opened to speak once more, but they were stopped.

"Hey Ran..there's umm..something I need to tell you and ugh..I just think you should know that.."

She blinked. "Go on?"

"Well, I was wondering if ...umm.."

This wasn't helping at all. She sighed. "It's alright Shinichi"

He blinked. "You're sure?" He blushed on the other side of the phone, and then began to act all nervous. "I mean, well..I've, well..yeah.."

"You can borrow my notebook for class tomorrow if that's what you want."

"Umm, yeah thanks Ran! Hey I gotta go now, but I'll speak to you while we walk to school." He hung up, and then sighed.

Shinichi hit his forehead with his hand, and sweatdropped. Damnit!

Ran hanged up the phone, and then placed it on the receiver. She blushed, smiling a bit and walked towards her room. This isn't so bad..It's just like the old times...

Like the old times? She pondered to herself. Didn't she always spend time with Shinichi? She blinked, and looked up into her ceiling having laid herself on her bed. Her eyes were filled with so many questions, seeking answers.

.....What did I mean by that? And why..why do I keep hearing a little kid calling my name? What was with that bow-tie?...It seemed, so familiar..