If it wasn't a dream, why did it feel like a nightmare? Kyo's days were filled with people asking him those annoying questions, and one's he had no answers to. People constantly trying to coax food into him, bags with fluids he didn't trust being attached to tubes running into his arms. Visitors looking at him in an irritating way, like they are afraid to say things to hurt him and he might break from the slightest touch. Kagura with her personal greif over the fact that he had refused to marry her when Akito had offered. Haru taking offense at everything anyone said to him. He was feeling some form of guilt and it had him on the verge of going black at every turn.
Shigure was acting oddly quiet, as if he couldn't think of anything funny or perverted in these circumstances, so had no comment on the ready. Tohru looked near to tears. She was afraid to loose another loved one to death and couldn't even come up with a silver lining for Kyo. And that made her even more sad. Nothing her mother had said in her life covered this situation. Momiji had stopped bouncing and just stared at him. Ayame was non existent, Yuki had said that his brother didn't deal well with illness. But, it was just another case of his letting down someone who needed all the support, however annoying, he could give. Kisa and Hiro were not allowed to visit but had called him on the phone, wishing him the best and a speedy recovery(Kisa) and telling him to stop wasting the families time and upsetting Kisa(Hiro). Hatori was his usual clinical self, acting similar to the various other hospital personnel and more interested in his physical being, but still dropping a comment about Kyo needing to think about his actions and how they affected the people who cared about him. The one thing that Hatori had done for Kyo that was greatly appreciated, was to restrict Akito from visiting due to ill health of the Sohma family head. Yuki came daily and brought Kyo his art supplies. He had salvaged the pictures from the desk in Kyo's temporary home, before Akito had the place cleaned and everything thrown away. Kyo allowed him to help organize the pictures in his own special fashion. Explaining to the rat as he did why they had been changed from the way Yuki recalled the events. It was merely as case of perspective, the cat explained, they saw things from a different angle and so saw them in a different way. Yuki only nodded, not willing to call the boy stupid, and accepting the explanation on face value.
His nights were constantly interupted by nurses checking his vital signs and making general nuisances of themselves. He missed the long lingering sleeps he had been privileged with prior and was now haunted in what sleeping times he was allowed with dreams that consisted of himself held down while food was pressed into his mouth until he choked and his clothes pulled tightly around a body round and puffy from overeating and stuffing himself. He was not afraid to die, but was clearly not ready to be turned into a butterball by his overzealous relatives.

To add to all that, today he met the hospital psychologist for the first time. The man sat in his room with a pen and a pad and his glasses balanced on the end of his extremely long nose. His suit was pressed and his socks matched and he was primly decorated with a very bad toupe. He asked Kyo things like, How do you think we can help you? and What do you think our next move should be? Kyo was about to ask him how he slept with himself if he didn't have any answers to questions like that. He knew the antagonistic approach would just get him in deeper but the man was driving him even more crazy. He had to be careful when telling Neko about the man, he knew that this invisible conversationalist would not be understood by the man.

Neko had been strangely silent these days, too. Making an occasional comment only when Yuki was in the room with Kyo. Neko did not trust most of the people suddenly around Kyo, but since he had gotten his name from Yuki, felt he was safe enough. Yuki mostly ignored the voice and directed his answers at Kyo, who wondered if the rat couldn't hear Neko. The 'nurse who wasn't there' heard the comments though and always had something to say about it.

"Why do you talk to yourself, you really are crazy aren't you?"

"Kyo isn't crazy, and I thought you weren't here. Kyo, I'm sorry what were you saying, Tohru brought you something today?" Yuki came to his rescue.

"Yes, she dragged some more riceballs in here. How is anyone supposed to eat that many riceballs? What does she want me to do? I feel bad about making her look so sad, too." Kyo responded.
"Kyo, tell him about what Haru told you this morning." Neko added.
"I know, I was just getting to that. Haru said that Akito was going to come see me this Friday. I don't want to see him, what should I do?"Kyo finished.

"I'll talk to Hatori for you, he can possibly keep Akito away for awhile longer. Would that help?" His cousin asked.

"I guess I can't put it off forever, can I?" Kyo looked a little down now.

"Probably not. Akito is the head of the family. But, at least for now, no one can be here alone with you." Yuki gestured to that certain 'empty spot' making notes on the chart at the foot of Kyo's bed. She looked up at him, dumbfounded. Kyo smirked at her. She growled at him.

"Would you stay here with me when he comes? It would make Neko feel better." This was the first time Kyo had mentioned the other voice to his cousin. His fear that Yuki would leave him alone with Akito outweighing his hesitancy to admit to the irrational behavior.

"It would be a good idea I suppose. I am not excited about being alone with Akito either, but I would understand you wanting someone to support you. I'll talk to Hatori, he would know best." Yuki smiled then, "And we must cater to the baka Neko, musn't we?"

Kyo looked up questioningly. Had Yuki just made a joke? Kyo couldn't remember his cousin ever joking with him, before. And he gave credence to Neko, without making Kyo feel awkward about it at the same time. His cousin surprised him. Kyo slowly forced a smile in response. He wasn't sure what to do. Yuki had been treating him differently, almost like a friend. He hadn't realized it until now. He had just been treating the rat like he was in his dream and not really thought about the discrepancies until now. Yuki rose from his chair and reached out his hand. Kyo instinctively jumped back from the contact.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I was just going to tell you I have to leave. You were kinda spaced out for a second." Kyo stared at him and nodded softly.

"Eh, okay. See you tomorrow." he said automatically. Yuki smiled and walked to the door.

"Anything you want me to bring?" Kyo shook his head and Yuki left. Why had he just assumed that Yuki would come tomorrow. Why did he want to see his cousin again? He hadn't said anything to anyone else about them returning. No, it wasn't an accident. Kyo wanted Yuki to return, needed that consistency. The nurse pulled his hand into her arm, and strapped a band around it. He ignored her as she pumped the cuff full of air and raised her watch. She was not one to leave him alone and decided to interject her comments here.

"I don't understand why that boy comes here. He isn't helping you any. He doesn't even seem to care that you aren't eating anymore than you did." She jerked the cuff off, redid the straps that held him to the bed, and proceeded to replace one of the bags from the hook in the corner. Kyo stared at the door and imagined his cousin making progress out of the many halls and doors. Why did Yuki come to see him? He never pressed Kyo about eating like the others. He never looked at him like he was some kind of a monster. Yuki had even seen his true form, and never looked away. Kyo closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillows. Life was too confusing for the cat. He drifted off into a shallow dream filled sleep.