The psychologist was less than reassuring. Yuki sat in the large overstuffed chair in the man's office and listened to him spout rhetoric about Kyo's case. Yuki had figured out by now that the man didn't have the slightest idea what was causing Kyo to purge.

Yuki had finally gotten the boy to eat, and now the baka was throwing it up almost as fast as he was putting it in. It was so disheartening for his cousin. How would he ever get out of the hospital if he kept this up, and even after Yuki had told him about the apartment and Kagura's job, it continued. He had even resorted to talking to 'Neko' about this, and getting Kyo to accept that he was talking to the alternate personality without him was a headache in the making.

Neko, he found, held all the answers to the feelings and desires of the orange haired boy, but was very obstinant and distrustful of his intent. At best, Kyo accepted his help without arguement, though Yuki knew that he was just waiting to find out what the catch was. Neko wouldn't even give him that much. He didn't trust anything Yuki offered.

All he could figure at this point was that Kyo felt hopeless. He needed to know that there was a chance. That things would eventually work out.

Yuki got through in a small way when, in a flash of brilliance, he smuggled a small kitten into the hospital to visit his cousin.

Kyo was reading something, it looked like manga, when the nezumi slipped silently into the room. The hospital had stopped requiring that the nurse or someone be present when Kyo had visitors, and now the visits could be more personal. He was wearing a suit with a jacket and held his burden under the lapel. It squirmed near his heart and was trying to climb up his shoulder. Kyo looked up and eyed him suspiciously. Yuki grinned and crossed to him, to pull it out from under the jacket and allow it to cross the blanket to Kyo.

The effect was instantaneous. Kyo's eyes lit up and an easy grin filled his face. He looked up as the small black feline reached him and allowed itself to be lifted in a caress. Yuki smiled at him. The Kitten had begun to purr, and Yuki was surprised it couldn't be felt in other rooms. He had never heard a cat purr that loudly, well quite honestly he had never heard an actual cat purr. They weren't exactly on his list of favorite animals to play with, even as a child.

"Where did you get this?" Kyo asked as he held the small ball of fur to his cheek.

"I have a friend at school and when I told her how much you like cats, she brought it for you. Her cat had them a couple of months ago. Do you like it?" Yuki was hopeful.

"IT is a HE. And yes I like him. What is his name?" Kyo informed and asked.

"I guess that's what I like about HIM the best. His name is 'Hopeful'. She said that he was the runt and she named him that because she was hopeful that he would live. He wouldn't nurse and she had to hand feed him." The girl actually had been entrusted by Yuki with all the details of his cousins infirmity. This was how she had come to think of the kitten as a possible pet for him.

"This was a runt? She must have overfed him. He's huge for two months." Kyo was examining the cat all over and measuring him up.

"She says he more than makes up for it now. But, he is the perfect size. All of the kittens are this size now. She wants you to have him. Do you want him?" Yuki asked.

"Mine? I never had just one cat before. Not one of my own. It's a lot of work you know? I could do it though. But, I can't have a cat in here." Kyo started to sound a little down about it. Then it happened.

"I guess we have to get out, eh Kyo?"
"Get out, Neko?"
"Yes, you know what that means don't you?"
"Yes, Neko."
"He needs us, Kyo. He needs us to get out."
"I know."
"You. Rat. Will you take care of Hopeful for us until we get out?"

"Yes, Neko. Of course, I will. I'll help anyway I can. What else can I do?"

"Kyo needs to see your progress. He needs to know that things are as you say, outside. Show him that. It will help. I will do what I can." Yuki smiled. Talking to Kyo like he was not here, and talking to some one who was a caretaker of his cousins body was strange. But, so was his cousin after all. Neko seemed to be the self preservation part of Kyo. Neko wanted Kyo to improve, but didn't trust those who took care of him. And Yuki had been part of the family that had allowed his imprisonment in the first place, why would Neko trust him?

"I'll do what I can. Make sure he knows that We are all out for his best. We all want him to get well." The orange head just nodded as he handed the kitten to Yuki.

Hopeful was not happy to be removed from the hands of his new owner. The kitten clawed at Yuki painlessly and attempted to squirm free. "Just like you Kyo, stubborn and feisty."