Disclaimer: Anything used from Detective Conan or Magic Kaito belongs to their owners.

Masked Memories

By: mysteriousangelgirl

Chapter 2: Disaster

After Ran had come to find him, Shinichi had been expecting another visit within the week. But days became weeks and weeks became months. It almost half a year later, Shinichi had graduated from Tokyo University, and had finally gotten a permanent license as a detective for the Tokyo Police Force. He got many cases, and managed to solve them all with little difficulty, but he was still bothered by the fact that he hadn't heard from Ran for so many months. There was no phone call, no letter, no visit, no nothing. Finally, Shinichi gave up waiting for her and decided she must have gone back to America and was too busy to contact him.

Then one day, as Shinichi was driving home from work, he happened to drive by the Beika Central Hospital. What caught his eye was the sight of a young girl in a wheelchair. She looked just like Ran, except that she was very pale and didn't look like the strong Ran that he knew. But he was sure that it was her because of the woman and man standing next to her that he recognized as her parents. As he was staring at the sight, he almost ran a red light and quickly changed lanes to drive into the parking lot of the hospital. He was rushing toward the three when a nurse came up to Ran and started to wheel her away.

"Wait, ojisan, what's wrong with Ran?" he yelled, trying to reach them.

Kogoro turned around and his eyes widened as he realized who had called him. "The kid again."

Eri-san said something to her husband that Shinichi couldn't hear, and Kogoro nodded. Shinichi finally caught up to the two, but Ran had already been wheeled back into the hospital.

"What....what happened to her?" He said in short breaths.

Eri-san looked away. Kogoro looked down. Shinichi didn't know what to say. He didn't know Ran's parents that well. They had moved away too quickly for him to get to know them. Just as he thought he should give up asking, Eri-san said softly, "Kogoro, just tell him."

Kogoro sighed. He mentioned to a nearby bench. "Let's sit down."

As the two grief-stricken parents sat down and sighed, Shinichi silently followed suit, afraid to her what had happened to his best friend. Kogoro begin talking about the past and how the family had been separated.

"When Ran was only seven, Eri and I got into this big fight. Eri was really upset, so she stormed out of the house." Kogoro stole a look at his wife, but she showed no emotion. "Then when Ran came home with you, Eri came home and took her away too. At first, I thought it was all for the best since we've been arguing a lot before too. So I decided to forget it and move on. That's why when I moved out of the apartment. Then when Ran was seventeen, Eri had come back to Japan on a business trip, bringing Ran with her, and I coincidentally met up with them. We talked things out, and we decided that it was stupid fight and became friends. Then I saw the sad expression on Ran's face when Eri and her were going to go back to America. I couldn't bear to let my daughter suffer like that."

Eri spoke up. "So I worked it out Kogoro. And then half a year ago, I managed to find a job here and move back with Ran. And the first thing Ran did was go see you." Eri smiled slightly at Shinichi. "I'm not surprised. When I saw the two of you together, I knew you had a special relationship going on." Shinichi fingered the locket he was wearing. "So it was really hard seeing Ran cry about you. You know, she watched every case you solved, cut out every article in the paper about you. She even went through all the old newspapers that Kogoro had to see if you were in any of them."

Shinichi looked surprised. "She....she did?"

Eri nodded. "I didn't notice until 10 years later, and then we happened to meet up with Kogoro. I thought it was about time to come back home. And to complete our family."

Shinichi nodded and Kogoro took over. "But then, when Eri and Ran just moved back, and after Ran went to see you, it was snowing and......."

Shinichi looked up as the man stopped talking and swallowed, painfully. "And the other driver couldn't control their car and crashed into Ran's car......."

Shinichi's eyes grew wide. No way...... Kogoro continued, quietly. "The other driver died on the spot due to impact, but Ran somehow survived. But she was in a coma for a week, then she woke up for a day, and then slipped back into this vegetative state. That was 5 months ago......and she still hasn't come out of it......the doctors are starting to think it's hopeless."

"NO, never! Ran will come of this vegetative state! I know she will!!" Shinichi stood up, his voice shaking.

"But, Kudo-kun. When she woke up for a day months ago, she couldn't remember anything. She didn't remember us, or who she was," Eri said.

"Did.....did she forget me too?" Shinichi whispered, sitting back down onto the bench.

"We...we don't know."

Shinichi sighed. "Can.....can I go see her?"

Eri looked at Kogoro. Then she nodded. "Room 344. We don't know what to do. Maybe you can get her out of this state......you're the only hope."

Shinichi stood up, and with a quick nod at the parents, headed over to the front door of the hospital.

Eri and Kogoro watched Shinichi disappear into the hospital.

"Do you think he'll help?" Kogoro asked.

Eri sighed. "I don't know. But he might. That's all we can hope for."

Kogoro nodded and put an arm around his wife, who leaned on his shoulder. No one knew how much pain their hearts was bearing just by looking at them.

-in the hospital room-

Shinichi gazed down at Ran, who was sleeping soundly on the white hospital bed. She was very pale, and looked a bit ghostly with her dark chocolate hair. Shinichi stood next her bed, his heart hurting for his best friend. Carefully, he took her hand and squeezed it lightly.

"Ran. It's me."

There was no response.

"I'm so sorry. It was all because you came to see me........that you're like this now."

Shinichi felt his eyes filling up.

"I wish......I wish that......that you'd wake up......not for me, but for your parents. They're really worried. And......when you do.....please......please remember them.....they love you, Ran. I think they've had enough pain in their lives, to last them 10 lifetimes......And all I can do now is pray, but.....maybe you'll hear me. Maybe you can hear right now. So.....if you can, Ran.........please wake up. Please......."

Shinichi kissed her hand lightly and then set it down on the bed lightly. Then he wiped his eyes and turned to leave. Just as his hand closed around the doorknob, he heard a beep. He whipped his head around to see the monitor beside Ran's bed flashing wildly. What?? Shinichi bolted out of the room to get a doctor or a nurse.

When the doctor arrived at the room, he was stunned.

"No way.....that's her heart monitor......for a while, it's been decreasing steadily, and now.....it's increasing steadily. That means she might actually get out of this vegetative state!!"

Shinichi blinked. Then he smiled. Ran, you can do it. Just a bit more. Just then, Eri and Kogoro burst through the door.

"Is it true?? Her heart rate is returning??"

The doctor nodded, and then suddenly got into a very deep conversation with Kogoro and Eri. Shinichi smiled at Ran one last time before quietly slipping out of the room.

As Shinichi quietly returned home, his heart was filled with many emotions. He felt pain, sadness, anger, guilt and a whole bunch more that he couldn't think of words for. As Shinichi thought over what had happened during the day, he suddenly felt a special pain. It was a different pain. Shinichi felt his heart ache for Ran in a different way, not as a friend but because he loved her. That's why he hadn't felt complete when Ran wasn't with him. So now, even if Ran was never going to wake up, he'd still feel happy just being by her side and watching over her.

Shinichi realized how important Ran was to him now, so he made a vow. No matter what happened, he would protect Ran with all his heart and strength. He didn't know how much that would impact his life and Ran's life until much later........

-to be continued-

Sorry about the delay. I just got really lazy. And also sorry about the really quick reunion, I just didn't feel like going on for so long......Well, sorry about this chapter too. I'm really not in the mood for writing, but I thought that if I didn't update soon, people would get mad or stop reading my fics, and that isn't what I want. And sorry if you think it's getting kind of sappy.....Okay, enough of my blabbering......I hope you'll review, even if it's only a word, just so I know people actually read it.......Please review!!! Thanks!!!