How I Feel
Chapter the sixth: It's Too Hard
Conan gagged and vomited. Kazuha screamed.
'No! It can't be! It can't!' his mind screamed. He wiped his mouth and with shaking hands he pulled away at the rest of the cloth. And got an enormous surprise. Then his heart filled with pain and guilt.
Lying half unconscious inside the bag was a boy. A boy obviously from Osaka judging by skin color. His hair was black and his eyes were closed. He was swamped in clothes much too large for his small frame. His chest moved up and down, signaling he was still alive. But anyone could tell he needed medical attention. A large bruise covered the left side of his face, marring his handsome features. Blood seeped gently from a stab wound in his left shoulder. His leg was at an odd angle and that too was bleeding. The small dot on the side of his neck confirmed Conan's suspicions. The small dot from a needle injection. He was covered in old and new blood.
"Call the police, Kazuha!" Conan shouted. She nodded quickly, trying to get over her shock and dialed the number on her cell phone.
"Hello? Hello?" her voice was frantic. "Please, we found a body!" pause; "I don't know, it's a boy, eight or seven maybe," she listened again. "We're by the Teitan High School, a few buildings down, there's an alley," she paused again. "Thank you!" she hung up.
"Will they be here soon?" Conan asked. He was applying pressure to the stab wound on the boy's shoulder to stop the bleeding. Kazuha found the boy incredibly familiar.
"Yeah," she said. "Soon." He nodded.
"Can you try to stop the bleeding?" he asked, nodding his head towards the boy's broken leg. She nodded and tore a long strip off the cloth of the large shirt the boy was covered in and tied it tightly around his leg as a makeshift bandage. Police sirens rang in the distance.
"Go get the police," Conan said. Not caring she was taking orders from an eight year old; she got up and ran to stand in the street. She called out as they stopped at the high school and ran to greet them. When he was sure they were alone for the moment, he looked down at the injured child.
"Wake up," he whispered. "Come on, wake up!" the boy stirred and opened his eyes blearily. His raspy breathing was ringing in Conan's ears.
"K-Kudou?" the boy whispered. Conan squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds, holding back tears that threatened to spill out. When he opened his eyes again, the boy with the confirmed identity was staring at him.
"Just lay still, Heiji," he whispered. "Don't answer any questions they ask you."
"Why?" Heiji wondered quietly.
"Because you got the same treatment I did. And until we work this out together, don't say a word to anyone," Conan told him. Heiji nodded weakly and closed his eyes.
"Wh-where?" he muttered groggily.
"Go back to sleep, Heiji," Conan whispered. Heiji nodded slightly and drifted off again. Conan took a deep, shuddering breath. This was terrible.
---
Kazuha called out to the policemen as they pulled to a stop in front of the school. She ran foreword and motioned for them to follow her. A police officer got there first and followed her down the alley. When they got there, they saw Conan cradling the unknown child's head in his lap, whispering things to him. It broke Kazuha's heart. Even the police officer, a large muscular man with a bushy mustache, felt his heart twinge at the sight.
The officer walked up slowly and determinedly to the two boys. He knelt down and Conan looked up. Their eyes met and Conan looked away first.
"Hey kid, I'm going to take him now okay?" the officer said kindly. "I just want to help."
"Will he be okay?" Conan asked.
"I don't know. We'll get him to a doctor and we'll see okay? But you have to let go now," he said gently. Conan nodded and released his friend. The officer picked up the boy, wrapping him in the large clothing, and carried him off. Conan sat on the ground staring after him before getting to his feet and following. Kazuha grabbed his hand as he was going past.
"Do you know him, Conan?" she asked seriously. He nodded silently and went after the policeman again.
"Can I come?" he asked.
"Sorry son," the man said gravely. "But your friend has to do this on his own." Conan stopped and watched as the ambulance pulled away.
"Conan," Kazuha whispered to him as they waited in the lobby of the hospital.
"Yeah?" he asked looking up at her.
"It's almost dawn, maybe we should call Ran," she suggested.
"Ma-am," a doctor's voice interrupted. She looked up. "He's come out of surgery."
"Will he be okay?" Conan asked urgently.
"He'll be fine," the doctor assured the worried boy. "He's in room 300."
"Thanks," he said quickly, running off. Kazuha looked at the doctor.
"Will he really be okay?" she asked.
"Yes, of course. But we think he might have amnesia. He either wouldn't or couldn't answer any questions we asked. His name, his age...he just didn't seem to know," the doctor said grimly. Kazuha nodded.
"How do you think Conan will take it?" she asked. The doctor paused.
"It all depends on the relationship. 'I'm going to transfer you to a police officer now. He'd like to ask some questions," the doctor said. She nodded. A few minutes later, a man in police uniform came and sat across form her.
"Hello ma'am," he greeted. "I'm Officer Takagi Wataru. We just want you to answer a few questions, basic procedure."
"Alright," she nodded.
"What is Conan's relationship with the boy?" he asked.
"He hasn't told me. Whenever I ask him he gets quiet and wont answer," she told him.
"And what is your name?"
"Toyama Kazuha," she replied.
"And he is Toyama Conan?" the officer asked, writing notes on a clipboard.
"No, Edogawa Conan. He's staying with a friend of mine," she told him.
"Oh I see, I remember now," Takagi said. "And why were you out tonight?"
"We've been going through hard times lately. So I decided to take him out to get his mind off of things. That's when we found the little boy," Kazuha said.
"I see. Just a few more questions and we'll be all done."
---
Shinichi ran through the hospital corridors, ignoring snippy nurses and grouchy doctors. When he reached room 300, he skidded to a halt and rushed into the room. Heiji, who had been staring out the window at the rising sun, looked over as he entered. He smiled drowsily and relaxed, sinking into the blankets. His leg was in a cast and his chest was heavily bandaged. The blankets were pulled up to his shoulders.
"How are you feeling?" Conan asked.
"Tired," Heiji replied quietly.
"Have you told them anything?" Conan asked anxiously.
"No," Heiji whispered.
"Good. Thought of a name?" he asked.
"Haven't had time," he replied.
"Arthur," Conan whispered. Heiji looked at him curiously.
"Arthur? Is that American?" he asked.
"I think. I don't know all I can think of is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. So if anyone asks, now you're Arthur, eight years old, my cousin from Osaka," Conan said quickly as he heard approaching footfalls.
"I'm tired," Heiji whispered.
"Okay. Try and get rest," Conan said softly. Heiji nodded and fell asleep.
"Conan?" Kazuha's voice called quietly.
"Kazuha?" he asked.
"Hey, how's your friend doing?" she asked.
"He's tired," Conan answered simply.
"Will you tell me how you know him?" she inquired.
"He's Arthur."
"How do you know Arthur?"
"He's my cousin."
"Your cousin?" Kazuha wanted to confirm.
"Yeah," Conan replied. "I haven't seen him for a long time."
"How long?"
"Since..." he pretended to count on his fingers, "I was five."
"I called Ran. She's on her way. Do you want to wait for her here or in the lobby?" Kazuha asked.
"I want to stay here," Conan answered. Kazuha nodded and stood up.
"I'll meet Ran downstairs," she said. He didn't reply. She sighed sadly and headed out of the room. Conan climbed into the chair next to the bed and sat on the edge, staring at his sleeping friend. He felt terribly guilty. It was his fault Heiji had gotten kidnapped and shrunken. And he didn't want to be forgiven.
"Conan-kun? Conan-kun!" he heard Ran exclaim. "I was worried sick!"
"Yeah," he grunted.
"So this is him?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," Conan repeated.
"What's his name?" Ran asked curiously.
"Arthur," he replied.
"Oh," Ran whispered. "Were you close?"
"I guess," Conan muttered.
"You don't really want to talk to me now, do you?" she asked sadly. He didn't answer. "It's okay. I'll leave you alone." She got up and left the room. He leaned against the armrest of the chair and after a while, he fell into a deep stress-induced sleep.
---
When Ran entered the hospital room the next morning, she smiled softly at the site before her. Conan was still in the chair, but he was slumped over the bed, his head resting on his arms. Arthur was awake, facing him, watching with slight confusion and interest. He looked over wearily as she entered.
"Hi," she said awkwardly. He didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.
"Um, my name is Ran. I live with Conan-kun," she started. "And you'll come to live with us too, if you want." She watched him silently. He didn't say anything to her for a while. Then:
"H –," he started hoarsely, but stopped.
"Are you thirsty?" she asked. He nodded slightly. "I'll be right back." She turned and left. A little while later, she came back with a water bottle. Ran gently lifted Conan of the bed and wrapped him in a blanket and he curled up tiredly. After setting him in the chair and removing his glasses, she turned back to Heiji. She gently maneuvered him into a half sitting position. He winced slightly but didn't interrupt. After drinking some water, she laid him back on the pillows and pulled the blankets up.
"Thank you," he whispered, blushing slightly. She smiled.
"No problem," she assured him. He shifted in the bed, burrowing into the warm blanket. She smiled gently and tucked him in. He fell asleep almost instantly.
After a few hours, Conan woke up. He stirred and blinked drowsily, looking around. He squinted at Ran and straightened. She smiled.
"Good morning," she whispered. She handed him his glasses, which he put on immediately.
"Ran-neechan?" he whispered.
"You've been asleep. I just came to check on you," she said.
"Arthur?" he asked indicating to the sleeping boy in bed. She looked over and he followed her gaze.
"He woke up earlier," she said. Conan paused. "He was thirsty. Then he fell back to sleep."
"Oh," he said minimally. He saw Heiji stir and looked up at Ran.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Will you call Dr. Agasa and ask him to come over?" he asked quickly. She nodded.
"Sure Conan-kun. Why?" she asked getting up.
"Oh, he'll want to know that H – Arthur is okay! Okay thanks Ran," he said hurriedly. She nodded, slightly confused and left the room. He closed the door behind her. Heiji watched him with a raised eyebrow as he shoved a chair under the doorknob.
"What are you doing that for?" he asked as Conan shoved a towel in the crack under the door.
"Don't want to be overheard," he muttered. He nodded, smiling at his work, then turned and climbed up onto the hospital bed. The two 'boys' faced each other, not speaking for a while.
"I'm sorry," Conan said finally.
"Don't be," Arthur said, waving a hand.
"It's my fault," Conan muttered, shaking his head.
"It wasn't."
"It was."
"Shut up Kudou."
"If it weren't for me you would've been safe."
"Shut up, Kudou!"
"But if –"
"Look, if it'll make you feel better, It's your entire fault," Heiji said exasperatedly.
"Thank you," Shinichi said with a sigh.
"There, all better," Heiji said, sounding satisfied.
"Conan-kun? Dr. Agasa is here," Ran's voice called, muffled through the door. They exchanged a panicked glance.
"Um – coming Ran-neechan," he called.
"Why did you close the door?" she asked, jiggling the knob. "Conan-kun, what are you doing in there?"
"Nothing, nothing!" he called, ripping the towel from under the door. He threw it into the bathroom and removed the chair from under the doorknob.
"Conan-kun!" Ran shouted, sounding angrier.
"One sec," he said, reaching up and unlocking the door. It burst open, sending him crashing into the wall. Ran gasped.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she cried. He sat up, rubbing his head dizzily. Arthur, sitting up in bed, was laughing so hard he was crying. Conan scowled at him. Ran checked the bump on his forehead worriedly and frowned.
"No problem, Ran-neechan," he said blinking, making his eyes go crossed.
"I'm so sorry!" she repeated. "Come here," she said, picking him up.
"You're such a dork!" Heiji wheezed from the bed, clutching his stomach. Dr. Agasa was smirking as well. Ran set Conan down on the chair and pulled up a chair next to him.
"Ran-neechan will you go get me some water?" he asked innocently. She nodded and left. Agasa closed the door and sat across from Conan.
"So," Shinichi started. "This is Heiji."
"And he was shrunk too?"
"Yes."
"By the same people?"
"Yes."
"I see," Dr. Agasa said, rubbing his chin. "Well now our problem seems to have gotten bigger."
"How hard can it be?" Arthur asked.
"Harder than you think. You can't tell anyone who you are, you have to pretend you have the mind of a child and be treated like one," Conan said. "You may think it's easy, but it isn't. You'll be surprised." Arthur was silent.
---
PRIVATE - I don't think I'll get flames for killing Heiji if I didn't kill him
Sphinx - hehehe I'm evil
Firestorm2004 - TERMINALLY SHORT?!? That's a good one!
Tant - Heiji's okay. For now. ::Smiles evilly::
Southpaw - ... Are you saying that you like the story because I have good grammar and you don't even like the content? ::scowls::
ladyneria - I updated! Hope you like this chapter as much as the last