Second Chapter Two

A/N: So, I may not have said this before, but you NEED to read the first installment 'What the Hell Kind of Dream is This' in order to understand what is happening here. Please, enjoy the rest of this chapter.

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The medical personal had come and taken Ryou to the nearest hospital, Ichigo in worried tow. She'd called Keiichiro to tell him, he said something along the lines of 'I knew this would happen', but Ichigo hadn't paid enough attention. Now, sitting in the waiting room, along with the four other mews, she wished she had listened. It could have been important.

The minutes ticked passed, slower than hot summer days with no costumers and little else to do besides clean. Slower than an eternity. Finally, one of the mews snapped, and it wasn't the likely candidate. It was Minto, the second mew to be found. Standing she marched her way from one side of the waiting room to the other where Ichigo sat, alone. Minto's heels clicked along the tile as she made her way there. Once before her 'friend' and stuck out a pointed right index finger.

"Why are you just sitting here?" she demanded coldly. Crying like some lost, helpless puppy dog! Have you given in finally Momomia-san?" Minto asked, triumph in her voice. She'd been waiting for a moment to strike, knock Miss-Kitty-Cat off her thrown.

Ichigo however didn't look up at the blue haired girl, her head stayed down in her hands, shoulders shaking from tears that were starting to build on the floor. This was her fault, she knew it, she'd heard it. Ryou and Keiichiro that morning had been speaking quietly, but her cat ears picked up so much. The two had been talking of the day ahead and Ryou's aliments from the nights before. Apparently he'd had similar spasmodic movements as Ichigo.

The mews on the other side of the room muttered things to each other quietly, Ichigo didn't care to hear and just continued to sod. Minto had put her hand down, but it was now on her hip as she glared down at Ichigo.

"Look at me when I talk to you!" she hissed, tapping Ichigo's shoe with her own. À I'm not going to wait around here forever. The crying Ichigo looked up at Minto, her eyes filled with tears, cheeks stained and red from rubbing.

"That's better. Now answer my question! Why are you sitting here crying! Have you really given in? Minto's words were dipped in whiskey and dunked in vinegar. Harshly spoken to her fighting partner.

"I don't know what to do." Ichigo cried out as she looked blankly at Minto, more tears flowing. "It was horrible. After he passed out, he was crying, and screaming Kicking and coughing and…" she couldn't go on as she faced the girl. Ichigo bit her right hands finger nails and the other pulled at her skirt frantically as she was on the verge of hysterics. She slouched back in her chair, Minto looked down alarmed as she retreated a few paces, terror in her hard eyes. What had gone on? She hadn't known but, she didn't think it could have been that bad… Zakuro soon stood and walked to Minto, arm around the shorter girls waist. Muttering something in that mature voice, she and Minto finally returned to their seats.

Hours later, Ichigo was the only one left waiting, late into the night too. Keiichiro had come out every now and then to check on her needs, but she just shook her head, shoulders heaving in cries.

"You really should go Momomiya-chan, it's almost midnight. Rest is better for you than sitting here." he said on the third visit to her. Ichigo hadn't even noticed he had come out, nor did she notice the clock that said quarter of eleven.

"I can't go! I feel terrible. I was so mean to him, I'm always so mean to him and now he's in the ER and intensive care!" she cried out, shoulders shaking violently. Inside, the pink haired girl felt like vomiting, and she didn't care if she did either. She had been mean, no, disgusting. Always yelling at him when he only tried to do best for her and the mews. So occasionally he was crude, that didn't mean this had to happen… Distantly, she heard footsteps close the gap that was between her and Keiichiro and soon the brown haired man was kneeling before her. "Here." he said kindly to her and held out a handkerchief. As she then took it and rubbed at her eyes, he spoke once more. "I will say that this is not fair to Ryou, but you should not worry too much. We have the best care one him."

Ichigo blinked not wanting to speak, but her mind ran faster than it had all day long. He just said Ryou, but… that was like, bad. It was a sign of intimacy if they didn't use proper honor systems. Inwardly she gasped but just lowered her head in more thought when suddenly a scream. Both she and Keiichiro looked up. Was that Ryou's voice, what was he saying, was he in danger?

Another scream. More clear than the last. Ichigo's keen ears picked up on it right away and what she heard, shattered her insides.

"Keiichiro, no!"

Keiichiro, looking almost ashamed disappeared back into the room behind locking doors. Ichigo grappled at her seat, eyes blank again.

"I-it's nothing, he's known Akasaka-san for a while now…" she said to herself to calm her nerves. "A-and maybe Akasaka-san is right too… sleep, rest… home…" With a sigh Ichigo stood and made her way out of the hospital to await the new day.

The next morning, Ichigo arrived late to work, strangely, as did Minto. The two looked at each other face to face, both looked tired with raw eyes as if from crying all night and not getting any sleep. As Ichigo opened her mouth to speak, it closed and she shook her head, too tired to bother with Minto's excuses. She wasn't even going to argue about tea time today. Minto just stalked off into the kitchen with a snobby grunt as the door opened.

"Well hello Aizawa-chan, how are you this morning?" Keiichiro asked only glancing over his shoulder from the bowl of some new recipe.

"Tea… now…" Minto replied as she fell into one of the kitchens only chairs at a table. The tall man blinked as he turned around and looked to her.

"Should I take that as a bad?" he muttered to himself as he grabbed the things to make tea and started to make it, placing an empty cup before her while she waited.

"AKASAKA-SAN, AKASAKA-SAN!" came Ichigo's voice, along with Purin's as they burst through the entrance. "Shirogane-san isn't in his bed! Is he still at the hospital! I wanted to do tricks! NA!" was the youngest mews complaint as she rolled into a summersault on the floor and up to him. "Ta dah! Where is he?"

Overwhelmed, Keiichiro sighed. "He's… here." he said, this could take some explaining.