Staring out the window at the city hospital, Kurama thought about nothing except Hiei—his fire-demon needed him desperately, but Kurama couldn't sense Hiei's aura anywhere, he could sense random bits of familiar aura, but these reminded him of Karasu and that couldn't be possible. Karasu couldn't be alive, Kurama had killed him himself.
"Shuuichi? Are you all right?" Shiori asked, just walking into the hospital room to see her son. Kurama greeted her, appreciating her presence even though he'd prefer to speak to Yusuke or Genkai. If Hinansho visited, Kurama could give him a message to give to Genkai, but Hinansho hadn't showed up since Kurama regained consciousness, and no one would tell him where Hinansho was.
"You're still a bit warm." Shiori spoke after placing her hand on Kurama's forehead. "You should get back in bed and rest."
"Mother, that's the nurse's job, besides I'm eighteen, going on nineteen." Kurama groaned a little, but enjoyed having his mother there with him.
"Just because you're over eighteen doesn't mean I can't take care of my baby. I'm your mother and you're sick, it's only natural for me to take care of you."
"I know, mother, but…if Yusuke visits could you give me and him some time to talk alone?"
"I guess so…." Shiori looked at her firstborn son curiously. Something worried him, she could tell, but he hadn't told her anything yet—there were some things in his life he was so secretive about. But he had never given her anything to worry about until that incident nine months ago when Kurama attempted to take his own life.
When Shiori found out what her son had tried to do, she was frantic, devastation shook her as she struggled to figure out why her son would attempt such a thing. She hadn't believed it was Shuuichi until she saw him at the hospital, in one of those beds, bandages around his wrists. Hiding her terror, she had held her son in her arms, telling him it was all right and pleading with him to tell her what was wrong. But he wouldn't tell her, he wouldn't tell anybody, not the doctors nor his friends. Her son had just worn a sorrowful, desolate look on his face refusing to speak—and right now he had that same look on his face.
"Shuuichi, is anything wrong? If there is you can tell me."
"Mother, has Hinansho been to visit lately? I've asked Kuwabara and Master Genkai, but they didn't tell me anything."
"I…well, I haven't seen him. He may've visited while I wasn't here during the three days you were unconscious, but I haven't seen him during the last three days."
"He hasn't visited at all, has he? Momma…."
"Shuuichi, I…." Shiori fell silent, seeing the tears fall from her son's eyes, hearing the desperation in his voice. Holding Kurama close to her, Shiori comforted her firstborn unable to stand him being so upset—but his reaction to Hinansho not visiting intrigued her and how Kurama hadn't introduced Hinansho to her intrigued her even more.
"Shuuichi…what are you and Hinansho to each other? Are you friends or…."
"…." Kurama blushed unable to answer his mother honestly, but his blush and embarrassed silence answered for him.
"You could've said something sooner, it doesn't matter who you're with, as long as you care about, and love each other enough. I just want you to be happy."
"Mother." Kurama flung his arms around Shiori, burying his face in her bosom as tears cascaded down his cheeks. "I'm sorry I hurt you, I didn't mean to…distress you. I…."
"Shh…it's okay, Shuuichi, it's okay." Shiori crooned, knowing by the way Kurama was looking at his wrist that he was speaking of his suicide attempt. "You survived, that's all that mattered. You survived then, like you'll survive now."
"It was…I was so upset…my…my…Hiei left…he didn't contact me for three years…and…I…." Kurama sobbed confessing about how much Hiei had hurt him. "…didn't know if he cared…now Hinansho's left too…momma, I don't want to be left again…momma."
"Shh…it'll be all right, Shuuichi, I'm sure Hinansho…." Shiori began, holding her son tightly to her wanting to soothe his pain, when the door opened and Yusuke and Hinansho stepped through. "Shuuichi, your friends are her. Hinansho's here."
"Hi…Hinansho?" Kurama whispered looking up at the doorway, hoping it was true—and it was, Hinansho was here visiting him.
"Shuui-chan…you're crying? What's wrong? You couldn't have thought that I'd leave you." Hinansho stepped up to Kurama, holding out his arms to hold Kurama. "Shuui-chan?"
However, Kurama looked away, refusing to embrace Hinansho, because no matter how much he cared about Hinansho, Kurama realized he cared about someone else even more and the fact that Hiei wasn't here hurt him more than Hinansho's visit helped him. No matter how much he hoped Hinansho could replace Hiei, Kurama knew it wouldn't happen—he was too tied to the fire-demon, and Hiei's absence worried him more than it upset him.
"Shuuichi?" Shiori whispered looking at her son worriedly, wondering why he wasn't happy to see Hinansho.
"Mother, can you leave the room for a few minutes?"
"Sure, Shuuichi." Shiori replied, leaving the room without a word of protest. After Shiori left Kurama turned to look around the room, he had sensed that there was someone new amongst Yusuke and the others—a demon with a strangely familiar aura.
"Shuui-chan? What…?"
"Hinansho, who's the demon behind you?" Kurama asked staring behind Hinansho at what seemed to be empty space except it radiated with demonic aura. At the sound of Kurama's words, the demon behind Hinansho became visible, a look of bewilderment on his face.
"You could sense me?"
"Yes. Who are you?" Kurama asked, knowing by the looks on Yusuke's, Kuwabara's, and Genkai's faces that they knew the demon had been there the whole time, but Kurama didn't know if he should be reassured by that.
"Karaikasai."
"Why did you sneak in?"
"Look at me, I didn't think anyone would let me in. anyway it was the detective's idea." Karai replied pointing to Yusuke.
"Yusuke?"
"Yes, I told him to sneak in because we didn't want Hinansho to know he came."
"What? But why…?"
"Shuui-chan, it's because Karai's my ex-lover and…."
"Wha—? Why is he here if he's your ex?"
"Because I'm technically not his ex, he broke up with my brother disguised as me, not realizing that it wasn't me." Karai replied, looking Kurama over suspiciously. "And by the way you returned his greeting; you didn't want to see Hinansho."
"Wha…I…."
"It's not time for this right now." Yusuke butted in, standing between Karai and Kurama, who looked at each other hatefully. "We need to talk about Karasu right now."
"What? Karasu? You're not saying that he is…alive?"
"He is alive. Karai here was the one who resurrected him."
"WHAT!" Kurama glared at Karai, standing up quickly in an attempt to lunge at him—Kurama's feeling was right, Hiei was in danger and it was all because of this bastard resurrected Karasu. Before Kurama could rip Karai limb from limb, Hinansho grabbed the fox-demon's hands straining to make him relax back on the bed.
"Shuui-chan, please, attacking Karai won't help." Hinansho spoke up, looking from Kurama to Karai, who had held up his left arm to defend himself against Kurama's attempted attack. That motion proved it was Karai, because Karai was completely left-handed and could only move his right arm if he wore an energized arm brace—something Hinansho had realized the imposter hadn't worn when he had attacked him three nights ago with his right arm.
"Hinansho, You'll protect him! You're my lover now, not his." Kurama growled, his Youko self shining in his eyes.
"Urr…yes, I'm your lover, whom you didn't care to greet when I visited just now and whom you failed to mention you liked only because I remind you of someone else." Hinansho lashed, his frustration getting the better of him, he didn't want to be angry but Kurama's failing to greet him, as well as his secrecy as to why he wanted Hinansho to look a certain way, upset the human boy immensely.
"I…who…who told you…that you remind me…of…of…."
"Genkai told me, but I saw him three nights ago when I was attacked."
"You saw…you were attacked?"
"Yes, by Karasu disguised as Karai. Your buddy was with him as well."
"Wha…Hiei? Hiei was with Karasu?"
"Yes."
"No." Kurama whispered, a sick horrible feeling rising in his stomach—Hiei was in trouble, terrible, horrible trouble and Kurama needed to help him.
Seeing Kurama's horrified expression, Hinansho put his arms on the fox-demon's shoulders, in an effort to calm him. However Kurama narrowed his green eyes glinting yellow from his Youko form, and growled hating being held back.
"Hinansho…."
"Shuui-chan."
"Get away from me." Kurama growled, hitting Hinansho across the face, sending the human boy to the floor, the Karai grabbed Kurama's arm, his left hand squeezing Kurama's right in a steel-like grip. "Let go of me."
"How dare you hit Hinansho." Karai growled his good right eye narrowed to a slit, his mouth twisted into an angry snarl. "I'll not tolerate it." Karai bend Kurama's wrist, attempting to break it, however Yusuke stepped in to stop Karai—however he hadn't much luck loosening Karai's grip on Kurama's wrist.
When it seemed Karai was going to snap Kurama's wrist, he let go flinching in pain himself, quickly turning to his right side where Hinansho squeezed his right arm (It was much weaker than his left). Seeing that Karai had let ho of Kurama's wrist, Hinansho released his grip on Karai's arm looking up at the demon with pleading emerald eyes.
"Hinansho…."
"Don't hurt Shuui-chan, please."
"But…but…he…." Karai stammered, looking from Kurama to Hinansho, his anger weakening seeing Hinansho's pleading eyes, his trembling lips. Slowly Karai stepped away from the bed, sitting down on the floor in a corner of the room, his face an expressionless mask, cradling his right arm with his left.
"Karai, I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I couldn't bear you hurting Kurama." Hinansho knelt down next to Karai, who turned away when Hinansho tried to peer into his face. "Karai…."
"Forget about him." Kurama muttered massaging his wrist, checking for any injuries Karai's grip could've cause, ignoring the soreness of his skin and muscles. Reassured that none of his bones were broken, Kurama stood up, observing Hinansho's saddened, worried face without emotion. "Tell me more about that night you saw Hiei with Karasu, Hinansho."
"Why should I?" Hinansho replied, not looking at Kurama, an undertone of anger rising in his voice. "He's the one who attacked me first."
"No, you lie." Kurama froze hearing Hinansho's words, denying that Hiei would attack Hinansho.
"It's the truth. He was working with Karasu, though I'm not sure he knew the true identity of his partner." Hinansho finally looked into Kurama's eyes, shocked to see a flicker of emotion in the fox-demon's eyes; Kurama seemed unable to hide all of his emotion behind a stoic mask right now.
"I…we need to find Hiei now." Kurama spoke worry in his voice, desperately looking around the room at each person, trembling a bit as he did so. "We must…." Gasping for breath, Kurama collapsed, falling to the floor while everyone in the room tried catching him—Hinansho ended up catching him in his arms, placing his hand on Kurama's forehead to feel his temp.
"He's burning up! Get the doctor!" Hinansho shouted to Yusuke who rushed out to get the doctor, and Kuwabara helped Hinansho get Kurama back in bed, looking worried as he stared at the fox-demon.
"Kurama…."