(Laughs maniacally Did you think it was going to be that easy? Haha. No chance in hell! Once again I don't own Yu-Yu Hakusho. Just Keaka.)
That was how I saw it happen in those minutes after Yusuke blasted Kurama's door down. The ceiling collapsed falling on top of all of us except of course for Hiei. I could hear him digging through the rumble cursing at us with every inch of his being at how stupid we all were.
"Hiei where are the others?" I distantly heard Kurama.
"Underneath all of this shit! Damn Yusuke went about it the idiot's way and buried them all." Hiei said.
"Something must be wrong if they haven't dug themselves out yet. They've been through much worse than just a ceiling collapse." Kurama said. I could hear the urgency and fear in his voice as I heard him too start to move large pieces of plaster around.
"Blah! Wow! That was...awesome!" I heard Kazuma yell as I guessed he emerged from the rubble. My focus became hazy. Why couldn't I move? I, as Kurama had said, been through much worse during the dark tournament and even more so during the Makai tournament so why couldn't I dig myself out?
"Hey where's my sister and Urameshi?" Kazuma asked.
"Don't get your panties in a know Kuwabara. I'm right here." Yusuke said.
"Nice going detective." Hiei said blandly.
"Hey! How was I supposed to know it would cause the ceiling to crash down? Christ!" He yelled.
"So great Urameshi's safe but where's Keaka?" Kazuma asked again.
"She hasn't gotten out yet?" Yusuke asked. Either no one answered him or I was starting to black out because I heard no response only the sounds of digging above me. I tried desperately to scream, cry out, or even move but nothing would work. I felt my eye's become heavy as fatigue took me over. I couldn't let it end like this! Not this way.
"Wake up! Keaka! Kuwabara Kesaki! Wake up! Please!" I opened my eye's to see the sun shining in through a window? I looked around to find myself in a white room. There was quiet beeping next to me monitoring my vitals.
"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Shizeru said. I looked over at her confused then I panicked.
"Where's Kurama?" Shizeru didn't say a word only thumbed at her pack of cigarettes that she desperately wanted to smoke.
"Keaka..." She said with out continuing.
"You've been out for over a week." The gruff voice said from the window. I looked over to see Hiei sitting on the windowsill.
"What? No." Was all I could manage to say. "Please don't tell me that they...to....my kitsune." I said after I could breathe again. Hiei jumped up and went over to my bed pinning my shoulders down. Shizeru made move to stop him but was brushed aside.
"HEY! Leave her the hell alone!" She yelled but was ignored.
"If YOU had been able to help yourself then this wouldn't have happened! But no! As always little Keaka needed her boys to save her!" He spit venomently. I grabbed his wrists.
"Where is Kurama, Kazuma and Yusuke?" I asked talking slowly as not to anger him anymore then he clearly already was.
"The detective and the baka are being held in jail for trying to bust Kurama out. They committed a felony because it was believed they used explosives. I carried you out and brought you here. Your sister told them you were in a car accident or something along those lines so they don't know you were even at that building so unless you want to join your brother and Yusuke's fate I suggest you keep your mouth shut!" He said staring deeply into my eyes.
"And Kurama?" I asked cautiously. Hiei's gorgeous red eye's softened and betrayed his emotions to me.
"The procedure..." He said and that was it. He looked away from me. A put my hand to cover my mouth to stop myself from screaming. They did it. How could they?
"I need to go! I have to see him! I have to get out of here!" I cried out. Shizeru nodded and went to get a nurse who some time later rushed in with Shizeru tagging close behind.
"Miss Kuwabara. Your not ready to be released yet." She said nervously.
"I don't care what you say! I'm leaving!" I shouted at her standing up wincing in pain.
"Wait! I'm going to get in a lot of trouble!" The nurse exclaimed.
"Shut up onna." Hiei said quietly gently pushing her down onto the bed.
"So you going to go see him in that?" Shizeru asked me. I looked down to see myself in one of those snazzy hospital gowns. My face turned bright red as I shook my head profusely. Hiei sighed and wrapped his cape around me, he gave up that black cloak years ago when it didn't fit him anymore.
"I know your in a rush to see him but don't worry Kurama isn't going anywhere. Not anymore."
Once showered and changed Shizeru and Hiei brought me to where Kurama was being held now. It looked more like a maximum-security prison than a mental hospital. Metal doors banged inside and people screamed out of madness. Even though at the time I was almost twenty-four it still scared me. The most horrific thought however was that Kurama was stuck in this place. Maybe he was better off before where he was.
"How could you think something like that?" Hiei whispered fiercely. I looked over at him shooting a dirty look for reading my mind.
"We're here to see Minamino Shuichi." Shizeru said.
"I.D. please." The orderly said not really caring much. Shizeru and I presented our identification.
"And you sir?" Indicating Hiei.
"I didn't bring any." He said crossing his arms.
"Well then you don't see the patient." The orderly said annoyed.
"Here's the deal. Only one at a time." The orderly said and released the door to the ward. Shizeru gave me a small shove and I stepped in. The hallway was much shorter than where Kurama had been at before and definitely less taken care of. The entire place reeked of urine. I shifted my eyes and noticed patients lined up against the wall sitting on the floor just staring vegetabilized.
"Hey girl! Who you here to see?" A gruff voice said from behind me. I spun around on my heels.
"I'm here to see Minamino Shuichi."
"This way." The orderly directed. A few more feet and we were standing in front of a heavy steel door, it looked like it belonged in a bank vault. The orderly unlocked the door with a key and side stepped to let me in.
"Ten minutes." The orderly said and slammed the door shut locking it. My eye's adjusted to the dark room quickly and I looked around. There was no window in the room to let in the sun that Kurama loved so much. I walked over to the bed where I saw Kurama sleeping. I sat down next to him noticing small burn marks on his forehead that was when I lost it. Tears streamed down my face to see him in such a state. I leaned closer to kiss his wounds when his hand twitched and went instinctively to my throat. His eye's shot open and stared at me wild and confused.
"Kitsune it's me." I said taking his hand away from my neck. His grip hadn't even been that tight and to my horror his hand went limp as I grasped it tightly. He looked at me confused as if trying to figure something out.
"H-h-have we met b-b-b-b-before?" He stuttered and slurred over his words hardly the eloquent speaker I knew him to be.
"Kurama it's me Keaka. Kuwabara Keaka. Oh gods no, please remember me. Know who I am kitsune." I began to sob. Slowly his hand went to my cheek limply brushing away some tears.
"Are we umm...fr-ien-ds?" He asked sounding out the word. My heart ripped in two all I could do was nod my head.
"Yes we are friends. Not only that but we're best friends. We have been for the past eleven years now almost twelve." I told him trying not to lose it again. I stroked his forehead to brush aside his bangs but it was gone. They had shaved off all of his lovely red hair that I loved so much. He cuddled closer to me the way a child would.
"Keaka right?" He asked. I nodded. "I don't want to be here anymore Keaka. P-p-p-please. I want to l-l-l-eave. Wanna go home." He said innocently. I helped him sit up and held him in my arms.
"Don't worry sweetie. Very soon. Just be patient that's all."
((((-))))
Five months after Kurama's 'treatment' he was released. His doctor's praised their work saying how grateful they were that it had worked. I hadn't told him about being Yoko Kurama even though he did ask me from time to time why I called him that I assured him it was just a nickname. Kurama gained most of his motor skills back and could walk for short periods of time with no assistance at all. That in itself was a small miracle. Kazuma and Yukina were gracious enough to let us stay with them at Genkai's temple even though I did get grief from both my siblings for quitting my job. I explained to everyone that Kurama was my responsibility that once again he had become a prisoner because of me.
"So Urameshi. How's your probation coming along?" Kazuma asked him one day that Yusuke stopped by.
"Bout the same as yours." He replied. Keiko and Yukina sat and chatted happily amongst themselves. I looked over to the garden where Kurama sat on the grass staring at the roses. My eye's welled up and I had to look away. Yusuke noticed and put an arm around my shoulders.
"Is he getting any better?" He asked me concerned. I shook my head.
"He doesn't remember anything. What's worse is that everyday it almost seems as if he wakes up with a blank slate." I said tearfully. Kazuma sighed deeply.
"I tried telling him the other day about him being Yoko and he just stared at me with the most confused look on his face." Kazuma said. I shook my head again.
"This is so difficult. I wish Hiei would show up maybe he could jog up some of those memories." Yusuke said. As if summoned Hiei appeared. As always he had been listening. I walked over to Hiei and nearly collapsed against him. He caught me loosely but still stood some distance away from me.
"Hiei. Please can you help him?" I asked weakly. I could feel Hiei's gaze upon me as I began once again, I've really got to stop doing this, sobbing.
"I doubt it will work but there may be something. I'm going to need your help though Keaka." He said really forcing that last part out.
"Excuse me but have we met before?" Kurama asked. Neither of us had seen him approach and his voice startled all of us I even felt Hiei jump a little. Hiei let go of me and motioned for Kurama and I to follow him. I took Kurama's hand and obediently followed hoping that whatever Hiei had planned would work.