Hiei stood atop the hospital building. Drying sheets were whipping the hot breeze around him. The air was heavy with energy. He knew it was Kurama's. He stood quietly, his back to the hospital door. After a while he heard the door click open, though he didn't turn around. He didn't want to see the fox's face if the news wasn't good. Slowly the footsteps approached where the fire demon stood, and stopped a few feet behind him. Neither boy spoke or moved for a while, until Hiei heard the fox take a deep breath. Only then did he turn around and face the fox.

His face seemed troubled, painful... yet was completely dry. Again, Hiei found it hard to tear his gaze away from those piercing emerald eyes.

"I take it things didn't go so well?" Hiei guessed, trying to sound sympathetic.

Kurama didn't respond for a while, as if he was trying to put together words that wouldn't make him cry. "The doctor told me that..." he paused and looked at the ground. "...that she probably has around 48 hours."

Hiei didn't know how to repond.

Around nine Hiei walked with Kurama to his house, and Kurama had found his human mother on the floor in the kitchen. Kurama rushed her to the hospital in the car, and Hiei flitted along the rooftops and met him there. It was now noon and Hiei was waiting for the news on his friend's mother, though now that he had recieved it, reaction was an impossible deed.

Hiei finally realized that he had been staring at the fox for over a minute. "What about the Forlorn Hope," but Hiei regretted his words as soon as they had come out of his mouth. He did not want his friend dead.

"It was shattered during your first fight with Yusuke..." Kurama reminded. "Otherwise I would steal it again in a heart beat."

Hiei was again at a loss for words. What could he say that would make Kurama feel even the slightest bit better? He knew the answer. Nothing.

"I lost my mother, too Kurama..."

"But you never knew your mother like I know mine. There was no relationship between you and Hina," Kurama stated, his head lifting to meet Hiei's eyes once more.

"True, but at least you knew yours for as long as you did. I never knew my mother."

Again, Kurama's eyes dropped to the ground. "I'm sorry..." he muttered.

"Don't be. Just be glad that you had such a wonderful mother. So caring and loving..." Hiei couldn't believe such words were coming out of his mouth. "If you and her hadn't shared such a strong bond, you would most likely be in Makai right now, back as Yoko Kurama. Your mother's love is what persuaded you to stay. Isn't that right?"

A small smiled lifted the corners of the fox's mouth. "Wow Hiei... I didn't know you could speak such words..."

Hiei turned a light shade of pink, which quickly went away. "Hn. Neither did I."

"You'll never know how I feel Hiei, you've never had that chance, and I feel sorry for you."

"Don't fox. I'm past it. It doesn't bother me anymore."

"But there's something that's still bothering me." Kurama's voice was almost back to normal, but Hiei knew that the weight of his mother's sickness was weighing heavily on his emotions. Hiding what he felt was what Kurama did best.

"What's that?" Hiei asked softly, aware of the fox's fragile state.

"My mother still does not know who I really am. She can't die thinking her son is a boy like me. It would just be too wrong."

Hiei listened quietly. He figured something like this would come up.

"Telling your mother something like that might have a negative effect..." Hiei pointed out.

"If you knew her more, I think you may have a different opinion."

The fire demon shrugged. "I know how some humans react to the news of supernaturality really existing. I guess I can't answer for your mother."

Kurama's emerald eyes quivered and Hiei spotted a small drop in the corner of his eye. "Whenever my mother talked to me about lying and keeping secrets, I'd agree with her, but it was so hard..." the boy's voice cracked and his hands balled into fists. "She was talking to me about lying and just by saying 'yes' meant I was lying straight to her face!" Kurama's voice rose. He was angry at himself.

"It'll be okay. Your mother will understand. I know at least that... from what I've seen of her."

"Maybe it will be, maybe it won't."

"Whatever it may be, you should talk to her while she still has the strength to talk."

A tear escaped the fox's eye, and he squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to hold back more that were threatening to spill.

"I'm sorry. Why don't I go back in with you," Hiei offered gently.

Kurama looked up into Hiei's eyes. "I thank you so much for what you did for me last night. I appreciated it. A lot. You don't know how much. Though I am sorry for my sudden outburst. I don't really think that was what you were expecting when you decided to follow me."

Hiei shrugged. "More or less."

"Every now and then someone needs a shoulder to cry on, or a lap..." both boys giggled for a slight moment before the fox continued. "But there are some things that one must accomplish alone."

Hiei nodded. "I understand Kurama. Just remember that I only want to be there to help you, like I did last night." Again his cheeks turned pink, but it disappeared quickly.

"I'll never forget." Kurama stepped forward and hugged the small demon. Hiei started, but realized quickly that it was only the fox, and hugged back.

A few short minutes later Hiei flitted out of Kurama's arms, causing him to stumble forward. He recovered quickly and gazed out across the rooftops to where Hiei now stood. "Thank you my friend..." he whispered, dipping his head slightly before turning around and heading back inside.