TITLE: Healing Wounds
AUTHORS: Plantman and SSX
FEEDBACK: Lovely! Review.
SPOILERS: High ones from the ending of EXE5 (Team Colonel). Watch out.
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: Angst, Drama, Yuu/Regal friendship (it's not going to be a shounen ai fest, trust us).
DISCLAIMER: No, we don't own these characters, save the few OCs we threw in, but we hope they won't tear the story's plot apart. CAPCOM owns Yuu and Regal, and both authors are hereby stating they're thankful for it.

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Healing Wounds
by Plantman and SSX

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As the nurse pushed his wheelchair to reach the dining room, Hikari Yuuichirou thought of the past days, mixed feelings overwhelming him. A feeling of despair was taking over him; he didn't doubt his father would be happy to see one of his unfinished projects to take place, but in no doubt he would also disapprove of the means Dr. Regal had used to get Kokoro Network to work.

Dr. Regal. He hadn't given a thought to him, truth to be told.

He hadn't seen Dr. Regal after he woke up. Yuuichirou assumed he was sent to the same hospital, but he couldn't remember anything. He didn't know if something worse had happened to him. He hadn't tried remembering, either; the exposition to KokoroNet had left him physically and emotionally exhausted. Everything was coming back to him, but he prefered not to accelerate the process.

But now, he couldn't help but wonder what fate the other man could have encountered. He hoped the other scientist had survived. Despite his crimes and the pain and suffering he caused to him, his family, and many people in the world, Yuuichirou couldn't bring himself to hate the man or wish for his death.

"Dr. Hikari, how are you feeling?"

The nurse's question abruptly ended Yuuichirou's musings. Being unable to face the woman for obvious reasons, he just smiled. "Pretty fine, thank you."

"That's good!" the nurse, whose name was Ami, answered back. "I was getting worried because you didn't answer back. Is there something bothering you?"

"Well..." He pondered for a moment, carefully choosing how to word his worries. "I was wondering if anyone else was brought here the same day I did."

"Oh, well... yes, I do believe someone was brought here the same day you were. I do believe the police is with him right now. I don't know what for, to be honest" Ami replied as she pushed Yuuichirou's chair to the dinning area.

Yuuichirou hesitated, but he really had to ask. "Ami... is it possible for you to take me there?"

Ami's cheerful tone changed, or so it seemed to him. "I guess, but... is he a friend of yours?"

"He..." She didn't need to know the full details, he reasoned. A little lie wouldn't hurt, would it? "He's a colleage of mine."

Ami approached the door of the dining room and opened it, pushing the brown-haired scientist inside. "Well, Doctor... to be honest, I don't think I can get you there. He's in a restricted area of the hospital."

Yuuichirou sighed. That was precisely what he had expected. "I see. Any hopes if my credentials might override that?" He loathed to use his status as one of the most respected scientists in SciLabs to get favors, but his sense of righteousness was telling him to send his pride to hell.

Ami blinked a few times, understanding somehow the need of the brown haired man. "I'll see what I can do, Dr. Hikari. For now, please wait here, and rest up." With that, Ami stopped the chair in a comfortable area of the dinning room, not too noisy, and rather warm and calm.

Yuuichirou nodded as he was left in the large area, feeling somewhat anxious about what would be happening in the room he thought Regal was being under interrogation. He couldn't help but fear what the police could do to him. He was a brilliant scientist, even if he had taken a bad route, he could do so much to help others if given the chance, and if he had it on his heart to try to start over.

Not too long after Ami left him, the nurse came back in company of one of the directives of the Hospital. Time to put his infliences to work.

"Dr. Hikari. I've been told you want to see one of the patients on the restricted area?" The man asked while fixing his broad glasses' frame.

"If it could be possible," Yuuichirou replied with a small smile, "I would like to be able to see him, it's important for me."

The directive nodded, pondering the situation fora few moments before sighing softly, deciding to allow the scientist to have it his way. It wouldn't be a smart move to upset one of the top scientist of Sci Lab. "Very well, I'll allow you to see him. However, he's currently on custody of the police. I'm afraid you won't have much privacy when you address him."

"That's alright to me. Thank you for your understanding, sir, I appreciate it." Stabbing a pea with his fork, he brought it to his mouth and swallowed it whole, smiling apologetically to the hospital director and to Ami. "I won't interfere with the police investigation, rest assured."

"I hope so." The director nodded and walked away, whispering something to Ami the nurse before leaving.

"Are you ready, Dr. Hikari?" Ami asked, taking a grip on the wheelchair's handle.

Yuu eyed the gelatine and the lemonade.

This couldn't wait.

Yuuichirou dropped the fork next to his half-finished dinner. "Yeah, I believe so, Ami. Thanks."

--

In the restricted area of the Hospital, a detective towered by the side of the only bed in one of the rooms. "So, you don't recall anything ? How convenient, don't you think, Dr. Regal?"

Dr. Regal laid on the bed, a bandage wrapped around his head. He had been enduring the interrogatory for about a hour and a half. He had just woken up a brief 15 minutes before just to be welcomed by the sight of this detective, who was currently showering him in questions. He couldn't remember much at all, a big gap presented in his memories. He knew who he was. he knew almost everything about himself and his life, but he couldn't remember anything recent at all.

"Well, Dr. Regal?" The detective pressed.

"I told you before, I can't remember any of the things you're asking me." Regal replied dryly, this wasn't a good day so far. Wake up to be harassed by a detective about events he couldn't recall at all... he didn't wish a similar fate for anyone.

Somebody knocked on the door, and both Regal and the detective immediately looked up to see. A nurse stood on the doorframe, shifting uncomfortably. "Sorry to interrupt..."

The annoyed detective crossed his arms and shot the poor nurse a death glare. "What is it? I thought I said 'no interruptions' when I got here."

"I'm truly sorry, sir, but somebody wishes to speak with the patient and--"

"I don't care." spat the detective. "I wouldn't give a damn if it were to be the president who asked that. I am trying to get some answers here, and being interrupted during the interrogation isn't the fastest way to get them."

"But, sir, the hospital director said--"

"With all due respect, what part of 'I don't care' you haven't grasped yet, ma'am?" The waiting had wore off the detective's patience. "You don't seem to realise this is a criminal, therefore he's not entitled to all the benefits of being hospitalized here. And that includes having visitors."

The sound of a wheelchair interrupted the discussion, as a hazel-haired man wearing a hospital gown entered the room. The detective recognized this man as Hikari Yuuichirou, the other scientist involved in the case he was working in.

Yuuichirou grabbed Ami's hand in order to get her attention. "Would you excuse us, Ami?"

"Dr. Hikari!"

"It'll be alright, just wait in the hall."

The nurse looked at him, then at the detective, and finally glanced at the patient, whom she only knew by the name of 'Regal'. The man appeared to be harmless; however, she could tell he wasn't in the best of moods, and she couldn't blame him.

"Fine, Dr. Hikari. Let me know when you're done." Ami nodded and closed the door after her.

Yuuichirou smiled at her and nodded before she left. Then, he turned his attention to the detective. "I'm sorry to interrupt your investigation, Detective..." he squinted, trying to read the name in the man's badge. "...Stone. But,I would like to known how Dr. Regal is doing."

The detective wasn't one bit pleased by the interruption, but nodded. Perhaps Dr. Hikari could provide more information and a trustworthy witness in the case. "It's alright, Dr. Hikari. He seems to be fine outside of a minor concussion. However, he has... conveniently forgotten everything about his activities on Nebula. Or that's what he claims."

Yuuichirou nodded and looked at Regal, who didn't seem to recognize him right away. Somehow, Yuuichirou felt the other man wasn't lying about his memory. "Have the medics turned down a report on his condition yet? It's not impossible for him to have partially lost his memory if certain conditions are met."

"No, not yet. I'm interrogating him to see what I can find out."

"And I tell you" Regal sighed, eye-locking with the detective, "that I do not know what you're talking about."

"So you claim the words 'Kokoro Network' or 'Hikari Report' mean nothing to you?"

"That's correct."

The detective sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Did you mention something about a 'selective memory loss', Dr. Hikari?"

"Yes." He looked again at Regal. "Would you mind if I speak to Dr. Regal in private?"

The detective gave Yuuichirou a nasty shot. "I'm being indulgent by letting you stay around, Dr. Hikari. Are you implying I'm asking the wrong questions to this man?"

"I am not implying anything, detective Stone. But if this helps, I am certain your investigation would advance faster."

The scientist seemed determined, thought Stone. He felt offended at the fact this man thought could get the answers he had obviously failed to get during the past minutes. The man wasn't an idiot, that was very clear to the detective, but he couldn't help feeling insulted about this. "What makes you so sure you'll suceed, Dr. Hikari? You damn well know what this man has done..." Stone waved lazily to Regal, who looked genuinely puzzled. "This man. You, out of everybody else, know his deeds."

Yuuichirou looked sternly at Detective Stone. "That's why I want to give it a try."

- to be continued