Well, I guess this is proof you can't keep a good nut down, 'cause I'm still here!
My continuing thanks to those who have read, and especially those who have reviewed.
Hugs for everyone!
Chapter 8
Watari looked up as Tsuzuki and Tatsumi entered the break room. Tsuzuki was pale, his features pinched and strained. Tatsumi didn't look much better.
"We found him." Tsuzuki said softly, "But Muraki killed him before we could reach them." His eyes hardened. "The bastard waved at us."
Watari flinched. "I know."
"Where's Kurosaki-kun?" Tatsumi asked looking around the room.
"He left." Watari let his head fall down on his arms. "He said he wanted to be alone for a while and left."
Tatsumi's eyes narrowed "And you let him go?"
"Where did he go?" Tsuzuki added.
"Home, he went home. I didn't stop him. There wasn't anything I could do." Watari's voice sounded hollow to the other two men, and Tatsumi placed an arm around him. Watari leaned against the shadow master, accepting the comforting gesture.
"I'm going to go see how he's doing." Tsuzuki turned to leave the room.
"You should. I was no help." Watari said sadly.
Tsuzuki left.
"Was it that bad?" Tatsumi asked wiping a stray tear off the blonde's cheek.
"Worse. You?"
Tatsumi grimaced. "The same."
XXX
Hisoka lay on the couch in his apartment staring at the ceiling. There seemed to be a lot of ceiling staring going on in his life recently he thought ruefully. He was trying hard to keep his mind blank, to not think about the people he had watched die. He tried especially hard not to think about the fact that Muraki only killed them to 'entertain' him. He wanted to go to sleep. He was wondering if he even wanted to wake up again.
He could feel the person coming before he heard the knock at the door. "Go away Tsuzuki."
"Hisoka? Are you alright?"
Hisoka didn't even bother moving from the sofa. "I'm fine, just……….go home."
"Are you sure?"
"Hai. I'll see you at work tomorrow."
"Alright, I'll see you then."
Hisoka closed his eyes tight and buried his face in the crook of his arm. For once he prayed for darkness.
XXX
Tsuzuki stood outside his partner's door for several minutes before turning to leave. He hated that Hisoka wouldn't let him in, he wanted to comfort the boy, like Tatsumi was comforting Watari. And he wanted to be comforted.
They had been so close! He and Tatsumi had found Higami-san's home in record time. When he wasn't there they got directions to his school were they learned that he had left after classes in the company of a strange man. The girls they talked to had giggled and blushed when describing the stranger.
From there he and Tatsumi had tracked the pair all over town. An arcade, a small local restaurant, a nearby park, and there the trail seemed to die. They had floundered for a short while, until a child in the park had point to a nearby warehouse and told them the couple had gone that way.
With wings on their heel they had sprinted to the warehouse, Tatsumi's shadows scouting ahead. "They're inside!" Tatsumi had told him between panting breaths as they reached the deserted looking building.
Without a pause to consider the risks, they had rushed inside, just in time to see Muraki drop the battered, bleeding body on the concrete floor, and see the boy's eyes close for the last time.
Outside the sun had sunk below the horizon.
Muraki had smiled at them and waved. The sick bastard had actually given them a friendly wave before vanishing.
Tsuzuki looked around him. He was almost home, he hadn't even noticed he'd been walking. He stopped and sat heavily on the curb lowering his head into his hands. In the end, he hadn't saved the boy, and he had failed Hisoka so badly.
XXX
Tsuzuki was living in an advanced state of agitation. Hisoka hadn't come into work at all.
Tsuzuki spent the day watching the clock and filling out the odd report. By the time the work day was nearing its end, he had a small pile of completed papers in front of him. He jumped when he felt a hand land on his sholder.
"You should try to relax Tsuzuki-san."
"I can't. This whole situation, Muraki, I just can't"
"I called Kurosaki-kun this morning and he was fine, and you know he'd call if he needed us."
Tsuzuki knew that Tatsumi had talked to Hisoka earlier, but it wasn't enough to ease his mind.
Tatsumi sighed and gave an odd little half smile. "Why don't you head out early today? Go see him if you feel you must."
"Sank-you Tatsumi!" Tsuzuki jumped up and ran out of the room.
Tatsumi shook his head, still smiling. He picked up the reports from Tsuzuki's desk and paged through them. The smile died on his face. There were almost a dozen pages there, and he could barely make out half a dozen words. He carried the reports with him to his office wishing he had a Tsuzuki to Japanese dictionary.
XXX
Tsuzuki stepped out of the elevator at Hisoka's floor. He could hear the sound of breaking glass and Hisoka's voice yelling from down the hallway. He ran to the door and turned the knob. The door opened and Tsuzuki burst inside, only to stop dead. Hisoka was alone. Tsuzuki could see him in his kitchen, systematically destroying every piece of glassware he could reach. Throwing glasses, bowls, and plates across the room to shatter against the wall, floor, or whatever else stood in the way, almost screaming his anger and desperation at the empty apartment.
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!…….."
Tsuzuki watched as the pile of broken glass on the floor grew. Then without warning it stopped. Only the sound of Hisoka's heavy breathing echoed through the apartment as he slumped against the counter. Tsuzuki took a step forward and paused. Hisoka pushed himself upright and made his way out of the kitchen, not noticing the broken glass that cut his bare feet, or the bloody footprints he left behind him.
He didn't notice Tsuzuki standing by his door either. He picked up the phone and dialed a number. After a short while, he spoke.
"There's been another one." A pause….
"A little girl, she couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen. Her name was Nuraski Miyu" Another pause.
"He asked her before he….." Hisoka rubbed his forehead.
"No."
Tsuzuki tensed suddenly without knowing why.
"Then he's won damnit!" Hisoka's voice rose and he was shouting again "Do you hear me! He's won! Because I can't take this anymore, I can't! No more! "Hisoka threw the phone across the room. "I CAN'T! I WON'T! I…." He collapsed, sobbing into the carpet.
Tsuzuki ran forward and gathered the shaking form into his arms, holding him tightly. Hisoka fought him, beating against his chest with his fists, trying to pull free. Then with a hoarse cry he buried his face in the older man's shirt and clung to him. The sound of rushing feet made Tsuzuki look up and he saw Tatsumi hurry into the room.
"Kurosaki-Kun?" Tatsumi looked around, his blue eyes taking in the devastation of the kitchen, the phone lying on the floor on the far side of the room, and finally came to rest on Tsuzuki cradling Hisoka in his arms.
"Is he alright?"
Tsuzuki looked down at the face etched with pain and shook his head. "No, I don't think he is."
XXX
Hisoka sat quietly in the infirmary as Watari looked him over and removed some large splinters of glass from his feet. Working in an uncharacteristic silence, Watari rapped bandages around the cuts, the deepest of which were still bleeding. Finished, he stood up and brushed his hands on his pants. Taking a deep breath, he finally broke the quiet.
"Bon? Could you lie down? I'd like to check your back."
Obediently Hisoka lay down on the bed, on his stomach. Watari lifted his shirt high enough to expose the marks on his back. Gently running his hand across them he peered closely, then nodded to himself and pulled the shirt back down. "Okay Bon, you should try to get some rest."
Hisoka closed his eyes without changing position, and Watari frowned. He looked to Tsuzuki who sat on the bed, then to Tatsumi who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Has he said anything to either of you?"
Tatsumi shook his head "Not since he called me."
Watari looked at Tsuzuki who also shook his head.
"That's not like Bon." Watari swiped at some stray blond strands that had fallen into his face. "When he wakes up, see if you can get him to talk to you" he said looking at Tsuzuki.
Tsuzuki nodded and stretched out on the bed next to his partner, leaning against the headboard.
Watari left the room with Tatsumi following behind him. As soon as the door closed behind them Watari turned and threw his arms around the startled secretary.
"Wha..?"
"It's great! I want to watch for a little longer first, but I'm almost positive!"
"About what?"
"Those marks on Bon's back! I think they've finally begun to heal!"
"So it's over?"
Watari pulled back. "No, not yet. They'll still take a while to heal, but if Bon can hang on for a while longer.." Watari let his statement hang in the air.
XXX
He walking through a wooded area, the shadows stretching our as twilight fell. It was pretty and Hisoka actually thought for a moment that he was having a pleasant dream, until that voice sounded in the back of his mind.
'I think I'll let you pick the victim this time.'
Hisoka struggled to wake up, pull away, anything, but he was one more a prisoner in a body he couldn't control. Utter hopelessness settled on him and he felt a chuckle pass his lips.
'Giving up already bouya?'
He scanned the people around him and Hisoka saw that he was in a park. Over to his left was a small playground where a few older children still played. There were some teenagers and adults wondering around enjoying the evening. His gaze passed over a dark haired youth crouched on the path tying his shoe. There was a case on the ground next to him. Something about the case tickled the back of Hisoka's mind. Muraki noticed and his attention was drawn back to the youth.
The young man looked up as if he could feel the gaze upon him.
Hisoka looked into emerald green eyes almost identical to his own.
Minase Hijiri.
NO!
Hisoka felt his mouth turn up in a smile.
'Oh yes.' The voice in his mind confirmed. 'He looks just like you; would it be like watching your own murder?'
Before him, Hijiri stood up. Uncomfortable with the intense focus he seemed to be receiving from this stranger in white.
"Excuse me, can I help you?"
Hisoka could feel the nervousness coming from Hijiri, and in a state of pure panic he pushed at Muraki with his empathy. He felt the body around him stumble and Muraki growled.
Hijiri grabbed his violin case and beat a hasty retreat at receiving this strange reaction to his question.
'Don't worry bouya," Muraki's voice promised 'I'll find him again.'