This is it. The last gasp of Say Goodbye. I'm sorry it's short, but there wasn't much left. I can't believe it's done!

Thank you every one who read, and I hope every one enjoyed.

And special thanks to the wonderful (and brave) people who reviewed.

Please let me know it you liked it, or didn't!

Chapter 14

Tsuzuki and Watari burst into the infirmary only to stop at the sight before them.

Hisoka was lying on the floor, blood pooling around his body from the gaping wound in his chest. Muraki lay in his bed, doubled over, clenching his chest in pain, moaning softly.

It took a few moments before Watari realized that the cry of pain that he and Tsuzuki had heard had come from the doctor.

Tsuzuki moved to Hisoka's side as if in a daze and knelt down, reaching out to touch his face. The jade eyes opened and Hisoka looked up at Tsuzuki.

He smiled. "It worked."

Hisoka passed out.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Tatsumi asked in a near shout from the doorway.

Tsuzuki didn't react to the noise, his entire being focused on the youth in front of him.

Watari gestured Tatsumi over, not taking his eyes off the doctor, who had stopped moaning, and now seemed to be simply trying to catch his breath.

"That little bastard!" Muraki snarled focusing hate filled eyes on Hisoka, who Tsuzuki had lifted in his arms. The enraged man made a move as if to attack the couple, and both Tatsumi and Watari jumped forward to restrain him, the latter pulling out the prepared syringe and injecting it into the doctor's arm.

Muraki struggled against them for a few minutes and then went limp.

At the first signs of aggression from Muraki, Tsuzuki had turned protectively, shielding his partner from any possible attack. When he looked back and saw that Muraki was unconscious he let out a sigh of relief.

"Watari?"

Watari went over to examine Hisoka. He grimaced. "Lay him down, I want to get the bullet out of there before he wakes up again." He looked up and noticed the pained expression on Tsuzuki's face. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

XXX

Tsuzuki spent an entire day sitting by Hisoka's side anxiously waiting for the empath to wake up. Watari had removed the bullet and bandaged the wound to prevent more blood loss, all the while assuring the other man that Hisoka really would be alright. Now he entered the infirmary periodically to check on the youth, and occasionally administer more sedatives to Muraki, keeping him asleep.

Once again Tsuzuki pulled out the folded note he had found on his door and re-read the simple lines written there. He felt a flush of warmth at the words. He looked over at his partner and found himself looking into brilliant emerald eyes.

"Tsuzuki?" Hisoka reached out a hand to him, and he grasped it, holding on as if offering the younger man a life line. He would never let go.

A flush of colour spread across Hisoka's face, but he didn't break eye contact, until his eyes closed, and he fell into a deep sleep, still clinging to Tsuzuki's hand.

XXX

"What did you do Hisoka?"

Another full day had passed since the first time he had woken up, and Hisoka was healing quickly. Aside from the occasional twinges in his chest, he felt almost back to normal. He was sitting up in his bed, Tsuzuki close to his side. Watari and Tatsumi sat on the other side of the bed, both eager to hear the explanation.

"I left something of myself behind." He received three and a half (don't forget 003) confused looks at his cryptic statement.

"Why does that sound familiar?" Watari asked himself quietly, searching his memory.

"I think we need more information than that Kurosaki-kun, please continue."

Hisoka nodded. "I went into his mind again, and I left a part of my empathy behind." He looked over at the sleeping doctor. "Not much, but enough that if he inflicts pain on another person, he will experience that pain himself."

Tsuzuki's eyes widened. "So if he kills anyone…"

"He'll feel it."

Hisoka felt a flash of anger from his partner

"And you thought the best way to find out if it worked was to let him shoot you?" Tsuzuki asked incredulously.

Hisoka ducked his head, the flash of anger came from Tsuzuki's worry for him, and he had a hard time keeping a small grin off his lips. "Sorry."

"Sorry!"

Hisoka gave up and grinned. "I wasn't really thinking."

"Well that's obvious." But Tsuzuki couldn't help but return the grin.

"So we should be able to send Muraki back to Chiju?" Tatsumi asked.

"Hai."

XXX

Hisoka sat up in bed gasping for breath. Another nightmare. He had been through too much in the last few weeks to avoid them. A week had passed since Watari had released him from the infirmary with a clean bill of health. Even the marks on his back were finally fading and would soon be gone. But the memories and nightmares still haunted him.

A pair of arms wrapped around him and pulled him back down to the bed. Hisoka found himself surrounded by warmth and comfort. He felt himself relax into the embrace.

"Soka? You okay?" Tsuzuki questioned in a sleepy voice.

"Aa, just a dream."

He was alright. No one had seen of heard anything of Muraki since he had been returned to his house, still asleep. Nothing came through the slowly fading link.

It had been a quiet week. There had been no new cases and Hisoka used the time to heal physically and emotionally, and to explore the new level of his relationship with his partner.

He loved him, and now Tsuzuki knew it.

And Tsuzuki loved him back.

Hisoka snuggled in closer to his partner and felt the arms around him tighten. He let peace and contentment drift over him, the nightmare forgotten.

He let himself fall into sleep, a smile on his face.

The smile stayed.

Fin