Visiting Hours are Nine to Five

Kurama silently sighed as he sat near Maya. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing softly and her burns and scratches were healing. But no matter how hard he tried to tell himself otherwise he still felt that Maya's getting hurt was his fault. He should have stayed with her and made sure she was safe. He let out another sigh and placed his hand over hers. "Forgive me."

Botan peeped he head into the room and frowned, "Poor Kurama." She whispered to Yusuke and looked away.

"It wasn't his fault. He should know that." Yusuke smiled and walked in, "Hey. You okay?"

Kurama looked up at him sadly and then back at Maya. "What the hell do you think?" Yusuke winced and walked in further anyway. "What do you want?"

"Come on Kurama, what happened wasn't her fault. She'll be okay."

"She's in a coma because of me. How do you know she'll be okay? Huh?" Kurama snapped. "Just!- Just leave me alone with her." He whispered.

Yusuke walked out and close the door, "Wow. He's really messed up about this. He's acting even more strange than he was before."

"What do you mean? How was he before?" Botan blinked, "Is he okay?"

"Hey, relax, Botan. He's fine just… a little confused I guess." Yusuke spoke softly. "Visiting hours are almost over so why don't we just wait and talk to him at the temple later."

"Yeah." Botan nodded and sank into a chair next to Kuwabara and watched the clock as the hands slowly reached their destination. The four friends walked into the room to pulls Kurama out. He went willingly though he felt like he shouldn't.

The last one to walk out was Botan but she paused when she heard a voice call her. "Maya?" she whispered and walked back in and the door shut tightly. "Huh?" her head whipped around when she heard the door click.

"Botan." A dark silky voice probed her mind as she looked back at the sleeping girl.

"Who's there?" she began to panic when a dark puff of smoke filled the room and out from the thickness rose Karasu. His sleek black hair curved and danced around him softly. Eyes of pure poetry locked with her eyes of candied innocence. "K-Karasu."

"That's right." His voice was calm and silky she almost wouldn't believe that he were evil if she hadn't witnessed it first hand. "Now, little one. Tell me. What's wrong with you? You don't seem at all happy that Kurama has found that lovely girl there." He pointed leisurely to the comatose girl in the bed. "He loves her, you know. Not you. And you should move on. Don't you think it's time you did so?"

Botan shook in fear and looked back at the door hoping one of the guys was there to rescue her but she found no one. She was alone. Alone in a room. With Karasu. "I-I Know he loves her but maybe-"

"No! He will never love you. I can help you see that. I can help you move on. Only thing is… are you willing to do it?" he smirked and walked over to her slowly. Looming like a dark eclipse. "Just think of all the times he's ignored you."

Botan's mind suddenly flooded with memories that she never had though they felt real and her body and mind began to believe them.

Kurama walked silently next to her as the cherry blossoms fell all around them and Botan smiled up at him, "it's really nice out tonight isn't it?"

"Sure, I guess." He shrugged and walked on with her. "What did you want me for anyway?"

"Well I thought it would be nice to hang out for a little bit." She smiled but frowned quickly when he glared at her. "That's okay, right?"

"No, actually it's not. I was expecting Maya to come over today and you made it seem like you had something important to say to me and you obviously done. So why don't you just go home and I'll go home and we'll end this pathetic excuse for a day." He turned and walked off.

"Remember all the times he's told you, you weren't good enough." Karasu continued.

"Kurama! Hey, Kurama. I just wanted to tell you that… I like you. I guess you hear that a lot from girls but-"

"Let me just stop you right there. Look Botan we are only friends and for me to actually be in love with you, you would have to be more than just a human spirit. And that's all you are. You are not a demon and therefore could never love a demon and I surely could never love a human so much as to take one as my wife. So just drop this. Alright." He smirked.

"Remember when you needed him the most and he never once came to help you. He promised to protect you as a friend and what did he do? He left you."

Blood slowly dripped down her pure white skin and landed in a puddle on the floor. Her pain was so great that she couldn't contain it and needed some control. She smiled as the cold rush of another cut made her soar but when she finished the bleeding wouldn't stop and she panicked. She didn't want to cut that deep. She didn't want to die. "Kurama!" she screamed and ran out to his room and knocked on the door. "Please help me."

"With what? I'm busy with something in here" He smirked and Botan winced when he heard Maya giggle on the other side.

"I really need you to come out here and help me."

"Find someone else. I'm busy"

Karasu smirked at his new trick. He could add things into a person's memory and make them feel the pain of something that never happened. He could make memories from nothing just as he could make objects from thin air. And this, if he might add, was turning out perfectly. He could see the tears run down her face slowly and see the way her body trembled with fear, sadness and finally…

"How dare he! I hate that bastard. He can have Maya and she can have him." She growled, "and I think now is the last straw. I am going to give Kurama a piece of my mind!" she vowed and stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her.

Rage.

"That worked splendidly." He smiled as Maya sat up and looked at him. "Nice acting by the way. Kurama was completely torn over you."

"Thank you. And I know." She smirked, "and now when Botan breaks his heart he will come running to me and we will be together forever."

"Indeed." He smirked never feeling sorry for this girl. She was only a little part of his plan and soon there would be no need for her. All he needed to do was break Kurama and Karasu would keep him forever. He paused in his thinking when the door knob turned; Maya fell back into her "coma" when the nurse peeped her head in.

"Sir, visiting hours are over." She smiled and Karasu bowed.

"Of course. I'll be on my way." He smiled and walked out. 'I am on my way Kurama and soon you will be my little toy." He smirked and vanished into the shadows of the hospital.