DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY DEAD OR ALIVE CHARACTER. THOSE CHARACTERS BELONG TO TECMO, LTD. AND TEAM NINJA. I AM IN NO WAY INTENDING ANY COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND I'M NOT MAKING A PROFIT FROM THE USE OF THESE CHARACTERS. ANY CHARACTER NOT A PART OF DEAD OR ALIVE IS MINE AND MINE ALONE.

Shake: Your character is really cool sounding and I might use him when the time comes, but I think I'll have to make his background story a little more detailed to add some stability. Anyway, DOA4 is a long way from where I am now. Thanks for your idea. I really appreciate it. And keep reading, pls!

Chapter Twenty-seven

Monday, December 26

10:59 P.M.

Organization Compound 21

Jack kicked the door in frustration and shouted a few colorful curse words.

"Face it, man, we're stuck in here," Myamoto muttered.

Jack shook his head. "There's got to be a way out of this mess, and when I find it I'm going to make whatever locked us in here Swiss cheese."

Shark shook his head. "If we get out, that thing will be long gone."

Jack sighed, acknowledging Shark's statement. "You're probably right. Any bright ideas? You know this place better than any of us."

"I wish I could help, but Smith made sure this was the most secure room in the facility. He didn't want to take any chances with the girl. She was worth too much to him."

"Kasumi escaped and so will I. There has to be a way. We just aren't looking hard enough."

Myamoto grinned and powered up the laptop. "Or we're looking too hard."

Jack was puzzled. "What's that supposed to mean? What are you doing?"

"I'm going to slice into what's left of the security system and open this door. Whatever locked us in here didn't count on me having a computer."

Shark nodded. "Good idea, except for one very obvious thing. This door is padlocked and entirely separate from the security systems. Duh."

"Damn, that's right," Myamoto muttered.

Jack looked at the door and idea hit him like a freight train. "That's right! This door isn't connected to the computers, which means it has old hinges and doesn't slide like all the other doors."

Hayabusa instantly saw where this was going. "If we remove the pins, we can remove the door. Very clever."

Jack nodded and put away his Beretta, focusing on removing the long steel pins from the old hinges. After a few short minutes the pins were gone and Jack simply kicked the door into the hall, making a loud crashing noise.

"Way to go, Jack," Shark muttered sarcastically. "If that thing didn't know we were coming, it does now."

Jack retrieved his Beretta and shrugged. "Let it come. I'm ready for it."

Shark just shook his head. "You have no clue what you're up against. Smith has a lot more gadgets and weapons than you realize. The Organization is very powerful."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Now, let's get the hell out of here."

"But we didn't find anything," Myamoto said.

Jack sighed. "I know, but we aren't going to get much done in the dark. And apparently, whatever else is down here destroyed our only source of electricity. We'll have to come back some other time."

Hayate nodded. "And at least we still have the warehouse facility to search. We haven't hit a dead end yet."

Jack nodded. "We can go look over there tomorrow, but it's late and I, for one, want to call it a night."

Shark agreed wanting to quickly leave the base before Jack found out what he had done to Kasumi.

They all slowly walked back outside into the chilly winter night and entered the dark green Jeep. As Jack drove down the silent forest trail outside of the Okashima city limits, he thought again of Kasumi. He decided that maybe he should stop by the hospital, but then he remembered that they weren't going to allow her any visitors until tomorrow afternoon. He sighed and looked over at Myamoto.

"Did you want to come with me to see Kasumi tomorrow? She could use all the support she can get. Especially after witnessing what Smith did to Ayane."

Myamoto nodded. "Sure. I wanted to ask her a few questions anyway."

Jack shook his head. "No questions. For now let's just keep this little investigation to ourselves. She doesn't need to be burdened with this right now."

"Okay, no problem."

Shark leaned forward in the back seat. "I want to go too."

Jack almost laughed. "Why the hell do you care?"

Shark looked offended and that made Jack think a moment. Then Shark replied to his question. "I just want to see her. I need this, Jack."

Somehow, Jack believed him. "I don't think it would be such a good idea. You used to work for Smith. She'll be terrified if she sees you there."

Shark nodded. "Not if you're with me, right?"

Jack looked doubtful. "If you can answer one question honestly, I'll take you with me. But you have to tell the absolute truth."

Shark nodded.

"Did you ever actually see her? Will she recognize you if I bring you along?"

Shark shook his head. "No. She won't recognize me," he lied.

Jack nodded. "Well, if she doesn't know who you are, then she can't be scared of you. I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to take you, but I am curious why it's so important that you see her."

Shark shook his head. "You'll know soon enough."

He felt like a complete idiot. Was his word worth nothing? He had told Jack he would tell the truth, but every question Jack ever asked him, he responded to with a lie. But if he did tell the truth he would be dead in the blink of an eye. So he had no choice but to lie.

Keep telling yourself that and you might be able to sleep at night.

Shark ignored his inner voice and waited as Jack continued to drive down the bumpy gravel road. He felt so out of place in the small Jeep, knowing that out of everyone there, he was by far the worst.

Realizing that these thoughts weren't helping him any, Shark ceased is current train of thought and focused on something else. Like what he was going to say to Kasumi tomorrow, for instance. Would she forgive him? The real question was why it was so important to him that she show any sort of forgiveness.

After about fifteen minutes, Jack dropped Myamoto off at his apartment building. As his hacker friend was exiting the Jeep, Jack gestured towards his laptop. "I want you to barrow my computer for a while and review everything we have on Smith so far. We need to find something to base our next move on."

Myamoto picked up the laptop. "Sure, Jack. I'll take good care of it."

Jack nodded. "I know. I guess we'll head back over to my place. I'll see you tomorrow."

Myamoto nodded and waved as Jack pulled away and started towards his own apartment building.

After another five minutes of driving, Jack arrived at home. He turned off his car and stepped out of the driver's seat. Shark was the next person out and he was followed by Hayabusa and Hayate. Jack noticed that they had been unusually quiet for the last hour or so. Even more quiet than usual. He shrugged and decided that it was probably because of Shark. If that was the case, they would have to get over it.

Jack noticed that the two ninjas weren't heading towards his apartment, but they were walking towards the opposite side of the street.

"Hey, you guys are welcome to crash at my place for the night."

Hayabusa shook his head. "No thanks, Jack."

Hayate remained quiet and Jack got the distinct feeling that Kasumi's brother had something against him. But he was too tired to deal with the Shinobi leader's attitude right now. He turned to Shark and yawned.

"I guess I'm stuck with you, aren't I?" Jack muttered.

Shark nodded. "Guess so."

Jack sighed. "Fine, follow me then."

Saying nothing further, Jack walked into his apartment building and up the stairs that led to the third floor and ultimately to his apartment. Shark followed in silence, feeling very tired and very lucky. Things at the old base could have gone much worse than they did and he was grateful his secret was still safe. At least for the moment.


Tuesday, December 27

9:52 A.M.

Charity Medical Complex

Kasumi woke up and yawned, immediately regretting the action when a sharp pain flared in her chest and shot through the rest of her body.She winced and closed her mouth, shutting out the aching that flowed through her muscles and organs. Everything still hurt a lot, but she noticed that at least now she could make small movements without crying out in anguish.

The first thing she thought of was Ayane and how she was doing, but Kasumi was afraid to look over to her sister. She feared that if Ayane saw her move, she would try to hurt her again, like she had done before. But against her better judgment Kasumi glanced at her sister with worry written on her face. It was a mistake she would soon regret making.

Ayane caught the movement immediately and scowled at her sister. "What do you want?"

She sighed. "I just wanted to see if you were all right. I'm worried about you."

Ayane simply ignored Kasumi, trying to think of an insult strong enough to express her hatred and anger, but she drew a complete blank.

Kasumi persisted, refusing to let Ayane shove her aside. "Will you please say something? I want to talk--"

"Talk? About what?"

"I want to know if you're okay."

Ayane shot another glare at Kasumi. "Why? You don't really care anyway."

"Of course I care!" Kasumi said, slightly hurt by Ayane's remark. "How could you even think that? You're my sister and I love you."

Ayane sighed. "Just shut up and leave me alone."

Kasumi didn't take the hint. "But--"

"Are you stupid or something?! I don't want to talk to you so shut your damn trap before I come over there and shut it for you!"

Kasumi's face went from concerned to heartbroken in a matter of mere seconds and her eyes reflected how much Ayane had crushed her inside. "Sorry. I'll be quiet now."

Ayane scoffed and closed her eyes.

Kasumi also closed her eyes in an attempt to keep herself from breaking down into tears. What had happened since Jack had rescued them? What had she done to make Ayane hate her so much?

During her captivity, Kasumi noticed that Ayane had some concern at the sight of her pain, and it had raised her hopes of finally fixing their broken friendship. But now it seemed that those hopes were snuffed out like a small flame in a harsh winter storm.

Doctor Makita had heard the entire conversation and walked into the room immediately after hearing Ayane's cold statement, both angry and shocked at what she had just heard.

She walked over to Kasumi and tapped her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open and her breath became accelerated, but when she saw the doctor standing over her, she calmed herself.

"Hi," Kasumi whispered, her voice wavering.

Karei sighed. "I hope that you're feeling more comfortable than before. I had one of the nurses increase your painkiller dosage."

Kasumi nodded and managed to smile, despite her emotional affliction. "Thank you. I feel much better now."

Karei thought about the call she had made to the police and wondered if she should tell the girl that lay in front of her. Finally she decided that it would be best if they both knew that the authorities were coming this evening.

"I have something important to tell you, girls. Due to the suspicious nature of your injuries and the near fatal extent of the damage done, I felt compelled to call the local police. They should be here by seven o'clock this evening to ask you a few questions."

Kasumi didn't know how to respond to what the doctor had just told her. The police were coming? Did that mean she was going to be in some kind of trouble? She had never dealt with any sort of officer in her life and had no idea what to expect. Her thoughts would have probably been much clearer if only Jack were here to comfort her and straighten everything out. But her confusion was probably because of the drugs.

Karei felt uneasy at the tense silence that she had just created. She looked at Kasumi who was clearly very nervous and confused, and wondered what the girl had to worry about. She was obviously the victim in this situation. Karei also glanced Ayane's face, but it was much harder to read and she couldn't tell what she was feeling.

"By the way, I heard what you said to your sister a few seconds ago. I have to say I'm surprised that you could say such a thing."

Ayane sighed. "That's none of your business."

"She was only trying to be nice to you. You should show a little more compassion in the future. Can't you see how much you're hurting her? Don't you care? You've both just been through hell and you could probably help each other if--"

"What I say to that little twit is none of your concern! She's worthless and you should just stay out of this if you know what's good for you."

The doctor was just about to say something else when Kasumi tugged on her lab coat. Her soft copper eyes were glistening and her flushed cheeks were wet with fresh tears. "Just go, please."

"But--"

"Please?" Kasumi pleaded. "You'll only make things worse by continuing."

Karei sighed and handed Kasumi a dry tissue. Then she turned and left the room, frustrated and confused.

Ayane was infuriated at the doctor who had just left. What right did she have to judge her? She didn't know the whole story! Nobody did. But it was always the same. Even back home in the village people glare at her like she's some kind of monster. Everyone always sided with Kasumi and refused to even listen to her side of the story. They always automatically assumed she was the villain and Kasumi was the innocent one.

But when Ayane thought about it, when she really considered the situation, she found that she had no real grounds to despise her sister so much. Aside from the fact that Kasumi had left to avenge Hayate, she had done nothing wrong. As a matter of fact, the only person she could ever talk to was Kasumi.

As a child, Ayane had many difficult problems and she always counted on Kasumi to help her through them. And Kasumi, being who she is, did her very best to never let her down. And she never did.

But it pissed her off that Kasumi was seen as some kind of self sacrificing saint. Sure she had risked everything and lost, but nobody's perfect. She brought this upon herself, and Ayane would give her no sympathy. She had turned her back on everyone who loved her and gave in to revenge.

Kasumi glanced over at Ayane, bracing herself for another barrage of insults and put downs. But Ayane simply looked at her and sighed. Then she looked away and ignored her.

Relieved and puzzled, Kasumi let out a deep sigh and thought about Jack. She hoped he would come by today because she missed him sorely and longed to hear his voice. She needed someone to talk to or she was going to explode into an emotional mess.


Tuesday, December 27

2:43 P.M.

Jack's Apartment

Jack took a big swig out of his mug of strong coffee and examined the strawberry millefeuille that sat in his fridge. He had had it for almost a week and wondered if it was still fresh enough to be any good by the time Kasumi came back home. Most likely it wasn't, but he kept it anyway to remind him of that day and to make sure he remembered to never take anything for granted.

Shark had been awake since five in the morning watching television and waiting. When Jack walked into the living room he turned his head and rubbed his eyes. The young private eye looked angry and Shark wondered if he had finally put the pieces into place. He'd have to be a complete moron to not have noticed. But with the shit he's been dealing with, Shark knew that the man probably wasn't running at peak performance. For a person who single-handedly led a successful assault on Smith's base, he sure isn't observant.

Jack finished his coffee and put on his boots, not saying a word to Shark or even acknowledging his presence in the room.

"Something wrong?"

Jack stood up as he finished tying his laces. "Damn straight there's something wrong! But I hope I'm just being paranoid, because if what I've realized is true...." Jack clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. "I've been such a fool. C'mon. You're coming with me to the hospital."

Shark hid his feelings well, but the truth was he didn't care anymore. If he was going to die, fine. A man like himself didn't deserve to live. But he still wanted to speak with Kasumi. He got off the couch and put on his suit jacket. Jack grabbed his own leather jacket from the coat rack and walked out of the door, dialing Myamoto's cell number on his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, I'm going to the hospital to see Kasumi. It's almost three and she should be able to receive visitors now."

Myamoto noted something different in Jack's voice. "What's up? You sound a little blue."

Jack sighed. "It's everything Myamoto. It's all going to hell in a hand basket and I can't do anything to stop it."

"What are you talking about? Kasumi's safe and so is Ayane."

"Yeah, but what about Smith? I'm sure he hasn't stopped searching for her. And I still don't know what he wanted with her."

"Wake up, Jack! She's a Shinobi!" Myamoto said. "She's worth a lot of money in certain places. But instead of selling her to some crime lord, Smith interrogated her. It's obvious he's looking for her home."

"The village? But why?"

"Who knows? But we can't let him find it. Not a lot of people like the Shinobi, but we don't know how they really are. If Kasumi's any indication, a lot of good people could die up there if we don't stop him. Is this what you meant when you said everything's going to hell?"

Jack thought a moment. "No, but it only makes things seem worse. What I meant was that I don't think Kasumi can take any more damage. Anything could set her off at this point."

"Set her off?"

Sure," Jack said. "With all the things she's been through the last few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if she had a total meltdown right about now. Wouldn't you be on the brink after something like that?"

"I suppose. But just because you think she's on edge, that doesn't mean she actually is. She has her sister to support her, not to mention you. Everything will be fine. Nothing else is going to happen to her."

Jack scoffed. "Ayane isn't going to support Kasumi. She's going to tear her apart, piece by piece. If anyone on the planet doesn't like Kasumi, it's her."

"She seemed nice enough to me."

"Nice? You know what she told me when I said her sister was missing? She told me that she was glad. She wanted Kasumi to get hurt."

Myamoto was doubtful. "Maybe she thought she wanted her to suffer, but no one is so heartless as to actually be happy while witnessing the torture of their only sister. I don't think she knows what she wants."

Jack considered this and nodded. "Yeah, I think you might be right. Maybe you should come with me and try to talk with her. She won't listen to me."

"How do you know that?"

Jack sighed. "Because I tried to reason with her once, a long time ago. We were on a certain island and she basically told me to shove off."

"Things might have changed since then. But I'll go with you. Besides I already said I wanted to come with you."

Jack nodded. "Good. By the way, be prepared. I think I know what Shark's been hiding, but I want to take him to Kasumi to make sure."

"What is it?"

"I don't think I should say anything until I know for certain. I'll be by to pick you up in ten minutes tops."

"I'll be ready."

By the time his conversation with Myamoto was over, Jack had walked out to his Jeep without even realizing it. He definitely needed a break, and maybe they could get some rest in the next few weeks and take things slow. He could help Kasumi recover and while he was doing that she could help him deal with his guilt. They would make it through this rough patch together.

He climbed into the driver's seat and started the small SUV, almost forgetting to let Shark enter before he left, but fortunately the man had opened the passenger's side door before Jack hit the gas.

He waited impatiently as Shark buckled up and closed the door, and then he floored it, making his tires squeal. They rocketed down the crowded streets and Jack grinned when Shark gripped the armrests tightly. Jack, however, had nerves of steel and was completely confident in his driving skills.

He arrived at Myamoto's apartment in half the time it usually took and when he knocked on his friend's door, Myamoto was obviously a little surprised.

"Wow, that was fast."

Jack nodded. "I know. I think you might understand why I'm in such a rush to get to the hospital. Remember what happened before?"

Myamoto nodded. "Yeah, but that's not gonna happen this time."

"I hope not."

In about five or six minutes, Jack arrived at the Charity Medical Complex. After parking in the crowded lot, Jack walked over to Shark's door, and yanked it open. "Get out." His voice was cold.

Shark said nothing as he exited the dark green vehicle, thinking that if he should talk he would need to choose his words very carefully.

The three men entered the glass double doors that led to the lobby and walked up to the receptionist, who recognized Jack almost instantly. "Ah, Mr. Wallace. I assume you're here to see Kasumi?"

Jack nodded. "If it's all right with the doctors."

She nodded. "The computer says that visitors are now allowed, so go right ahead. She's in room 23A with her sister."

Jack wasn't sure he heard right. "With her sister? They're in the same room?"
"Yes," the receptionist said. "Is that some sort of a problem?"

Jack sighed. "No, ma'am. I guess it might actually help her. Thank you."

Jack motioned for Shark to follow him as he walked down the clean white halls of the hospital. He scanned the shiny brass plates on each door as he passed them. 21A... 21B... 22A... 22B... 23A.

Jack opened the door slowly and peered inside, smiling at what he saw. Kasumi was napping peacefully in the bed on the right side of the room, the lamps beside her bed bathing her face in a warm yellow light. She looked so composed and so content. It was hard for him to believe that she had been tortured just a few days earlier.

"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come inside?"

Jack looked at Ayane not with irritation, but sympathy. "Hello, Ayane."

Ayane looked at Jack, not quite knowing what to expect from the man. "She's sleeping, so you might as well just come back later."

Jack glanced at Kasumi as he quietly entered the room, then he looked back to Ayane. "I can see that, but I hope you don't mind if I talk to you for a second."

"Don't waste my time. I'm not interested in anything you have to say."

Jack wondered why she was putting up such a fight. "What's going on with you? Why can't you even pretend to be civil? I'm not here to start a war; I'm here to see if you two are okay."

Ayane seemed to accept Jack's statement, but she said nothing.

Shark glanced at the two girls uncomfortably. He was grateful Kasumi was resting and was even more grateful Ayane had no idea who he was. He had a little more time to find a way to dig himself out of this mess. A little time, but not nearly enough.

Myamoto on the other hand, couldn't peel his eyes away from Kasumi, because he knew what she had been through since the beginning. He just couldn't see how she was sleeping so peacefully after such a hellish experience.

"Hey, Jack. I was wondering when you would show up."

Jack turned away from Ayane and faced Nikata with a grin. "Hey, doc. What's up?"

"Shhh! Not so loud. This is the first time we've seen your friend sleep without thrashing about or crying. We think the nightmares may have passed for the moment."

Jack wasn't sure he had heard right. "You mean that his is the first time since Sunday that she's had any peaceful sleep?"

Nikata nodded. "Yes. Last night it got so bad that Doctor Makita had to wake her to make sure she wouldn't reopen her wounds. We thought about restraining her, but Karei said that it would only make things worse if she woke up strapped to a bed." Nakita sighed. "However that wasn't necessary because after Makita woke her up, she refused to go back to sleep. I don't think I've ever seen anyone that terrified to get some rest. But at around one or two I checked on her and she was sleeping, although it wasn't very restful from the looks of things."

Shark felt lower than sewer sludge when he heard the doctor's words, but he said nothing. He saw Ayane glaring at him, trying to read his face. He instantly turned his back on her and stared at the wall.

Jack was also pained by the doctor's words, and he looked at Kasumi with a deep respect and admiration of her strength. He could only hope to be that strong if faced with something like what Kasumi had just experienced. He would have to make sure to do something special with her later. Something she would never forget.

"Is there something you wanted?" Jack whispered.

Nikata shook his head. "No, not really. I just wanted to see if you found her room okay. I have other patients to check on so if you need anything ask for Karei Makita. She seems to have developed a real attachment to these girls. Even more than the rest of us."

Jack nodded. "Thanks. How long has she been sleeping?"

Nikata paused a moment to think. "Well, she did wake up around nine thirty this morning. But after about an hour and a half she fell asleep again. So she's been this way for almost four and a half hours. I don't think she'll stay asleep much longer."

Jack nodded. "Thanks. I'll let you get back to work now."

Mitsuo nodded and left. "I'll go tell Karei that you're here. I think she'll want to talk to you."

Jack dragged a chair towards Ayane's bed and sat down. "While I'm waiting for your sister to wake up, I think we should talk about a few things."

"I hope this isn't about her. I'm so sick of hearing everyone talk about her."

"Really?" Jack asked. "What do they say?"

Ayane rolled her eyes. "Some of the staff come in here and look at her while she's sleeping saying things like: 'oh, you poor girl,' or 'she's so amazing.' I'm tired of it."

Jack saw something in Ayane's expression and immediately recognized what it was. It was obvious to him that she felt unwanted. He could tell she was hurt because no one seemed to care about her.

"You know, Ayane, people do care about you. You aren't alone in this mess. Share your burdens. I'll listen."

"Don't patronize me, Jack. You're just like all the others."

Jack was getting fed up with her attitude. "You have no idea how lucky you are, do you?"

Ayane remained quiet.

"At least you still have a home. You still have somewhere to turn. But look at her. She was living in an icy garage until a few weeks ago, barely staying alive. What more do you want from her? How much more do you think she can suffer?"

Ayane sighed. "You don't know the whole story, Jack. So just be quiet. I don't want to talk about her right now. As a matter of fact, I don't even want to talk to you at all."

Jack sighed. "You know, if you weren't so stubborn maybe you would realize what you're continued hostilities are doing to her. Ever since I first met your sister, she's told me about you and how much she misses you. Can't you just find some way to resolve your problems? She needs you now. Are you just going to turn your back on her?"

Ayane glanced across the room at Kasumi, who was still resting, oblivious to her conversation. Ayane then returned her attention to Jack. "Maybe."

Jack shook his head, completely shocked by Ayane's answer. "How can you even consider that option? She's your sister, dammit!"

"Why shouldn't I abandon her? What about all the times she's turned her back on me?!"

"She would never do that. At least not on purpose."

Ayane sighed. "I knew you would do this."

"Do What?"

Kasumi slowly opened her eyes at the sound of Jack's intense voice and yawned, slowly and carefully stretching her arms above her head. She ignored the pain that followed and looked around, her lips parting in a bright smile when she saw Jack. But then her smile immediately vanished when she noticed who else was in the room.

"No....," she whispered. "It can't be...."

Shark looked at her as she awoke, nervously scratching his head. "Uh....hello again. I....um....I have something to say. There's something I need you to know."

"Go away! Just leave me alone!"

Shark held up his hands. "I'm sorry! I just need you to know I'm sorry. What I did was...it was inhumane. I need you to know how much I hate what I've done. I can't live with myself knowing what I know."

Kasumi blinked away a tear as the memories of the first week she spent in captivity echoed through her mind. "It's not good enough..." she whispered. "What you did will haunt me for the rest of my life. Nothing you can say will change that. Just leave."

Shark's shoulders sagged. "I figured as much. But if you'll only listen--"

Jack flew out of his chair and had Shark against the wall by his throat. "I knew it! You filthy liar! I should kill you for what you've done. You have no idea what you really did to her, you rat bastard."

Shark nodded. "Then go ahead. I won't stop you. Truth is, I don't feel much like living anyway. I've got nothing to lose."

Jack was caught off guard by the man's statement, so he released him. "No, not here. It's not right. I want nothing more than to make you feel only a fragment of the suffering you've inflicted, but I can't. I'm just not like you. Get the hell out of here before I change my mind."

Shark nodded and ran out the door, never looking back at the broken girl lying in the bed with tears in her eyes. What he had done was truly beyond repair.

Kasumi looked at Jack. "Why was he here?"

Jack stared at the door a moment longer then turned to Kasumi. "He sought me out. He said he wanted to know who killed Duncan. I assume that that was the park ranger, was it not?"

Kasumi nodded and wiped her face on the blanket. "Yes, that was his name."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, so when I wanted answers from him, he wouldn't give me anything. I suspected at the beginning that he knew who hurt you, so I kept him around. I had no clue that he was the one until this morning, but I had to be sure. Sorry, I just put you through that."

Kasumi sighed. "That's okay."

"No, it's not. I didn't think you would react so strongly and--"

Kasumi raised her finger to her lips to signal him to stop. "I said it's fine. Don't worry about it."

Jack sat back down in the chair. "If you say so. How are you doing?"

"Better. I'm still pretty sore, but other than that everything's fine. But I haven't tried to walk yet so that might be a problem."

Jack held her hand. "If you need anything, let me know."

Ayane rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Am I going to have listen to you two be all mushy for the rest of the week?"

Jack turned to Ayane. "Well, you could always show some support."

Myamoto had remained quiet the entire time since he arrived at the hospital. He had no idea what to say. He cleared his throat and leaned against the wall.

This simple action got Kasumi's attention. "Hi! I remember you. You're the guy that was helping Jack during the gunfight."

Myamoto smiled sheepishly. "My name's Myamoto. Jack's told me great things about you, Kasumi. I have to say that it is an honor to meet you. Well, we technically already met, but--"

Kasumi smiled. "Thanks. I guess I owe you big time. Without you, I'd probably be dead."

"Don't mention it."

Jack glanced at Ayane, who looked very out of place. He wanted to find some way to include her. He wanted to raise her spirits, but he couldn't see how. Every time he tried to show support, she lashed out.

"So what have you been doing the last few days?"

Myamoto was about to tell Kasumi about their raid for information at Smith's compound at the docks and the infiltration and mysterious entrapment in the woods, but Jack stopped him with a glare, causing him to remember Jack's earlier request of secrecy.

Jack then looked at Kasumi. "Nothing really. I really don't want to bother you with the last few days. You've already been through so much. The only thing worth telling is Shark's appearance, and you already know about that."

Kasumi nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But if you're doing something I want to help. This is my fight too."

Jack laughed. "I appreciate the thought, but it's not safe for you. At least not until you heal completely. After that, I'll be glad to have your help. We'll definitely need it."

He turned to Ayane. "That offer goes for you too, if you feel like sticking around."

Ayane glanced at Kasumi, who had a hopeful glimmer in her eyes. Ayane shrugged. "I'm not just going to let him get away with what he did to me. But don't expect me to be friendly. This is just business."

Jack grinned. He had caught her glance towards her sister. "Sure, if you say so."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Jack was about to answer when a woman wearing a white lab coat strolled into the room. "So you must be Jack. Doctor Nikata told me I could find you here. I have a few things I want to talk about."

Jack nodded and smiled at Kasumi. "Sure, doc. Ask me anything."

Makita cleared her throat. "It would be best if we went out into the hall."