Shi sighed as she sat in the hospital bed. Originally, they had told her she would be in for a few hours. Then that extended to overnight. That had been two days ago. Adachi sat in a chair nearby, reading the paper. Aside from the beeping of the heart monitor beside her and the murmur of people outside the room, it was quiet.
"I'm bored." She sighed. "It's quite obvious nothing is wrong with me. Yet they won't let me discharge myself. What a waste of resources. I could be working right now." She said. Adachi chuckled and walked over to her. He sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her.
"Maybe. But we have to make sure you're OK. From the state your home was in, you put up quite a fight." He chuckled. She rolled her eyes and leant against him. "I was so freaked out when I spotted the state of your home. I nearly forgot the basics of investigation. I nearly walked in and contaminated it." She looked up at him. "But, when we got the call that you had been found alive, I was overwhelmed. I don't want to lose you."
"You won't. Especially now. This bastard made it personal by attacking me. I will make sure he goes down for it." Shi said. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face against his shoulder. She inhaled the scent that had become comforting to her. "But there's something else I want to talk about. It's about us. I... I think we should start letting people know about us. Not like announce it fully, but maybe let ourselves be seen holding hands and hugging and such in public." She said.
Adachi looked down at her momentarily. He remained silent for a few moments before flashing her his now infamous grin. "You're tired of creeping around huh?" He asked her.
"Not really. I just... Figured that I shouldn't waste my life trying to matter to everyone. I should focus on those who love me." Shi replied. Both of them looked up as a knock sounded on the door. Adachi moved away momentarily as a doctor walked in. He looked up at her after reading her notes.
"Ok Tawakemono-sensei, you can go now. We're confident there's no long term concerns. All I would suggest is that you rest up at home." He said. Shi nodded in understanding. He left and Adachi turned as Shi got dressed.
"I don't understand why you didn't look. You've seen it before." She chuckled as she zipped her jacket up. He shrugged and picked up her bag. The two of them walked out of the hospital. "So, we'll go drop my bag at home, then I want to go have a word with the chief." Shi said. She smiled as Adachi opened the car door for her. As they headed towards her home, she could see people carrying on as normal.
"It's weird isn't it? How people will carry on whilst their friends and neighbours lives crumble." He said. "Sometimes, this world really does appear to be going to shit."
"You're preaching to the choir here Adachi-kun." Shi said. He pulled up outside her home, pausing when they spotted a figure sitting on her porch. "Is that Naoto?" She asked. As they got out of the car, Naoto looked up.
"Tawakemono-sensei, I was wondering if I could talk to you about what happened." Naoto said.
"I will say to you what I told the officer that interviewed me. My memory is distorted due to the chloroform my assailant used to knock me out. I never saw them clearly, they attacked me from behind." Shi said, walking past Naoto and into her home. She put her bag near her stairs and headed back out.
"But you tried to ensure that they left evidence."
"Common sense. This assailant doesn't leave evidence if they can help it. So don't help them, force them to leave evidence." Shi countered. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a job to do." She walked away and got back into the car before they left her home.
"You made it sound like you expected to be kidnapped." Adachi murmured.
"Simple logic. I may have been getting close, so the assailant kidnapped me to scare me. Not that it worked." Shi replied. Adachi nodded and continued back to the station. Outside the front, a small crowd of news crews had gathered. Adachi frowned.
"I'll park by the morgue entrance." He said. Shi remained silent. As they entered the station, via the morgue, Shi rolled her shoulders and took Adachi's hand. He glanced down and looked up at her, grinning when he saw her shake slightly. They walked through to the main room where Adachi sat at his desk. Dojima looked up.
"Shi-san? Shouldn't you be resting?" He asked. Shi shrugged, ignoring the murmurs of those around her.
"I was going stir-crazy just sitting. I need to get back into work. But before I forget, you couldn't give me Yu's phone number could you? I understand, from what Adachi has told me, that it was him and his friends that found me." Shi said. "I want to thank them. If they hadn't have found me, it may have been my body that was next on the autopsy table." Dojima looked at her momentarily before nodding. He wrote the number down for Shi and handed it to her. She smiled and nodded her thanks before heading to the morgue. She dialled the number and listened to it ring.
"Hello?" Yu answered, sounding uncertain.
"Yu-kun? It's Tawakemono-sensei. We need to talk about what happened. Meet me at Junes food court." Shi said before hanging up. She glanced up at the clock on her office wall before heading out. She was determined to get answers.
Eventually, she arrived at Junes food court and sat down. Shortly after she arrived, Yu and his friends turned up.
"Tawakemono-sensei, how are you feeling?" Yukiko asked.
"We're not here to talk about my recovery. We're here to discuss what happened. I suspected you lot were involved. And whilst my better judgement is screaming at me to go inform Dojima-san of this, I am willing to hear you out. So explain." Shi said harshly. She wanted an explanation for what had happened. They glanced at each other before Yu began to explain. When he had finished, Shi was sitting with her arms folded across her chest.
"How big a fool do you take me for?" She asked suddenly. "Do you really expect me to believe that? People don't get thrown inside TVs."
"But it's true!" Yosuke insisted. "You saw it yourself!"
"I suffered a hallucination. Most likely caused by the drug used to knock me unconscious. I may not know the cause but I was delirious when you found me, wherever that may have been, and you decided to play along with the hallucination until I snapped out of it." Shi snapped.
"Then why did you appear on the midnight channel?!" Kanji snapped back.
"Don't you bring that stupid rumour back into this! It is a rumour, nothing more! I don't know the reason why you or Yukiko were kidnapped. But I was targeted because I am part of the investigation. Now, leave this to the police and stay out of it. Because if you don't, you will end up as one of my patients. Understand?!" She slammed her hands down on the table when they went to retaliate. "I don't want to perform anymore autopsies on people whose lives are just beginning. Please, stay out of this."
Yu nodded, the others slowly following his lead. Shi leant back in her chair. She grimaced and rubbed her shoulder before standing. "I understand you want to help. But this is dangerous. So stay out of it." She reiterated before leaving. She walked back to the station and entered via the morgue. She walked through to where all the desks were and moved to Adachi's desk.
"Where did you go?" He asked her as she sat beside him.
"To Junes. I needed a break from the station." Shi said. "Also, to try to get some clarity as to what happened when I was found at Junes. I don't remember what happened. But, part of me thinks that maybe I don't want to know." Shi added.
"You'll work it out. You're one of the smartest people here at the station." Adachi said. "Well, you and me are." He said.
"That makes you sound like a real douche you know." She said. He paused, thinking it over before the two of them started sniggering.
"Oh, I'm glad someone is having fun during this investigation." The chief said as he walked towards them. The two of them stifled their giggles.
"Yes sir?" Adachi asked.
"I'm glad to see you back Shi-san. I hope you can help. Have you heard of Rise Kujikawa?" He asked.
"The idol?" Shi asked. The chief nodded.
"She'll be coming to Inaba tomorrow and I want you Adachi on traffic duty. Traffic is going to move by her family's shop slowly, you need to stop that. Shi, I want you to go talk to her, keep the public away from her."
"Forgive me sir, but I don't have training to protect people. And won't I attract more attention." Shi asked.
"I figured you could provide a less...imposing presence. She may be more comfortable with you than with anyone else. Just give it a try." He asked her. Shi nodded in response. "You'll have to meet her at the train station in the morning." He added. Shi and Adachi nodded in understanding. The chief turned and walked away. Shortly after that, the two of them headed out of the station.
Adachi took her hand as they headed to the car. She smiled and laughed as they headed to her house. He wrapped his arms around her as they entered her house. Shi pulled him close, kissing him as she shut the door. She felt elated with him. But her mind couldn't shake the belief that what she had encountered during her attack was just the beginning of the worst part of this nightmare.