She'd drifted halfway back to sleep, when she heard what seemed like a familiar voice, off in the distance.
"Hey, I'm not the medical expert here, I just know what they tell me," said the detective, opening the door.
She propped herself up on the table, and looked over. "... Papa?"
"Oh, Hitomi," he said, gently, "thank goodness, my poor girl, are you all right?"
She leaned forward and embraced him in a hug. "Oh, Papa." She smiled, peacefully. "I'm ... I'm fine. A little bit, uh, spaced out, but I think that's just because I haven't eaten, and it's late."
He was quiet for a few moments, just holding her.
"I'm glad you came, Papa."
"Oh, but of course I'd come. And if I were in Tokyo, I'd take the bullet train to come. And if I were in Shanghai, I'd take a plane, straight away."
"Oh, Papa."
"Now, granted," he said, letting go of her, "if I were all the way over in New York, I'd make sure Mama came over first, just because it's such a long way."
She smiled back at him. "Thanks, Papa."
The doctor appeared at the door. "Mr. Shizuki, I presume?"
He turned to face the door. "Yes, that's me."
He looked down at his clipboard, perhaps more of habit than anything else, then back up. "Right, so, we ran some blood tests. They came back mostly clean - your blood sugar's a little low, nothing a glass of apple juice won't fix."
She nodded, "Okay."
"The most important thing you should do right now is get some rest, and you'll do that better at home in your own bed. Then come back here tomorrow afternoon - well, it's tomorrow already, but you get the idea - then we can take some time, we'll someone check you out all properly, just make sure everything's fine. If we did it now, all the tests will just come back 'sleep-deprived', and that doesn't help."
"I understand there were quite a few people affected. Do you have any idea what happened?" asked Papa.
"Well, the police said they're going to call it 'mass hallucination', which basically is them talking out their -" he glanced quickly at Hitomi - "um, rear ends, because doesn't mean anything or explain anything. I can't really blame them, though, because I can't tell them what it is, either. The other patients don't seem to have a lot in common, none of them know how they got down there... and Hitomi here is the only young lady." He sighed. "The only thing in common is that everyone reported having intrusive thoughts, right before they lost track of themselves and started... sleepwalking."
"Intrusive thoughts?" asked Hitomi.
"Thoughts you can't control that interrupt what you're doing - usually violent, sometimes just disgusting, but they just won't stop or go away. Usually that's a manifestation of some pre-existing psych disorder, though, or acute psychological distress. It doesn't suddenly affect forty-some-odd people all at once."
"Oh," said Hitomi. "I see."
"So I'll write you a note for school -"
. . . . .
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Well," said Hitomi carefully, "I was just sitting down at lunch, and someone made a joke - well, it's Yuka, so actually, she just said something innocently, and the other girls turned it into a really dirty joke - and I got really embarassed, and excused myself to the washroom, and..." She shuddered. "I just couldn't stop thinking about it, and I lost track of time. Then I was dreaming of dance practice, I think, and I woke up and a nice paramedic was helping me to the ambulance."
He nodded gently. "Do you feel better now?"
"Mmm. Sleepy," she replied.
"Well, my darling," he said, squeezing her hand, "if you ever need to talk about it, or about anything, you let me know, all right? Don't even worry about me being busy, you're more important. I might need a little while to clear the time, but you know what? I have people who work for me for a reason. They can take care of things there. They don't get to take care of you, like your Mama and I do."
She nodded, and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Papa."
. . . . .
"Nanami," said Wakaba. "I'm sorry."
"Hmm?"
"I'm so, so sorry. I beg of thee, be merciful."
"What." Nanami stated the word flatly.
"I have done a terrible thing," said Wakaba.
"What."
"An unforgiveable thing."
Yuka looked away uncomfortably.
"What did you do."
"She was just so worried, and she looked at me ... like a little lost puppy dog, and I ..."
Nanami blinked. "No, seriously though, what did you do?"
"I explained to Yuka -"
"HOW COULD YOU!"
"I know, I know, but -"
"Our dear sweet innocent," she said, stepping over behind Yuka and embracing her from behind, like a mother concerned for her daughter. "You have scandalized her."
"And I didn't even call dibs."
"Yuka. Our dear friend. Our precious gift that keeps on giving."
"I know."
"Our goose that lays the golden eggs. You killed her."
"I explained everything."
"Wait, everything?" enquired Nanami, as she released Yuka, who was still looking a mixture of worried and uncomfortable.
"Mmm-hmm. Everything."
"... why, how unexpectedly lurid!"
Yuka's face turned bright red. "Stop it!" she cried.
"Seriously though," said Wakaba, "Yuka was really worried, and we still haven't seen Hitomi."
"What?"
"She never came back."
"What?!"
"After you left, and she didn't show up, I took her bag over to the office, and then after school, the principal was going through all the clubs and teams asking if anyone had seen her, and we still don't know where she is."
"Wait, seriously?"
"Seriously seriously."
"That's... wow. Okay. You're forgiven."
"My lady is kind and merciful."
"Seriously. All shenanigans are off until we figure out what happened."
Yuka startled, suddenly, letting out a short gasp, and pointed out the window. "There she is!"
"Where / Oh thank goodness!" said Wakaba, rushing over to see.
"A new dawn rises on Mitakihara City. All is well."
"Ooooh, is that a limo?" asked Wakaba, gazing down.
"No, it's just a, how do you call it, a town car?"
"Oh," replied Wakaba.
"Still. She's got a chauffeur today," noted Nanami. "Something is therefore up. It's not like Hitomi to just flaunt the family wealth... Oh, is that her daddy there in the backsweet? I mean... seat. How sweet. You know what I mean."
"What's the difference, anyway?" asked Wakaba.
"... between a seat and a sweet?" asked Nanami.
"A limo and a town car."
"The limo is, like, really looong," said Yuka, "so it's harder to, you know, put it into places."
Wakaba blinked, turning her head slowly to make eye contact with Nanami.
"You know, I think it's all going to be okay," said Nanami, quietly.
Wakaba nodnodnodded, then turned back. "What kind of places, Yuka?"
"Huh? Oh ... Like, um, driveways."
Nanami considered for a moment, then turned to Wakaba. "Is that some sort of a euphemism for something?"
"Whaa?"
. . . . .
It was maybe a little embarassing having her father drive with her to school, but, not as badly so as walking would be, and it would make him feel better about letting her go to school.
but I don't want to make it a big deal, and it's going to be a big deal anyway, but if I don't go, it will be an even bigger deal. and hopefully, if I go, I'll feel more normal, so it will be less of a big deal.
So she said goodbye, and gave him a hug, and headed upstairs to homeroom.
"Hitomi!" said Nanami. "Where were you, we were worried sick."
Ah yes. I'd forgotten.
She closed her eyes and laughed gently. "Well, it's kind of a long story.."
"Indeed!" declared Wakaba, putting her arm around Hitomi's shoulder, "gather 'round, and listen to the tale of an ordinary middle school student, much like yourselves, who went off to the washroom during lunch, and never came back."
"Because she was eaten by a witch!" exclaimed Yuka.
There was a clattering noise from nearby.
"Whoa. Are you okay?" asked Nanami, turning her head.
"I'm fine," said Akemi Homura, dangling awkwardly from her desk by one arm, her legs stretched out on the floor behind her; "I simply slipped, and knocked my things to the floor. I am not used to the desks here," she explained, standing up.
"Are you hurt?" asked Wakaba. "Where's the health representative?"
"I am unharmed," assured miss Akemi. "Please, don't worry about me."
Hitomi nodded. "Like Miss Akemi, I am also unharmed," she said, "and that's the important part, but I need to go to the office; I think they have my bag. I promise I'll explain it all later."
"Do you need an escort?" asked Nanami.
"To go to the office?" enquired Hitomi, quizzically.
"Office. Lunch room. Washroom. Everywhere. I mean, look what happened last time."
She chortled.
. . . . .
"Oh, excuse me," she apologized to Madoka, "that was terribly rude."
"What's up, Hitomi?" asked Sayaka. "Didn't you get enough sleep?"
"I didn't. I was up really late talking to the police, and getting checked out at the hospital."
It was easier to explain to close friends.
"Really?" asked Sayaka. "What happened?"
"Well, apparently," replied Hitomi, "I was sleepwalking or some such thing... Oh, but there were several others who had the same symptoms. And when we all woke up and found ourselves in a strange place together."
"What? What's up with that?"
"The doctor said we most likely suffered a mass hallucination. So, after school today, I have to go back to the hospital for more tests. It's such a bother."
"After going through that, you shouldn't have come to school today."
"I couldn't do that. If I stayed home, then everyone would think I was sick. I don't want my parents to worry about me more than they already are." And you shouldn't worry about me, either.
"Spoken like a true honor student," declared Sayaka.
. . . . .
"So, retracing your steps, what's the last thing you can clearly remember?" The doctor clicked his pen, ready to take notes.
She made a funny face. How do you even explain?
"Well, I went to school, and I was having lunch, and I got up to, ah, make use of the washroom. And after that, things get a little fuzzy."
He nodded. "What do you mean by that exactly?"
"Well," she said, "when I was there, it was as if I were remembering things, stories about myself and my friends, and they all seemed like very real memories, except when I think about them I know that there's no way they could be real."
"Why's that?"
"Well, I'd remember the same time several different ways, or I'd remember someone like - like the new transfer student, who's always very cool and serious, except she was shy and timid. And I guess I remembered myself doing things that I... well, I just don't know where any of that came from."
The doctor nodded. "What kind of things?"
She squirmed. "I don't actually remember any of the specifics, but I do remember that I was really uncomfortable with myself."
"And after that?"
"After that ... it's even harder, but, I suppose it felt like I was floating. I really don't remember more than that, until the ambulances got there and woke me up."
He nodded. "You said on the scene that you thought you'd seen a friend there, too?"
"Oh, yes, Madoka. I wanted to show her ... but no, that must not have happened either, because I saw her at school again today and she was fine."
"You remember anything else about waking up?"
She pondered. "I feel like I should have been more worried, but the man kept saying I'd be fine, and I just felt... safe."
She smiled for a moment, glancing at the mirror on the far wall.
. . . . .
"So you think her story's legit?" asked Ikari, watching from the other side of the glass in a darkened room.
"I don't see why not. It's roughly in line with the others."
"Timeline's a little weird. She starts blacking out at lunch. The others, it's well after sunset."
"Sure," conceded Mitsuhiro, "but she's also just a girl. If it's a chemical release, or some sort of drugs, she might be affected more quickly just because she's smaller. The real problem is we still have no working model for its distribution."
"If she's affected before anyone else, she's the one who will pushing the boundaries out on our models, too. We need to understand her movements, and not just from yesterday. All week, at least."
"Maybe. I can look into things at the school, I guess."
"We need to be looking at school, on her way to school, hanging out at the mall, everything. Keep an eye out for that friend she mentioned, too. Working surveillance footage would be really nice."
"Right. That part doesn't make any sense either."
"Nope." He pondered a moment. "Unless it's electromagnetic somehow."
Mitsuhiro made a face. "I can't imagine how that'd work biologically."
"Okay, so picture this," proposed Ikari. "We've got some exotic drug gang or whatever going around with their new high. The distributors are real smart, have some sort of a gadget to cover their tracks. Then one night, something goes wrong. Badly made batch, some sort of powder gets everywhere, and boom, everyone's tripping balls."
"Mmm. You think the girl's a bystander then, not a user?"
"Could go either way."
Mitsuhiro thought for a while.
"Want to see if we can get Data Science involved? Go hunting for camera outages. See if we can find anything there."
. . . . .
As long as I'm at the hospital, though...
She checked the time. There should be a few minutes left, yes, and she knew the way, so she strolled down to knock on a familiar door.
"Come in!" said a voice, cheerily.
"Kyosuke? Good evening," she said, entering. He sounds better today!
"Oh, Hitomi!" he said, "you just missed everybody." He was sitting up in bed, holding his violin in the left hand, fingering the strings on the fingerboard - practicing the motions without playing.
"... Kyosuke?" she said, eyes wide. "What ... you're not..."
He beamed. "A miracle happened."
She gasped, hurriedly setting down her bag to rush over.
"It can't be!" she exclaimed. "Oh, but of course, it wouldn't be completely better -"
"No. Completely better."
"What? How..." She rushed over to sit down by the bed, and pressed her hand against his, finger-tips brushing against each other, shifting to match each other. His hands were still callused, his skin stiff and rough to her soft touch.
"So this is what a miracle looks like," she marvelled. Then, self-awareness returning, she let it go. He continued to move his hand, still happy.
"When did it happen? I hadn't even heard..."
"Just this morning. They don't have any explanation for it at all." Then, his smile shifted to an annoyed frown. "Of course, that means they want to run a whole lot of tests on it now."
"Oh, goodness. I can only imagine. I've been - well, it's a long story, but I had to come in for tests myself; that's why I'm here."
"Really? What happened?"
"Well," she said, uneasily... "You didn't watch the news today, did you?"
"No. I usually do, when I'm stuck here all day, but today's been a little bit too exciting."
She sighed. "Well... there would have been a story about some mass hallucination, and, a lot of people were affected..."
His eyes went wide. "I did see that, when they were taking me to do some more tests on my hand."
"Well, then... I was there."
"No way!"
"And they wanted to ask me a lot of questions, and run a lot of tests on me, which is why I'm here..."
He chuckled, smiling. "Welcome to my life."
She smiled back at him. "Well, in my case, I think it's not nearly as much about uncomfortable poking, but a whole lot of questions about my friends, and where we hang out, because they want to figure out why it happened, and they want to know all about what I was thinking, which I don't remember, and..."
"Yeah, that's different." He pondered a moment. "I suppose I was about to ask you what it was like, but on second thought, when you put it that way, maybe I shouldn't."
She sighed. "It's fine. At least I have someone to talk to about it, besides Mama and Papa. They worry too much."
"What about Sayaka and Madoka?"
She sighed. "It's complicated; those two are sort of off in their own little world with each other right now. I'm actually a little lonely, lately."
He nodded. "Well, if you need someone to listen then."
Best to skip over the lurid parts, I suppose.
"I was having very vivid dreams, I guess, and I couldn't tell the dreams from reality, and then... I suppose I was sleepwalking, but it was also like an out of body experience at the same time. I can't remember the details all that well, just the general feeling.
He pondered a moment, before speaking. "Back when I had the accident, before the paramedics came to help, there was a little while when I almost felt like I was floating above my own body. It was... peaceful, almost." He considered. "I was almost reluctant to leave with them and go back to feeling all that pain, but then I passed out."
She nodded. "Yeah. It was a lot like that."
"I guess we live in a world that's ... a little more complicated and different than we thought." He pondered a moment, and flexed his fingers. "You know, though, Sayaka was just in here yesterday, when I was losing hope, just insisting that miracles and magic are real."
Hitomi considered. "You know, I didn't realize she believed in stuff like that, but when you say it, I'm not surprised at all. She's really never afraid to believe. It must be why she always tries to stand up for people and for doing the thing, even when it's not popular. I've always admired that about her." She paused a moment, and laughed. "I guess that's why she's always so stubborn, too."
. . . . .
"Those are fatal flaws for magical girls," noted Homura.
"Oh," said a disappointed Madoka, "...really?"
. . . . .
Hitomi held up her hand to the light, wiggling her own fingers. "You know, when I do it, no one calls it a miracle. Maybe we should. Maybe miracles are all around us, everywhere. Sunshine, rain, friends, family."
Kyosuke nodded. "Music."
"Definitely music."
"Is that what it really means to believe? To look around yourself every day, and just be thankful for everything that you have? If you can do that, I guess all the impossible things just make sense."
"I suppose so," he said, pondering. "Hey, Hitomi? Thanks for stopping by and helping me through all this."
He smiled. She smiled.
They said nothing. Actually, it was starting to get awkward.
"Oh, but speaking of impossible things, did you hear the really big news?"
"What's that?"
"Madoka and Sayaka decided to become allies of justice and protect Mitakihara City as a magical girl duo."
He considered for a moment, then laughed. "You mean Sayaka decided, and Madoka just came along to keep her company."
"Okay, okay, I might have just made that one up," she giggled.
"Well..." he stretched. "I guess I'll have to hurry up and get back to school, so I can follow their exploits firsthand."
Hitomi nodded. "You simply must!"
. . . . .
"I know I don't have any powers," said Madoka, "and I guess I'll probably end up just getting in your way, but... if you don't mind having me around, I'd like come with you. At least as far as you can take me."
Sayaka was grateful for the company.
. . . . .
She smiled as she headed out of the hospital. She was a little tired, and probably could have called a car - actually, Papa would have preferred that - but she wanted to be outside walking, and maybe even send a message: don't worry, Papa, I'm fine.
A lot of things had happened, and she was very uncertain, and out of her element, but there was something special about it all, too. She had seen a miracle, maybe more than one. In the midst of the little whirlwind she felt secure, and safe. Like when Papa's there to catch me in his arms. Or... even with that nice paramedic. Sho.
Was that just this morning? Wow. It feels like such a long time ago somehow. Still. He was cute. I guess you need to be a really nice guy to do that sort of job.
She mulled that one over for a while. Okay, well, it's absolutely impossible, and we'll probably never see each other again, but I might even just possibly have a small crush.
The warm light of the setting sun began to fade. Yes, there was something comforting about that thought, but it was bittersweet, too, like she was leaving something very precious behind.
She shook her head. But I suppose that as long as Madoka and Sayaka are together, it'll all be all right. I'm not sure if I'd be okay with it, if it were anyone else.
She carried this bittersweet feeling the rest of the way home. Maybe even this was a miracle, too.
. . . . .
The tall, handsome paramedic pulled out a picture card out of his wallet, and gently ran a finger over the girl's name printed on the bottom. Moriya Ririka - cute girl, lovely photo. Had she missed it last night, after all that delicious fun? Would she have called it in as missing, on her day off? Maybe he'd just keep it as a souvenir, if that were the case.
He pressed the badge to the reader, and the door clicked open.
Best to get rid of it, then. Just as well. It wouldn't do to get too attached, that's just trouble down the line.
He entered the little room, found a likely looking cabinet, and took out a bottle. "All right," he said quietly through his mask, as he inspected its narcotic contents. "Payday."
. . . . .
She came home, and had her dinner, and gave her Mama a big hug and her Papa an even bigger one.
Upstairs, she attended to homework - the math was tricky, but not too long, and her head start on English was mercifully rewarded, so she could at least catch up on sleep.
She took a short, cool shower, and put on her favorite nightgown, cool and smooth and silky with just a little ruffle around the neck, and she slipped behind the bed-curtains into the cool, clean cotton sheets to sleep. She ran her hand idly across the pillowcase, at the edge, along the embroidered green ruffle, just to feel its texture.
"Your room's really nice, Hitomi," said Madoka in bed beside her. "I feel really special just being here. Thanks." Her reddish-pink hair was down, spilling across a pillow-sham, and she was in a nightgown too, instead of the usual patterned pajama-suit. She reached over to Hitomi, to clasp her hand in her own -
But there was only a smooth, cool cotton sheet.
The absence of that warmth pulled at her, and she felt something in her chest, tugging on her heart. A single tear streamed down her cheek - and this, too, was a most precious miracle.