This could stand as a prequel of sorts to my memory loss one shot.

Don't go

"Kaito?"

Looking up, said boy found his best friend turned girlfriend standing behind him with a panicky look on her face. Instantly, all the alarms went off in his head.

"I think I'm out of meds."

Kaito couldn't remember the last time his heart plummeted as fast or hard or beat so quick he feared it might break his rib cage. He felt a panic attack rising at the edge of his consciousness, the telltale anxiety swimming through his veins, stopping his brain from working properly. But she was the ill one and he was the one who was supposed to take care of her, so he was supposed to be the one to stay calm in this situation and think things through, help her, save her if it came down to it.

(But fuck, he knew he shouldn't have taken her on this trip, he'd known all along.)

It took him about two calming deep breaths before he schooled his expression, nodded and then stood up to softly pull her along towards their room. "Let's see if you maybe only misplaced them."

He turned to her to smile encouragingly because surely, that must be it. She must have misplaced them. Things would be fine.

He wondered if he tried to convince her or himself.

"You took your meds this morning, didn't you?"

Aoko bit her lip in thought, a very solemn look overcoming her face. "I honestly don't know."

Kaito smiled softly and nodded. He couldn't be angry at her now, no, he couldn't even be angry at himself right now. He should have known better, he should have taken care of her, checked if she took the medicine but it was still so new and he was used to Aoko being this independent woman who needed exactly no one.

Regret flooded his mind.

If she really didn't know it could be the first signs that she actually didn't take them this morning, and who knew when was the last time she took her meds?

"How do you feel?"

He stopped in front of the door to their room and watched her expression carefully.

"Just a slight headache."

Lie.

Taking her hand, he opened the door and walked inside.

"Alright, let's check again."

And check, he did. Kaito rummaged through their bags, their luggage, the table and the drawers, behind it and under the bed, under the pillow, the beddings, he searched the whole room like a lunatic with Aoko watching him silently from the chair at the window. And he found nothing.

Absolutely nothing. He came up with exactly nothing.

Fuck.

To be honest, it wasn't like he really thought he'd find something. Their stay had unexpectedly been prolonged, not that they wanted to stay longer but due to the lasting strong snowstorm no one could leave or arrive at the ski lodge. Absolutely no one could leave and Kaito didn't know how long the storm would keep raging.

Usually, those things didn't take longer than one day or one night but they had been stuck here for already over two days with no improvement in sight. And if Aoko had run out of meds, the worst thing possible happened.

"Don't worry Kaito, I'll be fine, okay? I'm sure we'll be able to leave tomorrow and I'll definitely hold on until then."

Just until tomorrow, huh?

Kaito stood up from the ground and took yet another deep breath. He needed to be strong for her, if nothing else, he needed to make sure Aoko didn't panic. It didn't matter how he felt but without her meds she needed to stay as stable as possible. He just needed to make sure she was alright.

But he'd never been as scared.

Not even when he had faced Snake and his bullies on the night he had found Pandora.

Not even then.

Putting on his Poker Face, Kaito walked over to her and then kneeled down on own knee, watching her curious face, her scared blue eyes, full lips he wished to kiss so badly, and then, just like so many years ago, the day he met her, he snapped his fingers and a blue rose appeared in it. A smile bloomed on her face instantaneously, just like back then, with her eyes sparkling in unconcealed joy, and she took the flower out of his hand, closed her eyes and just like back then took a whiff of the smell.

Kaito tried hard to just focus on the game he was playing, tried so hard to act as if nothing was wrong, he tried so hard and yet he knew he was failing miserably. He needed to be strong for himself, for Aoko, but whenever he glanced towards her, he couldn't find it in himself to be strong, at all.

She needed her medication.

And she needed it now.

But they were trapped in this white hellhole, in this ski lodge with about 10 other people of which were those two annoying detectives with their way too knowing looks and their way too caring girlfriends. He didn't much care about the other people.

But even those two girls who Aoko took a liking to couldn't quite reach the quiet girl and it unsettled Kaito greatly. She was way too absent minded, sitting in the armchair all by herself, curled in on her and watching the raging storm outside, or as much as she could see because it was bright inside and dark outside. There was barely anything she could see, but then again, Aoko saw the weirdest things when not on medication.

But it wasn't just that.

If it were just her imagination, if she'd just curl in on herself and watch fairies and dragons and rainbows dance around her, Kaito wouldn't be as worried. He wouldn't. But as things stood, the illusions were just a byproduct of something much more deadly and he knew, the more she saw the further away she got. And once she was out of his reach, he wouldn't be able to pull her back again.

Never again.

That was why her medication was essential. It kept her hormonal balance in order, it kept the seizures under control.

"Hey Aoko, it's your turn."

It took her too long to look up and focus, to find the voice that called out to her, to recognize him and understand what he wanted.

She needed her medication.

Now.

Fuck.

How was he supposed to protect her when it was her own body he needed to protect her from.

"Kuroba, I can't let you go."

He hated Kudou, now more than ever.

Of course, Kudou had been an essential part in taking down Snake and his bullies but that didn't mean that he had to like that damn stick-my-nose-in-everyone's-business detective and approve of what he was told.

"It's suicide to go out now."

Of course it was.

But Aoko might not survive the night and he really had no choice here.

"Look, Kudou. Aoko is sick and needs medication. There is a hospital just two hours away. I'll reach it somehow."

"And then what? Look, Kuroba, I understand that you're worried about Nakamori-san but you don't even know if they have the medicine in stock. You might not reach it and you also might not be back on time. You might not come back at all. I can't let you go, for Nakamori-san's sake, too."

Kudou kept his steel grip on his sleeve and Kaito growled dangerously.

"Let go, Kudou."

They had a stare down even the most ruthless and coldblooded criminals would be scared of and only Hattori's voice broke them off, somewhat.

"Do ya think ya'r worth something dead? Just fuckin' stay here, Kuroba!"

Turning his gaze on Hattori, Kaito nearly bit of his head in his fury. "The fuck do you even know, Hattori?!"

He couldn't remember the last time he lashed out like that, the last time he was so terrified. But then Aoko's voice called out to him and his resolve melted immediately.

"Don't go, Kaito."

Pushing Kudou away from him who then let him go with a wary look on his face, cautions and at all times ready to intervene if the need arose (Kaito hated him for it), Kaito then walked to his girlfriend, pulling her close to him.

"You need your medicine, Aoko."

Stroking soothingly along her back, he felt her relax into his hug.

"I'll be fine, I promise. Just … don't go."

But she wouldn't be fine, not like this. Her mind was deteriorating way too fast – he couldn't, he couldn't lose her. Not after everything. However, if he left her now, with as unstable as she was, he'd only accelerate her breakdown and that was something he absolutely wouldn't be able to live with.

Kissing her on the head, he hugged her close, feeling her warmth, savoring it, hoping beyond hope he could do this again and again, months from now, years from now. He'd protect her, again and again, from the world and from herself.

"Come on, let's play a card game."

And he knew Aoko was tired and wanted to sleep but she loved him too much to complain.

They had a whole night to survive, and even if the storm hadn't let up by morning, he'd go and get her the damn medicine. But for now, maybe keeping her mind occupied would be enough to protect her.