Chapter 16

Out of the few times Shinichi's gone to a public hospital, this was the longest. He was two weeks in, going on a third, and while his physical therapy was going well, the doctors still didn't think he was ready enough to leave. And while Shinichi didn't blame them—he couldn't get out of bed during the first week—he felt restless, and considering that this was the first time he didn't have Hakuba hounding him 24/7, he wanted to get some work done. His doctor even banished the Interpol agents following him to outside the building, stating that they were "constantly in the way" and "the boy can barely walk without holding onto the wall, where exactly do you think he'll run off too!?"

Shinichi's doctor was the best, he should buy him a fruit basket.

Gripping the rails on his bed, Shinichi swung his legs over the side. He winced at the dull soreness that rippled underneath his skin. It was like his muscles had been stretched too tight. But he had to ignore it so, grabbing his IV stand like it was a staff, Shinichi staggered to his feet. Nearly losing his balance, he waivered in place before taking his first step. His knee almost buckled under his weight, but he pressed on, taking one step after another while dragging his IV stand along for the ride.

He gritted his teeth. His original plan had involved locating an unused computer or laptop to access the internet, but if this is how hard it was to walk… Usually his physical therapist would have him brought to his area of the hospital via wheelchair, so he'd never had to try getting up from bed and walking across his room. He leaned heavily against the wall. It was unlikely that he'd be able to make it back to his bed without falling.

Originally, Shinichi thought that his injuries hadn't been that bad, with most of the burns leaving only minimal damage. But that was before he read the reports on the internal damage. The electrical currents had torn muscles all over his body and while nothing seemed to be wrong with his nerves so far, the possibility for long-term damage was high.

All in all, Shinichi was not even close to healthy.

Steeling his nerves and his pride, Shinichi scooted along the wall to the door and swung it open. He popped his head out. Luckily, a dark-haired nurse was right outside his room, flipping through the files on a computer. He licked his lips and said, "E-Excuse me? Nurse?"

Her head jerked up and spun around towards him, surprise etched onto her face. "Yes? Can I help you, young man?"

He swallowed down the shame in asking for help. "I… I appear to be stuck here. I tried to walk and… do you mind helping me back to my bed?"

Her expression softened and she nodded, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Of course, honey." Logging out, she got up and helped Shinichi back to his bed, holding him under his arms and supporting his weight most of the way. His ears flushed a bright red the entire time.

Finally when the nurse successfully manipulated him back onto the bed, she sighed, crossing her arms. "Honestly, what are we going to do with you, Shinichi?" Her voice had completely changed from that of a stranger to someone familiar.

"Auntie?"

Fujiko raised her glasses and winked, revealing familiar brown eyes. "In the flesh, kiddo."

A smile broke out across his face as he practically sagged into the bedding. "It's really good to see you, Auntie. I missed you."

She smiled back, a soft one that no one but he ever inspired from her. "Missed you too…" Her smile turned into a frown. "Which is why I was so dismayed to find out that, not only had you been captured and tortured by that horrible woman again, but that you specifically tried to keep that information away from me!"

Shinichi winced. "I… told Papa that she was in the country?"

She tsked. "Not good enough, kid. In fact, not good at all. You told old man Zenigata not to tell Lupin—what exactly are we supposed to think!? One of the concessions we insisted on when we agreed to let you do this was that if you got hurt, we bring you home. One of the very few concessions, Shinichi. Do you remember the other two?"

"If I get arrested and if I get abused, I come home," Shinichi recited back dutifully. "But it's not that bad; I'm not even that injured—"

"Don't even try that with me after I just helped you back into bed." Her voice immediately grew harsh. "Do you have any idea how long it took just to convince Jigen not to burst in here, guns blazing to get you back? Hours. Hours of my life I will never be able to get back, just like how you are wasting hours of yours on this insane mission of yours."

"I have to do this, you know I do!"

"Of course I know; I understand better than the rest of them!" She ran her fingers through her hair. Shinichi had never seen her so incensed. "But I've been watching, and you have barely done anything. And sure, I'm happy that you're finally getting the high school experience that you've never had, that you have friends and after-school activities and a normal sleep schedule. But maybe if you actually bothered asking for help, you'd already be done."

Fujiko tossed something at him. He didn't catch it in time and it hit his chest. A flashdrive. "What's on it?"

"What little I've been able to find. There's not a lot from back then, but there's one particular file that I need you to take a look at," she answered. "That might be the right one. And the files are protected; even when they're open, the Interpol agents monitoring your computer won't be able to see anything."

His eyes widened with the realization of what was on that flashdrive. "Auntie… thank you."

She sighed. "Just… find out what you need to know, okay kid? And stop worrying your parents so much." And with that, she walked out the door.