Sorry about the typos and stuffs. Too tired to edit. Narrgh..edit tomorrow...maybe...sleep

14

I found myself alone in a hospital room, patched with stitches, bandages, and leftover numb warm bits of flesh from their work. I still wore my bloody clothes, as I had nothing else to wear and no desire or need to stay in the hospital. Yeah, I had cuts all over me from flying glass and it made my head spin to stand, but…

I had already asked if I could see Naru in intensive care, but not even a spouse was allowed at this crucial moment. That, more than the blood loss, made my head spin.

The next time I saw him…he could be dead…

I thunked the heal of my hand against my forehead, screwing up my face against the turmoil within. It was almost like Naru simply wasn't meant to live in this world without Gene. Perhaps that legend about twins sharing a soul was true. Too much power for just one body…but what connection could replace that between twins?

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," I mumbled, though I didn't see why anyone would knock. It wasn't like this hospital room was my bedroom or anything.

When the thin-brow detective walked in, I wasn't surprised. I wasn't happy either.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you at this time of night," he said (again, this wasn't my house). "But I still had some questions about the investigation I think only you can answer."

"Because the other one is unconscious?" I said, as dry as a desert.

"I have already questioned his assistant, Lin. Any data he could have had, I've seen. You on the other hand…" He pulled over the wheeled stool the doctor had been on just moments before to wheel about from one of my cuts to another. "I hope the seriousness of what's going on will help you answer this question honestly."

I waited, watching the shine move about on a balding patch I hadn't noticed before, right on the peak of his scalp. I realized then that I didn't even know this man's name. He had always been labeled under 'the detective' in my mind.

He leaned onto his knees like a grandfather about to ask a small child a serious question.

"Are you really clairvoyant?"

I wanted to be sarcastic. I really did. But something about losing a pint of blood and possibly your fiancé as well had a knack of sucking up your snark energy.

"Yes." I said. "What do you want to know?"

"I need you to identify the girl you say that Swii kid raped. I have a list of pictures here."

"I can do that."

"Also," he hesitated. "Was it really you who found out about the scopolamine?"

"I take it the tests have come back?"

He made a noncommittal grunting noise that almost sounded impressed. "I figured since you were right one time…now, to the pictures."

From within his coat (very traditionally detective-y of him), he pulled out a handful of your regular 5x7 pictures. They all had the same generic blue-gray background for a school ID. He handed them to me and I mechanically went through them, then handed them back.

"None of them."

His eyebrows flew high. "Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing. Though I think I have one more picture."

And out from the other side of his coat he pulled out the willowy girl. Despite the smile that completely changed her looks, I knew her in an instant.

"Are you really here for my help or just to put me through tests?" I asked dully.

"Is this her?"

"Yes, it's her, and you already know that. What do you want from me?" I couldn't help my question coming out in a pathetic whine. All I wanted to do was go to Naru and curl up next to him. I just wanted Naru.

"Just had to be sure." He gave me the picture, surprisingly, and I stared down at her face. I should feel something. I knew I should. This girl might have killed Naru. But all I could do was ache for him. "Do you know how this girl died?"

"No. Though I suspect its suicide."

"Right again, you are very good. She slit her wrists when she discovered she was pregnant. Her parents and friends assumed she had met a guy at a party or experimented without protection, because she didn't have a boyfriend at the time."

A centipede-like crawl trickled up my spine. Oh god…

The phrase suddenly yanked up John to the forefront of my mind. An upsurge of desire took hold of me. I wanted to see him. I needed John. He would be able to make sense of it—to purify it, in a way, with the mere presence of his earnest goodness. He would say something about God and heaven and beautiful things like that. Maybe he'd even bow next to me and say a prayer that would promise me that Naru would live, or at least give me hope.

The detective I didn't know the name of continued speaking. "We traced her back to the rape blog you also helped uncover. We were able to trace out several other…stories or hints of the use of scopolamine, and we think the suspect has been singling these out for revenge. Our number one suspect right now is Jounochi's girlfriend at the time he died—"

"She didn't kill him."

He gave me a pointed stare. "How do you know this?"

"I just know. It's the sixth sense thing. Sometimes I just know."

"Well I can't let her off based on a 'I just know.' Can you suggest anyone else that could be doing this? We've already verified that Swii did not kill Joe or Carlos, who we assume introduced the drug to the campus. He came across the drug when it was confiscated by the resident RA as cocaine. He says he learned what it was from the kid who it had been taken from, who we're also bringing in for questioning, but so far he has no reason to kill Joe."

The information drifted through my head like elevator music. Nothing sparked a response.

"I still don't know why you're telling me all this."

"You're clairvoyant, aren't you? I could use any hint you could give me about now. Any chance at one of these…visions? Off record, of course."

I ran my hands down my face. I just wanted him to go away. I wanted to find somewhere dark and secret to recooperate. "I only get 'visions' when I sleep. The one that happened in the bathroom was a possession. If you want me to look into anything, check with me in the morning, though I doubt I'll catch any sleep tonight"

He frowned. "You could ask for something to help you to sleep from the nurses."

"How about this, I'll drug myself into a coma if you can just get me to my fiancé. I'll do anything you want, even."

I regretted saying it when his stupid, annoying 'grandfather' face went all wonky with pity.

"Oh, that. Well, I don't really know what happened to him. I don't think I can do anything about the hospital policies."

I sighed. "It was worth a try. I'll try to sleep. Here," I handed him my phone from my pocket. It still had dried smears of blood on it. "Put in your number. I'll call if I get anything."

He did a good job at ignoring the blood on the screen as he typed it in, handed it back, and gave his good-byes. Then he was finally out.

I slipped off the bed and went after him. They had already told me where I could wait to hear about Naru, and as I headed there, a bit breathless with the black rush of low blood pressure, I brought up John's number.

It rang three times before he picked up. "Hey, Mai. What's happened? It's a little late to be calling."

His Australian accent rolled over me like a warm bath. Before I knew it, before I could even start on controlling myself, I started to cry, all by wailing into the mouth piece. He gave gentle shushing noises, saying he couldn't understand me and to breathe. Passing nurses tried not to be too obvious in their concerned looks. Somehow I managed to blubber out about Naru, though I couldn't even begin on the case. I didn't want to talk about the case. I wanted everything that had to do with that stupid girl to disappear so I didn't have a reason to feel sorry for her.

"I wish you were here, John," I sobbed as I fell into a chair in the waiting room. "Ayako, Takigawa—they're all busy with their full time jobs, and Yasu's back at the school talking to people with Lin and—"

"Shh, it's going to be okay. I may not be there in person, but I can hear you just fine. If you want we can say a prayer. Would that help you feel better?"

I almost laughed with relief. Somehow, he had read my mind. I told him that would be lovely and followed his instructions to just bow my head and focus my thoughts to God. I could hear him shuffling in the background and imagined he was kneeling down wherever he could.

There was a quiet that stretched almost too long before I heard his quiet murmur.

"Oh God, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, we come before thee today for comfort and for thy blessing. Please give the comfort of thine angels about Mai during this trying time, as well as strength to thine son, Oliver Davis." He paused for a moment, in which I wondered if he had lost his words. But then he picked up: "At this time I also ask of thee to bless Mai with clarity of mind and direction in solving the mystery which troubles her and her clients at this time. I...I believe she is plenty able to find her way, but sometimes she can lack confidence or be distracted by caring for the troubles of others. Please, lead her. Guide her. Walk besides her.

"And we ask these things in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen."

"Amen," I whispered back into the receiver. Tears still streamed down my face, but for a completely new reason now. A warmth, almost on the side of burning, had welled up in my breast and filled me down to my very toes. Perhaps this is what they meant by the spirit of God. Or, perhaps, it was simply hearing of John's faith in me.

"Everything will be all right, Mai. If I could I'd fly over there, but…I don't think that would be appropriate at this time."

I smiled at how awkward he sounded, but I could feel my mouth struggling. It wasn't really anything sweet, but painful. After all, it wasn't a happy reason that had taken him to Australia, and suddenly I felt guilty for having called him up like this. He didn't need to be hearing my voice.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Good heavens, what for?"

"I'm the reason you…you know."

"That is not your fault by any stretch of the means and never will be. This is my cross to bear and mine alone."

"Yeah, but…if you hadn't met me or—"

"Don't, Mai. Nothing will ever make me regret meeting you…please, don't be sorry. You're supposed to be flattered. Most girls would be flattered, wouldn't they? Oh no, that sounds really arrogant of me, doesn't it? I mean, I don't know if a girl would be happy—oh Lord, I'm putting my foot in my mouth."

I giggled and wiped the tears off my face. Just then, a nurse in blue scrubs stepped out from the doors, spotting me and starting my way. I couldn't read anything on his face.

My heart just about vanished altogether.

"I think they're going to let me in now."

There was no way John could have missed out on the meaning behind me tone. "Call me. It'll be okay."

"Thank you, John."

"Mai?" said the nurse. He had been the same one who had refused me entrance when they had rolled Naru in. "Come on back. He's stable."

I nearly fainted with half-born relief. Stable was good, right? Right?

I stuffed my phone into my back pocket and wandered after him. He gave my bloody, cut clothes a disapproving frown.

"We're going to need to get you into some scrubs before you can be back there. Why didn't the girls up front lend you some? Ugh, and everything we got is going to be huge."

"It's alright." As long as Naru was okay, he could dress me up in a freaking clown suit, for all I cared.

I was allowed to keep on my underwear, though the nurse had been right. The smallest size they had swallowed me. I had to roll up the pant legs three times before I could walk without green cotton scrub slippers.

Naru had been moved from one of the major ICU rooms and into a temporary room given to those who have passed the worst, but were still being watched. He wasn't stuck up to tons of machines like I had imagined, but he did have one of those breathing-nose-tubes and an IV. He had been dressed in the bleaching hospital gowns that always made people look worse and paler than they really were, but at least he was white instead of gray.

He looked like he could simply be asleep. A heart monitor reported a regular, 58-65 resting heart rate.

"His doctor assures us he doesn't have any heart conditions," said the nurse skeptically. "But seriously, it was all over the place for a bit there." He left it hanging as though waiting for me to shyly admit that Naru did recreational drugs on the side. When I didn't say anything, he gestured me to the chair, muttered something about other patients and pushing the button if I needed anything, and left.

The moment he was gone, I slipped off my shoes and climbed onto Naru's bed. Careful of his right side, which had the monitor and IV, I wriggled myself into the little room on his left side and tucked my face into the crook of his neck. The first whiff of his tea and sage smell was like my first breath of fresh air. Every muscle in my body uncoiled. Fighting not to cry out of simple sheer relief, I dared to lightly drape my arm over his lower stomach, afraid that if I put any weight on his chest I could affect his heart.

"You owe me so much ice cream," I said with a sniffle. "Strawberry. With chocolate shell-stuff."

His skin was warm against mine, and that comforted me enough to allow the waiting exhaustion to pounce. Blackness enveloped me, edged with the throbs of my cuts as the numbing agents wore off.