Chapter 3

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and she felt her back hit someone's shoulder as her foot left the step.

A grunt told her that the man was taking the full brunt of her weight and she felt her cheeks flush. The little boy was nowhere in sight when she next looked while regaining her breath.

"Taniyama-san, are you alright?" the voice was one that she definitely had not bee expecting.

"Lin-san? Ah yes thank you," she said, her face flaming as she realised how close he was. His dark eyes stared into hers for a second and she was surprised to see worry in them before they turned away from her and towards the door which had just opened.

"Naru, there's a slight-" Lin started but was cut off as Naru entered the hallway, and noticed Lin with his arms still around Mai, he raised an eyebrow just as Madoka followed him into the house.

Mai's eyes widened as she saw the lively women she considered a role-model of sorts and in her rush forgot she was on stairs, managed to topple forward before Lin grabbed and righted her again. Smiling gratefully and ignoring his exasperated expression she skipped down the final few steps and ran to hug the purple haired women.

Moving aside and away from the unimportant girl chatter Naru and Lin walked together to base in an uncomfortable silence for the both of them.

"When did she wake up?" Naru questioned as he checked the monitors and charts.

"A few moments ago on the stairs. Naru-"

"She was sleepwalking?" Naru gritted his teeth at the thought. Mai's dreams were bad enough but if she began sleepwalking especially on a dangerous case it could lead to dire consequences.

"I can only assume so for I looked and she was sleeping and the next she was gone. I checked the monitors and saw she was in the main hall. By the time I got there she was halfway up the stairs before waking up and falling backwards," Lin reported swiftly, thinking how troublesome being a babysitter truly was.

"And with Madoka here, she's just going to make matters worse," for me, Naru thought secretly while Lin thought the same thing.

"Mai, what did you see in your dream?" Naru asked as he sat down in his chair. To Lin and Madoka who had known the boy for years, they knew he was tired and annoyed at Mai's newly discovered way of getting into trouble.

To Mai, he just seemed to be his rude normal self.

Huffing she sat down on the couch, arms folded and pouting.

"I dreamt I was here in base but it was a couple of hours later than when I'd fallen asleep," she glanced at the clock to see that it was half seven, "I've no idea what I dreamt beforehand," at this she paused to ponder what she was to say afterwards.

There was no way she was mentioning dream Naru to real Naru. That would be embarrassing so that means I'll also leave out why I ran out of base because he was missing, "I left base on impulse and went to the main hall were I saw a little boy, I think it was Keigo and he got pushed down the stairs by a man who must have been his step-father," Mai paused while the moment replayed, "Then Kimi came in and called the ambulance before fading out. Then Keigo was there telling me to away. I woke up and Keigo was in front of me. He pushed me,"

"That's impossible Taniyama-san," Lin said quietly, "My Shiki didn't sense any spirits when you fell,"

Mai turned to her boss appealingly, "Naru I-"

"Lin's right Mai," Naru almost smirked at the girl's disbelieving face before he gestured her to stand beside him.

She treaded towards him slowly and stared at the footage being played on the thermal monitors before her. She watched herself walk halfway up the staircase with closed eyes before waking up. She watched with bated breath byt no sign of paranormal activity showed up.

"See Mai, you just fell," Naru said almost gently.

"But I didn't! I saw Keigo. He was in front of me, I saw him," she insisted as she stared at the three disbelieving faces and willed them to see that she was speaking the truth.

"Mai, nothing's there," Naru raised his tone with annoyance, "You were probably hallucinating," the words came out more harshly than intended.

"I thought by now you would have trusted me," Mai said heatedly as she clenched her fists and held back tears, "But you haven't changed. You're still an annoying pig-head," rambling on she scowled at him before saying on impulse, "You always lie to me and you do nothing but deceive people. I've had enough!" not able to bear staring at her boss or colleagues' faces for any longer she ran out of the room to find a place of solitude.

"Mai! Wait!" Madoka called after her.

"Leave her be!" Naru snapped, "She'll be back in an hour or so, once she's stopped acting like a child and calmed down,"

"It's not safe to leave her alone," Madoka insisted.

Mai ran off until the voices faded.

A stitch in her side slowed her down and she began to walk instead to get her breath back. She found herself wandering corridors almost in a trance as she walked through a glass door into a conservatory filled with plants.

The aromas were pleasantly comforting and Mai plonked herself beside a sapling and a row of roses.

They're idiots for not believing me, she thought furiously as she hugged her knees to her chest and lay her head on her hands. She yawned sleepily and snuggled warmly against the wall and closed her eyes.

MAI! Don't fall asleep!

Sorry for the late update, too much homework and studying going on here. lol plus I prefer to handwrite this story so I can write it in frees at school, so it takes extra time to type afterwards. All for the sake of my sanity. And it's the 1st October, where did the first month of school go? We're on a 30 day countdown to Halloween, yay. It should be fun. And what is it now, 12 ir 13 weeks till Christmas. Start your shopping now people. :)

Anyway, anyone want to guess as to what is causing people to go into a coma (did I spell that right?)? The answer to this question is already in one of the chapters.

Anyway, bye bye or in Ireland right now, Night Night!