Finals are finally over! So in the festivities of the end of a successful semester and the start of Christmas (or Winter for some) Vacation here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt

Chapter 9: Sickness

Voices and the beeping of several monitors dragged Mai through the thick darkness. Her eyelids were lead, refusing to open on her command. Instead, she sat there and listened to the conversation.

"Her wounds aren't life threatening. Her ribs are cracked and the bruise on her face is just that, a bruise. It won't affect her in any way, but she shows signs of… forced intercourse. That has caused some torn muscles. Her shoulder shows signs of near dislocation caused by a badly executed restraining technique. Her shoulder will be fine so long as she doesn't strain it," a soft male voice explained, "Several of his ribs were broken, but there were no fragments."

"I don't care about stuff that is not life threatening that I already knew about. I want to know why she fainted," came another whispered yet obviously enraged male voice.

Naru. At the sound of his voice several monitors picked up on the increase of her heartbeat. This went unnoticed by the two men for another exchange of dialogue.

The first man's voice, now assumed to belong to the doctor, was apprehensive as he began to speak. "It seems her and the girl brought in with her contracted a disease."

"What type of disease?" Naru asked through clenched teeth. His patient was waning very quickly with this doctor.

"We're not sure. None of our tests seem to be working. The only thing we are sure of is that it is a disease we've never dealt with. It attacks the immune system, compromising it before infiltrating," the doctor told him solemnly, "We believe that the virus originated from a swipe on both girls' cheeks."

"Can you do anything?" Naru asked.

The doctor was silent for the space of a heartbeat. "The best we can all do it to call her family, take her home and make them as comfortable as possible. Medical personal will be there to set her up and keep watch over her. We can only extend her life for another two weeks or so. I'm so sorry," he said.

"And her child?" Naru asked next, his voice quiet and despairing. Having the mortality of his assistant pointed out to him was wreaking havoc on his logic.

"The disease has not affected it. It has begun to attack the uterus, but somehow the fetus has been unaffected. There is little chance she'll make it even half way through the second month of her pregnancy though," the doctor told him.

"Thank you," Naru said quietly.

A door shut almost inaudibly. Mai's heart was soaring. She hadn't caught the last part. Her baby was going to be alright! He wasn't contracting the disease!

Naru finally seemed to take in the fast pace of the monitors around Mai. He nearly jumped over to her, placing his hand softly in hers. "Mai? Can you hear me? You're going to be alright. We're going to figure this out and both you and Emma are going to be fine," he told her gently.

She tried again to lift her eyelids. Groaning with the effort, she cracked her eyes open to look at her Naru. Now, when did she start calling him 'her Naru'? "Naru? Hi," she said quietly, a cough choking off her air, "Everything hurts."

"I know, I know, but you'll be better when we figure this all out. We're going to go back to Tsukiyomi-san's home and figure this out, okay? Is that going to be okay or do you want to go home?" Naru asked grasping at Mai's hand with both of his.

She shook her head a millimeter, groaning. "No, I don't want to be alone in at home and I don't want to leave you in that house alone," she wheezed squeezing Naru's hand, "So I'll come help solve the case."

Naru gave a week chuckle. "You're really sick, and still worrying about other's wellbeing," he said, ducking his head and pressing his forehead to their clasped hands, "Just don't leave me. Don't you dare leave me."

"I won't," she whispered.

Naru had just pressed his lips to Mai's when the door flew open. He jerked away quickly with a barely contained growl, but his hand remained in Mai's. The team streamed in followed by several bewildered nurses and a different doctor from earlier. He was young and handsome with sandy blonde hair draping into his sea green eyes. The nurses were carbon copies of each other with straight black hair and artificial violet eyes. One of them was pushing a wheelchair.

"Mai!" Monk started to shout, but the doctor beat him to the cue.

"Taniyama-san, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked, grabbing the chart from the end of her bed as he walked around to the side that Naru wasn't standing on. He flipped it open, but was not paying attention to it in the least. He gave Mai a winning smile.

"Fine," she wheezed out, ever the horrible liar. A coughing fit presented itself. Mai curled in on herself, pulling Naru's now bloodless hand to her chest.

The doctor reached around Mai's back, rubbing and patting. "Don't worry Mai. We'll take good care of you. We're going to be staying at the house with you and Tsukiyomi-san," he explained, leaving his hand on Mai's back where his hand could touch the flesh of her back.

Naru's didn't miss this lack of etiquette, but Mai was completely oblivious. "Oh, thank you so much," she said, smiling up at the man who just took this as a sign of encouragement.

"It's no problem," he told her with a wide smile. He began helping her out of bed, but Ayako snagged the wheelchair, positioning it next to Naru. The doctor stopped to stare as Naru very gently lifted Mai and placed her in the wheelchair like she was a piece of fragile glass that could shatter at the slightest implication. He didn't seem to like it all that much.

Naru motioned for him to lead the way. Gritting his teeth, the doctor slid the chart back into its place and strutted out the door. He was attempting to make an impression on Mai, but she was more preoccupied with how weak she actually felt.

"Hey Naru, my tummy feels funny. Haha, that rhymed," she giggled, rubbing her stomach in circles with one hand and rubbing patterns into Naru's hand with the other.

Naru raised his eyebrows at Mai. "Looks like the painkillers are kicking in." Mai giggled again to prove his point. Halfway down the hallway, they were joined by Yasu and Emma who had a blissful look spread across her face. "And for her too," he commented.

"She's been like this for the past thirty minutes," Yasu said with a shake of his head.

"I think they're going to be like this for the rest of the case. Why did she need painkillers anyway?" Monk asked, watching the girl quizzically and she pointed out a make-believe butterfly to Yasu.

"She hit her head really hard on the counter when she and Mai passed out," John explained quietly, falling into step beside Naru.

"Ooooh," Monk said.

They fell into silence then. It was quiet on the way back to the house. They were all in separate cars. Mai was with Naru and Lin in the van, falling asleep on Naru's shoulder. Emma was snuggled up to Yasu in Monk's car with the rest of the group. The doctor and nurses were stuck riding in a car together.

In that car, all of the passengers were griping about the long drive to the house. Though one, the doctor was staring out the window with a creepy smile like he had won the lottery.

…..

"Mai, we're here," Naru said, gently shaking her awake.

She grumbled, blinking slowly at him. She stuck out her arms for him. "Up," she murmured. He smiled slightly, sliding his arms under her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling against it.

Yasu did the same, carefully, picking up Emma. They carried the two girls up the steps. Mai stared at the looming door of the Tsukiyomi residents with an ever growing sense of urgency. She didn't want to go inside. She knew something was going to happen when she got through the threshold, but she didn't know what it was.

She watched in silent terror as Monk, Ayako, Masako and John stepped through the threshold. A moment passed when they entered the house before both Naru's and Mai's vision filled with the blackest ink.

That's the end of this chapter. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I couldn't think of anything more for this chapter. It was getting really just not good. Anyway, hope you liked it and review please :D