Kaizuka was waiting, looking at him in bland expectation. If Slaine hadn't felt so resigned at that moment, he would have been spiteful. As it were, he was having a hard time looking anywhere other than at the kitten in his lap. It was adorable, there really was no way around that, and it was a much better sight than Kaizuka, looming over at him impassively. For now, she was content to stay in her cute little ball, and to have him pet her. Simple thing, he thought.

But as expected, Kaizuka was not a patient person, and could not let them simply sit in silence, when he expected something. "It would be appropriate for you to name her." Slaine almost looked up at Kaizuka, but decided that the kitten was a much better focal point. She deserved the attention; she was a victim more than anyone else in this room.

"Why?" He answered, trying to keep his tone as bland and unemotional as Kaizuka's was. It wasn't really a useful game, he was playing. He'd already picked out a name, but he'd be damned if he just gave it up without some show of resistance.

Kaizuka blinked at him, in what Slaine could only speculate was annoyance. "She is your pet."

"Didn't she already have a name?" This was foolish on his part, and he knew it. It wouldn't matter, not even slightly, but he'd already consented to losing whatever little choice he had by accepting the kitten as his own. He couldn't physically protest anymore, so it felt like he had to at least let some part of his resentment show. Actions always spoke louder than words, but now those actions were more tied down than they had been before. He had to rebel in some way, even if it was still useless.

"I didn't ask." It almost sounded like Kaizuka meant to ask 'Should I have?' but of course, that was all wishful thinking on his part. To think that Kaizuka meant anything else by his statement was foolish.

He answered the question he wanted Kaizuka to have asked anyway. "You should have."

"I didn't think it relevant." 'Is it relevant?' was the question Kaizuka wasn't asking. The question Kaizuka was not going to ask. It was just as well that he hadn't, Slaine supposes.

"Do you know why kittens purr, Kaizuka?" Surprisingly, his question got no answer. He waited for a while, the kitten purring in his lap, as he gently ran his fingers over its delicate head. When he was sure that Kaizuka was not going to answer, had nothing to say, he continued. "Kittens purr when they want to reassure their mothers. It is a way of showing that everything is alright, and that the kitten is content."

Slaine spared a sideways glace to Kaizuka, but found nothing of interest on his face. He angled his glace down at the kitten in his lap again. She was quite content to keep purring. "She must realize you are her new owner. She has purred for no one else."

"I am not her mother." He found himself hissing the comment, completely appalled that Kaizuka had entirely missed the point of his statement. He tried to let the irritation seep out of him, but it would not go away. He hoped he hid it well.

For Kaizuka's part, he was silent for a few moments before speaking again. "You are protesting the separation of domesticated animals from their parents?" Whatever emotion he'd felt before, dissipated. How was it, that every single time he tried to assert himself, even if in only words, Kaizuka turned it on its head, and made him the fool. The rage that should have over taken him, instead drained. It was because he was a fool. Kaizuka was always going to win, and it didn't matter if he protested.

"Are you making an obscure metaphor?" Kaizuka's statement was uncharacteristically fast, but it was only a slight observation. Slaine suddenly had no energy to put up a fight. His stomach was churning horribly, and it really didn't matter if he did, or said, anything.

"It is a metaphor. What is it a metaphor of?" Kaizuka's tone was not normal, he could tell that much, but the thought occurred to him, and was gone. His stomach demanded attention, and his eyes widened, as he reached to cover his mouth. He had just enough time to lean over the side of the bed, before losing the contents of his stomach onto the hospital floor.

There was no way he could have stopped it, but shame overtook him. What a mess he'd made of everything. It might have been some comfort to see that Kaizuka was looking at him in bold faced shock, but he didn't catch it. He was too busy dry heaving, and struggling to breathe properly.

He could hear Kaizuka's footsteps, and the sound of his voice dolling out commands, but he couldn't register what was being said. It didn't really matter, what mattered was breathing, and at that exact moment, he was having trouble with it. The nausea had not gone away with his last meal, and he could feel mucus coating his throat. The feeling of liquid in his lungs had mostly gone away when they'd physically taken it out, but he could still feel some of it in there, churning as he heaved. He had to keep himself breathing normally, had to make sure that he didn't lose it, and start going psychotic again. He closed his eyes, and concentrated, told himself again and again that he was not drowning, that his heaving chest would continue to support him, that he was 'fine'. Because he would be 'fine' as long as Kaizuka dubbed it so.

A soft mewl pulled his attention outward, and with dazed eyes he looked over. The little kitten had retreated to the far corner of the bed, but now that he had quieted down, now that only his chest was heaving erratically, she had taken a few tentative steps forward. He stared at her wide inquisitive green eyes for a few seconds. He was unaware if Kaizuka had left or not, but he found himself unable to really think about much of anything.

He tried to wipe the vomit off of his face with the back of his hand, and then wiped that on the sheets. They'd have to be cleaned anyway, so what did it matter? Slowly, he reached out his other hand towards the little kitten. "Sorry." He muttered softly, around his deep breathes and allowed her to pad over towards him. Once she was within reach, he scooped her up into his arm, and deposited her on his other side, away from the vomit. "Sorry, Anemone. That was a bad first impression." The kitten simply nuzzled into his side, and he pet her with the hand that hadn't been covered in vomit.

He smiled ruefully. "I seem to make bad first impressions." The kitten only purred up at him, and he couldn't help smiling down at her.

"Sorry, Anemone." He muttered once more, and felt things within himself settle. Soon enough, there would be other people there to clean up his mess, to cart him away to a different place, or find something that was going to fix him again. But for that moment, all that mattered was the little kitten snuggled up beside him, that didn't care that he smelled like throw-up, or that he had ruined most of the known world. Maybe that would be enough for now.