Kiss of Death
Chapter 40, Part 41
"Golden Blood"
"What do you mean there's an issue? She lost a lot of blood, the blood bank should be able to give her some!" Conan shouted angrily at one of the hospital staff.
"Listen, kid," the nurse said, "it's complicated. We can't just give her a random type."
"Of course I know that, don't take me for an idiot," he snapped back.
Doctor Tomoaki Araide approached them. He smiled sympathetically, the sadness within them did not go unnoticed, "it's okay, Miss Shiro. I'll handle it from here."
He continued, "Shin-err... I mean Conan-kun. Are you familiar with 'golden blood'?"
The detective went numb. "No... Don't tell me that she's-?"
The doctor nodded. "I'm afraid so. Golden blood has Rh-null, lacking almost all antigens in their red blood cells. They can give their blood to anyone, but no one can donate blood to them unless its the same blood type. There's about less than a hundred in the world and only about 10 active donors in the world. Finding one stored in a blood bank in Japan is..."
"Damn it!" the boy cursed and slammed his fists against the wall. His world, once more, was rupturing into shreds.
"No... This can't be... I've..."
The only one he knew that had that type of blood was the Boss. The Boss was nowhere to be found. Same goes for Vermouth. He sobbed. Ran and the doctor could only watch him with pity.
"Someone...help.."
Vermouth managed to do the task that the Boss did. She did not fully comprehend him but trusted him enough. The Boss was fickle and appear nonchalant at times, but he was methodological in his ways. It was a strange request to activate bombs over their hideout the moment Williamine walks out of the vicinity.
The Boss probably knew that Williamine or either one of the other members would be the Judas among them. Perhaps even, wanted the forces of law and justice to arrive at their hideout and ambush them.
Who knew? The old man's brain was even harder to crack than a Rubik's cube.
The essential fact is that the criminal organisation was destroyed for good this time, its members (except for her and the Boss) were captured or dead and that she was free - well, from the syndicate. She was still chained by other things.
Funny though, that she was here in the hospital in a disguise and eavesdropping on them:
"Shin-err... I mean Conan-kun. Are you familiar with 'golden blood'?"
"No... Don't tell me that she's-?"
"I'm afraid so. Golden blood has Rh-null, lacking almost all antigens in their red blood cells. They can give their blood to anyone, but no one can donate blood to them unless its the same blood type. There's about less than a hundred in the world and only about 10 active donors in the world. Finding one stored in a blood bank in Japan is..."
"Damn it!"
"No... This can't be... I've..."
"Someone...help.."
The last sentence held a note of pleading. True, she could not care less for Sherry. Given that what her father's experiments had done to her and former old' Whisky. Yet, there was the sight of Ran's crying and Conan's helplessness that had her ache in the chest.
She thought back: when the Boss was still under the codename "Whisky", he did save her by donating his blood to her. Was he fond of her? Perhaps not. Not even close. He only saw the members as a tool for his means. Maybe it was something to do with his birth and being experimental subjects with his twin siblings (in which, Vermouth could not be bothered to know the gender of the twin).
If her consciousness is a person now, it was throwing its hands up and saying, "to hell with it!"
Fine, they win the war. Completely - Vermouth scoffed as she stood up.
"Uhm... I'm sorry, I was just passing by after visiting a friend. But I hear that you need someone with golden blood type?" Vermouth introduced herself as a meek stranger.
"Why? Do you know someone who has that type?" Tomoaki Araide immediately responded.
Vermouth feigned shyness and shuffled about, "me..actually. If it will save someone...then by all means..."
"Then-"
"On one condition!" she interjected, holding her forefinger up in the air, "I will have complete anonymity. No questions asked. Just take my blood for the test and once my type is confirmed, we'll proceed with the donation. Hurry doctor, time is ticking for our precious princess."
"Al-alright...Follow me-"
Maybe it wasn't so bad to play nice for once.
The sign that indicated that an operation procedure was transpiring in the other room was still lit up.
"Thank goodness, isn't it?" Ran sighed. She knew that her husband is a great doctor and that he will save Ai, no matter what it takes. She turned to the boy, who remained stoned since their last conversation. He was antsy for the past few hours. Her gaze made him stare at her.
"Ran...I-"
"Hello, Shinichi," she greeted, "or it's Conan now, isn't it?"
"I-"
"I'm sorry..."
He hung his head low. Yes, he knew this confrontation would arrive. She let him have it.
"Yes, I know almost everything now. How you lied to me for so many years, led me on for so long and made me look stupid while you go at it. On top of that, you hurt me with your words when I told you about the proposal and faked your death. What were you thinking? I lost my childhood friend. You could have trusted me, even if I can't understand-"
Conan listened to her ramblings. He deserved the scolding alright.
"You had me worried sick whenever you disappeared. You left me hanging and you never came back as you promised! Even though I'm happily married now, the fact stands that you treated our friendship as if it was trash. If you weren't in a teenage form now, I could really kick your ass. You're unforgivable! And most of all..."
Conan winced. He mentally readied himself for the final blow.
"Most of all..." she continued, "I'm sorry too."
He blinked. Did he hear Ran correctly? Is she apologising? She held a palm to him.
"Before you say anything... Let me explain. Yes, what you did was a jackass thing to do and I still hate you for it. But I thought about the entire thing. Every wrong...and every right that you did. There's a long list of lies that you told me...but it's also compensated with a long list of times you had tried to protect and save me. You had been there for me, like a guardian angel, and all I did was ranted and pressured you into coming back as Shinichi Kudo. I was so stuck in my ideal vision of romance and our story, that I wasn't aware of the difficulties that you were facing and the syndicate you were fighting against," she explained.
"Bottom line: you were always there, I wasn't. I've always thought it was the other way round. And I'm sorry for that. Please try to forgive me, as I am trying to forgive you-" she bowed her head.
Conan was shocked. He expected her to lecture him, which he believed he deserved, but this was...better. He replied, softening, "of course, Ran, you've been my friend for so long... I forgive you. I hope all of us could move forward from this..."
"Ran..." he started again, "when I was held captive, I hallucinated about Shinichi Kudo. Three times actually - now, don't look at me like that, okay? I thought I was going crazy as well. He taunted me for the first two times and the last one... he just drifted off, sunk into the depths of the waters. As if... I've finally let go of my old life..."
"I see-"
He breathed and explained further, "I'm not saying that I'm throwing away our childhood memories - that will always be dear to me- but I think...both of us should move away from that notion. The whole incessant ideal stemmed from this concept that we knew one another since childhood, therefore, we know one another so well and are suited for each other. I...don't think that anymore. As friends grow up, they may have grown apart... Asides from that, I have not treated you well as Kudo Shinichi. In fact, I haven't treated anyone well in my previous identity! I...I need to accept my life as Conan, but living in a way without lying to everyone about who I was before. I feel that if I don't, I can never move forward."
"Is that okay, Ran-neechan?"
The woman stared at the raven-haired boy for the moment, before bursting into laughter. "Alright...Do what you must do. But cut the 'neechan' okay? What are you, a pre-school child? It used to sound cute, now it just sounds weird. Ran or Ran-san will do, you idiot. And as someone who is the same age as you, I have high expectations for you. Which means don't go acting like an immature teen just because you look like one!"
"Yes, ma'am" he lamented monotonously.
"And be humble when you score well or do your detective work. And by Gods, stop drugging my dad! You're old enough to pull your own detective stunt deductive show. The police officers will believe you," she persisted her warnings, like a mother to a child.
He rolled his eyeballs, "yes ma'am"
"And for goodness's sake! Stop being in denial and confess to Ai-chan already!"
"Yes-huh-?"
"You heard me," she finished and folded her arms across her chest.
"Geez, alright. I will, rest assured, okay? Now stop nosing around my...love life. Before I embarrass you by flooding you with questions on how you got kids with Araide, I bet both of you are into some doctor-nurse kinky shit, isn't it? You filthy old hag!" he snickered and wiggled his eyebrows.
"I'm only 25, you teenaged virgin brat!"
Doctor Tomoaki Araide emerged from the surgery room, donned in a greenish-lime suit. He announced to the anxious two, "the operation went well. As of now, Ai-chan is resting. I think it's best for the two of you to head home, for now. She'll likely be up tomorrow."
"Thank goodness!" Ran cheerfully said.
"Ran, you go up ahead, there's an old friend I wanna thank," Conan responded blindly.
"Oh, you mean that mysterious woman who donated blood to Ai-chan? I think I know who it is as well," she said, "I'm coming with you."
Vermouth exited the hospital as soon as she could. Fumbling with her belongings, she stopped her tracks when she saw two figures sitting in the hood of her car.
"So, Belmot... How was the visit to a friend? During non-visiting hours," Conan spoke up.
"Stop acting cool, Conan-kun. She just saved Ai-chan's life," Ran chided, "what he meant was...to say thank you." Ran bowed sincerely to the woman. Vermouth felt a strange warmth within her. It was a strange sensation, but it was likeable.
It had been so long someone had shown her true gratitude, that it might have awakened feelings that she thought had been dead within her.
"Take it as a favour, Silver Bullet-kun. I hope this won't have those police lapdogs sniffing around me. I'd like to live my remaining years of suffering a little more...peaceful," she turned to Ran now, "as for you, Angel, be careful. You're still my treasure... and you look so much like her." At this point, Vermouth could not care if they knew she was referring to the daughter she could never speak to. She opened the car door, ready to go.
"Belmot..." Conan called out. Vermouth peered her head out of the car window.
"A rotten apple can be rotten. But if you cut the parts out that are rotten, you'll still get an "okay fruit", right? It may not be whole, but it'll be workable-"
She smirked in acknowledgement and drove off. For now, Vermouth had no plans but maybe being thanked once in a while...maybe it was not so bad to be one of the good guys. She had been one before, maybe it was best if she were to return to that path.
"I'm surprised you didn't go hopping to arrest her," Ran commented, "I thought you would as a detective."
"Trust me, the death penalty will only do her a favour. She's got her prolonged life to mourn her losses. A certain blond boy with jade eyes taught me that. And something tells me that... She'll be good this time," Conan answered with his hands in his pockets.
The next day, Conan returned to the hospital alone. He was not that prepared, he attempted to recite whatever words in his head, but it came as a blunder. So he decided that he will just let his instincts guide him with this.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the ward and smiled at the sight of the strawberry blonde girl.
A/N: I have to stop here. It's freaking 5:30am already. There's probably about 2 to 4 chapters left. I had been waiting to write this whole "Golden Blood" thingy for so long. Even foreshadowed it several chapters ago. Also, the long-awaited Ran's confrontation scene.
NEXT CHAPTERS WILL HAVE MASSIVE COAI MOMENTS SO...STAY TUNED (especially the last chapter).