A/N:
Hostage situation time, starring a creepy misogynistic serial killer, so big fat chapter warning! Also, touchy subject we have here, involving both mismanaged depression and emotional abuse. It's delicate and complex, for sure, but basically, as a general rule, if someone feels forced or obligated to stay despite not wanting to, then there is definitely something wrong with the relationship, so it was best to bring it to an end after all.
Anyhow, this chapter is a long chapter. Next chapter is a long chapter. Please enjoy your long chapters! :O
-Reddie
A man in his right mind would've called the police. But if you took a lonely old man hearing hallucinations of his late spouse and put the last of his family in danger, he'd feel a need to deal with the issue very, very personally.
His blood was boiling in his veins, clutching tight to the steering wheel and shoving his foot to the gas. Barnaby didn't quite remember the last time he'd been so angry, but as Kotetsu's phone shifted in his pocket, he grounded himself. He would not power up, nor would he speed, nor would he dare get any blood on his hands. Focus was vital first. His stepdaughter was in danger, and he needed a plan if he wanted to get her out of there alive.
The first step was to turn on the radio. Lucky as he was, there was a breaking news report airing about the hostages at a local hair salon.
"…been held hostage for the past hour. The salon is currently guarded by Evie Sterling, a young NEXT with the ability to turn into a giant. So far, she has incapacitated two officers who had approached the door to negotiate. The situation has been regarded as highly dangerous, and any unit of the NEXT police has yet to be deployed."
"Hmph." Barnaby couldn't help but scoff, looking to his empty wrist. The First League would have been there sooner if they were still active, he thought. But the NEXT police had good reason to deliberate, bearing in mind that this was a hostage situation. Ivan was probably eager to jump into action, he was sure.
"The main suspect behind the crime, Wayne Chandler, is also reported to possess NEXT abilities. We have yet to know what his powers are, but what we do know is that he is responsible for the kidnapping and murders of twelve various women in the county. That's all we have for now. Stay tuned for further details as the event continues to unfold."
"Wayne Chandler…" Barnaby turned the name over on his tongue, shifting onto the exit off the freeway. He glanced down at his pocket again, knowing that Kaede was still on the line. And though he was sure she couldn't hear him, she reassured, "Don't worry, Kaede. I'm coming to get you out of there."
"Alright, ladies," Wayne laughed, tugging his ski mask off to reveal his sculpted face and glowing blue eyes. "My name is Wayne Chandler and you may be wondering what exactly you're all doing here." He said, sauntering up to a particular lady far away from Kaede's end of the line. He lifted her by the chin to look him in the eyes, "The answer is simple: I'm just a humble man, looking for the woman of my dreams."
"Do you really think holding us here against our will is going to make any of us fall for you?" She hissed in reply, tone bitter.
"Well, sweetheart, in case you didn't know," He leaned in closer to her, his breath falling over her lips, "there's this lovely little thing called Stockholm syndrome, so, yes, I think if we give it enough time, we can make things work out real nice."
He let her go, and she gagged, "You're sick."
"So judgmental." Wayne could only laugh, pacing across the room, towards Kaede's end of the line, "Come on, you don't even know who exactly this Wayne Chandler is. He has a heart full of love but no one to give it to. He has dreams and aspirations, stories to share, support to spare during hard times… a nice warm bed to snuggle up in. Somebody's gotta give him a chance… hey…" He noticed a blue light under the sink, "who's under there?"
Kaede froze up, shaking. Ivan bit his lip, trying his hardest not to look back at her.
"I'll check, Wayne." A man on the opposite side piped up, stepping out of the crowd. It seemed like nobody noticed him, even Ivan, until he came forward. A couple of people gasped, and Wayne could only smile. Kaede didn't want to believe her ears when she could've sworn she recognized that voice.
"Glad I can count on you, Mr. Koyama. Thanks for tagging along."
"Don't mention it."
"Koyama?" She whispered to herself, shortly before she felt a hand on her arm pulling her out. When he saw her face, he gasped.
"Ka…Kaede…" He blinked, before placing a hand on her cheek, "Could it be after all this time… oh my goodness. Is it really you?"
She choked out, feeling trapped, "Yun…"
Her whole head was screaming at her to get away, but when he took her into his arms, she couldn't find the will to move. She could feel the power draining away in the last seconds of her five minutes as she sank into the embrace. The sound of Wayne's laughter grated against her ears.
"You know this beauty, Mr. Koyama?"
"Yes, we…" He stepped back from her to look at the captor, "dated in high school. I've been… meaning to pick things back up with her again."
"Well then," Wayne put his hands on his hips, "if that's the case, you can keep her."
"But… isn't she your type?" Yun said, brushing a hand through her hair, causing Kaede to shudder. "Brunette..."
"Uh, y-yeah, she's got gorgeous hair and all…" Wayne blushed, gulping, "but… if you dated her, she's probably a bit old for me, isn't she?" Yun looked at him questioningly, causing Wayne to look away from the two of them, "Listen, I'm a selfish brat, big guy. Don't tempt me and just have her if you want her so bad…" Yun looked back at Kaede hesitantly, holding out his hand with pleading eyes.
She looked down at the ground in shame as she placed her hand in his.
"Thank you, Wayne."
"Now that that's all settled," Wayne approached the line, drawing close to Ivan's end of the line, "let's get started, shall we? I'm going to have a nice long chat with each and every one of you in the restroom over there. And don't even think of doing anything stupid. Mr. Koyama's got his eyes and ears on you and my cousin is out there crushing idiots' heads under her heels." As he pulled a woman from the line, Ivan furrowed his brow, thinking this was his best bet at snagging Wayne. If he could get the creep alone, he'd be able to apprehend him properly and free the hostages.
He took a deep breath, looking to Kaede, hoping she could read the message in his eyes: "Stay put. I can get us all out of here, just be patient." But her eyes were fixed on the ground, and her mind was elsewhere as Yun slung his arm around her and pulled her close. She suffocated in the familiar smell of mint cologne and started to feel herself drown back into his grasp, defeated.
Neither of them had really changed over the years, had they?
The hours slipped by as Kaede sat there in front of Yun, listening to him unload the last fifteen years of his life, explaining how the loss of her led to his inability to focus on anything anymore, to his lack of motivation to work, to his spiral into an over-the-counter-addiction to cough syrup. And surrounded by her guilt, all Kaede could do is sink further into that shitty feeling she'd been trying so hard to get rid of, the little echo in the back of her head that had constantly been telling her over the years that if his life went to shit, it was entirely her fault. And from the way he was spinning it, she couldn't help but feel like it really was.
"It wasn't as if I didn't try, but you know… depression makes it pretty hard. That on top of missing you, just… goodness, Kaede. There were nights where all I would've killed for was just to embrace you again."
At this, she leaned forward and did just that, surprising him.
"I'm really sorry I wasn't there for you, Yun." She spoke solemnly, her voice barely above a whisper. And as much as she wanted to cry, she held back her tears as she had all those years ago, for fear of making him more upset than he already was. Anyhow, she'd didn't like troubling other people in the first place.
He brought his arms back up around her.
"Apology accepted, Kaede. I mean… we're finally together again." He took in a deep, happy breath, "It must be fate that we crossed paths here. It's a sign we're meant to be. And now… life feels like it's finally moving forward again."
"Mm."
"All those wasted years apart…" He added softly, "and now, we can finally make up for lost time." Hesitantly, he pressed his forehead to hers, then asking in an almost endearing murmur, "Can I… start by kissing you?" Her throat tightened up, but after all he'd been through, she didn't think "no" was an answer she was capable of. In reply, she could only give a weak nod. And as he leaned forward to accept her kiss as though it were a precious gift sent from heaven, a sharp voice cut in, startling Kaede.
Wayne approached them, ready to set a hand on Kaede's shoulder, "On second thought, let me at her before you do anything!"
"NO!" She yowled.
Without thinking, Kaede thrust her hand into her purse and swung her staff hard, knocking both Wayne and Yun onto their backs. Collective gasps and worried murmurs arose, and she could spot the horrified look on Ivan's face. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, and she backed up from the two of them as they began to move again.
"Okay, nevermind," Wayne grunted as he got up, wiping the blood from his mouth as he moved away from them. "And as for that staff… Mr. Koyama, make sure to keep your woman under control." Wayne continued up again, taking another woman from the line. Yun struggled up to his feet and drew closer to Kaede, eyes pointed at the ground. Tears trickled down his cheeks, causing Kaede to swallow back her own guilty tears, rendering her unable to stammer out any apologies whatsoever. Crying was the last thing she wanted to see from him after all he'd been through. But when he looked up, his expression did not just convey the face of a kicked puppy.
No, he looked just as livid as he looked hurt.
Alarmed by his look of anger, she drew backward, but he seized her by both wrists before she could retreat any further. His clutch was tight and shaky. And when their eyes met, Kaede dropped the staff altogether in fear, thinking from his glare that he might actually hurt her if she didn't. Even worse, she thought she would've deserved it anyhow.
Then suddenly, he broke eye contact, taking a deep breath as he bent down to pick up her staff. Kaede resisted the urge to put her guard up, or to activate her powers. She simply closed her eyes and expected him to hit back more than once, get even for all the pain she'd just inflicted on him in the past moment and the last fifteen years before that.
Instead, he folded it back up and tucked it away… shortly before looking her dead in the eye.
"It's always been your fault!" He choked out through his tears. "And I can't believe it took me so long to realize that!"
"Y…Yun…"
"I spent the last fifteen years hating myself over you. For too long, I thought you were the one who'd been hurt, and that any pain I felt wasn't worthy of any comfort. I swear, I thought if I just kept trying, if I could just find the right words, I could've gotten a second chance, but texting you was like screaming apologies at a brick wall." His voice was strained with the edges of a sob, "I really blamed myself for that disaster of a breakup… but you know? I really couldn't help that my brain was too fucked up for you to handle. I never felt like I deserved support because I thought I was the one who'd done something wrong. But I get it now. You've been the one hurting me all these years! It's your fault I constantly feel like I'd only be a burden on anyone I tried to reach out to! It's your fault that I had to drown myself in cough syrup just to make it to the next day! It's your fault I'm living on the streets without a job! It's your fault I'm like this!
"STOP IT! NO!" She shouted, covering her ears as her guilt surrounded her. Each exclamation was a blow to the chest, and she felt like her heart would cave in under the weight of her shame verbalized like this. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't handle him. She did what she needed to take care of herself. There was nothing wrong in taking care of her sanity. There was nothing wrong in trying to take her life back from him! "I-It's… not my fault!" She choked out, trying to reassure herself and show him.
Instead, it only prompted him to grab her by the jacket and shout in her face.
"How can you say that!" He roared, fresh tears burning trails down his face, "You knew the state I was in, and you left me! You didn't even bother to make sure I was okay after the fact! I was always the one trying to start the conversation, but you never responded! And you thought ignoring me wasn't going to fuck with my head? It is your fault I'm like this!" She tried closing her eyes, turning her head to the side so that she wouldn't have to face all these accusations. But then he started shaking her, raising his voice, "Look this mess you made in the face and own up to it, Kaede! All my shit is YOUR FAULT!"
Yun doesn't expect to feel a blow right across his face.
"Do you really think," Barnaby began, bordering on shouting volume, "you can just blame someone else for all your problems and call that love?" Kaede stared up at him, blinking in disbelief. Her eyes darted back to the front door, now completely blocked by an unconscious giant NEXT.
Now her head was spinning everywhere, weighing a million options in the passing seconds. She could scramble back to Yun's side, tell Barnaby to stay out of it, or she could let the old man keep on… let him stand up for her like she couldn't against Yun. And while Yun was preoccupied, maybe she could figure out a way to move the NEXT outside without touching her. But she found herself frozen in place, utterly unable to move forward. It wasn't Wayne's power this time keeping her locked down. It was her own fear of the outcome of her actions. After all, she'd already fucked up this much.
So as she sat there unable to speak for herself, the two continued on without her.
"What do you know?" Yun screeched, balling his hand into a fist and threatening to strike Barnaby back. "She abandoned me when I was suffering! She knew full well just how crippling my depression was, and she actually got mad at me for it and tried to leave me! I have right to be mad at her in return! Because love revolves around equality, doesn't it?" The last sentence seemed to come out in a bit of a sob, causing Kaede to hang her head in utter shame, knowing she was the reason for the pain in his voice.
"Then where was that equality when Kaede was too afraid to be open with you?" Barnaby tightened his fists, "You constantly threatened to kill yourself if she ever left, and that'd give anyone reason to feel too powerless to get out. You forced her to stay. That doesn't sound very fair or equal to me. She's only a human being, and she had a right to take care of herself. She can't be your cure-all. She isn't obligated to take care of you, and the truth is, she doesn't want to anymore. She's through."
"Like you know how she feels!" Yun took Kaede's hands into his, looking her in the eye pleadingly, "Kaede, he's lying isn't he? I mean, you called the cops to look out for me, right? Don't you still care about me, at least a little?" Barnaby looked to his stepdaughter with concern, but she didn't bother to meet his gaze. Kaede closed her eyes, and sighed.
"Yeah… I do. And that's also the reason… I never blocked your number. I wanted to be sure that you were okay…" She rose, then pushing his hands away, "But Barnaby's right. I am done with you, Yun. I'm done with all of this! I'm not the center of your universe, or your other half. I am just one person. No one's puzzle piece. And so are you." She placed her hands on his shoulders, "I know this may be hard to believe, but you're complete without me. You can move forward without me. But first… you need to let me go." At this Yun sighed, shaking his head.
"How can you expect me to let you go so easily? You were my first love. I can't just let the story end on that page."
"It didn't." She asserted, "Because you're alive aren't you?"
"Kaede…"
"Yun, you can't go on treating this whole thing like we're star-crossed characters in a comic book. This is reality. Whether anyone likes it or not, life goes on. And though it may seem cute and admirable to hold onto the past like that in fiction…" She glanced over to Barnaby for a fleeting moment, "it can cause needless pain in the real world. And I don't know about you, but there's nothing romantic about being held hostage by a fetishistic bastard. Do you really believe there's love in something as fucked up as this?"
"N…No. I guess not."
"…Why are you helping him anyway?"
"I…" Yun gave up a noise of frustration, "He looked after me yesterday. I got into a bad scuffle, a knife fight, and he broke it up. I could've died back there, but thanks to him, I didn't. So I asked what I could do to repay him, and he told me to get in his car. We had a long chat and wound up here, and he told me I could have any of the money lying around. I didn't know what to say. I knew it was fucked up once he explained what he wanted to do, but… how the hell could I refuse a guy who saved my life?" He lifted his head high, "Fuck, I know this is wrong. But I don't know what to do." He furrowed his brows at Barnaby, "Wayne's not going to be happy when he finds out his cousin is passed out on the concrete."
"We can still turn this around, Yun. You just need to tell us what you know, and quick." Kaede asked, "Like, what's his power? Do you know?"
"He… does some sort of mind controlling thing, I think. That's how he got Evie to get in the car with him. She didn't want to come along with him, but then she suddenly just climbed in while she was protesting. She was complaining a whole lot on the way here, and then the next second, he glows blue and Evie just shuts up. She looked like she was in a daze or something when he got her to stand guard at the door."
"Huh. Well, earlier, I couldn't move my arms or legs at all, so I'm assuming that he can control more than one person at a time." Kaede looked up, asking around the room, "Can any of you move your arms or legs?" A mixture of voices filled the air with negative replies, as well as several visible shakes of the head. The blonde woman who rifled through her pocket earlier then raised one of the clearest replies in the room.
"I felt the switch. I didn't put my hands up by choice, he made me raise them."
Yun sighed hopelessly, "You don't say…"
"It's alright, we'll pull through." Kaede reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Like I said, we can still turn this around. We just need to act fast."
"Now, hang on a second!" Ivan chimed in, all eyes snapping to him. "I wouldn't move too fast here. Listen everyone, I'm an armed cop, and I'm next in line. If I can get the captor alone, I'll be able to apprehend him, so we should all just wait for him to come back outside."
"Were you not listening?" Yun groaned, rolling his eyes, "He can still control your movements. Just because you're alone with him doesn't mean he's going to let you move of your own accord."
"Actually," A girl from one end of the line chimed in, "I felt him let me go when he tried to kiss me because he liked what I was saying, so he's really not that careful. If you play your cards right, you might be able to use that."
Yun stared back stubbornly, "And leave things to chance? Just because you got lucky doesn't mean he'll let her move too!"
"Listen, wise guy, we don't have time for this!" The girl retorted, hands on her hips. "He'll be out here any second and we're out of options, so just let the cop handle it!" Yun looked to the side in embarrassment, Kaede looking to him in concern. She couldn't help but feel he did have a point though. Leaving things to chance in a situation like this could be pretty reckless, and it might put the hostages in even more danger if things don't work out.
"If it can be of any use… he doesn't know I'm here." Barnaby offered, Kaede looking to him in with uncertainty as to where this was going. The fact that Wayne didn't know Barnaby was here could be a great thing to use to their advantage… but his powers were gone, and they wouldn't be coming back until the next hour. And he wanted to volunteer to do what exactly, attack Wayne regardless?
A barrage of negative thoughts began rushing through her head at that realization, trying to shake away the idea of watching Barnaby beaten to a pulp in front of her while she'd been immobilized. No, she couldn't let that happen. That was just too much.
"Barnaby…" She choked out, the name coming out like a protest, a warning, as if to tell him not to even dare consider putting himself in danger.
Snapping his eyes towards her, he replied, "Trust me, Kaede. Please. We don't have time." Casting his sights back towards the others, he announced, "Here's a plan. We let the cop go to the captor and watch carefully for any reactions to the girl outside. If he is using mind control, he's likely already noticed, but the only reason he isn't out just yet is because his ego tells him he can wrap things up with the last girl. So, if he decides his cousin is nothing to worry about, then the cop handles it. But, as it's likely, if he decides he needs to do something about his cousin, Kaede can take him by surprise." She could only blink at this. "She'll pretend to be passed out to distract him from his cousin. Yun can say she was getting to be a handful. So when he expects it least, she'll jump up and strike him, using her powers to subdue him to a more manageable state. Then I will be outside waiting for someone's signal to move in with reinforcements. And if the fight lasts longer than expected, I'll intervene if given enough time for my powers to come back up."
Yun set his eyes on Kaede, asking her gently, "You think you can handle that?"
She couldn't help but shake, nervous. The sake of so many people's safety was now resting in her hands, but all she could think of was the possibility of making contact with Wayne by mistake, losing her dad's power. It made her feel like shit, like a selfish brat who couldn't push her feelings aside even if doing so would take the burden off everyone, including herself. But, still she found the will to take up her staff once more with trembling hands, refusing to disappoint herself again. Here, she wanted to be someone her late father would have continued to be proud of, someone who would gladly protect the peace no matter the damages she'd have to pay for later on.
I don't want you to continue carrying your past like that if it'll only be a burden on you.
It was still a burden she was willing to carry if she could. But if carrying the weight of the present meant letting go of the past, then so be it. She was prepared to do that for the sake of every hostage in the salon. She could take the pain of losing her precious remnants of the dead if it meant the living could stay living. Because she was a woman of justice, as she'd told Barnaby. And life would go on, as she'd told Yun. She'd own up to her words with dignity, carrying her honor like a spear in her side if that's what it meant to find some semblance of peace with herself, if that's what it meant to gain balance, and for once not feel so torn between holding on and letting go.
"I can." She barely managed, settling back onto the ground until she laid herself there, staff concealed and digging into her side. "Now go, Barnaby." With only a nod, he fled, eyes lingering on her for a split moment before he had turned completely towards the door, no longer looking back.
And it was that moment that Wayne burst out of the bathroom, pushing the recent girl to the side.
"Alright, who was fucking around with Ev—eh?" His eyes flickered to Kaede on the floor, unconscious, before flickering towards Yun. Wayne's eyebrows knit together in disdain and confusion. "The fuck is your broad doing on the floor, man? Don't tell me you mugged her for the money?"
"Absolutely not!" Yun grunted defensively, softening his tone as he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "She was… just getting to be a handful. I mean—"
"Son of a bitch," Wayne muttered, voice rising in anger with each syllable, gripping him by the collar on the last word. Yun gave a whimper, hands up, but Wayne ranted on, angry, "Fuck you. That was a perfectly sexy, feisty brunette you had there and you knocked her onto the floor? Dammit! I wanted a shot at her if you weren't actually interested! Can't talk to her now that she's unconscious!" With this, Wayne just about dropped the poor guy on the floor, Yun yelping in pain. At the sound, Kaede twitched involuntarily and bit back a noise of concern. The silence tensed her up and she was hoping like hell that Wayne hadn't seen through their little ploy. She couldn't give herself away just yet. Now was not the time to strike. Finally, Wayne spat. "You dumb fuck. Fine then. Onto the next girl, I guess."
Kaede listened carefully to the sound of footsteps as they trailed away. But from what she could tell, the distance he was covering was most certainly not towards Ivan, who was certainly much closer than twelve, thirteen, fourteen and counting steps.
He was headed for the door.
"But first, to take care of Evie."
Kaede could not have picked a better time to power up and leap from the floor into action, staff clutched in her fists like a two-handed sword. With all her might, she jumped forward faster than Wayne could even think to stop her. And when it sunk in just a split second to seize her limbs with his powers, it was already too late as she swung downward onto his skull with a mighty, furious roar.
She did not stop there, hitting him again and again, giving up violent grunts and yells with each blow she dealt in her rage towards Wayne. There was no trace of regret even as the bruises formed and the blood trickled from his mouth, not even as he pleaded for her to stop. No, how dare he ask that, ask for mercy, after holding all these people at gunpoint, and treating these women—including herself—as though they were merely dating dolls at his disposal. She wasn't sorry for this, not one bit, not when he was clearly a villain. She wasn't sorry for dishing out what she knew to be justice!
At last, she dropped the staff at her side, heaving, looking down at the blood on her hands.
"…Fuck." Kaede exhaled, her heart sinking with the dread that she might have killed him. But thankfully, the twitch of his arm and soft cough barely in his throat reassured her that she had not. It didn't make the thought any less scary though… the fact that she'd nearly killed someone in the midst of her rage. She continued to stare down at her hands. Did that… make her no better than Lunatic?
Suddenly, the world was a spinning blur and she felt herself beginning to fall.
Shifting from his disguise, Ivan rushed to her side, "Kaede!"
She hit the ground with no one to catch her, and as the world went black, she could've sworn she heard her dad call out for her too.
Kaede found herself standing at the side of someone's hospital bed again, tears falling down her face as she gripped his hand harshly, as if that would stop him from drifting away from the temporal world.
"I'm not… l-losing you too." Her voice came out strangled in sobs, "You're—y-you have to be alright, ok-okay? Promise me… you'll be alright!"
He sighed, a sad smile on his lips, "I won't make a promise I can't keep. Kaede, you heard what the doctor said."
"So you're just… going to give up, just like that? You won't try to fight it at all?"
"There are some battles we just aren't meant to win," He replied simply, his pale hand giving hers a soft squeeze. "Rabbits belong underground anyhow." With that, she could only shake her head, her own grip tightening on him.
"Please don't leave me behind, Barnaby…" She croaked out, voice hoarse. "I don't want to be alone. What happened to family has to stick together?"
"Kaede…"
But with this, he closed his eyes, and the heart monitor line went flat. And Kaede could feel her heart splitting open. This couldn't be happening.
"NO!" Kaede howled, jolting awake, pulse pounding in her chest. Barnaby put his hands up, holding back from reaching towards her.
"Kaede, it's alright. Just lie back," His voice was soft with concern. "Please, calm down. We're all safe now."
She looked around the room, now seeing that she was in the exact opposite position of where she was in her nightmare. Not only that, she noticed Ivan in the background, texting on his phone in the corner.
"What…" She let her head fall back against the pillow, dazed and dumbfounded. "am I doing in the hospital?"
"After incapacitating Wayne, you passed out, so Ivan and I brought you here." Barnaby quickly tacked on before she could panic, "And don't worry, neither of us actually touched you, and I made absolutely sure that none of the paramedics who made contact with you were NEXTs. Kotetsu's power should still be perfectly intact." She could only blink, barely processing what that meant. Then it occurred to her just how ready she was to give up that power for the hostages. Nevertheless, she was glad and immensely relieved that she didn't have to. Even if she was willing at the time, she still wasn't quite ready to part with what was left of her dad. And she knew she never really would be anyway.
"Thanks…" Kaede gave a weak smile, before making another realization, "Hey, you guys were still able to apprehend Wayne, right?"
"But of course. He is completely unconscious right now though, and he's being treated for his injuries. He'll be arrested and tried after he's received adequate care. You sure did a number on him."
"So if anyone asks," Ivan chimed in helpfully, "plead that you were in fear for your life."
"Well, he did have a gun…" Kaede laughed weakly, "Anyhow, you don't need to advise me on legal matters, Ivan. I think I know right well how to handle them after all those years of study."
"Oh, right! Barnaby mentioned you were a private investigator." Letting that sink in for a second, she had half a mind to glare at Barnaby, considering she had made the issue of privacy clear. Then again, how could she distrust the man who made sure to preserve her power while she was unconscious?
With a slight sigh, she then replied, "And I'm going to trust that's all he told you."
"Your trust was well-placed," Barnaby affirmed.
She waved, "Already thought so."
And with that, the faintest smile of relief crossed his wrinkling features. Kaede couldn't help but swallow back a noise at the sight, wondering just when he'd ever started to look so old to her. Snapping her away from her head just before she could even begin thinking about her previous nightmare, he said, "Anyhow, the doctor said nothing was particularly wrong, that you simply passed out from the stress of the situation. So now that you're awake, we're cleared to go home. Unless you'd like to rest the night at the hospital."
Kaede looked at the clock, noting the late hour. It would've been easier to just lean back sleep the night away here, and then call Barnaby to pick her up in the morning. But honestly, given the fact that both her mother and father died in a hospital, sleeping the night here definitely didn't match her idea of comfortable.
"Home sounds good."