I swear these titles don't make sense and are just pulled out of a biology book. So, you guys feel concern for Jessica, huh? Don't worry; she'll be off the hook before you know it…well…after you read this chapter. Enjoy!

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Daryl led Tsugumi down, hand-in-hand, back to his little coffee shop. He had to admit; the festival was amazing! With Tsugumi, she led him to all the different attractions her school offered. The performances were interesting. The games were fun (but ridiculously easy, in his opinion). And the food was decent, especially that candy apple he bought. He fondly remembered that familiar taste of a candy apple. The first time he tried it was because of Tsugumi. She sort of forced it down his throat in a very…intimate fashion and got him to finish it afterwards. But after that day, he'd develop a craving for some candy and apples, being too lazy to make candy apples. Nowadays, he was glad to have this treat once in a while and he loved every last bit of it.

But basically, he spent a majority of this festival being with Tsugumi. Wherever she went, he followed. She needed it though; today was her last day with her students. It was the last time she would see their faces before she reported to her new job. Thus, Tsugumi wanted to relish each moment she had with her beloved students before she went away. And Daryl understood that, which was why he stayed near the background while Tsugumi tearfully gave away hugs and kisses, only intervening when he deemed the male students got too close.

Now that was over, he simply enjoyed the peace and quiet between them as they walked back…until they were actually there.

Sirens of an ambulance rang out around the shop. Many police cars blockaded the area. GHQ officers stood guard at various checkpoints, making sure no one entered or got out. Nosy reporters tried to worm their way in for a scoop, only to be pushed out by the officers of law. Tsugumi tightened her hold on Daryl and frantically stared up at him. Did he know about this? Apparently not, since he looked just as shocked as she was. As much as he liked her tightened hold, like she was relying on him to protect her, he unfortunately let go and stormed up to an officer.

"What is going on here? Who authorized this?" He demanded out of a poor soldier.

"Major General Yan! Sir! GHQ officially authorized military action after an incident occurred here."

"Then, where is Junior Officer Jessica? She oversees this base when I'm not present."

He didn't answer. He only nervously turned his head, afraid to incite Daryl's anger.

"I said, where is she?" Daryl fisted the neck of his uniform, forcing him to talk.

"Major General Yan! Please calm down!"

"Screw you!" He growled and dropped the guard. "I'll find out myself!"

"Daryl!" Tsugumi nervously shouted, having a bad feeling of what was inside. But he merely ignored her and ran blindly into the building.

"Jessica! Jessica!" Daryl ran in, finding no trace of that brat. Instead, he found GHQ officers combing the area with protective lab coats. They held scanners that probably detected radiation. Did one of the transport chemicals spill? He ran into the kitchen, instantly finding out his answer. A white chalk line outlining a body in fetal position was drawn near a cabinet. Shards of broken glass were gathered next to the outline, ready to be cleaned up. A yellow tape circled the whole area, blocking off any further access to the crime scene. He only stood there, horrified at this setting. Was Jessica hurt by the glass? Did it pierce her? Or was it the spilt chemicals? How long was she curled up there, waiting in pain for help?

Daryl never took his eyes off this scene for one second, fearing for what was to come to Jessica. But, he felt a hand press on his shoulder. It wanted him to turn around. "Lieutenant Argo?"

"Major General Yan", he solemnly replied, "I'm sorry you had to see this so soon."

"What happened here?" He demanded in a solid, authoritative voice.

"That's what we're trying to figure out. We found this at the crime scene." Argo held up a plastic bag that contained a single bullet. "My best guess is that she was attacked, probably sniped since there were no other bullets present. When we came, the chemicals had spilled onto both of her eyes. We're not sure if it's just one vial or many, all of them fell to the ground. But, right now, she is deemed as a biohazard and is in the emergency room."

Daryl stared at him in shock for a few seconds before roughly pushing past him.

"Where are you going?"

"To see Jessica!"

"Major General Yan! You can't go in there! She could be a possible threat!"

"She is my subordinate! I am authorized in every way possible to see her!" In anger and self-driven instinct, he stalked out of the shop and hopped into Jessica's red car. Good thing he still had the keys to this thing. It was still his car.

Tsugumi followed afterwards and slid into the passenger seat. "Daryl…what happened?"

"Jessica is hurt", he merely replied.

That was it.

Tsugumi did not say any further words. She simply let him drive towards the GHQ medical word. She could tell that he concentrated only on getting to wherever Jessica was. But still…she wondered why it was Jessica that provoked a response from this stoic person. Soon, they arrived at their destination and Daryl immediately jumped out to run in. He bolted into the double doors and slammed his way to the emergency wing.

"Jessica! Jessica!"

"Major General Yan! Please be quieter!" One of the workers pleaded in hushed voices. Another walked over to him and gestured to a nearby entrance. "She's in that room. But you are not allowed to enter inside. You can still see her through this window." The worker pointed at a large glass window. It spanned nearly the entire room on the other side, going Daryl a clear view of Jessica's cot and her surroundings. "You have only five minutes. It's protocol. She's in critical condition."

Then the worker left, leaving only him to stare at this desolate room. She was sleeping peacefully, except for the bandages that scattered around her arm. She must have struggled a lot while they were trying to get the IV needle in her. And her peaceful state was probably due to intense sedation. Both of her eyes were covered with gauze. A mask of oxygen was placed over her mouth; he could see small clouds where she exhaled. He helplessly looked on to little Jessica for one last time before heading out. This was out of his hands. He could only hope that she came out of this alive.

And he left with no trouble.

Tsugumi silently waited for him in her seat. She wanted to see Jessica as well. She was also worried. But, after seeing Daryl get so distraught over her, Tsugumi's worries didn't seem to matter. She felt horrible. She didn't want it to end this way. She didn't want this jealousy. It was unnecessary. But, she was so curious of his overreaction to Jessica, like that young girl held a special part in his heart. This was something that Tsugumi knew she couldn't break. She pouted and stared at her feet as she tried to come up with answers. First, there's no way that they like each other since they were a full seven years apart. Second, she had only seen them argue and being petty. And third, Jessica worked under him. There has to be a boundary that she can't cross.

When Daryl returned to her, she wiped away her tears. "What's going to happen to her?"

"I don't know…" Frustrated, he punched the side of the red convertible and angrily slumped against the edge. He buried his head into his hands and pulled at his blonde locks. "I can't believe I let this happen! She wasn't supposed to get hurt."

"Daryl…" Tsugumi also got out and sat next to him, gently caressing his arm. "Please…I'm right here…You can let it out here…" Her cute face turned bright red after such a bold statement and her grip tightened.

"Tsugumi…don't worry." He stared deeply into her eyes of violet, entranced by the soft highlights and dark shadows. His hand caressed her soft cheek, gently rubbing against it to ease the woman beside him. He didn't want her to worry. This did not include her. It was only between him and Jessica.

Instead of continuing to blush, Tsugumi felt her head grow hot and irritable. Why was he telling her not to worry? How could she just stand by idly and watch him wallow and suffer? "Daryl, don't say that!" She haughtily swatted his hand away. "I'm worried about Jessica too, but I'm also worried about you. Are you still trying to keep secrets away from me? Those secrets that hurt you, how can they hurt me? I can help you, Daryl, so please…"

She told the truth. He felt it. Her words were earnest and innocent. She was the type that listened and helped in every way she could. Was it possible to add her into the world that only he and Jessica shared?

"Tsugumi, listen…I'm sorry if I worried you by freaking out like that. But the reason is…it's because…I owe her a debt. No. I owe her father a debt."

"Rowan right?" Tsugumi slightly giggled at his surprised look. "Jessica already told me everything about him. He saved you when no one else would."

"Runt!" He huffed in annoyance. "Why am I telling you this?"

"Because I want to know…well…why do you…protect her? Is it fulfill your debt to her father?" Tsugumi turned red again, knowing this question was shameful.

"Yeah, in a way…" He frowned, knowing something was up. "Are you…jealous?"

"Wh-What? Daryl!"

"You're turning red. So you are jealous!" Daryl smirked and laughed. "So you love me that much?"

"N-No! Stupid Sprout!" Knowing it had no effect, she still angrily shouted it out. "I was just curious. You never acted like that before."

"Well…" That was actually the second time he acted so impulsively protective. The first was when she got kidnapped.

"So tell me, Sprout, what do you owe to Jessica?" Tsugumi quickly said, wanting to get away from her jealousy topic. At least he didn't like Jessica in that way. But that's good news for Jessica. She would have been repulsed!

But his mood soon turned solemn at the mention of her name. "Jessica…you know her father saved my life. But she didn't know her father died in the process. I had to tell her and her mother the bad news. Jessica, she was only ten when I first saw her. She was barely half my height, probably a whole head shorter than you. She…she lived most of her life with her father serving in the military. But, she idolized him. He was her role model. She was so devastated when I had to break it out to her. When her mother offered to let me stay the night, she sneaked into my room with a firecracker."

"What! Jessica would never do that!" Tsugumi gasped. This was not the Jessica she knew! Jessica was a warm-hearted, caring girl that could never intentionally hurt someone without a good reason.

"Well, when she was ten years old, she did. She thought I took away her father's life so she'd do him a favor and send me to my death as well. I almost beat the crap out of her." He sighed, leaning back into the car. He thought of his first night at her house. He fondly remembered the little tyke's horrified face when she heard the news. Those firecrackers obviously sizzled loud enough to wake him up. Jessica's terrified face as she cowered near his bed, waiting for the first strike to hit her. He never should have scared her like that. "But, at that time, I realized I was a fool. I was saved because her father wanted to give me another chance. And I take this chance and try to beat up his daughter. So, I let her off the hook, told her to never do that again, and returned her to bed. The next day, while she was at school, I learned from her mother that Rowan and her frequently talked about me and he joked around a bit by saying I'm her big brother. Something like that…and she believed it. That's why she attacked me; she thought I didn't care about her father."

"I think I understand", Tsugumi quietly said, "You were just protecting her like a big brother."

"Yeah, it sort of grew on me. I decided to live up to Rowan's dream and take care of his daughter when she needed me. That was my way of repaying a debt." Daryl bitterly said and he glanced back at the medical ward. "Except now, I don't think I can keep that promise. She's the only family I got left. I don't want to lose her."

Tsugumi's gaze softened. She pulled herself closer to him and hugged him, wrapping her short arms around his neck. She didn't feel any sense of sudden shock from him. He was too drowned in his own thoughts to even comprehend the real world. But Tsugumi knew he needed this. He needed to release those worries that must have bottled up inside of him. Through him, she could tell clearly that he was worried for Jessica. He wanted the little girl to do the right things and not get messed up in his line of work. He wanted her to complete her education. He wanted her to have a normal life; just like a big brother wanted for his younger siblings.

And then she knew, all those times that they conversed in front of her. They were just bickering like a pair of siblings. Nothing more and nothing less.

-GC-

Her world was dark. Everything was dark.

When Jessica finally came to, she was only greeted by a world of darkness. Due to a temporary loss of sight, her other senses heightened. Her skin was prickling against a warm, fluffy surface that seemed to sink with her weight. Something cool flowed into her arm and she felt that coolness spread to other parts of her body. Wisps of her hair fell unnaturally on her face, the usual product of rolling around in bed. Wait! A bed? This felt like a bed? Now that she thought about it, she felt her body being covered by a heavy blanket. She must be resting.

Jessica attempted to open her eyes, but the folds of her skin couldn't move. She was trapped! Jessica groggily sat up, ignoring gasps and she felt around her head. Gauze? What was this doing wrapped around her head? Did something happened to her eyes?

Jessica felt her heartbeats rise and she grew even more anxious. What was going on? Why can't she open her eyes?

"Jessica? Are you feeling better?"

"Who are you?" She managed to crack out.

"Your doctor." She began to struggle but he held her down. "Don't worry. Your friends are here."

Jessica finally relaxed, but she felt another pair of arms wrapped around her. The force was so much that she fell back against her bed.

"Jessica! You're alive!"

"Tsugumi…how long was I out?"

"Four days." She heard another voice that belonged to Daryl. "They gave you extra sedation because you were struggling so much."

"Daryl…" Her mood suddenly fell flat. "I'm sorry I did this to myself. I wasn't being careful."

"It's not your fault. We found a bullet at the site of the incident. Somebody ordered a hit on you."

"Why would anyone do that to me?"

"Because you work for GHQ", another voice said that she determined to be Ayase. "Anybody that doesn't like GHQ will attack their soldiers to make a point."

"Oh…so I guess I was just unlucky." Jessica flatly replied. "Doctor. How long are my eyes going to be out of commission?"

He didn't say anything.

"Doctor?"

"Doctor! I think you're the one who needs to say it!"

"Doctor! My eyes!" Jessica grew impatient.

"Jessica…about your eyes, I don't know for sure what happened to them. The hospital ran tests and everything, but we still can't determine if your eyes are functional again or not. But we do know those lab chemicals did something to them." Jessica began to remove her gauze, prompting the doctor to stop her. "You can't take those off! We still have more tests to run!"

"I want to know if I can see!"

"Jessica! Act your age!" Daryl's stern voice immediately froze her up. "Doctor. I think we should all leave and let her get some rest. I think tomorrow should be sufficient enough to finish your tests."

The doctor paused before he spoke again, "Yes, Major General, as you wish."

Jessica heard feet shuffling out of her room. "Wait!" The shuffling stopped. "Is Shu with you?"

"I'm here."

"Can he stay for a bit?"

Everyone exited out of her room, leaving only Shu and her there. Shu awkwardly sat down next to her. "What's up Jessica?"

"How did it feel?"

"Huh?"

She stayed silent and nervously bit her lip. "How did it feel...to know when you opened your eyes, it was all gone?"

Shu smiled, knowing that for the both of them, they couldn't see a thing. He was already used to this sudden blindness, but this was a new experience for Jessica. She was probably scared to death. "It was scary at first, but I grew accustomed to it really quickly."

"I don't want to lose it." Jessica cried with her voice cracking all over the place. "My vision. I don't want it gone. I still need it. Why did this have to happen to me?"

"Jessica", he felt for her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay. You're not going to lose your vision."

"Shu! Those chemicals were for the Void Genome research! The last time you encountered that virus, this happened to you!" Jessica cried, and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I'm scared! I know something is going to happen. But I don't want it to! I never even experienced the Apocalypse Virus before!"

"It's all going to be okay. You'll have all of us behind you. Daryl, Tsugumi, Ayase, and me, we won't leave you alone to suffer by yourself."

"I'm so scared!" She finally cried and held onto his arm.

Tsugumi waited outside with Daryl and Ayase. She felt sorry for her. All of them did, Daryl even more so. But she felt sorry for Daryl at this moment. He had his brother position usurped, by the same man who arrogated him many times before.

Tsugumi playfully nudged him, "Jealous? Don't worry! You got me!"

He blushed and turned around, "Shut up Runt!"

Ayase stared on, confused. She sure was left out of the loop with these two, not that she cared, as long as Tsugumi was happy. But she was glad of one thing; this man was different from the person eight years ago. "Hey Daryl", she said, "I see you've changed. You finally care about someone other than yourself."

Daryl paused in shock. Did she just compliment him? "Thanks…"

She smirked and punched him in the side, earning his ire back. "But that doesn't change anything I said about you and Tsugumi! Break her spirit and I'll break your legs! I'll see you later at practice!"

Tsugumi blushed. "Aya-nee!"

As she wheeled away, Daryl cursed at her under his breath while rubbing his side. All her lower body strength must have went up to her upper body because the girl can sure pack a punch!

Tsugumi merely giggled at him.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing!" She merely replied. She was glad of one thing: that something good came out of this incident. She was glad; at least, her best friends were finally getting along.

-GC-

"I'll remove the gauze. Please tell me if anything hurts."

She felt the bandages loosen upon her head. She could sense his hand moving around her head, taking each layer away one by one. Finally, when all bandages were gone, she hesitantly lifted her eyes. The light was intense! So intense that she winced at her first look. But this was a good sign! This had to be a good sign! She was seeing light. Finally, everything adjusted after a while and she could make out a couple of shapes and colors. Soon, she was able to make out all the people who surrounded her: Daryl, Tsugumi, Shu, Ayase, and this man in a doctor's coat. This was amazing! She could still see!

"Shu!" She referred to the brown headed man. "I can still see!"

"What did I tell you?" He smiled. He was so glad. She did not end up like him. She was a lucky girl.

The doctor waved in front of her. "I'm happy for you, Jessica, but we'll still have to run some quick tests." He held up a red pen. "What color is this pen?"

"Red."

"Can you follow the red pen?" He slowly moved it in front of her and watched her eyes follow it carefully.

"Does this mean I'm okay? Does this mean nothing happened?" Jessica grew excited, knowing that she was definitely okay!

He frowned. He opened her eyes widely and shone his flashlight in. After, he held his pen far away. "Can you still see this pen?"

Jessica squinted. "Yes!" She confirmed.

The doctor finally got her to stand up and made her look a chart of letters. "Please read the first row of letters."

"ZTGCEF"

The row actually read: XICUDT.

So what did the toxic Void Genome research chemicals do to her? Basically, it caused her vision to deteriorate from 20/20 to not-a-20/20. This makes sense if you see what happened to Shu (blindness). So Jessica has to find something that corrects her vision, but was this all it did to her eyes? And who was the sniper? How can Daryl take care of Jessica now? Find out next chapter when I post it! And to make the posting happen faster, review!