I owe everyone an apology for taking so long in updating this. I thank everyone who reviewed to the story, each one gave me the motivation to give something great back in return. I'm afraid that this is just a "filler chapter" and things won't really pick up until chapter two, but chapter two is already three or four pages in the words and I'm hoping you'll all enjoy that, as I hope to have it posted by this weekend.
NOTICE!!!
I will make this clear before the chapter starts... I am not a NaotoRise fan. I don't like the pairing, I wouldn't consider the pairing and I won't write the pairing. There is hardly any logical at all that can be applied to the pairing and it makes almost no sense to me. However, to each their own. Rise's appearance in this chapter was because her's was the most logical of the group, and because I believe her and Naoto to be good friends (nothing beyond that). So please, no requests for NaotoRise fluff because I'm not going to write it. If that is what you're looking for, I believe there is a writer by the name of Roxius on this site who would be more then willing to provid you with your fluff.
I'm sure you're all aware I don't own Persona 4, if I had... SaoNao would have most likely been cannon (like Minato and Aigis).
Chapter One
The steady beep of a heat-monitor echoed loudly in the silent hospital room, the loud rhythmic noise falling deaf on the sleeping ears of its two occupants. Neither of them made any major movement, the only proof that they were still alive was the slow rise and fall of their chests with each breath taken in. The smaller of the two figures, female, whose face was hidden behind the rim of a dark hat, tightly clasped the pale hand of the larger person in the bed, clinging to it as if it were a life support. Streaks lined the female's cheeks, evident that fresh tears had been shed recently in sleep. Exhaust had taken the girl over hours ago and continued to claim her, leaving her completely oblivious to the world, including that of the jiggling door handle.
"Shirogane-san came early the other morning.. She was in quite a panic and I don't recall seeing her leave last night. She didn't want to come to the room with you two, but I imagine she wanted to see Seta-kun as soon as possible. I—oh!" The nurse who had entered the room with Souji's parents in tow stopped, blinking several times at the scene before her. "My… this is something," she chuckled, "How adorable."
"Hm? Ikeda stepped into the room behind the other nurse, peering over her shoulder. "Did she stay with him all night again?"
"It would seem so… The poor dear, she was so exhausted when she arrived the other day. I'm not surprised that she's already reached her limit."
"She cried herself to sleep…" Ikeda muttered, as she draped a spare blanket over Naoto's shoulders, giving the sleuth a sympathetic look. "Completely exhausted herself…and yet she still holding tightly to him."
"I wanted to move her to the patient waiting room but… I haven't the heart to move her. I was able to get her to leave long enough last night to take a shower and eat something small but…she returned her the moment she finished."
"Well," Ikeda muttered, walking around the bed slowly. "We'll just have to be extra quiet as we check on Seta-san, won't we? He's still stable, so we can save the larger tests for when she's awake."
"Are you sure? I don't think it's wise to—"
"It will be fine, Takayashi-san. Unless you want to wake her?"
"I—well..." Takayashi sighed, shaking her head slowly. "No… It would be cruel to move her."
"Then it's settled. Take care of his monitor while I check his fluids and give him another dose of medication through his IV. The doctor in charge of him is busy with another patient in surgery right now. The least we can do is wait until that is done. If she's still not awake, we'll have no choice but to move her."
"Ngh…Sen…pai…"
The two nurses froze, staring wide-eyed at the young detective who'd begun to shift slightly in her sleep. Several tears escaped her closed eyes as her mouth worked silently, face contorting in pain. "Senpai… don't leave me."
"This is the part of our job I hate the most," Ikeda muttered as she slide a needle into one of Souji's IV's, "Having to watch the pain of loved ones as they stand beside a patient in bed…"
"Quiet!" Takayashi scolded as she walked around the bed, crossing her arms reproachfully. "You're making it sound as if none of them recover at all. Now hurry up, we still need to finish our rounds for the morning."
"Right, right… I'll meet you in the next room." Ikeda muttered, waving Takayashi out of the room as she turned back to Souji's bed, staring down at him. "Seta-san," she muttered, raising a hand to brush it along Souji's cheek softly, sighing. "Seta-san… please wake up soon. This girl—Shirogane--, she's been at your side for almost a week. Your parents… they aren't able to be here with you, but they're awaiting your return as well. But please… for the sake of this girl and all the friends who've been calling and demanding information about you… please wake up." Pulling her hand away slowly, Ikeda lingered by the bed for a moment, her eyes sweeping over Naoto as she reached out, carefully pulling the crooked hat from the detectives had, placing it on the bedside table. "…I hope the best for you two. I truly do."
The soft afternoon breeze blew in through the open window, ruffling the pale curtains of the hospital room, causing them to twist, turn and fall down again, almost as if dancing with the flickering shadow caused by the sunlight that filtered through. Navy-blue hair danced across tear-streaked cheeks as the wind made its way across the blindingly white room, lifting and dropping the strands, causing several to tickle the tip of her nose. A small groan escaped Naoto's lips as her face twitched, nose scrunching up as he body pushed back the urge to sneeze. Her free hand pushed off the mattress, straightening herself in her chair, wincing as her spine popped several times.
"What…time is it?" She muttered, rubbing her eyes as she glanced at her wrist. Something caught in her throat as she gazed at the silver watch and she looked away quickly, scanning the walls for a hanging clock. Since she'd arrived, looking at the watch on her wrist had caused a sickening feeling lash out in her stomach, leaving her with the urge to puke. Knowing that it had been the watches match that was the reason as to why she was sitting her and why Souji was unconscious was enough to make her regret ever having made them in the first place. Still, she couldn't find the strength or will to remove the device from her wrist, clinging to it as the only pillar of comfort that Souji hadn't forgotten about her in the past for years. Yet a part of her dearly wished he had…at least he wouldn't be like this.
Standing up, Naoto gathered up the blanket that had fallen from her shoulders to the floor, carefully folding it, before dropping it over the back of her chair, settling herself back down after taking a quick walk around the room to allow her body a moment to stretch. Brushing her hair from her face, Naoto blinked, frowning as she felt the top of her head.
"When did…?" She frowned, glancing around the room as she looked for her hat. "Perhaps one of the nurses removed it?" she muttered softly to herself, spotting it on the bedside table. Shaking her head, she dubbed the idea 'unimportant' and placed the hat back on her head.
Reaching out, she gently took Souji's hand in her own again, running her thumb over the back with a feather-light touch, her eyes carefully focused on the silverette's face.
"It's… been a tiring week, Senpai," Naoto began softly. "I feel the nurses are beginning to worry about my presence. I've hardly left this room at all and I imagine they are worried I may end up acting compulsively and end up hurting myself by doing something rash." She trailed off, nibbling at her bottom lip.
"Yosuke-senpai called last night… he says he's going to try and come visit you next week. He says he hopes you're feeling better and everyone is cheering for you." A soft tremor could be heard in the young detective's tone as she continued. "Rise-san stopped by yesterday to. S-she said she was on her way to an audition, but she came here before her appointment. She… she brought you some flowers. The colorful ones on the right side of your bed… They smell wonderful and they add a much friendly touch to your room.
"It's all white… but the flowers give the room more hope. I-I've been changing the water for you… The gift-shop was kind enough to give me a few packets of medicine for the flowers as well to keep them alive longer. S-so you'll be able to see them in full bloom when you wake up, right Senpai? T-they look… really nice, so you have to wake up soon."
Naoto's voice withered again, then died, a strangled choking noise bursting out of her throat as her free hand slapped over her mouth, trying to stifle the sound of her uneven breathing. Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She'd spent almost the entire week crying and, if it were logically possible, she would have shriveled up days ago.
The door to the hospital room opened, causing Naoto to jump to her feet and turn, her hand flying down to her hip where she kept her revolver hidden on her person at all times.
"Shirogane-san, you're awake!"
"I-Ikeda-san…" Naoto muttered, letting her hand fall limply at her side. "I—good afternoon. Is… it some for his afternoon tests?"
"I'm afraid so dear," Ikeda nodded, stepping further into the room. "His doctor will be here shortly, he's just finishing up with the patient next door. Why don't you go downstairs and get yourself something from the cafeteria? You've been in this room all day and a little change of scenery will do you some good."
Naoto hesitated, her eyes flickering over to Souji as she began to chew her lower lip, now almost completely raw from the nervous habit she'd picked up that week.
"Ikeda-san, I'd really rather—"
"Shirogane-san, I know you're worried, but I assure you, he will be just fine in our care. You've been neglecting yourself since you arrived and as a nurse it's my duty to see to it that you do not land yourself in your own bed. I'm sure if Seta-san were awake, he wouldn't want you casting aside your own personal health and well-being for him."
"T-that…I'm not-!"
"When was the last time you ate a full meal, Shirogane-san?"
"I…" Naoto trailed off, lowering her gaze to the ground, unable to answer the nurse's question. She couldn't recall having had a full meal since she'd arrived in Tokyo a week ago. Almost every waking moment of her days had been spent at Souji's side, speaking softly to him and telling him of everything that had happened that day in the most finite details she could, from the moment she woke up, to the moment she fell asleep again and everything in between, leaving nothing—not even the flight of an insect across the room—out.
"I…apologize," the sleuth finally spoke again, sighing softly. "I've been acting childish."
"You don't need to apologize to me, dear. Just take care of yourself. I'd have to have Seta-kun wake up and have the first thing he's told be that of you in a ward downstairs."
"Yes… you're right." Naoto turned back to the bed, taking Souji's hand in her own again, blinking rapidly as her vision began to blur. "I'll see you again, Senpai. I'll be gone for just an hour—two at the most. Take care until I return…" Leaning forward, she brushed her lips over Souji's forehead, brushing several strands of hair out of his face as she pulled away. "Take care…"
"Ah, before I forget, Shirogane-san, you've a visitor."
"I beg your pardon?" Naoto turned, blinking. "I—a visitor?!" Silver-blue eyes widened in shock as she took a step back, looking around the room frantically. My face is a mess, I'm in the same clothes I wore yesterday and-! "W-where?"
Ikeda chuckled softly, placing a comforting hand on Naoto's shoulder.
"Don't worry, dear. I told her to wait for you downstairs in the cafeteria. Clean yourself up and go downstairs. I'll come collect you when we're finished with all the tests."
"Y...es," Naoto spoke slowly, nodding. "I thank you."
Giving the nurse a small nod of gratitude, the detective rushed over to her dufflebag in the corner, pulling out a pair of black slacks, a turquoise dress shirt and a yellow tie. Hugging the clothing close to her chest, she hurried into the bathroom shutting the door behind her as she quickly undressed and stepped into the shower, only taking ten minutes to clean up before stepping out again and dressing, vigorously running a towel over her head to dry her hair faster.
Exiting the bathroom, she ran a hand through her hair gently, pulling out any visible knots before putting her hat on once more and producing a wallet from her bag. Slipping it into her pocket, she grabbed her phone from the table next to Souji's bed, lingering next to him for a moment before forcing herself to turn away and hurry towards the door.
"Have a good meal, Shirogane-san." The nurse called kindly, waving to Naoto as she left the room. "...Poor dear. If only… there was more we could do to help." Ikeda sighed, staring down at the figure in the bed in front of her, shaking her head slowly. "Honestly, do you enjoy breaking a young girl's heart like this? Hurry back, she's waiting for you."
"Naoto-kun!" Naoto jumping, not having expected someone to call out to her the moment she entered the cafeteria. Someone crashed into her at full speed and she was pulled into a pair of slim but strong arms. The sleuth blinked rapidly, her mind working furiously to catch up with what had just happed. Dark red hair brushed over her nose, sending a shiver down her spine as she held back the strong urge to sneeze.
"Rise-san…" The detective greeted in a soft tone, pulling herself back slowly, fixing Rise with a blank look. "I would be grateful to receive warning before you grab me like that."
"Ah… I'm sorry," Rise muttered in a hurt tone. "I was just happy. I thought I was going to have to go upstairs and force you out of Senpai's room again."
"No one has to force me to do anything. I can leave the room whenever I want," Naoto muttered in a harsh tone. "You came here to meet me for lunch, did you not? Then let's get in line."
Rise sighed softly, watching as Naoto walked away, keeping her gaze locked with the floor, not looking any of the people around her.
"I'm sure you can leave," the idol muttered, "But the problem is… you never want to. You're locking yourself away, Naoto-kun." Rise sighed softly as she followed Naoto into the line, watching the sleuth sadly as the navy-haired girl stared blankly at the ground. Senpai, she thought sadly. Please, wake up. Not for your parents sake, or even your own… but for Naoto-kun's. She's… dying without you. You were the one who always gave her the strength to keep going. So please… wake up. Wake up and give her some of her strength back… before it's too late.
"Rise-san, the line is moving." Naoto muttered softly as she stepped up to the cafeteria counter, picking up a tray lightly. "Rise-san, if I may… Why are you here? Shouldn't you be working?"
"Oh… W-well, the agency gave me today off so—" Rise winced, looking away guiltily. This was a lie and she knew it. The idol had snuck away early that morning, leaving a note explaining everything to her manager who would be sure to cover for her… or at least stall for a few hours, long enough for her to ensure Naoto ate at least half a meal as opposed to the small snacks she'd been allowing herself to eat when forced to obtain something edible.
"You're a terrible liar, Rise-san. You should go back as soon as you're done eating… It would only cause the hospital trouble if your agency sent people looking all over it for you. You need to be more responsible. You're… not helping."
Rise winced at the brutal honestly and blank tone of Naoto's words. She sighed again, forcing a small smile as she nodded, saying, "Y-yeah. You're right. I'm sorry, Naoto-kun. I was just worried about you and Senpai. I guess I should have asked before I ran off, huh? I'll go back as soon as I finish lunch, okay?"
"It would be wise…" Naoto muttered, placing a bowl of salad on her plate along with a bottle of water. "Hurry up and pick, we can just pay together. It will save you time."
"O-oh, right…" Rise sighed softly, quickly scanning the selections, settling for a bowl of ramen, a container of mixed fruit and a small fruit-juice. "I'll cover this, Naoto-kun. It's the reason I came in the first place, I wanted to treat you to a meal. It's been so long since we last had lunch together…" Even if this is a hospital, at least this way she can't throw everything away like she has been.
"I can take care of myself, Rise-san. I—hey!"
"Sorry, Naoto-kun. You didn't pull your wallet out fast enough."
"Ris—"
"Ah… Oh man." Rise sighed, glancing at her the thin leather-strap watch on her wrist. "It's late… I have to get back to the set before they send the police out looking for me."
"Then why did you-!?"
"Promise me you'll eat everything, okay?"
"I—"
"Rise Kujikawa!"
"Oh man… how did he-?" Rise turned away from Naoto, wincing as she watched a man in a dark suit rush into the hospital cafeteria, making several people stand up and begin looking around, muttering to one another about the sudden appearance of an idol in their hospital.
"I'd…better get going before I end up causing a scene." Rise muttered. "I'm sorry I can't stay with you to eat. I was really hoping we'd be able to share a nice lunch together. I'll see you later, okay Naoto-kun?"
Naoto didn't respond, choosing to nod silently as she watched Rise dart over to the suited man, grabbing his arm as she dragged him from the cafeteria, ducking her head as she tried to hide her face from the excited crowd that was beginning to gather.
Sighing softly, the sleuth glanced down at the small tray of food in her hands, feeling her appetite quickly slipping away. I'm not allowed to return to the room at this time… there isn't much point in heading up there only to be told to wait in the hallway. Rise-chan used money out of her pocket to pay for this… I owe her the curtsey of eating half of it at the very least. Naoto nodded slowly to herself, as if in answer to her own thoughts as she slowly made her way towards an empty table in the back of the cafeteria, silently setting the tray down as she slipping into a chair with a fading seat-cushion.
It was the longest and smallest meal she'd had all week. It took her nearly two hours to eat less than half of the small salad, and only a few sips of water had been taken as lettuce stuck itself to her teeth. She stood up, grabbing her tray, staring dully at the food as she dumped it into the nearest trashcan, making the off-duty doctor wince as he looked at her.
Her naturally strong and slim form had become dangerously frail over the past weeks, the signs indicating lack of sunlight, nutrition and hydration becoming more and more obvious with each passing day. Her cheeks were hallowed and it was easy to make out the bones of her arms and wrists when her jacket's sleeves shifted upward. The creamy pale skin that had been the envy of majority of the female population in Inaba was ghostly white, giving her the sickly appearance of someone near death, the dark material of her clothing only worsening the effect. Silver-blue orbs which had once sparkled with strength, pride and intelligence were now empty and void of all emotion. They no longer sparkled with curiosity at the mention of a mystery or filled with warmth at the sight of her friends. There was nothing left in them, but the dull empty pained look of someone who'd lost everything.
They must be finished by now, Naoto thought as she slowly made her way out of the cafeteria, her shoulder brushing against the wall as she walked. I was down there for a few hours… It would make sense that their work has been completed for the time being. If I'm too early, I'll simply wait in the—
"Shirogane-san?"
Naoto blinked, glancing upward as she heard a familiar voice call her name. "Wh—Oh, Ikeda-sama. Good afternoon."
"It's closer to evening, Shirogane-san. Will you be coming out again tonight, or will you spend the rest of the evening with Seta-san?"
"…I'm done for the day. I'll be staying in the room the remainder of the evening."
Ikeda sighed softly, nibbling the bottom of her lip as she watched the young detective slip into the room, a sad look in her vermillion eyes. She sighed softly, glancing down at the clipboard in her arms, glancing over the contents slowly.
"As his condition gets better hers gets worse. What will happen when he wakes up and she finds out that—no. We can't assume the worst yet. The first problem is imminent; memory loss is only a possibility." A very likely one, but we'll have to hope for the best.
"Souji-kun, I'm back…" Naoto muttered softly as she walked over to the bed, taking her place in the chair sitting next to it once more. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long… Rise-san came again today. She's worried that I'm not eating enough. Everyone—even the nurses—seem to think I'm going to collapse at any moment." It's beginning to work my last nerve. I have every right to be here… to be worried. You're my…
"Are you having pleasant dreams? I… don't often fall into a dream-world myself, but I imagine with a mind like yours, you must have some amazing ones. Am… am I in them, Senpai? I can't be where you are right now… so that dream-world is all I have to let you know I'm here with you." She reached out, taking his hand loosely in her own, smiling sadly. "Can you feel my hand, Senpai? You must be so tired of me holding yours by now… I'm acting like such a child. I'm letting myself doubt everything, and that isn't helping you at all, is it? I… I know you'll come back. To everyone… to me. But…" Can't you come home a little faster? I miss you… everyone does. And… I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold out like this.
The sleuth bit back the tears that burned her eyes and threatened to spill over once more as she leaned forward, resting her head against Souji's leg, slowly running her fingers over the back of his hand before clasping it tightly in her own. Naoto sighed softly as exhaustion slowly began to over-take her tired form, lulling her into the dark abyss of unconsciousness despite her struggles to stay awake.
"Souji…" She muttered softly as her body went limp, eyes fluttering shut. "Come home…" Her words came out in a yawn as sleep took over and left the detective oblivious to the world around her… even the soft twitch and tightened grip of a frail hand in her own.