Heya, guys~! Another chapter for the trial fic, The Hitman! Many thanks to those who liked this story. You know, I'm really jealous with the KnB romance fics, since they attract many attention (T-T) (Joke, joke, I like those fics as well. I'm reading them a lot). But, hey, no worries! I'm always glad that we have such a healthy fandom for this manga/anime! :)
Warning: grammar, spelling, punctuations... these can have possible errors in this fic. Also, be warned that this chapter may come into a rather scientific/medical point of view (although, I'm not claiming I'm an expert about this stuff!)
Disclaimer: Meh...
Chapter 4
[buttons clicks]
[annoyed rumble] Kagami Taiga here. August 06, 19:55. Just went out to answer a phone call from the coach [soft beeping sounds]. She asked if we've submitted the request for the laboratory exams, which we did [pause]. She also wanted to know if Kuroko's fine. [sighs] I told her what happened, but I forgot to mention I punched him in the face.
[dog barking from a distance]. Coach said that Hyūga-senpai and Izuki-senpai managed to get permission from Hicenn Pharmaceuticals to have another set of interview for the company's driver. Said 'is name is Michikawa Tarō, forty years old… good standing, more than five years in Hicenn. Hyūga-senpai and Izuki-senpai are going to meet him [soft clicking sounds].
[hums] So this little fella's going to use up all its juice; need to recharge it soon. Anyway, that bastard and I are here to see the paramedic Michikawa-san talked with. But apparently he's in an on-call duty, so we haven't seen him yet. [silence]
Another thing [pause] though. Still… Kuroko is… Kuso! [hisses] Damn that bastard! He's obviously messing around my head! [sighs] [metallic door screeched open]
[button clicks]
"I was wondering where you went, Kagami-kun." Kuroko greeted from the door's frame, after he opened it and took a look outside. That night wasn't particularly chilly, so he enjoyed it when the cool air landed on his face, playing the soft strands of his hair. Kuroko felt more comfortable at the breeze, lessening the ache that nestled on his left cheek. After he'd seen Kagami, he immediately placed upon his face the ice pack given to him by some nurse aid a while ago, courtesy of Midorima-kun.
"I told you I answered the call," Kagami answered, pocketing the electronic voice recorder back in his clothes. He shared a look with Kuroko. Kagami was not totally unkind and he felt a pang of guilt that marred his countenance. "A-Are you f-fine?" He awkwardly asked, his expression tinted with a light shade of red. He felt so embarrassed after the scene he had made; even he scratched his cheek unconsciously.
"I'm fine, Kagami-kun." Kuroko waved down the concern. "This is nothing." He added, before he motioned his hands towards Kagami, signaling him to come inside. "Let us go. I heard that Midorima-kun is going to hand us the results from the laboratory test." He said and waited for Kagami to climb back inside the building.
The duo from Seirin was tasked to go to Raizen General Hospital, the institution wherein Reo Mibuchi was brought to after the hitman incident. Kagami let his eyes explore the internal configuration of the hospital, largely peeved with the thought of being inside. Kagami didn't hate hospitals, but it was a gloomy place to be with. Plus, the various items and machineries inside the emergency room irked him – but not yet in the way his coach could – and they were a discomforting sight to see. He quickly swiped his attention off the said area of the hospital, not braving to see a particular patient that was just brought in.
He quickly sped to match Kuroko's pace; it seemed that he was engrossed with his hospital dreads and made him walk a lot slower. "Why do we need to be near the emergency room?" He unconsciously grumbled.
"The laboratory area is quite near the emergency room," Kuroko responded, much to Kagami's surprise. Perhaps the shorter one felt it was a legitimate question, so he answered it. Kagami only frowned; his question sounded more like a protest than an actual query.
"I think I'll never like hospitals." Kagami just remarked. Kuroko perked up on that.
"Kagami-kun, in your line of work, you'll be, in one way or another, needed to come to hospitals." Kuroko said, as he turned the ice pack on its other side, settling the cooler surface back on his face. He felt a muscle twitch at the touch of cold, but he ignored it, directing his attention to the comfort the cold item gave to him. "It is not uncommon to have crimes that are not actually… cleanly done." He said, sounding rather alarmed. However, Kuroko's expression remained neutral, which only bothered Kagami.
"I know that," Kagami spat. "It's just that I'm not entirely comfortable seeing some exposed bodies… and some parts." He said, shivering at a thought which he quickly shook off his head. "It's eerie and I find myself being creepy when I even try to approach––" he quickly whipped his head to the sides when he heard a sharp buzzing sound from the emergency room, which was followed by a weak cry, which probably came from a patient "––those machines."
"You are saying that doctors and nurses are spooky then," Kuroko said, picking on the particular ideas Kagami's words expressed.
"N-No!" Kagami answered back. "Who even told you that?"
"It is what I understand from what you said, Kagami-kun." Kuroko responded. He halted walking when both of them reached a metallic bench decked alongside the wall. Kuroko spun and hastily took a sit, closing his eyes adrift as he felt relaxed from the contact with the cold seat. Kagami followed, although he maintained a strained expression. He avoided looking at the wide doors of the emergency room.
Kuroko's eyes remained closed for the moment. Announcements were made through the PA system periodically. The beeping sounds from the electric contraptions pervaded the hallways that lied adjacent the emergency room. Bustling footsteps echoed through the walkways, followed by the sounds of carts of huge rectangular containers pushed by the tensed hospital staffs. The orchestra sounds of the hospitals rung all throughout the area, but Kuroko appeared not to mind the cacophony. Kagami was even sure that Kuroko appeared pleased with the awkward kind of silence.
Kagami finally noticed Midorima's approach. The green-haired detective held in his hand a white envelope. It also seemed that the man saw Kagami's eyes over him, so he gave him back a critical gaze. As soon as Midorima reached the spot where Kagami and Kuroko waited, he easily noted the shortest one's quietness.
"So…" Midorima spoke out, shifting his gaze from Kuroko back to Kagami. "Why is he sleeping?" He asked.
"W-What?!" Kagami exclaimed. "He's sleeping?! I thought he was just being silent!" As he protested, Kuroko's ice pack, which was plastered on his face by the use of his left hand, fell off from his hold, as his head gradually swayed to the sides. Kagami brought his hears over Kuroko's head, and finally heard the small whizzing sound from the teal-haired man. H-He's even snoring! He yelled inside his head.
Kagami immediately grasped Kuroko's head again, squeezing and shaking his head. Kuroko's eyes fluttered open, promptly seeing Kagami and Midorima looking at him. "Konbanwa," he greeted them, guessing it was still night time. "I just rested my eyes for a bit." With his voice nearly impractical to be used in order to identify his thoughts, Kuroko's answer appeared only as a half-baked rationalization that he really fell asleep, as Kagami concluded. Kuroko removed Kagami's hand from his head.
Midorima only glared at Kuroko. "Here is your result, Kuroko." He said, handing him over the official document that was processed by the laboratory staff.
"I am grateful for your help, Midorima-kun." Kuroko even stood up and gave the taller one a bow. "I think I forgot to ask, but what were you doing outside when you saw us?" He asked.
"Do not thank me." Midorima replied, turning his direction away from the light blue-haired man, pushing his spectacles up with his left hand. "The request is an official police duty and it's not like I'm interested with Seirin's current job." He reasoned out. "I'm off duty for the shift. You know I stay here if I don't have something to do." He snickered but he kept a serious countenance. Not enough to topple Kuroko from the top spot, though. "It was just coincidence. I was on my way to the convenience store." He told the shorter one.
"That was fast," Kagami commented as he snatched the envelope from Kuroko. "Coach told me this will take almost six hours to process. He flipped the envelope to the other side, and he quickly saw the word "rush" stamped at the upper right side of the envelope. He sent a questioning look at Midorima. "How did you manage this?"
"Midorima-kun's family and relatives are practitioners in the medical field." It was Kuroko who answered for Midorima. "Most of them are known doctors in this hospital."
"I found out that one of the technicians in the lab is not so busy at that moment." Midorima added. "I asked him to extract a specimen and run it as soon."
Kuroko only fixed a stare at Midorima, which the latter quickly noticed. Of all the members of the Generation of Mercenaries, it was with Kuroko that Midorima was not really fond of. He knew that the shorter one shared his sentiments. "I never ever slightly liked you, Kuroko." He said in warning, as he already felt intimidated with the gaze. "Especially your eyes; I can't discern what you are thinking."
"We don't get along, even back at Teikō." Kuroko responded in the same regards. "But it didn't mean I hate you." He added, mildly surprising Midorima. Kagami almost yelled aloud when the lab results in his hand vanished and was quite relived when it was held by Kuroko. However, he was still flabbergasted as to how Kuroko managed to seize it away from him. "Midorima-kun, can you help us right now?" He placed the envelope between him and green-haired detective. "I'll admit; I trust your judgment. You are intelligent, but you should know you are sometimes stupid."
The green-haired detective almost pulled out his gun, only to realize that he left it at the police department; he would have gunned Kuroko down. Seriously, the guy was too dense not to sense any semblance of danger, due to his downright directness. It took Midorima five seconds before he pulled the item from Kuroko's hands. "You do understand that you must not simply offer a patient's result to some random individual." He just said, chiding Kuroko. "Or are you simply using this chance to be bold since it's the redhead's – not yours – name that will be held liable?" He theorized, shooting Kuroko an inquisitive glance, although the teal hair did not say anything in reply. Kagami, in the background, felt ticked off by Midorima's notion of responsibility.
With a sigh, Shintarō Midorima, took a quick scan of the document after he released it from the envelope. He skipped the biographic details, knowing already who the person was, and jumped to the most important part of it. "If you're simply trying to recheck, the neurotoxin level in Mibuchi's blood is still abnormally high." He told them. "The doctors are still considering it as a case of Paralysis Dart Overdose."
"But Seirin wants to know the other one." Kuroko stated.
Midorima sent him a scowl. "C-sixteen-H-thirteen-C-L-N-two-O," he began, reading a certain formula written in the paper. Kagami only looked at the other detective as if he was an alien, while Kuroko listened with piqued interest. "There is a quantified amount of a benzodiazepine in his blood."
"B-Benzo… what?" Kagami tried to repeat the word, but it sounded so foreign to him.
"Benzodiazepine," Kuroko stated it perfectly. "I believe it is a kind of drug."
"Yes. And it is revealed in the test that this particular benzodiazepine is Diazepam." Midorima said. "Diazepam is a broad-spectrum drug. It has many functions." He started to explain. "I remembered from my parent's friend who is a Psychiatrist that it is a sedative and also a psychotropic medication." That time, Kagami's brain stopped processing what he heard; words enter one ear but were instantly ejected on the other. "However, in the medical-surgical field, it is a known agent used in surgery. It is used as an adjunct for anesthesia."
"It means that it has almost had similar side effects with the neurotoxin used in the Paralysis Darts." Kuroko supposed.
"Not quite," Midorima responded. "The neurotoxin in the bullets induces paralysis, but diazepam brings anesthesia." He told him. "But it may seem, even to me, that the amount traced in Mibuchi's blood is very scant. It is not surprising if he had taken a dose here in the hospital, since it's a relaxant as well." Midorima tried to observe Kuroko, but the man was still hard to read. "What goes on in your mind, Kuroko?" He asked, now really curious as to why he was interested in the blood exam.
"I am thinking that it was not just a pure dose of neurotoxin that is used in the bullet that was fired against Reo Mibuchi-san." Kuroko voiced out. "Midorima-kun, do you know what the half-life of diazepam is?"
"What?!" Riko Aida yelled, sounding irate, especially towards Kagami. The duo from Seirin had finally returned at the agency. It was already half past ten when they reached their office building, Kagami never failing to voice out a complaint on how hungry he was. Kuroko, on the other hand, was slowly drifting into dreamland, clearly tired. For sure, if not of Kagami's loud quirks, Kuroko would have fallen asleep right in the middle of the sidewalk. "You are saying that Reo Mibuchi was already shot even before he left the vehicle?!"
Kagami slightly pulled his head away from his coach, his eardrums protesting from the loud shouts. He showed a resigned look at her, silently telling her not to be so harsh towards him. He quickly pulled Kuroko by his shoulders and placed the latter between him and the coach. Kuroko only held a glimmer of aggravation by being moved around without any forewarnings. "It was Kuroko who theorized it, after all." Kagami said, pushing all the negative ambiances around him towards Kuroko.
"Is it true, Kuroko?" Coach Riko sent her stare against the shorter male. She did not fail to notice, however, a small pad of gauze that was taped over Kuroko's left cheek. Her stiff gaze softened because of the sudden feeling of worry for Kuroko. Riko Aida was quick to point about it as well.
"I fell from the stairs." Kuroko lied. "I misjudged the number of steps in the hospital's stairs so I lost my balance and fell. Unfortunately, I landed on the floor, face flat." He explained, not failing to send a glance or two towards Kagami. The red-haired detective saw it, but he did not voice out any verbal apology. He already felt guilty, damnit! "Just as what Kagami-kun said, I can finally say that Reo Mibuchi-san was shot before he was seen in that footage."
Coach Riko felt really surprised at that. She wanted to hear the explanation, but she also wished for Hyūga to be with them at the moment. She trusted her own judgment, but she also relied in the opinions of the other detectives, especially of their chief investigator. But, knowing that he and Izuki were still on their tasks, Riko Aida had no other choice but for their little number to hear out Kuroko's explanation on how the crime was committed.
She and the other detectives, Koganei Shinji and Mitobe Rinnosuke, took the wheeled swivel chairs nearer where Kuroko was. Kagami settled near the windowsill, satisfied that he had a clear view of the city outside and his fellow agency detective inside. Although, he still kept a lingering look all over Kuroko. At the coach's signal, Kuroko then began to spill out his theory to them.
"I have assumed earlier that it was not a pure-dosed neurotoxin dart that was used against Reo Mibuchi-san during the hitman incident." Kuroko started off. "We requested for a blood analysis of possible agents that can still be traced from the victim, and Shintarō Midorima, from Shūtoku Police Department, was kind enough to explain to me the contents of the lab results." At the same time, he handed the pieces of paper towards Koganei and Mitobe, the agency's resident analysts. "He said that aside from the neurotoxin, there are traces of a therapeutic agent in his blood."
"It's Valium, commonly known as Diazepam in trade business." Koganei said as he saw the name written in the lab result. "This is a hypnotic agent." He added. He looked up at Kuroko, his cat-like mouth brandished on his very face.
"Hai," Kuroko answered. "Upon knowing about it, it was then cleared to me that there is a possibility that the bullet used against Reo Mibuchi was a different type." He told them. "It was neurotoxin mixed with Diazepam."
Mitobe suddenly stood from his seat, attracting the attention of the other detectives. He gave that nonchalant expression. Koganei looked at his friend regardingly, before he turned his direction back at Kuroko. "Mitobe's right, Kuroko. We cannot simply assume that the drug was combined with the neurotoxin. Perhaps the Diazepam was given in the hospital as a relaxant." Koganei explained, interpreting Mitobe's silent words. The gentle giant sat back after he had conveyed his message.
"That's what that green-haired guy said," Kagami said in a brash voice.
"That is also the reason why I asked Midorima-kun of the half-life of that drug." Kuroko told them.
"By understanding the half-life, we can understand how long the drug has been circulating inside the body," Coach Riko said, placing her hand under her chin sagely. She looked at Koganei. "We can track it, right?"
"Of course," Koganei answered as he moved the swivel chair with a swift kick, instantly placing himself in front of a computer. "The half-life is the time required for a substance to lose half of its volume or function. We can backtrack on when a certain drug was injected to a person by analyzing its half-life and the amount remaining in his system." He expounded.
"Midorima-kun found out that Diazepam's half-life ranges from a single day up to four days." Kuroko finally said.
Mitobe and Koganei froze on their seats, as they beheld Kuroko with surprised but seemingly enlightened eyes. Riko Aida had no other choice but to grin to her fullest, as realization dawned to her as well. Seirin Detective Agency remained silent after Kuroko's declaration, before a resounding 'that's it!' bellowed across the office.
"Since Diazepam remains in the body for such a long time, trace amounts of it indicates that a huge dose have been injected to his body four days max," Coach Riko said.
Kagami was captivated by the chain of comprehension all among the members of agency. He stood nervously at his spot, watching the edified expressions of his fellow detectives. He himself was happy for the development, but there was only one thing that bothered his mind – what are they talking about? He asked in his head, still confused about the medical jargon that invaded his ears ever since Midorima started speaking towards Kuroko back at the hospital.
"So…" He expressed aloud, catching the attention of everyone else inside. "What does that mean?"
"Bakagami!" Coach Riko yelled towards him, a vein quickly popping out on her forehead. She didn't know what was technically wrong with their newest detective, but she was already very sorry for Kagami as a human being. "You are a detective! You should know what it means!"
"Coach, I don't think you must not be too hard to Kagami-kun." Kuroko spoke up, surprising Riko Aida – much especially, Kagami Taiga. It felt so unreal that Kuroko defended him from the hapless assaults sent to him by the detective agency. "The neurotoxin industry is still new." He added. "I'll explain it for his benefit." The shorter male faced Kagami. "Kagami-kun, you understand at least how the neurotoxin from the Paralysis Darts works, right?"
Kagami just nodded.
"The neurotoxin is labeled as an ultra-fast, instant acting agent, capable to taking down an organism as soon as it is injected in the bloodstream. That being said, once you are shot with a dart, you'll be paralyzed even before you can notice you've been hit." Kuroko expounded, as he wore a curious expression. "But what do you think can happen if you mixed something with the neurotoxin?"
"It will either potentiate or lose its effectiveness," Kagami replied, unsure if his answer was correct.
"Precisely." Kuroko agreed, still detached. "However, to me, it appears that the Diazepam addition weakened the neurotoxin. That is the reason why I thought that the evidences pointing out to the crime are conflicting. I theorized that Reo Mibuchi-san was shot before he boarded off the vehicle. Perhaps he was even shot inside the vehicle." He said. "During the time that his body shuddered, it was when we thought that he was shot. However, in my own conclusion, it was actually the time that the neurotoxin weakened by the Diazepam took effect."
Coach Riko was still for a moment, as she processed the idea inside her head. That was also a very likely possibility, something that could be pieced in to their current situation. Wearing an expression as if she was hit by a boulder of some sorts, she flung her hands at the nearby telephone. "If Kuroko-kun is correct, then the other possible suspect is––"
She was not able to press in the buttons on the telephone when, instead, her mobile phone rang loud. She pulled it out instantly, glancing at the caller ID that flashed on its screen. She was wide-eyed when it displayed Hyūga Junpei's image. She pushed the answer button and placed the phone by her ear. "Hyūga-kun, I was about to call you."
Kuroko and the others only watched anxiously as Coach Riko's countenance changed from a probing into a fretted look. She muttered some 'yes', accompanied by a usual nod, as her eyes maintained the strained appearance. "Yes." Pause. "Yes." Pause. "No." Silence. "Yes. We will contact them." She was hesitant at first. "We'll follow you." She ended the call and dropped her phone on a nearby desk. Everyone awaited her announcement, feeling the tensed atmosphere that descended upon them.
"Hyūga-kun called. He said that Hicenn's driver, Michikawa Tarō, has disappeared." She told them.
"What?" It was Kagami who first reacted. "What do you mean he disappeared?"
"Hyūga-kun and Izuki-kun, after they got permission from Hicenn, quickly took off to the driver's home. However, he said that they hadn't seen him and his wife told them he's not been home for the last two days." She shared.
"Doesn't the company record their employees' attendance?" Koganei voiced out.
"Hyūga-kun checked them." She replied. "Michikawa Tarō timed in on August 4 and the following day."
"But Hyūga was told that he's been missing for two days already," Koganei said, an unspoken message hung by the air around him.
"Michikawa Tarō is a probable suspect." It was Riko Aida who stated the final declaration. Koganei and Mitobe nodded at the supposition, quickly agreeing with simply the most plausible reason for the occurrence of the crime.
And then, everything clicked.
On the other side, Kagami felt a little bit ridiculed with the deduction. It was not because his suspicion was incorrect, but rather he was mortified with his own irresponsible assumptions. In a single swoop, his erroneous pronouncement fell onto him, pinning him down against his own ineptness. As a detective, it felt that he was being incompetent. What Kuroko told him earlier was correct; he must stop with his baseless accusations. Needless to say, he held a debt of apology towards Kuroko.
"Kuroko, I––"
Without any warning, a fist collided with Kagami's face. The punch was not really strong, but the shock that washed over Kagami's entire figure sent him to take a step back from the sudden attack. He almost took a full ten seconds before he placed his head forward, looking at the source of the assault. His red orbs narrowed at first but they immediately widened when he realized who it was who hit him. Unconsciously, he brought up a hand to touch his cheek.
"Don't take me wrong, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said, taking in some deep breaths. He pulled his fist away from the taller male, as he adjusted his posture. "I'm just returning the favor." Kuroko said. He spun and gave a look over the other detectives. "I'm sorry for the unnecessary disruption. I know you have some important task to do, so I will take my leave here." Kuroko Tetsuya began to walk away.
Riko Aida, Koganei Shinji and Mitobe Rinnosuke only shared staggered expressions from the scene that appeared by their very eyes. They only stared at Kagami Taiga, who also appeared to be in shock.
[button clicks]
[plastic crumpling] C-cold. [more plastic crumples] That's better… Oh. [pauses] Pushed the button already? [sighs] Kagami Taiga here. Got punched by Kuroko. Didn't hurt much. But… damn. [hisses] Never knew he has guts to do that. [silence]
Perhaps I deserve it. I got so full of myself, I'll admit that. [plastic crumples atop wooden desk] That's enough ice, I think. Never felt so guilty before.
"Shame on me," huh?
[deep breaths] This is an unofficial record, by the way. 'Cause there is simply. no. way. I. am. giving. this. to. coach!
[button clicks]
- End of Chapter -
I know, too many words (less action for now). Although I really liked it that Kuroko did not remain so passive about everything.
Also, as the author of this fic, I'm becoming really confused if Kuroko is the hitman... but still, that epilogue. By the way, just read that "epilogue" was meant to be "usually used to bring closure to the work." (Wikipedia). So... *smirks*
Thanks for reading!