A/N: Sorry, false alarm. This is the REAL ending of Act 2. Fits in thematically and all that. It's pretty short though, so...

To keep in with the 25 chapters = 1 act thing I've got going here, I'm deleting the placeholder C39 and moving the bonus here.

Also, tentatively, the story will probably end at about C125. I have five acts planned. I think I told someone that I would be writing another hundred chapters at C50 - I MIGHT or I might not - it depends on whether or not I can think of something new to add. I have a pretty good idea of where the next two acts will go, and I'm certain regarding the events of the last act, so...it really does depend. I couldn't say how a chapter would go until I've finished writing it.


It is an odd feeling, this sense of hope. I've felt it many times before; after the festival, and each and every time I've had the pleasure of being able to feel again.

But maybe this will be different. Things feel different, now that I know I haven't really been abandoned by Hanako.

Three knocks on the door.

"Come on in."

I step into the Nurse's office. He glances at me, blinks, looks harder.

"You look different." He acknowledges.

"I am different." I reply. "Here. I don't need this anymore." I take out the bottle of antidepressants and place them down on his desk.

"You never did need them." He replies calmly.

Huh?

"If I never needed them, why was I prescribed them?" I ask.

Now that I think about it, the timing didn't make sense, either. Getting them was literally effortless; I asked for them and he happened to have the brand that worked for me way back when, with the correct doses?

Implausible. But I didn't question it then.

"Forces beyond my control. That's all I can say."

Oh, I see. The Miyuki family. Or perhaps just Rei, independently. I really do need to have that conversation with her; the sooner the better.

"Understood. By any chance, do you know where she is right now?"

"She's currently - presumably - in the bathroom. She'll be back here shortly. Would you like to, ah, have a private conversation with her?"

He seems oddly irked today. I guess he's not much of a fan of being manipulated behind the scenes.

"Indeed." I say. There's no need to hold this conversation back.

"Sounds good. In the meantime, let's talk about your…prescription. Since you've only had a single dose, the effects shouldn't have been too major."

Not major? Hanako was actively intimidated by the difference.

Or maybe that was something else. I was kind of worn out, myself. Just thinking myself in circles, locked away in my room, trying and failing to sleep. No running or walking, either, or much human interaction at all with anyone not the Nurse.

There were probably issues with how I looked beyond medication-induced apathy. Hopefully this is fixed now, or will be, anyways.

I guess we'll see what my outlook's like when the medication completely wears off.

"This means that we don't have to wean you off. Just don't take another dose and you'll be fine."

"Yup. Also, I won't be taking the old trial medication. I'm open to new trials, of course, but…yeah." I take out that bottle from my pocket, too, and place it next to the anti-depressants.

It's strange how this little bottle of pills means so much; discarded hopes and dreams. An old chapter in my life. Or, if you prefer to think of it differently, perhaps millions of yen.

"Alright. I'll tell you when they develop something new. As you may be well aware, your situation is a little unorthodox." He says, scribbling something on an empty form.

"Oh, that's the understatement of the year."

Seeing as how what we're doing is ridiculously dangerous. Immediately after development only a bare minimum of animal testing is done before I receive it. You'd think by now that we would've realized the inherent risk in it and standardized something like we've done now, with daily physicals…

The system is a little bit broken, though. Japan's way different than from a country like, say, the US. What our citizens gain in reduced cost we lose badly in quality…

Take our school. We have a fully-staffed team here, but that actually only consists of, like, five people. Being a doctor in America is a popular job; in Japan, not so much. They're paid less, work harder…inevitably leading to a bit of a decline in the kind of care you can receive and the job pool.

So things that would be common sense elsewhere slip past…or are pushed past.

Emi's role as Nurse's "spy" makes a lot more sense in this context. I guess if you're not allowed to bring a patient in, you find someone else.

Though why he would be prevue ended by some unseen player doesn't make any apparent sense to me, the answer probably has something to do with money.

Whoo.

"So it is." He says, sweeping all of the papers to one side and standing up. "It's my lunch break now, which means I'll be gone for half an hour."

Oh, he's giving me that private conversation.

"Thank you." I reply.

"Hm? I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just grabbing something to eat." He winks at me before stepping outside, leaving the door open.

Cool guy. I should figure out who's controlling him so I can snap that thread. I have my own suspicions, though.

Footsteps echo down the hallway, coming closer. I turn my chair around to face the door.

"I'm ba - oh." Rei steps inside, damp paper napkin held to a gash on her arm. For a moment her eyes convey shock.

Then she recovers, and her mask is back. But now that I look closer, I can see the flaws. She must truly be exhausted to slip so much. I've watched this girl develop for three years - but I've never seen her facade fail quite so badly.

Hah…

Maybe part of this has to do with the lingering antidepressants, but…I just can't be mad at her anymore. Or, perhaps, this is simply compassion in its purest form. Whatever the case…

"Come here." I say, holding my arms out. She freezes.

"H-Hisao…I…" Rei stammers. I roll my eyes and step forward, pulling her into a hug. She's warm and fragile under my grip.

"Shut up and cry." I command imperiously, suppressing a smile as I remember Emi telling me the same thing. Her arms snake around me.

"N-Not…going…n-no…" She resists the tears even as I pat her back.

Typical Rei.

"Honestly." I say, smiling. "You're being so silly right now. You don't have to be strong all the time."

I tried. It doesn't work.

"So cry." I whisper.

She breaks. I stumble slightly as she stops trying to support herself and falls into my arms, sobbing.

"We'll talk later." I whisper.

…But for now I'll hold her close, in her moment of weakness.

"It's okay."


ACT 2 END: PROPRIOCEPTION


Last and final warning. I mean it; this story is going to go fairly dark and I will NOT be handing out warnings beyond this point. You don't get warnings in a novel - I'm not going to warn you here. It makes for a better reading experience, and I'm not good enough of an author to be able to turn down free help.

At some point - I haven't decided when, or if - sex may appear in this story, both hinted at and explicitly discussed. I think it's something pretty important for certain characters. These references will begin at C48, so you have been warned. Any explicit sex scenes will be uploaded to a different site in order to dodge deletion, but be warned that chapters here on out may contain references to graphic violence, including abuse, rape, or other, mild sexual situations with NO chapter warning to avoid any spoilers.

I'm almost done with that Tactility musical theme I mentioned earlier. When I finish, I'll release the piano for it and then the orchestrated version (if/when I finish that too).

Moved the bonus from C39 here -


Tactility Bonus A - The Nurse's Journal

Subject - Hanako Ikezawa - 001

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You know," The Nurse says conversationally, "Technology has gotten us pretty far, but it hasn't yet gotten to the point to where I can perform a physical exam halfway across the room."

Standing by the door and ready to flee with one hand covering the right side of her face rests one Hanako Ikezawa, who seems to be determined to flee but hasn't yet managed to make her body react.

On the other side, lounging in a brand new office chair, rests the Nurse.

"You know, I interned at a hospital before I decided to transfer out here. I'm very used to burn patient victims, and I promise that I won't make fun of you or judge you in any way."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You don't need to take your clothes off or anything, if that's the problem. This really is just a routine physical exam. The kind where I take your temperature, measure your breathing and heartbeat, check your throat and reflexes…sound familiar?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"As a general rule of thumb, those physical exams are done sitting down, but if you really want to do it standing up, I suppose I can accommodate for that. Is that what you'd prefer?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Alright then, I'll come to you."

The Nurse twitches as if to stand up; Hanako turns tail and bolts out of the room, her footsteps slowly fading as she runs farther and farther away.

The Nurse relaxes again, and reaches for his office phone, dialing a number.

"…Ichiko? Is that you? Do you have any open slots on Sundays? Yeah, I'm going to need a favor…"


A/N: Consider everything here canon.