Heh. I'm back. Keeping it short and sweet this time. Well... Not really sweet. This is kinda a filler chapter, because it was the last few pages of my notebook, and I didn't want to start a new notebook in the middle of a chapter, so this was born. Don't really like it that much, but meh. Whatever. Enjoy anyways! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, or any relating media. They belong to their creator alone.

Chapter Seven

The next morning, Kaoru awoke to the sound of the bolt sliding open on the door of their prison-cell-like room.

"What could they possibly want now?" he muttered aloud as he attempted to sit up. When he found that he could not, his hazy brain began to take in the situation.

Julie was lying next to him, head resting lightly on his chest with her body curled in towards him. It was such a vulnerable position to be exposed by such a powerful, strong girl, and Kaoru's fingers itched to draw it, so he could preserve this moment for the rest of time.

Just then, the door's bolt gave a loud clank. Julie's eyes shot open, and the magic of the moment was broken.

"What's going on? What's happening?"

"I'm not sure." he replied.

"Well, it's only been a few hours since we fell asleep, and lunch hasn't been delivered yet, so that means it's not shower," she murmured, more to herself than to him, "and they aren't possibly going to take us another appointment," she spat the word out bitterly, "so soon after the last one. Our wounds have barely begun to heal!"

Before she could continue her speculations, the door swung open to reveal two men.

One Kaoru easily identified as doctor James Peterson. He looked rather irritated, though Kaoru wasn't sure why, but with a single glance at the man next to him, Kaoru felt the pieces begin to fall into place.

He was young, in his mid-twenties, and looked to be fairly enthusiastic… about just about everything. Kaoru's first thought on him was 'Oh my God, another Tamaki-sempai…' It was true in mannerism, but certainly not in appearance. This man had black hair coming to about his shoulders. It was rather shiny, and Kaoru wondered whether this was because of grease or hair product. His skin was pale and, in Kaoru's expert opinion, he was in desperate need of a shave, but his eyes were something else altogether. They were a pale silvery grey that seemed to look right into your soul. Kaoru shivered involuntarily as the man looked him over. Julie didn't even flinch.

The newcomer looked them over for a minute before exclaiming, "Oh, I like these one's a lot! Can I have them too, please?"

"No, William, you may not. We agreed on three couples. I have already generously expanded this offer to four, and I will not be doing it again."

"But… but… I like these two better than any of the other's I've seen yet!"

"Then it looks like you have some decision making to do, now doesn't it?"

William huffed. "Fine."

"Very good. I'll dispatch some guards to fetch the others. You two, come with me."

Julie spoke for the first time since the exchange had begun.

"With all due respect sir, I'm not sure if Kaoru can move. Could we possibly hold… whatever it is we're doing in here?"

"What are you doing?" Kaoru hissed.

"Just trust me. Please just trust me." she spat back.

"What are you two talking about?" Dr. Peterson demanded.

"He doesn't want any special treatment. I told him to stop being so stupid."

"What is going on?" William interjected, clearly confused, "Why isn't that boy moving?"

"His name is Kaoru," Julie said, "and he isn't moving because we had our first, ah… appointment… yesterday. You can ask the good doctor what I'm talking about if you aren't already aware of what I'm talking about; I'm in no mood to explain it right now."

James' eyes narrowed dangerously. "You watch your mouth, young lady."

Looking suitably chastised, Julie murmured, "Sorry, sir."

She looked down at Kaoru, smirking slightly and winking, face hidden behind her longish bangs. Reclining back on her elbow, she looked at him with a more neutral expression now that her face was once again visible to the world. Her eyes widened slightly.

"What did you do?" she shrieked in Japanese, "I told you not to move!"

"I… didn't." Kaoru replied, rather bewildered by her reaction. Looking down at his own chest, he was startled to see a growing red stain, contrasting with the pure white of his bandages.

"Is there a problem, Miss Rutherford-Hopkins?" the doctor asked, voice icy.

"No, nothing. I just need to change Kaoru's bandages." She got up slowly, her movements still very careful, and walked over to where the first aid kit sat on a metal desk-dresser-thing in the corner.

William spoke up again. "I don't understand… Why is this Kaoru unable to move due to his injuries, yet you seem perfectly fine? You did receive the same treatment, right?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"Well then, how are you able to walk when he is in too much pain to even move?"

Julie looked at William with those unfathomable blue eyes.

"Because this isn't the first time that something like this has happened to me." she replied softly, turned and continued digging through the first aid kit.

She pulled out the gauze, completely unfazed by the heavy stares that William and the doctor were shooting at her. She walked over to Kaoru and sat down next to him.

"You're going to need to sit up so that I can change the bandages, okay?"

Kaoru nodded, and she continued, "I'll help you, if that's alright."

At his second nod, she carefully manoeuvred her arm under his back and draped her own arm over her shoulders, grabbing his wrist with her other hand to keep it from falling. Slowly, she shifted her body, moving his own in the process.

It hurt. It hurt like hell. Kaoru hadn't ever been in this much pain before in his life, not even when he had broken his arm falling out of a tree when he was seven. It took the breath right out of him, and he was very glad for Julie's grip on his arm, as his body would have fallen back down otherwise.

Through the haze of pain, Kaoru dimly registered the feel of the bandages unwrapping, and the sting of cool air hitting his wounds. He heard Julie curse softly, and then gasped in pain as some sort of cold liquid burned the lacerations criss-crossing his skin.

She rewrapped his torso with the remainder of the gauze from the roll she had used the night before.

"We're going to need more gauze."

She threw the words backwards over her shoulder at Dr. Peterson. He nodded an affirmative to show that he had heard her, continuing to talk into the walkie-talkie he was holding in his hand. After another couple moments of quiet conversation as Julie applied medical tape to Kaoru's bandages, James put the handheld device away and turned to the two prisoners.

"The others will be here for the meeting shortly." He turned his attention to William. "I expect you to have successfully eliminated one of the groups by the end of my work day at 5:30. It is currently…" he paused for a moment to look at his watch, "1:52. I will be seeing you shortly." he finished looking again at the two teens.

The doctor walked out, closely followed by William, leaving Julie and Kaoru alone again.

"What are they going to do to us this time?" Kaoru asked, dreading the answer, but needing to know it all the same.

Julie pushed herself up onto the bed next to him, and grabbed his hand, holding it with a gentle but insistent pressure.

"I don't know." she said, and Kaoru looked at her in surprise. The true meaning of those three little words only seemed to be occurring to her now, and her eyes widened in shock and horror.

"I don't know. I don't know, Kaoru… I don't know!" She was hysterical, her eyes wild, looking to be on the verge of a full blown panic attack.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay!" he soothed, somehow forcing his uncooperative arm up to rest on firmly on her slender shoulder. "We'll be fine. We'll make it through this together, okay?"

She nodded and took a shuddering breath, trying desperately to compose herself, to get control of her emotions.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly.

"What for?" Kaoru asked, confused.

"I'm supposed to be in control at all times, and I nearly lost it right then. I should have been stronger; you're the one that's injured, not me. I have to be strong, for your sake."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do, Kaoru!" she shouted, "I have to be strong. I have to keep in control of my emotions and behave in a mature, rational manner at all times. I cannot allow my feelings to cloud my judgement or effect the decisions I make, and I must always put other's well being before my own. I have to stay strong. Always."

Kaoru wasn't exactly sure what had provoked this outburst, but he knew that he had hit a nerve. He felt the need to at least attempt to make her feel better, to remedy this, but he also knew that he had to tread carefully, lest he cause her to blow up again.

"Julie…" he began cautiously, "you don't have to be strong all the time, you'll break if you try. It's okay to lose control sometimes, it's okay to cry. You seem determined to always help other people, but maybe you could let someone help you sometimes.

She looked at him, infinite sadness visible for a brief moment in the never ending depths of her blue eyes, before the unreadable mask returned.

"That is unacceptable."

"What?"

"It's unacceptable to allow you to help me. No matter how much I may want it, I can't. I just can't."

"Why not?" he asked, determined to press the issue.

"Because accepting your help is showing weakness, and that is something that I have been told is inappropriate for most of my life."

Kaoru stared at her with wide eyes. What sort of household had she grown up in, that allowing someone to help you was considered a weakness?

Her voice startled Kaoru from his thoughts.

"Since the only person I ever really needed was Joshua, I didn't have much of a problem with this. But now, he's gone, and I have no idea what to do… And I want to let you help me, Kaoru, I really do, but- I just-" she broke off, for a moment, gathered her thoughts, then began to speak once more.

"It's very hard to push aside something that's been forced upon you since the time that you were old enough to speak. I will let you help me… It'll just take some time, okay?"

Kaoru nodded and didn't push the conversation any further.

They waited, hands clasped, for whatever fate's cruel hand decided to bring upon then next.

I still need a BETA reader, just saying... Any suggestions?

Review, please! 3 :)