A/N:Well, time for the next chapter to this story!

Chapter 22 Recovery, part 2

Kaito was bored. No, bored was an understatement. How was he supposed to pull off any more heists with his arm in a sling? Add that to the fact that his cousin was keeping a sharper eye on him than usual, and that equaled absolute boredom and misery for the young thief.

"Can't I please go on another heist?"

He should have known what the answer would be by now.

"No."

Maybe he would bend if he tried again, and again, and again, until...

"Kuroba, stop! The answer is still no. I nearly lost my cousin the last time he decided to go goofing off in his night job. Would I honestly be so stupid as to let him venture out again?" His cousin sounded practically livid by now. Oh, how predictable.

"But, Shinichi, I'm bored and I need something to do."

"Why not prank Nakamori-keibu?" Shinichi said, in boredom.

"When you've done that a thousand times, it loses its appeal, Shinichi. Now, please, let me go!" Kaito whined, waving around his non-injured arm in annoyance.

"Careful how you use that arm, now." Shinichi scolded, acting like an overprotective mother wolf now and it honestly annoyed Kaito.

"Shinichi..."

"What?" Kudo said, in utter annoyance, clearly fed up with his cousin's whining.

"Do you think I could practice my magic?"

"If you can do it with one hand, fine," Shinichi sighed.

"Why are you being so mean?" Kaito sniffed.

"How much longer will he continue with this melodrama?" Saguru drawled from beside them, watching in annoyance.

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Kaito always acts like this, especially when he doesn't want to answer people. Kaito, who shot you?"

Kaito just chuckled. "Shinichi, look, I got an ace!"

'There he goes again, dodging the question,' Shinichi thought in aggravation. His eyebrow twitched. "Is there perhaps a fish card in there, too?"

At this point, Kaito let out a yelp and dropped his set of cards, flailing around and causing his arm to ache again. "What...was that for?"

"For refusing to answer our questions," Saguru said sadistically. "Kudo, you really should be harder on him. Letting him do as he pleases is-"

"Pretty much the only thing we can do right now," Shinichi said, pulling out his mystery novel and continuing to read. "I mean, whoever shot him is going to assume that he's dead. No more KID heists for a while..."

Kaito twinged slightly. "Hmm...I have an idea."

Shinichi didn't even look up from his book. "A bad one?"

Kaito paled slightly. "No, what if...you could be KID?"

Shinichi nearly dropped his book. "We discussed that idea already, Kaito, and the answer is no. I will not be a thief who breaks the law."

"Finally, someone with some common sense," Saguru drawled. "Like I told Kuroba before, you must be at least half-insane to go around dressed in white."

"You're being mean!" Kaito wailed.

"Kuroba, the adults are talking," Saguru said.

"He's my cousin, you realize. No matter how childish or stupid he acts, he still at least has the right to defend himself."

"D-Defend myself? Saguru, you're not going to throw me in jail, are you?" Kaito yelped.

Saguru smirked. "Of course."

But it was Shinichi's answer who startled both of them into a shocked silence.

"He won't be going to jail."

"Kudo, are you out of your mind?" Saguru said, "Regardless of whether or not he is hurt, he is still a criminal."

"At least, not yet," Shinichi finished, causing Kaito to pale a bit more, "We have to figure out who tried to kill Kaito and take them down and then we can...perhaps..."

Kaito's phone rang all of a sudden.

"Hello?" He said in boredom, but then he winced. "Ah, B-Bakoko? What are you doing? I'm just fine, it's not like I'm skipping school or something! Bakoko, it's none of your business what I'm doing now! No, no, no, don't torture me with the f-word! Anything but that!"

"His girlfriend, hmm?" Saguru taunted.

"I'm sure Nakamori-san is worried about him as well," Shinichi said. "I already told Ran I would be with Kaito for a bit, so I can't worry her that much."

"Yes, Bakoko, I know already!" Kaito cried then as he hung up. "I get the feeling she's on to me." He said with a sigh as he picked up his cards and resumed shuffling through them with one hand.

"I wouldn't be surprised. After all, if she learns both Kaito and KID have an injured hand..." Shinichi trailed off.

"Is it time to let her know, or not?" Kaito said to the two male detectives in the room, who looked at him.

"Your call, Kaito. I don't decide your life," Shinichi said.

"Then why aren't you letting me go to the heists?" Kaito said, though he already knew the answer.

Aoko frowned at her phone. "Where is that idiot at?"

Keiko just looked at her. "Maybe he's pretending to be sick."

"No, it's not like Kaito to do that. He's hiding something from me, I just know it," She whispered.

"I wonder what that could be?" Keiko said.

"I know," Aoko said, "Honestly, that idiot thinks he can do everything on his own. Well, he's wrong."

"Just relax, Aoko. He'll be back soon enough." Keiko eased.

"I sure hope so," Aoko whispered.