A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading my story! It means a lot to me! If you have any ideas on where the story should go, just PM me, or review! Also, let me know if I leave any plot-holes, or if there are any mistakes in my writing. The plot from here on out won't be as lighthearted, due to the fact that Tokyo ghoul is a tragedy, and the story is finally rolling. Oh, and because I forgot to in the previous chapters, I do not own Tokyo Ghoul (obviously).

Chapter 3–Unraveling

Aelin strode down the pristine hospital corridors and entered Kaneki's room. Inhaling deeply, she searched for the reassurance of her friend's scent, the telltale smell of musty books and caramel coffee. However, in its place she found the sickening aroma of ghoul, along with the copper tang of blood and floral feminine perfume. Rize-san's odor had doused Kaneki, only faint remains of his own scent lingering. Aelin fixed a displeased scowl upon her face, but ignored her nose and resigned herself to pacing along Kaneki's bedside, hoping he would finally awaken. Though logically the teen knew it would be at the bare minimum a few more days, as Kaneki wouldn't bounce back as quickly as she would like from a ghoul attack and an organ transplant, she still worried after his health, uneasy about the situation.

Hours later, Aelin finally left Kaneki's room for the day and tiredly stumbled down the halls, shoving the front doors of the hospital open only to collide with someone, and send the both of them off balance. Now fully ticked off, Aelin straightened herself with the intention of cussing out the unlucky person who ran into her, only to let her facial features soften with fondness as she realized it was none other than Hide. With a relieved sigh, needing someone to rant her worries to, Aelin snagged the boy's wrist in a tight grip, and took off towards his apartment.

Hide's POV

Hide gaped at his determined friend as she dragged him back to his house, wondering what had gotten into her, but complied as she held out her hand for his keys. He trailed after Alli-chan as they entered his home, shutting the door behind him as the two students flopped onto the couch. Righting himself with a groan, Hide began asking the many questions on his mind.

"So, did 'Neki get laid?"

Hide quickly regretted those words as Alli-chan shoved him from the sofa, landing hard on the wooden floor. Ignoring his friend's snickering at his predicament, he grunted in pain and planted himself once more on the couch, noting to run the question by Kaneki once he was out of the hospital. With his inquiry about his best friend's love life out of the way, Hide sent Alli-chan an inquisitive glance, silently looking for the answers to his thoughts. Alli-chan rolled her eyes with a huff at his gaze, but began to speak, an exasperated smile adorning her face.

"He's ok, Hide. Well, not in the best shape, but he's stable, and should be awake within the next two weeks. Course, I do wanna have a chat with his Doc about these things called emergency contacts, which you're supposed to call in extreme cases, such as, oh, I dunno, A FREAKING ORGAN TRANSPLANT! But… Ugh, as much as I want to be freaking pissed at… what's his name… right, Dr. Kanou, he did save Kaneki, so… I'll send him a fruit basket or something."

Hide chuckled at Alli-chan's fluctuating mood, cringing slightly when she sent him a light-hearted glare.

"Suuuuure, Alli-chan. Though, I was wondering, how did the medics get the beam out of his stomach?"

Alli-chan blinked uncomprehendingly at the blonde, her forehead creasing in confusion.

"We are talking about the same person, right? Kaneki, our best friend, black hair, goes to Kamii, is a total book nerd for tragedies and horrors? Cause unless he changed his name to Scotty, he did NOT get beamed. Where did you even hear this utter crap from?"

Hide raised an eyebrow at Alli-chan's spiel, but turned on the television and flipped channels until he reached the news. Speeding through commercials, Hide resumed the screen at a normal speed, and unmuted the volume. Aelin watched with growing horror as the tv played.

"Today, two students were caught in an accident with falling steel beams. The female student was crushed on impact, however the male student, though heavily injured, was rushed to the hospital. An emergency organ transplant was performed using the female student's kidneys, but there is a large debate over the lack of any permission from a family member or guardian. Dr. Kanou is with us today to discuss the morals of his decision." "Thank you for the introduction. Now, I know that many of you are wondering, how could I so blatantly disregard the law? However, you fail to acknowledge the fact that first and foremost, I am a doctor, and my goal is to save as many lives as I can. The female student had already passed away, so if I could save the male student, I would do so without a second thoug-" The television went black, Alli-chan clenching the remote in her trembling hand. Eyes filled with pain, Aelin knew that though she stood at the top of the world, it was only a matter of time until the life she had built for herself would come unraveling beneath her, and the only variable was who else would be dragged down with her.