As an apology to you guys for not updating sooner, I decided to add this second chapter to today's update.

Please read and review! Seriously, I want to know what you think of this story. Even constructive criticism is fine. Just don't add any flames.

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective School Q. Amagi Seimaru, Sato Fumiya, and Animax do.

As Kyuu was loaded into the ambulance and hooked up to another heart monitor, the male paramedic, Yasu, turned to the rest of Class Q. "We have room for one more person to ride with us. Does anyone want to come?"

Kazuma and Kinta shook their heads. Ryuu turned to Megu with a questioning gaze. She surprised him by shaking her head, her eyes filled with emotional tears.

"I think I need some time for all of this to sink in," she smiled sadly. "I'll go with Kinta and Kazuma in the car."

Ryuu nodded in understanding and climbed into the ambulance as the female paramedic, Kara, closed the door behind him.

As the ambulance made its way to the hospital, Ryuu quietly scanned Kyuu's face, drinking in the fact that he was in the same space as he himself was, after 6 months of being missing. He felt simultaneous stabs of pain and guilt. Pain at seeing how much Kyuu suffered during the time he was gone, and guilt that the organization he had run away from had something to do with this. Was this their retaliation?

Thoughts of vengeance crossed his mind. However, he shook his head as if to clear his head of such dark thinking. Revenge never solved anything, as he remembered all of the cases Class Q had solved involving that as their motive. It only made the victims and the criminals feel worse.

Besides, he thought with a wry smile, Kinta would be angry enough for all of them.

Kara's voice broke him away from his musings. "So, is he a classmate of yours?" The female paramedic nodded to indicate who she was talking about.

"Yes," he replied politely. He didn't offer any more information.

Kara nodded, while inwardly raising an eyebrow. He doesn't talk much, does he? However, although Ryuu hadn't noticed it, he was tense. Any more stress, and she was afraid that he could be a hindrance rather than a help, should something go wrong on the ride to the hospital. She decided to try and calm him down, so she continued the conversation.

"Are you two close? As friends, I mean," she clarified as she kept an eye on the monitors. Kyuu's vitals were dropping little by little, although he wasn't in danger just yet.

Ryuu let a small smile slip. "Actually, I'd say that he's my best friend. Although I wasn't exactly the friendliest person to him when we met, he persisted on the idea of us being friends, and eventually we were. That's the kind of person-"

What he was going to say was cut off by an alarm as Kyuu's heart suddenly stopped again. Kara cursed as she grabbed a defibrillator from a nearby shelf. Charging it to 500 volts, she placed the paddles on Kyuu's chest.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!

There was no response.

The same thing happened when she charged it to 625 volts. Not hearing a heartbeat, she swore softly. Ryuu looked at her with worry.

"It looks like I might have to try going up to 750 volts. It's really risky for someone this age and weight, but the other voltages didn't seem to be working." The paramedic explained, as she readied the machine for the proper charge.

Ryuu thought for a moment. "Let me try something. It won't take long. Just be ready as soon as I'm done."

Seeing her nod of consent, he leaned down and whispered quickly in Kyuu's ear. "Kyuu. I know how hard it is to want to let go and just go to sleep peacefully. But you can't. Class Q is waiting for you, DDS is waiting for you, and most importantly, your mother is waiting for you. Do you want to leave her alone, in the same way your father did?"

Straightening up, he yelled at Kara, "Do it now!" He felt a little guilty about bringing Renjo-san (Kyuu's mother) into it, but he didn't want Kyuu to die. He didn't doubt that his friend could hear him, somewhere in his subconscious. And if he was even the tiniest bit aware, he would be fighting his hardest to come back to life after hearing those words.

Ryuu was proven correct, as not a moment later, the miraculous sound of a heartbeat filled the air, along with others in a steady, constant rhythm. He sighed in relief and slumped back, his adrenaline gone. In the corner of his eye, he saw that Kara had settled back into her seat, her eyes still attentive, just in case.

If Kyuu had died, he and the rest of Class Q would be very upset and depressed, but that would be nothing compared to Renjo-san's devastated sobs. The corners of his mouth turned down as he remembered her reaction upon finding out that her son had gone missing, those 6 long months ago.

Kinta, Megu, and Kazuma turned to the door to the DDS classroom as it was slammed open, only to reveal a strange sight.

Calm, composed Ryuu looked nothing like his usual self. With wild eyes and a desperate tone, he asked the others, "Have you seen Kyuu?!"

Everyone's backs unconsciously stiffened as they heard the panic in his voice. "You mean, he wasn't in his bed this morning?" Megu asked sharply.

Everyone knew that due to an unspecified family issue, Ryuu was staying in Kyuu's house. They had simply accepted it, knowing it would make Ryuu uncomfortable if they tried to investigate it further.

"No," Ryuu replied, his expression grim. "He never came home last night."

Just after he spoke the dreaded sentence, Class Q was called to Dan-sensei's office.

When they arrived, they saw Kyuu's mother sitting on one of the loveseats, wiping away tears. Dan-sensei sat in his wheelchair in front of her, with Katagiri-sensei sitting next to her, an arm around her shoulders.

Hearing them enter, he turned to them and said, "It seems that Kyuu has gone missing. I need to know, who was the last one to see him?"

Ryuu swallowed and stepped forward. "It was me. Kyuu and I were going to walk home together, but it seemed that a note from you was left on his desk, asking him to meet you here. Judging by your expression, you never left him a note, though, did you?"

Dan-sensei nodded. "You are correct. It seems that Kyuu has been kidnapped."

Every one of their faces paled, and Renjo-san burst into fresh sobs.

After that day, Kyuu's mother shed tears every day, although she would always put up a hopeful front for Ryuu. She was still very kind to him, and never even seemed to consider kicking him out, even though he knew how much it hurt her to not have her real son there.

One night, as he went to get a glass of water, he passed by a partially closed door that led to her room. He peeked in, and was surprised to find that she was awake. She didn't seem to notice his presence.

Silently, he watched her take out a ring, with a detective's silhouette in front of a pink background.

"Anata," she whispered, caressing the ring. "Please take care of Kyuu, and bring him back to me alive."

Turning away from the private scene, Ryuu silently vowed to grant her wish. No matter what.