Longest chapter to date! Guess you could call it an appology gift for not updating for quite a bit XD

It was a horrible idea really. And even as she stood staring at the white block building Tsugumi could hardly believe she had actually taken up the offer.

She shifted uncomfortably, biting her lip and staring at the glass doors that rose up in front of her. She had hated coming to this place, the very place she was now considering accepting a job offer at. It was stupid.

To stupid.

She was just about to turn when a voice suddenly stopped her.

"Tsugumi, right?"

She turned, coming face to face with Dr. Rowan.

"Am I right?"
"Oh, yes." She nodded, realizing with a bit of embarrassment that she had been staring. He had a pleasant smile on his face, one that eased her tense heart.

"And… you're the one Segai is planning to hire?"

Tsugumi sighed and let her shoulders drop. It did sound very strange spoken aloud. "Yes." She gave a little chuckle and glanced up at Rowan. "But… I'm not trained or anything. I don't see what he'd have me do."

Rowan just shook his head. "I don't even know myself. Segai… is quite unpredictable."

Great.

"Do you want me to escort you in?"

Tsugumi gave a grateful smile. "Yes please." Rowan held out his arm and Tsugumi slipped her arm around his, just relieved she would not have to face the strange doctor herself. Still she felt uneasy as they crossed the threshold and strode through doorways that proudly boasted red signs reading "Employ's only".

But this was the only job offer that was coming through, and she needed a job. And it was close to Shu, she could look after him better from inside the hospital.

Segai sat before a computer, playing a crossword puzzle. As the door opened he cocked his head backward and a thin smile instantly appeared across his face.

"Good morning!" He spun his chair around to face the two comers and steepled his fingers before his face. "Tsugumi, it seems you have taken me up on the offer?"

"Not quite," Tsugumi let go of her hold on Rowan and crossed her arms over her chest, frowning at the smiling man. "I want to know just what, exactly, my job would consist of. And of course the pay."

Segai leaned back in the chair and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I know you don't have any medical experience; you will merely be the secretary. You know, do the paperwork. There might be a few other odd jobs now and then when we need assistance." He motioned between him and Rowan then offered another shrug. "And you need not worry about the salary; I am a very generous man!"

Tsugumi bit her lip and considered Segai's words. It seemed almost too good to be true. Not nearly as wonderful as her job with the Funeral Parlor had been but…

"Well?" Segai prompted. "We need to get this day moving, do I have a secretary or not?"

"Yes." Tsugumi breathed before she could doubt the decisions. "Yes you do."

"Shu, are you all right?" Tsugumi reached forward and touched Shu's arm, drawing back his vacant gaze to the present.

"Tsugumi…" Shu murmured, then gave his head a little shake, brow furrowing. He passed a hand over his face then sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I'm fine. I'm fine…"

But Tsugumi knew he did not speak the truth. He was far from fine; after all he was sitting on the simple cot in a small box room in a mental institute. He was far from fine.

"I was just thinking." He murmured, and then gave a little laugh. "They were silly thoughts."

Tsugumi was silent and just let Shu ramble. She hardly what he spoke of anymore. Ever since the accident he had slowly lost grasp of reality, his time seemed warped and he was often lost in a distant haze. But that was better than the times he was only to much in the present and his grief drove him to near madness. He could not cope.

"Umm…" He glanced around, then up at the window. It was barred. "When will Inori be getting here?"

"I-Inori?" Tsugumi stuttered, the name hardly passing through her lips. It stuck in her throat and it hurt.

"She said she would come…" Shu murmured, a pained expression entering his eyes.
"I'm sure she'll be here soon." Tsugumi stood from her seat on the edge of his bed and forced a smile. It hurt to lie. She felt suffocated then, not able to help her friend, not knowing what to do… "I'm sorry Shu, but I have to go now."
"You're new job?"

"Yeah." Tsugumi said numbly. "Sorry."
"I understand." But he probably did not; he was too stuck in the past with Funeral Parlor.

Tsugumi left, probably walking too quickly and as soon as she shut the door she breathed out a deep sigh. Recently it seemed that she was swimming underwater, unable to move correctly, and always, always holding her breath so carefully.

"Ah, my dear secretary." Tsugumi flinched at the voice and forced herself to stand up straight and proud. Segai strode quickly up to her from what seemed like out of nowhere, it seemed frighteningly easy for him to randomly appear in that labyrinth of intersecting white halls. "Taking a little personal break?" He shook his head, but he seemed far from upset.

"I asked you if I could give Shu his medicine." Tsugumi reminded him. "And you said it was fine."
"Hmm~" Was all Segai had to say to that, and instead produced a bottle of rattling pills from his lab coats pocket. "Well, since you're so keen to distribute medicine, how about helping me out, hmm?"

Tsugumi raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you just getting on my case about not being where I'm supposed to be?"

"Ah, but I'm sending you to a different place now!" Segai chuckled. "Besides, I need to deal with a rampaging lunatic. It is quite hard to manage Kenji, it will probably take quite some time." He jiggled the bottle, pills bouncing about inside.

"Fine." Tsugumi took the bottle and sighed. "Whatever you say, boss."
"That's what I like to hear!" Segai chuckled again as he brushed past Tsugumi. She could not help but cringe at the strange man's antics. If it were not for Rowan, Tsugumi was sure she would not be able to stand working in that place. And it was only her first day of employment there.

Taking her focus from her own worries Tsugumi set them back to the patient who needed the pills. Holding up the bottle she inspected the name.

Yan, Daryl. Room 307.

It was just a little difficult to find the room; she had never been to that wing of the hospital. But soon enough she was standing in front of the door. She took out the key Segai had given her and unlocked the door.

It was strangely dark inside, the window letting in just a little of the sunlight from outside. Vaguely she could make out the patient, Daryl Yan, lying on the cot, one foot propped up on his raised knee, hands held behind his head. At the sound of the opening door he turned his head slightly.

Tsugumi's stomach dropped.

"You!" The boy growled, scrambling to his feet and standing rigid with seething anger.

Tsugumi did not know how to reply. It was the boy she had run into just a few days earlier, the one Segai had proclaimed "completely insane".

Her new job would certainly be interesting.