I haven't updated since August. Oops. I...I was really busy. Sorry. I feel awful, it was such a bad cliffhanger!
Shinichi stopped and turned around, listening for a moment. Then he ran back to where he had been moments earlier with Kaito. No, no, no, no, no...he thought in panic. That was not a gunshot. Kaito did not just get shot. Kaito is fine. Nothing is wrong.
"Oh, shit," Shinichi whispered upon reaching the clearing to see the bloodstained water of the fountain. "Something is definitely wrong." He hurried to the fountain, where Kaito was sprawled out halfway in the water. "Kaito," he said, sitting on the fountain and trying to pick the other boy up. "No, no...no..."
After bringing Kaito's drenched body into a sitting position, Shinichi examined him. He felt a small bit of relief wash over him upon seeing that the shot was near his shoulder, not in any internal organ. "Kaito," he said, gently shaking the other boy. His eyes were closed and his mouth open. "Come on, Kaito please be okay..." Kaito's eyes fluttered to see Shinichi crying.
"No..." Kaito moaned. He brought his uninjured arm up to wipe Shinichi's face. "Shinichi, don't cry. I'm okay." He soon dropped his hand and his eyes closed again.
Whatever the case, Shinichi had no time to waste looking for the culprit. He had to take Kaito to the emergency room now. He was about to poise Kaito onto his back, but then he realized the clothes.
"Aw, crap!" Shinichi groaned. "Kaito! Wake up! Come on! Do you have any other clothes hidden somewhere?" Kaito didn't respond.
"Ah...I guess we'll have to make do with what we've got," he said with a sigh. He threw off Kaito's hat, along with his jacket and tie. His monocle was already on the ground, strewn there presumably during the attack. Shinichi continued by stripping Kaito of his pants with a wild blush and taking his own pants off. He switched them—they were both slathered in blood by now so it didn't seem to pose a problem. He searched Kaito's person, throwing about any type of evidence that he was Kaitou Kid, finding the jewel in an...interesting hiding place.
Shinichi gathered everything and stuffed what he could fit into his pockets—the more valuable or breakable items, including the gem. As for the rest of it, he carefully took an almost empty garbage bag out of a park garbage can and stuffed it all in. At this point he couldn't do much but be immensely relieved that this park didn't have security cameras.
With Kaito on his back and the black bag in his hand, Shinichi set off as quickly as possible toward the hospital. He knew that Ran's house was almost on the route to the hospital, so he took a slight detour. "Sorry Kaito," he whispered to the unconscious boy. "I know you're losing blood but we can't have anyone finding out about you." He carefully let Kaito down in an alley beside Ran's apartment and kissed the tip of his nose. "Be right back," he said. As if Kaito were listening.
He ran up the stairs and knocked on the door to Ran's house. She opened it after a few moments, looking quizzical as to who could be visiting at this late hour. "Oh, Shinichi!" she said in surprise. Then her gaze swept over his bloodstained clothes and hands and finally the garbage bag. "Oh my..."
"Look Ran, I don't really have time right now so I can't explain. Please believe that there is nothing wrong here okay? I'm fine. I would just like to leave this bag here with you for the night. Is that okay?"
Ran hesitated, looking uncertainly at the bag and then at the blood and finally at his face. She nodded slowly, still seeming confused.
"Can you promise me that you will not look into this bag?" he asked solemnly.
"Yes. I...I promise," Ran replied, nodding more firmly this time.
"Okay." Shinichi brought the bag in and stuffed it into a closet. "Don't let Oji-san look either. Make sure he doesn't know it's here. I'll come back tomorrow. Thank you so much; bye."
Shinichi left quite abruptly but there wasn't time for any sort of idle chitchat. He ran back downstairs and lifted Kaito onto his back again. He set off at an even quicker pace than last time, noticing the dull pulse of Kaito's heart.
"Come on Kaito, you can make it," Shinichi panted through his strained running and holding, "Be okay. Don't die...be okay..."
He repeated this quietly as he ran through the streets to the hospital. The hospital was finally in sight and Shinichi laughed breathlessly and insincerely and said, "Isn't it great? We're finally here!" He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. He could feel the uselessness of this—Kaito had lost so much blood. He couldn't be okay anymore, and Shinichi knew that. But he kept going. He couldn't stop.
"Thank you," Kaito's voice croaked next to Shinichi's ear. Shinichi's tears fell. Idiot thief, making him cry again...
He walked hurriedly into the emergency room and straight to the desk where a woman looked shocked at the blood all over him.
"This boy has been shot," Shinichi panted. "He's lost a lot of blood and he needs help now. Don't ask any questions, he's about to die. Please..."
Oh jeez...Kaitooooo! you poor baby!
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