When they arrived at the tower Sora was still unconscious, having been unresponsive for the rest of the trip. They had managed to significantly slow the bleeding, but he was still cold and pale from blood loss, his pulse weak and far too rapid. Riku lifted Sora in his arms as carefully as he could and carried him out of the ship.

They entered the tower, Xion with her arm around an unsteady Kairi's waist to support her. Yen Sid had been expecting them so the first portal on the stairs led straight to the top room. He, Mickey, and Axel were waiting for them.

"Ah you're here, please follow me Riku," Yen Sid turned and immediately led Riku through another door.

"Kairi!" Before Kairi could follow, Axel ran to her side, horrified to see blood everywhere and Xion supporting her. "What's wrong?!"

"It's OK, I'm fine" she reassured him, "just… worn out."

"But, the blood?"

She looked down at her stained dress. "Oh."

She stared at the blood on her clothes and her hands started trembling. "It's… It's not mine." She had been about to follow Riku, but now she swayed.

Her vision swam and her knees buckled. Xion quickly tightened her grip around her and lowered her to the ground slowly, where the two knelt together. Axel dropped down beside them and placed a hand on Kairi's shaking shoulder. She had gone chalk white, her eyes abnormally wide. She looked like she might be about to pass out.

"Kairi, are you alright?" She felt sick. There was a roaring in her ears, and Xion's voice seemed much further away than it should have. Suddenly she was gasping, struggling to breathe, her mind reeling.

Axel wrapped an arm around her. "Just-just breathe, OK?"

He was trying to calm her, but his own voice was shaking. Xion was too overcome herself to speak. Kairi was taking sharp gulping breaths and beginning to hyperventilate. She clapped a hand to her chest and felt her heart racing beneath it, as she tried desperately not to vomit.

After everything they had seen over the past few years quite a few of them had witnessed, or experienced, a panic attack by now, particularly in the months following their final battle and Sora's disappearance. They were no strangers to it, but that didn't make it any easier when one happened.

Roxas recognised what was happening and dropped down in front of Kairi, taking her hands in his and speaking calmly to her. "It's OK Kairi, just focus on us, we're here with you."

After everything they had been through they had finally found him. But they had found him too late. She was going to lose him again, and this time it would be final.

"He's going to be all right Kairi, we'll get through this."

But what if he wasn't all right? He could be dying right now. He could be dead already. She was going to lose him again. He was going to die.

"Just breathe. Sora's alive and he's safe now."

She couldn't lose him again. But he was hurt so badly… was he going to die?

"He'll be alright, we're all back here and we're going to be OK."

They hadn't gotten there soon enough, he was hurt so badly... but at least... at least he was safe now.

"You'll feel better soon, just breathe."

Roxas's calm voice was slowly making its way through to her. She looked up at him, at the eyes that looked so much like Sora's, and he smiled. "He's safe now and so are we. He'll be OK."

He wasn't sure if he believed any of his own words but felt that they all needed some hope right now, even if it might be false. She clung on to his hands and closed her eyes, trying to slow her breathing down. Mickey was speechless and just stared after Riku, not wanting to intrude on the others when he had no idea how to help. He hoped Donald and Goofy would be back soon...

It took several minutes but gradually, with her friends holding on to her, Kairi's breathing became controlled again, and the nausea faded as her panic passed. Once it had, she gave Roxas a look of gratitude and Axel helped her to her feet.

"We'll be out here if you need anything alright?" he told her and pulled her into a tight, lanky armed hug, which she returned. "He'll be fine. This is Sora we're talking about!" he said in a voice much closer to his usual jovial way.

She gave him a sad smile and nodded before she made her way to the door Riku had taken Sora through and knocked.

Riku followed Yen Sid into what seemed to be a bedroom. Expecting that some of Sora's friends would want to stay at the tower with him while he was injured, Yen Sid had summoned this and several other bedrooms before their arrival. It contained a bed and bedside tables, a large couch, a table, and several chairs. One of the four walls was curved, with windows facing out into the perpetually starry sky. In normal circumstances, it would have been a comfy and inviting place, but right now it felt as cold and dead as that other world.

Riku carefully lowered Sora down and sat beside him on the bed, pressing down again on the mess of wet bandages on his chest. He grimaced and let out a faint murmur of pain, the first sound he had made since losing consciousness. Riku placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it in the vain hope of comforting him somehow.

Yen Sid stood on the opposite side of the bed on Sora's right, with his back to the windowed wall. He held his hand out in front of him and closed his eyes. Whether he was trying to heal Sora, assess the damage, or just thinking, Riku didn't know, but he stayed quiet and waited for the wizard to complete whatever he was doing.

"Can you heal him?" Riku asked when Yen Sid reopened his eyes.

"I'm afraid in Sora's current state there is nothing my magic can do for him."

He paused as Riku tried to process this news, and a few dark sparks crossed Sora's body.

"Can you tell me what happened Riku?"

Riku tried to explain to Yen Sid as best he could. Arriving in that city and splitting into two groups to search… How after an hour or so he and Kairi had heard noises that sounded like voices and a fight. How they started to follow them, and the challenge of trying to locate the source of those sounds, as the empty city echoed around them. How they finally caught up and got there just in time to catch Sora as he fell from the roof…

He told Yen Sid about what the man had said, how he had attacked and Kairi had defended them. He didn't go into much detail about the last part, making it sound as though she had just used a powerful barrier spell. He knew it would lead to a long conversation and he didn't think either he or Kairi could handle that right now. She was gifted when it came to magic and Aqua had trained her well, so he thought it probably wasn't too unbelievable a story. They could discuss what really happened later.

The bandages beneath Riku's hand were now almost entirely red. He turned to the wizard, wondering if maybe he had some medical supplies on hand.

"Master Yen Sid, do you have-"

"Riku?"

Riku's heart skipped a beat. He jerked his head back to Sora and found his eyes open a crack. "Sora!"

Sora looked at him vacantly for a moment, then screwed up his face in agony and let out a sharp cry of pain. Riku rubbed his shoulder, not sure what else he could do right now.

"Just hold on Sora."

"My chest... hurts..."

Riku felt another pang of guilt. "I- I know... I'm sorry, it will stop soon."

Sora grabbed onto Riku's arm, squeezing hard and gritting his teeth. Riku wanted badly to ease off the pressure on the bandage, but he couldn't risk it, he didn't think the bleeding had stopped yet.

"Riku... it hurts..."

His words terrified Riku. Sora never complained about pain. Hard work, yes. Pain, no.

Sora opened his eyes again and stared up at him, looking wretched and desperate.

"It will stop soon Sora, I promise."

"Riku..."

Yen Sid had taken several steps back and stood quietly, knowing there was nothing he could do in this situation but give them space. He turned as the door closed softly, having not heard Kairi knock or open it. She was staring at Riku's back with pure misery on her face.

"Just hold on," Riku pleaded with Sora. "Just-" But his words were cut off as Sora gave a choked gasp and started gagging.

Riku hurriedly turned him onto his side as he coughed, and blood spattered the bed covers. Kairi appeared suddenly at Riku's elbow as she knelt beside the bed. They watched helplessly as Sora brought up more and more blood, rapidly turning the white pillowcase red.

When the coughing finally passed Sora was left gasping for air, seemingly oblivious to the people around him. Kairi reached out and ran a hand through his hair to try and soothe him while he caught his breath, but couldn't tell if he felt it or not. Riku waited for his breathing to steady, then carefully turned him onto his back again so he could maintain pressure on his wound. He tapped his face gently, trying to bring him to alertness.

"Come on Sora, keep your eyes open... please."

But his eyes were closed again and his face was blank, a few drops of blood still leaking from his mouth. Riku cupped his cheek in a shaking hand, praying he would keep breathing. "Don't die on us Sora."

The room was quiet for a while, the only sound Sora's ragged breathing. Eventually, Kairi broke it. "So you can't heal him either Master Yen Sid?"

"No, I'm afraid not Kairi."

She had expected this, but it was still a stab in her heart to hear. She stood up and put an arm around Riku's shoulders, and he tried to wipe the tears off his face quickly. Yen Sid continued.

"As I told Riku, in Sora's current state there is nothing I can do. As you have already observed some type of dark power is inhibiting most healing magic. It does appear to be fading but, due to the severity of Sora's injuries and physical exhaustion, even if magic were to work right now he would certainly not survive the quickened healing process." Before they could react he turned to the window. "Ah, but it appears the others have returned."

Following his gaze, they saw another Gummi Ship approaching. The ship passed out of their view as it landed, and they soon heard rushing footsteps, a shout of "HURRY UP GOOFY!" and the front door being thrown open. They heard voices in the room next door, followed by a loud bang as the door flew open, and Donald and Goofy tumbled through.

"We're back!"

"And we brought Baymax!" From where he had face-planted on the floor beside Donald, Goofy held up a red box with a small white face on it.

"Baymax?" Kairi and Riku asked in unison.

Goofy set the box down on the ground and it whizzed to the foot of the bed on small wheels. He and Donald dashed to the other side of the bed to see their friend, expecting an injured but fully awake Sora to greet them.

"Don't worry Sora!" Donald yelled. "Baymax will fix you right-"

Their stomachs dropped when they saw him and for a while, all they could do was stare. "Oooooooh Sora…" Donald sighed sadly, and he and Goofy hung their heads.

Baymax had unfolded from his red carry case and was now quickly inflating in front of them. The others had followed Donald and Goofy in, and they all stared at the strange marshmallow-shaped creature that had emerged before them. "Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion," he greeted the room.

"Baymax is sort of like a robot doctor, he'll be able to fix Sora!" Goofy explained. "We borrowed him from our friend Hiro".

Baymax waddled to the side of the bed, and Donald and Goofy hurried out of his way. "Analysing patient."

He had a surprisingly friendly voice for a robot. A grid of red light shone from a small circle on his chest and passed up and down Sora's body several times. Riku quickly drew his hand out of the way as Baymax performed his scan, replacing it as soon as he was done.

"Can you heal him?" Kairi asked.

"Sora's condition is critical, but I should be able to stabilise him." The wave of relief that spread around the room was palpable, though no one liked the sound of the word should. "I will begin treatment immediately. May I request two people assist me to speed up the process?"

"I will!" Riku and Kairi immediately said, but Axel cut them off.

"No way, you guys are exhausted. Go get some rest, Roxas and I can help out, right?"

He clapped his hand down on Roxas's shoulder, who nodded in agreement. Admittedly, he was tired as well but doubted he needed rest as badly as the other two did. Kairi was about to argue but Riku reached up and placed a hand on her arm. "He's got a point."

She opened her mouth to protest but then felt all the fight leave her. He was right. She sighed and nodded; she'd been distracted, but now that she thought about it she realised just how drained she was. Riku didn't want to leave but knew Kairi was close to collapse and if he stayed she would insist on staying as well.

"I will inform you of Sora's condition as soon as possible," Baymax assured them. Roxas took over for Riku, and everyone but him, Axel, and Baymax filed out of the room. Kairi gave Sora's hand a quick squeeze before leaving.

Yen Sid showed Kairi and Riku to the extra bedrooms he had summoned. It was late into the night now and he was tired, but Riku had no intention of sleeping. Despite what Baymax had said all he could think of was the possibility that he wouldn't be able to stabilise Sora, that maybe his injuries would be too much for this robot doctor to deal with. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep while he waited to hear if Sora was still alive or not. He made a show of following Yen Sid to the bedrooms to make sure Kairi actually got some rest though. She had expected she wouldn't be able to sleep either, but the moment her head hit the pillow she was asleep, overwhelmed by deep exhaustion.

Once Kairi had gone into her room, Riku returned to Yen Sid's office. Along with Mickey, Goofy, and Donald, he found a worn-looking Xion. Riku had expected she wouldn't be going to bed either, and they shared a brief look of sad understanding. Yen Sid summoned a table and chairs for them. They sat down and Xion and Riku explained to the others everything that had happened in the past several hours.

Then they waited in silence, hoping for good news.

A couple of hours later Kairi found herself being woken by Riku. He shook her shoulder gently. "Kairi?"

She sat bolt upright. "Is he still…?"

"Yeah, he's alive." Kairi sighed with relief. Riku smiled briefly, but his expression quickly became serious. "Baymax is finished though, he's going to talk to us all."

Everyone was gathered in Yen Sid's office, aside from Roxas and Baymax. Xion looked just as exhausted as Kairi felt, and Axel was looking drained as well. Donald and Goofy were sitting on the floor, propped up against a wall and snoozing, but as Baymax came through the door Mickey prodded them awake. Kairi gripped Riku's hand tight, anxious about what was to come.

"Sora is stable, but in a serious condition. If it is all right with you sir" - he looked at Yen Sid - "and with Hiro, I shall remain here and monitor him."

"Of course," Yen Sid nodded.

"We'll give Hiro a call," Donald said and Goofy waved their Gummi phone.

"Thank you." Baymax turned back to the larger group of people to explain Sora's condition and began rattling off a list that made all of them feel ill. "Sora has sustained multiple injuries. He is also suffering from acute exhaustion, based on my observations I have concluded he had already been pushed past his physical limits prior to sustaining these injuries."

Riku and Kairi's stomach's clenched a little tighter. How long had that man been tormenting Sora for?

Baymax continued. "His wrist, both bones in his forearm, and many of his ribs have been broken, and he has a minor pulmonary contusion which is causing him difficulty in breathing. He has lost a dangerous amount of blood and I expect it will take several weeks for his body to recover from this. There is no sign of cranial bleeding, but judging from his head injury it is highly likely he has a concussion. However, I cannot be certain of its severity until he regains consciousness."

The room was silent for a while as everyone tried to absorb this information, or at least the parts of it they actually understood. Axel was already horribly aware of it all.

"So he hasn't woken up then," Riku stated bluntly, looking from Baymax to Axel, who shook his head.

"He is unlikely to regain consciousness for some time," Baymax said.

Without another word, Riku walked forward and opened the door to the other room. Kairi followed. Donald and Goofy made to follow as well but Xion held up a hand, smiling sympathetically. "It might be better if we just let them be alone for a while." They looked at each other sadly and slumped their shoulders, knowing she was right.

Mickey and they decided to stay at the tower overnight, but Xion and Axel thought it might be better if they and Roxas left. The tower was probably crowded enough already, and they knew there was no chance of Kairi or Riku leaving anytime soon.

The shallow rise and fall of his chest was the only sign Sora gave of life.

He was lying propped up in bed with a blanket drawn up to his navel. His jacket and torn singlet were draped over the back of a chair at the table and his shoes sat on the floor at the foot of the bed. His crown necklace and gloves were lying on the bedside table, along with the glove Riku had wrapped around his broken arm. Baymax had dressed all his injuries and now he just seemed a mess of bandages and bruises. His right forearm and wrist were fully bound with a splint wrapped around them, along with several large plasters over the grazes and cuts on his upper arms.

A large white dressing was fastened over the wound on his chest, and fresh bandages wrapped around the gash on his temple. The uncovered parts of his body were covered in bruises, both new and old. Long purple and black marks across his rib cage and sides showed where a weapon had struck him, and the dark circles under his eyes stood out against his uncharacteristically pale skin.

Roxas, who had been sitting next to the bed with his hand resting on top of Sora's, stood up to leave as they approached. He nodded glumly at them and left to give them some privacy, despite how much he wanted to stay. Kairi and Riku stood in silence again, neither knowing what to do or say.

Baymax soon followed them in. He approached the bed and raised his finger in his usual manner when speaking, but before he could say anything Kairi grabbed him around the middle in a tight hug. "Oh!" He made a small sound of surprise and looked down at her.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his squishy chest, before turning her head up to face him. "Thank you for helping him Baymax."

"You are welcome. I am here to help," he said, and then, "pat-pat." He patted her on the head. "I shall be back to check on Sora in precisely one hour. Please let me know if you require assistance sooner."

Baymax picked up his little red charging station and, with a friendly wave, he retreated to the main room and left them alone with Sora. His programming stated that people preferred privacy in these situations, so he planned to stay out of the room when not needed.

Knowing he wouldn't sleep even if he tried, Riku pulled a chair up to the side of the bed. He'd failed to prevent this, so the least he could do now was keep an eye on Sora as he recovered. To his surprise, Kairi kicked off her boots and plopped down onto the large couch on the other side of the room. "You really should get some more rest Kairi."

"I'm fine," she replied firmly.

"Really?"

"Re…huh…really," she said, trying and failing to stifle a yawn.

"Alright then," he smirked. He looked back to Sora, counting quietly under his breath. "4…5…6..."

He heard a soft thump. Turning around, he found she had fallen sideways onto the couch and was fast asleep. He laughed quietly. These two really were hopeless. She looked terribly uncomfortable with her legs hanging off the couch though. He gave her shoulder a shake and in her half-asleep state coaxed her into lying down properly. He looked at his two best friends, these two idiots who meant more to him than anything else in the world, and felt another wave of guilt. Sitting down beside Sora's bed he closed his eyes and sighed, resting his head in his hands. He pressed his palms hard into his eyes, trying to force out the images flooding his mind, but they kept coming.

He saw a young Kairi, sleeping like a lifeless puppet on the Jolly Rodger. He saw her lying on the ground in Hollow Bastion, as Ansem forced all cares for her life out of his mind. He saw her floating high above him, disappearing, breaking into a thousand pieces as Xehanort struck her.

He saw Sora suspended, asleep in the depths of castle oblivion. He saw him slumped, unconscious and unfeeling, against the wall in Yen Sid's office, his heart trapped in sleep. He saw him falling. Falling from a tall building in that awful world. And worst of all, he saw him screaming on the floor of the Gummi ship, trying desperately to pull Riku's hand from his chest.

Strength to protect what matters most… if only.

With no one there to see him, he let the tears come and the misery overwhelm him.

After he had exhausted his tears Riku sat again in silence, holding Sora's hand while he kept his eyes fixed on his face, needing to be sure he kept breathing. When Baymax returned to reassess Sora's condition Riku was desperate for an update, but Baymax had no new information to give. Sora's condition was still stable, but critical. He asked Baymax to stay a little longer while he took Kairi to bed; he wasn't willing to leave Sora alone for a moment yet just in case. Praying she wouldn't wake up, he carefully lifted and carried her back to her temporary room. He smiled to himself as he closed the door. She'd be furious with him when she woke up and found herself there…

He returned to his seat at Sora's bedside, and the next few hours passed uneventfully. Baymax would intermittently emerge from his charging station in the other room to check Sora's vitals. Riku asked for an update each time, and each time Baymax made the same report. His condition was stable but still critical.

Sora's blood pressure was dangerously low, a consequence of the blood loss, and his heart rate was elevated to try and keep what little blood he still had flowing quickly enough to support his body. His breathing remained shallow and rapid as his broken ribs and bruised lungs made it difficult for him to take in enough air. All of these injuries, combined with his head wound, seemed to be holding him in a comatose state.

Baymax reassured Riku that it was not unexpected that he wasn't improving yet, and they probably wouldn't see any progress until morning. In between Baymax's visits, Riku did nothing but wait and watch over his friend, holding his cold hand in his. He was exhausted and after several hours started nodding off occasionally, cursing himself each time for being so careless.

In the early hours of the morning, he noticed specks of blood appearing on the white dressing on Sora's chest. He was still bleeding badly enough to soak through that? He'd lost so much blood already though… Guilt and anxiety were burning his throat again. "I'm sorry Sora…" he told him sadly, placing a hand gently on top of his mop of spiky brown hair. He hadn't expected one but was still disappointed when Sora gave no reaction.

When Baymax popped in soon after he made his same checks, and proceeded to change the now-soiled dressings. Expecting that he would regret it, Riku watched as the bandage was removed from Sora's chest. However, he was relieved to see that it was looking far less gruesome now. It had been neatly stitched, and though blood was still leaking from it, it was nothing compared to before. He'd have to thank Baymax, and this Hiro person, properly for everything they had done once this was all over.

"Any change?" He asked for at least the fifth time that night.

"No changes," Baymax reported. "His condition is stable but critical."

Stable but critical…

Stable but critical…

Riku scowled.

"I wish I could do something to help…" he muttered.

"You and the others have already helped immensely," Baymax replied. Riku looked at him quizzically. "Roxas explained the first aid you administered on the way here when I asked about the bandages on Sora's chest. Sora would not have made it without your aid."

Riku stared at him, taken aback. He was grateful Baymax had told him. At least he knew the pain he had put Sora through had been worth it. He gave a small smile. "Thanks, Baymax."

"You are welcome." He paused for a few moments and then scanned Riku.

"Hey!" Riku burst out, startled.

"I apologise, but I was concerned for your well-being," Baymax explained. "You also appear to be suffering from sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion. I recommend immediate rest."

"I'm fine," Riku groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "I'll rest when Kairi or one of the others get up... I don't want to leave him alone."

"I understand," Baymax replied, and without explanation, strolled out of the room. Riku stared after him, bemused, then shrugged and turned back to Sora. Baymax returned after several minutes, a bleary-eyed Donald and Goofy following behind. "Donald and Goofy will stay with Sora. You may rest now Riku," Baymax explained, before pottering back to his charger in the main room and folding himself away.

"Right then Riku, you go get some sleep," Goofy said, as Donald yawned and stretched. "We'll be right here with Sora!"

Riku stared in surprise, but then smiled in resignation. "All right then, I'll be back soon though."

"Goodnight Riku!" Donald replied, followed by another large yawn. He and Goofy plonked themselves down beside the bed, and Riku left to get some much-needed rest.