well meri kurisumasu! Merry Christmas everyone! i know it's late but hey i got busy of the holiday! lol anyway lots of questions will be answered and more might come up anyway enjoy i will update soon hopefully :)
Chapter 4-Proof
"Gene…" The girl couldn't help herself; she ran and gave the smiling boy a hug. "I've missed you so much! We all have!"
"I know, I'm sorry we couldn't talk last time," Gene replied hugging his friend back.
"I wasn't expecting you to go undercover as Noll," she replied. She knew she was only hugging his spirit, but he looked real. Smelled real. Sounded real. Felt real. But he wasn't real.
"I don't think Mai would be able to handle that knowledge." He chuckled the same way he had when they were just children.
"What are you doing here, Gene?" she asked reluctantly.
"Come with me." He took her hand and lead her toward a lit doorway.
"Looks like you can see spirits as clearly as I can," the old woman smiled at Mai's perplexed face. "Can you hear them, too? I can only hear her when she tells me who will die next."
"I didn't mean to…" the ghostly girl's voice rang, but it seemed only Mai could hear her.
"Didn't mean to do what?" she asked, the young priest only getting more and more confused.
"What?" The old woman pressed a finger to her lips, silencing the young man,
"She's making contact, if you're to loud you might scare the child away."
Mai stood up and slowly walked over to the frightened spirit. "You need to tell me what's wrong. What didn't you mean to do?"
The ghost shook her head and hugged herself. "It's not my fault but it is!"
"I can help you, but you have to tell me what's going on," Mai told her, beginning to get annoyed.
"Leave me alone!" She disappeared and a shriek sounded in the room. Loud enough that even John could hear it.
"What on earth?" the priest's perplexed face said it all.
"It's like I'm dealing with Dai all over again," Mai sighed.
"That's right, Dai wouldn't tell you what was going on at the camp," John remembered.
"The poor girl looked terrified," Yuina commented.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" A scream echoed through the halls catching the group off guard. The two investigators shot up and ran out the door.
"Gomen Yuina-san!" Mai called back in her wake.
The two raced down the hallway, to the stairs where Monk, Shouta and Yasuhara already were. "What happened!" they exclaimed together upon reaching them.
"We're trying to figure that out ourselves," Yasuhara replied.
"Ruriko-san, what happened?" Shouta asked the nurse who was struggling to sit up on the ground.
"I-I don't know," she stuttered. Monk helped her sit up. "I-I-I was just going to give Fukuoka-san his medication, th-then I-I-I felt s-someone push me down the stairs!"
"Where's the medication you gave him?" Yasuahra asked as Monk searched the stairwell.
"Found it!" Monk called, picking up the tray and the medical equipment. "Good thing the needles flew the other way."
"You're not cut are you?" Shouta asked as the nurse surveyed her arms.
She shook her head. Her arms shaking. "I-I don't think so."
"Come on," the young man offered, helping her stand up. "I'll let Oba-chan that you fell and drive you home, she'll understand."
The nurse nodded as she stood up and leaned against the young man, shaking as he walked her down the hall.
"Meet us in Base when you get back!" Monk called to the young man.
"Sure thing!" Shouta and the trembling nurse were all the way down the hall and out of sight in a few seconds."
"Why would she do that?" Mai wondered out loud, causing the boys to raise their brows.
"Who did what, Mai-chan?" Monk asked, breaking the girl from her reverie.
"Kagome Mai, why would she try to hurt Ruriko-san?" she explained.
"Try to remember the type of place this building used to be," Yasuhara tried. "When a nurse came into her room when she was awake probably meant some sort of electro-treatment."
Mai shook her head that the thought. "I don't think so, she said she didn't mean to…"
"Well, with our last several cases there has been a theme of multiple entities, perhaps that's the same situation we're dealing with here," John offered. Mai shook her head again.
"I don't think that's the case either," Mai replied. Monk couldn't help but notice her behavior. She was not the same girl he met a year and a half ago. She had grown up quite a bit in that time frame, with the ever-growing darker cases they took on, it seemed she was growing too fast.
"What makes you say that?" he asked.
"I saw her." She just shrugged.
"Who did you see?" The college boy became intrigued.
"Kagome Mai, she was in Yuina's room," Mai shrugged again. "Yuina could see her too, she was the 'Angel of Death' she had been seeing."
"John," Yasuhara warned, half-teasingly. "You could have mentioned that you guys had that experience just a little while ago. It would probably be the first time you have seen a spirit without it trying to attack someone-"
"But I didn't see Kagome-san," the priest shook his head.
This caught the boys' attention. "Wait, only you and Yuina-san saw her?" Yasuhara inquired.
"Hai," Mai confirmed. "Yuina said something about another medium being in the room…"
"Wait, how do you know it was her?" the college boy challenged.
Mai shrugged. "I just know."
"Okay, Yasuhara, go with John and Mai and talk to Yuina again, find out what she meant and if she is a medium like Masako. She could help us a lot on this case," Monk ordered, heading a different way.
"What are you going to do?" Mai asked.
"I'm going to check on Ayako and make sure she hasn't destroyed the garden with her rage."
"Go away, Monk," the priestess snapped annoyed. "I'm fine."
"I'm a guy and even I know that you don't really mean that," he replied, closing the back door and taking a seat next to her on the bench in the garden. "Now, talk."
"There's nothing to talk about," she replied. "I let my emotions get the better of me, over something that happened in the past that I can't change. A stupid reason."
"Not really," he answered with a smile. "I know you feel really bad for Kagome Mai, but the best thing you can do is help her spirit rest in peace."
"We don't even know if she is the one residing in this place," Ayako sighed, seeming o have calmed down.
"I don't know, our little Mai-chan seems pretty confident that she is here and that she saw her," he chided, looking up at the blue sky. Not a cloud in sight. "She's grown a lot now, can you believe that she thinks she's over her crush on Naru?"
Ayako chuckled and shook her head. "She's just taking a break, you know, 'can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.' That's what happens when she asks for advice from me at three in the morning."
"And who is she with?" The monk raised a brow.
"Well, there's a number of boys who have had their eye on her just from cases alone," Ayako smiled. "She's just been too blind by her crush with Naru to see it."
"There we go."
"'There we go' what?"
"That Ayako smirk that you hid for the last couple hours," Monk smiled.
"Fine, you caught me," she chuckled having finally calmed down. "Have to love the fact that just the topic of Mai and make someone smile."
"It's true, she's usually the most positive out of all of us, even Yasuhara."
"You're lover?" Ayako teased, earning a shiver and grimace from the monk.
"Half of the time I can't tell if he's really kidding around." Ayako just laughed at the scared man.
"I'm sure he really is just joking with you," Ayako smiled.
"Ready?" Asked Monk.
"For?"
"To get back to work before Naru has a cow? We're understaffed again since Kiko's fever came back."
"She's sick again?" Ayako immediately stood up. "But she felt fine earlier."
"That was thanks to the fever reducer she took this morning," Monk smirked. "She's sneaky and doesn't like to be dead weight, sort of like Mai."
"And in a way more stubborn."
"Sugoi!" Kiko exclaimed at the sight before her. "Just like when I would visit you and Noll in England."
The purple and black scenery had morphed into a beautiful star filled night sky, just above a grassy field in front of a glistening lake. The moon above them was full and bright and lit up the area around them. Gene had walked closer to the bank and sat down motioning the awestruck girl to sit next to him.
Slowly she made her way over to him, lying back in the soft grass, stargazing. Just like when they were children. A soft breeze cooled her skin a little, but only a little. A breeze she remembered very well, it meant that summer was nearly over and that she was to return to Japan again with her father. And leave two of her best friends for another year. It was the last night she spent with Gene and Noll, before everything fell into chaos.
"It's just like the last time I saw you…" Her voice was barely a whisper as she turned her head to see the stargazing boy. He somehow could still look up in the sky in wonder, no matter his age, six, ten, fourteen, dead. The childlike glint in his eyes never dimmed. "It's been four years, what took you so long?"
"I'm not sure, for some reason I'm attached to Noll, I couldn't visit you until he actually came into contact with you," he explained, and apologetic smile on his face.
"Nice try, you had the perfect chance to speak with me during the case at my house." The smirk on her face hadn't changed at all since the last time he saw her, she wasn't going to fall for some lamebrain excuse.
"I know, I was half worried that you might blow my cover with Mai," Gene shrugged, earning a laugh out of his friend.
"You could have warned me earlier," she teased.
"I couldn't reach you."
October Day 2, 4:00 P.M.
"So, Yuina is a medium?" the priestess was surprised when she met up with the rest of the group at Base.
"That's right, she said she could see spirits since she was a little girl," Mai answered, looking over to the sleeping girl in the room. "Should we talk somewhere else? So we don't wake her?"
"Nah," Yasuhara answered. "She's been out for over an hour now, she's not going to wake up anytime soon."
"And since when are you an expert on Kiko's sleeping habits?" Monk eyed the college student.
"Now that's a story for another day," he replied, continuing the conversation about Yuina. "She can't hear spirits as well as she can see them. She claimed the girl was the 'Angel of Death' to make the story sound more plausible. She said it was easier than explaining to everyone her history of ghost sightings."
"So, Mai was able to make better contact with the spirit than Yuina," John pointed out. "Would that mean her psychic powers have evolved or something?"
"I'm right here, John," Mai sweatdropped.
"Sorry."
"What it means is that Yuina might not be as much of a help as I had originally thought," Monk admitted, assuming a thinking pose very similar to the narcissist himself. "Okay, what do we know?"
"Mai is very confident that the spirit residing here is Kagome Mai, and I have to say I don't disagree," Ayako answered.
"This building was a former psychiatric hospital," John added.
"Kagome-san has tried to make contact with me several times now," Mai added as well. "Twice when I was with Shouta."
"Maybe that's because you share the same first name," the college student proposed.
"I don't think that's the case, Yasuhara…" The sweat drop appeared again.
"Something has attacked and caused several occupants to die suddenly," the priestess continued.
"Actually having spoken with Fukuoka-san again, something occurred to me," Yasuhara interrupted. "He said that he awoke feeling as though someone were choking him and holding him down. He was unable to move as he put it. He also said that he was attacked before but not as severely, he was just unable to move or speak. Perhaps that there is actually a logical solution-"
"Sleep paralysis." The black clad employer had finally made his appearance.
"Naru, when did you get back?" Mai's voice raised an octave.
"Mai, there is an investigator asleep in the room. You of all people should know to keep your voice down," he scolded, taking his seat next to the monitors.
Mai pouted and glared at her boss. How the hell did she end up with him as an employer? "So, Kiko falls asleep in Base, it's perfectly fine. I fall asleep in Base, it's laziness and you threaten to cut my pay?"
"Kiko is ill, you were not." He dismissed the glares she gave him. "Fukuoka-san's attack is possibly sleep paralysis, that is what you were going to say, Yasuhara?"
"H-hai," the boy was caught off guard. "Unfortunately, we really only have his account to go off of, but Fukuoka-san's experience is practically identical to sleep paralysis. It was just a thought."
"A logical thought," Naru commented. "It could possibly explain why he has yet to die, while the other victims died within two days. However, our presence could also be the reason."
"Okay, so let's day it was sleep paralysis," Ayako began. "How does that get us any closer to solving this case?"
"If the spirit residing here is Kagome Mai, simply exorcising her won't be enough," Naru declared, opening up his little booklet. "We need to find out what is keeping her here and why is she terrorizing the tenants."
"I don't think she means to scare them…" Mai mumbled, looking at the floor.
"And what makes you say that?" She didn't know the narcissist could hear her.
"She keeps telling me that it's not her fault, that she doesn't mean to…" Mai shook her head. "Something just doesn't feel right."
"Until we have any substantial evidence we can only assume what we know," Naru replied. "And what we know is that the research points to Kagome Mai residing in the building and the most likely accomplice of the attacks."
"You're not even going to take my idea into consideration?"
"Give me substantial evidence and I will." He turned back to the monitors.
"You know I've been right in the past and those times were on just pure instinct, this time I made contact with said spirit, and you refuse to believe me!" She tried her best to keep her voice down but failing.
"Ever thought that perhaps the spirit is trying to trick you? Into feeling sorry for it? I would think after our last case you would have thought about that, but I guess not. So, until we have more evidence I can't give you idea any more thought." Mai's jaw dropped. "If you are going to throw a tantrum, leave the room. Your childish antics could wake up Kiko and would just be a hindrance to our investigation."
Mai clenched her fists and bit her lip, her healing hands argued against the action, but the pain was a welcomed distraction.
"As of right now there is nothing more to do, so you may go about your business elsewhere." Everybody quietly made their way out of the room after Naru's cold order. Swiftly, Monk dragged an occupied Mai with him.
"Gene, what were you doing that night?" They had lain under the stars for a while in silence, each remembering their days as children doing the exact same thing. She remembered the letter she had received from Madoka. "You were supposed to go home earlier, but you stayed, why?"
"Well, I was walking home because it was a nice night, I remembered you telling me about a lake near your house. I passed one and thought I'd take a look to see if I found you," he smiled fondly. Tears gathered in her eyes.
"Oh God! Gene! Don't tell me that!" she exclaimed, covering her face. "If I was the cause for your death, I don't want to know!"
"Kiko, look at me." She wiped away her tears to see her friend above her face. "If there's anyone who's at fault for my death, it's me and my stupidity."
"Why haven't you moved on?" she asked suddenly.
"My body was never given a proper burial, why else?" he replied as he cocked his head,
"Why don't you just tell Noll where you are?"
"I'm attached to him, but our connection was severed when I died, besides, Noll is a stubborn ass who won't feel satisfied if he found my body because he was told where to look."
"So, he's going to search all of Japan? It's been two years and he's still not even close!"
"It's what he wants, once he finds it I should move on." The smile on his face was hiding something.
"No…" Kiko shook her head.
Gene raised a brow. "What?"
"Something tells me you aren't sticking around because of that." They both sat up. "What happens when Noll finds your body and you still haven't moved on?" His look of shock was evident on his face. "Face it, Gene, you're stuck here and you have no idea why you can't move on."
October Day 2, 6:00 P.M.
At dinner, Mai barely touched her food. Hunger was the last thing on her mind; it was the last thing she felt. She merely used her fork to push around the meatballs since the cook decided on Italian for dinner that night. She'll admit that she was still pissed at her employer her embarrassing her just an hour or so earlier, but she was a little angrier at herself for allowing herself to get so emotional about it. She thought she was over her crush; Naru was rarely ever kind to her, granted he had his moments, but he would always call her stupid and force her to make him tea. Sure, he gave her a very well-paying job, but why was she even chasing after her employer anyway? It was inappropriate and Ayako had a point, perhaps it was time for a change. But did he really have to completely dismiss her ideas on the case?
"Mai?" the call from the priest next to her broke her from her reverie. "Are you not feeling well, too?"
John, the kind priest who worries about everyone else before himself, she should have known either he or Monk would have inquired about her health. Though, she knew Monk already knew what was troubling her.
"I'm fine, John, just not feeling that hungry," she replied in a tired voice. All she wanted to do was run to the room she was staying in and curl into a ball. Away from ghosts. Away from everyone. Away from Naru.
She could see out of the corner of her eye the concerned glances Shouta sent her from the seat to her right. He had only just gotten back when dinner was served, Mai knew he would probably ask either Monk or Yasuhara what happened. Her mood was even more depressed after the confrontation with Naru.
She remembered the conversation with the Monk just after the group was dismissed from Base.
"That! That asshole!" Mai cursed once Monk brought her into her room. "What the hell is wrong with him!"
Startled having never heard Mai curse before, Monk made her sit down on the bed. "Okay, okay, try to calm down," he chided. Why is it that he was the one comforting hysterical women that day?
"How can I calm down! There was never a time where he just dismissed my idea like that! Normally it sparks something in his mind that eventually solves the case! Why is he completely ignoring me!" Tears were in her eyes, that she didn't even really understand why they were there.
"I know you're upset, but Naru might have a point," he told her truthfully.
"Why are you taking his side!"
"I'm not taking anyone's side, but we do have less people on this case since Masako is doing her show and Kiko is sick, and since only Naru seems to know where Lin is that makes our team even smaller. We need to work with what we know and I don't doubt that you've seen someone looking like Kagome Mai, I don't doubt that she spoke with you, I don't know if she told you the truth though. Until we have some sort of proof she is here, Naru's not going to take your claim seriously."
Mai let out a frustrated groan and threw her head in her hands.
"That doesn't mean there isn't any proof to be found, you just have to find it." Monk gave and assuring smile, but Mai was still not in the mood.
"Thanks, Monk, but would you mind just leaving me alone for a bit?" she asked through her hands. Monk could only oblige.
"Sure, I'll come get you when dinner is ready."
Mai continued to play with her food as everyone else sat in silence, not knowing what to talk about. Finally, Mai had had enough. "I have a headache, guys, I think I'm going to go to bed early," she excused herself standing up.
"It's only six," Ayako argued, giving her an odd look.
"I know, but it's been a long day, and I'm really tired all of a sudden," she insisted, heading off in the direction of the bedrooms.
"Okay, do you need any help changing your bandages?"
"No, I'll be fine," she answered just before she was out of sight.
"Poor thing," Ayako commented once she was gone.
The night sky was fading and they both knew their time was up. Kiko would be waking up soon and the next time she saw Gene she would probably have to refer to him as Naru. They both stood up as the stars and sky faded to the purplish black glow from earlier. She could feel herself waking up.
"Looks like we're out of time," Gene smiled sadly. Tears pricked Kiko's eyes.
"Don't wait so long next time, okay?" she told him, her voice threatening to break.
"I won't." He brought her in for a hug.
"I miss you so much," she whispered. "Don't go…"
"I've missed you too," was all he said as they held each other tighter. He felt real. But he wasn't. Tears fell from her eyes as a white light destroyed the black around them.
October Day 2, 6:41 P.M.
Click, clack, click, click, click, clack, clack, click, click, clack, click. Kiko slowly opened her eyes to the sound of rapid fingers over a keyboard, Lin had returned. A few more tears escaped her eyes as she went to dry them. "Lin?" she called earning a grunt of a response. "Is anyone else in Base right now?"
"No," he replied, still concentrated on his typing.
"Not even Noll?"
"Not even Noll."
"I spoke with Gene." The statement caught the Chinese man off guard and he ceased his typing.
"Gene died two years ago, Kiko," he said slowly as if to reassure himself.
"His spirit isn't at rest," she replied. "He's doing well though," she continued, smiling, "He doesn't want anyone to feel at fault for his death, saying it was his own stupidity that landed him there."
"That idiot," Lin muttered shaking his head. "That sounds just like him."
"He misses everyone," she added, then thought for a second. "Lin, why is he still here? Why isn't he at rest?"
"The most likely conclusion would be when we find his body and give him a proper burial his spirit should be at peace," Lin explained, returning to his typing.
"You're not sure of that at all, are you?"
With a sigh, the Chinese man stopped his typing once more. "No, I'm not, but why else would his soul linger?"
"I don't know, but I don't think finding his body is going to be the reason why his spirit moves on…"
Lin returned to his typing. "How are you feeling?" he asked, wishing to change the subject.
"A little congested, but otherwise, fine," she replied, fiddling with loose strands in the blanket on top of her. "Neither you, nor Noll came to visit us when you came to Japan. Why?"
"It wasn't my decision," Lin answered.
"My dad was actually out of town to visit Martin and Luella when you guys came to get rid of Shichiro," she mentioned.
"I know, Madoka called me when Luella told her that your father was there and Noll never told her that we were doing a case at your house."
"Thank you, by the way," Kiko smiled. "If you guys hadn't come when you did, I don't know what would have happened."
"It's our job," he returned.
"Why did Noll refuse it in the first place?"
"Probably to bug Mai a little, and because you could have blown his cover," he replied.
"Noll needs to give everyone more credit, I do my research before I jump into these things, my mom was the only one who knew who you guys really were. I hear you had a nice conversation with her back then."
"It was nice, I had only met your mother once before, when she was pregnant with your brother. Despite her situation she was very friendly." Lin commented.
"You know, I think this is the longest conversation we've ever had," Kiko giggled, earning a chuckle from Lin.
October Day 3, 1:21 A.M.
"Gah!" Mai gasped as she sat up. Her heart was racing, her body was shaking, her breath came in short gasps. She looked to her right to see if she had woken up her roommate.
Nope. Ayako was dead asleep. Never stirred. Only her moving chest confirmed that she was alive. Mai looked at the clock next to her. Why was she waking up at these ungodly hours?
Knowing there was no way she would be getting any sleep any time soon, she got up quietly and headed out of the room. She figured she could walk around the building to settle herself down.
Why couldn't she remember anything about these dreams? She's been having them so often lately you would think she could remember them in detail. But that was not the case. She knew they terrified her. She knew they were enough to keep her from sleeping. Bit she didn't know what exactly happened in those dreams that made her so frightened. Wait. She did remember one thing.
Growling. Growling like that of a beast. That was it. That was all she could remember. It wasn't just the growling that freaked her out, it was the whole dream. But what happened in her dream?
"What are you doing up?" the voice scared her out of her reverie. When her eyes finally focused she realized that she had wandered into the kitchen and the voice that had startled her belonged to their client's nephew.
"I could ask the same of you," she replied, the boy smiled, covered the teakettle and tapped the stool by the island.
"Sit, I made enough for two cups," he offered pulling out a second cup.
"Thanks," she accepted, taking the seat.
"As for why I'm up," he continued, pouring the tea into the two cups. "I had left my window open and a gust of wind knocked a branch into the frame and woke me up." He sat down on the stool next to her and chuckled. "It scared me and I woke up. I knew I wasn't going to fall asleep soon so I figure I'd make some tea. Looks like I'm not the only one who could use it."
"Thanks, Shouta," she said taking a sip. "I'm up because I had a nightmare."
"Want to talk about it? Sometimes when you tell someone about it, it helps," he offered, Mai let out a giggle.
"No, it's fine. To be perfectly honest, I don't even remember what happened during it." They both took another sip. "It's been happening a lot lately."
"The bad dream? Or the forgetting what happened during it?"
"Both." Mai let out a sigh and looked at her steaming cup.
"What's wrong?" he asked, cocking his head.
"What?" her head perked up and she shook it like mad. "Nothing's wrong! I'm perfectly fine."
Shouta gave her that 'nice try' look. "Come on, Mai, I haven't known you very long, but I can tell when you're trying to hide something. What's up?" Mai still refused to answer. "It's about what happened earlier with your boss, isn't it?"
Mai sighed and nodded. "Yeah, and it's stupid of me to still get worked up over something so petty, I know," she answered shaking her head. "I'm just sick of him treating me like an idiot! Yeah, I know I wasn't exactly his smartest employee when he hired me last year. Hell, I'm still not the smartest, but I'm not stupid either!"
"I know you're not, and I know you're probably right about what's going on here," Shouta answered, earning a confused look from Mai.
"Really? After his logical argument you really think I'm the right one?" Mai raised a brow. "Sorry, but I think Naru might be right about this, he usually is."
"Well, I think he's wrong, and you're going to have to prove that you're right," Shouta said confidently.
"Prove I'm right?"
"That's what Monk told you earlier, wasn't it?" Mai nodded. "And I'm pretty sure he said Naru said the exact same thing."
Mai's eyes widened. She was wallowing in her own self-pity so much she completely ignored what Monk was trying to explain to her. She face palmed. "I'm an idiot."
Shouta laughed. "No, you just weren't in the mood to hear it. Now you can think clearly." He took another sip. "I believe Monk and Yasuhara are going back to the library tomorrow."
"Thanks, Shouta," Mai said, finishing her cup and giving a yawn. "I'm feeling better now." She stood back up. "I'm going to see if I can get any more sleep before tomorrow."
"Good, rest up, because Naru's been having me make him tea because you haven't been in the mood. Then he doesn't drink it and asks for another glass."
Mai just laughed.
She felt groggy as her eyes opened to an off-white ceiling. She knew she was not going to like what would happen next. Whenever she was awake, she would only feel pain. She couldn't move her arms or legs, not that she really tried. She's known for a while now that her movement would forever be limited. The door opened and she cringed in wait. "No…" she whimpered as she saw the nurse come into the room.
"Doctor, she's awake, should we ready her for treatment?" the nurse said to the doctor behind her. Mai looked in horror at these characters.
Ayako! No! Don't make me go! Mai's mind screamed.
"Yes, she might put up another fight, I'll help you restrain her on the gurney," it was Monk who offered the assistance.
Mai could only whimper as her mind screamed obscenities for them to stop. Leather straps secured her tightly to the gurney and she was rolled into the hall. She could hear the cries of the patients who were awake and saw several nurses and doctors as she was wheeled away. "That's her, her case is so severe she fights as though she were a grown man!" she heard one nurse whisper to another.
"I hear the treatment has been vigorous and there have still been little results," another said, she recognized the voice as Kiko.
"Until she responds to the treatment, we'll have to keep her sedated and restrained, she's too dangerous," she heard Yasuhara comment.
"She's able to throw people even in her sleep," she could have sworn it was Lin who spoke.
"Here we are, Kagome-san," Ayako said cheerfully as she and Monk released the restraints. "We're just going to put you in that chair over there for your daily treatment."
"No…" Mai whimpered again, it was all she could do.
Mai was lifted and strapped and wired into a chair. After being checked again by Monk and Ayako they turned to the other man in the room. "Everything is all set, Doctor," Monk said, earning a nod from the other doctor.
"Good, Kagome-san, we're going to go through your treatment. Because nothing has worked so far we are giving you a higher dosage. Forgive us if you become uncomfortable." That was definitely Naru. He flipped a switch as Mai's eyes widened.
Comfort was the least of her worries. She would been fine with just uncomfortable. Despite having slept for such a long time, when the electric current raced through her body she didn't even have the energy to scream. The pain was excruciating! As though she were being cooked from the inside! It was worse than when she had been electrocuted on their last case.
She could only throw her head back in a silent scream, unable to move or breathe. She found herself cursing the people doing this to her. She could have sworn she heard Ayako scream, just before the current was shut down. Her body still convulsed with the remaining current inside her.
"Still no response and she tried to attack again," she vaguely heard Monk comment again.
"One more round, Kagome-san," she heard Naru say.
Oh God no! Her mind screamed as the switch was pulled again. Mai threw her head back once more.
October Day 3, 9:02 A.M.
"No!" Mai gasped as she sat up again. Her body shook uncontrollably. Her chest heaved and she felt a slight pain as though she had been electrocuted. Just like last case. And just like her dream.
She kept shaking as she looked at the clock. How did she sleep so late? She tried to get up and walk only to find herself on her knees. Her legs felt like jelly. Once she managed to keep her balance she slowly and shakily made her way to the attached bathroom. She closed the door and stabled herself using the sink. Looking in the mirror she found herself much paler that usual, luckily the back under her eyes were less prominent probably from receiving more than thirteen hours of sleep even if it was interrupted.
She splashed water on her face and changed, dressing the remaining burns from the last case in the process. She noticed rug burns on her wrists and ankles. Just like how she had been restrained in her dream. Luckily her bandages and clothing covered the marks and she wobbly made her way into Base.
"Look who's up!" Yasuhara teased, greeting her. He was the only one there, Naru must have told him to look after the place.
"Morning, Yasuhara," she replied shakily taking a seat on the couch.
"Sleep well?" he asked noticing her struggle. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I think I just slept so long my legs forgot how to cooperate." She waved his concern away. "As for sleeping well, that's one way to put it."
"Nightmares?" the college boy cocked his head.
"No, no dreams at all actually," she lied. She wasn't about to relive it right now. "Where is everyone?"
"Well, Naru and Lin went to check on Fukuoka-san-"
"Why Fukuoka-san?" it was her turn to cock her head.
"Right, you weren't at breakfast," he replied. "He never came down either, and when Naru checked the camera for his room he found that the battery had died."
"Is he okay?" she asked concernedly. Yasuhara just shrugged,
"I don't know, the camera has yet to reconnect and Naru just told me to wait here." He stopped when they heard someone pull up to the building outside. They raced to the window to see an ambulance.
"Fukuoka-san!" they both gasped racing out of the room. They ran up the stairs just before the paramedics needed to use them. They found Shouta trying to keep her distraught aunt on her feet in the hall.
Yasuhara held Mai back to allow the paramedics access to the elderly man's room. After a quick interrogation Fukuoka's limp body was on the stretcher and the paramedics had rushed him down the stairs, out the door and into the ambulance. They medics insisted that Chiyoko come as well, who insisted that she could not just leave, left anyway in the SPR van with Lin driving. He offered to drive her along with Fukuoka's current nurse.
"Fukuoka-san was the next victim according to Takara-san, who is supposedly the next to die according to her?" Naru asked once everyone else was assembled in Base, minus Kiko and John, who had taken the same place they had the day before.
"Akiyama, Uzuki," Monk replied quietly.
"We'll need to put a camera in her room," Naru commented. "There is more about the history of this place we do not know, Yasuhara, Monk, after lunch go back to the library and do more research. Before lunch, in order to prevent from a similar situation we had earlier, I need everyone to change all of the batteries in all of the equipment. Take note of the temperatures as well. After lunch, I want Matsuzaki-san, Shouta-san and Mai to interview Yuina one more time see if there is anyone else that might be in danger as well as obtain permission to place the equipment from Fukuoka-san's room into Akiyama-san's room," he ordered giving one look and everyone broke off to their duties.
"Kiko still isn't feeling well?" Mai asked as she walked through the first floor with Yasuhara.
"That's right, you've been asleep the whole time," he remembered as he knelt down to change of the camera. "Shortly after you went to bed last night, Kiko woke up had some dinner then went back to bed herself. Come eight this morning she still wasn't awake and Naru insisted that John keep an eye on her."
"Geez, he can be an overprotective workaholic…" she muttered back. Then she saw Monk coming to meet them. "Hey, Monk."
"Hey, you guys almost done? I already took car of the third floor," he asked.
"Yeah, we just have one more camera in the stairwell, then we're done and we can have lunch," Yasuhara replied.
"That reminds me," Mai said, stopping the boys. "Mind if I come with you to the library?"
"What for?" Yasuhara asked. "Two of us should be enough."
"Besides, Naru told you to stay here and work with Shouta and Ayako," Monk refused, with his arms crossed.
"Monk, you told me last night I need to give Naru proof in order for him to listen to me," she argued calmly. "What better way than for me to actually go and do the research myself!"
"What about what Naru told you to do?" Yasuhara returned.
"Ayako and Shouta can handle it themselves, besides I have a few ideas that I need to look into."
"Naru's not going to be happy…" Both men grumbled together.
"Forget Naru! The top priority here is to solve this case as quickly as possible! If what I'm thinking is right, we could have this case closed tomorrow!" she argued, not caring that Naru might hear every word of this.
"Mai…"
"Look, yesterday I was wallowing in self-pity, now I'm determined to prove that I'm wrong and that for once Naru is wrong! And until he listens to me, we might have more casualties," she added the last part quietly.
"I say we let her come," Yasuhara finally agreed. "Since she has some ideas we might actually get somewhere today."
"Alright," Monk reluctantly agreed, causing an excited Mai to jump. He plopped his hand on her head to settle her down. "Since when did you learn to debate?"
She shrugged. "You just have to know what to say to get people on your side."
i've gotten requests for a little more lin hope this suffices for the moment lol i promise more stuff will be coming soon but there was a lot i wanted to get a lot done in this chap so i made it very long hope you guys enjoyed :) Happy New Year everyone please review tell me what you think and i'll update soon :)
jaa nee! ;D