Author's Note:

Hello out there!? Anyone reading?

You're getting this early tonight because I have to get up insanely early tomorrow morning and need to get some sleep.

Enjoy…

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xXx

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Date Posted: June 8, 2024

Trigger Warnings: Language and discussions of people being sick.

The Painful Truth - Chapter 39: Custard Fish

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Sunday, November 20 (Continued):

Night, Komorebi [Elegant] Gentlemen's Supper Club:

Women's Room:

"Here, Cho. Maybe this will help." I handed her a cool, wet towel, and she immediately scrubbed her face.

"Ooooohhh, my stomach," she moaned and proceeded to be sick in the toilet.

Again.

Yuck.

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Outside Women's Room:

Mitsukuni-sama checked his watch for the hundredth time as he paced in front of the women's rest room. Turning to me and Yamada-san, Cho-sama's detail head, the worry was clear on his face. "I think we should call an ambulance."

That's when one of Cho-sama's female guards poked her head out of the door, "She's still throwing up. It's been ten minutes. My guess, food poisoning."

Yamada-san spoke into his radio, "Call an ambulance for Cho-sama."

"Let me take a look."

"Akito!" Mitsukuni-sama reached out and grabbed his arm, "Please check on my Cho-chan! Please!"

He knocked and announced he was entering before going in.

Yamada-san shook his head, "Why didn't we think of him. He's almost a doctor."

I went further. "Why don't we have a doctor with the security team when the entire group is together? Or at least a nurse or something?"

"Add it to the suggestions."

"I will."

.

Backstage:

"Oh, I'm so hungry."

"I can't wait to dive into the leftovers. This is the first place I've stripped where they actually feed us."

"Me, too. Think there will be any steaks left?"

"Doubt it. Bet that's one thing that's never left. If every serving isn't ordered, the bar staff will never let it get back here."

"I just want dessert. Something chocolate. I hate stripping on my period."

"Yeah, but at least we didn't have to take our clothes off tonight."

.

Outside Women's Room:

I stepped out of the restroom, and Honey immediately grabbed my shirt, "Is Cho-chan alright? How sick is she?"

Grabbing his hands, I gently worked his fingers so he'd release me. "She's still vomiting. How long for the ambulance?" It's awfully hard to believe this is one of the most dangerous people in the world.

His detail head, Akatsuka-san, checked his watch, "Ten minutes."

"I recommend the nearest hospital. It's got the necessary staffing and equipment. No need for a trauma center."

"Yes, Akito-sama."

That's when a guard, his hand clamped to his mouth, ran past us and barreled through the men's room door.

"I'll go check on him," and I ran after.

Opening the door, I got my answer before I asked the question. He's sick too.

.

Main Club Area:

I'll wait another five minutes then leave. No one but Tamaki will care, and he's out on the dance floor with Yuki of all people. Wonder where Akito is?

Doesn't matter. I don't care.

Another three minutes then almost thirty to get back to the apartment. I'll be naked and having sex in forty minutes. Damn, I need it.

That's when I felt the gurgle in my stomach.

Shit. Damn Tamaki and his desserts. I'm just not used to that much sugar, even if I only took one bite.

Another gurgle. I swallowed hard.

Something's not right.

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Sitting at the back bar, I had a bird's eye view of the entire place. The perfect spot to watch over Kyoya-sama and the rest of his friends. His breakdown and subsequent invitation to rejoin the Group for all their activities was just what he needed.

I checked my vibrating phone and confirmed that his 'date' for the night had been picked up and was headed back to his apartment. That's a good outlet for his stress, though I wish he'd start a formal relationship with a Geisha so the concern of it going public wouldn't be as great.

Kyoya-sama rapidly walking to the restroom caught my attention. That's not a random stroll to relieve himself before the limo ride home. I took off at a jog to follow.

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Men's Room:

I helped the guard up and over to the sinks so he could wash his face.

With just Cho, it could have been anything, but I'm going with food poisoning. I'm not a full doctor yet, but it's the logical conclusion.

We both jumped when the door flew open.

"Kyoya?"

He headed straight for a stall then we heard him get sick.

Yep. Food poisoning.

Tachibana stuck his head in and saw Kyoya get sick. A few seconds later, Honda, one of Kyoya's other guards came in and stood over him.

"Here," I tossed him a wet towel for Kyoya. "There's not much else you can do."

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Three.

Cho-sama, that guard, and now Kyoya-sama.

After waiving Honda into the restroom, I pulled out my radio and started barking orders.

"There are three people sick. Suspected food poisoning. Complete lockdown. No one leaves."

A quick scan of the room and I located Shinobu-sama still at her table. I headed down the stairs.

"Music off. Turn the house lights on full," I ordered into my radio before I raised my voice and yelled as loudly as I could, "Everyone stop eating! If you are chewing something, spit it out!"

By this time, Igaya-san has joined the yakuza couple at their table, and I walk up still barking orders into the radio, "Clear the kitchen. Have the staff come out to the main club. Have the bussers stop clearing. No one should touch the food or the dishes. Performers should stay backstage and don't feed them!"

I turned to Shinobu-sama and Igaya-san and bowed, "Forgive me for taking over. We now have three people violently ill in the restrooms. I've called for a complete lockdown and ordered everyone away from the food." I know she can be touchy, and I am just another detail head here.

"No forgiveness necessary, Tachibana-san. Please coordinate with Igaya-san and order anything else additional required." She looked back and forth between us then asked, "Are we under attack?"

"Unknown."

Igaya-san and I both heard it over the radio, but he spoke first, "Ambulance is here for Cho-sama."

"We need to order more. And I heard the hospital Akito-sama recommended and want to change to the one in the next prefecture. It's smaller but with an excellent emergency room. Both securing it and controlling the press will be easier."

"Press? Fuck!"

"We do this right, Shinobu-sama, and they'll never know."

"Then let's not fuck it up gentlemen."

I called for several more ambulances while scanning the room. All the off-duty guards were now considered to be on-duty and had moved to the perimeter. Detail heads and seconds were explaining what's going on to the Group. So far, no more of them seem ill.

"I'm going to initiate a security heads call," Igaya-san said, stepping away from the table.

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Security Conference Call [All family security heads, waking some of them up at their homes]:

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "We have a suspected case of food poisoning at the supper club. Three people including Cho Nomura and Ootori Kyoya are being transported via ambulance to a nearby hospital. We are unsure if this is the product of negligence, malfeasance, or a direct attack."

Morimoto (BOS Head): "What's currently being done?"

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "Tachibana-san was the first to realize what we were dealing with. He's initiated a lockdown, called for ambulances, selected the hospital for its security capabilities, and had everyone stop eating and step away from the food."

Morimoto (BOS Head): "I'm ordering a crime scene team to the club to test the food. They'll be there within thirty."

Saka (Cho Head): "What's Nomura-sama's condition?"

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "Uncontrolled vomiting, same as the other two. She'll be the first transported to the hospital."

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head): By this time, I'm up and dressed, running for the security offices on the estate. I'd stayed in the mansion tonight because the Group was all together on an outing. I'd made that a standard practice since the kidnapping.

"Which hospital? I'll head there and take charge, assuming you'll want to stay at the club, Igaya-san."

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "That suits me just fine. This is my post."

Ishikawa (Haninozuka Head): When I got the call, I'd headed for my personal laptop and fired it up. Scrolling through the incident reports for the night, I noticed something concerning…

"What's this about a car?"

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Men's Room:

I'm sitting on the floor in a yakuza strip club bathroom.

Fuck me.

"Kyoya-sama?"

I don't have the energy to move my head. I barely have enough to roll my eyes to look up at Honda. "What?"

"Tachibana has ordered ambulances and selected the hospital in the next prefecture because it's smaller and will be easier to secure."

I managed to gasp out, "Get the hospital administrator on the phone for me," before I threw up again.

Whoever is responsible for this will die slowly.

.

In between bouts of sickness, I listened to Kyoya-sama order the administrator to close the emergency room to all traffic except for Group and their security.

"This is your only emergency tonight."

He hung up and handed the phone back to me. I've never seen him looking so pale.

Everyone in the room jumped when another guard burst in running for a toilet.

Where is that ambulance?

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Hospital:

I hung up the phone and immediately started issuing orders.

The ER was closed, and emergencies were rerouted.

Gastroenterology staff was called in.

Security was briefed.

And everyone was warned – NO PRESS!

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Security Conference Call Continued [All family security heads]:

By this time, some of the parents have joined the call by arriving in their respective security headquarters and are being briefed by their security heads.

Ishikawa (Haninozuka Head): "Oshiro's on the way to the hospital. Parents will stay home. We don't know what this is yet, so we don't want to expose them to either the cause of the illness or the security threat."

Harada (Hitachiin Head): "And the car?"

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "Being pulled over now."

Ishikawa (Haninozuka Head): "Parents, if you wish, you can send your family physician to the hospital to act as your liaison."

Saka (Cho Head): "The Cho family doctor is on the way." Punching mute, I ordered him awakened and escorted to the hospital. Mie-sama is pacing right now. Maybe this will calm her down.

Kondo (Ootori Head): "As is Kyoya-sama's personal physician."

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "Ambulances should be here any minute. Once the sick have left, the remaining Group members will be sent to the hospital via limo. Until we know what's causing this, we want them away from here for security reasons and at the hospital for safety reasons."

Ishikawa (Haninozuka Head): "Agreed."

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Club Private Party Room:

"So this is what a lap dance room looks like," Satoshi mumbled as he looked around the private room. Ritsu escorted us all in here to get us away from the food and keep security tight.

I found a seat and pulled out my phone. The American markets were especially active lately, and I want to take advantage.

"I'm sending in some bottled water. It wasn't served tonight, so it's not the cause."

"Thanks, Ritsu," Haruhi smiled and sat down next to me. Takashi joined us.

"The ambulances should be here for Cho, Kyoya-senpai, and the guards any minute. There's a guard outside the door. If any of you feel sick, let them know." He stepped back towards the door and called over his shoulder, "I'm going back to Bu. Text me if you need anything."

I've always known this group is slightly nuts, but watching everyone react to this emergency sealed it for me. Tamaki's over by himself just sitting there, lost without Renge. I assume she'll be here once the ambulance comes for Cho. The twins pulled out their phones and are playing video games like nothing's wrong. Selfish and in their own worlds, though I can't really expect them to be worried over Ootori.

Akito must still be with the sick, so Yuki's wandering the room. I watched her grab the poll and lean back. "It looked like fun when they did it, but it's harder than it looks." She tried grabbing it and pulling herself up but didn't have the upper body strength. I could almost see the wheels turning, thinking about learning for Akito. I did not need to know that.

At least Haruhi and Takashi are being normal and talking about their upcoming week. I'd forgotten about that interview she was doing. How much higher can her profile get?

"Hey, Chika?" Satoshi whispered.

"Yeah?"

"How's your stomach?"

"Fine. Yours?"

"Feels normal. I sure hope I don't get sick."

Well, duh. Who doesn't hope that.

.

Outside the club:

The first ambulance pulled in silent as requested by Tachibana-san followed by another. Paramedics jumped out and pulled the gurneys with them.

"Four sick so far. This way."

I watched that yakuza guard escort them in while the rest of us waited for the next wave to arrive.

"Oh, shit," one of Renge-sama's detail clutched at his stomach and lurched towards the potted plants on either side of the main door.

I had to cover my ears.

Hope that doesn't kill the plants.

.

Inside the club:

Himura-sama, Ogata-sama, Tachibana-san, and I were still gathered at the foot of the stage where I'd had a laptop set up and was monitoring the security conference call and the radios. Kasanoda-sama joined us after having gone and updated the members of the Group that aren't sick.

It's not my place as the Shiraishi security head, to comment on their partnership, but they do an excellent job of separating responsibilities. He hasn't issued a single order tonight except to his own detail head, deferring to both me and his wife for all security decisions.

As soon as the ambulances arriving was announced over the security radios, Tachibana headed towards the men's room. "My priority is Kyoya-sama. I'll be riding to the hospital with him, and his detail will follow."

"Thank you for your help," Himura-sama called after him. He nodded but didn't break stride.

"Where are we on the car?" she asked me.

I hit mute on my cell for the security conference call, "Benign."

That's when Ogata-sama clutched at his stomach and moaned. Instantly, his face was covered in a light sheen of sweat. "I think I better find an ambulance," he gulped and started stumbling towards the door.

Himura-sama ordered a couple of her guards to escort him.

"That's five."

"Six. One of the guards at the entrance is also sick."

"Do we have enough ambulances coming?"

"Tachibana-san ordered fifteen."

"Maybe we should order more," she said, looking around.

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Hospital:

Doctors met us in the ambulance bay and immediately started barking orders as soon as Kyoya-sama was wheeled out.

"Draw for the blood panel."

"Hang the IV."

As a detail head, I've had extensive first aid training, so I was able to follow along with their orders. The IV was for hydration. They were holding off on antibiotics until they knew more about what was going on. Everyone coming in, sick or not, was getting a standard blood panel done. They anticipate stopping that for the ones not affected once we know more.

When they wheeled him into his own trauma room, the hospital administrator, the acting head of security, and the overnight PR representative were waiting.

I did the talking while Kyoya-sama continued to be sick at irregular intervals.

"Complete press blackout. Anyone leaking anything will be immediately terminated and sued for breach of contract."

They all nodded.

"Oshiro-san, the head of Morinozuka security, will be here soon. He's in charge of all security at the hospital. You'll defer to him."

"Yes, Sir," the hospital security head looked a little pale. He's just the overnight acting head and is facing something over his paygrade. It's a good thing Oshiro's coming.

"What's the status of the other patients?"

"Cho-sama's ambulance arrived just before yours. She's in a treatment room. The rest either arrived just after you or are arriving now. Everyone's getting the blood panel. Everyone who's sick is getting the IV. It's a waiting game until we know what's making everyone sick."

I slipped off my jacket and started rolling up my sleeve. "I suppose I'm next for the panel."

"Yes, Tachibana-san."

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Outside the club:

"I can't believe they didn't let me ride in the ambulance with Kyoya. He's my best friend!"

I winced at the whine in Tamaki-sama's voice and marveled again at how Renge-sama can handle him.

"Are you a doctor, Tamaki-kun?"

"No…"

"Then there's no reason for you to go with him in the ambulance."

"But Honey rode with Cho…"

She grabbed him by the shoulders, "You are engaged to me, not Kyoya. If I was sick, you would ride with me. Now, get in the limo. We need to get to the hospital and stop standing here where anyone driving by can see us."

"Why does that matter?" he looked around confused.

She pulled him towards the limo where I was holding the door open. "Remember what Ritsu said? We don't know why people are getting sick. It's a security situation, and we need to be where our details can protect us." Pushing him in the door, she climbed in after, and I shut it.

.

When my SUV pulled up, Thompson-san escorted Takashi and me out the doors and straight into the back seat.

"I hate hospitals."

Takashi grabbed my hand and squeezed, "It will be alright. The doctors are already working on it."

I looked him up and down. He's so strong and wants to protect me so much. Would he even tell me if he wasn't feeling well? "How's your stomach?"

The very small, sly smile he gave told me he knew what I was thinking. "It's fine. I enjoyed the pork cutlet. I noticed Kyoya ate the wagyu."

"If you start to feel sick, you'll tell the doctor immediately, right?"

"Yes. You will as well?"

"Definitely."

I leaned against the window and watched the unfamiliar part of town go by. I can't believe I was actually enjoying the evening until all that mess started. The choreography was good, the dancers beautiful. And the hotpot was excellent.

With that thought, I closed my eyes and focused on my stomach. Nothing wrong so far.

I hope it stays that way.

Dad and I ate some bad sushi once and were sick for a week.

"Since we're not sick, I'm sure they'll want us in a waiting room out of the way. How about we play a game of Go on my phone?"

"Alright."

.

Hitachiin Limo:

"What do I do?

"What do I DO!?"

Shit. I unbuckled and climbed through to the back while Karou-sama threw up again in the champaign bucket. Thank goodness the twin's regular limo was being serviced and we'd borrowed their parents' with the wet bar.

"Calm down, Hikaru-sama," I barked, hoping to snap him out of his hysterics. They've always been highly protective of each other.

"Kaoru…you can't be sick. Don't leave me…"

By this time, my brother, Kaoru-sama's detail head, had also climbed into the back and was helping him hold the bucket. I had to practically pull Hikaru-sama off.

"Sit down and give him space." I pushed him into the seat at the front of the limo. "Stay away from the doors. We've been given priority at the ambulance bay ahead of all other limos. We need to give the doctors room when we get there."

"How much longer!?" he wailed. "My brother's dying!"

"No," I snapped, "he is not. He's sick and will be treated. You are not helping the situation and need to calm down." I grabbed both his shoulders and gave him a small shake, "Please!"

"How much longer?"

I looked out the window and saw the flashing lights, "We're here. Let the doctors work."

.

Hospital:

"It's alright, Cho-chan. I'm here."

I squeezed her hand three times, our code for 'I love you'. And tried to put on a brave smile, but the sounds…and the smell…

"This might help, Haninozuka-sama," and the doctor handed me a mask. Guess I must have looked a little green.

"So you had the goyza platter for your appetizer. What about drinks?"

"I had pina coladas, and Cho-chan had tea. They brought a pot because she was so thirsty."

They asked about dinner and dessert. Cho-chan's still so sick, I'm answering all the questions. "We had the one of everything dessert assortment. Cho-chan had the dango and one of the taiyaki. I ate everything else."

"There were four different talyaki on that platter. Do you remember which she ate?"

"No…"

"The…," she swallowed hard, and I wiped her face with a cold cloth, "…the custard…"

Then she leaned forward and was sick again.

I think I'm going to be sick too…

.

Security Conference Call:

Fujii (Kasanoda Head): "…just press. They know who owns the club and were driving by. Once they saw the lights on, they kept driving by to see if they could catch something going on. They didn't know the Group was there."

Kawabata (Suoh Head): "Are you sure they didn't know? How did you ask? You didn't ask them if they knew they were there, did you?"

Fujii (Kasanoda Head): How did this guy ever get to be the head of Suoh security? I hope he never runs any interrogations.

"We're not idiots. We're confident they didn't know the Group was there, and they still don't. That's why we pulled them over, not one of your details. As far as they know, the club was testing their stage show and that's it."

Kawabata (Suoh Head): "Oh. OK."

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): Idiot.

"That leaves us with determining if the food poisoning was accidental or deliberate on the part of one of our suppliers. We've got teams ready to go investigate their locations but want to narrow down what's contaminated first. No since alerting a bunch of unnecessary people to what's going on."

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head – at the hospital): "Doctors and nurses are getting lists of what everyone had to eat. We should have that narrowed down soon.

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Hospital:

"You're hovering, Tachibana," I managed to croak out before resisting the urge to set my forehead on the rim of the toilet.

He handed me another wet towel. "We don't know the cause yet."

"Car?"

"Press. Not connected." I swallowed hard, and he read my mind for the next question, "They don't know anything about the gathering. Sent on their way with a stern warning from Kasanoda security."

"Vultures."

"Agreed."

My stomach clenched, my throat constricted, and my head went hot. I threw up again, though by now, there's nothing left.

I haven't been sick like this since I was a kid. Ootori's don't get sick. How embarrassing to be sitting on a stool in front of a toilet in my own hospital.

I want to go home.

Shit!

"Call apartment security. Take my company home. Pay her for the full night."

"Yes, Sir."

"I should be having sex right now…"

I mumbled it, but he must have heard. "At least you didn't get sick in bed."

"Shut up."

.

"You have to help my brother! He's all I have in the world!"

I could hear Hikaru screaming down the hall. He's going to wind up either getting kicked out or making himself sick.

When I opened the door, the nurse was taking Kaoru's vitals, and Kenzo-san was practically sitting on Hikaru on the sofa. "You have to let the nurse work, Hikaru-sama. If you don't calm down, I'm going to have to separate you."

"Nooooooo! I can't leave Kaoru."

"Hika…" then he threw up in the basin the nurse was holding, so no help there.

Marching up to the sofa, I grabbed Hikaru's chin and pulled his face so he was looking at me, "Calm down now," I growled.

"Haruhi! You have to help Karou!"

"No."

"But…"

"I'm not a doctor or a nurse. Neither are you. We can help by being calm and staying out of the way."

"But…"

I shook my head and watched his whole body tense then collapse. "There's never anything I can do." Then he burst into tears.

Jerking my head, I got Kenzo up so I could sit down next to him. He immediately curled up into my arms and sobbed on my shoulder. I rubbed his back and ran my fingers through his hair. "Shhh. It's alright. There's nothing any of us can do right now. We just have to let the doctors and nurses do their jobs."

Calming him down would be a lot easier if Kaoru wasn't making such horrible noises. I really hope I didn't eat whatever is causing all this. I had a bite of everything that was served to our table, even Takashi's meal.

"It's not fair. I never can help. I'm just fucking useless."

This is an ongoing problem of his. Maybe he needs to see his therapist more regularly. I hugged him tighter and kissed the top of his head, "That's not true, and you know it. You help all the time. But right now, unless you're a medical professional, the way you can help is to be calm and not get in their way."

"This fucking sucks."

"Yes, it does." I held him tight for a few more moments, then asked, "Did they ask you what each of you ate?"

"Yeah."

"And were you able to tell them?"

"Yeah. We ate almost the same stuff except for dessert. It was that one of everything platter."

"Then you already helped Karou. They're going to figure out what's making everyone sick by comparing what everyone ate, so you telling them helped."

He looked up at me with a weak smile, "Really?"

"Definitely."

.

Security Conference Call:

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head – at the hospital): "It's the taiyaki – specifically the custard taiyaki. Everyone who's sick, ate it. The medical staff can't find another commonality that blatant."

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "Is there anyone who ate it that isn't sick yet?"

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head): "Yes. They've been moved to treatment rooms and are under observation."

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "I'll let the crime scene people here know."

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head): "They're being informed by the doctors. Now that it's narrowed down, they'll focus there to identify the problem."

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "Understood."

.

Igaya-san hit mute on the conference call, told us they know what it is, then picked up the DJ microphone, "The doctors have confirmed it is the custard taiyaki that's making everyone sick. If you ate the custard taiyaki, head for the back entrance. You'll be transported to the hospital for observation. If you are having symptoms, head for the front and an ambulance."

At least there's mostly security here now, so no hysterics. I watched about twenty guards and a half dozen bar staff heading for the back. None for the front.

"Oh, shit!" I gulped then leaned over and puked…all over Shinobu-sama's shoes.

"Kono!" I saw the panic in her eyes, and she reached out for me even as she tried to shake off her shoes. "Get a stretcher!"

"I can walk," I managed to gulp before puking again.

"No," she snapped and wiped my face, "they'll come get you."

Great. Now I'm being babied by the head of my syndicate.

.

Kono…

How dare they poison Kono.

When I find out who did this…

"Hey?"

I looked down at him on the stretcher…pale, sweating…

Then I felt something touch my hand. It was his.

That's when I realized I was holding my gun.

"Don't shoot anyone…at least without running it past Igaya-san first."

"Just get better, dammit."

Wish I wasn't in charge. Wish I could go with him.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Then he barfed in a bag the paramedics were holding as they rolled him away.

"Fuck." I turned and stared at Igaya-san. "Ritsu ate that custard thing…"

.

Phone Call between Ritsu and Bu:

Ritsu: "Hey. What's up?"

Bu: "You ate that fucking custard fish, didn't you?"

Ritsu: "Yeah." And I'm sitting on a bed with a nurse watching me just waiting for me to start barfing everywhere.

Bu: "Are you OK?" Shit. I sound like a wife.

Ritsu: Where did that little girl voice come from? She can't be that worried. It's no big deal. "Fine. You know my stomach. I can eat anything. Besides, whatever's making everyone else sick is smart enough not to fuck around with this yakuza badass."

Bu: "Kono's sick. They just put him in an ambulance."

Ritsu: "Then Tetsuya and I will make sure to laugh at him when he shows up."

Bu: I snorted a laugh. Somehow he always knows what to say. "Did Tetsuya eat it?"

Ritsu: He's been listening in, so he shook his head. "Nope. Guess he gets to play nursemaid to his roommate."

I heard him mumble, "No fucking way."

Bu: "I'd pay to see that."

Ritsu: "Me too."

Bu: "Well…"

Ritsu: "You gotta go, I know. Go be the boss, and when you find out who's at fault, kick their ass for me and everyone else."

Bu: "You got it."

Ritsu: "Love you, Bu." I can say that. Maybe it will make the nurse relax. She's looking a little terrified sitting here with a yakuza heir. And Tetsuya's heard it before. Don't expect her to say it back. She's probably with Igaya-san.

Bu: He said that on purpose because he knows I can't. "Back at you, Asshole."

.

Visitor's Lounge:

"I resign."

"Thank you for the game."

That's when my stomach started to roll, and I sprinted for the bathroom.

"Miwa!" I heard Haruhi-sama call after me.

I'm never eating dessert again.

.

Cho's Hospital Room:

"It's been over ninety minutes. I'm ordering an abdominal ultrasound."

"Cho-chan?"

I watched the orderlies wheel her out of the room. Akatsuka had to hold me back. "Don't worry, Mitsukuni-sama. Her detail is with her along with the Haninozuka doctor your parents sent over. She'll be right back."

"But she's not getting any better."

"That's why they ordered the test. They just want to know more."

"She can't die. I haven't even proposed yet."

"She's far from dying, Haninozuka-sama," the nurse said as she picked up the room a bit. "The doctor is being cautious, that's all."

My poor Cho-chan.

"Hey, Alien," Chika-chan came in the room, "you doing alright?"

"No. My Cho-chan is so sick." And I don't have Usa-chan to hold.

He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the sofa. "Sit." Then sat down beside me. "Tell me about your proposal plans. And please tell me you aren't going to dress up as a bunny to do it."

How did he know?

.

Security Conference Call:

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "Lab tests confirm bacteria in the custard taiyaki. They've told the doctors, so treatment can start."

Harada (Hitachiin Head): "Was that made in-house?"

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "No. I'm taking a security team and a couple of BOS tech guys over to the supplier to find out what's going on."

Kawabata (Suoh Head): "They're still open?"

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): This guy… He heads security for one of the most elite families in Japan, and he's worried if they're open?

"We called and 'asked' the owner and head chef to meet us there, but yes, they are open and were prepping for tomorrow's deliveries until we told them what's going on."

Fujii (Kasanoda Head): "Let me know if you need backup."

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): "Should be fine. I'll update you as soon as we find out if it's accidental or not."

.

Hospital:

No press, so far.

Good thing too. In between bouts of sickness, Ootori-sama threatened me with termination if they found out. It's a quiet little hospital. It wasn't hard to reroute emergencies to neighboring ERs.

Now that we know what we're dealing with, the head of gastroenterology is briefing the medical staff…

"Bacillus cereus in the custard cream taiyaki dessert. Most of you know what that means. Typically caused from food sitting too long unrefrigerated.

"Treatment is hydration, bland foods, and rest. No antibiotics usually necessary. Best to just let it run its course.

"Questions?"

"Are we discharging them for home recovery?"

"Not at this time. Security wants to ascertain the cause first. If it's deliberate poisoning – which I tend to doubt given the specific bacteria – they want everyone in one place. Those who we've been monitoring that didn't eat the dessert will be going home, so we'll lose most, if not all of the visitors."

There was definite relief at that statement. Having all these people and security around is wearing.

"And those that ate it and aren't showing symptoms?"

"Will stay and continue to be monitored. Symptoms tend to show up thirty minutes to thirteen hours after ingestion. It's been," he checked his watch, "An hour and forty-five minutes since the first patient became sick. We've got another eleven hours."

.

Kyoya's Hospital Room:

"Kyoya! We just came to say goodbye!"

The room's empty? Then I heard a flush and saw Tachibana helping Kyoya out of the bathroom. "You look terrible, my friend."

I heard Renge-chan sigh and saw her shake her head. What did I say?

"Tamaki," he croaked, "I'm going to kill you."

"Kyoya…"

"Shut up." Tachibana gently helped him back in bed. He leaned back and closed his eyes, swallowing hard. Then they opened and stared me down, "If you had been able to tell the difference between custard and cheese, I would be having sex right now."

"What?" His eyes are so scary. "Sex? Sex with who? You aren't married."

"Get out," he growled as Tachibana placed a wet cloth on his forehead.

"But I don't understand…"

"Not now, Tamaki-kun," Renge grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the door. "Let's let him rest so he gets better faster."

"But sex with who? Kyoya…"

"Now, Tamaki!" and she shut the door behind us.

.

Security Conference Call:

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head – at the hospital): "I'd like to go over the status of the Group. "Cho-sama, Kyoya-sama, and Karou-sama are all sick and being treated. Ritsu-sama and Satoshi-sama ate the affected dessert but aren't showing symptoms. Mitsukuni-sama is with Cho-sama. Hikaru-sama is with Kaoru-sama. The rest of the Group has been sent home."

Fujii (Kasanoda Head): "Including Akito-sama? It's my understanding that his help was invaluable when this mess started."

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head): "Yes. This is not his specialty, and he has classes tomorrow."

Morimoto (BOS Head): "Do you have a tally of the guards who are sick?"

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head): "I do." I switched notes on my phone. "Kono is the only detail head who's sick. So far there are sixteen guards: two Haninozuka, one Morinozuka, two Hitachiin, two Ootori, four Suoh, three Shiraishi, one Kasanoda, and one Houshakuji. Ogata-san is the only member of the security review. And there are three bar and wait staff sick. Seven other guards from various families are under observation because they ate the dessert. All performers have been sent home. They were never fed."

Harada (Hitachiin Head): "Where are we on knowing is this was an accident?"

Fujii (Kasanoda Head): "Igaya-san, Himura-sama, and members of the BOS science team are still at the supplier. We hope to know soon."

.

Ritsu's Hospital Room:

"Oh, shit…"

And the young lord ran for the toilet.

Great.

I heard telltale noises then a pathetic moan, "Motherfucker."

"I'll let the nurse know you're sick, Young Lord."

"No one else, Tetsuya. And definitely not Bu. She's got her own shit to worry about."

I wasn't going to tell her. I'm not that stupid.

.

Cho's Hospital Room:

Security escorted me to the room, and I peeked inside, not wanting to wake her up if she managed to drift off. It's very early morning. The sun's not up yet.

I was surprised at Honey-kun's appearance. I knew he'd be here, and there he was holding my daughter's hand. But he looked just as pale and weak as she did. They told me he didn't eat the dessert. His head was resting on the bed rail. I think he's asleep.

"Mom?" she whispered.

"Oh, Nomura," I stepped in and went up to the opposite side of the bed from Honey-kun and brushed the hair off her forehead, "how are you feeling?"

"A little better. I finally stopped being sick about a half an hour ago."

I know at one point the doctors were worried. We spoke on the phone when they decided to do the ultrasound. Fortunately, it was normal. "That's good."

She smiled over at her future fiancé, "He finally fell asleep. I thought he'd be sick too just hearing me, but he managed not to."

That explains his appearance. Some people can't handle being around those smells and noises.

"I'm surprised you're here."

"They didn't tell you?"

"I've been asleep."

"It was negligence, not an attack. Once they determined it wasn't a security risk, they allowed parents to come. Hitachiin-san and I rode up in the elevator together."

"I'm glad she's here. When they sent Haruhi home, they had to give Hikaru a sedative he was panicking so much about Kaoru being sick."

I didn't realize they were that close.

I don't really know Nomura's friends that well. Just Mitsukuni.

Perhaps we should have them over for dinner and an evening to 'hang out' as the kids say.

.

Ritsu's Hospital Room:

"I'm never fucking eating again…"

More noises…another flush. He's refusing to use the basin.

"Ritsu?"

"Shinobu-sama?" Wonder why she's wearing different shoes.

"Where is he, Tetsuya?"

I pointed towards the bathroom where we both heard another retch and flush.

"That asshole…" she mumbled and headed in. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"Didn't want to worry you," he grumbled as she helped him back into the room and over to the bed. "You couldn't have done anything, and you had to be the boss."

.

I helped him climb into bed and pulled the sheets over him.

He looks terrible.

Hearing Tetsuya clear his throat, I looked up and he pointed to a bowl of ice water and a towel. "Guess I'm playing nurse this time. It's only fair after that popcorn incident in St. Louis."

"You'd look good in a sexy nurse outfit."

"Perv."

"You love it."

"Yeah," I wiped his forehead and the back of his neck, "I do."

It was quiet for a bit before he asked, "How's Kono?"

"Better than you. He had it pretty mild. He's asleep." I remembered my black suede. "Doesn't get him off the hook for my shoes."

"Your shoes?"

"He puked on them."

Tetsuya snorted and shook his head. Ritsu laughed but grabbed his stomach quickly. "Stop being funny. I don't wanna be sick again."

"OK, Asshole."

"Heard it wasn't on purpose."

"Nope. Just left the custard out on the counter too long."

"You kill them yet?"

.

Shared Security Message Board [Conference call ended when it was determined not to be an attack]:

Igaya (Shiraishi Head): Confirming again, negligence. The prep cooks left the custard out on the counter for delivery and the drivers took too long to pick it up. Himura-sama will no longer be using that prep kitchen.

Oshiro (Morinozuka Head): Four more guards sick. We're closing in on 8 hours. Doctors are discussing discharging everyone not actively vomiting. They can recover at home.

.

xXx

.

Dawn, Satoshi's Hospital Room:

All of a sudden, my stomach flipped, and my face went hot.

Well, shit…

.

xXx

.

Author's Note:

So, about three weeks ago when I was outlining the dinner party, I called Dad and asked, "Why don't we bomb it?" We decided against that pretty quickly because a yakuza war subplot just won't fit in the current outline, and we've done it before. But I still wanted something to go wrong, so we came up with food poisoning. We think it worked out well as kind of a detour from our normal story.

The chapter is shorter than you're used to, but I wanted to end it where I did and sometimes chapters are shorter.

Hope you enjoy. Really don't have much to comment on it.

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Next Chapter:

Dad and I are getting on a cruise ship tomorrow for a month-long trip to Alaksa out of Seattle. I'm taking my laptop and outline, and we hope to write during sea days.

I'm hoping to keep to my regular posting schedule. The time might not be exact, but it will be Saturday nights.

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Ouran High School Host Club. I also do not own, nor am I making any money from, the following: Olympics, Lego, any real restaurant, business, artist, food product, movie, game, location, or really anything else that exists. I do, however, own any original characters and the plot of this story.