Reiko woke up to the sound of arguing.

Damn…she thought. Not again.

Reiko's mom was going a couple states away to take care of her Grandpa, being the only nurse in the family. Unfortunately, this was horrible timing, because she was in the hospital herself only a week before. And the pain still hadn't stopped.

Reiko was starting to see why Senku hated hospitals.

Chrome entered her room. "Reiko? Are you asleep?"

"Shh! If I talk they'll hear me!" Reiko whispered. "Just have to sleep it out…they'll be gone soon."

Reiko curled up, covering her head again.

When she uncovered her head, Chrome was right there in front of her face. She squeaked, and moved back. "You stay back!"

Reiko aimed a punch for his jaw, but he calmly grabbed her wrist. His expression was a bored one. He seemed to mock me. As if he was saying 'is that the best ya got?'

Reiko hated his type.

Reiko stood up swiftly, jerking her wrist out of Chrome's grip and aiming a kick for his stomach, but her leg was hit instantly by his hands. He had spun and blocked her kick by grabbing her leg. Now he grabbed her foot and twisted it slightly, propelling her whole body, and causing her to hit the ground.

It was all over in a second, leaving her with wide eyes and a bruised ego.

"You've got a lot of fight in you for someone so delicate looking," Chrome said smugly.

"Oh shut up, you," Reiko replied angrily. "You had the upper hand."

Chrome grabbed Reiko's hand and pulled her to her feet. "You just need to focus more. You kept letting me tell you what to do."

"What is this, 'Karate Kid'?" Reiko asked sarcastically. "I gotta go to class. You can come if you want."

Chrome knew now for sure that this 'Reiko' was either deliberately deceiving him, or she had lost her memories. But she was Ruri.

Only one person used exactly those moves. He could predict her because she was his beloved. Why couldn't she see it? Also, he had caught a glimpse of her birthmark on her right shoulder. Her top was loose and fell off the shoulder, which made him mad, but she'd just get mad if he remarked on it.

She decided to walk outside, and they could talk aloud because no one walked the trail when it was this hot.

"So, Reiko," he said. "Why did you want to walk on this trail when it's hot outside?"

There was a pause. For a moment he thought she was not going to answer, or maybe he had offended her in some way.

"I can't do anything else right now," she said finally. She stopped walking and looked at him. "Something is wrong with my body. Doctors don't believe me. My parents don't believe me. I don't want to bother anyone. The pain drives me crazy. But…there are worse things."

This was a lot to process. "Y-You're sick? What could be worse?"

Reiko started walking again. Chrome noticed now. She was a proud person, this Reiko. She walked and talked normally, even laughing and smiling. But there were little winces that he noticed now that he knew what to look for.

"Worse…" Reiko said. A slight smirk crossed her face. "There are a lot of things worse."

Xxx

Kuri tapped her pencil in class. Ah…there it was. Class had ended. It was annoying, sitting there across from Senku and unable to talk to him without looking crazy.

She walked with him to her car and got in before speaking.

"So how did you like class?" she asked.

"Meh," Senku replied. He was staring out the window. "I liked it fine. Too bad it was the last day before the test."

"Yeah, I guess," Kuri said.

Kuri didn't know what to talk about. It was quiet between the two of them. She didn't really know what to say. And besides, she was used to being either alone or with Reiko by her side.

Senku looked out the window. He was unsure about this whole 'other world' thing.

Was Kuri really Kohaku? Is that what happened to everyone when they died? Did they just wake up somewhere else? Wait…was his father…?

He stopped the thought right there. No. The dead don't come back. I've been spending my whole life learning and relearning that fact. Kuri just looks a lot like Kohaku. And Reiko…she looks like Ruri.

Senku remembered when he and Chrome had come here. They had been working on time travel…He also remembered hearing something…like footsteps. But just as he had been about to open his eyes there was a scream and a flash and then he had been pulled away.

He opened his mouth to reply to Kuri when the car came to a screeching halt, and collided with something he couldn't see. He was pulled forcefully forward, when the seatbelt caught, and he bounced back against the seat.

That had hurt.

"Kuri? Are you okay?" he asked, addressing the driver first.

There was the sound of sobbing from the front seat.

"Kuri?" Senku asked, reaching up and tapping her on the shoulder.

"Stop! I-I h-haveta call…her…" Kuri muttered.

"Wait!" Senku yelled. "Call who?"

"Reiko! She's the one…I call…" Kuri put the phone to her ear.

Xxx

It was Reiko's worst nightmare. She was on the phone with Kuri…who was sitting somewhere in a wrecked car.

"Chrome…" Reiko whispered. "Hold on to something!"

She sped down the road, her vision blurred by adrenaline.

"What the hell are you doing? Let me drive!" he yelled.

"You're invisible, stupid," Reiko responded through gritted teeth. "Now shut up. I have to get there."

Reiko pulled up next to the guy directing traffic. "My friend's up there! Where do I park?"

"Find a place, but keep it moving," he replied. "We have to make sure that traffic keeps moving.

Chrome watched her get out of the car and run at top speed. She looked so upset. She stood there, looking at the wrecked car.

But there was a sudden change over her, and Chrome guessed that she thought she had to be tough for her friend.

Chrome went to the car and pulled the girl out of it. "Hey…it's going to be okay."

Reiko collapsed into his arms, sobbing. Chrome didn't really see anything wrong with hugging her back, so he did so, patting her back for good measure.

She pulled away quickly, a light blush on her cheeks.

He watched as Kuri talked to the officers. She really did know her stuff. He wondered why she knew so much about car accidents.

Xxx

Kuri looked at Chrome, feeling little exclamation points go off in her head.

What do I say after that? She wondered.

"Um…thanks," she said, noticing he was watching Reiko. Maybe…he liked her?

She just stood there. "Um…Chrome…y-you're kind of in my way. I need to talk to the police."

"Kuri," Chrome said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're going to be okay."

His tone was gentle and kind…reassuring. It really did help her calm down. She nodded, and went over to help out with the police. Chrome followed close behind.

Senku was getting sick of sitting in the car. He got out.

"What the hell is going on?" he yelled at Kuri, the first person he saw. He didn't want to yell at Reiko, she looked all fired up, and he didn't really feel like getting into it with Chrome.

Kuri turned and glared at him, then pulled him to one side. "I don't think you realize this, but there has been an accident here. We could have been hurt. You need to soften up, at least for the moment. This isn't about you. It's about my best friend, the closest thing I've got to a sister, and she's scared, and crying…and I can't comfort her! It's my fault! I worried her! I'm…useless…"

Senku looked at Kuri. One second she was calm, collected, had it all together, and the next…she was falling apart. Or maybe she was falling apart the whole time and no one could see.

For a moment they stood, him just watching her cry, and her with her face in her hands, tears going down her cheeks.

Finally, he spoke. "Kuri…you aren't useless. What do you think you could have done? Gotten here earlier? Stood between the cars? It was nobody's fault, Kuri. It just…happened."

A few more moments passed. She was still hiding her face. It was starting to annoy him.

Finally, he reached forward, grabbed her wrists, and pulled her hands down. She jerked her hands away.

He couldn't read her next expression. She walked away.

Kuri was pretty sure she was going crazy.

Did Senku just comfort me? Did I just cry in front of him? Why did I sound like such a fangirl?

She found Chrome waiting by the car.

"You okay?" Kuri asked him.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Reiko seems upset."

"She'll be okay," I said.

Chrome took a closer look at her. "Kuri, have you been crying?"

"Shh!" I said. "Is it that obvious?"

"Not really," he replied. "Not unless you're looking for it. Why were you crying?"

I shook my head. "I was scared…cuz Senku…could've really been hurt. That car…could've killed us. It's all my fault.."

"But it wasn't," Chrome reminded her. "Senku's fine. We're all fine."

So they got home. Senku didn't say much on the way home, so Kuri figured he was thinking or something. Whatever, as long as the guy didn't break his brain, she was cool with him doing some extra thinking.

Kuri went to bed early, but then Senku appeared at the door. "Hey Kuri?"

"What is it?" Kuri asked in a tired voice.

"I was wondering if you were still in pain," he replied. He was holding some pillows. "I brought these. And some ice. If it's any consolation…I believe you."

"It is," Kuri replied softly. "It means a lot."