Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Asylum ❯ Reinforcements ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: We got another update! ^_^

Kathrine: Yes, we're trying to keep on track with updating once at least once a week.

JC: Now, We're hoping that we'll be able to update all of our stories this way, but…

Kathrine: Don't get your hopes up about CoH or Untitled/FotC.

JC: We haven't lost interest, just inspiration.

Kathrine: Now, this chapter brings in Ryo and takes another perspective on Seiji's mental illness.

JC: Yeah, but he's still psycho. Don't expect a quick recovery for him. Kathrine just won't let it happen.

Kathrine: Too much can come from Seiji actually being insane. ^_^

JC: Now this chapter might seem like Ryo/Seiji, but it's not. The story is Touma/Seiji.

Kathrine: But…we have been getting hooked on threesomes lately…

JC: Unless the urge takes the main pairing will not be added to.

Kathrine: Okay, now the story.

Disclaimer: No own. I'm not rich. !_*

Warnings: Yaoi/Shounen Ai, Dark themes, Insane Seiji

Asylum

By JC and Kathrine

Chapter 3

Ring…ring…ring…

He heard the phone ringing and quickly turned off the water from the shower, wringing dry as much of his hair as he could and wrapping a towel around himself. He flung his hair away from his eyes and hurried out of the bathroom and into his own. Before he got to the phone the answering picked it up.

/ Hey, it's Ryo here. Sorry I can't come to the phone right now so just leave a message and I'll call you. *BEEP* / He waited to see who it was just in case it was one of the guys from the animal hospital where he worked. He was on vacation for two weeks and refused to come back in no matter how hard they begged.

" Ryo it's Touma, please pick up," the voice sounded sad and somewhat shaken.

The raven-haired man picked up the receiver immediately, " Hey Tou, I'm here. What's wrong, why do you sound so down? Aren't you supposed to be at your new job?"

The voice was quiet for a moment before answering, " I found him, Ryo."

" Who?" he asked, but his mind had already taken in the information. He knew exactly who he was. " You mean…? Oh Gods, you actually found Seiji?! Where is he? How did you find him? C'mon, tell me!"

The other didn't speak and Ryo was afraid something was wrong. " Touma?" he called into the phone. " Touma, talk to me man. What's wrong? Is Seiji all right?"

Still there was silence until the blue-haired man's voice replied, " He's here Ryo…He's at the institution. Gods, he's been here for five years…"

" What the hell are you talking about?" Ryo was confused and worried. " You mean that Seiji is at the Kisetsu Institute for Mental Illnesses? How the hell did he get there?!"

" N-not now, c-can you just get here? I-I gave you the address," his voice was clearly distressed.

" O-okay," he agreed. " I'll be there in twenty minutes. Do you want me to call the others?"

" N-NO!" Touma almost shouted into the phone. " P-please just get here first and I'll explain everything before we do anything else."

" Fine Touma. I'll be there soon, just try to calm down all right?" Ryo said goodbye and hung up the phone, hurrying to get his clothes on so he could leave. Oh Gods, something has to be really wrong, he knew that. Why else would Touma be ready to breakdown into tears instead of happy like he should be? But also left he to wonder about another question. Why would Seiji be in a mental institute of all places? It just doesn't make sense.

*****

Ryo walked into the large building, staring at the cold-looking pristine walls in awe. He didn't understand how Touma could live in a place that looked so blank and empty, but he understood why he wanted to help people this way. He walked down the corridor and headed towards what he thought to be the front desk. The woman looked up as his footsteps sounded his approach and smiled at him.

" Hello, how may I help you?" she asked kindly.

" I'm here to see Hashiba Touma, he just started work here today," Ryo replied.

" Oh you mean the nice-looking boy with blue hair?" she questioned. " Well, I'll page him on the sixth floor and you can sit down right over there in the waiting area." She pointed to a rather spacious area that looked to be comfortable with its cushioned chairs, couches, and television.

" Wow," he whistled.

" Ryo!" he looked left immediately, his eyes settling on the figure coming towards him from the elevator, blue hair apparent.

" I guess I won't need to page him," the woman spoke as Ryo rushed towards his friend.

" Where-?" he didn't even get a chance to finish his question.

" Come with me," Touma interrupted him. He held out a small elaminated card that had a clip on the back. " Put this on, it shows you're a guest. I'll explain everything on the way up in the elevator."

" Okay," Ryo took the offered pass and actually took a good look at his friend. Touma looked tired, his eyes somewhat puffy, but not red, his facial expression serious and yet worn down. He looked as if he'd just had ten years taken off his life. He followed behind the other silently into the elevator and waited as he pushed the button for the correct floor. It wasn't until the elevator's doors closed and it began to move that he broke the silence.

" Tell me everything," he said in a quiet tone. " What's going on?"

Touma sighed, leaning against the wall of the elevator. " Seiji's here, as a patient, has been for the last five years."

" What?" Ryo's eyes widened. " You said he was here…but…as a patient?"

" Yeah, before that he was in another institute, but they had a major computer crash and all of his file was lost," the blue-haired archer went on. " Gods Ryo, he's been like this for ten years. His family put him here."

" Nani?!" the raven-haired man was shocked. " But…how? How did he get home? He'd just vanished after coming back from…" The words went unspoken, but both knew what had been meant.

" He said he went home," the other told him.

" You mean you talked to him?" Rekka was getting more confused by the minute.

" Yeah, he's my first case," Touma said with a small humorless laugh. " He even remembered who I was. Gods, he's insane. His entire mentality has been warped and when he's not screaming from nightmares, he's trapped in the mind of a ten-year old."

" Nightmares?"

" This is all because of that damn monster from New York!" Touma shouted, punching the wall with his fist. " He messed his mind up so badly that he drove him insane!"

" Touma!" Ryo grabbed the other's shoulders and forced him to look him in the face. " You need to get a grip!" He could feel his own rage begging to be released, pleading with him to be taken out on something as penance for what he'd discovered had been done to his long lost friend, but he knew he couldn't. In his youth he would have raged right along with the blue-haired boy, but he'd learned to control his emotions and passionate viewpoint on life better over the past ten years. He knew he couldn't blow up while Touma was on the verge of doing something drastic. It seemed that everything was finally coming full circle with him.

" Ryo, you didn't see him," Touma countered, still swallowed by his feelings. " He's changed so much. You can barely recognize him. He's…"

" He's what?" the raven-haired boy asked. " Something else is wrong?"

" You'll see," Touma sighed, eyes closing in fatigue over the events of the day. It was too much of an emotional strain for him to go through after eight years of hoping and praying and two of finally coming to terms with the fact that he might never see Seiji again. But he's back now, he told himself. That is Seiji, he's there somewhere in the mind of that confused, scared little boy. I just have to find him.

" Am I even allowed here?" Ryo finally questioned, breaking the awkward silence.

" Yeah," Touma assured him. " I talked to Dr. Kizu and he okayed it. He believes that the lack of connection with the outside world and those he knew before the incident might be affecting Seiji's recovery. No one has come to visit him at all, not even at the other facility. He's been practically trapped in solitary confinement for ten years."

" Damn!" Ryo couldn't hold in his anger any longer as the elevator finally stopped and opened to reveal a white corridor with an elderly man waiting for them a few feet away.

" I take it this is Mr. Sanada?" the man smiled politely at him.

The raven-haired man realized immediately that this was Dr. Kizu and bowed to him in respect. " Yes sir," he nodded. " I'm also a friend of Seiji's."

" Ryo was the 'leader' of our little group, you could say," Touma explained. " He was the first person I could think to call about this. As I said earlier, we've been trying to find Seiji for ten years."

" Well, if you care about him as much as you seem to then you're help will be needed greatly," the man sighed.

" Is he really that bad off?" Ryo asked in a very saddened tone.

" Even if he wasn't, I could not say your help wouldn't be required," Kizu replied. " I have always, and still do, believe that positive influences from a person's life can help them overcome psychological trauma that leads to them become schizophrenic or mentally damaged."

" So you think that there is a way to reach him?" the swordsman's eyes mirrored the hopeful look held by his fellow yoroi bearer.

" Never once have I thought that Blondie was at a point where reaching him was virtually impossible," Kizu stated. " But due to his self-afflicted solitude and muteness, I could not assess the entire situation well enough. Today alone I have made great leaps in his case so that I may help him. With your help those chances can only rise."

" That's good to hear," Ryo let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. " But why do you call him 'Blondie'?"

" The people at the other place called him that and after the meltdown they couldn't find out who he was," Touma relayed the information he'd been given. " He responds to it."

" Guess Shu's nickname really did stick," Ryo replied. That's when another thought came to mind. " You won't get in trouble for this will you? Telling me all of this? Touma works here, but I don't and there that's 'doctor/patient confidentiality' thing…"

" Don't worry," the doctor interrupted him. " For usual situations it is normal for me to inform the family of a patient's rate of improvement, but you're the closest to family that we've found so far."

" I can't believe they would leave him here," Ryo growled. " How could they dot his to him?"

" People deal with things in many different ways," Kizu replied. " They can either ignore it, deal with it and try to fix it, ask for help, or in times where they know no way of fixing a problem they get hide or get rid of everything concerning it and try to convince themselves that it didn't exist."

" But why?" Ryo questioned.

He sighed, " It is usually a way for a person or persons who can't accept the fact they are helpless and refuse to believe that. They want to believe that they can accomplish anything and that everything is perfect so they rid themselves of the evidence of failure."

" You've been doing this for a while," the raven-haired boy remarked.

" I've seen it quite a few times before," he admitted. They reached the door that led to Seiji's rooms and he turned back to face Ryo. " If you have sunglasses with you I suggest you put them on or this could get more than a little painful for you."

" Why's that?" he wondered.

" Let's just say that Seiji's fear of the dark got a lot worse since he's been outta Nasuti's," Touma stated as he put on the glasses Doctor Kizu had given him. " They leave these really bright lights on so he won't become hysterical or out of control."

" I'm glad I decided to go without my helmet today," he replied as he pulled the sunglasses he'd worn during his motorcycle ride over from his coat pocket and put them on. " I'm ready."

" You say that now," the blue-haired psychologist sighed. Ryo gave him a concerned look. This must have shook him up really bad, he realized. He could feel his breath being held in his throat almost and his chest was pressured. He had no idea what he was in for and that only made the apprehension worse. Dr. Kizu slid his ID card through the lock and it clicked to a green light, allowing him to open the door.

Touma and Ryo went in first and the raven-haired man could only look around at the sterility of the hall. But he could tell by the brightness of the light through his dark tinted lenses that the lights were indeed high-powered. He noticed the window that took up at least four-fifths of the one wall and walked towards it, wondering if he could actually handle what would be on the other side.

" Oh Gods…" he gasped at the sight of the room itself. He didn't know what to make of the color-covered walls with the kanji, paintings, and the large mural of the Korin no Yoroi. He then looked down and could see a glimpse of sun-drenched blonde hair, but not the person it belonged to from the angle he was at.

" The bed in somewhat to the side of the window so to see him fully you'll have to go into the room," Dr. Kizu explained.

" S-so th-that's really him?" his voice sounded almost disbelieving. It had been ten years of searching and coming up with nothing, hoping only to have your prayers not answered, and then finally losing that hope in the belief that you'd never see the boy you thought of as your brother ever again. It was a little too much to take in at once.

" C'mon," Touma placed a hand on his shoulder. " He's sedated right now and won't be up for a while. But you can still see him." He turned the knob on the door beside the window and pushed it open, motioning for the other man to go inside. Ryo was almost hesitant, afraid that Touma hadn't be over exaggerating about the condition their friend was in. Or maybe he was being to kind for his own benefit and the truth was much worse then he'd been told.

I can't run away, he steeled himself. Seiji needs his friends more now than ever and I can't turn my back on him like almost everyone else has. He took careful steps into the room, the sound of his tennis shoes on the metal floor much louder than he'd ever thought possible. He could feel his heart beat in his throat and could sympathize with how Touma must have felt finding this all out on his own without any forewarning.

The room was rather messy with the floor and countertops covered with papers and art supplies, more than half the room covered in paint. But the bed was where his eyes were drawn, more specifically the silent figure lying inert on said bed. Blonde hair with paint dotted through its tresses, skinny frame even visible underneath the blanket, tired and drained looking face that seemed so unlike the person he remembered. Gods, is this really him? How can this be him?

Touma watched him, seeing the shock on his face and through his silence. It had been the raven-haired man that held the most misplaced guilt when Seiji had disappeared on that night more than ten years ago. He had thought it his fault since he was the leader and it was his job to protect his teammates. It didn't help with how bad he'd already felt due to the death of his other friend Luna and the fact that Seiji had been taken in the first place. He hoped that maybe now he could vanquish his inner demons by helping Seiji with his.

" He's here Ryo," the blue-haired whispered. " Seiji's right here. He might not be the same Seiji we remember, but he's still Seiji."

Doctor Kizu looked on with a sense of closure filling him. He'd spent five years trying to find out who Blondie was and in one day he'd found that and more. He'd found two boys who had spent tens years wondering what had become of someone they seemed very close to. Gods, they must have been through quite a trying time, he realized. But they never seemed to have given up hope that he was alive. If only they'd found him ten years ago…

Touma kneeled next to the bed and reached out a hand, fingers ghosting across his friend's cheekbone. " I guess we should call Shu and Shin," Ryo said offhandedly. " They would kill us for waiting any longer."

" I think we should wait," the younger man disagreed. " If they come now it might just make things worse. Seiji's having problems accepting things. He'll be ashamed when he's better if he finds out we all saw him like this." It helped both him and Ryo the way he said 'when he's better'.

" You're quite right," Dr. Kizu told him. " He's hasn't really be around any other person but myself for these past few years. Too many people around might actually hinder his progress. He needs to be reintroduced into life slowly. I believe you two can help him with that."

" Really?" Ryo's voice was hopeful. " Even when he's as bad as you say he is? He's not going to be trapped like this?"

" No, he just needs the proper medical attention and positive stimulation."

" Good," Touma nodded. " Because that's just what he's gonna get."

" He's very lucky to have friends like you," Kizu smiled gently.

" Yeah, if only that had been any good ten years ago," Ryo sighed. " Then he wouldn't be like this."

Touma's fingers stroked through Seiji's hair and he instantly pulled away in his sleep. Touma gave a confused looked, thinking that he'd awakened, but the blonde continued to shake his head about on the pillows, his features scrunched up in distress. Small whimpers were coming from his throat and the rivulets of tears were beginning to fall down his cheeks.

" What's wrong?" Ryo asked.

" Remember those nightmares I told you about?" Touma asked.

" The sedative shouldn't have worn off in just an hour," Dr. Kizu frowned. " He's adjusting to the dosage again."

" Well those things aren't going do him any good right now unless you've got one that will keep these terrors at bay," the blue-haired man retorted. " And believe me, some nightmares just don't go away."

That's when Seiji's body began to tremble, sweat dripping from every pore in his body. His hair was tangled and matted to his forehead and the nightmare seemed to be getting worse. He let a low cry and started to fight invisible forces, his legs becoming wrapped in the blankets. He was fighting to free himself, to get away from whatever was trying to harm him, but by the looks of it he couldn't.

" N-n-no…" Seiji rasped in a horse tone, his voice still scratchy. He twisted turning onto his side and grabbed at his hair, pulling at the strands. " Sh-shikai-shikaise…" The word halted in his throat as he started to scream again, the sound enough to make both Touma and Ryo's hearts bleed for their comrade.

" We have to stop him," Ryo quickly grabbed him arm, forcing him to release the death grip he'd had on his mangled golden mane. This only caused the blonde to become even more hysterical and he tried to fight Ryo, pulling away from him, and unconsciously digging the nails of his free hand into his face. The raven-haired man winced but didn't relinquish his hold. He merely grabbed the man's other wrist and held it like he did the other. He wasn't going to let Seiji hurt himself.

" Seiji," Ryo tried talking to him. " Seiji, it's me…Ryo. Me and Touma are here for you Blondie. We're here for you." Seiji just continued to shake his head, trying to get away from who he believed to be his attacker, but Ryo only tightened his grip.

" I need to sedate him," Dr. Kizu sighed. " This will only get worse."

" No, no more drugs," Touma said. " Did you think that those could be making it worse. He's staying trapped in a realm of sedation and fantasy."

" I had once believe that might be a cause for his regression, but it's the only way to calm him," Kizu replied. " He's unlike any other patient that I've ever had or seen and due to his refusal to speak I don't know what else to do."

Seiji started to scream again, his clothing no fully soaked in sweat and his entire body filled with tension. His body language yelled out his fear and it was only getting worse. " Seiji it's all right," Touma tried to assure him. " Just calm down, no one's gong to hurt you."

" That's right," Ryo agreed. "Just open your eyes and you'll there's nothing to be afraid of." The blonde shook his head even harder, refusing to comply with their commands. He finally got the idea that Ryo was going to let go of him willingly and butted him in the face with his head. The other man was caught off guard, losing his hold on the Seiji who immediately moved away from them and to the floor.

Touma went after him, grabbing him by the shoulders and pushing him to the cold linoleum. He held the boy beneath him and straddled his waist so he couldn't run. But Seiji didn't care, he was too far gone in his nightmare of torment and terror. " Open your eyes Seiji…it's okay, just open your eyes," Touma urged him. " He's not here, he can't hurt you anymore. Just open your eyes!"

The blonde went stiff, his eyes flying open, wide with confusion and fear. He was breathing heavily as pale violet eyes locked with midnight blue. Touma stared into those scared eyes and knew that the real Seiji wasn't home. " He's regressed," he stated as he slowly moved off of the frightened boy. Instantly the blonde crawled away from him as his eyes darted about the room. He saw all the people in his room and backed away towards the opposite wall.

" You actually got him to wake up," Dr. Kizu stated.

" But he's scared to death of me now," Touma stated.

" But he's never actually woken up from one of his nightmares," the elderly man explained. " That's a start if anything." He turned his attention towards Seiji and gave him a gentle smile. " It's all right Blondie, it's just me a few of my friends. They wanted to come see you."

The blonde looked at Ryo, then Touma, and then back to the veteran doctor. " They don't want to hurt you," he assured him. " You just had a really bad dream. Everything is all right now." He slowly moved towards the blonde, who just kept his eyes moving between all three men. When he'd gotten close enough, Kizu kneeled next to the blonde. " It's okay," he repeated.

It was obvious that Seiji wasn't sure whether or not to believe him. But Kizu had never lied to him before, except for when he gave him those evil needles that scared him so much, but that was it. Why would he lie about something like this? He glanced at the two men near his bed. They seemed very familiar to him, but he couldn't think of why. Did he know them from somewhere? He was curious about that, but he felt so scared of them and his head hurt so much… He just wanted them to leave.

He pointed towards the door and then turned away. It didn't take too much for them to figure out what he wanted. " Okay Seiji," Touma nodded. " We'll leave. We don't want to upset you."

Ryo was reluctant to go, but knew that staying would only make things worse between them and Seiji. He and Touma left the room and shut the door slowly after them. " Gods," he sighed once they knew the other two in the room couldn't hear him. " I didn't expect him to be so…"

" I know," his friend understood what he was saying without him having to verbally voice it. He watched as Dr. Kizu slowly calmed the blonde down, the 'child' still shaken form his horrible dream. " He's so frightened. He's been alone for so long that he's afraid of everything."

" We're going to help him Touma," placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, Ryo vowed. " I don't care how long it takes, but we'll get the old Seiji back."

A/N: Seiji's not getting better.

JC: We've still more torture for the blonde to go through.

Kathrine: And yes, Shu and Shin will show up eventually, but we just thought that too many people at once might not be good from a medical standpoint.

JC: We're pretty much guessing how all of this could work because we're not doctors and we don't know how Mental Institution operate.

Kathrine: But we do think a doctor would tell the family about how their family member is doing.

JC: now just review, tell us what ya think and keep a look out for our next update. We'll try to get it out soon. ^_^