Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Like Winter In July ❯ Need ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: Not mine!

*

Isa: Sorry it took so long for this, blame it on my muse.

Schu: O_o Me?

Isa: Yes.

Schu: WHY?

Isa: Cuz I'm cute and all neko and you are... Schu.

Schu: *sniffles*

Isa: ... ok it's my fault.

Schu: FWEE! *purrrs* Please Review!

*

-REALITY-

Hanae couldn't believe all of this was happening again, and this time it didn't even take four people dying to cause it. She knew that there were times that Ken couldn't control his gift, but she had turned a blind eye to how bad it had really become. When Brad had told her that he wasn't ready, she had simply though he was just being protective of the man; now Hanae saw he had been right. Ken wasn't ready for this world, and might never be ready. Hanae was just leading him down the same path she had years before. 'That was when he had stopped trusting me, when he had turned all of his anger against me. He deserted me when I caused…' The opening of a door made the redhead look up, frowning as the one person she could have gone without seeing, entered the room. "How is he?" The informant asked, trying to keep the distain from her voice. Here was the other reason for Ken's hatred towards her.

The man paused for a moment, looking her over, then reached up to remove his glasses. "You never were one to take advice, where you Hanae?" He answered, arching a brow. "What part of the report that I gave you years ago concerning that boy did you not understand?" Everyone in the room looked up at those words, confusion mostly shown in their gaze. "It said specifically, he was not to be put on an active team! I said to send him away, give up on him. Kenji's gift is too erratic, too unstable. How do you expect this boy to do missions when he is constantly passing out from visions?"

"He has dreams." She said simply. "It isn't erratic, it comes as it is meant too, like Bradley's gift."

"Bradley isn't on any teams either, is he?" He whispered, glaring at the woman. "I refuse to stand here and let you destroy this boys life, because you feel he can perform a job that is beyond his power." Hanae said nothing is response to those words. "Simple fact is this, that boy is no use to an active team."

"Stop calling him `boy'!" She snapped, glaring at the doctor before her. "You know absolutely nothing about Kenji!" The redhead then said. "All you want is to lock him away in one of your white rooms. Do tests on him so you can dissect his gift… like he's some kind of experiment! I am not the bad person in this, in his life. I am trying to give him a place in this world, not lock him away like some… freak!" Breathing out, Hanae lifting a hand to her forehead, rubbing the dull throbbing that was beginning to form there. "Kenji is gifted with something that we don't and may never understand. Keeping him isolated from this world is not going to change him, or that blasted talent."

"Hold on a minute here." Callan voiced, standing from the seat he had been occupying for the last hour. "We aren't here to lock anyone up, not now, not ever. Our teammate passed out and hit his head, we just want to make sure he is ok so all of us can take him home."

"I will not alloy him to leave this hospital without Persia's express permission." The doctor answered, looking from the informant to the German behind her. "I am very sorry, but I know this boy and I will not risk his life by releasing him. Now if you excuse me," he said, looking back to Hanae. "I have better things to do than sit here and argue with you." Turning, he walked out of the room, closing the door.

Yohji couldn't help but glare at the man's back as he left, breathing out the moment the door closed. "Who in the hell was that asshole?"

"That `asshole' was Dr. Brayer." She responded, looking back at the boys in the room. "He is from the American Kritiker, if I had only known he was here right now. Damn it, I never would have brought Kenji in here if I had realized!"

"Why?" Omi asked, looking up at Hanae.

The redheaded informant looked at Omi for a moment, and then sighed. "Kenji has always interested him, and he was the doctor that saw to his care while he was…" Pausing, jade eyes fell closed. "He took care of Kenji when he was in Kritiker's mental ward. Kenji hates him, almost as much as he hates me."

"Why does Ken hate you?" Nagi asked. "Why do you keep calling him Kenji?"

She looked towards the youngest member of Weiss and frowned. "I call him Kenji, because it is his full name; but he prefers Ken. As to why he hates me," Hanae said, shrugging. "it is because I was the one who put him in that mental ward, and that doctors care. Now if you will excuse me, it seems I need to rescue your teammate, therefore I need to contact Persia." Walking for the door, her hand fell on the knob as she paused. "Don't worry, he will be going home with you tonight." With that, Hanae walked out of the room.

Omi couldn't help but sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "Well that explains some of what's going on. Ken hates her because he blames her for… what?"

"Being locked up?" Callan answered, looking at the blond. "Hell I would hate her too if I had been locked up with Dr. Asshole there."

Yohji couldn't help but smirk at that comment. "Too true, what the hell is up with that doctor?"

"Forget the doctor, what's up with Hanae and Ken?" Callan responded. "I think their hatred goes deeper that her locking him up." When the other gave him a look he just smiled. "What? I am a telepath you know?" Nagi rolled his eyes while Omi simply smiled at the German.

"I have a better question for all of you." Nagi then whispered, dark eyes looking towards the door. "What is up with Ran and Ken?"

"What?" The German growled, his protectiveness for the younger redhead kicking in. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," he answered. "except the fact that Ran left while Hanae and the doctor were bickering over Ken's stay here. I guessed that he was going to find our lost member." There was a pause. "Unless he knows someone else here?"

Callan couldn't help but frown, why hadn`t he noticed the man leaving? "Maybe it was his gift, sometimes it can bother him."

"That may be, though it is odd he decided to go right after the doctor said that he wouldn't release Ken."

The four stood in silence, thinking over that newest bit of information. Suddenly Yohji looked up, walking for the door that led to the hallway. "Fuck all this shit!" He snapped, pulling open the door. "Let's go find Ken and get him the hell out of here." The other three nodded in agreement, following the brunette out of the waiting room and into the halls of the hospital to track down their missing member.

*

-ACTING OUT-

Ran knew he shouldn't have walked out on the others like that, but his needed to find Ken overrode his common sense in this matter. It was odd, seeing that this was totally unlike the scarlet haired assassin. He was never this irrational, nor was he this forthright. Being with Callan all theses years had taught him one thing, he wasn't a leader, he was a follower. A follower who had learned to live by sense and reason, logic and strategy. Callan was the hotheaded one, he was the one who always rushed into situations without thinking of the consequences that may come from his decision.

But none of that really mattered at the moment, all that mattered was that he find Ken. Ran didn't know why he felt such a pull towards the younger man, but it was there. Reaching up to rub his forehead, Ran realized that the pain he had felt was going away. Moment's before the redhead had felt like he would pass out of the rush of pain that had hit him, now it was slowly seeping away of its own accord. `Ken has passed out twice since I have met him, both times that he collapsed I got a headache. Not only that, but I could feel what he was feeling, I knew his pain as if it was my own. Ken was afraid, he was very, very afraid…' A warmth falling to rest on his shoulder startled the redhead, a rush of confusion, concern and interest rushed though him as he pulled from the hold and the emotions that accompanied it.

"Sir?" Violet looked up, meeting the cheerful green eyes of a blond haired nurse. "Are you ok? You were walking like you were in a daze, are you lost?"

Blinking, Ran took another step back from the strange woman before him and hoped she wouldn't try touching him again. He knew it made him look like a bastard, but others emotions were the last thing he wanted to deal with at the moment. Not when his own emotions were still so clouded from Ken's mental touch. "I," he swallowed, looking away from the woman. "I'm fine, it is my… friend. He was hurt and they brought him up here, I think I am lost."

Smiling, she offered her hand to him, seeing him shake it off. "Well follow me then, I am sure we can help you find your lost friend." With that the young woman turned, making her way down the hall. A quick glance in the opposite direction, and Ran was following the woman to where she lead.

"What was your friend's name" She asked, making her way towards a desk that occupied most of the area before them.

"Ken, Hidaka Ken." He whispered, coming to stand beside her and the counter. "It was roughly forty minutes to an hour ago, they said he had been moved to this floor.. I believe."

She nodded, leaning over the counter, smiling down at an older dark-haired woman.. "Ana, could you see if we have a Hidaka Ken on this floor? The man has lost his way, I told him we could help."

The woman that the blond had called Ana looked down at the book before her, nodding a moment later. "Actually Sir, you want to go up one floor. If you take the elevator across the hall, you will want to take a left and go down to room 438." Arching a brow, she looked over at the scarlet haired man. "It's the mental ward, low security… I wonder why they sent him there, though the hospital is a bit full right now."

"It might have been the only thing open!" Ran nodded to the blond then thanked both for their help and made his way over to the elevators. "Odd man."

Ana nodded. "He is, but very cute!" The two girls looked at one another, blushing slightly; going back to work.

Ran sighed, looking at the walls around him. He hated enclosed spaces. `Not that it matters, it's just a fucking elevator.' Stepping out of said elevator, he turned down the hall looking for the number the nurse had told him. `I don't understand what Kritiker is doing? Why send Ken to the mental ward? It can't be because the hospital is full, but he's not crazy either.' Reaching the correct door, the redhead rested his hand against the smooth wood. `If they think he is crazy, obviously they don't work with the gifted very often. Ken isn't insane, he is talented, uniquely talented.' Pushing open the door, he sighed in relief when he saw the object if his uncommon actions laying on the bed. "Ken?" He whispered, wondering if the man was even awake.

Dark hair fell across tanned features as the younger assassin turned to looked at the pale figure in the doorway. Chocolate eyes tried to focus, still red rimmed and sore from the crying he had done, tears that only were shed due to his own demise. "Ran?" He croaked, throat dry from earlier; from begging that damned man to let him go. He hadn't wanted to come here, not to that man and he knew that Hanae was the cause of this once again.

Ran could only nod, making his way over to the brunettes bedside. " I am here now, Ken." He whispered, trying to sooth the frightened dream seer with his voice alone. Truth be told, he wanted to touch the man, but was afraid of what he would see… or what he wouldn't.

"Please," he begged, pulling at unseen binds that laid below the stark white blanket. "tell them that I don't belong here. Help me Ran, I have to get out of here!" Once again the tears fell, running down tanned cheeks. "I'm not insane, but this place… that man will make me!"

"Hush, calm yourself or I can't help you." Ran finally spoke, violet meeting the deep brown of the younger mans eyes. "Relax for a moment and I will release the binds, ok?" He saw Ken nod slightly as he stopped in his struggles. Pulling back the blankets, the redhead couldn't help but cringe when his eyes fell on the restraints. Anyone could see they were too tight, already breaking his skin as blood stained the hard leather. Above the binding was an IV, Ran knew it was a sedative so his teammate wouldn't continue to fight against the bindings that held him. "What are they doing to you?" He whispered, pain filling the silently spoken words. Reaching down, Ran pulled at the metal clasp, trying to release them. When it finally came loose, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Ken could only watch as Ran walked over to the opposite side of the bed, releasing his other arm as well. He laid there for a moment, watching as the redhead walked back over to his right side, looking down at him. "Don't look at me like that." He then said, eyes trying to see anything but those pain filled violet pools that only served to pull him down. "I don't want your pity."

"Then why did you call me?" He asked, hands resting on the mattress. "Why did you pull me into both of your visions, calling to me?"

"I…"

"You did."

He could only lay there, confused at the words this man spoke. `Did I pull him into that? Was it my fault, dragging him down deeper than he had asked to go?' Before he could answer his own questions a rush of dread ran though him, encasing him in fear. "Ran!" He nearly shouted, sitting up in the bed as he grabbed the pale skin. "Please, help me get out of here! I can't stay here, not with him… not again."

Though he could tell that the man was panicking, he couldn't help but feel the rush of contentment that washed over him at his touch. Reaching up, Ran cupped the mans cheek, shushing him with a finger to his lips. "Calm now." He breathed, his fingers running down the tanned arm to pull out the IV that was still there. "I would never leave you here, you are going home with me." Ken could only nod, feeling relaxed at the mans touch. "Can you walk?"

He nodded, sliding off the bed slowly, feeling Ran's arms around his waist; supporting him. "I think so, my head just really hurts." He answered.

"It is to be expected." Ran responded, a slight smile pulling at his lips. Ken arches a brow in question to his sudden mood swing. "It's nothing." He answered, knowing the question before it was voiced. `I feel nothing, no emotions pushing at my weakened barriers, no confusion. I'm no longer in pain from my gift, from the constant assault from those around me. All I feel is my own emotions and… Ken. I feel Ken.' Purring gently, Ran felt Ken relax against his body, allowing the redhead to support him. "You are heavy."

Dark eyes looked up, for once filled with something other than pain, it was amusement. "If you want, I'll go on a diet when you get me home?" Those words made the redhead smirk, a thought passed though the brunettes mind, the feeling felt by the redhead beside him. `I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful in my life, as he.' Ken smiled a moment later. "You are blushing." The elder man was about to respond when the door to Ken's room was pushed open, taking their attention from one another.

"Ran!" The anxiety that the German had felt disappeared the moment he came into view. "We were worried, what the hell are you doing?"

He went to speak when a rush of confusion and panic assaulted his mind, coming from only one source. "I came for him, he is coming home now. Ken doesn't want to be here, to stay here with them. He is afraid."

Callan nodded, understanding what his friend and brother was saying. "Ran, you can't just walk out of this room and expect to take him out of here without someone asking questions. Do you realize how odd you are acting right now? How much trouble you could get into for lashing out in this manner and taking him from here?"

"I'm not taking him." He responded. "Ken wants to leave and I am helping him."

Those words shocked the German, he would admit readily that Ran was a good spirit. He never truly wanted to harm anyone, which was odd for someone who had been put though so much pain. But the truth was known, and Ran was not a people person; he hated people. Yet at this very moment he was helping this man and was acting very unlike himself. "What is changing." Callan whispered, seeing the look Ran was giving him. `Acceptance, understanding… something is happening and it revolves around them. How can I deny him when he wants me to accept the very thing he doesn't understand.' In answer to Ran's unspoken words he did all he could do, he nodded, and in doing so had agreed.

"He's scared, we need to get him out of here." Ran whispered. "We are his team, if he can't trust us to protect him, then who does he have?"

The four stood there in silence, suddenly Callan felt himself pushed aside as Yohji walked past him. "Come on, we need to get him out of this place. I'll agree with you on one thing Ken, hospitals freak me out too." The younger brunette couldn't help but smile up at Yohji. "Come on Omi, Nagi… lets get our teammate out of this hell hole."

That did it for Callan, shaking his head he walked up to Ran. "Ok, so how do we get him out?"

*

-REALITY II-

Chocolate eyes opened, a wide expanse of white meeting his gaze. `Actually it is more along the lines of an off white, not that bright white you would usually find in a hospital. That means I'm not there anymore, is this… finally reality or is this another dream? Where am I now?' He couldn't help but smile at that though, where was he indeed. `Maybe everything has been a dream, a dream within a dream, and I am really dead… and this is hell.' Breathing out, Ken rolled his head to the side; feeling the cool breeze that came in though the window across the room. The sky was a ominous gray, threatening to pour down any moment but still, it was a beautiful sight. Well it would have been a beautiful sight if the throbbing in his head hadn't of started back up again. "Wonderful…"

"I see you finally decided to wake up, sleeping beauty." The younger brunette turned his head slowly, glancing over at the man who stood in his doorway. Yohji smiled back, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. "I told the others I would come check on you, though one of your more devoted watchers just left the room." Pushing away from the doorframe, the lanky brunette carried over a small tray to him, setting it on the empty bedside table. "Omi," he then said, looking back down at Ken. "you know the blond kid, right?" He could only nod. "Good, well he told me to bring that up. Some kinda tea he brewed, said it would help with the headache that you might have." He said, picking up a bottle that was on the tray as well. "Can you believe that the kid wanted to send you up some soup too? I told him, look he hit his head, he isn't sick. I think that Omi believes that soup is some cure all, strange kid. What kind of kid becomes a leader of an assassin group at seventeen…"

Ken wanted to smack the man standing beside him badly. Yohji's insistent chatter about pointless things was only making his head hurt more. Sighing, he lifted his hand to touch the back of his head. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Yohji saw the younger assassin look up at him, obviously not wanting to answer such a ridiculous question. "You got pissed off, snapped at Hanae and then went storming off up the stairs. About half way up something hit you and you fell." He answered, handing the bottle to Ken. "We were worried about you, but Hanae said you should be ok. Omi was pissed, he felt that she should have taken you to the hospital."

"I didn't go to the hospital." He whispered, eyes closing as he handed the bottle back to Yohji, the medicine inside untouched.

"Nope, Hanae said not too." There was a pause. "You really don't like the woman, do you? Can I ask why?" After a few moment of silence, he figured he wasn't going to get an answer to that question. Shrugging, he sat the bottle down beside the tea. "Well I don't think we have properly introduced ourselves, my name is Yohji Kudoh. From the look of it, I'm the oldest on this team of oddities."

Dark eyes finally met the bright emerald green of the chatterbox beside him. "Hidaka Ken."

"Yep, I know who you are." He answered, eyes landing on the tray. "You really should take that aspirin, it would probably be a lifesaver for your head." He saw the younger man shook his head slightly, sitting up on the bed. "Look, if you're trying to be all tough so we won't baby you; I promise I won't tell the others."

"It has nothing to do with that." Ken responded, feeling the lump with his fingers. It really wasn't as bad as he had expected it to be. "I am allergic to aspirin, it makes me sick."

"Oh, well that is a good reason." Yohji picked up the bottle, shrugging his shoulders. "Sorry, if you want I can bring up something else?"

"No."

Nodding, he made his way back to the door. "Well dinner should be ready soon. If you feel up to it, maybe you should come down and eat something. I am sure that you are getting hungry by now." With that said, the lanky brunette walked out the door, pulling it closed behind him.

Ken could on sit there, wondering how such a loud mouth had ever become an assassin. `Doesn't that man know how to shut up?' Once again he rubbed the back of his head, then sighed, his eyes once again straying to the window. `So it was a dream… the hospital and Ran? Why am I dreaming of that man, I barely know him, yet I feel as if I do. Or maybe this is the dream and I passed out again at the hospital?' It was too much for him to think over at the moment, what was dreams and what wasn't. `But Yohji had said someone had been watching me? I should have asked him if it was Ran. Wouldn't that be perfect, then Ran would have been in both of these dreams… realities… Whatever these damn things are.' He sighed, rubbing his eyes. All he needed now was for that damned redhead to show up and he would know he had problems.

"Ken?" The brunette looked up, breathing out when he was the very man he had just been thinking of. "Are you feeling any better?" He whispered, pushing the door open a bit more. "Yohji told me that you had woken, I thought I would come up." Ran could only sigh when the man still said nothing. "I-I'm sorry that I disturbed you, I'll go now."

"Please don't." The redhead paused, amethyst eyes looking back towards the tanned assassin. "I'm sorry, I just get grouchy after... well you know." Ran nodded, obviously accepting that excuse, a moment later he had come in the room. "Yohji said that someone had been watching me, was that you?"

"Yes."

Ken couldn't help but smile up at him. "Thank you."

Once again the silent redhead nodded, making his way over to the brunette. Ken blinked when the man held out a bottle towards him, that being the last thing he had expected. "It doesn't have aspirin in it, I know that you are allergic." That made Ken look back up. "Omi told me, he saw that Yohji had taken the wrong bottle. I am sure that it was in your file, it seems the kid has a very good memory."

Taking the bottle from Ran, he nodded. "Thank you once again, tell Omi as well." Pouring out a few of the pills, Ken picked up the lukewarm tea and took the medicine. "I'll come down to eat in a few moments, I am guessing that is the next thing you were going to tell me?"

"It was." The Empath arches a brow. "How did you…"

Standing up from the bed, he sat the bottle back down along with the tea. "You seem to be," He said, pausing for a moment. Not really a mother hen type. Someone who worries, I guess that is the best way to put it." Looking back up at the redhead, he smiled. "I need someone who is willing to take care of me." Ken then said, a slight blush crossing the pale skin of his companion.

The two stayed silent for a few moments, both staring out the window as it gently began to rain. "Ken?" Ran said, taking another step towards the brunette. "Might I ask one more question?"

"Sure?"

"I understand the head injury, but not the wrists." That made him blink, confused by the mans odd comment till he looked down. Stark white bandages clashed against tanned skin, here and there the scarlet staining of blood tinted them as well. "I noticed them as Callan carried you up here to your room. They look fresh, as if you were fighting against someone, or something." There was a pause, as Ken looked back up at the Empath. "What happened? I don't remember seeing your wrists damaged when you came down."

`Not only is he an Empath, he's a silent observer. So much like the voice in my head, the man in my dreams. He was there, I know he was… and now he is everywhere. But why?' He thought, dark eyes falling back on the bandages. `This is impossible… are dreams once again colliding? Am I truly in hell, am I dead?'

"Ken?" The voice held concern, desperate for the younger dream seer to say that it was just a coincidence.

He couldn't help the fear that ran though him as his body trembled. "I was bound," the dream seer finally said, much to Ran's relief. "in my dreams they had bound me. I was fighting against them, and my wrists…" All he could do was close his eyes, try to figure out what was happening to him. `Is this a dream, is the other dream my reality? Gods, someone please tell me what is happening to me!'

Confusion, fear, and a need for anything that was solid. These emotions rushed over the redhead like a wave, drowning him. `He's so confused, but when I worked on him… and earlier. He gives me such peace, how can he, himself, be is so much turmoil?' Breathing out, Ran stepped up to the man as he reached out to touch his arm. "Ken, it was only a dream."

"Was it?"

*

kami: EEEE! EEEEEE! FWEEEE!

Schu: O_o What now?

Ran: What can she possibly be so excited over?

Ken: Well… if you read over there-

kami: YAAAY! Ran saved Kenken! And now Kenken is safe in friends' company, albeit a bit confused. Poor thing!

Ken: Yes, poor me… *looks at Ran*

Ran: *returns look* Yes, let me make it better…

*the two run away*

Schu: Is that all you ever think about?

kami: Yes.

Schu: …I actually believe you.

kami: Leave nice reviews for Isa-chan please!!