[Day: Thursday, March 20th. Time: 11:30 a.m.] [Weather: Rainy.] [You've been in the hospital now for one hour and thirty minutes. Nothing has changed much. Katie has come in and out of sleep spells, while Miho hasn't moved an inch.] [Start!] * Katie is currently in one of those sleep spells. She's been hanging in them longer now... actually hit five minutes at one point. * Satoshi keeps watch over her. He really hasn't said much to Kaede since the truth about Miho came out. Every so often, he looks like he wants to say something, but doesn't. * Kaede leans with his head against the bed frame, sitting on the floor. His eyes are closed but he's not exactly sleeping, just resting. ( Katie is eating liquid food! Possibly without even realizing it. ) (Mmm, IV.) ( In MC2, IV tastes like.... ) (That's really freaking painful if you lack water.) ( Cap 'N Crunch! ) (EEW.) * Kaede opens his eyes slowly. "I should call home.." * Katie jerks awake with a strangled cry and glances with wide eyes, then relaxes - a bit - and takes in the rest of the room. * Satoshi nods at Kaede's comment, then starts when Katie wakes up. * Kaede jumps a little at the cry and whips his head around, then sighs in relief. "Honestly.." * Katie blinks at Kaede, then half-whispers in that dry voice, "Just scared. Don't go?" We're not going anywhere. I wasn't going to go anywhere, Katie. * Katie blinks again and relaxes a little more. Remember? I have a cell phone... * Kaede pulls it out and shows her his shiny cell phone. Okay. ( *_*) * Kaede frowns and looks over at her. "Are you that worried?" (Well, she is kinda like a bird... and it is shiny...) * Katie bites her lip for a moment, then nods. We won't let you out of our sight. I promise. We'll stay as long as you want us to. * Katie nods, looking like she wants to cry. "Okay." Her eyes start to close again. * Kaede blows out a soft breath. "She's really bad.." * Satoshi says, barely above a whisper, "Yeah..." * Kaede flips out his phone and dials home. Very hesitantly but he does it. * Satoshi goes back to watching over Katie. * Kaede frowns as he gets no answer and puts the phone back in his pocket. * Kaede goes back to resting near Katie. Doesn't seem to want to go too far away himself. * Kaede keeps his eyes closed but speaks softly. "Satoshi?" Yeah? If I were ever replaced, how would you know? * Satoshi seems to take a while to think about this. Finally, he answers. "I'd like to say that I'd just sense it somehow. That I'd catch it in the way you reacted to something. But... I didn't catch Taki, or Katie. So maybe I'd fail entirely. Not because of you, but because of me." Well..what makes me me then? * Katie opens her eyes again, but they look like they'll close at any moment. She doesn't look to Kaede or Satoshi, instead staring at the ceiling. What makes any of us ourselves? The way we think, the way we act, how we deal with other people... it's all stuff that shapes us as we go through life. What scares me is how little I really *do* notice about other people. So...if someone were to think the same as me, act the same way as me, and deal with people in generally the same manner that I deal with people... Would he be you? * Kaede slowly opens his eyes to stare at the wall. "Would he?" Does that mean...there'd be no need for me...at all? No. I don't think so. * Kaede blinks and looks up at Katie. If... she's me. But she's not. Can't be. How would you know...the me that is there is not really me? I mean...am I really the person I think I am? Are you? * Kaede points to Satoshi. * Kaede suddenly hangs his head. "I forgot. You're not the person you thought you were.." I'm not the person I thought I was. But in a way, I am. I mean...is my grandfather really the one in the hospital? Was it really my father who died? How would I know? Sometimes, you just have to believe. * Katie turns her head to look at the boys. "You are you." She starts to drift off again. * Satoshi smiles ever so slightly. * Kaede looks at Katie and frowns a little. * Kaede shakes his head. "Sometimes you're too trusting, Katie Andrews." * Satoshi sighs softly and hangs his head. "I think she realizes that." * Katie snaps her eyes open at that and stares at Kaede. Her mouth opens, then closes, and she looks horribly desperate. "You're real. Right?" * Kaede looks down at Katie with a stern expression, then sighs, casting his gaze off to the side. "Yeah. I am. Sometimes I don't want to be but I am..." * Katie almost whimpers. "Please." Katie, I'm not leaving. Don't worry.. * Kaede puts his hand to hers so she can feel it. * Satoshi whispers. "See? Someone who needs you..." * Katie jerks back ever so slightly at the touch, and she focuses past the boys. "Please. Have to be." * Kaede closes his eyes and sounds just slightly brusque towards Satoshi. "Satoshi. This isn't what that's about at all." * Satoshi looks down at Katie. "I'd let you look in my mind, if I could. But it doesn't work that way." Okay. Don't you get it? She was almost dead when we found her. And we didn't know. We didn't *KNOW* I know. I know we didn't know. This isn't happening again, do you hear me? NEVER again. Not you, not Katie, not even that bastard Kyon. * Kaede looks up and glares at Satoshi. "And would you quit just repeating what I say? That's not going to do a damned thing." * Kaede lets go of Katie's hand and paces across the hospital room. What do you want me to do, Kaede? If you can tell me what you want, I'll do it. Gladly. * Kaede turns around and just GLARES at Satoshi. "WHAT?" Repeat that again, Satoshi. Please. I don't think you realize what you're saying. * Katie was about to drop off again, but her eyes fly open at Kaede's yell. What do you want from me, Kaede? Where do I stand with you? There you go again! "What do you want from me?" "What do you want me to do?" God, it's so irritating. "If you can tell me what you want, I'll do it." Are you just a sheep? * Kaede points at Katie. "What if SHE told you to do something? But it wasn't HER Satoshi, was it? It was the other one. Would you just follow without a thought?" * Satoshi speaks quietly. "...I spent most of my life trying to please people. Trying to make them happy. Trying to make them like me, or at least think well of me. I'm so used to it, now..." Now, when I think of things... ( IF Katie told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it? ) * Kaede folds his arms across his chest and waits for Satoshi to finish speaking. * Katie falls back asleep. ...I can't tell if they're what I really want, or what other people want, and I just make myself think that way. So what DO you want, Watanabe-san? ( A chicken ) (Chicken!) * Satoshi exhales. "It's a good question." And answering it without giving it a good deal of thought wouldn't be right, I think. * Kaede hmmphs. "You think so?" But I *should* think. That's my problem. All this... everything that's been happening to us... I've been trying to shove it in the back of my mind and leave it there. That's stupid. It gets me nothing. It's not going to go away, Watanabe-san. No. It's not. Denying it will just lead to more things like this. * Satoshi motions at Katie in her bed. Right. So what do you want to do, Satoshi? Make my own mistakes, instead of being too afraid to do anything. * Kaede sighs slowly and looks up. "That's a start." Hey, I can't get everything right on the first try. Took me a long time to learn how to skate. But I only really enjoyed it when I stopped having to answer to other people's opinions about it. That's exactly the point. * Satoshi puts his hand to his forehead. "Please explain to me why the hell it hasn't sunk in yet." [During all this time, nobody's given a second thought to the fact that Satoshi still has an egg in his pocket.] You know what they say about third times a charm? In your case, it's the thousandth. Well, I've had enough lifetimes to get a thousand... I guess so.. Not an excuse, though. * Katie would look almost peaceful if it weren't for the fact that she hasn't been able to sleep longer than a few minutes at a time. I think that's the first time you've admitted that. Probably. Just promise me something? Sure. You actually WILL think about it? Yeah. I won't just say what I think you want to hear and then go back to the way things were. * Kaede walks slowly back over towards Katie. On the way he takes a glance at Miho's bed. * Katie forces her eyes open again. "Water?" Sure. * Satoshi gets up to get it this time. * Kaede stops midway and just looks her over. * Satoshi gets a cup of water and brings it over to her. * Katie straightens herself, not quite sitting up, and reaches up, trying to take the cup with both hands. They shake, but she doesn't let them drop. * Satoshi holds the cup steady. * Katie grabs the cup with a determined look on her face. She pulls it to her face, nearly spilling the thing, and actually does end up spilling much of it before she gets the other half in her mouth. * Kaede starts to walk back over to Katie and blinks, watching her. * Satoshi obviously lets go when she grabs it. He doesn't say anything and just lets her do it. * Katie swallows and gives a tiny smile before her hands drop like they were lead, cup still in one of them, and she settles back. * Kaede sighs as he walks over to her, but smiles faintly. "You're hopeless." * Satoshi smiles at her, then looks up and speaks softly. "But you wouldn't want it any other way, would you, Kaede?" * Katie starts drifting off again, but with the half-whisper, "Thank you." I wouldn't have her being anyone other than Katie Andrews if that's what you mean. That's exactly what I mean. Honestly, you worry too much (Okay, Kaede telling anyone that they worry too much...) * Satoshi raises an eyebrow and actually smiles a bit. "*I* worry too much?" * Kaede blinks. "What?" And you don't worry too much. * Kaede just stares at Satoshi. * Kaede walks off to a corner while he dials home again. "I don't have time for this." It's something to think about, Kaede. * Kaede doesn't respond. Phone y'know. * Satoshi actually looks more amused then offended. * Kaede blinks. He was half not expecting a response "Hello?" * Satoshi goes back to watching over Katie, though he glances up at Kaede every once in a while. * Kaede blinks slightly and looks at the phone quizzically. "...unless this is Akemi, I think I dialed the wrong number." * Kaede blinks again. "Huh? What are you talking about?" What the--who IS this? And what are you doing at my house? * Satoshi looks worriedly up at Kaede. * Katie twitches awake. Akemi, if it really is you, s-stop it... * Kaede sounds real worried as he adds. "I don't have the time to joke around like this..." It's... Look, I called to tell you I won't be able to come home tonight.. * Kaede deadpans. "Or Nanami or whoever picked up the phone...why do you always have to be like that?" * Kaede blinks as he notes the time. "...are you skipping school again?" * Katie lets her eyes close again. Why? We can hire someone who isn't going to school I'm sure. You don't really have to... ( Katie is disappointed at lack of plot ) (Yes, she's secretly going, "Darn! No plot!") (Yeah really. !Katie should just walk in and smother her at this point) ...you went from a photo shoot to work at a bike shop? (But look at where plot got you! ;p) Why? I know but... Why do you care so much, Akemi-san? * Kaede blinks. Twice. "No it's not!" * Katie wakes at that. She stares at Kaede. * Kaede doesn't notice. On the phone. * Satoshi says quietly to Katie, "Akemi." * Kaede starts coughing and half-hunched over, manages to wheeze out a "...WHAT?" * Katie blinks. "Oh." Wait! Quit changing the subject! No! I mean...what? I mean..you're doing it again! * Katie starts to doze off, then wakes herself up, and asks, "I'll talk?" * Kaede looks over at Katie and stares, covering the mouthpiece. "You're sure?" * Kaede then blinks and speaks into the mouthpiece slowly. "...what do you mean 'most'?" * Katie smiles a little. "Can't do it... yourself." She pauses for a moment, then follows with, "Kaede." * Kaede holds the phone away a bit and sticks out his tongue at Katie. "Can too." * Satoshi laughs quietly. Can not. Too. * Katie turns her eyes to Satoshi. "See?" * Satoshi grins. "I see it." See what? * Katie grins slightly before her eyes start to close again. Oh, nothing... * Kaede looks at Satoshi. "What?" Well, you're doing a lot better than I would, really. I'd probably just stammer something incomprehensible. ..What are you talking about? Never mind. She still on the line? * Kaede rolls his eyes and speaks back into the phone. "Look, Akemi... I'm at the hospital. I have to spend the night here. A friend.. A friend of mine... * Kaede blinks. "What does that matter?!? She's in the fucking hospital!" * Kaede realizes that he snapped and quiets down a little. "..sorry." * Satoshi starts. He wasn't expecting Kaede to start yelling. * Katie wakes up, too, but it's not long before she starts dozing off. * Kaede whispers softly in the phone. "We found her...she was almost dead. I swear Akemi..I've never been so scared in my life.." * Kaede frowns and looks over at Katie but still speaking into the phone. He starts pacing a little. "Yeah...but if we hadn't found her today...I really don't know." * Kaede frowns slightly. "...depends on what you mean by 'okay'" * Kaede goes ashen for a bit and answers honestly. "I am." * Satoshi goes back to watching them both. * Kaede stares into the phone. "What's that supposed to mean?" (She can't see you, you know. ;p) (She could if he had the video phone he asked if he had. ^_^) That's completely different! Why do you think that's ignoring you? * Kaede grumbles and turns away with the phone, cupping his hand over it to make it harder to hear. "Just because I like talking to YOU doesn't mean I ignore you....I respect you as a person, Akemi." * Kaede blinks slightly at that. "Remi? She was there?" * Satoshi is polite and doesn't try to listen in. Really. ...Why? I don't think that's... No. It probably is the reason. If she's comparing herself to you...why would she care though? Yeah? So what? Why would that matter? * Kaede blinks slightly, then lets out a long sigh. "No..I think I--" Stops short and speaks curiously into the phone. "Who?" * Kaede opens his mouth, then closes it. "You're not talking about Nanami are you? But...I thought she wanted nothing to do with me...after..." I didn't try to kill her! What do you mean? I asked her for a wrench so I could show her what was going on. That's the best way. Unless you want me to get her kidnapped again. That was always a good way to let her know her brother isn't exactly normal. But what? But that's all true! What am I supposed to do? Lie? * Kaede gets a sheepish look. "Well...what am I supposed to do?" * Kaede looks very ashamed at that and looks at the phone, whispering. "That's easy for you to say. I wish I could avoid it." Akemi? What do you think of me? I mean really. * Katie winces and opens her eyes. She takes in the bright lights yet again before she looks at Kaede, then her eyes settle on Satoshi. * Satoshi looks down at her and says quietly, "Still talking to Akemi." * Kaede hangs his head and slumps against the wall, putting one hand in his pocket and letting out a slow breath. "...don't you think I realize that?" * Katie blinks once. You okay? Who, me? Yeah, I'm fine. Who are you telling me I have no tact? Tact is the whole reason I DON'T stare at your chest you realize... * Satoshi blushes slightly at that remark. I'm not! * Satoshi probably has a few times. Not that he'd admit it. * Kaede sounds it out so suddenly, he's surprised by himself but repeats it again softer. "I'm not.." * Kaede shakes his head and keeps going. "Not at all. If anything, you make me feel at ease." * Katie tries to puzzle something out. "Akemi, right?" Yeah. * Katie thinks about that a little longer, then lets out a small laugh. Or what passes for a laugh when your throat's impossibly dry. No! I mean yes! I mean...you are, but that's...not why I like talking to you. I mean, if that were the only reason, why would I be talking on the phone this long with you?" Want more water? * Katie nods. * Satoshi takes the cup from her, goes off and refills it, then sits down and holds it out for her to take. I'm not talking to anyone else. What makes you think that? * Kaede looks confused. "Like what?" * Katie repeats the same painful process of getting water to her mouth. She's actually less successful this time, collapsing back in the same way, but she doesn't seem to mind too much. And you think it's just because of your chest? * Kaede sighs and measures his words carefully. "I'm saying it isn't the reason you're pleasant to talk to." * Kaede looks up. "I think Katie wanted to talk to you earlier..." * Katie is still awake. One shaking hand is holding an empty cup, and she's studying it. I'm not scared of you, Shiraishi-san. Shall I put you on? * Kaede groans a little and walks over to Katie, holding out the phone. "Here." * Katie reaches up to take the phone, then pulls it and claps it against her ear, almost like a vice. "Akemi?" she asks, her voice the same, hoarse half- whisper she's had for some time. * Kaede paces, arms folded across his chest as she talks. * Katie blinks. "Real, right?" * Katie blinks again. "Akemi." She coughs. "There's... another me." Tried to kill me. Thought... she did. * Katie winces. "Yeah. But..." * Katie forces herself awake. "She's not me." I think. If you see her. * Katie gets a pained look. "Just know?" * Kaede looks over at Katie at that comment. Please. * Katie is on her way to nodding off, and the hand holding the phone goes a bit lax. "Okay." Okay. * Katie actually does nod off at this point, the phone dropping onto the bed. * Kaede blinks and goes over to pick up the phone. "Hello?" (Kaede's been doing a lot of blinking this session. ^^;) (Katie's been waking up! And falling asleep. And waking up! And falling asleep...) (Satoshi's player has been falling asleep. ^^; But he got some good stuff earlier, so I'm happy. Character developoment, maybe! ^_^) ..just what HAVE you been talking to her about? (Perhaps!) (Yeah right.) Look, Akemi... * Kaede takes a deep breath and tries to ignore the comment. "I can't come home tonight. She's not well enough to leave..but..." * Kaede takes another breath and puts his hand in his pocket. "If you want, close the shop. I don't think a day'll hurt it..and besides..." He frowns and looks at Katie. * Katie sleeps. Does the body good. I think she'd like people to visit. I would too. * Kaede closes his eyes and sighs for a bit but gives a faint smile. "If you'd like to think of it that way." * Satoshi seems to have dozed off a bit over Katie's bed. * Kaede closes his eyes. "If I say yes, will you quit teasing me? At least for 5 minutes?" * Kaede lets out a slow breath. "Thank you. Did you listen to her?" * Kaede lets out a sigh. "Just...be careful alright? I don't want anyone else I know being replaced like that." ..may I ask you a question? May I ask you another one then? After this one I mean. * Kaede rubs his head at that. Why do you want me to stare? Really. No it wasn't. My point is...people appreciate you all the time that way. So why does it matter if there's one person who tries to avoid staring out of respect? It doesn't mean I don't appreciate it. But you still haven't told me why you want me to. * Kaede raises an eyebrow. "Do you want him to too? * Kaede sighs and sounds rather disappointed and tired. "You're right. It was a stupid question. Good day, Akemi-san." * Kaede clicks off the phone and rolls his eyes as he puts his hands in his pockets. "Or you have a lot to learn about me, Akemi-san." * Katie stirs a little but - get this - doesn't wake up. * Satoshi is, apparently, out like a light. (Join us in blissful slumber, Kaede.) * Kaede looks at them both and runs his fingers through his hair, shaking his head and sheeshing a little. "How'd I get into this..." He sits down on the floor on the opposite side and closes his eyes. ( So, Katie, what's the best way to look at a girl's chest? :P ) (Mwahaha.) (Cute :P) * Katie twitches again, and her eyes open this time. "You okay?" * Kaede doesn't open his eyes but rests his head back against the side of the bed. "Define 'okay'" * Katie tries to see him and just gets part of the top of his head. "... Okay." * Kaede smiles slightly. "You should be saving your strength. Why you put yourself through such torture just to talk to us is beyond me." You're real. I... * Katie trails off. She doesn't seem to know what to say next. * Kaede loses the smile and closes his eyes tighter, his head drooping a bit. "You're trying to convince yourself that this isn't a dream?" * Katie is silent for a moment, her eyes drifting closed, and she forces them open. "Yes." [Session End]