He cringed slightly as the needle slid into the vein at his elbow. Even after having to fight through pain a dozen times worse, even after spending more than a month literally flat on his back, eating through the IV, he still had an elemental horror of the things that stubbornly refused to even explain itself to the more rational parts of his mind.
"Do you... know what happened to Alyssa?" the doctor asked, after she had let the amused smile - originally a reaction to his uncharacteristic childishness, and by now a part of their ritual interaction - drop away from the worry underneath.
Yuuichi shrugged, mostly with the right shoulder so as to avoid disturbing the needle at all. "Not really. I haven't seen her... I suspect the higher-ups tried to... tie off their loose ends, after Artemis died, but Miyu had access to every source I could give her, and she said something about arranging a safehouse, which I don't think she meant to use against Akira's clan."
"Thank you... and...?" her lips were drawn, and whatever was pulling the color from her face kept her from even fully voicing the question.
He grinned and gave her the best reassurance he could. "Quite well, and deadly as hell. I really expected to die..."
The doctor relaxed, mostly, and nodded as she pulled out a syringe and checked it for bubbles. "Not today. How do you feel?"
He thought for a moment, carefully ignoring the persistent sting on one arm. "...I ache. My eyes are scratching and burning, and every joint grates."
She sighed, quietly, "Quite possibly you always will."
He smiled. "Then we will pay the price, but we will not count the cost."
Meh. This isn't much, but it's enough for a decent shot at getting back in the swing of things.
Ja, -n
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"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"