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Full Circle	By : drunkenmuses Category: +S to Z > s-CRY-ed/Scryed Views: 6023 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own s-CRY-ed, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Slip
- 2-Interrupt
- 3-Denial
- 4-Help
- 5-Presence
- 6-Friend
- 7-Return
- 8-Awake
- 9-Defiance
- 3
- 4
- 5
Title: Full Circle

Author: Drunken Muses (Battlejoy and Brightdreamer)

Genre: Romance/Angst/AU

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Some secrets have a way of coming back to haunt those who keep them. Memories are shared willingly and unwillingly, with drastic consequences. Ryuhou/Kazuma, Kazuma/Shiirice, Ryuhou/Shiirice, and (eventually) Kazuma/Shiirice/Ryuhou.

Disclaimer: We don't own s-CRY-ed. Wish we did. Have no money, don't sue us!

Chapter 4: Help

Ryuhou awoke early the next morning, clawing his way out of the cobwebs of sleep with difficulty. The air in the tent felt too thick to breathe, and he sat up with a gasp, trying to shake off the drowning sensation. He dropped his head into his hands as the room spun around him. It's okay, I just sat up too fast... I'm okay, I'm okay... Kazuma stirred and murmured next to him, and Ryuhou tried to calm his breathing. Moving slowly, he gathered up his clothes and dressed as quietly as he could. Nausea welled up in his throat and he swallowed hard, refusing to acknowledge it. I'm okay, I just need some fresh air. After tugging on his boots, Ryuhou ducked hurriedly out of the tent, squinting in the early morning sun.

Stumbling a few steps away, Ryuhou took deep breaths of the cool air, trying to settle his churning stomach. I'm okay, I'm okay... the words became a mantra. Dizziness assaulted him again, and he dropped to his knees, bracing his hands against a large rock. I'm okay, I'm okay... Closing his eyes, he willed his body to cooperate, not to do this again. I'm okay, I'm oka�ohgod... the chant was abruptly cut off as Ryuhou's stomach overruled his mind and forcefully ejected its contents.

Kazuma awoke with a start, the all-too-familiar sounds of painful retching jarring him out of a deep sleep. He rubbed his head with a sigh, already sitting up and searching for his clothes. Dammit, Ryuhou... He dressed quickly, pushing out of the tent as he tugged on his shirt. Finding his sick companion quickly, he crouched beside him and held his hair back out of the way. "Geez," he murmured as Ryuhou heaved again. It was getting bad and worry that something was really wrong was starting to gnaw at Kazuma. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. "You're starting to do this every morning. Please tell me you aren't pregnant," he joked, hoping to ease his mind as well as Ryuhou's.

Ryuhou looked up with a dull glare. "Fuck you, Kazuma."

Kazuma tried to hide his worry with a smirk. "No, we tried that last night, remember? Didn't seem to do much good... aw, man..." He let the smile fade, as Ryuhou had turned his attention back to the pressing task of throwing up what seemed like everything he'd eaten the past week.

After what felt like hours to Ryuhou, his stomach finally stopped trying to turn itself inside out. He slumped back into the waiting arms of Kazuma, clinging to the man for stability. Through the roaring in his ears, he barely made out the words "doctor" "now" "argue," but he couldn't seem to form a reply. He wanted to reassure his friend that he was all right, that he'd be fine, but unconsciousness was already covering him like a lead blanket.

Kazuma tried desperately not to panic as Ryuhou passed out in his arms. "Dammit, not again..." He gathered the other man up and headed back to the tent, feeling a pang of worry as he noticed how light Ryuhou felt. Laying him down on the bedding, he covered Ryuhou's shivering form with a blanket, and sat uneasily next to him. If there were more room in the tent, he'd be pacing right now. Reaching out, Kazuma brushed Ryuhou's hair out of his eyes, feeling for a fever in the process. As he'd expected, the man felt dangerously warm, even though he was still shaking as if he'd been plunged into ice water. Biting his lower lip, Kazuma felt guilt sweep over him again. Why had he listened to Ryuhou last night? He should have known the other was still sick. It had been so long since they'd... but that was no excuse. He should have been stronger.

Ryuhou lips twitched and mouthed words and moaned in pain before trailing off, his eyes opening to stare sightless off in the distance. Kazuma bent over him trying to hear, and smiled, hoping that he was waking up. "Hey, you feeling better?"

The older Alter user continued to stare past Kazuma, his eyes glazed. "...free now..." he mumbled.

Kazuma's brow furrowed. "What?"

Ryuhou didn't respond, but continued to mindlessly repeat a dialogue only audible to him. "I'm... free?" His slurred words were becoming more clear. "Yes... do... what you want... ohh..." he trailed off in a moan, his eyes slipping closed again.

The talk didn't make much sense. The fever must be making him delirious, Kazuma thought fearfully. That must mean something is really wrong... Cursing himself for waiting so long, he gathered Ryuhou up in his arms and rushed him out to the car. It didn't matter that the man probably wasn't well enough to travel; he had to get him to a doctor, and soon.

"I... want to... follow... sir... my name's... Ryuh-" Ryuhou moaned as Kazuma settled him in the seat. As gently as he could, Kazuma tucked a blanket around Ryuhou and strapped him in, leaning the seat back as far as it would go. He hurriedly gathered up the tent, throwing it in a jumble in the back. Taking a deep breath to calm his pounding heart, he started the car and took off toward the town. There had to be someone there who could help.

With every bump and pothole the car hit, Kazuma would wince and glance over at his companion. Ryuhou looked deathly pale, and the moans and scattered, incoherent phrases were coming more frequently. "Please, Ryuhou... come with me..." Kazuma could only catch bits and phrases as they seemed to get more muffled. What confused him the most is why Ryuhou would moan out his own name in his fevered dreams? Clenching his teeth, Kazuma pressed his foot down on the accelerator. He would never forgive himself if he'd waited too long to get help.

Nurse Sakimoto had 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 23 seconds left on her shift. If they thought she was going to spend one more minute over, she would personally shove her stethoscope so far up their ass you could to take an accurate reading of their heartbeat. She had already pulled over 9 hours of overtime this week and it was only Thursday. As if it wasn't already so bad since all these damned Alters started going haywire without HOLY to police them, it was 2 days from the full moon.

Kazuma sighed in relief as he saw the hazy silhouette of the town come into view over the hills. Just a few more miles to go. "Hang on, we're almost there," he murmured, instinctively reaching over to touch Ryuhou's arm. The other man shifted and groaned, and Kazuma pressed on the accelerator again.

It was at that very moment that the jeep's engine decided that this fast driving over rocky ground was not what it felt like doing right now.

With a coughing sigh and sputter, the engine died, and the jeep ground to a shuddering halt. "SHIT!" Kazuma pounded on the wheel, desperately turning the key over and over. "Come on, come on..." The only response was a clicking wheeze from under the hood. In a panic, Kazuma looked over at Ryuhou, then at the town, then back at the other man. He could carry him, he supposed, but... that would take too long without his Alter. And he didn't think carrying Ryuhou with his armor on would be comfortable at all. He clutched at his head, cursing again.

Another low moan from Ryuhou made his decision easy. Gently but hurriedly, he unstrapped his companion and dragged him to the shade of a nearby tree. He laid him on his side and covered him with the blanket, frowning as Ryuhou mumbled incoherently again. "Don't worry, I'll be back... I'll get help." Taking a deep breath, Kazuma gathered his strength and formed his final Alter armor over his body. With a lash of the whip-like tentacle on his back, he was off at super-human speed toward the settlement.

Nurse Sakimoto was counting down the seconds until she was off. A nice hot bath and a good book would do her some good. To her utter dismay, the front door slammed open and another one of those damned Alter users rushed in.

Panting heavily, Kazuma let his armor dissolve as he looked around for someone... anyone... who might be able to help. Spotting the nurse at the desk, he rushed over and nearly dove across the counter to get her attention. "Need... help... he's sick..."

Alter users were dangerous, so Sakimoto took a deep breath and tried her hardest to sound like she gave a damn. "Sir, who is sick? How can we help you?" She also tried to throw in a strained smile; unfortunately all the guy was getting was a grimace.

Kazuma banged his fist on the desk, restraining himself with difficulty. "Ryuhou! He's sick, he needs help... please!"

"Who is this 'Ryuhou' person and where is he?" Nurse Sakimoto prayed that Ryuhou wasn't a made-up imaginary friend of this nut-job. She gripped her pencil hard enough that she could hear the slight crack of her thumb bending it. She could already feel the migraine coming.

Kazuma clenched his teeth. "He's my... um... friend. I had to leave him... would you just come on!?" Reaching out, he grabbed her arm, gripping her firmly by the elbow, and started to forcibly drag her from behind the desk.

Sakimoto's bored eyes flew open. "Get your hands off me! Guards! GUARDS!" she screamed pushing the alert button with her other arm. Two uniformed security guards came running, their hands already on their pistols.

Immediately, Kazuma released her arm and dropped into a defensive crouch, his fingers curling in preparation to form his Alter. "Dammit, I just need help!" He felt tears of frustration start to form in his eyes. "He's gonna die..."

Doctor Mimori Kiryu checked the chart on the Yuki-boy. They would need to up his medication but other than that he was doing fine. Putting a little note for the nurses to up keep an eye on his fluids, Mimori went back to making her rounds. Suddenly, she was shoved aside by a guard running down the hallway. "What the..." She then heard yelling, from a voice she remembered after a couple seconds. "Kazuma?" Dropping her chart, Mimori ran to the front entrance. If Kazuma was here, then maybe Ryuhou...

She gasped as she burst through the clinic's double doors. Kazuma was standing ready for attack, a green glow already forming over his right arm. "I'll beat all your heads in if that's what it takes to get help!" he yelled, pulling his fist back.

"Kazuma!" Mimori shrieked, pushing past the guards.

Her voice startled the young Alter user, and he dropped his arm to look at her. "Oh... you!"

"Wait!" Mimori waved her arms to get the guards' attention. "Everyone stand down. I know this man!"

In the ensuing pause, Kazuma dove forward with Alter-enhanced speed and caught Mimori by the arm. Beginning to drag her toward the door, he ground out, "Ryuhou... help..."

Mimori decided that resistance would only upset Kazuma more, so she waved off the guards and allowed herself to be led by distraught boy toward the door. "What is it, Kazuma? What's wrong with Ryuhou?"

Taking a deep breath, Kazuma tried to calm down. At least now he had someone who would listen. "He's sick... had to leave him... come on!"

Mimori was able to blink for a second before snapping to attention. "Where is he? Orderlies!" she turned to bark for the attendance. "I need a stretcher and an ambulance."

Kazuma felt his fists clench and unclench repeatedly as he watched the preparations. They weren't moving fast enough! Unable to stay still, he paced back and forth restlessly until he felt a soft hand come to rest on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Mimori's concerned and smiling face. "It's going to be all right, Kazuma. We're going to help."

Mimori checked the charts and looked back to her patient. Since they admitted Ryuhou, they had fed him intravenously, so he looked much better. The glassy, waxy look to his eyes and skin was gone, but he still was far from healthy. She didn't relish having to give the two men the news she had. "Ryuhou, I'm still waiting for the last tests to come in but besides your obvious malnutrition, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you," she grimaced.

Kazuma jumped to his feet, anger evident in his eye. "What do you mean there's nothing wrong? He's sick!" he yelled. "And he's been puking up everything he's eaten for the last few weeks, of course he's malnourished! I could have told you that!!" He took a step forward, his tone accusing. "So, what are you saying? You can't do anything?" His emotions were already stretched and now this woman had to come in and have this to tell them?

"Kazuma," Ryuhou groaned, embarrassed. Did Kazuma have to make everything a melodrama?

Kazuma clenched his fists, ignoring Ryuhou for the moment. "I thought you were supposed to be a doctor. I thought you were supposed to help." He could feel his Alter pressing on him; he wanted to hit something.

Weakly, Ryuhou reached out his hand and brushed it over the back of Kazuma's tight fist. "Kazuma..." he repeated, softly. At the touch, Kazuma relaxed slightly, and sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh. He looked up suspiciously at Mimori, but she was staring intently at her clipboard and had apparently missed the quick moment of contact.

"Look. I said that according to our preliminary tests, there is nothing wrong. It's obvious that something is the matter but Alter users are still a new thing for normal medical community." Mimori tried to calm him. "However, there is another option for you." She looked up and past Kazuma to Ryuhou. "Ryuhou, you remember Tachibana, right?"

Ryuhou looked up at her curiously. "Yes..."

"Well since HOLY is gone, he's found a new calling. There's a lot of Alter users who are finding their limits and he can help. He's also been training the healing aspect of his Alter." Mimori gave a sad smile. She wished she could do so much more for Ryuhou, but it was out of her control. "I can bring him here after my shift's end in an hour or so, so lay back and rest." Walking over to the bed, Mimori placed her hand on Ryuhou's shoulder. She didn't notice the dirty glare sent her way by Kazuma. "Don't worry, Ryuhou. I'll get you well." She gave him a reassuring smile, then adjusted the head of the bed to recline back a bit more. "Now, try to get some sleep. I'll be back in a few hours. Buzz the nurse if you need anything." After squeezing his arm one last time, she turned and left the room.

Kazuma glared at the door after her. "She'll get you well... huh, she doesn't even know what's wrong."

Reaching out, Ryuhou rubbed gently at Kazuma's thigh. "Don't be so hard on her. She's trying... her best..." he trailed off tiredly. Kazuma sighed and looked at him with concern, twining his fingers with Ryuhou's. He wasn't angry at Mimori, really, but he had to have something toward which to direct his frustration. Ryuhou gave him a weak smile. "Hey... don't look so down, it's going to be... all right."

Kazuma snorted. "Great. Now you're the optimist. That makes everything sound okay."

"Hm, maybe." Ryuhou squeezed his hand lightly. "But you... should probably try to get some rest too. You haven't slept... since you brought me here." Even speaking that much sounded like an effort for him.

Kazuma shook his head. "Nah, I'm okay. You rest, though. I'll be here."

Blinking sleepily, Ryuhou looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't fight against unconsciousness any longer. His hand slowly relaxed in Kazuma's grip as he drifted off again.

Kazuma sighed, running his thumb lightly across Ryuhou's knuckles. Somehow, he'd thought that everything would be all right once he got him to the hospital. But it had been nothing but one long, frustrating wait ever since they'd arrived yesterday. At least they'd been able to bring Ryuhou's fever down, mostly breaking him out of his delirious state. Yet, his moments of lucidity only punctuated long periods of fretful unconsciousness. And there wasn't anything more the doctors could do? He studied his companion: his pale lips parted as he slept, his long green hair tangled and stuck with sweat against the pillows, the frailty of his body beneath the thin hospital gown. Kazuma felt a sickening fear deep within him, a fear that had been growing steadily in the recent weeks.

Restlessly, Kazuma let go of Ryuhou's hand to stand and begin pacing around the cramped hospital room. Instinctively, his left hand came up to grip his right arm as he prowled, clenching against the pain and numbness from his Alter use the day before. Ten steps... turn... ten steps... turn... he looked at the clock, and only a few minutes had crawled by. This waiting was wearing on him.

Cursing softly, Kazuma stopped and leaned against the wall. He hated this. He hated feeling so helpless. He couldn't stand the thought of losing someone else. Kimishima, Ayase... and Shiirice... all had died without him able to do a damn thing to save them. Now his... friend was lying ill in a hospital bed, and he couldn't do anything.

Feeling suddenly weak, Kazuma slid down to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest. His vision blurred with sudden, unshed tears. He blinked rapidly and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. His thoughts kept returning to those he'd lost, and his feelings afterward. Kimishima and Ayase�he'd shed his tears for them, and avenged their senseless deaths. But Shiirice�he'd never really had the chance to mourn for her, and there was nothing to avenge in her sacrifice. Even as he'd told Ryuhou to grieve, he had been unable to do so himself. Yet, she'd been his first�why had he never cried for her? Would it be the same if Ryuhou...?

Kazuma felt a few hot tears spill over his face, and he swiped at them angrily. There was no point in thinking like that. But the tears wouldn't stop. He buried his face in his arms, a muffled sob escaping his clenched teeth. Ryuhou was going to be fine. Why was he crying? It wasn't like he was in love with the guy or anything.

Shiirice's angelic face flashed across his mind's eye, and he choked on another sob. Why was he thinking of her now? Ryuhou was the one dyin�sick. Emotionally and physically exhausted, Kazuma finally gave in, allowing the pent-up waves of sorrow to sweep over him. Huddled on the floor, he tried to stay as quiet as possible as he wept, not wanting intruders on his grief.

He wasn't sure exactly when he fell asleep, but after what only seemed like a moment, he was being gently shaken awake by small hands. Raising his head, he was greeted by a familiar, smiling face. She looks... older, Kazuma thought blearily. "Kanami?"

"Kazu-ku... Kazuma," she said in a concerned tone. "Are you all right? You look terrible."

Kazuma blinked and rubbed at his good eye, attempting to cover any evidence of his recent breakdown. "Yeah, I'm fine." He pushed to his feet, stretching muscles that had become stiff and numb from sitting on the cold floor. "What're you doing here?"

"I felt you here�both of you," the young girl replied cryptically. "I knew something was wrong. You were so upset, and Ryuhou..."

Kazuma cut her off with a wave of his hand, walking over to the bed. "Huh, your Alter must be screwed up. Why would I be upset that this jerk's sick? I'm just mad he's not well enough to give me a good fight." Despite his words, Kazuma had to stuff his hands in his pockets to keep from touching Ryuhou's arm as he stood by his bedside.

You don't have to pretend for me, Kazu-kun, Kanami thought with a rueful smile. But she wisely kept her thoughts to herself as she moved to stand next to Kazuma. "Do they know what...?" she began to ask.

Kazuma sighed in annoyance. "No, and it's starting to piss me off. These damn doctors have no idea what the hell they're doing."

Kanami nodded, reaching out to touch Ryuhou's hand. "Maybe I can help."

Kazuma shrugged, trying in vain to keep the hopeful expression off his face. "Sure, if you think you can."

Kanami's small eyes screwed shut as she concentrated, her Alter power allowing her to slip into Ryuhou's mind. People were strange creatures, she'd always felt. Knowing and feeling things, they burdened themselves by keeping them buried and locked behind walls. It made her Alter move like she was in honey, fighting through the mental blocks. Maybe that's why she enjoyed the presence of people like Kazuma, who always had their hearts on their sleeve and let their emotions flow like tears.

She went past the irrelevancies that most people let cloud their vision, like whether Kazuma remembered to gas the jeep or how they were going to pay for the hospital stay, to the layers underneath. She didn't have to go far to notice that something was very wrong. "You feel... crowded?" The last statement finished with a lift in her voice as she tried to get her mind around how a psyche could feel that way. Even those people that had different aspects of themselves were merely fragments of the same person. This mind had healed, bulbous and bulging as if straining to hold something within itself.

Confusing emotions swirled in and through her, connected by her Alter to the man in front of her. Some were obviously his... frustration, illness, despair... but there was another layer of feeling below it all... confinement, fear, confusion. Kanami focused on this lower level, and was suddenly overwhelmed. Panicked gestures didn't stop her choking descent as the emotions clung and wrapped around her, forcing her to watch past the unspoken thoughts and urges. She hated going down this deep, she wanted to swim out.

Kazuma watched a myriad of expressions swirl across Kanami's face. He couldn't be sure, but she looked like she was in pain. "Kanami?" He reached out to try to disengage her hand from Ryuhou's, but was repelled by a sharp, almost electric shock from the Alter glow surrounding her. "Kanami! Let go!"

The young girl couldn't hear him, lost in the confusing swirl of Ryuhou's jumbled memories and emotions. She was torn between the desire to help, to find out what was wrong, and the need to escape before she drowned. Nearly exhausted already, Kanami pushed past the last layer of Ryuhou's veil. This one was decidedly thick and tasted of difficulty in expressing relationships, and she hoped she'd see his inner core after. What she saw for a brief glimpse was someone besides just Ryuhou was there; then the deluge hit her as the floodgates opened. The spiraling, twisting memories and emotions she'd felt before were nothing compared to this. Confused and lost, she flailed in the dark sea of memory, unable to comprehend what she was seeing and feeling.

Kanami's eyes opened wide for a brief moment, her mouth moving as though she wanted to speak. Only a brief, pained shriek emerged, before her Alter glow faded and she slumped bonelessly against Kazuma. He caught her immediately, lowering her gently to the floor and cradling her in his arms. "Kanami? Kanami!" He called out in a panic, then looked up toward the door. "Help! Someone, I need help!" he yelled.

To Be Continued...
- 3
- 4
- 5
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