All That Bloodshed

Chapter 3: and maybe it's the past that's talkin'

"You're looking good," Tatta continued, smiling brightly at Ryouhei. "No longer covered in blood, eh? And you got back! I knew you would."

It was like Ryouhei had gone blind and deaf to anything that wasn't Tatta in that moment. He was no longer aware of his brother's increasingly frantic words and shaking, the only thing he could focus on was the sight of his dead friend. He looked exactly as Ryouhei remembered him looking when he'd carried his limp body out of the maze and buried it.

They'd left his overshirt wrapped around the pulpy mess that his hand had become after Ryouhei had slammed the cargo container door into it enough that Tatta could worm the bracelet off. His shorts were soaked with the blood that he'd sat in while Ryouhei had been off talking with Kyuma. His skin was just as pale and waxy from bleeding out, but it somehow didn't dampen his happy smile. To see Tatta like this — as he'd died at Ryouhei's hand — all the while he was smiling like it had been any other day when they'd still had time on their visas... it caused Ryouhei's heart to clench in his chest.

His mouth formed around the syllables of Tatta's name but no sound escaped him. Tatta just continued smiling gently at him.

"You've been through a lot, huh? I'm not surprised that Chishiya survived. That guy always managed to worm himself out of sticky situations, although two gunshots would be a lot for anyone."

Ryouhei's breath began to speed up as he continued to just stare at Tatta. How was he here? What was he seeing? Had he truly not made it back to the real world? Was this just another layer of the Queen of Hearts game?

"—hei, you need to breathe! Please, what's happening?! Doctor!"

His brother was freaking out, but Ryouhei couldn't move. He was frozen in place under the weight of Tatta's carefree smile. Then he blinked and Tatta was just... gone.

A rush of air flooded his lungs as he practically threw himself away from his brother, crashing into the bars on the other side of the bed and crying out when it hit the bruises on his back.

"Ryouhei!"

He curled inward on himself and just began to cry, ignoring when the room filled with medical personnel that were all trying to get his attention. He faded into unconsciousness pretty quickly after that.

"Man, you sure gave everyone a scare, huh, Arisu?"

Ryouhei stared at the ceiling with dead eyes. His hands weren't held down by the padded cuffs they'd had to stick him in when he freaked out anymore — Hajime said they'd had to tie him down when his freaking out aggravated his injuries, but Ryouhei couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal — but he didn't have much will to move either.

He hadn't said a single word since he'd seen Tatta last. He just couldn't find it in himself to speak anymore either. He hadn't even really responded to the hospital personnel either. He knew that everyone was beginning to get worried by his return to solemn silence, but he couldn't find it in himself to care about that either.

Chishiya hadn't been by again since Ryouhei had seen him that one time, but it had only been a day or two since. He couldn't blame the other man for not being able to visit, but that didn't mean that he didn't still feel a distinct emptiness.

He slowly tilted his head to the side, taking in the figure that was sitting beside his bed. Unlike Tatta, Karube wasn't covered in blood. He was still wearing the same red floral overshirt. He was still wearing the headgear that the Seven of Hearts game had trapped him in.

"What are you doing here?" he rasped softly. His throat didn't hurt as much as it had when he first was able to talk again. Karube sighed, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms over his chest.