…

Yuu becomes aware of the sound of the door, but unlike in the past, he isn't able to fully wake. Rough, careless hands jerk him up from his place against Tsubasa and pull him along. Yuu's feet are dragging. He can't remember when he lost his shoes, or if they took them from him. He misses them, because the concrete floor is very cold and scratchy on his toes. Maybe if he had his shoes back he could make his legs work so they wouldn't drag him.

When Yuu cracks open his eyes, he can see his knees, all knobby and skinny. His legs are wasted away to the bone. Maybe that's why they won't work, they're like twigs.

It's a while after they started moving him that he notices the voices, which all sound hurried and angry and Yuu realizes that maybe they've been going on for a while, which is weird to have not noticed.

There's the sound of destruction in the background, like a beybattle. Wouldn't that be nice? It's been a long time since he saw one.

Yuu moves his head to try and look, but he's so very dizzy and tired that it drops down. Maybe another time.

Whoever is holding onto his arms is not being very gentle, he's certain they will pop them out of their sockets if they get any rougher.

A sudden, smothering wave hits his consciousness and he feels his grip tugged away.

He comes to laying on the ground.

There's a whole lot of rocks nearby. Little pieces, big pieces. So many rocks.

There's noise too, and he doesn't like it.

He wants to sleep. So he drifts away, only to have something disturb him moments later.

"Yuu?!"

Yuu wants to be left alone. There's touching, and touching is scary. Yuu tries to kick it and wiggle away, but that's a lot of effort so it probably doesn't work.

There's touching and movement- like he's being carried. Yeah. It didn't work.

…

When Yuu wakes up again, his thoughts are clearer than they have been in a long time. He's also warm and covered in something soft, though he can feel things that aren't normal.

He blinks his eyes open, and in the bottom of his vision is something clear and plastic looking covering his face. In trying to move an arm, Yuu feels weakness in his muscles and something irritating the inside of his elbow, so he moves his other arm instead and feels the plastic thing. Oh, it's that air mask thingy from TV. That's why his throat feels dry.

Yuu leans up a bit to look around, and he realizes that the room looks like a mini doctor's office, only with a blue curtain instead of a door. When he shifts a little he feels different fabric than what he's used to. It's a weird gown thing, like…

He's in a hospital.

How'd he end up here? The last thing he remembers is being in that cell with Tsubasa. Did someone come to help him finally? Oh! And did they get Tsubasa? Is Tsubasa ok?

Where is everyone? Anyone actually. Yuu isn't sure what's going on and that's a little scary.

Or! Oh no, what if the bad guys still have them, they just noticed they were dying and-

Yuu was dying. The realization is cold in his clear head. He had been dying. He couldn't even move at one point, just… helpless. So defenseless, anyone could have done anything to him and that was so scary. Would he have even noticed?

A man suddenly walks in and Yuu jumps, automatically sinking away from the stranger. He's moving too fast for Yuu's comfort and Yuu quickly tries to think of how to get away, he has to hide before he gets hurt again.

"Whoa, wait wait, kid! Ah- Tendo? Yuu!" Yuu doesn't stop trying to scramble to the floor even though the man calls him. If he can get under the bed, maybe the man won't reach him. The different wires and such connected to him tug and he's afraid they'll keep him from getting away.

The man is rushing over to the other side, so Yuu yanks out the needle in his arm, even though it stings, and pushes the mask over his head before diving and squirming under.

"Yuu Tendo, please come out! It's okay, you're at the hospital, you're safe. Please, you are still recovering."

He can't trust him. There's no doubt that he can't. If Yuu can, he needs to get out and… and find Gingka. Gingka will keep him safe from the terrible people, he's sure. And they can get Tsubasa too if he's still alive. It'll be okay. He just needs to run. Behind the curtain was a mystery, probably more people, so Yuu should move fast. First he has to get away from this guy.

Quietly, he creeps closer to the end of the cot, then drags himself out on his forearms and kicks to his feet, ignoring the shouts the man makes as he hits the fabric and pulls it over his head. There are more people, and seeing them pumps more terror into him and Yuu runs. There's chaos, people are chasing him, then when he hits the stairs his legs shake and lose their strength.

Horror fills him as he tumbles over a few, then watches,dreading, as they come at him. Yuu's going to die, they'll hurt him, it'll hurt so bad. He covers his face and folds down. They pick him up, holding onto him tightly, and walk, and Yuu can hear them talking about sedation and trauma, but no one is yelling at him or beating him yet, so it isn't so bad so far. He won't move though.

Yuu jumps when large hands grab and pull out his upper leg, then something stabs his thigh. Weight fills his body and makes him sluggish and tired in only a few minutes. What was that called? Tranquilizer? Sedater? He can't do anything now. Whining his despair softly, Yuu gives into the drug's effects. Gingka won't know where he is, Yuu won't be saved after all. He failed.

…

When he wakes up again, he's in a different room, but it still looks like it's in the hospital. His thoughts are acting funny, but Yuu doesn't feel scared, so maybe that's a good thing- and hey, the room has a window. It looks like he's on the third floor, or just some high floor. Yuu can't really tell. But he can see the city and… his chest aches.

Yuu wants to go home. He wants to stop being so scared, and hurt, and he doesn't want to be in danger anymore. He'd try escaping again, but… he might be punished for it, and besides, Yuu isn't sure that his legs will hold him. Last time they didn't, and he feels really shaky still. So far, things are better than they were before. He isn't in a cell, he's in a bed at a hospital to get better, and there are lots of people here. Surely not all of them are bad? Some might be nice, they might even help him.

Being able to think calmly is nice, though Yuu doesn't like how slow and distracted his thoughts are. It's too similar to how they were while he was starving.

A thought occurs to him and he lifts the low collar of his gown to check his chest. His tummy is really flat. It looks like the skin on his ribs has sunken in, and he can see them well like people say you can when you're actually starving to death.

Tsubasa mentioned that once.

He'd been tired of Yuu's complaining, which Yuu did a lot because Tsubasa had a ton of patience and Yuu always liked to see if he could get him mad. It had only happened twice for as long as he'd known Tsubasa. But that time Tsubasa was only a little annoyed. Yuu was also very hungry. Smarty-pants Tsubasa had told him that he wasn't actually dying of hunger like he'd said, because people could go a really long time without food.

Yuu had done that now. He seemed so silly back then; it hadn't been important for him to eat then, it was important that he eat now. Now that he'd not eaten anything in… in… well, a long horrible time. Yuu didn't like thinking about it. Tsubasa had been right about not that be the last time?

His heart sinks. Tsubasa got hurt badly. He hadn't been acting like himself and, maybe he'd never be normal again? No more talking, no more taking care of his hair, or anything that got on his face- like the blood. If he couldn't even clean his face, what else couldn't he do? Yuu hugs his knees. Yuu'd have to take care of him. He feels so lonely from the thought, and from only having himself here. He wants his friends.

The door opens, and this time Yuu doesn't run- though he does squish away from the intruder. There's a different person this time, a lady with long black hair. She's moving much more carefully than that other man had been, so maybe she's kind. Maybe.

She sits down in a rolley chair with no back a couple feet away. "Hello, my name is Dr. Amano. What's your name?"

She should know his name. That other guy knew it, it's on his chart thingy right? Maybe she's just being polite. Yuu appreciates that, and that she told him her name too. That didn't happen with any of… well. "Yuu Tendo," he tells her quietly. His voice grates on his vocal cords, he hasn't talked much after all.

She smiles encouragingly at him. "Yuu? Thank you, Yuu. You are at Hashira Hospital. How are you feeling?"

So he was right about it being a hospital. "Where's Tsubasa?" he asks instead.

"Tsubasa? Tsubasa Ootori?" he nods. She tells him, "Tsubasa is here too. He's in another room, they're trying to help his head heal right now."

"Will he be okay?"

She doesn't seem as sure about that, but she says 'they' are doing the best they can. Yuu doesn't like not knowing who's with him, and his concern only worsens for the news. Hospitals are for serious injuries. If they can't help Tsubasa, he doesn't know what he'll do.

Yuu wonders if she'll answer honestly if he asks something else that he's been worried over. "Th- the… bad people… did they take us here?" he finally says.

Her face gets sad. "No. The police found you. You were taken here in an ambulance. They, the bad people, they won't be able to get to you anymore, you're safe."

Yuu nods, but some doubt lingers in his mind. The Dark Nebula had been powerful enough to control a lot of things they shouldn't have been able to. While those people weren't Dark Nebula- at least, as far as Yuu could tell- he knew that they might still have power like them. This lady seems nice though, so even if they got involved, she might help him.

She asks him how he's feeling again. "sleepy," he admits. "There's still pain too. M-my wrist won't turn very good." He falls silent as a shivery feeling crawls up his throat from his chest, and he suddenly wants to curl up and not look at the doctor. Yuu's face is hot.

"You're sleepy from the medicine we gave you so you don't feel too scared. We'll try and fix your arm and the rest of the pain, okay Yuu?" she tells him. He nods, looking at the floor. He'd like to be alone, but she's the only safe person he knows of. How will he get her to come back if she leaves? And, and they might send in someone else next who could be bad. Yuu doesn't know what to do next. Then the doctor gets up and walks out, and he isn't sure if he should stop her. It's too late now though.

Remind me never to decide writing a child again.

So yeah, sudden setting shift. I considered making the great escape more detailed, but Yuu didn't really seem up to it. Speaking of Yuu, look at that trauma.

Ah, yes, next order of business. Thank you all beloved readers. All. I read and enjoy and re-read all the reviews. Including the guests. And I adore the long reviews. So don't apologize for those. And I love the short ones as well, so don't feel bad if you cannot give me an in-depth review. I love all.

You guys are fantastic.