Disclaimer: I own none of the characters except the nurses/doctors.

Well, it's been longer then I thought. I spent most of the summer trying to piece this together bit by bit. .Writer's Craft has given me back my ability to write.

Sadly this story is coming to an end soon, BUT! I have planned….Kai/Rei moment for the next chapter.

Sorry to all those who waited so patiently. I know the pains of waiting for chapters. I meant to update this a couple of days ago, but my internet died and was out for the past three days. I had to buy a whole new box. Urgh

As the impact of Selene's death slowly started to calm down, life around the floor had begun to resolve back to the atmosphere it used to be. The nurses were as busy as they had been before and the patients went through their routines as new ones entered and healthier ones left. On another level above, Dr. Conway sat in his office signing and documenting papers as they had been sitting in his in-tray for the past few days.

If there was one thing that Dr. Conway didn't enjoy it was the notices and papers that came into his hands. He'd rather be spending his time with his patients interacting with them, seeing them at their best, instead of writing and following procedures of their process. Signing his name, he placed the document in completion tray and leaned back into the leather cushioned chair. Raising a hand to rest on the armrest he tapped the top of his pen against his temple in contemplation. Chair swerving slightly he soon lost himself in thought.

Meetings, mortgage, family, and patients passed through Dr. Conway's mind. Life wasn't as easy as he used to remember it. Not that it was a bad thing; certainly not with his wife and his twin boys. Not with his patients. He lived to help his patients feeling it as his obligation to help them. Surely it was stressful at times, but he couldn't handle leaving one to struggle.

Kai was one of those patients.

Kai was certainly an interesting patient. He had heard the other doctors talk about the young Hiwatari. Most of it consisted of complaints, but the man was a curmudgeon. Life was a complaint itself.

Dr. Conway had managed to talk to Mr. Dickenson into allowing him another patient and with luck he had gotten Kai. Someone he wanted to help, but it seemed someone had already beaten him to it. He was grateful to this person. The one was bringing the best out of Kai, and the friendship that had been created between each other was something that wasn't going to fall apart so easily.

He had seen the way Rei had managed to get Kai to open up. Something that Kai needed.

Dr. Conway had ideas on how to proceed with this. He knew that a breakthrough was coming with Kai's development. The teen was in a recovery stage now having gone through trauma and suffering. He just needed to make a few phone calls.

Actually now that he thought about it, now was a perfect time. Anything to get him away from paperwork. Sitting up straight, he reached for the phone and pressed a speed dial.

Hopefully this would work out for the better.

"Okay how about this one?"

"No."

"Really? Okay what about this one?"

"No."

"Oh come on, I've gone through most of these cards" Rei pouted in-between a desperate laugh. Closing his eyes for a moment he opened them and picked up the next card.

"It has to be this one."

"No" Kai replied, amusement lingering slightly in his voice. Rei huffed and leaned back against the chair crossing his arms across his chest.

"Fine. I give up. What card was it?" Rei asked childishly. Kai's lips turned up in a small smile.

"Three of spades." Rei looked at the pile and reached for the next card ready to find the hair ripping card. Flipping the thin card over his eyes rolled dramatically and he lifted his hands up.

"Of course it had to be next, especially when we ended the game" Rei grumbled, unable to keep the pout off his face for long. Looking over at Kai a smile spread over his face causing Kai to smile a bit deeper.

'That smile again. I can't help being happy whenever I see him smiling. It…reminds me of being happy….with my mother and father. For some reason I want him to stay happy too. When he's happy I feel better, being trapped in here seems… bearable.'

Kai snapped out of his thoughts to see Rei picking up the cards that were carelessly flung upon the table. Reaching over he began to collect the ones that had landed closer to him, his hand brushing against Rei's every few bits of movement. He tried to ignore the warm sensation that ran up his arm, worried that it might be another problem that the doctors had failed to mention to him.

Rotating the cards so that they lined up equally, Kai held them out to Rei, who graciously accepted them. The dark-haired one thanked him and put the cards back into their box and then back into his bag that was seated on the floor. Straightening up he glanced over at Kai, golden eyes caught garnet and they both were silent for a few moments comfortable with the atmosphere around them.

The movement of something caught Rei's eyes and he broke the eye contact. Turning his head to the left he noticed that there were two people outside of Kai's room. He could only hear the mumbles of their conversation. He could see that one of the orderlies had unsually red hair that was angled just as awkwardly.

'Wings' Rei thought absently remembering the man from back when Kai had the encounter with Tyson. The other person appeared to be an older woman, dressed professionally, with a doctor's coat. She seemed to be relaying something to the man who nodded a few times.

"What's going on?" came Kai's voice, losing its calmness and taking on a more precautious stance.

"I don't know" Rei mumbled trying hard to hear them. The red-haired man nodded and turned around to face the door. Rei heard the locks in the door twist and unlock as the door opened allowing the young man to walk in. The door closed behind him heavily and his cyan eyes landed where Rei and Kai sat. A slight smile twitched at the corner of his lips as he moved closer to the table.

"Hey. Sorry for intruding, but I guess I'm supposed to tell Rei that Dr. Conway would like to see him immediately" the man reported, a little unsettled it seemed. Rei's brow creased confused.

"Is everything okay?" Rei asked unsure what was being asked. The man shrugged.

"I don't know. I was only told to tell you to go to his office. If leaving is such trouble, I'll stay here with Kai while you're gone" he said, answering Rei. The younger man looked over at Kai who seemed to regard him with caution.

"O-okay. I guess I better go see what's wrong. Are you sure everything will be okay here?" Rei asked a little nervous at leaving Kai with someone else. A nod confirmed it.

"I won't be long, Kai. I'll just go see what Dr. Conway wants and then I'll be back" Rei said facing Kai. The pale face turned towards Rei and stared at him for a moment before nodding hesitantly. Rei nodded to the man and walked away from the table and to the door, throwing Kai a last look before opening and exiting.

Kai stared at the door, wishing that Rei would return in an instant. His eye's moved over to the other man occupying the room. They were both silent as they stared at each other.

A minute of silence was finally broken.

"Are you okay?" No response only a look from Kai. The man laughed slightly.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you feel uncomfortable. I remember feeling the same way when I was here" he started out, hoping to gain some familiarity with Kai. The look in Kai's eyes changed a bit allowing the man to continue.

"I'm Tala by the way. I actually used to be a patient here, in this room too if you can believe it" Tala said, catching Kai's attention. "Can I sit?" Tala asked and receiving a nod from Kai, took a seat across from him.

"Why were you here?" The younger of the two asked bluntly. Tala smiled a small smile and looked down at the table for a moment shifting a pencil between his long pale fingers.

"I don't remember a lot of why, but I remember not being happy. I thought everything was against me. I took it upon my self a lot of the times. I was suicidal a couple of times. After a year and a bit in here, I realized that I wasn't the only one life hated" Tala said calmly not meeting Kai's eyes. The blue haired man studied the red-haired one in front of him. He didn't seem to see what was going on. Eyes moving downward Kai's hand slowly reached forward and went for the pencil that rested under the tips of Tala's fingers. Grasping it he slowly dragged it along the table picking it up gently, the entire time, wild blue eyes where trained on his movements curiously.

"Did you do it more than once?" Kai asked absently, bent over the table and writing fluidly across one of the papers that littered the tabled near Kai. Tala was silent for a moment surprised a bit by his actions as well as his question.

"I-uh... yeah. Five times actually" Tala answered, thoughts (and words) stumbling a bit. "I didn't realize how wrong I was. Took days in hospital and therapy to realize what a coward I was being. It felt like it was the end and nothing was getting better, but I actually took some time to think and I figured there had to be something good along the way. If I had to wait days, weeks, months, or even years, I knew I could get to there" he said reasonably.

"So not everyone winds up losing themselves?" Kai asked quietly. Tala looked over at Kai watching the non stop motions of words being written down. He was never told that Kai had such thought provoking questions, yet so simple at the same time. A smile coming to his face he nodded his head.

"You don't see this place crammed to the top do you?" Tala said jokingly hoping to get a reaction out of Kai. The pencil stopped writing and Tala could just slightly see garnet eyes peering up at him through heavy bangs.

"I see all the people outside. Something makes them happy" Kai answered quietly before continuing to write endlessly. Tala pondered over his response.

'You're lucky. Greed and envy don't make it to you' Tala thought solemnly. Looking around the room he observed the odd drawing here and there. He could tell that it wasn't Kai, but Rei that added this colour to the room.

"So, what's Rei like?"

A light knock echoed through the office. Dr. Conway stopped turning his chair around facing his desk.

"Yes, come in." The door opened slowly and Rei's black covered head popped through.

"I—uh—was told you wanted to talk to me" Rei said standing in the doorway. Dr. Conway smiled, nodded and waved Rei in which a slight wave of his hand. Rei closed the door behind him and entered the office. Walking to the desk he took a seat in front of it.

"I hope nothing is wrong, sir" Rei said immediately, not wanting to end up in a mess. Dr. Conway shook his head.

"No, no. I actually wanted you to help me with a small assignment I have for Kai."

Thanks to my loyal fans who are actually sticking around for me. I hope to wrap this fic up soon.

Please Review.

DevlinnReiko