Izaya Orihara twirled a knife between his fingers, flipping it back and forth, back and forth... surely there was a way out of this mess... He was completely surrounded you see. Not by friends either, but he rarely ever was... no, actually he never was. A few had crowbars, others knives... it was the gun that had him worried... He struck there first, the knife flying from his fingers though he was startled when another of them got him on the back of the head... he went down and they were on him faster than flies on poop. He was unconscious for a lot of it really, which was probably just as well for him. They beat him within an inch of his life, nearly every bone in his body was broken... and Izaya needed help. Much more than Shinra could ever provide.

It was the noise that attracted the blond ex-bartender over. Too much noise late at night. And it sounded like fighting. He walked over to the alley he thought it was from, only to see the last of whomever it was scurrying away, leaving a bleeding, broken body on the ground. "Tch..." Well, if the poor guy was alive, he couldn't just leave him. Really, Shizuo was sort of calm, right until he saw who it was. Izaya. His enemy. He was angry. He wanted to yell at the other... Though it'd do no good. Izaya was out cold. Bleeding and it seemed like he was struggling to breath. Also, it looked as if most of his bones were broken.

"...Idiot..." But he couldn't just leave the other there, his enemy or not. So, Shizuo pulled out his cell phone and called an ambulance. Shinra couldn't help Izaya with this. After hanging up, Shizuo sat down nearby. The idiot would need to be watched, until the ambulance got there. Izaya was entirely motionless until the ambulance crew arrived and they put Izaya in a neck brace before managing to adjust him so they could get him on the stretcher, strapping him in though they were already feeding him pure oxygen through a mask too. Of course given the nature of the call police were dispatched too and interested in Shizuo's accounts. They couldn't charge him of course... not unless Izaya woke up and said he had done it or he died which the doctors said was more likely.

But it wasn't Shizuo who had done it. He'd get pissed if he was wrongly accused. Still, after the questioning from the police, he headed home. Though, he also texted Shinra and Celty about the condition of Izaya. Shinra cause he was Izaya's friend, and Celty just because. Maybe it would have been better to tell the flea's family... But he didn't know how to contact them.

Izaya needed several hours of surgery, during which the hospital contacted his family. He didn't awake right after though, comatose it seemed, and that wasn't so good. It was two days after Izaya had been attacked though that Celty and Shinra both dragged Shizuo along to visit him. Shizuo had grumbled and complained, but come along anyway. There wasn't much Izaya could do in a beat up, comatose state. So it wasn't like the flea would make him angry. When they got there though it was probably a shock to see him as he was. Attached to a heart monitor, a tube down his throat so he could breathe... an IV for nutrition... and bandages everywhere. Both legs were casted as was his right arm and his left arm was bandaged up but everything below the elbow was missing now. His skin was bruised up too, all over the place.

"Oh wow..." Izaya... He was really hurt, huh? Really, Shizuo found himself glad that he had found the raven. Else, Izaya would have died. After glancing around, he went ahead and took a seat.

Shinra shook his head, "Damn it... he really got himself into it this time huh?" He sat beside Shizuo quietly.

"Yeah... I guess so. I mean, when I found him, I also saw a few people running away. But more than a few would be needed to put the flea into this condition."

Celty sat down quietly beside the two. [I hope he'll be alright] She said, [Much as I dislike the guy he didn't deserve this...]

The blond nodded. "Yeah. I agree Celty... Wonder when he'll wake up and how he'll react to that." That meaning his amputated arm.

"He'll take it pretty hard..." Shinra sighed, watching Izaya's motionless body. A nurse came in just then to write down Izaya's vitals, taking his temperature too before heading back out again. Every hour they did this as Izaya was in intensive care and still in life threatening condition.

After about two hours of this, Shizuo stood. "I'm leaving now. This... It's just staring at the flea and I don't like it. Drag me here again when he wakes up."

"Shizuo..." Shinra said softly, "He might not wake up..." He had taken a peek at the charts earlier and he had seen what state Izaya was in.

Frowning, Shizuo turned to look at his friend. "What do you mean he might not wake up?"

"Shizuo... Izaya's charts... they don't think he'll live much longer... and his white cells are elevated, he has a fever too but they aren't sure what's wrong yet there... his body is in bad shape... "

Shizuo's frown only deepened... "Shinra... Then you figure out how to fix it. You're a doctor too." Not licensed, but a doctor all the same.

"I can't Shizuo... I'm sorry but... Izaya will probably hold on for a couple of days more and then..." Shinra shook his head.

The blond scowled. That wasn't how flea's worked. A flea never left. They were always there. "Like I said. Drag me back here when he wakes up." And then, without waiting for a reply, he stomped out of the hospital.

Shinra sighed softly and shook his head. Izaya was definitely worse come morning too, his heart rate was starting to fluctuate between beating slowly, as though it were a struggle and racing fast, like it was trying to make up for the slow periods. His temperature was climbing steadily too, and his breathing was more laboured than the day before. Instead of waiting for Shinra to drag him there when Izaya was awake, the blond came by after work the next day, and frowned when he saw the raven. He was definitely worse... But that wasn't right. Something had to be up...

People in hospitals were supposed to get better after all, not worse. But Izaya seemed to be struggling for every breath he took now, his heart was struggling... of course it was possible he had an infection that was on the surface... but with all the bandages and casts who knew? Shizuo frowned... Maybe Izaya did have an infection under the cast. But how the hell was he supposed to know that? Oh. He could ask a nurse about it next time one came in. She ignored him really though, telling him it was impossible, Izaya had been thoroughly cleaned and his wounds well disinfected before the cast went on. He frowned, but didn't argue. Oh well... But, with them not checking... Hopefully, some sort of miracle would happen... Else Izaya would...

Izaya was still in poor condition when Shizuo left and just as poor the next day, his fever though... the doctors were very worried about it.

"I don't like this... Flea... You're supposed to be strong..." Shizuo sat on Izaya's right side before frowning. Something smelled... Wrong. Like... Something smelt rotten... Not rotten... Weird.

When a nurse came in, Shizuo stood. "Excuse me... But Izaya's arm... smells strange. And the order is strong enough to where I can smell it just from sitting next to him."

"Casts always smell," She said, not realizing Shizuo had suffered many broken bones in his life.

He frowned at that. Alright. He'd have to explain it. "I know casts smell. I was always in one till middle school. It doesn't smell like that. I guess the only way I can describe it is rotten, but it doesn't actually smell like something rotten." If that made any sense.

She frowned now and moved over taking a whiff. That smell definitely wasn't right so she left to get a doctor who came and looked too now. They had to break the cast off early now to make sure but it was obvious what was wrong. One of the incisions on Izaya's arm had become infected... and not just infected. It was turning black and spreading up his arm and the scent off his arm was vile. The doctor ordered immediate surgery and a stretcher was in there to move him to the operating room in minutes.

Shizuo, of course, was booted the waiting room. Though, he didn't mind. He had just found out why Izaya was getting worse, and now, they'd fix it. Still, he was nervous... And arm shouldn't be black like that... And the smell... It had been horrible. He needed to chat with something.

[Hey Celty.] So he texted Celty.

[Hey, what's up Shizuo?] She replied. She was on her way to visit Izaya now as it was along with Izaya's sisters.

[Uh... Izaya's in surgery again. I decided to visit him again anyway, and then there was this really awful smell...] He sent that before the next text [So when a nurse came in, I told her, and she got a doctor who cut open Izaya's cast. The one for his right arm... And it was all black...] Okay. So this wasn't really working out the way he wanted it to. But, he supposed he wanted someone to know.

[On my way now. You in the OR Waiting room?] She asked now.

[Yeah. They pushed me out here. Since he's in surgery now. See you when you get here, I guess.] Now, he pocketed his phone and took a seat. He may have just saved Izaya's life... for a second time.

Celty was there soon with Mairu and Kururi in tow and they sat down beside Shizuo, both very quiet. They normally didn't act like they cared, but Izaya was their brother in the end. Shizuo chewed his lips. Well... At least they'd see their brother, at least. After awhile, a nurse came out, telling them that they could visit Izaya again. After standing, Shizuo held both Mairu and Kururi's hands. Then, they went in to see him.

He was still in very poor condition, but the right cast was gone now... so was all of his right arm, right up to the shoulder. Now Izaya had lost both his arms... if he did wake up he would be very upset. The blond swallowed and walked forwards, causing Izaya's sisters to walk forward as well.

"Whoever it is that did this..." They had wanted Izaya dead. They wanted him pained. And Shizuo... Shizuo hated them.

Kururi let out a soft whimpering sound and Mairu hugged her sister close though she looked upset too.

"Shizuo-san... why did they want to kill him... what did he do to deserve this?" Izaya might be a jerk and sometimes people got hurt because of him... but never like this and no one had died because of him either.

"I don't know... I mean... I chase him around, but I almost never hit him... And I certainly don't hurt him... Whoever this was... Maybe they were a type of Yakuza who didn't like that he was an informant?" Izaya did help the Awakusa-kai. And they would have rivals.

"He... he got hurt cuz of his job then?" Mairu sniffed softly. Izaya's vitals were still all out of it and he was receiving a blood transfusion now too.

"Maybe... I don't see any other reason for him getting this beat up. No one hates him that much." He knelt down, so that he was level with both Mairu and Kururi. "Don't worry though. I found him, and then I found out what it was that was making his condition worse. And, when he wakes up, if you two want, I'll help him." After all, Izaya wasn't a threat anymore. And without arms... it really would be hard for the raven.

They both nodded and then hugged Shizuo too. "Shizuo... we're scared..." Mairu whimpered softly and Kururi shook lightly.

"I know... But... It'll be alright, okay? I'll visit Izaya each and every day. And, if he gets worse, even a little bit, I'll let you two know." They both nodded, knowing Shizuo would take care of their brother.