Confession ~Juuzou x Reader AU~

Chapter 2: I Want to See

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the nurse says as she uses her body to block me. "Ma'am, you can't go back there."

"Why the hell not?" I snap.

"The doctors haven't –"

I try to contain myself – really, I do, but I can't. I can't stay calm. I can't just stand here. I can't just do nothing. Not when I know she's here. She's here. She's here.

"Fuck you!" I growl. I try to push past her. "My child is back there!"

"Ma'am!" She throws her arms around me, trying to hold me back. "Security!"

"Let go of me! My daughter is back there! She needs me! She needs me!"

She and I struggle for several moments before two more healthcare workers join at her aid, then two burly men dressed in black security uniforms. Five people. Five people are surrounding me, trying to secure me. Trying to hold me down as if I'm some crazed animal.

Maybe I am. Maybe I am acting like a crazy bitch right now. But I have a right, don't I? My child is here. My daughter is here. Rui is here. She is here, and she needs me. I know she needs me. And I need her. I need to feel her in my arms. I need to see her face. I need to see her. Then I'll know. Then I'll believe it.

That she's really back.

"Ma'am!" the first nurse snaps. "You can't go back there! The doc-"

"What is going on out here?" someone in all black asks.

He is a tall man dressed in all black. Well, black and gray, with a helmet and bulletproof vest. And the letters TSC stitched on the left breast of his vest.

"Please," I sob. "You have to let me back there! My daughter is there!"

He blinks, clearly startled. "I, uh...I..."

"What is all the commotion?" a soft and even tone asks.

My eyes widen, watching as a new figure appears. Tall, with long hair and a matching uniform to the other man.

"Abara," I say. My voice wavers. There is a lump in my throat. "They won't let me back there. They won't let me see her."

He observes me, probably noting how pitiful I look. I don't blame him. I know I look that way. I'm aware. But...

He glances at the people surrounding me, then speaks. "Release her."

"But –"

Abara steps forward and slowly takes me from the grasp of those who have been restraining me. "This woman has been given special clearance by Investigator Suzuya and I." He looks at the nurses and security guards. "And didn't you hear her say that she is the mother of one of the children?"

The lot of them look away. Technically, logically, I understand they can't just let anyone who says they're a parent of one of the children back here. Trust me, I get it. Anyone could say that and just snatch the kids away again. It's safety, but logic is the last thing on my mind.

Abara places a hand on my back and guides me. "This way, Y/N." His voice is soft and even.

We walk. Making our way through a set of sliding doors that leads to another bright area. I'm not surprised. All hospitals are insanely bright. And sterile. The smell of alcohol and stale air fills my nose. It's bitter, but I don't care. I just follow Abara, my heart choking me. The anticipation and nerves are there. I'm fidgety.

To believe, I'm going to see her. I'm finally going to be able to see her – to hold her. Rui. My Rui.

We stop in front of a solid door with a glass panel – the blinds drawn closed. And we stand there for a moment when Abara speaks, "Y/N...before we go in there, you should know something. Rui...she –"

"Is she hurt?" I interrupt. My heart is in my throat, my pulse throbbing. My head is spinning, reeling with images of her cut and mangled. Images that make me feel sick with anguish and rage. "What did they do to her?"

He jolts and blinks. "No. No, no. It's nothing like that. Physically, she's fine."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Good. That's good to know. At least they didn't hurt her. I must appear less tense to him as he studies me. Then he continues.

"That said, she was still under a great deal of stress in captivity. There's no saying what she saw and heard. So, please be aware that she...might not behave as she usually does."

I nod. I think deep down I already knew that. I mean, she was snatched away in the middle of the night after watching me get tossed around like a ragdoll. Then, she was held prisoner in a place she didn't know. And Abara's right. There's no saying what she saw and heard while there. So, no. I'm not expecting to get my happy and bubbly Rui back, which is infuriating.

It's no fault of hers, of course. But them. Everyone involved. Those ghouls who broke in. The one who stole her. The ones that killed all those women. Clay. All of them. It is them I blame. It is them who scarred a three-year-old little girl. It is them I want justice from.

"Alright," I say. My voice feels so foreign to me all of a sudden.

He observes me, then nods, and opens the door. And I hold my breath.

**Bello lovelies! So, Y/N is another step closer to seeing her little girl! Exciting, right? Or are y'all nervous? Oh, and as far as Abara and Juuzou giving her "clearance" to go back to where Rui is...yeah, I'm not really sure if that's how that would play out in real life. But for story purposes, it works lol. Right? We'll say it does. Well, that's all for now. As always, thank y'all so, so much for everything! Y'all are the bee's knees! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross