[ Discontinued ] Crossroad 『Detective Conan』

Chapter 54 - This blood on their hands

   A shot rang out, followed by the sound of something hitting the ground. The blonde-haired woman turned towards the entrance to the alleyway. Someone was there.
   Jinpei had arrived, out of breath. He had found the alley. It had taken him a while, but he'd found it. He quickly disarmed the woman when he saw her pointing a gun at Yoko.

   The policeman turned his gaze to the girl on the ground. Her blood was spilling and she didn't look conscious. He had arrived late. He had to make sure she was alive.
   As for the woman, she had been surprised by this sudden intervention. She hadn't expected the man to arrive so soon. But she said nothing.

   -Get away from her! ordered the man.
   He moved closer to the injured girl as the stranger backed away, smiling and raising her hands a little. For the moment there was nothing else she could do, as she was in Jinpei's sights.
   Jinpei first took care to kick the falling weapon away from her as far as possible, so that it wouldn't be picked up again. Then he checked Yoko's pulse. She was still alive. This reassured him, though only partly.

   Having made sure of that, he turned his weapon on the woman crouching towards the little girl he was protecting. Luckily, the situation was to his advantage. He was the only one with a gun at the moment.
   The smile on the blonde's face annoyed Jinpei greatly. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, finally getting to his feet and positioning himself in front of the former schoolgirl.
   -Who are you? he asked aggressively.
   The person in front of the man let out a slight mocking laugh.
   -Because you're interested? she replied simply.
   -Just answer!
   The woman simply brought her hand up to her face and put her index finger to her lips.
   -A secret makes a woman, woman.

   It was an unexpected response. The man became even more suspicious than he already was, glaring at the unknown woman. She was clearly not prepared to give a real answer, even at gunpoint.

   There was a moment of silence, when the wind rushed through the alley, ruffling the hair of the two adults who were staring at each other. The woman didn't seem to want to answer the question from the man who had her at gunpoint.
   The silence was broken by the blonde, who was still smiling.
   -I wonder why you intervened. she said.
   -As if you didn't know!
   -All I'm doing is helping this little girl to stop suffering. she explained, shrugging her shoulders.

   This answer irritated the policeman even more. She didn't care what she had just done.
   -How does that help her? shouted the man.
   -By dying, she won't have to suffer any more. That's what she wants too... Otherwise she would have defended herself better.

   This was too much. Jinpei was ready to hit her or shoot her. Maybe that way she'd answer his questions.
   -Wouldn't you be better off taking care of her instead of me? If you go on like this, she won't have a chance of surviving. warned the blonde.
   She had certainly spotted that the policeman was ready to act against her. And she didn't want to get hurt, especially as she still had a problem to deal with.
   As for the man, he turned his gaze towards Yoko. Her blood continued to spill onto the ground. This dangerous woman was right. He had to take care of the injured girl first, before she died. But he didn't want to let the blonde escape.

   Jinpei was faced with a dilemma. And yet, he didn't waste any more time. He couldn't handle these two situations properly on his own, and even if he somehow paralysed the one facing him, she might have time to get away while he looked after the injured one. And if he put her first, the former schoolgirl wasn't going to survive.

   -Tch!
   In frustration, he lowered his weapon before putting it away and using his jacket to compress Yoko's wound, always keeping an eye on his enemy who continued to smile. Then he carried her and left the alleyway, running with the child in his arms. He'd dragged on long enough as it was, and now it was more than urgent to look after her.
   Without thinking, he headed for the hospital, watched by passers-by who were astonished, confused or horrified to see the blood dripping to the ground. He didn't stop, even when he had to cross a road, and he didn't hesitate to cross outside pedestrian crossings to go faster, even if the drivers didn't approve.

   Finally, he arrived at the hospital. He went straight inside, out of breath. He headed for the first doctor he found.
   -Oi! You there! he shouted.
   The surprised doctor turned and looked at Jinpei, before quickly seeing the little girl in his arms.
   -Take care of her right away! ordered the policeman.
   -Is she conscious?
   -No! But she's probably still alive.
   -How was she injured? asked the doctor.
   -Shot.

   The doctor said nothing more and simply checked Yoko's pulse before quickly calling his colleagues for help. After that, the girl was quickly taken care of.
   The policeman sighed, partly in relief, even though the outcome was not yet certain. But it was reassuring that she was already being treated. The rest remained to be seen.

   He looked at the blood on his hands and clothes and asked where the toilets were so he could clean himself up a bit. Once he was in the toilet, he washed his hands before moving into the waiting room.

   He couldn't hide it, he was worried. He didn't want to lose anyone else. He didn't want to lose someone he could have helped.
   He couldn't blame Yoko for going off on her own, without telling him, even if it was serious. She had been deceived, and had acted without thinking.  But he couldn't blame her. He, on the other hand, had arrived late. If he'd arrived a few minutes earlier, she wouldn't have been hurt.

   With a sigh, the policeman got up and left the hospital to have a smoke.

   It took a few hours for the treatment to be completed. The doctor who had taken care of the girl came to the man. He got up from the chair he was sitting in.
   -So ? he asked.
   -Everything went well. But she lost a lot of blood and needs to rest. She'll just have to stay in hospital for a few days to monitor her condition. explained the doctor.
   Jinpei was reassured. She was saved.