𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 || 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕

As I reached the reception desk, I was greeted by the familiar faces of the nurses who cared for me during my stay. I spotted the face of Dr. Kanou walking down the hallway and I rushed over to him. He turned around and gave me a relaxed smile.

"Ms. Fujimoto, it's good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?" He asked, placing his hands behind his back as he spoke. I bowed as deeply as I possibly could before looking up at him and answering.

"I'm doing alright. I wanted to thank you... if it weren't for you and my father, I'd probably be dead." I said jokingly, putting my hands in my jacket pocket awkwardly. "Speaking of my father, is he here by any chance?" I asked, glancing around.

Dr. Kanou shook his head, his smile turning into a small frown. "No unfortunately. After hearing about your incident and emergency surgery, he insisted on being the head surgeon of the operation. Shortly after you were admitted, he was called on a business trip. I'm not sure when he will be back, but it should soon. Not even I can get in contact with him... that man really doesn't stop working." He said, chuckling. My face fell and I sighed softly. The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently as he looked at me. "Ms. Fujimoto, I'm sure your father would like to see how you're recovering. In the mean time, if you require anything, please don't hesitate to come to me."

I gave Dr. Kanou a half-smile and nodded curtly, clutching my bag tightly as I turned to leave. Before I could walk away, he stopped me one more time. "Also, Ms. Fujimoto make sure you eat healthy. It's essential for a faster recovery." He smiled warmly at me I thanked him one more time before heading back to the reception desk to sign the necessary paperwork and I was given instructions on how to take care of my dressings before I stepped through the spinning doors, leaving the hospital. 

For the first time in what feels like ages, I breathed deeply, filling my lungs with the cool, fresh air. I immediately doubled over when I felt a sharp pain shoot through my ribs, groaning.

"Damn things don't heal fast enough." I mumbled, straightening up and flagging down a taxi. I told the driver I was headed back to my apartment, and I sat in the back seat silently, staring out the window at the busy Tokyo traffic. I stared at the pedestrians, my mind wandering as I spaced out. I stared up at the giant screen that stood in the middle of the giant square, seeing another CCG broadcast about a ghoul attack in the 20th ward.

There's been more of those recently, huh?

I sighed and pulled out my phone, checking my missed calls and emails. Majority of them were from Fumiko, and they all had gone to voice mail. She was the only one who I had, considering the entirety of my immediate family wasn't in my life anymore; except for maybe my father.

I went through each one, smiling when I heard her voice. 

"Hey, it's Fumiko. Call me back when you get the chance. I made your favorite red velvet cake from scratch! You better pick it up, otherwise it'll go to waste. And if it does, I'll kick your ass." 

Saved.

"Hey, how're you holding up? The office is quiet without you and I'm suuuper bored. Eiji keeps adding more deadlines and I dunno if I can keep up with them. Come back to work soon so I can dump some of this work onto you, yeah? Good news, I started seeing this cute guy! We're going for lunch on Saturday, so I'll let you know how it goes."

Saved. 

"Yo, I just found this new spot that sells the best fried chicken and beer. They've got a really spicy version that I know you'll love. Get discharged soon so we can go! You're paying though. Oh! The date went really well by the way. Turns out this guy is loooaded, he even bought me a new pair of earrings! They were like, really expensive or something I dunno. Anyways, we're going out again. Not sure when, but soon hopefully. I think he's super cute. Gimme a call when you can, nerd." 

I rolled my eyes at the last part of that voice mail, sighing heavily as I saved it and turned off my phone. I put it back in my bag and looked back out the window, staring off into space once again.

Sorry I didn't get discharged earlier, Fumiko.

．．．

I stepped out of the taxi and headed for the apartment lobby, clicking the elevator and waiting for the doors to open. When it did I stepped inside and pressed the button for my floor, listening to the quiet hum of the lights. I wrung my hands, anxious to get home. The elevator dinged and I stepped out, heading down the hallway to my apartment. I pulled out the keys and unlocked the door slowly, a frown forming on my lips as I entered. 

The police had been here, taking evidence from when I was attacked. Blood stained the beige walls in the living room, presumably my blood and there were claw marks in the wood floor. Everything had been cleaned up thankfully, but things didn't feel the same. I didn't feel safe anymore. I was informed that my apartment had been broken into by some group of thugs in the area, but that there was no sign of forced entry. So how they got in remained a mystery to me. Oddly enough, nothing had been stolen either.

I just couldn't remember anything, and that's what bugged me. I had no recollection of how I nearly died or who attacked me. Apparently the neighbors heard the commotion and called the cops and I had to get my security system changed and locks changed as well, in case something like this happened again. Which, hopefully wouldn't.

I hung my bag and keys up and took my shoes off. I headed towards the bathroom, stripping myself of my clothes in the process and getting a shower started. I stared at myself the mirror, staring at the various purply-blue bruises and scratches on my body and face. My abdomen and shoulder had been bandaged up tightly, and I sighed. I closed my eyes, letting the steam from the hot water fill my lungs and I stepped into the shower slowly. I leaned against the wall, resting my forehead on the tiled wall as I stared down at the water that ran down the drain. 

I was exhausted. Both physically and mentally. I hadn't eaten properly in days, and everything I had tried to eat either tasted like a wet sponge, or like it had gone rotten. My sense of taste hasn't been normal since surgery and I was initially going to tell the nurses about it, then decided not to because I didn't want to be holed up in that wretched hospital room any longer than I had been. I was bound to go stir crazy. I chalked it up to the food from the hospital being absolute horse shit, because that was usually the case anyway. 

I closed my eyes again, trying to relax. Everything had gone to crap over the past few weeks, and it didn't seem to be getting easier for me. Mako was killed and I almost died... it made no sense to me. My father was still out of town for work, but it was nice knowing he saw me before he had to leave. Just not in the state I was hoping for. 

I opened my eyes and reached to grab a bar of soap when out of the corner of my eye, I briefly saw the flash of a shadow behind me and my heart stopped. I glanced around to make sure there was no one and when I realized my mind was playing tricks on me, I cursed out loud and cupped some water in my hands and washed my face and body before getting out and drying myself. 

I put on a fresh pair of underwear and pulled on an oversized t-shirt from the back of my closet when I spotted a pile of papers on my desk and I read the note on top of the pile;