Case File: Pandora & The Universe

The Hospital

He’s got to stop blacking out. It wouldn't do well in his own sanity if he seems to teleport from one place to another because he keeps blacking out. The next time Conan woke up, the first the he noticed was that he was lying on a bed.

His older self must have brought him to the hospital...or back in the agency. Fluttering his eyes open, sunlight immediately covered his vision that he'd had to close it again with a sigh.

He knew that Kudo Shinichi, outward prick of a human detective, internally has a soft spot for kids. So Conan could imagine what happened after he blacked out.

He also knew that his older self would have started an investigation as to why he was in the area near the men in black, but there were so many holes in his situation to let a concrete deduction be put in place.

With the way his appearance were when he woke up along with the gadgets he had on him Conan knew how much his situation might’ve suggested he was a modern child soldier. Conan's face scrunched up at the idea, though he still refused to open his eyes.

Conan felt weird about knowing that he was in the past and he wasn’t sure how to cope with the fact alone. Then there were the paradox of supposedly screwing with the universe if you touched your past self. Shouldn’t something have happened the moment his older self touched him? or maybe... what did Hattori Heiji said about...

Ah! Alternate universe... and time travel?...does that mean Conan was a different person entirely?

Either way he shouldn’t exist here at all, because Hattori insulted him first for being an ignorant bastard on science fiction stuff before explaining to him that the universe would reverse roles or something (Conan couldn’t be bothered to pay too much attention at the time), but never replace the person’s situation. So even if there’s another universe for either of his identity, they wouldn’t be on the same universe together as a separate entity.

'Until now', Conan mused. 'So what changed?'

His head aches. Maybe he should really stop thinking and actually open his eyes.

The sight that greeted him disappointed him. He was in a private hospital room with a large window at his right and the curtains were open. Based on the beeping sound near his head he had machines on him. But that wasn’t what disappointed him.

It was the fact that he wasn’t back at the Mouri Detective Agency was what disappointed him the most...

Conan didn’t know how to feel about his current situation so he focused on why Shinichi... Shinichi-niichan? wasn’t in the room with him.

The clock on the top center of the wall on his left where the door was also located tells him it was three fifteen in the afternoon. He noted that his older self might be visiting in a couple of minutes.

He didn’t get to think much of his situation anymore when a nurse came in holding a clipboard. A woman in her late 30s, black hair in a pixie cut and brown eyes. Conan tensed, suddenly not feeling safe with another human being that he didn't know. The nurse noticed that he was awake and smiled at him.

"Hello." She greeted softly as she walked towards his bed, "How are you?" she asked conversationally as she pressed a button somewhere near his left side. There was a beep, and she let's go.

Conan just stared at her as she proceeds to check his status and writing on her clipboard. A moment passed before the door opened again to reveal a doctor around his mid-40s, also has black hair and brown eyes. He smiled at Conan as he walked towards them.

"Hello." the doctor greeted and Conan just stared, "What's your name?" he asked.

"C-Con-nan..." he rasped, "Ed-Edogawa Conan..." he stuttered as the nurse gave the clipboard to the doctor before she disappeared from his view.

The doctor wrote something on the clipboard, most likely his name, before looking up at him again and asked, "Do you know where you are?"

The nurse came back with a glass of water. His bed was elevated before she helped him drink the water. Feeling a bit refreshed he replied with, "The hospital."

Standard check up happened after that. Do you remember what happened? yes. Do you remember how you got there? no. What color is this? red. Here's a mirror, do you recognize who your seeing? Conan smiled, myself. Can you solve this puzzle? thank you.

It was after the puzzle that his savior came in the room. Kudo Shinichi was standing awkwardly by the door after he closed it behind him and looked back and forth from Conan to the doctor. Conan couldn't help but be amused by how awkward his older self was. He was well aware that not knowing what to do was what he hated the most, and this Shinichi showed he hated it too.

Conan was also bored from the check up from the doctor, so he couldn't help himself when he blurted out, "Whoa, look doctor, he looks just like me!"

Nailed it.

The fact that they indeed do look alike, Conan belatedly realized, was not a good idea to point out. Though surely they had also noticed this when he was still unconscious. But depending on what they conclude was his background, pointing their looks might have spiraled that theory to another, most probable situation not-shrunk adults would think of.

Gene theft... love child?

Conan decided he'd leave the deduction to his old self and work around what they told him. He didn't realize that said adults who were in the room with him was both just outside the door discussing whatever it was they concluded on his situation.

When Shinichi re-entered the room he had a tray in his hands. But Conan knew something was bothering the young adult so the first thing that Conan asked was, "Did I say something wrong?"

Shinichi turned to look at him while reassuring him that no, he didn't and that he agreed that they do look similar.

Conan only tilted his head slightly to the left as Shinichi twisted a rolling table in front of him and placed the food tray on top. He took off the plastic cover and asked if Conan can eat the food by himself. Conan took the utensils from Shinichi's hand and began to eat.

It was only a few moments of silence before Shinichi spoke up, "Do you want to tell me anything?"

Vague.

Could be open to anything and Conan won't be pressured to answer any specifics. Something that he knew he could count on himself. Despite that, Conan couldn't help but pick at his food as he thought about what to tell his old self.

Telling him the truth would most likely dub him mentally ill, but at the same time telling him a lie would add to the pile of lies he already had in his plate. Not to mention he sucked at lying.

Half truth it is.

"I'm smart." He stated simply.

Safe.

His old self seems to contemplate this before nodding, seemingly accepting what was told.

So Conan took his chance, "I don't exist."

This was much more personal, a full truth as he really shouldn't be in this universe. He heard Shinichi shift and he looked up to meet his old self's eyes who was sending him a questioning gaze. Conan could only shrug.

Two truths in five words. They left it at that.