Where we wake

〖overwritten ye sight of thy past becomes by the ones thou forgot in the numbness of ye mind. Thy eye pays the price for the ones long gone, in conjunction as one single form, hidden in plain sight. Gone from ye is the choice of forgiveness. Now give of thou, the one who sees. 〗

With a wince, Shizu woke up. Confused and disoriented by beeps of machinery ringing in his ears. He tried to move, but his body felt too exhausted to do so. Whit limbs feeling like they melted onto the bed, his will to get up just had gone lower. But he couldn't keep lazing around so to get up it was.

Soft bedsheets wrestled as he tried to have a glance of his surroundings, and eventually a better understanding of where he was. But as he opened his eyes to look around; the bright light of the room blinded him－having to close them again. And to his bitter annoyance, a pounding headache could be felt in his skull from all the movements and lights attacking his eyes.

Stopping to relax his pounding head and the haze in his head, he turns to the left and waits for it to go away. When the pain in his head is no longer hammering his skull like a Viking with a big axe. He opens his eyes again to see a plastic chair facing his bed and a metal-looking door to the left. Turning his head to the other side of the room, he assumes of a hospital. He sees machinery connected to his arms by tubes showing his heartbeat and vitals－this only confirms his suspicions. An open window with cream curtains is where the light of the room seems to shines through.

As the afternoon sun shines through the window; the soft breeze of the outside moves the curtain's fabric, giving the quiet room a calming atmosphere to where his body rests. For how long he does not know, but as the light dims, the boy succumbs to a dreamless sleep.

The second time he awakes, his body felt more relaxed and less stiff than before. The constant pounding in his head and the haze in his mind are no longer there and as he opens his chartreuse-mint eyes, the dim light of the late afternoon welcomes him. As he calmly looks through the room, he stops, now noticing something he didn't before. With his left hand, the ash-blond child attempts to touch his right eyes but to no avail. The soft bandages covering it make the dark spot in his vision seem more dreadful growing the pit in his stomach.

Breath in, breath out, he isn't panicking. Surely, he isn't. Just a few deep breaths and his damn heart can stop beeping SO LOUD!

"All right. Just. Okay. This is fine, no need to freak out over an injury that can heal－can it? NO! Shut up! Of course, it can. Don't you know all the complex Eengs out there! Hnng..." Taking deep, deliberate breaths. The bandaged-up boy sat up on his bed and hugged his knees to his chest as he calmed himself prom his panic attack "...this freak out probably alerted some nurse or doctor out there." He groaned in embarrassment as his pale cheeks turned a light pink hue.

Pouting and blushing with his head on his knees, he didn't notice when a nurse came in for him. Coming closer, the nurse spoke with a soothing tone.

"Hello there, deary. I am here to see If you are all right." Spoke the nurse with a voice that made his embarrassment disappear to a lull calmness. He lifted his head to ask how she had done it, and when he did, he saw that the nurse was a beautifully plump woman in her early thirties. With medium maroon hair, its tips curling up in all directions framing her round freckled face. A small simile on her lips made the crinkles around her eyes light up. Her purple gaze held so much patience and softness; at that moment, that look of love only a parent could hold made the lost boy spiral down into his abstract mind even more.

Buried memories tried to claw through the thick haze of nothingness covering his brain. Like torn paintings, the memories he thought to embrace swam away like water on a turbulent river.

With a soft breath, warm tears rolled down his badged cheeks. "I- I'm... W-w why do I...?" He choked out with much difficulty. He couldn't speak, he didn't know what to say, his words trapped on his throat. So then, he merely sobbed quiet broken sobs.

His hands reached for his chest as if looking for something, something that wasn't there any more. And it hurt, so, so much.

"Oh, deary." The nurse was now more worried than before. The lulling feeling was trying to invade his head and calm his soul, it seemed to have worked, but his anguish was vehement. His chocked sobs got louder and more pained "I'm so sorry. Do you want me to leave you alone.?" Inquired the brunet in a soothing voice as an effort to calm the doleful child.

Shizu didn't know why he felt what he did, but he did not want to be left alone in an unknown hospital room.

"N-no…Please, s-stay h-h-here." He said in the middle of choked sobs that he tried to subdue.

"All right. I will stay here." Responded the nurse with patience." Do you feel any pain? Can I touch you?" Questioned her slowly as she moved closer to the bed tip till she could sit on it. She was close to the weeping boy but still keeping her distance.

Shizu could feel her approach him and stiffen his body. The proximity of a stranger was unwanted, but the closure of and care she expressed felt needed within him. His minds swirled with weird sensations he did not know how to emote; confusion; desolation; vexation; sorrow and grief.

Too lost in his mind, Shizu forgot to answer the patient nurse's question, so she repeated herself to save the boy from his doubts." Ah! I-um. Yeah. It's okay." Answered Shizu, stiff as a board trying not to flinch away. Still not looking her in her eyes out of fear of another panic attack.

"I am sorry if I make you uncomfortable deary." Said the brunette lowly with earnest in her words and giving an aura of serenity. It wasn't her fault, not really. Her eyes were just too much for him.

"'S not your fault." He mumbled with his head down, eyes focusing on the way the sheets moved under his hands as he turned them into fists.

"No, no. Do not worry, I somehow made you uncomfortable, and for that －I am sorry." She gently said as not to startle, and again, that lull feeling came back making his body lax, quelling the unpleasant feelings on his mind and heart.

He didn't want to talk about what happened just a few minutes ago, so he came up with the first thing on his mind to ask before she could. "So, umm... W-what's this weird feeling I've got since you came here? Is it your Eeng?" Enquired the boy nervously and a tad tense, but still polite. He didn't want to give a worse impression than he already had left.

"Oh! How rude of me! I should have introduced myself first." She exclaimed embarrassed with a chuckle. "My name is Aghaka Maiun, but please, call me Mrs Agha deary." Mrs Agha said with a clap of her hands and a bright smile. "And yes, that lull feeling you felt whenever I talked is my Eeng. It is called 'Tranquil '. As the name implies, I can create a lulling atmosphere for whomever I am talking to." She hummed.

Thinking about it made him notice how well it fit her. Her appearance and personality were all-around soft and sweet.

"Oh. It suits you." Said him with a twitch upwards of his lips, he sat cross-legged on the bed still keeping his distance even if he felt more comfortable with the woman now.

"Thank you." She said sweetly. "You are quite sweet yourself. Could I get your name, deary?" Questioned Mrs.Agha calmly. Her hands were on her lap on top of one another. She sat with her head inclined to the side, smiling good naturally.

"My name is Shizu…" He answered slowly, almost indecisively "…I think." He added as an afterthought. Shizu knew that his name was that－but it felt like something was still amiss. Like an irk in the back of his head waiting to be removed but impossible to reach.

"Shizu, what a sweet name. It reminds me of my daughter's." with a happy tone to her voice commented her remembering her child with fondness. "I would like to have a check-up done on you, now that we finished the introductions. That is if you are comfortable with me doing it, or would you prefer me to call another nurse?" The plump woman inquired with a clap of her hands as she sat up from the bed and moved to its side, waiting for his answer. Surprised, the bandaged boy took a glimpse of her face, only to see her smile at him with patience and reassurance. The lull feeling swam between them like honey, sweet and low making his panic dull and his mind slow. He nodded at her to continue. He felt better with her around than anyone else, even if a tad unnerved.

During the quick check-up, not much said between the two. Other than to answer a few questions about any pain or annoyance on his body, Shizu said nothing. Still tense, but holding himself together. He waited till the end of the examination to ask Mrs Agha something that came to him and made him feel quite the idiot for not asking it first.

"For now, that is all, deary." She spoke as she pocketed the tablet device containing his info on her uniform. "If you need anything, anything at all! Press the orange button on the controller on your night-stand, and I'll be here."

With a nod of his head, the calming nurse said her goodbyes and went for the door, but before she could go, as a light-bulb had lightened upon his head, he turned his neck to her direction with neck-breaking speed and asked.

"For how long have I been here?!" He felt like such an idiot for not thinking of it first and foremost.

"For how long? O well, let me see…" She said as she looked at the same tabled used for his examination. Taking it from her uniform pocket, she started to check it. "Well, Shizu deary. It seems like you were out for about two days and a half. But do not worry about anything! When you came here, your body was exhausted, so it needed to charge." She answered, calmly and gently.

'Two and a half days. Well, it's not that much time, and I remembered feeling exhausted when I talked with that colourful hero. The HERO! What was her name? Hert, Heart, Hertz. HERTZ! That's It. She was lovely when she helped me, could I talk to her? Should I?'

It didn't matter If he shouldn't －he wishes to talk to her and thank her for being so patient and overall delightful to be around even if it was her work.

"Hey… umm. Mrs Agha?" Shizu asked shyly, looking down at the bed, fiddling with his hands. She only hummed for him to continue." Could I ask to see the woman who saved me? She has pretty brown and gold curly hair, and I think she has a sound-based Eeng. I believe her name was Hertz" As he looked up to see what she would say, he saw the plump woman with a warm smile and the lulling feeling of her Eeng as she hummed a lullaby swam in the air. A small smile grew on his face.

"Of course, deary. I will ask for the detective that will come to see you tomorrow to bring her with him." Responded Mrs Agha softly as she turned away to the door to left the room. "I will see you soon, Shizu deary. Have a good night." With a little wave of the hand, gone was she.

Looking outside the window, he saw that the sun was starting to set. The cold breeze of the coming night passed through his long ash-blond hair and caressed his face. The gentle light of the setting sun made shadows dance in the corners of the room. After such an emotionally strenuous day, Shizu felt only like sleeping. Drained was his body, drowsy was his mind, and his emotions jaded.

With slow movements, he laid down and covered himself with the bedsheets on his small hands. And as he laid there waiting to succumb into a possibly dreamless sleep, the room quieted as the lights darken from the sunset in the horizon. Golden streams of light died on his window as the late afternoon turned into the early night. The Waxing Gibbous moon rises into the sky as the minutes turned into hours, night lights danced in the lone hospital room made from the shiny stars in the dark blue sky.

His body lolls into the bed as Shizu let his mind float midst a million thoughts in his head. All the questions of whys and how's. The Inquiries of who may he be and what had he done to all those voices prodding at his head－chivvying and urging him to do something, act on something, search for someone－ make it undone.

He didn't wish for another headache, so he did what was best of him and let his eye close — blanking his mind of all the questions and unknown feelings bubbling on his chest. And like that, he fell into a slumber.

"Detective! Hey detective!"

Looking up, Insho saw his inter giving him an ominous grin that promised him a headache for whatever trouble he would put him through.

"Aaah… What is it, Járne?" Massaging his temples with a deep sigh, he looked at piles of documents in top of his desk and all the paperwork he still had to go through. Today was not a good day for him. It was the day after the incident on district Fosiméras. The workload for the whole station has been enormous due to all the one-hundred-and-six deaths and the other twenty-three wounded, being seven of those currently in fatal condition.

"Well, you see…" Here we go again "I got to read Hertz report of yesterday and guess what she said on it" Enquired the tall young man with short curly purple hair and magenta eyes. His posture was lax and social but with a bit of mirth In It as he questioned his superior.

"…What did it say?" A bit worried he looked back up to see his Inters smirk grew a bit more. Now he was praying in his head for Hertz not to have been her Impulsive self and had done something stupid because she was attached to the kid, but knowing her－he was already doomed.

" She tried to lessen the blow of the possibility of the kid to be accused as the one responsible for the disaster yesterday. Ana even threatens to do something If she was prohibited from seeing the kid herself. I don't know what happened to her that made her so mad to write a report like that. But I think you should talk to her." Járne's grin was still there, but he looked a tad bit sorry for the detective－if not amused. And If he was truthful to himself, it was somewhat amusing how Otona deals with things－manly her reports－depending on how attached or how moody she is. Not the most professional thing to do. That's why he always makes a case of reading what she writes, but it seems that his Intern got that opportunity first and got a good laugh out of it. Lucky him

"All right. Give me the report and call Otona for me please." Sighing again he put his forehead on the table and groaned in frustrating exhaustion. He was too young to feel this tired.

"Okie Doki. What hour do you what her to come?" Asked the taller like he didn't notice his superior suffer a mid-life crisis.

"On my lunch break. On that one coffee-shop, I like" Came the muffled voice of Insho from behind his arms.

"Ok! I'll let the report on your desk than. Good luck, chief!" Said the too enthusiastic for it to be real Járne as he closed the door to go back to do whatever he was doing. Probably more paperwork. Urgh…

Putting his chin atop of his arms, he took a look around his office. It was an organized mess of scrambled papers, piles on top of stacks of files from various cases－ the majority from this past two month alone. It wasn't the best-organized office, but It was in a way that only he knew where a specific file would be without a second glance. It was his mess, and in a way, it helped if someone who wasn't supposed to try to look for something in there.

The room had a locked cabinet on the right corner of his desk where he places the olden and resolved cases. To his back was a small closed window with a view to the building next to the station. On his left was a bookshelf full of law books and a few poems here and there. There were another two chairs in the room facing his wooden desk that in itself was filled to the brim with papers. An exception to a few office supplies, there was a picture frame of his family together－his mother, father, younger sibling, and Otona.

He still has a lot of work to do, but his head was killing him. So, opening a cabinet under his desk, he took a carton of aspirins and popped one into his mouth. Now he needed some more coffee or else he won't be able to continue his shift, not looking like a zombie.

By lunchtime, he was already dreading his talk with Otona. If he wasn't stressed enough due to workload, he had to deal with an emotional sister of everything but blood — what a day.

He had left the office to have lunch－the office had become too suffocating for him to stay at－opting for a nearby coffee-shop joint with a book-store. The atmosphere there was cosy and serene. Whit slow jazz playing lowly in the air as he sat in a corner table by the bookshelves.

After claiming his seat, a young－probably still in high school－boy came to attend him. Using a notepad looking device, he wrote his order; a cappuccino with extra chattily and cinnamon on top; two rhubarb tarlets and some green tea. What could he say, he has a dammed sweet-tooth. Unlike Otona. Who likes her coffee bitter unlike herself. She didn't want to come to these types of coffee-shops with various kinds of sweet pastries. That's why he called her to meet him here today, especially as a retort from making his headache worse.

Coming back from his thoughts, the detective sat up and began looking around the shelves until he found what he was looking for, the fantasy section. As he surveyed the various novels, he already had his mind in one book in specific. Founding what he was looking for, the medium height man wearing an old greyish-blue shirt and beige khakis hold by a utility belt. Sat in his seat once again and proceeding to open his book. La Belle Sauvage from Phillip Pullman, the first volume of the trilogy.

He began reading the book a while ago and had yet to finish it because of his heavy workload. He could as well buy the book, but it was an old relic from three-hundred years ago that he got lucky to find in a small shop, of which would cost him a small fortune to buy, which he didn't come close to have. So hence why he always made a deal of coming to this specific coffee-shop. Not to say their menu wasn't ample, because it was with no doubt his favourite. A shame and a blessing it's always so desert.

Sitting there with a book in hands and waiting for his order, he let himself lull into the sound of old, soft jazz in his ears. The slight chill from the air conditioner in his skin made his body sooth leaning a bit more on the cushioned, pale blue, chair.

"Sir, your order is here," Said the young teen softly as to not disturbed the older male.

"Ah, my apologies. I was too intrigued into my book－a fascinating one may I say" Said the young detective with a calm smile and fondness in his voice.

"That's good to hear! I'm glad you're fond of our library. I have seen you a few times reading this same book, and I got curious; not many people read such old books here any more. So, if you don't mind me asking, why do you keep reading them?" The curious teen inquired.

"Curious, aren't you kid" Joked Insho.

"Ah, sorry I－"

"Haha, don't worry, I'm just joking. But to answer you; I'm a book lover, and I have a fascination towards them, I wee them relaxing. Furthermore, as for why I prefer to read the old rusty books instead of using a tablet or any device to read them. Let's say it's because I have a bit of a grudge against technology." The detective answered with a chuckle as he marked the page he was on and closed the book.

The boy seemed quite surprised by his response; after all, not many in this society didn't make use of the Internet or technology, not savouring in it even less.

"Oh, really?! I never met someone who didn't like to use technology－it's so convenient! All my friends use it to read school books. But I think I understand why you chose to read the physical form of them, and I think it's calming, in a way." Said the teen with a smile of his own.

Their conversation was getting more enjoyable for Insho as the minute passed. The boy was polite and curious, not even hiding the fact. But alas, the boy was summoned back by one of his co-workers. However, before he left back to work, he turned around with glee on his eyes that spoke of an idea born.

"By the way." He smiled "My names is Mana. It was nice talking to you, sir－"

"Insho. Call me Insho, and none of that 'sir' thing I'm not that old."

"Right! So Insho, if you don't mind speaking to me again, you can come back here Sunday evening. I wouldn't mind talking a bit more 'bout those old books of yours." Exclaimed the teen now known as Mana with a bright smile and a bit of mirth on his eyes.

Not being one to turn down a chance for a good talk about his favourite hobbies he answered delighted.

"'Course I'll. Now go to work on kiddo." Responded the detective with frolic.

"Ay, ay sir!"

The sound of a bell indicating the door being open caught the detective's attention, making him look up from his book. At the door was Otona out of her costume and only dressed in a simple short-sleeve yellow shirt tucked on her high-waist blue jeans. Her shoes were everyday red platform shoes giving her height a few inches more.

"Ah! Sho! Good afternoon, how's work being treatin' ya?" Otona spoke in her too cheery voice. She came up to his table and sat in the chair in front of him, and as she saw the pastries, he could see her cringe, making a disgusted face at too-sweet-of-food for lunch.

"It has been charging. Too much of everything, the station is a disaster." Contemplated the detective as he drank his Cappuccino "To take a break like this in a situation like ours is just adding time to how late I'm going to stay

"Don't ya have that inter of yours, Járne, to help you?" Questioned the woman as she looked through the menu for something not as sugary.

"I do, but I would feel bad making him stay till late to help with work that's not his. I also don't have any compromises with friends to worry about; he just turned nineteen." Putting down his coffee, he leaned back on his chair and let out a sigh." Nonetheless, it's not my first-time dealing whit a whole load of paperwork. He massaged his temples with his left hand "But it sure is the first time I've dealt with this much."

Putting down her menu. The black-golden headed let out an exasperated sigh "I would've told you to give it a break if it was anything else, but as of this case. I can't. Not in good conscience." Spreading her arms over the table in a gesture of defeat with the menu now forgotten.

"I understand…Talking about work, I called you here because of your report on yesterday's situation. Mainly the part where you mention what happened with the boy and our assumptions." Said Insho with a more serious tone and now inclining closer to his partner looking her in the eyes. "Otona, now, be honest with me here, please. Why in the love of all that is gracious did you try to underplay the actions taken place in Fosiméras and the boy's possible relation to it?" He was not with his neutral tone any more but was getting rather frustrated.

"…" She was silent for a bit "Look, I-I just don't want to see the kiddo hurt..." Said her meekly looking down at her intertwined hands." And at the time I wrote that report I was stressed and emotional so I cried my sentiments on it. And like an idiot, I send it to you instead of waiting to revise it later this morning" There were guilty tears on her lashes. "I'm sorry, Sho. Sorry for giving you all this extra work on a time crunch like this."

Breath in. Breath out. Calming himself, the young detective turned away from his tense position and straightened himself in the chair. He wanted an answer as to why she was acting recklessly with her emotions while they dealt with such a delicate matter. Irritation was not common to hear in his voice, but it seemed like his workload had turned his mood into a nasty one. It wasn't usual of him to be in a foul mood such as; angry, irritates or annoyed. He had the idea that if he was to let himself drown in those emotions, he was to turn adverse.

Listening to the soft, calming, jazz in the background, he let himself unwind from the tenseness in his body and mind." It's fine. And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put you on edge." It was a half-hearted apology－he would make up for it later－ his mood may be under control. Still, his tiredness was crushing, Insho didn't have the energy to deal with Otona's emotional baggage right now. "Look." He said, looking her firmly in the eyes. "I'm quite stressed from the workload, and this case is going to give me white hairs by the end of it. So, I'm sorry if I made you Ill at ease." Insho gave a small smile as he held her hands in comfort.

"No, no, no. It's fine. I'm at fault for the drama novel I wrote yesterday." She said softly with a knowing, gentle, smile. "We're both stressed Sho, so for now you focus on this case till it's concluded and I try to tame my emotional self and help the kiddo whoever I can. Aigth?" She asked tentatively.

"…All right."