Chapter Twenty-One: The Poisoned Apple (Part III)

Shinichi's POV

Why do I only see pitch black? I don't understand. I thought as I looked around the empty black place I'm in right now. How did I get here? I asked to myself, but there was no answer.

Suddenly, a light formed in front of me and it sucked me, making me scream but then, I found myself in another place—or perhaps, another world or maybe an another dimension.

I looked at my back to see the familiar room. It was the room where I found Ran in the Lost Bride Case. I smiled at the thought.

I heard noises so I searched through the room. Many kids are in the room but I just noticed two kids.

They're wearing blue shirts and a yellow hat. One is a girl with a pink skirt and one boy with gray shorts, simply frowning while looking at the girl.

He walked to the girl and suddenly asked her with a frowning face. "You're making a Sakura, right?"

The girl flinched and looked up to the young boy. The tears in the side of her eyes was on the verge of falling.

But she managed to answer, "Y-Yes. How did you know?"

"You asked but you know the answer," he said and looked at the Sakura of the little girl. "You make a fold in the crease and then, cut it." He snatched the scissors and the origami from the young girl and started cutting it while thinking of his father's technique on how to do it. "When you open it, it'll be like this," he said and put it down to the girl's lap.

The young girl smiled at him and said, 'thank you'. Then, another scene flashed in my sight. They're still those young boy and young girl but the young girl is holding the boy's hand, raising it up to the air and called him without any respects, "Shinichi".

My eyes widened as I heard the name and looked down to the young boy's face. He is frowning and I noticrd he really does look like me and when I looked at the young girl, it looks like Ran—or maybe, she is the real Ran I knew.

Are these memories? I asked to myself.

My sight got into that pitch black again. I don't know what is happening but I don't feel anything. I'm numb but my head was still working fine. I just can't seem to move my body. It was like I've been paralyzed to this dimension.

Then, the struck of light suddenly illuminated to my sight again making me sucked in to another dimension.

In the distance, I saw myself walking with a beautiful young girl with brown straight hair with blue blazer and skirt.

I saw girls and boys wearing the same clothes as me and the young girl. She looks like eighteen to me and more mature.

I read the sign beside the gate. 'Beika High School'. That's the school's name I was in with the girl.

"Hey, Shinichi!" she shouted, stopping on her tracks making my young self stop too.

I looked back at her as my hands are on my pockets with that frown still on my face. "Naniyo?!"

"Don't you remember your promise? You told me that if I win the Tournament Championship, you'll bring me to Tropical Land."

My young self did not answer but he raised one of his eyebrows and looked up. "Did I really say that?"

"You idiot!" She suddenly kicks to the air and my eyes widened in fear but quickly, I sighed as I saw my young self crouched down while smirking.

But my cheeks just reddened in embarrassment as the skirt was being dropped on my young self's head. "Oh?"

The girl's face reddened so much and shouted my name. "SHI-NI-CHI!!!" Then, a kick flew towards him.

I was so scared but then, it goes pitch black once more. My head suddenly pounding so bad and my vision is getting blurry.

I can't breathe and as if the dark sucked me in, my body can't move nor I can't shout out loud even though I put all my efforts to rise my voice into the highest pitch.

One name was only I wanted to shout that time and I did so.

Ran's POV

I flinched out of my sleep as I heard someone was shouting near me. When I looked, it was Shinichi, scrambling to his bed as he clenched the bedsheets while he is sweating so badly.

"Ran... Ran..." He whispered as his head is moving left and right.

I instantly felt fear and nervousness inside me so I stood and hurriedly clicked the emergency call button right at the top of Shinichi's bed.

I didn't wait for someone to reply. I just shouted for help numerous times until I went back to Shinichi's position and held his hand tightly.

I could feel my whole body shaking as I feared that he's in the most critical situation the doctor had said.

My patience is thinning. I need to go get the nurses and his doctor. I kissed the back of his hand before standing up to run towards the room's door when suddenly, someone grabbed my wrist causing me to stop.

I stood there, frozen. It was not a ghost, is it? I asked to myself. My eyes widened as I thought of him. Oh.. My... Gosh... No, don't tell me...

I slowly looked at my back and my eyes widened as I saw Shinichi. His eyes wide open with a forced smile on his lips.

My tears fell down as I felt his hand gripped so much more to my wrist.

~~~

"His heart rate... Normal. Blood pressure... Normal," the doctor said as he monitored Shinichi with ease. Nurses are helping him. "Hmm... Now, for the final test. Did you know your own name?"

Shinichi just stared at the doctor while still lying down. He's not moving.

I tried to fight my tears to fall down as I waited for his reply.

I am standing with Haibara and Agasa Hakase in the corner while the doctor and nurses do the job.

I stand there in fear that he might not remember himself or worse, not remember me again nor our friends. I hope it would not get worst this time.

His mouth slowly opened and I sighed in relief as I heard his name rolled down his tongue. "K-Kudo Shinichi," he replied.

The doctor nodded and scribbled down to his notes. "Okay. Now, tell me. How old are you?" He answered the doctor's question. The doctor wrote it down again. "Now, do you remember them?" the doctor asked as he pointed at us.

His eyes landed first to me, making our eyes contacted to each other. He slowly lifted his hand while still hardly tilting his head to look at me while his body was in rest to the bed.

"M-Mouri Ran..." he muttered, making me feel in joy.

"Who is she to you?"

"M-My childhood f-friend..." he replied once more that made me teared up in joy but I was a little bit gloomy. But then, his next answer shocked me. "...and m-my girlfriend."

I put my hands in my mouth as my tears fell down in joy. My knees are going weak. I was in pure happinnes.

"And the two others?"

"A-Ai Haibara," Shinichi said and forced a smile. "M-My partner-in-c-crime a-and my t-trusted friend," he added and glanced at Hakase. "T-That is Agasa H-Hakase. F-Family friend," he continued.

The doctor asked a few questions to him before leaving the room and asked me to come for a moment.

"Kudo-kun was fine. His condition was now stable yet not normal to be exact."

I frowned. "What do you mean, doc?"

"There's still no signs of him being in a trauma or something damaged to his brain so we might consider it still to be a temporary observation for him. If still there's no response to the possibility we think of, we might have considered him to go home but still under observation by the hospital."

I nodded as I put all of the doctor's advice to my head.

"Well, I'll get going now. Many patients still needs me. If you have any concerns, just press the emergency button."

I nodded and said goodbye to the doctor. I sighed as I got back to the room but I heard some noise so I looked up to see Hayley frowning while looking at the now-sitting Shinichi with a pillow on his back.

"Jimmy, I'm your girlfriend, Hayley!"

Shinichi frowned as he looked at her calmly. "Excuse me, miss. I don't bother to be rude but... who are you?"

My eyes widened as fear rushed through my veins and happiness washed through me at the same time.

This is not happening...