justonetruth | (no subject)

[Infirmary sure is popular tonight. That cabinet door might slide open seemingly of its own accord, and after a couple of seconds of concentration, the gauze might start to slip from the shelf.

Only the chill in the air speaks to the fact that this is not some serendiptuous occurance on the part of the mansion. Conan's not the only one recovering from an encounter with 1412.]

((ooc: This cool?))

[He stares at it, shivers a little in the chill in the air. That chill means something, that motion means something.

... what?

He's exhausted and hurt and can't---

"Ghostie"

1412 had mentioned the dead Kudo Shinichi.]

... you in here?

[It takes effort, another long moment to give the gauze the final shove needed to send it falling to the ground. Shinichi relaxes, taking a moment to rest. He can feel the pain of the other him, almost like a memory, and its harder to will himself to do things.

His voice is plainly tired, coming from somewhere near the cabinet.]

For a limited definition of 'here.'

[He kneels down, carefully, slowly, trying not to aggravate his cracked ribs, and fumbles with the gauze, wrapping it around the deep knife-wound on his upper arm.]

What's wrong with you?

Tired is all. Worn thin ...

You?

Two or three cracked ribs. Knife-wound. Nearly broke my wrist.

[His voice is strained, sentences choppy. His encounter with 1412 had shaken him a bit, gotten him out of the masks he usually wore, left him feeling rather off-center and exposed.]

...

I don't want to think of what would have happened if I had agreed to "play tag" with him.

[There's a shakey laugh, the light flickers momentarily.]

No games. Not his games.

[He glances at the lights. Is the ghost drawing energy from them somehow?]

That's why I didn't run.

[Shinichi feels a weary sort of recognition in that. He didn't run either, and it's good to know that he shares that much with his living self. The encounter with 1412's mind has left everything twisted, raw, and he is still putting the pieces back together.]

[He doesn't react to Conan's statement, not visibly at least, but after a few minutes he asks] Anything else you need?

[A sharp laugh, which he promptly regrets.

New set of ribs, maybe. You need anything?

[There is just the faintest of faint snickers.] Not much first aid can do for me.

Anything I can help with?

[Have a touch faint as cobwebs on your shoulder.] Not like this.

Get those ribs bound, get out of here. It's the logical place for him to look for you.

[Not that 1412 is logical but Shinichi wants to think about that as little as possible.]

He's scared of you.

[A smirk, gloating, the masks all not quite back in place yet.]

I don't think he'll come in here with you around.

[That gives the ghost pause. He's not sure how he feels about that, and what is that odd echo of feeling that calls to his dark instincts ... ?]

That's -- the reaction of someone sane.

If anything, he'll look for me.

[That's right. 1412 isn't sane at all. And that's how Shinichi beat him in the game, the detective's game, not the thief's.

But he buries the smile, the feeling of victory. He can gloat later.]

I think he's just sane enough to be dangerous.

Not going to argue with that.

[The faint cobweb like pressure is back, Shinichi trying to get a closer look at Conan's bandages.]

What tipped you off -- the stab wound? [His tone is dry, teasing, the most normal he's sounded yet.]

[Conan lets him, even relaxes slightly. Physical contact with someone who cares is rare, and important to him.

The bandages could have been put on better, but his left wrist had been nearly broken, and it was painful to move it enough to get the gauze on the wound, let alone do it well.]

Well, first it was the asking how long I'd be able to last against him. Then he threw the knife, and that pretty much confirmed it.

[Encouraged by Conan's reaction, Shinichi reaches for the bandages. It takes all his concentration to tighten and tie the bandages off neatly, and Conan will find his earlier suspicion confirmed by the fact that the lightbulb nearest them abruptly burns out as he does.

Not until he's satisfied that the bandage won't come undone and is looking at Conan's wrist, can the ghost manage a reply.]

Not very subtle, is he?

[He doesn't ask the ghost to stop, though he can tell that helping him is draining for the dead detective.]

About as subtle as a trainwreck. He asked if I was the murdering "chibi-chan" he knows.

That should have sent me running.

[The good thing about receiving first-aid from a ghost is that you'll never need an ice-pack. Conan's wrist should hopefully be feeling better just from the attention its getting.] Sprained?

I got that too. Really have to wonder about that us.

[The chill is soothing, the knowledge that someone is taking care of him even more so. He relaxes, lets the stress and fatigue leave. He's not in danger right now.]

No idea. He was trying to break it, I think. Twisted it.

I would like to meet him. Ask about this "game" he's playing with 1412.

[In a weird way, this is good for Shinichi too. Now that his counterpart is in less pain, it's not so difficult to be around him and having him to focus on gives a measure of calm to the ghost's thoughts.]

He's too fond of that. Told me he'd done it to his us.

[Shinichi shivered insubstantially, the infirmary lights flickering with him. He couldn't help the memory that jumped to mind -- broken his wrist seen him grit his teeth with pain the visceral crack and grinding bones with relish--]

Sure you want the answers?

[blood, warm and salty and it's all mine-]

Not much a person can do with a broken wrist.

[Kaito never existed, never had a father, never killed his mother because she wouldn't listen---

KID was broken, so so broken, and he wanted to know how and who and why and if the "chibi-chan" was just as broken as the thief. He wanted to meet some crazed, broken version of himself. It would be beautiful like 1412 was beautiful. Art.]

I'm a detective, remember? It's not about wanting the answers. If they're there, it's my job to find them.

We've always been better with our feet.

[Shinichi's not surprised at his counterpart's statement. Hasn't he used that same line so many times himself? All the same, he is worried and it's hard for him to pinpoint why exactly.]