recolle | [ closed ]

This isn't how Tatsuo had thought it would go. He thought he'd wake up one morning with a new scar on his stomach. He'd heard of that happening to other Retrospec users. BAM! New scar. So he hadn't really worried about it.

Maybe he should have.

Maybe he wouldn't be in this situation if he had. How many people had he told that Ryuuzkaki got shot? Hitori. Goro. Matt. How had he missed telling Derek and Cleo? Tatsuo struggles to string his thoughts together, trying to stay awake, because he's scared he might not wake back up if he closes his eyes.

The only thing really keeping him from passing out completely is the feel of Cleo's hand pressed against his stomach. So he focuses on that and the weird feeling that surrounds it. He can tell she's doing something, he's just not sure what.

Blood.

The blood wells up between her fingers, even as the pale glow emanates from her palm. She didn't know what was going on. He got shot? Was there a shooter? Her mind races in a million directions. She needs to go find the shooter. She needs to stay here and help Tatsuo. She needs to- She needs to-

She needs to focus, and focus is what she doesn't have. She presses her palm to the wound, pouring all of her magic, the magic she could barely use and didn't understand, trying to remember how to use those incredible healing spells from her visions.

"Tatsuo, please, stay with us." She whispers to him. If he loses consciousness, with this much blood...

[Derek's hands are shaking as he is driving the car. So much blood. He doesn't understand how this happened, but he can't let his friend die. NO! HE WAS NOT LOOSING SOMEONE ELSE! Thankfully they are just going to Tatsuo's apartment, so Derek can go on autopilot and not think about where to go. Derek looks at Cleo through the rear view mirror.]

Cleo, how is he doing back there?

Cleo's healing, Derek is driving, and Majima's along for the ride and trying to be calm somehow. He'd seen people shot in his memories, of course. And Tatsuo had told him about it. In some ways they were clearly from similar worlds, but that was an ironic statement to make about a cop and a yakuza.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna get Grell an' she'll fix ya right up. 's jus'...'s jus' a scratch."

Tatsuo stares up at the roof of Derek's car. He's definitely getting blood on the seat and floor... he'll have to remember to pay for the cleaning. All things considered, he's about... 75% certain he'll survive this. Ryuuzaki had staggered through a fun house and beaten up a guy after getting shot, after getting first aid. How had that happened anyway? Who gave him the first aid? 'Tacchan' didn't seem like the sort to carry around a first aid kit. So who had it been?

There are still so many things he doesn't know about that night.

"Doing my best..."

His voice is a little weak, but he's clinging to consciousness as hard as he can.

"I don't know!" Cleo snaps at Derek, a bit angrier than intended. The constant attempt to heal was exhausting her, sapping her patience as well as her magic power. "I- I don't know how to do this! It's nothing like my visions- The only vision I've seen that explained anything said I should be punching him to use magic!"

Which explained nothing, but even so, she presses her hand to the wound, trying to ignore the blood covering her hand.

"Tatsuo, just- Just stay with us, please. You'll be all right. You have to make third dan still, don't you?"

[Derek turns into the apartment complex and parks in the closest parking spot to the door (yes, handicap access, but he doesn't give a shit at this moment). Turning off the car, he quickly starts to scramble out of it.]

GORO YOU GET TATSUO, I'LL GET THE DOOR! THE ELEVATOR IS DOWN THE HALL!

[Derek runs to the door of the apartmeNT building and starts fumbling around with his keys. Finding the key he shoves it in an turns.]

Thank god...

[He opens the door and yells to Majima.]

GORO HURRY!

It's a smart division of labor, at least. Majima's more than strong enough to carry Tatsuo. He tries to keep Cleo close, though he's well aware of the necessity of time here, too. Cleo, and whatever powers she's gotten back, seem to be their best bet here.

"I got him, we're comin'."

Tatsuo hisses at being moved. Whatever Cleo is doing with her magic is keeping some of the pain at bay, but not all of it. For a moment, he almost blacks out, but he sucks in a breath and fights against the pain.

"Utsuki-sensei will be disappointed if I don't..."

The panic hasn't subsided yet, and some part in the back of Cleo's mind wonders how long she can keep this up before she burns out. The adrenaline, she's not sure, but the magic...

"I can't keep this up for much longer." Her breathing is slightly labored as she rushes with Majima. "This magic- In the visions, it was so much stronger than this..." She's cursing at herself in her head. Why is it stronger there? Why can't she use that power when Tatsuo needs her? But she has to focus. "Tell Grell- Magic kept him from bleeding out, but I've got almost nothing left."

The light from her palms was dimming.

"I suggest you quit shrieking. Unless you want someone to call the actual police."

A voice cuts through the air, clear and direct, and Grell shuts the door to her car, a heavy black bag under her arm. Her look is serious, and she takes long strides to reach them, eyes zeroing in on Tatsuo.

"Someone tell me the exact details that you know. And Majima, I know it's unnecessary to say, but try to keep him as steady as you can."

[Derek leads the way to the elevator and furiously pushes the "up" button. He tries to stay calm but he voice is starting to shake.]

I don't know. One moment he was fine and the next he was falling over with a wound to his abdomen.

[The elevator dings and Derek rushes in and holds down the "open" button before pushing the "5th floor" button.]

Tatsuo hang in there. We're almost there.

Majima's doing his best here. He looks to Grell, grateful for her assist in trying to get everyone to calm down.

"He told me he remembered gettin' shot. Ya heard of anyone gettin' crazy open wounds from Retrospec?"

As the light dims around Cleo's hands, the pain starts worsening and Tatsuo can feel the blackness pulling at him. He clenches his fists as he tries to remember any details that might help Grell.

"Sniper in tower... upper left quadrant... no exit..."

And then he passes out.

The light from her hands peters out entirely.

"Sniper...? There wasn't one, was there?" Her energy drained from the healing, her exhaustion is becoming obvious. "That was the vision, not reality."

[Derek looks at Majima.]

He told you? Bloody hell, if this doesn't kill him, I will. What the hell would have happened if this happened in front of NPC's or anyone who didn't now about this potential injury!

[Derek looks at the passed out Tatsuo.]

Damn it Tatsuo, what were you thinking?

[The elevator pings to the 5th floor and Derek quickly grabs Tatsuo's keys out Tatsuo's jacket pocket and starts flipping though them as he exits the elevator.

His apartment is just down here.

[Derek sprints six doors down and shoves the key to a door on the left. Pushing the door open he holds it open for Majima to carry Tatsuo in.]

Hurry!

To Majima's question, Grell shook her head - scars, she knew, his own involved. Not actual wounds.

Taking bigger strides to stay close, Grell puts one hand on Derek's shoulder as she passes by him, following the body and the others.

"Sir, I appreciate you calling me, but unless you can get yourself under control, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises. We can discuss the what ifs and your worrying after my patient is stabilized."

Bullet wounds. Trauma. Lucian remembered nothing now, but she'd be able to put enough pressure on him, she thinks, to be able to have private assistance - hell, he could charge her for the expenses.

"Please look to Ms. Ritter, if you think you can handle it - she'll need a place to sit and rest."

But right now, her concern is Tatsuo, and as soon as they can get him horizontal, she can get to work.

"He can tell whoever he damn well pleases," he sighs, shaking his head, but then heads into the room to try and put him down on a couch - somewhere they can lay him out. "Whether this shit's reality or vision, it's still affecting him."

Tatsuo's apartment has a simple, neat layout. Living room on the left on the entry, kitchen on the right, bedroom straight ahead from the front door, bathroom attached to bedroom. A light grey sofa sits in the living room, and it's just long enough to lay Tatsuo's 5' 9" frame out flat.

Cleo shakes her head.

"Please- Let me stay with Tatsuo." Her voice is breathless, she's winded like she just ran a marathon, even though her physical energy is fine... Mentally, she's exhausted. "He's my brother."

But despite her words, it's still obvious just by looking at her that she's only even upright through sheer willpower. She could collapse at any moment... But her will has clamped down on her mind and body, keeping her still until she knows Tatsuo is safe.

[Derek glares at Grell and bites back a retort. How dare she try to tell him to leave! He is staying and that's that. Derek looks over at Majimia and makes a quick mental note to give him a piece of his mind. Obviously his is unaware of how close he and Tatsuo are. He will need to remedy that. Derek points to the ajar door of the bedroom.]

His bedroom is just through there, there will be more space to work instead of the couch.

[Derek looks at Cleo and then over to Grell.]

Can't she at least be in the room with him?

[Cleo, you can't say Derek never tried to look out for you.]

Instead of listening to Derek, since she's already given him one warning, Grell indicates to Majima that the couch will do, and murmurs a soft "thanks" once Tatsuo's down. Going on her knees to be besides the man, she glances at Cleo before she begins.

"Sit. Before you fall over."

She's not going to be able to treat a concussion if the young woman falls. Instead, she opens her bag, and her focus goes entirely on Tatsuo, and beginning to work on him.

It's a less than ideal environment, but if she breathes, she can remember things. Gloves and sterilization. Identifying if it hit anything major, which will impact her progress. Size and caliber from the wound, bullet lodged in or passed through. General distance - he'd mentioned a sniper. Where to begin sewing things up, the delicate process of ensuring nothing would reopen and become infected.

Grell will find the entry wound in the upper left quadrant of his abdomen, and a distinct lack of exit wound. Due to the downward angle of the entry wound, it luckily missed his stomach, pancreas, and spleen. However, the wound is rather small, either due to the distance or the round being a smaller caliber.

Without Cleo's magical intervention, the wound has started to bleed again.

Once they've got him on the couch, Majima moves away. There's no point to standing around here and being in Grell's way - instead he heads off to the kitchen to get a few cups of water for everyone - Cleo first, since she was using magic - the rescuers here need taking care of, too.

It's Grell's orders that finally get her to, and she sits. Or rather, she slumps to the ground, like a puppet with cut strings, exhaustion finally catching up with her.

cleo, majima, derek, grell

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