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			Running Blind [Part 3]
			        Unexpected 

	Ryuhi sat by the hospital bed silently watching the monitors beep and
whir.  They showed his partner�s life sign, each one controlling
something different: her heart, breathing, levels of magic.  Each equally
important.  The doctors had said that she exhausted herself when casting
a complicated attack, that was backed up by Tsurumi�s account of the
earth wall.  The door creaked open and Ryuhi shielded his eyes with his
hand.
	"Is it bad?" Sora Mizuumi entered and closed the door after himself.  
	"She exhausted herself," Ryuhi turned his attention back to Moriko.  She
had wires and tubes coming out of everywhere.  "She didn�t deserve this�"
	"I know, but you couldn�t have helped her.  Ryu, she�s been drilled ever
since she exercised her powers.  We knew she had it, but you can�t stop
the office heads from realizing," Sora sat by him on the floor.  Silence
slid between them like ice and Sora watched his friend�s eyes never waver
from the hospital bed.  "You like her a lot, huh?"
	Ryu jumped and dropped his fist on top of Sora�s head, "None of your
business, Sora."
	"Hey, just wondering.  Maybe you should tell her is all," Sora knocked
him over the head.  "Stupid, do you even know-"
	The door opened again and they both turned to see their old friend walk
in.  Yurei had been gone for awhile and it wasn�t likely that he�d ever
come back to Jukaih�s army.  He�d given up long ago on any kind of
violence.  He walked over to the bed and looked down at Moriko.
	"How long has she been like this?" his soft gray eyes were haunted with
past memories.
	"Why are you here?" Sora was holding Ryuhi back. "And how did you get
in?"
	"I heard, Mori was hurt," Yurei brushed the hair out of her eyes and
smiled. "I�m glad it wasn�t serious."
	"Don�t touch her, traitor.  How could you show your face here after you
turned to Marai, our enemies?" Ryu demanded.
	"Ryuhi, calm down, we can�t fight him here," Sora looked at Yurei, even
he had hate in his blue eyes.  "Yurei, go�when you turned your back on
Jukaih, you turned your back on all of us."
	The tall youth looked at his old partners and smiled sadly, "I know, but
could I really help it?  Remember our deal, now�until we meet again."
	Then, like a ghost, Yurei was gone.  Ryuhi�s red eyes flashed
dangerously and Sora held him back.  
	"Ryu, it isn�t worth it, not now that Hikaru has his hold on him.  Yurei
isn�t what he used to be, let it go," Sora let go of him and stepped
back.  "You�ll get your chance one day."
	"Your chance for what?" 
	Ryu turned and saw Moriko sitting up in bed, pulling the wires off her
head and arms, "You�re okay?"
	"Yeah, and exactly what am I doing here?" she slid out of bed and
touched the bandage around her head.  "This is really weird.  What the
hell happened to me?"
	Sora and Ryu looked at each other, "You mean you don�t remember
anything?" they asked in unison.
	"Well, I was training and I wake up here.  What is this?  Some kind of
joke?" Moriko grabbed the thin cotton sheets and pulled them around her
like a skirt.  
	"Riko, get dressed and then come down to HQ, okay?  I have some
questions I�d like to have answered," Ryu grasped Sora�s arm and pulled
him outside.  The door had barely closed before he began drilling his
friend.  "You were her old partner, right?"
	Sora looked at him, "Uh, yeah."
	"Has this happened before?" Ryu demanded.
	Sora looked away, avoiding his gaze.
	"Well?  Has it?" Ryu pleaded for an answer.
	"I�m sorry to pull this on you, Ryu, but that�s classified information�"
Sora pushed him away lightly and walked off down the white hallways of
the Jukaih Military Defense Post�s main hospital and fifth morgue.  


___________________________

Tip of the Day: You can hurt yourself if you run with scissors.
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