Archive of Our Own ^beta

QUARANTINE

“News reports are coming in all over from Tokyo -to as bombs laced with a deadly unknown virus have been unleashed in public centers all across the city over the course of the last few days. Police reports are saying it's been from the criminal gangs that plague our fair city but a few days ago a lab in Neo Tokyo was broken into where they where testing a strain of an illness that would harm over two thirds of the population if it was to get out into the world....”

“Alright guys,” Corn addressed the assembled GG's who where still floating around the house they dubbed the 'garage' and not doing things related to gang business. “This is something serious we need to warn you all about. You guys have more or less heard the news on the radio or seen it on the tv about this 'killer virus' that is spreading through Tokyo – to so I won't have to bore you all with the little details, However I do stress that when you guys hit the streets from now on you need to be extra careful.”

Gum nodded. “That's right, Other gangs in the areas around here have reported members falling extremely ill to this thing, though there hasn't been any fatal casualties some of them have been left rather crippled in number so be expected to be doing the odd help out job when they come up.... but try hard not to come in contact with those who are infected, as at the moment there isn't any known cure.”

“If you run into any one who isn't here who's missed out on this information let them know. For now with the current gangs in the area we're on a temporary truce but with any new intruders we're to snuff them before they get any ideas.” Corn then clasped his hands together. “Alright guys, let's get on with it.”

Soda grabbed Jazz, Clutch and Combo and pulled them aside. He would have grabbed Beat too but the guy was impossible to get a hold of with all the gangs asking for help.

“You guys need to be even more careful, since you guys are all from other countries.” He said darkly. “So far we know that it's only affecting people with O blood types, but since you guys are not Japanese we thought you guys might be at a higher risk.”

They all nodded. Combo then felt compelled to speak. “Have you been able to tell Beat any of this? The guy's run off his feet with the other gangs needing help with their territory boundaries. If anything I'd keep and eye on his as he has a higher chance of getting hit by this than any one of us.”

“If it hasn't happened already.” Corn had walked over to them and interjected. “He hasn't been back in a few days and I've been rather worried. If he is hit with it it will be very dangerous not just for any of us to end up getting it, But he won't be able to fight it either. He's health isn't too great already.”

“You know something I don't?” Soda asked. He prided himself on knowing every bodies state of well being and being told someone wasn't in one hundred percent condition and was still out in the open worried him greatly.

Corn shrugged. “He's run down and over tired. Always is. After hearing Cube got struck with it after how hard she tries to keep Poison Jam under her control I wouldn't strike it out as a possibility.”

“Then we best find him and if he's alright let him know what's happening. If he's not we tell him he has to stand down?” Clutch hesitated as he already found a flaw in the plan. “Telling him he has to stop would just make him go out and do more.”

“I know, I'm sure he will listen this time after seeing it first hand. I doubt that he hasn't.” Corn sounded rather confidant. “To be on the safe side though I will keep one of us here on rotation to alert everyone the second anyone of us comes in here feeling ill. This is a virus after all, it can still mutate and make the rest of us ill too.”

“The disease is contracted by contact with any fluids like blood, saliva, snot and other expended body waste and can be either inhaled or infected via an open wound. Officials are calling for people to stay in their homes and to keep themselves well covered...”

Yoyo yawned. The night sitting on his own was boring waiting for another person to trade places with him. Soda's explanation on what he had to do if anyone came in feeling ill like hanging a tag on their bedroom door and not touching them had gone over his head a little bit and he lost all interest when it was stressed that it was very very important to make sure that he contact Soda if anyone had contracted it. There was nothing else on the tv but stuff about the outbreak and every station seemed to be trying to whip up mass hysteria and conflicting information. The only thing they all seemed to agree on though is that nearly everyone that had been infected and those who where now fatal casualties in the general public where all of one singular blood type meaning it had not had a chance to mutate yet. Yoyo made an assumption Soda was only worried that people have now died from it and wasn't going to take any chances, but with a AB blood type he was pretty certain there was no way he was ever going to get it.

There was a loud thud entering the building and Yoyo practically leapt from his seat thinking it was Corn stomping in to make sure he had not fallen asleep on the job. His brown eyes lit up when he saw Ryth trying to help Beat through the doorway, blood dripping down his shirt and onto the floor in small puddles on the concrete. He had been in a gang fight somewhere and they left him there to die from his wounds. Ryth could barely hold him up but was doing the best job she could.

“Yoyo, I need a hand getting him to his room and quick!” Ryth hissed between her teeth.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Yoyo snapped back. “He's been infected! We're not supposed to touch anyone if they are sick!” Bit's of Soda's long boring talk where unfolding like pages of a book as Yoyo jumped the the first conclusion.

“He's not sick Yo, knock it off!” Ryth growled. “If we don't treat his injuries there's every chance he will catch that blasted thing and I don't want that! If you're that bloody scared you can get me the medikit and leave it to me. At least one of us could be useful around here!”

After lugging Beat to his room and realising Yoyo was going to be useless as hell she grabbed the medikit herself and closed the door behind her so she could attend to him in private. There was quite a bit of damage, the Immortals this time choosing to bring knives to the fight against a new gang they came across and Beat just got in the middle. The two gangs may not have liked each other but they hated the GG's even more, giving him a real right pounding. Mutual hatred was something a lone GG should never try to stop but Beat did anyway as it was just in his nature to do so.

She almost had him fully patched up when Combo stepped in, looking like absolute hell had hit him. Ryth's eyes opened wide when it dawned on her that he was infected.

“Oh no no no...” she said getting up and moving to the door that had been closed behind Combo. Sine he was so large and muscular they didn't see her and Beat's condition on the other side of the shared bedroom. She banged on the door loudly but it was hard to hear her over Combo's violent coughing fits. Combo had also had a moment to take it all in and when he could get the words in he said, “Wait, neither of you are sick? Then why is there a sign...”

Ryth turned and banged harder on the door. “I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU YOYO DO YOU HEAR ME!?”

Combo tried to hide his coughing and his ears as Ryth was very good at shouting. “I'm sorry I didn't know...”

Ryth sighed and tried to calm herself. “It's not your fault, some stupid idiot put Soda's warning sign on the door when this room isn't infected!” she realised she was shouting still and took a deep breath this time lowering her voice again. “It's too late now, we've both been exposed, so you are stuck with us now.” she scooted around him as to try and not touch him to get to the other side of the room to try and finish what she had been doing. “Just try to rest in you bed I will think of something ok? I will look after you too I suppose, I just-”

Combo could see what had been happening and nodded, holding back another choking fit. “I can see that if you do Beat will get it too.”

“It might be a bit late for that since we're now in the same room. Let's just hope he doesn't get it otherwise he's in trouble.”

“Looks like he got in a fight.”

“Out numbered in one yes... the idiot.” Ryth looked just as annoyed at Beat for doing something so irrational at a time like this. She was not mad though. She could never really be mad at him unlike how long she could hold a grudge with anyone else. Combo knew he was the only person really privileged to see how the two of them acted away from the rest of the gang since he now had to share a room with Beat due to space constraints with new team members. In their downtime Beat and Ryth rarely did much outside each other's company, they'd play card games, sing along to music and sometimes sketched together. He often wondered if there was more to it but also knew if they didn't spend the time together others would be wasting their free time trying to set them up with other people.

She sighed. “I'm not the best with this medical stuff, but I think I've done plenty.”

Combo sat on his bed, and tried to stop coughing. “Beat usually keeps a vial of Terbutaline in there for asthma attacks for Gum in there as well as something called ropivacaine which he asked Soda to put in there the other week after Garam got badly assaulted by the Zero beat. I don't know what that stuff does, But I'd assume it's a pain killer as he used it on him to numb the large wound they took out in his leg while we where waiting around here for Soda to arrive.”

Ryth nodded. Combo had a very good memory so she never had to question him about details. They both knew that while Soda had all the medical expertise, Between them Corn, Gum and Beat had reasonable medical skill between them for emergencies, though while the others where sticklers for rules, beat was all about ad lib and trying to adjust as the situation required it. There where times where he had used a mix of things that would sound absolutely crazy to Soda in practice that she and the others never mentioned it to him encase he went spare. The GG's had only ever head Soda yell once...they never wanted to hear it again.

So there where some of Soda's pain killers and things in the kit... she wondered what the little bottles where as she had dug through the box looking for bandages.

“Will he be alright?”

Ryth glanced over. “I hope so. Just needs rest. Like you do. I'd try and get some sleep, it will make you feel a little better. If the cough gets worse, we can ring Soda and ask if he's got anything and pass it through the door since he can't really set foot in here encase others fall sick too and he's needed everywhere.” She smiled hopefully. “Beat might be able to help too when he comes around.” she added helpfully, knowing that if one of the gang leaders seemed to be on the case trying to stop him getting worse would at least bring some sort of comfort. Besides he knew that they where stuck together now for the duration of this thing.

Combo nodded. “You are ok staying here?”

“Can't go anywhere else.” Ryth smiled. “I know where you guys store the spare blankets and the air bed you guys got for me under the beds so I'll just pull them out. It'd be like all the time I hide out in here huddled with you guys during thunderstorms.” Her jovial tone seemed to put Combo at ease, the hysteria about this virus must have been eating at him since he started feeling ill. Since being in the shared room, Ryth and Beat had included him in everything they could so he didn't feel left out. All three of them kept to themselves to a degree around the others about a lot of things, all putting up various fronts as everyone expected different things from each of them so they were able to be themselves around one another. Combo actually enjoyed that as he missed being able to talk trash with Beat but since they all rejoined the gang there had been little opportunity to do so any more... well it was an understatement to say the least. Things where different this time around.

His whole body shook with another coughing fit, but this time he was glad he was now lying down so it didn't hurt as much.

“Night Mari.” Combo murmured.

“Night Sebestian.” Ryth replied. She waited until Combo had dozed off before digging out the stuff she needed to make a bed for the night between the boy's beds on the floor. She then leaned over Beat and whispered in his ear, “ Night Brody. You of all people better get some rest otherwise I will make you regret it.” she gave him a little poke in the shoulder even though he wasn't awake, she knew he'd feel it in his sleep.

Ryth woke up in the middle of the night to Combo's violent coughing. He had been all night but this last lot sounded like his chest might explode. She sat up and was surprised to find Beat wake as well, though he was still looking pretty under the weather. He was helping Combo sit up so that the coughing spasms wouldn't cause him to choke. She wanted to open her mouth and tell him that he shouldn't be getting too close encase he got sick as well, but it was far to late for that.

“Ryth can you sit here and make sure he stays upright?” Beat asked quietly. “If he lies back down he'll just choke.”

“And what are you going to do? We can't leave the room to get him a glass of water or anything.” Ryth said getting up and sitting on the bed on the other side to support the big muscular GG.

“I worked that out already, Gum told me what Soda said when someone got sick and what he wanted us to do. There might be something in the kit you left open on the desk that might help ease the cough. I just need to have a good look.” He made sure Ryth was able to support Combo's weight before he moved over to the desk without tripping over the air mattress on the floor. Combo's coughing was out of control and he could barely hold himself upright. If it kept going it would hurt his chest enough that he might start coughing blood and that would make the virus attack him faster.

Ryth watched as Beat put on some glasses and was reading over the bottles and things she had seen before in the box, as if he was trying to find something in particular. She rubbed Combo's back down to try and ease some of the pain he was feeling while he was trying to bring up his lungs.

“Ok I think I have something that will work, but I need something to mix it into, otherwise he won't be able to drink it. Last time I tried something like this Yoyo vomited all over me.”

Ryth looked around the room and spotted some of her gear she left the last time she stayed. “There might still be a bottle of lemonade or something amongst my stuff, You know I never drink it all.”

“Let's hope it's not out of date. I'm kinda always finding them lying around.” Beat laughed softly, wincing as his chest hurt to do so. He found half a bottle of raspberry lemonade and checked the date. It was still good, so he took it back over to the desk, opened two of the bottles and carefully dropped two drops of each into it before mixing them in. “Fingers crossed, as I have no idea if mixing these together are either going to be better for him or worse. Trying is better than not trying right?”

He walked back over and waited till Combo had a few moment where he could stop coughing to breathe. He handed him the bottle. “Bottom's up!”

Combo took a full swig of the lemonade and drank the whole bottle, only coughing a few times afterwards. “It's flat.” then his face screwed up a little. “Ah hell that's revolting for an after-taste.” There was a another coughing fit, though drinking some liquid did help make it less painful.

“Give it a few minutes to an hour. I think they should relax your throat enough that you can sleep without coughing all night.” Beat sat down on the end of Combo's bed. “It's not cough mixture though so one of us will have to stay awake to make sure you are alright through the night.”

“What did you use?” Ryth asked darkly.

“Two different muscle relaxants. One that you can use on the throat and one for the lungs. It's the one for the lungs that has be a bit worried as I have never used it before, hence why only a tiny dose since Soda's not here to ask.” Beat seemed pretty confidant in his choices. “I can't be one hundred percent sure they will be fine so I will take first watch, that way if something goes wrong, it's all on me to fix it.”

“So why didn't you just use cough mixtures? They are in the box too.”

“Because they don't really do anything. They're like a placebo, only work when you think they are working.” Beat gave her an assuring smile. “This stuff will work though, I can at least promise that... just not sure how well.”

“I could watch over too you know.” Ryth pointed out.

“No. you need to rest. You've looked after me heaps today and you need to sleep after spending most of the day all worried.”

Combo's coughing has started to subside enough to be able to lie back down again. Ryth gave Beat another look before giving up and crawling into her makeshift bed. Beat got back up and went back to the desk to pack the kits away, leaving out the two he used out making sure if he needed to tell Soda what they where if things didn't go the way he expected.

Ryth woke up to more coughing again, this time it wasn't from Combo and sounded a lot harsher and more painful. It had been a few hours since she fell asleep and it had been a relief that Combo was able to sleep without being interrupted with fits while his fever was still trying to be eased off. It was coming from Beat this time from his seat at the desk, though it was fair to say he was trying hard not to lay down on it every time another coughing wave hit. With Combo it shook him a bit and sounded worse than it looked, but with Beat's thinner frame his whole body was recoiling from each violent motion.

The realization that he had the virus now started to fill her with dread. She got up and was quick to get to his aid and couldn't believe how fast he had contracted it. Ryth tried to get him to sit upright and regretted it when she pulled the shirt he had covering his mouth to try and muffle the sound. It clearly had not worked but also not what it was being used for. Blood was soaking the shirt and some of it was trailing down his arm that was holding it. Ryth could feel the fever had taken over as his body was just as hot as Combo's and he was maybe somewhere on the next stage of the illness as being injured he picked it up faster with it spreading twice as quick through his system. This was what Ryth had been afraid of the whole time. Beat's whole physical run down would have helped accelerate the process of the virus as there wasn't much he had left to fight it with.

“Hey if we use that stuff you gave to Combo maybe we can stop your coughing too!” Ryth sounded hopeful. Beat was trying to shake his head mid cough. Ryth was quick to let go of his arm so he could cough into the shirt again. Ryth fumbled the bottles and read the labels herself. Her expression saddened. “Not to be used if internal bleeding is present....Shit.”

“Is everything ok in there? Is Combo getting worse?”

Ryth bolted for the door when she heard Soda's voice from outside. “Combo's fine, we managed to relieve him of it. It's Beat. He's coughing up blood and I don't know what to do!”

“Ah shit.” She heard him say on the other side of the door. “Hang on a sec, I have to get this epilepsy stuff to Garam before he gets another one triggered by the fever and I'll see what I can do.”

“Garam's been infected?” Ryth couldn't hide her surprise.

“The virus has begun to mutate, Ryth, Gum has it to along with Jazz. Gum's managing better than the rest, but it's only the asthma medication that's holding the coughing stages back. I've had to use relaxants on Jazz though I'm not too sure how long they will starve it off for.” there was a pause. “I was hoping like hell Gum and Garam didn't get it due to the extra complications that would be involved. Yo-yo is doing errands for me as I can't leave him or Clutch in any of the rooms as it seems they have a high chance of getting it next. Clutch is also helping me out trying to isolate the thing by running it through various things on Roboys hardware. Boogie's got the girls covered to say the least, and Corn is having to help with Garam as he's so far been the worst affected, But I think By the sounds of it I am very, very wrong. I will be back I promise.”

Ryth heard Soda go off down the hall, his large gate moving him swiftly away. He must be running around like crazy trying to figure out why everyone is coming down with it and how to try and stop it. She realised that if anything was to happen to Soda as of now they where all in serious trouble, more than they ever would be without a person leading the GG on the streets would be.

She checked on Combo who seemed to be having a fit-full sleep due to the heat that was coming off him but at least he was asleep and the coughing was no longer present. There was a hint of relief there as she didn't like the sound of anyone being so ill that thy where going to be incapacitated for a while. When it came to Corn or Gum if one of them was down you knew it would be serious but since they seemed to always get hurt it was all too common to forget about the others at times when things did happen to them too. Beat was as bad as them with injuries, but he was always back on his feet hours later despite any effort to try and get him to stay down. Ryth always wondered if everyone was as strong willed and spirited as he was that they'd be able to pull through this and hopefully everyone would be ok.

Beat's coughing had temporally subsided, mostly due to the fact he couldn't keep it up any more. He knew it wasn't going to stop there and something more painful was going to come but feeling like there was nothing to do to stop it had begun to weigh him down.

“I'm sorry Mari.” he managed to say so she could hear him. His voice sounded like water was sitting in his lungs and he was slowly drowning from it. “I knew it would be inevitable, but not like this, not this quick.”

Ryth came back over and hugged him close. She never had felt him so weak before but she could tell he was loosing this fight and fast. His body was now shaking uncontrollably from the fever, Something Combo had been temporally spared of.

“I hope the others are alright and not like this. I hope-” he was cut off by one really horrible violent choking cough, one that Ryth could feel was tearing through his chest by being so close. Ryth then held him tighter, frightened that her best friend might not last the night. She was trembling, it was hard not to feel scared since she'd never been put into a situation like this on her own before. Usually if she was frightened, Beat was there to talk to and to sit up all night with until she felt better and everything just went away.

“Don't you dare start crying on me Mari.” Beat managed to get out between trying not to choke. “If you start I don't think I will be able to keep this up. Your strong, really strong and have no idea how much we really need you to stay strong right now.” He knew he was starting to repeat himself, but he could no-longer think in complete sentences. To say it was akin to feeling drunk was an understatement. It was like someone was roasting him alive in a bathtub of boiling water. “Please, I need you to. Combo needs you to, Soda too. He can't come in the rooms encase he gets infected but if you are able to help him from this side he will be able to get a cure faster.” He struggled to hold back another one that was threatening to tear him open from the inside. “I need you... please.”

Ryth couldn't believe her ears. She wanted to pinch her self awake but didn't need to as the next lot of coughing spasms made him bend over double in the chair as the pain was too great to remain any sort of composure. Seeing him like this was all too real and he didn't have any reason to lie to her regardless of his condition.

“Please...Mari...be stong... be strong for me...”

“Ryth, you still there?”

Ryth didn't want to leave Beat's side, but Soda had said he'd be back as soon as he could. “Please hang on Brody.” she whispered before going over to the door. “I'm still here. He's getting a lot worse.”

“Has he got the shakes and any fever?” Soda asked from the other side of the door.
“Yeah, he's whole body is on fire and he's shaking more and more every time he has a coughing fit.” She tried to reply keeping as calm as she could. “I'm really worried since he was already hurt to start with that it's spread so rapidly he is deteriorating faster with each violent shock to the system. If I don't do something now he won't last the night.”

“Hmm. I'm not sure what I can do but I think there might be something.” There was a sound of a box being put on the floor and the sound of serious rummaging.

“How's Garam?” Ryth asked, not only to keep a conversation going, but to think about something else than her best friends downward spiral.

“He's alright for now. Corn's keeping check on him. He hasn't got to the coughing stages yet, the fever was inducing seizures too suddenly for that. He's gone down hill just as rapidly as Beat has in there with you. Everyone else seems pretty stable for the moment, I think if we can keep them that way we'll be alright. I have something for Combo's fever too, I think if we get both the cough and the fever at the same time as quick as we can those who are slower to succumb to it might be able to recover so we can focus on those who are worst hit. I don't like how this is going Ryth, I have to be honest here...I don't want to lose anyone but I have heard something going around the other gangs that there has been a few serious losses...They are saying there are some who are recovering, but there's too many who aren’t and are dying or critical. I don't want anyone to die here... I really. really don't. You're all I've got.”

Words hit home. Ryth knew the feeling well.

“Alright. I think I have something that will work, but it's only going to be to stop the internal bleeding and the coughing. I have to see what else I have as using this stuff I can't give him anything for the fever... I just hope I have something, as there is a lot of stuff if I do give him it will do more damage to whatever is existing and we'll be in real strife.” He took a deep breath. “Alright you are not going to enjoy this, but I need to to jab this epi-pen into his chest, either side doesn't matter which, and press the end of it while pushing it in as hard as you dare. It should inject the adrenaline and the other stuff and go straight into his lungs. I will grab you a jug of water as you'll have to get him to drink it to clear his throat before lying him back down. I promise I will think of something for the fever. I might pass you the stuff for Combo too, he'll have to drink it though when he wakes.”

He opened the door, gave her a really worried smile as he handed her the things she needed with gloved hands. She could tell he would rather be doing this himself, but Corn had really hammered it into him that the risk was too great, Ryth could see it in his eyes. They also said something else, but Ryth was still too naive to see it.

Ryth closed the door and placed the liquid stuff for Combo on the bedside table that sat between the two beds, where her makeshift one was in front of. Beat was almost about to fall off the chair, struggling to breathe. Ryth was quick to sit him up as best she could aware he was starting to give up unable to breathe properly and the pain was too much to stay on top of. She hesitated then gathering all her courage, jabbed the epi-pen hard into his chest on the left side and pushed hard to the end of it to make sure the needle did it's job like Soda said to. She had never hurt Beat before and wasn't surprised that he couldn't even hold back the sudden scream of pain when she inflicted it. He was too under the fever now to really be aware of anything other than seeing it as another thing that threatened to tear his insides out. Ryth caught him from falling off the seat in time, holding him tight to her panic starting to rise and sit in a lump in her throat. There was a few more spasms and more blood, this time it was thinning out till there was no more than a few heavy flecks. The worst of the large clots were stopped for now, and that would have to do.
There was a knock on the door again. “Just leave it outside and I'll grab it when I can!” Ryth called.

“I don't want to ask this, but if there's blood on anything like sheets, clothing, anything can you pass it out to me in some sort of bag? I will use it in some testing to see if I can work out what we're dealing with and what we can do about it. I can't get in to take blood samples so it's the only chance I've got. I will burn them later too to stop the spread.” Soda's voice didn't sound too thrilled he had to ask something so disgusting.

“I'll bag it and leave it out front of the room. I can't move at the moment.”

“I understand. I'll be back soon after I do the rounds.”

“Mari....” It was barely audible, but Ryth heard it.

“I'm here. I'm not going anywhere Brody. I promise I'm right here.”

“Ma..ri.” Beat could only mouth the last part before he blacked out in her arms. Ryth buried her face in his hair to try and hide the fact she was crying. She couldn't hold back any longer.

Soda found two bags out front of the room, so he had to come back with some heavy duty gloves and a face mask to collect them. Some of it was Ryth's own clothes as she figured it wouldn't hurt to get them incinerated along with the rest. Soda put them down on his work bench back in his little makeshift lab he had set up for this occasion and indicated to Clutch and Yo-yo who where both in the room to move as far away from him as possible while he collected his samples.

“Are they alright in there?” Clutch asked. Yoyo was too horrified at the sight of the bloody clothes Soda was taking out of the bags.

“Ryth is. Combo is stable thanks to Beat's quick thinking although looking at this it's a wonder he's still alive. The blood is so dark and thick he should have rightfully died an hour ago just from the internal damage.” Soda replied frowning. Seeing the evidence first hand was alarming. Even Garam's seizures didn't look as scary as these did and those where life threatening. In more ways than one he was glad Gum had been lucky for her own medication otherwise she'd be at this stage too.

“Do you think he's going to live?” Yoyo asked, the first words Soda had heard him say since he told him that nearly half the gang where now infected.

“He shouldn't be, but he just might.” Soda was blunt and to the point. “He's only hanging in there as he knows we all need him to, but mostly because of Ryth. If she wasn't in there we would have lost him and wouldn't have known about it until we checked on Combo in the morning.” He turned to Yo yo and looked at him darkly. “Beat wasn't infected when he came in, Ryth said, but because he was already injured and bleeding he caught it because someone put a sign on the door declaring the room as a no go area so Combo made the mistake Beat was already sick when he went in himself. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you, Yoyo?”

Yoyo looked at his shoes. “I made the mistake thinking he was despite Ryth telling me otherwise.” He didn't seem to want to admit it as he had been feeling immensely guilty about it when Ryth had yelled at him from inside the room earlier that afternoon.

“It doesn't matter now.” Soda filed that information away for later so he could tell Corn and the two of them could find a suitable punishment later like toilet cleaning duty for a few weeks when this was all over. “What matters is we stop the other's fevers long enough for their bodies to recover, make sure Garam doesn't have any more seizures and I can find something to give Beat that won't do more damage to him than what's there already. I don't think Ryth would forgive me if I did.” Soda sighed and the other two could see the sadness in his eyes. “She's probably trying very hard not to break down in there. If she does, I don't know what will happen.”

The liquid was warm, really warm. It wasn't lava but felt as thick as sludge to touch. It was dark in colour but it was hard to make it out exactly what it was.

He looked up and saw a naked figure swimming through it, like it was nothing but water. She was beautiful however as she got closer, he realised she had no features, no face, no physical details. She swam past, ignoring the fact he was standing there watching her drift along. There was no sound either, other than the beating of his own heart. Touching his heart to feel it's existence gave him a fright as there was a hole where it should be in the middle of his chest and blood was all over his hands when he pulled them away. He screamed, but there was something chocking him around the neck stopping him from uttering a sound. It was a noose that was pulling tighter and tighter as a rope dangling above was pulled higher and higher into endless nothingness. When he looked back away from the rope the faceless woman had her back to him and was standing on a stool with a noose around her neck too. This time there was some details, the biggest noticeable one her short hair, frosty against the black and red landscape. She had dark blood dripping down her skin from a hole in her chest too where her heart should have been. The chairs where pulled out beneath them.

He awoke with the girl in his arms, underneath a beautiful shady willow tree. This time she had a face, her bright blue eyes looking at him. She sat up and ran her hands through the lush green grass, the colour changing to blue under her fingertips. Her hands moved to touch his bare skin making it go cold and shivery and tuning it so white it was almost blue. His body couldn't move in the places it was freezing over and then the girls eyes looked at him with tears that were red in colour matching her lips. Her hand's stopped on his chest and the cold pain seared through his whole system, the shakes and the uncontrollable moments shooting through ever limb. He finally forced himself to take control and reached for her, his hands going right though her chest and out the other side. Blood was raining down his arms from her body as it slumped forward against his own, a smile on her face, and panic in his.

He yanked his arms free, more blood and bone fragments hitting him as he struggled. The body rolled off his lap and rested by his side, the more he tried to pull his hands apart the more the chains that they where bound in got tighter and constricted the blood flow to them till they tore them off.

There was nothing he could do but sit there staring at the dead body and his own amputated hands. Red blood was all over the blue green grass, soaking into the dirt. The body didn't stay dead however, it struggled to sit up on it's hutches before it burst into flames, with a loud terrible scream that ruptured the ear drums. The figure then leapt at him embracing him till he was engulfed in the flames too. He screamed in pain as the skin peeled from his flesh only to see though the flames the girl and her heartless and open bloody chest skipped away.

A spotlight switched on with a thunk and he was sitting in a chair, surrounded by a large group of faceless men and woman, blokes who he had met as an acquaintance of a gang member or another, and ladies whom he had quite possibly been set up on dates with because they though he needed someone in his life to stop him self destructing. They where pointing and laughing, then they started to grab and tear like they where enjoying their merciless attack, ripping out bones and clawing at skin. When they where done and parts of him where everywhere, they walked away to leave him to die.

The girl with the blue hair walked around the chair and lifted his head up, before sinking her arms into him to her elbows and tearing out his lungs in one long sicking pull.

Ryth was sitting on the bed, trying to figure out what to do. Beat was struggling with the fever, jerking around as if trying to pull himself free from something she couldn't see. She had been sitting with Combo for a while, he had woken up long enough for her to give him Soda's medicine and he was slowly looking a lot better. She had flat out told Combo that he must stay where he was and she would try to calm him down, but it was one thing to say it than to be able to do.

“He's on fire, shaking and sweating like crazy.” Ryth tried to grit her teeth. Occasionally she could see a cough try to rise into his chest and the amount of pain it caused crossed his features as he fought it back down. She almost fell off the bed when he let out a painful scream in panic, something she had never heard before.

Combo was quick to get up and drag himself over when the outburst occurred, clearly frighted of what was going on with his room mate. He was still feeling crook, but he was at least glad he wasn't coughing any more and the fever was easing back. He didn't want to imagine what Beat was going through and was counting his stars quietly from what he was being spared from. Ryth had tried to hold his arms still but it wasn't helping. Combo tapped her on the shoulder.

“Let go. You're hurting him more.”

“If I don't he's going to hit something and he'll be in a hell of a lot more pain.”

“Somehow I don't think so. He's in enough as it is another injury wouldn't be noticed.” Combo rested his hand against Beat's forehead and was quick to recoil it when felt like it was burning. “We need to get him cooled off and fast, otherwise he's going to fry.”

Ryth released the pressure from Beat's arms and was grabbed just as quickly by one of his hands, though he didn't hold it for long, his hand slipping till it was against the sheets. There was another jolt of feverish pain through his entire body which caused another scream in pain followed by a terrified cry.

“Mari! Mar-” He managed to cry out before another wave of pain came over him. He tried to withhold the yelp of pain only to hurt himself more. He was clearly panicking now, something that was rare to see and very worrying to both Combo and Ryth. Clearly something was going on in his head as well as his body and he was beginning to be affected by it.

Combo nudged Ryth. “Talk to him. I think he's trying to call for your help.”

“But there's nothing I can do!” Ryth started to panic.

Combo held her by the shoulders tightly. “This is your best friend whom I personally know wouldn't leave your side when we got you back from the Immortals after you had been kidnapped and shot. When the others tried to relive him of his watch of you while you where still out cold he almost tore into them because he didn't want to not be there when you came to. He wanted you to know the whole time he had been there hoping that you would be alright. He blamed himself that you had been badly hurt that day and he wasn't going to let anyone else come near you encase they hurt you more. There is plenty you can do that some of us can't for him alright?”

Beat jolted again, this time Combo was ready and managed to gently hold him down without too much force. He was surprised at how much Beat struggled to get out of his grip despite being barely able to control much else. He gave Ryth a look hoping that she'd figure it out.

“Mari, Mar-” Beat cried out again, this time the fear in his voice couldn't be hidden. “Don't leave me please...please help...” the last sentence was whimpered out. There was no mistaking that he needed Ryth more than ever.

Ryth grabbed his hand and held it tight. she leaned in as close as she dared to his ears and spoke as calmly and as softly as she could, hoping the fear she was trying to hide didn't show in her words.
“I'm right here Brody. I told you I'm not going anywhere. We're going to think of something I promise Brody. Hang in there.”

“I think I have an idea.” Combo said aloud. “You don’t' mind me carrying do you?”

Ryth gave him a stare. “Where to? We're under strict instructions to stay in the room until we're all clear of the Virus.”

“To hell with it. He will get brain damage or something if we leave him. It's too strong to just leave and see if it breaks.”

“Then what do you have in mind?” Ryth asked, remembering to give Beat's hand a assuring squeeze so he knew she hadn't left.

“It's a long shot but sticking him under a cold shower might just get his temperature low enough to get it to subside till Soda finds something. After all he gave me stuff and I’m feeling a lot better. Not great but better than I was.” Combo remembered. “Beat too. I owe him a great deal over the years but this time it's personal.”

Ryth caved. It was better than sitting in here watching him burn up and slowly die. It wouldn't be pain free and would haunt both of them if it did. She spoke to Beat again in a calm manner which was easier since they now had a plan. “Brody, I'm going to let go of your hand and Combo's going to carry you for a bit. I will be right here behind him, I promise I won't leave you ok?” She brushed some of his damp hair from his face. “I promise.” She let got of his hand and Combo was quick to lift him in his arms.

“You sure you are ok to do this Combo?”

“No. There's no other way either. This way is faster.” Combo grunted. “Just open the doors for me ahead of me and well be ok.”

Ryth nodded and opened the bedroom door and Combo was careful to navigate his huge frame out of the door holding on tight to Beat's shaking and seizing body. It wasn't easy. His whole body was going rapidly between hot and cold and the sweat was threatening Combo to drop him. At the end of the hall Ryth slung open the door to the big bathroom and darted straight for the shower and turned the taps on furiously so Combo could just lay his back against the shower wall and adjust the head so it soaked him good from head to toe. Ryth didn't bother about removing any of his clothes, soaking them through would keep him cooler longer she figured.

It seemed to be working, his thrashing started to subside and his body temperature was starting to budge. It was the pain that jolted him around that they couldn't stop, as a yelp had escaped and echoed around the bathroom. If the other GG's didn't hear him already from the bedroom they would now that they where being amplified.

Ryth sat partly in the spray of water, holding him close to her, not just to keep him up right from drowning in the water but to assure him with her physical presence. It also seemed to be working as he was now clinging to her from the shirt she had borrowed that rested on her like a tight mini dress when she changed out of her blood stained clothes earlier. Part's of his brain where starting to think rationally, but it was still early to expect anything that wasn't still delusional from the fever.

“Mari....please don't go....don't go.” He tried to fight out the words between breaths. “I'm... scared.”

To see the terror in him before was scary enough, but to hear that he was terrified with what was happening hit Ryth really hard in the chest. She held him tighter, aware he was crying which was messing up any sign that he was getting any relief from the luke warm water. Combo looked relived again and moved away to go stand at the door and leave Ryth to comfort him.

“I'm here Brody. I'm right here. I know your scared....I'm scared too.” Ryth couldn't help but make the admission. “But I am here and I am going to make sure you get better, I promise. We might both be afraid but your not alone, you're never alone alright?”

“Mari...I'm sorry.”

“Please don't be.”

Combo stood up straight when he saw Corn heading down the hall at a fast pace. “What's going on?” He tried not to demand, but it didn't come out that way. “You should be resting until Soda's been able to give the all clear!” It took a moment for it to sink in that Combo was looking much better than he had the last time he laid eyes on him. “Hang on, you don't look very sick any more.”

“Thanks to Beat and Soda.” Combo nodded. “Though still feel awful.”

“Then you should rest till your one hundred percent.”

“Can't. Need to be able to carry someone back to his room.”

“Huh?” Corn paused, digesting the new information. There was a yelp of pain somewhere from inside the bathroom behind Combo.

“Is everything alright in there?” Corn asked, worry starting to show on his face.

Combo shook his head. “We really need Soda to do something fast like he's been able to do for the rest of us. Beat's gone down hill so quick we're worried he isn't going to last another day. I'm worried he won't last another day, Ryth might be thinking he won't last a few hours.” Combo glanced back into the bathroom. “He's terrified Corn, the fever is getting to him messing with his mind, not just his body. I've never seen him so rattled before the whole time I've know any of us.”

Corn followed his gaze. Beat seemed to just be trembling now, the fever subsiding enough for his body to regain it's strength. Ryth was sitting with him under the spray, cuddling his head in to her body, running her fingers through his wet hair. She seemed to be talking, but only loud enough for Beat to hear.

“Brody when this is all over, I want to spend the day with you down at that little garden you showed me in the middle of Rodaku-di. We can even check on the flowers we helped plant that day. It was so beautiful, I had never seen a garden before, let alone nature at it's most magical.” Ryth said softly, thinking of the day where they both where sick and tired of chasing around after Rapid ninety nine and Beat decided they'd take a detour back to the junkyard. “You couldn't stop telling me about the trees back where you come from, the white and grey of ghost gums towering over the lush green fern gullies all blending into the morning mist from the mountain tops. You even took us to the abandoned library to find books full of pictures to show me what they looked like. Buildings like that scare me but being with you and those beautiful photographs on the pages of those books made me want to be there walking amongst those trees to smell what the fresh air would be like.”

She trailed her fingers down his neck and shoulders, rubbing them softly as the heat left his body. Her touch seemed to calm him down, or at the very least helped shake off the hysteria he had been suffering.

“Remember how we joked around in the old cavern archers of the library? You told me to imagine that all the shelves where like trees and the books where the whispering leaves. I told you that you where daft but you insisted to listen. So I stood there like an idiot with my eyes closed trying to listen to the imaginary rustling of paper and you trying to get me to think about the trees in the photos. I swear your imagination is wilder than mine but I tried anyway wanting to see what you could with your eyes open every waking moment of the day. You said to think of the derelict city buildings as mountain caves and over hangs, the streetlights as the trees and the breeze to feeling like soft kisses on skin. When I said there was no breeze in the city unless it was stormy and raining stupidly hard, you blew in my ear before kissing me on the lips. You laughed and said-”

“You're standing in the romance section.” Beat's voice was very strained and weak but spoke in turn with Ryth's when she said it too. For a second a brief smile crossed her face as she knew he was coming around. “I'll never forgive you...”

“..,For stealing my first kiss.” Ryth finished the sentence on her own as Beat drifted off again.

Ryth looked up as Corn reached in to turn off the water. “As much as I know it's helping I can't let you both get hypothermia. One illness spreading like wildfire is hard enough to handle.”

Ryth nodded. Beat was starting to heat up again, and she tried to hide it. Corn could see it too as now he could see the full state he was in. After looking after Garam and being relived that Soda had managed to relive the guy of his fever this was a wake up call he didn't want to have. The other's have started to recover to some extent but to see what they might have suffered if Soda had not been so quick. He was stumped as to why Beat wasn't getting any better.

“Ryth, has Soda given Beat anything for his fever yet?” He asked.

“No. He just gave me something to stop him coughing up blood. At least I think that's all it was.” Ryth held Beat tighter as his started to shake again. Corn could see she was getting very protective of him the worse he got. “He also said it was temporary as he didn't know what sort of damage there was.” She looked up at Corn, her serious expression looking grave and dangerous since she was soaking wet. “There was a lot of blood Corn, I almost thought he was going to cough up all his insides or at the very least choke himself to death.”

“Combo said he gave him something for his cough, has Beat taken any of it?”

“Ryth gave him a death stare as if he asked something extremely stupid. “He can't. If he was coughing blood there's some internal damage. The stuff Beat gave Combo would kill him if he took it.”
“Well we can't keep him here, Combo are you alright to carry Beat back to your rooms?” Corn turned to ask the bigger GG.

“I should be able to.” Combo flexed his shoulder muscles, getting himself ready for another lift.

“Mari....Mar...” Beat's fever was kicking in again, along with the hysteria in his voice.

Beat could remember the library and how sad it made him feel that the place was run down and unlooked after. He was having fun trying to make Ryth appreciate how amazing the place was by trying to get her to see it as a forest of freedom and ideas. She had her eyes closed and he couldn't help himself. He knew she wouldn't think anything of it other than be annoyed with him and he didn't care. Everyone else wanted them to be a couple, but with random strangers. Beat thought that it would be funny if the others were wrong about them needing someone to make them happy but truth was he was happy when he and Ryth where together. He didn't need anyone or anything else to feel the way he did when they where together just fooling around.

There was something wrong with this memory, he was pretty sure they were not being watched, but the feeling was there, sitting in the back of his mind. He didn't give her a playful kiss this time, instead he stalked around the shelves worried that there was someone there waiting for them to let their guards down. The shelves as he walked past them looked like a fire had decimated them, burnt books lying around at his feet as he kicked them with his skates. He didn't remember this part. He was sure the library was only storm damaged in places, but never destroyed from an inferno. There was a sound of someone shouting something like “Turn the water on! Please for pete's sake turn the bloody water back on!” there was other voices too arguing with each other, but he couldn't make heads of tales of them. He forgot he had left Ryth alone in one of the shelf isles, pivoted around on his heels to go back for her. He stopped meters from her, her limp body being held in the arms by one of the faceless creatures that he saw before ripping him to shreds. She had been murdered where she stood blood soaking her baby blue clothes. The thing had a gun and was aiming it squarely at him now. There wasn't time to think, just reactions. The thing dropped Ryth to the ground and everything seemed to go in slow motion, her body taking forever to hit the floor, Beat rushing forward in an uncontrolled fury and the figure firing off rounds, each one hitting Beat as he advanced forward.

Beat's whole body was jolting with violent shakes, the fever was retaking hold of his system like a vengeful snake venom. Ryth was trying to fumble for the taps from her position on the shower floor afraid also of letting him go. Corn and Combo where wrestling each other, Combo trying to reach for the taps to turn them on and Corn trying to stop him and telling him that they can't just leave him under the water encase he drowned or got hypothermia, which ever might come first.

His body hit the floor, a few feet away from Ryth's, blood pooling around the body like a liquid ocean.

“For fuck's sake get out of the bathroom right now and get Soda!” Ryth's yelling cut through Combo and Corn's scuffle like a sharp knife. “He's stopped breathing!”

Combo was the first off the mark and out of the door, Corn helping Ryth grab Beat and drag him onto the tiled bathroom floor. Beat's body was still jolting around, but there was no sign of any breath. Corn quickly checked for a pulse and was quick to push down on his chest when he found none there either. “Start breathing into his lungs and I'll put all my weight on him to try and get his heart restarted!” Corn almost shouted the order at Ryth. She didn't need to be prompted, she was already on to it.

“Come on you bastard.” Corn hissed as he pressed down trying to get the heart to start kicking. “Don't you fucking dare.”

it felt like an eternity, but Soda eventually squeezed his way into the bath room with his arms full of things to deal with the emergency. He nudged Ryth out of the way and placed a manual respirator over Beat's face and gave the control of it over to her.

“Don't stop squeezing the air from this thing into his lungs when it fills.” He said hurriedly, knowing time was of the essence. He handed a bag with odd coloured liquid in it to Combo. “Hold this up and level, whatever you do don't let this tube have a break in this stuff going down it and don't you dare squeeze the bag.” He indicated to the tubing coming off the bag. The other end of the drip was inserted into Beat's forearm before he opened the little valve at each end to start the liquid going into his system.

He checked for a pulse and stopped Corn pushing down when he found a very faint sign of one. Beat's lungs has collapsed as it was clear he wasn't going to be able to breathe on his own. The virus had destroyed them from the inside. He pulled a few little bottles of medicine from his pockets and began fulling a few needles with them before injecting them into Beat's other arm. He looked very worried, but seemed to know what he was doing.

“I hope these work.” He murmured. “I ran some tests on the bloody clothes you left out for me and I think I might be able to at least stop the virus. I'm hoping I'm not too late...it's hard enough when a lot of the things I could use would wreak his lungs at this point, but I fear they might have already gone.”

Whatever he was sticking into him, there where small signs of improvement at least on the violent shaking and jolting going through his body, but it could also be a sign of his body failing to fight it.

Soda pressed lightly on his chest and listened to his forced breathing. By the sounds of things they where not going to be able to take in air by themselves as they sounded very water logged although Soda knew they wouldn't be full of any. He sat up and grabbed something from all the stuff he had grabbed that looked like a big syringe. Ryth, Combo and Corn all went pale as the sight of the thing was enough to send terror through even the most strong willed person.

“If your squeamish I suggest you close your eyes when I do this.” Soda warned. “This is going to look pretty awful but if I do it now we can move him safely back to his own bed so I can bring in the portable lung machine we had been converting up to use for this sort of emergency. I can't fit it in here so we will have to move him anyway.” he looked at Ryth. “Don't stop pushing air in, I need you to keep it up, for his sake.”

“Corn,” Ryth asked. “Can you go into Beat and Combo's room and move the air bed that's on the floor under one of the beds? If we got to carry him in there we need to not be falling over ourselves.”

Corn was about to protest despite the logic in her request, as he was the one used to giving orders and didn't enjoy having to be told what to do unless it was Beat threatening him to do so on pain of being pinned to the floor, he simply nodded and scooted his way out of the bathroom, relieved he wasn't going to see what was going to happen next.

Soda pulled up Beat's shirt and poured some rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth and rubbed some onto both sides of his chest under the rib cage. It might not be enough to stop a secondary infection getting in, but he had to clear the lungs if there was any chance to get them working on their own again any time soon. He gave the end of the needle a wipe down with the alcohol as well just to be sure, even though it was brand new there was a high risk that the burned out hospital they stole most of his supplies from over the years might have been burned down for a reason to rid the whole building of an outbreak or something he wasn't sure of. He angled the needle and was as much professionalism he could show, slowly pushed the needle in till he was sure he had it where he wanted. Combo's face was blank, trying to think of something other than what he was seeing and Ryth look horrified when Soda slowly extracted the blood and other fluid that was just inside Beat's lungs. It was like a dark murky red-yellow water, and even Soda was surprised at what it looked like, as he never had done this to anyone before and had hoped he didn't have to...until now that is. Soda now had a good idea at the extent the infection had gone too, one he was afraid of. Before doing the other one he checked Beat's pulse again to make sure he didn't send him into shock from the first one. He knew what he was doing was dangerous and should have been done with tubes and all sorts of things to extract what was there, but the luxury wasn't one for him to have. He hoped that this would work anyway and that he would never have to do it to anyone else ever again.

“Soda...” Ryth plucked up the courage to speak, even though her voice was wavering. “Is that what he was coughing up a few hours ago?” Ryth couldn't take her eyes off him as he did the other-side and a little more came out of the other lung, though not as much seemed to be there in the left side.

“I don't doubt it.” He replied, still concentrating. When it was clear no more was going into the second syringe he was careful to remove it be for continuing to assure Ryth. “I haven’t ever seen anything like it, I suspect that that fluid is caused by the virus, though I can't be certain. I don't have the right gear to find out either, as it could even be a result of his lungs failing and collapsing under the strain of the fever. I can't really be sure...I'm sorry that's not what you want to hear is it?” He hung his head.

“All we can do right now is just make sure he keeps getting air into his lungs and when they have started to heal they will be ok.” If the heal, he thought to himself. He was worried that they where beyond recovery now which would mean he wasn't going to live longer than a day or two. It was one thing to resign and give in though and since Ryth was sitting there looking at him to make miracles happen and Combo might not ever speak to another person again if he let him die because he didn't try everything.

This was the one moment where he knew that the only person that could be useful in making the call was the one that was dying on the floor.

“If it was anyone else, anyone at all who was like this and it looked hopeless, what would Beat do?” Soda didn't realised he mumbled that out loud till Ryth and Combo hung their heads too.

Combo then spoke. “He would tell you to stop being stupid and to keep trying until the inevitable happens. You don't leave anyone behind, or leave anyone to die even when things are hopeless. Heck if you were going to just give up he'd have punched you by now and told you that you where acting like a useless wanker, or whatever the word is he likes to use... then try to do things to help himself even if they where not going to work. The amount of times some of us should have died from being shot or life threatening street fights he's always made sure that no one gave up on you. Heck other gangs ask for him to help them specifically as it's common knowledge he's all way there right behind you to help you when you fall.”

“You're right.” Soda clicked his tongue. “Right, Combo I'm going to take that bag off you and you're going to pick him up so we can carry him to his bed. Ryth I'm sorry to keep asking you to keep what your doing going but as soon as we have him there I will get something to help him breath so you don't have to worry about missing a breath. Then I’m going to grab everything I have and see what I can do. It's not much but it's better than just giving up.” he smiled, filled with a bit more hope than before. “I can leave my stuff here and grab them once he's settled and keep trying.” with that the others gave him a nod.

Soda swapped over with Combo letting him take up position on the other side.

“Ready? One, two and UP!” Soda ordered. Ryth stood as Combo did trying hard not to stop what she was doing. “Alright, careful now. Ryth step through the doorway first so you don't get squashed.”

It was like watching a mini military operation. When it came to patients and telling other what he needed them to do, Soda was like a drill instructor. Corn was on his way back down the hall and had to step aside to let them past, and Yo-yo and Clutch even poked their heads around the doorway to see what all the commotion was. Boogie also stood in the doorway of the room with Gum and Jazz in, both the girls where sitting up now, well enough to know something was going on outside in the hall.

“Right, steady...Ryth move around to let Combo through, that's it now both of you carefully...right thank you both.” Soda had guided them into the room and watched them carefully as Combo lay beat down on his own bed on the far side of the room. Beat had a hook on the wall beside the bed for his two sets of head phones, so Soda took one down to hang the liquid drip from it. He patted Ryth on the shoulder. “Don't forget to keep talking to him. If it was working before it might be enough to keep him from giving up. I'll be back as quick as I can with the breathing thingy alright?”

Ryth nodded and Soda indicated to Combo he needed a hand. He didn't get out the doorway though as there was now a small group gawking at what was going on. Soda pulled himself impressively to his full height and said calmly, “Anyone who steps one foot into this room without my EXPRESS PERMISSION will be in a lot of trouble. I need you all to keep out for the time being except for Ryth and Combo as they are dong what I asked them to. Is that clear?”

“As GG leader I can over rule that as I need to be fully aware of what's happening.” Corn snapped. Big mistake.

Soda just glared at him. “I don't give a fuck Corn, this is not nothing to do with anyone else at the present time. Clearly we have an emergency and if you want me to do my job properly then I suggest you let me do it before someone dies.” with that said he pushed passed them with Combo and lead him into his little room of 'healing' as Soda tended to call it, though Combo would have said 'house of pain' to be more accurate in the description.

When they headed back to the room, the others where still milling around. “Well don't just stand there, Don't you have three other really sick people to attend too?”

Soda tried not to smile when he saw Ryth still soaking wet with Beat's shirt clinging to her body, the shirt already super tight. It reminded him of one night where he and Jazz where sent looking for them only to find the two of them making fools of themselves in the rain, Ryth wearing Beat's shirt and her laughing at how shiny the rain made his tattoos all look. They where also throwing mud at each other and just having pure fun. Soda had never seen either of them playing around like that before, the two of them always the more rational and emotionally sound of the gang than the others. It was heart breaking too, but he tried not to let that show even more as while Ryth needed to be strong for him, everyone else need to be there for her. He set up as quietly as he could and was also very fast in relieving Ryth of her job so the machine could do its. Ryth didn't move from her spot sitting on the bed by Beat's head, making it clear that she intended to stay put after the past few hours. She was resting his head on her lap and was running her fingers though his hair. It must be keeping her calm doing so, as she was a lot more composed than she was before. Soda turned to Combo and pulled him aside.

“I know you need your rest too, but can I get you to promise me that only us three are allowed in and out of this room for the time being? I know both Corn and Gum do need to know everything that's going on but since the two people who usually keep them seeing the bigger picture around here are a little bit well, out of sorts they might start getting well ideas... Corn mostly as I don't think Gum after what she's gone through will question me on this.”

“What are you going to do now?” Combo asked quietly.

“Don't know. Firstly I'll get the others to at least be walking around like you are now.” He had a puzzled expression. “You wouldn't happen to know what Beat gave you do you? I think a mix of whatever that was and what I gave you for your fever might give me a antidote at least for those who have just fallen ill and in the early stages.”

“And Beat?”

“I'm going to keep trying. I can't lie though, I don't have much of anything that's useful for his current state that won't do more harm. It's not like we can raid a fully stocked and operational hospital or anything... Don't get any ideas.” Soda glared pointedly at Combo. “We wouldn't have the numbers to avoid more casualties if we tried.” He gave Ryth a glance. “Might be best to leave her alone a few too.” Soda chuckled. “Hey remember when she was in a state and he wouldn't leave her alone? We had to get both you and Garam to drag him away so I could be able to give her any treatment. They are really protective of each other aren’t they? People might get ideas when they start making connections.” he gave Combo a conspiratory wink.

“Don't know what you're talking about.” Combo kept his expression blank, even if he agreed with Soda on it.

“No, no of course not. So how many people do we know who are able to take you on and beat the snot out of you?” Soda held his grin.

“Again, I have no idea what you're talking about.” this time a twitch was noticeable in his features.

Combo was known as the strongest of the gang being trained in a military school in America since his folks thought that if they paid for the best education it had to be one that fought on the side of justice and honour. Combo on the other hand thought it was their idea of putting their fat son through torture though he had to admit it was a good way of avoiding telling the neighbours he was in a fat camp. By the end of it he was still big, but pure muscle. It was like walking up to a big black brick wall. Most gangs in Japan avoided him when he turned up in the slums of Tokyo-to like most foreigners, but it just happened to be where a tall, skinny and above all else very verbose red head accepted a challenge he threw at him about rail grinding along a free way that landed him as the fourth member of the GG's. He learned then that the annoying talkative son of bitch was actually very withdrawn in comparison to the other two he also met that day and that if you ever needed a person to sit around and just have a real conversation with without someone loosing their temper over little things he was the one you went to. As more people joined the gang, the more quieter the guy got but that was the only thing that changed, Combo however assumed that because everyone else was making noise, he was happier listening rather than being the loud mouth doing all the talking. One thing Combo was good at at the military school was being able to read people very quickly and adapt to them to blend in. It was a skill he personally turned on it's head so he could suss out how people where going to behave and act like when around himself and others. He was proud of it too, but there was one person whom he never could figure out. It wasn't because they where able to hide behind themselves with a front like most people did, but it was because they where just so open people tended to overlook it...no pretend or playing up, just being themselves.

He was always asked to be the meat shield by most of them when it was needed but Combo rarely ever thought as himself as such. The other person didn't either and would be often putting themselves on the line every time Combo wound up doing something of the sort because he honestly didn't believe in the unnecessary loss of life. There where other ways to do things. Combo assumed it was because he was just too passive. He was wrong.

“Right, You two have to grab him so I can get in there and make sure her wounds are healing.”

“I don't see why we can't leave him alone with her. He's not doing any harm. He's worried she might die, let him stay and at least convince himself she is going to be fine.”

“I can't, as after I check her over I have to make sure he's been eating. I think his mind is broken a bit as he's just not consuming anything and it's troubling...I'm not looking forward to that, there's a reason why he scares the crap out of me when he's protective over anyone.”

“Why's that? He's usually pretty harmless.”

“Harmless? Have you ever seen him in a fight before after all this time? Holy crap you have really no fucking idea do you Garam?”

“Get real Soda man, he backs down when ever both Gum and Corn make a decision he doesn't agree with, avoiding verbal confrontation. There's no way he'd get into anything physical.”

“Oh boy are you so going to be asking for it.”

“Right let's get him out Combo, before Soda here wets himself for being a chicken.”

Combo and Garam both walk into Ryth's room as quietly as they could,which wasn't too much of a problem as the only sound was of Beat's singing as he was holding onto Ryth hand really tight while she lay there a mess. They knew he was just talking to her so if she was drifting in and out she knew someone was with her, however explaining that to Gum at the time would be signing your own death warrant. She was furious at what had happened and her and Corn had verbally tore into Beat for not scoping the area out first. If anything Beat was feeling really guilty and was really hurt that he let someone down. It wasn't his fault either, but none ever asked why they where down Kogane – cho in the first place. Combo grabbed him around the waist by surprise, and was able to pull him away while Garam grabbed his legs and both of them barely where able to carry him out of there, as Beat was thrashing about trying to break free.

“No, don't you dare! Fucking put me down now! She needs to have someone there when she wakes and I fucking promised her I'd be there when she does! LET ME GO!”

“Sorry Beat, but it's Soda's orders. Anyway you need to get your head straight too, It's not like you can expect us to think you're fine after seeing her almost get shred to pieces in gun fire.”

“LIKE HELL! LET ME GO YOU UTTER FUCKING WANKER!” Beat's right leg jerked forward pulling Garam forward into the knee of Beat's other leg. Garam's jaw made the connection and the shock made him drop Beat's legs to the floor. With his legs free he kicked Combo in the shins and bit down on his arms hard forcing Combo to let Beat go too dropping him fully with a thump. As he scrambled upright Garam had pushed him up against the wall to pin him, but Beat managed to swing one of his long legs out and trip Garam over face first onto the ground. Combo lunged but was greeted by a fist to the belly and a knee connecting to his face as he bent forward on reflex. Beat didn't get out of it scot free, Punching Combo fractured his knuckles and the cracking sound when his knee hit was loud enough for all three of them to hear it. Soda had been standing in the hall the whole time watching the fight end within seconds. Beat limped back into the bedroom without even giving him or the two a second glance and just stood there in front of the bed where Ryth lay. With a bit of difficulty he got onto his knees and leaned over her and just broke down in tears. There was so much stuff bubbling underneath the usual calm and warm exterior that it was fairly explosive. He later that afternoon said sorry for how he acted, but by then Combo had a broken nose and a bruised gut, Garam had bitten his tongue when he had hit the floor and had a mouthful of blood and Beat had to have Soda straighten his fingers out and reset his knee joint without pain killers. After the shrieks of pain that came from him while Soda did so, the others where inclined to forgive him as he had suffered plenty for his stupidity. It was a scary thought that with enough rage Combo could be brought down to his knees and the four of them kept that to themselves and made a memo never to piss Beat off and Beat to never loose his temper.

“Alright, I'll leave it.” Soda felt good to be able to put a bright face on after all that hell. He gave Combo a reassuring shake on the shoulder before heading out. Combo also gave Ryth a glance and seemingly happy to leave her be, stepped outside too to give her some space.

“Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Sounds like crying.”

“More like a wailing siren. Come on let's get out of here.”

Beat ignored Ryth and started walking in the direction of the noise, his skates being carried in his hands. He had had a minor fall that day and wasn't game enough to put his skates back on encase he had really hurt something when he had landed. Ryth had already pointed out he was barely walking right so he figured it wouldn't hurt to be safe about it. Ryth rolled her eyes and slowly skated after him as you never knew what sort of trouble he would find when chasing after phantom sounds. The alleyway was empty of people, smelled like incontinent cats and was littered with boxes. The sounds seemed to get louder and Ryth grabbed him by the arm.

“It's possibly from one of the houses, People here do tend to have kids and things. It might be from inside one.”

“No I defiantly heard it from around here.”

Beat put down his skates and started carefully sifting through some of the boxes and other rubbish. Ryth sighed and kicked a few things around behind him as if to indicate that this was a waste of time.

“Hey look what we have here.”

Ryth sighed before looking around. “It's one of those crying dolls kids have come on let's go.”

“Oh so you think this it just a toy? Gee I'd be worried about you if you ever decided you wanted kids.”

“What the hell are you-” Ryth stopped mid sentence as she spun around and Beat had already stood up holding something in his arms that was wrapped in blankets. “Holy crap! It's a real baby!?”

“Can't be a puppy now can it?” Beat said sourly. He turned his attention back to the child. “They don't look very old...so tiny.”

Ryth did what every young twenty one year old single lady did when asked about kids of their own, and recoiled in horror. “We should leave it, it's obviously here for a reason.”

Beat looked hurt. “I don't think so. I don't think they'll be back.”

“And how would you know?” Ryth snapped trying to be heard about the cries from the child.

“I don't.” He replied calmly. “But it seems really bizarre to leave something so helpless lying in an alleyway.” He was getting rather tired of Ryth being unreasonable, so he turned his attention to the baby. “Hey little guy.. or girl...uh don't cry...look we're here for you. Hey come on don't cry any more we'll find someone to look after you. I'm sure there's like a hospital or something of the like around here.”

“We're in Love shocker territory and you're bloody worried about a stupid baby?” Ryth growled. “You know what they will do to us if they find us!”

“Find you. You're the one who pissed them off.” Beat corrected her. Beat had no problems with any of the all girl gangs in the slums of the city. He generally steered clear of them and they did of him out of a mutual understanding that neither where to be messed with. “Look we'll just take it to the nearest place where they can look after it. It's not like I'm asking us to take it back to the Garage or anything. Hell if I took it back there they'd think I'm nuts.”

“You are nuts, I won't argue with you on that.”

Beat ignored her. There was plenty of reasons why he like Ryth it was true, but there where just some things that he found that even around her you couldn't even have as an open discussion. Lately over the course of the year he had been thinking a lot about what he wanted to do with his life, maybe even try clawing some sort of living together and get out of the slums that he was in but he couldn't imagine leaving the others behind. They where like his family now and it would hurt too much to do so. He did wonder why he kept stopping himself from time to time but could only ever find reasons why he should just squash any sort of dream in that direction.

He rocked the baby and bounced it a bit till it seemed to settle and just make the odd gurgling noise. He tried not to look at Ryth who seemed adamant to just leave him there with the thing all on his own. He was finding that he wasn't really saying never to a lot of things but saying someday to himself a lot and it had gotten to the point that 'someday' was as bad as saying 'never'.

“You could at the very least look and find the nearest hospital on your phone if you're not going to give a hairy arse.” Beat grunted. “Then I'll go and take it myself. You can take my skates back to the garage and you can explain why you didn't come with me.”

Ryth stuck out her tongue but never the less complied and pulled out her phone. It was tempting, but going back with only his skates would lead to so many questions and her in a lot of hot water for leaving him on his own in enemy turf. If she had been more observant she would have noticed the change that had come over her companion as if the baby had just taken over every thought in his brain. It wasn't just that, something deep within his soul was starting to unravel that had been there a very long time waiting to be on the surface as it had been buried for so long.

“Alright there's one a few blocks away.” Ryth pointed out to a small dot on her phone when she held it out for him. “We'll just leave it there and hopefully they can find it mum or at least a home for it.” She frowned when he didn't answer her with words and just nodded. The baby had started falling asleep in the safety of his arms and being so close to his body. Ryth grumpily picked up his skates and pushed ahead, leaving him to follow her around on foot. He didn't seem to care or take notice of Ryth's stormy mood.

The hospital had been very accepting when they arrived and one of the nurses seemed to recognise Beat from somewhere but he just smiled politely and brushed it off. Once outside the building Ryth couldn't contain herself any more.

“WHEW! I'm so glad to be RID of that thing!” Ryth said loudly, happy to be free of an unwanted burden. She didn't stop there though, as they headed back towards the Garage she just kept talking about how much she disliked children, how much parents these days can't look after them and who in their right mind would want any. Beat had stayed quiet once the forms had been filled in for the child and seemed to be thinking about something, too occupied to tell Ryth to shut up. She was still on about it when they walked in the doors of the garage, causing both Gum and Corn to turn their heads around from the couches mortified at what they where hearing.

“I mean seriously if you can't mentally cope or didn't want one in the first place then don't fucking have sex and get pregnant, that's what I say.”

Beat had clearly had enough. Ryth was more than on his nerves, but had pretty much ripped them out and slice through them with pitchforks.

'Do you know what Ryth? There are people who REALLY LIKE the idea of having children one day or who have them already and have raised some beautiful babies and have NEVER thought TWICE about it, nor have they ever pushed anyone else into having them.” Beat snapped, raising his voice in a manner never heard by any of the GG's before. “Just because YOU personally DON'T WANT ONE doesn't mean other people think the FUCKIN' same.” He took his sunglasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose as he was on the brink of breaking down and was not going to do it in front of anyone let alone her.

“Do you know what? Just stay away from me ok? Just stay the fuck away from me till you can actually learn to think about the shit you say to people. I don't want to hear any more from you.” Beat spun on his heels and stormed off towards the bedrooms.

“YEAH LIKE YOU CAN TALK!” Ryth shouted with as much venom she could muster. She realised she also had a captive audience to their arguing. “What are you staring at, never seen a fight before?”

“What the hell? What is wrong with you?” Gum tried hard not to shout at Ryth. “Are you stupid or something?”

“Gum, I think you should go see if he's alright.” Corn said quietly trying to prevent another argument breaking out. Gum took a deep breath, glared at Ryth and left both her and Corn alone in the living room.
When he was sure they where alone, he then spoke a bit more harshly. “Sit.”

It wasn't a command or and order, but it sure felt like on to Ryth. Even in her foul mood she didn't need to have Corn get upset with her as well. She sat down with much reluctance and glared at him as if she wanted him to burst into flames. Corn ignored it and felt around on top of one of the tall book cases till he found what he wanted. He blew dust of the frame and wiped it with his shirt as best he could before handing it to Ryth.

“What's this?” She asked brashly.

“Just look at it a moment. Who do you see?”

“I see two really young teenagers with a baby and the girl looks preggers.” Ryth said flatly.

“Try harder Ryth. I'm pretty sure it's not that hard to make a connection here.” Corn folded his arms.

She rolled her eyes and stared at the photo. “The girl's alright I guess..the guy...Hey is that? HOLY SH-”

“Shhh!” Corn hushed her as she started to get louder. “What I’m going to tell you you are never allowed to tell anyone else is this clear? There's a reason we don't say anything about it or even have any discussions in this general area of conversation. It's very, very sensitive.” he sat down beside her. He pointed to the photo. “I took this on Angelo's first birthday. You guys all know that, Brody, myself and Risa all know each other from work we did together right?” Corn never used their real names before so it was clear he was being serious.

Ryth nodded. “Everyone knows that.”

“Exactly. What everyone doesn’t know is when we first met him he and his girlfriend had only just moved to Japan, trying to start a new life and get away from their old one. Catherine, got pregnant originally by accident with Angelo after her fifteenth birthday. Beat had been saving heaps of money anyway while working with his dad when he wasn't in school so he was prepared to take responsibility for what the two of them had done. Their folks had other ideas though, her parents wanted her to abort or at least give away the baby and his kept telling him to get her to get rid of it anyway he could. They didn't want to, they wanted to keep it and look after it and prove that they could. What was going on back home was tearing them apart so he got all his cash and bought plane tickets to the first country he could think of and brought her over with him to start on their own without being persecuted for it.”

“They'd been living here for a year, in apartments and the like till they both got work to earn enough for a house. They ended up being neighbours to my mother and when I found out that they lived so close, Myself and my mother offered to baby sit Angelo while they where at work so we got to know them really well, they where waiting to get married when they both turned eighteen to make it all official. Catherine would pick him up everyday and both of them along with my mother would come and meet us at the bus terminals at Shibuya station.” Corn took a deep breath as what he was about to say next was something he also didn't want to remember. “One night though the bus was delayed and had to be rerouted to another stop several blocks away from the terminals. We thought that there was road works of something till we asked around and where told that the bus station had been bombed in an attack by some stupid Mafia group trying to control the run down areas of old Tokyo. There where hundreds being evacuated and just too many injured or dead for them to give any definitive count. There was no one home when I got home and Brody had phoned around trying to find Catherine and his son. In the end he called me and when I told him my mother was also missing I ran over to his house and we both tried calling the hospitals. News coverage in this area of Tokyo-to is pretty awful unless you're like in the fancy rich districts that are barred off to the likes of us so there was never any official death toll to go off or any news reports that had any real details to them. We only found out what happened to them when the police finally knocked on the door to ask us to identify some bodies.” Corn sucked on his tongue a minute or two, letting the information sink in for Ryth. “Needless to say he had never been quite right since. Everything was taken away more or less. I lost my mother's house as I couldn't afford to pay her mortgages and that's when Brody offered me to move in.”

“If he had a house then why is he here and not there?” Ryth asked out of curiosity.

“Your sitting in it. We all live in it. Instead of just giving up, Brody though it was better using the house as a place where people with nowhere to go could stay. It sounds silly but it's what's kept him going for the past few years and forming our own gang meant we could keep tabs on those around us to try and make sure that shit never happened to any one else again. That last part is rather silly but we where only sixteen, seventeen? We just needed something to fight for to help us forget... well not forget, just put it aside.”

“He really trusts you Ryth as a friend and I will be honest you guys have been getting really close over the years... but you still keep pushing somethings too far and maybe crossed the line this time. Just remember if you ever want to have any sort of relationship with him in future he's not going to forget this in a hurry.”

From where she sat by his head she could see the photograph sitting high above the desk. Beat had moved it from the living room after that day when he saw it sitting in the open on the coffee table. He forgot it existed up until that point as he had been ignoring how crap parts of his life had been in trying to help those out who he knew needed it much more. She did apologise but the damage had been done already. The kiss they both shared in the library was a one off and they where never going to be more than friends. Over the years though it had been getting harder to want to keep it that way she wanted to be closer to him but was afraid of having the conversation ever come up. Now, it might never get a chance. She kissed his forehead and got up to stretch her legs. She peeled off the wet T-shirt and grabbed anther one from one of Beat's draws. She grabbed another shirt of for Beat and some pants as it was a bad idea to leave him in wet clothing too. She could see him stirring, trying to come to his senses. He wasn't going to stay down if he could help it, fighting everything was what he did.

A few days passed, Garam was now walking around the Garage feeling ten times better than he had before and he and Combo where starting to get back into their usual routine of causing trouble for everyone else. Slowly the other's where finally getting back on their feet and the only real sign that the virus was still in their gang was always pointed out when Soda went in to check on Beat's condition. In the mean time they had started to slowly deal with other gangs on a truce basis providing them with whatever help they could offer, mostly in the way of Soda being able to give them medical assistance. Sometimes Ryth would emerge from the room but she, like Soda said very little about what was going on in there.

Eventually Soda got them all together to give them all a talk about what had been happening.

“Alright guys, you all know that we had a outbreak here and some of us have been able to make it through it without too much harm.” Soda couldn't really think of a better way to start this chat, but it had to be done. “Unfortunately you might have heard from other gangs that some of their own had not been as lucky, and even as I say this the tragic loss of one of the Rapid ninety nine girls might
spring to mind.”

There was a round of nods. They had heard quite a bit since finally being able to get out and around again. Cube's recovery had been as slow as Beat's and the Jam where happy Soda was able to give them something so they didn't loose their leader. Those guy weren’t usually that bad...they only smelled it. She managed to starve off the coughing of blood for sometime but once it started it was just as fast to attack her system too. The Girl from Rapid ninety nine was something that made the whole thing that they had gone through all too real that not everyone was so lucky.

“Anyway, you guys might be wondering what's going on with Beat...well for those who don't already know as you where sick yourselves, uh well you know how bad Cube got right?” he tried to think of how to tell them and failed around with his hands. He wished he had not chosen to put himself on the spot he was awful at big group conversations.

“We know her lungs got pretty damaged.” Jazz added. The other's nodded, though Combo and Corn tried to not look at each other let alone Soda. Combo then chose that moment to put Soda out of his misery.

“Beat's failed.” He said flatly. “I mean they stopped.” Combo caught Corn's glance.

“He's alright now though, right?” Yoyo sounded worried. He still had not forgiven himself after being told he got him badly infected by accident.

“It's taken a few days but he's breathing on his own now...actually that's what I want to talk about.” Soda found firmer ground when he was talking medical. “He won't be able to do a lot on the street any more as some of the damage will be permanent. It's going to be a hard change to take, since he'd rather be out with us than floating around here. It's time we look after him like he has for us by taking us in and fighting our battles for us...”

“I think Soda's trying to say,” Gum spoke up. “Is that Beat's on extended leave from the GG's duties as of now and is now just going to be a civilian.” She watched the reactions on their faces, some looked confused, others looked really sad. “But that doesn't mean he's going anywhere. This is his house after all, the GG's his extended family and it's time we respected and acted like that.”

“Well this is a first.”

They all looked up and towards the hallway. Beat was slouching against the frame peering over his normal everyday glasses. His voice still sounded dry and chalky but it was a relief to them all to be able to hear it for the first time in over a week. He still looked very sick and being able to stand was an improvement. Ryth was standing beside him gripping his arm encase he wasn't stable enough to stay upright. He was determined not to miss this when Soda told him he had to finally tell them all what the situation was and dragged himself out of bed just for the occasion of seeing them all together for a change since for the past two years they rarely ever saw the whole gang all in the one room.

“You're alright!” Boogie was the first one to run over and give him a hug. She didn't squeeze tightly as she could see he was still on the fragile side.

“What are you doing out of bed man?” Clutch sounded surprised. “Soda and Combo just said your lungs where shot through so I didn't think you'd be ok for at least a few months!”

When Boogie let him go He was able to speak, though It was clear he was thinking about how to calculate breathing and talking without feeling much pain all in the one go so he kept it short. “They're right. I should still be in bed.” he gave a weak smile. “Mind you I'd be damned if I missed seeing you all worried about me. This is as entertaining as it gets.” His expression softened. “I have been worried about you all too you know, hard to fight being ill when you know there are others who are just as worse off.”

This got a nod from Gum and a smile from Garam. Combo had let it slip that when Beat was going in and out of a cognitive state he was still asking if they where ok since he knew that if they got anywhere near as sick as he was it would have been extremely fatal.

“Since when have you worn glasses man?” Yoyo asked. He got a mixed response from the others for changing the subject though Beat didn't seem to mind the distraction. He personally hated talking about being ill and knew Yoyo changing the subject that quickly meant not only was it getting uncomfortable for himself, he could tell it was getting odd for the person concerned. Beat liked it as it was nice to have a person who was very good at reading others without ever realising they where doing so...it was how Beat managed to gage what some of them where thinking over the years himself.

“Since forever mate. Those sunglasses where not expensive because I wanted something flashy. They don't make good prescription sunglasses on a budget... and even then the top end ones are still hideous to look at.” he tried to laugh but had to stifle a cough that was threatening to make him loose his balance. The other's noticed how quick Ryth was to try and help him but he waved her off.

“I'm fine really. Just talking too much kind of hurts a bit.” actually it hurt quite a lot but there was no way he was going to admit that. “Anyway, it was nice to be able to see the relieved looks on your faces, but I think I better go back and lie down.” He gave Ryth's hand a squeeze to let he know he was ready to go back. They watched as she took his arm over her shoulder and helped him back down the hall.

“Do you think he and Ryth?” Yoyo finally asked once they where out of earshot.

“Maybe.” Corn sighed. “I don't really know. Being close as friends like this might be as far as it goes. It's none of our business really.” there where a few things he wanted to say in the open, but right now was neither the time or place for it.

“Anyway,” Gum changed the subject, “We've got some medicine to give some random strangers. And by that I mean other gangs, so this is what we're going to do.”

Back in the bed room, Ryth helped Beat to sit on the bed. She didn't want to leave his side as she was afraid he might relapse any minute after moving around when he shouldn't have been. She knew she was being stressed over it for no reason but she had some horrible memories going through her head the past few days, even talked about it to him absent mindedly when she assumed he was out of it and couldn't hear her to try and work out her own feelings.

“Mari,” Beat spoke quietly. “Please don't keep stressing over the only fight you and I have ever had. It's been about eight years since then and to be honest I've also been thinking about it and having to accept that if I really want to be more than friends with you I have to let go of some things other wise we'll miss out on something that might be good for us.” he gave her arm an assuring squeeze. “It's not like I haven’t been able to tell you anything till now since you thought you where talking to yourself, but I feel I should.”

“I know I shouldn't have said it.” Ryth looked at her feet. Since he regained full awareness of what was going on around him she couldn't bring herself to make any eye contact with him despite not wanting to leave his side. “But I did and I can't change it. When Corn pulled me aside and had a few words with me I felt like such an idiot and every time other's see that photo above your desk and you lie about it to them I can see how much it hurts and I cringe with guilt as I know something I shouldn't.”

“It's ok. I should have told you myself really...but I wasn't sure how you or anyone else would react to me already having made mistakes and trying to make things right at fifteen. Not everything can be topics of polite conversation.”

“Yeah, I learned that the hard way.” she gave him a smile of one who really knew all about that subject. “Anyway, I have had a lot of time to think about it too you know, and I guess my thoughts on it have changed a little. If we where going to try and you know, be together... I guess I don't want to keep saying no, not just because I'm afraid of stuff like that later in the future but also because it would hurt you too if you still had any feelings towards being able to have a family... a real one that's not the GG's.”

Ryth looked him in the eyes and smiled. Yoyo was right, Beat did look very different with his real glasses on, she just never thought about it much being so used to seeing them when they spent a lot of their time alone together. He looked older than twenty nine right about now but would have anyway even without them. She always found they made his features more attractive.

“I don't want you to forget about your old family either, and I don't want to feel like a replacement...”

“You won't be. I miss them a lot and there are lots of things that will be very hard to get my head around, always have. I also like to think I'm a lot older and smarter about things than I was back then. Things where just happening then that I thought I could make right.” Beat paused in thought before letting out a sigh which forced a wince of pain. “With you....I...well it's different. I mean I guess I want to try again, this time maybe even make new mistakes but different. I don't think I can explain it. It makes sense in my head but it's not coming out.”

“Since we met we've grown a lot as friends, we do pretty much everything together when we get downtime and even when we are on the street it's like time stands still and the world falls away just leaving you and me and....I guess the world no longer matters any more...it's like a dream, but only truly real as you're with me.” Beat gave her knee a squeeze in the same manor she had his arm. “I...I really want to say that, after all this time, from when you got shot and I thought I had lost you till now...” Those words. It was those words that just wouldn't come. You wouldn't think they would be so hard to say to another person who now should hear them after trying to keep everyone at a distance so they'd never have to be uttered again. Why do they hurt so much? Is it because they hurt like hell the last time they where spoken? No. It was because they where the last thing ever said that you had truly meant with your heart and soul and had been ripped away from his life. Was he ready? Was Ryth also fighting with herself to say the same?

“When the fever took over I was frightened that you had been taken way from me, like everything else I have ever loved or held so close to my heart...I swore I kept hearing those shots and wishing they had hit me and not you. They felt like they where hitting me as you where already gone, lying on the floor already...” He couldn't finish the sentence since he was shaking so badly. He hadn't really thought about the nightmares when the fever was going crazy till now. They where making the words escape him even more.

“Thank you.” He said eventually, regaining some composure. “Thank you for being there for me.” he closed his eyes and looked away from her, hurt that he just couldn't say what he really wanted. Maybe they where just never going to be and he was kidding himself, but he couldn't lie about how he felt about her either. Ah fuck it, the worst she can do is tell him to piss off and get real. It would hurt but anything was worth having it out and in the open than under lock and key.

“Mari I just want to say that-”

The kiss was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

“I know.” Ryth said when they parted. “I'm having some trouble too with them. She pressed her forehead against his affectionately. “They don't really need to be said. We just sort of know right?”

“I just want to take it slow and see what happens, if you don't mind.”

“I knew you'd ask that.” Ryth smiled, planting another kiss on his lips. “You're burning up a little, You need to get some more rest.”

“I can't stand lying around all day.”

“Oh so you don't want me to cuddle you till to fall asleep then?”

“Bit hard with the lung pump on isn't it? I still have to have that while I sleep since they're not working right once I'm out.”

“I'm sure we can work something out.”

“Thank you Mari.”

“No, thank you Brody.” Ryth gave him one big hug. It was going to be a big change going from close friends to a couple at least for the others, but they both knew it should have been this way all along. It sucks, but what would be the fun in life without it?