Day 67: Dawn

[damned_intercom]

Although the torrential rain from last night had subsided, an eerie fog settled over the grounds like a thick blanket that only seemed more pronounced as daylight spilled from the horizon. Those who were superstitious might have seen it as a bad omen.

"Good moooorning, ladies and gentlemen!"

The Head Doctor's enthusiasm, on the other hand, wasn't deterred by the weather in the slightest.

"Did you all sleep well? I know some of you are still feeling a bit ill. Rest assured that we're doing everything we can to monitor the situation. In the meantime, I want to stress how important it is to keep your hands clean. Your nurse will be happy to either provide you with a little hand sanitizer or escort you to the bathroom sinks if you so desire.

"Now! As for breakfast, you've all got some fresh waffles waiting for you in the cafeteria! Included is our usual assortment of water, juices and milk, as well as an optional side of bacon, scrambled eggs, or sausages. Mmm-mm! I can practically smell all that from my office. Enjoy!"

As soon as the announcement ended, the staff began to round the patients up for another exciting day in Landel's Institute.

Comments

[spoilers for Youko x Boku SS manga]

[ever_loyal_dog]

"Just think that if you die, we will die together!"

Ririchiyo-sama's words echoed somewhere in the darkness as regret slipped away. There was no way to determine just how long time had stretched on before he woke again. He'd been killed, he was sure of that much, and whatever the cycle of reincarnation might provide him next, at least for now, he could still remember this Miketsukami Soushi. They were no one's memories but his own. He could remember the wolf's curse, a pang of despair at his own failure, and a vow to be sure Ririchiyo-sama would never be hurt, not by his hands. It was more than he could have wished for; most weren't so lucky to as to die in the arms of their beloved, last words spoken, the touch of her soft cheek on his palm. He could only hope that the others at Ayakashi might help protect her in his absence, or, he thought selfishly, that she might follow him soon.

"Good moooorning, ladies and gentlemen!"

The intercom crackled to life, startling him from sleep. He couldn't have anticipated what awaited him; that this interim between one life and the next would appear as a very dull, gray room, not unlike his early home at the Miketsukami estate. Reincarnation was a funny thing. It wasn't uncommon for those born with the demon's blood to remember important things in their past lives, but nothing was ever said of the time in-between. Four walls closed him in, though here there was not so much as a window or sunlight to keep him company. Soushi pushed himself up and set the blankets aside, gauging the size and durability of this new prison. Was this simply a place he would wait until he could be born again?

The intercom continued to hum as the man spoke, going on about hygiene and breakfast. The gods had some strange sense of humor indeed if this was any sort of afterlife. The smiley-face shirt looked like a bad souvenir from one of Kagerou's journeys, though even his former master's tastes had never been quite this bad. The slow rise and fall of his chest were enough to make him question his earlier assessment. If he was dead, why did he have to breathe? Instinct? Habit maybe? Soushi ran his pale fingers over his neck, but not so much as a scar remained of his bloody encounter with the wolf demon. It didn't make sense. As his hand dropped to his chest, he tugged at the collar of his shirt, mismatched eyes glancing over unblemished skin. Nothing. The curse was gone too.

The silence stretched on, punctuated only by the occasional sound of purposeful footsteps outside and distant conversation. Curiosity told him to try the door, but for that, he had to have any sort of hope that it would open for him. It felt too much like his old home. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, worrying a bit of skin around his fingernail until it finally bled, the sharp sting bringing him back for a moment. The dead shouldn't feel pain. They shouldn't have to worry about being ill or hand sanitizer or breakfast or... And that meant that...

Ririchiyo-sama.

However it'd come to be, he was alive. And if he didn't find a way out, he couldn't find Ririchiyo. He was supposed to be the one to protect her. He had to protect her. If he really was still alive, by whatever miracle, he had to make certain that she was as well. Without her, there was little meaning to anything else.

There was a soft creak as he pushed himself up from the bed and stepped quietly to the door. It opened before he reached it, and Soushi couldn't help but backpedal a few steps as a woman dressed as a nurse entered the room. This hadn't looked like a hospital, was it possible that-

"Good morning Johnathan. Did you sleep alright? The first night is always a little bit hard to be away from home. You're just in time for breakfast though."

He gave her a blank look as he tried to put the words together and have them actually make sense. Johnathan? Even if he had been reincarnated, his name should still be the same. If his life were different, he'd still remember the years between then and now. His childhood, adolescence, everything. But the last thing he could recall was the night in the park near Ayakashi-kan.

The nurse held the door open, offering him the pale fluorescent lighting of the hallway beyond. He could stay here and continue to wonder, or he could follow her and if he was lucky, get a few answers.