55. Bewildering

The next day, I was released from the hospital as promised.

It was the last thing they wanted after my sudden sleep spell yesterday, but I insisted that it was nothing of concern. I also promised Kuma I would stay in Lambo's hospital room throughout the night, so if anything occurred they could reach me today.

"Take it thrice a day, you get me?" Amano says, tossing me a small bottle of pills, "You better be back in EXACTLY a month to get your next dose. No skipping out, no taking twice the amount a day because you forgot, alright?"

"Yes, yes," I mumble, reading the indecipherable science jargon on the label and resisting the urge to chuck it into the trash can already. 

"Don't you dare throw it away, Rei," Kuma called after me as I left.

Groaning and rolling my eyes, I nodded obediently. "What on earth are these?" I tried to ask, but the two doctors gave each other a look and refused to answer me.

"You won't understand about half of it anyways. Magical medicine thing is all I can say." Kuma summed it up.

"What, is this poison?" I joked, "Ya trying ta' kill me ahead of my time or something?" 

"Your words, not mine." Amano simply replied. 

---

Cervello

The Cervello. They were merely judges in this whole ordeal of inheritance, but even the Cervello themselves may never know if they had the want to take the role at all. As their family was trained to do-- to obey orders and to comply as they're told-- refusing the responsibility was absolutely preposterous.

And so, this particular Cervello was tasked to fetch the Lightning Guardian, of Sawada Tsuayoshi's team, from the Hospital he was currently recuperating in.

She herself did not believe this was a just move. She knew it was absurd-- to take such a young, frail child out of a hospital for the sake of such a selfish trial. She knew it was inevitably cruel, but for the sake of the Sky Ring Battle, she will-- must-- steel her heart.

Getting there was easy enough, despite the time of night. She was trained mainly in such undercover, stealthy works, and thus she was easily able to perch herself on standby at a tree right next to the Bovino's Hospital room window.

She observes the interior of the room quietly and patiently. Without being spotted, she managed to identify three figures aside from the target. Two young girls-- and one young boy. All around the age of Sawada Tsunayoshi. 

Cervello instincts were to sneak a way in, knock them out in one swift motion, and bring out the child before they awoke. It was the most effective way.

But before she could move, she found her eyes meeting the boy's.

The boy-- brown-haired, blank-eyed-- and she recognized him as the male who had a minor scuffle with Sir Belphegor on the night of the Sun Battle; and who was also a witness during the night of the Rain Battle.

His eyes quickly drifted off, as if he hadn't even seen him. Then, a rough cough wracked his body, and another and another. The two girls shot straight up in alarm. 

The boy, having stopped coughing, seemed to ask something of the girls. Upon hearing the request, the girls nodded. Unhesitatingly, they dashed out of the room.

Almost instantly, the boy got up and closed the room door. He then turned back toward the Hospital room window-- snapping the bolt open, he lifted the shaft and met eyes with the Cervello.

"C'mon," he shrugged.

Confused, but the Cervello quickly slipped in.

-

"I thank you for your cooperation," the Cervello spoke stoically, a gas canister in one hand and Lambo cradled as gently as she could manage in the other. 

The boy was reluctant, obviously, as there was a very deep scowl on his face as he eyed the child intently. "I'm-" he faltered, "I'm only letting you do this because I know it's going to turn out fine." and he didn't sound friendly at all.

But what made him so sure?

"Promise me one thing," he was serious this time, taking a firm, unafraid step towards her, "Promise me you'll treat him carefully on your way there."

People were usually tentative in approaching Cervellos, so she was very taken aback at the male's confident step and declaration.

But his condition was sadly one she could not fulfill.

"The poison," the male spoke quickly, "Doesn't count."

She snapped up. How did he know? Only the Cervellos knew about the setting for the Sky Battle-- to place watches that will inject in the Guardians a deathly poison once it began. How did this child know? The Cervello were very confident that this fact was kept hidden.

"Do you promise?" the boy's voice was raised, a stern, sharp tone that alerted the Cervello and snapped her out of her tone. 

"I'll-" she rarely ever stuttered, "I'll do so to the best of my abilities." she frantically assured him.

The boy huffed, satisfied. 

Why was he doing this? How? Why? For what reason?

"Hurry up," he snapped impatiently, "I gotta start playing dead before the girls come back in!"

---

Kyoko

Kyoko was always a worrywart. She was pressured enough, having know her brother and her male friends were up to something suspicious that ended with terrible wounds. 

She was thankul enough that Rei of all people was not directly involved with that nighttime 'sumo match', but Rei's lungs seemed to be getting worse now.

While they had been babysitting Lambo in place of Nana who had matters to attend to, Rei suddenly began coughing. A hard, painful-sounding cough that made both her and Haru jump up in alarm and shock.

They instantly panicked. "Are you alright, Rei-kun?" 

"Rei-san??"

A few coughs later, Rei managed to stop-- but now he gave them a pained smile and an awkward chuckle. "Sorry, Kyoko, Haru, it's nothing really." he denied obviously. 

Kyoko was definitely not convinced. Rei wasn't much of a good liar sometimes, and Kyoko, knowing him long enough, could see through him quite often.

"Sorry to bother you but," Rei spoke up again, "I think I left my medicine back at home. D you think you could go down to the pharmacist down at the lobby for me? They should give you a dose if you mention my name." 

Kyoko did not hesitate. "I will!" she quickly agreed, "Stay right here, I'll rush down now."

"Haru will get a glass of water!" the girl said, charging out with Kyoko.

-

Kyoko could faintly tell that Rei was lying somewhat. She could never really pinpoint Rei's half-lies, half-truths-- it just seemed odd, but she always ended up believing it was a majority of truth. She decides what to believe and what not to, because ultimately she was a gullible girl.

She knew Rei was full of surprises.

But nothing was more of a surprise than coming back to the room, seeing Rei on the floor and Lambo missing from his hospital bed.

-

It was pandemonium after that, filled with a flurry of worry, mayhem and absolute terror, but ultimately Rei was perfectly fine. He claimed to not have remembered why and how he collapsed, nor who or what took Lambo from his bed. 

He did however, suggested that Lambo may have gone for a midnight walk with Colonnello, who had stopped by on his falcon, and that they would be back in the hospital by morning. 

He even promised that quite confidently.