I watched the girl walk away. I wanted to go after her, but I knew she'd think I was a creep. I mean, we were total strangers, and here I go just asking for her name? Where did I plan on going after that? Her number?
I sighed and shook my head. Now was not the time to be flirting, not with Kaneki somewhere in the hospital (not that anyone will tell me where). But still, as I wandered down another hallway, her face hovered in my mind.
***
I went back to the hospital a few days later after leaving Kaneki twenty unanswered phone calls, fifty unread texts, and several unanswered knocks on his door.
And yet, the hospital wouldn't tell me what room he was in. They kept giving me a stupid answer, something about me not being family, but truth be told, I'm the closest thing to family Kaneki has.
I sighed and went to sit down when I realized that this was the bench the girl had sat on yesterday.
She's a patient, right? So she's somewhere here too.
I sighed. Two missing people in a hospital full of people. I wondered, if I found either of them, which one I'd find first.
***
I found the girl first. She was in a different hallway than last time but sitting on another bench. She fit in to the hospital, in a weird way, like she was part of the wallpaper or something.
Without meaning to, I smiled, because she was kind of like Kaneki in that way.
I went over to her. "Hi again. I'm Hideyoshi Nagachika, but you can call me Hide," I said before she could interrupt or leave.
She looked surprised, both that I'd talked to her in general and that I'd introduced myself. "Hi." She was quiet. Quieter than last time.
It just made me want to hear her talk more.
"I don't suppose you've seen my friend Kaneki, have you?" I asked, smiling wryly while internally cursing myself. Ask her about herself, don't sound like you're finding an excuse to leave! "He's here for something, but I can't find his room," I added. I could sense myself rambling, but it was like a train wreck: I couldn't stop myself, only watch from afar as I crashed, burned, and killed everyone inside (aka, my soul).
"The nurses won't tell you?" she asked, and I had to hold back a sigh of relief that she'd even bothered responding.
"No," I said, laughing quietly. "I think they're all plotting against me. They keep saying that he's not here, but I'm absolutely positive he is."
She was quiet, and I realized why a second later. Idiot! She isn't responding because she has no response! Why didn't you ask a question?! And why of all things holy are you rambling about your best friend instead of just talking to her?
It was sort of strange. I wasn't normally shy around people, but something about being in a hospital made me feel like an intruder, like a sinner who walks into church and prays to a God he hasn't acknowledged in ten years. I wasn't sick, so I had no purpose here. But she was here, wasn't she?
"What are you in for?" I asked, trying to make it sound like a joke, but I couldn't quite reign in my curiosity.
She seemed startled, and a second late, I wondered if maybe that wasn't the sort of question you were supposed to ask people.
"Sorry," I immediately said. "I don't mean to pry."
She was silent.
Frick... "I just remembered, I haven't checked down that way. Gotta go. I'll see you around maybe," I said, quickly waving and walking down a random hallway that I'd already been down a dozen times.
I knew that if I saw her around like I'd said, it'd be because I was looking for her.
Only maybe next time, I won't make such a fool of myself.

A/N: just a heads up, no set chapter length. I'll just kind of do whatever. Also, I'm going to do alternating POV. If that's a problem, just drop me a comment and I'll think about revising. Otherwise, thanks & happy reading