Eri

Emi was really starting to tick me off.

It wasn't like I was some fragile, glass creature. I was a human being with a will of my own and being continually locked up in our house wasn't something I was fond of. Not. One. Bit. At some point, though, my irritation with her must have dissolved. After all, I had never been the sort to be able to go to sleep while my mind was consumed with other matters. Well, unless I was really sick. At the moment, however,I was fine.

Ha. Fine.

I was as fine as cancer girl can be, I supposed.

Either way, when I blearily opened my eyes to a very strange, unfamiliar sight, I felt no anger. If I was completely honest, I had no clue what to feel. I mean, what girl would when they woke up to the sight of a certain dark-haired host watching them with a narrowed-eyed, thoughtful expression.

"K-Kyoya?" I squeaked.

He blinked, surprise flickering over his face. Within a second his face smoothed over, that familiar, impossible to read expression returning. Rather than respond right away to my obvious shock, he pressed his pointer finger against the bridge of his glasses-- pushing them up as he glanced at the watch on his other hand.

"Good. We won't be late."

I could only stare at him from my snug position beneath a swarm of heavy blankets. We wouldn't be late? Had I made plans with Kyoya? I didn't believe so. Actually, I hadn't spoken to him for several days. There'd been too much going on and Emi was so jumpy that as much as a sniff on my part had her ordering the servants to lock me in my room.

"Are you decent?" he added after a moment, eyes flickering over my still, concealed form.

"Sweat-pants..." I answered evenly. "Where are w--"

"Those would work," Kyoya cut in, pursing his lips slightly. "However, I doubt you would be pleased in the end. Should I call someone to help you change?"

"No... I can change myself..."

"Very well. You have ten minutes."

Then, without explaining his presence or his sudden order, Kyoya turned away. I quickly shoved my blankets away so I could sit up, ignoring how the sudden action sent my head spinning.

"Wait!"

He paused, glancing back at me with a raised brow. When I didn't immediately ask the obvious question, one corner of his lips twitched upwards in just the barest degree.

"How flattering."

It took a full minute for me to comprehend what he was talking about. Almost instantly I wrapped my arms over my chest, cheeks flooding red. The tank-top I'd donned before tucking myself beneath the blankets... well, it had slipped my mind when Kyoya asked if I was decent. The red material was thin and stretchy, something that was much more Emi's style. The only reason I wore it was it was just a bit too small for her tastes (shockingly, as Emi tended to love clingy clothing). The problem came in with the fact that as Kyoya had observed, the tank-top managed to make the few curves I did have completely and utterly obvious as it stretched snugly over my chest.

Without any ounce of hesitation, I buried myself beneath a protective layer of blankets once again.

"Did you want something?" Kyoya prompted after a moment of embarrassed silence on my end. "As I said, we are aren't running late just yet. Soon, however..."

"That was it," I mumbled, flaming cheeks just barely visible above where the soft fabric of my blanket brushed the warm skin. "What are we going to be late for?"

"A matter which I'll disclose to you upon our arrival," he answered simply. "You have seven minutes, now."

I blinked uncomprehendingly.

He was counting down without having left the room?

"Six," he corrected after a number of tense, silent seconds.

Hesitation and restlessness battled the matter out in my mind. I had a bad feeling about why Kyoya would feel the need to keep the destination of our sudden trip a secret, but... well, I had been going stir crazy before I'd fallen asleep.

"Fi--"

"I'll change!" I cut in hastily, drawing the faintest, smug expression to his face. "Just get out!"

He inclined his head and started to turn back around. Before he'd taken a step, however, he paused again. Then, with an expression that might have been mischievous on anyone else, he glanced back at me once again.

"Oh, and Eri?"

"... yes?"

"Red truly is your color."

I knew my face must have turned as bright as my tank-top when he chuckled under his breath and finally exited the room. Following that, I buried my face in my blanket for just a moment.

Seriously, what was going on?

First, he shows up in my room. That was far more the sort of move Tamaki or the twins would have made. Kyoya wasn't the sort to barge into one's personal space when there was no profit to be gained from the action. Then, there was the matter of this mysterious trip. What in the world could be important that Kyoya felt the need to take me?

I shook my head after a second, discarding such matters for now. If I was right, I only had four minutes to reach the deadline that Kyoya had set. That in mind, I shoved my blankets away once again and picked my way across my disaster-zone of a room to where my closet laid. After several, agonizing moments of staring blankly at the dozens of hangers that filled the room, I eventually settled on a maroon, long-sleeved blouse. Maroon was red in a way, wasn't it? Or was it more of a purple?

Either way, I'd always loved the feeling of the soft, muted fabric against my skin. The long-sleeves were a bonus-- the number of random, bruises that colored my skin had yet to lessen.

It was doubtful that they would given the circumstances that had lead to them in the first place.

Discarding that, I pulled out a matching, black skirt-- just long enough to touch my knees-- and stepped back to examine myself in the full-length mirror. My hair could be fixed just by running my fingers through it. The straight locks had long since ceased to be thick enough to cause me trouble. The more important matter was whether or not I'd overlooked any bruises on my legs. I'd just turned to examine the backs of them when a sudden knock on the door made me jump.

"Y-yes?"

"Time's up. Are you ready?"

"Oh! Just one second!"

I scrambled to tug on a pair of flats before hurrying over to the door. The second I had it open, my eyes landed on where Kyoya stood, only inches from the door. He studied me silently for a moment, eyes lingering on the long sleeves, before pursing his lips thoughtfully.

"That's..."

He trailed off, raising his wrist to glance at his watch once again. A sigh bubbled to his lips at the sight of whatever time it was and he shook his head, eyes flickering back to mine.

"Nevermind. That will do. Let's go."

Nerves welled in the back of my mind; who wouldn't be nervous after a reaction like that? Still, I nodded my head obediently and trailed after Kyoya. He must have introduced himself to the staff upon his arrival because they simply offered us a goodbye and nothing more as we left. Given that, it was only a matter of minutes later that I found myself tucked into the back-seat of Kyoya's car, my eyes nervously flickering over everything from the back of his driver's head to the numerous buttons littering the area in which we sat.

"Seriously, where are we going?" I blurted out after several, agonizing minutes of silence.

"Be patient," Kyoya replied without even a second's hesitation. "I know you're capable of it."

That was true. I'd always been the more level-headed twin (obviously). Still, anyone would find it hard to keep their cool in a situation like this. Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and slumped back in my seat. Kyoya cocked a brow at the sight of my obviously sulking form, but said nothing. Rather, he pulled out his phone and fiddled with it for several minutes before tucking it away once again. Then, he shifted forward in his seat, flicking his hand through the air as he spoke, most likely to ensure that he caught the driver's attention.

"The time table was pushed back. We've thirty more minutes than before. Feel free to adjust our speed accordingly."

"Understood."

It took all I had not to fidget in my seat. Thirty minutes? Exactly how long of a car-ride were we looking at? I opened my mouth to ask the question, but shut it when Kyoya's eyes met mine. The fact that his expression said he was expecting me to question him once again somehow stole away my want to do so. So, I simply crossed my arms over my chest, prompting slight amusement on his part. Something about that sparked an idea.

"Twenty questions."

Kyoya cocked his brow once again in that all too familiar gesture.

"What?"

"Twenty questions," I repeated. "I'll narrow down where we're going from there."

He was silent for a moment, most likely debating the consequences such a game might have on whatever objective he had for this trip. Upon coming to a decision, he shrugged in concent.

"Very well. We'll play to ten. The regular rules, yes or no questions only."

"Are we meeting the others somewhere?"

"No."

"Are we going to some sort of park?"

"No."

"Do the others know we're going?"

"No."

I paused, reconsidering the matter. I'd been half-expecting for us to be going-off on one of the regular, host-club adventures. The only other idea I'd had was that we could have been going to one of his family resorts like before-- Kyoya was the sort to be almost considerate, yet scheming at the same time. I could have seen him testing out the resort once more-- I fit the targeted clientele afterall.

Seven more questions.

"A theatre?"

"No."

"Is the destination connected to your family?"

Kyoya fell silent for a moment, obviously considering his answer.

"Yes."

Once again, I paused to reconsider my line of questioning. Somewhere connected to his family?

"Will we be meeting them?"

He pursed his lips in thought.

"No."

Well then. I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or frustrated. I hadn't dressed up for a formal meeting, but it would have been a relief to finally pin-down on what he could possibly have planned.

Four questions.

I supposed "park" didn't necessarily cover a resort.

"Is it a health resort?"

"No."

What a waste of a question.

"Is it your house?"

"No."

"A house owned by your family?"

He took a moment to consider once again before shaking his head.

"No."

I hesitated. My last question and I was no closer to the destination than before I had begun. It was a place connected to his family, but it wasn't a house. His family wouldn't actually be there, either. Although I took the pause before his answer to mean that the chance we would run into them wasn't completely zero. It wasn't a park, resort, or theatre. Wait...

"Is it a hospital?"

He tensed, but relaxed within seconds.

"Yes."

What?

"A hospital?!" I demanded, straightening in my seat. "Kyoya, why--"

"That was ten," he cut in, the faintest hint of smugness in his voice.

Reasonable-- in my mind-- irritation flooded my system. If the way he was acting was any indication, we had some sort of meeting. A meeting at a hospital given my current situation usually spelled tests and doctors for me. Not exactly the idea I'd had when he'd ushered me out of my house.

"Take me home."

"No."

"Now."

"I wasn't aware that you were unfamiliar with the definition of 'no,' Eri."

"I want to go home!" I insisted, well aware of how childish my voice sounded. "If you continue to go this way, you're going against my will. That's kidnapping!"

Kyoya sighed, shifting so his body was angled towards me. Rather than looking concerned by my point, he looked rather disappointed in it.

"You got in the car of your own accord."

"That's--"

"No one is threatening you," he continued. "And you're free to walk home when we reach our destination if you really feel such a strong pull to return. I, however, have a meeting to keep, so I will not be turning around."

My mouth gaped open for a second-- I was honestly, unreasonably surprised by his stubborn refusal-- before snapping shut. Rather than continuing the useless argument, I slumped back in my seat once again, silently seething. I couldn't remember actually being angry at Kyoya before, but I certainly was now.

"If you chose to continue to accompany me, however," he continued evenly, his tone in no way betraying his thoughts. "I believe you'll be pleased with the end result."

Well, it wasn't as if I had a choice. There was no way someone like me could exactly walk back home. I had also begun to realize that I had forgone grabbing a purse, clutch, or even a wallet. I had no money and no phone.

"... fine," I answered as soon as I was certain my overwhelming irritation wouldn't cause my voice to crack.

"Wonderful. Now, relax. We've an hour left to go. It would have been less, but I imagined a plane would have been poor on your stomach and a train is too prone to germs."

An hour?

"And I doubt you're in any mood to talk. So, relax. I'll wake you when we arrive."

I'd mentioned it once, and I would mention it again. There was no chance of me sleeping when I was so... pissed. Rather than respond, I locked my jaw and turned to stare at the window. If it wasn't my imagination at play, Kyoya chuckled softly in response and I could hear him shift about as well. Within seconds the sound of something being unzipped touch the air. I didn't have to wait long to discover what he'd pulled out, as the sound was soon followed by the constant tapping of keys. Great. He'd brought his laptop.

I dropped my cheek into my palm.

And to think, I'd almost thought we were on a...

Well, that was impossible, anyways. It'd been a stupid thought to begin with. I'd let my imagination get the better of me.

Still, it'd been a pleasant dream while it had lasted.

_________________

It wasn't really a hospital. I mean, it was, but not in the traditional sense of the word. The majority of those I saw passing through the doors were men and woman draped in white labcoats. The building itself read "Ootori Research Hospital." At the sight of it, I'd turned to ask Kyoya a question, but cut myself off as I remembered how irritated with him I was supposed to be. He rolled his eyes in response and informed the driver that he would notify him when we were finished. Then, without as much as a word of explanation, he slipped out of his door the moment it was opened. He then offered an expectant hand in my direction.

I frowned, but shifted over as to take ahold. Using it as a balance, I slowly shifted my legs outside of the vehicle, biting my lip to resist the urge to groan. In my childish fit, I'd stayed sulking in the same position for almost the entire hour. This meant my limbs were now just as annoyed with me as I was with Kyoya. It took me a moment of rubbing my sore leg muscles, but I was soon trailing behind Kyoya once again as he started towards the hospital's revolving doors.

"What sort of meeting is this?" I questioned, careful to keep an even tone. The effort only seemed to amuse him.

"An introduction."

"To whom?"

"Not 'whom.' What."

"Okay, to what?"

"A... program."

"Delightfully informative."

"Isn't your sister the sarcastic one?"

I snapped my mouth shut. He was right. It was as if the moment I'd learned of our destination, or perhaps since the beginning of this little escapade, I'd been channeling my inner Emi. At my fall into slightly abashed silence, Kyoya led the way to an elevator. While I watched, he pressed the 'up' button and patiently stepped back to wait.

"Does this have to do with my cancer?"

At the blunt question, Kyoya's eyes darted to mine. There was nothing to betray his thoughts in that quick, searching expression of his.

"Yes."

"I refused chemotherapy. I don't want it."

"Keep an open mind."

"I did that for years. Now, I'm saying no."

"One meeting."

"No."

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open. The back wall was plastered with the smiling face of some physician-- I didn't bother to read the words accompanying it. Instead, I crossed my arms and stayed glued to the spot as Kyoya stepped into the small space. His eyes met mine when he turned to face the sliding door; the moment it started to shut he stuck his hand out so that it snapped back open.

"Be reasonable, Eri."

I wished-- oh how hard I wished-- that his eyes, his expression, that something about him had the slimmest chance of betraying what was going on behind that cold, calculating expression he always wore. There was nothing, however, so I silently held my ground.

Why did no one get it?

I was tired. I was so, so, tired.

It wasn't the tired that went away with a nap. It was the sort that made you want to drag your feet with every single step you took. It was the tired that made it hard to smile around others. The sort that made you want to bury your head beneath your covers for an entire day even as your body trembled with restlessness.

I was so damn tired and sick of pretending to be anything else.

"Be reasonable," he repeated.

"I am--"

"No, you're not," he cut in. "What of your family? No, I'm not talking of your parents so don't look at me like that. What of Emi and your brother? They looked utterly terrified in that hospital."

"They did--"

"You know they were, Eri."

I swallowed thickly.

"One meeting."

"You're playing dirty," I muttered.

He shrugged.

"Perhaps."

An annoying, buzzing alarm lit up the air. We must have been holding the elevator for too long. With a reluctant, almost groaning noise escaping my lips, I quickly stepped into the small room. Without another word, Kyoya pressed the button for the sixth floor and turned his eyes to the floor counter. The buzzing only stopped once the doors had finally slid completely shut.

"Just one," I muttered, watching the counter reach four. "That's it. I don't care whatever this is that you're asking me to get involved in. I'll listen, but that's it."

"Whatever you say."

A dozen minute later I found myself going through the familiar process of drawing blood. I watched wordlessly as serious-faced lab assistants applied preprinted labels to the filled vials and scurried out of the small examination room we'd ended up in. Following that came my family history-- most of which Kyoya had already given them. Then there was some mental survey, a physical exam that Kyoya was requested to step outside for, a series of questions about the current state of my symptoms.

Basically, the usual, annoying ordeal.

Eventually, we were left alone in the room while all the information was handed off to whomever we originally supposed to meet. Kyoya stayed silent through it all, simply watching. I had to wonder if he was still expecting me to run. I, honestly, was still expecting it of myself, so why not him?

"Hano Eri?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, to find a silver-haired man standing before me. Not seeming to mind that I hadn't noticed him until that point, he offered me an even smile and pulled out a chair from the desk on the far wall.

"And Ootori-san, I see. Well, I suppose you did arrange this," the man mused. "It only makes sense. Ah, introductions are in order. I'm Karigara, the head researcher on this particular program. I'm sorry it took me so long to get in here, this is the first day of the second trial period, you understand. We're still checking over all of our potential patients to make sure you all fit."

I had expected that much. It only made sense given this was a research hospital.

"What trial?"

Karigara blinked, looking to Kyoya in surprise.

"She's a... special case," was all Kyoya said.

"Right. Well... a drug trial. It's a variation of the TRR-4..."

As he skimmed over the details, I easily picked up on the important information. When you've spent as time around doctors as I have, you begin to learn a bit. The trial was a drug, in simplest terms, was a developing, alternative option to chemo-- or at least, that's what they were hoping. It'd been shown to significantly reduce the number of cancerous blood cells in animals with far fewer side-effects than the average chemotherapy treatment. The round that Kyoya had managed to-- most likely with effort if the results this man were giving me were true-- was the second trial to be performed on humans. The first round had been shown to have little effect. It had recently been altered somewhat and after an appropriate amount of re-testing, had been approved for human trials once again.

The research was funded, of course, by the Ootori group.

"It's three vials of blood, a physical exam, and one shot a week," the doctor explained. "That's all there is to it. We would monitor the state of your blood cells and the progression of your symptoms. Hopefully, we'll be looking at the results we saw in the animal trials."

"... the side-effects?"

Karigara scratched the side of his head, turning his eyes up to the ceiling as he recalled the list.

"So far, we've recorded only a handful. There hasn't been much testing, you understand. Like with chemo, we've observed a drop in appetite. We're not sure what the cause is, but it was accompanied by nausea in only one of the observed cases. Insomnia is also a possibility, although this was also only observed in a single case. Some had inflammation around the injection sight. In a case where the patient had a previous heart condition, we recorded..."

For a medicine with only a "handful" of observed side-effects, he sure had a long list.

"... and, finally, there have been several cases where the participant's immune system has been significantly impacted. In most of these, the participants had been previously exposed to treatments that had already impacted the immune system. They were left with next to nothing."

Karigara fell silent, locking his jaw as he played with whatever bit of information he didn't want to release. He had to, of course. It was the law. But, it didn't mean the man had to like it.

"One participant did die as a result. They fell ill and passed away within a number of days."

I swallowed thickly.

Well, I certainly fell under the umbrella of those with already damaged immune systems. Lucky me.

Was this really a good idea?

My eyes flickered towards Kyoya. He sat where had from the beginning, his even expression telling me nothing of his opinion on this matter. I had to wonder, why had he brought me here in the first place? It wasn't as if he had any sort of obligation to give me this chance. I had made it clear that I didn't want such a chance.

So, why?

I supposed, perhaps because of the benefit. Having someone my age participating in this would probably yield useful data. Plus, his family would hold ties to mine through their effort to save me. It was a win-win situation for both sides if the trial succeeded.

Was that it, then? Most likely. It was the most reasonable answer.

"In the end, it's up to you, Hano-san. I called your parents when we were initially approached and they told me that they've given you total control over your medical care.

"What will you do?"

"I..."

A/N: Yay! We're getting into the fun stuff! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and sorry it took so long to get posted! :3 Unchained out!

P.S. All information about this trial or mentioned medicines are fictional. Science is not my forte, so I figured rather than trudging through page after page of medical documents, I was best off forming something to suit my needs. After all, there are dozens and dozens of trials out there for everything.