(IMPORTANT: Please read the underlined part of the author's note at the end!)

You're utterly exhausted.

Ignoring the atrocious amount of shame, embarrassment and possibly even rage, the aftermath of your panic attack is in no way pretty or comfortable. It took nearly half an hour for Doctor Baron to finally reach you inside that troubled head of yours and be able to bring you back to your actual reality, reassuring you that you're save and free from harm. When you came to, both Free and Valentina were gone; the nurse informed you that they had been asked to leave so that you could properly rest.

And it served as a form of punishment for not abiding by the clear set of rules the hospital had informed them of. Despite nurse Jiji's friendly façade, you could tell that she was rather furious with the other two felines for causing you such distress. She and Doctor Baron had assured you that neither Free nor Valentina would be allowed to visit you without another member of medical staff present, simply to ensure your safety.

In your case, you'd like to say you don't blame Val for sending you down nightmare lane yet again, but that would be a lie. The truth is, you're enraged. Despite the shame and embarrassment you feel because the two carnivores had witnessed such a vulnerable, broken side of you, a large part of you feels betrayed by Val's quick disregard of your well-being. You could understand that she probably sought out physical contact with you to ease her own negative feelings, but at the same time, she and Free had been warned about your condition.

Was she really that weak that she couldn't fight off her own instincts just to not put you through more pain than you've already endured?

The first time these thoughts entered your mind, your heart flooded with guilt and dislike for yourself. It's not her fault your mind perceives every not-expected form of physical contact as a threat.

Doctor Baron, a professional in his field, seemingly knew what was going through your mind by your sour expression alone.

"Don't blame yourself, Y/n." He said ever so gently, noting down the dose of painkillers they had given you to deal with your bruised ribs. "You can't control a psychological reaction like that. Your visitors were informed of your current state and advised not to touch you without your clear consent. The hospital is partially to blame as well. We've had cases like this before, yet they fail time and time again to invest in more security guards or supervisors to prevent this from happening, no matter how often I tell them to."

You had thanked him with a half-baked smile and a shrug. Now, nearly ten minutes later and entirely empty of adrenaline, you're lazily sitting in your bed with your gaze enchanted by the sunset. Being more than just tired is no help when it comes to resisting the urge to fall asleep in the warm, cosy golden light of the sunset.

It's silent in the room, nothing but the ticking of the clock keeping you company. For once, you're not annoyed by it, rather taking in the slow, peaceful stillness that tended to leave you alone when you had wished for it in the past.

A relaxed sigh falls from your lips, the orange light reflecting in your e/c orbs much like it does off of the windows of the countless skyscrapers. Knowing that in about two weeks or so, you'll be able to go outside into the wicked world again, leaves a strange sense of excitement and fear in your chest.

On one hand, you'd like nothing more than to go back to your ordinary life as a highschool student but on the other hand, could you really just go back and act as if the events of the past week and a half never happened? Could you really pick up where you left off, despite everything?

Do I...do I even want to go back?

Before you can really ponder about that thought, the squeaking of the door catches your attention and you turn your head. Instantly, your eyes widen at the sight of that familiar black and brown furred head, a bright smile on your face once you meet the canine's eyes.

"Hayato!" You shout at the same time that he yells your name, before your eyes travel further.

He's in a wheelchair, clad in the same baby-blue robe as you with comfortable-looking, grey slippers. Other than that, he definitely looks better than you, despite having been impaled through the stomach and nearly bleeding to death. Jiji stands behind him, having been the one to push his wheelchair all the way back to your shared room. She watches your interaction with a smile and then proceeds to push Hayato further across the space, carefully helping him back onto the bed after reaching it.

The feline settles him under the white covers and makes sure he's comfortable before turning to you. "Is there anything I can bring you, Miss?"

"No thank you, I'm okay."

Still smiling, she bows and exits through the door, leaving the both of you alone together for the first time since the crash. Well, the first time that both of you are alone together and conscious. You hear him sigh, awkwardly staring at his hands and carefully, you glance towards the door. Though it's once again a very stupid idea, no one can stop you from going through with it. Besides, this time you'll be extra careful.

Slowly, you slip out from under your covers and grab your crutches, standing as safe as a newly born fawn, the IV hanging from your arm and connecting to the portable stand beside your bed. The crutches had been left in your care much like yesterday; how else were you supposed to use the bathroom after all? While your injuries were severe at first, you're still perfectly capable of moving around after going through surgery. Besides, you'd risk losing the muscles in your legs if you'd keep laying around all day, according to Doctor Baron. He told you that you'd receive daily training, though you'd go at a snail's pace at the start.

He also told you to not attempt to walk on your own without a nurse nearby, yet here you are, ignoring his advice once again.

Grinning like a child, you hobble your way around your bed and meet Hayato's puzzled but shocked eyes, the IV stand trailing after you. You know that internally, he's calling you an idiotic teenager and he'd be right. Finally, you make it to his bed and delicately sit down at the side of his mattress, leaning your crutches against his bedside table.

"Aren't you supposed to rest?" The Doberman questions and regards you with an alleviated smile, though he tries desperately to keep the scolding expression on his face. You stay quiet, lifting your arms languidly like a toddler, giving him enough time to process what you're about to do. Letting out a playfully annoyed groan, he lets you wrap your frail arms around him, pressing your face against the upper part of his chest while he gently engulfs you in his arms as well. However, he's extremely considerate, not putting any pressure or strength into his hold.

Knowing that you're still fully in control and able to escape the hug if need be, you're able to relax into the warm gesture. To be honest, you need this form of comfort and quietly sniffling as tears spring into your eyes, you press your face further into his torso and hold on tight.

"Are you crying?" He asks jokingly, though his voice is thick and heavy, indicating he's close to tears as well.

"No, I'm not." You protest, switching between laughing out of joy and crying. "Some damn ghost is just cutting invisible onions, I swear!"

"Totally." The canine whispers into your hair, his tears wetting the h/c strands before he plants a mellow kiss on the top of your head. "I'm so glad you're okay. When I woke up yesterday and you weren't there, I thought...I thought you had-"

He cuts himself off, chocking on a sob. You're too busy with shedding your salty tears to answer, but the sturdy hold you have on him is enough to convey your feelings.

I'm so happy that he's alright...

"I heard you went on an adventure yesterday, eh?" Hayato questions, bringing a chuckle out of you. "Was it worth it?"

"Yeah," You respond despite your unstable voice, your tears coming to an end much like his, your body finally calming down, "Made one hell of an entrance, too!"

"Hell yeah." Holding out his fist to you, you lightly bump your own against it. "So it's really over, huh? That doctor-bitch is finally done for?"

"Apparently." Sighing, you let your eyes sway to the vibrant bouquet of flowers on his bedside table. "I don't think I've really realized that yet. It seems too good to be true."

"I know what you mean. Wanna stop talking about it so we don't accidentally jinx it?"

"That's a great idea." You lazily agree, your eyes growing heavy. "The nurse said your family was here?"

"Yup, Hana even left me her favourite Plushy to keep me safe from all the bad luck that's apparently been following me around. I'm just grateful my mother is able to take care of her while I'm gone."

Letting your eyes wander to the stuffed animal next to the flowers, your lips perk up as you ask, "Does the snail have a name?"

For a moment, he's quiet. Then he chuckles, a melancholic tone hidden within the low melody. "His name's Gary, like the snail from that kid's show. My wife and her loved watching it together..."

Like a lightbulb lighting up in your mind, you realize what show he's talking about. "Are you talking about Spongebob Squarepants?"

A surprised hum comes from him and he peers down at you. "You know it?"

"Mhm," You nod, still staring at the Plushy, "I used to watch it when I was younger. It's pretty cool from a child's point of view."

Again, he just hums and comfortable silence settles between you two. You stay in that warm embrace, relishing in the peace whilst carefully keeping your weight off of his injuries.

"Hayato?"

"What?"

"Do you want to go and get some ice cream once we're out of here?" You whisper softly, an innocent tone to your strained voice. "It's been so long since I've last had one. Hana can come, too. I can pay for hers if you want, then she can get all the sprinkles she can eat."

The Doberman laughs whole-heartedly, agreeing with your tired but serious proposition. And the two of you stay in that position until Jiji comes back into the room, bringing the both of you dinner and simultaneously forcing you back to your bed for the rest of the evening.

***

A loud yawn slips from your lips when you finally sit up, stretching your arms as you feel your body slowly waking up. You rub your eyes, attempting to get rid of all traces of your long, thankfully uneventful sleep. The soft sound of rain meeting the glass of the clear windows fills your room, accompanied by a quiet female voice echoing in the background.

Groggily letting your eyes search the room for its source, they fall upon Hayato. The older male is also sitting up in his bed, his arms crossed in front of his chest and a conflicted expression on his face as his gaze is focused on the TV. Confused, you shift your focus from him to the screen, furrowing your brows when it shows a picture of you. It's the same picture from your student ID, showing you in the Cherryton school uniform with an awkward smile on your face. In comparison to that time, you feel like you've aged about two decades in this single year.

"The fuck?" You yawn in a woozy state, slowly blinking to make sure you're not seeing things.

Why am I on TV?

"Oh, you're awake. Good morning." Hayato greets, reaching for the remote and turning up the volume. "They're talking about our case."

"What?!" Now fully awake due to the news, your gaze flickers back and forth between the canine and the screen. "How do they even know about that?!"

"No clue." He responds, nodding his head at the TV in annoyance. "Just watch, they're about to get into your part."

Reluctantly, you do as you're told, gaping at the medium-sized screen in utter befuddlement. A gazelle stands in front of a royal-blue background, dressed in a sleek black blazer and a fitted pencil skirt. The picture of you is still up and a shiver runs down your back at the news reporter's exaggerated expressions.

"The second victim involved besides the male canine is this city's very own celebrity, Y/n, the only human currently living in our society. The young female, who is a student at Cherryton Academy and a member of the school's infamous drama club, is said to have gone missing on the 22nd of December. Many believe that the suspect who goes by the name 'Masago', a female maned wolf in her mid-thirties with a doctor title in medical science, pathology and biology, may have had something to do with the human's sudden disappearance. "

With wide eyes, you stare at the screen as a picture of Doctor Masago is shown. She wears her usual strict but professionally friendly expression, standing tall and proud in her white medical clothing. It astonishes you how someone so smart and dedicated could be so cruel. Though at the same time, it's not that surprising; you just need to understand that these animals can be just as horrible as humans, at least to a certain degree.

"Like the male Doberman whose name is still unknown, Y/n was discovered at the sight of the terrible car crash that occurred during the early morning hours of December 29th. We will now be speaking with a reporter on the scene of the accident." The screen splits into two different spaces; one is still occupied by the gazelle whilst the other shows a female wolf with dark fur. She's holding a microphone in her hand, the wind playing with her fur as cars rush past her on the upper right part of the screen. Behind her is the sight of the crash; the car is no longer there but the wrecked trees and dark areas on the grass tell you exactly where the tragedy had happened. In the left part of the screen, you spot a blurry pile of white flowers all huddled together near a stone in front of the yellow tape that outlines the crash-sight. "Ioko, you are currently on the crash-sight, correct?"

"Yes, I am, Cami, and I have to say, it's quite chilling to know what occurred behind me merely three days ago." The wolf says and the atmosphere in the room shifts, a clear sign that Hayato's patience is wavering. "As you can see by the state of the surrounding flora, this particular car crash was incredibly intense. It is a miracle that three of the five passengers survived, if you ask me."

"I can see there are quite a lot of flowers behind you, Ioko. Is that a memorial?"

"Yes it is. The citizens of the nearby districts and the families of the two passengers that passed away in this tragedy, Kabuto and Soetsu, came together to create this beautiful memorial to remember this fatal accident. It is still unknown how exactly they were involved in this case but the police discovered that Soetsu did not die during the crash and instead, was shot before the impact. Kabuto, who is said to have died quickly after the initial crash, was only twenty years old and a new employee of Masago as our sources tell us, so my heart bleeds for him especially."

"It's truly sad when someone dies at such a young age." The Gazelle comments, sharing the same heartbroken expression as the wolf. "It's been stated that it is a true miracle that the male, Y/n and Masago survived this tragedy. Can you tell us anything about that, Ioko?"

The wolf nods, her green eyes gleaming into the camera. "Of course. We have spoken to the emergency services that responded to the call and were the first to arrive at the scene. According to their statements, it was the female human that managed to use the phone of the most likely already deceased Kabuto to call for an ambulance. Despite being heavily injured herself and nearly falling victim to her severe wounds, Y/n still managed to save her own life and those of the other two survivors. I cannot imagine what that young female went through but even the destruction that can be seen behind me that was caused by the crashed vehicle is enough to paint a horribly vivid image. My best wishes go out to her and the other two survivors and I can only hope that their recovery goes well."

"Yes, we all hope for the best, especially for Y/n and the Doberman." The Gazelle agrees, clasping her hands together in front of her. "Thank you, Ioko."

The wolf nods and then she vanishes from the screen, leaving only the gazelle and the royal-blue background behind her. She clears her throat, three pictures cropped to fit into the small corner appearing on the screen. The first two are of you and Masago, whilst the third one simply shows a grey Doberman silhouette with a white question mark over it, showing that Hayato's identity is still a secret.

"Masago's private laboratories and other faculties are now under investigation by the authorities and it is believed that the beastar himself is getting involved in this important case to ensure the safety of Japan's only civilized human. The three survivors are currently situated in the central hospital and will most likely make a full recovery. We wish only the best to Y/n and the other victim." Wearing a professional expression on her features with a slight, yet not really obvious smile, the Gazelle nods at the camera. "On further news, the 37-year-old actor Luke the snow leopard admits to having devoured a male duck during the Filming of the movie "dinner", which depicts the forbidden love between carnivores and herbivores and won this year's academia award for best actor and best actress in a leading role. Fans theorize that his co-star Rosé, a 35-year-old female spotted deer, may have been aware of the crime..."

Your eyes fall to your folded hands in your lap while Hayato lowers the volume again, letting out a frustrated groan. Naturally, you're all over the place.

Somehow, the news got wind of your situation and decided to tell the entire fucking city about it, as usual. Not that you expected much from the media; even back in your world, they were a brutal, uncaring bunch. No, what is really causing your heart to stagger is the hard reminder of the dead guard.

Kabuto...that's his name...and he was only twenty.

A tremor runs through your body when you remember the mangled mess of his corpse that you had to climb over, the stench of his blood. The way his head caved in and blood covered his head, the way his last word was 'help' and yet you couldn't do anything to help him. Your chest constricts even more as the image of his phone lock-screen flashes in your mind; he looked so happy with that other male.

"Hey," Hayato's voice breaks you out of your stupor, "Are you okay? Don't let their words get to you, alright?"

"That's easier said than done, you know?" You croak, your voice still strained due to freshly waking up only a few minutes ago. "Even though they worked with Masago, they were still people-"

"That guard was willing to shoot either one of us just because she told him to." The canine growls, cocking his brow at you in disbelief. Almost like he cannot fathom how you could feel even a spark of remorse for these two. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you stare into his stern eyes. "You don't know that. He looked like he was scared shitless, the only reason he did shoot was because the car crashed."

"You seriously believe that?" He scoffs, the air in the room growing more and more unpleasant for you with each passing second. "Why do you even care? He was there when they locked us in cages, how can you feel any sort of sympathy for him?!"

"Because I watched him die!"

Those words escape you without your control and instantaneously, you lean forward and bury your face in your hands as you avoid his piercing gaze. Staring at the blank wall in front of you, the memories to that night still foggy yet crystal clear in all the worst parts, you quickly suppress your tears. A tired, fed-up exhale escapes you; meanwhile, the dog stays quiet.

"I watched that guard die, Hayato." You squeeze through your clamped throat, ignoring the slight but noticeable ringing in your ears. "When I woke up, he was right in front of me. He...he was bleeding everywhere and his head was...There was so much blood. I-I still remember the exact moment that he died and do you know what his last word was?"

You don't receive an answer, so you simply keep going. "It was 'help'. He asked for help before he died and I couldn't fucking do anything! And then I had to crawl over his corpse to use his phone and fuck, he had a picture of him and his partner and I-" You choke up, clamming a hand over your mouth before removing it again- "I just can't get it out of my head! So yeah, I fucking care. Because it's more blood on my hands that I have no idea how to deal with."

Finally, you fall silent. Your breathing is heavy, your heart racing simply from the memories.

"I'm....I'm sorry..." The dog eventually apologizes, his voice soft as if any form of sternness or edge could shatter you into a million pieces like porcelain. "I didn't know."

"Yeah well, now you do." Still avoiding his eyes, you run your hand over your face again and sniffle, blinking a few times to get rid of the moisture in your e/c eyes. A drained sigh comes from your lips before you groan, "What a great start to my day."

And to make matters even better, it is at this moment that the door opens and Doctor Baron walks in, followed by Jiji who pushes a cart in front of her.

"Ah, good to see you two are awake," He greets, walking around Hayato's bed to check his vitals before moving on to you, "Nurse Jiji brought you breakfast. Please eat to your heart's content; your bodies need the energy. Especially you, Y/n. You have quite a day ahead of you."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do." Doctor Baron grins, though sympathy shines in his emerald green eyes. "Today's your interview with the police. It will start in about an hour and a half, so you still have enough time to eat."

Turning to Hayato, he continues. "They'll be questioning you as well, however, they wanted to talk to Y/n first. Unfortunately, they asked specifically to have you two separated during your interviews, to ensure neither of you are influenced by the other's answers, as well as to protect personal information that you'd possibly like to keep hidden from the other."

You nod, thanking Jiji when she brings you your plate of food. In all honesty, it looks delicious and your stomach happily grumbles at the sight, the depressing news-report nearly forgotten. Thus, it takes barely any time before your plate is empty, leaving you to switch through the boring channels on the TV until your time is up.

When it's time for your interview, nurse Jiji hands you your crutches, staying nearby just in case as you make your way out of your room. Much like when you escaped, the hospital halls are filled with medical staff and a few wandering patients, though you can barely admire the lively scene under the intense eyes of Jiji. The female watches you closely, making sure you're not hurting yourself with your crutches and movements. She leads you to a room about two minutes away from your's and Hayato's shared room and opens the door for you before stepping in behind you.

The first thing you take in when you enter the comfortably yet coldly lit room are the two animals in police uniform sitting at a small table, the chair on your side so that the line of windows would be on your left. One of the officers, a female grey rabbit with gentle amethyst eyes, holds a stern but friendly smile on her face whilst the other one, a red fox, seems incredibly bored and impassive.

"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call for me." Jiji sets a remote down on the table near your seat, before turning to the police. "Officers, please go easy on her. She is still in an incredibly fragile state of mind."

With a final smile your way, she leaves. Staring after her for a moment, already uncomfortable with this situation and your anxiety causing your skin to turn cold, you force yourself to nod at the two officers in greeting. You struggle to sit down, leaning the crutches against the table as you lean back in your seat, trying to ignore the screams of your mind to get the hell back to your room.

The pitter-patter of rain hitting the glass of the large windows to your left echoes through the small space as you sweat-drop, swallowing the lump in your throat.

"So..."You start, twirling your fingers. "Great weather we have today, right?" 

***

Hey ho homies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

IMPORTANT! So, someone tagged me in one of the works from -WaywardMendxss- and I want you all to check it out! The book is titled IMPORTANT and informs about the current situation in India in terms of covid! It is important that this reaches as many people as possible to spread awareness about this issue! I didn't know about this until I was tagged and I know many are in the same boat as me here, so if you did not know about this, please check out that work!
THANK YOU!

BACK TO THE CHAPTER:

It still got some trauma-responses but is thankfully tamer than the last chapter. And slowly but surely, we're nearing the end of this book.
Just so you guys know, because I know someone asked about that, there will not be another lemon in this book. There will be more in the sequel, but a lemon just would not fit into the way I want to end this book. I just wanted to let y'all know that.

Also, I am really uping my reference game today. Currently, there are three. A naruto reference, a beast complex reference and a movie reference that is very obvious.
Also yes, I added spongebob as a show because why the fuck not? Spongebob was my childhood and while it was weird, it was also cool. My favourite episode is still the one where Mr. Crabs finds his millionth dollar.

Piggy backing off of that, I had a doctor's appointment this monday for an MRI. Don't worry, everything is fine and dandy, we just wanted to check because I do suffer from chronic headaches and we wanted to make sure everything is okay. An MRI is loud but somehow, I heard the dreaded symphony from the millionth dollar episode in those vibrations. I also managed to fall asleep in that tube, which is very funny to me. Proves that I can sleep anywhere and anytime.

I also just found a spider on my ceiling, so pray for me folks.

Anyways, I hope y'all are safe and sound and healthy in this fucking pandemic! Stay safe, everyone!

See y'all in chapter 78!