After the doctor explained to him that he had been asleep for four days straight which definitely surprised Echizen. Most of all, he told him that he's inside the ICU. "I'm inside the ICU?" that really surprised him more, then, he suddenly felt pain in his chest. "I want to go in a normal room."

"You're not yet ready to leave ICU. You stii need intensive care due to the pain in your chest and even you've already woken up, you'll stay here. I'll just take off the other machines connected to you. I do think you'll stay here longer. We will need to check if ever your heart is affected," he said.

"What happened to me? I just remember I was running towards Ryuzaki after that, everything went blank."

"You don't remember?" he asked. His green eyes worried him. "Are you sure?"

"I... I don't know," then he remembered everything before he lost consciousness. The blonde woman pointed his gun at Sakuno and to save her, he risked his life. After that, there was total darkness. Tears fell in his eyes and asked him anxiously, "What about Ryuzaki Sakuno, doctor? Is she fine?" His heart is beating fast and painful.

"She's fine. Ryoma-kun, I suggest to you to forget about the current reason why you are here. It seems, the shard of glass we took off from your chest is really dangerous. You'll kill yourself if you keep thinking about it. Do you understand?"

Echizen Ryoma did not reply. He is still thinking about Sakuno. "I want to see her," he said.

"Alright. I'll tell her when she comes here," he said. "Rest. I'll tell your parents, friends and the detectives that you already woke up but they can't visit you inside the ICU, do you understand?"

"Why?" he asked and looked above him.

"We need to protect your heart. They may say some things you won't want to hear," he replied and asked, "Do you think you can breathe without a breather?"

Echizen tried taking it off and breathe without but knew quickly that he can't breathe without it. "I really should stay here," his face is really sad.

Doctor Akira finally left and informed Ran and Shinichi that Echizen Ryoma already woke up. Of course, both were happy but when they learned that visitors are still prohibited, they just stared at the window where Echizen Ryoma who was staring at the monitor of the Electrocardiogram. His hand is clutched to his chest. "Can I ask him a little about his case?"

"Asking him anything about his case is also prohibited. When he remembered the last time he was awake, he had tremendous pain in his chest. He'll go through some more tests."

Ran went sad for him, "The news is bittersweet."

"You're right," Shinichi replied weakly.

After that, there were nurses who come and go to check his breathing capacity and heart beat. After all that, he went through tests after his breathing normalized without a breather. He went through x rays, chemical tests and ultraviolet to check what could be the problem in his chest. He returned inside the ICU and his breather was put at him again when he felt he's losing air in his chest and as he was walking with a female nurse beside him, he fell on his knees and complained to her, "I can't feel my legs."

"What? I'll tell Doctor Akira what you just said, ok? Rest and do not say anything so much. You'll soon be ok," she assured him after he got back in his bed with the breather, and ECG. He was really fighting off his sickness now but what could he do? The pain in his chest is really excruciating and he can't even move his legs. He prayed to God that he survives this ultimate test given to him. He closed his eyes.

It is very much the same for Kudo Shinichi who was now stressing himself in search for Fujiwaka Aioko and talking to the.police. He even called for Hattori Heiji to protect Echizen Ryoma. When he went back to the hospital, he didn't mean to overhear Doctor Akira's and the chemist's conversation near Doctor Akira's office.

"We found a dangerous chemical in his blood, doctor. It was only this day that that chemical is found. Also, it was the reason why it triggered Echizen Ryoma to wake up. Doctor, if we don't create an antidote now, Echizen Ryoma will stop playing Tennis without his legs!" 

Doctor Akira went depressed and told him, "I know. We didn't see anything wrong in his chest but the poison limits his breathing. It will get slower if we don't do anything."

Shinichi was surprised after hearing that. He dashed inside the ICU where he saw Echizen, sitting and holding an empty bottle of an injecton,. "How did an injection be here? Why did Doctor Akira looked at me with lonely eyes because of this?" he was asking himself, then, he saw Shinichi. 

"Shinichi-senpai..." he said with his breather.

He took the injection out from his hand and told him, "Sorry for everything." Tears fell in his eyes when he got out of the ICU. When Kiyoko came around and saw the green droplets inside the bottle of the injection, she was absolutely surprised. Why? It may look like a normal injection but actually, it contained a dangerous chemical that makes a person feel pain in his chest and the  legs of the receiver go numb. "It's a new chemical created by the Black Organization. If the APTX 4869 made you go back into a little boy, that chemical is created to torment people! If Aioko gives him another dose of RTX 868, the given name of that green liquid, he'll die! It was that liquid that killed the man I loved!"

Then, Miyano Shiho or commonly known as Haibara Ai appeared after them in her real age at the waiting place near the ICU and told them, "It has an antidote. If Fujiwaka Aioko calls you that she's holding an antidote, don't believe her. She's probably teling the truth but she won't give you the antidote that easily. She'll do her best to kill all of us. Tell the police about everything we know, Kudo Shinichi but don't tell them about Black Organization. This needs to end now! They're truly worthless beings! I'll create the antidote myself!"

"How will the antidote help him?"

"The antidote will make all of his pain go away and fight off the effects of the chemical but... he'll fall asleep again afterwards and wake up the next two days. Two days is needed to let the antidote to take effect."

Doctor Akino Akira overheard them but smiled at them, "Thank You. Save him, for everyone who needs him."

Then, just a few minutes later, Fujiwaka Aioko called Shinichi and told him, "Seems like the girl's right, Shinichi-kun. I have an antidote and if you think I'm afraid of the police, you're wrong. I'll kidnap your girlfriend and Ryuzaki Sakuno if you don't give me back the injection and I'll give her back to you!"

"I'll follow you but promise me not to get close to them!" screamed Shinichi. Then, he saw the wiretapping device under the seats and destroyed it.

"I promise."

After a few hours, The Seigaku Regulars, his parents and friends were all informed by Doctor Akira that he was awake already. They were really happy that Echizen Ryoma already woke up, so they excitedly went to the hospital. There were smiles in their eyes and lips when they got in the hospital to visit him even just by looking at him but... they were surprised when they heard Echizen Ryoma scream painfully asking for help inside the ICU. He can feel his heart beating fast and he can't breathe easily. The doctors and nurses rushed beside him and gave him painkillers for the mean time to calm him down. The ET tube was again, put to him. One female nurse asked, "Doctor Akira said that we have to wait for the cure but... how long will we wait? He's in pain. Look at him!" She asked it to her companions.

Motto Andre  answered, "We have to be patient."

Doctor Akino Akira's heart is in pain because of pity for Echizen. He had grown close to his patient and as he was waiting for Miyano Shiho's antidote when he asked about the chemical that the culprit put to him, Echizen Nanjirou collared him and asked him angrily, "What's happening to my son???"

He cannot answer. The information is too confidential and only the police should learn about it. He was also confused how the culprit made it inside the ICU last night to inject a dangerous chemical inside Echizen Ryoma's blood. Eventhough he knows that it is confidential, he still told them everything Kudo said to him.

"I am surprised, myself. Forgive me for not protecting your son from those who want him dead! I... I don't even know what really is happening but a group of children seemed to know. A young lady is already creating the cure for his sickness," he cried.

Hattori Heiji helped the doctor stand up and informed them after he got the call from Kudo, "The cure is coming."

After a few hours only, Miyano Shiho finished the antidote and rushed to the hospital.

Shinichi and Kiyoko were together now with the police and just like what they expected, Aioko would want them to go to the Street Tennis Court.

They've already went there and they asked Detective Sato, Inspector Megure and the others to wait for their signal and as they were busy in making sure that Fujiwaka Aioko is dead, Miyano Shiho finally arrived bringing a transparent chemical to cure Echizen away from the poison's effects. The Seigaku Regulars and his parents stared at her. Doctor Akira stood up and let her inside the ICU. She saw Echizen Ryoma's state. He seemed tired from all the pain he's having that day. Also, his eyes seemed blank and he was just staring at the ceiling. He didn't even notice that Doctor Akira and Shiho came but when he heard her voice, he looked at her and smiled gently but weakly. "Don't leave us, Echizen-kun. Many are waiting for you," Shiho then injected the antidote in Echizen's dextrose. Echizen's eyes closed once again.

...

A/N: I know it's short but I have to cut this, this way. Also, forgive me if I made Echizen Ryoma like this. It seemed to me that I needed him to be like this for Shinichi to catch Fujiwaka Aioko in the end! Ok! Thank you for reading!