Holy hell, this is my longest chapter EVER, but I really like that. 3300 words compared to my usual 1700-2400.

"Hello," the receptionist said, a cheerful smile on her face. How could she be so upbeat in the emergency department of a hospital? She obviously puts up a front, but she's good at it, at least. "How can I help you?"

Yukio squeezed my shoulder, "well, uh..." he turned to look at the cram school kids, who were still as oblivious as before. "Could you guys give us a little privacy? Sorry..." I heard a few voices and the eventual sound of footsteps padding away from us. I dully wondered where Kuro was, but the thought was fleeting. Yukio turned back to the woman, "um, my brother's been... assaulted."

She clicked on her keyboard, "mmm, and what type of assault, physical or sexual?"

"Uh, um, sexual," my eyes wandered up to his face and I noticed how flustered he was. Was he embarrassed? By me? Oh.

The woman shifted and my eyes returned to her, she was looking me up and down. "Did this just occur, or did this happen more than a few days ago?" There was silence, albeit, amongst the hustle and buzz of the waiting room and doctors. "Hun? Did you hear me?"

Oh, she was talking to me? "Uh... both?" Her face twisted slightly, but she composed herself before I could catch anything else.

"Honey, have you showered since the assault?" I shook my head, and she clicked away on her keyboard again. She asked for my identification and I dug out my school ID, she couldn't get much off of it so Yukio filled her in on the missing blanks. I kept my mind away from such things, focusing on my breathing and heart rate, instead.

I was jolted out of my haze when Yukio nudged me, his hand pulling at mine. I followed after him, allowing his grip on me to pull me toward the waiting room. He mumbled something about a waiting time and he sat down, I instinctively sat down next to him. The others were there as well, and it didn't take long for someone to pipe up.

"Why are we here, what's wrong with Rin?" I closed my eyes and let my head fall back and hit the wall. Yukio tried to dodge their questions, but they didn't seem satisfied.

"Just tell them, Yukio, it's not like it matter's anymore."

He didn't seem to like my gray tone, "no, you don't have to, Rin, you're under a lot of stress an-"

"Just tell them."

It was quiet for a moment, but the silence wasn't broken by Yukio's voice. Instead, my name was called, my eyes shot open and darted over to where a woman in scrubs stood. She glanced around the room, waiting for someone to answer, but when none came, she called my name again.

"Over here," my brother called, standing and holding his hand out to me. I took it and got to my feet, realizing just how bad I had begun to tremble. "Nii-san," his voice was quiet, "would you like me to come with?"

I immediately shook my head, taking a few steps toward the woman. When I glanced back, I spotted Yukio's torn expression, he wanted to help me so bad, but he didn't know how. I didn't even know how to help me, so I couldn't blame him. My eyes drifted back to the woman, who gave me a comforting smile. She ushered me to follow her and we walked through the corridors to a room. She pushed the door open and let me through first, stating that I should undress and put on the hospital gown.

I heard the door click and I was suddenly alone for the first time in awhile. A horrid feeling clawed at my chest and I tried to keep it barred in. I sat down on the bed beside the gown and pulled my knees to my chest. Goddammit, this was never supposed to happen, no one was supposed to find out. I'm such an idiot, how could I let this happen? I should've hid my pain better or put up more of a fight against Yukio. I could've talked him out of it, told him he was just imagining it. If I had, everything would've been fine, we would all be back at True Cross.

I don't know how long I sat on the bed, but I soon heard the door open. A man and the nurse came back in, the man was quite young, and I don't know why, but that soothed me. He smiled at me and sat down on a wheeled chair, a clipboard in hand. "Okumura-san, is it alright if I call you Rin?" I nodded, "Alright, Rin, I'm Dr. Hase, can you explain what's happened?"

My mouth seemed to dry up, my jaw opening, but no words coming out. Even though I had just told my brother to explain everything to my peers, telling someone of authority seemed completely off-limits.

The man nodded sadly, "it's alright, Rin, these things are very traumatic, so take your time." He wheeled over to me and brought out a small flashlight, "is it alright if I touch you? I'll be gentle, don't worry." I nodded and he tilted my head up to shine the light in my eyes. He hummed and clicked the light back off, I was left to blink away the spots left in my vision. "Are you injured anywhere? Any scrapes or wounds?"

I sat still for a moment, "he can't know," I whispered. Dr. Hase hummed and I spoke up a bit, "he can't know that I told, he'll do something. He might hurt my brother or someone else out of anger." I squeezed my eyes shut, the thought that Yukio could be put through the same torture made my stomach twist.

"Don't worry, okay? With evidence, that man can be incarcerated for a long time." He was speaking to me as if I were a small child, and on a normal day, it would've irked me, but I appreciated his gentle tone at the moment. "Do you have this man's name?"

I nodded, my voice wavering, "Naito Ryo."

There was a pause and the woman spoke up, "isn't he the priest in Southern Cross?" My heart thudded against my ribs, they probably didn't believe me. They were going to write me off as a liar, and Father Naito would catch wind that I tried to tell, then he'll... a whimper escaped my lips and my doctor scribbled on his papers.

"Everything's going to be okay, alright?" I clutched onto those words and nodded vehemently. "Alright, may I ask you to change? Or if you'd like, you can just take your shirt off and we could go from there."

I was motionless, "what exactly are you going to do, sir?"

He gave me an apologetic look, "it all depends, have you been raped or molested? Sorry to be so frank."

I shook my head, "it's okay, I've heard a lot worse. Uh..." I swallowed nervously, "raped."

He gave me a comforting look, "then we will need to perform a rape kit on you, alright? It won't be particularly pleasant, I'll be honest, but once it's over with, things can get better." I nodded, my fear still present, "will you change?" I nodded again and he stood, "alright, I'll be back, some phone calls need to be made."

The woman approached me slowly when the door closed, "would you like some help?" I shook my head apologetically and she nodded. I pulled my shirt over my head, my tail coming undone from my torso. My eyes flickered up to meet hers, but she didn't seem surprised. I realized that, here in True Cross, everyone knew what I was. After the year and a half I've been here, it's not surprising. I sighed and set my shirt on the foot the bed, then I went to unbuttoning my pants.

I shot her a nervous look as she waved before turning her gaze to the opposite side of the room. Sighing, I pulled both my pants and boxers down together, kicking off my shoes and tossing the pile to the edge of the bed. My skin was crawling, the chilly air setting me on edge, so I quickly grabbed the gown and tried to cover up as best as I could. With only the thin garment and my socks, I sat back on the bed.

The nurse returned her gaze to me and smiled softly. I couldn't meet her eyes, my cheeks burning hot with embarrassment. My eyes were downcast, tracing my bare legs. There were a few raised, red lines trailing up my thighs and I recalled how his fingers had raked against my skin. A shiver went through me and I took a calming breath.

Coincidentally, the door opened shortly after, Dr. Hase walking back in. I wondered what phone calls he had to make, but I quickly forgot such questions when he walked over to me. He gestured for my hands and he examined my arms, noting the bruises on my biceps. He asked me to push my gown down, and I obliged, a blushed creeping over my face as I made sure to keep my privates out of view. Sad how embarrassed I was by this when the worst possible person had already seen me naked.

He wrote down numerous notes and photos were even taken of my marks. The look of disgust that flashed across both of their faces when they saw the angry bruises on my back and abdomen comforted me in a sense, knowing that they though his actions were atrocious. There were quite a few marks, some I didn't even expect to show up, as well. That became apparent when Dr. Hase tilted my head up to examine my neck. "Did he put pressure on your windpipe?"

I swallowed, the motion exaggerated by the fact that my neck was extended. "Yeah, he.. he choked me." He clicked his tongue and wrote down more notes, I bit my lip when his gloved fingers touched the red wound on my torso. When he asked about it, I blushed harder, "uh... this all happened outside, and he, uh, had me," my voice dropped in volume, "uh, pinned to a tree... so the bark kept rubbing against me." I averted my gaze a demanded my body to take the burn away from my face. My cheeks were violently red and I didn't know if I was more embarrassed or mortified at what I had said.

My response was much shorter when he pointed out a welt on my lower back. "Cane," I stammered, fidgeting with my hands. I was surprised he still had room to write on his paper, I wondered how he wrote about my injuries, did he make them sound worse than they actually were? Or had he simplified it?

"This is were things get a little more uncomfortable, Rin. We'll have to do a rape kit on you, but that'll require us to-" I averted my gaze again and I blushed all the way down to my toes. Only he has been there, and although that wasn't a good thing, it was embarrassing to let other people... down there. Especially people I'd only met an hour ago.

.oOo.

There had been tears, I'm not going to lie. It was a painful experience, both physically and mentally, but it was necessary. Apparently, I have scar tissue and I'm lucky that none of the tears had become infected in the past. They took... evidence, and that alone was painful because they had to go way inside to get it. I had held the nurse's hand through most of it, and I'm sure I nearly broke her bones, too.

When that was over with, I sat back down, a lot more gently than before. The nurse covered me with the bed sheet and I thanked her, grateful for the coverage. Dr. Hase sat down and asked me a series of questions, like how long this had been happening, roughly how many times it's occurred, or if I knew of anyone else in the same situation. I would shift uncomfortably every once in awhile, the soreness in my back starting to throb.

The doctor eventually leaned over and asked the nurse to get me a painkiller, and she left us alone. He was silent for a moment as he scribbled on his clipboard. "Uh, um..." I stammered and he gave me a questioning look, "what'll happen to him."

He set down his pencil and folded his hands in his lap, "we've gathered forensic evidence and have also gotten your statement. The police have most likely arrested him already and are getting his as well." My eyes widened and my breathing hitched, he knew that I'd told. Oh god. "He will be required to submit his DNA, and any other suspicious data will be logged. After it's all said and done, considering that his semen has been linked to you. You won't be needed to testify against him, the evidence will speak for you."

I nodded, my eyes gazing at my fidgeting hands, "he... won't hurt anyone, will he?"

"If you mean you, no, he can't hurt you anymore. No matter what happens, our safety laws would prohibit him from being within a hundred meters of you."

I nodded again, "what about my friends and brother? Or the boy's at the monestary?"

He seemed to sense my distress and I felt his hand on my shoulder, "if everything goes as planned, which this easily would, he won't be seeing anyone outside of a prison."

Incarceration, he would be charged and forced to stay in a cell. Yet, that fact didn't ease me at all, I nodded anyway, thanking him for understanding. Within a few minutes, the nurse returned with a small cup with a pill inside and a glass of water. I took the medication and listened to the nurse's instructions. "The pain killer you took is a little more potent than the ones we will be giving you, but that's just to make sure that you won't be waking up in pain in the middle of the night. We gave ten day's worth of medication to your brother and he'll be in charge of giving them to you." I wasn't a drug addict, why were they acting like I was a child? I'm sixteen for Christ's sake.

I simply nodded and took another drink of water, realizing just how parched I actually was. I asked how much longer it would be until I could leave, and they told me that my discharge papers were being filled out at the moment. I was told that I could get dressed and my doctor left the room, taking his notes with him. Before he left, he patted my shoulder and told me how brave I had been for coming in and talking about all of this. I blushed and mumbled a thank you, the door closing behind him.

The nurse stayed inside the room and kept to herself for the most part. However, when I was huffing in pain while trying to pull my pants up, she offered to help me and I begrudgingly accepted. She, no doubt, has seen multiple people naked, why would I be any different? I thanked her and wrapped my tail around my chest before slipping my shirt back on. Why the hell did this all have to happen on a Friday night, I was tired of having to adjust my school uniform. Eventually, I just got frustrated and kept my tie undone. My clothes were a bit frumpy and I'm sure I looked haphazard, but I honestly didn't care.

The nurse asked if I was okay and I nodded, when she opened the door and ushered me out, I felt a wave of relief hit me and my body immediately relaxed. She led me back through the hallways and I honestly felt like she had no idea where we were going because it felt like forever until we arrived back at the waiting room. There were a few more people in there, all different of course, but I noticed something odd.

"Heyyy," I accidentally slurred that, a blush creeping onto my face. "I thought you were gonna drive them home, Nii-chan?" Teal eyes looked me over, a glint of mirth shining through. Wait, why were his eyes red, had he been crying? I reached out and pulled him into a hug, relaxing at the smell of his cologne.

"They refused to leave once I told them about everything." I just hummed and he took a deep breath, his hands rubbing my back, which felt nice.

"Why's he acting like that?" Shima's voice wasn't as pleasant as Yukio's, it was a little too loud for my liking.

Said voice spoke lowly, the melodic sound hitting my ears softly, "it's the pain meds."

I opened my eyes and glared at my pink-haired classmate. "I'm not acting weird, you're weird for looking at two brother's hugging, weirdo." There was a collective giggle amongst them, but I couldn't figure out what was so funny about what I'd said.

"You're fine, Nii-san, how about we head home now? I'm sure you're tired, aren't you?" I nodded and he pulled away, taking his warmth with him. I watched as he started walking away, telling my feet to move after him. The cram school kids followed after, some of them walking in step with me, occasional glances shooting in my direction.

"I'm not a feckin zoo animal, if ya-you're gonna stare, you could at least feed me something, first." Why were they laughing? It's not even funny, I was completely serious. What, did I stutter? I think not, assholes. Yukio was over at the receptionist and they seemed to be having a conversation, but they didn't seem happy. "C'mon," I pulled on his sleeve once I walked over.

He looked me over and a sad smile crossed his lips, "alright, let's go."

"Hey Sweetie, I hope you feel better soon," I wasn't sick so why was she saying that? She chuckled and pushed a bowl over to me, "take a candy if you want."

"Aren't these things for, like, eight year olds or something?" That didn't stop me from taking one and playing with the wrapper, "thank you." She smiled and waved us goodbye, our little group walking out into the chilly air. "What time is it?" I muttered and Yukio wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Is eleven, we've been here for awhile."

"Oh, man, I feel bad for keeping you guys like that." A few eyes shot over to me and I flinched in response. My twin rubbed my shoulder and told everyone to settle down. As we approached the van, I became curious as to why Yukio wasn't letting go. I watched as he pulled the back door open and started climbing in. "Wait, aren't you driving?"

He shook his head and held out his hand, taking mine and helping me into the vehicle. "Bon will take us back to the academy, it's only five minutes or so." He sat down in the very back and I sat down next to him. Shiemi took the spot next to me and Izumo sat in front of her. Shima shot me a glance before sitting in front of Yukio. Finally, Bon and Koneko sat up front, the air in the car growing silent as the engine started up.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, the weight of the day was pushing on my eyelids and I definitely wasn't about to fight back. Sighing, I sunk into the seat, my head leaning to touch Yukio's shoulders.

What a day.