Sacrificial Doll
Part 2- Smoothing Over the Truth

A Ryvius fic by Elise

Rating: R
Warnings: Vampires, blood, Yaoi yaoi *yaoi*…. Oh, and AU. With slight spoilers. Maybe.
Pairings: Ikukou (IkumixKouzi), Kouzi+Aoi?, Ikumi+Kozue?
Disclaimer: Ryvius is property of Sunrise. This fic is done not-for-profit *sigh* because I don't own the characters *more sigh*.
Summary: Piloting student Kouzi Aiba is bitten by a vampire, and his friend Ikumi promises to protect him- against himself, if need be.

Notes!:
Lucson: In our last episode, Kouzi was sent to the infirmary because of an assuslt by an unknown man- with red, glowing eyes! AH! A vampire?!
Juli: Lucson...
Yuki: Hn.
Cullen: -_- Anyways, this is chapter 2. In which Carabona Ginny has to make an announcement, Yuki says "Not really" alot, Oze-kun falls out of bed, and Nurse Kei laments on the sorry state of medical technology.

****

Lucson and Juli listened patiently to Ikumi's story, once the nurses had patched his bruises and calmed him down. Lucson Houjou, the short, pompous captain, paled as Ikumi talked.

"Was it... a vampire?" he asked shakily. Juli blinked at him, but Ikumi stared.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Red eyes, fangs, inhuman strength..." Lucson yelped as Juli put a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down. It could be someone's idea of a sick joke."

"Yeah. Someone strong enough to take out George McCartney," Ikumi spat. "We all know how big McCartney is. But that didn't save him! And Kouzi-"

"Oze-kun! Enough!"

"I was too late, Juli! McCartney's dead because I couldn't get there in time. Kouzi almost died. I couldn't protect them! Again!" He pounded his fists against the wall. "Again!"

"Oze-kun! Please!" Juli grabbed his arms. "It's not your fault. You just would have been next. You did all you could. You brought help, in a way."

Lucson nodded importantly. "That's right. You saved Aiba-kun."

"Will he be okay?" he asked weakly.

"Cliff Kei says it looked alot worse than it was. When he wakes up, we'll call you right away. Okay?" Juli waited until he nodded. "Now, the nurses want you to get some rest."

"They always say that," Ikumi grumbled. "It's their way of getting people out of their hair."

"Well, no offense, Oze-kun," Lucson started, "but you look like hell. Take their advice. We promise to call you when Aiba-kun gets up."

"Make sure you tell Housen where he is. She'll be beside herself with worry if she can't pester him within ten minutes of his regaining consciousness."

"Bed, Oze. Now."

****

"What do we tell them, Juli?"

Juli idly toyed with her bangs as she thought. Although she was technically the sub-commander, everyone turned to her to find the answers. She was the leader of the leaders, the Zwei's ace. And she had no idea what was going on.

"I don't know," she admitted to Lucson. "I'd rather wait until we have Aiba-kun's testimony too, but the students deserve to know. They have to be able to protect themselves."

"We can't tell them about the vampire! They'll panic! It'll be a disaster!" Lucson's square face paled again. He was definitely the type that got worked up over things.

"No, but we have to say something."

"Right!" Lucson's face regained some color and confidence. Then he looked at Juli, his eyes pleading. "Juli, could you..."

"I'll work on the speech. Let's get back to the bridge and see what the others say."

****

This is Carabona Ginny of the Zwei. Please listen carefully.

We have an emergency. Students were attacked today aboard ship by an unknown man. We do not have all the details yet. We will be announcing new safety precautions soon, and these will be posted on all terminals and flyered in the hallways. Until then, do not wander the hallways alone, and report any suspicious activity. And please stay calm.

You will hear from us soon.

****

Cullen Lucciora turned to her companion. "What the... Yuuki, what the heck is going on?"

"How should I know?" he grumbled, walking beside her with his hands in his pockets. "I heard the same thing you did." He stopped and glared at one of the loud speakers as if it were at fault for annoying him. "Those idiots and their announcements."

Something in Yuuki's pockets beeped. He pulled out his ID card in one hand. Someone was beeping him through the com-link. He thumbed the link open and a picture of an auburn-haired girl in a blue-and-white Zwei uniform popped up.

"Yuuki Aiba? This is Juli Bahana."

Yuki scowled. He knew who she was, but she always announced herself. "Yeah?"

"You heard the announcement? I have... bad news." She was visibly nervous, even through the tiny com-link image. "Your brother, Kouzi, was one of the students. He's in the infirmary, sleeping."

"Does Aoi know?" Yuuki interrupted.

"Y-yes. Oze-kun insisted we call her."

"Good. She'll take care of him."

"He's in I-Bay 3 if you want to see him...."

Yuuki stared at his card. "Not really." And he thumbed the connection closed. He glared at the card a second and then shoved it into his pocket.

"You're getting messages from Juli Bahana?" Cullen asked as they started walking again. She'd missed most of the conversation, but had caught the Sub-Captain's name. "Was it important?"

"Not really."

****

Kouzi rubbed his eyes and opened them slowly. He could make out someone's head blocking out some of the lights, and a bright smile.

"Ikumi?"

"Stupid!" a girl's voice scolded. "Do I look like Oze?!"

"Ah, sorry Aoi!" He struggled to sit up.

"Don't. You're hurt and need rest."

"What happened?" he asked slowly.

"You don't know?" Aoi's lavender eyes widened. "They didn't tell me much, but...." She glanced around and lowered her voice. "You were attacked. Ikumi came and tried to fight whoever it was, and then the engineers came. The guy ran off, and they called the medics."

"McCartney! What happened to McCartney?!"

"I- I don't know." But Aoi avoided his eyes. "I promised Sub-Captain Bahana that I'd contact her when you got up. I'll be right back." She stood up, and grinned feebly at him.

Something very bad happened to him, Kouzi thought. Aoi can't even look at me.

When she reached the door, he called to her. "He's dead, isn't he?" She merely looked at him sadly and went to call Juli. She returned, sitting next to him silently, her hand on his, until the Sub-Captain arrived.

"Aiba-kun?" Juli asked at the door. "I don't mean to disturb you, but I need to get your statement." Her eyes were troubled and she seemed hesitant. She waited for Kouzi's "Alright" before entering the infirmary. Aoi stood to greet her.

"I've got to get back," she said. "They let me out, but..." She gestured helplessly to the magenta uniform she wore. "They're expecting me back in flight attendant training. You'll take care of him, Sub-Captain?"

"Of course," Juli said warmly, and smiled as Aoi scurried back to class. "You're very lucky to have such loyal friends," she said to Kouzi. "Housen and Oze... Oze refused to leave until we ordered him to bed and called Housen!"

Kouzi didn't feel like smiling. McCartney.... He turned to Juli and said, "I thought you were here to take my statement?"

She looked startled. Kouzi was normally a little shy, but unfailingly polite and helpful. She'd never seen him snap at anyone- although he did get very quiet whenever his brother came up in conversation. But he'd never been purposefully rude to her before. "Ah, yes," she finally stammered, and took out a pad. "Please start when you left A-7. We already know that you made it there."

He told her briefly what had happened, and she quickly jotted it down.

"Did you see his face?"

"No."

"Any markings, features that distinguish him?"

"None, unless you count the glowing red eyes." Kouzi got a little sarcastic. They knew everything already.

"Thank you, Aiba-kun. We'll get on it right away." She stood.

"Wait! What about McCartney?" he called to her. "Is he dead?"

Juli flinched, and her shoulders sagged. "Yes," she admitted, and turned to go. Kouzi stared at the plain ceiling long after she'd left, barely breathing and not blinking at all. McCartney.... When he closed his eyes, tears ran down from their corners and soaked the pillow beneath his head.

****

Ikumi snorted and twisted in bed. Something was beeping. His ID card, by the sound. He grumbled. Who would be contacting him by com-link? He turned over, reaching for his bedstand. The card was just out of easy reach, beeping impatiently at him. "Of course," he mumbled. He stretched for it, trying to kick out of his tangled sheets.

And immediately slid onto the floor. The ID card fell from the table and hit his nose. "Stupid...." He grabbed the card with his left hand and akwardly pulled his fingers across the tiny thumb-pad, turning it so he could see the picture that popped up.

"Oze-kun?" Juli Bahana's voice came. Ikumi finally got the card turned, although it was twisting his wrist painfully. "Are you on the floor?!"

"Fell outta bed," he said cheerfully. "What's going on? Is Kouzi up yet?"

"Yes, yes he is. How'd you guess?"

"You said you'd call when he did."

"Yes, I did. Oze-kun!?" Ikumi had twisted his arm back to it's normal position and was trying to extracate himself from his mess of blankets, which focused the viewer on his card to his room and the cieling.

"Sorry, Juli!" he called, shaking the last sheet from his foot. "Can I see him?"

"Of course. Just, be careful. He's not in a good mood. He snapped at me when I took his statement."

I'd be cranky too, Ikumi thought, after all that. "Thanks Juli!" he said. "Later!" And he thumbed the comlink closed, before she got a shot of him in his boxers.

Ikumi dressed quickly, throwing on sweatpants and a tanktop, and slipped on sandals as he headed out the door. He must of been quite a sight, hopping down the hallways, trying to buckle his sandals as he went along, with his dark silver hair sticking up all over the place and pink pillowcase creases imbedded in his cheek. He didn't care. Kouzi was awake! He was going to be okay!

****

"Kouzi?" Ikumi called, sticking his head in the door of I-bay 3. "You up?"

"Yeah," Kouzi's voice called listlessly.

"I'm coming in," he announced, and popped in the door. He closed it gently behind him. "Hi," he said, suddenly awkward. "I... came to see you."

"Thank you."

"Do you want... to talk about it?"

"No. I already gave my statement to Juli."

"Yeah. She mentioned that."

Kouzi turned to look at him for the first time, his eyes flickering and his brow furrowed in anger. "Oh? Did she tell you that George died, too?"

"I knew," Ikumi said, nearly choking on the words. "I'm sorry, Kouzi. I... I didn't make it in time! If I'd come sooner..." He collapsed into a chair and leaned heavily into his hands, his palms supporting his head, and hiding his suddenly teary eyes.

"Ikumi...."

The grey haired boy looked up, his face contorted with misery. "This isn't the first time I've failed someone when they needed me. I don't want to see anyone die, but I'm always too late. I can't protect anyone! Not you, not McCartney... not even my sister.... It's my fault! Kouzi, I'm sorry!" Tears spilled from his green eyes, and he leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Ikumi! Listen to me!" Kouzi said sharply. "Ikumi, it's not your fault. I won't let you take the blame onto yourself. We're both responsible, but... it's that man's fault."

"You're not making sense."

"I mean it. If we'd done things differently, things would be different, right? But it's not our fault. It's his fault. And the Zwei and the Guardians will get him."

Ikumi snorted. The Guardians were a crack group of older students who patrolled the ship because there weren't enough real teachers or police. Half of them would wet themselves with fear if they ever saw a man with glowing eyes, and Ikumi said so.

"Still, they're our best chance. We have to trust them. Right?"

Ikumi nodded dully. There had to be something he could do. But what? As he looked at his friend, sitting in a hospital bed with his right arm in a sling, he saw the bandage on his neck as if for the first time. There would be a bitemark under there, he was certain.

But what could any of them do, against a vampire?

****

Cliff Kei, one of the nurses, had announced Kouzi well enough to return to his room. "Make sure you keep ice on that arm," she said in her husky voice as she tucked a cold pack of ice into his sling. "Sleep in the sling if you have to, but don't move your arm, don't twist your wrist, and basically don't use that arm at all. Got it?"

Kouzi nodded. He had written instructions and more medication than he'd ever thought a strained elbow would need. Ikumi held it all for him as he hovered over his shoulder.

"I'll see you in two weeks, Aiba-kun. If you have any pain, anything at all, come to the Infirmary right away."

"Yes, Nurse Kei. I will," Kouzi replied.

"And you!" She turned to Ikumi. "You help him, okay. Take care of him."

"Of course!" Ikumi put an arm around Kouzi's shoulder, pulling him close. "I'll take good care of him."

Cliff smiled and waved them out of the I-bay. When they were gone, she pulled her ID card from her pocket and opened a comlink.

A moment later, Juli Bahana answered her call. "Bahana here. Hello, Nurse Kei."

"Hello Sub-Captain. You'd asked me to contact you about Aiba-kun?"

"Yes, yes! What is it?"

"I just sent him back to his room."

"Already?! But, when they brought him in, they thought that arm was broken!"

"Only a strain on the elbow, really. The leg was only twisted; didn't even need crutches. And the cut on his neck barely broke the skin. He's in almost as good shape as Oze-kun."

"Amazing... Is there anything else?" Cliff paused.

"The analysis on his blood isn't back yet. Those things take time. But he left here with Oze-kun. He was ready to carry him, if he needed!"

"Good. Oze-kun will take care of him. They've been close since they arrived here, if I remember correctly."

"You do." Cliff flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Do you want me to contact you when his results are in?"

"Yes. Thank you. I really need the hand..."

"Get back to work, then, Captain," Cliff scolded and chuckled. She closed the comlink to Juli's nervous giggle.

Cliff shoved her card into a pocket and ran a hand through her thick hair. Why did blood tests always take so damn long? You'd think with all the improvements in medical technology, they'd find a better -faster- way... She sighed. Some things would never change, no matter how far man got into space.

****

-next-