Uh...sorry? Izaya doesn't have anything to say yet. But Shizuo and Shinra do. I hope this chapter makes sense.

I feel bad for Shizuo though.

Just a quick note: None of my stories will be updated again until sometime after mid-August. I am currently out of town with limited internet access and spare time so I apologize. I'll be back to writing again in August though!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"An….ano…ano whats-it?" Shizuo stared at the doctor his face contorting into various expressions as he tried to repeat the word and find some meaning to it. Ultimately, he couldn't. He still had no idea what Shinra was talking about, but from the tone of voice, the distressed expression, and the way Shinra's shoulders hunched over and his hands shook, it was serious.

Seeing that the blond wasn't comprehending, Shinra gave a quick nod to Celty, wordlessly communicating to her to finish the notes on her own. After she agreed, Shinra dragged his feet as he passed by Shizuo beckoning the blond to follow. Outside of the room, Shinra continued to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of tea and a glass of milk for Shizuo before leading the way to the couch. He handed the glass away and set his own mug on the coffee table before opening his laptop. After tapping away at the keyboard and clicking the mouse a few times, he turned the screen so Shizuo could see. "Anorexic. Meaning he has a disorder called Anorexia Nervosa."

Shizuo scrolled through the information on the website Shinra had pulled up but still couldn't understand what it meant. He gulped down his milk as he read the words he could understand such as 'weight loss', 'fear of weight gain', 'skipping meals', and other simple terms before setting his glass down a little too hard and giving up. "Could you explain this in Japanese? I don't get all this medical stuff. I ain't book smart like you ya know." He hissed growing impatient.

"It's a psychological disorder with severe physiological consequences that can be fatal. Put simply, he's starving himself."

"Why the hell would he do a thing like that?!"

Shinra shrugged and sank back into the couch cushions. "I don't know. But for now, I would appreciate it if you held off on trying to kill him."

Shizuo supported his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his open hands with an irritated groan. "I almost watched the man die in front of me once….even if I hate him….I don't ever want to experience that again."

"So you don't want to kill him."

"I'm not a heartless bastard!"

"Good…..because I need your help."

"My help?" Shizuo stared at him incredulously. "What the hell do you expect me to do?"

"We obviously can't leave him alone in his current state."

"You aren't seriously suggesting I-"

"I am." Shinra replied before Shizuo could finish.

"I am not going to babysit the damn flea! Just because I don't want him to die doesn't mean-"

"Shizuo…." Shinra interrupted yet again. Shizuo was starting to get annoyed with the doctor for constantly cutting him off, but he settled for clenching his fists in his lap as opposed to some other more drastic expression of frustration. Shinra decidedly ignored the gesture and continued. "He doesn't have anyone else. I'll teach you what you need to know."

"Why can't you take care of him? You're his friend. You know more about this Anra….Ano…Ama…."

"Anorexia." Shinra supplied.

"You know more about this anorexia than I do. Wouldn't you be better suited for this? Or better yet, a real hospital with real doctors." Shizuo spit out the last part of the sentence. It was a bit of a low blow, but he didn't like the way Shinra was pushing this responsibility on to him. Payback was obviously in order.

Shinra did flinch at the statement and the obvious malice lacing it, but didn't spit back any venom of his own. Instead, he replied in an oddly calm manner. "He wouldn't take to well to being dumped off in a hospital."

"He won't take to well to rooming with his enemy turned babysitter either, I would think."

"The hospital is a last resort. As for me, I have Celty and work and there just isn't the room or the time. Plus I have dangerous people coming through here all the time who could see him and try to take advantage of his weakness."

"I work too, ya know."

"Shizuo, please." Shinra begged through sips of his tea. "I will be greatly in your debt if you do this. Please."

Shizuo shifted in his seat. He wasn't the least bit comfortable with this idea. Why didn't he just leave Izaya to die in that dirt old alleyway again? Just because the flea seemed human for once in his life? He could have walked away then. He could have avoided all of this. But what he really wanted to avoid right now was the feelings of guilt and responsibility churning in his stomach. Right now, the Flea was clearly just as messed up as anyone else and in just as much pain. Shizuo had been violent towards a human, not some psychopathic god, just a simple twisted human. Okay, maybe not simple, but the flea wasn't who Shizuo made him out to be all these years and the guilt of judging him may or may not have begun to eat at him. Maybe he owed his former enemy this much. Although, Izaya surely would reject him and his help anyway. Shizuo may have misjudged the raven head, but he knew Izaya was still proud and stubborn, far too much to accept help. Especially help from Shizuo.

Shizuo was not one of mental strength though. As much as he tried to sort out his thoughts and feelings in his head, they remained a tangled mess he couldn't make sense of. It was just causing his rage to boil over. That was not what this situation needed right now.

Taking the deepest and longest breath he had probably ever taken, he nodded ever so slightly towards the doctor before parting his lips to speak in a strained tone. "Okay. Tell me what I need to know."

"You'll do it?" Shinra couldn't keep the hint of surprise from his voice or the slight but hesitant smile on his lips. He knew Shizuo was a good person with a kind heart, but he had his doubts about whether the blond would actually accept this request, especially after the long drawn out silence.

Shizuo nodded again stiffly. "I'll try if you can get him to agree."

"oh…" Shinra rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I had hoped you would take care of the convincing."

Shizuo groaned. "Maybe you were the one I should have been trying to kill all this time!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Comments/feedback appreciated!

Hope you enjoyed!