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"Excuse me?"

Rin had been about to nod off but snapped back awake.

It was hours after his breakdown. Gou had been seen to by the doctors, her leg set and put in a cast, and she'd been given a bed in a ward full of other patients, for the night, while she was treated for dehydration. Her condition had been extremely good, all things considered, and if she seemed fine in the morning, they would be letting her go. Mikoshiba had given him permission to bring Gou to Samezuka's dorms, assuring him that he would obtain permission from their principal by whatever means necessary, so Rin and Gou, unlike so many others, had someplace to go.

Mikoshiba and Nitori had returned to Samezuka as well, to shower and sleep before taking another shift at rescue work the next morning. It would be their last one, Mikoshiba told Rin. The grid that the rescue workers had been working to clear was nearly finished. Mikoshiba had also told Rin that if he felt guilty about not going with them, he would personally kick his ass. They could get by fine without him, but Gou couldn't, so his place was with her. That had alleviated some of the guilt Rin felt, because now he felt like he owed the Samezuka team. They'd helped him get his sister and friend back. He wanted to repay them. Mikoshiba had smiled when Rin voiced that thought and told him that if he wanted to repay them, to do it in the pool.

It was late now, and Rin had been sitting in a chair beside Gou's bed, lulling off to sleep when he was jolted back awake. He was still wired from the week long nightmare he'd gone through to find Gou, so he was hair triggered. Even if he'd been asleep, that soft voice probably would have awakened him.

"Who's there?" demanded Rin, because it was dark, and he could only see an unfamiliar silhouette.

"I'm Dr. Kunawara," the shadow introduced itself. "Were you the one who brought in a patient by the name of Nanase?"

Rin sat up straighter. At least that's all he meant to do, but suddenly he found himself on his feet. "Haru? Is he alright?"

His heart was hammering in his chest, and fear and dread were swirling in his stomach. There had been no word on Haru's condition until now. Rin hadn't known whether that was a bad sign or if it was because the doctors were too busy to send someone to let him know.

"Nanase-kun is going to be fine. But . . ."

"But?"

"He regained consciousness, tore out his IV line, and made it to the water cooler before we were able to respond to the alarms that let us know he was no longer in his bed. He . . . had put his head under the water cooler spigot and was dousing himself. Now he refuses to return to bed and is insisting that he's going to find someone named Kou. We were hoping that if someone who knew him could talk to him . . ."

Rin glanced at Gou, conflicted. He didn't want to leave his sister alone while she was sleeping, because what if she woke up and he was gone? She would worry. He was mildly surprised to see she was awake, and looked like she had heard everything.

"Go on," she told him. "I'll be fine."

Rin nodded and stood up. "Show me where he is."

When they reached Haru, he was holding onto a door frame, resisting a nurse's attempt to drag him back to his bed. He looked ill, and feverish, but there was a steely glint in his eyes and his jaw was set stubbornly. It was clear at just a glance that he had no plans of going anywhere until he found Gou.

"Haru!" Rin called out to him as soon as he was within speaking distance, after breaking away from his escort the moment he saw his friend, and running on ahead.

Haru looked at him with feverish eyes. "Rin?"

"Yeah. It's me. Haru, you need to go back to bed."

"I'm going to find Kou," said Haru.

"Gou's fine, Haru. She's in her own bed, resting," said Rin, taking hold of Haru's arm. "You saved her."

Haru looked down at Rin's hand on his arm, then back up at Rin and repeated stubbornly, "I'm going to find Kou."

Rin looked at Dr. Kunawara. "Is it alright if I take him to Gou's room to see her before he goes back to bed? Otherwise this is going to take a long time, and we're going to have to drag him back to his ward, kicking and screaming."

That was a gross exaggeration. Haru didn't scream. But the doctors didn't know that. It helped them cave faster, and give Rin permission to escort Haru to Gou's room before taking him back to his own ward. Haru swayed a little when he tried to walk on his own, so Rin draped Haru's arm over his shoulders and wrapped his arm around Haru's waist to support him.

"We found you two this afternoon," Rin told Haru as they walked. "Adrift off the coast of Iwatobi. Mikoshiba, Nitori, and I swam you back to shore, then brought you here, to the hospital. Gou's being treated for dehydration and her broken leg was set. You're being treated for dehydration and salt poisoning, I think. Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei are all alive."

"And Kou."

"Yes. And Gou," said Rin. "You knew that, though. You were the one who saved her."

"She didn't drown?" Haru asked.

"No. She didn't drown. Because you saved her." Rin wondered how addled Haru's wits were, and hoped that this was a temporary thing because of his condition. But he could be patient. Especially since this was Haru, who had saved his sister's life.

"The water wanted to take her away. I wouldn't let it. I was worried it took her when I fell asleep."

"Well, it didn't. The water changed its mind about taking her," said Rin.

"And Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei are fine?" asked Haru.

"They're alive," said Rin.

"That's not what I asked."

Rin managed not to wince. Haru was sharper than he'd given him credit for, in his current state. Maybe it was just Haru's screwed up mentality about water that had made him sound concussed.

"They're all pretty banged up," admitted Rin. "They're all injured. But they're all going to pull through."

"Tell me, Rin." Haru turned haunted eyes toward Rin, and Rin knew exactly what he wanted.

"Makoto was hit in the head, really hard. Right now he can't see anything. This afternoon he was taken to a hospital that has a specialist for that kind of thing. He got some tests done. He told me about it when I called to tell him we found you. He's waiting on the results for those tests."

"Makoto is blind?" Haru stopped walking. He sounded like he couldn't believe it.

"It might be only temporary. The doctors are hopeful that they can reverse it." Rin actually didn't know that for a fact, so that was a bit of a lie. But he didn't feel guilty about it. He'd say what he had to say to ease Haru's mind, in what little ways he could. It wasn't like his lie could affect the truth of it.

"But Makoto is blind." Haru sounded more distressed than Rin had ever heard him before.

"Makoto is alive, Haru," said Rin, holding him a little tighter. "All of you are alive. That's what matters most."

Haru's eyes watered and he looked at the floor. "Nagisa and Rei?"

"Nagisa was pinned beneath the wreckage of his house for several days. He had a lot of broken bones and was dehydrated, but he's also going to be okay. They took him to a hospital in Tokyo the day after they found him. He's got some metal pins and stuff inside him now, but he's going to make a full recovery," said Rin. This was all true. He'd heard it straight from Nagisa, just that evening. Nagisa had even been able to laugh again, overjoyed to learn that the last two of his friends had been found.

"He'll be able to walk?" asked Haru.

"Yes. Like I said, full recovery," said Rin. "And Rei got off the easiest, with just a broken arm and a broken leg. He's coming here tomorrow morning to see you guys."

"Oh."

Rin couldn't read Haru's expression and gave up on trying. He just started helping him walk again.

"Haru . . . this might not be the best time, but . . . sorry. About all the shit I gave you guys. All of you. But especially you. And thank you. Even after all that, you saved my sister. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that."

Haru didn't say anything for awhile. Rin thought that he might just ignore him. But just when he'd given up on getting a response, Haru spoke.

"I didn't save her for you. She's not just your little sister. She's my friend."

Rin opened his mouth then shut it.

"So you don't have to worry. When you leave again. We'll take care of her. And . . . it's alright. What you apologized about," said Haru.

Rin's eyes went glassy. And here he thought he'd used up all his tears. He forced these back, because he didn't need to have anymore breakdowns. Not tonight. He was strong, and he'd keep being strong for his friends.

"I'm not leaving again," he said. "I'm moving back."

Haru stopped walking again. Rin almost dragged them both to the ground when he tripped. He had to grab onto the wall to steady himself and Haru. "What's wrong? Are you feeling alright?"

"You're moving back?"

"Yeah. I'll be going to Samezuka again," said Rin.

"Oh." Haru started walking again, so Rin did as well, still supporting him.

"Hey," said Rin, knowing he was going out on a limb, but deciding to do it anyway. "After everyone's all healed up, and have gotten their casts off, and thrown their crutches in the lake, let's all swim together again."

"Yes," Haru agreed. Rin thought he sounded a little happier, but with Haru it was always hard to tell. So he sent a sideways glance at his friend to sneak a peek, and he saw that Haru's eyes were overbright. But he didn't look upset. Maybe Rin had said the right thing for once.

Neither spoke again until they reached Gou's room. Well, calling it a room was overstating it. It was more like a curtained off section of a room.

Gou was still awake, clearly waiting for Rin to return with news of Haru. When she saw Haru himself had come to see her, she brightened like a flower in the sun.

"Haruka-senpai!"

"Kou." Haru pulled away from Rin and staggered forward. Rin followed, ready to catch Haru if he fell, but Haru made it to Gou's side alright. He stopped right beside her, then a look of confusion crossed his face, like he didn't know what he was supposed to do next, now that he'd met his goal of finding her. He made a slight movement with one hand like he might try to reach for her, but then let his hand fall, and continued looking confused.

Gou shifted and swung her legs over the side of the bed, so she was sitting on the edge, then leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Haru.

"Haruka-senpai! I was worried about you."

"I didn't mean to make you worry."

They chattered back and forth a little. Or more like Gou chirped cheerfully at Haru, who responded with his usual blunt awkwardness. But neither looked uncomfortable with the other's presence or way or responding. They both looked more at ease than Rin had seen either of them since they were rescued.

Some kind of bond had formed between the two of them, Rin realized, while they were stranded on the sea. That was a good thing, he decided. Their friendship had gotten stronger. And he liked the idea of Gou having someone like Haru watching out for her. And Haru could use more people who wouldn't be put off by his odd ways, or his cold façade, people who knew what an amazing person he was underneath it all.

Rin smiled as he watched his friend and his little sister, two of the most important people in his life. It was much easier now to believe that everything would be okay.