2

She had to sit back for a second and think about what he just said. It was a shock, and she now understood why he was so completely and utterly lost in his mind. He hadn’t even thought of this because he had not properly grieved for his sister yet either. Though they were good friends, some might even say best friends, she had never known about his sister. She didn’t even know he had a twin at all. That was for another time.

“Okay, let’s start again at the beginning.” She said as she tried to clear out her mind. “When did you receive this call?”

“I dropped Mitsunari and Masamune up the street. My car started ringing as I got closer to your house. That was about five minutes before you got home.” He stated.

“Okay, at least I know that now. What did they tell you?” She asked. She knew that piecing this back together was not going to be easy. He was not the type of person to say things without being prompted, and even then it was a crapshoot.

“First off, they wanted me to know that June was okay as far as they could tell. However, they had started to notice a few changes in her the past month, and a social worker figured it out.” Mitsuhide said flatly. “I told them a few months ago it looked like something was different, but they told me not to worry about it. Sometimes those type patients ebb and flow.”

“Wait, you said a few months ago?” she asked, surprised and alarmed.

“Yeah, it was like four months ago. I think it may have been a little longer.” He replied.

“What else did they say?” she asked.

“That I needed to come in and talk to the administration and the police.” He said.

“When?” she asked.

“Now.” He replied.

“So, you are here instead of there?” she asked, trying to figure out his reasoning. He was not one to hide from the truth like this. This was something that needed his attention and his ability to think clearly. Neither was something he could at the moment. He was almost completely blank when she looked into his eyes.

“I don’t want to go alone.” He replied and much more softly than he intended. She heard the fear in his voice. He didn’t want to have to be responsible for any of this. It was not something he had planned for. It was not something he could do by himself. That is why he was there. He was afraid of being alone right now.

“You won’t be alone, Mitsuhide.” She said. “Let me change really quick, and I will drive out there.”

“Kit, I didn’t want to ask that of you.” He said softly.

“And you didn’t have too.” She said with a soft smile. “Mitsuhide big things will be happening from here on out. I will be here every step of the way. It is what friends are for.”

“Kit, I don’t know what I would do without you right now.” He said as she walked into her bedroom and started to change out of her uniform with the door open so she could hear him when he spoke to her.

“Mitsuhide, I could only hope that if this was me in her place, someone would care as much as you do. I don’t believe my brothers would.” She replied as she looked at him.

“I would.” He replied.

“You might be the only one who did,” she said. “In any case, someone has to look out for you right now, and that is me. Like I said, it is what friends are for. Also I have one other question Mitsuhide.”

“What is that?” he asked as he looked up to her as she reached out her hand.

“Do you trust me?” she asked.

“Do you even have to ask that?” he asked back as he towered over her.

“I have to know that if you start to shut down, you trust me to act in yours and her best interest.” Kit said,

“Of course, I trust you.” He said as he looked at her. “You know you are like her in so many ways.”

“I am?” Kit asked as she pulled him to the car.

“You are.” He simply said, “I guess that is why I know I can trust you. June is my twin, but I think she would be better off as yours. I mean, you two don’t look alike, but you are alike in so many other ways. She is all I have left. I think losing my parents and younger brother was bad but a few months later to have June and Mark in the accident was overwhelming. I think that is why I kept her on the machines for so long. She wouldn’t want to be like this.”

“She didn’t talk about this before?” Kit asked.

“Who talks about something like this?” Mitsuhide responded.

“Well, I do. But I think that has to do with my mother and everything.” She said. “Now Where is this place?” Kit wondered if that was normal that she was open with her wishes to nearly anyone who was close to her. She never wanted to be hooked up to a machine to continue living. The idea frightened her more than death. Death and she were friends. She dealt with it every day. It made her who she was. She was fine with that. She could handle that. As soon as she could address the issue, she made sure that people knew. Though in a case like this one, she really doubted anyone would have cared enough to do anything for her if the roles were reversed. Now it was time to help Mitsuhide throughout this and to help him learn how to grieve. When he did that, he could think of letting her go.

“It is the Assisted Care hospital, Langhorn.” He said as he forced the words out.

“Oh.” She said as she started to drive. She was startled by the news of that.

“Oh?” he asked.

“I have been there before.” She said.

“Why would you have been there?” he asked.

“My cousin is severely autistic and non-verbal. He is my age, and we grew up together like he was my brother more than a cousin. He goes there for day school.” Kit said.

“They have a day school?” he asked.

“It was a program that was actually started by his mother, who is actually my first cousin’s wife. Curtie is my cousin’s son, really, but it is so much easier to say, cousin.” She replied. She had always hated titles, and then they required explanations. She often went the simpler route and just said the easier one. She had a sinking feeling though. She was not sure why. It was like the nightmare around Mitsuhide was now engulfing her as well. She was supposed to be his anchor, but she felt like she might be standing on quicksand too.

“You have been there before?” he asked again.

“A few times to either go and get Curtie or for one of the programs he was doing.” Kit said as she drove.

“Get him?” Mitsuhide said.

“Like I said, he goes for day program four times a week. Sometimes Cindy, his mother, has to be at other places to get funding for the program, and Curtie stays with the other teachers. I will go and get him if he starts to act up or something. He doesn’t like things at times, and he hates change. He really hates to be touched as well.” Kit said as she thought of her younger cousin by two years. She had grown up with him. she had loved him as best as she could.

“That couldn’t have been easy to grow up with,” Mitsuhide said.

“It wasn’t fun if that is what you mean, but I love Curtie for who he is. Though he can be difficult at times, he is brilliant in certain things as well. Like art. He can do things that I wish I could do.” Kit laughed. “Everyone has their issues. Curtie’s issues were a little more serious, that’s all.”

“You are something else you know that?” he said as he looked at her. The words surprised her. She thought most people thought she was weird. She was honest, thought both with herself and others. She tried to put people in front of her most of the time. Like after having the day from hell she would go with him and take care of this. That was just who she was. It was simply her.

“Why because I can look beyond the outside and see more of the picture?” she asked with a small laugh.

“Because you are just a wonderful person altogether, Kit.” He stated. “I really don’t know what we are walking into.”

“Mitsuhide, whatever it is, we are in this together.” She said as she took his hand in hers and squeezed it slightly.

“Together.” He replied as he looked out the window to the shadows that were growing all around them outside the car. He remembered hearing about this place when he was looking for somewhere close so he could be there with his sister if something happened. This place was supposed to be one of the best in the country, so of course, he jumped at the chance to have her there. This was never part of the deal. How could this have even happened? Who would do this to someone in the first place? He had so many questions, but he also had a spark of rage, and it was growing the closer as he got to place. He wanted blood. He wanted to do whatever he could for his sister as well. He looked over to the small female next to him.

It didn’t surprise him that she was there. That she would drop everything to help him try and think straight. He was right when he said she was like his sister. She was very much like her. Always to friendly. Always to open. Always to trusting. She was very much like the way he remembered his sister in his mind. Maybe that was why he stayed with her so much. He didn’t want to think about that right now. He knew, without a doubt if he was going to do something for his sister’s care that she thought was bad, she would stop him by any means necessary. She wouldn’t let him fail in this. It was that simple to him.

“We are almost there.” She said softly. “Mitsuhide, whatever happens, I will be right by your side.”

“I know that.” He said as he turned and looked at her, “I also know that you will be only thinking about June as well.”

“That is true. It is a force of habit.” She said. “I became a pathologist so I could be the last voice for people. I often tried to think of how they must have been in life as well. I don’t want to be June’s last voice, Mitsuhide, but I sure as hell what to find out what the hell is going on.”

“Me too, Kit, me too.” He said as he looked back out the window and tried to calm himself down. She was enraged as well. He could hear it in her voice, and the fact she brought up what she was didn’t help anything in him. He hadn’t thought about the fact that this could be bad for everyone involved. Nothing was good at the moment. All he could do was breathe. He was going under the water of his emotions again, and he had no life vest to save him. Except. Except for her hand, which was still holding on to his. He looked down at it. She was his life vest.

She pulled the car into the buildings parking lot and looked around. It was a crime scene, and she looked at the police that were already there. There was so much going on as they looked at each other. “Well.” She said to him.

“Just a minute, Kit. “He said as he was trying to focus.

“Mitsuhide, I promise if you start to slip, I will hold you up.” She said softly.

“You really are like her.” He said as he looked at her, “Maybe even better than she was.”

“I doubt that.” Kit said as she opened the door.

“Kit, Thank you.” He said softly.

“I haven’t done anything yet.” She said.

“For being here at all,” Mitsuhide said as he opened his door.

“As if I would let you face this alone.” She said as she walked to his side of the car. “Now I have some questions that I know you don’t know the answers too that I want answered. First and foremost, I want to see her and make sure she is okay.”

“We don’t deserve you,” Mitsuhide said as he looked at the small woman who was stepping in for him, and she really did want only the best outcome for everyone. She wanted his sister to be okay. Someone she had never met in her life, but Kit was willing to step into a nightmare to make sure she was okay. He couldn’t believe his luck at having such a wonderful friend.