Death

Jiro's tattooed hands peeked beneath a white sheet placed over his body. Natsuo's eyes filled with tears as he watched Jiro's corpse being taken away - he wanted to cling onto him, to breathe life back into him, but it was too late.

"I think I have... fallen in... you too... " Natsuo tried to stammer through his tears.

Natsuo stood alone in the emptiness, his heart feeling like it had been ripped out of his chest. He wasn't used to crying, not even as a child, but now all he could do was let the tears stream down his face and fall onto the floor.

Suddenly Natsuo was startled awake, his heart tight and his throat dry. He had fallen asleep on the table, surrounded by neurological books and research papers.