Chapter 76

Ryoko almost fainted at the sight of her mother's terrible condition.

V set the sobbing girl on her lap and gently tried to calm her. 

"Hey, I promise you—your mom's going to be okay. Now sit tight."

Once everyone was in the SUV, Leo floored the gas pedal, sending the vehicle roaring off like an unbridled stallion. Meanwhile, the sirens of the NCPD patrol cars rang out behind them. They passed a squad car by inches; even a thirty-second delay would have seen them blocked at the scene.

…

Leo screeched to a stop in front of Misty's Esoterica and rushed inside, carrying Chihiro. 

Misty saw them—all covered in blood—and let out an involuntary gasp. "Oh my god, what on earth happened?"

"No time to explain. Where's Vic? He's downstairs, right?" Leo asked in a hurry, not pausing his frantic pace.

Having grown up on the streets, Misty wasn't some sheltered flower; she'd seen her fair share of firefights and chaos. Quickly grasping the urgency, she nodded. "He's in. Go on down—I'll let him know you're here."

…

After Leo carried Chihiro down, Misty prepared a cup of hot chocolate for Ryoko. Then she stood at the door, scanning the area. Only when she was sure everything was clear did she lock up and flip the sign to CLOSE. Returning inside, she approached V.

"How's the girl?"

"She fell asleep," V replied softly, brushing Ryoko's bangs aside. Then she looked up at Misty. "Thanks for the hot chocolate."

Misty nodded politely. "You're welcome. Would you like anything to drink?"

Two voices answered at once, raising their hands. 

"I'll take a beer." 

"Tequila."

Misty rolled her eyes at both V and Lucy. "All I've got is ice water."

A moment later, each of them gulped down a disposable cup of ice water as though it were a stiff drink, crushing the empty cups in their hands. V spoke as if reassuring them or perhaps convincing herself.

"Vic's the best ripperdoc in Watson—no question. She'll be fine."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "I believe in Doctor Viktor, and I believe Chihiro will pull through."

It was a strange feeling. V and Lucy had met Chihiro only once, but after seeing Ryoko cry her heart out, they both genuinely hoped Chihiro would survive. Perhaps that was simply human empathy.

Just then, the back door of the shop opened and Leo emerged, covered in blood. It was mostly from the Masafusa-gumi he'd fought, as well as from carrying Chihiro.

"How is she?"

"Vic's doing everything he can," Leo replied.

"Want something to drink?" Misty offered.

"A cola would be—actually, never mind. Water's fine."

Sure enough, Misty brought him another cup of ice water. Leo glanced at her, and Misty shrugged.

"Sorry, that's all I've got."

He drained it in one go, then noticed how exhausted V and Lucy looked. "You two are covered in blood. Why don't you go clean up while we have a moment?"

V shook her head and glanced over at Lucy. "I'm good—you two go."

Lucy hesitated. "Then…maybe I don't need to either."

Misty came over to take Ryoko from V's lap, cradling the sleeping girl carefully. "V, look at you. Go get cleaned up. Don't worry—I'll keep an eye on her."

That settled it. "Thanks, Misty," V said, finally agreeing.

Leo turned to Lucy. "Come on, Lucy, you too."

Behind Misty's shop, near Viktor's clinic, there was a small hotel. The three of them knocked on the door and rented a room with a single bathroom. Leo let V and Lucy shower first, and only after they were done did he take his turn.

…

They returned to Misty's Esoterica in fresh clothes, each wrapped in a heavy silence. No one spoke. After a while, Ryoko woke up. Everyone expected her to start crying again, but she only asked where her mother was. When she learned Chihiro was still undergoing emergency treatment in Doc Vic's basement, she stopped speaking, didn't cry, and just sat there listlessly—her eyes dull, like a puppet with the strings cut.

That wouldn't do at all. They started chatting with her about anything and everything, hoping to distract her from her worries. Gradually, the sparkle returned to Ryoko's pretty eyes.

They couldn't say how much time had passed when the sound of the metal basement gate echoed up the stairs. Viktor emerged through the back door, looking utterly spent.

"Could somebody get me a glass of water?"

"I got it."

Misty hurried over to hand Vic a cup of ice water. He downed half of it in a single gulp, then dumped the rest over his head. Misty took the now-empty cup, concern in her eyes.

"One glass won't be enough, right? Want more?"

Vic shook his head. Leo angled a small electric fan to blow on him, while V grabbed a chair.

"Here, Doc, have a seat."

Everyone watched Viktor anxiously. He wasn't one to drag things out on purpose, but he was genuinely wiped. Age and fatigue from a long, grueling operation had clearly taken their toll. After he caught his breath, he finally looked around and said:

"She's out of danger."

Relief swept through the room. Faces that had been grim with despair broke into smiles. Only Ryoko seemed at a loss, blinking her big, watery eyes in disbelief.

"Mom… Mom's going to live?"

V patted her head gently. "Yeah, she is."

That was when Ryoko finally allowed herself to cry again.

…

A few days later, Chihiro—bandaged head to toe—held Ryoko close. When Leo and the others came to visit, she bowed deeply, then looked at them, visibly puzzled.

"Why did you save me?"

V, Lucy, and Jackie—remained silent, all eyes shifting toward Leo. He gave just a single, straightforward answer.

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