“I don’t know,” Shin replied silently. He racked his brain trying to find the answer. Think, Shin. Think! He looked to the doctor as if he’d hold all the answers.

DocProf raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t he here the other night for the party?” Images flashed back in Shin’s mind of the party like pictures taken from a Polaroid camera. Click. Him and Doc Prof, having a root beer-drinking contest. Click. Pizza, two slices! And a few lovely ladies to impress. … Click! Sam, showing a guest to the party. That masked man hadn’t been the pizza delivery guy.

“Oh.” The music welled up in the back of his mind… Baby Got… Shin held his forehead, shaking off the tune. “I just remembered. He came here a few nights back… Sam showed him around, I tagged. Broke off halfway through the tour because the party was so much more entertaining. But yeah… that was him. Must’ve been. Texan accent, brown hair. Mask.”

That solved that mystery. He drained the last of his coffee in relief. His wrist beeped.

“Oh… I totally forgot about that.” Shin frowned, looking at his watch. He pressed down a button, cutting the alarm off. “Party. She’d kill me if I missed it. You’re okay here without me, right?” He looked Lee in the eye. “I understand if you want to stay here with him. We’ll clear it with mansion security, and get you a pass in the morning.” She wouldn’t have to buzz in every time with that. DocProf nodded. They’d get right on that.

One final comment slipped through his lips as he rose, pushing off his knees. “Look, I want you to know we’ll take good care of him. That’s what we do here, and… if you need anyone to talk to about it, we’re here for you. I’ll make sure of that.”

He walked through the door, his footsteps echoing down the darkened hall. She was all alone now, save the doctor.

And…

Tarin could practically see Lee putting two and two together in her head as she listened to what Shin was saying. In some ways that was better than the alternative, than the tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared intently at his body in the bed. Tarin wasn't sure how good it was though, Ash hadn't had anything to do with him getting into the condition he was in. By some crazy stroke of...fate? Ash had just been the one to find him, and a lucky thing too, because Tarin had a feeling a hospital couldn't have been as helpful as this infirmary was going to prove to be. Lee would find Ash now, Tarin knew, and he planned on being there when it happened.

The boy was remembering, apparently Ash had been to the mansion before. That would explain how he'd known to take Tarin there instead of a regular hospital. It was a helpful thing to know, his incorporeal lip curled a bit at the mention of Sam. Of course Ash would take up with him, it was completely typical of his brother.

He was so close to Lee, and she couldn't even feel his hand on her shoulder. Then she turned. Tarin's eyes widened in shock as she looked right at him, "Lee!" he exclaimed, grinning brightly. She frowned though, and Tarin's face fell as she turned back to the boy, Shin. She'd felt something, though, she'd known he was there even if she couldn't see him. A thought occurred to Tarin. Lee had mentioned before, being able to feel when a merge had happened with a spirit because there was so much more energy. Maybe he was putting off enough energy that she could feel him there too. It was thin hope...but it was still hope. If Lee could feel him, that meant he was really there and not dead. The phrase, 'minimal brain activity' had been concerning.

The adolescent was leaving now and Tarin frowned. He really didn't want Lee alone, not right now. He didn't want to see what was going to happen when she was alone. Lee had told him once that she held it all in until she could be sure she was alone. That's what Tarin was afraid of as he watched Shin leave to go to a party. A party. They were supposed to be out to a fancy dinner right now, he'd bought roses to take home to Lee. Another holiday down the toilet, it was becoming commonplace for them.

Tarin moved to the other side of the bed and leaned on the wall, still startled that even though he was leaning on it he couldn't feel it. He was going to be there for Lee, even if she didn't know it.

Ash had been to the mansion before that night, before he had brought Tarin's body here. He'd been here, been given a tour by Sam. Even DocProf remembered seeing him before this night. But...if Ash was a mutant, why didn't anyone in their family know about it? Being a mutant wasn't exactly the easiest thing to hide from your family as you're growing up.

At least it hadn't been for her, with how her powers had made her entire family feel. It hadn't been for Tarin with how the spirits had often surprised him and made him react to that surprise.

Though, maybe compared to Tarin, Ash had appeared completely normal, even with powers?

That was something she was going to have to deal with later. Important, maybe, but not something she needed to deal with that night, not something Lee was even sure she could deal with that night. Not on top of everything else that'd been thrust on her like this.

But then Shin was saying something about a party, and that he had to go or 'she' would kill him. "I'll be fine. I'm used to sitting by myself while he sleeps." Except this isn't exactly sleeping, is it? The small bit of almost humour, or at least not sadness, disappeared almost instantly, the small smile she'd put on dropping off her face again.

"I'll be fine," Lee repeated with a slight nod. "DocProf's here if I need anything. Thanks for everything, Shin."

That said, Lee saw Shin get up and leave the room, presumedly to go get ready for that party. Which just left her and DocProf there with Tarin. DocProf was checking Tarin over again, though Lee wasn't exactly paying much attention, her eyes were back on her husband's face. The cup of coffee on the table beside her growing cold. It had been very kind and considerate for Shin to have brought that for her, but Lee just wasn't in the mood to drink it at that moment.

"Well, if you need anything, I'll be in my office."

Lee looked up and nodded absently at the doctor. It was about time he was leaving. Having company was all well and good, but sometimes someone just needed to be alone.

Waiting until she heard the door to the doctor's office click closed, Lee reached out to grab the extra blanket from the bottom of Tarin's bed and wrapped it around herself. Slipping her shoes off, Lee curled up on the chair, her chin resting on her knees as she wrapped the blanket even tighter.

Tarin was just so still as he laid there. The only change she saw was the slow, steady raise and fall of his chest. Watching that, remembering how there had been zero reaction when she held his hand, when she'd squeezed it, Lee felt tears coming into her eyes again. At least this time she was alone, and likely wouldn't have anyone coming to disturb her for a while. She'd just have to make sure not to be too loud or she'd draw the doctor's notice and he'd come back out.

And so, for possibly the first time ever in front of Tarin, Lee let herself completely break down as the tears spilled over.