@Koei I think it will be fast moving already because of the time I stalled on this fic
Day 26-32
Aki-chan was becoming accustomed to Risa after the incident and thoroughly been explained the past relationship. Although Ai blamed herself for letting the drugs run her life. Risa echoed the same sentiment to Ai as the days went by.
Three days after that talk, they were able to have joint meetings together as they bounced off each other as partners would talk out their problems. Then, as they returned to their dorms, there was a mysterious odor coming from the bathroom. Ai swung the door open and held her hand up to her mouth as the guards came in and pulled someone out of the room.
"Aki-chan, what happened?" Ai cried as she saw burn marks on her thighs.
"I don't know I went to the bathroom and then something flared up in one of the stalls." She explained as Konno arrived to notice the injury.
One of the guards called an ambulance as Konno walked inside still filled with thick, white smoke. Couple steps inward, she felt light headed and walked out trying to analyze the smell but the smoke was filling up the facility and Konno ordered an evacuation.
The guards surrounded the exit and managed the situation with the guests and patients as the smoke cleared within an hour. Ai wasn't sure what that thing was that burned Akiko but it seemed dangerous enough to cause the damage.
Police arrived after the ambulance and investigated the bathroom while the people were escorted to the garden for lunch. It was highly unusual for the patients to have lunch outside of the facility for safety and security concerns but it was permitted if the facility did have any hazards that would prevent them from eating inside.
Since the cafeteria couldn't make a proper lunch, food was brought from outside to distribute to the patients. Everyone had a bento filled with grilled fish and vegetables although few rejected them because it was unusual for their diets. However, Ai felt tight in her stomach after seeing the injury on her friend's leg.
With many concerns in her head, Konno had been encouraging the patients to eat as the police were beginning to piece the evidence together. However, Ai hid her meal to deter Konno from her as she barely ate but Risa tried to tug it away from her.
"What are you doing?" Ai asked as Risa was pulling at the box.
"I'm hungry." The bean successfully took it out of Ai's hands and quickly ate the rest.
Ai exhausted from the battle, lay down on the grass thinking about how Aki-chan was doing and if she would manage to survive the burns. She kept confident that she could pull through but was accepting that it could scar her for life.
"Takahashi-san, may I have a word with you?" Konno asked as she was taken to the back where they could speak privately.
"I know you were close to Akiko and we would never suspect you of anything as a supervising party. However, we need you to talk to them because you found her, be truthful about it, and I have faith that someone will be arrested." Konno hinted with a smile as the police took her into the meeting room for questioning.
Ai answered their questions to the best of her abilities and talked about her friend's kindness as a way to indicate no one had ill feeling against her. The police quickly ruled her out understanding that she was in a meeting before the incident, which also eliminated Risa from the investigation too.
The police thanked her for the time and walked back to the lawn where RIsa was lounging with the rest of the patients. She sat down next to her with the others slowly being interrogated. Few were held for other petty crimes that happened before their admittance but it was for information purposes outside of the clinic.
Once everyone was interviewed, the police found their culprit and took her off as the rest returned to their dorms with the smell slowly disappearing. Since dinner wasn’t made for the night, they were given snacks from the fridge to hold over until the next morning.
Meals were slowly coming out because of further issues with the kitchen and a few days later, they were forced to bring in catering while the kitchen was being fixed. Then, they found the problem under the stove with a bag of pills plugging the gas pumps and eventually sent it off to the trash.
Risa and Ai enjoyed the food but it was not comparable to the cafeteria food and was suffering for the two days they were forced to eat the bland food. Although the group did protest about the food which led to more calls for the cafeteria and their prayers were answered when it reopened the day after the patients complained.
Ai never expected the whirlwind week to end but a few days later as she returned back from her session, there was a note on her door. She scanned over it and looked over to her left where Aki-chan’s room was and quickly entered her room. Ogawa saw the note and tore it off in anger. She looked around the clinic for the person who put the note on the door but no one took responsibility.
Risa sneaked into the room and saw Ai sobbing as she periodically punched the pillow. The younger woman kept her distance as she tried to figure out the problem and it hit her quickly. Aki-chan had passed away.
The burn marks didn’t seem severe but the effects could have gone much deeper than they thought. Risa rubbed the elder woman’s back as she couldn’t help but tear up about the situation. She was a gentle friend almost to the end of her time but that was cut short because of the explosion. The room suddenly went silent as Ai looked at Risa and quickly embraced her.
“Ai, this is horrible.” Risa whispered.
“Aki-chan was kind to everyone, why does she have to go?” Ai whimpered as she was halfway through her treatment.
“It was meant to be, it is unfortunate but Aki-chan left.” Both started to cry out their frustrations with each other.
They were in no mood to calm them so they stayed in the room for the whole night as they pieced together a memory bank for her. They wrote down statements about her and placed it on the floor until it created a small pile and they each read off every piece of paper to remember their fallen friend.
Hundred pieces were read off before placed into a bag and offered to Konno as a present for her family. She announced that the funeral was in two days as her family would visit the clinic and discuss legal options against the person who set up the attack.
They were glad that it wasn’t going unpunished and explained that the person would probably be kicked out for life and sent to jail no questions asked. Konno let everyone know that there would be a vigil for their fellow patient and each were mumbling a remembrance to ease their pain although many cared for her.
That night every person stood up and said a prayer for her safe journey to the next world as pain and suffering would be none.