WEEK FIVE: Sunday (Yuzuru)

The hallway outside the surgical hall was cold, thanks to a large overhead air vent that seemed to be drawing air in from the December outdoors. I was in pajama pants and a short sleeved t-shirt. The surface of my skin felt icy, but at this point I could have been hypothermic and it wouldn't have registered as discomfort.

I couldn't stop crying.

I didn't know what time it was, or how long they'd had Mom in there. The whole morning had been like a stupendously awful sequel to an already horrific movie: waking up to Mom's monitors going crazy, watching her convulse uncontrollably as the nursing staff came rushing in. Backing into a corner, sobbing, as her doctors tried to get the seizure under control. Things were injected into her IV, her bed was raised and converted in preparation for a run to the operating room, there were a lot of barked orders about notifying the surgeon on call.

I'd chased after them as they wheeled Mom out, but the nurses stopped me and led me some other route through a maze of hallways to this cold, hard bench outside the surgical hall. One of the doctors came to explain that mom's bleed had worsened in the night. It was creating too much pressure in her brain, so now the surgeons had to go in and stop the bleeding while trying to keep her delicate heart from failing under anesthesia at the same time.

I didn't understand half of the technical stuff they were telling me. All I got was that it was bad. Really, really bad. The plan yesterday had been to change up Mom's medications and monitor her for a few days before attempting surgery, in the hopes that either the bleed would correct itself or at least her clotting abilities would improve first. Now it couldn't wait. Now, even if her heart didn't fail and she didn't bleed out during surgery, she might still come out of all of this with brain damage.

Now, the only thing I could do was sit and wait to find out if Mom was going to get another miracle.

But what were the chances she'd beat the odds twice?

"Yuzuru-san!"

Miraculously, I was hearing the one voice in the universe that had the power to make me feel better. My head came up. Seryou ran down the hall, dark hair flying, and before I could even get to my feet he'd dropped to his knees in front of me, throwing his arms around my waist. "I heard about your mother. God, are you okay?"

His head was pressed to my chest, his torso between my legs, and I clung to him in misery. "Seryou." His presence was a comfort I couldn't have imagined. After a week of thinking he was gone forever, his warmth was a literal safety net. I put my cheek on top of his head and pulled him into me, trembling. "Seryou..."

"I'm here. I'm here," he said earnestly.

All I could do was cry a little harder. "She's gonna die this time. I know it."

"Shh." His arms tightened. "Don't say that."

I sat there hugging him, until it occurred to me that unless he'd broken out of the mental health ward to get here, it was a lot later than I'd thought. I sniffled. "Shit, what time is it? I wanted to be there when you got out. I missed it, huh?"

"Don't worry about it, this is more important." He tilted his head up to look at me. "I'm so sorry, Yuzuru-san."

Even through my tears, he managed to make me chuckle. "There you go again."

"Huh?"

"Apologizing for stuff that's not your fault."

He grinned. "Habit, I guess," he said, brushing the backs of his bandaged hands against my tear-soaked cheeks.

I closed my eyes, fighting the impulse to fall apart all over him. I'd just gotten him back, I didn't want to burden him with all this. "I don't know what I'm gonna do if Mom dies. I'm not ready to lose her."

"I get it," he said softly. Yeah, he probably did. He'd pretty much lost his parents this week too. "No matter what happens I'll be with you, okay? I promise."

I nodded and laid my forehead against his. Emotionally, I was in the same place I'd been when Mom first collapsed, the shell-shocked terror of riding that ambulance. I wasn't sick anymore, so everything felt sharper and brighter, even more real than it had to my fever-addled brain back then.

But Seryou was here. No matter how scared I was, at least I had him back.

"Yuzuru-san," he said, "how can I help? Do you need anything? Food, or a jacket, or..."

"Just hold me," I replied. "Please?" That was honestly all I wanted right now, and I didn't give a damn if we were in public. I needed him.

He drew me to my feet and wrapped me in a hug, putting his chin over my shoulder. His body was thin and warm, his breath soft on my neck. I was pretty sure that being with him like this was something I would never take for granted. He murmured comforts in my ear, kissed my hair and the side of my face.

"Yuzu-nii! Touji-san, oh my god!"

There was a pounding echo of footsteps coming toward us, and then my little sister's arms latched around both of us. She was bawling too. "Where's Mom? How is she? When can I see her?"

I had to loosen my grip on Seryou in order to include Yuriko in a somewhat awkward three-person hug. "Mom's still in surgery, sis," I said, working to steady my voice. "We don't know anything else yet."

She turned wide, tear-filled eyes on Seryou. "Touji-san, you're here! Yuzu-nii said you were getting out today. I'm so glad you guys made up. This was, like, the worst week ever. Seriously. I thought my brother was gonna turn into a zombie, he was so depressed without you."

"Really?" Seryou said, pulling me a tiny bit closer. I bit my lip in embarrassment. That sister of mine and her big mouth. Of course I'd been depressed, I'd thought I wasn't ever going to see him again. Or be in his arms like this. Or feel his deep black eyes on me anymore... I gave him a sheepish smile.

Then Yuriko swatted him on the shoulder. "By the way, don't ever do something like this," she held up one of his bandaged hands, "again. Do you know how worried we all were?"

"Uh..." I could see the question in his eyes. How does she know?

I shook my head. "I'll explain later."

More footsteps approached, the firm, steady click of leather on hard vinyl floor tile. I turned to see our grandparents catching up to Yuriko, both with eminently sour expressions on their faces. My fingers tightened on Seryou's waist. Crap, this was going to be unpleasant.

"Who's that?" Seryou asked quietly, but there wasn't time to reply before they were within earshot.

Grandmother eyed the three of us with disgust, her gaze lingering on Seryou. "Really, Yuzuru, it isn't enough putting your depravity on display all over the internet? You're going to make a spectacle of yourself in a place like this as well?"

I wasn't even going to dignify that with an answer, and now I definitely wasn't letting go of Seryou, no matter who else was standing around. Kiss my ass. I hoped she could read it all over my face.

She looked up at the lit Operation In Progress sign by the door and sighed. "I suppose this means your mother will continue to be absent from work."

With my arms still around my boyfriend and sister, I gave a bitter laugh. "Gee, what a shame that her likely death is so inconvenient for you."

Yuriko wailed in fear, looking up at me. That probably hadn't been a great thing to say, but I wasn't feeling much hope.

I'd spent most of the morning trying to recall the last things I'd said to Mom. She'd been asleep when I got back from visiting Seryou yesterday, so I hadn't been able to tell her that I'd gotten him back. I hadn't actually told her I'd lost him to begin with, so she didn't know any of the story. Now she might never get to hear it. Or meet him properly, or...

Grandmother sniffed. "Dramatic as always, Yuzuru. Paint us as villains all you like, but we have a company to run. I'm afraid we can't wait any longer. We will have to hire a replacement."

I clenched my teeth. "You're firing her while she's in surgery?" Pretty sure that was a total villain move. Mom had been working for their company since she graduated university, long before she'd ever married their son.

"That's illegal," Seryou said, and I felt his voice vibrating through his chest where it was pressed to mine. His family owned a huge company, so he'd probably know more about employment law than I did.

Grandmother was not a tall woman, but she had perfected the art of glaring down her nose at people even when they towered over her. "I didn't say we were firing her, you nosy punk. We're going to assign her duties to someone else. She'll continue to receive a two-thirds salary through illness benefits, but I'm afraid the bonuses she was receiving will cease."

"Bonuses?" As far as I knew, they weren't paying Mom any kind of bonuses.

Grandfather crossed his arms next to Grandmother. "We won't be covering the monthly rent for that apartment of hers anymore."

I froze. They'd been paying the rent? Mom had never mentioned that. I guess I'd always thought she was paying it herself, or maybe Dad was doing it as part of their divorce settlement. But now that I thought about it, our grandparents were always making snide remarks about how we had them to thank for our home. I guess I hadn't been paying enough attention. Again.

Yuriko turned around, eyes wide. "Grandfather, where are we going to live?"

"Don't worry, child, you can move in with us."

"But what about Mom, and Yuzu-nii?"

Grandmother gave me a disdainful glance. "I'm sure they'll figure things out. After all, as your brother keeps reminding us, he's practically an adult."

Fuck you people. I peeled away from Seryou enough to face them head on, but before I could open my mouth I was interrupted.

"Shino-san, is that you?"

Grandfather—Seryou's, that is—was coming toward us down the hall, with Shimizu Eiji at his side. Surprisingly, though, he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at my grandparents, who seemed greatly startled and bowed deeply as he approached.

"Takeuchi Yuki-sama, what a surprise," my grandfather said. "Were you looking for us? You didn't have to come all the way here, sir."

My mouth dropped open. "You know him, Grandfather?"

In unison, both men said, "Yes." Then they exchanged glances.

Seryou's grandfather inclined his head in Seryou's direction and gave a mischievous quirk of the lips. "Actually, this nosy punk is my grandson, Seryou Touji."

I had never seen my grandparents so red-faced in all my life. I bet Grandmother never gave much thought to how much her voice carried in these halls. And their embarrassment only got worse when he nodded at me and said, rather pointedly, "Which, of course, makes this delightful young man a grandson to me as well."

They both bowed again, even lower than before.

Yuriko's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Holy crap, you're the old dude from Happy World Coffee!" It's a good thing Grandfather had a sense of humor, because instead of looking offended he just beamed at her like it was the best compliment he'd heard all day. She poked Seryou in the ribs. "I keep forgetting you're like, a super rich coffee prince, Touji-san. And you're dating my big brother! I'm so jealous!"

I felt a little heat rise in my cheeks as I shushed her, but Seryou's dark eyes only sparkled warmly at me.

"Is this your younger sister, Yuzuru?" Seryou's grandfather asked.

I nodded, and Yuriko snapped into a bow. "You're so famous!" she announced unnecessarily, making him laugh.

"Mm, I see the family resemblance. Can I assume these are your grandchildren, then, Shino-san?"

Things got even more convoluted when Grandfather said, "Yes, sir," at the same time that Grandmother said, "No, sir."

I rolled my eyes and smirked. Seryou and his grandfather both looked equally confused. "They're my sister's grandparents," I explained. And they hate my guts. I didn't actually have to say that last part, because Grandfather had already overheard their intention to make me and Mom homeless so it had to be pretty clear.

A glimmer of curiosity lingered in Seryou's eyes, but I didn't really want to get into the whole story now.

"Ah, I see," his grandfather said.

"But how do you know each other?" I asked.

He kept his eye on them as he answered. "Happy World Coffee has utilized their firm's accounting services for many years."

"Sixteen years, sir," said my grandfather with another bow. "It has been a privilege."

"In fact," Grandfather eyed the Operation in Progress sign, "Yuzuru, is your mother Shino Kaori, by chance?"

"Yes, Grandfather."

"Ah, I'm surprised I didn't make the connection earlier. That's the name I've seen on our rosters and ledgers all this time." He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Her work has been impeccable. About five years ago, she caught a tiny error in one of our daily reconciliation reports that would have cost my company billions. And such a valuable person turns out to be your mother, Yuzuru? What a small world this is."

"Please don't worry, Takeuchi-sama," Grandmother said with anxious wrinkles across her forehead. "Your account is in excellent hands. My husband and I will be taking over the work personally until our daughter-in-law recovers."

"Ex-daughter-in-law," I corrected under my breath. How easily they could gloss over that little fact when it suited them, while the rest of the time they were making certain we wouldn't forget.

"Hm." Grandfather looked at me, then back at them. "I suppose that should be fine for now. But please contact my office for a meeting sometime next week. I would like to discuss the details."

They bowed quickly and nervously. "Of course, Takeuchi-sama," my grandfather said. "Actually, we were just heading back to the office now."

One of his furry brows rose. "While your daughter-in-law is in surgery?"

They traded looks and stammered.

"They have a company to run," I said dryly. Seryou made a snorting noise close to my ear.

Grandfather gave a disapproving grunt, but I guess he caught on that I didn't want them here because before they could backpedal he waved a hand. "Very well. Touji and I will wait with Shino Kaori-san's children. I would be happy to provide you with an update when the operation is complete. Thank you for your hard work."

It took everything I had not to snicker, because both of them looked like they were ready to melt into the floor, or burst into flames, or both. The owner of Happy World Coffee had a company to run, too, after all, but he had time to be here. Since there was no graceful way to recover the situation, they just bowed and offered some trite wishes for his health, and then scuttled off down the hall.

Grandfather rolled his wheelchair closer to me and Seryou. "Something tells me there's a story in all this, hm?" he said, looking up at me.

"Yes, Grandfather."

"I would like to hear it someday, if you're willing to share. But for now, on to more important things... How are you, my boy? Have you eaten? Do you need anything? It's cold down here and you're covered in goosebumps, take this." He started to remove the blanket from his lap, which made his butler-slash-boyfriend clear his throat in objection.

I shook my palms at him. "No, no, Grandfather, I'm fine, you keep it. Cold doesn't really bother me."

"Oh shush, both of you," he said, "I have three of these things on me right now and I'm suffocating. Take it, boy, you'll be doing me a favor." He pulled the blanket back, revealing another one underneath it, and held it out to me with a determined fist.

Seryou accepted it on my behalf, spreading it around my shoulders like a cape. It did feel pretty nice, actually. I cast an apologetic glance at Grandfather's vampire-looking companion, who had resumed an unaffected expression that didn't fool me one bit. Shimizu was a creepy dude. He looked like the kind of guy who could assassinate three major world leaders before breakfast, and make them all look unquestionably like accidents.

I didn't ponder it much further, though, because I was distracted by the way Seryou's arm slid around my waist again. I met his gaze in gratitude. His touch, his body heat, did far more for me than any blanket could. It was pretty bad manners to be clinging to each other like this, especially in front of family, but after a separation like this week had been we couldn't seem to stop. Grandfather seemed to understand, because he didn't act like we were doing anything out of the ordinary.

"That's better," Grandfather said. "Now, would anyone like coffee? I was about to call down to the cafeteria and order some."

"Wow, they'll deliver all the way up here?" I asked, and he threw me a wink.

"They will for me."

Yuriko gave an admiring sigh. "You're so cool, Takeuchi Yuki-san."

He chuckled, gesturing for his phone. Shimizu put it in his hand. "You can call me Grandfather too, young lady. What would you like to drink?"

Before she could answer, though, the metal doors behind us opened. Drink orders forgotten, we hurried to crowd around the doctor who had emerged.

The doctor sought me out first and bowed, pulling his mask down around his neck. "Shino-san," he said, "your mother has survived the surgery."

Yuriko folded her hands together and started crying. I probably would have done the same, except that he was still talking.

"We were successful in draining the hematoma and stopping the bleed in her brain. She required several transfusions during the process, but her heart is still beating on its own."

My insides were getting a little quivery, and I leaned into Seryou a bit. "Thank you, Doctor."

"However," he said, and his face was serious, "I must tell you that we haven't been able to remove her from the ventilator yet. She is currently in a coma, which is common for many patients after a hemorrhage like this one. In fact, it is our intention to keep her in a drug-induced coma for a few days while she recovers. Most patients, however, are able to come off of the ventilator shortly after surgery, even in a comatose state."

"What..." I licked my lips, looking over at my sister. "What does that mean?"

"We don't know yet. It could simply be that her body requires a few days of rest before it can take over breathing functions on its own again."

"Or it could be brain damage," I supplied, because I could tell that he didn't want to say it. Next to me, Yuriko whined and gripped my arm.

The doctor inclined his head. "It's a possibility. She'll be monitored closely in the surgical recovery wing until she stabilizes. I will say, however, that your mother's condition—being both in a coma after a brain bleed and still recovering from heart surgery—is quite a unique one. There happens to be a surgeon at Tokyo University Hospital who is certified in both cardiothoracic and neurosurgery. He's the only one I know of with such double specialization in the country. He provided us with consultation support through this procedure, and we believe he would be the ideal attending physician for your mother's case while she is recovering. With your permission, I would like to explore the possibility of transferring the patient to his hospital for continued monitoring."

I blinked at him. He was talking too fast for me to keep up.

Grandfather spoke from behind me, and I stepped toward Seryou to let him through. "Is it safe to move her that far, Doctor?"

The doctor's face was curious as he looked Grandfather over. "Are you the patient's family? I was told her children were her only relatives."

"I'm a family friend," Grandfather said, and I nodded to confirm it.

"I see. Yes, the move will be safe with the proper precautions. She will need a few hours to stabilize first. If all goes well we can make the transfer this evening. If you agree, Shino-san," he turned to me, "I will start the arrangements now."

"You're moving Mom to Tokyo?" I repeated, to make sure I was understanding correctly. "Can I go with her?"

"Certainly. You can't ride in the transport vehicle, but you're welcome to join her at the hospital there."

"What about me?" Yuriko asked tearfully.

"We'll figure it out, sis," I said, "but we have to take care of Mom first, okay?" I bowed to the doctor. "Please make the arrangements."

"Mm." He turned to go, then turned back to Grandfather with that curious expression again. "Has anyone ever told you, sir, that you look just like the Happy World Coffee guy?"

Yuriko giggled, but Grandfather only grinned. "I believe I've heard that once or twice."

"Yes, well... it's really uncanny. Anyway, a nurse will be along shortly to take you back to the family lounge. Once the patient is settled you'll be allowed to see her."

He retreated back behind the swinging doors, and Yuriko moved in to hug me and Seryou again. I was pretty dazed, but felt the emotional impact of what had just happened rising up through my chest and into my throat like a tide. It surged up behind my eyes and spilled onto my cheeks, and Seryou tugged my head down onto his shoulder.

"Hey, you heard him. Your mom's heart is still beating. So don't give up, okay? Because she hasn't."

🍓 🍓 🍓

Back in the surgical recovery family lounge, I sent a text to Okada. He'd messaged me asking how the surgery went, saying he was coming this afternoon as soon as he could get done with his club duties.

Mom's out of surgery They're moving her to T.U. HospitalSo don't come here, sounds like we're coming to you

         Wow, okay. Do you have a place to stay in Tokyo?          You and your sister are welcome to stay in my dorm.

Figuring that out now

"Who's that?" Seryou asked, and I showed him my phone screen.

"Okada-san."

Distaste crossed Seryou's pretty features. "I thought you weren't getting along with him?"

"That's true. But he heard about what happened to Mom, and he's been coming down here every day to help. He says he owes us an apology."

"You're not really going to stay with him, are you?" He looked so worried that I couldn't help teasing him a bit.

"His dorm's right next to the hospital. Would that bother you?"

He pressed his lips together uncomfortably. I'd forgotten how irresistible that little gesture of his was. "No," he said, which was obviously a lie. "B—but a college dorm isn't a good place for your sister to be hanging out, right? So maybe it would be better if... I mean, I'm sure Grandfather could arrange for something safer, and more private, and..."

I nudged him gently with my elbow. "You could invite us to stay with you instead, you know."

He drew a breath. "Would you... would you want to? Grandfather's house isn't close to the hospital, but I'm sure he'd let us borrow his driver if you didn't mind the commu—"

I leaned toward him until our noses were almost touching. He broke off, like he forgot how to finish the sentence, and stared at my lips.

"I want to be with you," I said. "Duh."

I watched his cheeks color right before my eyes. "Yeah?"

"Unless you think we'll be in the way while you're getting moved in and all, in which case..." I held up my phone.

He hooked his wrist around my hand and brought it to his chest, shaking his head. "You won't be," he replied. "Definitely not."

"It's settled, then," Grandfather piped up between us. I hadn't realized he'd been listening, but he looked pleased. "Yuzuru, Yuriko, the two of you will come stay with us in Tokyo for now. I'll get your grandparents' permission, Yuriko-chan. Eiji?"

Shimizu moved alongside his wheelchair.

"Can you ask the household staff to prepare rooms for our guests? And get me the Shinos' number, please."

Shimizu bowed and stepped out into the hall to make phone calls.

Yuriko watched him go and tilted her head. "Isn't that guy your boyfriend, Grandfather?" she asked. "How come you're always ordering him around?"

Grandfather chuckled. "Eiji is many things to me, young lady." His smile turned wistful for just a second. "Many indeed. Of course, you're welcome to ask him yourself what he thinks about it, if you like."

Somehow I doubted she'd be getting much of an answer out of a guy like that.

Nurse Megumi appeared in the entrance to the lounge. "Yuzuru-kun, Yuriko-chan, you can come back to see your mother now."

We jumped up.

"Before we go, though, I'm going to let you know that she's still on the ventilator. That means there's a breathing tube in her mouth. It might look kind of frightening if you haven't seen one before. She's in a coma, but don't be surprised if her fingers make small movements, or her eyelids open a little. The doctors will tell you it's just nerves firing, but you know, there's scientific evidence that some people in comas can hear what's going on around them. So I like to think of those little signals as signs of hope, okay? Make sure you let her know that you're cheering her on."

Yuriko started following her down the hall, but I turned to Seryou first. "Will you come too?" This would be a lot easier if he was next to me.

He was at my side in an instant. "Of course."

I couldn't hold his hand, so I wound my arm around his. Mom had been put in a different room this time, and when Megumi badged us in the first thing I heard was the ventilator hissing. It had a different sound from the oxygen mask, much louder and harsher. Megumi pulled back the curtain, and we could see Mom in the hospital bed.

I'd gotten kind of used to the different tubes and wires running all around her body. But like Megumi had said, it was pretty jarring to see the tube that was coming out of her mouth, held in place by pieces of tape. Her head was tilted back to accommodate it, which was part of what made it disturbing—she looked sound asleep, but the position didn't seem comfortable. Her chest was rising and falling with the press of the breathing machine. A thin knitted cap covered her head, which made me remember with morbid curiosity that they'd cut a hole in her skull. I was kind of glad we couldn't see it.

"Mama," Yuriko cried, darting forward to take her hand. "It's me and Yuzu-nii, we're here."

I moved to the other side of the bed and stood there looking down at her. "You made it out of surgery, Mom," I said, my throat thick. "You did so great. Thank you for not giving up." I let go of Seryou's arm, then, because introducing your significant other to your parents was not the time to be displaying physical affection.

"Mom, I brought someone to see you. This is Seryou Touji, my boyfriend. You said you wanted to meet him."

Seryou bowed low, even though she couldn't see him doing it. "It's nice to meet you, Yuzuru-san's mother," he said, as politely as if we were at a formal introduction dinner instead of in a hospital room. "Actually, we met once before at your house. I apologize that I couldn't properly greet you then. I hope you are feeling better soon. When you wake, I would like to share a meal with you."

"Guess what, Mom," Yuriko said, petting the back of her fingers. "We're going to Tokyo. All three of us. You're gonna stay at the Tokyo University Hospital where they can help you get better, and Yuzu-nii and I are gonna stay at Touji-san's house and come to see you every day. You know the old Happy World Coffee guy from TV? That's Touji-san's grandfather! Isn't that just so cool?"

Seryou bowed again. "Please don't worry about anything," he said to Mom. "Yuzuru-san and Yuri-chan will have everything they need, so you can focus on getting well."

I kissed her on the cheek, which wasn't easy because of all the tubes and wires and machines I had to dodge. "We love you, Mom. Please rest well and come back to us, okay? We'll be waiting for you."

We stayed as long as we could, until the nurses returned to shoo us out in order to prepare Mom for the journey between hospitals. The three of us went back to the lounge where Grandfather and Shimizu were still waiting. Shimizu was typing on a laptop, while Grandfather had his cell phone out. When we got into the room I realized he was watching a K-pop music video. He clicked it off with a smile as we approached.

"How did it go?"

"Good, I guess," I replied.

"I've been in touch with the T.U. Hospital. They'll be ready to receive your mother this evening. In the meantime, I've asked my driver to take you and your sister to your home so you can pack up any personal things you would like to bring along."

I reached for Seryou's arm quickly, and Grandfather chuckled. "Touji is welcome to accompany you, if he'd like."

Seryou nodded and moved closer to me.

"I have a few personal errands to run and we will meet you back here in a couple of hours. Touji, have you taken your medicine?"

"Not yet, Grandfather."

Shimizu produced a pill bottle, seemingly from thin air. I put out my hand and he shook a fat white pill into it.

"Open," I said, holding it to Seryou's mouth. His lips parted and I set it on his tongue. Shimizu handed him a bottle of water, which he was able to grasp between both hands in order to wash it down.

Satisfied, Grandfather gave us a wave. "Yamamoto-san is waiting downstairs for you," he said. "By the by—I suggest you exit through the main front doors. It seems there are some folks down there who have been waiting anxiously for news of you both for quite some time. It would be unkind to leave them hanging."

Oh shit, I'd forgotten about the picketers. I turned to Yuriko with a wince. "They're out there today too?"

"Of course!" she responded, looping her arm through mine. "They're here to support you guys. But I think if you just stroll out there they'll probably go a little nuts. How about I go downstairs and get them ready first, eh?"

"Call Koike-chan," I said. "Tell her we're gonna need backup."

Yuriko gave me a salute and headed for the elevators. I sighed and scratched the back of my neck, while Seryou looked at me quizzically.

"What's going on?" he asked. "What backup?"

"You know that Instagram site that got us into this whole mess?"

"What about it?"

"Sit down. I've got to show you something."