Chapter Twenty-Three: Mercy Kiss:

In a few minutes, Mike made his way to the hospital roof. He lit up a cigarette and got lost in his mind. Seeing Hana did this to his brain. He couldn't erase all that he did to her if he tried. All those years� He looked up when he heard footsteps behind him. Hisoka stood inches from the older demon.

"Oh," he said. "Still haven't gone home yet?" Hisoka shook his head.

"No," he said. "Watari just took over."

"Ah," Mike said. The boy joined him at the railing.

"Who is she?" Hisoka asked. Mike flicked his ashes over the edge.

"A ghost from my past," he said. Hisoka looked at him and listened. Mike breathed out.

"In '75, I was trying to seduce this girl in Yokohama," he began. "Pretty young thing, reminded me of Hotaru and Anna now." He chuckled. "Anyway, she was a good girl and I had to have her. In two weeks, she was mine. It was good, but then I met her mother six years later after she gathered up her courage to introduce her to me."

"Who is� oh," Hisoka said, looking at the door. However, he became puzzled. "But why does�?" he started to ask.

"She look so young?" Mike finished.

"Yeah," the boy said. The demon gave him a bitter smile.

"She been like that since she first came here," he said.

"Why?" Hisoka asked. Mike lowered the cigarette between his fingers.

"That's my fault," he admitted.

"How?" the boy asked.

"I fell for Hana too," Mike said. Hisoka blinked at him.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," the demon said. "I fell for both mother and daughter. Back then, I got greedy. I worked to seduce Hana as well. Pretty soon, I played them both." Mike paused when he noticed Hisoka's face. "What?" he asked. "They were hot!" The boy sneered at him.

"Pervert," he said. Mike shrugged.

"Hey," he said. "It's what I did! I am a demon after all. Get off me! I was in my wilder years then."

Hisoka frowned. "Anyway, what happened?"

Mike�s tone became somber. "Ah yes. I played them both well. Then in '88, it came undone.� It ached for him to tell Hisoka this next part, but he might as well go ahead and say. �Izumi found out about Hana and my affair. She didn't say anything for months. Then one day in July, that pretty young thing and I went out for a drive. In the city, she confronted me about her mother and me. I tried to deny it, but what was the point? She caught me and we fought. She was driving at the time. The argument got so heated that we collided into another car in the other lane. I survived, of course, but that pretty young thing and other driver died on impact." Mike's hand trembled as he replayed the crash in his hand.

"Damn it! It's because of me Izumi's dead! Hana was so devastated that she went into a coma. In '97, Hana woke up, but her mind regressed into a childlike state that you saw tonight. Her son and ex-husband are all the way in Florida and haven't talked to her since the divorce. I'm all she has left now." He clenched the cigarette between his fingers. He cursed under his breath.

"Well at least she has someone," Hisoka murmured. The demon turned to the shinigami. The younger of the two looked like he would cry. Mike looked at him in pity.

"I'm so sorry, boy," he said. "We'll get him back." Hisoka looked away and said nothing. He closed his eyes to stop the hole in his heart from reopening all over again as he thought about Tsuzuki and how his partner now loved another over him.

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Meanwhile, Hana's room door opened wide. The woman turned her head at the sound. A man with violet eyes and a black trench coat walked inside. The patient sat up, confused.

"Who are you?" she asked. The man walked over to her and gently put a finger to her lips.

"Shhh," he whispered. "Go back to sleep. I'm just a guardian angel of dreams. Just go to sleep. Go to sleep." Hana slowly lay back down and closed her eyes. The "angel" drew back his hand.

"Good girl," he whispered. Suddenly, the "angel" paused.

"You poor soul," he whispered. "You have suffered so much." He put his hand upon her forehead. "I will fix you," he said. A soft light entered her body. As the spell took effect, the "angel" looked over to the table on the left and spotted the tape player. A twisted smirk came onto his face.

"Consider this an exchange for your ex's gift," he said. When the light died down, he turned to the sunny yellow tape player and got to work.