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[note_atem]

Busy, busy, busy. You'd warned Atem he wouldn't be able to see you for the weekend due to some work that had piled up on you. He'd accepted, of course, with a grin nonetheless. Work\school\whatever is important so he knows to stay out of the way. It was late into Sunday. You had made so much progress. Almost finished. Almost done...

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[note_atem]

It was a shame that he was caught watching and it actually did prompt him to go into the bathroom and shut the door. The water wasn't immediately started, however, everything in the room seemed to be silent for the moment.

"Done?" That was awfully incriminating and such a guilty thing for a friend (girlfriend? the files weren't exactly explicit, not that it was anyone's business) to accuse so quickly. Still. He didn't want to press. "He hasn't done anything. His apartment building was caught up in a blaze. Honestly..." Doesn't anyone watch the late night news?

He excused himself with a cough. Tired. Couldn't take it out on people. "The Fire Department said he might be wounded- they had to pull him out from underneath a collapsed rafter." Now he was getting entirely too detail oriented. "Listen, I just need to know if you've seen him. I need him in for questioning." Not that the chief believed he started the fire, but with being a high profile celebrity, that the fire was started in the aim of killing him. Not that he needed to say that to her.

[crimsonguarddog]

With Atem in the bathroom, Cissnei switches to the cordless phone and heads into her bedroom, the furthest thing away from where the other is. Her tone drops into a quieter one after a pause, sounding apologetic to the man on the phone.

"Sorry about that, he's here. Showed up right before you called." Usually she wouldn't of bothered to even tell the truth about something, but she's aware of Atem's status as much as anyone else is. "Look, can I bring him in tomorrow to talk to you? I'll have to see if he needs to go to the hospital or anything first, and even if not it's already a hazard to drive..."

[note_atem]

Well, at least she was being cordial. That was a nice change of pace. Still, she wasn't exactly cooperating. ...hm.

"Talk to him first. His neighbor said he didn't exactly look ... aware, when she saw him last." Even angry enough as he was about the overhaul he was going to have to pull, to get a drone in the room wouldn't exactly help anything at all. "As long as I know he's alright." Which was what most of the station's concern had been. Honestly. The minute this city had been overrun by duelists that's when the problems had started.

"Losing everything to a fire can be very damaging." He completely slid into a tone that was akin to reading something straight off a pamphlet. "He might be in shock."

[crimsonguarddog]

"I will." She tells him, almost nodding to the phone as she reaches into one of the drawers. She has one for Kaiba and Atem each, dedicated to them, though it was often more likely that the latter would come over. Her words change again, feeling like she was being watched, though it was always a precaution for her.

"If he gets in too deep, I'll call the right people, and if you don't hear from me or him by noon, give me a call. We'll sort this out." As easy as a business transaction, covering for someone. She does want nothing more to rush into the bathroom with her cure Materia and make sure he's okay, but for now Cissnei plays it cool.

[note_atem]

"Mm.." The detective answered sluggishly. She was being calm and helpful, and while knowing where the supposed prime target was, he could at least get the station off his back. "Alright. Until then." Without any other further waiting he hangs up. Too much work to do to force pleasantries.

[crimsonguarddog]

Well, Cissnei was rarley hung up on, so she blinks and pulls the phone back for a moment to look at it before hanging up, switching to her cell phone to send Kaiba a quick text to let him know that Atem was with her-- Even if she needed some peace and quiet to work sometimes, he certainly didn't-- before gathering up what she needed and her materia from the safe before heading back over to the bathroom, knocking on the door if he was still in there.

[note_atem]

The knock to the door was enough to get it to open on its own as he hadn't really shut it or locked it but Atem was busy self-inspecting. No one could really accuse him of having a weak mind, but he just seemed to be so out of it- even to himself. That worn out hoodie was laying on the floor along with his frayed shirt, exposing his upper body. A very dark and long bruise was laid almost evenly along his spine.

His arms were covered in burns. The longer he looked at himself in the mirror, the easier it became to tell that certain parts of his hair were uneven and singed, even with the heavy downing from the rain.

His head dropped, hands clenching the sink. "How did I let this happen..."

[crimsonguarddog]

She pauses just slightly, lowering her head slightly at the sight of him, having a good view of the other from the door. But she gives him a moment before opening it, stepping inside and setting the things down next to him, voice soft when she speaks. "This isn't something you could of controlled, Atem."

Cissnei doesn't touch him, not until she knows he will welcome it and the extent of his injuries. For now she just watches carefully.

[note_atem]

He didn't want to think about it. How he'd nearly lost everything. Anything that was of value to him was gone. Forever. How was he ever going to...

One hand left the sink to shakily wrap around the deck box on his belt. Save for that. Of course he'd gotten that out. But his life- had that been worth it?

"They said it was because of me, didn't they." His tone was low and his head still refused to rise. "Some of the people outside... They were blaming me." They were probably right, too. He was bad news. He always had been; was too good at attracting trouble.

[crimsonguarddog]

"They didn't tell me." Not that saying such would change the other's mind on the fact. Cissnei exhales slowly, coming in closer to the other, careful as she lifts a hand, placing it on his shoulderblade, not to close to either burns or bruises. He is pale, cool to the touch, signs of shock all there. Right now she can be here for him, coax him into possibly sitting down with gentle touch and persuasion, if she can get him that far. Cissnei knows she will need to.

"You need to be treated, Atem. I can take care of you here if you listen to me, or we'll need to go to the hospital." She knows enough to take care of it herself, has a medical kit to take care of second degree burns, which is what it possibly looks like. Cissnei lets her fingers pet against his skin, reassuring with rare soft words. "I'm here for you, it's going to be alright."

[note_atem]

Goosebumps raise along the skin quickly, a shudder easily caused by her touch. His head stays lowered shamefully for another moment as he listened to her. At the word hospital he went tense, which irritated his wounds all the more but he couldn't see to help it.

His head raised as he gave her a hard look. "Not the hospital." He hated that god damn place and would do anything to keep from going to it. Everything in him seemed to break at her next careful words, however. His shoulders shook lightly, his eyes closing.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing."

[crimsonguarddog]

"Not the hospital." She confirms, and takes advantage of the moment to guide him to sit down, kneeling to pull the medical kit from underneath the sink. She would clean it before healing it, much more preferable considering this wasn't a life or death situation. Plus getting him to sit would be better on him, help from his shock symptoms from increasing further.

"For right now just breathe and stay calm, we'll figure it out in small steps." She'll help him, of course. Atem was both her friend and... Well, who knew what else you would call it, but Cissnei would not let him go though this by himself. There were others that would do the same as well, she was sure of it. "Can I see your arm?"

[note_atem]

It was begrudgingly that he sat down, pride still a factor despite it all. Of course, he wasn't as bad as Kaiba. It was only a second later before he eased up, turning his head away. A shaky breath was taken before he held out his arm to her. The burns varied from place to place, the fire seeming to have licked at him from random places and never truly engulfed him. Which was probably a good thing.

"What am I going to do?" His thoughts seemed to collapse in on him so suddenly now that he'd accepted this fire, not only as happening, but being his fault as well. "Everything is gone. I don't have anywhere to stay- I shouldn't. Whoever did this..." His head raised suddenly and he tried to pull his arm away.

"I shouldn't be here."

[crimsonguarddog]

She is glad for that, the brief concession he gives her to start cleaning off the burns so they won't get infected. It was gone just as quickly though, and Cissnei stands before he can as he pulls away, one hand still holding his arm and the other hovering just millimeters away from his face, fingers lightly brushing his cheek.

"No, Atem. Breathe; You are right where you should be. They are not going to come here." Nobody knows that Cissnei is one of his emergency contacts, unless they were in the police department. Hell, few people actually knew that she referred to him by his first name. "Whoever it is knows people are looking for them by now as well... I've dealt with this kind of thing before, remember?" Well, that was one way to put it. Or she was one of the people setting the fires. Again, she reminds him. "Breathe, you're going to give yourself a panic attack."

[note_atem]

He grit his teeth, refusing to make any concessions to the pain. It was a good distraction. As much as her being so close was. The direction was one he knew he should take but it felt nearly impossible. Being so calm... He couldn't even imagine it right now.

"I..." He wanted to run. Was that what he'd done when he was extracted from the fire? Is that how he ended up here.

[crimsonguarddog]

Cissnei slowly lets her hand come to cradle his cheek, leaning in to press her forehead against Atem's. She would pull the other to her, do something to try and help him, but with those burns on his arms forcing him to do anything would only cause pain.

"I'm here for you, promise."