Pulse remains light but steady. Breathing regular. Non-responsive.
I quickly count the packets. One of the “real” ones, then twenty of the new ones. They still contain foxglove – less in each one, but still, all at once… I also made them extra bitter just in case, for the children.
“Come on, Saitou,” I say. It’s quiet, so quiet here at the dojo. Kenshin-san stayed just long enough for me to get my bag, where I rummage through the coded packets.
Yahiko-kun is working at the Akabeko. Sanosuke-san is probably there, too. And isn’t this the time of day where Kaoru-san gets Kenji from school?
Back to the patient, checking on him again. I find one I need, now the other two… there’s a neck injury. I look at it, closely – beyond bruising, there’s cuts – the sort from chains, and not rope burns. I think a lot has been happening to him lately… but what now?
Second one. I try to calculate ratios while I dig for the last one… and then how to get it to him.
(OOC – Misao and Kenshin set up Saitou on the dojo floor. )
Kaoru:
Kenji and I get back home and as soon as he gets down, he runs to the dojo hall. I smile a bit at that. He probably wants to handle some bamboo swords now that I’m here. So I follow him inside and call out.
“Now don’t choose a heavy one Kenji.”
And then I hear “OKAA-SAN! Someone’s on the floor!”
I run inside alarmed if we had maybe an injured student or worst an intruder.
I throw the dojo door wide open and point my shinai…
“Oh misao-chan…” and I blink surprised. “Isn’t that Saitou?” I come over and stand over him. “What happened to him?”
This is unexpected. But on another hand I’m pissed off at Saitou for being unfaithful to Yagi-san.
(Misao)
I look up and Kenji-kun comes in, blinks at me, and then Saitou, and then runs out, I hear him calling Kaoru-san…
She comes in right away. I’m still looking for the third item…
“Yes, Kaoru-san, it’s Saitou – he seemed strange the other day, so I went to check on him. And… I found him on the floor.” I nod at the paper packets. “He was having heart pains in Osaka, so I gave him Gramps’ medicine. It’s too strong for a regular person who’s not used to poison, so I gave him some lesser doses, but he had one packet of the old stuff left too.”
I look up at her, “Kaoru-san, he took them -all-. He said he was cursed, in Osaka. I thought that it was over, but with him and Hide-san-”
There’s noise as the dojo door opens again, and it’s Yagi-san and Kenshin-san. Her pale face tells me that she heard enough. But she comes right over and kneels next to him. “What do you have to treat him for foxglove toxicity?”
Kaoru:
“Kaoru-san, he took them -all-. He said he was cursed, in Osaka. I thought that it was over, but with him and Hide-san-”
I nod and kneel down beside Misao-chan. “Who knew the wolf can…” I pause and look at the helpless man on the floor, “be so frail.”
If he wasn’t on our dojo floor, I’d never believe it. This same guy who sent Kenshin flying and slumped over just on the opposite wall of our dojo.
I stand up as soon as I hear more footsteps and see Kenshin with Yagi-san. “Yagi-san! I’m glad you’re here.” Looking at Kenshin, I nod to him slightly. He really does know when to come in handy!
Then Yagi-san turns to Misao-chan asking her for a cure? “I wish Megumi-san was here or even Gensai sensei…”
Because even if I think Saitou will end up being trouble for us or even Yagi-san, he’s one needing the help we can give. But he doesn’t seem responsive at all. I wonder is he even conscious or is he dead already? Was that the curse?
“Tell me what we can get for you Misao-chan.” I doubt Yagi-san would know what to do. It’s not some cuts or bruises.
(Hide)
I kneel down close, to listen to his breathing, as I take his pulse. Hajime where are you…? I gently brush his hair back, and then lightly kiss his lips before sitting back up. His body is still alive, but…
Himura-san wishes for doctors who aren’t here…. well, Misao-san and I will have to do. “I have potassium, Hide-san, and magnesium.”
I nod, taking his hand in mine, rubbing it, almost unconsciously, as if I can warm him all back up. “Do you have anything I can use for injecting? Or even better, something to where we could set up an intravenous infusion?” I remember learning in London of a new way to help people with cholera, and if we can flush the medicine out, and Misao’s antidotes are safer going in that way.
Tell me what we can get for you Misao-chan.
“I have a syringe, Hide-san, if you can…. ” she looks back at Himura-san, “we’ll need water – boiled for cleaning things… and is there a doctor? One who has Western supplies and will let us have some?”
“If you don’t, maybe the clinic…” I say. “Kobayashi-sensei…” Maybe. Maybe.
The red-haired man who has been standing back nods. “This one knows him – he was a battlefield doctor during the war.”
But it’s further. Maybe Himura-san knowns someone closer? Someone had to take over Gensai’s practice, even if Megumi-san left…
Kaoru:
“I’ll take care of boiling the water.” I tell everyone.
“But as for supplies and a doctor…” I sigh, “Gensai sensei’s clinic was closed down. He went back home to his home town due to old age. We’ve been doing our own first aid but nothing like that.”
Kenshin confirms he knows a Kobayashi at the clinic but it’s far. And then I look back at Kenshin, “Why didn’t you guys get him to the police infirmary? Surely there’s a doctor who’d know Saitou there.” Because I bet with his line of work, he’s had some injuries that must’ve required a hospital stay once or twice or more!
I look again at Saitou. “Hey Yagi-san, isn’t he looking a bit blue? Is he still breathing?” I point it out because while we were all asking ourselves what to do, Saitou-san seems to have taken a turn for the worst.
“Kenshin, you’re the fastest. We can’t move Saitou now but maybe bring the doctor here and an ambulatory carriage in case they need to take him back!”
So there’s no local doctor. Great. She makes a good point about the police resources… but why didn’t Misao-san and Himura-san do that in the first place?
Kenji-kun comes padding in. “Hey, Yagi-san, you were just outside and you gave me this?” He looks confused, and gives me a bag.
“I’ll start this… Himura-san, see if you can find Uramura-san,” I say. He’ll keep it quiet… because if this is deemed a suicide attempt, would he still have a job? He -is- going to live, so I’m not going to screw up his life. “He is still breathing…” But he is getting worse – his vitals are holding on but… he still feels worse in a way I can’t define. I hand Misao-san the bag. At another time, I would evaluate my sister’s impulses at doing this, and her spying on me…. but I’d take it from whoever right now.
Himura-san takes his son and throws him on his back. “Want to go to the police station?” The little boy pulls on his father’s hair. “Go horsey!”
“Hide-san, you know what this is?” Misao-san holds up a jar of black powder. I nod. She also pulls out the IV supplies I wanted – we’ll start that next. Purge, then restore. “Hold on, Hajime,” I say, softly, to his still face. I listen again for the pulse, still so light… but what has him down isn’t pure poisoning – otherwise he would have had a heart attack from what he took instead of just being deeply unconscious. This is part of what’s been going on with him…. “Hime-sama needs you to hold on,” I tell him.
“Kaoru-san, I need some water and a something with a spout or something – this is something that will keep his stomach from absorbing any more of the foxglove and maybe make him bring it up. So we’ll need a basin, too, in case…” I look over at Misao-san. “Help me get him sitting, so he doesn’t choke – lean him against the wall.”
She does so and I hope Himura-san hurries with the water… who knows how long it will take for anyone else to get here?
Kaoru:
It takes a bit to heat up some hot water! And I know Yagi-san is already stressing by the time I get back inside the dojo.
All over the dojo floor are various contraptions and substances that I have no idea what they are. Do they?
“Here’s the water and spout you needed Yagi-san.” I place the water down on the floor and give her the only thing in the dojo that has a spout, an antique Chinese tea kettle. Maybe it will be useful.
I look at Saitou-san and then at Yagi-san and something I told her before comes to mind. Does she really want to go through all this for him? I mean this isn’t the wolf that Kenshin and I know, but then again we never really knew his home life. Much less his personal life. And I wonder if he dies here today, would we all be held accountable? And who would claim him? Is his wife Tokio, even in Tokyo? Likely not. I can’t help but stare some more at the unconscious man in my dojo.
(OOC: No need to write Kenshin and Uramura/ police scene in a separate thread. After a couple of post or once you’ve made headway in what Misao/Hide wants to do, Kenshin will come with a police doctor whom Uramura said has treated Saitou in the past. They should also be coming in a horse drawn ambulance without Uramura who is detained at HQ. I’ll write the doctor once introduced by Kenshin. The doctor )
Himura-san brings the water… I suppose I’m spoiled by the tricks and cheats from other places that we have in our house and that it took so long… I sense some confusion and hesitation in her. “In another time and place… I trained as a nurse, in the West… so I could take care of him when needed.”
“Misao-san, use the hot water and sterilize what she brought.” She does so, and the water by then has gone from boiling to just tea hot, and it’s just enough, as I mix in the black powder. “This is a special kind of charcoal dust,” I tell Himura-san. “It… can help block the absorption of what he took. Or it could make him vomit. But it’s a first step for this sort of poisoning.” I lift up the kettle. “Hajime, this is the worst tasting tea that I’m ever going to give you… drink it up so you can complain about it, ne?” I tilt his mouth up, and slowly pour in some of the mixture, and it goes down. “Thank you,” I say, softly, kissing his cheek and wiping his mouth with my sleeve.
“Misao-san, do you have any alcohol?” She nods and hands over a small flask. I pour it over his arm, and then ask for the needle. “Hold his arm down for me…” I bite my lip. “This will only be a poke, my love,” I say, softly. Is he somewhere, listening? Or has he left this body, this world… as I told him to last night? No… -no-…. “Come on, Hajime…” I murmur, as I insert the needle. I’ve kissed my way up and down this arm enough to know where every vein is… I flush it with a bit more of the alcohol, then I attach the tubing, and to that the bag, which I hang on a nail on the wall. I take a bandage to secure the needle in his arm. “In case you start grabbing at your cute nurse,” I say, trying for a teasing tone.
“Now, Misao-san… the antidotes? We’ll put it in via this,” I say, indicating a branch in the tube, “otherwise potassium and magnesium can be a little rough on their own.” She nods. “Aoshi-sama does this…” then she shakes her head, refocusing on the task at hand, and adds her medicines to the infusion.
I check his vitals again. Not better… but not worse. I have Misao-san help me move Hajime down, and I put his head on my lap. “I can’t lay him flat, he still may vomit,” I say, stroking his face. At least his lips have lost that bluish cast… “Shhh….” I say, stroking his hair. “Rest now, your hime is taking care of you. She left the children under the care of Eiji-san, to come look after her oji-ookami-sama.”
“Thank you, Himura-san, Misao-san,” I say, keeping my eyes on him, my fingers remaining on his neck for his pulse. I lean back against the post, watching the solution drip slowly down the tube. “Even with my training… I’m not sure if I can fix what truly ails him. Treating his body is one thing… but I’m worried I broke this,” I say, softly touching his chest, where his heart still beats.
Kaoru:
“In another time and place… I trained as a nurse, in the West… so I could take care of him when needed.”
It’s not the time to doubt Yagi-san. After all only Misao and her are here to fix this situation but I can’t help but feel a little thrown off by everything. But should I be surprised, the last time we spoke was a lot of revelations and I’m merely a simple dojo owner.
I watch as she makes Saitou drink the “tea”, she calls it but it looks like soot. I’m glad Saitou-san is still unconcious, I don’t think he’d drink that even if his life dependend on it… And maybe it depends on it now.
And then she says she’ll poke him but it was more like a stab if you ask me. And she says something to him that’s unintelligible. And I watch as she inserts some tubs into him and although I’m used to cuts and bruises, I still grimace a little both at that and the weird tease that came out of Yagi-san.
Misao-chan helps with the antidote and it feels like a lot of time is passing by and although it seems like Saitousan is not getting worse, he’s not looking like a man full of life either but she cradles him on his lap. Will that do anything? What’s happened to you Saitou? He told me once, the one who wins is the one who lives. Did he ever tell Kenshin that?
“Even with my training… I’m not sure if I can fix what truly ails him. Treating his body is one thing… but I’m worried I broke this,”
It’s obvious what Yagi-san is referring to, his heart. “It’s the wolf your talking to. He’s stubborn right? I bet he’s just being a pain.” I say because what else could I say? I stand to the corner for what seems like a long time.
(OOC: Feel free to bring in Kenshin with the doctor and I’ll play the doctor.)
I put my hand on his forehead, wondering… if I could just reach in there. See where across time and space he actually is. Because I know enough about him, and the strange life we share, that he’s somewhere. Hajime… Hajime… don’t go. Don’t listen to those words from last night. I have so much I want to know… to share. Days of sun and rain, all of it.
Misao-san is quiet, keeping an eye on things and investigating the bag. “This is something new?”
“Some of it … but even once, back in Ito, which isn’t very up-to-date, they had the equipment to do a blood transfusion one time, when he lost blood. It was Asuka-san who gave her blood to save him,” I say.
But Hajime lives… but does not stir. Not even the activated charcoal made him ill, but the fluids are getting in there. Can I save his body? Perhaps…. but the rest? “You have to come back, please Hajime,” I say, softly.
It’s the wolf your talking to. He’s stubborn right? I bet he’s just being a pain
“Mmm… for being the wolf, for being stubborn… he’s still a man,” I say. She’s married to a legend herself, and she’s seen how it is, for all of that, for the power and the skill and talent… they still bleed, just like us mortals.
(Kenshin)
Uramura-san was unable to join us but seemed alarmed. “Why did you move him? We could have started treating him earlier!”
“My associate thought that it was something she could treat, Uramura-san. She’s Oniwaban, and they’re now just restaurantuers, they kept their healing arts.”
He shook his head. “I’ll send you with the doctor who’s been patching him up all these years – and next time – don’t move my officer!”
Ah… this one wonders what Misao-san was really up to.
Kenji-kun likes the ride in the nice carriage, and we’re quickly back to the dojo. I lead the doctor in, to find Saitou propped up on Yagi-san, with some strange thing attached to his arm. Oro?
She looks up. “Thank you, Himura-san. Doctor, he’s ingested a heart medication that left him unconscious. He’s been treated with activated charcoal orally to try to induce vomiting or to at least slow down absorption. He’s also receiving fluids intravenously, as well as potassium and magnesium to counteract the medicine.” She looks down at Saitou-san. “Breathing even, heartbeat also not to usual strength but steady. No irregularity in rhythm, but earlier he did have a bluish cast to his lips, but that’s passed.”
“Some of it … but even once, back in Ito, which isn’t very up-to-date, they had the equipment to do a blood transfusion one time, when he lost blood. It was Asuka-san who gave her blood to save him,”
Ito? I guess that must’ve been where she lived before our paths crossed again. That must’ve been an odd time, for all the peace Kenshin and I knew for the past few years, her and Saitou seems to be tumultuous.
“Mmm… for being the wolf, for being stubborn… he’s still a man,”
She’s right of course. “That’s what Megumi-san told me once.” I admit to Yagi-san.
And finally… -Finally- Kenshin arrives with what seems to be a police doctor? The man doesn’t look old but even with the glasses he looks rather stern. He comes in with a certain of formality about him and Yagi-san goes to him right away filling in him on what happened. She sounds believable, well she -was- a nurse right?
A short haired woman who seems to be the oldest of the three cames up to me immediately after thanking Himura. But it doesn’t escape me that she had the patient’s head laying on her lap just as we entered.
Doctor, he’s ingested a heart medication that left him unconscious. He’s been treated with activated charcoal orally to try to induce vomiting or to at least slow down absorption. He’s also receiving fluids intravenously, as well as potassium and magnesium to counteract the medicine.” “Breathing even, heartbeat also not to usual strength but steady. No irregularity in rhythm, but earlier he did have a bluish cast to his lips, but that’s passed.”
I simply nod at the woman and look at the contraption of tubes. It’s not bad but it’s -rough-. I guess it’s better than nothing. “Like the Chief said, it would’ve been better had he been taken to the government hospital that is just a block away from the TMPD.” I kneel down and look at Fujita and pull up his eyelids one by one to see if there’s any movement and then I lean in to first to listen to his breathing and then to smell his mouth and nasal area. There’s only a faint smell of bitterness, like rotten eggs so I dig into his mouth and see that it’s stained black.
“You have him ingest activated carbon but he didn’t vomit did he?” I ask the woman.
The other smell must be from the potassium that’s being fed into his body intravenously. “Who found him first? And how was he found? More importantl what is this heart medication?”
I straighten up, “Ah apologies. I’m Tenma Ryojun, a medical examiner working for the police.” I take out a small notebook, “if you can please give me your names and how each of you are related to the patient.”
The younger woman clears her throat, “I’m Himura Kaoru. I’m Kenshin’s wife. I own this dojo that Sai.. Fujita-san was brought to because of the emergency. We’re acquaintances.”
Then I look at the short girl and the short haired woman. “And how about you two?”
(Hide)
You have him ingest activated carbon but he didn’t vomit did he?
I watch as he expertly reviews Hajime’s vitals, and he must see what I do – that he’s alive but utterly unresponsive. Like an empty shell – but I know that he’s somewhere. For the reasons he did this… if he was actually gone… I would know.
“No, no has he had any bowel movements,” I say, answering the doctor. “As Makimachi-san and Himura-san didn’t know how much time had lapsed since he ingested the medicine, I though that the benefits – of either expelling the contents of his stomach or slowing absorption – outweighed the potential gastric side effects of the medicine.” I look down at Hajime. “And I’ve been keeping his head elevated since administrating the charcoal in case he did vomit.” I didn’t miss the -look- he gave me, seeing Hajime’s head in my lap. Of course that’s one reason… to keep him well-monitored. But I also had to keep him close, for whatever battle he may be fighting within himself.
Who found him first? And how was he found? More importantl what is this heart medication?
Misao-san speaks up. “I went to check up on Superintendent Fujita today, and I found him first. Collapsed on the floor, with open packets of the medicine I provided on his desk. He’s taking a solution whose primary component is digitalis – foxglove – according to traditional Japanese treatments.” She bows slightly to the doctor. “Perhaps he felt a heart attack was incoming? But he didn’t show any symptoms of a heart attack. It’s then I realized that Himura-san,” she indicates the red-haired man, “had followed me. We carried Fujita-san out but did not see anyone to call for assistance, so we brought him here, and I sent Himura-san to get Hide-san, who has medical experience.” She lowers her eyes. “I am from Kyoto so I was not aware of the proximity of a police hospital.”
if you can please give me your names and how each of you are related to the patient.
Himura-san goes first.
Then Misao-san. “I am Makimachi Misao, leader of the Kyoto Oniwaban. My group and I have been working closely with the Kyoto police for some time with some projects.” She bows.
“I am his wife,” I say, looking at the young doctor.
Tenma:
I though that the benefits – of either expelling the contents of his stomach or slowing absorption – outweighed the potential gastric side effects of the medicine.” “And I’ve been keeping his head elevated since administrating the charcoal in case he did vomit.
I nod. She seems to have had some sort of training but I’m not sure where. It’s still a rarity to have someone in Tokyo get training as a nurse. Perhaps she’s shadowed various doctor’s in the past.
I turn to the younger woman who gives her account of what happened. “Foxglove?” I almost grimace, “That’s a poison when ingested and certainly won’t help an oncoming heart attack.” I say and look down at Fujita. Such a pain sometimes this man. Besides aside from that one injury, this man is very fit and unlikely to have a heart attack although perhaps chest spasms from his old injury unless -that’s- ruptured but he’d be dead in an instant.
“I am from Kyoto so I was not aware of the proximity of a police hospital.” I am Makimachi Misao, leader of the Kyoto Oniwaban. My group and I have been working closely with the Kyoto police for some time with some projects.”
“I see.” But nothing here explains why he took the drug. And a heart attack is just the woman’s assumption. “In the future may I advise the Okashira not to prescribe medicinal herbs especially if one doesn’t know the medical history of the patient.” I put away my notebook. “Maa… But Fujita is one such man who’d rather take some concoction than pay me a visit.”
Finally the short haired woman introduces herself as his wife. “Your full name ma’am and who else in your household?” I look at Fujita again. He’s left me with specific instructions in the past.
Foxglove? That’s a poison when ingested and certainly won’t help an oncoming heart attack
“He was having symptoms of heart distress during the Osaka incident – I know them well as my grandfather has similar episodes. The treatment Fujita-san was given was a weaker version of the one my grandfather takes,” Misao-san replies. At least, the second batch… but I understand the doctor’s grimace. Foxglove can be a poison, and it’s a fine line between treatment and death… but in this time there’s very little else available.
In the future may I advise the Okashira not to prescribe medicinal herbs especially if one doesn’t know the medical history of the patient.
Misao-san nods, but I know she only meant well. But she wasn’t to know what he would do with it… and why? Why was he so mad that I dumped most of his supply? What… was it actually doing for him, weeks after Osaka?
Maa… But Fujita is one such man who’d rather take some concoction than pay me a visit.
So he does know Hajime… “Other than his physical injuries, I’ve never know him to have any medical concerns.” And while he was chasing me across Japan… that wasn’t entirely medical either, was it? I heard something that he wanted to bring me home and then die with his head in my lap. Maaa… why do we keep giving up on each other?
Your full name ma’am and who else in your household?
His look is… searching. Tenma-sensei may be a doctor but he’s also of the police… and my lie will come apart eventually, won’t it? “I am Yagi Hide, and I am his mistress, but we live as if we were married. Our household contains our two daughters, his oldest son by his wife, his adopted son, and his niece.” Out of the corner of my eye, my ring glints in the sunlight from the slatted window of the dojo as I check Hajime’s pulse again. No change. Hajime… please… come back.
Tenma:
The young woman defends the treatment. It’s probably a matter of pride but I don’t add anything to it. I’ve said what needed to be said.
“Other than his physical injuries, I’ve never know him to have any medical concerns.”
That’s interesting if she is in fact his wife. But I suppose it’s not surprising given what he listed to be contacted in case of an emergency. Something he’s not updated in a couple of years.
“I am Yagi Hide, and I am his mistress, but we live as if we were married. Our household contains our two daughters, his oldest son by his wife, his adopted son, and his niece.”
But she finally confesses and I merely nod my head. I’ve heard of a rumor about this man which makes much sense I suppose.
“Well everyone, I’ll be taking Fujita back to the Government hospital. You can all be dismissed.. Thank you for cooperating in my examination.”
I nod through the open dojo door at another police officer to help us carry him into the ambulatory carriage. He’s likely out of danger but we can’t be sure until he opens his eyes. It’s probably a good thing if he gets some bed rest.
“Take him please.” I tell the officer and the driver. “We’ll be going.”
(OOC: Tenma is leaving with Saitou. Note at this point Saitou will not be accessible to anybody nor would they know specifically where in the large gov’t hospital they’re taking him. I guess HIPAA applies. Heh. Hide can stop Tenma or ask questions if she wants before he leaves.)
Tenma-sensei nods as I reveal what I actually am in Hajime’s life. But Kawaji-san, and I’m certain Uramura-san, know of me, and of course, Shindou-san…
Well everyone, I’ll be taking Fujita back to the Government hospital. You can all be dismissed.. Thank you for cooperating in my examination
Of course the treatment he receives here is nothing compared to a proper hospital… but they also don’t know what is truly wrong with him. “Please, Tenma-san, may I come as well?” I ask, as I slowly stand as they take Hajime away from me…
Tenma:
“Please, Tenma-san, may I come as well?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry madam but in these circumstances it’s best that we take him and not allow for visitors. Besides we only allow emergency contacts in this case. And we will contact them in this instance.”
I look at the people in the dojo. All of them could be suspect except perhaps from the “wife”.
The officer and driver hauls out Fujita. “But thank you for taking care of things. I’m sure it helped as you know time is of the essence in this case.”
Besides we only allow emergency contacts in this case. And we will contact them in this instance
I blink, and I feel my face go pale. Did he already remove me… or did he never add me?
I am thanked, and told that time is of the esscence. I go after Hajime, and kiss his cheek, and from my obi pull my own handkerchief. One I embroidered myself, with the kanji name of our oldest daughter, and the flower we named a world after. Will he remember…? When his contact comes, and if it’s the wife he’s tied to or the woman who now makes him soba… will he even want to?
I don’t realize that I’m crying, watching the carriage with Hajime leave, until Misao-san hands me her handkerchief.
(OOC – you may leave)
Eiji:
I just make it in time as they take father away. Yagi-san leaves him with something, a handkerchief? I ask where they’re taking him but I’m pushed to the side and I can only watch as they take him away.
Yagi-san is crying and Kaoru-san also comes up to her holding her shoulders. I go up to them.
“I’m sorry I’m late Yagi-san.” I say, “Did they get to father in time?” I can’t tell with Yagi-san crying like that.
I feel Himura-san come up to me, her hand on my shoulder.
I’m sorry I’m late Yagi-san. Did they get to father in time?
I wipe my eyes with Misao-san’s handkerchief. “Yes, I’m sorry to make you worry, Eiji-san. We were able to stabilize him, or at least not make him worse. He’s been taken off to the government hospital by the police doctor… ” I give him a weak smile. “I’m sorry, after what happened… and I’m not his emergency contact, so I’m not going to know what happens…”
I think it’s the not knowing. That he either never put me down as his person, or changed it away from me… is small. I just want to know how he recovers… he has to he -has- to. He’s going to come home and everyone else in that house needs you, stupid Hide.
“Are the children… what did you tell the children?” I ask Eiji-san.
Eiji:
I breathe a sigh of relief when Yagi-san confirms he’s stabilized and just being brought to the gov’t hospital.
“I’m sorry, after what happened… and I’m not his emergency contact, so I’m not going to know what happens…”
“That’s okay Yagi-san. What’s important is he’ll be fine now.” Well I think he will be. After all who else in the past has put him together but the Meiji police and army hospitals, even going so far as to send him overseas?
And it’s then that Kaoru-san chimes in.
“Eiji’s right. I’m sure Saitou’s wife will be informed and then she’ll ensure you guys can visit or at least know Saitou’s condition.”
I can’t help but grimace as Kaoru-san says that. Sometimes she just speaks out of turn I think.
“Are the children… what did you tell the children?”
Shaking my head I take her hand. Father’s not here but I think he’d want me to, after all this is part of taking care of Yagi-san. “I didn’t tell them anything.” I sigh a bit, “I figured unless there’s a real need to do so… Besides father’s line of work can be unpredictable.” And maybe we can use that here, not to further stress the people in the house. I think everything has been on edge lately. “I’m sorry Yagi-san but we’ll have to bear it for a while. Until… Well we hear from someone.”
Because even I don’t know who’s in charge of father when he’s incapacitated. It can’t possibly be Tokio-san right? I can’t imagine it… But then I’d rather it be Tokio-san than the woman he’s been seeing behind Yagi-san’s back.
“If you don’t mind. I’m going to take Yagi-san home, so she can rest.” I bow to everyone. There’s nothing more we can do here but maybe in a couple of days we will hear something. And if not… I’ll ask Tokio-san myself.
(OOC: you may close)
Eiji’s right. I’m sure Saitou’s wife will be informed and then she’ll ensure you guys can visit or at least know Saitou’s condition
I look at Kaoru-san. Aghast…. at the idea of what she says, and I see Eiji-san’s expression. We know the reality. “I would wish… but I don’t think it would work out like that. She’s refused him divorce, over and over, after all.” Maybe she still loves him, or hates him that much. Either way, they’re strong emotions…
And it all comes back to me. The way I spoke to Aioi-san. Now it’s me, the low woman, the interloper, but she… has more standing than I ever did.
Eiji-san tells me that he didn’t tell the children anything, and… well, at least, Yukiko-san should know. And Tsutomu-kun is too clever… but he’s right. We have to bear it. Endure, as the young man I hoped would embrace my role in his father’s life, would say.
“I’ll get in there and get to this files and find out for sure, Hide-san,” Misao-san, her eyes lighting up. “Maybe even change them -”
I shake my head. “The doctor already knows… and I think he has concerns about the medicine.” I look at her, shaking my head. “You tell me not to do anything rash…” Although, to be honest… I have a -lot- of rash thoughts in my head right now. Her expression changes from one of someone thinking of a brilliant plan to one of concern.
But for now, the family that he’s entrusted me with. Even if she comes to take most of them… I will take care of them -now- and for as long as I can, until he comes home. It can’t be her, he wouldn’t be so careless, to leave her as his contact… or would he? In those years that we were apart, they were still together. She’s his -legal- wife. She’s the mother of the young man who will take over the Fujita house…
“Thank you, Misao-san, Himura-san, Himura-san,” I say, bowing. “For everything you did today, and have done for me. Thank you.”
I turn, accepting Eiji-san’s assistance.
OOC – Close