Tenma:
It’s surprising that even the Superintendent-General is here. I knew Fujita was an important asset but how important? I see first hand by those who visited him. First the Chief of Police Uramura and now the 3rd most important man in Japan.
“How is his condition Tenma?”
“He’s comatosed but we don’t believe he is in any immediate danger of “expiring”.”
“So you’re saying he is physically well and just not conscious?” He raises an eyebrow at me.
“No sir. I said he’s not in immediate danger of dying, but as for being physically well? There’s no life threatening signs that’s obvious to us. Still he’s not conscious so there -must- be something physically wrong with Fujita-san.”
“So if he wakes up?”
“If he does, we can check his faculties. He might wake up and still be incapacitated.”
He shakes his head. “We can’t have that. I need the man whole Tenma.”
I look to the side, “I’m not a miracle worker sir. We’ve stabilized him. Taken out the last of the poison in his body. He should’ve woken up by now.”
He let’s out a frustrated breath, “And you said Fujita took what he thought was some herbal medicine from the Oniwaban’s head Makimachi Misao?”
“Yes sir.” I don’t mention yet how much he took.
“The Oniwaban helps the police in Kyoto and Fujita knows this young woman. I doubt they’d mean to harm him.”
I cough a little, “Sir that maybe true… And I didn’t put it on the official report but Fujita seems to have purposely overdosed. Either in an attempt to fix whatever was wrong with him during the time or…”
“Or to end it all.”
“Yes sir.”
He shakes his head again and mumbles to himself. “Try to get him to wake. Do what you can.”
“Yes sir.” I bow.
“And you did the -right- thing leaving that out, after all we really don’t know his intentions.” He scowls at Fujita, “He was a man who always said, the winner is the one who lives. We’ll go with that for now.”
“Yes sir.”
“And strictly limit the visitors please.”
“I already did to his emergency contacts.”
“And who are they? His wife? The Takagi’s?”
“No sir. A man named Ueda Shinichiro. We had sent him word but they are coming from Aizu so if they are coming…”
“Did Fujita indicate his relation to this Ueda?”
“Yes sir. It’s his father.”
Kawaji-san looks surprised. I suppose he expected an immediate family member like his wife a woman named Takagi. And as for me, I’m surprised because there was another woman who said she “lived like” the wife a Yagi Hide. And yet it’s some Aizu man.
“Sir, there was a woman who tried to come with me yesterday. She introduced herself as Yagi Hide… She said she lived a his wife. Do you know her?”
“I’ve met her once.”
“Is she allowed here?”
The Daikeishi furrows his brows. “Let the “father” decide.”
He let’s out another frustrated breath, “Well I’ll be going. Contact me as soon as he’s awake and -WAKE HIM UP-.”
I watch the Daikeishi leaves. I guess I’ll have to try to put some stimulants in Fujita, maybe that will wake him up.
Tenma:
I’ve tried most everything… I started with conventional drugs first, when that didn’t work we subjected him to loud noises. Then I called in an accupunturist who was well known to be able to get responses from his patients good and -bad- and that’s when I was reminded of another “cure”. I tried slight cuts first on his fingers, when that didn’t work I remembered the scrapes on his neck and I made cuts to him there…
I look to the tubes that I’ve used for bloodletting but that didn’t seem to work on this man. I’ve taken enough blood from him and anymore might actually kill him.
With a sigh, I go over to my desk. I haven’t tried everything yet. There’s one thing that a colleague of mine, Akira was experimenting with and he sent me samples. He said it certainly will wake up even the dead. Opening the drawer I take out a small vial and in it the crystal powder. He said it will change the world and make everyone feel like they were “invincible”.
How far should we take this Fujita-san?
The Police force seems to need you -badly-. And knowing your medical history, you must’ve been quite the tool for the government. I’ve heard the rumors of course of a mad man in Kyoto and certainly that Onmitsu is no ordinary company.
I’ll wait. Let him recover some from the blood loss.
Tomorrow we’ll continue.
“What was that?” He looks up towards me as he’s seated on the floor.
“No one.” I tell him.
“Don’t lie.” And he tries to look where I did only a moment ago.
And he continues, “It was -her- wasn’t it? The one who waits for you in the after-life?”
I shrug and pull a pack of cigarettes from my back pocket and start to smoke. I don’t offer him one.
He grins up at me, “You do have a mean streak about you. I thought she said you were the better one.”
“Hide never said that.”
“She certainly thought it.”
I glare at him.
“And that other one that waits for you? Why didn’t you meet her when she came?”
“It’s none of your business.” I reply and have this incredible urge to throw my lighted cigarette at him.
He laughs softly, “I thought I was the only one that got rejected… But -you- got rejected too didn’t you? -Decades- ago now.”
I don’t answer him.
“That’s why you can’t go peacefully even when you died.” He smirks. “And so now here we’re stuck – a pile of rejections, “rejectors” and “rejectees”.”
“Idiot. That’s only half of it.” I blow out a stream of smoke.
“What’s the other half?”
He asks such obvious questions at times. It’s irritating and so I turn away.
“You should go to her. I know you want to.” He goads me, “You kept her tenugui through the years after all. And now that the girl from Mibu has let us go, there’s no reason to stay.”
“Tch.” I’ve had it. Turning around I threw the cigarette but towards his face but I guess my aim has continued to be unsteady.
“Stop being angry at the one who comes for you.” He tells me. “It must be a great feat for the dead to come for the half-dead. That one is much better than the one who casts away the one who wanted to live.”
Sometimes I wonder, if the one in front of me is really part of myself? Doesn’t he remember what she did in that land of pure white? “If it’s atrocities we’re trying to compare, you fool… Yaso’s is not something I’m willing to forgive.”
And he gives me an incredulous look. “Says the man who keeps her memento.”
I tilt my head, looking at his side. Of all the things he took with him, he chose something borrowed, not given. “You’re one to judge. You’ve done the same yourself and so you’re -here-.”
I suppose I am what he calls “mean”. I’d call myself spiteful, after all I didn’t let him know the Mibu girl came for him.