by Simon Archer
“My saliva has healing properties,” she answered timidly. “I could have had Clark’s chest wound healed by now if you’d let me treat it.” Her tone was getting a little colder with the doctor.
“I’m aware of the medical benefits you have to offer,” Dr. Kubota said as he turned around.
“Good, then let’s let her get to fixing me,” I told him.
Dr. Kubota started shaking his head. “I can’t let her do that. Believe me, the medical community has tried for years to get our hands on the solution that allows cat girls to heal wounds like that. Omnicorp made it impossible for us to do so, and since your care rests in my hands, use of her saliva to treat you could result in a malpractice suit for me and the hospital.”
“Somehow, I am not surprised even a little bit,” I barked. My anger was toward Omnicorp, though, not the doctor.
“The best I can do is get you out of here as soon as possible. Then you can do what you’d wish. You’ll still have to wait until your internal functions prove to be in working order, but then I could let you go.” He turned to leave again.
“You mean I have to take a shit before I can walk out,” I said.
“Yes, sir,” he replied.
“Fine. We’ll play it that way,” I told him. “I’d like to visit Daiki. What room is he in?”
“Your other CG, Ellie, has been bouncing back and forth between your rooms. She’ll be able to take you,” Dr. Kubota said, as he strolled toward the door.
“Thank you, doctor.” I waited until he’d left and closed the door, then looked at Kennedi.
“Feel better?” I gave her a small smile. “I can only imagine the hell you gave them when they wouldn’t let you help.” Kennedi’s ears turned forward, and she mirrored my half-smile.
“I’ll feel better when we get you out of here,” she said. She looked over at Ellie, who had been standing quietly in the corner. Ellie stepped up to my bedside and put her hand on my arm, just above where Kennedi was holding my hand.
“Daiki has been asking about you,” she said, her eyes misting up.
“Does that make you sad?” I joked, trying to lighten her mood. I could tell by the way she was stiff and formal that she must have been worried out of her mind about me.
“No,” she replied flatly. That was one thing that endeared Ellie to me. She was the strong, no-bullshit, get-it-done type who could control her emotions in even the worst of situations.
“Hey there,” I said to her. “I appreciate you checking in on him. Kennedi said he was doing alright, yes?”
“Yeah, he is okay,” Ellie started. “His pride is hurt more than anything.”
“Why? The ladder broke. That’s not his fault!” I couldn’t figure what kind of logic would make the ordeal Daiki’s fault.
“Just the simple fact that his entire job is to get you up and back safely, and then you end up saving his life,” she said. “If it was just a broken leg and a bump to the head, he would’ve been okay, even if he hadn’t been found for a day or two. However, with the blood loss he suffered, he would’ve been dead before any of us could’ve gotten down the mountain, or even to the hut, for help. In his mind, he is indebted to you.”
“Well, take me to his room, and I’ll relieve him of his debt! Besides, if anyone is owed a debt, it would be to you. There’s no signal on the mountain. Ellie, if you hadn’t been there, and able to connect to a network, we never would’ve gotten him off that mountain,” I told her.
She just shook her head, but her eyes had cleared up. I had heard tales of indebtedness in similar situations, but never thought it was a real thing. Now, I found myself hoping that it was more about Daiki’s pride as a man, instead of a cultural norm.
Ellie looked me over and said, “I’ll take you as soon as you can sit up on your own without losing every ounce of strength you have.”
I immediately tried to sit up again. I was still unable to, although it only felt like one hundred pounds was sitting on my chest, instead of two hundred. I laid back down and looked up at both Ellie and Kennedi.
“Thank you, both.” In trying to piece together what had happened, I’d forgotten to thank the two people who were responsible for my being alive. They both smiled at me. Kennedi scooted closer to the bed and laid her head on my shoulder briefly while Ellie remained standing, holding onto my arm. Suddenly, my eyelids started to feel heavy, so I closed my eyes. I drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
When I woke up again, I could most definitely feel the parts of me that I hadn’t been able to before. Kennedi told me I’d only been sleeping for a few hours. The right side of my chest was burning and felt like the skin was being pulled apart, no doubt from the stitches. There was a constant aching in my right arm that made me want to do nothing more than straighten it out. That wasn’t an option, however, being that the cast it was in had a slight bend to it. I knew recovery wasn’t going to be fun, but this was ludicrous. I looked over at Ellie.
“Go lock the door and make sure no one comes in here,” I instructed. She headed for the door, and I looked at Kennedi. “Can you please fix this?” I glanced down at my chest.
“Absolutely,” she said and stood up. She leaned over the bed and peeled back the bandage on my chest. I looked down to see a gash that started at my collar bone and continued down for at least eight inches. The doctors had stitched me up, but the wound was still pulling to reopen. Kennedi didn’t waste any time. She bent over and went to work licking my wound. When she was finished, she sat back down, Ellie left her post at the door, and I relaxed back into my pillow. I could feel my chest starting to heal, and the discomfort faded.
It was only a few more hours before I was both able to sit up with relative ease and had met the requirements that Dr. Kubota had put forth in order for me to be released. As soon as he came in with the discharge paperwork, he looked at me and started shaking his head.
“I don’t know why you are even bothering to wait for the paperwork,” he said. “You didn’t wait to have her perform her little healing act.” He pointed his thumb at Kennedi.
“Yeah, your nurse was a little surprised at my progress,” I laughed. Dr. Kubota only looked half-amused.
“Here, sign these, and you are out of here,” he said. I took the papers and scribbled my signature. He handed me a different set of papers with follow-up care instructions, then turned to leave. He stopped at the door and turned around. “I truly hope we will have access to what she is able to do one day.” He shrugged his shoulders and left the room. Ellie and Kennedi helped me into a nearby wheelchair that I was required to use to get out of the hospital.
“Take me to Daiki’s room,” I told Ellie, who had decided to be the one pushing my chair around.
We exited the room and turned right. We wheeled down a long corridor, turned left, and went halfway down another hallway. Then Ellie stopped in front of one of the rooms. The door was open, and Ellie pushed me in.
The room looked exactly like the one I’d just been released from. Laying in bed with a cast from hip to toe on his right leg, I saw Daiki speaking to a man sitting in one of the chairs. The man had his back to the door. Daiki looked up when he heard us enter the room. He immediately sat himself up as far as he could and started to speak.
Ellie translated for him. “Clark,” he said. “Please, come in. I’ve been waiting to see you.” Ellie pushed me forward.
“Are we interrupting?” I glanced over at the occupied chair. The man stood up and turned to look at me.
“Hello, Clark.” It was Isamu Sato. I tried to control the surprise on my face. It wasn’t unusual that a father would visit his son in the hospital, I just hadn’t expected him.
“Hello, Mr. Sato,” I replied. “Aside from the circumstances, it is nice to see you again.” Daiki looked tired as he watched his father and I exchange hellos.
“Daiki, we can come back later,” I said, and Ellie conveyed. Kennedi gently nudged my arm. I had forgotten that I had been released and we wouldn’t be comi
ng back.
“No, Clark. Now is good,” Daiki told Ellie. “I owe you a profound amount of gratitude for saving my life. I don’t know how to repay you.” Mr. Sato stepped between his son and me.
“I owe you the same, Clark,” he said. “My son is very precious to me, and you saved him from certain death.” It was nice to see that Isamu and Daiki seemed to have a good relationship. So often, when sons don’t follow in the footsteps of their fathers, it can cause a rift. In their case, it didn’t seem to.
“I appreciate you both saying so, and I am happy that I was able to help,” I said, trying to choose my words carefully. “I wanted to see with my own eyes that you were okay, Daiki, before Ellie, Kennedi, and I left for home. It is clear you are in good hands, and I will rest easy knowing that you’ll live to guide another day, as you are excellent at it.”
“Are you certain you won’t stay a couple more days?” Isamu said. “I can have the best arrangements set up for you and acquire a private tour guide.” It was a generous offer.
“I am certain, Mr. Sato,” I bowed slightly in my chair. “I greatly appreciate the offer. However, we need to be returning to prepare for some upcoming changes to our business model, and to prepare the reports you requested.” Mr. Sato bowed back.
“Alright, then,” he said. “In that case, you will have complete access to my car service for the remainder of your trip. Will you be leaving today?”
“Yes,” I answered. “The moment they released me, we booked a flight out. We will be heading straight to the airport from here.”
Daiki started to speak again. I looked to Ellie for translation. Her face looked pleasantly surprised as he spoke. When he was finished, she looked at me and said, “Daiki has offered to come to the States and learn any mountain you’d like to climb so he can guide you up it.”
I looked at the bedridden man. I could tell by the fatigue on his face that he needed to be sleeping, not worrying about traveling to the other side of the world.
“Thank you,” I had Ellie tell him. “We will speak again after we both are recovered.” I didn’t want to burden him with an argument about him not needing to make such a grand gesture of thanks.
Mr. Sato walked over to me and shook my hand, bowing at the same time. Daiki put his hands together and bowed the best he could from the confines of his bed. “I look forward to seeing you again soon, Clark,” Isamu said.
“And I, you.” I shook his hand. When I let go, I glanced up at Ellie. Both she and Kennedi bowed, and Ellie started to pull my chair backward out of the room. Isamu followed us and closed the door behind us once we were in the hallway. Just as Ellie turned my chair so she could push me forward, a young man appeared.
It was the same assistant that poured tea and sake for Charlie and me at our meeting that morning. He bowed and made a swooshing motion with his arm, indicating we were to follow him. He led us to an elevator that took us down to a parking garage where a black, Lincoln Towncar was waiting for us. Something occurred to me, and I looked up at Kennedi.
“Where is our luggage?” We had taken all our things with us to the mountain and checked them with the service at the trailhead. Kennedi didn’t have a chance to answer.
“I have retrieved your bags from the mountain. They are in the trunk,” Isamu’s assistant answered.
“We appreciate that,” I told him.
I scooted forward in my chair, preparing to stand up. I was out of the hospital, which meant I was allowed out of the unnecessary wheels. Kennedi and Ellie were at each side of me instantly. I had no issue standing, save having to adjust to not being able to use my right hand to hoist myself up.
Moments later, the three of us were being ushered into the back of the Lincoln. The upholstery was soft, black leather, and the doors had chrome trim. The car smelled as though it was brand new. As soon as we were in, Isamu’s assistant, whose name none of us knew, closed the door behind us, made his way around the car and got in the driver’s seat. The car barely made a sound when he started it and pulled away from the curb.
Twenty minutes later, we were pulling up to the departures ramp at Narita International Airport. The car stopped, and we heard the driver’s door open, then close. Then the back door opened for the three of us to exit the vehicle. Isamu’s assistant waited for all of us to get out before closing the door and moving to the back of the vehicle and opening the trunk. He removed our luggage, put it on a nearby cart, closed the trunk, and turned to me. Without saying a word, he bowed, waited for me to bow, then got in the car and left without a single word.
“Interesting character, that one,” Ellie said.
Just as she was about to take hold of the luggage cart to push it along with us as we walked to the airport doors, a middle-aged Japanese woman walked up to us. Her hair was tied back in a tight knot, and she had very severe features to her face. I would’ve liked to know if the woman had ever smiled in her life.
“Your tickets have been altered,” the woman said. “Please follow me.” She grabbed the luggage cart, turned on her heel, and started walking away.
Kennedi, Ellie, and I looked at each other for a moment. It was a ‘what now?’ sort of look. Silently agreeing, the three of us started following the mystery woman. She led us into the airport, through a private security clearance lane, and directly to a gate. There wasn’t a single word spoken the entire time until we reached the gate.
Ellie piped up, “What flight is this?” Ellie liked plans and schedules and zero deviation.
“You will be traveling via Mr. Isamu Sato’s private jet,” the woman informed us. She handed envelopes to each of us. “You will need these to board. Everything else you could need, or want, is already on board the plane. Enjoy your flight.” The woman turned around, left the luggage cart, and walked away as quickly as she had arrived.
“I like her,” Ellie said, grinning.
“That is because she is the Japanese version of you!” Kennedi quipped and then broke out laughing. It was fantastic to hear her laugh, especially after all the doom and gloom the day had started with.
“Kennedi’s not wrong,” I joked with Ellie, who joined in on the laughter.
“Well, at least I keep you two on track,” Ellie said, feigning indignation. “Otherwise, both of you would be off with your head in the clouds somewhere!” The three of us laughed even harder.
“You are not wrong,” I told her, shrugging my shoulders. Kennedi and I could very easily escape reality to go on little adventures occasionally, even if they are as simple as stepping outside and looking up.
Right then, the door to the breezeway opened, and an older gentleman dressed in a captain’s uniform stepped out.
“Hello,” he started. “My name is Howard, and I will be your captain for your return home.”
“Hello,” the three of us echoed simultaneously.
“Please follow me,” Howard said. He turned and started walking down the breezeway. I turned to make sure the luggage cart wasn’t being left behind. Ellie was reaching for it when two airport workers, dressed in reflective gear, approached and started to wheel it away. Ellie was about to retrieve the cart when we heard the captain call back down the breezeway. “They will be loading your luggage directly onto the plane, rest assured.”
Ellie looked at me and shrugged. It felt as though our lives had temporarily been scripted for us by someone else, and that someone could read minds. Everything we needed was done for us before we even knew we needed it done. That didn’t change once we boarded the plane. The captain led us through the door, then stepped aside so we could choose our seats.
Each side of the plane had four pods of leather seats, and each pod had two seats facing two others. There was a small table set in the middle of the four chairs. The entire inside of the plane was an off-white color, except the curtains that hung on the windows. Those had wide, vertical stripes and were maroon and silver.
The girls and I chose to sit in the second pod on the right side of the plane. Kennedi and
I sat beside each other, and Ellie sat across from us. The moment we were settled, a flight attendant approached us. She smiled politely, reached across the little table, and pushed down on what I had assumed was a small window sill. An invisible door opened, and a miniature bar that must have been on hydraulic lifts rose up. She removed three glasses from the bar and set one in front of each of us. She bowed and left, never having said a word.
Kennedi leaned forward and said, “this is all a little surreal.” Ellie gave one big nod.
“You’ve got that right,” Ellie said. “Everyone seems so nice and accommodating though.” I looked around, and suddenly, the flight attendant was back. She handed us menus, then took a long look at me.
“Sir, your seat reclines and the one opposite it can recline as well, making a full-length bed,” she said. Then she was gone again. Kennedi looked me over as well.
“I know how tough you are and how much pain tolerance you have, and I believe that has made me overlook what a regular human would need in your condition,” she said. Ellie stood up and started fiddling with the chair opposite me just as the jet’s engines fired up.
“Ladies, I don’t need to lay down right now,” I told them.
They both looked at me sternly.
Ellie kept fiddling and said, “You don’t have to lay down right away. Your side of the bed will still be upright.”
“She’s right,” Kennedi chimed in, speaking a little louder to be heard over the rumble of the engines. “This way, you can have your feet up and be all set for when you do want to sleep. Remember, we have a fifteen-hour flight ahead of us.”
“Fine,” I agreed. I wasn’t going to argue about a chair, and in the long run, we’d have to fold it out anyway because of the duration of the flight.
Once Ellie had the seats fastened together into a reclining bed, she sat back down and admired her handiwork. When she was satisfied with her inspection, she relaxed back into her own chair.
I went about making myself a drink from the bar as the plane started taxiing away from the gate. I opted for a vodka tonic on the rocks. I hadn’t thought about food until the flight attendant had handed the menu to me, so I took a minute to peruse it. The flight offered chicken parmesan, smoked salmon, BLTs, flautas, and a French dip sandwich. The chicken and salmon sounded good but too heavy, so I opted for the BLT. As I lay my menu back on the little table, the flight attendant appeared once more.