!#!$ The Blind Acupuncturist !
Still don't own either Inuyasha or Black Jack
Kagome had stopped to stay at an inn for the evening as she was simply sick of driving.
She was currently on her way to treat a Tengu or crow demon who lived in some mountain in a very rural area of Japan. As such, the town she had stopped at was rather destitute. Paying the inn keeper who had given Kagome one of their 'finest' rooms, she decided that a nice nap was in order.
Only an hour into her nap, Kagome was awoken by a sudden clamor from outside.
The Miko was confused at the ruckus coming from somewhere outside, what was going on?
Placing her red haori cape on she made her way downstairs to see the commotion.
A large group of townsfolk were gathered in a circle surrounding someone whom was blocked from her line of vision.
"Please look at me Ma, she's been bedridden for three years!" "Help my child, his lungs are weak!"
'A doctor?' Kagome wondered as she drew her old friend's haori tighter around herself finding comfort in the familiar fabric. If it was a doctor she should keep out of the way, she didn't need to be confronted by a licensed doctor.
From within the circle the stooped old man gave a few sniffs, something had changed in the air.
"Heh-heh-heh. You there, young woman! A doctor are you?" The man made his way through the crowd.
'How did he know?' Kagome wondered as the person came into sight. Her first thought that the man was a doctor did not seem quite right. The man was bald and emaciated, his clothes were little more than rags, and he wore an oversized purse on his back. The most unusual thing about this man was that his eyes were a pearly white and glazed over, he was blind.
Kagome tentatively stretched out her powers trying to inspect the blind man, anything that would give her some sort of insight as to how he had been able to tell she was a doctor.
He cocked his head to the side as her powers searched him; it would seem the man was extremely sensitive she realized as she withdrew her ki from him.
"My, my… You… are not a normal doctor are you, miss? I don't think I've met another quite like you… Heh-heh-heh." The man gave a crooked and yet somehow amused grin as he hunched over a bit.
Kagome did not say anything, she didn't know if this man could be trusted. There were people who could sense her powers, mostly spiritual people like monks and psychics. They knew to keep her power to themselves and respected her abilities.
Kagome knew immediately that the man was an acupuncturist as she felt his abilities, the needles in his pack contained small concentrated bits of spiritual energy and she could see the faint blue glow through the oversized purse's material.
'I wonder if he knows that he's putting spiritual power into them or if it's automatic.' she mused as she continued to observe the man.
"May I ask your name, acupuncturist-sama?" Kagome was slightly wary of the man, but she couldn't feel any dark intent from the man despite his dubious appearance.
"Heh-heh, I am Biwamaru."
Biwamaru, huh? It most likely wasn't his real name…
The two practitioners were interrupted from their observations of one another when the innkeeper of the same inn Kagome was staying at rushed up to the acupuncturist followed by an older man carrying a young girl.
"Please have a look a' mah' niece! She's just a lil' thing! Poor lass lost meh sister and her da' in a flood." The man pleaded as he held out the girl.
"Hmm I smell sickness…Well lay her down." Biwamaru crooned as his pearly eyes gleamed as he tilted his head a bit.
Kagome stared intently as she watched the thin man inspect the child, curious to see him work. It was clear that the girl was very ill, her skin was ashen and her breathing was labored.
She would bet anything that if she were to put a stethoscope to the girl's chest she would hear fluid in her lungs.
"Heh-heh-heh. Her lungs are bad, a high fever too… and… a kidney infection as well…" he muttered as he pulled a few needles from his pack.
The man gave a long hmm as he placed a finger in different parts of the girl's abdomen. "Ah! Here we are…"
Blue eyes widened as the level of ki became thicker and more concentrated as he pricked the girl in the spot he had chosen. She watched as the blue energy spread rapidly from the needle into the girl's body.
This was simply amazing; she'd never seen ki manipulated in such a way! And how had he known with such certainty what was wrong with the girl? Not once had he knocked on the girl's back to check for kidney pain! To say she was enthralled with the man's diagnostic ability was an understatement!
"She'll be right as rain in a few days. Heh-heh-heh" The man smiled cryptically as he began to clean off his needles before standing up. The innkeeper tried to give Biwamaru a few coins but was pointedly refused by the blind man.
"Thank ye! Thank ye!" the older man thanked the acupuncturist profusely as he picked the child up.
"Please, Doctor stay at our inn tonight! It's the least we can do!" The innkeeper insisted, heartened at the man's generosity towards her employee's niece.
Now certain that this man was truly altruistic and not a threat to her Kagome made up her mind.
She quickly got down on her knees, not at all caring about the dirt that would get on her red hakaima, and bowed low in respect for the man who she had deemed her superior.
"Your skill is incredible, Biwamaru-sama. Please I beg you to teach me! I've not met a person who is capable of using their ki to such a degree. If I could learn how you diagnose patients, I could help many people. Take me as your student!"
The scraggly man merely tilted his head, "Teach you? I don't think you are capable of learning my methods."
Kagome understood what he meant; he had obviously honed his craft after a lifetime of blindness and scents.
"I'm not blind, true. But my eyes can see what others cannot and my instincts have guided me many times in healing. I have worked very hard to harness and control my powers. I've learned how to combine modern medicine and my abilities from ongoing trials and errors."
"Hmn. Then you should continue as you are." The man stated dismissively as he shifted on his feet a bit.
"You don't believe me do you? Then let me show you. Please observe my technique and give your judgment." She was not going to let this acupuncturist go, not when she could learn acupuncture that could save her time and energy in treating her patients, whether they be demon, animal, or human.
The man said nothing but Kagome took his silence as an agreement. She hurried to the innkeeper to ask if there were any animals or children missing limbs in the area.
"Missing limbs? Why do you want to know such a thing? … If I'm not mistaken there's a little boy who had part of his arm amputated after he was bitten by a poisonous snake…"
"Where can I find him?"
"… Down the road that'a way. When you come to a large tree with a Jizo-sama statue next to it, turn right. The boy lives in one of the homes by the rice fields." The innkeeper explained as she took Kagome out into the street to point in the direction.
"Thank you. Make sure Biwamaru-sama doesn't leave. I'll be right back."
"What? What are ya plan'in to do Miss?"
"Hopefully, perform a miracle." Kagome muttered as she made her way down the road following the woman's directions.
It was 6:34 by the time she had found the correct house, the innkeeper's directions had been a bit off. Knocking on the shabby and worn-out looking door Kagome knew that this family was definitely one of the poorer ones in this poverty stricken town. She could hear a loud commotion from inside the tiny house, there was a large family living here.
A haggard looking woman answered the door, a screaming baby in arm. Three young children stood behind the woman, peering out at the miko. They all had limbs.
"C'n I halp ya?" The woman asked. "If yer here fer tha taxes or sumthin' we don't gots the money yet."
Definitely an impoverished family she decided as she began, "No, I'm not a tax collector. I was told there was a little boy who had part of his arm amputated living here. Do I have the right household?"
"Wha's it to ya?" The woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the strange woman at her door.
"I'm a doctor and I think I might be able to help your son."
The woman's face turned simultaneously depressed and angry. Kagome knew she had the right house.
"We don't gots any money Doctor." She said firmly as she bounced the baby on her hip. She looked ready to slam the door.
"I understand, but let me look at the boy. I may be able to help."
The woman continued to scrutinize Kagome before making sure, "It won't cost nuthin?"
Kagome nodded and the woman moved aside to allow her passage into the small home.
Kagome had been right when she had guessed the home contained a large family. It was a dynamic family with a set of grandparents along with the woman's family. The husband must be at work still or out drinking… As far as she could tell the household contained five children, two boys and three girls. Making the total of nine people crammed into a very small home that seemed to be two rooms and a bathroom.
The occupants of the home stared at their unusual guest with wide and curious eyes.
"Taro's ova' ther." The woman said pointing to a boy who sat staring out of the home's tiny back window, his right sleeve was pinned.
"How old is he and how did he loose his arm?" Kagome asked quietly.
"Ten. He was workin' with Pa in tha rice paddies. Bent down to pick some rice an' got bitten. The hospital had to chop it off cause it took so long ta get him ther." The woman explained as she went to tend to the food she had cooking on a hot plate.
Nodding Kagome said, "I see. Well let me look at him and I'll see if there's anything I can do."
The woman interjected quickly, "We don't gots the money fer one of dem fake hook arms."
"I understand, if I can help it won't cost you a thing. I promise."
The miko made her way over to the boy, Taro. "Hello Taro-kun."
The boy looked over to her with dim brown eyes, "Hello Mrs. Priestess. You here to pray or somethin'?"
Laughing Kagome smiled, "Not quite. May I see your arm?"
The boy shrugged and pulled off his shirt as best he could with one hand.
"Hmm…" she murmured as she inspected the amputated limb. Mid humerous, the boy had probably been bitten in the hand or forearm, unless he had placed his entire arm within a snake's striking reach. That was also a possibility, but unlikely if it had happened in a rice paddy. Normally amputations tried to take as little as possible. The original could have gotten infected resulting in cutting even more of the limb off.
But it didn't really matter how it had happened it only mattered if she could re-grow the arm mid humerous down. She preferred to regrow limbs that had been cut off below a joint. Joints could be very tricky and she sometimes used artificial ones to make the operation easier, saving her time and energy.
The fact that she was going to have to create a hand was already a daunting task considering the complexity of the physiology. Building the anatomy was easy, but getting it to move and function properly was not an easy task. Elbows were easy for her to do, but joints took time.
Her powers didn't work like magic, well they did, but not quite the way most would imagine. She couldn't just pump miko ki into a stub and will it to become an entire arm just by thinking about a completed arm.
Hah! If only it were that simple.
Her powers only coaxed new tissues to have the capability of being regenerated. Her powers could not change into cells. Cells could come only from current pre-existing cells. Limbs do not magically appear, they may seem to, but that was not what was scientifically happening within the body. After all spontaneous generation was a myth.
Since there were various tissues to be 'created' she needed the building blocks to form them. To build osseous tissue or bones she needed calcium and other minerals.
To build skeletal muscle she needed protein and other things to build the structures. She couldn't have protein and calcium come from nowhere, no, she had to take some from various parts of the body or supply them during surgery via IV. Taking nutrients and minerals from other places in the body was a dangerous thing to do as it could lead to brittle bones and other detrimental effects.
That risk multiplied if the patient was malnourished like this boy was. She would often give the nutrients she would need during surgery so that she didn't have to take from preexisting nutrient or chemical stores.
It was easy to see why her powers could be mistaken for stem cells as the processes were slightly similar in theory.
Demons were able to make it look like an easy process, and perhaps for them it was easier. Demonic energy coaxed cells to rebuild the lost limb in most cases and it seemed to be an inborn ability only found in certain species. Not all youkai could re-grow limbs or heal massive wounds, but their energy made it possible for the miko to manipulate it into performing the function.
Humans however lacked that energy to manipulate. Pre-pubecent children however were capable of having her powers manipulate them.
Kagome weighed the options in her head, she could do this. It would be annoying, but she could do this. With each surgery she performed the better she got at rebuilding limbs. Better, faster, and more efficient.
"Tell me, do you believe in miracles?" Kagome asked with a soft smile as she released the boy's stub.
The boy looked quizzically at the miko-doctor before slowly nodding, "I guess so."
"How would you like to receive one?" Sometimes playing off her abilities as 'miracles' worked well.
"What do you mean?"
"Well with your parent's consent, I could give you a new arm. It won't cost your family anything so don't worry about money."
"Yer gonna give Taro a fake arm? Fer free?" Came the mother's incredulous voice.
The miko smirked, she loved surprising people so she answered, "Something along that line, yes. Hopefully he'll be able to move it."
"Guess I can' say no to a free offer. I'm sure my husband would agree, Doctor?"
"My name's not important. Well then Taro come with me, if all goes well you'll be home tomorrow afternoon. I'm staying at the inn."
"No funny bizness right?" The woman eyed the 'doctor', she wasn't stupid.
"Huh? … Oh, no, no, no! I wear these robes for a reason, Ma'am. You don't have to worry. If you or your husband would like you are welcome to wait outside the room." The blue-eyed woman assured the mother that she was not some child molester or something.
Taro watched as the strange miko-doctor set up a plastic barrier and set up some equipment. He wasn't sure what to think. This looked like a lot of stuff to put on a fake arm. Then again, he'd only been to the doctors twice that he could remember. The first time when he was bitten by the snake, the second time when his arm got infected. He remembered that the second time he'd been to the hospital they had made him get undressed and had him wear the hospital gown like he was doing now. She told him he could keep his underpants on for now, but he'd have to take them off once she got started. He remembered having to do that at the hospital too, so he wasn't worried. But he was a bit worried that they weren't at a hospital…
There was a creepy looking old man standing in a corner polishing some needles. Taro could tell he was blind because of the man's glazed white eyes.
The man somehow knew that he had been staring at him as he cackled, "These? Heh-heh. No my dear boy, they're not for you. The woman is the one who will be attending to you this fine evening. Lost an arm did you? Hee-hee-heh. Makes me wonder what she will do."
"How did you know that?" How had the blind man known when the doctor in question hadn't mentioned his condition once?
"I can smell it…" The creepy man explained cryptically.
Suddenly Taro felt very uncomfortable with the creepy old man being in the room. Alas it seemed the man wasn't done speaking to him.
"She's put some sort of IV line in you, hasn't she? And making you drink that meat-like stuff."
The boy discretely took a sniff at the fluid the woman had asked him to drink. It didn't smell like meat at all…
"Finish drinking that and we'll get started." Taro jumped at the woman's sudden command.
"Yes, Doctor." Grimacing the child finished the cherry-flavored drink.
"Good boy. Now come and lie down on this table and we'll get started. Your miracle is about to begin."
Wincing at the very bright lights the woman had set up, Taro did as the woman said.
"Now then, I'm going to put you to sleep. Breathe deeply. If you are like my other patients you are going to laugh and giggle, don't worry-that's normal."
The first thing he noticed about the air he was now inhaling was very cold. For no reason he felt the urge to laugh.
The patient laughed until he fell asleep. Now she could get started once she put a urinary catheter in- regenerating limbs took time. And with two joints this was going to be a long night.
"Now Biwamaru-sama, I'll show you what I can do." With that the genius surgeon took up her scalpel.
Biwamaru smelt the coppery scent of blood as the woman began her work. He wasn't quite sure what she was going to do for the missing limb. Perhaps she was attaching a prosthetic.
It wasn't until he felt the woman's power and the sudden change in the air did he realize what she was doing.
She was building an actual flesh and bone arm for the boy.
Incredible. What she was doing was beyond the abilities of acupuncture. Beyond modern medicine too.
And her power. He had known she was powerful from the moment he smelled her, but this was an entire new level to holy energy as he knew it!
He had come across many people with unique powers before, but she was the most extraordinary by far.
She had not been lying when she said she had learned to harness her abilities. He had a hunch that this was only a small portion of how much power she had.
Just the feel to this power was indescribable, so very warm and… pure.
He had expected the supposed 'Female Black Jack' to be as cold and bloodthirsty as her namesake. Red Queen may act like the man but her way of surgery was the exact opposite of Black Jack's.
It was seven long hours before the woman was finished.
"I'm wrapping it up now. Surgery complete!"
Red Queen had regrown the boy's arm completely.
"We'll have to wait until he wakes up tomorrow to see if the new appendage works. What time is it? 3am. I started around 8 so it took seven hours. A new record for me. Thirty minutes faster. Won't be long until I get it down to four hours, but I'd like to make it in three if possible…" She rambled slightly from her slightly lethargic and power-drained state.
It wasn't until midday that Taro woke up. The first thing the boy noticed was that he was sleeping in a very fluffy futon. It was like sleeping on a cloud compared to the old one that he shared with his brother and sisters.
The next thing that he noticed was that his arm was itchy. He knew it couldn't really be itchy as there was no actual arm. Phantom pains a neighbor had called them.
He glanced down at his 'new fake arm'. It was wrapped in bandages, but Taro thought the outline looked like a real arm. The nice Miko-sensei must have given him a really good fake arm, not one of those metal hook arms.
"Incredible…" the man murmmered softly as he took the arm in his hands, he could smell nothing wrong with the appendage.
"Now Taro-kun, I need you to follow some directions for me." The boy nodded numbly as he stared at the arm.
"Tell me if you feel a soft or sharp feeling." Kagome explained as she slowly dragged the end of a capped pen down the boy's arm and intermittently prodding with the tip.
"Sharp… soft… sharp… sharp… soft." Taro told the miko, still unable to believe that this wasn't some sort of dream.
Shyly Taro stared at the woman, wondering if she was an angel from Heaven who had come to grant his wish. He decided it must be so, even if he couldn't see any wings that the priest at the temple said angels had. The miko-sensei had eyes that were as blue as the sky- a sky she surely flew in with her wings when she was with Kami-sama!
Unaware of her new otherworldly status in the boy's mind Kagome continued her neurological assessment of the regrown arm. "Good. Now I want you to hold my hands and squeeze as hard as you can." She told the boy. Pleased that the grip seemed to be even Kagome told him he could stop.
"Your parents are out in the hall, want to see them yet?" She asked as she stood up and straitened her robes a bit. Opening the door Kagome let the two adults into the room with a smile, "It went very well. I think you'll be pleased."
"MA! PA! LOOK! LOOK!" The boy exclaimed as he wriggled the fingers before making a fist showing his parents the new arm the miko-sensei had given him.
"Mah arm! Ma! Pa! It's REAL! It's really real!"
"Mah boy! Oh, mah boy!" The father wept as he hugged his son.
"Iza miracle!" The woman sobbed as she collapsed to the floor repeating the phrase over and over again.
It wasn't long before many of the townsfolk came to the inn to see the 'miracle' that had taken place there. Allowing Kagome the chance to slip off through the crowd rather pleased with her good deed. Leaving the town where a little boy Taro would forever believe that he had met a tenshi who had granted him a miracle until the day he died.
She was a bit disappointed that she couldn't seem to find Biwamaru-sama, but figured that perhaps it was for the best she thought as she shifted her pack onto her back as she started off down the road that would lead her to the tengu.
Kagome was startled when a creepy laugh came from behind a tree ahead of her.
"Walk with me a while, would you my dear?" Biwamaru asked as he followed the extraordinary young woman out of the town.
Giving the man a smile she knew he couldn't see Kagome kindly told him, "I'd like that very much, Biwamaru-sama."
With that the blind acupuncturist and the Miko-sensei strolled down the path together for a few hours as Biwamaru tried to explain his ability as best he could to Kagome. When they parted the emaciated man decided he liked this Red Queen much better than Black Jack. He'd be sure to let her namesake know it too, the next time he saw the man.
So how was it? How do you like my accents, I think they're pretty realistic- at least phonetically! Please leave a review to help my writing!