Day 5 - Friday – A Reconnection
Deleter paper and Copic markers. Both Japanese, and both the tools of his trade. He had a piece of yellow card, twice the side of the paper in front of him, and lots of sketches from the car yesterday.
Thankfully, the story about Ena and Kuroko lasted less than half an, not long out of Academy City. It was as sickly sweet in places as Mikoto had promised, but it was nice to hear how happy they were. Instead of chatting on the drive back all the way back, he'd ended up drawing whilst Mikoto sang to backing tracks she'd done with her band friends for the last quarter. If nothing else he'd learnt she could sing and play, as well as she'd ever played the violin. She also seemed to enjoy it a lot more than the violin. Given it was nearly all in English it hadn't distracted him very much at all.
That helped because, he'd been drawing elements of her face and body shape in the car, even details of her hands. Thankfully, she hadn't noticed what he was up to. Now he was trying to put a sketch of her as a doctor together. A view of her in profile in a white coat, and a thankyou inside, for this time next week. It didn't take a genius to realise he'd have a lot to thank her for by then. He'd committed the first few lines of the drawing to paper, but it was time for another session with Dr Misaka.
Time to make his way out and soon he was pushing his way up the incline, and there was no help this time as he ground his way up to reception.
"Can you tell me please which room Dr Misaka has booked?"
The receptionist was the same age he was, and she didn't look up from what she was reading. A finger pointed at the right hand corridor. "Room 11a." He hadn't been in that one.
Touma started making his way along the corridor, and side on managed to unlatch the door to 11a when he reached there. He quickly pivoted 90 degrees and made his way through the door. This was better. The room was bigger than the one where his legs had been removed. It also had more equipment and a view outside.
"Hi Touma. I had to ask really nicely to get this room."
It was Mikoto and she was sitting on a table. Next to her were his two legs, and they were partially assembled. They'd be on in no time. Her outfit was the same as Wednesday, the brown overalls, and the Ryobi bag next to her. He'd though ahead better this time too. He was wearing shorts.
"Hi Mikoto. I've been here six months and didn't know this room existed. It's a nice outlook onto the forest…Where do you want me to go?"
She hopped off the table and pointed to where she had been sitting.
"It may be better if you just sit here where I was. I think I can have them on in five minutes if you are sitting here."
He rolled across and pulled himself up onto the table as she reached into her tool bag. She wasn't quite true to her word; it was 6 minutes each. It was a much more pleasant experience than having them taken off. The final attachment had involved a wiped on layer of a special antibacterial grease, a handful of screws, then one burst on each with the impact driver. The final touch came as Mikoto reached underneath the artificial muscle. As she did this he finally felt something in each leg as she activated them.
"I can feel something Mikoto. I can actually feel something." He was smiling the village idiot. After a decade he could sense a normal life returning for the first time. It was good to be sharing it with Mikoto who was smiling at him, but he knew it would mean even more to his mother. Usually she came on a Friday, and she was missing this. He reached for his phone and rang. As soon as she answered he put it on speaker.
"Kamijou Shiina speaking."
"The sensors are working on the legs and I haven't tried to move them yet. We turned them on, and it was a completely different sensation. It sounds silly but it was like they were suddenly alive for the first time."
"The legs are working." The joy in the voice at the other end of the phone was unmistakable. He looked down and noticed Mikoto was doing something with an outstretched finger.
"Touma," said Mikoto. "Can you feel me dragging my finger up your calf?"
"I feel something Mikoto, but I wouldn't call it that," responded Touma.
"That's OK I'll give you some tasks to practice. Soon your mind will associate that sensation with doing what I just did….Kamijou-san that's another good sign by the way. He's getting feedback from me moving my fingers across his legs."
"The stumps were tingling this morning Mikoto. I was a bit worried."
"That's the nerves healing Touma, like I told you. I expected that… That's also good news Kamijou-san."
"So we've made a real breakthrough Misaka-san."
"Yes, we have," answered Mikoto.
They both heard an intense but suppressed, "yes", in response down the phone. Then an 'mmm' followed by a question.
"How long before he walks again?"
"I can't answer that accurately sorry, but I'm hoping it won't be too long." It was clear to Touma that Mikoto was glad to be the bearer of good news.
"This is exciting. Damn it... I've got a customer. Thank you two for ringing me. Even this miserable old regular will not get me down today. Can you phone me when you've finished Touma?"
"I'll phone when Dr Misaka leaves. I promise." The phone was hung up at the other end, and Touma put his back in his pocket. He'd not heard his mother that happy in a long time. He was pleased about that. He sat there staring at his phone, but a voice bought him back to what he needed to do today,
"I've got some new exercises for you patient Kamijou."
"What have you got for me Dr Misaka?"
"Alright Touma, let's start with touch. We've got them working now you need to learn how to use them."
She pulled him around so he was sitting with his feet on the table and his knees raised. He could reach each part of his legs.
"Now follow me Touma. Touch each part of your leg and watch while you do it with your eyes. Also, try different pressures like this." She pressed down quite hard, and he noticed a slight change from the previous press. "You could also try a subtle stroke." Again, a small difference. "Now this is what you do whenever you can't think of something to do, even do it while listening to something. Making sure you look when you start out is important as you are training you brain that sensation 'x' means 'y' has happened."
He started following her advice, and she kept looking over the papers she was reading, watching what he was doing. After half an hour he really wanted to try something else.
"Dr Misaka. I've been doing this for half an hour, is there anything else I can do?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I've been doing some research for a long term project and it's really interesting. I may be able to use what these people have done."
"What are you researching Mikoto?" Her eyes brightened up. It reminded him of that fan who was about to share one too many plot ideas. As a consequence he had a feeling he may regret asking but she'd been intently absorbed in whatever she was reading.
Mikoto looked outside and tilted her head before starting the explanation. It was cute, and completely unintentional. "The sisters came into being because I gave away my DNA for muscular dystrophy research. That was my failed attempt at a cure, but I haven't stopped trying. I was actually hoping to rehabilitate someone with muscular dystrophy this week, and instead I got you."
"You don't seem unhappy about that Mikoto?" Up until now he'd never considered he may not have been her first choice, but for some reason she didn't mind.
"Touma. Your case has actually been really interesting, and I've been learning a lot from it. I've been researching at night to figure it out. It's been great. I assume you realised I'm a bit of a female geek long ago?"
"You mean putting a new AAA together, your maths ability when helping with my homework, and why I rang you when I needed to get past a lock or break into a computer system." There was a 'mode' she went into when around technology, and he'd seen a lot of it over the last five days. The way she'd often worked silently over his legs, intently concentrating, was classic Mikoto.
"You did realise…anyway, these papers," she gently shook the documents she'd been reading, "are about synthesising a protein similar to dystrophin for anti-aging cosmetics. A lack of dystrophin in cells is the root cause of muscular dystrophy. That's why I am interested in these papers. Scientists are finally able to synthesise proteins made up of over 400 amino acids, which is typical of human proteins, like dystrophin. The quality of the proteins is still not good enough for human use though." A slight frown, and the explanation was over. Mikoto stood up, moved over to him, and swung him around so his legs off the edge of the table. "You were asking for another exercise?"
"So, what have you planned?"
"Simple, just let me rotate your legs and feet, and follow with your eyes what I do."
"Just like the touching to practice sensation?"
"Yes. Training your brain that sensation equals that nerve input, all over again."
Then she started moving his knee joints back and forth 20 times each knee. Next, she moved his ankles in all directions repetition after repetition, and finally each toe. It took over nearly half an hour, and then she did it all again. It did give him an opportunity to finally find out what her last year at medical school was like. They were now both up to date.
"Lunch for a rest Touma." She turned her head to the other side of the room. "After lunch how about we try the parallel bars again. It's another way for me to evaluate your progress for the week. It's a simple comparison like the push ups. I'm also hoping that with your legs functioning this time it will do you some good."
Mikoto reached for another pack of homemade sushi, and he reached for his two vacuum flasks. This time one with rice and one with Tofu, spiced up with chilli. For lunch they were both predictable. He could see Mikoto's was Teriyaki chicken. She'd probably cooked extra and froze it for Sushi at a later date, as she'd described on the way back from Academy City. A domesticated Misaka Mikoto. Who'd ever have thought that from a Tokiwadai girl? … but she was interested in more than lunch.
"Can you tell me about Abe Mikasa Touma? Your character who looks like me."
"Let's start with her name. Abe is 'multiple peace' roughly, and Mikasa has various meanings but I'm taking the meaning 'resolve'. She's the peacemaker in the series. Usually, she goes in and sorts out the conflicts, sometimes negotiation, sometimes by knocking everyone else to the ground. She uses her shape shifting to spy, but also during fighting. Her enemies never know who's friend or foe when she's around." Mikoto was listening but also had a mouth full of sushi so he continued. "People seem to like her. She's twice as popular as all my other characters put together. Nearly every commission I draw is of her. My advice to you is never dye your hair blonde, wear a green dress with a wide leather belt and brown leather boots, especially near a manga convention, unless you want to attract attention."
"Touma, you can't be serious." She looked sceptical.
"Mikoto. I love the conventions most of all. It is the best part of the job. I sit behind a table. The kids don't see the legs, and everybody leaves that table happy. If you ever want a day making people happy come and sit next to me dressed like that. It would take you most of an hour to work through the initial queue of younger teenagers, mostly boys and some girls. Most would want an autograph and a photograph with you too. They'd pay you 500 yen for it believe it or not without even blinking. I make replicas of her wooden ring with runes on it myself to sell there, and I could give you one to finish off the outfit."
"You are serious aren't you." That tone told him she'd finally understood, he was indeed serious.
"Yes. It would be fun if you came to a big convention like that in Yokohama a week tomorrow. I'm serious. The kids, my fans, would be thrilled to meet you."
"I'm not sure I could do that." She was looking at him sideways as she said it.
"Think about it Mikoto. You may enjoy it. All the kids would leave smiling." How much that phrase was like his old mantra, but it was his new one. He could see Mikoto had doubts but he was giving her all the encouragement he could. He knew she'd be a hit, but she just sat there looking at him whilst eating lunch. Eventually she spoke again, but didn't look at him as she spoke
"I'll call you on that one Kamijou Touma." Then she turned to him, "but I definitely want the recipe for the curry the other day and that chilli tofu. Could you write them down for me please."
"That will be no problem at all Mikoto."
Time was short and the clock was ticking. They both quickly finished off their lunches, mouths too full to speak, and by the time they were finished he had less than an hour left of the session. She finished first and she was waiting as he finished his lunch. A gesture to get moving, and with that Mikoto pulled him off the table, lowered him back into his wheelchair and took him over to the end of the parallel bars on the other side of the room.
It was time for him to put in the effort. He grabbed the verticals at the end of the bars, and she pulled the chair away. He straightened himself at the end of the bars. Then he realised Mikoto had backed away a few metres.
"You can do this yourself without me Touma. It should be easier than what I saw on the first day," said Mikoto. "Keep as upright as possible and take it slowly. Remember to balance. Keep your head up if you can. Try not to look at your feet this time."
He started making his way across and he took it slowly as he'd been told. After a week of Mikoto's exercises his stumps were helping him, and slowly but surely, he made his way across. He managed the other side without almost falling over. There was a quiet clap at the other end.
"Better than when I arrived, but I can see where you need work."
"Dr. Misaka is pleased?" It was a dumb question in a way. She didn't have an obvious smile, but she was obviously happy.
"Yes. Your basic strength is improving. You've been doing my homework and. I appreciate that. My biggest fear is a patient that's given up. Your balance needs work after 10 years, and we need to get commands to those legs. That's fairly good considering this is week one, and what else we did… Now do it again at least four times. This time look at your feet and how they move please."
After the first three he was tired, his shoulders ached, but it was two more than he had ever managed before. He looked up to see Mikoto tracing the words 'no pity' in the air in front of him. He turned around and completed the fourth like she had asked, and she was there at the end helping him down into the wheelchair.
"That's the best I've ever managed, but I think that may be all I can do of those for the day. Anything else you want to try out?"
Mikoto spoke next and it was her final instructions to him of the week.
"Practice the touch like I asked Touma over the weekend. Another thing for you to try is hang your legs off the edge of the bed and swing them with your hands, anything to reinforce the link between movement and what your mind perceives. Also think of any way you can practice balance in that room of yours. Lean onto that railing on the ramp up to it so one leg is off the ground. I honestly mean anything you can think of. Finally, don't forget your toes and ankles. Move and flex them with your hands. They may be the first part of you to move under your command. If you move anything using your mind alone I want to be the first to know … maybe after your mother … but no later than second."
"You are that hopeful?" After the week that had past, he was surprised.
"Yes, you've been a good patient, Touma. You should never have ended up this way."
"You're not a bad doctor either." He smiled as he said it.
"I'll take that as a compliment Touma, and I'll see you Monday."
"See you Monday Dr. Misaka."
She picked up her bag spun on a heel and was gone in moments. Like every other day in the hospital, she left like a whirlwind, but what a whirlwind. He'd made more progress in a week than six months. He was still slightly stunned, and he looked down at where Imagine Breaker had been. There were times now he had good luck, and this week had been one of them.