Part II-WALKING THROUGH THE GRIEF

About four days later, the Gatchaman team was gathered together at Nambu's office, him having summoned them there for an unscheduled meeting. All the members were curious as to the reason for the meeting, for the doctor had not indicated why he was calling them when he beeped them on their communicators. But old habits die hard and they hadn't as yet turned in the bracelets nor were they asked to turn them in. They sat silently waiting for Nambu to join them, Jinpei and Ryu on one sofa, Ken and Jun on the other.

Ken surreptitiously glanced at Jun to see how she was faring. She sat there rigidly, looking ahead, hands folded primly in her lap, saying nothing except to respond to his greeting when they all arrived and took seats. Jinpei and Ryu were more reserved then usual but still talked quietly among themselves, making Ken feel isolated and left out. The tension within the group was thick enough to cut with a knife.

For the last four days, the remaining members of the Kagaku Ninjatai were immersed in their own private agonies. Each person had in one way or the other isolated themselves from the world but the worst thing was they had isolated themselves from each other. Team unity in the past was the bulwark of the Gatchaman team and now it appeared that the loss of Joe had shattered the very thing that had been their greatest strength. Ryu had taken himself out to his marina, Ken shut himself up in his shack only leaving to go up for long flights when it felt like the walls were closing in on him. Although they shared the living space above the Snack J, Jun and Jinpei distanced themselves by either closing themselves in their rooms or going for solitary rides in their vehicles.

The door opened and Nambu walked wearily in. He looked haggard, as if he hadn't had much sleep in the past days since the apparent defeat of Galactor, immersed in tying up loose ends and investigating Joe's death. The latter task being the most difficult, for to think of Joe as truly being gone was so shattering, the good doctor had spent many hours weeping bitterly in private. Joe was his foster son, one of the five children he loved as if they were his own and his being gone cut him deeper then any knife. But the veiled face he showed the team now bore no trace of the turmoil within as he faced them regarding them intently behind his desk.

He began, "How is everyone?"

Four wan faces and pairs of pain-filled eyes met him as they shrugged wordlessly.

Nambu went on, "I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you here when I told you all that you were on leave. Well, I've called you all in here because it occurred to me that you all might need some assistance in dealing with the grief you're experiencing so I've arranged for the four of you to receive grief counseling here at ISO." He added, "That is, if you want it."

"Hakase," Ken began slowly. "We've all been trying to cope on our own." He glanced at the rest of the team and everyone else had their heads down dejectedly, each enveloped in their lament.

"I understand your desire for solitude, Ken but I felt that if you all wanted to talk about it to someone, that there would be someone for you to talk to. So I arranged for four separate counselors to be available to you for grief counseling, to come to terms with Joe's death," Nambu suggested. He continued, "They all have been briefed on the team's operations for the last two years."

At that statement, all four youths eyed him with a myriad of responses. Ryu looked pained but grateful, Jinpei shook his head with stubborn denial, Jun nodded woodenly with numb acquiescence but Ken got to his feet and addressed the doctor in a polite but steely tone.

"With all due respect, Hakase, we don't think that counseling will help. Besides, we aren't convinced that Joe is dead."

"That's right," Jinpei piped up. "Joe-aniki didn't die." He folded his arms obstinately.

Ryu and Jun nodded in agreement.

Nambu removed his glasses and tiredly wiped his eyes. "All of you believe this?"

They all nodded. "His body was gone when we got back to Cross Karakoram," Ken replied.

Nambu sighed, "That doesn't make a difference. We have to accept that Joe is lost."

"No!" Jinpei screamed, tears flowing. "He's alive somewhere! He has to be!"

Jun reached for her brother and held him close as he began to sob. Ken reached over to ruffle his hair. Ryu patted the young boy on the back.

Nambu stood up with a look of resolve. "You have all just proved to me the need for this counseling. So, I am going to get the sessions set up immediately." He headed out a door to an adjoining room. He returned shortly with four people, all in their late twenties to early thirties and dressed professionally.

Nambu made the introductions, "Team, these are members of the medical staff here at ISO, all licensed psychologists specializing in grief and disaster counseling. This is the Gatchaman team, everyone."

The group of counselors was made up of three men and a woman, to match the genders of the team. Nambu had assigned one counselor to each team member and directed each pair to a separate, private room. Each counselor had been supplied with a brief dossier on their respective subjects so they would know a bit about them. The sessions began and lasted about two hours each.

At the end, each member emerged from their respective session in no lighter a state of mind as they had had before but each had an assignment to complete before the next session. And neither felt impelled to discuss it with each other as they silently went their separate ways.