Thin as Rice Paper 7
By Nix Winter
Today's my birthday. I should get lots written. I've updated my website too. Maybe I'll even get something up there worth reading.
Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss and I don't think I'm getting the rights for my birthday either.
The doctor was a short man, Russian maybe, and Youji felt a strong flare of Japanese nationalism.
"No, you don't understand. I'm leaving," Youji said, smiling as if he wasn't still wearing a faded hospital gown. "I'm alright now, really."
"Aya-san, I really think it is important for you to stay and let us find out why you passed out in the first place. You are very thin. Have you been ill?"
Youji closed his eyes, sighed. "I have been, but I'm feeling better now. I am leaving."
The doctor's eyes narrowed and Youji wondered what was going through his thoughts. At least Kritiker doctors didn't really care about things that didn't affect the job. "You have no clothing. We cut your clothes off of you when you came in. You realize you were having cardiac arrest. You are very ill, Aya-san."
Youji bit the inside of his lip lightly. He hadn't realized how close he'd been to death. "I'm still leaving."
Maybe there was a flash of nationalism in the doctor too. "Have you been having emotional difficulties?"
Leaning just a little forward, eyes narrow, "Are you visiting from another country? Here to learn Japanese medicine?"
"Actually," the doctor said, jaw tight, "I am a radiation specialist here for learning exchange. I got your case because the thinness was so odd."
"So they're not just sticking you with charity cases then?" Youji jabbed. "Can I leave now?"
"As long as you give me your true name and a way to contact you. I would like to follow your case. I thought Aya was a the name of a girl in Japanese. In Russia, men are more concerned about such things. It's nice to see how tolerant the Japanese are, Aya-san."
He wrote 'Hidaka Kenji' and Ken's mobile number on the charge the doctor held out, thinking... 'follow this,' to himself. "I guess you have a lot to learn while you're here then."
And then he was free of the place, in a gift shop tee-shirt and some one else's jeans. He guessed they weren't coming back for them. As he walked down the street, hands swinging in the tolerant Tokyo air, he thought about how his heart had stopped and started again, and that Aya had come to see him, and about the calls Ken was going to get from a nosy Russian, and the world maybe felt a little better.
Note: This is very tiny. I'm sorry it's so small. I'll try to get another part written soon. Maybe it'll go faster if I write many smalls.