Nomad, Shin's Story
Chapter 2: Parsley
Author's Notes: Hey, ya'll! I got a short one for you. Well, short for me, I haven't released a fifteen page chapter in like six years. But the beginning and the end are right where I want them to be.
I don't think anything crazy is in this one. Language, I guess. If I don't post another spontaneous chapter between now and next Wednesday, Happy Holidays!
Enjoy~
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This wasn't for him.
Yagami Shin plodded along, carrying blankets in the frigid hospital where his father had worked Shin's whole life. His father got him on some deal to 'shadow' and help where he could. So far, Shin had seen simple repairs, x-rays, an ultrasound, and, at the behest of a smoker who wanted him to see the aftermath of smoking, a chemotherapy treatment. It was enlightening and he wished his smoking brothers could see it. Alas…
"Boy, you better tell your father you're not interested in this."
Shin jumped, startled, as he put the blankets in the closet, fresh from the laundry. Looking over his shoulder, he found his father's pseudo-mentor, Matsushima Shiro. When Shin was far younger, his father's main mentor had been Souma Bryant. Souma was a sweet man, he recalled, very optimistic and empowering. Yagami Yamada often mentioned the man as one of his main influence behind Yagami Dana.
However, his father, albeit begrudgingly, if pressed, would admit Matsushima got him to where he was today. Souma laid all the groundwork and opened all the doors but Matsushima made sure he knew exactly what he needed to do behind those doors and kept them open until Yamada could keep them open himself. 'He's taught me a great deal and he's done…he's done something very monumental for me. He's a jerk all day but…I can't deny I'm in debt to him for all time'.
Koji, the all observant, snorted and advised that Matsushima was a 'big ass softy' trying to be tough. Probably a product of his age, he had to be 'manly and gruff'. "I bet he loves kittens."
It stood to reason that day that Koji was correct, however. Matsushima was very empathetic. And he knew on that day that this? This was not for Shin.
"…It'd break his heart, Matsushima-san. And maybe I just haven't been observing the right thing just yet!" Shin protested.
"You've been here for two weeks, son. I don't know if it gets any more different than this" Matsushima retorted dryly, tilting his head over his shoulder, "Walk with me."
Shin had groaned but he followed, Matsushima idly picking up a clipboard as they passed a nurse's station. "Son, as you may know, I grew up during World War II."
Which somewhat confused Shin. Matsushima was like…sixty something years old. He did not look sixty something years old, maybe 45 tops. His father had actually questioned it once and Matsushima wryly advised if he told him his secret, he'd have to kill him. But 'soon enough', he said mysteriously. What? "Yes sir…"
"I wasn't old enough to serve at the time but the thought process was the war was going to go on until no one was left. My father pushed the idea of being a military man on me. I went with him once to his base where he was about to fly out and be killed, leaving behind his five children and wife. I knew then, Shin, that that? That was not for me. My skills were not meant for that sphere."
Shin's nose wrinkled as they headed up the hallway, "I guess I don't blame you. You wanted to help people. Military, war, police, they…they don't always help."
It was laughable now. His father wasn't an anarchist or denied the uses of lawful authority but he didn't trust them, having been born in Wasaba. It had rubbed off a bit on the Yagami children. Matsushima held up his pointer finger, a 'eureka' moment if ever. "To the contrary, my boy: that's what we allow to happen in all spheres of life. We let people whose intentions are not to help or protect or provide overtake these positions. We say 'well, those cops are corrupt' or 'those men are warmongers' and then write them all off instead of fixing it. We need people in every capacity to protect, to help. We just need to make sure they're the right people."
Shin digested that. "Well…it's hard to be one person doing the right thing."
"Does that mean we're not supposed to?"
Eyes widening, he looked to Matsushima. The man stuffed his hands into the pockets of his white lab coat, drawling, "My country was on a mission to conquer, Shin. That's not what I believe in and that's why I wasn't a military man. But that doesn't mean that people aren't being violated and killed for their own personal rights and need people to protect them. Have you heard about the Sech's Initiative? And keep your mind out of the gutter."
Shin frowned, racking his brain on why that sounded familiar… "Um, I think I heard about it on the news. It's somewhere in the Middle East, I believe."
"Correct. While of course countries like America are all over the place over there for their precious oil, they're overlooking other atrocities. The Sech's Initiative is designed to eradicate the Terrans, another group of people that they view as 'inferior' for some reason or the other, nothing valid. Their leader has taken a page from Nazi Germany and is creating camps in the desert to wipe these people out. They promise war for anyone that tries to stop them…but are we not supposed to?"
Oh. Hesitant, Shin glanced around. His father…wasn't very militant. Alas… "Well, no. I-I mean, I don't know how much I believe we're supposed to just bust into other people's business but if those people don't have the means to protect themselves, I-I feel we need to help. That's…that's one reason why I said I wanted to be a doctor to my dad. I want to help people."
Someone called Matsushima in the distance, probably a nurse seeking his assistance. He sighed, "…I think your father would disapprove of anything like the military or the police, Shin, and for honestly good reasons. But those 'good reasons' are why we need good people. The cops? The military? They exist under the mask of good intentions. Just too few people have a sincere face and the people that do aren't ready to come against those in power that don't."
Shin frowned as he walked away, "I see you around here, son, and this isn't what you mean when you say you want to help people. That's for people like your father and I. Don't shorten your domain for him."
…A mask, huh? Biting his lip, he wandered away to find another task. He could at least finish out the term his father requested.
Matsushima was right though: this…this wasn't how he was going to help people.
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"Shin! I want you to meet Parsley!"
That was the first solid time that Yagami Shin thought maybe his brother was onto something. The truth of the matter was, when his best friend Okamoto Lyla said that, he immediately thought he'd rather jump into a vat of lava.
Over the months following Lyla meeting this 'suitor', they started seeing less of each other. She attended dinner with Parsley or would go to seminars with him. Sure, she still came over pretty often, it just wasn't to the degree Shin was used to. Even when her birthday came around in April, he didn't get to spend it with her, her family went out with 'Parsley'. He guessed Parsley must've been a pureblood Japanese man and acceptable. He managed to ask this of Lyla and she shook her head. "He's Greek."
Greek. Shin had absolutely no problem with that. However, should Lyla marry Parsley, and they have children, those children would be mixed race. And unless their grandfather was just picking racist reasons to pick Shin and his family apart for them specifically, Shin had assumed that'd be an issue. He looked up Parsley's family, however, and found they were rich so he could see where some 'issues' might fall to the wayside.
If it wasn't enough that she was off with her 'suitor' more, if they were together she was practically obsessing over him. 'Parsley went to this', 'Parsley went to that', 'Parsley said this'. Koji had smirked at him when Lyla left to go see her beloved Parsley and advised Shin he was too polite because he probably would have said 'fuck Parsley' some minutes into the conversation. His brothers weren't known for tact.
That was just it though. If his best friend says she's found someone she really likes and wants him to meet them, shouldn't he be all over that? Shouldn't he want to meet this guy? Shouldn't he want to make sure this was a decent person? For her? All these things ran through his head during the conversation so he agreed. But God knows he did not want to.
So, he put on a nice shirt and slacks, dressing for the restaurant they were going. It was something French and though he wasn't particularly keen on the cuisine, he figured it was going to be nice. He drove by himself as Lyla had been 'picked up'. She really hadn't ridden with him since his birthday…
That was it though. Was it that maybe he was feeling what Koji said or was this normal? Lyla had been his best friend longer than they'd not been best friends so her having something taking her attention like that was a change. It didn't have to be jealousy.
Walking into the restaurant, Shin took a deep breath and advised the hostess of the party he was looking for. He noticed the way she raised a brow at him, assessing him. Probably the eyes on this face. She briskly advised she'd be 'back momentarily' and walked into the dining area, most likely to confirm he was going to be joining 'polite society'. He was already ready to leave.
Nonetheless, when the woman returned, she looked flustered and shocked, quickly requesting he follow her. He followed her, a trifle confused, to the balcony where Lyla was already sitting with a fellow with ruddy hair. The very first thing Shin noticed was she did not look pleased and 'Parsley' looked sort of amused. Red flags already, huh?
"Shin, are you all right?" Lyla questioned huffily, standing.
Eh? "Hmm? I'm okay, why?" he replied, puzzled.
"The hostess didn't have to do that. I told her you'd be joining us, she should have brought you back immediately."
"Oh, that" he waved a hand, "It's fine."
"It is not. We should go to another restaurant" she said crossly.
"Relax, Lai, I'm a big boy. She didn't hurt my feelings at all" he assured.
Standing, 'Parsley' chuckled, "I didn't think you were the protective type, Lyla."
"There's no reason to treat him that way" Lyla muttered, "I have pink hair and no one out here questions what I request."
Out here. "It's fine, really, Lyla. So you must be the Parsley I hear all about. It's nice to finally meet you" Shin said, reaching out his hand, glad to change at least that subject.
"Ah, same" Parsley smiled, shaking his hand.
They all took a seat, Lyla almost reluctant. She was a little protective of him, he supposed, as she came to realize some people's nature toward him. He started to reach out and touch her hand to assure her he was fine but…that probably wasn't appropriate in front of a prospective fiancé.
Parsley ordered a glass of wine which should have been weird for him since his company weren't able to legally drink for another year or so. He and Lyla ordered green tea. The man sipped the red cordial tenderly before smiling. "So Lyla told me your father is Dr. Yamada Yagami? Great man, I've been to several of his seminars."
Huh? "Oh, thank you. Lyla tells me you're a botanist. Are you interested in medical as well?"
Shaking his head to the negative, Parsley folded his fingers, "Your father studies plant matter and composition for medical purposes. He's incredibly detailed for someone that didn't study botany and he teaches very well."
Lyla's suitor knew more about his own father than him. "Ah, yes, dad's always been very thorough, especially about studies."
"What about you? Taking up the family business?"
Uh oh. "W-Well, I had planned to—and I haven't spoken to Lyla about it yet—but I don't believe it's for me" Shin smiled some.
She looked shocked, "W-What? Why?"
"I…I dunno, it just didn't really feel like where I could lend my skills or help like I want, you know?" Shin explained, turning his cup in his hands idly.
Lyla looked…nervous, maybe? "Well, you were just shadowing, right? Maybe if you had been more hands-on, you'd feel differently."
"Perhaps…"
Surprisingly, Parsley shook his head, "My family owns a vineyard. We sell wine. My family has sold wine for four generations. I did not want to sell wine. I was very involved in the process, knew all the ins and outs, even manufactured it myself. At the end of the day, I knew that was not my calling. You know pretty quickly what's not right for you."
She bit her lip. It had been a great thing when she heard he was going to a doctor, hadn't it? Feeling a bit awkward, Shin murmured, "W-Well, I'm not a hundred percent. Two more years and I'll figure it out, right?"
Parsley chuckled, "I'm getting the creeping suspicion, as humans, we don't ever really 'figure it out'. Probably why I went with plants."
"Huh…" Shin mused.
They made their orders and he managed to speak with Parsley because Lyla had gone dead quiet since the 'you know what's not right for you' remark. The thing was it was true. And all the steps to becoming a doctor? That was no inconsequential amount of time for him to force his way through only to conclude at the end of it he had made a mistake.
Parsley frowned when it was time for dessert, his pager beeping, indicating someone was trying to reach him. He sucked his cheek and looked up slowly, "I'm sorry, you all, something has come up. We'll have to revisit dessert. Should I have your limo called, Lyla?"
"Hmm? Oh, I…I can ride back with Shin" she said faintly.
"Oh, terrific" Parsley smiled, standing, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Shin."
"Ah, likewise…"
…If he were pressed, Shin would say he seemed like a nice enough guy. Although his sudden 'something coming up' seemed a trifle suspicious. They walked with each other outside and Parsley patted Lyla on the shoulder. She smiled somewhat and he walked away to a Jeep. Oh man, he hadn't seen a Jeep before. Maybe he was about to go on some crazy adventure.
Lyla hugged herself, starting to walk toward his car while he still watched in bemusement. Following after a moment, he climbed into the driver seat and pushed the key into the ignition. "Um…I like him. He's neat, I suppose."
She just sighed. He got the creeping suspicion he'd done something wrong.
"I, uh, didn't embarrass you or anything, right? I mean, we go to fancy places with my mom but we're not exactly well-mannered."
"Oh, don't be silly, Shin" Lyla scolded, "You're only ever polite. Your whole family, in fact."
That'd be pressing it, this meeting would have gone about three hundred percent differently if it'd been Nelly or especially Koji. "Then what's bothering you? Don't say it's nothing either."
"…What will you be if not a doctor, Shin?"
"I'm…I'm not sure yet. I still want to help people, Lyla, but now that I've ruled out doctoring, I doubt it'll be quite as prestigious, whatever it is."
Her green eyes softened, rubbing his hand, "I don't want to make it sound like that, Shin. I'm not concerned about 'status' or the 'prestige'. I just know that when you say you want to 'help people', nothing is off limits."
Eh…? "I-I mean, I don't know about that precisely."
"I know" she said solemnly.
…What?
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It was always surprising how much other people knew about him, about what path he would take in life, especially when he'd been absolutely clueless himself. He had to change the subject that day when Lyla said that, asking if she wanted to grab a milkshake and ride around with him, listening to old CDs instead. She'd smiled and nodded. They got a chocolate shake from their favorite place and managed to find a countryside to drive through, listening to Our Lady Peace.
She came home with him and sat on the counter as he started to prepare dinner for his siblings. Dad was at the hospital, mom was in Madrid. It was common at that point for it just to be him and the twins making dinner. Jill and Tony were starting to cook as well. Shaun…well, Shaun probably had a few more years before they were confident he wouldn't burn the house down.
"You know, I was coming by earlier and saw Koji with a girl. Did something happen with my cousin?" Lyla asked.
Mm… "Mm, he was a little secretive about it but, apparently, he ran off to Mineral Town to see her and found out she has a boyfriend" he sighed gravely, "I guess all bars are off now."
"Oh, pooh. Koji was so devoted" she pouted, resting her chin in her hands.
Yea, and Koji had definitely made up for lost time. Since that day almost three months ago, he had slept with at least twenty girls that Shin had seen. He'd tried to scold his somewhat younger brother for playing with these women. Koji assured he was not promising them anything and that most of his 'suitors' had been only looking for a good time. Great.
"So, you really like Parsley?"
"Mm, yea, he's very kind and sweet" she smiled. "And papa will respect him."
Shin gave her a look, "Lai-"
"I know, Shin. I know my dad can't decide who my husband will be. Or he shouldn't because he can. I have no say, Shin. As far as he's concerned, I'll have no skills and I need to marry into a good family."
"Lyla" he said crossly, "Look, I dunno if I've ever said it before but you will never be a "skill-less" burden and your father is not going to use his own created hurdles to stop you. I dunno what I'm going to do yet but I'll take care of you until we both figure it out."
She stuck out her tongue, "You mean your parents. We don't have any money of our own."
"Well, yea" he rolled his eyes around, "But…not for long. If you feel like your dad is forcing you to marry someone you don't want to, I'll take care of you until you can live your life."
Lyla hugged him from behind as he sautéed the shrimp, preparing to make a pilaf, one of her favorite dishes. She murmured, "Did you make that for me?"
"Hmm, somewhat. That olive tapenade seemed a little light" he teased.
"Shin…"
He frowned, about to ask her what was wrong when, naturally, the door swung open and somehow the ENTIRE brood walked in. "Well, well, if it isn't the lovebirds" heckled Nelly, heavy footed.
Leering, Shin gave him a look, "Are you two drunk?"
Koji was all smiles when he appeared so yea, they were drunk. Lyla pouted, "Neri, Koji, you're too young to drink."
"Of course, nee-san" Koji placated, wandering into the kitchen, "I, however, was not drinking for once and took our dear imoto to get her nails done."
Jill proudly showed off the glittery pink nails, "Nii-san took me for my early birthday present."
"Oh, those are so pretty!" gushed Lyla.
Shin smirked, raising a brow at Koji as he started to take out pork belly. "I find it hard to believe you've stayed entirely out of trouble today and only took Jill to have a manicure."
"The night's still young, bro" Koji snickered.
Groaning, Shin started dishing the rice as Koji went to work finishing the main portion. They sat down to dinner and chatted and everything was swell. Eventually, Jill, Shaun, and Tony ran off to watch Pokemon and Nelly and Koji started to prepare for a "house party"…except he'd kill them himself if they had a party IN this house so it was more like a yard party. Lyla snuggled up with him so they could watch a movie and it felt…swell.
Just… "You know, once you're married, it can't be like this. It can't be us having dinner together with the kids and then watching movies together. It'll be different" Shin said softly.
Lyla seemed to be dozing off, her eyes closing, "…Yea. It will be."
…Meh.
"Maybe one day we'll be able to get on the internet without it sounding like we're summoning Satan."
Yagami Shin stared at the computer screen, impatiently waiting for the dial up connection to load and allow him to search for information. Koji was stretched out on his bed, listening to his discman. Sounded like he was stuck on "A.D.I.D.A.S" which was pretty much Koji's personal anthem right now. Shaking his head, Shin leaned back and crossed his arms, tapping his fingers against his bicep.
They had been watching the news because their father was going to make a brief appearance. The man was discussing recent treatments and discoveries about cardiovascular health. As usual, their father seemed a little nervous initially but started to get in the zone as he started speaking.
Shin hadn't had the confidence to break it to his father that he was pretty certain he would not be a doctor.
He didn't know the full story. He knew it was borderline movie or storybook that his mother was from the rich side of town, aka 'the princess', and his father came from the poor side, 'aka the pauper'. The forces of something or someone brought them together. He did the math finally one day and realized his mother probably was around fifteen when he was conceived which super explained her dismay with the twin's…well, promiscuity. They were on the other side and very well could be impregnating young women in their age group. Koji scoffed, remarking "Like I don't know what a condom is".
From what Shin could ascertain, his mother basically ran away from home to save him because grandparents he never met were going to force her to get rid of him. Apparently, his dad's mom wasn't really on board either and put both of his parents out as well to struggle. His dad moved them to North Wasaba where he worked with Dr. Souma and went to school. He remembered when he was little, a woman named Rosie would come and check on them and would remark on how his mom worked with her while she was pregnant as a tailor. That was before, due to some circumstances that took place a month prior to his birth, his mom was whisked back to her family home to marry her betrothed. His dad often said when he was little, when he'd had two hours of sleep and nothing to eat, he had to get her back.
Shin couldn't fathom. He couldn't even dream of what it took for his dad to get where he was. Yes, he'd had connections but he literally had to go to school and work full-time while being essentially a single father. His dad had…well, almost no one, except Shin's basically nanny, Yaya. He bit his lip, reminding himself to call and check on her one day soon. It'd been a while.
Just…his dad fought so hard for them. The idea of disappointing him made Shin physically ill.
Just, after his dad's segment went off on how he was going to help people with heart disease, a report on the growing number of internment camps showed people in cages.
All he could do was gape. There were infants in the cages. Infants they were going to kill because they were from a different, basically, caste. Or just a different cultural and social order. Assassinated.
The kids had walked away after dad went off. Koji and Nelly remarked it was a 'evil thing to do'. His mother shook her head.
…Was that it? Was that…all they could do? Shake their heads, rebuke it? Was that it…?
Doing a search, he bit his finger as the article generated. "…Japan isn't even involved."
"Is that surprising?" Koji replied, signaling he wasn't completely zoned out, "We try to be neutral after getting a portion of our fucking country blown to shreds."
"So we're not going to get involved in this…" Shin muttered.
Koji glanced to him quietly, "…No, I would say we're not."
Shooting him a look, Shin glowered at the computer. His namesake got shot close to a dozen times.
His father named him Shin after Yaya's older brother. That Shin was his dad's best friend. That Shin, his father would say to him when the wine got his tongue a little looser, threw himself into the fire for no reason. He dealt drugs with the yakuza and he got killed for it. He…chose to place himself in danger.
Nelly peeked in, blinking, "Yo, Koji, Sai is on the phone."
Koji grimaced, standing and rubbing his side, "Okay."
"Dude, you really need to stop screwing around with that and go to the doctor" Nelly scolded.
Frowning, Shin glanced back as Koji weakly staggered to his feet, remarking he was 'peachy'. What now? Koji took the phone to talk to, surprisingly, his girlfriend? After like seven months of whoring, suddenly his brother was okay with having just one girlfriend. Well…he had stayed loyal to a girl he made a vow to when he was ten so maybe that wasn't some impossibility.
Turning the computer off after checking his email, he rested his chin in his hand. It…it may have to be this way. He couldn't just volunteer himself to go over somewhere his country wasn't slightly involved. He could possibly move to another country who was but, as far as he could tell, it was only a small collective of the victimized people trying to fight.
He picked up his own personal line, his parents over literally all of the children being on the one line talking to people. They got him and the younger ones a line while the twins kept the old one. Dialing for Lyla, he tapped his fingers against his desk.
…Lyla hated when they used to kill cartoon ducks. If…if he did this, would he…?
"Shin! Shin!"
Jolting, he quickly cut the phone off and ran for the yelling. In a house of five siblings, there were various reasons for yelling and usually they were just altercations.
Shin inhaled when he found Koji crumpled over on the ground face down, holding his stomach and groaning, in the living room. Nelly was screaming 'what's wrong?' while Jill was sobbing. Tony, the one that had called for him, looked to him frantically. "N-Nii-san, he was j-just talking and t-then he fainted-"
Shaun was rubbing Koji's back, essentially the only calm one. Shin made everyone move to make sure he wasn't bleeding or anything on the surface. No…he looked fine. And he looked like he was coming to, confused. "The hell…?"
"Nelly, get him up. We'll take him to the hospital" Shin instructed, "Kids, get your coats."
"Should I get Koji's too?" Shaun questioned.
Nodding to give the youngest an extra task, he rushed to grab his keys and picked the phone up off the floor. Making sure Sai wasn't still on the line, he called his mother where she was today. Luckily she was in Japan or she'd probably have lost her mind. Koji had been to her what he'd been to his dad…
"Hello?" the woman answered after a few long rings.
"Mama, Koji's collapsed. We're taking him to papa's hospital now."
"What? What's wrong?!" she instantly panicked.
Shin bit his lip, looking to Koji. Koji was a sickly type so he spent time in and out of the hospital for random occurrences. Usually this was met by his dismay and assertion that he was 'just fine'. However, Shin felt a cloying sense of worry since he was quite conscious and not even slightly trying to persuade them not to take him to the doctor. "W-We're not sure. We're getting him to dad immediately."
"I'll meet you all there. Are you getting an ambulance?"
"No, I-I'll get him there safely, I promise."
"I know. You all be safe and take care of Koji."
Agreeing, he clicked off and helped shrug Koji into a hoodie. Nelly walked him to the door carefully and the tribe of children followed. What was this?
"Shin? Masoko said you—oh my God!"
Okamoto Lyla had apparently gotten the message about his aborted call and had come over. He smiled quickly, "Y-Yea, I have to get him to the hospital."
"Oh, Koji, sweetie" she rasped, following behind them.
He supposed Lyla was always going to be present, at least for now, without question climbing into his very small car with them. Shin gunned it to the hospital, figuring this was just a case of pneumonia. The idiot smoked so he was getting way more bronchial things too so who knows?
Pulling to the door of the hospital to make the commute easier, he was surprised to see his father outside waiting with a nurse and a stretcher. His brows were furrowed with concern, running toward the door. "Hey, your mama called ahead in a panic. What's going on?"
"We don't know. Tony said he'd just been talking on the phone and then he just collapsed" Shin explained, opening the door to let the seat up for the kids.
Nelly looked hesitant as he helped his dad put Koji on the rolling bed. "…Papa, he has been feeling pains in his stomach for a while now but he just thought it was another ulcer. He's been treating that."
Yamada groaned, "Nelly, he is not a doctor and if it persisted longer than a week, he knows he should have said something."
"Dad…"
They jumped, startled when Koji finally said something. It seemed he'd been in and out of consciousness. However, he looked to their father deliriously. "Am I gonna die…?"
"Of course not" Yamada reassured calmly, "We'll find whatever it is and fix you up, okay?"
"You said that last time too…"
Hmm? Their father froze. What? Yamada stared at Koji as he passed back out, his blue eyes wide. Oh…oh, was…that something from…? Nelly looked briefly alarmed before shaking his head, "H-He's just out of it, dad. Let's get him checked out."
His father said absolutely nothing to that, following as they wheeled Koji in. Lyla held Shin's hand tightly as they entered the hospital. It…it was going to be okay, he knew, but…
They sat in the lobby, their frantic mother joining them after maybe fifteen minutes. While Shin was concerned, of course, his mind was still on those babies locked in cages waiting to die.
However, when they were examining Koji for close to two hours, his attention did come front and center. Usually it was something like he was very anemic or a bad case of pneumonia. It didn't take this long…
Finally, their father came out of the room, having been present while the other doctors examined Koji. His light brows were furrowed tightly as he gazed absently at them. What? Their mom jumped to her feet, frantic, "Yama, is Koji okay?"
"…I…"
Shin felt his pulse jump. His father was at a loss of words and their father was always quick to reassure them. Had…had it been worse than Shin imagined? Hell, he at least oversaw the twins a little bit, he should have pressed when he noticed Koji wasn't feeling well! Just…just maybe he was overthinking. Maybe it was something crazy Koji had caused.
"…There's a growth in his stomach. It's…it's either a polyp or a tumor but our initial testing is pointing toward it being cancerous."
Their mother blanched as they all stared at him, baffled. Cancerous? Cancer? "N-Nii-san has cancer, papa?" Jill whimpered, "I-Is he—Is he—"
"Dad, this is crazy! Koji just had a checkup not two months ago, there's no way!" Nelly screamed.
"Stomach cancer is very difficult to diagnose, Nelly, especially without symptoms. And it's quite rare—if that's what he has. As I said, it can very well be a benign polyp. But…they're going to check him out. Let's…let's just hope for the best."
…Hope for the best? That's it? That's…that's all they could do?
Shin almost choked trying to swallow, shivering. It…it had always been a little weird having a little brother that close in age to himself. They were really just barely a year apart. When they were toddlers, Koji was never very rambunctious. They…they really had no idea when…when he was starting to get…hurt and…
And after…after that, he could have cancer?
Quickly standing, he rasped, "U-Um, I'll be right back."
Not waiting for a response, he quickly went to the bathroom and threw up. Fuck. Gagging, he rapidly shook his head. One of his classmates had beaten cancer. Beaten cancer and lived. Maybe a year later, he got hit by a fucking drunk driver. He knew beating cancer didn't give anyone some sort of invincibility but after all that? After chemo, after his body trying to kill him?
Koji…didn't even know what he'd been through but…but Shin knew. He knew and…and this?
Taking a deep breath in, he splashed water from the sink against his face after rinsing his mouth, letting the droplets run down his chin. He…he wasn't meant to be a doctor. He…he could help those babies in cages.
But this? No. He…he wasn't meant for that.
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Yagami Koji got mad about almost…everything. Nothing too miniscule but he had a temper. Someone saying something off-color about Jill or their mom was the quickest way to an ass kicking Shin had ever seen. He really hated when people chucked cigarette butts onto the grass too. Not an instant fight but at least a verbal admonishment. So Koji was a bit of a hothead.
When dad told him there was a possibility he had cancer, Koji actually panicked for a few minutes but just numbly shrugged. Shin would be angry. But, again…Koji had no memory of what he'd been through to gauge that that? That had been enough right there.
Okita Saiyuri, also known as 'Sai', showed up the next day to sit with him. They were going to do an endoscopy and maybe a biopsy. If it was cancer, they... would have to remove it and treat Koji with chemotherapy, Shin reckoned. He was going to…to get sicker and possibly die. Sai held Koji's hand and assured that he would be just fine. How did anyone know that though?
Shin irritably tapped his pencil against his desk at school. Nelly wasn't able to come, he was just in shambles. That was his twin brother. Nelly had cried for a solid two days as a newborn because Koji was away from him, having been sick right at birth. A newborn. Now, almost sixteen years in, with his twin brother and best friend and he could die? No, Nelly was not in a good place.
None of them were though, really. Their poor mom, she…she didn't know what to do with this. What do you do when one of your kids was possibly going to face something like death? The younger kids, they…they didn't know what to do either. Shin…had no idea what to do. This…
The only one…the only one with a semblance of hope and positivity was, strangely, Yagami Yamada. His father was the last person that should have that sunny outlook. Usually his dad was the last one to have a sunny outlook. He was a pragmatic man, that's what had gotten him this far. But he, like Saiyuri, seemed to insist this was going to turn out okay. Okay?
Shin shook his head when math class ended and he just couldn't be here anymore. He got up, picked up his bookbag, and left. He had never left school a day in his life but…he just couldn't this time.
He got in his car and drove for a while, listening to Nirvana. Was he going to have to listen to his favorite band and be reminded of late night music sessions with his brother in bitter nostalgia one day? Gritting his teeth, he gripped the wheel a bit tighter, driving just a smidge faster. Kurt Cobain suffered and took his own life. Was…was Koji going to suffer and lose his too?
Recklessly pulling in front of his house, he started to march in and get a drink. He didn't drink much but lately he'd been partaking. Might as well, he could die tomorrow based on fate alone.
However, he paused in front of the large black door and shivered. He…he wanted to help people. Just…just he didn't know what to do when it was beyond his control like this.
Shin wandered through the jungle, remembering the first time he had, he was trying to escape back to the life he once knew. This time, he was trying to escape a piece of his life possibly being taken. The first time, his escape was cancelled because he found he was okay finding a new one. This time?
He frowned, hearing a soft sound somewhere. Perhaps crying. Going to investigate, he stopped a little ways when he found it was Lyla sitting on the steps of her deck, covering her face with her hands. "Lai?"
His best friend looked up, startled, her face bright red and tearstained. "S-Shin? Wha-what are you doing home?"
"I…wasn't having a good day" he murmured, slowly walking closer, "What about you?"
"…I also wasn't having a good day" she smiled weakly.
He sat beside her, his frown growing, "Well, you know why I'm not having a good day so tell me about yours."
She rapidly shook her head, gushing, "N-No, no, it's nothing compared to what's happening with Koji. I-Is he okay? Have you heard anything?"
"No, I was going to take a breather before I headed over. We should know something tonight."
Lyla nodded, folding her hands, "I…I would really like to go with you."
"Of course, Lai…but tell me first: what's wrong?"
Groaning, she hugged herself and looked away. Shin tilted his head, reaching to hold her hand, "Lyla, please, if…if you can, tell me. I am feeling pretty damn useless right now. Let me be useful to you."
She was silent for some moments and he figured she wasn't going to bother. Lyla was the type that would lock everything away to avoid burdening others and…and it wasn't healthy. It was okay to vent. Squeezing her fingers, about to dismiss himself as a bother to her tendencies, she whispered: "Parsley."
"Parsley?"
"…Remember how he left at the restaurant? Someone paged him?"
"Yea?"
"He was doing that a lot lately, you know? Every time we were out, even if we were eating with my parents" she explained softly, "…I…I guess since he's a man, he has a lot more freedom."
Oh boy, did he not like where this sounded like it was headed. "Lyla-"
"Her name is Dianthe. He knew her back in Naoussa and they had been in love for a long time but his family didn't get along with hers. He…he was humoring them with me, I suppose. Just long enough so that when Dianthe was able to secure a way, they can elope and move to an island."
Shin stared at her as she hugged herself, leaning over. So… "So, he was just…wasting your time and getting your feelings wrapped up for no reason?"
"He wrote me a letter. He…he said he wasn't trying to hurt me."
Oh really? He was not the angry one…but everything lately had been getting under his skin. And this? Oh, this, this was the tipping point. Standing, his fists balled, he snarled, "The feeling isn't mutual. Where is he?"
Lyla reached up and gripped his hand, pressing the back of it to her cheek. "…I was just comfortable with the decision, Shin. I was thinking, 'if father is okay with this, at the very least I'll be comfortable'. I…I never once thought I'd be happy though."
Shin paused, shocked, and looked to her as she smiled grimly, "…How did it go? That Pink Floyd song? …Yes. Comfortably numb. I would have accepted that."
Shit. Sitting back down, Shin hugged her tight, kissing the top of her head. "…Then Parsley going off was for the best, Lyla. Maybe even intervention because I…I would never want you to live 'comfortably numb'. I'm…I'm going to find a way that that doesn't have to be your best option. Like…fuck Parsley."
She had pouted at him for that but they sat in silence for a little while. She had curled in his arms and he didn't really understand but a miniscule part of himself felt better. And when they went to the hospital that night, they concluded that Koji had developed an adenoma. It was potentially cancerous so they had to be removed but…but he didn't need chemo. His father wanted him in the hospital for a long spell to do a long diagnostic, the man's optimism eagerly melting back to his usually pessimistic outlook, but…but it had all worked out.
It…it had nothing to do with him but…it had all worked itself out.
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End Notes: So, I wrote this about five-six months ago? In October, my aunt went into the hospital for low iron and anemia. She was so low they advised that should she have waited any longer, she would have had a heart attack. In a rare case of American healthcare, the doctor asked 'well now, why IS that happening?'.
While I was getting irritated with the hospital for doing all these tests despite her iron being restored, I was on my way home from my aerials class when my mother advised that they had located a cancerous polyp in her stomach. I was stunned, especially since I had literally just written about it. I do have to say that I don't know if its as easy as I put it in story. I dunno if it's across the board but apparently in the US, when it comes to stomach cancer, we generally will put it at stage III even if it hasn't spread? The oncologist advised that in a lot of Asian countries, it's a part of their yearly screening versus here it's generally always problem focused. Only in those places where it's screen will you see the Stage 0 to 2. Or something.
My aunt with breast cancer that died around the time I released Lessons in Life (which I took down because yikes), I didn't get to particularly see the advancement because she lives about ten hours away. Getting to see my aunt daily, while she has lost her hair to chemotherapy, I do feel rather…optimistic? She's taking the chemo and radiation therapy like a champion. She's still on the go, she's still eating, and she's still so positive. I'm just hopeful that the procedure goes well.
ANYWAY, Harvest Moon related: So, apparently in Save the Homeland, in a particular event, Lyla, who likes Parsley, will be depressed because he off and left to marry someone else? What a jerk. I'm going to reblog it on my Tumblr (hmlegacy). That's what this was kind of based on.
Happy Holidays!