Author's Note: I'm trying to keep chronology between the other stories I've written that are PGSM-esque. Thought I should note given references to Kaguya and Urawa Ryu are not really PGSM canon.
FOUR
"It looks familiar to you, too," I say, unable to keep disappointment from my voice. I was still more than half-hoping to have my fears brushed aside as idiotic paranoia.
She sighs, "I'm going to say something futile: Please tell me you're doing a doctoral dissertation or thesis or something on the conditions aroused in people by the youma attacks in Tokyo, trying to find some kind of wonderful medical explanation to…" she tails off, as I shake my head.
"I'm sure you see how recent the date is on that chart, and the name is definitely not Japanese."
"I'm sure there were some foreign visitors attacked by the youma," she points out.
I nod, "Three that I know of, but that's not the point."
She puts the paper down on it's pile, "I said I was 'going to say something futile'," she points out.
Artemis reappears now, having been listening while eating. He jumps up onto the trunk, nimbly missing any of the piles of papers and sits down glancing between us, "How long has this been going on?"
"As far as I've been able to tell, not long. I've been trying to find out if there've been any cases at other hospitals in the area, but I don't have much in the way of clearance authority…I haven't found anything going back through our own hospital records though."
"That's something…" Minako says, but it's there hanging between us and waiting patiently for one of us to give it voice: the fact that it's only a matter of time, or it's possible that they could have moved from somewhere else.
America is so much bigger than Japan, and given some of the things that were on the message boards there is the possibility that it has senshi of it's own. We were all incarnated in Tokyo, but there's only five of us, I remember Rei and I having a conversation late one night in CROWN about whether or not there might be a Sailor Pluto or Neptune...we haven't encountered any, but right now there are just rumors and if we don't take the initiative and act to stop this, then it seems like there will be a huge mess including lots more casualties.
I've always been a logical one, but considering what's happened with everything, it's harder and harder for me to continue to reason myself out of believing in fate. We were drawn together in Tokyo, and now some of us, at least, are here, in America, where it might well be happening again. Is this the way it's going to be forever from now on? Any time we think we're at rest, something else will pop up no matter where we go?
"How do you want to proceed?" I ask her.
She frowns, "Is there any way to get records checks on the other hospitals?"
I nod, "If I can see what someone else's clearance is then yes. I can get into the system as them. Would be better than just upping my own clearance…then I can get things sent over, if there are any."
"If there are any," Minako nods, "but as far as we know there's nothing stopping them. Who knows how long they could have been working over here."
"Well, there have been some forum postings about cosplayers out of place...but I don't know how true that is."
Artemis lowers his head for a moment, "I would volunteer to scout around the area, but I'm not familiar at all, and would probably wind up getting lost or picked up by this 'animal control'."
Minako leans over and massages his ears to try and prevent him becoming overly forlorn, "We can both wander around tomorrow. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find a guide book. Ami-chan, do you know whereabouts your patients lived?"
I nod, and take a piece of paper from the back of the address book I have by the land-line phone I never use, and write them down for her.
"Okay. Well, while you're at work tomorrow Artemis and I can look around. I can potentially talk to people, and he can sneak around and snoop. We've done it before."
Artemis nods ruefully, "and we were completely by ourselves then."
I recall Minako having spoken every once in a while about her time in England, and encountering enemies there, but I had thought with what we did in Tokyo, that was over and done with, completely, "Is it the Dark Kindgom, again?"
"That's what we'll find out," Artemis says, firmly, "That seemed pretty done with, I must say," he seems to be fighting the temptation to flop over onto his back and let Minako rub his belly, "although as you know it's not against their tactics to move to a different country when one isn't going their way. Alternately, this could just be something that was left here by them before they were destroyed, and woke up recently." he doesn't seem to be believing the last option very much, but right now all we have are hypotheses to be tested and eliminated.
"Or it could be something wonderful and new," Minako remarks, sarcastically, "I'm sure the Moon Kingdom had more than one faction of enemies and also that there's any number of random Kaguya-like things which had nothing to do with us at all."
Artemis frowns, "I would talk to Luna and see what she remembers along that line, but let's make sure we have something concrete to tell them before we worry them. If it's something we can easily take care of, I'd rather do it, without trying to drag in people who are in Tokyo and can't easily afford to get over here to help out."
Minako and I agree, although she makes a low comment about being able to ship the others over if we really need it. Artemis repeats his desire to not worry them unnecessarily, and we consent to discuss things again the following evening after I get home from work and they get back.
As I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and counting chips in the paint. I realize how long a day it's going to be tomorrow. It's only a few hours now before I have to be up and at work, and I'm still wired and wanting to do things. I want to get this sorted out. Even though deep down I fear it's going to take quite some time.
I don't know when or if I get to sleep, for sure. There does seem to be a period of silence, not thinking, given it's interrupted by the alarm going off, and I am pulled sluggishly towards thinking again, and being awake, but it all seems far too soon. I stumble from bedroom to bathroom, and back again, to shower and dress, trying to be as quiet as I can, given Minako is sleeping on my couch.
Minako is sleeping on my couch.
I blink at her, and rub my eyes. I stop and look again. No. She is there. I'm not insane. I just hadn't quite let myself believe it. I'm so silly at times. Of course, she's there. We picked her up at the airport and went out to dinner with her. I try not to smack myself in the forehead but the temptation is fierce. Instead I try to find something edible in the kitchen for her, Artemis, and myself, and try to do so quietly, given the room is open plan. A white-cream blur jumps up onto the counter top and startles me. I hope I covered my mouth before the squeak escaped. If Minako heard she makes no sign.
"Gomen nasai," Artemis remarks, bowing his head.
"No, it's okay," I tell him, "I'm just out of the habit of having cat's around."
He gives a slight nod.
"I really don't have much food…" I confess.
"We'll manage. Worry not," he nudges my arm with his so very soft head, "Get to work."
I bid him thank you, grab my things and head out to the bus stop, wondering if I should have woken Minako to show her how the bathroom worked.
As I ride the bus to the hospital I make notes of things I need to look up and try to work out whose clearance it would be best to fake. My heart starts to pound before I'm part way down the bus's steps. I hate this lying and sneaking around. I wish I could just go straight to them and explain. It was a little easier to sneak information from places when I didn't know the people attached to the names.
Dr. Harper is rifling through papers at the main reception desk when I walk in. He pays little attention to me as I go into the back and put my bag in the locker. I make my first round to the unconscious girl. Machines beep and monitor her but there's been no change. She's laying there staring at the ceiling, her red dyed hair spread out behind her head. The expression is so similar to the one Naru-san had right before we faced off with the super-youma. It makes me shiver. I wish there was something I could do. I have the fanciful vision of brushing my hand through her hair, across her forehead and her waking up and explaining everything that happened, but that's not likely. We either need Usagi-chan over here to work a healing, or to kill the youma, if it is a youma. I still cling to the hope that's it's not, that the tests we've been running will come back with some sort of virus or illness that we've forgotten and can treat, but so far nothing, the hospital specialists are running themselves ragged and her parents are understandably agitated.
The remaining victim is a few rooms down. The girl who was with him has been moved by her parents to another hospital. I'm only able to peek through the door, but it's enough to show me the results are still the same. His parents are sitting by his bed, they stop by every morning to visit on the way to their respective jobs, and rotate night duty. The mother is working to get Family Medical Leave, and will be here often today. I daren't go inside, because it's heart breaking to not be able to assure them that everything is okay, when I have no answers to give, especially when my Spanish language skills are a lot worse off than my English.
"Miss Mizuno!"
I turn to find the duty nurse behind me, "Harper wants you to work on 12 and 7, first thing."
I apologize for dallying and start to head out, but she stops me.
"It breaks my heart too," she says, "that other one is about as old as my niece, but don't let it get you down too much. Something'll come back and we'll have them up and out of here by the end of the week."
I nod, and make my way to examining room twelve.
Most of the morning is taken up with patients, two boys who were trying to fly off their neighbor's roof, apparently. A patient who has sliced their arm with a kitchen knife and all the muscles are visible where the skin should be. A man who has been in several times before for various injuries, but refuses offers for counseling, or support. Speculation is rife in the staff room as to whether his spouse or significant other is beating him up, or if he is a prostitute or just severely unlucky. He refuses to talk to anyone, so there's nothing we can do except patch him up and send him back out into the world. There is another pool going on as to how quickly we will see him back in. I just hope he doesn't come back in a body bag.
I cut out from the lull of break time to try and sweet talk my way to one of the computers, and hopefully discover something. The reception area is fairly quiet only one person making an inquiry. I feel my heart lift, as I walk over, and then stop, what can I do? I've gone through several different scenarios, but the most likely taken, hopefully, is this. I try to remember the names of the two people on reception; I think its Jack and Wendy? They were both on shift when I came in that morning, and aren't likely to get out any time soon given we're short one person on paternity leave.
Jack is engaged with the person, so I go over to Wendy.
"Something I can do for you?" she snaps, suspicious. Often interns try to talk the receptionists into doing things for them so they don't have to. This is probably what she's expecting.
"I'm short on things to do," I explain. She looks as though she's going to make some kind of sarcastic comment to this, so I quickly add, "and I know you've probably been here since who knows when, so I thought if you wanted to take a break, I could cover for you for a little while?"
Jack, of course, catches this, "Hey, what about me?" he demands.
"Well, I can stay here for you as well..." I scan my eyes quickly to her name tag to make sure I have the right name, "…once, Winnie gets back."
"You snooze, you lose," Winnie says, and disappears from her chair.
I slip into it quickly, trying to keep one eye out to make sure that no one else has come up to sign in or check on how soon they're going to be seen. I've seen some of the staff leave patients here waiting, on purpose, just so they can finish a conversation, but I don't want to be like that.
I manage to pull up the appropriate network of hospitals, and have just managed to log in, when several people come up. Jack is still engaged with the person he was dealing with when I sat down, who doesn't speak English very well, and is getting rather frustrated, so I tab across from that window and start handing out sign in forms. Thankfully, my batch of people does speak English, and seem to not need so much help right away, two of them are together and the other person is by himself. I quickly tab back and type in the search and set that going, but don't attempt to make small talk with them. I never know what to say in such a situation. One on one with someone in an exam room is usually fairly easy, except for that one patient who abjectly refused to talk to 'the chink (something rude)', so far things have been fairly easy. Especially as it's only recently I've been allowed to see patients, by myself, without the backing of one of the senior staff members. I just hope I don't lose that trust by getting caught doing this.
One of the women comes back over with her paperwork and I begin to input it. The search finishes part way through my input and the screen automatically pops up. There are some results which match. I quickly send them to print, my heart feels as though it's jumping up into my throat. I daren't log out until everything has spooled to the printer though, so I tab back and continue inputting. The woman says something to me, but I don't hear her. I look over at her, eyes wide.
"Oh, I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to startle you," she says, "They've really got you guys jumping today, huh?"
"Oh, oh, yes," I answer, not quite paying attention.
"I was saying, it's a pretty bracelet, where'd you get it?"
"Oh, my friend gave it to me," I answer, "but thank you. I haven't seen anything like it anywhere here." it's not exactly a lie. I wouldn't have it if it wasn't for Usagi-chan after all.
"Oh," she sounds, slightly disappointed, "I don't suppose you know where your friend got it? I'd like to get something for Sherri once we get through this," she glances back over to the woman she came in with. I glance at the paperwork so I don't have to speculate, if it's mother-daughter, girlfriends, sisters, or just friends. Daughter, okay. I realize then that they've been in before, about two or three weeks ago, I can't remember what for, right now though.
"I'm sorry but no, actually I don't, and she gave it to me a few years ago, in school." I explain trying to finish inputting the registration information and make sure I can pounce on the printer as soon as it's done.
"Not around here." she realizes.
"No, in Tokyo," I give her a smile, and send her stuff to the printer also, and run over there. I fold what's printed so far, and slip it under the keyboard, as quickly as I can, and then hand hers back so that she can sign it, along with the privacy information forms, and hand over the ID bands and things and ask them to wait a few minutes, hopefully, so that they can be called to an exam room. Then the man shows up with his paperwork, and the cycle begins again. In the mean time, Winnie comes back and shoos Jack away.
"You better not want us to do some write-ups as payback," Winnie tells me.
Makoto would probably say something like, "Thank you so much for letting me take a break, (rude word) see if I ever do a favor for you again." but I am not her, so I just give her a vague attempt at a smile, and assure her that it's fine, praying that Jack decides he only needs a short break.
He comes back after twenty minutes, which is fortunate, because I really should be back on the floor a bit before then. I manage to shove all the papers into my purse in my locker, before trouble hits again in the form of a car accident, which means I'm not back at the apartment until almost two hours later than I had intended.
It's too dark on the bus to read anything not electronic. I have three messages on my cell phone I realize as I sit there willing the bus journey to magically become shorter than it was and wondering where the annoyed beeping is coming from.
I hadn't even thought to check to see how Minako's search was doing. I have a brief panicked moment of imagining her calling me to say she was lost and asking directions, and thus becoming even more lost and getting attacked by thugs and vagabonds somewhere down a dark alley, before my brain points out that even if Minako was attacked, those thugs would be extremely sorry that they picked her to pounce on in two seconds flat.
One of the messages is from Minako. There's no word on the search, but for some reason she wants me to call her back and let her know if there's anything I'm allergic to. One of the messages is from Harris's sister, she's rambling something far too quickly for me to follow asking about something which sounds like it's to do with the the things that Minako had sent her via CD via Harris, and then one is from Harris saying he realizes he has no idea how to get in touch with my friend after all, given he doesn't actually have a land line number to my apartment, and he didn't want to just drop by there unannounced what with jet-lag and everything. By this time the bus has arrived at my stop and I make my way slowly up to the apartment.
The lights are on and I can make out a shadow moving around inside, as I try to unlock the door. The second up latch unlocks once I've got the key in and Minako pulls the door open.
"I wasn't sure what time you'd be home…" she explains, "I take it things were busy."
"Just a bit," I answer, closing the door behind me, "I'm sorry I didn't get in touch before. How was your day?"
"Unfortunately productive," she answers.
I nod, "I was able to get some information, but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet."
Minako nods.
I look at the clock. Great, and we still don't have food.
"I was thinking," she said, "There seem to be some delivery places which have a nice enough menu…but I didn't want to order, given I'm not exactly sure what's good as far as those go."
I give a sheepish smile, "It depends, most of them seem to have a ratio of what's good versus what's fastest."
She laughs, "How about we go for something in the middle?"
Thirty minutes later, we're leaning around the 'breakfast bar' in the kitchen. It's the counter area which separates the kitchen from the living room. Artemis sits nearby, eating also. He has some cat food, which Minako had brought with her, and it's then I find out that she has taken the liberty of re-stocking my fridge, somewhat. There is now fruit juice, and milk, eggs, bread, various packages of delicatessen meats, and in the freezer, some batches of egg rolls, and other Asian foods, which are easily microwaveable. She apparently remembers that I am nothing like Makoto in the kitchen, which is good.
After I stop crying and thanking her about this, and she insists that it's okay, and if I want to pay her back, just let her stay there, and consider it her payment towards rent, we settle back down to business. Me: reading through the medical reports as quickly and thoroughly as I can. She: going back through the rest of the notes I've been making and making marks on a map of the area that she has procured on her travels, and then after I make my guess-diagnoses, she says she will recount what she and Artemis have discovered.
Most of the medical reports that have been flagged, are thankfully, not right, I'm on the next to last one, when I read the distressing note that the patient is still in the hospital currently, and was admitted about two weeks ago, inconclusive tests.
"What was that?" Minako asked, "It almost sounded like you cursed."
I feel my cheeks heat up.
"Oh," she says, "Damn," she slides over on the couch to read over my shoulder. Then snatches the paper from me and re-reads it hastily, and then dives back towards the map.
Now I slide over the couch towards her. She has made blue marker stars at the places where the two people at our hospital were picked up, and then there's a neon line, which I'm guessing is the route they took today. It bisects the two places but there's a loop I recognize as one of the bus routes, and an orange star off to the side.
She stabs at it, "Right here is where Artemis felt we should get off the bus. There was definitely something, once we got close, but it took straining to notice it." I read the street she pointed out, it's the address of the woman who is still at the other hospital, "We walked around for a while seeing if we picked up on anything else…there really wasn't much of anything for a while, but once we started coming back this way, there was something. There are no other reports?"
I shake my head. The last one is again, nothing. I re-read. That area would be in the jurisdiction of a non-network hospital, which might make it a lot more difficult to get the information, though, "but I think we have more than enough cause for concern…" I add, ruefully.
She sighs, "Do you feel like going on patrol tonight?"
I nod, "Not really, but we have to. We're more than due for another attack, not that youma particularly have a set pattern…but the longer it goes unchecked, the more bold it's going to get, right?"
"I don't even want to speculate." Minako counters, grabbing her jacket, as we head for the door, Artemis hot on our heels.