.

夢

It is dark and the smell of incense permeates the room. The scent is aloeswood, and it immediately reminds me of Fei Long.

Akihito is here. From what I can see, Akihito is shackled with heavy chains and covered in wounds from being beaten. There is some kind of thick barrier in front of me that I feel but cannot see and it prevents me from going to him. It moves when I push against it, but it is too strong for me to break through.

I can see the glow of Akihito's brilliant eyes. He is fighting, but I don't know how much longer he can keep it up.

It is hot on my side of the barrier. The harder I push against the barrier, the more my shoulder painfully throbs. My attention suddenly shifts to a pleasantly cool sensation against my forehead––

錯覚

My eyes opened as I focused more on the sensation. It was Kirishima's hand and he was looking at me with a face that appeared to be half concerned and half angry. "Hina!" I heard him call out.

I looked around to try to get my bearings. I needed to figure out where I was before I said or did anything that made me appear to be incoherent. I was lying on a narrow bed. From the corner of my eye, I saw the swishing tail of a cat before it scurried under the bed.

"Whose cat is that?" I asked. My voice sounded unexpectedly weak.

Kirishima tried to smile, but it was forced. "You see a cat?"

I realized I just failed and said something incoherent.

The wrinkled face of an elderly woman appeared before me. I recognized this face and I knew I'd rather not be seeing it from this point of view.

"He's feverish," Kirishima told her.

She pulled out some kind of device and ran it across my forehead. It beeped and then she pulled it away, frowning as she looked at it. Both Kirishima and the woman, who I know is called Hina, pulled the garment I was wearing away from my shoulder. Hina lifted the bandage up. "It looks like an infection. I'll go give him a call and see what he wants to do." Hina walked away.

It was a mistake. I thought Fei Long would be better off with his real father, Tou.

Damn it... it was a mistake!

"What was a mistake sir?" I heard Kirishima ask.

I realized I had drifted off to sleep. I must have voiced those thoughts out loud. Not good.

"Do not let them give me any more pain medication," I said tersely.

"Yes sir."

"Overruled," I heard Hina say. She had returned and was hanging a small bag next to a larger one on the pole next to the bed.

"I don't want it. I'd rather have the pain."

"This... is an antibiotic," she said as she unwound more tubing that would be added to the one already in my arm.

"The medication is causing him to hallucinate," I heard Kirishima tell her. "I think that's why he doesn't want it. He thought there was a cat in the room..."

I kept silent about the dog that had been following the cat.

I noticed if I tried focusing on their faces or another object for too long, the image would distort into something unrecognizable. Whatever she was giving me was strong.

"He'll just have to lay back and enjoy it. He needs to rest. If I don't give it to him, he becomes combative and belligerent, and then he tries getting out of bed and rips his wounds open." She snapped the new tube into place. "That's why it's infected now."

Apparently Kirishima had chosen to defer to the judgement of the nurse. I couldn't allow it though. I had to get to Akihito as soon as possible and the drugs were preventing me from carrying out that plan.

I was going to have to work my way around her. "Have you considered it's the drugs you're giving me that are causing me to be combative and belligerent?"

Her expression was unyielding. "Have you considered I don't give them to you to make you more comfortable, but to make you more manageable?"

I looked down and saw she had poked a syringe into one of the ports of the IV tube. "Sweet dreams..." she smirked.

I could already feel myself slipping back under. "Hina, you are number two on my hit list..."

"Only second? I'll have to try a little harder."

麻見 隆一

.

Kirishima and Hina helped me to a sitting position and assisted me in swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I felt like I was surfacing after being underwater for a long time. Not wanting them to realize how confused I was, I went along with whatever they were trying to do.

"Do you feel dizzy?" Hina asked. I assured her I didn't. Kirishima draped a robe over my shoulders and they helped me to a standing position. "Don't put any weight on your right leg. Lean on Kirishima and let me know if you start feeling dizzy."

They stood me up and I decided to test my right leg anyway. It painfully cramped and buckled under my weight. I was forced to grab onto both of them to keep from going down, making an effort to throw most of my weight onto Kirishima to avoid injuring the elderly woman. It didn't go quite the way I had intended. I heard Hina muttering irritably under her breath, but the only word I could make out clearly was "idiot".

They led me to a chair that was next to the bed. At different times when I've woken up, I've seen either Kirishima or Suoh sitting in that chair. I shifted my position in the chair to make myself more comfortable and I was rewarded with yet another severe cramp in my leg.

"The pain medication is wearing off," Hina said as she watched me. "I can give you more."

"I'll pass on your offer. I'm willing to bet whatever narcotic you are giving me is illegal. Are you trying to hook me on the stuff, Hina? Are you perhaps getting a kickback from a dealer?"

"By all means... suffer," Hina said as she open the garment and checked under the bandages on my chest. "Better, but it's still healing poorly. Change the dressing on both wounds, Kirishima."

Next came the cold metal of her stethoscope. "Breathe in," she commanded. I tried to take a deep breath and ended up coughing.

"That, and the poor healing of your wounds is caused by your smoking habit."

"I didn't have the cough before I came here," I growled angrily, "so don't try to tell me it's from smoking. I'm not interested in a lecture from you."

"It's also caused by lying in bed for too long. You need to sit up as much as possible now. I'll give you some breathing exercises to do. You'll need to do them once an hour. In the meantime, eat," she pointed to a tray table that was next to me. On it was a bowl and a cup. Both were covered by lids.

As Hina left the room, Kirishima moved the tray table so it was in front of me. I uncovered the bowl. It didn't look too good. I leaned over and sniffed it. It didn't smell very pleasant either. I put the lid back on the bowl. "Perhaps later."

From the smirk on Kirishima's face I could tell he was not surprised. He pulled up another chair and sat down across from me. "Let me know what you would like to eat and we'll get it for you."

"Hina allows such a thing? I find that surprising."

Kirishima shrugged, "We've become adept at smuggling in food."

I removed the lid from the cup and took a sip. The tea had a slightly metallic taste to it. I grimaced but sipped on it anyway. "Does she do this on purpose?"

Kirishima frowned. "I never thought of that. We always assumed she was just a terrible cook. I suppose it could be her way of hurrying us out of here quicker."

"Here" was an old house, located somewhere outside the city. It belonged to Hina, the mother of our company physician. Whenever any of my men received questionable or suspicious wounds, this makeshift hospital is where they were brought to be treated. I had been here many times before, but never as a patient. While Hina was a competent nurse, her bedside manner hinged on abusive. Strangely enough, the men adored her. I had yet to discover why.

Now that my head was finally clearing, I needed some answers. "What is the word on Takaba?" I asked.

"He's being kept in a locked room close to Fei Long's own quarters. It's not possible for us to retrieve him at this time."

"Has Fei Long made any demands for ransom?"

"None."

For some reason the next question I wanted to ask didn't come easy. "How long have I been out of it?"

"Nine days."

Nine days! That long?! I felt a sudden unpleasant sensation, similar to being kicked somewhere in the vicinity of my midsection.

Kirishima's sudden look of concern told me my emotions must have registered clearly on my face. "He's being treated the best we can hope for... considering the circumstances."

Now was not the time to let my emotions rule over me. "Tell Yoh to do whatever it takes to get him out. I'll arrange–"

"He's too well-guarded at this time. We'd lose them both if Yoh were to attempt something like that right now. There's been trouble. Dissension among the ranks. Trust between Fei Long's men is at an all-time low."

As if the situation couldn't be worse. "In your next communication with Yoh, tell him he's to protect Takaba with his life."

"Even over Fei Long's life... if it comes to that?"

"Has the situation become that treacherous for Fei Long? I can't seem to summon any sympathy for him at the moment. Yes, let Yoh know Takaba's life is now his main priority."

麻見 隆一

.

It's quiet. Too quiet for as clamorous as my thoughts are. The ambience surrounding me should reflect that.

Time is ticking by slowly. I am willing my body to heal faster but it just isn't fast enough.

My memory is spotty from the time I watched the helicopter take Akihito away, to when Kirishima and Hina got me out of bed the first time. I have since learned that I had called Kirishima and given him my location before losing consciousness on the building rooftop. It's nice to know my instinct of self-preservation had still been intact.

According to the doctor, it was close. Apparently I nearly bled to death.

Kirishima told me I actually spent the first three days in a hospital downtown before my condition stabilized enough for them to move me here. Fortunately, the large hospital where I was first taken is such a busy place that it's easy for the admitted patient and his records to vanish overnight without a trace.

My left arm is still numb, but there are odd patches where I now have feeling. The nerves are only shocked so I should recover full feeling in it soon. Unfortunately, I am unable to accurately move what I cannot feel, so it is useless for the moment.

My leg is a different story–– an estimated six weeks before I can get around without assistance. I don't have that much time. I have been laying here, flexing my leg for the past hour. My toes and foot seemed to move without much of a problem.

I tried to get up on my own. I made it to a standing position without much trouble; however, when I went to take a step, I experienced the distressing sensation of having absolutely no strength in my leg, and I went down. The IV pole came crashing down a half a second later. Next thing I knew, Suoh was in the room and at my side.

I thought–– if he tries to pick me up off the floor as if I were a child, I will kill him. My anger was that great.

Instead, he bent down in a way that allowed me to grab onto him to pull myself up.

As he steadied me with his arm, I noticed the smell of stale cigarette smoke surrounding him. My senses were no longer numb to the scent since I hadn't had one for almost two weeks. I wasn't even aware he smoked. There is a policy in place that my employees may only smoke when taking a break, so I rarely see one of them smoking.

The whiff of cigarettes, however, triggered a strong response in me. "Damn it... I really want a cigarette."

"I'll arrange that for you sir," Suoh responded.

Now I was feeling remorse over the irrational anger I had inwardly directed at him. Suoh has an expressionless face that appears scary and intimidating to most people, but he is quite different than one would expect. He's a quiet, intuitive man. In times of extreme duress, he's always the first at a colleague's side–– much like an animal protecting a wounded member of his herd.

As I held onto him trying to regain my balance, I felt a streak of wetness running down my leg. I knew it was blood. I had reopened the wound with my fall.

"You're bleeding. I'll need to go find the nurse." I noticed he was not looking at my leg but just below my left shoulder. I followed his gaze and saw blood seeping through the garment. I had reopened that one as well.

My effort had been completely counterproductive. He helped me to the chair. I did a rather undignified limp-hop toward it and sat down as Suoh stood the IV pole back up.

"I need to get on my feet as soon as possible!" I said expressing my aggravation out loud.

Suoh nodded resolutely. "Yes sir. I'll see what I can do."

I couldn't help feeling somewhat amused that he had taken my voiced frustration as an order.

麻見 隆一

.

The door opened and Kirishima came in pushing a wheelchair. He wheeled it up next to the bed. "Time for some fresh air... doctor's orders," he announced. He disconnected part of the IV tube connected to me, capped it and then taped the remaining tube to my arm so it wouldn't dangle. He assisted me from the bed to the chair and then wheeled me toward the door. He opened the door and carefully looked out–– I assumed to check for danger–– and then quickly wheeled me out to the garden that was located behind the house.

Once outside, Kirishima handed me a new pack of Dunhills and a lighter. As I removed the cellophane, I could smell the unique aroma that seems to be exclusive to quality British cigarettes. I pulled one out and lit it. My first deep draw was incredibly satisfying.

Kirishima stood quietly beside me. Even though he closely attends me, I had no idea if he also smoked. I held the opened pack out to him. "Have one," I told him.

He looked mildly surprised and then took a cigarette from the offered pack. "Thank you."

Again, I realized my words sounded like an order. Now that I thought about it, I realized I had never detected the scent of cigarettes coming from Kirishima.

I handed him the lighter, watching him with curiosity. The way he lit the cigarette indicated that he was no stranger to it. He drew on it and closed his eyes as he exhaled. "I can't believe how much I've missed this," he said as he handed the lighter back to me.

"Had you quit? Sorry, I didn't know."

He smiled and drew on the cigarette again. "I'll quit again once we've safely retrieved Takaba."

In that moment I realized how fortunate I was to have someone like Kirishima at my side. It also reminded me of the continuous ache I felt from losing Akihito.

A surge of anger came upon me suddenly. "I need to get out of here and be on my way to Hong Kong. NOW Kirishima!"

"The arrangements are already in place, sir."

"Then why am I not on my way at this very moment?!" I growled at him.

Kirishima regarded me carefully. "In what kind of physical shape do you wish to be in when you appear before Fei Long and the Baishe?"

I suppressed the urge to lash out at my assistant. He's doing his job by remaining level-headed; an ability I apparently lack at the moment.

"The word is that Fei Long is convalescing and recovering from his wounds as well. He's no better off than you."

"I don't know why I didn't kill him when I had the chance. And Takaba?"

"I have nothing new to tell you, but Yoh is under orders to contact us at any cost if the situation worsens. In this case, no news is good news."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing. I'm certain there's some work you could bring me to keep me occupied."

"You need the rest. Besides, you're officially on vacation right now."

"Am I? Where did I go?"

"Yamagata."

"Ah... Yamagata. One of these days I should actually–" I suddenly heard the sound of Hina yelling. She burst out the door, followed closely by Suoh. Suoh attempted to block her from approaching me.

"Don't you dare lay your hands on me Suoh!" She delivered a sharp kick to his shin. The impact was audible from where I was sitting. Suoh grabbed his leg in pain. She came storming towards us. "I did not give permission for him to be taken from his room! Nor this!" She snatched the cigarette from my lips.

"HEY! What do you think you're doing?!" Kirishima yelled back at her. He grabbed her by the wrists.

"Let her go Kirishima," I said to him as I pulled another cigarette from the pack and lit it. He let go of her, but continued to glare angrily at her.

She handed him the cigarette she had taken from me. "Dispose of this properly," she snapped at him.

I gave Kirishima a nod to indicate he was to do as she asked. Suoh moved to take his place at my side as Kirishima walked out of the garden.

"Consider yourself lucky it was only your shin I was aiming for," she said sharply to a wary-looking Suoh before turning back to me. "This..." she said pointing to my cigarette, "will delay the healing of your wounds."

"That's a myth," I told her.

"It is not. I'll bring you the studies on it to read later."

"I'll be fine, and I'll be gone from here shortly."

"You're a difficult patient. Why the hurry? Are you so hot for revenge that you cannot allow yourself to heal properly before being shot again?'

"I need to retrieve something of value that was taken from me."

"Then you're not motivated by vengeance, but by greed. How typical of men like you. So, tell me about this object that apparently has more value to you than your own life..."

That made me wonder. Have my feelings for Akihito grown that strong? Or is it that I cannot tolerate anyone laying their hands on what is mine? I cannot distinguish a difference between the two, to be honest.

Hina was studying my face carefully. She nodded as if she had come to some conclusion. "It's not an object, is it? You have the look of a man in love..."

I was immediately riled by her brazen audacity. "You're being presumptuous...!"

Hina turned to Suoh. "Asami-san would like a cup of tea, Suoh. Why don't you go make some for him? Use the leaves from the blue jar in the kitchen."

Suoh frowned at her. "I'm not leaving–"

"My house and property are crawling with your men!" Hina said, raising her voice sharply. "I think you can leave him in my care for at least ten minutes." I nodded at Suoh. He turned and walked back to the house.

"So I'm being presumptuous, am I?" Hina chuckled. "If that is what you wish to kill yourself over, then I wholeheartedly approve."

She took the cigarettes and lighter from my lap and then glanced around surreptitiously before pulling one out and lighting it.

I watched this with amusement.

She frowned back at me. "Don't tell your men."

麻見 隆一

.

It turned out there were a couple business issues that needed prompt attention. A newly installed detective had taken an interest in Sion's warehouses. Someone had obviously tipped him off, so I arranged to have the incident internally investigated. There was nothing of concern currently in the warehouses, but it meant we were going to have to temporarily arrange for a different port of entry and storage for a few specific shipments.

I was reviewing the papers one last time before I signed them. Suoh entered the room carrying a vase of arranged flowers and a long finely-wrapped package. He placed the flowers on the table beside the bed.

I glanced up at him before signing the papers. "How nice. You really shouldn't have, Suoh."

"I didn't sir. These are from Hina."

"Oh?" I said in surprise as I laid the papers down.

"She seems to have taken a liking to you," Suoh said, grinning lopsidedly. "She never gave any of us flowers."

"I offered to take her to dinner after we..." I stopped as the pain hit me full force. Not a physical pain but an emotional one. "... soon," I finished.

I had been trying to avoid any thoughts of Akihito because there were times that my emotions over the situation threatened to overwhelm me. I attributed this weakness to the trauma of my injuries, but it seemed the more grievous injury had been to my heart. I never would have believed that anyone could come to affect me so deeply

Suoh looked at me hesitantly and then handed me the long package. "This one's from me."

I took the package from him and opened it. Inside was a derby cane. The handle was silver-plated with a subtle Art Noveau engraved design. It was mounted on a black hardwood shaft. "This looks to be an antique."

Suoh nodded. "It's been passed down a few generations."

I held it back out to him. "This is a family heirloom. I couldn't possibly accept this."

"You requested that I help you get back on your feet as soon as possible. Not only will it help you in getting around, but to some this walking stick will appear to be just an accessory. Besides, I have no one to pass this on to."

I looked at the walking stick again. Yes, this would come in handy. "I'll make good use of it then. Thank you, Suoh."

I reminded myself once again how truly fortunate I am to be surrounded by such an amazing group of people.

麻見 隆一

.

It was late in the evening. I was standing in the garden smoking a cigarette, listening as the commotion began inside the house. A few minutes earlier, I had sent Kirishima from my room in search of a newspaper. I had been privately spending my time practicing with the cane Suoh had given me. Once my movements were reasonably proficient, I tested my ability by slipping past my own guards. The noise that was now coming from the house was the result of my disappearance.

Under different circumstances I would have enjoyed the humor in this, but my anger had been building for far too long. I had been held back for more than three weeks now. I was past my limit.

Finally, Kirishima, Suoh, and a couple of other men ran into the garden. They stopped short, looking somewhat shocked as I stepped out from the shadows and walked toward them.

"We're leaving for Hong Kong... IMMEDIATELY."

麻見 隆一

.

This chapter is made up of original content based on references from the story in the manga. I'd like to think I did passable job of filling in the unknown time period after Asami had been shot by Fei Long, but of course that is for the reader to decide. The next chapter will pick up with Asami's arrival in Hong Kong.