NOTE from the PHOENIX: The story that Hsing tells Neal is my own adaptation of an adaptation told by Mike Lockett of a story originally by Hans Christian Anderson. I read the story a very long time ago and it was partly the inspiration for this story.
White Collar: The Nightingale
Chapter Twenty-nine
"Konichiwa." Mozzie greeted Hsing with a deep bow.
"Konichiwa." Hsing replied with a bow of her own.
"Mai taku goshujin taku."
"Gurache." Hsing thanked with another bow.
"Neal..." Mozzie turned his attention to his friend with a critical eye "you're not looking so good."
"Rough week."
"Clearly. Come in."
Mozzie stepped to the side and allowed the pair step inside. Although you wouldn't know it to look at Mozzie's apartment the rest of the building was abandoned and on the verge of being condemned. It had taken Hsing and Neal nearly two hours to get to Mozzie's. Already running on almost no sleep the journey had taken just about all the strength Neal had to offer.
Stepping into the studio apartment with its art-deco/minimalist decorating Neal tried to determine what was actually furniture to be sat on and what was meant to be art. Usually he was better at telling the difference, but at the moment it all looked the same. Hsing stayed nervously at his side with the Nightingale clutched in her hands.
"What took you two so long to get here?" Mozzie asked. "I was starting to get worried."
"You changed the order of the places you stay without telling me again."
"Oh, right. Sorry about that, I added another place to the rotation."
"You know, Mozzie, most people have a hard time finding *one* place to live in New York."
"You have to be willing to work with a 'fixer upper'."
"This certainly is tha..."
Neal was forced to stop as his stomach rebelled against him. Overwhelmed by the powerful wave of nausea he rushed over to the kitchen sink. Reaching the sink just in time he noisily retched against a mostly empty stomach. Spitting bile into the sink Neal suddenly lost his balance. Lashing out he was able to catch the edge of the counter, but he still ended up dropping to his knees.
"Neal!" Hsing and Mozzie cried out in unison.
Neal was fighting to get back to his feet when Hsing and Mozzie came over and helped him. They brought him over to an oddly shaped black and white couch that Neal had incorrectly labeled as 'art' when they first arrived. The object was a lot softer than it appeared and Neal tried to lay down. Mozzie stopped him, insisting that he sit up. Too tired to argue Neal sat on the edge of the couch.
"That's quite the shiner." Mozzie reached out to touch Neal's temple causing Neal to pull away from him. "I think you have a concussion. You need a doctor."
"I need some sleep." Neal retorted. "Every time I close my eyes lately someone is banging on my door either asking for help or trying to kill me."
"You can't sleep now. It's bad to sleep with a concussion, you need to stay up."
"I think that's only in the movies." Neal said. "I don't think that's actual medical advice."
"Best not chance it." Mozzie got to his feet. "Hsing, keep Neal awake until I get back with help."
"Mozzie..." Neal protested.
"I'll be back soon."
Mozzie wasn't listening as he hurried out the door. Swallowing hard agains the sting of bile in his throat Neal tried to lay down again. Hsing sat down next to him and pushed on his shoulder to keep him upright. He really wasn't sure if it was dangerous to sleep or not. At this point he really didn't care.
"Mozzie-san asked me to keep you awake." Hsing apologized.
"I know." Neal sighed in defeat.
"Would you like me to tell you a story?"
"Sure." Neal replied as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
"Once there was a great Emperor and he had all he could want or need within the walls of his palace. He was greatly loved by all his people and all of the creatures in his kingdom, or at least this is what he was told for he never left the high walls of his palace. A beautiful wild green wood dominated the land to the North of the palace and within this wood lived a little bird that was said to have the most beautiful music of any creature in the world. No symphony could even come close to matching the Nightingale's song.
The gardeners who tended the Emperor's grand gardens would often walk in the wild wood to hear the Nightingale's voice. The Emperor wished to hear this jewel that lived in his kingdom, but he could not just wander in the wood like a commoner. So the Emperor demanded that the bird be brought to him.
The Emperor sent his Advisor to go to the wood and fetch the Nightingale. In the woods the Advisor came across the little bird who was singing her heart out for the creatures of the forest. The Advisor spoke to the Nightingale:
'Your song is unlike any I have heard. Will you sing for the Emperor?'
'I would be honored, tell his Majesty that if he comes to the green woods tomorrow night I shall have a song ready just for him.'
'The Emperor does not leave the palace walls. You must come to him.'
The Nightingale was hesitating to leave the freedom of the woods for the stone walls of the palace. However all creatures respected the Emperor and she flew down and alighted on the Advisor's arm so that he might bring her to the Emperor. At the palace the Nightingale sung for the Emperor until her heart nearly burst from the effort. All of the Court was there and when she was done they all erupted in applause.
'Your song is magnificent, Nightingale!' The Emperor complimented.
'Thank you, Emperor. I shall look forward to returning and singing for you again.'
'No. No, you must stay. You must stay and sing for me always.'
The Advisor roughly seized the poor Nightingale and forced her into a golden cage. Terrified for her life the Nightingale tried to sing for the Emperor, however her voice now trembled and warbled. She was so miserable that eventually she lost her voice completely. Refusing to eat she laid on the bottom of her cage and prepared to die.
The Advisor saw the bird laying motionless and feared that she was dead. Rushing to the cage he opened the door to check on her. Seeing her chance the Nightingale jumped into the air and flew out the window.
The Emperor was so grieved at his loss that he fell ill. The Advisor tried to cheer the Emperor by bringing him a mechanical Nightingale to sing for him. However the gold bird had a tin sound to its voice and did not make the Emperor better. Refusing to eat or to leave his bed the Emperor grew so ill that it was feared he may die. Word of the Emperor's illness spread into the great green forest.
'I must return to the Emperor.' The Nightingale sighed.
'They will throw you back in a cage.' The other forest creatures warned.
'I cannot allow the Emperor to die.'
The Nightingale flew back to the palace and into the bedroom of the Emperor and sang for him her sweetest song. Upon hearing the song the Emperor began to regain his thirst for life. The Nightingale bowed deeply to the Emperor.
'Thank you, Nightingale. Your song brings new life to me.'
'I will stay if that is what you wish.' The bird said sadly.
'No, I am the one to be caged,' Emperor sighed. 'I am expected by my people that I will always be able to be seen in my palace. Your music made me feel like I was free and able to enjoy the outside world like I did before I became Emperor. But, I cannot cage you again. You must be free so you can sing for everyone's enjoyment.'
'I shall return every night to sing you to sleep, Emperor.'
'I would like that.'
The Emperor ordered to have the glass removed from the windows of his bedroom so that the Nightingale was always free to fly in and out. The Nightingale made the Emperor happy for many years and was able to enjoy her freedom as well."
Neal had listened to Hsing's story silently and smiled when she was done. He remembered her telling him how captivity ruined the nightingale's song.
"That was a beautiful story. Thank you."
"You are welcome."
The story had help keep Neal awake, but now he was starting to fade again. Hsing was about to tell him another story when Mozzie returned with a tall thin man in his mid forties. The man had a tackle-box and a large satchel with him. The pair came over to Neal and looked him over critically.
"Neal, this is Dr. Talinger."
"Thank you for coming out here in the middle of the night." Neal said honestly.
"Anything for Mozzie." The doctor smiled.
The doctor knelt down in front of Neal and gently turned Neal's head to the side to get a look at the deep purple that ran down his temple. He released Neal and asked him to track his finger with his eyes as he moved his hand back and forth through his line of sight. Opening the tackle-box he brought out a pen light and shone it in each of Neal's eyes. Blinking against the hard light Neal did his best to stay still.
"I'd say you have a minor concussion. Nothing a few Tylenol and some time can't fix. Is that your blood on your shirt?"
"Don't worry about that."
"Mozzie already told me you got shot. Mind if I take a look?"
"Fine."
Neal peacefully allowed the doctor to pull his shirt up and remove the bandage that Hsing had placed. The steri-strips simple weren't strong enough to keep the wound closed particularly after the Yakuza had aggravated it.
"You need new stitches. I can do them right now."
"If we have to."
"It is going to keep bleeding if you don't."
"Alright."
The doctor instructed Neal to lay on his good side. Hsing offered her lap as a pillow and Neal accepted it. He was afraid that he was going to need something to bite down on, but the doctor's first move was to fill a syringe with a numbing agent for the area. Neal hadn't even realized how painful the wound was until the pain was gone. Finally able to relax Neal kept still while the doctor stitched up the two wounds in his side. While the doctor worked Neal glanced into the open tackle-box and something odd caught his eye.
"Are you a veterinarian?" Neal asked.
"Yup."
"Mozzie..." Neal growled.
"What? He's the best. I've been getting my medical care from him for years."
"That actually explains quite a bit." Neal sighed.
Mozzie flashed Neal a smile to which Neal rolled his eyes. The veterinarian neatly stitched up the wound and replaced the bandage. Neal tried to sit up when the doctor was done, but his muscles simply wouldn't respond.
"Thanks, Doc." Mozzie thanked the vet.
"Can I get some sleep now?" Neal begged.
"I assume I don't have to put a 'cone of shame' around your neck to keep you from chewing on the stitches?" The vet chuckled. "Just kidding. Yes, rest is the best thing right now."
Still resting on Hsing's lap Neal closed his eyes to gather the strength to move to a better place to sleep. However once his eyes were closed he fell asleep almost instantly. The vet reached out and checked his pulse before getting to his feet. Mozzie thanked him again and showed him to the door.
When Mozzie locked the door he turned around and looked at the pair on his one of kind signed Fenachi couch. Hsing was gently smoothing out Neal's hair with her fingers as he snored quietly. Mozzie looked at the way she was watching Neal sleep and shook his head sadly.
"Oh dear...that's going to complicated things."