Johnny and Ishii Sensei had just finished meditating together. Johnny never questioned Sensei's interest in him, he just knew that he needed it the way a plant needed sun and water. "Ki better now, Johnny-san. You practice meditate, hai?"

"I try."

"Yes. Mokuso hard work. Mind like little child. Run around. Need discipline. Hard work." Ishii Sensei smiled. "Lie down, please." He indicated the mat with a wave of his hand. After Johnny complied, he asked, "You know shiatsu?"

"Uh, a little."

"You breathe. I do. You tell if hurt."

Ishii Sensei positioned Johnny in such a way as to open the channel he was working on. He used not only his fingers and thumbs, but his palms and elbows to manipulate the various pressure points where the channels through which flowed the ki came nearest to the surface of the body. Some spots were more sensitive than others were, and Johnny gasped and tensed up when the sensei found a particularly painful one. "Breathe. Focus." He continued until all the points along the meridians had been manipulated.

When the sensei was done, Johnny felt like he was melted into the mat. He lay still, eyes closed, listening to his breathing, but no longer focusing. Ishii Sensei placed his hand on Johnny's abdomen, feeling the ki. "Be still. Rest."

In what seemed like an instant, but was actually half an hour later, Midori gently shook his shoulder. "Time to get up."

Johnny opened his eyes and then squinted against the afternoon sun, which seemed brighter than he had ever seen it before.

Ishii Sensei smiled and said something in Japanese to Midori.

"My father says that your ki is flowing better now. That's why the light seems so bright."

Johnny reclined against his elbows. "Oh."

Ishii Sensei said something else in Japanese.

"My father says you have good kokoro. Good spirit-heart."

"How's the training for the marathon going, Mike?" Johnny asked as he finished putting on his shoes.

"I think anybody who'd want to run twenty-five miles for fun must be crazy," opined Chet before Mike could speak.

"Twenty-six-point-two miles, Chet. It's going good, Johnny. Still wish you were doing it with me, though."

"Maybe another time. I'm pretty much into karate, now."

"Yeah, I can't believe you stuck it out so long. 'Course, that chick is probably a lot better looking than Mike. But you're the founding member of the hobby-of-the-week club," said Chet.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you flit from thing to thing, week after week, and talk our ears off about how it's the greatest thing while you're doing it. You should be more like Mike, here, and shut up once in a while."

"You're not exactly in any position to be giving out advice like that, Chet," interrupted Mike.

"What do you mean?"

"Better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and confirm it," grinned Mike.

Amidst the laughter, the men headed out for roll call.

Once or twice a month, Chief McConnike stopped by unannounced to visit the various stations, usually near the noon hour, to talk with the men and to keep abreast of current conditions personally. "Smells good!" he commented appreciatively, enjoying the tantalizing smells coming from the pot Cap was stirring on the stove.

"Cap makes the best clam chowder in the department," Chet averred, getting an extra bowl for the Chief. The others vocally added their agreement while helping to put various items on the table.

"Have a seat, Chief. There's plenty," invited Cap.

"That's why I come at lunch time," grinned the Chief, pulling out a chair and seating himself. "So, how are things going? Anything unusual going on that I haven't heard about?"

Cap's paranoia got the better of him as he worriedly asked, "You've heard there's something unusual going on?" Cap set the steaming pot on the table in front of his superior officer.

"No. That's what I'm asking you, Hank."

"Everything has been going quite smoothly," replied Cap, recovering his composure. "We have our share of both easy and challenging runs. We still get the occasional false alarm and Dumpster fire, but nothing like it was last April." Cap glanced around the table at his crew, who nodded in response to his statement. Spreading his hands, Cap concluded, "We seem to be functioning normally."

"That's what I like to hear."

Cap rubbed his hands together. "Well, then. Let's eat!"

Johnny had just finished meditating with Sensei when Midori came into the room. Ishii Sensei said something in Japanese to Midori, to which she responded, 'hai.' Johnny didn't think anything of it; the sensei was not fluent in English and frequently had Midori do the translating for him.

"Johnny-san. Midori waiting."

"Huh?"

"Midori want you ask out."

"She wants to go out with me?" Johnny asked the sensei incredulously.

"Ask Midori."

Johnny obediently turned to Midori and asked, "You want to go out with me?"

She smiled and eagerly nodded her head, "Yes!"

"You do?" Like sunshine moving over the face of a mountain, illuminating the shadows and warming the stone, a smile broke over Johnny's face and shone in his eyes.

"Yes. I do."

Sensei Ishii smiled and left the two alone to discuss where they wanted to go.