"What do you think you're doing?" Jin demanded, his sharp eyes discerning the watering can atop the nightstand and then Gill– who sat alongside Akari's lifeless body.

"N-nothing," Gill said, frowning stubbornly and sliding off the bed. "I was just minding my own business, I had nothing to do with it, when all of a sudden she went and–"

"–It was a rhetorical question. Get out." Despite of his deceptively calm voice, Jin's silent rage darkened the air around him like a raincloud's looming shadow.

"I… I was just on my way." Tucking Akari's precious photo back into her rucksack (he wasn't some cad who would steal it– and he already had a CURRENT one of her, anyway), Gill brushed his hands off on his pants and strode away. How odd… he thought; Though I touched that dirty farmer, I don't feel compelled to go home and wash myself. He still wanted to re-iron his shirt, though.

Jin, immediately taking Akari's side– propped her up against her headboard and felt at her neck to check various nodes and her pulse. "The both of you will wait outside," he said hurriedly, but with a fair amount of sternness, not once bothering to face Gill and Toby. He waited until the door closed behind the two before taking the watering can up and dousing Akari's head with it. Her sunken skin, momentarily lifting up and revealing green scales underneath, regained suppleness and her breathing calmed. However, she quickly dried up her clothes and bedding– returning to normal and appearing to still be partially parched.

I don't understand, Jin thought. Does her head store most of her body fluid? Does she faint easily because she's half human, or half kappa? He scoffed in pity at the girl. What a ridiculous creature… He couldn't help but feel resentment towards the gods who let her creation happen– and her parents– even if they probably had a good excuse for plopping out and abandoning her. At least, that's what he told himself so he could focus.

There's no time for that now… What matters is her health and recovery, he thought. I need to take her back to the clinic. I'll try reviving her there with a full-body soak.

"You two out there," Jin said, facing the door; "She's been stabilized. You may come back in." He watched the door, with a flat expression, as it re-opened and the two young men pushed back through.

Though Toby obediently went off to the side to wait, Gill took an argumentative stance right before the doctor. "I don't get it," Gill said, folding his arms. "Why are you TWO even here?" He was admittedly still bitter about being interrupted in the middle of rescuing Akari.

"It's as I said," Toby spoke up; "I saw you struggling to carry Akari… She looked sick, so I got help."

"And luckily, I was on my way here already," Jin said, coughing into his hand. He had something to give Akari– to help her identify different herbs in the future– but that would have to wait for another day. "Enough of that," he said, moving away from the bed and adjusting his glasses; "Toby, come here. I want Akari carried to the clinic, upright, with her head supported, since she needs further treatment."

"Ok." Toby nodded docilely. "Like this?"

Gill watched with dumbfounded anger as Toby slid his arms under Akari– hoisted her up– and flawlessly princess-carried her away.

"I-I could've done that," Gill stammered, red-faced and indignant. "It's just that I lost strength when she fell on me." He frowned when Toby COMPLETELY ignored him and left out the door.

That fisherman… is proving to be an obstacle, Gill added mentally, his blue eyes hiding beneath the shadow of his brow. In that case, then I will have to remove him… Clinging to the door frame, he laughed sinisterly under his breath.

"You lost your strength, was it?" Jin said, standing ominously behind Gill. "Then you should do some strength training… by bringing twenty pails of water to the clinic before evening."

"Twenty whole pails?" Gill jolted back, more concerned with the number than the actual oddity of the request. "Twenty? Surely, you don't mean for me to do this all alone–"

"–Or would you like to stay with me at the clinic… and explain in detail how Akari got hurt?"

"You know, I think I'll get started right now."

Amazingly, there appeared to be some sort of social order or predatory food chain among the bachelors. Unfortunately, Toby was not at the top.

Leaving Gill with the watering can, Jin tucked his hands into his white coat pockets and left down the road, following Toby all the way to the clinic.

That evening, after her final soak, Akari slept soundly upright in a hospital cot. From beyond the windows, the setting sun washed her face pink with its tranquil light– save for the flitting blackness from a bird or two– and left her peacefully undisturbed.

Jin, who watched over her, stayed close by while sipping tea and working on some patient logs. At one point, he had also pulled up a stool to serve as a makeshift desk.

Even if he didn't need to watch Akari this closely, Jin still felt compelled to. Because somehow– like watching a kitten snuggled by the hearth on a winter's day– watching Akari sleep made him feel content. It put him at ease.

But at the same time, it also made him feel like an absolute creep.

When the room-divider curtain rattled beside Jin, he almost fell over. "Irene," he said, identifying the source right away. "What are you doing?"

The old woman hobbled on over to Akari's bedside. "Just checking on the girl," Irene said. "And making sure you haven't attacked her… yet."

"Attack? What are you saying..." Jin emitted solid frustration at her suggestion. (In the form of squiggly lines, no less.)

"Toby came back to see you. Should I bring him in?"

"Go ahead."

Irene disappeared behind the curtains, and in a minute, Toby reemerged in her place.

"Oh, hello again," the young man said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I was wondering how Akari was doing… since you made me leave before her treatment… and I wanted to talk with you."

Jin glanced at the girl's bed. "She's well, as you can see." He walked past the curtain. "Follow me. We'll talk on the other side. I also wish to speak with you."

Toby, watching Jin sit down on a stool, followed him and sat down on a nearby cot.

"Now then," Jin said, setting his clipboard down on his lap and giving his undivided attention; "You go first. What did you want to say?"

Toby sweated, fidgeted around, and rubbed at his neck before answering. "I'm, um… I've been feeling weird again lately," he said. "Like I'm seeing everything through a veil of water, and from outside my body. I know you told me to see you if things like this started happening again, but I-I met this girl. I think about her so much, it's hard to concentrate. I want to see her again, but…"

"But?"

Toby lowered his head and panicked a little. "But she's a mermaid… It's really weird, isn't it? At first I was ok, but then I couldn't make any sense out of it… just that she could be a part of my mind."

"Yes, she must be. Mermaids don't exist."

"But if she is a part of myself, I should be able to see her again… I want to see her again."

"You shouldn't stress yourself out thinking about her. If you do, it will only aggravate your condition." Jin stood up, as if to shake off the guilt from telling such a lie. "You need to distract yourself and relax. Looking for her will only cause you stress."

"But I've been relaxing. I've been napping and fishing every day."

"Good. You've been doing very well since you came here… since that falling incident at your father's company."

Toby knowingly nodded his head at this. "It's okay, Doctor. You can call it attempted suicide. I don't mind."

"It's still a sensitive subject."

"Not really. Ah, didn't you have something to tell me?"

Jin stood by the window and stared at the street outside. "It's nothing, really," he said. "I just wonder if you like your life here."

"Quite. It's much more peaceful than life in the city. Back then, I felt like I was going insane… No, I did go insane."

"Realization is the first step to recovery."

"Thanks for listening to me. I guess… I'll go now."

"Take care of yourself, Toby," Jin said, waiting by the window as the fisherman left. Even from the back room, the sound of the clinic door closing could be heard.

In the after silence of the darkening room, Jin spoke again: "It's rude to eavesdrop, Akari."

The girl nearly fell out of her bed.

In the next chapter, Gill may or may not beat Toby to death with a golf club.

Accidentally the Whole Fic, you gave me such a tempting exiting strategy for this story. XD (But I don't want SOAK to end… YET.)

It should be mentioned now that I didn't make up all this kappa stuff. It's based on actual Japanese folklore, so I can't take ALL the credit.