A/N: Just so you know, my medical knowledge is close to non-existent. Everything I say about medicine or the human body is made up; so please take it with a pinch of salt, thank you very much.
Ren stood back and watched Yamato and Minami work on the Kumichou of Makai clan. Yamato had a look of absolute concentration on his face. His movements were neat, precise and certain. Blood and sweat did not bother him a single bit; he simply asked Minami to pass the gauze to stop the blood flow or to come around and help wipe the sweat off his brow. It was breathtaking to watch him work.
"He's one of the best, you know." Minami said to Ren, after Yamato had left for a much-needed nap.
'That's my boyfriend.' Ren smiled proudly. "Really? Tell me more about his reputation at work. He insists that he's just average whenever I ask him."
Minami chuckled. "He's definitely way beyond 'just average'. His skill is in great demand. He has been getting job offers from all over Japan and even overseas. I know for a fact that his alma mater in America offered him a job at their hospital about a year ago. They were willing to pay him at the expatriate rate, and even to provide him with a house and a car. He turned them down. Our hospital is voluntarily paying him three times the usual rate just to make sure that he stays with us. They will probably give him the sky if he asks for it."
"Hmm, why is he in such great demand?" Ren asked curiously. "I mean, I know that he is the most amazing person I've ever met; but my opinion is obviously biased. Why do all these hospitals want him?"
"You probably can't tell because he's the only surgeon you've seen at work. But let me show you." He pointed at the area where Yamato had made the incision on the Makai clan's Kumichou. It had been sewn shut, of course, but the straight red line was still visible. "This is the length of the incision. Just a little over 4 inches. The area he was working on underneath is this wide." Minami gestured a circular area about the size of a ramen bowl.
"Oh." Ren realised with a jolt. The incision was only about half the diameter of the circular area. That was very impressive indeed.
"Yeah. You see it now, right? A good surgeon would have had to make a 6-inch incision at least, whereas an average surgeon would have had to make the incision a full 8 inches or more. I think he was being less considerate with this patient, though. He would normally just need 3 to 3.5 inches. But the highest incision-to-affected-area ratio I have ever seen was with you, Ren. He barely nicked your skin but still managed to mend your entire abdominal area. That surgery should rightfully be on the cover of a medical journal somewhere."
"Really?" Ren was dumbfounded.
"Ren, you were at the brink of death. You had laceration wounds all over your stomach, pancreas and liver. You almost lost a kidney. About half of your major arteries in that area were totally or partially severed. Did you really think that it was normal to be able to get out of bed just after three days? Or Shin, who got out the next morning itself? Both of you are warriors, I'll give you that; but you're not Wolverine. No one heals that fast."
"So the smaller the incision, the shorter the recovery period?" Ren tried to make sense of what he was hearing.
"The idea is minimal invasion, but you're close. It increases your recovery rate because your body can concentrate on healing the actual injury, rather than whatever collateral damage inflicted by the surgeon en route to his destination. In addition, our internal organs are generally quite well protected by layers upon layers of fat and muscle. By not damaging the external 'casing', our body also retains its ability to function on the outside even when the internal damage is still undergoing healing. Now you see why he is in such high demand. Who wouldn't want a surgeon who can bring you from an inch of death to an alive and kicking Yakuza boss in three days?"
Words failed Ren. He couldn't believe that Yamato had downplayed all of that! What was that man thinking, wasting away his talent in a small hospital in Japan? He belonged on a raised pedestal somewhere in New York or London.
"Maybe, but that's not what he wants." Minami replied, causing Ren to realize quite belatedly that he had been thinking aloud. "He wants to be here, working in a quiet hospital and living a quiet life." He shot Ren a knowing smile.
Ren went to wake Yamato up from his nap 3 hours later. He watched the sleeping form of his brilliant boyfriend wistfully. Had he been holding Yamato back all this time?
"Are you trying to wake me up by staring at me?" A sleepy voice asked. "Or are you just practising your x-ray vision on me?"
"I didn't realize you were awake." Ren said with a smile.
"I wasn't. Your x-ray vision woke me up. Apparently it tickles a little. You would have to practice some more." Yamato joked.
"Damn. Minami lied to me. He told me that I wasn't a superhero. Turns out I am though, if you were to be believed." Ren joined Yamato in bed for a cuddle.
"Aww, Ren, are you saying that you trust Minami more than me? I'm hurt." Yamato pretended to sulk.
"I do indeed. Especially when it concerns one Dr Ogata Yamato." Ren said sternly.
Yamato groaned. "What has he been telling you? He must be exaggerating."
"He said the surgery you did on me belongs on the cover of a medical journal."
"Ren, your birth belongs on the cover of a medical journal. Your perfect existence itself is a miracle of life."
"Flattery will not get you out of this, I assure you, Ogata-sensei."
"That reminds me, I need to check on my patient."
"I know you don't really care about him. After all, you did cut the poor man half an inch more than you needed to." Ren said teasingly.
Yamato couldn't help but grin back in return. "So Minami told you that much?"
Ren reached out to hold his hands. "Yamato, please answer me honestly. Am I holding you back?"
"Honestly?" Yamato asked him. "Are you sure you're ready for an honest answer?"
Ren nodded.
"No regrets?" Yamato pressed on. "Even if you have to accept my answer without any objections?"
Ren nodded, feeling slightly apprehensive now.
"Okay. Honestly… Of course you are not holding me back, Kazama Ren." Yamato broke into a grin. "Do you still remember why I became a doctor in the first place?"
Ren thought for a moment, recalling the day Yamato told him about his ambition. "I felt so helpless watching a friend fight for his life. It felt like you were slipping away from us, and there was absolutely nothing we can do. Then I remembered Shin – although I didn't know who he was then – attending to your injuries at the scene. I wanted to be able to do the same thing."
Yamato smiled, seeing that Ren did remember. "It was for you and everyone else I cared about, Ren. It doesn't matter how good of a surgeon I am – if I cannot help the people that I love, then there is no meaning to my skills." He murmured softly, reaching out to examine the scar on Ren's abdomen. It was almost gone by now.
Ren planted a kiss on Yamato's head. "You, my love, are the most amazing person I've ever met."
"Good, glad we're on the same page then." Yamato answered cheekily. He rolled on top on Ren. "Now, do you want to check out my other skills? I have it on good authority that they're very good." He whispered seductively.
"Hmm. That depends. Whose authority are we talking about first?"
"Oh, you know. Just some high-ranking Yakuza boss. No one you should be concerned about."
"Oh now you're in for it!" Ren growled playfully, rolling over so that he was on top. "No one calls me 'just some high-ranking Yakuza boss' and gets away with it!"
"What do you think I should do with Tarou Masakura?" Ren asked, absently twirling his finger through a small strand of Yamato's hair.
"I don't know. Change his name? We both seem to have a tendency of being held hostage by people named Tarou." Yamato said jokingly.
"Don't joke about that." Ren said. "You have no idea the terror I felt seeing that gun pointed at your neck."
Yamato kissed Ren lightly. "I'm sorry. But if it helps, he wasn't going to kill me initially. You know, before you got there."
"Not helping, Yamato." Ren grunted.
Yamato laid back on his pillow. "Just don't kill him, okay? I don't want it on my conscience."
Ren looked at his boyfriend amusedly. Yamato's just-shagged look was beyond sexy. "Tsk tsk… I'm the one wielding the knife and you're the one complaining about your conscience?"
Yamato laughed. "That's because I'm warm-blooded and you're cold-blooded."
"Mmm. I'll keep that in mind. Next time don't cuddle up to me when you're feeling cold at night." Ren teased him gently.
"Nah. Then I'll just say that I'm trying to warm you up."
Ren smiled. "You do that then." He said fondly. "Would you like to go back first? I'll get someone to send you with the car."
"Well, I was thinking… You saw me at work today. Can I see you at work too?"
Ren stopped breathing. "You want to watch me punish Tarou Masakura?" He asked incredulously.
Yamato nodded uncertainly, torn between curiosity and nervousness.
Ren pursed his lips. "Very well." He would have to think about less painful methods of torture.
Ren sat in the middle of an empty meeting room waiting for Tarou Masakura to be brought in, while Yamato sat half-hidden in a dark corner at the back of the room. Punishments were usually conducted in the detention cells – a warehouse about 3 blocks away from the Oedo house that had been converted into a makeshift prison – but there was no way he was bringing Yamato there. Ever.
A knock sounded on the door. "Waka, we've brought Tarou Masakura."
"Very well, bring him in." The door slide open and a man was shoved in violently. His hands were tied behind his back.
"How's my Oyasan?" He asked sullenly.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Keep up that attitude and you'll never know."
Upon hearing the threat, Tarou Masakura immediately fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, Kuroda-sama. I have overstepped my boundaries. Please see fit to punish me according to my sins."
"And what exactly are your sins, Tarou?" Ren asked patronizingly.
"I've kidnapped an innocent katagi and threatened his life. I also used him to protect myself when I found that we were being attacked."
Ren nodded sagely. "I see. What do you suppose is just punishment for that, Tarou?" Both of them knew that it was a trick question.
"I defer to your infinite wisdom, Kuroda-sama."
"Ah, very good. I like your eloquence. It seems like you become a little smarter when your life depends on it. I heard that you didn't learn about blood types until today, Tarou." Ren said snarkily. "Perhaps we should do some trial-and-error on you? So that you know what happens when you use the wrong type of blood, of course?"
Tarou Masakura shivered. The doctor had told him that you would die with the wrong blood type.
"No," Ren changed his mind. "I can't kill you. Your Oyasan has incurred quite a hefty medical bill. He's fine now, by the way. But we had one of the best surgeons in Japan work on him, you know. That's going to cost us."
Yamato held in a snort.
"We'll compensate you for the entire cost of the medical expenses, Kuroda-sama. Just name your price."
"Really? Then I set the price at 100,000…" Ren smiled sinisterly. "USD."
Tarou Masakura sucked in a breath. That was equivalent to about 10 million yen. "I… understand. We will pay for it."
"I'm not finished yet. 100,000 USD from your personal account, Tarou."
Tarou Masakura's eyes widened in horror. Kuroda Ren wasn't joking. "I do not have that much… Kuroda-sama."
"No worries! How much do you have?" Ren asked cheerfully.
"Maybe around 5 million yen at most." He said quietly.
"Okay. Bring me whatever you have, and the Oedo clan will lend you the rest."
Yamato didn't understand what Ren was doing; but Tarou Masakura obviously did, judging from the severe blanching on his face. "I understand, Kuroda-sama. I will bring you the money at first opportunity."
Ren nodded. "Untie him." He commanded. "You may leave. Your Oyasan will not be treated like a prisoner, but he will not be released until you've come back with the money. Oh and one last thing, Tarou; as far as the Makai clan is concerned, the treatment did not cost anything. If I find out that you are reimbursed even a single cent… Let's just say that a life of poverty will be heaven in comparison."
"That was strangely anticlimactic." Yamato commented when they finally got home.
Ren laughed. "Oh, trust me. Financial torture is my specialty." And the only thing safe enough for you to witness.
"How is that torture? I thought you offered to lend him the money?" Yamato asked confusedly.
"I did, but we did not agree on an interest rate, security or penalty for defaulting." Ren pointed out.
"Oh." Yamato had not realized that the lending was not gratuitous, as he was used to with his friends. "So… You offered to become his loan shark… So that he would have enough money to pay you… So that you will release his Oyasan?" Yamato tried.
Ren smiled at Yamato. "You are very intelligent, Ogata-sensei."
"That's… horrible. But totally ingenious." Yamato was stunned at the revelation.
"Thank you. The money will be yours, by the way." Ren said nonchalantly.
"No thanks." Yamato shuddered. "You can keep it."
Ren looked at him strangely. "You do know that most of the things we own, including this penthouse, are paid with blood money, right?"
Yamato laughed and kissed him on the nose. "That's not it, Ren. You have Hayato, I don't. Can you imagine me marching up to my financial planner and say, 'By the way, I treated a prison escapee in my Yakuza boyfriend's house last weekend; who then proceeded to threaten the prison escapee's second-in-command for consultancy fees… so here's 10 million yen. Can you please file it for me by the end of the month?' For some reason I can't imagine any of it going well with either him or the tax office."
