Chapter 15- The Slow Recovery
Rays of light poured in from the fractured ceiling. Specks of dust fluttered through its piercing beams. Matako could feel the warmth on her skin. Her eyes were fighting to fully open. Overtime she began to notice the carnage from the recent battle. Sparks were discharging from loose wires. Her head slowly turned to the right. Matako began to hastily pull herself to her feet. She collapsed back down and clutched her sides. Her body was wracked with pain. She looked at her midriff. Her pale stomach was spotted purple with bruises. The pain was almost unbearable to her. Judging by her injuries and the pain she felt, nearly all her ribs were broken.
Matako knew she couldn't stay here. She hadn't the faintest idea how long she had been out, but the Shinsengumi would soon be swarming on the stranded ship. She gathered her strength and made her way to the deck. She looked around for the man she was bound to. Neither Shinsuke nor the Harusame fleet were visible. She breathed a sigh of relief. Matako ran back to the location where she had awoken.
"Takechi-senpai! Wake up Senpai!" she said. Takechi continued to steadily breathe but made no response. Matako ignored the pain of her endeavors and began to pick up Takechi. She managed to place his hand around her neck and held him by his abdomen. Together they began to walk. In her condition, supporting another human, no less her own two legs, was placing an enormous stress on her physique. The pain had doubled and continued to increase. But her feet never stopped moving forward. Her will was to escape from this place alive and free. She wouldn't leave Takechi alone either. How could she ever explain to Shinsuke that she had acted as a coward and abandoned one of his highest ranked members to the Bakufu's dogs?
Several minutes had passed. Matako had mustered the strength to increase her pace. She finally reached the landing bay. She tussled to lift Takechi onto the bay's last speeder. Matako slammed her fist against the button to her right. The bay door gave an artificial roar as it unlocked and lowered. She felt the harsh wind nip against her sensitive skin. Kijima noticed the storm that had settled over Edo had dissipated. It had been substituted with a blue sky.
Matako looked back at Takechi. She would have to sit behind him and still handle the controls. She visualized the awkwardness of the ride ahead. A hand covered her mouth as Matako fought the urge to vomit. She wrapped a scarf around her mouth and then one around Takechi's. She had earlier looted them off of two dead pirates on the top deck. The scarves would serve to keep their identities safe should they be sighted.
Her speeder was in the air a moment later. Matako could see police speeders scrambling to her location. She dived down and surveyed for a place to land.
Damn it. We won't get far in these skies or on foot. I'll have to find somewhere we can wait this out.
Matako peeked out from behind the wall of an abandoned house. The streets were empty at this time of day. Something now stole her interest. A small medical clinic was open on the other end of the street.
Kijima waited until she was sure it was clear. She dragged Takechi to the exit of the building and muscled open the door with her back. They were still miles from Takasugi's hideout and her body was at its limit. Worse, Takechi's own condition was still uncertain. Kijima knew that without an identity or money, there was no civilized way to handle this. Her only option was to hold the clinic hostage. She had only a couple of rounds left in her twin pistols. Matako rationalized that this was the safest course of action. If she grew nervous, she could always bail out.
Her chest was searing with pain. She suddenly began to cough up more blood.
This isn't good. Matako wondered if she would make it back after all.
"Who's there?" asked a male voice. Suddenly an Amanto in a white coat ran to the door. Matako raised a pistol instantaneously.
"Don't move. Don't try anything funny. If you try to be a hero, I'll end your life right here and now." she said. He froze compliantly.
"Now" she said slowly, "Empty out your pockets."
He began to ask, "Are you—"
"NOW!" said Matako. Her threatening eyes implicated she wasn't bluffing. He could tell she was desperate and prepared to do anything to survive.
"Okay" he said. He emphasized his cooperation by placing his hands in the air. The Amanto then began to do she said. His wallet, coins, and keys littered the floor. He looked quite human in some ways. But he was nose-less and had cat eyes, grey skin, and short yellow hair.
"Now tell the rest of the staff to get in here."
He answered her, "There is no one else today. I'm alone."
Matako narrowed her eyes in suspicion. True enough, she hadn't sensed anyone else.
"Is there any phones in here besides the one on the desk?" she asked.
"Yes. One is in the backroom."
As she had him remove it, she wished now she had a way to contact the Kiheitai. They typically relied on acquired communication hubs or parcels sent through the spy network. Phones were still a rather recent luxury for Japan and Shinsuke was still having research implemented on the secure use of them. But even if she could reach them, she feared she was on her own. She could hear sirens in every direction. The police were scouring the city for the terrorists who had wrecked havoc above Edo.
Matako dragged Takechi to one of the hospitable beds. She then followed the Amanto to the backroom and said, "Throw the phone into the lobby. Good, now close the clinic down."
The alien physician ran to the glass window in the lobby and flipped over the sign to "Close". As he returned, Matako waved her pistol in Takechi's direction. "Treat him. If you refuse, I will kill you."
"You're injured as well." said the doctor, gesturing his hand towards her, "You should lie down or you could—"
"Shut the fuck up!" she said. "Or I swear I'll blow your brains out!"
His eyes weren't expressing utter fear like Matako had intended. He seemed calm and—concerned. The doctor turned and examined Takechi closely. After several minutes, he rose and slowly walked to his medical cabinets.
"He seems to have suffered some sort of concussion. This man doesn't have any external damage, but he may be bleeding internally. If I guessed, I'd say most of his ribcage has fractured too."
"Can you heal him—plain and simple?" asked Matako.
The doctor shut his eyes and said, "Yes. I have all the medicine and equipment necessary for the procedure. It'll take a several hours though, but you're welcome to watch."
Matako said, "I intend to."
Matako kept her eyes on the doctor at all times. Her ears were constantly aware of any activity at the opposing doors. The hours passed as she kept up this air-tight routine.
An hour into the operation, she asked, "Are you expecting anyone?"
"No. I haven't any appointments. We don't receive many patients as it is. I'm sure you can tell we're understaffed. The entire clinic is going out of business this month."
Oh boy, you're chatty.
The doctor proved true to his estimation when he finished in a three hour period. He peeled off his gloves and rinsed his hands in the stainless steel sink. At last, he turned to his captor saying, "All finished. I gave him a powerful pain killer. He should be waking up any time now."
Matako's mouth slightly opened in relief. If she were to see her reflection in the mirror, she would be surprised to see herself glowing at the news of Takechi's recovery. She hadn't realized it yet… just what the Kiheitai was to her. She diagnosed these occasional feelings as the most basic form of human attachment, nothing more.
Takechi began to stir. He scratched his chest groggily and then wiped his eyes. His strange ovals blinked as they saw the foreign ceiling. The doctor looked over him and smiled.
"It looks like he'll be just fine." he said.
Matako asked, "Is it safe to move him?"
He said, "I'd rather keep him over night, but I suppose if he's up to it, then yes. It's important not to overdo it though."
"Takechi" she said, "Get your lazy butt up. We can't linger here any longer."
The doctor began to rub his hair, seeming quite bothered by her words. He began to examine her with the eye of a physician. Matako crossed her arms and waited impatiently as Henpeita sluggishly sat up.
At last, the medic said, "What about you? You're just as hurt as he was. If you don't receive treatment, it could be serious."
She said, "Forget it. Let's go Senpai!"
The doctor became bolder. He said, "I insist you let me aid you."
Matako scowled and walked up behind him. She placed her pistol to his ear. She asked, "What are you planning? Are you hoping I'm stupid enough to let you treat me? So what's your deal? You knock me out with anesthesia and call the cops? Or just kill me on the operating table?"
"That's not it!" he said, "I swore an oath as a doctor to save everyone who came to me. I can't… I can't just stand aside and do nothing!"
Matako cocked her gun. "You expect me to believe that crap? Why the hell would I trust you? Why would you help me – the person who's threatening your life?"
"So what will you do?" he asked, "Just endure it and hope you get to your destination before the eternal bleeding does you in?"
"And what's the alternative? Put myself at your mercy? Expect that anesthesia-induced old fart to stand guard? Just what do you take me for?"
"I won't make you do anything. I don't expect you to actually trust me. But… I couldn't care less whether you're a criminal, a terrorist, or whatever. You came all this way to treat your friend, disregarding your own health. To me, you just look like someone who is trying to get both of you home safely. I respect that. I understand why you're doing this and that's why I'm willing to help."
"Just listen to him Matako-saaan." said Takechi with a yawn.
"Se-Senpai!" she said angrily.
"I'm fine now so I don't mind keeping guard. And I am experienced in handling firearms."
She thought, "What a lie. Who would buy that?" Nevertheless, her pistol began to slowly falter. Her body was in so much pain she wanted to pass out. She wanted to give in, but she knew better. Somehow though, Takechi and the physician had managed to convince her.
Matako placed her pistols firmly in Takechi's hands. She turned to the doctor and said, "You win."
Matako buttoned up her bra before dressing herself back into her pink kimono. She adjusted the sleeves until it returned to its comfortable fit. Her scarf was still on just as she had demanded. The convulsion in her sides had subsided with the painkillers. She sat herself up and rubbed a hand against her ribs. Barely a trace of damage was left on her midsection. It made her appreciate just how advanced Amanto medicine was.
"You can rest on of the beds if you like." said her doctor.
Matako shook her head and said, "We've already held out here for far too long. Besides, I don't still don't trust you."
"Even after all this?" he asked, "Do you really think that at this point I'd still try to double cross you?"
"I can't… drop my guard. You've already guessed that we're convicts, so that should be enough of a reason why."
"I understand." he said. "I suppose it's pointless to warn you to avoid whatever brought you here in the first place? So then, I'll say this: good luck."
Matako yanked her pistols out of Takechi's feeble fingers. While she placed them back in her holsters, she said, "It's time to leave Senpai."
"Oh? So soon? We should really accept this nice man's invitation to spend the night."
"I said we're going." Kijima said. Takechi wearily cooperated and rose onto his aching joints at the slowest speed possible. Matako was still antsy and showed it by tapping her foot repeatedly. As soon as he was up, she went for the backdoor. Matako thrust her head outside and looked around. An occasional car passed by, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The sirens had long quieted down. She held the door open for Takechi and waited until right before the door revolved shut to turn her head to the side and say, "Thank you."
Author's Note: Even though I now know this situation wouldn't have occurred, I'm still happy I wrote it. I couldn't help but think of what Matako had to go through after all was said and done. We always see the aftermath of the heroes, but what do the villains experience when their plans get foiled? They're human too and have their own struggles.
