Chapter 11: Priorities
His first instinct was to take Kaito home, to treat his wounds himself and wrap his boy in the comfort and safety of the familiar, but logic forced him to push such thoughts aside. Kaito needed real medical attention, seeing as Toichi had no idea how extensive the damage truly might or might not be, and such violence, when inflicted upon one as young, thin and small as Kaito, could have disastrous and unusual effects. Toichi knew a thing or two about treating wounds, but he wasn't a pediatrician: He didn't know the complexities of a young, growing body, and wouldn't dare risk his son's health just to save face in front of an acquaintance.
With these thoughts in mind, Toichi headed for the one place he knew he could take his boy. As the Kaitou 1412, he lived a dangerous life, and Chikage had introduced him to the doctor she had sought out on the rare occasions she had been injured as the Phantom Lady while visiting Japan in the old days. An acquaintance of hers by the name of Doctor Fujiwara, who owned a very small, very private, and very well-funded clinic that was open at all times. Thus-far Toichi had never needed to visit the man for treatment, any minor injuries he'd managed to collect as a Kaitou having been dealt with by himself and Chikage, and the doctor had no knowledge of Toichi's personal life and identity, aside from the fact that the Kaitou 1412 and Phantom Lady had an intimate relationship. He'd only met this doctor a handful of times, and so was reluctant to take his son to the man, but he honestly didn't have any other choice, and he was at least confident that the doctor would treat his son with the upmost discretion.
Toichi continued his course to where he knew the clinic was, well-hidden in the warehouse district of Kita-ku, just off the Ara River. He was thankful that, it being just past midnight, there were few cars out and about, and he could cut swiftly and smoothly through the night.
On his way, Toichi glanced at his son every few moments, noting that Kaito had fallen into what appeared to be a restless slumber, the boy's brow knitted in pain and sweat accumulating on his pale forehead.
Toichi gulped and reached for a compartment in the car, pulling out a small earpiece and mic, pressing it to his ear before dialing a number on the center consul. The phone rang for a few moments before being picked up.
"Moshi-moshi?" A happy, radiant voice responded.
"…. Chikage." Though he'd only said her name, the Phantom Lady could instantly hear the slightest of trembles in her husband's voice; a tremble which she'd never heard in the entire time she'd known him, and instantly she was more afraid then she'd ever been in her entire life. Her name alone conveyed a number of thoughts: I screwed up, it's bad, I'm afraid. Come home. We need you.
She tried desperately to keep her lip from trembling as she spoke: "Where's Kaito?"
"I have him," Toichi assured. "He'll live." Or, at the very least, Toichi couldn't even imagine that he wouldn't.
Chikage nodded, though her husband couldn't see it, before replying with one final "I'm coming". She hung up and Toichi let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, looking to his son again and again over the remainder of the drive.