Chapter summary: A shitty day stands nothing against the company and presence of friendship… or love.
Warning/s: Mild sexual innuendos. Teenage pregnancy. Hints of abortion. Hints of motor vehicle accident.
. . . . . . . . . . .
AN APPLE A DAY – Chapter 15: Stronger Than You Think
"Mom!" Loud clacking of heels resonated in the Asakura penthouse right above Shimane Medical Foundation's third tower, A.K.A. the 'VIP Tower'. A woman in her mid-forties, dressed in a skirted business suit, emerged from the luxurious halls of their second home.
"Mom, have you reached—"
"Your father has." Asakura Kino's sunglasses, that hid her severely misted eyes, gleamed against the moonlight, as she acknowledged her daughter. "And he reassured him that he was fine."
"I can't believe I saw him on the news that way!" Asakura Keiko still paced uncomfortably next to her mother despite hearing the good news that her son, Yoh, was unharmed. "Did he tell you where he is now?"
"He's headed to his home…" Yohmei responded from the dark corner of the living suite. He glanced at Keiko with a gentle remark, "as where you should be headed, too, dear."
"But father, are you sure you'll be alright?"
The Asakura Patriarch gave an affirmative nod which only allowed his daughter to generate a deep sigh. The youngest occupant of the room walked towards her mother and father to give them a quick peck on their cheeks then disappeared behind the heavy entrance door, but not without saying a few words of concern and a swift worried glance before leaving.
Yohmei cleared his throat. "How is this even possible?"
Kino calmly took a sip from the cup of tea in her hands before arching a brow. "How is what possible?" She knew what her husband was referring to but decided that she wanted him to spend more efforts in clarifying his statement.
"That girl…" the sound of wood hitting marble echoed as Yohmei's walking stick got lifted before its lower tip hit the ground once more. "How did she slip back into Izumo without us even noticing… and as a doctor— employee here, nonetheless!"
Only Kino's loud tea-sipping could be heard for a few seconds. She wanted her husband to finish off his mini monologue first before she took her turn of making the effort in pacifying him. Afterall, the world can't expect that an old lady like her still had that much energy left at that time of the night.
"Hmm… I have not the slightest idea. But I'm sure we'll find out soon."
She continued to drink her tea, unbothered.
. . . . . . . . . . .
A set of keys clattered as they were thrown in a ceramic bowl that also served as a decoration at the entrance to a small apartment. Amongst the other things that accompanied the trinket bowl atop a plain wooden hallway table were a mid-sized, grey, empty vase on the left end, and a white lamp on the right. A large round mirror adorned the wall just above the said decors.
Adjacent to the table was a small wooden bench that was used to store a few pairs of footwear underneath it, for the visitors, and the owner herself.
It only took a faint light from the entryway to illuminate the objects around the nearby rooms— a two-seater sofa accompanied by a low-pile rug and a 30-inch flat TV in the living, and a little round table in the dining room. The kitchen part remained slightly dark as it was situated further inside.
A motorcycle helmet was placed with a careful thud against the dining table.
"No traffic. Can you believe it? There must be really something terribly wrong with today."
It didn't take long until a cushion went flying towards Hao's face.
"OW! What was that for!?"
"I don't spend my days off cleaning around here just to allow your filthy girly boots to disgrace my floor!" Anna tipped over a glass of water to her mouth without even looking at her visitor.
The man looked down at his feet to examine his choice of footwear— tall, black, lace-up boots— before deciding to remove and place them in the middle of the doorway, but he moved them under the bench where all the other shoes were when Anna sent him a death glare.
Hao watched his best friend take off her jacket as she entered her room, not bothering to close the door.
He continued walking around Anna's home, inspecting every little detail he could find, and probably throw shade at.
"I can't believe you still decided to stay here."
After helping himself to a glass of apple juice which was the only thing he could find in her fridge besides microwave lasagna, and bottled water, the long-haired brunette stopped where he was standing after noticing that the TV reflected Anna's silhouette from inside her room. It wasn't very clear, but he was quite sure she saw her pull her scrubs above her head which left her clad only in hear underwear.
Hao had to clear his throat as he reluctantly peeled his eyes away.
"I mean…" He continued as he reached through the small window in the living room and parted the blinds to survey the environment around Anna's apartment as an attempt to divert his thoughts. He then grimaced when welcomed by unsightly views. "Your neighbours could be voyeurs."
Look who's talking?
Silence was the only thing that answered him, apart from the sound of water splashing from the shower, and the noisy pipes behind the thin walls around them.
She must be having a quick shower before bed. He remembered she used to tell him that it was possibly the most common thing done by doctors.
It made sense to him, though. Besides, who doesn't want a woman who's sparkling squeaky clean before bed? He groaned as his mind drifted back to the blonde's sharp curves and shapely ass.
Hao wondered if he, too, needed a shower. A cold one.
He plopped himself on the sofa and turned the television on. He needed a distraction, and he needs it fast!
Flipping through the channels, he managed to see multiple ads. One was for a crispy chicken fast food chain—he gulped in the process and actively waited 'til the end to see if they had food delivery at almost midnight, ready to ask Anna if she wanted some. He cursed when there's none.
Another was about protein shakes and supplements for gym junkies. He snorted at the idea while smoothing his hand onto his well-toned abs. Those stuff are only meant to delude humans who didn't quite win the gene pool for sure, unlike him.
At this point, Hao just kept flipping on through the channels due to boredom while lounging comfortably on Anna's couch, his chin propped on his other hand. Suddenly, he came across a strange ad involving bananas, where there were two attractive young women fooling around in slightly skimpy clothes. They were peeling the bananas agonisingly slow with their dainty hands and tiny—
Hao's eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he realised that he was innocently watching a TV ad for condoms. He hurriedly turned the TV off with beads of sweat forming in his forehead.
Why are humans are so messed up?
"My neighbours are a sweet pensioner couple, thank you very much." The brunette almost jumped from his seat when he heard Anna's voice.
Shifting his gaze towards her didn't help with the situation either.
There she was, standing so close while looking down on him with a passive stare, arms akimbo. The oversized shirt that she wore did so much justice in putting mystery around her petite frame while showcasing her flawless set of legs. A towel was wrapped around her head, but some blonde strands still fell delicately around her face.
They were used to moving around like this whenever they were around each other. For years, they've learned to co-exist like siblings who lived together all their lives.
Anna being a bit reckless with her clothing around him was probably a sign of being too comfortable with each other. Yet again, there are just times like this when he struggled not to harbour any feelings for her best friend… feelings that are certainly not in a brotherly way.
'Wait, was she even wearing any bra?'
He rolled his eyes to mask his internal battle. He couldn't afford to make Anna uncomfortable. Especially not tonight.
"Ts, boring. Any other neighbours? Supermodels, perha— Hey! That was definitely personal!"
Anna threw another item at him which made him spring out from the sofa, this time, a tissue box. He was lucky it was the nearest thing she could grab onto when he spat his nonsense. It was either that, or a hardcover medical textbook.
"I'd happily hurl one of my frying pans at your head if you dare to make another annoying remark." Anna huffed towards the kitchen. "And hang on, why are you still here anyway?" She unknowingly reached for piece of chocolate from her fridge.
They were peanut butter cups, and she can vividly remember who gave them to her.
Her mind went blank.
Hao didn't fail to notice Anna's sudden conflicted posture. He thought she was clearly traumatised from today's events. Well, technically, yesterday's events as he looked at the clock.
"Anna, are you sure you're okay?"
It took a moment before she acknowledged him, and they were locked in an emotional staring contest before she gave an answer.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Anna shrugged, avoiding Hao's gaze, sitting herself in the living room after popping the damned peanut butter cup in her mouth. She tried to look nonchalant by removing the towel from her head to wipe her hair dry.
Hao didn't buy her tone one bit, especially her rigid body language. He removed his jacket, threw it on the floor, and joined her on the sofa.
"What are you doing?" Anna whipped her head to face her friend.
"I'm tired. I don't wanna drive now. I'll leave a bit later." Hao declared half a lie, lounging himself comfortably and pretending that he was getting ready for sleep.
Did he just invite himself to stay in her apartment?
"I don't have a spare room, Hao."
"You can sleep on the couch while I take your bed. Unless… you wanna join me there?" he joked, trying to keep a serious face on.
Hao opened an eye to peep around due to the sudden silence. He had to make sure Anna wasn't holding a frying pan in her hands, ready to swat his head to oblivion like she said so. He could never be too sure when he's around her. This woman is so capable of anything, she could be secretly running North Korea behind their backs.
But instead of snarky comments and some stingy bits of 'physical abuse', he heard and felt nothing else but Anna's deep sigh as her head rested against his shoulder.
The sweet scent of cherry blossoms from her shampoo and her peculiar warmth invaded his senses, and he fought the urge to encircle his arm around her just to draw her in for a tight never-ending embrace.
The brunette was almost sure his friend already fell into slumber.
They were used to these kinds of nights, anyway. Whether she had a shitty turn, or he had a pretty bad one, they knew they could always lean on each other's shoulders at the end of the day no matter what.
"Why did you come to the hospital?" she murmured, voice stifled against his arm.
"Anna, in case you didn't know, your face was all over the news."
"But to risk seeing your family? I thought you weren't ready for that?"
"Yeah. They weren't there. I saw him, though."
Of course, Anna knew who Hao was pertaining to. She didn't want to comment on it, but he went on with his story.
"He was standing at the lobby when I arrived to get you…"
If there was anything else that Yoh observed while his world swirled into chaos, it was probably how the people around them, employees and visitors alike, also stopped to witness the scene, some of which, were already gushing about the arrival of the older Asakura; but above anything, it was how Anna seemed to reciprocate Hao's gestures with ease.
Hao was whispering something in her ear, but Yoh couldn't make up what it was due to the distance between them.
And as if an invisible force had dared to notify him, Hao lifted his gaze and met with Yoh's chestnut orbs. The similar set of eyes he himself bore.
They only stood there, neither one moving an inch.
With the way Yoh had all the shock and misperception etched on his face, Hao construed that his twin was either too stunned to see him in the flesh after six years, or he was too heartbroken to see him so close to Anna.
Either way, he knew this day was coming inevitably.
It was just the perfect recipe for disaster.
"Great…" Anna's voice shook Hao from his memories. "Now the two of you can catch-up."
Hao threw her a mundane side stare. "I don't think that's possible without us trying to punch each other's faces first."
"He misses you more than you know. And you know you miss him, too."
Anna's words caught Hao off-guard.
"Wait a minute, whose team are you on again?"
"Hmm…" She chose to ignore his question by leaning her body comfortably towards him, preparing to sleep with a smirk. "Be a good pillow, Hao."
The brunette produced a scandalous breath. Truly, he loved Anna dearly, but sometimes, she's the most annoying, obnoxious, and stubborn woman in the world.
Well, joke's on him.
. . . . . . . . . . .
"Yoh… Yoh…" A weak male voice was calling his name.
In the background, there were several other men calling out. They kept asking if he was okay or that if he was hurt, and he didn't realise soon enough why.
Yoh sluggishly peered his eyes open but not without much difficulty. He could feel warm liquid trickle down from his temple, and he was more than sure that it was his own blood, only that he didn't have enough energy to bother about it.
There was an immense radiating heat that lingered against his whole body, and that was when he realised that there was a car wreckage set ablaze just a few feet away from him.
Fighting the dizziness out of his system, he looked up the sky and was met with darkness. A few stars illuminated the heavens poorly, yet there were scary shadows that were formed by the adjacent inferno.
"Yoh," the nearest voice said once again.
Pushing himself up that felt like separating his head forcefully from his body, he immediately recognised his uncle, and he didn't look quite well the way he was he was sprawled and unmoving on the dirt.
"Silva!" His head pounded painfully when he said the name.
"Hey, buddy, you alright?" Silva coughed vigorously, and it sounded like he splattered up some blood, too. His cyanotic hands didn't sit well with Yoh's intuition.
Sluggishly reaching Silva's side, Yoh noticed that there was another person lying unconscious next to his uncle— a woman. She had one of her hands linked with Silva's, never letting go despite clearly being semi-conscious.
Next thing he knew, he was indecisively staring at some hard box containing several medical paraphernalia. An intubation kit?
All by himself? But how?
He was only a Medical Intern.
He could remember the foreboding feeling of doom, and whether it was due to the pressing matters around him, or to his lack of confidence in his own medical skills and knowledge, he couldn't put his finger on.
The was a helicopter flying above them, but it was taking too long to even get near their location. It was something about a difficulty to establish an extraction point and whatnot.
Yoh offered to help Silva, but the other insisted to treat the woman first despite the clear signs of him struggling to breathe.
And Yoh did it.
Albeit taking forever, he managed to perform a blind intubation on Silva's companion. He even saw Silva flashing a contented smile as if to cheer him on for a job well done as the paramedics finally reached them, taking the woman to safety.
Things were hazy in Yoh's mind, but the one thing he could remember was that he rushed back to Silva to give him aide.
To his horror, one member of the paramedics, who was already by Silva's side raised his fist with his thumb facing down as he heard him say "black."
Everything went down the drain when Yoh kept yelling his uncle's name.
He then felt a few sets of hands trying to drag him away before a loud explosion happened and before his vision went dark.
"Silva!" Half of his body got sprung out of bed. Sweat was ridden all over his face and he felt the cold dripping down his spine. His breaths were the only one audible within the stillness in his room except for the subtle rain that competed with the rumble in his chest.
Yoh's hand reached to brush his face, trying to bring in some calm and to help adjust his eyes through the darkness.
It wasn't the first time he dreamt of that night. In fact, he saw it almost every evening when he was sent to America. But what baffled him most was that he hasn't seen that nightmare for more than a year now, especially when he came back to Japan.
So why now?
He exhaled weakly; a sad smile adorned his lips for remembering Silva.
His blanket slid down from his bare chest and proceeded to cover only his hips. Sitting at the edge of his bed, he took a quick glance at his clock that said nine-O-five A.M.
A groan escaped him. He loved remembering his uncle—their strong bond and friendship. Heck, Silva was more of the dad figure for him than his own father. But he wished he could extract more of his good memories rather than the morbid ones.
'And who the hell was that woman? Where is she right now?'
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to remember her face or even her name. He recollected the moments when Silva introduced them to each other for the first time, but he can't seem to recall all those details.
All he could evoke from his memories were that the lady was blonde. She had soft features and a gentle smile. So much like—
Yoh felt the heavy cloud of frustration above him once again and he winced as his thoughts travelled from one idea to the other.
He could have saved Silva.
If he knew what he was doing back then, he definitely would've saved more than one life that night.
All because he's too slow.
Too weak.
Too underserving.
He could literally hear the whole world whispering against him, but he didn't let the dark voices stop him.
Standing up and causing his blanket to reveal his body only clad in boxers, he grabbed his robe to shield his body from the harsh cold of the early morning.
Today was another day of battling through his demons.
But like any other day, he got up stronger than ever to prove them wrong.
. . . . . . . . . . .
They said pursed lip breathing was supposed to help with anxiety, but it sure wasn't working today.
Anna, or rather, Dr. Kyouyama Anna has roamed along the pristine halls of Shimane Medical Foundation for almost a year now, worked with all sorts of people employed in the same workplace, and even got involved with two life-threatening incidents of aggression towards a medical staff over the course of her re-employment.
Yet, why is it, that even after effectively learning the ins and outs of the Pediatric ward by working there for a week as an Apprentice Pediatric Surgeon, she still had the butterflies in her stomach every time she came to work?
Was it because of the weird looks that she was getting from some of the staff members when she passed by?
Was it the sweet talks and special treatment she was receiving from her other colleagues, especially the males?
Or was it—
"Hi, doc!" one circulating nurse chirped.
"Good morning, Doctor Asakura," another greeted.
Anna straightened up unconsciously, putting her most passive face that she could muster. She noticed that her hands shook a little, and so she tightened her hold on the clean surgical gown which she held ready within her grasp.
Yoh bowed politely towards each member of the surgical team—the three nurses with different roles, the Anesthesiologist, the Surgical Tech— with both his hands remaining raised at the same height of his chest.
There was a slight pause of entrancement with just about a split-second difference before he greeted Anna, and he hoped no one noticed it, but he could only wish. Ever since the big incident on the hospital's rooftop, he and Anna have been gossip-filled eye candies, oozing with juicy mystery for most of their colleagues.
"Good morning, Doctor Kyouyama," Yoh regarded, eyes not leaving hers as he made a curt bow.
Anna returned the gesture with a small bow and a whisper of "good morning," whilst unable to maintain eye contact.
Yet again, there was a couple of seconds filled with awkward silence until Anna realised that everyone was waiting for her to assist Yoh into his surgical gown, mask and sterile gloves. She mentally uttered multiple curses as she hurriedly unfolded the gown, careful not to break its sterility.
She kept questioning in her mind on why the hell Yoh had to be assisted into his surgical suit now that it was her first day to assist him directly in a surgery as his apprentice. She's seen him don his own surgical suit before, so why the hell does she have to do it for him now?
Anna noticed Yoh was now standing less than a meter in front of her, breaking her inner monologue. He had a stupid smirk, which she would gladly wipe off from his face with her bare hands if she wasn't trying to maintain surgical sterility.
He towered over her due to the immense difference in their heights, therefore, she had to tip toe for her hands to slide the gown's neckline up to his shoulders after he has thrusted both his hands inside the sleeves, placing his arms on both sides of her upper torso, almost enveloping her in an embrace.
Anna felt warmth rush to her cheeks with the sudden close proximity of their faces as Yoh bent slightly to accommodate her. Both of them skilfully manoeuvred their bodies to avoid direct touching prohibited zones that may antagonise the rules of sterile technique.
The circulating nurse went to tie the gown's strings behind Yoh's neck and back, then waited patiently for Anna to hand her the half ends of the gown's belt.
As expected, Anna grabbed the belt and wrapped the strings on the front half of Yoh's waist in order to hand them to the circulating nurse at Yoh's back for secure tying. This time, it was her who seemed to be trapping him in a low hug, and the worst part was Yoh was being smug about it by keeping his wide grin!
Oh, how she really wanted to break the rules just to slap him hard. Instead, she grabbed the surgical mask and immediately plastered it onto the lower half of Yoh's face, grateful, now that she had his annoying smirk hidden from her view… and his chiselled jaw.
Grabbing one of the sterile gloves and stretching its opening to accommodate Yoh's left hand, Anna felt a surge of electricity hit her when their hands brushed against one another through the thin latex material. It happened the second time when she assisted him with his right glove, all while she admired how sexy his huge and veiny hands looked right before he shoved it in the stretchy material that slapped against his slightly tanned skin.
Yoh cleared his throat while Anna felt the need to swallow her saliva.
"Everyone, I take it that you have all met Doctor Kyouyama," he nodded his head towards the blonde, and everybody acknowledged with a "yes" in unison. "Today will be her first day officially assisting me in a surgery under my supervision… so let's help her have a great time."
Then came Yoh's chuckle that everybody loves, and it caused their colleagues to cheer on enthusiastically.
Whether she admits it or not, Anna was touched with Yoh's level of professionalism and his warmth towards all of the surgical team members. He has never changed in that aspect, and she thanked the heavens for it, even though she was one to fall as a victim by his irresistible charms.
"So… laparoscopic cholecystectomy on a thirteen-year-old. No other co-morbidities." Yoh flashed his wide grin at his team. "This must be a walk in the park for us, yeah?"
The staff chuckled as they seemed to wait for Yoh to say something.
"Hm, I'd say… gimme five."
"Oooh," the nurses, and even the Anesthesiologist murmured, looking at each other in awe.
Anna wrinkled her forehead with confusion.
Yoh said the famous expression, yet no one dared to slap their palms against his in an attempt to, well, 'give him five'.
Yoh didn't fail to notice Anna's countenance. His smile grew bigger behind his mask.
"Nurse Momo, it's your turn to pick the playlist today," Doctor Sana, the Anesthesiologist, prompted.
The circulating nurse excitedly picked up the smart tablet that laid at the corner of the room and showed the playlist of her choice to the members inside the room, hoping for Yoh's approval.
"Perfect!" the surgeon remarked.
Anna rolled her eyes when the nurse produced a high-pitched squeal in delight. She didn't understand a thing that was happening around her and nobody dared to explain it to her either, so she felt alienated in a way.
After Doctor Sana gave the thumbs up from her side of things, a familiar pop melody echoed within the room and Anna's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Even in my heart I see
You're not bein' true to me
Deep within my soul I feel
Nothing's like it used to be
"Scalpel…" Yoh mumbled confidently while bopping his head in sync with the beat, his gloved hand raised, patiently waiting for Anna to place the needed surgical instrument in his palm.
Sometimes I wish I could turn back time
Impossible as it may seem
But I wish I could so bad, baby
Shaking her thoughts off, Anna managed to hand the scalpel to the operating surgeon and without thinking twice, he proceeded to make tiny incisions, causing blood to ooze out of the patient's abdomen.
"Quit playin' games with my heart…" Yoh sang out of the blue, and Anna almost jumped from where she was. If she didn't know that it was the actual lyrics to the song, then she would've thought he directed it towards her.
The guys in the room whistled at their singing doctor.
(Quit playin' games with my heart) With my heart
(Before you tear us apart) My heart
Quit playin' games with my heart
"I should've known from the start…" he went on with the procedure, hands gliding smoothly over their patient, as if he could do it with his eyes closed.
(You know you've gotta stop) From my heart
(You're tearin' us apart) My heart, my heart
Quit playin' games with my heart
I live my life the way
To keep you comin' back to me
"Suction," Yoh's voice was barely heard due to his mask and the background music, but Anna was still attentive as ever, even though her focus was now severely divided due to her colleagues' antics.
Everything I do is for you
So what is it that you can't see?
Sometimes I wish I could turn back time
Anna could tell that the other members of the operating team were now getting hyped. They must have done this before.
And why not?
They say people with high intelligence usually become adept to music. So, it's not surprising that a room full of well-educated people would enjoy listening to their jam while doing their jobs when given the chance, no?
Impossible as it may seem
But I wish I could so bad, baby
"You'd better quit playin' games with my heart…" Yoh sang with more dedication, even tapping his foot.
Did he have to put so much emphasis when he muttered the words: 'playing' and 'games'? 'Cause honestly, what is he playing at right now?
The nurses, Doctor Sana and even the Surgical Tech joined in singing—no—screaming the chorus.
Anna wanted to just drop everything and leave. Leave that room for good. Screw Yoh and screw all their colleagues for acting like complete idiots while at work.
They were operating on a kid, for the love of God!
Was this all a joke to them?
"Baby, baby, the love that we had was so strong… Don't leave me hangin' here forever!" The staff members guffawed when Yoh's voice cracked, but he couldn't care less. He was enjoying what he was doing and that's what mattered most.
Anna bit her lip to stop herself from chuckling at her ex's childish tricks. So instead, she sent daggers while glaring at the oblivious singing surgeon while he proceeded to work his way onto the patient's abdominal cavity.
"Oh baby, baby, this is not alright, let's stop this tonight." He sent her a wink as he asked her to suction once more.
Anna could only heave a sigh of annoyance. This will be the longest operation she'll ever attend in her life.
. . . . . . . . . . .
A tall gentleman with platinum hair, dressed in a complete formal suit, climbed the stage to stand at the podium.
The busy chatter, shutter sounds and the camera flash within the conference hall gradually died down as the man cleared his throat.
"Now that everyone's settling down, we would like to apologise that our dear Chairman, Doctor Asakura Yohmei, would not be joining us tonight due to conflict in schedules." Some attendees of the press conference became vocal about their dismay, but Amidamaru didn't let that distract him.
"Despite his absence, we are still confident that we will be able to answer all your questions, so please welcome one of A-Health's directors, Doctor Asakura Keiko."
Keiko did not disappoint the moment she took hold of the stage. Dressed in a white suit and skirt, red pumps, and with her long brown hair secured by a bow, she held an aura of accountability and authority in front of Shimane Medical Foundation's board, some politicians and members of the media.
"Good day, everyone," she greeted with such grace despite the blinding flash photography from the crowd. "Anyone who'd like to ask a question, kindly raise your hand. I will try my best to cater to your inquiries, but please remember to be respectful with one another." She raised her head to scan her surroundings.
"Let us start."
. . . . . . . . . . .
She gets it.
What Yoh meant when he said "gimme five," was to give him five songs... because he aimed to finish the surgery by then.
This arrogant son of a gun.
'Why is he so obsessed with finishing-up procedures that quick anyway?' Anna mused, annoyed.
"Do you want to do it?"
"Huh?"
Her thoughts dissolved into thin air once again when she saw Yoh's inquisitive eyes directed at her. His hands were readily offering her the surgical tools needed to completely sever the gallbladder from their patient's anatomy.
"A-are you sure, Doctor Asakura?" She almost called him by his first name in front of everyone and she winced inwardly. And did she stutter, really?
She was glad that Yoh just shrugged and continued to hand her the instruments.
Anna walked over to Yoh' side of the operating table, then took the scalpel and laparoscope with a little trepidation, but she didn't let it show, even though she knew all eyes remained on her as Yoh let her take charge of the operation.
She was careful, exercising the standard procedures before moving forward. Despite having experience performing a number of surgeries before, it was her first time to do a gallbladder removal, especially on a child, and that was enough to make her extra cautious.
Yoh gave Anna enough room to work her magic but kept himself on stand-by to assist whenever Anna needs him. His eyes focused on the screen that was connected to the laparoscope's camera.
About to make the move in slicing off some of the tissues to sever the said organ, Anna mobilised her dominant hand, but she halted when Yoh abruptly called out her name.
'Did he just—'
Yoh didn't even notice.
Instead, he reached out to her from behind, albeit still careful for his front torso not to touch her back for maintaining a sterile field, both his hands guided hers to the section where he prefers to cut the organ from.
"There." It sounded almost like a whisper.
Anna didn't even know how she left her concentration unfazed with Yoh so close behind her, and with the way his palms enclosed her hands, and right in front of everybody's eyes, too!
She practically had to control her erratic breathing so as to not let it become obvious.
Sadness is beautiful
Loneliness, that's tragical
So help me, I can't win this war, oh no
Touch me now, don't bother
If every second, it makes me weaker
You can save me from the man I've become
For the first time in that day, Anna was thankful for the music coming from the speakers.
On the other hand, silence spread amongst the people in the room while the attending surgeon and his assist became busy in their own world.
The current song still blared from the background.
Yoh noticed the difference in the air when he stepped away to let Anna perform the surgery.
"Looking back on the things I've done. I was tryin' to be someone. Played my part, kept you in the dark…" he pointed at the Surgical Tech to finish the song, and partly to alleviate his colleagues' shocked mood and to divert the others' attention. "Sir Stephen, take it away."
"Now let me show you the shape of my heart…" the other guy in the room chanted in panic.
Anna inhaled. She almost forgot about the challenge and the exasperating lyrics.
Thank God, it was the third song.
. . . . . . . . . . .
"Madam Keiko," one of the interviewers started. "We are aware of the multiple expansions and milestones that were initiated and attained by A-Health for the past few years. How confident are you that Shimane Medical Foundation will maintain its high ranks in terms of trust and reliability, as rated by the public? Also, are there other plans in terms of improving the other branches of A-Corp namely: A-Energy and A-Land?"
Asakura Keiko flashed a confident smile.
"Well, I can proudly say that Shimane Medical Foundation remains as the leading tertiary hospital in all of Shimane Prefecture, and we are lucky to have the continuous support from the public, our clients, and our marvellous team that maintain this institution the number one up to present times. We promise to strive in maintaining the world class service and to seek for continuous improvements in the areas that we are lacking."
She took a pause to breathe.
"And aside from another project waiting for approval from A-Health's board, the Children's Medical Foundation," she nodded towards the members of the board that were seated at the front row. "A-Energy is currently working in partnership with three of our country's biggest renewable energy companies to upscale the use of solar, wind, and hydropower within our region, and in Japan as a whole. On the other hand, A-Land has just extended its business projects to Tokyo and Nagoya."
The interviewer bowed to say thanks and sat on his chair contentedly.
"Next question, please," Amidamaru prompted the crowd.
One of the audiences indicated that they wanted to speak so a microphone was handed to her.
"Good day, madam. Dong HonHon from Red Crimson Media. I have about three questions for you today, is that alright?" A young lady wearing a scarf that concealed the lower half of her face, stood up and bowed at Keiko and the latter responded serenely.
"That's absolutely fine. Fire away."
"What are your thoughts on the rumours about A-Corp wielding some of its finances from…" she cleared her throat, "other sources."
Keiko's face reflected confusion. "Hmm, I am not sure about what you mean. Could you please rephrase the question?"
"I mean, some of our sources tipped us that A-Corp allegedly acquires almost sixty percent of its billion-dollar revenue through questionable ways. Some of those backed by the Yakuza."
Keiko's face paled.
Some audible gasps echoed in the room and the reporters became more attentive than usual.
She has heard of such hearsays before, but they were mere gossips and possibly black propaganda formulated by their competitors in the business industry. Still, she didn't let the question deter her calm.
"First of all, HonHon-san, I would very much like to speak with your sources regarding this if possible. And second, I believe these reports have been circulating around the media for quite some time now, yet up to this point, none of these have been proven to be true. Ergo, there will be no point in discussing this topic at this time."
A knowing spark exuded from HonHon's eye and with a small smirk, she carried on with her next interrogation.
"Thank you. For my second question… everyone in this room must be aware of last week's hostage-taking incident that occurred at the rooftop of this very hospital involving two of your staff members…"
Keiko narrowed her eyes at her interviewer's prelude while awaiting her full question.
"Which gives us the impression that while Shimane Medical Foundation remains at the top of its league, it also seems to be a magnet for controversial events… such as the famous malpractice and negligence case that blew up in the news six years ago."
More reactions—vocal and physical—came from the attendees.
The members of the board appeared uncomfortable in their seats. Amongst the crowd, a few faces drew satisfied mischievous grins, rejoicing in silence about the scandalous questions being thrown at a member of the Asakura family.
A flicker of panic hit Keiko and it caused her mood to turn sour all of a sudden.
"With all due respect Ms. Dong, accidents and unforeseeable crisis may occur at any time or at any place. This does not warrant any evidence that these events are all corelated, or worse, anticipated."
This fuelled HonHon even more. "Hm. Spoken like a lawyer. Thank you, madam." Her voice was laced with sarcasm that could cut through the atmosphere. "And for my last question…"
She stared at Keiko directly into her eyes.
"What can you say about Asakura Hao's return?"
And that's when Keiko lost it.
The woman had her words stuck in her throat. Her body glued to the ground, not being able to move an inch due to surprise.
Was Hao—her son—was he really back?
Why didn't she know about any of this?
Around her, the crowd also went feral. Several members of the media where vigorously raising and waving their hands to indicate that they wanted to ask questions next. The camera flashes and shutter sounds went on aggressively.
Amidamaru was preparing to end the press conference abruptly. He could always give a fake reason such as reaching the time limit, but then an unexpected attendee turned up in the room, escorted by a nurse.
Asakura Yohmei excused himself over the microphone which did not fail to get everyone's attention. Making a small nod to everyone in attendance, he faced Dong HonHon whilst propped at the podium.
"I shall be the one to answer your question, if you don't mind, Ms. Dong."
. . . . . . . . . . .
Judging by Yoh's (and her) pace with the procedure, they might finish the surgery just in time for the final song.
They just finished more than four agonizing minutes— with its even more agonizing lyrics— listening to a song entitled 'Drowning,' by the same boy band.
For some reason, Anna now wanted to strangle the lady who previously chose their playlist of the day. Why couldn't they listen to Taylor Swift so at least she could have the upper hand in sending cryptic messages to Yoh using songs?
Was it just her? Or did that idiot seem to enjoy every single word from the lyrics?
She had a hard time understanding because Yoh was never the petty type to do something like this, but she can agree that sometimes, he can be infuriatingly persistent when he wants to, especially when he had his heart set onto something.
"Now I can see that we've fallen apart, from the way that it used to be, yeah… No matter the distance, I want you to know, that deep down inside of me…"
Anna watched as Yoh struggled to prevent himself from using the laparoscope as if it was a karaoke mic. He pointed at the circulating nurse to continue the sing-along whilst he commenced stitching up the patient with skilful speed and precision.
You are my fire
The one desire
"You are…"
"You are…"
"You are…"
"You are…"
Four different persons sang alternately, and their voices were surprisingly in-sync.
Then out of the blue, Yoh blurted out with more feelings, fist raised up in the air and eyes closed, "Don't wanna hear you say, ain't nothin' but a heartache!"
And the whole surgical team joined in like a group of mad pirates, except Anna.
'Oh, dear gods. Help me.'
Anna literally wanted to disappear from there like a bursting bubble.
Ain't nothin' but a mistake (don't wanna hear you say)
I never wanna hear you say (oh, yeah)
I want it that way
"Tell me why…" The male surgeon chirped, in a high mood, as he already know for sure that he will win the challenge.
"Ain't nothin' but a heartache…"
"Ain't nothin' but a mistake…"
It was a masterpiece, and every member of the team seemed to know that they should sing a line or two once Yoh pointed his finger at them, as the song neared its end.
"Tell me why…"
"I never wanna hear you say (don't wanna hear you say)"
"I want it that way… Dr. Kyouyama, can you finish up for me?"
Anna was totally oblivious until she heard Yoh address her and until she saw all the expectant faces of her workmates turned towards her.
To her luck, her panic won, so she did the most unexpected thing in the universe: sing the last liner.
"'Cause I want it that way."
The whole room cheered as if they all won the lottery, and Anna was left flabbergasted.
Her eyes dropped down to Yoh's hands that were seemingly offering her a pair of needle drivers from the suture kit.
'Oh.'
He meant finishing up the stitches. Not the song.
As speechless as Anna was, she painstakingly watched Asakura Yoh gave her a final wink before turning his back against her. He left without another word after thanking and excusing himself from the team.
The blonde looked down at the instruments in her hands, struggling to contain her mixed emotions. But if there was one thing that surprised her most amongst all the events that happened to her on that day so far, it was the smile that inevitably escaped her lips.
Since when did Yoh become such the smoothest jerk?
'For a long time now. He left you, remember?'
And just like that, the voice in her head stole from her that short moment of bliss.
. . . . . . . . . . .
It was almost six in the evening when Anna finished her job for the day.
She couldn't quite pinpoint it but, even though she was so used to getting off work tired and forlorn, there was something about today that seemed to drain all her energy.
She needed to go home, stat. She needed to start filling her bathtub with her favourite self-care products and indulge in a night of zen and peace.
Or maybe she needed a drink. A hard one.
She wast caught up in her own train of thoughts that she almost didn't notice a familiar teenage girl waving at her as she passed by the hospital's garden. Anna slowed down as she let the girl catch-up to her.
Watching the young patient struggle with starting her speech, the blonde doctor initiated the conversation whilst prompting both of them to sit on the nearby wooden bench.
"It's Eira, right?"
The patient's eyes widened, surprised that Anna actually remembered her name, and she could only come up with an enthusiastic nod.
Anna smiled at her softly. "How are you doing right now?"
The young lady had her lips curl in a shy smile as her hand unconsciously touched her belly. "Besides from being nauseous most of the time, I f-feel better, I guess."
Words weren't needed for Anna to notice how the teenager seemed to have a lot going on in her mind. But her next few words surprised her when she unexpectedly called her name.
"Doctor Anna, I…" Eira looked away briefly before gazing back into Anna's eyes that were brimming with compassion. "I wanted to thank you… you know… for saving my life."
It was one of the numerous unexpected events in Kyouyama Anna's life in just one day, all she could do was to encourage her companion let it all out.
"I just… I'm not sure what t-t-to do now mov-ing forward." The young lady clutched the hem of her hospital gown.
And again, Anna didn't need further words to understand what the other meant. With the manner of how she conceived, it isn't a surprise that such negative thoughts will enter her mind.
"It's not your fault, and it's definitely not your child's fault. You were both just victims of a messed-up situation, started by a heartless person, and I can perfectly understand your thoughts and feelings about this…" Anna caged Eira's hand in hers which prompted the teenager to lift her chin up and gaze into her eyes. She wanted to say: 'a fucked-up situation', but she held her tongue. She was talking with a minor, after all. "But listen to me very carefully, Eira. No matter what others do or say to you, only you have the power to control your life. Even with whatever advice I give you right now, only you can make the final decision. However…" Anna squeezed the delicate hand in her grasp, "please do yourself a favour and make a decision that your future self will definitely thank your current self for."
Anna fought her own tears from falling when the younger one sobbed against her shoulder. She wished she had a similar feminine presence back then when everything in her life seemed as if it was falling apart. Someone who could've said the same words to her younger self. Perhaps a mother, or a sister.
"Shh… it's okay. You got this. You're stronger than you think."
Eira continued to cry while Anna soothed her back with her therapeutic touch.
Unbeknownst to the two, Asakura Yoh had unintentionally eavesdropped on their conversation as he was conveniently lying on the grass just a couple of meters away from them, hidden from view by a nearby bush.
The whole place was comfortingly quiet, so it wasn't really hard to hear every word that the two ladies said.
As if on cue, Yoh's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he thanked the gods that it was on silent mode, otherwise, he will be two seconds away from being murdered by Anna when she sees him there.
It was a text message sent by Ren inviting him out for a few drinks with the boys. It reminded him that it was actually the weekend. However, he wasn't really feeling like going out due to this horrible feeling in his gut after remembering how sad Anna looked when she was conversing with her young patient.
About to send a reply to politely decline Ren's invite, Yoh ceased all movement halfway through when he read Ren's follow-up message:
Jeanne says Lyserg's back.
. . . . . . . . . . .
A/N: Quick update? And eight thousand words. Wow. Even I surprised myself with this one. Well, you have no idea how much I'd like to escape my reality right now. Just got out of the hospital and things currently suck IRL right now, but I've used the mixed emotions to fuel this madness. I even made myself cry with Anna and (OC) Eira's dialogue. Excuse my dramatic ass.
Before anything else, please allow me to say that this is how I'd always envision how Hao and Anna's dynamics would be if they were actually close and were not trying to murder each other. The lighter side of it, at least. Can't wait for you to see the, ehem, *coughs* dark side. Muahahahaha!
FYI, my inspo for Yoh's 'singing challenge' during surgery came from the movie, 'Dr. Strange' (2016) and the series, 'Broklyn 99', combined. Go
Song Playlist (90's babies, make some noise!):
Quit Playing Games with My Heart – Backstreet Boys
Shape of My Heart – Backstreet Boys
I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys
DISCLAIMER: The procedures, interventions and other medical-related stuff mentioned in this work of fiction is based on professional medical knowledge but does not necessarily reflect all medical practices everywhere. Certain circumstances and facts may vary in different settings.
Medical Terminologies/ Abbreviations:
Cyanotic – Bluish skin color due to decreased amounts of oxygen circulating in the blood.
Black (in triage) –Triage is the preliminary assessment of patients or casualties in order to determine the urgency of their need for treatment and the nature of treatment required. Whereas 'red' means 'immediate', 'yellow' means delayed, 'green' means 'minor' and 'black' means 'deceased' or severely injured, they would not survive the current medical treatment available.
Pursed Lip Breathing - A breathing technique that involves inhaling slowly through the nose and exhaling slowly through pursed lips. It can help you slow your breathing, inhale or exhale more air, make you breaths more effective and reduce stress.
Surgical sterility/ Sterile Technique) - involves the use of specific actions and activities to maintain sterility and prevent contamination of the sterile field and sterile items during operative and other invasive procedures.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy – A surgical procedure to remove the gall bladder using a laparoscope (a thin tube with a small camera at the tip). The surgeon will make 4 small incisions (usually around and inch long each) on the abdominal area instead of a bigger incision in the middle of the abdomen.
