May 9th, 2016: Monday
"You know, I don't think you've ever looked rested when you come into my clinic. You always look like you want to pass out and die."
Akira grinned as he rubbed at his nose. Takemi was already in the waiting room when he got here and, true to form, she didn't mince words. "Well, mid-terms are coming up. No rest for the wicked, as they say."
That wasn't exactly untrue. Exams were on the horizon, and between the Phantom Thievery, the juggling of multiple jobs, and helping Sakura-san around the café, it left very little time to sleep.
On the plus side, Kamoshida was awaiting trial as they spoke. Whatever they did with his Treasure worked. He confessed the day he was supposed to get the three of them expelled.
Now they were officially the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. They were the talk of the town. Or school, rather, though their trip to that expensive restaurant showed that even the upper class like those guys had heard of them.
However, that didn't change one very important fact: Still no time for sleep.
"And I'm to assume you'll properly rest when mid-terms are done?"
"Will you believe me if I say yes?"
Takemi rolled her eyes. "I know it's none of my concern, but a proper sleep schedule is key to good health. I know school is important, but that should come first."
"I know a lot of people who'd disagree with you."
"And those people are idiots." She shook her head and gathered her clipboard. "Whatever. We have a clinical trial to do and—"
Without warning, the door to the waiting room burst open and a man carrying a small girl in his arms came rushing in. He looked around frantically before his eyes fell on Takemi. He shouldered past Akira and came to a stop in front of her.
"Are you the doctor here?" he asked.
If Takemi was taken off guard by the man, she didn't show it. "I am."
Relief wasn't the word Akira would use to describe the expression on the man's face, but he didn't run away. "Can you examine my little girl? She's sick."
"Why come here? Aren't you under the care of another hospital?"
"I've… I've heard rumors about this place." He set his daughter down on one of the chairs and stepped back. "I'd like you to examine her, please. She was diagnosed with bronchitis, but none of the medication has been working. She still has a fever and she's not eating. She's been losing weight…"
The father stopped and brought his hand to his mouth. Tears threatened to pour over. The daughter leaned forward, clutching her stomach, and whimpered.
"That is definitely not a good sign…" Takemi furrowed her brow. "But you should go to a different hospital, a bigger one with better equipment. I can't provide you a thorough examination here."
"We've been to another hospital!" the father snapped. Akira flinched back, but Takemi was undaunted. "It was the university hospital in East Shinjuku and none of the medicine has helped her! I've brought her there three time, but they keep saying the same thing, that it's persistent bronchitis, but nothing's worked!"
Takmei paused for a brief moment and her eyes widened. "A university hospital in East Shinjuku?"
"Yes. The doctor there is like a machine or a factory, he works like his patients are nothing more than some assembly line. For being famous, he's left a lot to be desired."
"A famous doctor, huh?"
Takemi rubbed the back of her neck and glanced down at the girl. Akira could see the conflict behind her eyes, but there was something there blocking it, a wall.
"I'm just a general practitioner out here in the sticks. I mean, I don't even really have any other staff."
The father rushed her, his eyes wide and pleading. "W-Wait!"
Akira nearly sprung into action, ready to take him down to protect Takemi. He took one step forward, but he noticed her holding up a hand out of view. Akira glanced from her and down to the little girl. It would do no one any good to take down a worried father in front of his daughter.
"I've heard the rumors, I know there's a medicine that can only be acquired here! Please, I'll pay you anything, just please help my little girl!"
Takemi frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but a coughing fit from the girl stopped her. She looked up at Takemi and weakly muttered, "Doctor… my chest really hurts…"
Still, Takemi didn't answer. There had to be a deeper reason why she was turning away this little girl in desperate need, Akira knew that. But right now he didn't see why that mattered. He was going to pay for this later, but that was a risk he was willing to take.
And he was confident Takemi would thank him.
He moved past her and the father and crouched down in front of the girl. He smiled at her and said, "Hi. I'm Akira."
"What're you-?"
"Hi, Akira," the little girl said.
"Don't worry, you'll be okay." Akira looked up at Takemi and winked. "Dr. Takemi will help you."
"What?!"
If looks could kill, Akira wasn't absolutely certain he'd be dead, but he'd definitely need medical attention from the look Takemi was giving him. He just showed his teeth with a cheeky grin.
She took a deep breath and shook her head. If Akira didn't know any better, he's pretty sure he just saw the ghost of a smile. "Fine. Give me space."
He was practically pushed to the side as Takemi crouched in front of the little girl. She pressed the back of her hand to the girl's forehead and grimaced. "Is your vision blurry? How about your throat, does it hurt?"
She shook her head.
"Hm. No signs of swelling. Are you sure you've told me everything about the symptoms and the treatments you've tried so far?"
"Yes, I'm sure," the father confirmed. He crossed his arms and began to pace back and forth.
"Hm." She got to her feet and pulled out her phone. She moved to one side. "Hello, Uehara-san? Would you know if Dr. Schweitzer is there?"
The father gave Akira a questioning look, but all he got in return was a shrug.
"There's something I'd like to ask him about a case that was in last month's medical journal… I see, guess the one's in stock will have to do… Okay, tell him to call me when he can." She returned the phone to her pocket and turned towards Akira. "There's a shelf by the reception desk. Bring the contents of the second drawer into the exam room."
"On it," Akira said, already moving to collect the supplies.
"I'll also need the beaker with the red label in the fridge, a towel, wash basin, and a measuring spoon," she called after him.
"Yes, doctor!"
Takemi turned to the father. "Alright, let's bring her into the exam room."
Twenty minutes passed and the girl was already looking ten times better. Akira stood behind Takemi, holding the wash basin and towel, while the father crouched next to his smiling daughter.
The father smiled and bowed to Takemi. "Thank you so much! I didn't expect her to recover so quickly."
"It was a very unique strain of an infectious disease. It's not detectable through conventional means." She wrote down on her clipboard. "It will work it's way out of her system in due time, so all I've done is suppress her symptoms. We'll make adjustments on her treatment as her condition approves."
She placed her clipboard to the side and smiled. "Alright, that'll be one million yen for today."
"What?!"
Akira's eyes snapped to her. What the hell was she thinking? "Takemi-san!"
"This is absurd! You're just exploiting a—" The father stopped himself and took a deep breath. He balled up his fists and nodded. "Alright. I agreed to pay you after all. Do you take credit cards? No, I'll go withdraw some cash."
"Hm?" His words hadn't even registered to Takemi for a split second. "Hold on, you're actually going to pay me?"
In a second, Akira relaxed. It was just Takemi being Takemi.
"Of course! I gave my word, after all."
"Okay, uh… Before I forget to ask, that famous doctor you mentioned earlier…" Takemi leaned forward. "Was it Medical Chief of Staff Oyamada?"
"That's right. I take it you're familiar with him?"
Takemi scoffed. "I knew it. In that case, I'll make this free of charge."
"Free?!"
Akira set the wash basin to the side and placed his hands in his pocket. He figured she wouldn't actually the man that much, but to make a visit free of charge just to get one over on this Oyamada guy? He was almost impressed.
Takemi just laughed.
"You seem happy," Akira said, pushing up on his glasses.
"That's the power of spite, my little guinea pig. Doesn't it feel good treating his patients without his permission?"
Sure it does, he thought to himself. He didn't fully believe her, but he'll keep that thought internal for today.
Her face darkened as she leaned in closer to him. "By the way, thanks to your outburst earlier, I'm going to perform a very special exam on you today."
Akira blanched. "O-oh."
The father looked between the two. "So, is he your assistant? He's awfully young."
"Oh, yes. And he's going to put in some hard work today."
"Um, Doctor?" The little girl scooted closer to her on her stool. "Can I go back to school now?"
"Not for a while," Takemi informed her. "You need to start eating and regain your strength first. Can you do that for me?"
"Mhm! Thank you, Doctor?"
That was the first time Akira had ever seen Takemi beam with joy. He felt his heart tighten and he couldn't help but smile himself.
"You know, when you said I was going to put in some hard work," Akira said evenly, dusting one of Takemi's shelves, "I didn't think this is what you meant."
Takemi wasn't just sitting around doing nothing. She was reorganizing her medicine cabinets. "If you're going to make unilateral decisions like that without my approval, I'll put you to work like an actual assistant. Now get to dusting, I don't want my clinic to turn into a pigsty."
"Uh huh. I'll make sure to reflect on my mistakes as I inhale a lungful of dust."
"Good boy," she said. "But don't do anything like that again. Understand? This is still my clinic, not yours. Otherwise, our deal is off."
"Why didn't you want to see them anyway?" Akira asked. "Did you really think they'd be better off going to a different hospital?"
Takemi shrugged. "I'm just a one-woman operation here. There's only so much I can do."
"Yeah, but you're good doctor. Your medicine's been helping me a lot."
"Yet you still show up ready to faceplant on my floor. Why is that?"
"Not sure, but I do know my grades are improving." Another half-truth. "I'm really asking. I saw the look on your face when that little girl thanked you, you were happier helping that family than I've ever seen you."
"There you go, asking all those pesky questions again," Takemi chided him. She sighed and shrugged. "I just can't afford to help people right now. I have far more important things to do."
"The medicine," Akira concluded.
She nodded. "I'm running on borrowed time. I need to complete it. I don't have a choice."
"Maybe not," he agreed. "But you don't have to be alone while you do it."
Takemi looked back at him. Her eyes widened as they locked gazes. He smiled at her. "I know I'm just your guinea pig, but… I'd like to think maybe we could be friends, too?"
She quickly turned away from him and chuckled. "Friends… We'll see. Once your done there, we'll begin the trial for today. This one might be a little intense. Try not to die, okay?"
"Yes, doctor," Akira said, a wide grin crossing his face. He turned around and continued dusting the shelf.
Unbeknownst to him, Takemi fought against the wobbly smile and the darkening cheeks creeping up on her face.
Being friends with her guinea pig? Perhaps that wouldn't be so bad.