Check 45 - No one is born a great cook

To say Hoshino was as skilled as Katou in the kitchen would be a gross over exaggeration. The man wasn't a complete idiot in the kitchen, knowing the basics, but he seemed more capable of reheating pre-purchased meals than making anything gourmet. At least that's what Daisuke figured as he'd watched the man as he tried to organize himself. Cass was by far the superior chef.

Not that Daisuke was really one to talk. Having found out that he'd helped Cass bake some bread, Hoshino was more than willing to utilize his abilities. He'd even corralled Hiro into the mix, with Baymax on standby in case someone got hurt.

"So, what are we making again?" Hiro asked as he sloppily whisked up a few eggs with some chopsticks. Aunt Cass hadn't let him handle eggs in years and he felt more than a little uncomfortable as he tried to not let the liquid mess fly out of the bowl.

Over on the other end of the prep table, Daisuke was carefully trying to chop up some green onions they'd found in the refrigerator. The look of concentration on his face would be considered amusing under different circumstances. But he was giving it his all, with the hope of not repeating his finger slicing from Katou's place a year ago.

Hoshino had spread the leftover rice from lunch out on a baking tray and set it out on the table to dry out a bit in the hopes it would work better in his intended dish. It was probably a good thing Cass and Suzue had made so much. "It's fried rice," he replied to Hiro's question, trying to concentrate on slicing up some chicken he'd found in the freezer. If he sliced it into small enough pieces, it would cook up relatively quickly.

"Don't you usually put the protein on the side for that?" Hiro wondered out loud as he put the chopsticks down, having decided it was good enough.

Releasing a bit of an eye roll, Hoshino put the knife down. "It depends entirely on how you want to make it. And since I was put in charge of cooking, this is how we're doing it."

Daisuke glanced up at that, hearing the exasperation in his fellow detective's voice. He had to resist the urge to laugh as the two bantered back and forth. It was good to see Hiro acting more like a teenager, something he was sure Cass appreciated when it occurred. Thinking that, he had to pull himself back a bit mentally. Without even really thinking about it, or intending it to happen, he'd somehow accepted both Hamadas as more than just guests in his home. There weren't many people he accepted into his inner circle and the realization surprised him. He could count those people on one hand.

"I need those carrots," Hoshino stated, ending the conversation he'd had with Hiro. He looked over at Daisuke's station. As a supposedly more responsible adult, he figured Daisuke was the better choice for cutting up the denser root vegetables. But if he thought he'd see the carrots chopped up, he was in for a surprise, as Daisuke hadn't even gotten to them yet.

With a bit of a frustrated grunt, Hoshino marched over to the table and confiscated the nearest cutting board. At least the carrots were peeled, he thought as he took up the nearest knife as well, ignoring Daisuke's looks. He began to forcefully chop up the vegetables, not fully paying attention until he felt the sharp pain of the knife biting into his hand.

Baymax waddled forward before he could register what had happened. "You have injured yourself," the robot stated as he stood off to one side of the younger detective.

Hearing that, both Hiro and Daisuke sort of froze, looking up and over at the spectacle. Unlike when Daisuke had cut himself at Katou's house, this was no simple slip of the knife. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as an artery or blood vessel, but it was deep enough it might require stitches. The tip of the blade, equally as sharp as the edge, had bit into the man's palm near the thumb.

Hoshino cussed under his breath as he quickly put down the knife and reached for a kitchen towel not far from his location. He was sure Daisuke might get upset over blood stains, but he didn't care. Towel pressed against the wound, he cupped his hand to force the skin back together.

"You might want to wash that," Hiro spoke up from his position. "And you'll definitely need at least a butterfly bandage to hold that cut together. Maybe some super glue."

Daisuke escorted Hoshino over to the sink, since the younger cop looked a bit in shock. "Baymax, I need you," he said without looking back to see if the robot would obey the implied order or not. "Hiro, get the first aide box."

Not used to playing nurse, but not having Suzue or the medic nearby, Daisuke decided it best if he took care of things over allowing Hiro the honors. He had no doubt the teen had plenty of experience with his own injuries, but he was the head of house and was therefore responsible. Besides, it never hurt to brush up on his skills.

Baymax waddled over to supervise as Daisuke held Hoshino's hand under the running water at the sink. He made a mental note to remind them to clean up the contaminated areas, and to throw out the carrots that had gotten blood on them as a result. "The cut did not enter the muscle area," he informed. "It appears that only the dermis is affected."

Meanwhile, Hiro went for the first aide box, having to take a moment to remember where it was kept. He brought it over, setting it on the counter space closest to the sink, rummaging around for the necessary supplies. "I had a cut like that once," he admitted. "I taped my hand so that it forced the skin back together and I was good to go in a day or two."

The incident in question was a result of not paying attention while assembling a robotics project for school. It was GoGo who had shown him the method of forcing the skin back together again, covering the wound with an antibacterial spray, and wrapping everything up with gauze and tape for a few days, changing it as needed. True to his friend's promise, it had healed, though had had to be careful for a while, just in case.

Blood now mostly rinsed off, minus any that seeped from the wound, Daisuke held Hoshino's hand so he could examine the cut for himself. "I think Hiro might be right," he agreed, reaching for the gauze.

Baymax put his hand between the man's arm and the first aide box. "Allow me to apply an antibacterial spray before you wrap the wound," he said, his finger nozzle ready to apply the medication.

"What is it?" Hoshino wondered, not sure what the robot had in mind, wishing they'd hurry up. Dinner wasn't going to make itself.

The robot straightened. "Bacitracin," he announced. "This is an effective antibiotic and should protect your injury from infection."

With a bit of a frown, Hoshino nodded. "Go ahead."

Daisuke waited for Baymax to administer the spray before carefully forcing the man's hand to cup around a wadded piece of gauze. He doubted Hoshino would appreciate it if he tried to super glue the skin back together and had decided Hiro's method would have to do. "Hold this in place," he ordered as he reached for the medical tape.

Under Baymax's supervision, Daisuke wrapped Hoshino's hand with tape so that he still had some use of his fingers, but the gauze and wound were protected. "You're not going to be able to use that hand for a while," he reminded as he finished.

"This is going to make cooking almost impossible for me," Hoshino sighed. At least some of the prep work was done. "You know this means you'll have to do it." He looked directly at Daisuke.

Not exactly trying to avoid eye contact, but taking the opportunity to put everything back into the first aide box, Daisuke didn't immediately see Hoshino looking his way. He resisted the urge to sigh, knowing this was going to be a challenge. But it was better he do it than to let Hiro, especially if it involved a hot stove. Cass had mentioned how Hiro didn't do well with them and he didn't want to test that theory. "Fine."

It was probably a good thing there was still an hour to go until the usual dinner time. They'd only started early because they weren't sure how hungry everyone would be. But, with some of the prep work still undone, it might take longer than previously thought.

Hiro took the first aide box and quickly went to put it away. "I'll clean up the blood," he stated as he returned. He went for a sponge he'd seen in the sink, noticing that Daisuke moved the knife while he was doing so. Apparently his cousin didn't want to tempt fate. Ignoring that, the teen tossed the contaminated carrots and wiped the area clean. He even used some of the disinfecting spray he'd seen his aunt use after a previous meal, just to be safe.

"Now that the carrots are a no go, are we going to just stick with green onions or see if there's another vegetable we can use?" Hiro asked, looking over at the two adults.

Hoshino had pulled over a chair with his good hand and had sat down. "I saw some frozen vegetables in the freezer," he admitted. "They're not exactly traditional, but they'll work." He thought about putting on a kitchen glove and helping but stopped at a look from Daisuke.

Cleaning off the knife and cutting board, just to be safe, Daisuke indicated Hiro should look for the vegetables in question in the freezer. "You'll have to explain what I need to do," he told Hoshino once Hiro and Baymax had disappeared into the large storage area.

Under Hoshino's direction, Daisuke began heating the wok the younger man had previously put on the stove. He then seasoned it with cooking oil once it had warmed up enough. By the time he'd put the cut up chicken into the mix, Hiro had returned with a bag of the frozen vegetables. Out of the corner of his eye, Daisuke noted that the mix included broccoli, cauliflower, two types of sliced squash, and what looked to be onions. He wasn't sure where the kitchen staff had gotten it but it would have to do.

"Make sure the chicken is cooked all the way before adding in the vegetables," Hoshino instructed. He could probably still get the job done, even with his hand covered in gauze. It wasn't his dominant one, after all, but he supposed there was wisdom in not pushing things. He was briefly reminded of how Cass had punctured her finger on some porcelain shard the night before. Well, now he had a battle wound to add to the collection, he supposed.

It was just as well things had happened the way they had, Daisuke mused as he glanced back over his shoulder. "Do you think it would be best to heat the vegetables before adding them?" he wondered out loud. He knew enough to know that adding two items of completely opposite temperatures could lead to disastrous results.

Hoshino thought about that for a moment before agreeing. "Probably. Hiro, do you think you can manage heating those up a bit in the microwave?" It wasn't exactly the most traditional method, but it would get the job done. "If it's one of those steamable bags, you should be able to just put in a shallow bowl without opening it and set it for a few minutes to cook."

Between the two, Hiro and Baymax decided Hoshino's suggestion was a good one. The robot went to retrieve a microwave safe bowl while Hiro waited. Once Baymax returned, he put the bag and bowl in the microwave oven and set the appropriate levels. He could at least manage that, he thought with some pride. Aunt Cass usually left the basic things for him to do if he felt like helping. And, with Baymax's supervision, they were able to get the job done.

The timer beeped a few minutes later, indicating the end of its cycle just in time for Daisuke to call for the thawed vegetables. Careful to not cause any popping oil, or too much steam, he took the bag from the teen and emptied the contents into the wok, taking a step back as the heat manifested in a cloud of white mist.

"You might want to turn the heat down a bit," Hoshino advised, resisting the urge to go and take over. He doubted Daisuke would appreciate it. "Once everything is up to temperature, add the egg mixture and stir rapidly to scramble it. Then we can add the rice and any sauce."

Concentrating on what he was doing, Daisuke couldn't help but wonder. "Sauce?"

Hoshino did laugh a little at that. "Yes, to add flavor and help bring everything together. Why don't you concentrate on that while I help Hiro get that ready?"

Not getting any push back on that, Hoshino instructed Hiro on how to make a sauce using soy sauce, some sesame oil, mirin, pre-minced garlic, some sugar, cornstarch, and water. The concoction was pretty simple, and the ingredients easy to get to, leaving Hoshino with only instructions to give. There wasn't much there to get the teen into trouble with, after all.

With the veggies, eggs, and chicken pretty much done, Daisuke turned the heat down, as instructed, while he went for the rice. It had separated nicely, allowing him to mix it thoroughly. And, once he added the sauce, it created something that looked and smelled appetizing; for all that it wasn't exactly traditional. He supposed it would be fine, though, feeling proud of his work.

"And with that, it should be done," Hoshino stated. He looked around to see what else he could help with but didn't see much. "I suppose I can go see if the others are awake and invite them down if you two want to set the table. Just don't forget to turn the stove off."

Hiro gave a careless shrug. "Works for me. Though I suggest having Suzue check on Aunt Cass. She's still up there, right?" he looked over at Daisuke.

"She should be," Daisuke confirmed as he gave the wok's contents another stir for good measure before turning off the stove. It was nice to not be the one getting an injury in the kitchen for once.

Standing, Hoshino headed for the door. He paused, momentarily looking back as if to make sure everyone was good. "Don't burn the kitchen down," he said before heading into the hall.

…

Standing guard out in the hallway was a boring assignment, but Suzue wasn't about to leave Cass without some kind of protection. With Daisuke otherwise occupied with Hoshino, and Katou incapacitated, she knew it left her to pick up the slack. It wasn't that she minded, but there was the whole notion that she was sort of stuck doing nothing.

On a whim, she'd had HEUSC activate a drone, asking it deliver an electronic tablet so she could at least do something while keeping an eye on things. The drone had to make its way all the way up from the basement, but that was easily accomplished. HEUSC could operate the elevators when necessary. Once it arrived, she did have the drone wait while she quickly went for a chair from a room down the hall. She was gone no more than a minute, after which she took a quick peek into Cass's room to make sure no one had disturbed her. No one had.

Not having anything specific in mind to work on, Suzue pulled up the security footage from the grounds' stationary cameras. They showed a dismal scene of continued rain. Not seeing anything there that would cause alarm, she patched into the city's camera system and took a look around.

The quake from the night before had done some damage, the rain complicating things. But, in true Japanese fashion, everyone was taking it in stride. She could at least confirm that the areas immediately around the Kambe Estate were clear, even if the roads were wetter than usual. There were a few bridges it would be wise to avoid, the water levels getting quite high, but, if Daisuke wanted to allow it, Hoshino could probably get home, or even back to the precinct, without issue.

After having looked around the immediate area to their location, she returned to the cameras on the grounds. Some were a bit obscured by droplets of moisture, but there didn't really seem to be much going on. She should have thought to bring a snack with her, she mused, or maybe something to drink. Bodyguard work was sometimes really boring.

Switching to the internal cameras, Suzue paused on the footage from the kitchen. Apparently the boys had finished in the library and had decided to make dinner. She applauded Daisuke for his efforts, hoping he wouldn't hurt himself in the process. From what she could tell Hoshino had things well in hand so she moved on to the next room, making sure nothing was amiss.

More time passed, which included her switching to a pre-installed puzzle game on the tablet to pass the time. Just as she was starting to get hungry, she saw Hoshino approaching from down the hallway. She stood, setting the tablet down on the chair, waiting. She gave him a second look, more surprised, to see his hand covered in gauze and tape. "What happened?" she asked without thinking.

Hoshino approached in what he hoped was a casual manner, but there was no hiding his hand. And, hearing Suzue ask, he knew he needed to answer. "Nothing much. Just a kitchen accident. I came to see if everyone was awake. The others are back in the kitchen, setting the table."

Knowing it wasn't her business, especially if he refused to give her any more insight into what had happened, Suzue nodded. "Of course. I'll go see if Cass is awake enough and ready for some food. If not, I'll need someone to bring some up, or to switch out with me for a little while."

"And I'll see if Haru's awake," Hoshino decided, glad he wasn't going to have to go into a woman's room, a single woman as far as he knew. He turned to the opposite side of the hallway, knocking with his good hand on the door in question. "Haru? You awake?" He didn't wait for an answer before entering the room.

Suzue checked her watch, realizing both Katou and Cass had had several hours to sleep and so didn't feel too bad about knocking on Cass's door, half expecting to hear nothing. Instead, she heard the faint invitation to enter, so she did.

The café owner was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking like she had just woken up. With the light still off, it was hard to tell much else. That was resolved, at least a little, when Cass turned on the bedside lamp. With the darker exterior, it brightened the room considerably, without blinding anyone with a deluge of sudden brightness.

"I'm told dinner's ready," Suzue stated as she observed the sitting woman. "I wasn't sure if you'd be interested though."

Cass got up and ran a hand through her hair. "If you give me a few minutes to freshen up, I'll meet you outside," she said. "I feel a bit rumpled, if you know what I mean."

Suzue nodded, attempting a smile. She hadn't been sure what kind of mood she'd find Cass in and was glad she was in a better frame of mind. Or it at least appeared that she was. "I'll wait outside."

Back in the hall, she expected to wait for at least five minutes, which would give Cass plenty of time to do whatever she needed prior to joining her. She was surprised to find Cass opening the door maybe a minute later, her expression a bit wide-eyed and breathless. Her expression was more than a bit alarming. "Something wrong?"

Almost out of breath, Cass couldn't help but hold onto the door frame, feeling a bit weak-kneed. "I just had a thought. Please tell me I'm wrong. If Katou isn't up to doing much, and I was asleep, who cooked dinner? Please don't tell me it was Hiro."

"Uh…" Suzue had a momentary brain fog but quickly shook herself out of it. "From what I saw on the security cameras, it was actually Hoshino and Daisuke doing most of the cooking."

Cass seemed to sag against the door jamb, expression changing as she exhaled. "Thank goodness. I don't think Daisuke would have appreciated Hiro blowing up the kitchen." Now recovered from her temporary fear, she quickly popped back into the room to take care of her business, leaving Suzue alone in the hallway once more.

Across the hall, the door to Katou's room opened and both Hoshino and Katou exited into the corridor. "You should have woken me sooner," Katou said. "I could have at least supervised in the kitchen."

"It's fine," Hoshino replied, both stopping and looking up as they noticed Suzue. "Ms. Hamada awake?"

Suzue glanced at the door before straightening and looking directly at the shorter cop. "She should be out in another minute or two."

The door opened and the woman in question joined the party. "So, what? are we all going to just stand here staring at each other or are we going down to have some dinner?" She gave them an amused smile; similar to ones she'd give Hiro when trying to tease him.

Mouth slightly open at the change in the woman, both Hoshino and Katou took a moment to fall into step behind her, trailed only by Suzue, who paused to pick up the table she'd left on the chair. Together, they all made their way downstairs and to the kitchen.