Okay, to determine the title..... wait until the end of the fic for it
I woke up the next day with the piece of paper stuck to my head and realizing I forgot to set my alarm clock, I walked over to the bathroom, and quickly got myself ready for work. I went into the fridge seeing nothing in there, I began to panic as I look through my wallet to see I had no money and began to look for the few things I had left: Pieces of bread and the chicken breast I had days ago and began to slice it up and put it into my bag. As I approach the door, I saw the two at the door with their smiling faces.
“Ohayou, Dr Takahashi!” Risa greeted.
“How long were you guys out here?” Looking at the two as Eri tries to grab Risa's hand.
“We just came here minutes ago and we wanted to say that we had a good night.” Eri smiled as Risa's face showed a different story.
“Seriously, we never did anything, and your legs wrapped around me wasn't anything.” We both laughed as Risa's face became red.
“I guess this doesn't mean anything.” Eri kissed her on the cheek and her face became redder as I walked out and locked the door.
The three of us got onto the next train to the hospital, as their cell phones rang off the hook for their tardiness waiting for me. Apologizing to them constantly, they only laughed as it had been on occasion for them to be late after a night of drinking. Suddenly, after looking outside, I began to daydream about her, she would look at the same sun, talking, and as soon as the dream started to get good, our stop came and walked onto the property.
“Thank god, you three get to it.” The director relieved of our arrivals but the nurses weren't.
After getting through the hectic bickering of the first hour, we got ourselves accustomed to the day and walked into the next room next to Yoshiko, seeing a teenage boy looking outside as I looked at his chart. I sat on the chair next to him as he looked back toward me and let out a gasp in his surprise.
“Sorry, my name is Dr. Takahashi, I am the new psychiatrist here, you want to talk?” The boy grew scared and turned toward the other way.
“I want to talk but I feel slightly embarrassed at the moment.” I just laughed as I assumed that something he had to hide.
“No problem, it is normal, just talk loud enough so I can hear.” I said to him as he relaxed.
“My parents... they are so good... why can't I be better? My brother is lawyer and I am stuck here because I have a leukemia. It isn't fair that I cannot be like my brother, my parents respects him so much and give me so much pity, I can't stand it.” He slammed his fist into the bed.
“Your parents love you, they understand that you are here, they have the same frustration that you have but if they show it, you might react differently, and they will feel even worst for giving you their suffering. Your brother must feel the same way.” I saw a note on his table.
I read the note and my heart sank a little as his love was pure and deep, despite being miles away he gave his offering of a book. He may not look like a reader but I had to push it toward him to read, however as he turned back around, his face showed the anxiety of the sickness, pale skin, seeing his bones, and exhausted. I grabbed the book and offered it to him.
“I can't read it, it made me cry that he sent it to me.” I opened the first page and saw his note.
Dear Hiro,
I want to always be by your side little brother, but working in Osaka has given me a little time to visit you as often as I should but I send mom this book. I want you to read it as these people survived their cancer and I want you have the same hope as they do, I will be there one day, even if I have to quit and move back but I love you
-Jiro“Hiro-kun, read one passage, he is trying to give you hope to at least fight and whatever the outcome is, you can say that you at least put up your fists and never gave up.” With those encouraging words, he sat up and read it.
After rubbing his head, I walked out to Reina's room as Eri and Risa were there trying to control her tantrum again. I knocked and her anger turned into happiness. The two gave me stern eyes as I sat down with her again with the door closed.
“How are you today?” I asked.
“Okay, but them two are too clumsy and they seem very close, is that true?” I smiled and looked at them.
“To be honest, I have no clue.” I turned my face back into her lips, feeling her soft lips on my cheek.
“Whoops!” She giggled.
“I am your doctor, not your girlfriend.” I said in a stern voice but I couldn't hide my smirk.
“I know, but I feel more comfortable around you and I want to confess everything to you because I know you would keep secrets.” I nodded.
“Well if it is medical, I have to say it to the right people, but everything else I will keep it in my mind and my heart.” Reina smiled as she grabbed her blanket to cover herself up from the cold room.
“First, I told my parents that I wasn't a virgin anymore, but I lied, because they were annoying me for being in a gang. As soon as it came out, I was kicked out with the clothes left on my back. I have wondered about what they did with my room. I have a feeling they would throw everything away but I may be wrong.” She took another sip of the water beside her.
“Second, I will be here for one more day, I requested that I would go home to Fukuoka to live out the rest of my life.” I felt everything sank in me as seeing her here for one more day and probably never seeing her again crossed my mind.
“I never liked it here in Tokyo, it was too fast, and I hate to admit they were right.” Her head tilted down.
“Reason for singing that song, I miss my mom a lot, she understood a lot about me and she knew I lied to dad. I can't believe that she could see past me and still see the little girl who would aimlessly put on sunglasses and smile at her. I grew older and went away from her to hang out with my friends, despite irritating me when I am around my friends, she knew that one day, I would apologize.” I began to tear up after hearing about her mother.
“Finally, I want you to kiss me on the lips.” I turned toward her and my eyes grew.
“What? Are you serious?” She nodded.
“I just want to get this before I leave, I know its a lot but I fell in love with you when you walked into the building. I sat in the lobby minding my own business and saw you there with the director, I grew nervous as you walked by and when you left I wanted to know everything but I heard about the thing yesterday, I hope you feel better....” I placed my hand on top of hers.
I placed my hand under her chin and gave her a short kiss on her lips, her tongue intruding into my mouth as I try to hold back but it was no use, I gave into the temptation and continued for it until I broke it and sat back down.
“Thank you, I will miss you, I hope your patients love you as much as I do, and I said to my mom that she will get you a plane ticket, if I do...” I stopped her.
“I understand.” I cracked a smile but the thought of her not here in person was going to be in my mind now.
I left the room and entered into my office as I sat back in my chair and went into my realistic state as I thought about Reina at a funeral. The feel made me nervous and seeing everyone there respecting her and her parents bowing toward me. I could only leave it as that, with distractions, I got myself through the morning and Risa left a note on my door. I walked into the lunch room and saw my lunch on the table as I sat down and ate quietly. My mind still etched with the words, as I played with it and just dropped my fork.
“Ai-chan, you two are really good with each other, don't worry about her.” Risa comforted me as I walked back into my office and watched until my shift ended.
I felt heartbroken that I would not see her again but something in my mind was saying it would be okay and I took my bag and threw the sandwich I made into the trash. I waited for Risa and Eri with their reports and I saw Reina sitting on her bed with her suitcase. Looking around I just took a deep breath and walked out of the hospital to the parking structure. I felt everything crash and wept onto the pillar until the two came and took me to the bar nearby.
“Ai, are you crazy over her?” Risa whispered.
“I don't know. It's that how I feel around her, it's like missing a friend and you feel hopeless that you can't help them.” I tried to explain.
“I think you like her.” Eri drank another beer.
I truly began to realize that Eri had been right, despite the two days I got to know her, I never seen a girl with such beauty and her talking about her life. I felt that if I was getting to know her and she had to leave right away. Eri and Risa cheered me up with the snacks and gave me beer by the pints as I tried to forget about her. The alcohol started to flow and just felt the buzz of the night and followed the two back home and crashed at the apartment.
I woke up the next morning on the floor and got a call to come in but with my head in a fog, I called in sick, and took the day off as I got over the hangover. I sat on the couch thinking about Reina and just could only keep myself concentrating on the ceiling until another call came in.
“Dr. Takahashi, it is me Reina, sorry to hear you are sick, but I want to say, I am going to miss you and remember our deal.” I smiled as I could only felt the hurt.
“Yes, enjoy your trip back home and I expect you to live every moment.” She hung up and I cried in bed until I went back to sleep with the blanket over my head.
The next couple of weeks I went through the depression of missing her but I tried not to show it but my feelings were starting to show after work. Then that day came, the call from Fukuoka, I began to started to pack up and on the cab ride there, it started to drizzle with the skies graying, and my mind started to thinking about what to say but everything came out weird.
“Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka, I'm sorry for your lost.” It was my only thought in my head.
I got through all the precautions and stepped onto the plane for the short ride over to the island of Kyushu. I let everything run in my mind as I began to felt nervous about it so I closed my eyes until I landed. I felt her hands on top of my shoulders and her soft touch, I began to giggle as everything started to get lighter and felt the plane landed. I woke up and took my carry-on off the airplane and got out of the terminal to an elderly woman holding a sign with my name.
“You seem too pretty to be a doctor.” She said.
“Thanks.” I looked down and smiled away from her.
“Anyways, I have to take you to the funeral, I hope you are not nervous about this.” I shook my head.
“Oh yeah, I am her aunt, she told me everything about you, and I never expect seeing someone so attractive and cute.” She laughed hysterically .
“Again thank you....” I got into her car and drove into the city.
The car stopped at a temple as the groups of people were in traditional dress and I felt out of place and walked toward the bathroom before another person stopped me and I entered into the temple hall. I followed the line to the altar and saw her smiling face on the picture next to the box of cremated ashes. I bowed and put my hands together and walked toward the family, her father stood tall as I shook his hand, her mother with a tissue in hand, and her brother who was her sister's image and I gave them a hug before walking away. As I went outside, I heard a voice, her mother invited me into a private room, and I sat across of her.
“You must be my daughter's doctor?” She asked.
“Yes, Mrs. Tanaka.” I responded.
“Thank you for being there for her, she said that the final two days you were with her, made her really happy.” I nodded.
“She was always a handful with dreams and her wish of being a doctor was always within her but we were struggling as my husband suffered a back injury. She wanted to be a big sister for everybody and assisted the local market owner with cashiering. However, she met the boy and everything changed but somehow I couldn't stop her from being in love and I had to let her decide. After the years she was away, she came back home, I was open but her father was still bitter. The day before, she took him out for lunch and admitted that she was wrong. He stayed strong but cried when he heard why she came home. He blamed himself for everything.” I took out a tissue and wiped my eyes.
“Her final words were: I met my soul mate and she is in the hospital, I may not make it to say I love her but tell her that she can cry as long as I am with her.” Her mother gave me her ring.
I looked at it and began to let everything out as she comforted me in her arms, I couldn't feel anymore sadder but I knew she resolved her problems and that could only made me realize what was my goal for working, make sure that before they do pass away, they do have a chance to resolved all problems.