. [ # C15 ]
Risa kept her eyes closed as she leaned the back of her head against the wall, seizing this little short period for a short rest. It took no longer than a while for Risa to fall into a light sleep. Though that, her mind was not.
'What can I do to help her? Why did Yoshizawa-senpai gave me this case file? What am I suppose to do? Reinvestigate the case? The alibis? The evidence. Wait, was there an evidence log in the folder? I don't remember seeing that? What should I do? … … ' A soft tap on Risa's shoulder had woke her up from her light sleep on the corridor chairs. Risa rubbed her eyes tiredly and looked up, only to see Aya standing before her. "What happened? Did anything happened to Haru-chan?" Risa asked wearily.
Aya shook her head gently. "We just removed the ventilator from Haru-chan. She should be waking up from the effects of the anaesthesia in no longer while." Aya informed as she gave Risa an assuring smile.
"Thank goodness! " Risa whispered in relieve. Though that, she could not allow herself to let off her guard. After all, it was the second time she had heard the same set of words from Aya. There are still places for complications to occur up again and Risa had knew it clearly right from the bottom of her heart.
"If there's nothing else, I will make my move now. I will be back in my office." Aya bowed lightly and backed a step, turning an angle slightly away from Risa.
"Wait a minute, Matsuura sensei!" Risa called out softly.
Aya turned back and glanced curiously at Risa. "Is there anything else?"
"How's -" The concern lingered at Risa's lips, yet, had stopped before it was even expressed. She was lost. She wanted to say 'that thing', but she knew that Aya would not be able to understand who was she trying to refer to. Having yet to call Ai once by her name, Risa was lost for words. "How's . . . her. . . " Risa trailed off almost inaudibly.
"Her?"
"Yes. . . her. . ." Came the soft affirmation.
"Ai-chan?" Aya guessed.
Risa nodded her head gently and cleared her throat before continuing. "She . . .collapsed earlier in the afternoon. didn't she? Is she alright?"
"That Baka. . . " Aya muttered softly under her breath. "Ai-chan, she had ran away from her ward during the shift changes, without anyone noticing her departure. Baka." Aya scolded naturally.
"Eh- she - wouldn't she be -"
"That, I really don't know, Niigaki-san. I'm worried as well." Aya finished quietly while settling quietly beside Risa.
'Where on earth are you right now, Ai-chan?' Aya sighed worriedly and brushed away that thoughts. What she could do now, was only to pray that the strong headed stubborn friend of hers will be fine and safe. "Niigaki-san. . . "
"Hmmm?" Risa looked up from her fingers and at Aya.
"I heard from Kon-chan that you are a senior inspector in FID in MPD." Aya started off.
"Hai." Risa noted almost silently. "What about that?"
"Ai-chan told me that she's a colleague of yours. . . She's with the PD as well?"
"Not quite actually." Risa answered causing Aya to tilt her head queerly at Risa. "Tha- She's with the Investigation Labs."
Aya chuckled softly. "Ai-chan is just so Ai-chan. . .Forensics . . . She had never gave up, didn't she?"
"Eh?" It was Risa's turn to be confused this time round. "What do you- " Before Risa could finish her sentence, a rushed footsteps pacing down the quiet hallway had caused both women to look up from the conversation.
"Gaki-san!" Eri called out quietly as she brisked down the hallway.
"You have a friend with you. I will make my move back to my office, Niigaki-san. Excuse me." Aya stood up politely and bowed slightly to Risa, then Eri. With that, Aya had left the two quietly.
"Gaki-san are you alright?" Eri rushed over to Risa and settled down at where Aya had sat previously.
Risa nodded her head in assurance.
"You had absolutely scared me to death when you called just now. The way you had cried in the phone, I thought . . ." Eri trailed off as she glanced into the small PICU room, watching the petite sized little girl lying on the bed, oxygen tubing attached to her nose, intravenous needles concentrated at the right hand.
"I almost did. . . " Risa whispered softly, causing Eri's attention to be return back to herself. "Being alone just made it worse. . . I don't know who I can call . . . . . Sorry to have to trouble you, Kame." Risa continued almost inaudibly.
"There's no need for such, Gaki-san. How long have we known each other?"Eri asked rhetorically. "Haru-chan is all right for now, right?"
"She will."
Eri patted Risa on her shoulder encouragingly and rested her hand on Risa's shoulder. "Haru-chan is a strong little one. That's what you had always say. She's going to be alright, trust me. Have faith with the will Haru-chan's is carrying." Eri encouraged.
"Uh." Risa mumbled softly as she nodded her head.
"You looked tired. You should return back home and have a good rest. When was the last time you had return home to rest, Gaki-san?" Eri continued concerning.
"I'm okay. Haru-chan is going to wake up at anytime from now. . . I want to stay here with her. . . " Risa replied stubbornly.
"Being stubborn as usual." Eri should her head in disagreement. She sighed deeply and stood up from the seat, stopping before the glass window that separates the room from the patient ward. Eri stared at the unconscious figure lying in the ward.
'She's really Takahashi-san's child. . . Why did she do that? Takahashi-san does not look like a person who would do such cruel stuffs. Right, she's always harsh in her words, about the surroundings, towards Gaki-san. But . . . the ability of her being able to read the situation, caring for people in her own way tells me that she's not a person who had abandoned a barely hours old infant. Why? ' "Ne, Kame." Risa called out.
"Hmmm?" Eri responded and turned around, leaning her back slightly against the glass window.
"About. . . that thing . . . " Risa trailed off quietly.
Maybe I should . . . start referring her by her name? that thing . . . it's mean to be labelling someone as a thing. . . especially someone who had experienced something so horrible in her life. . . And I . . . "Takahashi-san?" Eri raised her tone slightly in interest. "What about Takahashi-san?"
"Yoshizawa-senpai had just passed me a sexual assault case from 8 years ago and . . . . " Risa stopped explaining. She could not find the right words to express her own self. Her guilt of impulsiveness. Her guilt of insensitiveness.
"And?"
"And . . . " Risa trailed off and kept quiet again.
"Don't tell me . . . Takahashi-san - "
"Hai." Risa cut off Eri's sentence. "She - she was the victim of the case, and . . . ."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ai kept her eyes closed tight, trying to get herself to fall asleep, but had ultimately failed to the very end.
The primary trial is on in two days time . . . Probably that would be the day where my career ends. How long would I be sentence to, I wonder. . . "Are you Takahashi Ai-san?" A sharp voice from below echoed loudly in the room of team 5 the moment Ai staggered her way into the police office. The reason for her in leaving the hospital at her own discretion was this - she has to report to the department in charge for a statement recording and preparation for the court appearance.
"Hai." Ai croaked softly as she nodded her head almost unnoticeably.
The inspector in charge was a women who was barely taller than the height of 145 cm. She guided Ai into the interview room and settled her in. "Takahashi Ai-san, I am Yaguchi Mari, the inspector in charge of your case. About the case of infant abandonment at the back alley of high street, I have a few questions to ask you. Can you please re narrate the situation 7 years ago?
' Let this be a end. If this, could helps with this guilt I had felt these 7 years. . . Let the predicament come on . . ' Ai thought quietly in her mind.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eri had her eyes wide opened at Risa after Risa had finished recollecting the situation to Eri. "What can we do now? I mean . . . It's my fault that she's even . . . "
"I don't know. . . " Eri replied quietly.
"She had even escape away from the hospital just to get away from my offer to help her. . ."
"Eh, wait. You mean Takahashi-san was admitted in this hospital? But I had actually met her in MPD office just now and had sent her home because . . . So that's why . . . "
"Huh?"
"I think I know what is Takahashi-san doing at the MPD office. " Eri came in conclusion.
"Hmmm?"
"I think team 5 is in charge of this case."
"Team 5?" Risa raised half a key in her tone. "Isn’t that where Yaguchi-senpai is in charge in? " Eri nodded her head in response to Risa. "If that's the case. . . Maybe I can talk to Yaguchi-senpai about it. . . "
"You should, Gaki-san." Eri affirmed.
"Thank you Kame! You are such a saviour! " Risa jumped up from her seat and hugged Eri excitedly, resting her head on the taller girl's shoulder. She had finally figured out what she could do to help. It was until moments later then she had realised what she was doing. She pulled away from Eri and took a step back. "I'm sorry. . . I didn't mean to do that, and - "
"You don't have to apologise. It's just a normal hug between friends." Eri forced a smile on her face.
The awkwardness stayed present between them for a long moments. It was only until Aya, who had came down from her office, where the silence of awkward was broken.
"Matsuura-sensei, what are you doing here?" Risa asked as she watched Aya sanitising her hand with the bottle of sanitiser placed outside the room and slide the door open.
"Haru-chan had regain her conscious." Aya replied hurriedly and entered the ward, sliding the door close after her.
"I'll make my move now, since Haru-chan is up, Gaki-san." Eri cleared her throat softly and spoke. "I will see you around the CILs then . . . Bye. . ." With that, Eri turned away to leave, only to be stopped by Risa again.
"Kame." Risa called out. "I know. . . no matter how many 'thank you' that I had said to you, it will never be enough. . . But . . .thank you for coming down to accompany me . . . "
"You are welcome, Gaki-san. That's what friends are for, aren't that so?" Eri reassured with her back still facing Risa.
"Niigaki-san, Haru-chan is calling for you." Aya stuck her head out of the ward and call out.
"See, Haru-chan is calling for you, Gaki-san. I will see you around again."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yaguchi-senpai!" Risa ran into the working space of team 5 the first thing in the morning without looking the way she was going, resulting the collision with the short senpai she wanted to talk to.
"Gaki-san, watch where you are going!" Mari reprimanded while standing up from the impact of the collision. "What are you doing at team 5 office? Looking for me?" Mari continued ranting.
"Are you in in-charge of Takahashi Ai's case?" Risa asked hurriedly, not allowing herself to catch her breath, nor answering the questions Mari raised for her.
"Takahashi Ai. . . What do you want to know?" Mari reverted back to her professional mode and away from her motherly figure to Risa. "I'm not allowed to tell you anything. . "
"I know what's about her. She's Haru-chan's Mama." Risa said unexpectedly. "I have something to talk to you about."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ai hid herself at the corner of the window and peeked into the room, only to find Haru waving her free hand at Ai, signalling Ai to enter the room. And Ai did.
"Haru saw Nee chan, Pretty Onee-chan don't have to hide." That was the first sentence Haru said to Ai the moment Ai entered the ward. "Why is it that pretty nee-chan had to hide herself when she visits Haru?" Haru asked cutely as Ai settled down quietly beside the bed.
Ai had pressed her lips together, unable to come up with a answer to the tricky question the 7 year old had asked. "You face colour looks really fresh." Was all Ai had said to the young girl.
I'm glad that you are all fine now . . ."Haru wants to get well soon, so Haru must keep an positive attitude." Haru replied childishly. "That's what Mama had told me. Haru had promise Mama that Haru will never leave Mama. . . So Haru must get well soon. . . "
Ai forced the smile that was on the tip of her lips away as she nodded her head lightly and the cute actions of the younger girl.
"Why is it that pretty nee-chan likes to hide her smile. Haru likes nee-chan's smile. Pretty nee-chan should smile more. " Haru pouted as she saw the actions of Ai. The pouted lips of Haru cause Ai's mood to be lifted up for a moment, forgetting the pain on her arm and worries in her mind, and had really smile for once the first time in 8 years. "That's right!" Haru giggled.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Risa sat awkwardly at the waiting area of the private clinic, where she waited patiently for her turn to visit the doctor she had in her mind.
'I wonder what are the reasons for these people to visit this doctor. . . ' Risa thought curiously in her mind. She pulled apart her backpack, checking the documents she would need for one last time before zipping up the bag again. She had decided to pay a visit to Tanaka Juncho, as part of her investigation.
'He's surely one popular doctor. . . and I wonder why. . . for that he had did such beastly action, I don't think he would be a good doctor in any way. . . ' Risa continued in her mind.
'She had really held her faith on justice. . . . Yet the system had failed her once and once again. . . . Had she gave up on seeking the truth and justice for herself?' Risa wondered in her mind. 'No! I can't let that to happen . . .I can't . . . to say about suffering. . . I guessed she's the one who had suffered the most in all these years. . . Haru-chan . . . she knew nothing of as such. . . she knew nothing of such sufferings. She had me . . she had someone to rely on. . . .But it's different for her. .. it . . '
"Niigaki-san!" Before Risa could further allow her mind to take in her conscious, a familiar high pitched voice broke her chains of thoughts.
Risa looked up from her fingers, only to catch Reina settling comfortably in beside her. "Tanaka-san?"
"What are you doing over here?" Reina asked curiously.
"What else can I be doing in a clinic, Tanaka-san? I'm visiting a doctor." Risa replied gracefully, knowing that Reina was the younger sister of the 'doctor' she had in her mind.
"Stressed about work?" Reina guessed. "That's the reason for majority of the people here to visit a physiatrist. The kind of competition and the workplace, for the economy, for the family, often drives people up the wall, isn't that so?" Reina reasoned.
"I guessed so." Risa replied shortly with a smile. She was unsure of what she should say or respond. That explained the short replies she had been giving Reina. "What is Tanaka-san visiting this clinic for as well? For the same reason?" Risa returned the question, hoping that that would reduce the limelight Reina had on her. She did not want to reveal her purpose of visit to the younger girl before her. Not after knowing the fact that she was the younger sister of Tanaka Juncho.
Reina shook her head gently at the question. "My elder brother is the owner of this clinic. I'm here for him to check on the stitches and healing of the wounds. Even though he's a physiatrist, he had finished the MD degree. So I guessed, he should be experienced enough to do the checking as well. It's quite a hassle for me to return to the hospital just to have the wound checked." Reina explained.
"Ah . . .so that's the case. . . "
"So, how's Haru-chan? Is she recovering well?"
"She's recovering well. " Risa replied with a smile. "Thank you for concerning about her, Tanaka-san. Thank you for giving her a chance to live again." Risa thanked honestly from the bottom of her heart. Though she was the younger sister of the bastard Risa deemed in her mind, Reina was too the saviour of her daughter, or rather, her adopted daughter. That was something that could not be erased off from Risa's mind.
"Tanaka-sama, it's your turn." A nurse came beside to Reina and helped her up from the chair. Reina took a step forward before turning back to face Risa again. "I'm sorry for your lost, Niigaki-san."
Risa remained seated at where she was for the next half an hour, until her name was finally called.
'Finally. . . the moment of confrontation is here. . . ' Risa knocked against the door as an action of courtesy before the entry into the consultation room.
"Good afternoon, Niigaki-san." Came the polite greeting. "Have a seat, Niigaki-san."
'He sounded polite. . . What a wolf in a sheep dressing. . . ' Risa insulted in her mind. Risa closed herself to the desk and sat on the patient chair.
"I see. . . What is your reason for consultation? Are you feeling a little be tight up in the mind? Or? The paper had stated no reason for your consultation, Niigaki-san." Juncho spoke up.
"I'm not here for consultation, Tanaka-san." Risa blurted out curtly.
'Woah . . . I never knew I could speak in the same attitude like her . . . ' "Not here for consultation?" Juncho repeated.
Risa reached into her blazer and fished out her identification pass. "I am FID senior police inspector, Niigaki Risa. There are some questions about a sexual assault case 8 years ago that I would like to hear from you, Tanaka-san." Risa introduced herself and continued.
"Ah . . .that case . . .Wasn't it already close as there were evidence to proof my innocence?" Juncho asked as he feigned innocently.
"Well. . . there are new improvements to the case. Therefore, we are revisiting all the past witness to retake their statements, Tanaka-san." Risa explained. "So, Tanaka-san, can you briefly explain the situation 8 years ago?"
"Like I had said, it was the annual summer party for Keio Medical School students. We were all gathered at the bar down that street. I was present in the bar right when the party start until it had ended as I was one of the organisers. But I had not seen Takahashi-san that night. She wasn't present at the party at all. She's a weird person. She doesn't like alcohol and rejected the idea about partying and stuffs. There's no reason for her to be. All of us knew about it. Even her best friend knew about that as well. There are a couple of my colleagues now can be my alibis that I was at the venue all the while. There's no way, like Takahashi-san had claimed, that I had sexually assaulted her."
"So . . . if I would like to take a sample of DNA from you to prove your innocence, would you agree to do it, Tanaka-san?" Risa continued asking.
"I don't see a need for that! I am definitely innocent. Do you have a warrant for it? If not, I won't agree to give a sample of DNA to the police. And as how I see this case is going, I don't think I can further answer anymore of your questions until I had got my lawyer, Niigaki-san. I'm busy at this moment. I have queues of patient waiting out for their consultation with me, Niigaki-san. Please exit right now."
"Sure, Tanaka-san. I'm sure we will meet some day again." Risa challenged as she stood up from the chair and exited the consultation room. When she did, she returned back to the same seat she had sat in the waiting and began to observe her surroundings.
'She looks familiar to me . . . ' Risa realised as a lady brushed past her.
'The rape victim from district 16! She visits here ? Could it be? ' Risa realised a possible connection between the number of rape cases that were transferred to the FID.
'There are similarities to the couple of cases. . . The victims had all lost their conscious . . . which is same as . . . her as well. . . if all the victims visit this same physiatrist over here. . . it could mean that . . . ' Risa shot up from the seat as she pulled out her mobile phone from her pants pocket. She ran her fingers through the buttons and dialled a familiar number.
Before Risa could press the 'call' button, a white cloth attacked her from her back, covering her nose and mouth, stopping Risa from moving. Risa dropped her phone, causing the disassembling of the mobile as the white flip phone hits the concrete ground. She struggled against her attacker as she lowered her right hand with her car key to the side of the door and her left hand, grabbing tightly on her attackers arm. Though her effort, she had lost the struggle - to the larger physique of her attacker and the chemicals present on the white cloth. Within moments, Risa had lost her conscious.
@ alwaysYou : Why am i receiving such treatments from you over here as well. *hides away from your glare* hahahahah
@ Kikk4r : Ai inflammation of her wounds because of standing in the rain for long hours and the lack of food, causing slight low blood sugar level
hehehe Thank you for loving the chapter!! hehehe
@ kano-chan : I wonder . . . whether eri will fall in love with Sayu over here. . .i wonder. . .HAHAHAHA.
Topic: SEARCH [ . C #28 + Epilogue ] 31 December 2011 (Read 44477 times)