does that happen to everyone? or am i just retarded like that ?Part Four: Agreement, Painkillers and torture
“I was thinking something along the lines of buying you lunch, or something. This is too much”
Misha isn’t letting up. Wait. Shizune isn’t letting up...
This confuses me...
After class, Hisao asked Misha and Shizune to guide him to the Nurses Office, and seeing as I need to go there as well, i decided to tag along, and now Shizune and Misha are trying to convince me to join the student council. i shouldn't have written that note.
“Nup! We have it in writing, you said, “Anything” so you have to join!”
Misha has cheered up at least.
“But this is like, a big commitment... and It’s only my first day... and I don’t even know what a student council does.”
“The student council does whatever needs doing, and it being your first day, that’s a good thing, it gets you right into the action. You can meet new people, hang out with us, and make the school a better place!”
I look at Hisao; he seems to be trying to avoid getting their attention, maybe he can help me out here.
“Hisao, help me? Please help me, I can’t win against these two alone.”
Misha Signs something to Shizune, who looks quite excited about something now...
“That’s a great idea Shicchan, Hisao should join too!”
...Whoops!
Hisao looks at me with one of those, "how could you" looks and I try to put on my best apologetic face. It doesn’t work.
“C-can I think about it?” they don’t seem to hear any more of Mine and Hisaos protests, as they seem to be in a heated Signing argument, I can practically see the smoke rising from Shizunes’ fingers.
“Shicchan has an even better idea!” we’ve stopped walking at this point, standing out the front of the... administration building? I wasn’t listening much when they were discussing this.
“And that is??” Please be something good... please be something good.
“RISK!” Misha Pumps her fist in the air at the same time to emphasize it.
“...um, what?” Hisao doesn’t know Risk, it would appear.
“RISK!!” She repeats the gesture.
“I’m sorry, I still don’t”
Misha begins to explain Risk to Hisao.
“We got pretty good at Risk while we were in the hospital, you remember?”
I remember the looks people would give me when they saw me playing Risk by myself.
“But you weren’t by yourself, I was there!”
But what would it have looked like in their eyes though?
“Oh... Good point, but then again, At a place like that it would have been pretty normal”
Please, that place? Normal? Don’t make me laugh.
“...So now you know! RISK!!” And again her fist flies.
“Uhh, no thanks, that seems like a game Shizune would be good at.”
“Hang on there Hisao, If we win, we don’t have to join the student council. If we lose, we do have to, is that what this is? we Have to fight for our chance to not join?”
Misha translates what I've said to Shizune, and She Smiles at me for the first time. It’s not a happy smile though, its more like, "I've got you now"
One that makes me a little reluctant to go through with this, but I’ve spent a whole year mastering Risk. I can do this.
“So Hisao, what do you think, do you think we could beat Shizune at Risk?”
A minute passes before finally, he hangs his head and mumbles what sounded like an agreement.
Shizune and Hisao shake hands, and when I put my hand out to shake hers, she just nods.
Well, fine then.
“The Nurse’s office is the first door on the right, we have to go now, see you tomorrow!”
We say our goodbyes, and with that, they’re off.
Hisao and I share a look. He looks skeptical.
“I used to play Risk a lot, don’t worry. We got this. I hope.”
He sighs,
“I hope so.”
He opens the door, holding it for me...
“What a gentleman.”
I nod in thanks and go in...
“Head Nurse, Well, I guess this is it" I say to myself, reading the label on the door.
“You should go first” I know what has to be done for me, and it could take a while.
“No, you go first, I’ll wait out here.”
“No, you should go fir-“
“Please, I insist”.
Oh, you insist do you? Well. Sucks to be you, then.
I smile.
“You asked for it” I taunt, He frowns at me and is about to say something, but I ignore him.
I open the door and walk in.
“Hello? Is anyone the-“
“Hi there!” a cheery voice from behind the door makes me jump. He closes the door and I turn to look at him.
He’s young. He looks too young to be a head nurse.
"I'm"
“Haruka Uchida, of course, pleasure to meet you” His smile never falters. we shake hands.
“Now, I looked over your file earlier today, SMA Type... 3, was it??”
“...yes. It’s been a month since my last check-up so. Here I am.”
“Well, if you’ll take your uniform off and sit on the bed over there” he gestures behind me “we’ll get started, I just need to.” He starts looking through various tools and equipment, eventually finding what he needs.
I take off my shirt, laying it neatly on one side of the bed, then my skirt, laying it on top of my shirt,.
15 years of having to strip down to my underwear in front of strangers has somewhat given me an immunity to embarrassment, so sitting here half naked has no real effect on me. I just want to get this over with...
“Uhh Haruka, I don’t mind the whole “let’s get this over with” thing but you seem to be forgetting something...” Her voice, quieter than usual, and maybe a little scared. actually probably a lot scared.
Oh, right. sorry. I clear my throat.
“Umm, would it be possible to take a painkiller, or... something??”
He looks back at me, a confused look masking his cheerful look making him look a little creepy
“This procedure doesn’t hurt THAT much??? Does it?” does he think I’m trying to swindle drugs off him or something?
“Oh, no, it’s... Uhh... Not, for me” I rub the back of my neck, I’m embarrassed now, damn.
“Then who are they...Oh...OHHHH” he gets it, now
“Right, sorry. I forgot about... uh... that, that was in your uh, file too and uh...” His composure is long gone now. He’s fumbling and mumbling all around the room, looking for a painkiller of sorts. Most doctors are always freaked out when you tell them you have another person living in your head. Then they send you to the nearest psychologist and/or Mental hospital, and try to figure out what’s wrong. I smile; doctors are all the same, although this one seems nicer than the others, his youth might have something to do with that.
Eventually he finds his composure and hands me a pill. He then goes to get a glass of water, but when he comes back with it, the pill is already gone. He starts to look lost again. I feel the painkiller start to take effect already. It must have been a strong one.
“So,” I gesture to the stick in his hand, and hold out my arm “shall we?”
“Hmm?” he looks down at the hand I gestured to, and he remembers “Oh, right... okay. Try to relax your arm” I do so, and he inserts the electrode... needle... thingy...
The moment it pierces the skin, I hear a scream, and after a moment, it stops to be replaced by crying, mixed with the occasional whimper and moan.
I try my best to comfort her as much as I can during the procedure, but this is just the start of it.
About an hour, 8 fresh new needle holes and an appointment every second Saturday later, I limp out of the Nurses office, to see the face of a rather bored looking Hisao.
“Hey.” He sounds tired. It’s his fault though, And I try not to smile.
“Hey,” I hold my arms in defeat “you insisted”
I can’t help but smile now. Maybe next time he’ll be more careful.
“Yea, I guess I did” and without another word, he walks in.
I should wait for him. It might make him feel a bit better. I lean against the wall, but pretty soon I end up sliding down it, my limbs are always weak after this. But it’s only temporary and it doesn’t hurt nearly as much as-
“...Hey, thanks for getting the painkillers... I didn’t think you would do it after what happened today.”She sounds so tired. Can’t blame her though, she goes through this every fortnight.
I know how bad it is for you, don’t worry about it.
“...Still, thanks. Oh and,” she hesitates.
And??
“C-can you give me another chance???”
...No.
“Please? I promise, I won’t do anything like before, ever again. I swear it.”
After a minute I sigh and hold up my left hand, and while relaxing my right completely, I extend my pinkie finger.
...Promise??
“... You mean it? I can have another chance?”
I wriggle my pinkie around.
My right hand comes up; Pinkie extended, and joins with my left.
“THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I swear I’ll change, I will, you’ll see!!!”
Okay, okay, Calm down. But, the same rule that applied at my lat school apply here too: no talking during class unless it’s absolutely necessary. Okay? And can you please let go of my hand?
My right hand drops like a stone into my lap. If anyone had seen me doing that they might have thought I was crazy or something, giving myself a pinkie promise... Who does that?
The Door opens and Hisao walks out... he looks up and notices me sitting against the wall.
“...You waited.”
I stand up, and almost fall back down in the process. Still a little wobbly, probably shouldn’t have sat down.
“Yea, I figured it’s the least I could do after making you wait for me.” I shrug “it’s no big deal.”
He nods, and points to the door.
“Shall we?”
We head outside, and start walking to the dorms.
“So, what do you think of Yamaku so far?” His question comes as a shock, seeing as I was quite enjoying the silence.
...So, what DO I think of Yamaku? I think for a minute before answering
“...I think I like it. The people are nice to me,” which is a first. “It’s out in the country, and I’ve only ever lived in a city, And It’s a nice change to my old school, that’s for sure.”
“Oh... You don’t feel... different? Not... normal???” what? What type of question is that??
“...I’ve felt different my entire life, Hisao, this place may sound pretty morbid; a school for the uh “freaks” of society, the ones that need help and whatnot. But I think that this school gives people like us a chance... You can be away from the people who will make you a social outcast because your're different. And be placed in a society that accepts you for who you are, and nothing else.” I breathe in,
”I could get used to life here I think. It doesn't' t seem that bad you know.”
Hisao seems deep in thought because he just nods in response; I guess my view of the world is different to his.
We come to the point where the path to the dorms splits, to the girls on the left, and the boys on the right.
“Well, thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow, and you better be able to play Risk.” he waves as he starts walking.
“Yea, see you, and I can, don’t worry. We got this”
I walk into my new room, yawning.
I get out of my uniform and into my pajamas, and climb into bed.
Boy, am I tired. I don’t even know what time it is. I would look to see if there’s a clock somewhere but I’m too comfortable to move. I mutter a goodnight, but it seems she’s already gone. She had a rough afternoon.
And moments after I close my eyes, I’m gone.
4 parts, 1 day... It spreads out after this. I swear!
