Breaking the News
Jou was bent low over his omiyage, quickly but carefully wrapping his presents from Okinawa for his friends. He paused long enough to take a long sip of oolong tea. Japan’s summer humidity stuffed his room with heat despite the open window and blowing fan. He looked up out the window as he set the tea down. The orange sky over the crowded Tokyo skyline told him it was getting late in the day. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and bent back over his work.
Shin had been waiting for twenty minutes outside Jou’s door. He flicked another cigarette butt over the railing. It was probably a bad idea to dispose of them this way, but he wasn’t much in the mood for caring about decorum. He leaned against the wall and fished his cigarettes out of his pocket. It collapsed easily in his hand, and a quick glance confirmed the box’s complete lack of paper devils. He sighed and crushed it in his hand, then leaned his head back against the wall. They were all that kept him from pressing that little white button next to Jou’s door until now.
He leaned forward and used his shoulders to push off the wall and swing himself around. He pressed the button and took a deep breath as the muted electronic bell chimed within.
Jou jumped and flipped a pair of sandals he’d bought for Koushiro into the air. He stretched his hands out like a juggler as the footwear seemed to hang in the air and then come down into his open palms. He blew a breath of relief and set the sandals on the table before going to the door.
“Shin!” he said as he opened it. “Wasn’t expecting you!”
Shin smiled forcibly. “You look good.” True enough, Jou’s skin was lightly tanned and his hair was still a little damaged from seawater.
Jou furrowed his brow. “You okay, Shin?”
Shin shrugged. “Just had a bad day. Wanna get a drink to welcome you home?”
Jou nodded. “Sure! Should I call Shuu and invite him along?”
Shin dismissed the suggestion by shaking his head. “Nah. It’s hospital stuff, so you’re more useful than he is. No offense, but I need to use you for a couple of hours.”
Jou laughed. He was practically glowing from his vacation. “I don’t mind. Frankly I don’t think you could touch me right now until this tan goes away.”
Shin laughed. If only that were true. “Then get dressed and meet me back out here.”
Jou complied and ran back inside. He threw on a shirt and some socks, then grabbed his wallet and Shin’s present. He stuffed both in his pockets and ran back to the door, trying to pull his shoes on and walk at the same time.
“There you are,” said Shin as Jou exited the apartment. “Ready?”
Jou locked the door behind him. “Sure. Same place as last time?”
Shin nodded. “Yeah.”
Shin let Jou lead the way. Jou walked with a spring in his step which made his heart feel heavier for what he had to do. Right new he knew Jou was on top of the world. As far as he knew, Rie was safe and recovering in the hospital. He’d just gotten back from a vacation that would probably change his life, and if he ever found out that Mimi and Yamato broke up, it would probably make his world.
And it was his sole job tonight to crush his spirit.
Shin entered the bar behind Jou reluctantly. “Let’s get a table off to ourselves.”
“Sure thing,” said Jou, leading the way toward the back of the bar. The Kido brothers sat down at the table and ordered their drinks.
“So how was Okinawa?” asked Shin.
“Great!” said Jou with light flashing in his eyes. “You were right about the whole thing. I met so many people there, and the whole trip was a blast!”
“Wasn’t that your first time in Okinawa?” Shin asked as the drinks arrived.
Jou thought for a moment as he reached for his drink and then nodded. “Yeah it was, wasn’t it?”
“And you went for free and got to meet some people who could change your life. I must say Jou, I’m jealous.”
Jou allowed himself a smug grin. “Maybe you’ll get lucky someday as well.”
“At my age? Yeah right. The only ticket I’ve got is a one-way to Malaysia once I get all my funding raised and you finish your residency.”
“So you’re really going?”
Shin nodded. “Eventually. I do enjoy it here in Japan, but my calling is in Malaysia. Eventually I will have to go back. I’ve left too many things and too many people there who need me.”
Jou pursed his lips. Despite how difficult Shin tended to make his life, he was starting to enjoy his oldest brother’s presence again, especially now that Shuu was around to moderate Shin’s behavior. He rather didn’t want to think about Shin leaving again. He reached into his pocket and handed Shin a small object wrapped in newspaper.
“Oh yeah, got this for you in Okinawa.”
“Thanks.” Shin accepted the gift and popped open the newspaper. Inside was a handsomely carved wooden cigarette case. “Awesome!” Shin said as he admired it. “A bribe like this might get you a whole day’s worth of nice treatment.”
Jou lifted his drink. “Why waste it now? I’ve still got a few more years to go.”
“But every day counts, Jou!” Shin said, pointing the case at his baby brother. “And when I’m gone, I won’t be able to take you out like this anymore.”
“At least I won’t have to deal with your harassment anymore, right?”
Shin smiled. “But that means I’m gonna be bored. There’s nobody over there I can pick on!”
“You can always call me.”
Shin pouted. “My budget doesn’t allow for international phone calls.”
“Then you can spend the time thinking up some new ones for when you get back.” Jou took a sip of his drink and wiped his lips on his sleeve. “So how’s Rie?”
Shin’s insides twisted when Jou spoke the three words he dreaded. So much for hoping to avoid the subject. He took a long breath and looked at Jou.
“Jou, the reason I asked you out wasn’t about me. It concerns you.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Jou with a complete blank on his face.
Shin forced his voice to stay calm and level. “It’s Rie. She contracted a runaway infection shortly after giving birth, which she may have passed on to Chihiro either during birth or through nursing. Rie’s dead, Jou. And so is the baby.”
Shin finished his announcement and made no further plans to talk. Silence settled over the table. Jou probed his brother’s face, searching for signs of Shin’s usual tendency to joke and belittle, but he found none. Shin’s delivery was the same one he’d recently learned when giving bad news to loved ones. Shin was never one to joke about death, either. Especially not in special cases like these. Shin was always serious about his work.
“When?” was all he asked as lines appeared around his eyes.
“Wednesday. I did everything I could.”
Jou nodded. “I know you did. Did she go peacefully?”
Shin shook his head. “I’m not sure. She was under a lot of drugs, but I’m not sure.”
Jou stared at his reflection in the glass. He felt like something had just been ripped out of him. Rie was so vigorous when he left, and now she was gone just like that. Her and the baby. He’d given them his all, and it still wasn’t enough. He had failed.
Jou’s head sank and he held it in his hands. Tears formed in his eyes and crawled out from his eyelids and down his cheek to drip out from behind his glasses. His fingers gripped his scalp tightly as if they were trying to squeeze more tears out of Jou, or even the memory of what he’d just been told.
“Shin, order more drinks, please.”
Shin nodded. “No rush, Kiddo. Just make sure you’re at work on time tomorrow. Can you promise me that much?”
Jou nodded. “Yeah.”
Shin had been waiting for twenty minutes outside Jou’s door. He flicked another cigarette butt over the railing. It was probably a bad idea to dispose of them this way, but he wasn’t much in the mood for caring about decorum. He leaned against the wall and fished his cigarettes out of his pocket. It collapsed easily in his hand, and a quick glance confirmed the box’s complete lack of paper devils. He sighed and crushed it in his hand, then leaned his head back against the wall. They were all that kept him from pressing that little white button next to Jou’s door until now.
He leaned forward and used his shoulders to push off the wall and swing himself around. He pressed the button and took a deep breath as the muted electronic bell chimed within.
Jou jumped and flipped a pair of sandals he’d bought for Koushiro into the air. He stretched his hands out like a juggler as the footwear seemed to hang in the air and then come down into his open palms. He blew a breath of relief and set the sandals on the table before going to the door.
“Shin!” he said as he opened it. “Wasn’t expecting you!”
Shin smiled forcibly. “You look good.” True enough, Jou’s skin was lightly tanned and his hair was still a little damaged from seawater.
Jou furrowed his brow. “You okay, Shin?”
Shin shrugged. “Just had a bad day. Wanna get a drink to welcome you home?”
Jou nodded. “Sure! Should I call Shuu and invite him along?”
Shin dismissed the suggestion by shaking his head. “Nah. It’s hospital stuff, so you’re more useful than he is. No offense, but I need to use you for a couple of hours.”
Jou laughed. He was practically glowing from his vacation. “I don’t mind. Frankly I don’t think you could touch me right now until this tan goes away.”
Shin laughed. If only that were true. “Then get dressed and meet me back out here.”
Jou complied and ran back inside. He threw on a shirt and some socks, then grabbed his wallet and Shin’s present. He stuffed both in his pockets and ran back to the door, trying to pull his shoes on and walk at the same time.
“There you are,” said Shin as Jou exited the apartment. “Ready?”
Jou locked the door behind him. “Sure. Same place as last time?”
Shin nodded. “Yeah.”
Shin let Jou lead the way. Jou walked with a spring in his step which made his heart feel heavier for what he had to do. Right new he knew Jou was on top of the world. As far as he knew, Rie was safe and recovering in the hospital. He’d just gotten back from a vacation that would probably change his life, and if he ever found out that Mimi and Yamato broke up, it would probably make his world.
And it was his sole job tonight to crush his spirit.
Shin entered the bar behind Jou reluctantly. “Let’s get a table off to ourselves.”
“Sure thing,” said Jou, leading the way toward the back of the bar. The Kido brothers sat down at the table and ordered their drinks.
“So how was Okinawa?” asked Shin.
“Great!” said Jou with light flashing in his eyes. “You were right about the whole thing. I met so many people there, and the whole trip was a blast!”
“Wasn’t that your first time in Okinawa?” Shin asked as the drinks arrived.
Jou thought for a moment as he reached for his drink and then nodded. “Yeah it was, wasn’t it?”
“And you went for free and got to meet some people who could change your life. I must say Jou, I’m jealous.”
Jou allowed himself a smug grin. “Maybe you’ll get lucky someday as well.”
“At my age? Yeah right. The only ticket I’ve got is a one-way to Malaysia once I get all my funding raised and you finish your residency.”
“So you’re really going?”
Shin nodded. “Eventually. I do enjoy it here in Japan, but my calling is in Malaysia. Eventually I will have to go back. I’ve left too many things and too many people there who need me.”
Jou pursed his lips. Despite how difficult Shin tended to make his life, he was starting to enjoy his oldest brother’s presence again, especially now that Shuu was around to moderate Shin’s behavior. He rather didn’t want to think about Shin leaving again. He reached into his pocket and handed Shin a small object wrapped in newspaper.
“Oh yeah, got this for you in Okinawa.”
“Thanks.” Shin accepted the gift and popped open the newspaper. Inside was a handsomely carved wooden cigarette case. “Awesome!” Shin said as he admired it. “A bribe like this might get you a whole day’s worth of nice treatment.”
Jou lifted his drink. “Why waste it now? I’ve still got a few more years to go.”
“But every day counts, Jou!” Shin said, pointing the case at his baby brother. “And when I’m gone, I won’t be able to take you out like this anymore.”
“At least I won’t have to deal with your harassment anymore, right?”
Shin smiled. “But that means I’m gonna be bored. There’s nobody over there I can pick on!”
“You can always call me.”
Shin pouted. “My budget doesn’t allow for international phone calls.”
“Then you can spend the time thinking up some new ones for when you get back.” Jou took a sip of his drink and wiped his lips on his sleeve. “So how’s Rie?”
Shin’s insides twisted when Jou spoke the three words he dreaded. So much for hoping to avoid the subject. He took a long breath and looked at Jou.
“Jou, the reason I asked you out wasn’t about me. It concerns you.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Jou with a complete blank on his face.
Shin forced his voice to stay calm and level. “It’s Rie. She contracted a runaway infection shortly after giving birth, which she may have passed on to Chihiro either during birth or through nursing. Rie’s dead, Jou. And so is the baby.”
Shin finished his announcement and made no further plans to talk. Silence settled over the table. Jou probed his brother’s face, searching for signs of Shin’s usual tendency to joke and belittle, but he found none. Shin’s delivery was the same one he’d recently learned when giving bad news to loved ones. Shin was never one to joke about death, either. Especially not in special cases like these. Shin was always serious about his work.
“When?” was all he asked as lines appeared around his eyes.
“Wednesday. I did everything I could.”
Jou nodded. “I know you did. Did she go peacefully?”
Shin shook his head. “I’m not sure. She was under a lot of drugs, but I’m not sure.”
Jou stared at his reflection in the glass. He felt like something had just been ripped out of him. Rie was so vigorous when he left, and now she was gone just like that. Her and the baby. He’d given them his all, and it still wasn’t enough. He had failed.
Jou’s head sank and he held it in his hands. Tears formed in his eyes and crawled out from his eyelids and down his cheek to drip out from behind his glasses. His fingers gripped his scalp tightly as if they were trying to squeeze more tears out of Jou, or even the memory of what he’d just been told.
“Shin, order more drinks, please.”
Shin nodded. “No rush, Kiddo. Just make sure you’re at work on time tomorrow. Can you promise me that much?”
Jou nodded. “Yeah.”