| [Nov. 14th, 2011|02:42 am] |
There was no time to enjoy that one, small victory. As Asuma grinned back at her, the basement door creaked open; an orderly wheeled a body on a gurney down the hall. Katsuko paled, lips parting as she stared at the blanket covering the subject’s face. “No,” she whispered.
The orderly stopped in front of Hakuin’s cell. Katsuko made a strangled noise and scrambled across the floor, pressing herself up against the grate in the left wall as he swung open the door. “Hakuin!”
The orderly spared her a disinterested glance as he scooped up his burden and deposited it on the matted rushes, reclaiming the blanket and folding it over his arm. Hakuin huddled on his side, away from Katsuko, shoulders trembling as he fought for breath. He stayed like that when she called his name a second time, and a third, and a fourth, voice rising with her panic.
Dimly, she was aware of Asuma shouting something hoarse and furious at the orderly, nearly drowning her out as she stared down at Hakuin.
“Enough!” the orderly snapped at last. “The old man can speak for himself. It’s not like she cut out his tongue.”
Silence fell at that announcement, and the orderly left with a satisfied expression on his face. Katsuko waited until the door had closed behind the man before she moved again, reaching her hand through the grate. “Hakuin,” she said, gently. “Hakuin-ojiisan. Please look at me.”
He sighed, a sound like wind whistling through dead branches. “Oh, my child, I’m sorry. Forgive this old man his weakness. I’d hoped to make it through this with you.” With a grunt of effort he rolled over to face her, limbs trembling with exhaustion.
“It’s alright, Ojiisan,” Katsuko whispered, looking at the pitted ruin of his face. They’d taken his eyes; blood seeped through the thick cloth tied over his empty sockets and ran in trails down his cheeks. She could see new stitches lining his chest through the holes in his tunic, blood clotting thick over his torso.
He wasn’t going to make it through the night.
Ichiba’s voice was subdued. “Do you want Katsuko and me to do the sutras, Hakuin? You always said they helped you with the pain.”
Hakuin chuckled, lifting one hand. Katsuko caught it in hers, folding his bony fingers between her own like Asuma had. “Thank you, Ichiba. I would like that very much.” |
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