To My Sunflower

Kei and Eiji continued to be the maintenance staff; cleaning, running errands and getting to know the locals more.  With Tama following their heels. 

Tama didn"t stray too far from the wards, enjoying the company of the calmer kids and kind adults.  A few of the kids coined her Tamsensei due to her calm and approachable nature.  She brought a smile to their faces and a bit of joy to their dreary life.  One of the locals had made her a proper collar from her faded and worn red ribbon. Even the local priest had paid a visit to give her respects. A few times remarking to Tyne that she was an unusual pleasant creature. Tama didn"t seem to mind the attention as she sat on her special pillow (a few kids made her) like a queen to greet her visitors.

Another surprise was the kids" warming to Kei, despite his persistent get-back stares. Sean had openly joked that Kei was like Tama.  This gave a reason for the kids to tease Kei as he attended to the wards. Jokingly calling him Keineko-chan and laughing at his rantings, which always ended with his defeated sigh. Even the brats that would tease him down the streets, ended up following his heels like puppies to a master they recognized.

Kei spent some time at the fields behind the back of the hospital grounds, to teach the kids hand-to-hand combat in a form of a field game. He also taught them other street smart skills for their survival with the game. Breaking up the sessions whenever Ren or an authoritative figure entered their view.

Mizuki and Natsuo had warmed to Eiji. Getting to know him more from his regular dinner time visits to their home. Natsuo would sometimes follow him and Kei around with his brat gang after his work shifts. When Eiji had asked Kei if the kids bothered him, Kei had answered with a lopsided smile and shrug of his shoulders.  The man"s kindness warmed Eiji"s heart.

The four men"s life at Saka was going along without incident. Until they faced a small theft of rations from the store cupboard at the end of a week.

Ren was called in by Nana to investigate the incident. He gave them a padlock and warnings to keep supplies locked from that moment on. Shortly afterwards, he rallied up his other two officers to search the village for the stolen goods. Turning homes inside and out for the missing rations. Frightening the locals with their abrupt invasions.

They eventually located the stolen 1 oz sack of rice and tin of meal rations. It was found in the home of a single young mother and her toddler son.

The woman had apologized profusely with clear desperation in her eyes and distraught tears. She had been visiting the clinic with her sick child. And had seen the food on the shelves when a breeze had pushed open the cupboard door.  The food had been in her line of sight for a few moments, but it was long enough for her to make a decision for her starving son. 

It was decision made by a mother desperate for her son"s survival.

Eiji was impressed she had managed to slip into the kitchen area and pilfer the goods without anyone noticing her coming and goings. Of course, he claimed blame for giving the woman an opportunity. Willing to accept punishment in her stead.

Ren didn"t accept his sacrifice. He had the woman imprisoned for one night in the cell of the small police booth next to the factory offices.

The toddle boy was cared for by Eiji and Kei at the hospital. They returned the child to his mother the next day, and saw deep bruises to her neck and a frailty to her limbs with some of her kimono snagged at the hems. Her eyes carried a trauma Eiji recognized as a former solider whose guns had claimed lives.

He wasn"t the only one to understand the emotional scars from her expressions. Her look triggered an ire in Kei, which made the man go into a silence.

Eiji carefully watched Kei afterwards, who silently worked with sharper movements and an intense focus. He was meticulous with his stacking. Swift with unpacking and always with a scheming look.

Kei became a man of outward calm and eyes of still water.  Akin to a soldier readying his weapon. This unnerved Eiji that he had to intervene.

"Kei. Don"t do it," he said to stop Kei as they were walking down the white-washed corridors between the wards.

He grabbed Kei by the arm. "There"s too many good people who could be harmed."

"Do what Takakai-san?" Kei said to Eiji over his shoulder.

His eyes of that moment gave feelings of intense will for vengeance.

Eiji gritted his teeth and tackled him to the ground. They fought each other with hands and feet, matching each other"s skill with their combat fighting. Eventually Eiji was able to restrain Kei to the floor with his judo moves at the same time Sean had returned from his house calls.

"What the h.e.l.l is going on?!" Sean scolded the men on the ground.

"Get off me you f*cker!" Kei cursed as Eiji"s body weight kept him pinned faced down to the floor boards.

"You won"t do it? Promise me!" Eiji firmly voiced his command.

Kei sighed and nodded his head.

Eiji eased off Kei"s back. They both stood and faced each other. Kei grumbled non-distinct curses as he turned and pushed past Sean to hurry down the corridor and out of the hospital.

Sean sighed. He quickly understood the situation. "I don"t know if that will stop him."

He patted Eiji"s shoulder. "We better go after him."

Sean and Eiji briefed Tyne on what had transpired. Obviously, Tyne had to remain to continue treating patients. They raced out of the hospital via the kitchen and retraced steps back to the young woman"s small rundown minka cottage.

They saw Kei playing with the boy on the ground and the young mother sitting on the porch nearby, watching with a weak smile.

Eiji paused his walk when he watched Kei say something to the mother to make her cry.

Kei handed over a thick envelope from his pants pocket to her. Gave her a cordial nod and the kid a gentle pat to the head. He rose and turned to walk away.

The mother"s cries became happy sobs and deep bowing when she spied a wad of yen that would ensure she"d live comfortably for the months to follow. She quickly gathered her son and hurried back into her home.

"What?!" Kei snapped at Eiji and Sean when he came up to them in the street.

A cosy breeze warmed their cheeks, bringing vibrancy to their skin amongst the golden hue of the evening sky. A pleasant end of the day and troublesome week.

"You"re a good man Kei." Eiji patted his back.

"With a killer over-the-shoulder throw." He added with a groan, feeling his back aching from when Kei had thrown him down to the floor. "My back"s sore."

"You f*cking whacked me in the gut! I"m blaming you if I get a hernia!" Kei pouted.

Sean beamed with a proud smile and slipped in between them to fling his arms over their shoulders.

"Allow me to st.i.tch you up." Sean gave Kei a flirtatious wink. "I"ll enjoy the perks of eying your body at the same time."

"Ugh!" Kei groaned with a sigh.Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

Sean groaned with another realization. "Tell me that wasn"t the bulk of our cash."

Kei grinned. "It was my change from the good time with Geisha."

Sean sighed. "Guess it"s back to work ladies."

He moved the men back up the dirt paths to the hospital.