The Hunt for Jack the Ripper (The Phantomhive Diaries #1)

24. CIEL PHANTOMHIVE

Finally finished the final part of Chapter 2. After this one, I'm taking a small break since I've had a very hectic few weeks  and I've been needing time to breath. I am not putting the story on hold. I already started writing segments of Chapter 3 but my process will be a bit slow. Plus, I am working on a short comic that has proven to be time consuming, so I hope you all understand. 

Anyways, enjoy this last segment of Chapter 2. 

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"All right, Mr. Tanaka, breathe in," Madam Red instructed as she had the end of her stethoscope pressed below Tanaka's bare chest where his lungs were located. Tanaka, who sat on his bed with his back against the headboard, did as told and took a deep inhale. "Very well. Now, exhale."

The old man exhaled, just as she said.

Ciel stood a few feet away from Madam Red, silently observing as she meticulously examined Tanaka. She even went as far as checking his blood pressure. Although he maintained a composed demeanor in front of his aunt, deep down, Ciel was filled with apprehension. The thought of having to take Tanaka back to a hospital if anything was amiss was unbearable for him. Tanaka had already endured the confinements of a mental institution because of his paralyzed legs. Ciel was certain that Tanaka would dread going through that ordeal once more. That's why he had Madam Red come here instead of taking Tanaka out of the house. He knew all too well that the doctors would recommend sending the elder man back to Bedlam once again.

"Your breathing is a little shallow in the right lung," Madam Red said. "Have you had any difficulty breathing?"

"Only when I sleep on my back," the old man said. "I usually need to lie on my side to sleep soundly."

Madam Red nodded. "I see. And how is the back-pain? Has the medication given you any ease?"

"For a while, yes," Tanaka said.

Ciel's aunt preferred using the term "medication" when discussing the Opium prescribed to Tanaka. Madam Red, on the other hand, was displeased with Queen Victoria, allowing Ciel to have access to the opium for Tanaka. The caution in her eyes clarified that she strongly believed opium to be a dangerous substance, often misused for non-medical purposes and with addictive effects. She found some solace because the British government had imposed restrictions on these drugs and confiscated a majority of them. However, she still harbored a dislike for opium, especially considering individuals like Lau who legally owned opium dens to sell to clients. Ciel empathized with her frustration, but he knew Tanaka needed this medication to ease his back pains. It was the least Ciel could do for him, and Madam Red should have understood this by now.

"Perhaps we can prescribe a different medication for you," Madam Red suggested. "Perhaps morphine could do the trick?"

Ciel's expression soured as the suggestion was presented. "Morphine? Are you sure?"

"Well, I can't be entirely sure," she said. "But if the body is no longer responding to the medication he was given, maybe it would be better to change it. And perhaps, a change in his routine."

"A change in his routine?" Ciel said. "...Right."

"Have you even taken him out of the house once?" Madam Red asked in a confrontational matter.

"I-I let him out a few times," the young boy stammered anxiously, visibly surprised by his aunt's imposing presence and her harsh demeanor.

"I go out into the gardens for a stroll if that counts," Tanaka brought up.

"That's not the point," Madam Red said. "You haven't left the property once. You need to leave the estate. Go see the city. Breathe some fresh air and stretch your legs."