Inception

Chapter 49: Dr. Gigi

He was still giggling when he tried to persuade her off the bed to 'get her hair washed,' so she wasn't too inclined to putting down her arms ever.

"I'm sorry, sweet, that was untoward of me, bad me, you can smack me. Here, I'm open and everything."

She wanted to say she'd never been the type to feel better by hitting someone. Wasn't much into hitting people in general. But a sort of hysteria had bubbled up from the agony of her stomach and pressed hard against her throat. Tears still bubbled up from her eyes. She bit her lips to try and keep the sounds inside.

It hurt. It all hurt.

"Soshiro."

The new voice was older, female, and very displeased.

"Are you really so crass?"

"I meant it as a compliment, Gigi."

"Pah."

The someone shuffled in and the warmth of Hoshina at her knees was shoved aside.

"Arms down, dear, I'm the doctor. I'm here to make it better."

Lena hesitated, still caught in a fight with herself. But...she really did want to feel better.

At her knees, dressed in a pink striped kimono, was a little old lady with her copious white hair tied in a tight knot on the back of her head held in place with hairsticks that had little gold kittens dangling from the tips.

The little old lady gave her the softest smile and Lena was struck with how much it looked like Hoshina's.

"That a girl," she said. "I heard you just threw up quite a bit, your stomach still hurting?"

Lena sniffed. Opened her mouth. Failed. Tried again.

Finally, after a whole minute of just being looked at by Hoshina and his little old lady version, she finally unstuck her throat. But instead of words, a broken mewl popped out.

Hoshina and the old lady's smiles fell.

"Oh, darling," but this time it was the old lady calling her that, not Hoshina. "You've been through a lot, its okay." Her soft, wrinkled hands wiped away the tears on her face. "After some good medicine and some soft food, you're gonna be right as rain."

Hungry for comfort, Lena let the little old lady pad away at her face until the tears finally stopped.

"Help her get set up on the porch," she told Hoshina.

"Was planning on it."

"Don't give me lip." All softness had vanished. "And don't do anything stupid like lifting her. You break stitches, and no more pain pills."

"Yes, Gigi."

Hoshina returned to her knees the moment the little old lady shuffled away.

"Come on, doctor's orders. I know you probably don't want to move, but first medicine for trauma is sunshine."

Even though Lena didn't think she'd have a hard time walking, Hoshina kept his hands on hers. He led her out what she had initially thought was a wall, but turned out to be sliding shoji doors that led out to a porch, just as traditional as the rest of the house. Beyond the polished floorboards and still glass windchimes was a carefully crafted garden of stone, grass, manicured trees, and an artificial stream.

Hoshina set her down on a large pillow that seemed to have been placed there beforehand with her in mind.

"Sun," he said, wiggling his fingers towards the sunlight, then onto her head as though flicking water—or casting an imaginary spell—smirked, then went back inside to fetch his weird bamboo disk and pail. "Here we are. All you need for a nice head scrubbing. As Gigi said, we're gonna have you right as rain."

"Leno?" She sounded like a bullfrog.

"Baby Leno's eating half his weight in mochi. I believe that means he's more than fine. I'm going to put this round your head, is that alright?"

Lena squinted at the bamboo disk with her puffy eyes.

"It's to wash your hair," Hoshina said, still with that stupid happy smile. "To keep the soap and water off your clothes and whatnot."

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I woke up humming the tune from Deku Palace without even noticing it until my five-year-old yelled, "STOP MAKING THAT NOISE!" Like, gee kid, appreciate art.