Psycho Pass: All Alone With You

No Laughing Matter

"If you're treated a certain way you become a certain kind of person." —James Baldwin

It was nearly midmorning and the Ministry of Welfare's Public Safety Bureau was experiencing a lull. The traffic in the hallway was unusually light as whole Divisions were given the option to go home for the day rather than remain on duty. Inspector Akane Tsunemori hurried down the corridor toward the cafeteria. By her reckoning, she was five minutes late, and the last thing she wanted was to be tardy after her senior colleague, Inspector Ginoza, had summoned her

Akane was still cutting her teeth as an MWPSB Inspector in Division 1, and while she had made a name for herself among her more veteran colleagues in the Bureau, she often felt like a tagalong or worse, a burden, to Ginoza. Despite a successful series of closed out cases, he rarely gave her the praise she felt that she rightfully deserved, but was relentless in his criticism.

Maneuvering through the corridor, Akane smiled and nodded to acknowledge her peers while hurriedly passing them in the hall. A quiet day on the CID floor, meant that the cafeteria would be crowded. Akane scanned the packed room, looking from table to table for a familiar face. As she suspected, Ginoza was sitting alone in a corner by the plate-glass window.

"Inspector Ginoza," she greeted him. Bowing respectfully, she tried to discern his mood. His face was generally devoid of emotion, except for his usual scowl. When he wasn't scowling, he was a handsome man with chiseled features and green eyes, but his cool professionalism made him somewhat unapproachable, even intimidating.

"Inspector Tsunemori, you're late." Ginoza calmly sipped at a steaming cup of tea. Never looking up at her, he continued reviewing case files on his wristcom, which was sitting on the table in front of him.

"About that, sir, I was in a meeting with Inspector Takizawa from Division 10. My apologies." She bowed to him again to make amends for her tardiness.

The refined face beneath the meticulously groomed black hair never changed, remaining undisturbed like a winter lake. He made no reply or acknowledgement of her explanation, and just simply sipped at his tea.

"Inspector Ginoza, I apologize—"

"I heard you first time, Inspector Tsunemori." Ginoza set down his tea cup and looked up at her with those distant, green eyes. "Kogami had his annual physical yesterday."

Akane felt her chest tighten. Kogami had recently returned from a case being investigated by Division 5. They were known for tackling particularly violent crimes in the abolitionist wards. "Is he injured?"

"No. All Enforcers are required to submit to an annual physical to ascertain their fitness for duty. It's standard operating procedure. But he'll need to have some blood work done."

"Did the physicians find something wrong?"

"It's routine, but as you well know, nothing's ever routine when it comes to Enforcer Kogami. So you'll need to take him to Sato Medical Care Centre to have the blood drawn there."

"An army of MWPSB medical personnel and not one of them can draw Kogami's blood?"

"You might say, he has a reputation for being a bit...difficult."

Kogami was rarely vulnerable, a virtual pillar of indomitable will and strength. There was not much that made the Enforcer falter. Are you trying to tell me that Mr. Kogami is afraid of needles?"

"No, but there is a reason that Inspectors deal directly with Enforcers, Inspector Tsunemori. We are trained to know what and who they are, but even we are not invulnerable. Our psycho passes can become quite clouded by our association with them. Imagine what that must be like for the uninitiated."