Golden Era (Book 2)

66. Savior

The following evening, a nursing staff came to tell Io she had a special visitor.

Receiving this notice, Io nodded. She quickly finished charting up notes for her previous patient, slipped out of her scrubs and washed her hands. Bisecting the courtyard, she crossed a gallery then another corridor before arriving at the residential quarter. Cut away from the clinic, the guesthouse and the staff rooms, this secluded area was Io's home—her haven away from illness, emergencies and medicine.

Shiraishi sat cross-legged on a tatami mat when she entered. In this traditional house, a sunken hearth was squared off at the room's center. Bowing to him once, Io filled a clay teapot with water and set it on the hanger. Kneeling down across from him, she struck a match and lit the woodpile in the hearth.

"Looks like a snowstorm is coming," remarked Shiraishi, his eyes trained on the encroaching dark clouds.

Io nodded. "Winter comes early around here. Soon, there's going to be piles of snow everywhere. We won't be seeing the ground again until April."

"Must be difficult to go outside."

"That's why we keep supplies in stock. Blizzards always arrive without warning."

"Might make it hard for our guests, don't you think?"

Io knew Shiraishi was referring to her latest patients—Kamiya Ayuna and Fuji Shuusuke. If not for his timely forewarning, their showing up in the middle of the night approximated a dream.

"Did you operate on the man as I instructed?" he asked.

"I did. He stabilized quickly after surgery. He should make a steady recovery." When she saw Shiraishi nod approvingly, Io went on, "He woke up this afternoon when the anesthesia wore off. He's been interrogating me and my staff about his girlfriend and is demanding to see her."

With unbroken composure, Shiraishi looked to Io, "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing except for the bare minimum—as you instructed."

"Hm. He must be very upset with you?"

Revealing a wry smile, Io replied, "Upset or not, I'm just doing my job."

Shiraishi returned her smile. "That's why I keep coming here. You're one of the few I can trust."

Io didn't speak. There was nothing she wouldn't do for Shiraishi—the mystery man to whom she owed her life. She knew he wasn't from this world and she didn't bother trying to solve this enigma. All that mattered was he removed her from her family's mafia legacy and transformed her life's purpose. If it weren't for him, she'd still be involved with crime syndicates rather than saving lives.

The water boiled, Io poured it over tea leaves she'd shaken into ceramic cups. While waiting for the tea to brew, Shiraishi asked, "Did you get what I asked for?"

Without a word, Io stood up and padded towards an apothecary cabinet. From one of the tiny drawers, she withdrew a lacquered box and presented it to Shiraishi. Inside, wrapped in a silk handkerchief, was a piece of acorn-sized bone. "Is this it?"

Shiraishi took the box to have a closer look. After careful inspection, he nodded and closed the lid. Meeting Io's puzzled gaze, he smiled, "You've got something on your mind. Is it about Ayuna?"

Io told him yes. She thought about his midnight call and his frantic sequence of instructions. "Never in all these years have I seen you go out of your way like this."

"I'm grateful you followed through despite these doubts."

"Not doubts—just surprised."

Shiraishi smiled once more and said nothing.