Somewhere Else [Damien Haas]

2. Biology

-/-/-

I've been in Japan for five months now, and thankfully, I get to go home today, until, of course, a bizarre car accident happens right before my eyes and my bursting sense of emergency gets me running to the scene, calling for help, and rushing two strangers to the nearest hospital with an average level of Japanese.

Well, one stranger and a familiar person. But that's for later, because right now, my clothes are soaked in blood and I am helping paramedics get two people up in their ambulance. Heart racing, hands shaking, eyes rapidly blinking. I felt like a fire could spark right out of my eyes.

Sometimes, I hate the fact that I'm like this.

"Hey, hi, Lily," I say into the phone as soon as I hop into the ambulance. "I don't think I'll be making the trip today back to SF. Can you tell the boss lady?"

"Are you kidding?" Lily replies, obviously frustrated. "Okay, fine. But Jade, the last trip you can catch is next month, okay? If you don't want that, the boss says you have to pay for your own trip. What's going on anyway?"

"I... um, witnessed an accident and I immediately had to help out," I answer, gazing at one of the unconscious victims of the accident.

"Well, at least you're doing it for other people," she remarks, sighing. "I hope we can see you next week or by the end of the month, alright? You have a birthday to celebrate. Miss ya, girl."

"Miss you too, bye now," I reply, hanging up and sighing in frustration.

Many things were going through my mind as we arrived at the hospital. One of those many concerns would be if people here spoke in English. I rarely spoke Japanese in the entire time I was here, mainly because hoteliers all knew English for tourists as well as the fact that I was working with an all-American crew. For the past five months, the most Japanese I spoke was when I was ordering some take-out at an authentic restaurant. It was alright, though. Since I'm the foreigner in here, I'd have to adjust, but I do hope I don't accidentally say something offensive.

When Damien and the driver were rushed into the ER, I was immediately interviewed by one of the nurses. "Name?" she asks.

"Jade Greene," I answer, treading carefully.

"Age?"

"29."

"Birthday?"

"March 28."

"Happy birthday in some weeks then," she replies, and I raise an eyebrow at her. "Oh, sorry. I speak in English. Must be why you're looking so tense right now."

I sigh, laughing a little with her as she relaxes my shoulders. "So sorry," I tell her, chuckling slightly. "I'm not very good at Japanese."

"It's alright, but many people here are native Japanese speakers, so I hope you study the language," she says.

"I have been, I'm just not good at it. But I will continue trying, of course."

"That's good, that's good," she remarks. "What is your relation to the two?"

I gaze at the ER window, only seeing curtains and silhouettes of medical professionals attending to the two. "Um... the younger one is my friend. The older man is the driver of the cab he was riding in."

"Mhm... okay," she mumbles, writing it down on her clipboard. "We'll ask you more details later. For now, let's hope they become conscious again, yes?"

"Definitely, thank you so much," I tell her as she gives a curt bow.

The Japanese are so nice.

As I wait for the results, I'm left standing on a hospital hallway, but my mind has drifted back to junior year of high school. I'm standing in the middle of a hallway, taking my books from my locker as the misty autumnal Georgian air kicks in, causing everyone to wear sweaters. Pumpkin spice lattes weren't of that time though, so most of us just got whatever juice boxes we could get or warm coffee from the nearest store. And honestly I didn't mind.