The buzz of machines was the first thing that the chief inspector heard when he woke up. He was vaguely aware of a drone in the room, and that his side was still twinging. Opening his eyes, he half cringed from the bright lights that hung above him. He shifted his arm and noticed an IV with a tube attached. He paid it no mind and scanned the room, not sure how long it had been or who had even brought him there. Both confused and uncomfortable, he leaned back against the pillows again and stared at the ceiling. He counted the things he did know, and left it at that, the anesthetic seeping into his veins forcing him back to sleep after a few minutes.
A few hours later, he was awoken by a human nurse. Her voice trilled lightly in his ears a few seconds later. “Mister Ginoza…How are you feeling?” She helped him up into a sitting position, and tilted the top half of the bed up in case he needed the support. He responded, voice slightly raspy.
“I could be worse…” He pushed his hair out of his face, noticing that the IV in his arm was gone and in its place was a small bandage. He followed the nurse’s movements and gratefully took the glass of water that was offered to him.
“You’ll be glad to know that you’re getting discharged today Sir.” She picked up a clipboard and passed it to the inspector. He put the glass down and scanned through the documents on the board.
“It’s been three days?” He asked, picking up the pen and signing the paperwork.
“Yes. Your wound was quite serious but with the late-.” He cut her short, not needing to hear her description of the medical procedures.
“I understand. Is there anything else I need to do before I can leave..?”
“We need to change the bandage, but otherwise that is all. A suit that your subordinate brought in has been dry-cleaned and is in the closet and all your personal effects are with it as well. Come to think of it, he also brought you in to us. If he hadn’t, you would’ve lost too much blood.” She pulled a cart up to the side of the bed and had Ginoza take off the top to the hospital gown, then she started unwrapping the old bandage.
The injured inspector spoke again. “What was the employee’s name…the one who brought me in? Did he say who he was?”
He flinched slightly when she gave him some penicillin and started wrapping a new bandage around his side. She glanced up at him and clipped the bandage, quickly hooking it together and stepping away to the waste dispenser.
“I think he said his name was…Kougami?” She paused, shaking her head. “I’m not sure, but that may be it? Do you know him?” She started wheeling the cart out of the room, and paused at the door. Ginoza was still staring at the closet at the foot of the bed, not sure how to react.
With no response given, the nurse wished him good luck and to go rest at home for at least another day before returning to work. Now alone, the MWPSB member leaned back on the mattress and came up with every possible answer as to why Kougami would have brought him here. He gave up minutes later, and forced himself to get up to start getting dressed.
About 15 minutes later, he walked out the hospital doors and found his car in the pickup station. He dialed a location into the console and left the car to the rest, the self-drive system quickly driving them out of the parking lot and onto the highway.
Ginoza watched as the vehicle passed the cars on the road, the screens on the sides of the skyscrapers still advertising something mundane and unneeded, such as a ‘psycho-pass medication’. He scoffed, realizing that nothing had changed since the installation of the Sibyl system and went back to questioning the implications of Kougami bringing him to the hospital.
‘Did he do it so that he felt he had redemption? Did he do it because it’s what anyone would do, or because he was required to? Or did he do it because he still hopes that we can be partners?’ Ginoza groaned, unable to come up with a plausible answer. He stared out the window watching as the road sped by and felt a shot of nostalgia shoot through him. The memories of the things that the two of them went through played through his mind and he felt a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth.
“Stupid…” He shook off the thoughts and pushed his glasses up his nose, the frames still sliding down slightly despite his efforts, and turned the auto-navigation system, driving the car to distract himself.
Arriving at his apartment complex minutes later, he took the elevator, not sure if stairs were the best idea, and made his way to his door. He glanced up at the number, the digits almost unfamiliar for all the late nights at the office and lack of sleep, and his eyebrow twitched upwards a little.
He pulled a note off the door and unfolded it. It read,
Gino,
I’m sorry for not telling you sooner that I was the one who brought you in, as well as for many other things I can’t even begin to apologize for… I know that there’s no chance in hell that it’s possible for us to be on even ground again, and I understand, but I still think of you as someone I don’t want to see die because of something I did.
I left some take-outs in the fridge…sorry for that too, but I know where you keep your spare key. I also made sure Dime was okay. He misses you…
I hope that my actions didn’t affect anything…I’d hate to see you mad. Getting further onto your bad side isn’t something I’d like to do.
I hope your wound doesn’t cause you too much trouble. Be careful.
Kougami
Ginoza crumpled the note in his hand, hurriedly unlocking the apartment door and stepping inside and grumbling to himself.
“Who the hell does he think he is, putting food in my fridge and leaving notes on my door…? Ordering me to be careful…?” He threw the note across the room and let it fall to the floor by the couch. He sat down on a chair in the kitchen, elbows resting on his knees.
Dime padded up in front of him, tail wagging happily and nudging his arm with his nose. The action made the inspector lose his train of thought and he ruffled the dog’s ears, the way his face shifted making Ginoza’s mood lighten.
He stood, opening the fridge and finding said take-outs. He begrudgingly pulled them out and opened one, almost laughing to himself at the contents. He pushed it onto a plate and into the microwave. The thought of having human-made food made him laugh and he missed it, but he ate it nonetheless, silently hating and thanking the Enforcer who brought it.
An hour or so later, he showered quickly and went to bed, completely exhausted even though nothing had been done. He fell asleep with Dime curled up on the bed next to him, the thought of facing the Enforcer exhausting him further until he drifted off to sleep.
YOU ARE READING
Breaking Down
Fanfiction"The fool learns from experience while the wise learn from history."
