CHAPTER 11
RABBIT 11: Air Vent
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The outskirts of the town were quiet, and equally as quiet was the apartment we hid in. We were likely on the fifth or sixth floor, completely separated by allies and alike. The room I was in was dark, only lit by the moonlight above, which shone through the cracks in the walls and poorly structured windows. The fabric floor dug into my thighs, and the dry wallpaper gave no scent. The air was still, but cold, seeping through the unclosed window.
The aching pain in my side had woke me up, preventing me from further rest. I wish I had painkillers, but I had to make do with distracting thoughts. A cloth, likely from a bed quilt, was wrapped around my waist, adding pressure to the blood seeping out. The skin and muscle were badly punctured, and it hurt to breathe. Also wrapped in “bandages” were both my forearms, which were arguably in worse shape than the waist. The dirty stained teeth of the wolf had punched through the bone in my left, and possibly my right too.
My very little history in the field of medicine told me even the strongest painkillers would amount to nothing, and treatment was necessary, and needed soon. But given my situation, I’d have to accept that wasn’t a possibility. My best chance was with Itogaya-san, who had just exited through the bathroom.
Itogaya: “I can give you the best care in our scenario, but I won’t make any promises for the long game. Those puncture wounds aren’t friendly.”
Kobayashi Amano: “Really? They feel friendly.”
Itogaya: “Those will easily get infected, so changing your cloth every few hours will be necessary. Depending on how long we’re here, we can lower that amount.”
Itogaya: “Besides the obvious, just keep your hands clean, and don’t touch the wound.”
Itogaya: “Though, I suppose you already know this much, yes?”
Kobayashi Amano: “...What gave it away?”
Itogaya: “The manner you conducted yourself in the fight. It was clear you refused to put anymore pressure on your side once struck, and also your dressing of Daikubara-san’s wound, earlier.”
Itogaya: “Do you have history in the medical field?”
Kobayashi Amano: “...Part time in a local clinic, that’s all.”
Itogaya: “Still, it’s a very good use of time. It’s more than saved your life, today.”
Kobayashi Amano: “...Mm. But, thanks; for everything.”
Itogaya: “...No, I should be the last person you thank.”
Itogaya: “If… I hadn’t let the fox outsmart me, you would be in far better condition.”
Itogaya: “If we had fought it together… you’d be able to continue moving…”
Itogaya: “For that, I’m deeply sorry.”
Itogaya-san lowered his head and knees, in a bowing position. The distraught nature on his face was enough to set unease deep in my chest.
Kobayashi Amano: “...And, if you hadn’t come back, I’d definitely be dead.”
Kobayashi Amano: “That means more to me, than anything.”
Kobayashi Amano: “So, thank you.”
Itogaya: “...If it wasn’t for you, also… I’m certain I would have lost that fight.”
Kobayashi Amano: “...Eh? How come?”
Itogaya: “The damage you inflicted on it, specifically its arm, prevented it from performing at full.”
Itogaya: “I can’t fight. I only have the strength of my body… and that’s it. You, on the other hand… you have experience, don’t you?”
Kobayashi Amano: “...I guess you could say that.”
Itogaya: “Thanks to that experience, and your intuition, we both survived.”
Itogaya: “Though, not unscathed.”
…That much was obvious. Cloth was also wrapped around Itogaya-san’s left arm, and his torso, undeniably for the wound across his upper back. The dressing was a lot less tidier than my own, and looked freshly cleaned.
Kobayashi Amano: “How are your injuries?”
Itogaya: “...Not in great condition, but we make do with what we have.”
Itogaya: “My rhomboid has been torn, making it difficult to walk.”
And despite that, he managed to drag both himself and me to a safe location.
Itogaya: “I’m quite lucky my spine wasn’t impacted, otherwise the pain would be the least of my concern.”
Itogaya: “My forearms, however… I would find it tedious to name the muscles punctured.”
Itogaya: “All that’s needed to know is that both our arms have likely suffered massive nerve damage, and undeniable bone damage.”
Itogaya: “Not being able to get it treated immediately will have a lasting impact on us.”
Itogaya: “...So, all I can request is that you don’t strain them any further.”
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Kobayashi Amano: “You have to be in worse condition than me, right?”
Itogaya: “I’m lucky to have a working right arm. You, however…”
…He says that, but he used that arm to carry me. He’s already strained it beyond belief.
Kobayashi Amano: “...When I can move, I’ll redress that cloth.”
Itogaya: “Hm? Don’t be ridiculous, it’s fine.”
Kobayashi Amano: “It’s difficult taking care of yourself compared to others, right?”
Itogaya: “...Well, I have more experience in doing so than anything else.”
In regards to Michifuku-san and Tatesada-san, who had both crossed my mind during the conversation, Itogaya-san had left a message in blood on the wall of the store, next to the corpse of the fox. The message was for whoever left the apartment to look for us, after we failed to return in under two hours. There was very little we could do in our position to help them, so we had to pass the torch, relying on others to do their share of helping.
Michifuku: “Can you give me a hand?”
Tatesada Hakaru: “Oh, sure… uh, what are we doing exactly?”
Fourty-five minutes had passed since the two were separated. They had attempted both exits several times, but the shutters refused to lift, and the back steel door wouldn’t budge, remaining locked. They were now attempting to climb through the air vent connected from the ceiling to the roof, having ran out of any other options. In between her petite fingers, Michifuku-san held onto a small yen coin.
Michifuku: “Let’s see… one, two, three… one, two, three–”
Michifuku: “There, all done! I’m better at this than I remember.”
Having removed the vent plate, Michifuku-san, who was being carried upon Tatesada-san’s shoulders, peered into the vent in search of an exit.
Michifuku: “Chfff!”
Michifuku-san brought her head back out instantly, coughing up an unbelievable amount of dust. The noise of the air vent escaped through the store, adding a new filter of sound.
Michifuku: “...Okay, second try.”
She stuck her head back in, holding her breath to keep dust from filling her mouth. The inside of the vent was small and tight, with little room to move. If someone was going to fit in it, it wasn’t Tatesada-san; that much was certain.
Michifuku-san was lowered to the floor, brushing dust off her face and upper torso.
Tatesada Hakaru: “Well?”
Michifuku: “I can definitely fit through, and it doesn’t seem that long either. The only problem is the first turn… since it’s a vertical one.”
Tatesada Hakaru: “You can’t rotate or something?”
Michifuku: “Yeah, probably. But if I get stuck, I’m screwed…”
Michifuku: “Plus, I’ll have to bring something to remove the other vent plate. You can’t unscrew them from the inside, and I’ll not be able to use my legs to force it off.”
Tatesada Hakaru: “So maybe we tie something to it, and pull? If we’re strong enough, we might be able to pull it off.”
Michifuku: “Nope, you’ll just end up damaging the duct, and then we’ll never be able to get it off.”
Michifuku: “We can’t damage the duct in general; cus then I might not be able to fit through, if it ends up acute.”
Michifuku: “I barely have enough space to fit through already, so don’t be getting any stupid ideas.”
Tatesada Hakaru: “...Yes, ma’am.”
The two continued walking around the store, searching for useful inventory. The store was smaller on the inside, due to the lined shelves and space taken by desks. The supplies were dense, though unfortunately all foods were out of date. Minerals were found in the freezers, and since the power was on, they were in good condition. Leisure items, e.g. magazines, gift cards and phone chargers weren’t of any use. But what was of use, were the first aid kits and bandages, which were found in the furthest corner of the store. Despite most of the stock in a convenience store were food related, the haul wasn’t nearly as disappointing as expected.
Tatesada Hakaru: “You can’t push the vent open with a broom or mop?”
Michifuku: “Hmm… maybe, but it depends on how much distance there is.”
Michifuku: “Though, given the location of the duct… it might work.”
Michifuku: “The only problem is whether or not a grate is installed in the vent.”
Tatesada Hakaru: “A grate?”
Michifuku: “To keep small animals from climbing through. It’s just small enough to fit your finger through, so there’s no chance I’m squeezing through it!”
Tatesada Hakaru: “I don’t know, you are small…”
Michifuku: “It has its benefits!”
Tatesada Hakaru: “...Yeah, you’re not wrong. Me, on the other hand… I can’t even come up with a good idea.”
Michifuku: “Huh? What are you talking about?”
Tatesada Hakaru: “Nothing I’ve said is gonna work, right?”
Michifuku: “Are you stupid?”
Tatesada Hakaru: “E-Eh?”
Michifuku: “If we just attach some rope to the grate, we should be able to remove it. If there is one.”
Tatesada Hakaru: “What about damaging the duct?”
Michifuku: “They’re usually placed at enough distance from the vent plate, allowing the animal to climb back up. So even if we do slightly damage the cut, the plate itself should be fine.”
Michifuku: “...And anyway, at this point there’s no other choice for us. We’ll have to get rid of it either way.”
Michifuku: “...If it is there.”
Tatesada Hakaru: “...You have a scary amount of knowledge about this stuff, y’know?”
Michifuku: “What do you mean? You’re helping!”
A small blush enveloped under Tatesada-san’s eyes, while the two searched far and wide for any sort of rope.
…
Alone, in the cold dark street walked Daikubara-san, who’s twitching shoulder demanded to rest. Nevertheless, he continued forward, in search of his allies.
Daikubara: “Where the hell did they run off too…?”
Understanding we would search the sides of the town first, Daikubara-san thought it best to search the centre. Given the amount of shelter, and the lack of space, he would likely locate us much faster. Besides, if he failed to do so, he could reach the roof of an apartment and use its view to locate us.
Daikubara-san had decided to look for us by his lonesome. His reason for this was to not leave Konsako-san and Ishimasu-san without defence. Konsako-san’s broken leg, and Ishimasu-san being a young age, they were much more vulnerable than anyone else; so if Kuro-san was to stay behind, they would have a layer of protection. Daikubara-san was the most able of those three, so he would venture out. I think, even if both his legs had been broken, he would’ve refused to stay still anyway.
Having walked through a fair bit of the town, Daikubara-san was losing hope of locating anyone. He had to remain wary of the rabbit, and the possibility of other foes, and so remained silent, though keen to hear. Eventually however, after walking towards the west side of town, Daikubara-san heard a faint sound.
A clanging sound, coming from a convenience store…
The smell reached him before anything else. The musty, reeking scent of the fox’s fresh corpse doused the clean air, attracting Daikubara-san towards it.
Daikubara: “...What the fuck?”
Next to the fox’s corpse was the bloody bat belonging to the rabbit, which was recently acquired by myself. This piece of information, as well as the blood message messily illustrated on the surface of the store wall, was enough context to influence Daikubara-san’s decision making.
“TWO TRAPPED INSIDE - Itogaya”.
Having checked both entrances, Daikubara-san forced his way up to the convenience store’s roof by moving the outside dumpsters, bitterly bearing the beating pain in his shoulder. He then moved to the source of the ongoing noise - the constant clanging which he had heard dozens of feet away.
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BIND GAME