Yuri wandered through the darkened corridors of the hospital, not going anywhere, but unable to stay still. All her life her sister had been beside her, they’d never been apart from each other for more than a few hours as long as she could remember. But in the last three days all Yuko had done was eat and sleep. The few times she’d tried to talk, she had been so painfully out of breath Yuri had told her to stop…
Yuri had never spent so long inside, not counting when the oni clan had lived in the old mine workings. Although some of those caves were so vast, they didn’t really feel like being inside, and in the dark you couldn’t see the walls anyway.
Leaning against a wall she contemplated one of the vending the machines that dotted the corridors. She felt vaguely hungry, but the idea of eating yet another plastic wrapped meal made her feel a little queasy. She wondered how the humans that worked here could stomach it, The cafeteria served just about tolerable food, to humans it probably tasted fine, but that wasn’t open at this hour.
Wandering aimlessly Yuri found a window seat partly hidden behind the large potted plant, and sat to stare out into the darkness. In the distance a few lonely lights twinkled far away on the vast black ocean, like ancient lost stars in the sky. Yuri sighed, she felt as equally alone and isolated as those tiny pinpricks of light far out to sea…
The doctors said Yuko had lung damage, caused by a blood clot. It would heal, eventually. The Yukion'na doctor in charge of her sisters case had suggested that perhaps Kiko-sama might improve that, although Yuko had been reluctant to ask her for special favours. It seemed wrong to impose on their relationship. Yuri had disagreed, but in the end had given way to her sister. It was after all, her choice.
So here she was, in the middle of what would normally be her watch during the small hours of the night. It was the least popular watch, and usually Yuri and Yuko volunteered for it. Her body was so accustomed to the routine she couldn’t sleep, so she wandered the halls night after night. Occasionally during the past three nights Yuri had nodded in greeting to the nurses and doctors, but she rarely spoke to them. She was conscious of the fact that whatever their mysterious tasks were, they were far too important to interrupt with idle chatter, and she’d never been much of a talker anyway.
She was jolted out of her darkly maundering thoughts by a clatter of what sounded like metal falling and a soft thump followed by a woman cursing quietly in what sounded like English. Puzzled Yuri got up and following the sound of the almost monotone swearing, walked round a corner.
Sprawled on the ground next to an over-turned wheel chair was a blonde haired woman in blue military-looking overalls. She was struggling to get a wheelchair upright and herself in the chair, but for some reason she hadn’t noticed one the wheels was tangled in the stems of the potted plant that was lying on it’s side next to it.
Without thinking Yuri strode forwards quickly, and squatting down next to the woman on the ground, murmured;
“Allow me to help you, please.”
The woman turned to look in Yuri’s direction, and Yuri had to stifle a gasp. One of her eyes was completely missing, a raw red socket was all that remained, the other eye was clouded over with a milky blue/white film. The skin around the eyes was puckered red and unnaturally smooth, scared by a burn it looked like, that slashed across her left cheek, the bridge of her nose and most of the brow above the remaining eye.
Lt Amanda Fielding, formerly of the dock landing ship USS Ashland, lay on on the floor cursing her luck. Her life had been ruined in a moment when a steam hose blew, blasting superheated steam across her face, and knocking her over the railings in the engine room, to land on the steel deck plating three floors below with a broken spine.
In the six months since then, she’d struggled with physical therapy, the blow to her head had also ruptured the inner ear on her left side, leaving her with intense vertigo to contend with as well as being paralysed from the waist down.
Then, a month after Christmas, she’d heard of the impossible. An actual, genuine, goddess of healing, in some flea-bite town in the middle of nowhere. She hadn’t believed it, but as she listened to news, there was more and more stories with credible evidence coming out of this sleepy fishing village. On top of that, there were reports of what the news was calling a revitalisation of ‘magic’ if one could credit, with creatures straight out of Japanese mythology popping up everywhere. Even the Japanese government had gotten into the act, passing laws to give the mythical creatures human rights.
Amanda hadn’t entirely believed it, but on the chance that it was real and somehow this purported goddess could help her, she’d insisted on being transferred from the base hospital in Sasebo to the local hospital in Kami. She’d arrived the day before yesterday, and her doctor promised they put in a request for an audience.
It had taken her half a day to grow bored, and in the end had given into her itchy feet… which much to her annoyance were literally itchy. The doctors told her it was just the severed nerves trying to reconnect, but it was maddening unless she distracted herself, which is why she’d been wheeling herself around the corridors late at night, that and practising using the damned wheelchair.
At least, she thought it was late. She wasn’t familiar enough with the noises of this hospital to be entirely sure of when the shifts changed over, but it was certainly quiet enough to be late at night.
Which was quite the problem since she’d bumped into something and the wheelchair had gotten snagged on something, leaving her stranded. She was damned though if she’d just lie here and wait to be rescued in the morning, if she couldn’t the goddammit chair upright, she’d crawl back to where she thought her room was.
She was just chewing on the bitter taste of that thought, when she felt the floor vibrate under her finger tips and heard heavy footsteps. From a point a short distance away, and she thought about level with her head, a soft, light tenor voice in oddly accented Japanese asked;
“Allow me to help you, please.”
Amanda sighed.
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
The female voice, she was fairly sure it’s owner was female, sighed.
“Well, I could go and fetch one of the nurses. Or I could try to untangle your wheel chair for you and let you do the rest… umm.. did you know your leg is bleeding from a scrape?”
Amanda bit back several choice profanities and instead somewhat tersely said;
“No, I didn’t. I haven’t been able to feel anything below my waist for the last six months.”
Amanda could hear the sound of panic in the woman’s voice.
“Ah.. sorry, sorry… of course you… I mean. Ah, um.. let me sort that chair out!”
She listened to the wet tearing sounds of plant life being ripped apart, and then her heart sank as she heard the sharp sound of tearing metal.
For moment there was horrified silence, and in a heavy flat voice Amanda asked.
“Ok..what did you do?”
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“Ah..um… I think I.. broke.. the wheel. Maybe I can push it back together!”
Before she could say anything, Amanda heard the unmistakable snapping sound of something critical breaking, followed by the anti-climactic pattering sound of ball-bearings falling to the carpet.
“Just.. stop.. before you break it any more. Geeze, how the hell could you.. you know what, never mind. I’m an engineer, I should know better than to ask how some untrained, unqualified muscle-bound moron could break something! You’re not a Marine by any chance are you?”
“Ah..no. I’m an Oni. My names Yuri of the Rìchūshān clan.”
Amanda stared in the direction of the voice, which frankly sounded like it ought to belong to some half-scared school-girl, aside from it being about an octave too low, one who’d taken far too many steroids perhaps.
“You’re a what now?!”
“Oni. Um..”
“I know what an Oni is! Are you shitting the poor blind cripple? Is that it?”
“No, I really am an Oni..ah.. here.”
The hand that wrapped around Amanda’s forearm was strangely hot, and big enough to engulf her wrist and half her forearm easily. She could feel sharp claw-like fingernails just pricking the soft skin of the inside of her wrist, and then her whole arm was lifted slightly and placed against what felt like smooth stone.
Amanda had once held a polished fossil ammonite, and it felt similar to this. Bewildered, and slightly alarmed by the implicit strength she’d felt, she exclaimed.
“What the hell is this I’m feeling?”
“Um, sorry, that’s my horn, on my right.”
Amanda spider-walked her fingers across the horn, and finding it attached to a head, explored. The girl’s hair was surprisingly soft and felt like it was probably long, it had weight to it as she lifted it slightly.
“Would you mind if I... felt, your face that is. So I can picture you?”
“I think that’s the least I owe you after I broke your chair!”
“Hospitals chair, not mine. I’m still being fitted for a custom job..”
Amanda traced her finger tips across the broad, square planes of what she guessed was probably an almost mannish face… and then stopped in surprise as she encountered something unexpected.
“You have weird… things on your mouth.”
“Thash my usks..itsh ‘ormash fo ush.”
Amanda jerked her hand away.
“Sorry! That was rude… wait tusks? Like an orc?”
“It’s ok… you have no idea how often I’ve been poked by small children in the last few days. I think I’m getting used to it. At least they don’t try to hit me with rocks like Oni children… and what’s an orc?”
Amanda couldn’t help herself, despite the way it pulled at her skin, she blinked in shock.
“They what?!”
“That was a joke...mostly. Oni children are just like human children, only stronger.”
“Kids huh. Orcs are fictional creatures, I think, from Lord of Rings… and you have no idea what I’m talking about so never mind.”
Yuri sighed, hard enough that Amanda could feel it tickling the hyper-sensitive skin of the burn scar.
“I’m going to have to pick you up and carry you to where we can get you help. Sorry. Only the blood is dripping on the floor and you’ve got dirt from the plant pot all over it.”
“Aw crap! Yeah, we need to get that treated. Ok, you can carry me. It’s not like I’ve got any dignity left anyway.”
Amanda suddenly felt two strong arms, each probably as big as her useless legs, snake under her and lift her up effortlessly. The world spun and she had to fight the urge to retch from the sudden motion. She went bonelessly limp as she fought her stomach.
Once her equilibrium settled marginally, Amanda found herself being smoothly carried, her head resting against what felt like two large pillows stuffed with firm foam.
Well fuck, she thought, if I was gay I’d be in heaven right now!
“What did you say your name was again?”
“Yuri...and no I’m not.”
Amanda had to stifle a giggle.
“Names Amanda. Let me guess, you get that question a lot?”
Yuri grunted affirmatively before elaborating
“Far too often. Humans are annoyingly predictable sometimes.”
“Yeah. I get that. By the way, I’m not like that either. Despite being an engineer.”
“Huh?”
Amanda carefully shrugged.
“It’s a male profession, and I’m told I look like a butch dy..er lesbians. So, yeah. I get you.”
Amanda felt the shift in muscles, and guess Yuri was looking down at her.
“You do?”
“Do what?”
Yuri sighed, almost tectonically.
“Look like a ‘butch’ lesbian?”
“Er.. yeah…to my crew-mates. Why how do I look to you?”
Amanda felt the buzz of Yuri’s sub-vocalised contemplative hum rumble through her shoulder bones before she answered.
“Delicate. Fragile, but not weak.”
“You’re fucking kidding me, right?”
The world swayed slightly as Yuri shook her head.
“No. Most humans look frail to us. You… you’re like a finely made blade. Delicate, but not weak. Fragile if used wrongly, but able to bend and spring back if used correctly.”
“Well...um.. thanks. For the compliment. At least I think it was one.”
Yuri half shrugged and then remembered what she was doing, and ended up sighing.
“Not a compliment, truth. You asked, I told you how you look to me.”
Amanda rested her head against the firm pillow of Yuri’s chest.
“Right. I did. I should know better. Mind if I ask a personal question?”
“No.. I might not answer though.”
“Fair enough. What are you doing in hospital? You don’t seem sick…”
Amanda felt the slight hesitation in Yuri’s stride, and then the shift of her chest as she sighed silently.
“I’m not. My sister is. She has lung damage from altitude sickness. She’s… not dying.. but I’m told recovery will be slow and she may not ever be fully well.”
“That sucks. Especially if she’s as buff as you.”
“Buff?”
“Tall, built like a brick out...er , you know, strong… are all Oni like you?”
“Oh. No, some are much taller, better muscle tone and physique. Yuko and I work out more though, trying to catch up so we can be of more use to our adopted clan. Tatsuo, that’s our clan leader, says we don’t need to prove ourselves… but, we owe them for taking us in when they could hardly find enough food to feed themselves.”
Amanda lay quietly for moment thinking.
“You guys are refugees, aren’t you?”
“All Oni are, the clan came over from mainland china, settled in the north of Japan. Then were driven out again, only young women, old men, and children escaping as everyone else stayed to fight and die. Yuko and I met the clan as they struggled to find somewhere safe to live afterwards. Tatsuo said, no Oni left behind means everyone, even those not of the clan. So we were adopted, found a mine to live in and turn into a fortress...the Paul-sama, Inari’s Herald found us, made us friends and pledged his life to protect us. Now we’re free and safe. We’re building a village to live in the sunlight and clean air.”
Amanda listened in astonishment, silent for a moment afterwards until softly said.
“Fuck.. just when you think you’ve had it bad, you meet someone who’s had it worse.”
Yuri grunted.
“Everyone has troubles. Always enough to fill their plate. What about you?”
“Aw.. nothing like that. Grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, narrowly escaped jail, joined the navy, worked my way up until a steam pipe blew out. I caught the edge of the jet, that’s what melted my face, and the force blew me over the railing to fall, breaking my back and pelvis on the floor below.”
“What you said. That sucks. That would be death for an Oni.”
“You kidding? That would kill you?”
Amanda felt Yuri shake her head.
“No… but not being able to walk would. No oni would want to live like that. Relying on others to live.”
“Well that’s stupid. As long as you’re alive, there’s always some way you can be useful. Besides, I’ve still got two arms that work. I can get around, more or less.”
“True. But still… it.. it’s hard to accept…”
Amanda felt a drop of something warm splash on her bare arms.
“Hey.. hey there, are you crying?”
“No..”
Amanda felt another couple of drops fall on her, followed by a loud sniff.
“You are crying! What’s wrong? Tell me, maybe I can help you, ok?”
Yuri sniffed again,
“I...I’m afraid. For my sister. She’s...not good. She can hardly talk, she can’t do anything she’s so weak. I’m afraid she’ll..she’ll…”
Yuri’s chest heaved as she sobbed, burying her face against Amanda as she curled in on herself, until she was half crouched., cradling Amanda in her lap like a child’s teddy bear. Amanda reached up, and wrapping her arms around Yuri’s neck, pulled her tighter against herself, making wordless reassuring sounds in her ear.
“Shhh, shhh, it’ll be ok. I’ll talk to her. Tell her to keep living, that she can’t give up yet.. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
Yuri sniffed, loudly, as Amanda awkwardly patted her back. Idly she couldn’t help noticing that oni, or at least this one, smelt quite nice. Sort of like warm earth or a big cat… it was a comforting scent.
Suddenly a voice spoke, one of the nurses Amanda guessed.
“Are you alright? Can I help you?”
Yuri almost bolted upright, but remembering Amanda just in time, only twitched. Amanda sighed, thinking; of all the times…
“Yeah, not dying. My friend is just having a moment. I’m going to need patching up, but it can wait a minute or two. A little privacy please.”
“Ok, I’ll just be over th.... I mean just around the corner. Call me when you’re ready.”
Amanda could just barely hear the nurse’s footsteps on the carpet. No wonder she could sneak up on us. If I get a place of my own I’m having wooden floors, one of those nightingale floors maybe. She thought.
“Hoi, Amanda. Did you mean that, about being friends?”
“Uh, yeah, sure… and your sister too, if she likes. It’s not like I have anyone else to hang out with around here, and oni don’t sound too different from Marines.”
Yuri sniffed, and chuckled slightly.
“Yeah, we even like the same crayons..”
Amanda froze for a second in disbelief, and then laughed loudly.
“Hoo boy.. so even you guys have heard that dumb joke!”