Today you will meet the last two characters of this novel. They complete the symmetry of this Island population being yet another mother-daughter pair absent a father.
The activities of this day/chapter will be in two parts. The next portion will be back from Clete's point of view.
Thank you for reading.
Love,
Pops
U.S. Time: Monday,
August 13, 2012
CenterTime: Monday, August 13, 2012
Empire Time: Dragon, Month 6, Day 26, Xingqi 1
CenterTime: Monday, August 13, 2012
Empire Time: Dragon, Month 6, Day 26, Xingqi 1
[Reporter’s note: These notes were volunteered by the Second
Sea Witch regarding the events of 13 August 2012. She was asked to recount her
conversations relating to that incident which have been recorded here as well.]
Personal notes on conversations regarding patient Dr. Clete
Wong [recorded in Japanese]
Since Mother had not responded to my sounding of the alarm
bell, I could only assume she was deep in The Grove and there was nothing to do
but observe and wait. When I heard the door slide open and close and the sound
of her shoes hitting the floor as she kicked them off, I hurried over to her.
“Mother, you’re back! The distinguished visiting
geologist is injured. I have put him in the observation room.”
“What happened? How was he
injured?”
“He was working on the rocky
ledge, in The Margin. He was setting up equipment apparently. I would say he
lost his footing and came down the mountainside.”
“So he made impact on the
floor below? Broken bones? Internal bleeding?”
“No. No signs of shock or
anemia. I think he slid initially and had presence of mind to roll himself. But
he came to stop against a banyan. He hit his head.”
“Is he conscious?”
“No. He has been out for a
while now. I am concerned that he has been out for length of time. Do you think
we should notify Rex and have him evacuated?”
“I will look.”
Mother stood at the closed infirmary door for at least two
minutes.
“Is
something wrong?”
“No. I just have to ready
myself.”
“Ready yourself?”
Mother had no response to that. Finally she slid the door
open and went in. She knelt by his side and just sat there for a while. She
finally started to touch him. He was breathing easily. She opened one of his
eyes and then the other.
“It’s not bad. The pupils
react. Good sign. Pulse is strong. Breathing is strong. You cleaned and
bandaged his wounds I see. Color is good. Temperatures and blood pressure
readings?”
I handed her my chart.
“Everything else normal
except responsiveness then. Wong, is this the only way you ever give yourself
rest?”
‘What did you say mother?”
“Did you advise The Empire
where he is?”
“No. I did not want to leave
him alone.”
“You recovered him at what
time?”
“Around 11:30 a.m.”
“How long was he lying
there?”
“I heard him shout when he
fell. I was there immediately.”
“It’s been a few hours then.
If he does not regain consciousness in an hour we will ask Rex to call for a
Medevac. But I predict he is just going to hurt for a couple of days. Let’s
move him into the small sea-view room. I will sit with him until he revives. It
won’t be long.”
We put him on a rolling cot and moved him down the hall. We
opened the screen wall to let the brightness of the day and the late-day breeze
in. We put him on a padded mat. She surprised me by taking a place kneeling
behind him so that his head rested in her lap. Mother bent over so that her
head was next to his, and then she began to sing softly. She performed some sort of therapeutic massage
on his temples and then on his shoulders and neck and then his hands and
wrists. Sure enough, he started to stir. She rose and motioned me over.
“He is waking.”
“What did you do?”
“Treat him well. He is an
extremely powerful man.”
“Shouldn’t you stay and tend
to him then?”
“Please handle it. I will only
observe.”
Mother did not explain this any further. She told me there
were some inhabitants in the Island’s deep past who considered considered us
taboo. But he was a foreigner. Perhaps she was afraid of making an error in the
care of someone she perceived to be an important guest. But I had not heard he
was anything special. According to Ling, he was a part-time teacher and
scientist from a prominent college in the western U.S., and a part-time worker
in the oil industry. He was not a diplomat, or an officer in a navy, or even a
rich man, who would have had servants. Ling did say that while they found him frequently
discourteous, his actions were never bad-natured and he was refreshingly open,
almost like a curious child in an old man’s body. She said he made her laugh
quite often the way he would frustrate her mother. But he was obviously quite
learned though he seemed almost deceptively to be clueless and stupid.
Ling said that her mother seemed rather fixated on him and
gossiped about him constantly. It seemed that the Second Princesses were having
great fun watching as each of their mothers broke the taboo of talking to him
and seeing how they reacted to a man their age. Ling said the younger ones
especially like to speculate on the meaning of every action to determine which
one the Firsts he likes best. So now it was our turn in The Center to talk to
the geologist.
“Where
am I?”
“You are on Dog Island.”
“Well, duh, I know that.”
“Who is the president of the United
States?”
“Barack Obama.”
“OK.
Good. Who is the president of China?”
“What?”
“I think you mean Who?”
“Who?”
“. . . Jin . . .”
[exasperated gasp] “Hu Jin Tao!”
“Excellent! Thank you. I’ve always wanted
to do that. Now, who is the incumbent prime minister of Japan?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know that?
I know what you’re doing and I’m telling you I’m fine.”
“Well here’s a hint, the family name has
four syllables.”
“Three-fourths of the family names in
Japan have four syllables.”
“Work with me on this. If you can’t answer
correctly I’m committing you to the insane asylum.”
“Yoshimura something or other.”
“Ah you do know, you’re just faking being baka.
I’m onto you.”
“Yoshihiko Noda. Satisfied?”
“Very. Mother said your passport is
heavily validated to Asian countries. I expect a lot out of you. Now make a fist with your right hand. Now
with your left. Wiggle your left foot. Now your right.”
“Are you a doctor?”
“Closest thing you’ll get here. My mother
and I are I guess what you might call medics. We’re also witch doctors. But it’s
not like there’s a licensing board for those.”
“So you’re the Sea Witch?”
“Technically the Sea Witch heir apparent.
When my mother retires or just doesn’t want to do it anymore, I’ll take over.”
“But you’re wearing surgical scrubs. Since
when you witch doctors wear scrubs?”
“Mother’s idea. Thought it might give you
hope and courage and the will to fight for life and all that.”
“Now that you’ve blown your cover, do you
really think it’ll work?”
“I’m not so much into manipulating
appearances. I prefer representing myself with competent action. But we have
had some formal training in first responder and charting procedures so that if
we do turn someone over to a doctor, they have an initial benchmark of
observation.”
“Do you like it? Being a Sea Witch that
is?”
“It’s a living. Keeps rice on the table.”
“Is there much call for conjuring ghosts
and making brews here?”
“You be the judge when you taste our
hospital food.”
“Your bedside manner is appalling.”
“I have no apologies. It’s not like you can
go down the street to the next clinic. Should I call you a helicopter?”
“So I’m a helicopter. I need to talk to
your manager, young lady. I’ll have your job.”
“The pay is terrible, but the view is
great. I’ll get you the forms and you can apply.”
“So can I go now?”
“Actually, no. It’s getting dark soon and
we think we should observe you overnight. We’re kind of worried about
concussion. Do you have a headache?”
“No. I mean, my head aches, but it’s not
that kind.”
“Blurred vision?”
“No.”
“I really should test you on that, but I
believe you. We’ll see how good you see when I have you stand and take a few
steps. Up you go.”
He was able to rise on his own, walk, stand on one leg. He
got back down.
“In case the Princesses
didn’t tell you we’re the medical officers for the Island and so we’re
responsible for your care per your research contract unless you want to call
for a Medevac. In which case we’ll happily sign you out, but your project will
then effectively end as I understand it.”
“That’s OK. I don’t want to
abandon you all yet. I’ll be compliant.”
“Would you like me to advise
Ba and Yi to retrieve your equipment? They were assisting you right?”
“Ba and Yi?”
“Aha. Memory lapse. Don’t
hide it. It’s important to know.”
“Oh! Eight and Eve. Guess I
shouldn’t use their classroom names out of the classroom.”
“That’s right. You gave all
the girls American names didn’t you? They love that, by the way. It’s like you
reinvented their personalities. Eight and Eve. Hmm.”
“What’s your name, by the
way? I’m Clete. Clete Wong.”
“I know your name. I saw
your papers and wrote up your chart. I’m Natsuki.”
“Japanese.”
“Bingo.”
“So you’re from the historical
prefecture then?”
“Now you’re just showing off
to spite me.”
“A business associate took
me to the historic shrine in Fukuyama. So sue me.”
“And with that comment you
have officially disqualified yourself for the Good Patient Award. I’m actually
half Japanese if what mother says is true. Well, ethnically Japanese. There
hasn’t been a Japanese national on Dog Island for decades.”
“Which half is Japanese?
Just so I know when to switch languages.”
“The POLITE half, of course.
Silly.”
“Well then, I’ve obviously
been talking to your New Yorker half.”
“You’ve been a great
audience, you really have. Now I think you should rest and take a nap, on
purpose this time.”
“Ya breakin’ me up.”
“You already did a good job
of that yourself. You know, sir, you’re pretty punchy for a guy who’s come out
of a coma after five years.”
“Please tell me you’re
joking.”
“Relax, after your nap,
you’ll be transported right back to 2012. I guarantee it. But as you can see,
by our just being here, the global warming thing was a hoax.”
“What do you know about
that?”
“All Islanders were given the chance to
read your project proposal. I did.”
“Someone was singing
earlier.”
“That would be mother.”
“I need to see her. Like
NOW.”
“I am the professional. I
will give the orders here. You need to rest. You’ll meet her soon enough. Rest.
On purpose this time, like now.”
Patient drifted back to sleep. We Sea Witches consulted.
“And just what was that all
about? What kind of a first conversation is that to have?”
“We already have his medical
questionnaire and comprehensive history that he submitted with his research
application. But, he snapped right into his sarcasm when he hit consciousness.
That’s probably a good sign.”
“Some things never change.”
“Do you know him?”
“Did you have to continue
the rude banter? I hate that.”
“I was just responding in
like tone to his comments. You have to admit it kept him engaged with good eye contact, so we know focus and reasoning functions
are good. Since he’s going to be an overnighter I will set up a futon in the
cottage.”
“It is all right if you
leave him in the main compound in the sea-facing room. It’s extremely hot
tonight. He is still not acclimated. His body sweats profusely. He will prefer
having a bed on the porch. Keep giving him water.”
“Mother, you didn’t answer
my earlier question. Do you know him?”
“Not really.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means what I said; I
really don’t know him.”
“Do you mind if at some time
I ask him about the United States?”
“Ask what?”
“What it’s like. I’m
curious. We never get visitors. Never from America.”
“Stay on the topics of his
health and his work here. Are you preparing his meal?”
“I will.”
“As part of it, make a rice
porridge, but double the amount of rice. Grind it if you have time. When it is
not yet hot, slowly add a beaten chicken egg and coconut milk, maybe two of the
large spoons worth. Then stir in three and a half spoons of sugar. If we have cassia
bark or better yet cinnamon bark, grind a quarter spoon and put it in as well,
but at the end. Do we have any vanilla?”
“No.”
“Maybe Princess Lum has
some. I will go over and see.”
“I’ll go.”
“This is served cold, so
once it has become thick, we need to put it in a watertight container and place
it in the shaded stream until you can stand up a spoon in it.”
“Is this some kind of
medicinal porridge? It’s complicated. You need to tell me again.”
“Uwah. I’ll just make it myself.
You go and inform The Empire where he is and get the vanilla while you are
there.”
©
Copyright 2012 by Vincent Way, all rights reserved.
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Be truthful and frank, but be polite. If you use excessive profanity, I'll assume you have some kind of character flaw like Dr. Wong. Tks!