ext_158887 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
seta-suzume.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
31_days2009-12-15 01:40 pm
seta-suzume.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2009-12-15 01:40 pm
[Dec. 15] [Suikoden III] Scenes of Life and Death
Title: Scenes of Life and Death
Day/Theme: Dec. 15, 2009 "don't tell me if i'm dying, because i don't want to know"
Series: Suikoden III (my 'bridge burning' story)
Character/Pairing: Nika, Kiheiji, Forte, etc.
Rating: PG-13
"What was the situation with Jeq and Sielya?" Nika asked Kiheiji when he returned from the visit to Erika's home. Part of her didn't want to know. Kiheiji had come back alone. Wasn't that enough to answer her question? Of course, the doctor hadn't shown up yet, but if anyone had needed help getting to the house, she had assumed Kiheiji was more likely to do the heavy work of assisting them than Forte was. Kiheiji knew this people. They were his neighbors. Forte might be a doctor and all, but he appeared somewhat brusque in his dealings with the local people. He was more interested in the disease than the patients. In that respect, it was hard to imagine anyone who could be more different than Sasarai.
"I don't know what I should tell her." Kiheiji hung his head. He was in serious need of some advice and he was still digesting the chilling sight that had greeted him in the house above the general shop. Sielya had been dead when they arrived, but not for long, if her body temperature was any indication. Jeq had been weak and woozy, but he had been clearly within the land of the living. It was when they had tried to get Jeq up that the trouble started.
"Take Sielya first," he had told them. Kiheiji felt it wouldn't be a complete stretch to blame what came next at least partially on Forte. Of course, he couldn't just come out and say something so cruel, not to Forte's face and not to anyone here, but the scene would haunt him for the rest of his days.
But, nevertheless, Forte's less-than-thoughtful words were seared into his mind: "She can wait. The living come first."
That had triggered quite a response from the shop keeper. "Sielya!" he had cried out as tears smeared his rash-reddened face. He had gotten quite choked up, crying out and asking about Erika's whereabouts. Kiheiji had done his best to convey to his distraught neighbor that Erika was over at his house, but Jeq seemed too hysterical to fully understand what Kiheiji was saying. Although Forte also tried to calm him down, in Jeq's fevered state he only seemed to hear the words he most feared to hear. And as much as either would-be rescuer would've liked to say that he and Erika were going to be okay, neither was the type to make a promise they could not keep.
Jeq had stopped breathing. All Kiheiji had been able to do was watch as Forte worked to get start his lungs again. All that had happened was bad. Jeq had coughed up bloody mucus. His heart had stopped. Forte could not cause it to start again.
How would they tell Erika?
"Do you want me to talk to her?" Nika offered. He looked pretty shell-shocked. It would be easier for someone who wasn't so upset to calmly give the news.
"No." He was sure of that much. At least for now. After her father's reaction, all that Kiheiji could see was hot tears and burning blood, splashed across the floor, across his boots, across Forte's apron. Both of her parents were dead. And who knew if Erika herself would be alive much longer? He refused to be the cause of another heartbreak. "We'll wait and see how things go. We'll wait until she's better."
"Yeah, uh, okay," Nika allowed. Whatever had happened to Erika's parents, she could see that it had been beyond bad. That was the look Sasarai had worn when he came home from the Grasslands. It was the look of a man who had seen or learned too much. "Maybe you should sit down and take a nap or something, Kiheiji. I think we've got it basically under control for now."
Suddenly he felt very weak. "I'll take that suggestion," he agreed.
Day/Theme: Dec. 15, 2009 "don't tell me if i'm dying, because i don't want to know"
Series: Suikoden III (my 'bridge burning' story)
Character/Pairing: Nika, Kiheiji, Forte, etc.
Rating: PG-13
"What was the situation with Jeq and Sielya?" Nika asked Kiheiji when he returned from the visit to Erika's home. Part of her didn't want to know. Kiheiji had come back alone. Wasn't that enough to answer her question? Of course, the doctor hadn't shown up yet, but if anyone had needed help getting to the house, she had assumed Kiheiji was more likely to do the heavy work of assisting them than Forte was. Kiheiji knew this people. They were his neighbors. Forte might be a doctor and all, but he appeared somewhat brusque in his dealings with the local people. He was more interested in the disease than the patients. In that respect, it was hard to imagine anyone who could be more different than Sasarai.
"I don't know what I should tell her." Kiheiji hung his head. He was in serious need of some advice and he was still digesting the chilling sight that had greeted him in the house above the general shop. Sielya had been dead when they arrived, but not for long, if her body temperature was any indication. Jeq had been weak and woozy, but he had been clearly within the land of the living. It was when they had tried to get Jeq up that the trouble started.
"Take Sielya first," he had told them. Kiheiji felt it wouldn't be a complete stretch to blame what came next at least partially on Forte. Of course, he couldn't just come out and say something so cruel, not to Forte's face and not to anyone here, but the scene would haunt him for the rest of his days.
But, nevertheless, Forte's less-than-thoughtful words were seared into his mind: "She can wait. The living come first."
That had triggered quite a response from the shop keeper. "Sielya!" he had cried out as tears smeared his rash-reddened face. He had gotten quite choked up, crying out and asking about Erika's whereabouts. Kiheiji had done his best to convey to his distraught neighbor that Erika was over at his house, but Jeq seemed too hysterical to fully understand what Kiheiji was saying. Although Forte also tried to calm him down, in Jeq's fevered state he only seemed to hear the words he most feared to hear. And as much as either would-be rescuer would've liked to say that he and Erika were going to be okay, neither was the type to make a promise they could not keep.
Jeq had stopped breathing. All Kiheiji had been able to do was watch as Forte worked to get start his lungs again. All that had happened was bad. Jeq had coughed up bloody mucus. His heart had stopped. Forte could not cause it to start again.
How would they tell Erika?
"Do you want me to talk to her?" Nika offered. He looked pretty shell-shocked. It would be easier for someone who wasn't so upset to calmly give the news.
"No." He was sure of that much. At least for now. After her father's reaction, all that Kiheiji could see was hot tears and burning blood, splashed across the floor, across his boots, across Forte's apron. Both of her parents were dead. And who knew if Erika herself would be alive much longer? He refused to be the cause of another heartbreak. "We'll wait and see how things go. We'll wait until she's better."
"Yeah, uh, okay," Nika allowed. Whatever had happened to Erika's parents, she could see that it had been beyond bad. That was the look Sasarai had worn when he came home from the Grasslands. It was the look of a man who had seen or learned too much. "Maybe you should sit down and take a nap or something, Kiheiji. I think we've got it basically under control for now."
Suddenly he felt very weak. "I'll take that suggestion," he agreed.