Later, after Tsuya had placed all of her luggage in her room...
Tsuya was
quite nervous about her meeting with the medical officer. She stood outside the medbay door, too afraid to knock or ask to be let in, just... staring.
The white bulkhead door in front of Tsuya remained closed, the young neko standing just outside of its range for automated opening. There was no sound coming from behind the stark white barrier, the only sounds she could hear being the ambient noises of the
Miharu echoing through the hallway.
Taking a deep, steeling breath, Tsuya stepped within range of the door, then waited for it to open before entering the medbay.
Surely he won't kill
me, she thought... then hoped she was right.
As the door quickly slid open and Tsuya was able to survey the medical bay, it would be come quickly apparent that the Yamataian doctor was not present, just as he had hinted at during their last encounter. The room, instead, was populated by a handful of individuals, patients from the
Miharu’s previous mission, silently recuperating in their beds.
Off to the side of the large room stood a small area occupied by a large wooden desk and three cushioned chairs. Although the desk was littered with stacks of papers, three datapads and a neatly-organized set of books near the corner, the small nameplate at the front of the desk revealed that this was, indeed, Sanjuro’s “office”.
Tsuya bowed deeply to each of the convalescents, smiling at them as well and offering some of them a small apology. She crept as quietly as she could over to the desk, where she sat down in one of the chairs. Remembering Miyoko's previous words…
Earlier said:
Miyoko added, "When you report to the medbay for your backup, there are usually several books on the desk that you should feel free to peruse while you wait. Some of the medical stuff have been neglecting to point that out recently."
she selected one of the books from the set... and in taking it, she knocked all the others down, then she set them back up again.
Crooked.
The book that Tsuya had picked up was a thin informational text detailed several different types of medicinal plants and chemicals, apparently there as a sort of reference material for the medical staff. Many of the words and numbers detailed throughout the book were rather lengthy, technical and most likely extremely difficult for those not versed in the subject; there were, however, many illustrations accompanying each article, including some very strange looking plants from foreign worlds that a normal Yamataian citizen would never have seen before.
While Tsuya flipped through the book, the door at the front of the medical bay silently slide open once more and Sanjuro Ashitaka entered. Just finishing another process of reading from the datapad in his hand, the doctor slowly began returning it the pocket of his uniform as he turned towards his desk. He didn’t look too surprised that Tsuya was there; after all, he was the one that had scheduled this meeting when the XO had informed him of the new recruits’ arrival. Sanjuro
was surprised, however, when he noticed what Tsuya was holding…even more so when his eyes followed up to his stack of books, which had been utterly devastated by Tsuya’s removal of that particular text. So surprised was the doctor that he hastily leaped forward, his eyes in a bewildered state, his hands reaching for the small textbook in Tsuya’s grasp, his voice raising aloud as it broke through the serene quiet of the medical bay in a single word,
”DON’T…!”
Tsuya was
utterly surprised by Sanjuro's sudden entrance and shout - she hadn't heard him come in, engrossed in looking at all the pretty pictures in the book she'd selected. When he leapt at her, she jumped in shock, the book flying out of her hands and hitting the poor doctor right in between his eyes.
Sanjuro had just enough time to close his eyes partially before the hardcover textbook struck him, spine-first, between his eyebrows before clattering on the ground. Nary a sound other than a seething hiss of pain escaping his clenched teeth, Sanjuro knelt over and cradled the aggravated area of his head in his hands. However, the medical officer bent himself over a bit
too much, and a bit
too quickly; and what with Tsuya seated directly in front of him, the doctor’s forehead collided with the top of Tsuya’s noggin with a resounding
*CLUNK* of boney flesh upon boney flesh.
The whack on the top of Tsuya's head made the neko topple sideways out of her chair with a gurgle of pain, her ears pressing flat to her skull. However, her spifftastic soldier training let her get to her feet again quickly, and within ten seconds she was bowing to Sanjuro over and over. "Ashitaka-heisho, I am so sorry, so sorry,
so sorry...! Please forgive me, I... I never meant to...!"
For a small time, the only noise Sanjuro made as he held his head back, nearly his entire face obscured by his hands, was a hissing sound if seething pain escaping between his clenched teeth. For a minute or two Sanjuro held this position, doing his best to maintain his composure while Tsuya apologized vehemently between bows. Wordlessly, the Medical Officer removed his hands with a long sigh, waving her hand at her to have a seat as he knelt down again,
carefully this time, and certain of his distance from her, to retrieve his book from the floor. With book in hand, Sanjuro made his way to the other side of the desk, carefully sitting down and delicately replacing the book back in its original place. Rather, he attempted to return it at first…but after looking at it for a moment, Sanjuro sighed again and simply took all of the books and the ornate book end and replaced each item individually.
”Please…” Sanjuro said suddenly as he finished his completely necessary replacement of all of his books. “Yamada-hei, please refrain from rummaging through my desk during future visits to the medical bay. I have all of my things set in a particular order.”
Tsuya quickly retook her seat, but this time her posture was slumped, her ears drooping like those of a kicked puppy. "...I am so sorry, Ashitaka-heisho... Saito-heisho told me the books were for... visitors, and that it would be alright for me to..." Her bottom lip wobbled a bit. "...I will not touch any of your things. I am sorry. ...is your head alright?"
Sanjuro groaned inwardly as Tsuya revealed that Miyoko had told her that his books were free to read by anyone. He would
definitely have to bring that up to the science officer later…just to clear up any misconceptions she might have regarding his things, of course. Sanjuro let this thought slide away as he sat straight in his chair, his hands reaching for one of the stacks of files on his desktop as he looked back at Tsuya with a stone-faced expression, devoid of any discernable emotion. “I am fine. Do you remember why I called you here today?”
"...for my medical evaluation and backup?" The neko's voice was tiny and barely audible, her hands clasped, white-knuckled, in her lap.
“Correct,” Sanjuro replied, flipping through a single manila folder in his hand, his eyes darting around as he skimmed through the information. “Although the medical evaluation also consists of a psycho-examination…part of my job as a medical officer is to associate myself with your personality and act a source of psychiatric help, in case it is required,” the doctor explained in a flat tone. “So while I browse through your personal file, I will be asking you a few questions to help me form a proper psycho-analysis, and I want you to answer them to the best of your ability. Do you understand?”
Tsuya nodded, tensing up a little more. "...yes, Ashitaka-heisho. I will answer whatever questions you put to me. Do you... need me to get a bandage, or something...?"
“No, thank you,” he replied before clearing his throat and repositioning himself in his seat, not bothering to look up from the manila folder in his hands while addressing her. “First off, I can see that you are fairly young and have no listed injuries prior to this position on the
Miharu,” Sanjuro started. “However, I personally feel that even injuries that are not major enough to be recorded on a permanent record say much about an individual and their association with injury. Have you ever been injured at
all? A small cut, sprained wrist…head injury?”
Tsuya still didn't meet his eyes. "...aside from normal training injuries, no, Ashitaka-heisho. In the simulation I was clipped by bullets from a Demon, but... does that even count?"
Sanjuro lowered the folder and stared at her intently. “Do
you think it counts?” Although Sanjuro meant for the question to be said in sincerity, his tone distorted it to the point where he almost sounded bitter, or sarcastic, with he himself apparently not noticing at all.
Tsuya's ears drooped even further, but she answered the only way she knew how. "...yes, Ashitaka-heisho. I was clumsy and careless, and if it had been a real battle, I would be missing my leg."
“Hmm,” Sanjuro replied simply at her answer, staying silent for another moment as he continued through Tsuya’s file. At one particular point, his expression intensified slightly and his eyes narrowed. “It says here that your personality is slightly…unique. Hm…” Sanjuro paused again, his eyebrows furrowing as he pondered how he should approach this.
"...unique? Is... that bad? ...will I be discharged?" Tears welled up in the neko's bright green eyes.
The conversation between Tsuya and Sanjuro had stirred a few of the patients sitting in the medical bay beds awake. A handful of them began conversing between each other silently, respectful of the doctor’s own conversation as they listened in on the intriguing topics. “Yamada-hei,” Sanjuro replied, appearing to ignore her disheartened plea by completely changing the topic of the conversation. “I would like for you to tell me a joke. Your favorite one, one of the funniest you know,” the doctor said, placing the file down and crossing his fingers together on the top of the table, staring intently at her.
Tsuya paused, reaching up to run her fingers thoughtfully over her cheek. "...I am too new to know very many jokes, Ashitaka-hei, but..." She cleared her throat. "...a Nepleslian and a Yamataian walk into a bar, and the nekovalkyrja ducks."
Nothing. Not even so much as a twitch showed across Sanjuro’s cold expression and bored eyes. The doctor continued to stay silent well after Tsuya had finished her joke, as if expecting her to continue as though she had not actually reached the punch line. However Sanjuro was, in fact, simply taking in the joke and all of the meanings it could have. There were, after all, reasons why Tsuya would pick such a particular joke. The file made mention of her timid nature, after all, and Sanjuro had dealt with personalities like this before; perhaps not to such a degree as Tsuya had displayed, but the mechanics seemed to be identical.
“Yes,” Sanjuro said finally. “A very old joke, a classic play on words. The bar, or tavern or drinking establishment as we are led to believe from the several other jokes regarding similar circumstances, is to be taken literally in this iteration as an actual metal rod. And while the Nepleslian and Yamataian ‘walk’ into the ‘bar’, the bar striking them, while the Nekovalkryja simply ‘ducks’ underneath it, escaping the same fate.” Somehow, the joke did not sound nearly as funny as Sanjuro explained each factor of it. If Sanjuro’s reaction was any indication, the joke wasn’t nearly as funny as it sounded
period…and the medical officer wasn’t exactly reeling in fits of giggles.
“An interesting choice. Thank you for sharing it with me,” Sanjuro finished in monotone, picking the folder back up.
’Positive reinforcement,’ Sanjuro reminded himself.
’I believe that was positive enough, yes.’
Oddly enough, Tsuya didn't seem so offended at his analysis of her joke. She knew this was supposed to be a psychoanalysis session as well, so it didn't come as much of a surprise. His total lack of reaction didn't cheer her up much, though, and she let out a long sigh - just as he thanked her.
That brought a bright smile to her face, and she bowed her head to him. "You are very, very welcome, Ashitaka-heisho!"
Sanjuro broke away from the contents of the folder long enough to watch Tsuya smile and thank him for…thanking her. He found it very odd…perhaps it was another facet of her personality he hadn’t quite nailed down yet. Regardless, Sanjuro simply nodded at her endearing gratitude and readied himself for his next question. “Now, Yamada-hei, I would like for you to describe to me your sex life.”
When Sanjuro finished his question, the entire room suddenly got quiet. The few awakened patients in the room quickly turned their heads towards the desk, staring intently at the back of Tsuya’s head as they, apparently, joined Sanjuro in awaiting a reply.
...Tsuya's face paled, and her ears pressed against her head again. She swallowed nervously. "...is that... strictly necessary, Ashitaka-heisho...?"
“Yes,” Sanjuro said in a flat, simple tone.
The neko blushed. "...I have... never had sex."
Sanjuro tilted his head to the side a bit, looking a little confused. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
"I have never had sex." She spoke more clearly and a little more loudly, just in case that was the problem.
“Never?” Sanjuro asked once again. In truth, he was a little shocked at her reply. “With either gender. At any point in your life.”
"Never, with either gender, at any point in my life, in any fashion whatsoever. I have never been kissed, either,” Tsuya said.
“No passionate kissing, no intercourse of any kind?"
"No."
“I apologize, Yamada-hei, but you must believe me when I say that it is…surprising to hear that even through your time in basic you have not experienced intimate relationships with another individual,” Sanjuro began explaining the methods behind his questions, his voice slightly concerned. “The nekovalkrja race as a whole is meant to be a social one, after all. Younglings have sensual relations very earlier and often keep having them well into their lives. Some…a little more than others…” the medical officer admitted with a shrug. “It is just surprising, to me at least, that one of your personality type did not apparently participate in these activities.”
Tsuya dropped her hands and opened her eyes as soon as she realized that Sanjuro had stopped his disgusting line of thought. His next words, though, brought back her sad expression. "...I am sorry, Ashitaka-heisho. I am... shy, as you well know, and I was focused on my training... I... suppose I am not a very good nekovalkyrja." She hung her head again, ears drooping.
“Well, each nekovalkyrja has her own personality. I would not take it as being a
bad nekovalkyrja…just one with unique facets. But, how do you feel about that?” Sanjuro asked again quizzically. “About not having these experiences?”
"...I enjoy my studies, but I am a bit... lonely, sometimes." She sighed - something about Sanjuro's tone, rather kinder than what she was used to, encouraged her to open up. "Especially when my bunkmates at EF-1 would all go to other rooms to... enjoy themselves, and I was left all by myself."
“I see…” Sanjuro nodded, beginning to frantically jot down several notes into the folder. Of course, given the position he was holding it in, it was impossible for Tsuya to see just what he was writing down. For a moment, the doctor remained fairly quiet as his writing pace slowed, surveying over what he had written and mulling over the questions and answers he had presented. Suddenly, Sanjuro stood up from his desk, placing the manila folder face-down in the center. “Alright, I believe that is enough for this portion. We need to get your Soul Transfer in order before anything else. Please follow me.”
Tsuya stood after the doctor and nodded before bowing to him. "...thank you for interviewing me so kindly, Ashitaka-heisho."
“Mm,” Sanjuro nodded, his gaze not falling upon Tsuya as he moved over to the Soul Trasnfer device in a separated section of the medical bay. Taking position near the keypanel and terminal at the rear of the machine, Sanjuro made a motion to Tsuya to suggest she sit down in the reclined seat. “I assume you’ve had one of these before, so you know there will be a moment of discomfort as the device runs. Remember to relax, and try to calm your breathing.”
The neko followed, and then settled down in the seat, laying back and closing her eyes. This, at least, was familiar, and Tsuya had been prepared for it.
After a few minutes of mild discomfort for Tsuya, the Soul Transfer machine began to slowly tone its humming to a stop. Sanjuro unfastened the apparatuses from the neko’s head before turning to the screen to triple check that the procedure had been successful. “Alright,” the doctor said, turning back once again to Tsuya’s reclined body. “I believe we are done.”
Tsuya scooted to the end of the chair, letting her legs hang off the edge, though she kept her good posture. "Is there anything else you wished to speak to me about?"
Sanjuro pondered her question for a moment. “Yes, actually,” the medical officer answered in a straight tone. Although he had this particular question for her in mind since earlier, it would have been against his own personal procedure to have asked it earlier. Now, after all of his assessments were relatively complete, he felt comfortable with allowing her to help him clear up what had been bothering him. “Do you recall our first meeting, in the hallway of the Upper Deck with Kurohoshi-juni present?”
She ducked her head in embarrassment. "...yes, I do, Ashitaka-heisho."
Sanjuro nodded again. “Would you say that I was rude to you during that exchange?” The doctor asked, staring hard at Tsuya with an extremely grave look on his face.
Tsuya's ears drooped, and she looked a little frightened. "...do you want... the honest answer, or the answer that will make you happy?"
Sanjuro stone-faced gaze continued to bore its way into Tsuya’s own expression, intensity growing with each passing second. “I would like to know what you believe, Yamada-
hei,” he replied, his voice crackling a small bit near the end of her surnames’ added rank. Sanjuro cleared his throat and awaited her answer.
Tsuya looked like she'd been slapped. The corners of her eyes welled with tears, and she took a very deep breath. "...I thought you were very rude, Ashitaka-heisho."
The Medical Officer grimaced, his eyes trailing off to the side at Tsuya’s answer. “I see. Well, then I suppose I owe you an apology, before you go on your way. I am sorry,” Sanjuro said apologetically. Although it sounded a little unconvincing, given his inability to produce different tone of voice, it was the best he could muster.
Tsuya stood, her face brightening even more than it had before. She gave the doctor a warm, genuine smile. "...thank you so much, Ashitaka-heisho. I greatly appreciate your kindness... I think... we are more alike than I saw before." She bowed her head to him.
Sanjuro tilted his head slightly to the side once more, a single eyebrow furrowed and raised; the doctor had absolutely no clues as to what Tsuya was trying to imply when she mentioned their supposed likenesses. “I…am afraid I don’t quite understand what you mean, Yamada-hei. But I do appreciate your answering my questions with sincerity,” Sanjuro returned Tsuya’s bow with one of his own. “I have another appointment with new crew members soon, and I’m sure you are still in the process of settling in, so…” Sanjuro motioned an open hand towards the bulkhead door the two of them had entered from.
Tsuya's enthusiasm slowly bubbled away, and her face returned to its rather unhappy expression. She bowed gently once more, and then started to walk off. "...thank you for your time, Ashitaka-heisho."
Sanjuro followed Tsuya to the door without a word for the most part. However, he suddenly recalled back to the first greetings they had exchanged in the hallway, before the whole debacle with Masako had started…
Earlier said:
Tsuya approached the doctor shyly, bowing to him, again without incident - she was being quite a bit more careful, it seemed. "It is an honor to meet you, Ashitaka-heisho! I hope I will not have cause to visit you very often." She gave him a small, weak, still-nervous smile.
’End all visits in a positive manner’ Sanjuro thought to himself, remembering the advice he had derived from one of his several medical examination tips for aspiring doctors. “Yamada-hei,” Sanjuro called out as Tsuya had exited out into the hall. Although he attempted to say it with a smile, Sanjuro’s complete inability to smile, grin or generally display any amount of happiness at all left him with the same, stolid expression.
“I hope that you never visit me again.”
Tsuya had been rather sad as she left, but she remembered their exchange as well - and Sanjuro's parting words made her laugh in delighted surprise, then turn around and wave cheerfully to him as the door slid shut.