Chapter 8.3

"Ah, Doctor." Toshio was coming out of the physiotherapy room past the reception desk when Mutou called to him from behind the counter. "What will you be doing in regards to the funeral for the Shimizus?"

Toshio made a faintly sullen face. "Ah... What time's it start, again?"

"It's eleven," answered Mutou who, like Toshio, had met with Shimizu several times at creole and wasn't distant enough to say he didn't know him.

"You're going then, Mutou-san?"

"I was hoping you would let me. It isn't like I don't know him at all. I passed on the over night vigil but, at least I should attend the service."

"Guess so," Toshio mumbled to himself. Toshio planned to go too. It was just, thinking back on the all night vigil, he became weary. Tokurou's reproachful eyes, Hiroko's implicitly critical manner of speaking, and then Shimizu Takeo's easily seen through manner of self restraint. He got that the Shimizu family blamed him. He didn't think it was unfounded but, still, closing down shop over someone you just didn't not know?

Toshio let out a breath; "Then, let's go in a little bit," he called out to Mutou. As Mutou nodded, the phone rang. Towada in the office picked up the receiver and after answering looked to Toshio.

"It's the Yasumori Sawmill," Towada said covering the receiver. "The Yasumori's Giichi-san seems strange, they say."

"Strange?" Toshio entered the receptionists office and took the receiver. Yasumori Atsuko's voice came through.

"It's Giichi-san? What's the matter?"

Yasumori Giichi of the Yasumori Sawmill had been bedridden for a long time now with the grave illness of Parkinson's Disease. He was in his advanced years and in a condition where something happening at any time wouldn't be strange. "

"He's not showing any signs of consciousness at all. If you talk to him he doesn't answer, his breath is shallow and slow. I think that his complexion has slowly been getting more and more of a dark red, but."

Maybe it was because Atsuko herself had spent may years as a nurse; her voice seemed used to delivering the state of affairs. That for two days he had a slight fever, that since this morning his blood pressure has been terribly low, that when putting an ear to his chest she heard rales, that a few days ago he had to have an aspiration treatment.

"I'll be right there."

Giving instructions to put him on an oxygen mask, Toshio hung up the phone. He gave a faintly wry smile to Mutou who had been watching him. To be honest, he had the feeling he'd just been saved.

"Sorry. Giichi-san's in bad shape. Sorry about this, but can I have you bring my condolence money for me?"

"Yes, of course."

"Give my regards to Shimizu-san."

Toshio crossed the road to the Yasumori Lumberyard diagonally across it, hurrying into the living quarters where Atsuko and her daughter-in-law Junko were waiting.

"How is he?"

"We put him on oxygen according to your instructions, but there's been no change," said Atsuko. Giichi had been ill a long time. The Maruyasu household had studied well, and in terms of frequent in-home care, they had prepared an ideal environment in terms of in home nursing but Giichi's condition slowly deteriorated.

"Rales?"

"Wet crackling sounds. It looks like he's also had some incontinence, it's very similar to when he had pnemonia before."

Toshio headed down the hallway to the living room with a nod. Giichi had difficulty swallowing normally due to the Parkinson's disease. It was easy for aspiration to accur, and the family was aware of that and had thorough knowledge of respiration treatments but, if he had had aspiration a few days ago, he had suspicions of aspiration pneumonia.

Entering the living room that had become a sickroom, Toshio nodded at Giichi's form. The beginning stages of cyanosis were occurring. The oxygen was having no effect. Likely acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia.

Toshio performed a brief examination as he instructed Atsuko to call an ambulance. er daughter-in-law Junko rushed to the phone in the sickroom. Toshio becked Atsuko into the hallway.

"Just like you said, Atsuko-san, it's probably pneumonia. We can take an X-ray to be sure of the exact disease responsible but before that we should perform artificial respiration. He made need a tracheotomy."

Atsuko nodded with a stiff expression. Considering the look on her face that seemed to want to ask him something, Toshio nodded.

"Now that his disease has progressed, his physical strength has declined. It might be better to prepare yourselves for the worst, this time."

Yes sir, Atsuko nodded.