Chapter 6.3

Toshio looked up to the clock in his own room. Even though it was past ten at night he hadn't heard from Seishin. Yesterday he'd left just saying to let him think and that had been the end of it. What's there left to think about at this point, Toshio thought with irritation. What was happening in the village was now obvious. At least for the time being only Toshio and Seishin were aware of the true state of things, and if they didn't do something then how did he think this calamity was going to be stopped? That afternoon, Tamo Hiroya from Monzen had come by. Tamo Safafumi's grandson, he was still in high school. He had that. While time was passing like this the disaster was steadily spreading.

If the village's distress wasn't his problem, if he was going to say he didn't care who died then he could do what he wanted, but it wasn't that, it was the fact that while saying he wanted to save it, when it came time to do it he was seized with fear and drew back that was so annoying. He got that there might be some emotional resistance but this was a problem with only two choices.

Toshio glared at the clock countless times, thinking more and more that he should call it quits for the day. Weariness clung to him like another skin. His arms, his legs, his entire body was in pain. Since that summer he'd been at this day and night. Thinking that he might be forgiven for at least taking a rest today might have been because of Seishin's attitude bringing him down, and then again it might have been discouragement at not having a plan of what to do from here on.

All there was was the feeling he had to do something. But that didn't mean he knew what he should do. Anyway for the time being what Toshio could do was dig up the grave of the victim who came after Shuuji--Megumi's grave, but what would come of it if he did, he thought. Moreover there was Setsuko, he thought. If he didn't put up some kind of dam then the damage would keep spreading. To make sure Setsuko wouldn't rise up, he'd put a stake in her in advance. But even thinking that, up until now they were all patients he'd had a connection with--even if only as corpses--and when thinking of pounding a stake into them, even Toshio hesitate. He couldn't escape the feeling of wanting to put it off every little bit that he could.

(Why do they rise up...)

If he knew that, then he might be able to find a plan to stop them beyond stakes. Be it poison or something else. If it could be something injected, how great would that be, he thought. Even if it wasn't an injection, if it was something Toshio could do in secret during the autopsy. ---But a stake wouldn't work. In the village it was still close relatives that washed the body for burial. Even without that, they wore the white burial clothes. If the corpse were injured there would definitely be signs of it. 

(Anyway, Megumi-chan ... Or should it be Setsuko-san...)

Toshio pulled the curtains and looked outside of the window. It was already dark. He didn't think that he'd catch sight of them that easy but he did think that going out alone was dangerous. 

With a single breath exhaled, Toshio rose. Anyway, for the time being he'd at least check out Setsuko's grave. He didn't want to go out, he wanted to rest, it was a compelling desire, but his impatience wouldn't allow it. 

Putting on his blouson and leaving his room, he went towards the hospital. If he was going for a night walk, he'd need to close up the hospital waiting room. When leaving the hallway, he heard Takae's voice behind him.

"You're going out?"

Toshio nodded vaguely.

"These days you're going out every day. Just where are you going?"

"Well, just out."

"It doesn't look like you're going on a house call."

Yeah, was all he said with another still vague answer. Takae pointed to the hallway with a stern expression. 

"Now you come here."

"Sorry but," I'm in a hurry Toshio had tried to say but Takae sharply cut him off.

"Just do it, come here now. We are talking."

Clicking his tongue in his thoughts, he heard light footsteps coming down the stairway. Kyoko was just coming down from the bedroom. Was she sleeping? Her eyes looked dubiously at Toshio and Takae.

"Anyhow, Toshio, could I have you come for a bit?"

Reluctantly, Toshio nodded. As Kyouko gave him a questioning stare he followed after Takae into the tatami room. Within the tatami room was the nearby study that was Takae's room. Since before his dad had died, Takae had been staying in there.

"Now sit down," Takae said pointing to the low table. As Toshio hopelessly took a seat, Takae poured the hot water from the small tea pot while speaking coldly. "Where is it that you think you were going?"

"...The temple."

"And last night?"

"The temple. There're some meetings with the three pillars."

"You are telling lies. Last night there was a telephone call from Tamo-san, I'll have you know."

Toshio clicked his tongue. Takae thrust the cup out at him as if blaming him. 

"You aren't by chance busying yourself in the village, I hope?"

"Mom." Toshio closed his mouth, dumbfounded. 'Busying yourself in the village' was a code word for Takae. She was asking if he wasn't keeping himself busy with a woman from the village. Don't ask how he knew. That seemed to be the only thing it could mean from Takae. In fact it'd been something he'd been asked since high school, to his frustration.

"That's not what it is. I really have business with Seishin. We haven't called Tamo-san yet but lately it's come to the point where the three pillars might have to have a meeting."

I wonder about that, Takae murmured in a low voice. "I heard this from that very Tamo-san, but they've managed to open a clinic in Shimo-Sotoba, haven't they? You, did you even know that?"

Ah that, Toshio said with a sigh. "Well, yeah."

"Has the doctor of the Kanemasa's come to speak with you?"

"Nah. But it's just a matter of time, I'm sure."

"And what do you intend to say to him?"

"What---? I don't have the right to stop him."

"Has he contacted the Medical Association?"

"I haven't heard from them in a while so I don't know."

His father interacted zealously with other medical professionals and had quite a few contacts within the Medical Association, but Toshio wasn't fond of wasting his time like that. Toshio had always been outside of the network made by the regional physicians. He had just loose enough a connection that they would take his patients and he was on good terms with other doctors from the same college, but none of them were setting up business in his area. 

"Do you intend to give your implicit consent? There's no need for two doctors in this village. And on top of everything, to open a clinic without so much as a word to you, it's an atrocity. If you don't convey the situation to them thoroughly, then."

"Like I said," Toshio said with a sigh. "It isn't something I've got the right to say anything about."

"This is no laughing matter. You absolutely must say something about it! Just what are you thinking? Going into practice even while the Ozakis are here. Why, it's no different than saying Ozaki is not sufficient!"

"Even if they are I don't care. To be honest, we're not enough. The business is just overflowing. If Ebuchi-san wants to open shop, it's actually even helpful."

Saying that, Toshio felt a clench inside of himself. The Kirishiki household was quite possibly a den of Shiki. Didn't that mean that Ebuchi would be one of their allies? Ebuchi himself might have been another one to have risen. If that were the case then what could Ebuchi be thinking, opening shop? 

Patients who went there, regardless of what the cause behind the symptoms they were seeking treatment for was, would probably come out with white faces and vacant eyes. ---There was no doubt it'd come to that. Or did they have another goal in mind for that?

Takae was running her mouth about something, but Toshio was no longer listening. 

They moved in. --They invaded. Since then they'd always been closed up in that mansion, keeping their silence. This was their first move. What could it mean?

Toshio had only thought that they'd simply come to the village. But that was strange, wasn't it? Why did they come to this village, what were they thinking when they did? To go so far as to rebuild that mansion in order to move here, there had to be a goal behind it. Ebuchi opening shop may have been one part of that plan. If that was the case, what role would Ebuchi be trying to carry out from here on?

"Toshio! Are you listening?"

He replied absently to Takae's scolding. He wanted to ask Seishin what he thought but at this rate he wouldn't be going out tonight. He felt strangely impatient. The increasing number of victims--of dead. It was possible that there was something beyond that that Toshio and the others had to fear. Something they had to take measures even one step sooner to put any kind of stop to it that they could.