Page 27 of The Vanishing
After Nino is stable and the physician examines him, a nurse directs Haruka into a nearby office to discuss his mate’s condition. Asao remains in the hospital room, but Cellina insists on joining Haruka to hear the prognosis.
They sit together in the doctor’s office now, waiting. Haruka’s hands are clasped in his lap. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.
“You look exhausted.” Cellina’s voice cuts through the silence, soft, almost a whisper. “When Giovanni gets here from Osaka, we can sit with Nino. You should try to get some sleep. You gave a lot of blood and Asao said you haven’t eaten anything in days.”
Haruka smiles weakly. “I am fine. Thank you for your concern.”
Cellina sighs. “Haruka, listen—”
The door to the office swings open and shuts. The doctor makes his way behind the desk. He is average height with warm brown eyes behind modern, black-framed glasses. His hair is light brown but with golden highlights, the subtle wave of it cleanly swept back from his face.
“Good morning.” The doctor offers a polite bow and smiles. His white teeth are straight and gleaming. “I’m Doctor Davies. The nurse told me that you’re mated with Nino Bianchi, but… are you legally responsible for him?”
“I am,” Haruka confirms.
“Great. Nice to meet you, Mr. Hirano. And… this is?” He tilts his head toward Cellina.
“This is Cellina De Luca. She has my consent to attend the consultation. She is not fluent in Japanese, so please speak in simple expressions.”
The doctor nods, but his demeanor reads stiff. Uncomfortable, somehow. Sora had told Haruka good things about him as a medical professional, but the subtle tension radiating from the doctor is unsettling.
“Right, I understand.” Doctor Davies rolls his shoulders. “I—I have to give you the legal speech first. Himeji Prefectural Hospital does not explicitly specialize in vampire biology. However, we do not discriminate based on race, biology, gender, color, ethnicity or religious beliefs. The results I’m giving you today have been assessed and derived by licensed and professional human doctors who possess a limited understanding of vampire biology. In no way are these doctors proficient in the infinite complexities associated with a vampire’s genetic makeup, and are subject to scrutiny. Do you both accept the conditions under which I give my prognosis?”
“I do,” Haruka and Cellina say at once.
“Alright. Great… I hate saying all that.” Doctor Davies smiles. He takes a breath and continues in simple Japanese. “It makes me seem incompetent—but I’m not! I’ve studied vampire biology for more than twenty years… which is nothing compared with your lifetime, I guess… but, anyway…”
The doctor rolls his shoulders again, turning toward his computer. Haruka raises an eyebrow.Are humans always this nervous?
Something is odd about him. However, this circumstance is unusual. Ranked vampires almost never need doctors, and purebreds are arguably the healthiest beings on the planet. Given time, their bodies heal themselves. But with Nino refusing to feed, Haruka had decided to play it safe and bring him to a medical professional for help.
“Nino is stable. I’m confident he’ll make a full recovery—so rest assured there.” The doctor clicks and moves his computer mouse as he speaks, a white glare from the screen flashing against his glasses. “But there are a few things happening, one being very odd. First, he was severely underfed. With the IV drip, that will be addressed within the next twenty-four hours.
“The second thing is some of his ribs are broken, as if they’ve been damaged by blunt trauma—perhaps someone used an object or kicked him? His organs are bruised, but nothing is pierced. This will heal itself within a month or two… maybe a month, since you’re both purebred? Healing tends to be even faster with your biology.”
Closing his eyes, Haruka stifles a flare of unfiltered rage. Lajos not only abducted his mate but caused him physical harm. The realization creates a fire in Haruka, urging him to hunt the decrepit vampire down and—
When Cellina’s hand rests on top of his own, he opens his eyes. Her bright gray irises are focused on him, blinking. The doctor is also staring, his hands hovering in place over the keyboard. Haruka’s eyes are alighted. He takes a deep breath. “My apologies.”
“It… it’s okay,” Doctor Davies says, his brow furrowed. “Should I continue?”
“Please.”
He nods. “Right… The last thing is very strange. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Doctor Davies turns the large screen so that Cellina and Haruka can see. There is a black-and-white X-ray scan. The doctor points. “This is the cavity of Nino’s mouth. Do you see this big, empty space? This is where his tongue should be. It’s just… not there. It doesn’t exist! There’s no trauma—no evidence of it being removed. It’s very strange.”
Haruka takes another deep breath, quelling the silent fury within.
“Is this why he wouldn’t feed?” Cellina asks.
“He can’t,” the doctor says. “You need your tongue to control the flow of liquid and saliva, to guide food down into your throat to swallow. Without it he would struggle. Did… did he have a tongue before?”
Silence.
Cellina balks. “Are you kidding?”
“Yes,” Haruka assures the doctor.
“Of course—stupid question, very sorry.” Doctor Davies sits up straighter and smiles. “It will regenerate. I’ll be honest with you, vampiric regeneration is a very painful and slow process. Depending on the body part and the blood quality of the feeding source, it could take anywhere from two months to a year.”
