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“-sensei, you have a new patient.” The female nurse rushed into the doctor’s room. "He was in a car crash and now he is currently unconscious."
“A hit and run?” A man of black hair, bangs swept back, dressed in a white coat spoke in a calm voice.
“Apparently so. Should we take him in?”
He cracked his knuckles and stood up from his seat. “I don’t see why not.”
*****
The doctor’s name is Mori Ougai. He was a famous surgeon after succeeding in multiple complex surgeries until one day, he made a medical malpractice; he performed an unnecessary surgery on a patient without consent, and the patient eventually died on the surgical table. He was fired from the hospital and with this news being spread all across Japan, he had nowhere to continue practice medicine legally.
The first few years was fine; he had enough for his daily expenses, though he occasionally splurged on alcohol to drown away his sorrows. After a while, he can no longer spend lavishly anymore. He decided to take matters into his own hands. He needed to survive, he needed money. He heard about the underground world, but only vaguely and through rumours. He has never tried to get his hands dirty because of his reputation back then. It’s different now, he has to.
With the remaining amount of savings he has left, he decided to open an underground clinic. The underground world was new to him. Drugs, weapons, prostitution; you name it, you got it, illegally of course. It’s the same for medical needs. They need doctors, preferably surgeons. Things can get very ugly in the underground world and why not putting his skills into good use here.
His reputation followed him here; everyone knew of his capabilities, and of course his deeds as well. Fortunately for him, that helped him gained patients instantly. They were very glad that he decided to start the business here. Patient after patient, surgery after surgery, each of them paid him handsomely but they were not as challenging as what he would get back in the days. He doesn’t mind in fact, as long as he was able to cut open bodies, he was content.
“Anyone? Help!” A cry for help right outside his clinic. ”Please. Is there anyone in there?”
“What seems to be the problem?” The female nurse opens the door.
“P-please nee-san, please help my dad. He.. Helpー” A little girl of small stature, holding on to a man who was twice the size of her around her tiny shoulders.
*****
A constant beep. A flatline.
Mori washed his hands, disinfecting them after the surgery. “Mori-sensei, should I tell the little girl about him?” The nurse broke the silence. “A little girl? Here?” Mori looked at the nurse in surprise. “She was the one that brought him in”, the nurse continued to washed her hands.
“I’ll talk to her”, Mori put on his white coat and walked out the surgical room. The little girl with blonde hair, seated on the chair, quivering and praying silently. Unfortunately, her prayers were not answered. “Little miss”, a rather cold and soothing voice echoed, startled the little girl. Her blue eyes shined like the reflected blue ocean under the sunlight, filled with tears looked up to the direction of the voice, meeting the gentle violet eyes staring at her.
He took a seat beside the girl. “Little one, what is your name?”
She sniffles, wiping the snot and tears before she answered. “E-Elise.”
“Are you here alone?”
She nodded, “My dad… is he going to be okay?” She looked at Mori, with a slight glint in her eyes in hopes that she would hear good news from his mouth.
Mori looked at her with the gentlest gaze that he had always gave when he has to tell the bad news. “I'm sorry, but he didn't make it.” Mori's words filled with remorse and regret. Tears started pouring uncontrollably.
Her heart shattered, broken.
*****
Months past since that tragic, but considerably a fateful day.
“Mori-sensei!” A bright, high-pitched voice called out to him, with long blonde hair, decorated with a red ribbon hair pin on the side, dressed in cute frilly dress entered the Mori’s clinic.
“Elise-chan, Mori-sensei is busy with a patient right now.” The nurse hushed the excited Elise. Elise pouted and took a seat outside the room to wait for Mori.
Mori took Elise in. She had no one to go to after the father’s death. Her father was a drug addict and was caught in a scuffle because he stole money and drugs from the drug dealer. He tried to run away with Elise, however fate has its ways, leaving Elise behind. She had no mother since birth.
“Mori-sensei, she’s here.” The nurse informed Mori of Elise’s arrival.
Mori stood up from his seat and walked out from the room.
“Elise-chan.” Elise’s eyes lit up, jumped from her seat and ran to Mori, giving him a hug. “Mori-sensei!” Mori pats Elise head. “How was dance class?”
“It was fun! I learned how to box step. It’s so easy!” Elise has never been this cheerful since her father’s death. For weeks she didn’t want to do anything. Feeding her was a chore back then. Until one day, she saw a dance in a party that Mori had to attend. Her face lit up so bright in the sight of people dancing beautifully and gracefully across the room. She begged Mori to teach her how to dance. Mori has never been happier to see Elise finally became excited about something. Mori signed her up for ballroom dance lessons. Every time she comes back from lessons, she can’t stop talking about what she learned. She would even ask Mori to practise with her.
“So it goes like this…” She showed Mori the steps, “... and the steps will form into a box, that is why it is call box step!” Mori stared at the excited Elise, letting out a gentle smile. She pulled Mori to an empty space in the clinic. “Let’s dance Mori-sensei! I can teach you!” Mori smile and nodded. He lowered himself for Elise to reach his shoulder. She guided Mori’s hand and placed it on her waist.
Elise taught Mori the steps. After a few fumbles and feet stepping, Mori managed to get a hang of it. “That’s it! We’re dancing Mori-sensei!” Elise shouted in excitement while swinging Mori’s hand.
A knock on the door, signalling another patient has arrived. It was also a signal for Elise to leave. “I’ll see you at home, Elise-chan.” Mori pats Elise’s head before watching Elise leaving.
Elise ponders about tonight’s meal while walking home. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she fell. She fell hard, face hitting the ground causing her to bruise her head. Her hands didn’t react, it was as if she had no control over her own limbs. She sat up, finally able to control her hands. Her hands trembled and so were her legs. She scraped both her knees too, but she had to walk home and clean them up before Mori gets home.
She attended to her own wounds, she learned from what Mori had taught her when she injured herself during dance classes. Putting band-aids on her scraped knees and her head. Mori will be surprised to see such injuries on her. She didn’t cry. Not a single shed of tears even though the injuries hurt.
“Elise-chan, I’m home.” Mori entered the house with dinner.
“Welcome home Mori-sensei.” She walked towards Mori and hugged him.
He bent down and looked at Elise, to see a band-aid on her head. “What happened? Where did you get this bruise?” He examined her body, checking for other injuries and spotted her band-aid knees. “Why didn’t you go to the clinic?” His voice was high pitched, he panicked and worried.
“I’m fine Mori-sensei. I tripped on the way back and I didn’t want to bother you at work, so I took care of myself. See, I did a pretty good job, right?” Elise put up a cheerful smile. She knew Mori would get worried over her. He let out a breath of relief. “Next time, just go to the clinic if you’re injured, okay?” He hugged Elise, holding her tightly. “M.. sense..i...I can’t..breat-” Mori released his hold and laughed. “Now let’s eat dinner.”
Weeks passed. The number of injuries on Elise increased. That worried Mori.
Every night, he would be greeted with another new injury on Elise. She was not bullied or received any threats from anyone around her. It was all done by herself. Mori thought she was hurting herself, but the injuries looked like accidents rather than self inflicted. There were days Elise had no energy to walk, or even move her own limbs. Mori taken it was her being lazy until it became rather frequent and worrying.
One day, Mori decided to do some medical tests on her, and the result was not pleasant.
Muscular dystrophy; a condition that gradually causes the muscles to weaken.
Mori was devastated. He couldn’t bare telling her that she will die soon. There was no cure for this condition but there were treatments to slow the progression. Days passed since he knew about her condition and it progressed rather quickly. Mori had to stop her from going to dance classes, he can’t bare to see her embarrassing herself when she suddenly falls down while doing a simple box step. He also didn’t want her teacher to accuse him of abuse due to all the injuries she has gotten from all the falls.
“Why can’t I go to dance classes anymore? I know I’m clumsy but I want to dance.” Elise pouted and crossed her arms. “Elise-chan, you’re sick. I don’t want you to get worst so you need to rest at home.” Mori was true, she was sick and he didn’t want her to get any worse, but that was unavoidable.
Months passed and her condition worsen.
One night…
“Mori-sensei… can I dance with you? I miss dancing.” Elise looked at Mori, tugging on to his shirt. He could see it in Elise’s eyes, she knew something was wrong with her. Her grip onto his clothes were not as strong as before.
Mori went down on one knee and extended his hand. “May I have this dance, my lady?”
Elise chuckled at how he asked for her hand. This could perhaps be her first and last time being asked for a dance.
He held on her hands, placed them on his shoulder, lifted her from the bed. She stumbled as her legs were weak, her muscles weren’t able to support her body anymore. Mori’s heart sank but he can’t show it. She tried to stand but her legs gave in. “Heh. That’s weird, I can’t stand anymore.” Tears started to roll down her face. “No Elise-chan, you must be tired. You’re still sick after all…” He carried her and placed her feet on his. “See, we can dance like this.” They started to dance. Mori remembered the steps that Elise thought him. “Left, right, slide, right Elise-chan?” Elise nodded and smiled.
That was the last time Mori saw Elise smiled.
Elise’s condition worsen by the day. Since the day she danced with Mori, she no longer could lift her legs and arms. She became bedridden. It was about time her heart will suddenly give in. There were times her lung suddenly collapsed and she lost control of her own breathing.
Today was her birthday. Mori decided to closed the clinic for the day to celebrate with Elise. He bought her a cake and a cute red dress with white frills as a present; he knew how much Elise loves to dress up. “Please dress Elise up with this dress today, it’s her birthday.” Mori passed the dress to the caretaker that he had hire to take care of Elise.
“Happy birthday Elise-chan!” He presented her a bear shaped cake with lighted candles.
Elise tears started to trickle down from her eyes.
“Elise-chan, you shouldn’t be crying. You should be happy.” Mori wipes her eyes away. “Make a wish and blow the candles.”
She tried, she genuinely tried but she couldn’t blow out the candles. “Ah.. It’s okay Elise-chan. Let’s do it together. On a count of 3, 1, 2…3”
“M… mo…” Elise tried to speak. “I can’t hear you Elise-chan.” Mori went closer to her mouth, trying to hear what she was trying to say.
“M… mori… sen… sei…” Elise muttered. “Yes Elise-chan?”
“T.. tha..nk..you…”
And out goes Elise’s candle .
It was a celebration of the day of her birth. It was also the celebration of the day of her death.
*****
Tears rolled down from his eyes.
“Rintarou!” A girl’s voice called out to him. “Rintarou! Wake up! It’s morning already!”
Mori opened his teary eyes. A dream, or was it a memory of his past?
“Good morning to you, Elise-chan” He sat up from his bed, staring at the young blonde girl in a cute red dress decorated with white frills and a red ribbon pinned on the side of her gold locks named Elise.
“I’m hungry. Breakfast is ready and I can’t eat without you.” Elise pouts and stomped her feet.
“Yes Elise-chan. You’re so cute today.” Mori replied and stood up from his bed. Elise blushed but she turned around before he could see her face. “I-I’ll be waiting for you in the dining hall.”
“Okay my dear Elise-chan.”
As Elise walked out from the room, she lightly giggled and whispered, “Okay Mori-sensei.”