“Can you tell me your name please?”
“Haruka Tenno.” She sighed grumpily
and crossed her arms. She had been difficult the whole time,, barking
at the nurse for making her take off her sweater so she could get a
heart rate, and now this poor young resident was at her mercy.
“Haruka, sort of an unusual name.
How'd your folks come up with it?”
“Why my mother does anything is a
mystery to us all.” She pulled her legs up onto the table and laid
her head against her knees, closing her eyes.
He quietly put a cover on the otoscope,
and leaned over the table, looking into Haruka's ear. The second he
touched it, she batted him away and nearly fell off the table. “Warn
me before you do that!”
“I-I'm sorry..” he flipped through
her chart “Ah, it uh, says you have a ruptured eardrum, but I don't
see a record of the incident..”
“I got into a fight.”
“You didn't seek medical attention.”
“Sure didn't. Moving on.”
He wrote something down in the chart,
and Michiru touched his arm gently. He looked up at her, and she
smiled kindly. “Would you mind terribly if I had a moment alone
with her?”
He nodded assent, and picked up his
chart, leaving them alone.
Michiru walked over to Haruka and put a
hand on her knee.“Haruka. I know you do not like hospitals. I know
you are exhausted and hungry. I know you are on edge. I know you do
not particularly like having your ear touched. I know you would like
to go home. Please bear in mind that I know all of these things, and
love you very much, and listen to me very carefully.” She took
Haruka's face into her hands and looked her in the eye. “Stop.
Fighting. You are being a combative toddler, and if you don't stop
acting like one this instant, I will tell them this is completely out
of character for my docile, gentle lamb, and they will keep you
overnight.”
“Michi!”
“ I will do, whatever it is I have
to, to keep you safe.” She face softened, and she rested Haruka's
head on her shoulder. “Ruka, just do what they tell you, and I will
take you home. I'll even stop and get you some chicken nuggets and a
milkshake.”
Haruka nodded into her shoulder.
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