A New Light

A New Light: Chapter I

Yet another early shift as they all have been this past year, first years always got the earliest of shifts and the worst of tasks; today’s shift started earlier than usual, today was a 3:00am shift start which gave him only a few hours of sleep. Unfortunately there was no point in complaining because it has always been that way, and it could harm his chances of moving on into second year residency. After doing the morning rounds in the ward that he was given, Maruki as well as three other residents were called to emergency for there was a larger group coming in and there were not enough doctors on shift and needed assistance. There was no information through the mass text as to what the group that was coming had suffered, which made the situation that much more nerve wrecking. The first years had never been in the emergency room when there was an actual emergency, the last Maruki had to deal with was that stitch case, and even that made him anxious.

All four first years ran down to emergency as they were prompted to and lined up while nurses placed the disposable smocks on them. Waiting at the automatic doors for the paramedics to wheel in the first of the patients. To the four residents, there were two attendings, meaning there was going to be two on their own with nurses. 

The sirens fast approached and stopped abruptly at the automatic doors and two paramedics jumped out of the back of the truck and quickly pulled a young woman out on a stretcher. She was wrapped in gauze, covered up to the neck in an emergency blanket, and her head was wrapped in a neck and jaw brace as well as her features appearing soaked through and through. After shouting a bunch of jargon to the attending and nurses that the residents had not heard before, the first attending had decided that Morimoto, the resident standing next to Maruki could handle this patient.

After the first ambulance had driven off back to the bay, the second had arrived and repeated the process. The attending this time gave Maruki and a few senior nurses the patient. This girl was in a torn clubbing outfit, various broken bones, some of which were sticking out through the skin, her neck was in a brace as well but there was a protective guard over her forehead as well; like the first patient, she also appeared wet from the rain. Why of all patients was Maruki given the worse of the two so far? Complaining would not get far, besides, if he succeeded with this case, it would look better for him. Having the nurses wheel her into one of the trauma rooms, the paramedic had debriefed her status as well as how and where they found her. With the information that was given, the senior nurses looked to the resident for instruction as to what to do next. 

What was to be done? Maruki never had to think this fast under pressure before. Ordering to have her moved to a permanent bed and off the stretcher was the first command, next was to assess all of the wounds and see if there was any hemorrhaging or possibility of immediate infection. Finding that she had internal bleeding in her abdomen, there was more urgency into assessing everything else. Removing the braces from her neck and head, it was discovered that her neck was not broken, yet there was a small fragment of bone floating which meant that it chipped off of one of her vertebrae. Under the loose bandage over her forehead, it was a very likely case that she would possibly lose her left eye.

Informing surgery, Maruki had called for three different surgeons if they were available; someone to aid in the internal bleeding, someone to see if there was any salvaging her shattered femur, and finally a plastic surgeon to see if there were any possibility in saving her eye and orbital socket with her natural bone.

Placing the young girl in the care of the nurses to make sure that her vitals don’t drop too far while the surgeons were on their way, Maruki returned to the bay to see if he could be of any assistance to other residents that were not finished with their patients. However, the last two that were to arrive in the emergency room were not of priority as they had passed in transit due to the injuries they had sustained. Morimoto’s and Maruki’s patients were the only two to survive, at least for now.

All of that excitement for nine in the morning, and it had not even lasted forty-five minutes. Luckily for Maruki, who was not ready to see someone die, was not around when the last two were wheeled in.

Looking for Morimoto after all of the commotion and getting cleaned up from the bloody clothes and gloves, Maruki was still shaking yet Morimoto looked to be as cool as a cucumber.

“Has anyone talked to you as to what happened? Was it a car accident?” Maruki asked with a small shake in his voice. At times like this he wondered if it was the correct career path for him if he could not even handle something as simple as a living woman with a few broken bones.

The other resident had pulled Maruki aside into somewhere a little more private away from the rest of the residents and nurses in the emergency room. He looked around to see if anyone was close enough to hear.

“No, apparently they were all found like that in a park on a bench. It seemed that they were dumped there from a local bar, the bartender remembers seeing all of them there until closing time.” Morimoto may have been a competition, considering all residents were all competing for the position they wanted, yet he still seemed friendly because while competitors, he knew that they all needed to work together as well to get to where they wanted. 

This peeked Maruki’s interest, he had no ties in the law whatsoever, but there seemed to be something exhilarating about speculating as to what had happened and if the suspects would ever get caught. After the small tidbit of information from his peer, Maruki continued about his day of tasks that would carry him until dinner time that evening. Making this a fourteen hour day, slightly longer than his usual shift but it would not have been as long if it the emergency room and the paperwork that came with it did not take almost two hours to complete. Making sure that everything was complete before clocking out, Maruki had then left as quickly as possible in attempts to not be held back still from his sweet retreat to bed. 

After getting off of the bus, because the parking at the hospital was just far too expensive especially for a resident, Maruki had arrived at home to find that his roommate was walking behind him, looking just as tired as him if not even more tired.

“Ai, aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Stopping in front of the door after having unlocked it, Maruki looked back to Aiya slumping down the hallway. Walking passed him, he said nothing as he pushed into the door while turning the handle and heavily stepping into their apartment. “Are you feeling ok? Did you leave early?” Maruki was not getting much out of Aiya other than a few groans, there was obviously something wrong and he was not telling him. Following him into the apartment and locking the door, Maruki anxiously waited for Aiya to explain to him what was going on.

Haphazardly slipping his shoes off and not caring of where they were placed, Aiya walked heavily into the living room and threw himself down on the couch, pulling a pillow over his eyes. 

“I haven’t slept. I had to call my work because I was not able to make it.” Him pausing made Maruki’s anticipation grow. “I was at the police station all morning because I was a witness to a few women who were injured last night at my bar.” He groaned loudly and rolled on his side facing the back cushion of the couch to hide from the light. 

Maruki’s eyes widened as he dove down to the side of the couch, placing a hand on Aiya’s shoulder. 

“I had those people come into the emergency room today, it’s why I’m home late!” Maruki shouted as he leaned over Aiya to see if he could see his face. “Are you ok at least? I know you’re tired, but you weren’t hurt or anything were you?” Lowering his voice again, Maruki leaned back on his heels, preparing to stand. While Aiya was there in front of him exhausted, he was still afraid that he could have been hurt or even slightly traumatized if he came in contact with anyone suspicious. 

Rolling over to his other shoulder, Aiya pulled the pillow off of his head and tossed it on his lap lazily.

“No, I’m fine.” It had sounded as if was already going to pass out from exhaustion. He had worked a morning shift at the convenience store and almost immediately after started his shift at the bar which was only supposed to last until 00:30 in the morning. “I’m just really tired. They didn’t let me sleep at all when I was giving them my statement.” Aiya let out a long and deep yawn, pulling his beautiful hands over his mouth. “I think I’m going to take a nap though, I’ve been awake for almost thirty-six hours.” It was rare for Aiya to be awake for so long, while working two jobs, he did love his sleep and got it as often as he could. 

Patting Aiya’s shoulder before placing the blanket from the back cushion over him, leaving him to sleep. Closing the curtains on the the one-and-a-half walls for Aiya before retreating to his room to relax on his own.

It was not long after being forced to be in his room alone and having to be quiet, Maruki was losing his mind. While he was tired from his fourteen-hour shift, he was no longer sleepy, as what happens to those select few when they get in the comfort off their own home. Feeling that four hours of trapped in silence was at his absolute limits of boredom. Maruki loved his roommate in all, but he needed out of the house if he was not allowed to walk television.

It was nearly ten in the evening, and Maruki was just leaving the apartment. There was no scheduled shift for the hospital tomorrow and the same peer that was given his on-call shift had been given it again, giving him another surprise day off. Sneaking into the foyer and quickly slipping his shoes on, Maruki had to get out and go somewhere, and do anything. While he felt bad for leaving Aiya on the couch alone after a stressful day at the police station, maybe coming back with a treat would make him feel better when he woke up. 

Even in the early summer months, the sun was long gone by nine in the evening, making the streets an eerie and silent trip through the dark. At this time of day, only the overachieving office workers and late night service workers were wandering the streets; taking in their celebratory after work drinks and their caffeinated beverages to keep them awake on their commute home. The bright flashing lights of the store signage and the billboards were blinding against the night sky.

~*~

Being trapped in between the man in the dark grey three-piece and the man in the metallic purple blazer, the mysterious boy sat stiffly in the roomy SUV as they drove aimlessly down the wet streets of downtown Tokyo. Off to the side on the limo styled seat, Keisuke was yet again slumped over, barely conscious in his bloodied and tattered beige suit. Akira spoke calmly to the boy in order to not scare him, for he was staring over at Keisuke.

“We’ve seen you around, yet somehow you are a very difficult person to get ahold of.” The tone in Akira’s voice was almost annoyed, like this single boy had offended him. “Why have you even been looking for us?” It was a a quiet day in the streets of Tokyo, the rain played an obvious part in that. People have been hesitant in going outside unless it was absolutely necessary due to the downpour. Since the week prior, it had rained a total of one-hundred and twenty millimeters, this was unheard of in almost any part of the world during monsoon season, let alone a country that never saw this much rain in a season. Due to there being a lack of people in the streets, the two elite men were bored and very agitated without the possibility of a hunt. 

Glancing over his shoulder to the man in the purple blazer while scrunching his nose, the mysterious boy fell silent for a moment before looking to his feet.

“Every time you’re around, a disgusting scent fills my nostrils.” He explained lowly, afraid as to what they two men would do to his comment. “I didn’t know it was you I was looking for, I was just looking for the scent.” He continued, trying to make the comment a little less harsh. It was even hard for him to sit around the two, not knowing why made it worse as well. The mysterious boy’s eyes fell upon the man in the shaggy suit, when he noticed the blood, his eyes darted back to the man in the metallic suit.

A small grin fell upon the man’s lips, he had obviously known something about the boy. Addressing Keisuke as well, Akira  returned his gaze to the boy.

“Oh, him? Don’t worry about him.” He waved off their accompaniment as if he were a piece of trash on the sidewalk. “He chose this lifestyle.” That key word got the mysterious boy to look between the two men on either side of him, what did they mean about lifestyle? Akira knew that would peek his interest, and now there was plenty of explaining to do. “look kid, there are things that you don’t know about, that you should really know about. Since you know, you’re in the life style as well.” He spoke almost toneless.

The mysterious boy’s brows furrowed in confusion, this man was making no sense at all to him.

“I am part of the lifestyle? What does that mean?” His gaze shifted to the man on the other side of him. “Does that mean you know something about me?” Maybe it was the break he was looking for, being able to get some answers after being in the dark about his past for half a month about who he was. Shifting now to face the man in purple he looked to him in determination. “What do you know about me? Do you know my name?” The one piece of information the boy would settle for if not being able to get any more. There was a sense of urgency written all over the boy’s face, he needed to know if these potent men knew his identity.

Folding a leg over the other, the man in the three-piece suit addressed the boy with all of the information that he knew of him.

“There are many species in the world and just as humans had evolved and mutated over time, there were species born along side humans as well. Just as there are many species of feline or canine, there are of sapiens as well.” Kyohei started in an almost bored tone, as if he had spoken of this far too often. “I am of the Master and Kyuuketsuki race. I know it makes me sound narcissistic. Akira here, is of the Hetaera and Kyuuketsuki race. While born into it, there is no deciding factor as to what race is chosen, it is more of a mutation in that sense.” He continued calmly, noticing there was still an expression of confusion over the boy’s face. 

“Modern terms call us mythical, monsters.” Hoping the boy would get the hint, yet his unchanged expression spoke otherwise. “We are vampires, Ruka.” The boy’s ears perked up at that last comment. “Yes, that’s your name.”

Ruka completely ignored the rest of that small monologue of the well dressed man. All he cared about was him name. 

“My name is Ruka?” He questioned softly as he looked down to his feet, feeling as if a piece of a puzzle had fit into place. As it was said, he questioned as to how he had forgotten for it felt as if it never left. 

Staring at Kyohei in silence for a moment waiting for the boy to continue with questions, his annoyance grew as the boy remained silent beside him.
“That’s it? You don’t care about anything else?” His tone grew dark while he grew fully annoyed. Ruka looked to him for a moment before looked down to his feet again silently, indicating that he did not care at all about everything else Kyohei had said. That got Akira to clench his teeth together hard, as it had always been, he was never good at controlling his anger and it showed. “You do realize what I had just told you, right?” That strain in his throat was forced, with one simple sentence the boy had Akira properly annoyed. Responded to with ignorance and silence again Akira had reached his limits, looking up to the driver in the front seat, whom of which he gave a stern and specific look.

Glancing back to his boss from the rearview mirror, the driver gave a hesitant nod and followed those silent instructions to the best of his capability. Searching the drowned streets for what he normally had kept an eye out for, he noticed his boss twirling his finger in the air, a universal sign of ‘switch it up.’ Did that mean he was not looking the usual flaky female, but anyone this time? Not only would it be difficult to find a lone man at this time of night, but anyone due to the weather.

While Ruka remained deep in his own thoughts of his lost newly found identity, the driver continued his hunt for his employers. 

“Kid.” Kyohei called out softly after seeing the look in Akira’s now glaring eyes. While just as heartless as Akira, there was a time and a place for needless killing and this was not that. Also left with a silent response, Kyohei let off a quiet sigh before turning to the window and look out it silently. Knowing Akira, there were only two ways this was going to end: either nothing was to happen for they would find no one before he got bored, or there would be an unnecessary casualty that would either be food, or a lifeless vessel. However, nothing could prepare him for what Akira actually had planned for when their driver had found a victim.

Biting his lip in anger, Akira looked out his window while the kid kept thinking to himself. Staring out into the darkened, reflective streets, Akira had found someone of interest; a lone male carrying a ready-meal in a convenience store bag. A scene as such usually indicated that they had no ties to family or friends and their life revolved around work or school. 

“James…” Akira called out to his driver, whom again looked to him from the rearview mirror noticing his gesture as he pointed out their target. The driver looked to the streets ahead of him and locked onto the lone person in the street, waiting for instruction as to what to do next; it was to usually pull up next to them and offer a drink and a fun time going to clubs or bars, however this time may have been different. “Hit ‘im.” That got Kyohei to shoot a wide-eyed gaze over in Akira’s direction, he was not only going to needlessly kill but in the middle of the street. With great hesitation, James had closed his eyes in a painful regret for his future actions. Turning the wheel of the SUV slowly, the driver turned to be straight with the lone individual in the street even if it meant to drive over the curb and onto the extra wide sidewalk.

Carrying a  clear umbrella under his arm while he was nose deep in his phone screen, the man carrying the ready-meal was none-the-wiser of what the intention was of the lone vehicle in the street. His first priority was to return home and deliver the ready-meal while it was still hot. Akira had placed a hand on the top of the boy’s head to face out the windshield and witness the task that was dropped in James’ lap.

“I implore you to witness, please.” Akira exclaimed in a calm tone as he instructed Ruka to watch a supposed heinous crime. As he spoke, the vehicle jittered as it jumped the curb and quickly drove smoothly as all four wheels were on the same level; but that would not last long.

Even with the bright LED lights beaming in his direction and reflected off of the glazed cement, the innocent pedestrian was caught off guard for there was no expectation that a vehicle would jump a curb just to hit a pedestrian. Like a deer in headlights, a cliché everyone knew yet never expected that it would happen to them, the pedestrian froze and stared at the vehicle drive straight for him and straight towards the building wall on the other side of him. 

With wide eyes, Ruka was forced to stare out of the window as this psychotic man held his gaze to lock with the scene. An innocent person was nearing the front of the vehicle quickly and there was no stopping soon in sight, this heavy duty vehicle was going to come in contact with that innocent person. Paralyzed in fear, Ruka did not blink and in a flash, there was a loud crashing thud, and what felt like a very large, uneven speed bump. In a quick second, the sports utility vehicle had stopped just before hitting the cement wall in front, yet the car was still uneven. Glassed, hollow eyes stared forward at the windshield being pelted with heavy raindrops and the wiper blades drying them off as fast as they came. Whatever just happened, it was still in progress and he was now a part of it. What felt like for an eternity was only a few moments before Ruka could not remain silent any longer. Letting out a blood curdling scream and while staring Akira in the eye, Ruka had an instant stream of tears rolling down his cheek.

“WHY!” Grabbing that ugly blazer by the collar, Ruka shook the man. “What did that person do to deserve this?” There was no answer that Akira could give him that could make any possible sense or logic, there was nothing that warranted death a gruesome and needless as this.

Kyohei glanced out his window, there were feet sticking out from underneath the vehicles wheels on his side, why his side? Peeling his glance away from that image, his eyes locked to Akira whom had a content expression on his face.

“What are your intentions now?” There was a bitter taste of anger that rolled over his tongue, it was the first time in years that he was angry at Akira through and through. “Do you plan on leaving that human there? He did nothing to deserve being left on the sidewalk to rot.” While always trying to keep a calm and collected façade, those who knew him best knew that Kyohei was not always as calm as he lead off to be.

Pushing the kid off of him and straightening out his collar again, Akira looked to his right-hand man with an ugly smirk on his lips.

“Of course I don’t intend on leaving him there.” Giving the kid in the path of their gaze a glance, he then continued with his explanation. “This kid is going to get some experience in our life and change ‘im.” With that, Kyohei’s eyes widened further, Ruka’s look of disgust and fear became more apparent, and even Keisuke stirred awake at that comment.