Yakuza Boy: Or the Man with Painted Flesh (~Unedited~)

Chapter 40

Maggie finally spoke on the eight day. All other attempts at eliciting words from her had failed. She had not lost the ability to speak, she just didn't know what to say. There were words bubbling up behind her lips, waiting to be released but she was scared of letting the damn break. Afraid of what may be revealed.. Frightened of the realization she would have to come to... Her big brown eyes squinted then widened when she realized that she had been talking to herself.

Her mother, fast asleep in a hospital chair next to the bed, jerked awake from her sleep and hit the call button on the device next to Maggie's hand. Tears of joy sprang to her eyes and she clutched her child's hand tightly before bringing it to her lips, pressing kisses to the back of it. Maggie watched her mother with a soft smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Maggie, my sweet child. My baby. How are you feeling?"

Maggie's doe eyes went to her lap and she thought over the question silently. The morphine made her feel light and airy. She didn't feel tired unlike the night before and she felt nauseous when she looked at the stitches surrounding her sewn on finger. She had no idea where he wedding ring was but she could picture it in her mind in great detail. Her nose was still tender but thankfully she could breathe easily around the bandages.

"I don't know, Mama... I really don't know..."

Her mother rose from her seat and slowly wrapped her arms around Maggie, holding her close. Her hands rubbed at Maggie's exposed back in a soothing manner and Maggie felt her negative thoughts dissipated
"It's going to get better baby... I know it will. I'm not leaving your side."

Maggie nodded, hugging her mother back tightly as her eyes shifted to her lap.

Better...

A doctor came into her hospital room followed by a short haired nurse and Maggie's mother retook her place next to her daughter. The doctor grabbed her chart from the end of the bed and smiled at Maggie warmly. The first time she had met the man, his smile caused her a great deal of discomfort. So much so, that she turned away from her, shielding every bit of her body that she could. The doctor was alarmed but he had read her file and knew that she had a long road of recovery ahead of her. He left the room immediately and let a female nurse tend to her for the first four days. On the fifth day, Maggie requested that he come back and she gradually got used to his presence.

Maggie nodded and the doctor droned on about various things like how long it would take her newly set nose to heal along with other things of that nature. She was listening for the first five minutes before he subconscious floated to somewhere else, far away from the hospital bed, her mind on deeper things. Maggie only had one thing on her mind.

"Excuse me..." she started. The nurse and doctor waited expectantly, both equally surprised at her words. Her mother had been speaking for her since she arrived and they weren't used to the sweet, breathy tone of her natural voice.
"My husband... Has he come to see me?"
She asked. Her mother squeezed her hand tightly and fixed her with a sad smile. She hadn't seen Yuji in over two weeks and she was starting to get worried.

The doctor shook his head, flashing her a sympathetic smile.
"Not that I know of, Mrs. Takahashi but I can check with the front desk clerk. She'd know better than I would." He replied. The nurse looked off to the side and nothing was said for a few minutes. Maggie hadn't meant to make the atmosphere so tense and awkward. She hummed, nodding her head, and wishing she hadn't asked at all. When the silence seemed to drag on longer than she liked, she asked to speak with her mother in private. The doctor placed her chart back and bowed at the waist before leaving with the petite nurse following closely behind.

Maggie swung her eyes over to her mother's and sighed heavily. Her mother had informed her that Yuji was the one that had discovered her location but try as she must, she couldn't remember that moment. Her fingers clutched the hospital blanket with her wrapped hands and her nose twitched from the tubes inside of it. Large tears started to spring from Maggie's eyes and she started to scratch nervously at her arm, digging her nails into her own wrist. Her throat started to get tight and she swallowed quickly.
"He won't even see me... I don't know what's going on, Mama..."