The Rising Sun & the Morning Calm

Hello everyone and thanks to those who commented. Not much in the way of sexy bits in this chapter but hopefully you enjoy it nonetheless. Please keep the comments coming. They usually spur me on to write. ^ ^

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Genzo awoke and made a small face when he felt an ache at the bridge of his nose. Touching his face tentatively, he was about to change shape to relieve the soreness when he remembered what had caused his injury and couldn't help the smile that flitted across his lips.

Deciding not to advance the healing process, he almost savored the dull tenderness as he thought back to the previous afternoon. His memory of her glaring defiantly at him with her hands poised in front of her face ready to strike sent a sudden rush of blood south and his already prominent morning wood reared up in frustration. "[Kso]," he groaned. He wasn't sure just how much more of this he could take before he totally lost control of himself. But that wasn't an option. He couldn't risk being sent away from Linnsa. Especially with Sang Nam constantly flirting with her every chance he got. His lips curled back over his teeth in a jealous snarl.

Not wanting to begin the day ruled by his feelings, Genzo banished Sang Nam's face from his mind and returned his thoughts to Linnsa's more appealing visage. Taking his cock in his hand, he attempted to mentally recreate the events of the last day and as he focused on her scent and the way in which she eluded his advances. It didn't take long before he let loose what felt like a week's worth of semen with a strangled cry. Watching it ready to drip off the ceiling, he sat up with a start when there was a sharp knock at the door. "[Nani]?"

Noboru's voice had a tense quality about it. "Genzo, [doshta]?"

Flooded with sudden embarrassment and anxiety, he pulled his sheets over his hips. "Ah, [nan demonai]..." he stammered.

Noboru sighed, lowering his hand from the door. Every instinct in his body told him that allowing Genzo to stay in Linnsa's presence was a foolhardy move, but his compassion won over his misgivings and he prayed inwardly that he would not regret it. "Why don't you come out and have something to eat?"

"[Hai]," was the chagrined response from behind the door.

Throwing on a pair of jeans and a simple T shirt, Genzo ambled into the living room feeling more unsure of himself than he had in a long while. Sitting down at the table, he scanned the living room but saw no trace of either Linnsa or her sister. Or Sang Nam. [Good riddance], he thought to himself Pouring himself a large glass of water, he paused in mid sip when he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Sang Nam stroll into view, wearing the usual half smile on his face that Genzo found so irksome. "[Ohaiyo], sweetheart. Not happy to see me?"

He was about to tell him to go fuck himself when Angela's voice called out from Linnsa's room. "Sang, you got it?"

Grabbing Angela's purse, Sang Nam fished around with the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth before pulling out a small bottle of Advil. Shaking it victoriously, he threw it up in the air and caught it deftly in one hand. "Yep," he replied over his shoulder. "I've got it."

"What is going on?" Genzo asked, concern furrowing his brow.

"Our pretty charge has a headache," Sang Nam informed him. "So naturally, I'm coming to the rescue." He flashed Genzo a peace sign and another annoying grin.

"Angela has a headache?"

Sang Nam laughed and shook his head. "Wrong sister, my friend. Our OTHER pretty charge." Turning on his heel, he sauntered out of the room. "[Ja na]."

Irritation creasing his face, Genzo was about to rise from his chair and follow him when he felt a hand on his shoulder exert a gentle but firm pressure indicating that he was to stay seated. Looking up, he saw Noboru with his lips pressed together. The look he gave was enough for him to can any thoughts of protest.

Kneeling next to Linnsa's bed, Sang Nam removed two pills and handed them to her. "Here."

She took them and again swallowed them without any water. "Unnie, this is worse than any headache that I've had before."

"You think it could be a migraine?" her sister asked. Angela felt sorry for her if she was in fact suffering a migraine, knowing firsthand herself how debilitating they were.

"I don't know. I've never had them before." She tried feebly to massage the pain out of her head.

"Well, if the Ibuprofen doesn't work in twenty minutes, I'll get you some Imitrex. That usually does the trick for me." She sat next to her sister's reclining form and brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"Sang, can you close the curtain?" Linnsa requested. She stopped covering her eyes with her fingers as the room darkened.

"May I enter?" Noboru peered into the entryway of Linnsa's room.

"I think she's having a migraine," Angela explained. "It looks like a pretty bad one."

"It feels like somebody drove two giant ice picks behind my eyes," Linnsa mumbled through gritted teeth.

As he stepped into the room, Noboru felt something he couldn't explain but the one thing he did know for certain was that it was not good. Angela must have sensed his concern because she suddenly looked up from Linnsa and studied his face. Something wasn't right. "We must return to Tokyo immediately."

Hearing her sister groan, Angela walked over to Noboru and marched him out of the room. "Okay, Nobu, enough is enough! You drag us over here without telling us why and now just as quickly and for no apparent reason you want us to go back?"

"Angela, please-"

"No! Linnsa's not feeling well and this is not a good time for us to be just dropping everything and running around!"

Looking at her, standing with her hands on her hips, Noboru stepped towards her and pulled her to him. "My love, have I ever given you reason to distrust my instincts?"

Angela grudgingly conceded, "No, you haven't."

"Then may I ask you put faith in my judgment and do as I am requesting?"

Sighing with frustration, she looked into his earnest blue eyes. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be constantly shuffled around with absolutely no idea where or why?"

"No," he admitted honestly, "but I do not doubt that it is very upsetting for both you and Linnsa."

"God, it was fine when it was just me, but now I've dragged Linnsa into this mess!"

"It is for her safety that I believe we must return."

Swallowing her misgivings, she nodded and opened the door again. "Linnsa, I'm sorry, but we have to go."

"Can I just have an hour to let the Ibuprofen kick in?" she pleaded.

"I wish we could, Sweetie, but this is important," Angela apologized.

Clenching her teeth, Linnsa muttered, "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"Noboru-[donno]?"

Both Noboru and Angela looked up at Sang Nam's use of formal Japanese. "What is it, Sang Nam?"

"I'd like to ask your permission to accompany you back to Tokyo until you've discovered what the problem is."

"Why?"

"I can't explain it," Sang Nam replied. "It's just an instinct that I have that I should stay with you." There was no humor or mirth in his voice. He was being absolutely serious for once.

Though he knew Genzo would have major problems with this, logic reminded him that having Sang Nam there would be advantageous due to the fact that he was not someone that his brother was familiar with due to his being Korean but he spoke fluent Japanese. "You may accompany us." He felt Angela's incredulous stare on his back. "I need someone around to be objective about this," he said softly in response before walking back into the living area. "Genzo, I need you to obtain five tickets on the next flight back to Tokyo. See to it."

Though he was used to simply following orders without questions, he surprised even himself when he heard his voice say, "Why five tickets, [donno]?"

"Because Sang Nam will be joining us." Before Genzo could protest, Noboru put his hand up to quiet him. "I know how you feel about this, Genzo. But Sang Nam has his uses and with your current state of distraction I think we can both agree that his objectivity is greater than yours."

Attempting as best he could to reign in his mounting fury, Genzo nodded and went to do what was asked of him.

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doshta: what's wrong (Japanese)

nan demonai: nothing (Japanese)

ohaiyo: good morning (Japanese)

ja na: see ya (Japanese)

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Noboru's intuition had proven correct and he felt a sense of déjà vu as he watched Linnsa's discomfort increase as more time passed. Her headache was worsening by the hour. Despite all the analgesics and migraine medication she had taken, nothing seemed to have any effect in relieving the agonizing pain in her head. "How much longer until we land?" Angela asked with fear etched on her voice.

"Twenty minutes. We'll start our descent soon." Noboru hoped that his words didn't betray his concern.

"Unnie, make it stop! It hurts so much!" Linnsa begged.

"Why is this happening to her?" Angela froze as a dark possibility cut through her thoughts. "Is she going through what happened to Kaori?"

"It is difficult to say, but I do not think so." He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince more, her or himself. The thought that such a thing could happen hadn't even crossed his mind. After all, Saburo's men had only showed similar signs after being injected with the antivirus. He prayed that this was not the explanation for what was happening.

Seated in the aisle across from Linnsa, Genzo struggled to keep his anxiety under wraps. She looked extremely ill. Her skin had an ashy pallor and she was in obvious pain. "What is happening to her?" he couldn't help blurting.

"I do not know," Noboru answered somberly.

After what felt like an years, they landed at Narita and the group did their best to escort Linnsa as gently as possible off of the plane. As they made their way to the gate, she suddenly fell to the ground. "Linnsa!" Angela cried out.

As Linnsa writhed on the ground, apparently in the throes of a generalized tonic clonic seizure, Noboru shouted at the top of his lungs in Japanese, "I NEED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE NOW!"

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Two hours and many doses of Ativan later, Linnsa was stable enough to be transferred to the nearest major hospital. Angela sat next to her bed holding her hand as she lay hooked up to an EEG machine on the Neurology ward. She and Noboru looked up when they heard the sliding door to her room open. From his dress and manner, the man appeared to be a doctor. He bowed to Noboru and began speaking to him in Japanese that Angela was having a difficult time following. In the middle of the conversation, Ryuzo entered the room and joined in the discussion. Bowing again, the doctor left. "Well, what did he say?"

"They will be coming soon to take her for an MRI," he told her. He turned away from her when Ryuzo leaned in to say something quietly in his ear. "See to it," was his reply.

"What is going on?" Angela's face was lined with worry.

"[Matteh]," Noboru said softly. "Let us see what the doctors say." Stifling a sob, Angela buried her face in his chest while he held her to him.

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matteh: wait (Japanese)

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Ryuzo stayed at the hospital the whole time, which was odd. Angela anxiously awaited the results of her sister's MRI. When the doctor returned, his demeanor was relaxed and after explaining the results to Noboru, he bowed and took his leave. Taking this to mean that all was well, Angela was about to hug Noboru when she was cut short at the sight of Ryuzo abruptly closing the door. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Noboru remained silent, allowing Ryuzo to explain. "Angela-san, because of the sensitive nature of the viral syndrome we all share, we must take precautions to ensure that it is not discovered by the uninfected public." Angela nodded, not sure where this was going. "As a cautionary move, I had the MRI scans changed with a normal one so that she could be discharged to our care. We have doctors in our group who can continue to follow her."

"Do you know what the MRI showed?"

"No, we will have the true scans sent to us after she is discharged."

"When will that be?"

"Later today. The doctors have cleared her to leave the hospital." He turned back to Noboru. "The arrangements for transportation have been made. I will bring the films and the final reports to you."

"Very well."

"Wait!" Grabbing his arm, she turned him to face her. "How are you sure she won't have another seizure on the way back?

Despite Angela's emotional reaction, Ryuzo's face never lost its cool. "We have many clinicians who will ensure that she has excellent care. You need not worry." Noboru nodded in confirmation. "Please, we must get her ready to leave."

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The hotel concierge looked up from her ledger at the group of men that had somehow managed to appear unnoticed seemingly out of nowhere in front of her. As they were all Asian, her automatic assumption was that they were Korean. "Welcome to our hotel. Did you wish to check in?" she asked in Korean. When they spoke to each other in low tones, she realized they were Japanese. Using as much English as she had at her command, she began again, "Welcome. How may I help you?"

Saburo disliked having to resort to such unsophisticated methods of obtaining information, but seeing as how his network had shrunken pretty much down to the men immediately next to him, he had little choice. "I was to meet my brother here at his suite, but I was hoping to surprise him. Can you tell me which room he is in?"

"And what is his name?"

"Nagamori Noboru."

Her eyes scanned the guest roster on the computer in front of her. "I do not see him as a registered guest." Saburo felt the bile rising in his throat. Had they been given the wrong information?" "Wait a moment," she said, snapping him back to attention. "He checked out earlier this morning unexpectedly."

A stilted "Thank you" was all Saburo could manage. As they walked out of the hotel, he angrily placed a cigarette in his mouth and swatted away the outstretched lighters immediately proffered by his men. After lighting it, he took a long frustrated drag and blew out the smoke between tightly pressed lips. Had Noboru somehow gotten wind of their following him? If so, where had he gone? Back to Tokyo or somewhere else? There was no way to know.

"Uh, what do you want to do now, Boss?" one asked timidly.

"[Kso]. We'll go back to Tokyo for now." Fuck, he was running out of time. If his brother got back to America it would be impossible to get to him.

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kso: shit (Japanese)

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Mercifully, Linnsa had stayed largely asleep on the ride back to their rented apartment. As Sang Nam pulled the blanket up more securely over Linnsa's shoulders, he felt eyes watching him and looked over his shoulder. Leaning on the doorframe, Angela observed him quietly, her arms crossed over her chest. "Not to sound hostile, Sang, but why are you here?"

Looking at Linnsa's sleeping face, he answered honestly, "I don't know. I can't tell you what made me feel like I should come with her."

"I think we can surmise why you're here."

"What?"

Angela relaxed her arms and gave Sang Nam a maternal smile. "You said 'come with her'. You didn't say come with 'you', meaning us as a group."

He hoped his careless tone belied his discomfort at her comment. "Quit being a shrink, Angela."

"I don't think one needs to be a shrink to read your motives," she shot back dryly. "Take Genzo, for example."

Sang Nam raised a brow. "Is that what this is about?"

"This is about my trying to protect my sister during an emotionally trying time. After everything she's had to endure, Linnsa's in a very vulnerable position right now. Things need to be less complicated for her – not more."

He grinned. "Is that how you see me? As a complication?"

"I hope that you won't be."

"And Genzo? He's not a...complication?" As if having timed it perfectly, Genzo appeared in the doorway looming over Angela. Seeing Sang Nam kneeling at Linnsa's bedside, he threw him a hard glare. Angela could hear the low snarl beginning in his throat above her head. No doubt Sang Nam heard it too. "Something the matter, my friend?" At Angela's venomous look, Sang Nam stood and stepped away from the bed.

"Why are you here anyway?" Genzo glowered.

Sang Nam was about to return a pithy remark but held his tongue. "I just want to make sure that she's okay."

"We have that covered," Genzo retorted, sneering.

His patience was wearing thin "Is that right? Maybe it's just me, but you seem more than a little preoccupied lately. I'd even go so far as to say you're getting sloppy."

Clenching his fists, Genzo was about to charge Sang Nam, when Angela put a firm hand on his chest, warning him to control his temper. "Don't."

"Unnie?"

The tiny voice startled all three of them. "Linnsa?" Genzo rushed to her side as she covered her eyes with her hand, the bright afternoon light hurting her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"My eyes hurt. What happened?" No one had noticed that Sang Nam had left the room and returned with a face towel soaked in cool water. Folding it neatly, he placed it gently over Linnsa's eyes, ignoring Genzo's angry scowls.

"Alright, both of you, get out," Angela ordered the two boys.

"But-" they both began.

"No buts! Out, now!" Hanging their heads like contrite school children, they did as they were told. "Hey, Linns. Are you feeling better now?"

"A little." She touched the compress Sang Nam had made for her. "What happened? I can't remember anything after getting off the plane."

"You had some pretty bad seizures once we landed," she recounted, hoping the news would not be too upsetting. "But they got you patched up and discharged you."

"Seizures?" She nearly sat up but Angela made her lie back down. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"I'm not sure, but I think the headaches might have been a warning that the seizures were coming. All your labwork came back normal and they did an EEG which was negative so they let us take you home."

"Did they scan my head?"

"Yeah, but we don't have the results back yet."

Linnsa turned her head to her sister, a quizzical look apparent even from underneath the towel over her eyes. "They discharged me without even reading the MRI? That doesn't make any sense."

Sometimes Angela wished she wasn't a doctor too. "Don't worry. We'll get the results soon. Ryuzo is coming over with it any minute now."

"Who's Ryuzo?"

"Oh, you probably don't remember him. He works for Noboru. I think he's a molecular biologist or something." Patting her sister's hand, Angela reassured, "Don't think about it and just rest."

Linnsa yawned, still feeling the effects of the Ativan. "Okay."

Angela joined the three men after closing the door to her room. "Ryuzo is coming up with the MRI film now," Noboru said simply.

"He is already here," Ryuzo corrected, opening the door. Producing a large manila envelope, he pulled out the familiar black negative with multiple views of Linnsa's brain. "I had it read by one of our clinicians."

"What did they find?" Angela's grasp of neuroimaging had all but disappeared since her medical school days.

"Do you see the areas around the central sulcus?"

"Yes, those are the sensory and motor cortices. So what?"

The depth of the gyri are abnormally pronounced. There are strange T1 and T2 signals in the occipital lobes and the orbitofrontal cortex. It is almost as if the gray matter is more dense." Pulling out a second film, he pointed to one of the scans and stated, "The thalamus here also is showing increased signal and density."