AJ entred the infirmary room quietly, not wanting to wake Watanabe up. A Japanese soldier was standing right next to his bed.
AJ checked the glucose I.V., the Corporal's pulse and temperature. He needed some saline serum to make sure Watanabe was getting his daily water and salt needs but he didn't know how to ask the soldier for it, since Fitzgerald, the translator wasn't there. In times like this, he regretted he wasn't paying attention to the Japanese lessons his mother made him take.
"Hi..I need saline serum. You know what that is ?" he whispered to the soldier.
The Japanese raised his brow. He couldn't understand any word so AJ tried to speak again. He pointed to the I.V and the soldier nodded is head. He seemed to understand what AJ was asking but instead of saline serum he brought another dose of glucose.
"Thank you but not this. Not glucose. I need saline serum. Can I go search for it ?"
"Go, it's in the next room." AJ jumped in surprise when he heard Watanabe's voice.
"Great, now he's awake and I have to deal with him too." Thought AJ while he was bringing the saline serum.
Watanabe made a hand sign for the soldier to leave the room when AJ got back. Now they were alone.
"Stretch your hand, Sir...please." AJ muttered. He felt a strange pressure now that Watanabe was awake and his hands started shaking nervously. But he managed to put the I.V in the Corporal's hand without any trouble.
"I see you're very good at this. Are you really a doctor ?"
"Um... I am a medical student, not a doctor yet." AJ felt a shiver while speaking. He told the Japanese soldiers he was a doctor...Now it was the perfect time for the Corporal to punish him because he lied.
But Watanabe didn't do anything. He watched AJ as he was taking care of the I.V.
"I feel better. Go back to the barrack now." Watanabe ordered suddenly, his voice as cold as always.
What should I do now? If I go back and he feels bad again, the other soldiers will punish me but if I stay here, this lunatic is gonna hit me cause I haven't obeyed him...
"I should check your head and knees wounds first, Sir. You hit yourself when you...fell...earlier today." AJ said almost whispering, hoping Watanabe was going to fall asleep soon so he can stay there in peace until the morning.
"No. I told you I'm fine, I don't need your help. Get out!" he answered harshly with his eyes full of anger.
Well, I liked you more when you were unconscious...
"Get out!" yelled Watanabe again, making AJ droping the sanitary alcohol he was holding in his hands. He suddenly began to tremble as all the terrifying memories of Watanabe beating him came back to life inside his mind.
After a few seconds he realised what he had done and kneeled in front of the broken glass bottle starting to collect the pieces with his bare hands.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Sir. I will clean immediately and I will go, I promise." He said, his voice shaking nervously while in his head, a voiced played on repeat: "Please don't hit me, please don't hit me."
"What are you doing ? You are cutting your hands in the glass. You stupid child!" said Watanabe seeing the whole scene.
"Leave it like that, someone will clean it later."
"Yes, Sir. I will go now. Sorry."
"Where are you going? Your hands are bleeding. Come here!"
AJ sat on the chair next to Watanabe's bed while the Corporal was taking out the pieces of broken glass of his hands.
"What is a stupid child like you doing in the Army?" he muttered while he put the tissues on AJ's hands.
AJ didn't answer, he was facing the floor, as always too ashamed to rise his look.
"Now sit on that chair and don't to anything stupid if you want to stay the night here instead of sleeping."
"I...I need to stay here to make sure your glicemie don't go lower again..." Said AJ trying to justify his presence there.
"I'm not a diabetic... I mean I don't need medication, I just didn't sleep too well last night."
"Yes, it can be caused by the tiredness too but I think it's also due to the fact you haven't eat properly lately...You need to eat more in order to take your nutrients from the food to sustain your increased physical activity."
Watanabe raised his brow in surprise . The stupid child spoke like a doctor. It was the longest phrase he had said to him. He didn't know how to feel about it, he should be angry that the prisoner spoke without permission...
"Did you take your antibiotic today?"
"Yes, Sir."
"So you can eat now ?"
"A little, I still throw up sometimes but I will get better."
"Are you hungry now ?"
What a stupid question. Of course he was hungry, he was hungry all the time. The Japanese gave them little portions of horrible food.
"No, Sir. I had dinner earlier." AJ answered after a few seconds.
Hearing AJ's answer, Watanabe called the soldier at the door who returned in a few minutes with two bowls of chicken and rice.
"Eat!" He ordered to AJ's surprise who thought that both of the bowls were for the Corporal.
He bowed and started eating like it was the best dish he ever had. He forgot to breath as he was tasting the delicious pieces of chicken. Watanabe who started eating too, stopped after a while, watching AJ who basically inhaled the whole bowl in less than 2 minutes.
"You wasn't hungry at all..." Said Watanabe ironically,almost letting out a smile.
"Thank you!" whispered AJ, facing the floor ashamed.
"Why did you help me today?" asked Watanabe, breaking the deafening silence that took over the room.
"As I told you, Sir...I'm a medical student..." AJ answered, half asleep on the chair.
"Nobody knew you are a medical student so no one would punish you if you didn't help me." Said Watanabe harshly
"I told you before, Sir... The war hadn't changed me. I was a medical student before the war and I swore to help those in need. You..um.. You were feeling bad and I did my duty..."
"How did you know it was a hypoglicemic crisis ?"
"I didn't know for sure... But there wasn't too many possibilities. I mean... You are a strong, young man. Men like you don't pass out like that in the middle of the day out of nowhere...And, um... my dad has it too. I mean he is a diabetic..."
While talking about his dad, AJ's voice started shaking and a tear appeared on the corner of his eyes. Watanabe noticed that and fell silent for a while, thinking about how AJ's life was before the war. There...in America.
Watanabe was staring at the ceiling while AJ was struggling to stay awake on the chair next to him. He was so tired and after that delicious meal, all he wanted was to sleep. But he knew he wasn't allowed. He tried to think about something to keep his mind awake. He didn't want to think about his family or about any memory of his life before the war. That would make him cry and the last thing he wanted was to cry again in front of Watanabe.
Corporal Watanabe...The Bird.
He didn't want to admit it but that night he saw another part of the cruel Corporal, a part that seemed a little less darker. He gave him food and ... He took care of his wounded hands. He remembered that scene. His almost tiny hands into the Corporal's ones who was gently getting out the pieces of broken glass. Because of the sharp pain, AJ threw his head on the back, not wanting to see the blood and, after a few seconds when he dared to look, he met Watanabe's eyes who was staring at him, holding his hand into his.
Why is he acting like that now ? After all the beatings and punishment, what made the Corporal change his mind and treat AJ like that ?
All those questions were left unanswered because AJ felt asleep, placing his head on the table next to his chair.
It was the best sleep he had in a very long time. Watanabe slowly opened his eyes, trying to figure out where he was. This wasn't his bedroom.After a few moments he remembered everything and suddenly, turned his head to the chair next to his bed.
"You're awake, Corporal! How are you feeling?"
It wasn't the voice Watanabe was expecting to hear. Next to, him, on the chair was the Japanese doctor.
"Where is the prisoner?" He asked absent, facing the ceiling again.
"I told him to leave when I got back. He did pretty well... For an American."
"He did..." Watanabe muttered, getting up and staring over the window. He saw that all the prisoners were already lined up ready to do their obligatory run around the Camp.
A completely useless activity that was meant to starve them even more.
He knew AJ wasn't going to keep up since he was up all night, watching over him.
Watanabe quickly got dressed up and went out, having his tea on the porch, watching the prisoners running. Usually he was the one who hit the ones who couldn't run anymore.
After 15 minutes AJ was already exhausted. He slowed down and Louie approached him.
"Come on, AJ! Don't let that motherfucker see you giving up." Louie whispered in his ear, discreetly pointing to Watanabe who was watching them from the porch.
AJ raised his look, meeting the Corporal's eyes that were watching him coldly with no trace of mercy.
He put his hands on his knees for a few moments, strands of his long hair fell on his face that was covered in sweat. His whole body was trembling in exhaustion but he knew Louie was right, he wasn't going to give Watanabe the reason to hit him again.
AJ quickly got back on track but not for too long. Soon right in front of the porch he stopped. He stared at Watanabe for a few seconds before his exhausted body collapsed on the ground.
The Japanese soldier that was close to him quickly approached him. Usually he didn't hit the prisoners, that was the Corporal's job but now, knowing that Watanabe was watching him, he hit AJ mercilessly on the back making him let out a loud scream.
Watanabe jumped on his feet seeing the scene. He felt a wave of anger building up inside him.