When he saw AJ falling on ground, hit by one of the Japanese Soldiers, Watanabe needed all his inner strength not to go there, to check if AJ was fine.
He knew he couldn't do it. He couldn't let himself to look weak in front of everybody's eyes.
„Fitzgerald, Zamperini! Take him to the infirmary, now! He yelled after a few moments.
Louie kneeled in front of AJ and leaned over him. He checked his pulse and whispered something to his ear.
„Don't let them motherfuckers break you, AJ"
„What is that bastard doing?" Watanabe was boiling , clenching his teeths while witnessing the whole scene.
„Let's get him to the infirmary." Said Scott Fitzgerald, trying not to piss off the Corporal.
„I'm sorry, gentlemen, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave now. Don't worry, he will be fine." The Japanese Doctor's voice was calm and peaceful.
Louis and Scott looked at each other, surprised by the doctor's empathy. He wasn't like the rest of the Japanese Soldiers. The doctor was polite and he didn't treat the prisoners like the rest of the Japanese Soldiers .
„All right, thank you, Doctor." Said Scott after a few moments and the two of them got back to their barrack.
Watanabe was taking his tea on the porch. He was staring in void at the summer scenery that was slowly turning into a warm autumn. As he stretched his arm to out the cup of tea on the table, he noticed the scar on his arm, made by the I.V. He remembered the moment he was lying on the ground helpless, his body unable to move. He saw AJ leaning over him. „Come on, Corporal, wake up and tell me what's wrong with you."
Without thinking too much, Watanabe suddenly got up and went to the infirmary.
„How can I help you, Corporal ?" the doctor said, surprised by his presence there.
„Where is the prisoner?" Watanabe asked coldly.
„Come with me, I'll lead you there. But he is not awake yet. His body was over exhausted and he need to rest. „
„You can go now, Doctor." Watanabe said when he entered AJ's room.
He approached the bed and touched AJ's messy hair. He moved his hand through his face, grabbed his chin slowly, and gently pressed his thumb on AJ's bottom lip.
Feeling the touch, AJ turned his body over and from his pocket fell a shiny gold object. Watanabe furrowed his brows and took the object in his hand. It was good necklace with a squares pendant.
Watanabe opened it curious.
On one side, it was a picture of a man, smiling wide.
„You are always in my heart" was graved on the other side of the pendant.
Watanabe stared at the necklace for a few moments and put it in his pocket.
„So you like men, little American boy." Watanabe whispered, once he got to his own room.
He took out the necklace again from his pocket.
He felt more confused than ever. How was that even possible? A relationship between two Army men?
The boy in the picture was very handsome and judging by his uniform, he was an American officer.
So AJ s lover was an officer...
Watanabe felt a strange feeling inside him, anger mixed with confusion. He threw the necklace on the nightstand and went out for a smoke to clean his thoughts.
When AJ woke up later that day,he felt still dizzy and confused.
"Glad you're awake!" said the doctor offering him a smile
" Where am I?"
"You are in the infirmary. You passed out earlier" When he heard the doctor's words AJ remebered the Japanese Soldier hitting him. He put his hand in his pocket trying to hold his necklace, as he always do in order to calm down.
But suddenly his face became pale and he jumped to his feet. The necklace was gone.
"Doctor, have you seen my necklace? I had it in my pocket."
"No, I haven't seen it. Maybe it fell out of your pocket while your friends carried you here."
"I have to go and look for it, doctor. Thank you for taking care of me!" AJ said rushing to the door.
But he couldn't pass the doorway. Corporal Watanabe was standing there, watching the whole scene.
"Corporal Watanabe is here to talk to you.Please have a sit."
" Well, since you are completly useless to other works, me and the doctor decided you should work at the infirmary. The hospitals in Tokyo are full so in a few hours we will recieve a few injured soldiers you have to take care of." Watanabe spoke coldly
"Go and have something to eat with your colleagues and then come back here." The Doctor continued seeing AJ's confused look
When he returned to the infirmary AJ found three Japanese Army men, laying on the beds. One of them didn't have an arm and he was unconscious.
„I sedated him to clean his wounds. It was too painful to do it with him still conscious ." said the doctor approaching AJ.
„Yes, Doctor. I'm going to do my best to help you."
„I'm sure you will. What's you name?"
„Alexander James"
„All right, Mister James. I'm gonna take the two of them since they have more severe wounds and you are gonna take care of Capitan Ishihara since his condition is a little better." Said the doctor, leading AJ to one of the beds.
„He is a Capitan?" AJ asked surprised
„Yes. He also speaks a little bit of english so it's gonna be easier for you to understand him."
AJ approached the capitain's bed and stared at him. His unifrom still had blood stains on it.
„Capitain, he is Alexander, he is going to clean and disinfect your wounds." The doctor said to the Army man. „ The Capitain refused to be sedated so you have to be very careful mister James" he continued , turning to AJ.
„I will, dont worry, Doctor." AJ said nervous, feeling the Capitan's eyes on him
„You're a prisoner ?"
„Yes but don't worry, I have medical training."
„I'm not worried." The Capitain said , offering AJ a very charming smile
„You... you have to get undressed, Capitain."
„I'm afraid I'm gonna need your help for that."
AJ nodded, and he helped him take his upper clothes off. He stared shocked at the Capitain's bare chest. He had more than 3 shrapnels in his abdomen and upper chest.
„I got off easy." The Capitain spoke after a few moments of silence
AJ smiled shyly and began to take out the shrapnels. It was a very sensitive and painful operation and the Capitain was in hard pain. AJ bite his lip trying to focus to make it less painful but after every shrapnel that was taken out of his body, he let out a loud scream.
„ Its all right, Capitain, you are doing great. I just have one more." AJ said, taking the Capitain's hand in his, trying to reassure him.
When he finished, AJ let the Capitain rest and went to wash his hands that were full of blood.
„I see you are doing your job well."
AJ almost jumped in surpise hearing that voice. He raised his look and saw Corporal Watanabe standing in the doorway.He gulped, realizing Watanabe saw him taking care of the Capitain.
„Thank you for letting me work here, Corporal!" AJ said , saluting him with his hand
Watanabe saluted him too, staring in eyes for a few moments before he left.
Because he had to take care of the Capitain Ishihara all the time, bringing him water and food, changing the I.V every two hours, AJ had to spend the night at the infirmary.
„Mister James, I'm afraid you have to let the Capitain alone for a few minutes. Corporal Watanabe has a headache and he demanded a pill. Please, deliever it to him along with a glass of water." The Doctor said, approaching AJ and the Capitain who were talking to each other.
„Of course, doctor."
„Do you know where his bedroom is?"
„Um, yes...I mean I'm not sure but I will find it dont worry." AJ mumbled.
Good job, AJ! That lunatic is gonna beat you to death if you tell someone you were in his room before.
He knocked on the Corporal's door that was half opened but no one answered him so he decided to go inside. But the room was empty, no trace of the Corporal there. AJ decided he was going to lave the pill on the nighstand and leave but when he approached the nightstand, a wave of rage grew up inside him. He saw his necklace there, next to an opened book.
„How dare you to look into my personal things?"
AJ clenched his teeths when he heard Watanabe's voice. He wasn't afraid anymore. He was furious.
„How you dare to steal my necklace? WHY? Why did you take it ?"
AJ yelled, punching Watanabe's chest. But it felt like he was hitting a wall.
Watanabe pushed him back , making him fall on the floor and took the necklace from his hands.
„An army man is not allowed to have such kind of things."
„Please, Corporal, give it back. You have no idea how much it means to me." AJ said with his voice shaking, trying to get up.
„Why? Why is this so important to you ?" Watanabe asked raising his brow.
„Its... It has a picture inside. A picture of my brother... my half-brother, actually."
When he heard the word brother, Watanbe smiled , without being aware he was doing it.
AJ stared at him. It was the first time he saw him smiling and it seemed like his perfect shaped facial features were warmed by that smile, making his facial expression brighter.
„Is your brother an officer ?" Watanabe asked, opening the pendand.
„Yes, I mean... he was. He died of cancer three months before the war started."
Watanabe's expression became serious and stoned again.
„It was his dream to serve his country and it broke his heart that he didn't had the chance to do it. He is the reason I joined the Army... I thought... maybe... I should shut up." AJ said with his voice shaking, facing the floor.
„No! Go on, tell me!" Watanabe ordered
„ I thought I'm going to fulfill his dream of serving his country. But as you said, Corporal, a stupid child like me shouldn't be in the Army."
Watanabe felt a strange feeling in his chest. He got closer to AJ, staring in his eyes, with his cold look. He lifted AJ's chin up, meeting his tearing eyes. He gently touched a strand of AJ's hair and then let his hand fall on his temple.
„When did you put those things in your hair ?"
„Oh.. it's hair pins. The doctor... he told me to put them so my hair won't come into my eyes while I'm working."
Watanabe fell silent. The room was dominated by a strong, deep tension and AJ felt like he couldn't breath as he felt Watanabe's intimidaing presence so close to him.
„Turn around!" The Corporal said after a few moments
AJ felt s shiver of fear but he did as he was told.
Watanabe gently moved his hair aside and put his necklace. AJ breathed relieved when he felt the cold pendand on his chest and waited for the Corporal to step back.
But Watanabe didn't. He placed his hands on AJ shoulders and slowly moved them through AJ's collar bone until he embraced him from the back.
AJ freezed under the Corporal's embrace, not knowing what do to.
Or to feel.
AJ turned his head to the side, gazing over the window to see the place where the Corporal hit him mercileslly not too long ago.
Suddently, the room fell dark. The only source of light were the rays of the full moon that was getting through the window.
„ Why did you turn off the light?" Watanabe asked, whispering into AJ's ear. He almost didn't recognize the Corporal's voice. That cold, frightening voice that made his blood freeze was now warm
„We are next to the window and I didn't want anybody to see inside."
„Why ?"
„ Your soldiers use to take your example. They do what they see you're doing." AJ answered and Watanabe knew that he was reffering to the moment the Japanese Soldier hit him.
„And.. if they see you touching me like that....maybe they will think they could touch me too... „ AJ continued
„So you don't like being touched ?"
„ I do...now..." AJ said while Corporal broke the embrace and stepped back.
„You should go and take care of the Capitain now...Alexander." Watanabe said, with a throaty voice, his accent more prominent than ever.
AJ nodded , saluted the Caporal and left.
His body was still shaking as he was rushing down the stairs.
Did he just hugged me?
Did he just... called my name?
AJ closed his eyes and all he could see were the Corporal's lips moving slowly pronouncing his name.