On October 5th another death notice was delivered to Toshio. Sotoba's Mursako Hiromi died. The boy of merely nine reached his end quickly.
At noon he was called by Ishida. Tomorrow he would be finished with the written report, he said.
"Sorry about this, so suddenly."
No, Ishida said with a strangely relieved tone to his answer.
"Either me or Seishin will take it to Kanemasa," Toshio started to say when Shiomi Yuki peeked her face into the waiting room. "I'll be right there. Just have them wait a sec."
"Are you in the middle of examinations?"
At Ishida's voice, Toshio gave a bitter smile. "Seems like somehow my morning appointments have stretched out until two or three."
"Well,that's, I'm sorry for taking your time. So you are having examinations even on Saturdays, now?"
"Fortunately, my staff's understanding. For some reason today our X-ray technician is out, and we've been a whirlwind of activity," Toshio laughed. "Anyway, set it up so that we can meet at the very nearest opportunity. Yeah--tomorrow, could you call again when the written report is finished? Things are already so busy here, we'll try contacting Kanemasa once we hear from you."
"I understand. Then, when I am finished I shall call. To you, Doctor?"
"I might be out on an emergency call. It'd probably be better to have you contact Seishin."
Ishida gave his understanding and hung up the phone. Toshio hurried to the TVX room. Enroute he met with Kiyomi who was seeing a patient off from the physiotherapy room.
"Nagata-san, have you heard from Shimoyama-san?"
"Take care," Kiyomi said to the patient then turned to face Toshio, her voice low. "He still has not called."
"That's weird, huh? He's never missed work without permission before."
The X-ray technician Shimoyama didn't come in. Even now he hadn't called.
"Shall we try calling him?" Kiyomi's expression was clouded. It was because of what happened with Mutou.
"Try that for me. It's possible he's exhausted and still asleep, but."
Kiyomi nodded, watching Toshio hurry off down the hall. From there she turned towards the office. From there she telephoned Shimoyama's house.
Shimoyama lived in the housing district outside of Mizobe. To get to the hospital by car it took about thirty minutes.
After calling three times, Shimoyama's wife answered. After being told who was calling and why, she said Oh my. "I am sorry. He said he would call himself but, he did not?"
"Yes."
"Please wait just a moment, yes?"
You don't need to force him on, she started to say but didn't make it in time. After some time, Shimoyama spoke on the phone.
"What's wrong? Are you all right?"
"Ah... Nagata-san, is it."
Shimoyama's voice was low.
"Everyone is worried you know! What's wrong, are you ill, or?"
Before Kiyomi could say it all, Shimoyama spoke up. "I quit."
Eh, and Kiyomi's words came to a stop."Just now, what did you say?"
"I am quitting my job. Please convey that to the doctor."
Kiyomi's mouth hung agape. "Shimoyama-san... That's...."
Towada who had been at the clerical desk looked up dubiously.
"Please spare me. I have a wife and child. The loan on the house isn't even paid off."
Kiyomi's mouth hung open but eventually closed. "I see.... But, I think it would still be better to tell the doctor directly. Are you against that?"
Shimoyama said Please spare me once again and hung up the phone.
Kiyomi breathed a deep sigh. Towada asked what had happened.
"He says that he quits.... Shimoyama-san does."
But that's, Towada said, but his eyes quickly lowered to the documents on the desk. "....Is that so."
Kiyomi found herself nodding, peering into the examination room. Toshio still wasn't back from the TVX-Ray room. In the treatment room next door were Yasuyo and Yuki but they were sterilizing tools for the next patient.
"The Doctor isn't back yet?"
"Not yet," Yuki laughed. "Without Shimoyama-san here, the pace has gone nuts, hasn't it?"
"He says that he quit."
Yasuyo and Yuki's faces snapped up. But that's Yuki's voice rose up, though Yasuyo cut in. She motioned beyond the wall waving them with her hand as if towards a secret meeting place.
"Quit, you say..."
"Please spare me, I was told. Tell the doctor for me, he said."
"Whyyy?" Yuki's voice rose childishly. Quickly she covered her mouth and lowered her tone of voice. "I mean, just before Shimoyama-san was wondering if he should move here to Sotoba, he was even saying."
"It's in response to what happened at Mutou's place, isn't it." The one to say it was Yasuyo.
"But."
"Shimoyama-san has a wife and child after all. His child is young, and they just built a house last year. They have a loan on it and all."
Kiyomi nodded. "That's what he said."
"Really, even if we say we're prepared, when there was a death at Mutou-san's place, it wears on you, doesn't it?" Yasuyo said lowering her voice even more. "Mutou-san himself was anguished over it. Saying what if he didn't bring it home."
"That's true..."
"When he went to Mutou-san's place's funeral, laying eyes on it must have got him thinking, don't you think? With all of this, I can't say I blame Shimoyama-san. That man isn't from Sotoba, after all."
"That's not the point!" Yuki cut in angrily. "I understand how he feels but, like this... it's...."
Yasuyo shrugged her shoulders. "Well I do think there was a better way to do it. At least talk with the Doctor, give a word to everyone, or to apologize."
"Right, that!"
"But, he's probably already afraid of setting foot in Sotoba. That's what I think it is. Sooner or later, the people from Mizobe will notice, and at school or work, it's going to come to people saying not to interact with those bunch from Sotoba."
Kiyomi sighed. "It does look like it's going to become the case."
While they were muttering, Toshio returned to the examination room. When they told him about Shimoyama, Toshio, and Ritsuko who had come back with him held their breaths. All the same, Ritsuko didn't say a word, and Toshio only left it at "Is that right."
"Tell Towada-kun and have him handle the paperwork. Mutou-san is still on leave for mourning, so he doesn't need to rush to it right now. Sorry to do this to Shimoyama-san but he'll just have to be patient."
Kiyomi nodded. Suddenly, she felt incredibly hopeless, and at the same time terrified.
What was going to happen to all of them ---from now on.