__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
The chapter got you itching for more? Read ahead and get exclusive content before anyone else? Join me on Patr -e-on! Your support would mean the world to me.
( | p@treon.com/FictionGoat | )
. . . .
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
Toshi pushed the door open slowly, the hinges letting out a prolonged, grating creak. His hand remained on the door for a moment, hesitating, before he stepped through the door frame.
"Hello…" he murmured, stepping into the medical ward. The room was organized into rows of hospital beds, each with a small table nearby, cluttered with medical supplies. Thin curtains hung beside the beds, some drawn halfway, others left open.
On the first bed to Toshi's left sat Finn, a nurse standing beside him. She appeared middle-aged, her long black hair falling neatly to her chest. She wore a lab coat over a crop top and jeans, her attention briefly shifting to Toshi as he approached.
Finn turned his head, a faint look of surprise crossing his face. "Toshi… what're you doing here?" he asked.
Toshi walked closer, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "What? I can't check up on you?" he said, his tone light and teasing.
Finn raised his eyebrows and held his hands up in a surrender. "I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly, as though Toshi's joke had hit a little too close to home.
Toshi chuckled softly. "I was just joking," he said, his tone lighthearted.
Finn sighed, lowering his hands. "Phew… good." His shoulders relaxed, a hint of relief in his voice.
"Can you both stop talking? I'm working here, and some quiet would be appreciated," the nurse said sharply, her focus shifting back to Finn as she began peeling off his bandages.
Toshi and Finn immediately fell silent, exchanging brief glances but staying quiet as she continued her work.
A few minutes later, the nurse finished. The nurse examined the wound—a small, healed bullet hole in Finn's stomach. Taking out a flashlight, she leaned in closer, shining it over the area.
"All right… there's no sign of infection. You should be good to eat and walk in about two days," she said, her tone entirely professional.
Finn's face lit up with a genuine smile. "Thank you, doc," he said warmly.
Over time, Toshi had come to understand Finn. He was just a simple, carefree guy who went out of his way to avoid hurting anyone's feelings. It was the kind of personality that made conversations with him easy. Finn had this natural charm, an aura that seemed to draw people in without much effort.
The nurse gave a subtle nod and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small bottle of pills. "These will help with digestion. You might have some difficulty since the bullet pierced your stomach. Take these...they'll ease things."
Finn flinched at the nurse's words, his gaze dropping to his stomach as his hands instinctively rubbed over the wound. "Uh... thank you, Marleine," he muttered, shaking himself out of the moment and taking the bottle from her.
Marleine's eyes softened with empathy as she noticed his discomfort. "Sorry if I said something to trigger you," she said quietly, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.
Finn quickly turned to face her, offering a reassuring smile. "Nah... nah, you're good. You were just doing your job."
Marleine smiled back, though it was a little reserved. "Alright," she said, shifting her hands into her pockets and standing straighter. "I'll leave you two to it." She spoke bluntly, then turned and walked out of the room.
"So, how are you holding up?" Toshi asked, dragging a nearby stool and plopping down beside Finn.
Finn glanced down at the wound on his stomach, his grin spreading wide. "I'm doing fine, honestly. Having a badass scar like this? Makes me feel even better." He flexed his arm dramatically, though the motion was stiff. "See? I'm stronger already." His pearly whites sparkling.
Toshi chuckled, shaking his head. "We can put it to the test," he said, cracking his knuckles loudly.
Finn raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the pillow. "Oh, really? You're gonna take advantage of a wounded man? That doesn't seem very heroic."
"Heroic?" Toshi smirked. "I don't remember signing up to be a hero. Besides…" He leaned forward slightly, his grin turning almost predatory. "You don't look that hurt to me."
Finn groaned dramatically, clutching his stomach. "Ah! The pain! It's unbearable!"
Toshi laughed, swatting Finn's arm lightly. "Alright, alright, I'll spare you—for now."
Finn grinned, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Good call. I'd hate to embarrass you in front of the nurses."
Maybe he was starting to get too cocky. After the pirate attacks, he felt more confident—almost too confident. He started to think he could take Finn in a fair fight… maybe even beat him to a pulp.
Was that how Troy had felt toward him? But then again, who really knew with that unbelievably cheerful guy.
Toshi raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" He paused for a moment. "We can go right now—"
Creak. Creak.
The door to the room slowly groaned open. ' They really need to fix these doors… they creak all the time,' Toshi thought, mildly irritated.
Through the doorway stepped Dragon, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, his usual green coat absent.
Finn immediately turned his head to Dragon, snapping to attention. "Dragon, sir!" he called out, saluting sharply.
Toshi, on the other hand, felt more at ease with Dragon around. He didn't bother with a salute, simply giving a brief glance toward him.
Dragon waved his hand, dismissing Finn's salute. "I told you guys to stop doing that... but I especially don't deserve a salute from you. After what happened, I feel personally responsible." His voice softened as he bowed his head, his gaze fixed on the floor.
Toshi glanced between the two, noticing Finn's salute dropping to his side as he realized what Dragon was doing.
"Do you want me to leave?" Toshi asked, slowly rising from his stool.
Dragon raised a hand, stopping Toshi in his tracks. The gesture forced Toshi back into his seat. "No, I'll be quick," Dragon replied. Without another word, Dragon dropped to his knees, placing both hands on the floor before slamming his forehead against the ground in a bow.
"WOAH! WOAH! Sir, it wasn't your fault! You don't have to apologize..." Finn quickly waved his arms, trying to stop Dragon.
But Dragon, stubborn as ever, continued as if Finn's words had fallen on deaf ears. "Finn, I would like to apologize deeply for forcing you onto a mission that ended up getting you injured. I don't deserve to be your leader, and I will understand if you choose to leave..."
Finn laid frozen for a moment, his arms still outstretched, but his expression softened. He wanted to argue that it wasn't Dragon's fault, but the sincerity in Dragon's tone made it hard to speak.
After a long pause, Finn lowered his arms and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're a damn stubborn one, you know that?" he muttered, his voice quieter now.
Toshi watched, feeling the weight of the moment but unsure of what to say. To be honest, that wasn't what Toshi had expected from Dragon. He always thought of him as the serious type...the guy who barely ever smiled. But seeing Dragon bow to someone so much younger than him made Toshi feel a sense of respect for him.
Finn eye's fell to Dragon on the floor. "I'm not going anywhere," he declared. "You're still my leader, Dragon. I never forced myself into this. It was my choice to leave." He paused, his eyes dropping to the floor, then lifted again. "I got shot because I was weak. It wasn't because of Toshi, you, Kaya, or Biastian. It's all on me."
He exhaled deeply, sinking back into his pillow. The lines on his face grew sharper, his expression darkening by the burden of his own guilt.
"So get up," Finn urged. "You're going to be the Revolution that ushers in a new era."
Dragon's hands, pressed against the floor, trembled for a moment before stilling. Slowly, he raised his head, Finn's words breaking through the fog of guilt. With an exhaled, he pushed himself to his feet.
As he stood tall, he faced Finn and bowed deeply, holding the gesture for a long moment. "Feel better, Finn," Dragon said softly. He straightened, giving Finn one last look before turning and walking out of the room.
Finn let out a slow breath, sinking further into his pillow. He turned his head slightly to "Toshi," he said softly, " Can you leave for now? I need to get some sleep."
Toshi hesitated, glancing at Finn's wound which he clutched with his palm. But after a moment, he nodded. "Alright," he replied. "Get some sleep. We'll talk later."
With that, Toshi stepped out of the room.
Toshi stopped in the hallway, his hand resting on the door handle. For a moment, he hesitated. His fingers tightened briefly, then he let go, turning his head to see Dragon walking away down the hall.
' Should I ask him…? ' The thought nagged at him. But Toshi shook his head. The timing wasn't right, he knew that much.
Without another glance, he turned away from Dragon, heading in the opposite direction. His steps were aimless, he didn't know exactly where he was going, but the deck felt like a safe choice. Maybe getting there early for training with Sogeki wasn't such a bad idea.
. . . . . .
_____________
_______________________________
CRACK. CRACK.
Gunshots echoed through the salty air, loud and heavy. On the deck, Toshi stood with a pistol in his hands, smoke curling from the barrel. In front of him, six bottles lined up neatly on the railing wobbled precariously, the subtle winds pushing against them.
The bottles clinked faintly as the breeze picked up.
"And....GO!" Sogeki slurred, his voice rough and drawn out. He sat slouched against the mast, a bottle of booze in one hand, tilting it lazily toward his head. The faint gurgle of liquid shifting inside punctuated his words.
Toshi raised his right hand as he tightly gripped onto the handle. One eye narrowed shut as he focused on the bottle at the far-left end. His finger hovered over the trigger, steady despite the tension in his grip.
He squeezed.
The pistol jerked back with a sharp recoil as the bullet tore through the air.
CRACK!
The glass bottle exploded, shards scattering as its upper half disintegrated under the impact.
Without hesitation, Toshi shifted his aim to the next target. His grip tightened, and he fired again.
CRACK! The bullet shattered the bottle.CRACK! Another.
CRACK! And Another.
CRACK!
CRACK!
One after another, Toshi shot down the bottles in perfect rhythm. Each fire of the pistol was followed by the sound of shattering glass, the pieces scattering over the deck.
When the last bottle exploded, Toshi thrust his hand into the air. "Yeahhh!" he yelled, a grin breaking across his face. Not long ago, he would've missed one or two before landing a hit. But now? He'd taken them all down in perfect succession.
That was progress.
"Good—" Sogeki's voice wavered as he tilted the bottle of booze to his lips, draining it in one long gulp. He lowered the empty bottle, swaying slightly as he waved it in the air. "Joobb…" he slurred, exhaling heavily.
"Burp. Now we move onto the big stuff," Sogeki sighed, his words slurring together as he leaned back against the mast.
Toshi raised an eyebrow, his hands dropping to his sides. "What do you mean? You're actually gonna teach me something?" he asked, skepticism dripping from his tone.
Sogeki doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach. "Hahaha! Hell no!" he wheezed, shaking his head. "I'm just gonna up the difficulty. Instead of still targets..."
He tossed the empty booze bottle into the air. In a blur, his hand darted to the pistol at his hip. The gun came up, and before the bottle could reach its peak—
CRACK.
The shot rang out, and the bottle exploded mid-air. Shards of glass scattered and clattered to the deck below.
Sogeki grinned, holstering the pistol as casually as he'd drawn it. "We got moving targets now,"
Toshi's eyes widened. He'd always thought of Sogeki as a washed-up drunk who happened to know a thing or two about shooting. But this? This was something else entirely. The funny part was that...he was drunk.
A mystery. That's what he was. An utter mystery.
"Woah..." The word slipped out before Toshi could stop himself. "That was... badass," he added. His eyes sparkled as he stared at Sogeki, who laid there like it was nothing.
Sogeki rubbed his nose with a sly grin, his confidence radiating through his curled lips.
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Rookie," Sogeki said with his sly grin. Before Toshi could respond, Sogeki gestured at his pistol. "Anyway, reload your gun. Let's see what you've got."
Reaching behind the mast, Sogeki grabbed another empty booze bottle, one of many he'd finished earlier. The glass glinted faintly in the sunlight as he held it up.
Toshi gave a sharp nod, sliding fresh bullets into the pistol. He chambered the last round and met Sogeki's gaze. "Ready," he said.
Sogeki chuckled, the sound low and amused. "Alright. Let's see what you've got, boy." With a flick of his wrist, he sent the bottle spinning into the air.
Toshi closed one eye, his focus narrowing on the spinning bottle as it arced through the air.
CRACK!
The bottle hit the deck and shattered before Toshi even pulled the trigger.
Sogeki's brows furrowed. "You just broke a perfectly good bottle for no reason... Why didn't you shoot?" he groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
Toshi scratched the back of his head, avoiding Sogeki's glare. "Sorry, I'm not a pro. I couldn't get the aim right," he retorted with a sigh.
Sogeki rolled his eyes but said nothing.
"Alright, let's go again," Toshi said, his tone steadier this time as he prepared himself.
Sogeki let out a long sigh, his hand dipping behind the mast to grab another empty booze bottle. "If you miss this one, you're doing 100 pushups," he said flatly, no trace of humor in his voice. With a quick flick, he tossed the bottle into the air.
Toshi exhaled slowly, steadying his aim as the bottle spun. His finger tightened on the trigger—
WHOOSH.
The bullet sailed past, hitting nothing but air.
CRACK.
The bottle shattered as it hit the deck.
Toshi's shoulders tensed, and he glanced nervously at Sogeki. "Hey, uh, rel—"
"Get to it, boy," Sogeki cut him off, his tone sharp as ever. He reached behind the mast again, this time pulling out a full bottle of booze. He uncorked it with practiced ease, taking a long swig before lowering it with a satisfied sigh.
"Bu—"
"No buts," Sogeki cut him off once more. "Get to it. You're wasting my precious bottles and bullets." He leaned back against the mast, crossing his legs as he tilted the bottle to his lips. "Get to it," he repeated, his tone dismissive.
Toshi sighed, setting the pistol down beside him. With a resigned grunt, he dropped to the deck and started his pushups...All one hundred.
When he finally stood, sweat dripping from his face, Sogeki tossed another bottle into the air. Toshi steadied his breath, aimed, and fired—
WHOOSH.
Another miss.
"Down you go," Sogeki said, barely sparing him a glance as he polished off his drink.
Again, Toshi hit the floor, his arms trembling as he worked through another set.
Shot after shot, the pattern repeated. Each miss earned another hundred pushups. And for the rest of the training, that's all it was. By the end, Toshi's arms felt like lead, his chest heaving as he collapsed onto the deck. The pistol sat untouched beside him, mocking him in silence.
TO BE CONTINUED.
_________________________________
________________________________________________________
Want to read ahead? Check out my P@TREON.
( Patre0n.com/FictionGoat )