Here and Back Again (Graham and Kazumi)

Kazu was sat down on a bench while Graham went inside to get help. Kazumi didn't really like hospitals, but she knew she had to get used to them. It didn't seen that long ago she was here with mono--Kazumi stopped her thought there. She didn't need to go any farther into that memory. I'm sure I'll be in and out in no time. She thought. Her ankle wasn't broken. It didn't feel broken.

Graham watched from inside as nurses rushed in the opposite direction. All of them swarmed outside, crowding around Kazu, like her swollen ankle was the most action they'd seen in twenty years. Must've been a slow day. Or maybe all their other clients were at the swanky clinics he had seen, one in this town, and the other in Mineral Town. This one looked town-sponsored, especially with the posters of the Mayor hanging on the wall. Sheesh.

The nurses piled back inside, one pushing Kazumi in a wheelchair. Another was following with a clipboard, and still another came after Graham himself, peppering him with questions. "What happened? Did she fall? Did you push her? Do you know if she hit her head? Was she unconscious for any amount of time?"

"I...uh," Graham stuttered, looking over his shoulder as Kazumi and the swarm of over-attentive nurses disappeared behind a curtain. Talk about the star treatment. He sighed, and then turned around to answer the nurse's questions to the best of his ability.

The swarm of people around Kazumi made her uncomfortable. "Really." she insisted. "I'm not dieing, I'm ok, really. All I need is my ankle looked at." Kazu slowly got herself out of the wheelchair. It was a rather unnecessary thing. Slowly, all the nurses seemed to denigrate and Dr. Trent walked out. "Hello again, Kazumi." he said studying his clipboard. "Nice to see you again. What seems to be the problem this time?"

"Um, i fell out of a tree." Kazu said avoiding Tent’s eyes.
"I see." Trent said nodding. "Alright then, please have a seat and roll up for pant leg."
Kazumi did as she was told and Trent examined her ankle.
"Well, it's not broken, but it's certainly not in good shape, either." He sighed. "Just be careful and try not to walk on it too much. I'll wrap it up for you if you like."
"Um, yes please." Kazu said nodding.
Trent walked over and opened drawers until he found the bandages. He slowly and carefully started to wrap Kazu's ankle.
"Also, you’re going to need an adult to sign you out, since you're still under age."

Despite the nurses trying to physically prevent him from walking to the back of the Clinic, he easily shrugged past them and did just that. He ignored the calls, high-pitched and more than a little unsure, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He didn't mind Clinics all that much; he didn't go weak in the knees at the sight of blood or the pinch of a needle. The only thing that irked him was that he couldn't smoke. Well, except that one doctor, Gabriel, he smoked too, didn't he? Maybe that was the exception,


In the tiny Clinic, it didn't take Graham long to find Kazumi sitting on a medical cot, looking from her ankle back to the doctor, and again to her ankle, and repeat. She looked a little worried, and she was talking quietly with the young doctor, who was wrapping her ankle in a bandage. Graham caught something about "underage" and "signing out," but he didn't speak up. Instead, he leaned against the door frame, waiting for someone to notice him.

Kazu nodded, and quickly glanced at Graham then back to Trent. "Thank you." she said offering a smile. Kazu carefully got off of the cot and straightend out her shirt.
"Have a good day." Trent mumbled before whisking off to speak with a nurse.
She slowly made her way towrds Graham. "I'm, i'm sorry to ask this, but could you please sign me out? I don't particually enjoy hospitles. Kazu avoided Graham's gaze. She had been such a klutz, then he had to bring her all the way here. Was he mad?

Graham paused. Didn't guardians usually sign their kids out? He shrugged. "OK." A nurse, who had been hovering by - shocker - quickly handed him the paperwork. He signed where she instructed him to, but hesitated at the line that said "relation to patient." He thought quickly, and signed "cousin."

"All right, you're good to go," the nurse said, handing the girl a pair of crutches. "Come back in a few days for a checkup."

Graham began walking, knowing that Kazumi would follow behind, even though she was on crutches. "How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm going to be 18 in a few weeks." Kazumi replied walking out the door. Then, she added mumbling. "I can't wait to become an adult. I don't like relying on others." This seemed to be directed more to herself then to Graham. "Anyway, I want you to come visit my farm soon, ok?" Kazu chuckled. "We need to stop meeting like this. It's completely by coincidence! It would be rude of me not to invite you somewhere! Oh, but since it's planting season, i can understand if you're busy."

Graham snorted. "Turning eighteen doesn't make you an adult any more than getting a toy boat makes you an excellent captain," he said. "And somehow, I think you'll always rely a little bit on others. Right now, it's a lot. But when you actually are an adult, you might be a little more independent. Age is just a number."

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, sure. How are you supposed to farm when you're on crutches, anyway?" He added, "And believe me, I am not offended by rudeness."

Kazu chuckled. "Y'know, you may come off as a bad guy, but you're really not all that bad, huh?" Kazu asked smiling. "I suppose you're right about the whole age thing. Even if I rely on people too much sometimes, I'm probably the most independent person I know. I've been living on my own for almost 5 years now." Kazumi stopped when they got to the edge of the forest. "Hm, i can take it from here." she said. "Fore-get-me-not isn't that far away. But I’ll see you later, kay?" Kazumi replaced some hair behind her ear and headed off her own way.