Daki takes me to the dojo's doctor. When I walked in, the aromas of medicines and herbs filled my nostrils.
Suddenly, the doctor, who looks like a woman in her mid 40s, walks out of the back. "Oh, hello, Ms. Daki. How can I help you today, and who's this young man alongside you?" The doctor's voice was soft and assuring.
"Oh, this is the new rookie in the defense league, Namo Himoka. He's here for his physical exam." The doctor looked me up and down, examining me like some lost artifact.
"Alrighty, Mr. Himoka, come with me to the back so we can get ready." I nodded and followed the doctor to her office. I was definitely nervous; the last time I've ever been to the doctors was when I was a child.
I sit down and wait as she writes down something in her notes. "Tell me, Mr. Himoka, when was your last appointment for the doctor's office?" "Maybe 18 years ago? I'm 23." She nods and writes it down.
"Have you used any substances before, Mr. Himoka? Any drugs or alcohol?" I thought for a moment before shrugging my shoulders. Since I grew up in a family that doesn't like doctors because they don't trust them, I don't have any good answers to give her. "Uhhh… does medication count? I also never drank alcohol before."
Again, she nods and writes it down.
"One final question… have you ever had any sexual intercou-" I instantly cleared my throat to try and stop her from finishing her sentence.
"N-NO! I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE!!!" She jumps slightly, but then she adjusts her glasses and writes it down.
"Very well, please wait for a moment while I finish these records." It took her around 3 minutes before she finally finished my records. "Okay, Mr. Himoka, I'm going to do a simple checkup. I will check your hearing, your sight, and a final test. I want you to stand across the room and cover one eye for me, please."
I do my vision checkup with ease, and it appears that I have 20/20 vision, which is the average score. "Very impressive, Mr. Himoka. I will check your hearing." The doctor checked my ears using her tools. She put this funnel-looking device in my ear and checked inside.
"Hmm… it appears that your ears are perfectly normal, too. Excellent, now I will check your weight and height." Weight: 146 LB. Height: 179cm. I was fascinated by how much I weighed. I thought I would have weighed more after eating all of those takoyaki balls from Mr. Yama's stand.
"Well, Mr. Himoka, we are almost done. I just need to test you one more time." I nod and prepare for the test, "Give me your best shot, doc!"
"There's a trolley up ahead. If you pull the lever, 5 people will be killed by it. If you don't pull the lever, you will be killed by it. What's your choice?" This question makes me think for a long time.
Would I rather save my life to sacrifice others, or would I sacrifice myself to save them? If I'm going to be in the defense league, I will have to be alive to save more people. However…
"I will not pull the lever. Five people's lives are more valuable than mine. They might still have a family back at home. I have no one or nothing to go back to." The doctor gives me what looks to be a sympathetic look, and she writes down in her notes.
"Very well, Mr. Himoka. You know, situations like these can happen quite a lot in the defense league. Sometimes you can't save everyone; you can only save as many people as you can." She then takes her glasses off and leans closer.
"I know you have what it takes to prove yourself worthy of being a samurai, and with your determined and… quite reckless spirit, I have faith you won't let Shakaromi down."
Her words sparked something within me. No one has ever said anything like this to me before… and it felt oddly warm. After a moment of silence, the doctor clears her throat and crosses her arms in satisfaction.
"Alright, Mr. Himoka, your physical exam is complete! I will report the results to Chief Asami shortly. Have a nice day now." I smile softly and shake her hand, "You too, doc. May I ask for your name?"
"Dr. Kitami Oshigawa, but if you want, you can call me Kitty." Kitty? That's definitely an interesting name for someone like her. I nod and rub the back of my neck. "Thanks… Kitty. You have a good day too." She smiles and waves at me as I walk out of the office.