A Cool Touch (Leiken)

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

The infirmary had been quiet for most of the day. There had been a few small injuries from snowball fights, someone went home with the flu, and there was a slight accident with one of the staff and a set of icy stairs. But nothing had really caused many problems, and everyone had been taken care of quickly and efficiently.


That is, until her next two walked in the door.


The first one in Nakia recognized immediately; her absurdly tall husband, a trainer at Hammel by the name of Vincent. He'd taken to wearing his old military BDUs when winter had come around, claiming that they were warmer than most of his other clothes. He would be right, but it didn't stop her from giving the long-haired man a smirk of wry amusement when he entered the room. As he passed the doorway, however, another trailed in after him; a student, by the look of things, who was obviously shaken. Almost immediately, her doctor's mindset settled into place.


Shaking and glancing about the room without looking at anyone - likely paranoia or a fear reaction. Bruises on his hands and face, dried blood under his nose but no scrapes. Possible fistfight. No apparent serious injury.


"Kenjutsushi-sensei." The name snapped her out of the diagnostic reverie, and the albino woman looked back to her husband. His features were as placid as normal while at the school, but there was something drawn and tight about his features. He was upset, though was doing well not to show it. He continued, still speaking to her professionally. "This is Leikan Do Chu, a senior here," he continued coolly. "He was in a fistfight in the library. It is possible he also had a power backlash."


The white-haired woman nodded and glanced to the boy once again. He seemed very shaken up and afraid, as if he didn't know what to do or where to go. Even the act of sitting on one of the cots seemed like a big leap for him. "I'll take care of him, Meian-san," she answered. Still, he paused before leaving, as if worried. Glancing back up at him, she met his gaze. "Vincent?"


["Be careful."] The sudden switch to Japanese made her wary, and her crystalline blue eyes narrowed. Still, he spoke carefully, keeping his voice low. ["This boy is dangerous and manipulative, and his powers are uncontrolled."] She searched his eyes, then relaxed as she noticed the reason. He was concerned, that's all.


["I promise."] The tall man nodded and left the room, glancing wordlessly to his student as he did so and closing the door behind him. The doctor waited a moment more, then moved to the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her touch was cool but gentle, and she smiled softly.


"Hello. I'm Dr. Nakia Kenjutsushi. Please, sit down. How do you feel?"

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken trembled, following close to vincent, as if he were hiding behind him to prevent others from seeing him. Leiken didn't trust the man nor the woman he would come to meet, but what choice did he have ? He'd injured himself rather badly and needed the attention.

He stared at the woman, not saying a word at first, his hand raising to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. Leiken stared at the woman judgementally. As if she were some sort of test that he had to endure to get past to the secure island of safety.

IF Lei had been in any state of mind to concenetrate on translating the familiar language Vincent may have broken any chance of him trusting him. However, with the lower tone of voice and his own disorientation it was not something he could focus too much on to pick up the things he had said to her.

He watched vincent leave the room with an almost paniced expression. As if he were going to swear at him to stay because it was all his fault for being a poor trainer, but only a small sound escaped his lips as the door shut behind the man. he'd been caught off guard by the hand falling to his shoulder, the cold did not help that shock, her touch made him recoil. Turning to face her suddenly. His power attempted to raise, but his body was far to worn and he'd already lost a bit of his own blood within his fight in the proccess.

Part of him was thankful for that fact, the dull pull of his ability reminded him of the ways he used to manage it in the past, but it had cost him far too much. He couldn't revert to that again. "Kenjutsushi? " he repeated softly. He moved to sit down at the nearest opportunity. It was as well to hurry away from any chance at being touched again. Though he knew it was likely to happen anyway. It was part of the reason he hated going to the doctor.

"Like shit." he stated plainly. Staring at the strange woman curiously. "my body feels like it ran through a blender."

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

"That's right," the doctor answered. "You have it in one. Though you can call me Dr. Ken, if you like." She wanted to make the boy comfortable, despite the fact that he'd recoiled from her touch. In situations like this, when fear was a factor, it was better to be a mother than a doctor.


She nodded at his assessment. "That happens sometimes when there's a power backlash," she explained. "Your abilities will sometimes overreact and attack you as if you're the enemy. It will get better with training, though there will always be some side effects to using your powers."


Nik refrained from touching the boy again, as it seemed that he didn't appreciate it, but she would have to at some point in order to heal his bruises. "Your trainer told me that you got into a fight in the library. Is that true?" Her voice held only question rather than condemnation, almost as if she were asking him what he'd learned at school today. "I can help ease the pain if you'll let me."

[Leiken Chu]

"Ken then." he stated with a bit of tension to his tone that told he didn't really want to call someone by any portion of their last name. However, she was someone who would be able to help him, at least temporarily. So he thought best not to jinx it. She'd be more inclined not to tell anyone he was there if he behaved--right?

"Power backlash?" he questioned as he placed his bruised hand over his chest, gripping at the fabric of his shirt there, knowing well what she meant as she explained it further. "What if it gets worse? could i die?" he questioned quietly.

"I don't remember. " he stated aloud. "It wasn't really a fight, that i can remember, we were talking. The last thing i remember is the kid suddenly being infront of me and punching me in the face. " he shook his head a bit. "Then I realized Vinny was ontop of me holding me down. I don't freaking know." he muttered. "Okay. Just don't touch my face. "

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

"If you'd like," she repeated, keeping her hands to herself. Her surname was often long enough that it caused pronunciation problems with foreigners, so she had adopted shortenings to help ease the process along. Eventually, she'd gotten so used to it that she used it with her new students as well. However, there were always some who preferred to use the longer route - it was more respectful. "Whatever makes you feel comfortable."


"Training helps lessen it," she repeated. "And while your power can be very easily misused, I don't think you'll die. That happens much more rarely than you think." Though it was possible his powers (being related to blood in particular) could backfire enough to cause the boy serious harm, she doubted that they would kill him. As she had reassured him, it was very rare.


Pondering this evidence, Nakia looked away from the boy, concerned. She believed her husband when he gave her his briefing on the matter, but that Lei didn't remember... This was something very concerning indeed.The last time she'd seen combat blackouts was... Shaking her head slightly, she returned her attention to the present. "It sounds like you're still a little confused from the fight," she explained, giving a little smile. "Even a little head trauma can cause amnesia sometimes. I'm sure your memory will come back in time."


As he'd given permission to treat him, the pale woman took his hand gently and held it in her own, relaxing the tight restraints on her empathetic powers. Her hands ached as his did, and she could feel the swelling that would be present on his lips tomorrow. There was a slight pain in his back and his chest ached when he breathed. Probably from Vincent holding him down; the man couldn't control his strength sometimes. However, as far as she could tell, there was no serious damage at all. "All right," she murmured. "This may feel a bit cold."


Focusing her powers, she released the restraints on them further. The ache in his hands would slowly fade with the reddening bruises, and she traced the lines on on his palms to focus the healing touch into the appendages. It usually wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but her warning had been correct; her hands became cold as ice, and so did anywhere she touched.

[Leiken Chu]

"Okay. " he stated plainly. His fingers quivering a bit at he rubbed at his deeply bruised hand. "It does." he assured her with a quiet tone of voice. He was never one for formalities in names simply due to the things that people came up with to call him because of his own last name.

Leiken seemed a little relieved to hear that from someone who was a doctor. Sure others had told him not to worry about it before, but what did they know? "good. I don't want to die." he mentioned with a shiver. He didn't want anyone else to die either. That's why it was important to him that he figured out his control. If only he could get past his own fears to do so.

"It does in pieces. The last time it happened..." he trailed off. "I can only remember parts of it even now. " he somewhat cringed, but lowered his head to hide the distress in his features. The pain that he felt when those memories flashed within his mind. "he did punch me in the face..." He silently wondered if that was the 'head trauma' that had caused it.

Leiken's eyes focused upon the woman, his gaze tired, his mind seeming slower than normal in it's analyzing what was occurring. The cold her hands became was something that still surprised him, even with the warning, and it made him almost whimper out a sound due to his dislike of such things. His abilities themselves were minimal though they tried to increase his pulse to warm the blood. Yet, being as exhausted as he was those abilities could not do much at that point in time.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

Nik smiled reassuringly at the boy. "No one ever truly does," she agreed. "Being alive is one of the most heartbreaking and joyous things we can experience; giving up on it seems a waste of a perfectly good miracle to me." Because of her powers, there was always a chance that the doctor could die early from a disease or injury she contracted from a patient. However, there was nothing she'd rather be doing than helping people live; to her, life was the greatest of all triumphs for a human being.


"The memories will return in time." The only reason they wouldn't was if there was a psychological reason behind it, in which case Lei needed additional treatment than simple healing of bruising and cuts.


"When we're in pain, the body tends to make us forget about it," the doctor added. "Even if you never fully remember, it's because your body doesn't think you're ready quite yet. Ask any mother what childbirth is like and they'll have the same response you just had." It wasn't the best of analogies, but it worked nonetheless. Pain was not something the human body appreciated, meta-human or not.


The flinch did not go unnoticed. The doctor returned her gaze to the boy's with a weak and apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's a side-effect of my powers. I'll get you a blanket and a hot water bottle to warm up with when I'm finished." Truth be told, she would be done shortly; his powers were trying to fight her, but she healed the broken vessels without any difficulty, causing the blood to stream as normal in his body. She released the now cold appendage once she'd finished and stood, giving him a nod before retrieving a blanket from a cupboard nearby. She placed it on the bed beside him, to use if he wished, then took the rubber bottle from under the sink and filled it with steaming water from the tap. It was one of the few places in the school that had a tap with a temperature of over 150 degrees minimum.


Returning with the stoppered bottle, Nik gave the flexible and very warm object to Lei. "You can rest here until you're warm again," she invited. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken couldn't disagree with her on that matter. Being alive had given him alot of pains and alot of pleasures. Though the pains out weighted the pleasure more often than not he still did not want to die, he wanted to live, but not as a monster. "You're right, but..." he trailed off a little. "sometimes it seems the better option for the safety of a mass. Death is not something to wish on anyone, but how many people would have died if the monsters of history had not died first?" he questioned thoughtfully.

"I hope so." he stated plainly. Though he wasn't sure that they would. Alot of memories hid behind those walls he had built to protect himself and to keep from reminding himself of what he'd done in the past. He wondered sometimes if he would find closure if someone was able to talk to the people he'd done harm to for him. Someone who could speak to those that passed, but he didn't believe such a person existed and he was slightly afraid of what those people would say if he could find out.

"I see." he responded to her explanation."ew..." he stated aloud at the thought of having to discuss child birth with someone who had given birth before. What a horrifying thought it was to him. Leiken didn't deal well with pregnant women in the first place. His abilities were dangerous enough as they were, he didn't risk the lives of unborn children by hanging around where he knew someone was pregnant, for their safety of course.

"It's fine. I can handle it. " he stated proudly. Though the longer her touch was upon him the more he wanted to recoil away from her. he couldn't handle it anymore and would have pulled away if she had not already released him. Thankfully he held his pride because of this. He looked to the blanket, shivering slightly, though he was somewhat intrigued by the fact his blood was flowing normally. Was that something she had fixed as well? He couldn't really tell, but he reached to the blanket if only for the fact he knew how comfortable the blankets in doctors offices were to have around you. He took the water bottle in his cold hands.

Satisfied by the warmth in his hands lei laid the held the object close to him, wrapped in the blanket with, "If you report my condition to vinny could you also tell him... " he paused looking down a little. "that I apologize for the trouble i've caused him. he's had alot of work to make up because of me, but i gave my word to try to trust him and i've just been messing things up more. " he mumbled out. "but only tell him that part ! noone else. " he stated firmly. "or else!" he huffed out emptily.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

There was a personal touch to Lei's question that made the doctor hesitate. He was not the first person to question if he was a monster in her presence, and he likely wouldn't be the last. Still, the tone of the conversation struck uncomfortably close to home and she remained quiet for a moment before speaking. "I believe that the monsters of the world are there to force heroes to rise," she answered softly. "But it is the colored lens of history's victors that tell us who are the monsters and who are the heroes. Besides, does it not show that someone has a hero's heart if he can still question if he is a monster?"


She almost laughed at his reaction to her mention of childbirth, but refrained. This was not the only student who had expressed such distaste at the idea.


The request and threat seemed a bit odd, though Nik was well-versed in the intricacies of male pride. Giving the teen a skeptical look comprised of one cocked eyebrow, she replied, "I am bound by the same rules of doctor-patient confidentiality that any physician is, Mr. Chu," she stated. "I will speak of nothing that occurred in this office without your express permission unless it will cause direct harm to another human being. That said, your status is currently 'well' and your trainer will see that when he sees you next."


Softening her tone a bit, she added, "Besides, I think he'd prefer to hear an apology directly from you when you're ready. Mr Meian took you as a student for a reason, and he is very patient. He won't mind waiting."

[Leiken Chu]

Lei seemed to hold a sad look at both her silence and her response. He spoke almost in a whisper at that point, "A monster like me is far from having a hero's heart." he paused. "but i guess being a stone for a hero to step on is better than nothing at all." he muttered.

"Good. Then I know you will not tell anyone else. I am not a weakling." he stated firmly. That seemed to be the key factor that leiken didn't want other students to forget. That he wasn't weak. He didn't want to be hurt or to hurt. He just wanted a normal life. " I see" he stated in response to her words there after.


He made an almost uncomfortable look. Bringing the blanket around him and his shoulders up a little higher as if he were trying to turtle into a shell of blankets. "Maybe. " he muttered from within that blanket. "It's strange." he spoke in a quiet tone. "but for some reason. I don't want to disappoint him, but i know he'll give up eventually." he muttered.

Lei pulled the blanket from around himself and folded it neatly again. resting it over the water bottle that his hands still held onto. He felt warmer once again, somewhat more soothed, it was then he remembered he had to cancel his bank cards. "Ah. I need to go. I have to call the bank before that kid steals all of my money. " he stated suddenly and somewhat panicked in his realization that odion still had his wallet. His wallet had his cards and his id in it that had alot of damaging information. He wasn't really sure what to do about that problem.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

With a quiet laugh, Nik gave the boy a soft smile. "I think that you are much to young to be a monster," she replied, her voice motherly and gentle. "I think that you're just a boy who is scared of what he can do and doesn't know that he can do great good with such a unique ability." In her hospital back in Japan, there had been no hemokinetics on staff, whether as doctors or nurses. If there had been, they probably would have been the head of hemotology without much effort. The study of blood was very important in the field of medicine and equally if not more so in genetics. If Lei could learn to control his powers and help people... well, he had a bright future ahead of him in that regard.


The doctor also didn't believe that asking for help was a sign of weakness. No one could do everything, after all; everyone needed a little help once in a while. But, she remained silent - to force the point at this moment would not help at all.


His soft-spoken words made her relax more, however, and there was such sadness to him that she wanted to hold him like her child. Instead, she spoke gently, "Vincent is a good man. He won't give up on you, even if you give up on yourself. It's not his way."


Picking up the bottle and blanket in her arms, Nik gave an absent nod to the annoyed child. "Make sure you report the theft to security as well," she answered calmly. "If they find it, they will return your wallet to you and deal with the problem. There will be disciplinary action if you fight for it again, and really what is money compared to your health?" Turning about, she put the blanket away to be washed (standard protocol) and set the water bottle to drain into the sink. "You are free to go if you need to, Mr. Chu - I will add today to your medical report at my leisure. There should also be a phone book in the main office, should you require one for your calls."

[Leiken Chu]

"You'd be surprised. " he stated as he rubbed at his cheek with a sad expression still on his features. Though he seemed a little taken off guard by her words, "What good could i possibly do with a power like mine? All i've ever been able to do is hurt." he stated though he trailed off into a mild set of mumbles. He didn't really want to mention that he'd killed someone in his past and it was alot of the reason he felt himself a monster. There was a point in time that he wished he could have switched places with them.

"You know him that well?" he questioned as he hugged the heated water bottle to his chest. "I don't know if i can trust him. The others in the past said the same thing. I've done enough to him that it shouldn't be much longer before he joins them in abandoning me." he stated with a distant gaze.

When she took the blanket and bottle into her arms he he stood. Feeling much steadier now that the majority of his injuries were gone. It was a pity that mind wasn't as easy to overcome. "Thank you..." he muttered out. not used to giving thanks for much of anything these days. "Is that where I can inform security as well?" he mentioned lightly. Though he wasn't sure if he would do that part simply due to pride.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

"Have faith," the doctor replied, smiling once more at the boy. "There are a number of doctors who wish that they could have directly affected someone's blood in order to save their lives. Though, I am sure your trainer will cover possible careers with you at a later date."


"I do," Nik answered. "I know him very well. He treats his students as if they were his children, and he is a stubborn old fool. He won't give up, no matter how angry you make him. I can swear that to you without fear." Sometimes, her husband was too stubborn for his own good, but each of his students at Eisai had learned a good deal from him. He'd never abandoned any of them, even when things became difficult; she doubted he would break that streak for Lei.


"You're welcome," she replied immediately. "The main office should be able to point you to the head of security, though you might see that office on the way." The pale woman was fairly certain that there was nothing else she could do for him at the moment, but she waited just in case.

[Leiken Chu]

"Maybe." he murmured. "Only time will tell I guess. " he stated in that same soft tone of voice.

"i see." he stated though holding a little jealousy in his tone. "I hope you're right about him. I'm getting tired of these useless trainers who just give up. " though it was mostly his fault for being the way that he was.

He nodded slightly to her before turning then to head out of the room in a hurry. He had to make sure to get on that and have his information changed, what of it he could change, so that the kid could not damage his life further.