Chapter 31 #2
I stepped back as they got to work and slowly removed all my gear.
I kept only my cap to hold my hair in place—more hygienic in that environment.
Then I finally stretched my back, hearing my tired spine crack.
Now I understood Ambrose's lectures about back pain.
You could be a fae warrior of pure muscle, but fourteen hours of surgery could bring down even a demigod.
The tension made your spine stiffen to the point of locking up.
I stepped out of the operating room to find the entire hospital staff staring at me, their expressions ranging from curiosity to astonishment.
Near the exit, the guards stood like statues, and an old, weary-looking man sat in a waiting area chair, his face buried in his hands.
When I closed the door behind me, he lifted his head and stared at me.
His body showed he was well into his 600s, and his face was completely red, wet, and swollen.
His slanted eyes revealed Vinturian descent, and his upper eyelids, drooping and wrinkled, nearly covered them—clear signs of age.
He sprang to his feet, the guards rushing to hand him a cane, and then he came limping toward me.
“Thank you,” he said through his tears. “Thank you for saving my daughter. Oh, heavens. I would have died right here if I'd lost another one.”
He gripped the cane so hard his knuckles turned white, yet his hands wouldn't stop shaking.
“You don't need to thank me, sir. This is my job,” I replied, trying to calm him, but he just kept crying and murmuring his gratitude. People looked away and started filing out.
I didn't know who he was, but I felt for him in his desperation. It was his daughter in that room—any family member would have been shaken. When he stepped back, I straightened up so I wouldn't look so worn out.
“When they told me what happened, I panicked. They said her chances of survival were only ten percent because of the delay in treatment. I heard rumors she was already brain dead.” The man gestured frantically.
“Then the doctors from Vinturis told me that a new student with a special gift for healing had been discovered here yesterday, and I didn't think twice—I sent the helicopter.”
“Wait, you sent the helicopter?” I asked, taken aback. There were no helicopters in Interion—the Vinturians hadn't shared that kind of technology with us—and for this man to have sent one, he'd have to have serious influence and money.
“Yes, girl. I sent the helicopter straight here—it was the only hope—and you performed the miracle. I don't even have words to thank you.”
I froze for a few seconds as the pieces started falling into place. That wasn't just some high-ranking gorgon. And this man wasn't just any elderly stranger—there was something more going on here.
“What's your name, sir?” I asked cautiously.
He straightened up and fixed me with a steady gaze, composing himself after the state he'd been in just minutes before. The guards seemed thrown by the question.
“Yamamoto,” he replied, bowing slightly—a diplomatic Vinturian greeting. Noticing my confusion at hearing the same surname as the girl, he added: “Yoshihiro Yamamoto. And what's your name?”
“Kyller Voluz,” I replied, striking my fist against my chest.
He seemed to study me carefully, his attention fixed on the cap hiding my hair. Under his curious gaze, I pulled it off, letting my red hair spill free around me.
After Interion, Vinturis harbored the second-greatest resentment toward the Drutes, since they too had lost women during the Great War—though not many. I held his gaze, as if telling him that yes, this was exactly what he saw: a descendant he despised had saved his daughter.
Yoshihiro swallowed hard—the only sign of his discomfort.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Voluz,” he said with difficulty, as if the words scraped against his throat. “I certainly didn't expect this, but it doesn't change the fact that you saved my daughter. I'll remember your name.”
He bowed again, lowering his head to the level of my chest.
“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Yamamoto.” I struck my fist against my heart—our honorable greeting.
The door opened behind me, and a gurney carrying the girl passed by us. Yoshihiro fell in beside it, following the doctors, but before leaving, he turned and looked at me, nodded once more, and was gone. The door opened again, and Lorenzo came over to me.
“When they told me, I said I'd only believe it when I saw it, but now that I've seen it, I still don't believe it,” he joked, taking my hand. His dark eyes gazed at me with such admiration that I had to look away. I didn't like too much attention.
“I can't believe what I just did either, but I'm still worried about the post-op. Can you guys keep an eye on her?”
“We'll keep an eye on her, Kay. But you're the one who did the surgery—I think you'll be seeing this case through from start to finish.” Lorenzo, standing beside me, seemed to be overflowing with joy.
“Yamamoto... I've heard that name before,” I thought, rubbing my temples. I turned to Lorenzo. “Should I know who he is?”
The cardiologist stared at me in shock and squeezed my hand.
“What do you mean you don't know who he is? His name is plastered all over the city!”
“I really don't, Lorenzo!” I exclaimed, starting to worry. He took a deep breath before speaking.
“The Yamamoto name is on the back of every car and motorcycle in Interion. It's the only company that makes automobiles here. Plus, they're partners in Satio, an electronics and telecommunications company.”
I didn't even know what to say. I was so stunned that my legs nearly gave out beneath me.
“Infernal abysses! Why didn't anyone tell me beforehand?”