Flight of Cendrillon

Chapter 19: Til the End of Their Days

Progress.

Kaito bid his retainers wait outside the office as he opened the doors to the head surgeon's office, his white uniform shirt, blue pants, and favorite blue scarf making his persona unmistakable whether he was wearing a crown or not.  A familiar voice greeted him from inside.

"Ah, my favorite patient, right on time!  Shall I make you some coffee?  I was about to have some myself!"

The purple haired doctor was alone for once, his white lab coat hung on the coat rack as he sat in purple shirt, loose tie, and black work slacks, his sleeves rolled up as a gentle spring breeze cooled the room around him.

"I'll have to take you up on that offer, doctor," the King said, "It's my experience your coffee is one of the few things you make that isn't lethal."

Gakupo rolled his eyes.  "Rin," he muttered under his breath.

Of course Rin was already gone – she and her brother were planning their return trip to the country side, and Rin's services as a nurse were no longer necessary with so many of the injured from the war having been discharged.

"I was surprised when you called for me.  I doubt it's another check-up," Kaito said as he took the warm mug from his friend.

"Well, there's a matter that only someone of your stature can help with."

Now Gakupo seemed to be getting as serious as he was when he was operating.  "Hmmm... this is difficult to say... well, first off, I want you to know I am appreciative of you taking me into service during the war, and this fine position at the hospital.  But I'm afraid the life of a war medic is not for me."

Understandable.  Kaito had noticed the toll the battlefield's chaos had taken on the doctor's strictly held principles.  "I understand.  You're going to be hard to replace."

"Oh, I'm certain there's another upstart idiot in the university just waiting for the chance to impress someone," Gakupo said with a small smile.

"Are you intending to go back to the slums?  If that's the case, I can ensure the damage to your old clinic is repaired-" Kaito began to offer before the doctor interrupted him.

"I appreciate the offer, but while I will miss my patients, I won't be returning to the slums.  Or Vedunia, likely."

The seriousness had returned and piqued Kaito's curiosity.  "Then where will you go next?"

Gakupo seemed to be staring out at some long-forgotten scene.  "It's not unheard of for a medic to have to make a choice on who to save in a situation with limited resources," he began.  "But during the war, I found myself basing that choice not injuries or lack of supplies, but on their allegiance.  As a doctor, I always lived by the creed that all patients deserve the same access to care regardless of where they were born.  But in war... I failed that."

"I let you run the hospital as you wished..." Kaito said, feeling guilty that he'd somehow caused this pain in a good friend.

"I appreciate it.  Please don't be offended!"

Now Gakupo looked sheepish.  "It's not really a matter of choices you made.  It's just war, isn't it?  I always thought I'd be the perfect field medic, but I never thought over how heavy that choice would weigh on me.  That's why... well... how do I put this..."

He took a long sip of his coffee before making his proposal.  "I'd like to form an organization that delivers medical care without regard for national allegiance, race, or religion.  I'll devote my life to it if I have to, but I can't go back to a tiny practice again when I think I could heal even more people in places of unrest and danger."