Rhythmically Inclined

Chapter 9

Back in the cave systems, Tsukasa asked for someone to grab some of the paper Senku had made, he had information. Taiju brought some as well as a thin stick of charcoal to Ukyo.

"Oho! Don't try to talk, Tsukasa. You need your rest." the old man Kasaki, grumbled. He looked so tired.

"No." He replied softly. "As my final act, I need to help the only way I can. The war is over and your Kingdom of Science has won. The statues I broke with my own hands turned to be meaningless sacrifices." Kim stood and fixed her clothes.

"Not if they can be put back together properly." She walked over to a small urn of water to clean the dried blood from her hands.

Taiju loudly accepted the duty of gathering the broken pieces.

"Do you really remember every location of every last statue?" Ukyo asked finishing up his map.

"Of course." Tsukasa softly sighed. "Not for a single moment have I forgotten."

After a long hour or so, Ukyo finally left with a small stack of papers. Taiju had already left with a basket attached to his back and the first pages. Kim sat next to Tsukasa, wringing out a cool, wet cloth and layed it across his forehead.

" I'm sorry, Kim." Tsukasa gripped her wrist and held it to his chest. Old man Kasaki tried his best to look as though he wasn't listening.

"Shush." She patted him lightly.

"No, I should have listened to you, your gut feeling about Hyoga. About doing more to help our people. Seeing the advancements Senku has provided his village with... You were right, we were living like heathens." Kim couldn't help but smile softly, before shrugging.

" Yeah, well, hindsight is 20/20." Tsukasa chuckled before they heard the clinking of glass.

" With all these modern timers in the Kingdom now, " Senku set up what looked like a dripping system." Maybe, someone here will understand what I'm talking about." Kim gave Tsukasa a quick smile before wondering over to watch.

"Vinegar plus chlorine, plus sulfer gives us chloro-acetic acid. Toss in some sodium hydroxide to get sodium chloro-acetate. React with some sodium cyanide made from blood and iron to get Cyrano-acetic acid. Add liquor, then formaldehyde to the resulting ethyl cyanoacetic to get... " Senku paused.

"A binding agent." Kim answered. "Hopefully, medical grade."

"Yen billion points, Gremlin." Senku said excitedly.

"Ohh! This will save dear Tsukasa?" Gen exclaimed.

"No, but it'll help." Kim frowned.

"Sealing up the would only prolongs the inevitable. It ain't a magic spell that'll heal his busted organs." Senku explained.

"Way to be delicate." Kim muttered. Senku stood with a small jar of the bonding liquid.

"Ready for some hard work?" He asked her.

"Always." She smiled, shrugging. Senku sent Gen out to their camp for gloves, needle and thread. Kim gathered some cloth to tie back her and Senku's hair as well as cover their faces.

They stood by the water urn, scrubbing their hands.

"Have you done anything like this, Senku?" She asked.

"No. But, I've watched videos and read your college books, so I have a decent idea." She nodded. "Have you?"

"Not like this. I've done stitches and minor sutures, but just skin." They dried off their hands and Kasaki helped tie the cloth around their face. "But, I'm absolute shit at them." Kim signed.