To My Sunflower

Yuri caught up to Hinata not far from outside Tanaka's minka.

Hinata sighed at Yuri's fluid steps. It looked like his makeshift prosthetic was working well. He had managed to design a fake foot from using a wooden shoe tree,  leather belt, bamboo clothes rack parts and straps. Using the original to model from to the best of his abilities. He was glad his tailoring skills were of use to Yuri. It hadn't taken him long to make, which was just as well.  Yet he also doubted that the foot device would last long. He simply didn't have enough time to make it long-term quality.

"You seem to be walking better now." He commented to Yuri's confident strides.

"Thanks to you." Yuri flashed him a lopsided smile. "Have to wear boots, but I can run with this."

Hinata nodded. They turned their conversation to other topics.

"Don't think you're the only one being targeted by the secret police." Yuri dropped his tone to almost a hush whisper when they entered the old school-hospital area. 

He led Hinata away from the main crowds, towards a discreet corner at the back of one of the classrooms that acted as a recovery room. 

Hinata yelped with surprise when Yuri hugged him and patted his head with a hearty thanks.

"I'm sorry if I annoyed you earlier. Takaki always warned me about being reactive," Yuri said when he pulled out of the hug.

"Early?" Hinata c.o.c.ked his head to one side, perplexed.

Yuri shook his head. "Never mind."

He returned to their earlier conversation about the secret police targeting others. It seemed the entire village had been raided shortly after their plight.  They were looking for deserters, traitors and spies as deemed by government mandates. Somehow, they were under an impression and orders to raid remote villages and towns in the countryside for them.  

"From Tanaka. It seems the secret police are on a mad rush to clean up the country." Yuri scoffed. "It's just to save face in my view." 

He eased himself onto one of the long benches near two tall maple trees. Hinata joined him. They stared at the view of the recovery ward windows.

"Was it bad?" Hinata soberly asked.

He was itching to know what fighting the war was like. What Eiji would've gone through before he had died.

"Fighting?" Yuri peered at Hinata's calmed face.

The distancing sunlight revealed some of the fine stress lines across the man's forehead. His soft brown eyes held a natural hardness a lot of veterans carried. The man hadn't fought the front lines, but it was clear he had lived through similar experiences.

He sighed. "When you're marching with your squad, you're fighting for your country."

His eyes lowered towards the line of ants marching towards a crack in the ground. One of the ants had strayed from the line to forage a crumb near Hinata's big toe.

Yuri's thoughts turned to Eiji's stoic face. That man never gave up his love for Hinata. Even when he felt sure that being sent to Iwo Jima was going to be his death. His only regret was not being able to share another meal with the man he loved.

"Facing the enemy on your own. The only thoughts are those we may never see again."

Hinata studied Yuri's expression with silence. He heaved a deep sigh.

Abrupt shouting and curses from a distance interrupted their conversation.

They saw an amputee veteran in a heated argument with Ryōsuke, who was doing his best to calm the distressed man.

"Why can't I get a limb from this damn place?!" The amputee veteran yelled as he struggled to stand with the aid of two teenage boys.  

The boys were mumbling apologies and excuses to Ryōsuke for the veteran's behavior. Doing their best to support him at the same time.

Hinata instinctively approached Ryōsuke and the veteran. He was worried about Akira's rest, who wasn't too far away from the disturbance.

"Is something wrong?" He approached Ryōsuke, who tried to hold back his expression of relief from Hinata's timely intrusion.

"I'm sorry, Nakamura-san.  We simply don't have prosthetic replacements here. Generally, I'd order some from our Wiesmen store in Hiroshima, but nothing is getting through to that place."  Ryōsuke calmly apologized.

"Prosthetic?" Hinata pensively asked.

"Fake limbs to compensate for those that were lost during the war," Ryōsuke answered. "The company I have an account with is not answering my telegrams. I can't get through to any of my contacts on the East Coast."

"How I'm to walk without one?!" The amputee veteran continued his rant with tears slipping down his puffy eyes.

The young boys were doing their best to calm their battle-worn father.  The man was beyond distraught and falling into post traumatic depression. Especially with one of his legs lacking a part.

Hinata observed the man's solid figure and uneven stance, which was supported by the boys assistance. The amputee veteran was able to hide his condition beneath his kimono. Wearing one was obviously making it a challenge for him to walk.

"I might be able to help," Hinata said that caused the boys and men to fall silent.

"Do you mind if I examine your limb?"

The amputee veteran muttered incomprehensive words. Taken aback by Hinata's sudden aid. He wondered on the beautiful young man who was willing to examine his failed leg.

"I'm a tailor. I did a fake foot for Sakamoto-san." Hinata stated his credentials to the man and pointed to Yuri's boot.

Yuri sighed. He carefully removed his shoe to show the men the fake foot that Hinata had made.

"You made this?" Ryōsuke knelt down to study Yuri's makeshift prosthetic enthusiastically.

He ignored Yuri's grumbles about doctors who shouldn't be perverts.

"Amazing! I've never seen such an ingenious device outside medical practices." Ryōsuke rose to acknowledge Hinata's skill.

The amputee veteran dropped to one knee and bowed gratefully to Hinata.

"Please! Oh, please! I'll give you food rations if you make me one." He pleaded.

Hinata frowned. He glanced to the young boys who looked worried enough as it was.

"Forget your rations. I'll make it because it'll help your sons," Hinata said. "I'm assuming this man is your father?"

The boys politely acknowledged the fact with head nods.

"He just got back the other day. The limb that the army gave him broke from the long journey." One of the teenage boys said softly.

Hinata smiled to the boys. "I will need some materials. Are you able to help with these?"

Both boys' eyes lit up with delight.

"Hai!" They answered excitedly.