It took nine stitches to close the gash on Koji’s forehead. Even in his groggy state, he refused to spend the night in the hospital to be monitored, so Daniel took responsibility of watching over him. By the time he drove home, it was long after dinner. He was surprised to see that Maile had stayed at the house and came outside as soon as she heard the truck. He saw the worry and relief on her face as they helped Uncle Koji inside.

37. The Truth of It

37

The Truth of It

Koji woke to darkness, his head throbbing, and a bitter taste on his tongue. He must still be in the hospital. His eyes adjusted to the dimness in the room, focusing on the shadows that slowly took shape. He reached over to turn on the lamp on the bedside table, knocking over a glass instead and causing a small ruckus. A cool wetness spread across his pillow. The one movement had sapped all his strength, and Koji slowly lay back down on the damp pillow to rest for a moment. He gently touched the bandage that spread halfway across his forehead. His body ached along with the pulsing wound. He heard the sudden burst of rain pebbling against the windows, creaks, and then footsteps before the door opened. Everything felt heightened. When the light clicked on, Koji squinted against the painful brightness to see Daniel standing there.

Koji was confused to see him there in the middle of the night. “Where am I?” he asked hoarsely. His mouth felt like cotton.

Daniel moved closer and picked up the glass that had fallen. “You’re at the house with me. How are you feeling? You hit your forehead hard up at the flow. Nine stitches.”

Koji remembered. He had tripped on the trail. “A tree root got in my way, yeah,” he said, and coughed, pain shooting to the top of his head.

Daniel smiled. “Do you have a headache? Any nausea?”

“Head’s pounding,” he whispered. He’d felt more sensations in the past ten minutes than in the past two years.

Daniel reached down and checked his pulse, then carefully switched his damp pillow for a dry one on the bed. “We need to see about that cough, too.”

“It’s nothing.”

Daniel shook his head. “We’ll see.” He paused and then said, “Uncle Koji, I’m sorry. I should have waited for you on the trail, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You were doing what I told you to do,” Koji said. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

Daniel looked as if he might say something else, but didn’t. “I’ll be right back,” he said, taking the empty glass with him. “Don’t go anywhere.”