A somewhat disheveled-looking man sits on a wooden porch, dabbing gently at a nasty-looking scrape on a sniffling child’s elbow. The child’s mother sits patiently nearby, along with a couple other children, both looking guiltily away from their friend. Behind them all, off the porch, is a broad stretch of sandy beach, overhung here and there with lush trees, the occasional small house visible at the edges of the sand.
“I told you all not to climb on those rocks, didn’t I?” The doctor’s voice is quiet and almost teasing as he scolds the kids, securing a small piece of soft fabric over the freshly cleaned scrape. “You’re lucky it’s not worse… you should be alright, now.”
He gives the child a gentle nudge toward her mother - who holds back a laugh as her daughter immediately throws herself at her to cling to her waist. “Thank you, Doctor. I suppose I should have been keeping a closer eye on them.”
The doctor shakes his head and smiles slightly in reply as he puts away his supplies. “It’s not your fault; kids seem to have a way of getting into trouble, don’t they? And it’s not as if I’m too busy lately. There’s not much going on.”
“That’s true… and maybe something to be glad for.” The woman stands up, picking up her still-sniffling child, and the others take the cue to start to wander away. “Though, you were talking about that friend of yours visiting sometime soon, right? The, uh--”
“Mushi-shi? Yes, Ginko should be by in the next couple months.” He smiles and pushes his supplies aside, staying where he sits. “But you don’t have to worry about him causing any trouble. Knowing him, he’ll be in and out of the village before most people know he’s here.”
a
“I told you all not to climb on those rocks, didn’t I?” The doctor’s voice is quiet and almost teasing as he scolds the kids, securing a small piece of soft fabric over the freshly cleaned scrape. “You’re lucky it’s not worse… you should be alright, now.”
He gives the child a gentle nudge toward her mother - who holds back a laugh as her daughter immediately throws herself at her to cling to her waist. “Thank you, Doctor. I suppose I should have been keeping a closer eye on them.”
The doctor shakes his head and smiles slightly in reply as he puts away his supplies. “It’s not your fault; kids seem to have a way of getting into trouble, don’t they? And it’s not as if I’m too busy lately. There’s not much going on.”
“That’s true… and maybe something to be glad for.” The woman stands up, picking up her still-sniffling child, and the others take the cue to start to wander away. “Though, you were talking about that friend of yours visiting sometime soon, right? The, uh--”
“Mushi-shi? Yes, Ginko should be by in the next couple months.” He smiles and pushes his supplies aside, staying where he sits. “But you don’t have to worry about him causing any trouble. Knowing him, he’ll be in and out of the village before most people know he’s here.”