The rest of us that didn't go to Bangkok stayed and waited. We were anxious, worried about Jia and his well being. None of us wanted anything to happen to Jia...and Tai was blaming himself for not fighting with Jia enough to go in his stead. He kept saying to himself that if something were to happen to Jia it would be his fault. Gabriel tried telling him it wouldn't be, that it was Jia's way of doing things but...it was hard to shake Tai of any guilt he could have been feeling. I knew everyone else would give their life up before they let anything happened to Jia so I wasn't too worried. But all the same, I started counting the days of their return. By the end of the first week, I stopped holding my breath, waiting for their return. I knew that Jia said it would take about three weeks since he would be moving so slowly so the Teo Chiu wouldn't track him.

In the meantime, we all had some time off unless Tai had to call us in to tell us something. I didn't want to cut my hair because even though it annoyed me sometimes, I liked tying it up. I wasn't sure why. So rather then leaving it down all the time, I tied it up so people could stop saying I look like Aoki. I still didn't see it. During the weeks I had off, I tied my hair up, wore some of my long dead and unused casual clothes and went to get a drink every now and then. I mostly went by myself because I couldn't do anything with anyone anyway. So that was what I did during the time I had off. That and walk around in my apartment holding an ashtray in my hands as I had cigarette after cigarette and watched TV. I was so anxious most of the time, I couldn't even sit. And now that I was through my depressed phased, my head was a little more clear and I kept thinking about how complicated shit would get. I wondered if Jia was able to get Toshimasa and if he was able to get out okay.

In the middle of the second week as I sat at a bar, having a drink though it was almost five that afternoon, my cell phone went off. I put my cigarette in my mouth as I switched hands to hold my glass and took my phone from my pocket.

"Hai."

"Where are you Jo?"

"Bar."

Tai sighed as he said,

"I really hope you're not drunk."

"Nah just had one drink."

"Good. Because you have to pick up Jia."

"He's back?"

"Hai. He'll be back in like four hours or so."

"Okay good. I have time to change."

"Yeah. Pick him up at Gate 235. Four hours."

"Okay. Later Tai."

I hung up as I paid for the one drink I had and didn't even get to finish as I left and went back home to change. I threw off my casual stuff and got back in my suit and tie, retied my hair so it wouldn't look as messy as it did before and then after I picked up the car from headquarters, I bought some cigarettes and then went to pick up Jia. I came a little earlier then I would have liked but it's better then being late. I paced a little, waiting for their flight to arrive. I also wanted a cigarette and they kept teasing me by being in my inner coat pocket next to my gun. It was tempting to run outside and smoke on before Jia came but I decided not to. It was not that serious. Finally their flight arrived on time and I waited for them at the door. Once I saw Jia and Toki, I went over to them and bowed my head slightly to Jia. He nodded as he said,

"How have things gone?"

"I was about to ask you that."

"It was...it wasn't as smooth as I would have liked it to be. But we'll talk about that later."

I nodded as Aoki and Mikkie came around, Toshimasa lagging behind them. I watched as Toshimasa almost fell over, but Aoki caught him, setting him back up as Toshimasa looked away, embarrassed. As we walked over to pick up everyone's luggage, I noticed Jia was keeping his right hand close to him. I then noticed the white gauze and medical tape around it, blood staining the surface already. My eyes widened as I said,

"Jia, what happened?"

He looked at me as he looked at his hand and said,

"It's nothing."

"You're bleeding though."

"I'll explain it when we get back to headquarters."

"Don't you want to rest?"

"No, I'm fine. Toki you fine?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

I nodded, picking up Jia's things as Toki grabbed his stuff and Aoki and Mikkie did as well. I then noticed Toshimasa couldn't walk well anymore and he had trouble doing so. He kept holding onto anything that he passed by, grasping it for support. He tried to hide his pain but it was obvious he was in pain. We got to the car as I stored everything in the back and then got in the driver's seat. Mikkie sat beside me, Jia in the back with Toki, Aoki and Toshimasa. I drove them quickly back to Jia's building.

Once there, Tai and everyone else greeted them as Jun noticed Jia's hand as well. Jia shrugged it off as Jun said,

"Jia, please let me see it."

Jia extended his hand out as he began to speak.

"The Teo Chiu didn't find out we were there until about the end of the first week. Since they suspected us around anything but one of their own, we were at the China Doll's place. Of course the China Doll was scared he would be found out. So after finding out where they were keeping Toshimasa, we moved out and went after him."

"And your injuries?" asked Tai.

"I wouldn't call this an injury considering it doesn't hurt."

As Jun unwrapped his hand, he noticed there was a deep gash on Jia's palm that ran upwards, between his middle and ring finger. I had to wonder how that couldn't hurt. Jia then said,

"I was lucky it was the right hand, not the left."

"Why the right?" I said.

"Oh, I can't feel anything with the right one. I got hypothermia...it shot my nerves in that hand."

"Oh...it is lucky then I guess."

Jia nodded as Jun then said,

"How long have you had this?"

Jia shrugged as he said,

"I don't know. It's there. Doesn't hurt so it doesn't matter."

Jun gave an exasperated sigh as he gestured for Jia to sit. Aoki did as well next to Aya as Tai and Gabriel stood around Jia, Akio lit a cigarette for him as Toki sat beside him. After Jia took a drag from the cigarette, he continued.

"We managed to get Toshimasa out from where he was being held which is some of the warehouses near the harbor. They were holding him there and planning to kill him for backing out on their deal. Aoki and Mikkie managed to get him out before hand though it wasn't easy. I got hurt because I was at the right place, just wrong time. The car we were in got shot at, Too close a range for the glass not to shatter how it did and Toki and I were lucky. When the glass shattered, I held my hand up, that's where that came from. I didn't even feel it."

Toki sighed as he said,

"I should have known better."

Jia reached up to him with his free hand and pet his face in a loving manner as he then said,

"Toshimasa was wounded so you might wanna take care of him Jun."

Jun nodded as he then said,

"Jia this cut is deep. I really need to see you downstairs."

"Okay fine."

He stood up as Toki went over and helped Toshimasa down to the basement as Jia said

"Oh, since we managed to get out, the Teo Chiu is pissed but they can do nothing because coming into my land would be death for them."

He smirked as he turned and went back downstairs with Jun and Toki. The rest of us looked at each other as Tai sighed and said,

"I wish I knew how he did that."

"Did what Tai?" Said Gabriel as he looked up at him.

"Managed to be shot at from a close range and only manage to walk away with a cut from shattered glass."

Aoki shrugged as he said,

"We were lucky this time around. The Teo Chiu got pissed off. They chased us as far as the airport."

"And you managed to get away?" Said Akio.

"Barely."

Aoki leaned back in the seat as Aya sat beside him, looking at him as if he was concerned but couldn't do much of anything but look at him since everyone else was around. As Tai began to let everyone go home, I went down to the basement as I saw Jun sitting down in a chair, Jia on the table as he smoked, his hand being sewn up by Jun as Toki looked on, Toshimasa sitting in another chair looking exhausted. I went over to Jia as I said,

"You okay?"

Jia nodded as he said,

"Yeah it doesn't hurt."

Jun looked up as he said,

"That doesn't mean it won't hurt you later by infection Jia."

Jia shrugged as he looked at me and said,

"What are you still doing around?"

"I wasn't sure of what to do with myself."

Jia laughed slightly as he then turned and looked back to Jun. Jun finished up and picked up the scissors from his lap as he cut off the thread and then wrapped Jia's hand in gauze and medical tape. Jia then sighed, looking at his bandaged hand and said,

"What are my instructions?"

"Don't get the bandage wet. Try not to force your hand to do anything like opening your fingers apart or anything. It might tear the stitches open. And if you catch a fever or just don't feel well in general let me know. You could have an infection."

Jia nodded as he got up and said,

"What about Toshimasa?"

Toki went over to him and picked him up from the chair as Toshimasa finally whimpered from his pain. Toki laid him down on the table as Jun rolled up his sleeves and said,

"What's wrong with him?"

Jia shrugged as he said,

"Can't walk well."

Jun picked up his scissors as he said,

"Toshimasa what leg hurts?"

"Left."

Jun picked up the ragged and worn end of the black dress pants as he began to slit the line upwards. Once his leg was exposed he said,

"And that would be why it hurts."

We looked on to see Toshimasa had a wound on the side of his knee that looked like a chunk was torn out. I flinched back in disgust as Toki scrunched his nose up and said,

"Fuck that looks painful."

"Jia was he walking around like this?"

"For the most part."

Jun tucked his hair behind his ear as he said,

"And that's what kept fucking it up. From what I can tell from just looking at it, this fucked up his knee...it could be permeant."

Jia shrugged as he said,

"As long as he's alive. Jo take care of him when Jun's done okay?"

I nodded as Jia and Toki left. Jun worked on Toshimasa's leg for a while, doing what he could without proper supply and equipment. After about twenty minutes, Toshimasa just passed out. From the pain or from exhausted I wasn't sure. I helped Jun out as I said,

"You think the Teo Chiu did that?"

"Oh yeah. And a lot more."

"What do you mean?"

Jun saw Toshimasa was asleep so he picked up his slender hands and pulled down the sleeves as he showed me the black and red blotches on his skin.

"They tortured him. Stuck him with cigarettes."

He put his arm back down as I said,

"Damn...and he walked around like that..."

"Yup. These are just surface wounds. Now that he's passed out I'll check the rest of him out. Make sure nothings broken or out of place."

I nodded and just watched.

Jun sewed up and cleaned Toshimasa's knee as he then sat him up, taking off his coat and undressing him. He did it quickly and carefully as he checked his ribs were fine, made sure his breathing was okay and checked anything else he could from his torso. I helped him get Toshimasa's shirt off as he then checked his arms and then Jun sighed, putting his hands on the table as he said,

"They fucked him up."

"Hm?"

Jun picked his arm up as I looked and saw track marks. The signs of a junkie.

"You sure those weren't always there?"

"If Toshimasa had been always been a junkie, his veins would have been collapsed. Plus these are fresh track marks. Maybe about a week or so old."

I turned Toshimasa's other arm over as I noticed the same marks. I shook my head as I said,

"How's that gonna effect him?"

"Well depending on just how much they pumped into him of whatever, it could mean anything."

I frowned slightly as Jun then said,

"I can't even find out what they put in him."

"Why not?"

"I don't have the proper equipment to run a blood test."

"Oh..."

He then cleaned off the track marks as he wrapped some gauze around it. Once Jun was finished, he dressed him again and then said,

"Well, he's fucked up for now."

I nodded as Jun then threw away his gloves as he started to unroll his sleeves. I then said,

"So, where do I take him?"

"How should I know? I'm just the doctor."

"But...I don't know where he lives or anything."

"That's not my problem Jo. That's yours."

I sighed in frustration as I looked at Toshimasa. Why was I always left to baby sit? I went over to check on Toshimasa to see if he was anywhere near being awake. Apparently he wasn't. I then slowly sat him up, minding his bandages as I moved him to a somewhat sitting position and then gathered him on my back. He fell towards me easily, his head resting on his arms as his arms fell over my shoulders, his legs around me as I held him up. Once I was sure he was on okay, I started to go back upstairs. I then went to the car as I carefully laid him down in the back seat and I took him back to my apartment. I had no idea where else to take him.