This choice: Fukuda and Helen get into the bottle of Sake • Go Back... "Ach, I have the perfect pairing for that." the German doctor said with a smile as she suddenly let go of Fukuda's hand and retreated towards the door, "You wait right here, and enjoy your meal. I will return shortly."
For a moment, Fukuda was tempted to ask the small doctor to not go. She couldn't quite explain why. She and Helen had been having... fun? Was that the appropriate word? It had been so long since she'd associated with anyone outside of the office setting, and Helen's cooking was so sublime. Yes, fun. They'd been having fun. And the thought of Helen walking out the door seemed, in a juvenile way, to threaten the existence of the small levity that she'd gleaned from Helen's visit to her cabin.
Thankfully for Fukuda's momentary lapse in maturity, Helen was not in fact gone forever.
"Now, far be it from me to suggest that sausage should go with anything other than a good stout ale." Helen said jovially as she entered Fukuda's cabin with a small corked bottle, "But in preperation for our little zusammenkommen, I thought to get you a... erm... house warming present! that's how you say it in English, ja?"
The chubby woman held in one hand a fine bottle of sake. As Fukuda would later learn, it was from the snowy region of Niigata. Helen had procured it in a small brown bottle with a tag describing its make, content, and distillery in kanji. It was obviously imported and far from Helen's taste. Honestly, Fukuda couldn't remember the last time that she'd had alcohol from her home country instead of the viscous red wine that she so frequently partook in during her time in America...
"You brought me a bottle of sake?" Fukuda asked, feeling more touched than suspicious for the first time in a long time, "Helen, that's so..."
"Thoughtful, I'm aware." the little blue-haired psychologist snorted, "I thought to myself, how often does Doktor Hinamizawa invite me over to her cabin? I might as well make it a very special occasion indeed!"
For once, though not for a lack of trying, Fukuda was at a loss for words. For most of her career, she'd disregarded Helen's presence. Then, upon learning her great talent and skillset, she'd done her best to stay on her good side while maintaining a professional distance. To think that she'd be given such a simple gift, but one that struck her so deeply for some inelegant reason... Fukuda was honestly baffled at the thought. They weren't friends by any stretch—but here, Helen was treating being invited to her home as such an event!
"Thank you, doctor." Fukuda defaulted to her typical Japanese politeness, "This is... very thoughtful. I will be sure to savor every drop."
"You obviously don't know how Germans like to drink!" Helen wrapped an arm boistrously around Fukuda's shoulder, "I would consider it a personal insult if we didn't reach the bottom of the bottle by the end of tonight!"
Fukuda's face grew flush at her coworker's invasion of her personal bubble, not to mention the idea of getting hammered. Sake was strong stuff—she could smell it through the cork and the bottle! No doubt if they got to the bottom of the bottle, they'd have quite the hangover to deal with in the morning...
"Ah... it is... late, yes?"
"And Friday, ja?" Helen piqued an eyebrow provocatively, already pouring a cup for the two of them, "Come, frau doktor! Let us enjoy ourselves! Do away with... what did you call it in your language?"
"Man-neri." Fukuda said, holding back a smile as her shot was being poured
"Right. Man-neri." Helen did her best, but faltered on the pronounciation, "Let us dig you out of your rut!"
The clicked glasses, and tilted their heads back...
***
The rest of the night was... spotty, to say the least.
It had been a long time since Fukuda had partaken in something so strong. She had never possessed a particularly strong tolerance in the first place, and Helen's sake had been exceptionally strong. No, it wasn't developed by Yeng as Fukuda was ask at least three times during her drunken escapades, but in fact hand-grown in Japan and yes, she was just a lightweight. No additives, no anything. Which, for a Fukuda without inhibitions, seemed strange.
"It's so odd for us to deal with real things, isn't it?" she slurred, taking another shot of the half-emptied bottle, "Doing what we do."
"Yes, it is." Helen was only buzzed, not long-gone like her fellow doctor, "Although, they're not to blame for your low tolerance!"
"Ha ha." Fukuda stuck out her tongue, like a schoolgirl, before downing her last shot, "Don't pretend that you are not satisfied with yourself. Seeing me in such a state."
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't." Helen smiled, "You are kind of cute when you're drunk."
Fukuda smiled in an exaggerated fashion before pouring herself yet another shot. She had been responsible for at least half of the bottle being emptied, which meant that only a fourth of the bottle had been sloshing around in her belly on top of the sausage. Whether it was a testament to the alcoholic content of Helen's gift, or her inability to drink anything stronger than cheap red wine, she could not especially guess. However, in her drunken state, she concurred that this was a far better alternative to her evening meditation and going over reports.
"I did not always used to be so... Eigo de dō iimasu ka?" Fukuda tapped her chin, "Uptight. I was not always so uptight."
"Ach! I cannot believe it!" Helen put a hand on her full chest in mock surprise, "Fukuda, you devil!"
"It's true, I was quite the devil." the Asian doctor smiled as she poured herself yet another (!) shot of sake. She was beginning to lose herself now. Her inihibitions had faded into the very back of her mind. She was running entirely on alcohol now, for better or worse, "I still am, to some extent."
"When necessary." Helen added slyly...
"Always." Fukuda winked provocatively, "I will always be the sixteen year old girl in Namba flirting with old geezers for free drinks."
"Fukuda!" Helen exclaimed in genuine surprise, "I would have never guessed."
"You would be surprised about the things you learn about me." Fukuda giggled dimly
There was a slight pause as Dr. Schwartz's honed instincts came to a head.
"Oh?" the small, blue haired woman steepled her fingers, "Tell me Frau Doktor... Fukuda... what would surprise me so?"
"Well..." Fukuda giggled drunkenly, "What if I told you, that..."   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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