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As the Smoke Clears #4 in Rivalry Series	By : kurahieiritrJIO Category: +G to L > Initial D Views: 2672 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Initial D, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-As the Smoke Clears
- 2-Smoke 2
- 3-Smoke 3
- 4-Smoke 4
- 5-Smoke 5
- 6-Smoke 6
- 7-Smoke 7
- 8-Smoke 8
- 9-Smoke 9
- 10-Smoke 10
- 11-Smoke 11
- 12-Smoke 12
- 13-Smoke 13
- 14-Smoke 14
- 15-Some 15
- 16-Smoke 16
- 17-Chapter 17
- 18-Smoke 18
- 19-Smoke 19
- 20-Smoke 20
- 21-Smoke 21
- 22-Smoke 22
- 23-Smoke 23
- 24-Smoke 24
- 25-Smoke 25
- 26-Smoke 26
- 27-Smoke 27
- 28-Smoke 28
- 29-Smoke 29
- 30-Smoke 30
- 31-Smoke 31
- 32-Smoke 32
- 33-Smoke 33
- 34-Smoke 34
- 35-Smoke 35
- 36-Smoke 36
- 37-Smoke 37
- 38-Smoke 38
- 39-Smoke 39
- 40-Smoke 40
- 15
- 16
- 17
CHAPTER 16

". . . If I pay Takeuchi's medical bills, I can authorize you to keep him here until you feel he's well. Easing Takumi's mind so he starts eating again will be worth every yen to me." Keisuke announced in a firm voice.

Hard on the heels of the interpreter's words, Itsuke jumped from his seat, glaring. "Have you lost your mind, Keisuke san? After everything that happened in the compound, you can't be serious! Tak 'll get well faster if I'm not around! Take care of him like you always do, and he'll be fine before you know it!"

"Would you please tell Itsuke to sit, Benito? Considering Itsuke hasn't eaten in several days either, I'd say he's the last one that's qualified to tell others how to get well." Leamas spoke with quiet authority that the interpreter mimicked perfectly. Leamas tapped a pen against the desk top absently as he spoke specifically to the interpreter. "Is Keisuke's proposal legal, Benito?"

The interpreter furrowed his brow while sliding his stool back behind the desk to be closer to the physician. Keisuke could not hear their conversation because of Takumi's angry voice. "Naze aren't you eating, Itsuke?"

"This hospital's food tastes like paper and wood chips to me. Once I'm home, I'll eat plenty of Okāsan's cooking to make up for not eating very much here. I know you don't like the food either, Tak. You get that weird texture can't touch your tongue look every time you don't like something. Every meal you've eaten in here must be causing you full-blown nose convulsions by now."

Unable to prevent it, Keisuke began chuckling. Takeuchi's vivid description of Takumi's unconscious yet an expressive nose was very accurate. His nostrils twitched, and flared, or curled upward toward his brows whenever he ate things that he found particularly unappealing. He never complained out loud, yet his opinions were always very clear. "Watching Takumi eat is more entertaining than comedy television sitcoms. His nose doesn't stop twitching until he sets his chopsticks down some evenings. Makes me want to call him rabbit. Nani do you think of that as a nickname, Itsuke?"

His humorous tone caught Takeuchi off guard. "In a weird way, I guess Tak's nose does twitch like a rabbit's when he eats something revolting."

With a heavy sigh, the psychiatrist picked up his telephone receiver and punched in numbers. Hearing Takumi's huffy tone drew Keisuke back to the task of easing the tension. "Don't even think about it, Itsuke. Nicknames that make me sound like an onna are out. I'm not girly. I'm including you too, Keisuke. If you ever call me rabbit, I'll make you regret it!"

"If you were girly, I wouldn't be bringing Sobo down here with our wedding rings. You're strong enough to wrap me around your finger and keep me there. Onnas don't have the determination, or the strength to play with me on my terms." He teased Takumi while giving his lover's waist a playful poke.

The sound of Leamas hanging up his phone caught Keisuke's attention. The American gave him a considering look. "After you sign the papers, we'll discuss things in greater depth."

"Thank you, Leamas sama. I'm grateful that you're willing to work with me." Keisuke responded as a heavy weight lifted from his chest.

"Staying here any longer will cost me my job! Tak, make Keisuke san stop being such a bully." Takeuchi whined as he remembered the situation.

"Forget it, Itsuke. If it bothers you, pay Keisuke back after you get well. That's the plan I have. I'll get new jobs and pay my debt off on a schedule. Tachibana san won't fire you, so stop complaining about Keisuke helping you."

"One job, Takumi. Im not going to let you work yourself into exhaustion . . ." A knock on the door interrupted Keisuke's fast building tirade. Another suit clad man stepped into the office and held out a packet to Leamas.

"Thank you, Shuuseke. I'll fill you in on any changes for Itsuke after this session." The psychiatrist spoke while flicking his wrist toward Keisuke's chair. The administrator handed the packet to him with a pen.

"Call me when you need me, Leamas sama." The man spoke with a sketchy bow before leaving. Keisuke filled out the paperwork quickly and signed the appropriate lines before handing everything to the psychiatrist.

"Thank you, Keisuke. Now where was I?" Leamas spoke while filling the red checked lines required before setting them into a tray.

"You mentioned Takeuchi and Takumi have some kind of alarming pattern." His nondescript aide prompted while scooting the stool back to Takeuchi's chair to resume translating.

"Thank you, Benito. Even acute depression does not escalate this quickly when loved ones support the patient consistently, and they're on strong antidepressants. Your partner and Itsuke are both compound survivors that fit specific guidelines that I specialize in rehabilitating. Takumi has been on strong antidepressants since the day he came out of the coma. His file has notations that you've given Takumi consistent emotional support, Keisuke. Considering your latest conversation, am I correct that the take out meals you bring in often contain Takumi's favorite foods?" Leamas looked at him directly.

Cringing, Keisuke answered. "That's right. Takumi's sick of the hospital foods' weird texture. Even when he was eating, he was miserable when all he ate was hospital fare. Although I'm not supposed to, I thought he might gain back the lost weight faster. Still, he barely picked at anything I've brought the last two days."

"How can you be certain that Takumi's appetite won't improve once he gets through the final withdrawal stage?" Leamas asked him.

Frustrated, Keisuke explained, "Nobody knows better than I do that Takumi can't stand Takeuchi avoiding him. Having seen how their other arguments have affected Takumi, I know my spouse won't get well if Takeuchi abandons him. Watching Takumi fall apart during every one of Takeuchi's sulks is all the evidence I need."

Leamas gave him an understanding nod. "Thanks to all your contributions, I can now fine-tune the diagnostic process to rehabilitate Takumi and Itsuke effectively. There's solid evidence of Takeuchi's degrading health, Keisuke. Due to your input, and Takumi's, I feel I need to change both their diagnoses. I have listed Itsuke as Bipolar with Acute Chemical Imbalance. He suffered Neuropsychological damage to part of his brain because of ongoing hormone overproduction triggered by his faulty pituitary gland. Forced Indoctrination, or brainwashing as we more commonly call it, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are additional ailments I'm treating. I've prescribed medication to stabilize Itsuke's body chemistry. He must remain on the medication for the rest of his life. The medication requires regularly scheduled blood work to make adjustments as necessary."

Brows plunging to his bridge, Takumi turned his face toward Takeuchi as he came out of his seat to stare down at Takeuchi. Without a doubt Takumi was sending one of his silent talks that Keisuke knew Takeuchi understood perfectly.

The list of medical problems also angered him because the dark-haired youth had hidden how serious his medical problems were. Not at all surprised, he listened as Itsuke began spluttering defensively. "Uhm, . . . Well, . . . I didn't want to worry you since you're so sick, Tak. The medication is helping me like I said. Honest . . . Leamas sama has to explain everything because I can't." Itsuke answered sinking deeper in his chair.

Satisfied that Takumi had gotten an honest answer, Keisuke intervened. "Calm down, my own. Let's get more information about his illness from the senumon-i." Grabbing Takumi's arm, Keisuke forced him back into the wheelchair.

"Thank you for intervening. Takumi's current diagnosis is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Anxious Reflexive Reaction. It's a more pronounced form of Itsuke's that is found in a few victims subjected to violence. It simply means that Takumi fights instead of fleeing whenever he feels threatened. Forced Indoctrination is the second disorder I'm treating. I've prescribed antidepressants to help Takumi remain calm. Due to this session, I think Takumi's medical problems are integral to treating Itsuke's, Keisuke. "

"How do Takumi's medical problems affect Takeuchi's, apart from their having similar diagnoses?"

Once the interpreter finished speaking to Takumi and Itsuke, Leamas replied. "That's an excellent question which we'll discuss in a minute, Keisuke. Let me give you the information about Itsuke's Acute Chemical Imbalance. To make this conclusive diagnosis, I ordered a battery of tests because of problems discovered in his blood work. He had abnormally high levels of certain naturally occurring chemical compounds in all his blood samples. Due to the problematic lab work, I ordered a battery of tests including an MRI with dye contrast to find the source of his overproduction problem. The MRI revealed overdeveloped and underdeveloped sectors in Itsuke's brain. This damage is the result of an ongoing severe chemical imbalance he's had since childhood. Frequent biochemical overloads retarded his prefrontal lobe and Amygdala. His pituitary gland is enlarged, sending constant signals which triggers ongoing hormonal over production. Acute Chemical Imbalance Induced Prefrontal Amygdala Circuit Damage is a simplified name for the actual medical condition. I'm substituting terminology to help you understand the damaged sectors, Keisuke."

"So a medical condition nobody knew he has causes Takeuchi's extreme emotional reactions and illogical thoughts." Keisuke verified.

"Precisely. If Itsuke had received the right diagnosis and medications when he started puberty, his pituitary gland would have stabilized into normal function. Where the Amygdala and Prefrontal lobe's neurological circuitry meet is the center of all emotional and logical functions for making balanced decisions. Itsuke's impulsive, hyperactive emotional responses to all stimuli are now a permanent neuropsychological impairment. The damage to this important brain circuitry prevents him from controlling limbic urges."

Suppressing a groan, Keisuke knew Takumi would get extremely overprotective of Itsuke now that he knew brain damage involved. A glance showed him that his spouse was furious. Irritation at himself for harping at Itsuke to change his behavior rose. Coming from a family of doctors and not considering the possibility that Takeuchi had a medical condition chafed Keisuke's pride. Had he asked questions, instead of making assumptions, he might have gotten input to prevent the other man's illness from getting worse.

Fingers sliding through his hair, Itsuke complained, "Guilt's eating Tak alive already. Now that he knows I've been sick for so long, he's got to accept that he can't fix me, Leamas sama. It's bad enough that he cheated on Keisuke san with me. Maybe now he'll stop getting trapped between us."

"Your idea of Takumi being trapped between you is more profound that you currently understand. The three of you interacting has effectively shown me very specific things, Itsuke. First, Keisuke described Takumi's rapidly escalating emotional crisis due to your absence. Second, your symptoms are clearly mirroring Takumi's illnesses. Third is the clearer picture I now have of your mutual history. Last but not least, I have viewed the disturbing rape videos. A rare variation of Stockholm's Syndrome is a possibility I would not have considered if not for the first three items. It's a very rare emotional illness. Most Stockholm cases involve extreme captor dependance, not extreme dependance upon other victims."

"Okay. So how do we help Takeuchi and Takumi recover?" Keisuke asked the specialist.

"Unlike classic Stockholm's, negative imprinting upon another victim deals specifically with survival driven extreme interdependence that destroys personal identity boundaries. It is a different illness from the better established prisoner to captor dependancy. It's more difficult to rehabilitate the interdependent people involved."

Keisuke shook his head. "That doesn't sound good, Leamas sama."

"This is a treatable condition, Keisuke. Recovering will be harder for Itsuke because of his physiological medical issues. Let me explain how I use the word imprint since Takumi and Itsuke look confused. The parent child relationship embodies the best-known example of an imprint, as I'm using the term. Instinctive needs for survival triggers an infant to cry. Parents feel an instinctive impulse to protect their offspring, so they answer the infant to detect appropriate actions to soothe their child's distress. The parent's consistent response teaches the infant to form a deeply trusting dependance upon their care giver. An instinctive impulse becomes a conditioned response, or learned behavior. The deeply ingrained interplay that forms between both parties is an imprint. The parent, child relationship is the most common imprinting bond humans have. Do you both understand now?"

"Hai, Leamas sama. Are you trying to say that I've got some kind of ryōshin complex toward Itsuke?"

"Not at all, Takumi. I don't believe you're trying to be Itsuke's parent. The parent and child relationship is simply an easily understood example. However, you've admitted being protective of Itsuke. Whether you view yourself as a brother or something else, you established that remarkably similar pattern with Itsuke while very young. The early relationship between a parent and child is based upon extreme vulnerability and one-sided dependance. The parent protects the vulnerable child until they mature enough to care for themselves. Children learn to master their own needs as they mature, so no longer require a parent's frequent intervention. The imprint is flexible so allows for individual growth and change. I don't see the same level of flexibility in your interactions with Itsuke, Takumi."

A glance showed Keisuke that Takumi looked worried. He took Takumi's hand and gave a sympathetic squeeze. "Give Takumi some time to understand how this applies to him and Takeuchi's problem. "Guess you'd also say that falling in love with someone and spending your life with them is a type of imprint also?"

Leamas chuckled. "Love depends upon the commitment between people. An instinct to reproduce is often involved with falling in love, yet divorce is proof that romantic love rarely deepens in commitment with a secure enough routine to fit the criteria of an imprint. Still, quite distinctive conditions do create imprinting between human beings. Negative imprinting causes the affected persons to become unreasonably overprotective and defensive of each other to preserve their extremely dependent, and dysfunctional relationship."

"So, you think Itsuke believes he loves me differently now because of having this syndrome, Leamas sama?" Takumi sought an answer.

"That ultimately is a question that I can't answer. Only time will make that clear. However, I do see a clearly dysfunctional relationship between you and Itsuke. As Keisuke surmised, your relationship is very unbalanced."

"Would you share some specific conditions needed for someone to get this illness?" Keisuke asked, letting the interpreter translate his question.

"Extended life and death crisis without abatement is one requirement. Becoming deeply conditioned to require a specific victim's presence to survive such prolonged crisis through teamwork is another. Extreme interdependence upon others happens because of strain induced eroding self identity. These are all core distinctions in Stockholm's Syndrome and the sub categories. The extent of Itsuke's illness induced dependance upon Takumi, their medical records, everyone's responses and reactions today, and their combined diminished appetite gives me a clear pattern that points toward Negative Imprint Syndrome."

"Matte, Leamas sama. Nani are you trying to say? Am I somehow making Tak sicker?" Panic raced from Takeuchi's mouth.

"Calm down, Itsuke. Listen closely to Benito so you'll understand that you both have relied on each other long enough that sacrificing part of your individual identities to survive in the compound was easier to achieve. During several extreme situations I saw on the videos I've viewed, you trusted each other utterly. Your history allowed you to stay deeply reliant upon each other. A lifetime of familiarity has imbedded a very strong mutual trust and teamwork into your instinctive levels. It is so deeply ingrained to be a team that you no longer need verbal communication to work together with a flawlessness expected of a single entity when necessary. You've gone far beyond the normal range of learned teamwork behaviors. Without the other's frequent presence, you both become depressed. Until we reinstate your sense of individual identities to allow for extended separation, both of you suffer. Therefore, Takumi stops eating because of acute anxiety over how you're doing, and the same applies to you over his welfare. Rehabilitation will go smoothly if I work with you together to restore your unique selves without unduly threatening your team dynamic that currently controls your emotions."

Keisuke ground out, "Move Takeuchi into Takumi's private room. If that's the fastest way to get them eating again, I'm all for keeping them together."

"With Takumi having withdrawals from the drugs, your proposed move will expose Itsuke to your significant other's ongoing drug withdrawal induced sexual responses. Because of his homophobic history that you exposed, it could trigger negative side effects in Itsuke." Leamas explained.

Before he could back down, Takeuchi was speaking. "I already know Tak's entering the insatiable phase. Chiasa taught me about how to deal with him so I won't freak out whenever he gets a boner. My problem with moving into the same room is getting Tak past the final withdrawals. Once he gets uncomfortable enough, Tak's going to need plenty of uninterrupted time with Keisuke san. He can't have that if I'm in the same room."

Determination surfacing, Keisuke stared the youth down. "You sound like Takumi hasn't already had drug induced arousals. Trust me, I've helped him deal with plenty of those already, Takeuchi. It won't be a problem if your in the room. There's a private bathroom attached."

"How many of Kahori's stable did you see go through the insatiable phase, Keisuke san?"

"None. However, I doubt the last stage can be any worse than the arousals Takumi's already had from his other leeches."

The black haired man shoved heavy bangs out of his face while rolling his eyes. "Sadami's accusation about Tak being greedy will make perfect sense once his fever breaks, Keisuke san. Make sure he eats a lot before the fever breaks. Keeping him eating will be a lot harder once it hits."

"The way you said that worries me, Itsuke. How much worse is this going to get? Tell me everything you know about dealing with the next phase." Twisting to face Takeuchi, Takumi demanded answers in a hard tone.

"The fastest way to get through the last stage is to go along with your body's demands, Tak. Chiasa didn't know all of the herbal compounds in that drug, but she knew it was made in China by some very smart chemists. I saw three men and an onna coming off of it. Once it kicks in you'll notice your gut's getting really tight. That feeling will drop lower and fill your groin. Eat and drink all you can before that happens. The more you eat beforehand, the easier it is to endure the rest."

"Getting Takumi and you healthy again is my only priority, Takeuchi. We'll work through this since you know how this stage works. I need your help to plan for Takumi's final withdrawals."

"Keisuke's right, Itsuke. Until this is over, we should share a room, at least at night. I'd feel better knowing how to deal with this." Takumi tried to sway his friend's mind.

"The good news is that the insatiable stage only lasts a few days. The bad part is that Keisuke san will kill me before you get over that stage if I'm in the same room, Tak. It isn't called the insatiable phase without reason! You're going to feel insanely passionate. Keisuke san's got to be prepared beforehand, and stay with you around the clock. You'll be having some pretty extreme cravings . . . if you get my meaning. Once it passes, you'll sleep like the dead for a couple of days, so you won't notice how sore you'll be."

"How extreme are we talking about, Takeuchi?"

"Get a big bottle of lube level of extreme. You'll also have to force Tak to eat and drink once it starts. He'll be irritable, and pushy as hell for the first two days and won't be able to sleep. The drug makes it harder to get off and feel satisfied which won't make him happy. That's the main reason for the nick name of insatiable. Tak's going to have lots of stamina for two days. He'll start getting back to normal after the second day."

Leamas hummed as listened to the translations. "Well, there's always heavy sedation as an alternate option. Our staff has dealt with twenty other cases to date. The victims are very aggressive and we've had to heavily sedate them to prevent rapes. As an established couple, I'll leave this to your discretion as to how you wish to proceed once Takumi enters the final withdrawals. Starting tomorrow I'll hold group sessions in Takumi's hospital room. We'll suspend the daily identity reestablishment therapy during his final withdrawals of course."

"Include me in their sessions, Leamas sama. Since Takumi won't be open with your staff, I can fill all the gaps he'll leave out." Keisuke pointed out.

"If you agree to the conditions that your presence is solely to provide moral support, and unbiased information for both these men, and you also enter their sessions later. I must observe their interaction without outside influences stifling their rapport. Agree to those conditions, and I'll allow you to attend if Itsuke and Takumi agree."

"That's fine, Leamas sama. I don't have a problem with Keisuke being there." Takumi answered.

"Tak? Keisuke san has every right to hate me because of how things turned out. Before this is done, he'll probably change his mind about me being a threat to him too."

"That won't happen, Itsuke. Just calm down. Everything will work out fine between you." Takumi tried to soothe him yet again.

Flipping through his appointment book, Leamas frowned at his schedule. "I'll move your appointment into the block right after my lunch break. We can discuss Itsuke's concerns with Keisuke's involvement in greater depth tomorrow. We'll choose Itsuke's quarters then. Is that acceptable?"

"That's fine, Leamas sama. Thank you for everything." Keisuke stood, and held out his hand to the psychiatrist. The American stood and took it in a firm grip.

"Thank you for all your insights today, Keisuke. Your thoughtful input has made my job considerably easier. I hope for both of their sakes you don't actually hate Itsuke."

He watched Itsuke scamper past Takumi's wheelchair and dart into the hallway. "Hating Takeuchi Itsuke is inconceivable for me. For the moment I simply want Takumi and Itsuke to slow down and think about how I'm associating with them. Telling them how I feel won't help them to accept the truth. I'll explain why if Benito san agrees to stop translating."

"This should be most enlightening. Benito, take a well deserved break. I've still got a few minutes before I have to finish up here. Please continue, Keisuke." The interpreter nodded his consent, and headed for the hallway.

"When I saw the rape videos, the only one where Takumi was coerced that didn't make me sick with anger was when he was thrown into that test with Takeuchi. The only thing I felt was indescribable sorrow that their lifetime together was being contemptuously degraded by sadistic people. The reality is that Takeuchi remembers everything, and feels greater shame, pain, and remorse than Takumi because he couldn't escape. Nor could he save the one person that has always helped him cope with his illness. The way Takumi caught and held onto Itsuke's damaged wrist to prevent additional injury was really powerful, Leamas sama. It sums up their lifelong friendship perfectly."

"You're an extraordinary man, Keisuke. Most would have the opposite reaction to seeing their lover engaging in foreplay with their closest friend, even if it was coerced."

"Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm something special, . . . because I'm not. The one that's extraordinary is Takumi. He's an elite among survivors, Leamas sama. He's been through nightmares that were worse than the compound when he was much younger. To grow up without truly hating anyone is an achievement nobody else can emulate. That's where Takeuchi Itsuke's influence comes in. He's the one that kept Takumi from becoming a vicious person over those years of misery."

"Resilience is a good quality to have. Your information that Takumi has so many abuse issues to work through is very helpful. There are those individuals who find relief from abuse in the company of weaker friends. Having the stronger position of a protector would be appealing to an abused child. It neatly explains several of Takumi's behaviors today."

"Don't mistake my intentions in telling you these things, Leamas sama. Somewhere during their lives, friendship became something much stronger." He placed his hands flat upon the desk top and waited until he was certain he had the American psychiatrist's undivided attention. "I'm trying to help you understand that very different rules apply to me and to Takeuchi Itsuke in Takumi's mind. Without those rules, Takumi can't find the balance he needs. I understand that feeling like his connection to Itsuke is threatened has a lot to do with Takumi's deterioration."

"That's to be expected in cases of sub category Stockholm's Syndrome, Keisuke."

"That isn't the only reason, Leamas sama. To Takumi, Takeuchi's been so much a part of his life that his presence is as fluidly constant as breathing. Maybe Takumi protecting Itsuke was his way of surviving his abusive childhood, but there's more to their friendship than a mental illness. When nobody saved him from his father's alcohol saturated abuse, he sought out Takeuchi to save in the beginning. That changed somewhere during their lives. Takeuchi found ways to bring my spouse desperately needed happiness where none existed. Itsuke-kun's normally playful and cheerful. That trait has always given Takumi a much needed escape from his painful life. I think that Takumi encouraging Itsuke's childishness allowed him to experience a child's emotions indirectly. For now, Itsuke's the one Takumi needs to protect, pamper, and spoil to regain his sense of balance, and to forgive himself. I'm asking you to keep that in mind when you're working with them. Please don't strip them of the rare gift of friendship that they have in each other while curing them."

"I'll do all that I can to insure they heal without losing anything valuable in the process, Keisuke."

"Thank you, Leamas sama." Keisuke stepped back and grabbed the handles of Takumi's wheelchair. With a smile for his grumpy looking spouse, Keisuke firmed his resolve yet again. "Let's get back to your room and get you eating again. Deal?"

Takumi's brow crinkled. "You're going to ignore any questions I have about your talk with the senumon-i aren't you?"

"Only long enough for you and Itsuke to really think things over. Once you both accept that I can't hate Itsuke, I'll give you every one of my reasons for feeling that way. So, nani do you feel like eating, dear heart?"

"Planning on ordering from a delivery service again, aren't you?"

"Don't I always break hospital rules for you, my own?" He asked as he leaned over to look Takumi in the eyes. Returning his look with a small smile, Takumi agreed with a nod. Straightening up, Keisuke pushed Takumi's chair into the hallway and headed toward the elevator.

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As the Smoke Clears #4 in Rivalry Series