The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka Page #5

---

I've made a powder so it should be easy to swallow.

You did enough experimenting with me. Why do you have to do more?

When you let Okatsu die I said I would do the experiment because I wanted death.

I expect Kae feels the same way now.

Are you conscious?

Yes.

Try to get up by yourself.

OK:

Can't you get up?

No I can't.

What's the matter? Tell me?

Tell me.

My eyes hurt. The pain goes really deep into my head.

You eyes?

Kae cried so much when Koben died that she probably weakened her eyes.

It's not the medication. If we cool her with water she'll be fine.

It's not because of crying over Koben.

Kae had pains in her eyes before Koben died. It's the drug that's made her eyes bad.

Why didn't you tell me?

I wouldn't have done the experiment.

Why didn't you say anything?

But it didn't affect me in any way when I had it ...

There's no comparison ...

I just gave you enough to act as a sleeping draft for 3-4 hours ...

Unpei ...

She ...

You ...

Did Kae know this?

I knew.

You knew ... and you lied to me?

You told me I slept for 3 days ...

I'm sorry.

Kae ... you ... I can't believe you did this.

I'm sorry Kae.

I'm a doctor ... I really should have noticed earlier ...

Does it still hurt?

No - at least not in comparison to before.

Is it evening?

Evening?

Why haven't you lit the lamps?

Kae ...

Kae ...

Unpei ...

Please Unpei, do something ...

Kae ... do you hate me so much?

What is it?

I think I'm pregnant.

I see. I'm convinced it'll be a boy this time.

I'd like to give him my name and call him Unpei.

It had been one year since Otsugi died.

Little Unpei is really like his Grandmother Otsugi.

If so he'll be a beauty.

I'd given up hope of having a boy ... and then it just happened.

If Otsugi were still alive she would have been delighted.

Koriku, is something the matter?

Your voice is lower and you're breathless ...

It's strange ...

I see ... maybe I ...

Maybe my hearing is more sensitive because I've lost my eyesight.

Kae, ...

I've got a lump on my neck.

It's painful.

Your neck you say ...

What on earth is it?

Unpei, is it a blood boil?

Hmm ... I need to look more carefully.

What is a blood boil?

It's cancer. It means cancer in the blood vessels.

The same as Okatsu ...

I noticed before but there's nothing I can do.

Could you cut it out? Using the anaesthesia you used on me?

You're a samurai's daughter. You know how a woman kills herself.

Tell me.

I learned I should put my hand on my throat and find the pulsing part. I push the knife in there.

Koriku's cancer is in that place. There's no way to operate. If she's cut there she'll die.

This is the second sister I have to watch die and do nothing ...

It's a terrible thing being a doctor.

I still can't do enough. I am not Kada.

(aka Hua Tuo, a famous Chinese doctor)

Kae, you're crying.

It's strange how my eyes cannot see but they still produce tears.

Why are you crying?

I never got you married and now this illness ...

As for not marrying I am happy. You don't need to console me.

I saw you ...

I saw Otsugi and you and I watched both of you carefully.

Your tense relationship ...

I'm dying of the same thing as Okatsu ...

.. and no matter how tough it has been it can't be as tough as life has been for you.

Koriku ...

Otsugi picked me out and brought me here as a daughter in law.

... and Otsugi was beautiful and clever and loved me like her own daughter.

Why did you and Otsugi compete to take that scary drug?

Why did you drink so much that you lost your sight?

It wasn't competitive.

I and Otsugi ...

As a mother and daughter of a doctor's house we just wanted to be useful.

Is that really true? Really?

You think that because it was you who won.

Because I won ... ???

Kae ...

... Don't you think that men are amazing?

Unpei must have noticed the relationship between you and Otsugi ...

... but he just watched from the side and got you both to drink the medicine.

The struggles of the women of this house ...

... were in the end all just to bring up one man.don't you think?

A weak man caught up in these battles ...

.. would wither like a tree which has been over watered.

I don't want to be reborn as a girl.

The reason I was so happy though I never married ...

... was because I was never a bride and never a mother in law.

3 Years later on a winter's morning ...

Kae, I hope you'll be pleased. Today we have a patient with breast cancer.

But this time we can operate.

That's wonderful ...

She s a tough one. She knows she's going to die so she'd like to have me operate ...

The anaesthesia will be useful.

Yes, it will.

It's been 15 years since I started thinking about it.

They say a woman's breasts are her life and cutting one off is fatal ...

... but I will demonstrate that a life can be saved. I am confident.

I will cure the beriberi and then I can operate.

If you succeed ...

... The spirit of Okatsu who died of breast cancer would be pleased.

What is it?

It seems I'm pregnant again.

In spite of being 40 now ...

That's a good sign!

One joy on top of another.

Bear me a fine child.

Kae, feel this.

The way of tying the cords you taught me. I've made that into a family crest.

It's also useful for tying up the sleeves when working.

The world's first breast cancer operation to be done under general anesthetic took place in October 1805.

Kae, the operation was a great success.

I removed the tumour.

From now I can operate on anything. All kinds of operations are possible.

Now I can do like the famous Chinese doctor Kada did.

(aka Hua Tuo)

Congratulations.

It's thanks to you.

No, it's thanks to Otsugi.

I wouldn't have been here without her.

This is the new treatment space. It's double the size it was.

This is the operating room.

This is where we wash the bandages.

The next room is a medicine supply store.

This is where the medicines are made.

This is the dormitory for the apprentices. There are 50 of them!

I'm going to make a place for you here.

I'd like it the way it has been up to now.

I'd like the back storage room like your mother used to.

The people in the village started telling a new story.

A moving tale about a wife who lost her sight to help her husband.

Kae didn't like it.

She said nothing and hated to go out when there were people around.

The end

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes