Chapter 7. No One to Turn to

“HUH?” the policemen and arrested fishermen had their mouths wipe open. “You are Sai of the Torrent? The true one? I thought he was...”

His mother came out, “Lost or DEAD? He WAS.” She then slapped him and took him by the ear, “Mori, Sai! Where have you been? HUH?”

Sai’s eyes became saucers, looking like pools of water.

The officer comforted, “He’s a hero, Mrs. Mori. Your boy is a true hero for our community. Don’t treat hit badly.”
“Never spoil your sons or they’ll become rotten eggs,” Dr. Date said; as Sai’s mom pulled Sai by the ear to the car.

Sai choked, “Mom, let go of me. I need to fetch the motorcycle.”

Mrs. Mori shouted, “You should be ashamed. I looked all over for you. You’re in bad trouble.”

Dr. Date had cooled down enough to say, “Come on. Let him fetch the motorcycle. He did save the ocean and sea, and he’s already this much hurt.” Sai knew his mom was terribly worried about him and understood enough. Getting onto the motorcycle, he followed the parents to home, being watched suspiciously.

Kento yelped, “Sage! You little trickster! You made me go back!”

Sage laughed, “Well, it IS Backgammon, isn’t it? Here, I’ll let you roll another.” Ryo looked outside, regretting what he done. He didn’t want Sai to take the consequences and planned to tell Mrs. Mori it was his fault first thing.

“I’m winning!”

“NO you AREN’T! I’ve another piece in!”

“Darn you. This is not the game of ‘Sorry’ you know!”

A car and motorcycle pulled up. It was them. Ryo ran to the door, about to greet them; Sai was pushed into the room, and in front of his friends, he was slapped on the cheek.
Sage’s mother took Mrs. Mori at the hand, “Stop it! You cannot hurt him! He probably had a reason! Mrs.…”

Sage’s temper started to trigger, “Why did you slap Sai? WHY? Mrs. Mori, why?” Sai was startled but was trying to defend for his mom, “No, Sage. It was…”

Ryo then blurt, “It’s MY fault! Please! If you’re going to hit someone, hit ME!” Rowen came out from being in the study-room to rest for awhile and nodded, “If he asks for it, I think you should.”

Sai’s face turn red and angry at Rowen this time. But it was too late to say one word. Mrs. Mori then challenged, “Okay, you said it! I will… I’ll hit YOU!”
Mrs. Mori couldn’t be stopped, and down went her hand. And down her hand went, ready to strike, viciously. Hitting… someone… not Ryo. She hit Sai… at his heart.

Sai fell down, then quietly cried, “Could you see that… I’m hurt already?” and his heart lurched.

Kento and Sage ran to him. “Mom… mom… please.”

“SAI! I’m sorry, Sai! I… I lost my temper again. Please forgive me! I didn’t mean it. I DIDN’T!” Mrs. Mori then hugged him, wrapping him into her arms as much as she could. “Please, Sai! You’re… my only son. Once you go… I’ve no one to take over the house… nothing…” She ruffled his hair lightly promising, “I’ll make sure you’ll go to the Aquarium tomorrow. And if it happens again, I won’t do that again, okay?”
Ryo was relieved but at the same time, he was sad. If they don’t find the right herb or sort for him, he’ll die in three months approximate or earlier. Keeping that behind, he smiled at Sai and said, “Come on, you want to play a game with me or watch Sage-san play against Kento huh, Sai-chan?”

Sai gulped him, “No thanks… I think I need to help Mom do the cooking…”

Mrs. Mori shook her head, “No. You already had enough for today. I’ll be all right. Shoo, Sai. You don’t belong in the kitchen.”
Picking another game, carefully, they chose to play Scrabble. They promised themselves, too, they’d go outside when the weather got better.

“Okay… how long is your word?” asked Sai, plainly. Ryo looked, making a funny face, he replied, “Er, four letters long.”

Sai, politely [as if he had to], questioned for permission, “Mine is six letters long. You want me to place mine first?” Ryo nodded, and Sai put the six lettered word, “ranger.” While Sai took six letters from the black bag, Ryo spelled, “trooper,” using Sai’s ‘r.’ Sai then pondered, looking at it with bewilder eyes; then, taking his wonderful time, he put down an a, s, r, and e, spelling out ‘aster,’ using Ryo’s ‘t’ for more help.
This went on for awhile, till they got most of the letters out; that was when they used both of their minds together to use the rest of the letters. “… How about ‘sun?’ We use the ‘s’ and ‘n!” Sai suggested.

Ryo then looked and made a face, “What about that up and down? It spells nothing!” Sai then giggled and shook his head, “YES, it does Ryo… something I wouldn’t like to spell.”

Ryo, playfully, hit Sai, “You little twerp! You are certainly someone, Sai!” He had pinned Sai, mischievously, when Kento threw a Backgammon black piece at Ryo’s head, “Kento! WHY YOU…!”
Kento then stuck his tongue out, teasingly, “La la la LA la! You can’t get me!”

Sai then came off the floor taking it, “We’ll see about it! Chase you out the door! No, RACE you to the fence by the pasture!” Everyone piled out, running to beat each other. “We’ll see!”

Sage hauled to the rocks and took a mild shortcut. That was exactly when Sai disappeared completely as the others were taking shortcuts if they can. When they came to the ‘finish line,’ Sai was already there, biting on a big foxtail that was really huge.
Kento cried, “You cheated Sai! You took one of your shortcuts that we didn’t know!”

Sai smiled, “I didn’t cheat. YOU guys did. I took the normal route, while you guys go try to find shortcuts!”

That was when Sai was pounded into the big hay wagon. Kento started to push it around. Sage then joked, “Hey Sai! Aren’t you having fun?”

Sai squeaked, “This is NOT fun. It’s rather… SLIPPERY!” He then flung up piles of muddy straw, making Kento loose balance; he fell into a big pile of mud.
When they came back, really late… after they had a good dinner, they all just plopped themselves in the bedroom and went fast asleep, including Sai once again. The next day shall begin.
Sai was first to wake up that very next day. He was really excited and was going to the Aquarium! But he felt like his wounds weren’t getting better and something was really strange to him. He felt like they were hiding something from him; Kento was an early riser this time. He had the car ready to go.

Rowen decided to not go though urged to. Sai’s head unwarily became dizzy and unconscious looking. When Sai came out, he couldn’t even know if someone was there. Kento saw only what Sai wore, “SAI! Why are you wearing… fish, fuzzy slippers?”
Sai only answered, but really indefinitely, “So what. You mud up all my shoes, and I’m lazy. Come on, we could go once Sage and Ryo comes out.” Once they did, they drove off. Sai insisted he should drive, but Kento wouldn’t allow it, which was fortunate.
At the Aquarium, they stood in line, waiting to pay and sign in. Sage and Ryo kept on bopping each other with food, making quite a racket. Sai’s mind wasn’t concentrated and just sat down, dizzy. They kept on asking if he was all right and Sai insisted he be. When signing in, he could barely see the paper. But putting in a lot of effort, he wrote all of their names down, nicely, and put down the tickets for the ticket-man to tear.
They headed to the Midnight Zone tanks. Transparent jellies and various transparent things were in there, including a sea cucumber! After seeing a lot of it, Sai then said, “These poor creatures that have to be locked up. I hope they don’t mind. It’s cruel, but amazing.”

Sage called, “Come here, guys! I see sea lions!” Pointing, there were four sea lions, fat things they were. Sai laughed at them as Kento called them ‘lazy lumps.’
Then they looked at the other fun stuff and many of things, including shows. Sage really liked to wander off and once Sai attempted to put a string to attach around Sage’s wrist so he doesn’t wonder off away so often. Ryo bought them some sodas while Kento took care of the food… arguing on what to eat. Finally, they were able to settle onto something, and Kento rushed off to a line, trying to cut his way in. Sage, Sai, and Ryo decided to eat outside where they could see the seagulls fly and watch anything.
Ryo then asked Sai, “How come Rowen didn’t come? Maybe we should of waited for him… he could of changed his mind. Sai didn’t answer right away. He now had hatred with Ro, but not enough for him to do anything to Ro. Sai had enough strength and calmness he didn’t mind Rowen for the time been. But down deep, he felt like that something was forcing Rowen to do this. Was it that Rowen of Strata… was scared about something?
Just before Sai was about to move, he saw Rowen, hiding behind a cargo area. He beamed happily, “ROWEN! OVER HERE!”

Ro was startled and began to run. Sai ran after him, jumping down to the dock before anyone could catch him. “Rowen, wait! What’s wrong with you, Ro…!”

Sai then tripped over a bunch of logs, hooked up knives, and nets tangled, trashed, and speared him at this fall. Just when he got up, he bumped into Ryo who had followed him down. But just as it happened, his head hurt, and he fell downstairs, to the storage room. He had no one to turn to at that time.
Sage commanded, “We better bring him to somewhere close. Come on, let’s go to somewhere he could rest… FAST.” Dragging the small boy, they headed to Ryo’s place, which was very near