JIN Episode 9

I'm getting into the home stretch of this drama. Only a few more episodes to go.

Hikosaburo comes to tell Nokaze that some guy called Inkyo is wanting to, well basically buy her (and not just for one night) and set her up as his exclusive mistress. Nokaze knows that as a prostitute it would be stupid for her to turn this opportunity down. At the same time this discussion is going on, Jin is looking at his photograph of him and Miki sitting on a couch. Miki's image starts to fade away like Marty McFly although she doesn't disappear altogether.

Jin wishes he had a stethoscope and when Saki asks what that is he describes it to her in length. On her own, Saki goes to the boys at the soy sauce-slash-penicillin factory and has them make up a rough version of what she thinks one looks like. They also try their hands at making other medical devices Jin has talked about before.

Jin, Saki and Tachibana are out having a bite to eat at a restaurant (that's what I'm going to call it) talking about the new apparatuses. At the table next to them is a group of firefighters led by old man Shinmon Tatsugoro. Shinmon and Jin get into a debate about the worth of doctors - Shinmon says they have none - in a disaster like a fire. Jin of course defends his profession and Shinmon invites him to show up at the next fire to put his money where his mouth is.

When the three return home it is to find that irrepressible Sakimoto Ryoma flirting with Moma T. Sakimoto has come to talk over an idea with Jin. That idea being -- Sakimoto, are you sitting on Jin's lap?! Anyway, that idea is to start selling the penicillin to the public. They'll make money, the people will get better, and the two main parties (Throw The Barbarians Out vs Let The World In) will come together and Japan will become one without a shot being fired.

Jin receives a letter from Nokaze. She asks him to come visit her at the brothel, don't tell anybody else. Naturally Sakimoto is reading over Jin's shoulder and he's all for accompanying the doctor to the red light district. Jin goes because he's worried about what he's done to the future that Coma-girl is disappearing.

Turns out Nokaze was just inviting Jin to a feast in his honor. Remember that 50 ryo she tried to give him in the last episode? Since he wouldn't accept it, she spent it all on this party. Feeling guilty about it all, Jin stays. Sakimoto is having the time of his life but Nokaze can see Jin is uncomfortable with it all. Jin excuses himself to use the restroom and to the geisha's distaste Sakimoto slips into the vacated seat next to her. So while he's not looking, Nokaze slips some powders into Sakimoto's drink.

Jin is looking at the photograph again. He believes Miki has resolved a little bit more. A sleeping Sakimoto is dragged off to another room. When Jin comes back to the party room it is to find everyone is gone except for an old woman. She directs him to where Nokaze is waiting for him. He enters the room to find the courtesan has slipped into something a little more comfortable. (She's still got layers and layers on, but not as many layers and layers as she usually has.)

Nokaze gets right to the point and asks Jin if he plans to ever be with Saki. Jin gets all flustered and embarrassed, saying he's old enough to be Saki's father. (Really? He doesn't look that old. Just how old is Jin supposed to be?) So if it's not Saki, Nokaze asks if there's another woman in Jin's heart. She wants to hear all about this woman. As Jin begins to describe Miki, he starts to realize that coma-girl and Nokaze actually have more in common than just their looks. Nokaze gets up close and personal and tells Jin that just for this night he can call her by that other woman's name. That way he won't be cheating. Jin doesn't look like he's averse to any of this.

Meanwhile, poor Saki is left at home to worry.

Just as Jin is about to move in for the kill, the photograph falls out of his clothing. He grabs it up to see that Miki is coming back into the picture (literally) even stronger. Then the fire alarm bells start to ring. Looks like no lovin' for Nokaze as Jin rushes to the scene. (I guess this is how it is for all wives and husbands and whatnots of doctors, firefighters and police whenever there's an emergency.)

The injured have all been gathered in once place. Jin and Saki are quickly joined by the med students from the Western Medicine School. Jin quickly explains what triage is to everyone. They take over an empty warehouse and use it as an emergency room. There are so many patients the doctors are about to be overwhelmed when some doctors from the traditional Chinese medicine school join them.

Just when it looks like the worst is over, a firemen rush in with one of their own who is suffering from smoke inhalation. Shinmon Tatsugoro watches as Jin attempts to use one of their home-made respiratory bags on the firefighter but it's not working well. Shinmon scoffs that he knew doctors were useless and he orders his men to start carrying the man to a priest for last rites. Jin won't let them take the man and wants to try cutting the patient's throat open. To Shinmon that just sounds like cutting a person's throat to kill them and he won't have it. He and Jin argue, wasting precious time IMO, until finally Shinmon relents and goes back to fight the fire.

Jin starts a tracheotomy. I start to look away. Outside the wind is changing direction, threatening to blow the flames towards the medical site where Jin is. They attempt to move as many patients as they can. Tachibana comes to warn Jin and everyone that they have to leave but Jin says his patient is not able to be moved. He'll stay behind and asks everyone else to seek safety. Naturally they elect to stay with Jin and finish the surgery.

Morning breaks. The fire is out and the surgery is a success. When Jin and Saki step out of the warehouse it is to find every building around theirs has been burned or torn down to the ground. Jin can tell Shinmon that his right hand man has been saved. As expected, the ruff and gruff fire chief changes his tune about doctors. Jin thanks the Edo fire brigade for never giving up, never quitting.

Now awake, Sakimoto is angry that he got left out of everything and he goes looking for Jin in the brothel. Instead he finds Nokaze - and an empty bed. Nokaze tells him that Jin had left to go treat the victims of the fire. She also tells Sakimoto how she'll be exclusive after today and so she lost her chance to be with Jin. Sakimoto, seeing how much this hurts Nokaze, surprisingly hugs her. Not one of his lascivious hugs, but an actual comforting hug. He recommends to the geisha that she go ahead an cry on his shoulder. She takes him up on his offer.

Jin takes out his picture again only to find Miki is faded even more. He wonders if he should have stayed with Nokaze instead of rushing to the fire. (Eww, this isn't implying that coma-girlfriend is like Jin's great great great great granddaughter, is it? There might be a hundred or so years of genetics in between them but still, that's just a little too icky for me anyway. If, that is, where the story is going.)

Nokaze is feeling her chest and locates a lump in her breast. Good grief, is Jin going to be treating breast cancer in the next episode? How in the world is he going to manufacture chemotherapy drugs?

Shinmon offers to build Jin a hospital. Moma T informs Saki that a marriage proposal has been sent for her. Men in a dark room talk about Sakimoto, and not in a good way. Nokaze asks her boss to be examined by Jin before she goes to her new man. Jin goes to his favorite hangout to look at his picture. Saki comes there too and starts to tell him something when suddenly he grabs his head in pain. Ah, flash of Creepy Baby in a Jar with its eyes open!