A Hoshie Story: DNR

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I meant that Kuo-Yi posted the link to the video, not the clip itself.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

Astro remained by Hoshie's side all night. Dr. Tezuka and Dr. Blackjack took turns checking on her vitals. Professor Ochanomizu didn't spend the night at the hospital, he returned the next day with Reno in tow. They found Astro still sitting beside his 'mother', nearly asleep.

“Your energy levels must be getting rather low.” Reno said, poking Astro in the chest.

“Yeah, I think I could use a recharge.” Astro sighed.

“Good thing I brought you some 'breakfast'.” Reno laughed, pulling an energy tube out the bag he had in tow with him. Reno opened Astro's chest panel and plugged the recharge tube into the fuel socket. It only took a few minutes to refill Astro's fuel tanks, the look on his face quickly picked up.

“Thank's, Reno.” Astro said. “I was feeling a bit weak there.”

“There's something else I'd like to do, if you don't mind.” Reno said. He had brought a laptop computer with him, and a special set of electrodes which he attached with suction cups to Astro's head and chest.

“What's this for?” Astro asked.

“I want to record your mental contact with Hoshie.” Reno said. “Professor Ochanomizu told me what you were doing, and I didn't quite believe it. It's almost like you reprogrammed your own A.I.”

Astro placed his hands on Hoshie's head again, and concentrated. It didn't take him very long to drift back into his trance state. The graphic display on Reno's computer started going crazy with the waveforms of Astro's EEG output.


Hoshie laughed at the prize her son had selected. It was a Micro Bear, cute and cuddly.

“ I thought you'd want a scary Dinosaur or a Horse or something.” She said.

“No, I like this.” Astro said. “It's something I can fall asleep with and have pleasant dreams.”

“Yes, I guess it would be comforting.” Hoshie said, stroking Tobios's hair and playing with his cowlicks. She looked up at a clock on the side of a building. “It's getting late, we should be heading home. We'll catch hell if we get back after your father gets home.”

They slowly walked to the fairground exit, and waited for the bus that would take them home. Astro put his arms around Hoshie's waist and hugged her.

“Thank you mom, for a wonderful day!” he said.

Hoshie bent down and kissed Tobio on his forehead.
“You're welcome!” She said.


Astro felt something push at him and he snapped out of his trance. The EEG monitor above Hoshie's hospital bed started beeping. Moments later, Dr. Tezuka ran into the room. He looked up at the monitor and pressed a button to silence the alarm.

“What's the matter?” Astro asked with a worried voice.

“Nothing” Tezuka said. “That alarm was set to trigger if Hoshie's brain activity peaked beyond a preset point. It just did.”

Hoshie moaned and opened her eyes a crack. She tried to say something, but her voice was weak and distorted. Astro was able to understand her however.
“Tobio?” Hoshie asked.

Astro wasn't sure what to do. He decided to play along.
“Yes mother?”

“I'm thirsty. Can you get me some water?”

Dr. Tezuka brought over a glass of liquid.
“This is a thickened electrolyte solution. It's safer for her than plain water, and has additional enzymes that she needs.” The doctor said.

Astro held the cup up to Hoshie's lips and she drank a few sips.

“This is encouraging.” Dr. Tezuka said. “If Hoshie is able to drink and eat pureed food, there may be a chance for some sort of a recovery.”

[AstroBlaster1998]

This is a great story. I now have watch that clip 5 times. NO PHONES! patient. Pour Atomu, help him from the big mean Black Jack.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

“Where Am I?” Hoshie asked. She tried to open her eyes but kept closing them.

Dr. Tezuka reached for the room lighting control and dimmed the lights.
“Can you see anything?” he asked.

Hoshie opened her eyes a bit wider. It seemed like she was trying hard to focus, and make something out of a blurry scene. She turned her head and stared at Astro for a few minutes.
“You're not Tobio?” are you? She asked.

Astro was afraid to go into details, he didn't know if Hoshie remembered what had happened to Tobio many years ago.

“No, Mrs. Tenma.” Astro said. “My name is Astro, I'm a robot.”

“Yes, I know you, Astro Boy.” Hoshie said. “You look a lot like my Tobio once did.”

A nurse walked into the room, pushing a cart with a feeding tray on it. She left the tray, and departed. Astro thought a moment, and picked up a small dish containing applesauce, and a spoon. He spooned out a small amount of the applesauce, and brought the spoon to Hoshie's lips.
“You must be hungry.” He said. “Let me feed you.”

For the next ten minutes Hoshie slowly accepted the food into her mouth and was able to swallow it. She managed to finish most of the dish of applesauce, as well as part of another containing pureed carrots and peas, before she drifted back to sleep.

“Very good, Astro” Professor Ochanomizu said. "You make a good nurse."

Astro blushed a bit.

Reno pulled the Professor aside.
“Astro thinks of Hoshie as his real mother.” Reno said. “He has Tobio's memories of Hoshie implanted deep in the lower levels of his A.I.”

“I realize that.” Ochanomizu replied. “I think Hoshie has imprinted on Astro as her surrogate son as well. Astro's direct mental contact with her has also strengthened that association.”

Dr. Blackjack entered the room and looked at Hoshie's charts. He saw the food tray and the now empty dishes.
“Excellent!” he said. “She's able to swallow. There's some hope for something of a recovery then.”

Kurō looked at Astro, who once again was slipping into a trance to make direct contact with Hoshie's mind.
“It's freaky watching him do that!” he said. “I suspect he's pulled Hoshie back from the beyond several times now, her recovery has been totally in Astro's hands, in more ways than one.”

Hoshie opened the door to their house just as the sun was starting to touch the horizon. Dr. Tenma's car was still missing from the driveway and the hallway was dark as they entered. It was clear that they had beat Umataro home.

“Can I help you make dinner?” Astro asked.

“Why sure, Tobio!” Hoshie said. “What would you like?”

“I don't know?” Astro said, “What were you going to make?”

“Well your father did ask me to make Sushi, but I'm not that good at it.” she said.

“I'll do the hard part.” Astro said.

Hoshie got the fish she had bought the other day out of the refrigerator, and removed a bag of raw rice from the pantry cabinet. She set the rice pot up on the stove to boil, and started to prepare the fish on a cutting board. Astro stood watch over the rice as it cooked.

“Watching a pot, won't make it boil any faster!” Hoshie laughed.

“I know.” Astro said, as he looked in the refrigerator for the seaweed wrap.

Hoshie turned down the heat on the stove and stuck a spoon in to test the rice.
“OK, it's cooked enough.” she said, removing the pot and placing it on a thick cloth on the counter.

Astro carefully wrapped the fish in the rice and rolled it in the seaweed. He made nice tight bundles, which Hoshie then cut up and placed on the bamboo trays. Astro put these back in the refrigerator to cool.

“Those look very good.” Hoshie said. “I think your father will be quite surprised.”

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

Astro came by the hospital every day for the rest of the week. Hoshie's condition didn't change too much, she might open her eyes for a few minutes at a time, and was able to be spoon fed small amounts of pureed food. The doctors did not see any great chance for rapid improvement of her condition, and there was little more that they could do.

Dr. Tezuka found Astro trying to make conversation with Hoshie. She sometimes recognized him, but often mistook him for Tobio. Most of the time Hoshie was in some state of sleep, sometimes she could be roused by calling her name and squeezing her arm.

“Hello, Astro.” The doctor said. “We'll be moving Hoshie to a nursing home later today or tomorrow. Yuki spent a great deal of time doing the research and she recommended a good facility not far from here.”

“Does that mean she's better?” Astro asked hopefully.

“Not really.” Tezuka said. “We've done everything that we can for her, she now needs long term care which is something a hospital isn't suited for.”

“Oh.” Astro sighed.

“Don't worry,” the doctor said. “She'll be well looked after where she's going. They will be able to give her physical therapy if she can remain awake long enough. The nurses will make every effort to keep her eating, but that will depend on Hoshie being awake long enough.”

“No feeding tube?” Astro asked.

“No. Hoshie's made that clear in her living will.” Dr. Tezuka answered. “If her recovery falters, she'll be kept comfortable, but no measures will be taken to keep her alive. It's what she wanted.”

“I'm sure see doesn't want to die.” Astro said sternly.

“True, but she also doesn't want to exist in a mindless state either.” The doctor said. “Professor Ochanomizu knows where Hoshie is going, you can visit her in the nursing home.”

“I will.” Astro said. He kissed Hoshie on the forehead and walked out of the room, waving back as he left.


The first day that Astro visited Hoshie in the nursing home, he found her in a day room with a few other resident patients. Hoshie was sitting up in a large padded chair that could be wheeled between her room and the rest of the facility. Hoshie appeared to be sleeping, but opened her eyes briefly when Astro said hello. A nurse carrying a tray with some bowls of pureed food and cups of juice stopped by.

“Hello, Ms Hoshie-chan, time for your lunch.” she said.

Hoshie stayed awake long enough to eat half a bowl of pureed vegetables and some juice, before falling asleep again. Astro tried to wake her, but she was now in a deep sleep.

“She's been like that since she was brought in.” the nurse told Astro. “I don't think she's eating enough.”

Astro got pulled a foot stool close to Hosie's chair and sat next to her. He placed his hands on her head and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?” the nurse asked, but got no reply. Astro had slipped into a deep trance.


Dr Tenma opened the front door and hung his hat and coat on the rack by the door. He walked into the dinning room where Tobio was helping Hoshie set the table. A large plate of prepared Sushi was already sitting in the middle of the table, Tobio had just brought in the Wasabi sauce and ginger. Umataro looked at the platter and smiled.

“Did you hire a Sushi chef, dear?” He asked.

“Sortof.” Hoshie laughed. “Tobio helped make dinner.”

“Tobio?” Umataro asked. “Since when did you learn how to make Sushi?” he asked.

“I watched a cooking show on TV.” Astro quickly blurted out.

“Impressive.” Dr. Tenma said. “So how was school today, son?”

Astro didn't know what to say. He didn't want to get his father mad.

“Tobio wasn't feeling well this morning.” Hoshie quickly interrupted. “He stayed with me all day.”

Umataro gave them both a stern look for a second, before smiling.
“Well, Tobio can make up the missing classwork tomorrow.” he said. “Let's eat dinner, I'm starving!”

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

The head nurse came in and gently prodded Astro, moving him away from Hoshie.
“I'm sorry son,” she said “I need to examine Ms Hoshie.”

Astro opened his eyes and quietly got up. The nurse drew a blood sample from Hoshie, who didn't flinch at all when the needle was inserted into a vein. The nurse then took her blood pressure, and listened to her breathing and heartbeat through a stethoscope. She mad a sour look on her face, and quickly erased it when Astro saw it.

That evening Astro sat sulking in his room. Uran and Cobalt tried to cheer him up, but he mostly ignored them. When Chi-tan crawled into his room and tugged on his left boot, Astro picked up the infant and sat him on his knee. Chi-tan made funny faces trying to get a laugh out of his older brother, but Astro could do little more than pat the little robot on his head. Chi-tan let out a small cry, just loud enough to bring Uran into the room. She immediately saw the problem and sighed.

“Poor Chi-tan was trying to cheer you up, and you must have ignored him.” She said.

“I know.” Astro said in a low voice. “The part of me that used to be Tobio is sad because he's loosing his mother. I don't think she's got much longer.”

“But you helped Dr. Blackjack operate on her.” Uran said.

“I guess it wasn't enough.” Astro sighed.

The telephone rang and Professor Ochanomizu answered it. He listened for a few minutes, mumbled a few words and hung up.
“Astro!” the old man called out.

“Yes?” Astro asked, walking into his guardian's room.

“The nursing home just called.” He said. “Hoshie's blood work and vital signs indicate she's not doing very well. They told me she might not make it past tomorrow.”

Astro's eyes teared up. He didn't know what to do. Suddenly, he ran out the door and leaped skyward. Astro flew toward the coast and landed by the cliff where Dr. Blackjack's house stood. He saw that the doctor's car was parked in the driveway, so he ran up to the door rang the bell.

Pinoko opened the door and was surprised to see Astro standing there. Astro rushed past her and ran up to the lounge chair where Dr. Blackjack was seated reading a newspaper and smoking his pipe.

“Blackjack Sensei, I need your help!” Astro cried. “Hoshie is dying.”

Blackjack got out of his seat and stood up. He towered nearly two heads above the boy robot, so he bent his legs to look eye to eye with him.
“I've already done everything possible.” He said. “You've even done the nearly impossible. I'm sorry Astro, but her brain was too far damaged.”

“Are you sure? Can you take another look at her?” Astro pleaded.

“Now?” Kurō asked.

“Yes, I'll take you to her.” Astro pleaded.

Blackjack looked into Astro's moist brown eyes and saw the plea of an innocent child. He sighed, and picked up his black bag.
“I'll probably get vertigo, but OK.” He said.

They walked outside and Astro picked Dr. Blackjack up an flew with him to the nursing home. He landed gently by the front door and they walked inside. When the reached Hoshie's room, Dr. Tezuka was already there.

“The home called the hospital and I came right over.” he said. “What brought you here?”

“I did.” Astro said.

Tezuka handed Kurō Hoshie's chart. Blackjack looked at the blood work results, and he listened to her heart and breathing.
“A bit of arrhythmia.” he said walking over to the drug locker. Kurō filled a syringe with some medicine from a small vial and injected it into Hoshie's arm.

“This will help in the short term, but there isn't much I can do to change the outcome.” He sighed.

Astro once again placed his hand over Hoshie's head and made contact with her mind. He had to concentrate much harder than before, as Hoshie's brainwaves were much weaker.

The three of them sat down to dinner. Dr. Tenma carefully cut off a section of the first wrap and dipped it into the sauce. He slowly chewed and swallowed the sushi and smiled.
“You made this, Tobio? Perhaps you shouldn't follow in your old man's steps as an engineer and you should become a chef.”

Astro smiled at his father. “I'm glad you like it father, but I'd still like to become a great scientist like you.”

“Well, at least you'll have a back up career to fall back on.” Umataro laughed.

Hoshie ate silently, happy to see how well her son and her husband were getting along together. She felt like a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

“I'll get it.” Hoshie said, walking toward the front door.

“I didn't hear the doorbell ring.” Umataro said.

“Neither did I.” Tobio added.

Hoshie opened the door and smiled “Hello.”

Standing just outside the door was a beautiful young woman dressed in a pure white chauffeurs uniform. Parked in the street by the driveway was a brand new, spitting clean, pure white limousine.

“Your ride is waiting, Ms Hoshie.” the chauffeur said.

“Yes, you're right on time.” Hoshie said walking out the front door.

Astro ran out the front door after her.
“Where are you going, mom?”

“It's time for me to leave, Tobio. Please take care of your father, won't you?”

“No, Mom! I want to come with you!” Tobio cried out.

The chauffeur bent down and patted Astro on the head.
“I'm sorry son, but you can't go with your mother, it's not your time.”

“Are you coming back?” Tobio sobbed, “Will I ever see you again?”

Hoshie bent down and kissed Tobio on his forehead.
“I'm afraid it's goodbye, son. I won't be coming back, but we will see each other again someday, when it's time.”

The chauffeur helped Hoshie into the back seat of the limousine and closed the door. Astro looked up at her.
“I guess I won't ever see my mom again. I'm a robot, so I won't get to ride in one of these limousines."

The chauffeur bent down and smiled at Astro.
“Don't sell yourself short. You have as beautiful a soul as your mother does. You will see her again. Until then a piece of her will always be right here.” She said, touching Astro's chest at the spot where his electronic brain was. The woman got into the drivers seat and started the engine. The large automobile drove off into the sunset as Astro watched.

Astro snapped out of his trance to the sound of the EKG monitor screaming for a flat line. Hoshie was gone.

[AprilSeven]

This is so beautiful, touching and bittersweet. We're all very lucky to have you share your gift of story-telling with us, and I don't doubt for an instant that and your mom are getting acquainted. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

Hoshie looked at peace lying in the casket. A small crowd of people walked through the small prayer room in the chapel to pay their last respects. The casket sat on a low table besides the podium in front of a few rows of benches. The walls of the room were of brick lined with dark woods, with a few stained glass windows on one long wall. The room was decorated in a non-denominational manor, as the funeral home served the needs of several different religions. A subtle hint of a Bach organ piece was playing from hidden speakers.

Astro stood next to the coffin looking down at the face of his 'mother'. It was a simple unfinished pine box with a few decorative carvings on the top and sides. The lid was in two pieces, with only the smaller portion over the head opened. Simple rope handles were attached to the sides for the benefit of the pallbearers.

Professor Ochanomizu and Reno watched from across the room.
“He's been standing there motionless for hours,” The old man said. “I don't think I've even seen him blink once.”

“It's the way his A.I. deals with grief.” Reno said. “Dr. Tenma was a genius, but he couldn't translate the human mind's handling of some emotions into cybernetics. This is the first time Astro has had to handle the specific emotional pains of a loss like this. He probably doesn't comprehend the meaning of the death of a loved one. It's a totally new experience for his A.I.”

“I hope he doesn't suffer some kind of computer crash.” Ochanomizu said.

“He won't.” Reno quickly replied. “But it will take him a while to work it out.”

The chaplain walked into the sanctuary. He was dressed in a respectful, dark colored suit. He noticed the boy dressed in a dark pair of short pants a jacket with red boots standing over the casket. He walked up to Astro and looking down at the face of the departed, placed a hand on his shoulder.

“She was someone special to you, wasn't she?” He asked.

“In another life, she was my mother.” Astro said.

The background music changed tune and increased somewhat in volume. A few people shuffled into the room and found seats.
Astro took a seat in the front row next to Ochanomizu and Reno. The service was short and simple, and ended with the casket lid being closed, and the pallbearers carrying it out the door to the waiting hearse. Ochanomizu, Reno, Cobalt and Mustachio were among those carrying the coffin out of the room. Astro wanted to help, but was told that it wasn't proper for the bereaving to perform the duty.

During the hour long ride to the cemetery Astro sat in silence next to Cobalt and Uran in the back of the limousine. Ochanomizu, Reno, and Mustachio sat in the row of seats ahead of them. The funeral procession finally reached the grave site and the casket was removed from the hearse and was lowered into the ground as the chaplain spoke. Astro watched as the funeral workers started to shovel the earth into the grave to cover the casket. He suddenly grabbed a shovel out of the hands of one of them, and proceeded to do the work himself.

“Astro!” Ochanomizu started to protest, but the chaplain stopped him.

“His behavior is actually quite proper,” He explained, “In fact Jews consider it the final act of respect for a loved one for the funeral congregation to personally fill in the grave.”

With clay encrusted mud from the grave site covering his boots, Astro rode back in the limousine with his companions. He hadn't spoken a word since living the funeral home, and sulked back into his room as soon as they returned home.

Professor Ochanomizu called Reno into his office.
“I'm very concerned about Astro.” He said “I've never seen him like this before. I've tried to talk to him for nearly a week now and I've gotten little response out of him. All he seems to do is to sit on a small wooden crate in his room, deep in thought.”

“I do believe he's grieving Professor.” Reno said. “I didn't expect this from his A.I., but it appears that he has developed the human emotion for grief. In fact his actions appear to resemble the
Jewish custom for sitting Shiva after the funeral of a loved one.”

“But he hardly knew Hoshie” Ochanomizu replied.

“Ah, but he did!” Reno returned. “He has Tobio's memories deep down, so he knew Hoshie to be his mother. In addition, by making direct mental contact with Hoshie after she had her stroke, Astro has actually relived Hoshie's memories of Tobio's childhood.”

Though his eyes were open, Astro didn't see the walls of his room, or any of his surroundings. He was enveloped in a soft fog that hid the world around him. He didn't hear the sounds of his family in the rooms around him, though they were hardly being quiet. He heard the pleasant sound of an angelic choir singing softly in a heavenly voice. Floating in front of him a whispering vision of an angelic figure with Hoshie's face slowly solidified out of the foggy mist. It spoke to him in a soothing voice.

“Astro,” it said. “you don't need to grieve for me any longer for I have found my peace and I am finally happy.” Another figure materialized out of the mist. It was a young girl several inches shorter than Astro with two bangs of hair on either side of her head that stood up in much the same way that Astro's own cowlicks did. She smiled at him, clutching her mothers hand. Holding Hoshie's other hand was the young Tobio, who smiled back at Astro.

“You have your own life to live now, Astro,” Hoshie said, “and lot's of important things to accomplish.” She added. “You can always find me for strength anytime you need me, I'll always be with you.”

Astro suddenly felt reassured, and the fog lifted. He got up from the wooden box that he had been sitting on for a week, and walked into the kitchen to find his guardian making a cup of tea.

“Astro?” Ochanomizu asked.

“I'm hungry, and I can use a recharge.” Astro said.

Dr. Blackjack found Dr. Tezuka in his office doing some work on his computer. He glanced at the screen and sighed.
“Hoshie's death certificate?” He asked. “I thought you'd have filed that weeks ago.”

“I did.” Tezuka said. “I was just double checking something. I'm still puzzled by this.”

“I think I know what you're getting at.” Blackjack said. “Hoshie never really regaind consciousness for any length of time after her stroke. She was probably never fully aware of what had happened to her, or of her surroundings. Yet she was still alive as a self aware spirit deep inside. Her only contact with the outside world was through Astro's mental link with her mind. I think Astro helped ease her final days, she wasn't alone as she left this world.”

“I don't think we will ever fully understand the relationship between the human brain and the soul.” Tezuka said. “There is much that science will never understand, those that berate religion probably need to rethink their position. Maybe intelligent beings were not intended to ever understand god. We are just required to believe, and find our own inner peace.”


The End

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

POSTSCRIPT

As I sit here writting this final chapter I can almost see Astro sitting next to me. I've been projecting my own recent emotional rollercoaster ride through Astro's eyes for the last month. After 61 years on this earth, I am now alone as an orphan. (Well, I still have my siblings, my wife and daughters, and good friends). It's hard seeing those that we love fall ill and leave us. At least neither one of my parents suffered greatly and were allowed to gently pass on in peace, and I was allowed to experience some form of 'closure'.

I'll probably edit this story for uploading to FF.NET eventually. Meanwhile while it may be the first of spring, it's cold up in NYC (though the first of the robins have returned to peck at the cold ground for worms.) My flight from south Florida was a bear, JFK was closed for a few hours due to a freak stormfront passing by and having to attend a funeral on three hours sleep was not fun. Driving through Brooklyn to get to NJ from LI was bittersweet, probably the last time I'll ever see the neighood I grew up in. I guess Thomas Wolfe was right........

[Windswept Cloak]

It was wonderful! I liked it!