>>5602084 >>5602094 >>5602103 >>5602105 >>5602202Right, this is important. You should go and tell the village head about it. You should do that, but first... well, you can't help but be curious.
「Mind if I help?」You clarify after a moment.「With the autopsy, I mean.」Huo Mi glances at you for a few seconds without saying anything. Then she shrugs. "If you want to, sure. If the corpse gets to you, though, feel free to leave. The first time is rough."
「So you've seen one before?」Huo Mi nods lightly as she stands up and circles around the body. "Yup. More than a few. I'm not a proper doctor or apothecary but I'm what passes around these parts, so you run into them." She chuckles to herself. "First one I saw was an old man that died at home. Was already worse for wear by the time I got there. Nearly passed out, although that might've been more from the smell than anything else."
After circling around it once Huo Mi stops and thinks for a bit. Once she's done she addresses you again. "Don't want the house stinking like death. If you could clear off one of the worktables and drag it out here that'd be great. I'll prep him in the meantime."
You do as directed, clearing off one of the larger worktables and doing your best to get it out of the workshop without leaving marks on the floor. Pretty taxing on your own, but not the end of the world. Once you're outside Huo Mi lends you a hand, making the task of moving it much easier.
When you get around back you see the body. It's uncovered now, and naked. You avert your eyes, afraid of dropping what you're carrying if you look at it too hard. It's only once you have the table down that you really a get a look at it.
It's a man around Takigi's age, with hair that's just starting to grey. His eyes and mouth are closed, as if at rest. He's pale, but from the face alone you can't immediately tell that he's dead. His chest breaks that illusion. It's covered in blood, bruising, tears, and scrapes. The rest of his body below that looks pretty normal, besides a few scattered scratches and bruises.
It takes you a bit to process it all. Maybe around 10, 15 seconds. And then you immediately close your eyes, taking a deep breath in. Around 10 seconds later you open them, having composed yourself.
You can hear Huo Mi behind you. "That was faster than I thought. You alright to help me lift him?" You nod. "Alright. You grab the legs." You walk over to the other end of his body and grab hold. It lacks any warmth, having become as cold as the snow. Huo Mi grabs him by the shoulders. On the count of three you both lift, moving him onto the table. A few patches of blood red snow are left behind where the man had laid.
