The basket bobbed gently across the water until it finally bumped against the shore of Dawn Island, arriving just as the first rays of sunlight painted the horizon.
Makino had almost finished restocking the alcohol supply for her bar when something made her pause. An odd feeling tugged at her as she gazed out at the water. Setting down her crate by the fishing stand, she walked toward the beach to investigate.
What she found there froze her in place—a weathered basket, half-buried in sand and seaweed. Curiosity overcoming her initial fear, she rushed forward to examine it more closely. Brushing away leaves and debris, she gasped. Inside lay a baby, no bigger than her forearm, pale and still.
Without hesitation, she lifted the tiny child from the basket, wrapped him in her apron, and ran back to the bar. Bursting through the back door, she shouted to the front for everyone to leave and fetch the town doctor immediately.
As the confused patrons filed out, Makino filled the sink with warm water and gently bathed the baby. Two things alarmed her: the skin was ghostly pale, and the baby's small body bore bruises and marks that spoke of rough treatment.
The doctor arrived moments later, breathless and worried. "Why is everyone saying you were acting strangely? Are you hurt? What's wrong?"
"I'm fine," Makino said quickly, lifting the baby and drying it. "I found her on the beach. She doesn't look healthy—I need your help."
The doctor examined the child quickly. "First, this is a boy, not a girl. Second, I need to see what he was wrapped in while I work on him." He immediately began CPR, using only two knuckles to pump the tiny chest.
Makino retrieved the battered basket and noticed a name written inside, which she quickly copied down. Just then, she heard the baby coughing up water and bile. Color slowly returned to his skin, and he began to cry—a sound that was both heartbreaking and reassuring.
Relief flooded through her as she hugged both the doctor and the now-crying infant. As she calmed down she offered the doctor a drink "on the house" as thanks, but he declined, saying he was still on duty.
As he headed for the door, Makino called after him, "Where are you going?" The doctor paused and smiled. "That baby needs to eat, doesn't he? And besides, he's yours now. You'll need to name him, feed him, clothe him, and care for him."
Makino touched the paper with the name she'd copied. "Don't worry about milk—I have cows out back. And he already has a name. It was written in his basket."
She waved goodbye to the doctor, fed the baby with a bottle he'd left behind, and quietly reopened her bar, only half her attention on work the rest was on the baby Danker D. Garso. The future of the baby, to no one's knowledge would shake the world.