Title: Untitled (IIE!! I need a title! Someone help!!)
Author: Chase-chan
Disclaimers: I do not own anyone who was in Rurouni Kenshin, though I wish
I do because they're bishounen ^_^
Rating: PG-13, just because that's what I rate everything ^_^
A/N: This is an Okita story. I'm trying to do what I have not seen done
yet, which could be very interesting. @_@ I've gotten my historical notes
mostly from two sites, these being:
and
in case you'd like to check
it out too ^_^ I'm hoping that I can get more research done when I learn to
read Japanese, but that'll be a while.. Do not take everything I say for
fact in this, simply because I'm 1: twisting history, and 2: I don't know
everything that I've found is fact and am not entirely sure. For one, I've
read on.. I think it was the second sight.. That Okita had the measles when
he was twenty or so and he was teaching in Edo. Well.. That's not going to
work for me, so I'm twisting it up a bit ^_^ (I can just see myself now
apologizing to Okita-san at his grave when I get there.. @_@ I'm not use to
writing about people that lived!!) That's just one thing, and there may be
others. Also, I'm sure some of the stuff didn't happen the way I portray
it, but I couldn't find anything clear on how it DID happen, so just enjoy
and don't take everything I say as concrete fact, ne? ^_^ Enjoy!
Chapter One: Sick Days
Sock covered feet padded across the boards that made up the Shieikan Dojo as their owner ran down the hallway. The young man with a boyish face rounded the corner and continued down the hall, speed picking up. He came to nearly a dead stop when he found his pathway blocked. "Ne! Harada-san! You picked a bad place to nap," the teen grumbled good-naturedly. Harada Sanosuke looked up and cocked an eyebrow. "And you picked a bad place to be running, Souji-kun," he answered with a smile. "What are you in such a rush for?" Okita Souji grinned. "I'm trying to make it to the training room before Kondou-san can get too mad at me for being late." Harada nodded. "Yeah, wouldn't want to make him mad," he answered as he stretched lazily, but did not move from his spot. The dark-eyed youth shook his head in slight annoyance as he jumped over the snoozing figure and sprinted down the hall. He hollered a "hello!" to Yamanami Seisuke before dashing into the training room. He grinned sheepishly at the man that had treated him as a brother for the past ten years as he entered and received a patient glare. "Gomen nasai, Kondou-san! I lost track of time." Kondou nodded and watched his most talented pupil take his place. A shadow of a smile crossed his stern features. Souji had more than potential. The boy had defeated him all ready, years ago. He had been only fifteen. At nineteen, though, he still remained at the dojo. He was pleased with this. The boy had become as close as a younger brother between the four of them. Hijikata, Inoue, and he wouldn't know quite what to do without the smiling younger member of their small group, Kondou was sure of that. "Ne, Kondou-san?" The elder man looked over, eyes connecting with his younger friend's. "Daijoubu ka?" "Hai, Souji-kun. Daijoubu," he answered with a small smile. Okita nodded with a smile.
The evening wind was blowing slightly and Okita sat on the porch enjoying every moment of it. The dojo had been stuffy feeling all day and it felt good to be out in the summer breeze. "Konban wa, kid," a voice said from behind. Okita turned his dark gaze back behind him to see Harada standing over him, a smirk on his face. "Konban wa," the youth answered, smiling. "Where've you been hiding out since this morning, eh?" The taller man sat down and leaned against a post lazily. "Daijoubu ka? You haven't looked well all afternoon." Okita smiled and nodded. "Hai. I've just felt a bit warm all day. It's probably nothing." Harada reached over and placed a hand on the youth's face. "Ya feel a little warm, kid," he said with a frown. "Daijoubu," Okita said quickly, pulling away from the elder man's hand. "Honto! It's nothing. I'll be fine if I just get a good night's sleep!" That said, he stood and left for his room. Harada watched him with slightly worried brown eyes. He stood as well, but made his way in the direction he last saw Kondou and Hijikata talking to one another.
Okita lay curled up on his futon later that evening. He shivered. Somehow he'd been warm all day and now found himself freezing. He pulled the blankets up around his neck as he tried to sleep. "Souji-kun?" He opened one dark eye to glance in the direction of the door. "Eh?" It was Hijikata's voice. The youth groaned. "I'm coming in," the elder man announced, opening the shoji. He stepped into the room and slid it close behind him. Okita heard his footsteps coming closer until he knelt down next to him. The boy did not look up, but remained burrowed under the covers. "Harada said you are ill." "I'm not ill," Okita answered. "I'm just." he trailed off as he sneezed. He sniffed, wrinkling his nose in frustration and annoyance. "I'm just a little under the weather. It'll pass by tomorrow." Hijikata frowned slightly and reached a hand for the boy's face. Okita pulled away. He didn't want one of the two men he looked up to the most to think he was weak. He smiled up. "Daijoubu." "No you're not," the elder man said with a frown. "You're ill. Now let me see how ill." Okita sighed as he felt Hijikata's hand press gently against his face, checking for fever. He then heard him sigh and growl something. "We'll have to send for the doctor in the morning if your fever isn't gone." "It's probably just a cold, Hijikata-san," the youth answered cheerfully. "I'll just rest it off." "Souji, it's rare to get colds in the summer." Okita only smiled. Hijikata continued to frown, but stood. "Sleep. Either Kondou or I will come check on you later." Okita nodded before closing his eyes, finding himself quickly sinking into darkness.
"If the boy says it's a cold, I'm sure that's all it is," Kondou was saying as he and Hijikata made their way down the hall toward the youth's room. "I get the feeling that's not all it is," Hijikata mumbled. "I don't know what quite yet, but it's not a cold." Kondou nodded as they stopped in front of the door. From inside they heard a quiet moaning and the sound of someone thrashing around in their sleep. The two men looked at each other and then back at the door. Hijikata slipped in first, quickly followed by the master of the dojo. They found their younger "brother" twisting and turning in his sleep. His face was flushed with fever and he shivered under the covers. The elder of the two men knelt next to the youth and reached a hand out slowly to wake him. A pair of dark blue eyes flew open as Kondou's hand came in touch with his shoulder. He looked lost for a moment, but then settled down, breathing labouredly as his eyes focused in on his friend. Kondou nearly pulled back as he felt the youth's feverish face. His dark hair was wet from it and his clothes were matted against him. "Souji-kun?" "Eh?" Okita asked quietly with a smile. The elder man started to say something, but then stopped, letting his hand rest on the teen's shoulder. "I should call for the doctor." "It can wait until morning," Okita said as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Honto." Kondou glared slightly and pushed him back down gently. "Lie down." "Daijoubu," Okita whispered. "No, you're not. Hijikata, send for the doctor, ne?" "Kondou-san! Honto! Daijoubu." The youth was cut off by a violent cough that sent him doubling over. He looked up at Kondou and managed a small smile. The elder man simply shook his head. "Rest," he ordered as he pushed him back to his pillows. "The doctor will be here in a while."
The doctor's arrival was a blur to Okita Souji. The whole dojo was up at that point, worried over its youngest prodigy. Kondou and Hijikata waited outside their young "brother's" room while the doctor was in there. The elderly man came out with a neutral expression on his face. "He has the measles," he announced. "Isn't he a little old for that?" Kondou asked. "You can get the measles at any age, but it is rare to get it at his age. Have both of you had them?" Hijikata shook his head negative while Kondou nodded an affirmative. "Then you'll be the one to take care of him," the doctor told the elder man. "Try to keep his fever down and keep him comfortable." Kondou nodded. He watched Hijikata escort the doctor out while continuing to talk to him. The dojo master looked back at the room where Okita was sleeping fitfully. This was going to be difficult.
Bye late the next day, Okita was restless. The coughs that had started earlier that morning kept him awake, and therefore bored. He had been ordered to stay in his room, as to not get anyone else ill, and was now pacing it. This is how Kondou found him when he came in. The elder man sighed. "You should be resting." Okita leaned against the wall, his eyes downcast and slightly glazed over from the still high fever. He did not respond. Kondou frowned. "Souji?" The youth looked up, eyes meeting his friend's. "Hai?" "You should be resting," Kondou repeated. "You will recover faster." "I can't sleep." He coughed into his hand as if on cue. "You should at least rest." The dark eyed young man sighed heavily. He didn't want to rest. He had been resting the better part of the day. He wanted to get on with his exercises and his daily routine, but that wasn't looking hopeful. He slid down the wall, sitting on the hard floor. He probably had a good full week of this left, and he all ready had cabin fever after less than a full day. Okita frowned. "There's a bed there you could sit on," Kondou said, a slight smile tugging at his lips. The boy had always been like this. At least he had since he had come to the dojo eleven years before. Okita stood, a little shaky, and made his way over to the bed. The elder man knelt beside him as the youth stretched out. He was flushed with the fever, and shivered slightly. Kondou sighed. "Your restlessness will only make your illness worse." "Gomen nasai." The dojo master frowned. "Rest, Souji-kun, ne?" Okita nodded, reaching for the blankets and pulling them around his body. He whimpered slightly until he felt Kondou's hand rest on his head, quietly stroking his hair in the slightest show of affection. The youth smiled slightly before finding himself lost in the sleep he had not been able to obtain for the past several hours. Kondou stood quietly, and started to leave, but stopped when he heard the boy whimper again in his sleep. He knelt back down by the futon, and placed his hand on the boy's head again. The whimpering stopped. He sighed heavily, a seemingly going theme for the evening, and settled himself in to sit with the boy he looked at like a younger brother. He wouldn't have done it for another, but for Souji-kun, he was willing and pleased to sit and stay with him for the entire night if need be.
Harada sipped his sake, eyes closed in thought. He reopened them when he heard Yamanami's voice. "Kondou-san has been in there for quite some time. Do you think Okita's all right?" Harada took one more sip of his drink before setting it down on the table. "Hai. That kid can survive anything," he responded. Yamanami smiled. "He's not such a child anymore, Harada-kun." "I know. He's just always been the youngest of our group. It's hard to believe he's nearly twenty." "He still looks like a child, though." Harada grinned broadly. "He's small, big eyes, and has an innocent smile. He'll always look younger than he is." Yamanami nodded. "Hai. I believe you're right." He took a sip of his drink, and his eyes turned serious. "Have you heard the talk about the gaijins? More and more people are calling for them to be kicked out of the country." "Yeah, I heard about it." "We will be hurled into a time of turmoil soon," Hijikata said as he took his place with his own cup of sake, followed closely by Inoue Genzaburou, who also took his seat. "Do you think there will be war?" Yamanami asked. "I can not say," Hijikata responded. "There's talk of overthrowing the Shogun," Inoue said in a low voice. "That's insane," Nagakura said as he came into the room. "We have had a Shogun for over six hundred years now! Why do away with him now?" "Because people are scared," Hijikata answered as he sipped at his drink. "People are frightened of the gaijins and their ships coming into our bays." "The Shogun should be able to take care of that, shouldn't he?" Yamanami asked, eyes sweeping over the others surrounding the table. "The people don't see it that way," Harada answered. "Some of them do and some of them don't," Nagakura answered. "What ever happened to Kondou?" Yamanami asked, changing the subject. "He left to go check on Okita twenty minutes ago and didn't come back." Harada shrugged. "He probably staid back there with the kid." Yamanami nodded. "Hai. Tabun." A smile spread across Inoue's face. "He went to check on him earlier this after noon and found him up and around in his room. Souji has a fever that should keep most people off their feet, but he just keeps going." He glanced over to where Hijikata was staring into his cup of sake. "Ne, Hijikata?" "Hmm?" The elder man looked up, startled from his thoughts. "Nothing," Inoue said with a smile. "Just making sure you're awake over there." Hijikata glared slightly. "Hai. I'm awake. Just. thinking." "Well don't hurt yourself," Harada said with a grin. Hijikata simply glared, shutting the other up instantly. The group looked up at the sound of light padding of feet came down the hallway. A young woman entered with a smile. Kondou Akiko, Kondou's young wife, came in with a new bottle of sake to pass around. "Is there anything else I can get all of you?" she asked sweetly. "Not at all, Akiko-san," Hijikata answered for all of them. She nodded and began to leave. "Matte, Akiko-san?" Inoue called. "Do you know if your husband is still back with Souji-kun?" Akiko nodded. "I believe he is, Inoue-san." "Domo arigatou." "Doutashimashte."
Akiko peeked into the room to find her husband sitting by Okita's bed. He looked as if he had just dozed off, but woke with a start when the light from the candle she was holding reached his face. She smiled. "How's he doing?" "Sleeping. That's the best he can do. The fever is still up, and has climbed because of his restlessness." Kondou frowned slightly as he said this. Akiko nodded. "He'll be fine, Isami-san. You shouldn't worry so much. Souji is a strong boy." Kondou nodded. "I know." Akiko smiled once more before turning to leave. "You should get some rest yourself, Isami-san." "I will." After she heard his words, she walked out, leaving him alone with restlessly sleeping boy.
It got worse before it got better. It became more difficult for the youth to breathe and the rash that accompanied measles showed on his pale skin. He would turn and thrash around in his sleep, fever high. Kondou spent most of the day and a good deal of the night with him, watching over him. One day, he walked into the room where the group in the dojo was drinking their sake and Akiko was standing and laughing with Inoue. They all looked up from what they were doing, and seeing Kondou's serious expression, assumed the worst for the youth laying at the end of the hallway. Kondou bowed his head a bit, allowing the smallest of smiles to appear. "He's over the worst of it. His fever has fallen." A large grin spread across Harada's face. "That kid's hard to take down." "I knew he'd be all right," Yamanami said with a smile. Akiko walked over and embraced her husband. "Now that Souji-kun is out of harm's way, you should rest." Kondou nodded and headed in the direction of their room. She turned back to the group of men and smiled. "Is there anything I can get you boys?" "Some more sake?" Harada asked with a grin.
A/N: Yay! I've finished the first chapter!! I'm so proud of myself!! It took. a while. I guess two days.. @_@ Oh well. Like I said before, not everything is exactly perfect in this. I really don't know where each of these members stands exactly on politics of that time, nor have a full grasp of what all was going on, so I did my best. TBC
Chapter One: Sick Days
Sock covered feet padded across the boards that made up the Shieikan Dojo as their owner ran down the hallway. The young man with a boyish face rounded the corner and continued down the hall, speed picking up. He came to nearly a dead stop when he found his pathway blocked. "Ne! Harada-san! You picked a bad place to nap," the teen grumbled good-naturedly. Harada Sanosuke looked up and cocked an eyebrow. "And you picked a bad place to be running, Souji-kun," he answered with a smile. "What are you in such a rush for?" Okita Souji grinned. "I'm trying to make it to the training room before Kondou-san can get too mad at me for being late." Harada nodded. "Yeah, wouldn't want to make him mad," he answered as he stretched lazily, but did not move from his spot. The dark-eyed youth shook his head in slight annoyance as he jumped over the snoozing figure and sprinted down the hall. He hollered a "hello!" to Yamanami Seisuke before dashing into the training room. He grinned sheepishly at the man that had treated him as a brother for the past ten years as he entered and received a patient glare. "Gomen nasai, Kondou-san! I lost track of time." Kondou nodded and watched his most talented pupil take his place. A shadow of a smile crossed his stern features. Souji had more than potential. The boy had defeated him all ready, years ago. He had been only fifteen. At nineteen, though, he still remained at the dojo. He was pleased with this. The boy had become as close as a younger brother between the four of them. Hijikata, Inoue, and he wouldn't know quite what to do without the smiling younger member of their small group, Kondou was sure of that. "Ne, Kondou-san?" The elder man looked over, eyes connecting with his younger friend's. "Daijoubu ka?" "Hai, Souji-kun. Daijoubu," he answered with a small smile. Okita nodded with a smile.
The evening wind was blowing slightly and Okita sat on the porch enjoying every moment of it. The dojo had been stuffy feeling all day and it felt good to be out in the summer breeze. "Konban wa, kid," a voice said from behind. Okita turned his dark gaze back behind him to see Harada standing over him, a smirk on his face. "Konban wa," the youth answered, smiling. "Where've you been hiding out since this morning, eh?" The taller man sat down and leaned against a post lazily. "Daijoubu ka? You haven't looked well all afternoon." Okita smiled and nodded. "Hai. I've just felt a bit warm all day. It's probably nothing." Harada reached over and placed a hand on the youth's face. "Ya feel a little warm, kid," he said with a frown. "Daijoubu," Okita said quickly, pulling away from the elder man's hand. "Honto! It's nothing. I'll be fine if I just get a good night's sleep!" That said, he stood and left for his room. Harada watched him with slightly worried brown eyes. He stood as well, but made his way in the direction he last saw Kondou and Hijikata talking to one another.
Okita lay curled up on his futon later that evening. He shivered. Somehow he'd been warm all day and now found himself freezing. He pulled the blankets up around his neck as he tried to sleep. "Souji-kun?" He opened one dark eye to glance in the direction of the door. "Eh?" It was Hijikata's voice. The youth groaned. "I'm coming in," the elder man announced, opening the shoji. He stepped into the room and slid it close behind him. Okita heard his footsteps coming closer until he knelt down next to him. The boy did not look up, but remained burrowed under the covers. "Harada said you are ill." "I'm not ill," Okita answered. "I'm just." he trailed off as he sneezed. He sniffed, wrinkling his nose in frustration and annoyance. "I'm just a little under the weather. It'll pass by tomorrow." Hijikata frowned slightly and reached a hand for the boy's face. Okita pulled away. He didn't want one of the two men he looked up to the most to think he was weak. He smiled up. "Daijoubu." "No you're not," the elder man said with a frown. "You're ill. Now let me see how ill." Okita sighed as he felt Hijikata's hand press gently against his face, checking for fever. He then heard him sigh and growl something. "We'll have to send for the doctor in the morning if your fever isn't gone." "It's probably just a cold, Hijikata-san," the youth answered cheerfully. "I'll just rest it off." "Souji, it's rare to get colds in the summer." Okita only smiled. Hijikata continued to frown, but stood. "Sleep. Either Kondou or I will come check on you later." Okita nodded before closing his eyes, finding himself quickly sinking into darkness.
"If the boy says it's a cold, I'm sure that's all it is," Kondou was saying as he and Hijikata made their way down the hall toward the youth's room. "I get the feeling that's not all it is," Hijikata mumbled. "I don't know what quite yet, but it's not a cold." Kondou nodded as they stopped in front of the door. From inside they heard a quiet moaning and the sound of someone thrashing around in their sleep. The two men looked at each other and then back at the door. Hijikata slipped in first, quickly followed by the master of the dojo. They found their younger "brother" twisting and turning in his sleep. His face was flushed with fever and he shivered under the covers. The elder of the two men knelt next to the youth and reached a hand out slowly to wake him. A pair of dark blue eyes flew open as Kondou's hand came in touch with his shoulder. He looked lost for a moment, but then settled down, breathing labouredly as his eyes focused in on his friend. Kondou nearly pulled back as he felt the youth's feverish face. His dark hair was wet from it and his clothes were matted against him. "Souji-kun?" "Eh?" Okita asked quietly with a smile. The elder man started to say something, but then stopped, letting his hand rest on the teen's shoulder. "I should call for the doctor." "It can wait until morning," Okita said as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Honto." Kondou glared slightly and pushed him back down gently. "Lie down." "Daijoubu," Okita whispered. "No, you're not. Hijikata, send for the doctor, ne?" "Kondou-san! Honto! Daijoubu." The youth was cut off by a violent cough that sent him doubling over. He looked up at Kondou and managed a small smile. The elder man simply shook his head. "Rest," he ordered as he pushed him back to his pillows. "The doctor will be here in a while."
The doctor's arrival was a blur to Okita Souji. The whole dojo was up at that point, worried over its youngest prodigy. Kondou and Hijikata waited outside their young "brother's" room while the doctor was in there. The elderly man came out with a neutral expression on his face. "He has the measles," he announced. "Isn't he a little old for that?" Kondou asked. "You can get the measles at any age, but it is rare to get it at his age. Have both of you had them?" Hijikata shook his head negative while Kondou nodded an affirmative. "Then you'll be the one to take care of him," the doctor told the elder man. "Try to keep his fever down and keep him comfortable." Kondou nodded. He watched Hijikata escort the doctor out while continuing to talk to him. The dojo master looked back at the room where Okita was sleeping fitfully. This was going to be difficult.
Bye late the next day, Okita was restless. The coughs that had started earlier that morning kept him awake, and therefore bored. He had been ordered to stay in his room, as to not get anyone else ill, and was now pacing it. This is how Kondou found him when he came in. The elder man sighed. "You should be resting." Okita leaned against the wall, his eyes downcast and slightly glazed over from the still high fever. He did not respond. Kondou frowned. "Souji?" The youth looked up, eyes meeting his friend's. "Hai?" "You should be resting," Kondou repeated. "You will recover faster." "I can't sleep." He coughed into his hand as if on cue. "You should at least rest." The dark eyed young man sighed heavily. He didn't want to rest. He had been resting the better part of the day. He wanted to get on with his exercises and his daily routine, but that wasn't looking hopeful. He slid down the wall, sitting on the hard floor. He probably had a good full week of this left, and he all ready had cabin fever after less than a full day. Okita frowned. "There's a bed there you could sit on," Kondou said, a slight smile tugging at his lips. The boy had always been like this. At least he had since he had come to the dojo eleven years before. Okita stood, a little shaky, and made his way over to the bed. The elder man knelt beside him as the youth stretched out. He was flushed with the fever, and shivered slightly. Kondou sighed. "Your restlessness will only make your illness worse." "Gomen nasai." The dojo master frowned. "Rest, Souji-kun, ne?" Okita nodded, reaching for the blankets and pulling them around his body. He whimpered slightly until he felt Kondou's hand rest on his head, quietly stroking his hair in the slightest show of affection. The youth smiled slightly before finding himself lost in the sleep he had not been able to obtain for the past several hours. Kondou stood quietly, and started to leave, but stopped when he heard the boy whimper again in his sleep. He knelt back down by the futon, and placed his hand on the boy's head again. The whimpering stopped. He sighed heavily, a seemingly going theme for the evening, and settled himself in to sit with the boy he looked at like a younger brother. He wouldn't have done it for another, but for Souji-kun, he was willing and pleased to sit and stay with him for the entire night if need be.
Harada sipped his sake, eyes closed in thought. He reopened them when he heard Yamanami's voice. "Kondou-san has been in there for quite some time. Do you think Okita's all right?" Harada took one more sip of his drink before setting it down on the table. "Hai. That kid can survive anything," he responded. Yamanami smiled. "He's not such a child anymore, Harada-kun." "I know. He's just always been the youngest of our group. It's hard to believe he's nearly twenty." "He still looks like a child, though." Harada grinned broadly. "He's small, big eyes, and has an innocent smile. He'll always look younger than he is." Yamanami nodded. "Hai. I believe you're right." He took a sip of his drink, and his eyes turned serious. "Have you heard the talk about the gaijins? More and more people are calling for them to be kicked out of the country." "Yeah, I heard about it." "We will be hurled into a time of turmoil soon," Hijikata said as he took his place with his own cup of sake, followed closely by Inoue Genzaburou, who also took his seat. "Do you think there will be war?" Yamanami asked. "I can not say," Hijikata responded. "There's talk of overthrowing the Shogun," Inoue said in a low voice. "That's insane," Nagakura said as he came into the room. "We have had a Shogun for over six hundred years now! Why do away with him now?" "Because people are scared," Hijikata answered as he sipped at his drink. "People are frightened of the gaijins and their ships coming into our bays." "The Shogun should be able to take care of that, shouldn't he?" Yamanami asked, eyes sweeping over the others surrounding the table. "The people don't see it that way," Harada answered. "Some of them do and some of them don't," Nagakura answered. "What ever happened to Kondou?" Yamanami asked, changing the subject. "He left to go check on Okita twenty minutes ago and didn't come back." Harada shrugged. "He probably staid back there with the kid." Yamanami nodded. "Hai. Tabun." A smile spread across Inoue's face. "He went to check on him earlier this after noon and found him up and around in his room. Souji has a fever that should keep most people off their feet, but he just keeps going." He glanced over to where Hijikata was staring into his cup of sake. "Ne, Hijikata?" "Hmm?" The elder man looked up, startled from his thoughts. "Nothing," Inoue said with a smile. "Just making sure you're awake over there." Hijikata glared slightly. "Hai. I'm awake. Just. thinking." "Well don't hurt yourself," Harada said with a grin. Hijikata simply glared, shutting the other up instantly. The group looked up at the sound of light padding of feet came down the hallway. A young woman entered with a smile. Kondou Akiko, Kondou's young wife, came in with a new bottle of sake to pass around. "Is there anything else I can get all of you?" she asked sweetly. "Not at all, Akiko-san," Hijikata answered for all of them. She nodded and began to leave. "Matte, Akiko-san?" Inoue called. "Do you know if your husband is still back with Souji-kun?" Akiko nodded. "I believe he is, Inoue-san." "Domo arigatou." "Doutashimashte."
Akiko peeked into the room to find her husband sitting by Okita's bed. He looked as if he had just dozed off, but woke with a start when the light from the candle she was holding reached his face. She smiled. "How's he doing?" "Sleeping. That's the best he can do. The fever is still up, and has climbed because of his restlessness." Kondou frowned slightly as he said this. Akiko nodded. "He'll be fine, Isami-san. You shouldn't worry so much. Souji is a strong boy." Kondou nodded. "I know." Akiko smiled once more before turning to leave. "You should get some rest yourself, Isami-san." "I will." After she heard his words, she walked out, leaving him alone with restlessly sleeping boy.
It got worse before it got better. It became more difficult for the youth to breathe and the rash that accompanied measles showed on his pale skin. He would turn and thrash around in his sleep, fever high. Kondou spent most of the day and a good deal of the night with him, watching over him. One day, he walked into the room where the group in the dojo was drinking their sake and Akiko was standing and laughing with Inoue. They all looked up from what they were doing, and seeing Kondou's serious expression, assumed the worst for the youth laying at the end of the hallway. Kondou bowed his head a bit, allowing the smallest of smiles to appear. "He's over the worst of it. His fever has fallen." A large grin spread across Harada's face. "That kid's hard to take down." "I knew he'd be all right," Yamanami said with a smile. Akiko walked over and embraced her husband. "Now that Souji-kun is out of harm's way, you should rest." Kondou nodded and headed in the direction of their room. She turned back to the group of men and smiled. "Is there anything I can get you boys?" "Some more sake?" Harada asked with a grin.
A/N: Yay! I've finished the first chapter!! I'm so proud of myself!! It took. a while. I guess two days.. @_@ Oh well. Like I said before, not everything is exactly perfect in this. I really don't know where each of these members stands exactly on politics of that time, nor have a full grasp of what all was going on, so I did my best. TBC