Disclaimer: Peace Maker Kurogane is the creation of Kuroro Nanae, not mine.
Summary: Hijikata took care of his men.
Author's notes: Fic #7 for Livejournal community Ficlets on Demand's Fic a Day June Challenge '08. Request: Blood by kneazles.
Maintenance
by monitor screen
-o-
Susumu forced his feet to take one more step, then another, and another. Each movement tore at him, refreshing the agony, and he could numbly register the way his dampened clothes was starting to stick. But such discomforts were beneath him at the moment; his mind raced to find the vital misstep he had made, that had led to this.
At least he got when was needed. The rest of the mess was, hopefully, more forgivable.
He barely managed to slip into the Shinsengumi compound without raising alarm. Now, just the last distance across the yard to Hijikata-san's quarters...
--
... When Susumu opened his eyes again, it was to Hijikata-san wiping the camouflage off his face, with a gentler hand then he had thought possible. Susumu started, trying to scramble up, only to be forcibly held down.
The hand on his knee was unyielding; but it was also careful.
"Don't you dare make me change those bandages again," Hijikata growled, and waited for his nod before letting up. "Now, tell me what you've got."
Susumu took a deep breath and began to recite his knowledge gained, little as there was. When he finished, he reached for the maps he had secretly copied, and only then did he realise that he was no longer in his blood-soaked kimono.
He sat up gingerly under Hijikata-san's glare to fumble in the discarded garment. The stains had already started to harden, red-brown spoiling delicate blues and whites. Susumu tried to swallow down his unease; this had been one of her favourites.
The papers were quietly pried from his frozen hands, scanned and quickly interpreted. Hijikata stood. "Stay here until you can walk without bleeding all over the place." His profile was commanding and menacing as ever set against the pale morning light; and then the screen door was closed with a controlled clark.
Susumu was not sure if he really did catch the soft words, "I'll ask if Souji knows something to be done about that kimono."
-o-