The Wagtail's Cuckoo: Three
"I must say, Shirou-kun," the doctor said as the nurses peeled away the bandages around his face, at first with practiced care and then, when she realized that the horrific burns the boy was supposed to have simply weren't there, with perplexed speed. "The rate at which you've recovered is nothing short of miraculous!"
It had been a few days since Shirou had first met Chiho. The very next day, she had stopped by his room, and though she had been stuck in a wheelchair and he had been under orders not to leave his bed they still managed to pass the time away easily enough. It had been just like the day before, and it had been magnificent. He'd been thrilled when she'd returned the next day, and the day after that. After days of solitude, he found that he enjoyed the company of his onee-chan.
He'd begun to expect their time together, and had been loath to allow the nurses to change his bandages for fear it would impinge on that time. When they discovered that his horrendous burns had almost completely disappeared, the doctor had been summoned.
Consultations and disbelief had ensued. It was now a day later, and everyone was thoroughly certain that there had been no mistake.
Shirou had healed.
"Is it?" the boy said, somewhat relieved that at last he wouldn't have to be covered from tip to toe in bandages. "Well, that's nice."
"Shirou-kun, I don't think you understand the magnitude of how amazing this is," the doctor said, somewhat reproachfully. "Most people never recover from the kind of wounds you had. We thought we would have to give you extensive skin-grafts and physical therapy in order to make you better. You might not have left our care for years. But you don't need any of that!"
Shirou blinked at this new information, and made a thoughtful frown. There was a serious matter was weighing heavily on his mind, and this development might be just be the answer to all his troubles. It could solve everything.
He took a deep breath, and asked the one questioned he yearned to ask.
"Does this mean that I can visit someone?" he enquired earnestly.
"What? Who would you- wait, have you remembered something from before the fire?" the doctor asked eagerly, and though Shirou couldn't recognize it the excitement of what the boy's miraculous healing might mean for him. Physical and mental healing? The possibilities were endless.
At his sides, the bewildered nurses decided that since his head seemed to be wholly healed the rest of him probably was as well, and instead of slowly unwrapping him like a mummy they simply cut him free with surgical scissors. It wasn't long before Shirou was out of his bandages and thoroughly naked.
"No, but I want to visit someone I met here," Shirou explained.
"Oh," the doctor said, clearly disappointed with this answer. Despite his disappointment, however, he was "I suppose it should be possible. You'll just have to check in with the nurse at the desk to make sure that your friend agrees
Shirou scrunched up his brow in confusion at this.
"But Chiho-nee told me I could visit whenever I wanted to," he pointed out cautiously.
"Eh? Chiho-nee?" the man seemed confused at the honorific. "Shirou-kun, I thought you didn't have any relatives-"
"He doesn't," a female voice informed him from the doorway, and Shirou recognized it from before. "We confirmed as much this morning."
The doctor and the nurses turned as one to face the newcomer, though Shirou merely gave a nod of acknowledgement in her direction.
There, standing in the doorway, was Takami Sahashi.
"Excuse me, who are you and what are you doing here?" the doctor demanded.
"Good afternoon, Sahashi-san," Shirou greeted with a nod.
"Hello Shirou," Takami Sahashi greeted in return. "I'm glad to see that you've recovered so quickly."
"It's miraculous," Shirou dutifully informed her.
"Yes, I can see that much," Takami said, her mouth quirking into an amused grin. "I think I might have to ask you a few more questions later if that's alright with you, Shirou-kun."
"That's fine," Shirou agreed with a nod. He didn't have a reason to say no.
"Now see here just a minute!" the doctor shouted, by then thoroughly annoyed at having been ignored for so long. "Who do you think you are, bursting into this room and talking to my patient like-"
"Takami Sahashi, head of the MBI research division," the white-haired woman interrupted calmly. "I cleared Shirou to be transferred here in the first place. You could say he was mypatient before he was yours."
"Eh?" the man looked taken aback at this notion, but quickly rallied once more behind a shield of logic. "W-well, that hardly matters now, does it?"
"Maybe. We'll see," Takami returned her attention to Shirou. "You said you wanted to visit someone?"
"Yes. Chiho-nee," the boy answered. "She said I could visit her whenever I wanted."
The scientist smiled, seeming genuinely satisfied that the boy she had thought to be a hopeless case only a week ago had sprung back so quickly.
"Well then. How about you go do that, and I'll talk to this grump while you're gone?" she suggested knowingly.
This set the doctor off once more, as he immediately left Shirou's side in order to stand face-to-face with Takami
"You can't do that! This boy is under my care, and he is not well enough to-"
"Wow, would you look at him go. Young men really do spring back into action, don't they?" Takami said with mock-amazement.
Shirou, once free from the doctor's attention, climbed out of the bed and hastily slipped on a hospital gown. He didn't even wait for the nurses to tie up his back end before bolting out the door.
"Eh?" the doctor grunted, turning to see what Takami was referring to. "No, Shirou! Come back here right now!"
"Here, doctor-san," Takami said, grabbing his wrist to prevent him from following after Shirou. "How about we have a talk while Shirou-kun visits his friend, yes?"
"What are you-"
The voices trailed off as Shirou bounded away, eager to visit his onee-chan.
The hallways passed by in a blur as he ran through them, agilely dodging past minor obstructions like people or beds or various medical equipment. He remembered the exact course that Uzume had wended through them, and now he retraced it with speed borne of eagerness.
Soon enough he was standing in front of Chiho's door, somewhat breathless from his mad dash but otherwise none the worse for wear.
He paused only for a moment to catch his breath before he knocked at her door.
"Come in," came Chiho's voice from the other side.
Shirou did as he was bid, and all but rushed into the room.
Chiho was sitting in her bed, just as she had been the last time he had been there, with a confused look on her face. She stared at him, as if trying to recognize him.
"Err, hello," she said uncertainly. "Can I help you?"
For a moment Shirou felt a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach at the question before he realized that this was the first time that she had ever seen his face. He felt somewhat better, but the feeling in his stomach was still there.
He did not like it. He wished it would go away.
For now, he would ignore it.
"Good afternoon, Chiho-nee," he greeted, and allowed none of his apprehension show.
For a moment Chiho looked confused. And then recognition dawned on her, and her face lit up like the sun.
"Shirou-kun!" the young woman said with a gasp. She seemed to suddenly realize "Ah! I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you without your bandages! Come here and let me look at you!"
Shirou smiled, and hastened to obey. He scrabbled onto her bed, and nestled himself onto her lap with not a small amount of satisfaction. He sat with his shoulder to her chest, as he had wanted to do for some time. It just seemed like the thing to do, and felt so very right.
Chiho, for her part, merely giggled in response as he made himself comfortable. But soon enough her eyes took notice of something, and her mouth quirked up into an almost mischievous grin.
"Shirou," she said innocently. "Would you mind if I touched your head?"
The boy in question craned his head to look at Chiho for a moment, silently asking her just what she wanted to do with his head that she would need to ask permission before shrugging.
"Sure," he agreed nonchalantly, though he was curious as to just what she was up.
Chiho wasted no time, as he had no sooner granted her permission than she had placed a hand on his head and begun to lightly rub it.
"Fuwaah," She gasped as she continued to rub his head. "You have peach-fuzz hair!" she giggled. "You're like a little monk, Shirou-kun! We should ask Uzume to make you a costume for the next time she's here!"
"But it'll grow back soon," Shirou pointed out, even as he considered the prospect. "Unless you think I should keep it like this."
"Hmmm," she hummed contemplatively. The young woman turned him around so that she could look him in the face. "No, Shirou-kun should let his hair grow out a bit before he cuts it. Red hair is too rare not to let it show!"
"But then I wouldn't be able to be a monk," the boy pointed out, frowning.
"Heh, don't worry," Chiho assured him, and reached out towards her nightstand and pulled out a cell-phone. "Uzume is a magician when it comes to costumes."
She dialled a number into the phone, and then held it to her ear. Shirou strained his hearing in order to listen in on whatever conversation took place, but even as close as he was he couldn't hear much.
"Uzume!" Chiho greeted eagerly, and rubbed Shirou's head once more for good measure. "Are you busy today?"
The cell phone whispered unintelligibly into Chiho's ear, much to Shirou's displeasure.
"No? Perfect! There's something you have to see," she said excitedly. "Oh, and bring your measuring tape."
*Later*
"Dang bro, you clean up good," Uzume said, ending with an appreciative whistle and a grin.
"Thank you," Shirou said. "It surprised me as well."
This earned him a titter from his onee-chans, who were taking turns both fussing and measuring him. The latter of which was being done with a certain amount of care, considering Shirou's lack of real clothing.
"I mean, I thought you'd only been here a few days, from what you said when we met. I didn't know you were so close to being healed."
"But I have been here for only a few days," Shirou said,
Uzume paused, confused by his statement.
"But, if you've only been here a few days, then how can you be better already?" she asked.
"Actually, that's what I was going to ask," Takami cut in from the doorway. Shirou was beginning to think that the woman was following him around and waiting for the most opportune moment to stop by. Unseen by all, however, Uzume had stiffened and her eyes had gone wide upon hearing the scientist's voice. "Though I also have some good news."
"Oh?" Chiho said, perking up at this. "Good news?"
"Yes," Takami nodded as she said this. "Shirou-kun, since you're all healed up there's no point in keeping you here anymore. You'll be released at the end of the day, and after that I'll be in charge of finding you a new home."
Shirou froze, and in that moment the world shattered.
"I- I'm leaving the hospital?" Shirou asked, and the sinking feeling from before returned with a vengeance.
"I'm afraid so, Shirou-kun," Takami confirmed. "That's what happens when people get better at a hospital: they leave."
Shirou processed this information, and filed it away for later use. However, it was promptly overridden by a more pressing issue.
"But I don't want to leave Chiho-nee and Uzume-nee!" Shirou all but wailed, and possessively latched onto Chiho.
"Shirou..." the sick woman said gently, and would have proceeded to attempt to say something that would make him feel better about leaving them behind.
"No?" Takami said instead, as if waiting for that moment. "Well then, how would you like to live with them?"
"What?" both Chiho and Uzume squawked in surprise.
"Yes," Shirou answered without hesitation, a little surprised at the new development himself.
"W-w-wait a minute!" Uzume stammered out desperately, flailing her arms to get everyone's attention. "Takami, this is crazy! I can't take care of a kid! I don't know how! I don't have a job! I live at a hostel!"
"Oh, I'm sure your landlord wouldn't object if you explained little Shirou's situation to her," Takami reasoned. "And MBI would of course compensate you for taking care of little Shirou while we perform some tests on him."
"Tests?" Chiho asked, sounding alarmed at this. "What tests?"
"Nothing serious, we just want a few samples from Shirou to begin with," Takami placated. "We just want to trace his heritage."
"You can't be serious about this, Takami!" Uzume huffed. "Shirou isn't a sack of potatoes to be tossed at us, you know!"
"Why would you want to toss me anywhere...?" Shirou asked quietly, genuinely curious.
"Because it's the lesser evil," Takami said resolutely. "I've got orders from on high to investigate Shirou. If you two won't take care of him, then rest assured that somebody in the R&D-department of MBI will."
Uzume opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it. Then she opened it again, and then closed it again. Words seemed to be failing her at the moment.
It was up to Chiho to be the voice of reason.
"Well, if those are his choices, why can Shirou not simply stay here?" she asked innocently.
"Because as much as I don't like this, little Shirou here is a bit of an anomaly," Takami explained. "The main reason we want to study him is to find out if he's connected to a certain species of bird."
For a moment nobody said anything. And then, almost at the same time, Uzume and Chiho both gave out a quiet 'oohhh' of realization as they found out just what Takami was talking about.
Shirou, on the other hand, looked at Takami as if she had grown a second head.
"Are you saying my parents were birds?" Shirou asked, and even though he was emotionally scarred and somewhat inept at social matters he managed to convey that this notion was one of the dumbest things ever said. Of all time.
Takami felt an eyebrow twitch just for a moment as she was sassed by a kid.
"No, Shirou. I'm not," She patiently answered, before addressing Uzume once again. "As a personal 'thank you' for your help in this matter, I'd be willing to offer medical aid for Chiho Hidaka. With our technology, I'm confident we could find a cure for her disease in a relatively short space of time."
"I- No- wait, what?" Uzume sputtered, sounding both angered and confused. "You can't just offer that! That's insane! W, why wouldn't you offer before now? No, wait! You'reblackmailing us!"
"Uzume's right," Chiho added. "This does sound like extortion."
"That's because it is," Takami agreed, nodding along. "Stick and carrot, ladies. I'd rather Shirou was living with someone he liked rather than someone he doesn't know."
"B, but we don't know a think about raising a child!" Uzume protested feebly.
Takami snorted.
"Trust me, raising kids is not as difficult as people think," she assured the two of them. "If it was, parents wouldn't be able to do it. And luckily for the two of you most of the difficult work has already been taken care of as well. No walking around with him inside you for nine-months," she grinned mischievously. "Though how you'd manage to get that way in the first place would be a thing for the books."
Both Chiho and Uzume blushed intensely at this as they studied the floor in order to hide their embarrassment. Although the two had been together for some time, they had yet to ever progress to that yet, and clearly the idea of it was enough to fluster them more than a little.
Uzume, however, had the good fortune of having been in the presence of Minato Sahashi for prolonged periods of time, and even that was enough to inoculate even the most reclusive of shrinking violets against the embarrassment of sex. Really, a sexually active young man followed night and day by cheesecake? Anyone would get bored with it.
And so it wasn't very long before she recovered from her flustered state.
"Eheh, A-and the, ugh..." She said with a slight stutter, before frowning and looking pointedly at Shirou. "The y'know."
Takami shrugged.
"Considering just where you're living I don't think that will be much of a problem," she countered easily. "Your landlord likes to keep that at an arm's length, if I recall."
"Well..." Uzume started, and realized that she didn't have anything else to add.
She looked over at Chiho, who looked uncertain.
The sick woman in turn glanced over at Shirou with a contemplative look, watching him as he raptly listened in on their conversation with a look of bemusement. She did that for a few moments before she seemed to arrive at some kind of decision.
She nodded at Uzume, and fondly rubbed Shirou's head.
"It would be an earlier start on a family than I expected," she said, and smiled that kind smile that Uzume had fallen in love with. "But I'm sure we'll manage."
The Sekirei remained uncertain for a moment. She still wanted to protest, as she didn't the boy who had only just recovered from one ordeal to become entangle with yet another, even if it was indirectly. And, of course, she really didn't know to raise kids. Although, she supposed that if she really had to she could ask Minato and the girls for some tips. They'd have to be at least somewhat experienced, what with Kuu-chan and all that.
But there was also the promise that they would look for a cure for Chiho. And that… well, just what was that worth to her?
"Anything," she answered silently.
She looked over at Shirou, and her resolved crumbled when she saw his hopeful expression.
"Ggh," she said, and pushed him over to Chiho. "You're not allowed to look at me like that! I can't say 'no' to that! It'd be like kicking a puppy!" she complained.
Takami smiled at this.
"So I take it that means you accept my offer?"
Uzume sighed quietly, and nodded.
"Yeah," she said, sounding somewhat uncertain. "I guess we do."
Shirou didn't know what was going on. He didn't know why his onee-chans were arguing with Takami, or why.
And to be perfectly honest, he didn't care all that much.
To him, all that mattered was that he would be with his onee-chans.