A/N: I still need information on Gei Yin. Please?

I think I did all right on my SAT's today, so I'm here to update. Oh, and to DragonStorm85…hospital? –smacks forehead- That completely slipped my mind when I wrote it. I must've been really tired…but either way, a house is okay, I guess, because they can be a little more…shall I say, personal there?

If anyone is interested, "Demon Child" was posted a while ago. It's non-yaoi, though, sorry.

RESCUE ME: CHAPTER VII

Usui Pilika was almost done rearranging the books on the shelf when suddenly a knock sounded at the door. She peered out the window at the pouring rain and then up at the clock. Her brother had left for a walk about an hour ago, which she thought exceedingly strange because he loathed the rain.

There came another knock and she hurried down the hallway toward the door. "All right, Oniichan, I'm coming," she called, "Don't be so impatient…" She unlocked the door, opened it, and abruptly screamed.

Horohoro was standing in the doorway, dripping with a mixture of both blood and rainwater, carrying what appeared to be an unconscious man over his shoulder. It took Pilika a moment to recognize the limp body of Tao Ren.

It took her another moment to regain her voice. "Oniichan, what happened?"

Horohoro stepped inside, not bothering to shed his shoes as he headed toward the guest room, Pilika following. "It's a long story," he said in a toneless voice. "He needs help, Pilika." He set Ren gently down onto the bare table in the middle of the room.

"Where did you find him?" Pilika asked as she hurried to fetch the first aid kit.

"Drowning in the rain," Horohoro said. "He seems to like torturing himself." Pilika saw that her brother was angry and decided not to pry. Horohoro was indeed furious, but not as much at Ren as at his own stupidity. Ren had just returned from a war, for crying out loud—he shouldn't have treated him so roughly!

Pilika picked up a pair of scissors. "Looks like most of the bleeding's coming from his back," she said. "Flip him onto his side." Horohoro obeyed as gently as he could, and his sister quickly cut Ren's shirt away.

Both Ainu stared with horror at Ren's back. The tattoo they both remembered so well was still there, except that it was now marred by several deep slash marks, all leaking blood at a terrifying rate. Pilika blinked, feeling the tears rush to her eyes. "Oniichan," she whispered, "Someone…took a knife…" She swallowed. "Multiple times…" She could find no other words.

"Shit," Horohoro muttered, shaking his head. "Shit, shit, shit…"

"Yupihi…" Pilika, distressed, swallowed again. "There are…lash marks too…and those bruises…"

"I can see that!" Horohoro snapped. "Just bind the wounds and get it over with!" Small, thin red cuts decorated the entirety of Ren's back, torso, and arms.

Pilika hurried to obey, moistening a clean cloth with disinfectant. She pressed the cloth to the deepest of Ren's wounds—immediately Ren's body gave a jolt and he cried out in pain, yet his eyes remained closed. Both Horohoro and Pilika were startled, but the younger Ainu quickly regained her composure and pressed the cloth down more firmly. Ren groaned and, as Pilika moved to other wounds, began to writhe.

"Oniichan, hold him down!" Pilika snarled at her brother, barely able to keep her own hands steady on Ren's injured back.

Horohoro, unsure of what to do, approached Ren. He knew better than to use force this time, and so the best he could do was reach out and gently cradle the Chinese shaman's head in his arms. The tears were now streaming down Ren's face, yet he was still in an unconscious state and his eyes did not open. Horohoro was glad for that; he did not want to see the hurt in those golden eyes.

Pilika began applying the bandages; Ren yelped and involuntarily grasped at Horohoro's shirt, clinging to him much as a child would to its mother. Quickly Horohoro lowered his head and whispered his name. This seemed to have a calming effect on Ren and so he continued, "Don't be afraid, Ren. Everything's going to be fine. I'm here now and you're safe." If Ren heard him in his semi-conscious state he did not respond, only continued to cry.

"All right," Pilika muttered to herself as she grabbed hold of one end of the bandage, "If I can just get this tightened…" She pulled hard on the bandage. Ren's body reacted on reflex; he kicked out, catching her in the stomach so that she flew back, stumbling against the wall.

"Pilika!" Horohoro was about to go to her but she quickly waved him off.

"I'm fine," she said, "Just a little dazed. But we have to do something about Ren's struggling. I'll be right back." She hurried to the bathroom, snatched a small bottle from the cabinet, and returned filling a small syringe with clear liquid.

"Pilika, what are you doing?" There was no fear in Horohoro's voice; he knew his sister was more than qualified in the medical field. It was more a matter of curiosity.

"Sedation," she replied simply. "Hold him down." Horohoro obeyed, gripping Ren's shoulders firmly as Pilika inserted the needle into the Chinese man's bleeding arm. Within only a few seconds Ren's entire body went limp.

Without her patient's struggles Pilika easily finished binding the wounds. Securing the bandages, she then wiped her hands on a clean cloth. "Okay, Oniichan," she said, "You're going to have to finish up without me now."

Horohoro blinked. "What?"

Pilika waved at him impatiently. "Look, injuries don't occur solely on the upper body. I'm not going to go any lower, though. You're a guy, so you do it."

For some unknown reason a blush tinted Horohoro's cheeks. "Pilika, this is ridiculous," he spluttered. "He's gonna think I fucking raped him!"

"Better you than me."

"Matakihi!"

At this, Horohoro was surprised to see his little sister's eyes take on a surprisingly hard look, something he had not seen since their most intense training days. "Usui Horokeu," she said in a commanding voice that made him cower. "You're doing this. Now." She turned, walked out, and slammed the door behind her.

Horohoro was left with a funny feeling in his stomach and the motionless body of Tao Ren. Turning to look at his unconscious friend, he swallowed hard. "Sorry, Ren," he said. "You can kill me later." Taking a deep breath, he pulled on a pair of gloves and began.