Battle Front: Chapter 8
"Hello?" Soujiro repeated when the person on the other end of the line didn't answer back. "I can hear you breathing," he said. He winked at Kaoru who had given him a curious look as she stood at the sink washing the glasses they had just used.
"Seta, why are you in Kaoru's apartment," Aoshi said in a voice that lacked both inflection and warmth. Soujiro smiled over the phone, it sounded like Dr. Shinomori was jealous of the fact that he was in Kaoru's apartment and he was not.
"I do enjoy keeping a close eye on what is mine," Soujiro purposely goaded. Aoshi remained silent on his end of the line and Soujiro realized it was best not to anger the man any more. He might decide to let him bleed to death should he discover him on a battlefield. "Here she is," he conceded handing the phone over to Kaoru as she finished drying off her hands on a towel.
"Hello?" she asked puzzled by Soujiro's actions. Soujiro left the kitchen to give her privacy as she caught up with her ex-beau.
"Kaoru, I need your assistance," Aoshi greeted, coming straight to the point as always. He wasn't about to let her know that he had been moderately upset that Seta was in her apartment answering her phone. He knew that the man was engaged to her sister, but that didn't really mean anything until those matching bands were placed on their fingers.
"Aoshi!" Kaoru screamed happily into the phone, a large smile spreading across her lips. "I've been missing you so much! Have you received my letters? I got yours from last month and it really made my being here so much more tolerable," she continued.
"Kaoru," Aoshi interrupted before she could go on. He cast a nervous look out the side of the nurse's station, hating that he was breaking protocol considering he was such a stickler for the rules, knowing his time on the phone was limited. Though he missed Kaoru something awful, his patient's health was the excuse for his call. "I've missed you as well, unfortunately this call never happened," he explained.
"Huh?" Kaoru asked, finding absolutely no sense in his response. "What do you mean? I'm talking to you right now," she argued annoyed.
"I don't have permission to be calling you, and most likely I'll be given some sort of demerit when they find out that I have. The reason I'm calling is because I have a patient that has stumped me and I need your help."
Kaoru listened as he listed off the symptoms. "Physical exam was completely normal except for the lymph nodes? Any tender points around the joint areas?"
"It's not a rheumatoid disease, he has no history and ANA is negative," Aoshi said. "It has to be a virus, but I don't know which one."
"He ever had mono?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" he growled.
Kaoru smiled over the phone at him. "Just because you shared sake with someone and got mono and then gave it to me, doesn't mean I can't bring it up."
"You know I hate it when you mention that."
"I know. Your guilt consumes you when you think back over the week we both had to spend sick as a dog and ended up missing mid-terms junior year of undergraduate." She smiled fondly at the memory in retrospect. Their respective roommates had decided to quarantine the two of them by temporary swapping roommates. Their healthy roommates moved into Aoshi's apartment while the they in their sickness were roommates for the first time.
Kaoru began to tap her fingernails lightly on the formica of the kitchen counter. "Since there are no skin manifestations, or any vesicles in the oral mucosa, I'd run a check for Epstein-Barr at least you'll know if that's the cause. It's probably just flaring up, but all you can do for that is supportive care anyway."
"Even if it's positive, there has to be a cause for his immune system to suppressed for him to have a flare up," Aoshi reasoned.
Kaoru shrugged, not thinking about the fact that her dearest friend couldn't see the action. "Could be the chow and lack of sleep that's run him down and made him fatigued. Stress always drops your T-cells."
"I suppose," Aoshi conceded. "I can't believe I didn't think to check for Epstein-Barr Virus. The lack of sleep must be making me stupid."
"I seriously doubt that," Kaoru interjected. "You just need to remember to look for the horses and not the zebras."
He spotted the old doctor that wouldn't offer him any advice early. "I've got to go Kaoru, it was really good to hear your voice," he paused wanting to say more, but not being sure how to say it. "Be safe," he added before hanging up.
Kaoru glared down at the phone in irritation. He didn't even wait for her to say goodbye! She slammed it back into its cradle and stormed into the living room. She sat beside Soujiro on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.
Soujiro raised a brow at her. "Lover's spat?"
"Moron, he only called for medical advice, and then he didn't give me a chance to say goodbye!" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the blank television set before them. She'd love to wrap her hands around the man's neck and just throttle him! "The nerve! He writes me one, single, solitaire letter and then doesn't answer any of mine. Then when he does manage to call me, he doesn't even want to talk to me!"
"Is that what he said?" Soujiro asked carefully, trying to calm the raging volcano that was Kaoru.
"Well no, he said he didn't have permission to be calling and that it was good to hear my voice, then he told me to 'be safe' before he hung up on me. He hung up on me!" she shouted. "I bet he's too busy making time with the cute nurses."
Soujiro gave her a brotherly pat on the shoulder. "Now, now, it's not quite so bad. He's very busy and I can tell you that when I was there he thought about you constantly. Now what about you? Have you been making time with the officers?" he asked with a sly grin.
For some unknown reason a visualization of Enishi came to mind which she vehemently rejected. "Absolutely not!" She took hold of her future brother-in-law's shoulders and turned him to face her eye-to-eye. "He's really been busy working and not forgetting about me?"
"Really," Soujiro answered firmly.
OOOOOoooooOOOOO
Kaoru sat at the kitchen table reading a medical journal; the radio ran filling the apartment with country music. She wasn't really a fan of country music, but one of the things she had come to recognize over the last month was the only American music that was played over the radio waves was Country.
She frowned over the new regulations for lipid levels in diabetic patients. Why were they always changing them? It looked like Mrs. Nagel would have to make some more diet changes. Kaoru was certainly not looking forward to their next appointment. She thought she was going to lose her head when she eliminated soft drinks from the woman's diet.
The front door opened and the sound of Megumi's high-heeled shoes clicked over the hard floor. "Where's Soujiro?" Megumi asked sitting across from Kaoru at the table. "I was looking forward to talking to him some more."
"He had to meet with General Saitou," Kaoru explained. "That was hours ago, so chances are he's off on some important mission to save the world now," she added flipping the page.
"I see," Megumi said standing up. She went to the refrigerator and opened some cabinets pulling out various items. "I'll make dinner for two then."
Kaoru watched bewildered over the top of the journal as Megumi began to stir various things together. She hadn't even cooked anything yet and the smell was already mouth watering! How did she do that? "Thank you, that's kind."
Megumi didn't answer so Kaoru returned to her journal. Ten minutes later Megumi sat back at the table. She pushed up the journal in Kaoru's hands to read the front cover and then shook her head. Then she slammed her hands down on the inside, bringing it to the table and blocking the article. "You should be reading Vogue or Entertainment Weekly, not medical stuff on your day off."
Kaoru pulled the journal out from under Megumi's hands and closed it. "Knowing how to save patients' lives is more important than who Nick and Jessica are dating now."
Megumi grinned. "That's true." She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. "Surely you already know about these conditions and treatments."
"Guidelines are always changing."
Megumi shrugged before checking on the dinner. She returned with two steaming plates that smelled like heaven. "Now, tell me about Sanosuke," Megumi suggested, taking a graceful bite.
Kaoru was envious of her poise. "This is a good bribe," she said taking a few bites herself. "What would you like to know?"
"Everything about the Rooster head."
OOOOOoooooOOOOO
She was so tired. She had stayed up most of the night talking with Megumi about anything and everything it seemed. They didn't have too much in common but it was amazing how well their personalities complimented one another. It was funny, the day before they woke up strangers and then last night they went to sleep as close friends.
Kaoru snuggled under her covers, the warm cocoon luring her back to the comforts of sleep. She didn't have to go in for several hours yet and she didn't really need to run every day.
Enishi scowled down at his wristwatch. She was late. He might as well meet her at the apartment, maybe save some time. He knocked on the front door and was greeted by Dr. Takani. She was wearing a slinky silk robe and looked less than refreshed. She narrowed her eyes at him and then retreated back to the kitchen without saying a word.
Enishi took that as invitation to come inside. The room with the closed door must have been Kaoru's. He walked over and knocked on the door. Nothing. He tried the door knob. Locked. He pressed his ear to the door and didn't hear the shower running; faintly he thought he could pick up the sound of heavy breathing.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife and flipped open a particular tool that was handy when it came to unlocking doors. He pushed it open silently and saw his running partner sleeping soundly. Her hair was in a loose braid and she wore a peaceful expression on her face as she snoozed softly.
Enishi took hold of the bed covers and roughly pulled them away from the sleeping woman. She automatically reached down and caught the covers before he pulled them completely off the bed and yanked them back up to her chin. He set his jaw determinedly and pulled the covers completely off the bed.
A pair of sapphire eyes stared at him blinking owlishly. "What are you doing there?"
Enishi smiled at her slyly. "I knocked, but no one answered."
"That's because I was sleeping!" She sat up; the thin strap of her nightgown slipping off her shoulder, Enishi felt his stomach muscles clench tight at the sight. She was angry, self-righteous, and sexy as hell. "How did you get in anyway? The door was locked."
He gave her a mysterious smile that had often times caused several women to fall head over heels for him in an instant.
Kaoru continued to fume. "What if I had been sleeping nude and you had come barging in here and tossing my covers away like that?"
His smile morphed into something seductive, the change startling. "Well if that was the case, then I'd certainly not feel like running. I'd recommend another form of cardio-activity."
Kaoru's face flamed in embarrassment and she threw her pillow at him. "You pervert! Get out!"
Enishi caught the pillow with ease. "Hurry up I want to at least get in three miles this morning. You've got ten minutes." Then he left, shutting the door behind him, sporting a wicked smile. Megumi was leaning against the bar at the kitchen sipping coffee and watching him.
"I'm not treating you when she decides to poison you," she warned.
"Good to know that she thinks about me so often that she's already plotting my demise."
Megumi laughed at his arrogance. "Hohohohoho! If Raccoon-girl heard that she'd beat you over the head." She lifted the coffee pot. "Want some coffee?"
"I'll pass on the coffee," Enishi said. He followed her into the kitchen and opened one of the cabinets, as if he lived there and took out a glass. He then held it under the faucet and filled it half-way with water. He calmly sipped on the water.
"How did you know where the glasses were?" Megumi asked suspiciously.
Enishi merely gave her his mysterious smile.
Kaoru stormed out of her room wearing running shoes, tank-top shirt, and sweat pants. She approached Enishi, took the glass out of his hand and finished it off herself before setting it in the sink. She took his wrist. "Let's go slow-poke."
"Just couldn't wait to get your hands on me, could you?" Enishi teased earning a scowl from Kaoru and more laughter from Megumi. Kaoru dropped his arm and headed out the apartment, leaving Enishi behind.
"Remember, I'm not treating you of the poison," Megumi called out to him in the hallway.
Enishi jogged to catch up with Kaoru, but she just jogged further away. He simply caught up. "Shouldn't you stretch?"
"I already did," Kaoru answered crisply.
"Ah," Enishi remarked, hurrying to catch up with her once more. "You can't outrun me; I don't know why you're trying. We still have three miles."
"The faster I run the faster I'll be done having to spend time with you."
"Come on Raccoon-girl, we were going to be friends now, remember?"
She turned a hard glare on him. "What did you call me?"
Enishi grinned slyly at her again. "Raccoon-girl?"
Kaoru fisted her hands at her side and groaned in annoyance. "That stupid Fox! It's her fault I have these circles under my eyes."
A snowy eyebrow arched at that statement. "Really? Maybe next time you two might invite me to the party."
Kaoru gaped at him open-mouthed, stopping abruptly with her cheeks flaming red. "What? It's not like that you idiot!" She punched his arm, hard and felt faint satisfaction at seeing him cringe.
That was the end of their verbal spar. They ran side-by-side, feet kicking up small dust clouds behind them on the sandy terrain. It was still dark outside and there was a faint chill. Enishi frowned at the goose bumps on Kaoru's arms, but he knew that once they ran for a while and had their hearts pumping and blood flowing that she'd warm up soon. He reached up and adjusted the dark ball cap he wore over his stark white hair. In the dark his hair served as a beacon, not something you wanted to be during a time of war.
Presently, he didn't care for the small amount of concern he was feeling towards Kaoru's well-being and was doing his best to squash it. He was only running with her because he was running at this time of day anyway and he didn't want to have to break in another doctor to replace her after she foolishly got herself kidnapped or murdered.
Enishi watched the terrain they ran through, searching for any sign of life, besides their own. His sharp eye caught the slithering movements of a snake crawling back into its hole. Other than that, they seemed to be the only people in the world. He gazed at Kaoru from the corner of his eye, marveling at the ripple of her muscles and determined look on her face. She was focused towards achieving her goal, something he could relate towards. And thankfully her arms were no longer covered in goose bumps.
He was often referred to as the White Tiger and for some reason, he thought that Kaoru would make a good tigress. He shook his head of such foolishness. "Any reason you're so quiet this morning?"
"Nothing to talk about with you," Kaoru snapped.
"Pull in your claws Raccoon-girl," Enishi cautioned coldly.
"Sorry, long night." She glared at him. "Not like that though, you pervert. My future brother-in-law is stationed here now, just got here yesterday," she explained. She didn't need to tell him about her conversation with her ex-boyfriend and best friend. That was none of his business.
Enishi reached out and grabbed hold of her shoulder abruptly and threw her to the ground under some brush. He covered her body with his own, one hand around her mouth to keep her silent. Kaoru was ready to flip him over and punch his face in but stopped herself when she saw the men. Enishi slid his hand away from her mouth then, no longer afraid that she might speak and draw attention to them.
Standing before them was a pair of men with flashlights in one hand, and semi-automatic machine guns in the other. They were speaking in a language Kaoru was unfamiliar with and she knew they weren't on her side of the war. Kaoru could feel her chest constricting as a panic attack was trying to work its way through her system. If she'd been running by herself she'd have been caught for certain.
Instead, she found herself lying in the dirt with the man she hated just last week laying on top of her. His arms were on either side of her, protecting her like a muscular cage of human flesh. His chest was pressed firmly against her back and she could feel the rapid pace of his heart. His mouth was by her ear and his breath cool against her skin.
They lay together in the dirt of the desert under the scraggly vegetation available hiding from a pair of bored looking men with machine guns. They shown their lights towards the bush that they cowered under and both Kaoru's heart and respirations stopped. Even Enishi had held his breath.
And then the two men were gone, walking in the opposite direction from the base. "Breathe," Enishi whispered huskily in her ear, prompting the young doctor to do just that. She felt his lips press softly to her neck, just under her ear. "You did good, Kaoru. Everything is going to be fine now."
He stood, pulling Kaoru up with him in the process. He kept his arms wrapped loosely around her before giving her a quick hug and then releasing her. He smirked at her as he readjusted his cap. "I must say knowing you has been an adventure. I've been running here for months and never once had I almost run into enemies."
Kaoru stared at him dumbly, not able to say anything, her emotions in an uproar and her face ghostly pale. Enishi placed his hands on her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake, locking his dark eyes onto her sapphire ones. "You're safe now; I won't let anything happen, okay? It's a promise."
Kaoru nodded before casting one last petrified look over her shoulder. "Come on," Enishi coaxed leading her back towards base at a fast jog holding on to her wrist lightly. His jaw was clinched tight for the duration of the run back, his hand stayed on Kaoru as he guided the way. He'd have to report this incident to the general, but he'd get Kaoru to her roommate first. He'd seen enough shock in the last few years to recognize it with or without a medical degree. And he didn't care for this timid version of Kaoru one bit. He preferred it when she punched and hissed at him.
