1 Chapter 7
The morning air felt cool against Megumi's skin as she breathed in deeply, and watched the sun rise from behind the mountains. Her hands were still shaking from being in the same position for a few hours. Her neck and legs ached and she longed to just lie down and fall asleep for an entire month. Already, her eyelids were drooping and she longed very much to close them
Jin's operation had been completed only just recently. He lived, with the exception of a huge scar from his left breast to his right side. Once finished, Megumi had escaped from the room, which had grown stuffy and hot during the operation. Using her sleeve, she wiped away the sweat on her forehead and leaned against the wall outside Jin's room.
Behind her, she heard the door to the room open and close, and presently, Sano came to stand beside her. She noticed too that he had a sheen of perspiration round his face. They stood like that for a long time, either side saying nothing, but just staring at the rising sun. Anyhow, both didn't know what to say to each other. It had been such a long time since they last saw each other. Furthermore, when Sano left, Megumi had not been there. She didn't even know about it till she got a letter from Kenshin telling her so.
Megumi couldn't really pinpoint what it was that she felt. She couldn't say outright that she felt betrayed that Sano left without telling her, but she did feel a bit irritated at the fact that Sano hadn't even bothered to give her a hint or two, even if his departure was on 'the spur of the moment'. Part of her wanted to scold him for fooling around with his life, but part of her also wanted to make sure that his body was still healthy and his bones were healing just fine.
For Sano, he didn't really know how to react to Megumi's presence. Seeing her in China had totally caught him off guard. Furthermore, she had been kidnapped against her will and would be force to stay here until they could safely return her back without any complications. Part of him also felt a bit guilty for leaving so suddenly, since Megumi had done so much for him as a doctor, but not so much as a good pal though… always hitting and scolding him. And now, he was bound more to her since she had helped saved the lives of two of his closest comrades from near death. If it were any other doctor, he doubted either of his friends would have lived.
" I'm sorry!"
Both of them simultaneously turned to each other at the same time.
Megumi swallowed, as she tried to compose herself quickly.
" Looks like I saved another of your important friends again…" she smiled a little at Sano in an effort to regain her composure.
" Yes you did. Thank you." Sano replied.
" I suppose that I can go back now?"
" Go back?" Sano asked
" Go back." Megumi replied firmly. " I want to go back to the city."
" No!" came Sano immediate answer. " We discussed this already. It's too risky for you to go back."
" How so? As far as I see it, nothing would happen with putting me back in the city. I could just act as if you left me in a ditch to rot."
" How can you say such a thing! We may be rebels, but we are not barbarians!" Sano barked at her. His hands went round her shoulders as he said that and he gripped them tightly. Megumi immediately back one step. She knew that she had said something wrong and angered Sano in the process. She could feel his anger in the way he gripped her shoulders.
A few seconds later, Sano's hands relaxed and he let go and turned away
" Sorry…" he mumbled.
Megumi back into a pillar and rested against it, catching her breath and trying to compose herself again. She couldn't afford to lose control here…
" If you go back, you would be suspected of collaborating with us. You have to go back with the magistrate. Even right now in jail, he's saying that you're his mistress… if you go back, who would believe you? After all, corruption is still a big thing."
" But Sano… what about my patients? I just can't leave them like that? Besides, what can I do here? I'm not one who's content with just sitting around and doing nothing! I am a doctor! I have a job to do, I took the oath that I would save lives whenever I could…"
" You can become our doctor! As you can see, we have lots of injured people around here. We hardly have a doctor, even a nurse to take care of them. It would be a bigger challenge to your skills as a doctor if you were to tend to them than to those city people!" Sano said excitedly
" Are you saying that the people in the city are nothing compared to the people here?" Megumi replied icily, though there was a hidden glint in her eyes
" No… I'm just saying that the people here need your help here more than the people in the city do, they have so many doctors, I don't think that they would mind parting with you for a while… So… will you stay?"
Megumi adverted her eyes so that Sano wouldn't see that she was about to burst into laughter. Just seeing Sano's pleading look was almost enough for her to burst out laughter. She never thought that Sano would ever ask for such a favour from her. Truth be told, she had made her decision even before Sano had made the suggestion to her.
" So will you stay?" Sano prodded
Megumi raised her head, and nodded at him,
" I'll stay."
The morning air felt cool against Megumi's skin as she breathed in deeply, and watched the sun rise from behind the mountains. Her hands were still shaking from being in the same position for a few hours. Her neck and legs ached and she longed to just lie down and fall asleep for an entire month. Already, her eyelids were drooping and she longed very much to close them
Jin's operation had been completed only just recently. He lived, with the exception of a huge scar from his left breast to his right side. Once finished, Megumi had escaped from the room, which had grown stuffy and hot during the operation. Using her sleeve, she wiped away the sweat on her forehead and leaned against the wall outside Jin's room.
Behind her, she heard the door to the room open and close, and presently, Sano came to stand beside her. She noticed too that he had a sheen of perspiration round his face. They stood like that for a long time, either side saying nothing, but just staring at the rising sun. Anyhow, both didn't know what to say to each other. It had been such a long time since they last saw each other. Furthermore, when Sano left, Megumi had not been there. She didn't even know about it till she got a letter from Kenshin telling her so.
Megumi couldn't really pinpoint what it was that she felt. She couldn't say outright that she felt betrayed that Sano left without telling her, but she did feel a bit irritated at the fact that Sano hadn't even bothered to give her a hint or two, even if his departure was on 'the spur of the moment'. Part of her wanted to scold him for fooling around with his life, but part of her also wanted to make sure that his body was still healthy and his bones were healing just fine.
For Sano, he didn't really know how to react to Megumi's presence. Seeing her in China had totally caught him off guard. Furthermore, she had been kidnapped against her will and would be force to stay here until they could safely return her back without any complications. Part of him also felt a bit guilty for leaving so suddenly, since Megumi had done so much for him as a doctor, but not so much as a good pal though… always hitting and scolding him. And now, he was bound more to her since she had helped saved the lives of two of his closest comrades from near death. If it were any other doctor, he doubted either of his friends would have lived.
" I'm sorry!"
Both of them simultaneously turned to each other at the same time.
Megumi swallowed, as she tried to compose herself quickly.
" Looks like I saved another of your important friends again…" she smiled a little at Sano in an effort to regain her composure.
" Yes you did. Thank you." Sano replied.
" I suppose that I can go back now?"
" Go back?" Sano asked
" Go back." Megumi replied firmly. " I want to go back to the city."
" No!" came Sano immediate answer. " We discussed this already. It's too risky for you to go back."
" How so? As far as I see it, nothing would happen with putting me back in the city. I could just act as if you left me in a ditch to rot."
" How can you say such a thing! We may be rebels, but we are not barbarians!" Sano barked at her. His hands went round her shoulders as he said that and he gripped them tightly. Megumi immediately back one step. She knew that she had said something wrong and angered Sano in the process. She could feel his anger in the way he gripped her shoulders.
A few seconds later, Sano's hands relaxed and he let go and turned away
" Sorry…" he mumbled.
Megumi back into a pillar and rested against it, catching her breath and trying to compose herself again. She couldn't afford to lose control here…
" If you go back, you would be suspected of collaborating with us. You have to go back with the magistrate. Even right now in jail, he's saying that you're his mistress… if you go back, who would believe you? After all, corruption is still a big thing."
" But Sano… what about my patients? I just can't leave them like that? Besides, what can I do here? I'm not one who's content with just sitting around and doing nothing! I am a doctor! I have a job to do, I took the oath that I would save lives whenever I could…"
" You can become our doctor! As you can see, we have lots of injured people around here. We hardly have a doctor, even a nurse to take care of them. It would be a bigger challenge to your skills as a doctor if you were to tend to them than to those city people!" Sano said excitedly
" Are you saying that the people in the city are nothing compared to the people here?" Megumi replied icily, though there was a hidden glint in her eyes
" No… I'm just saying that the people here need your help here more than the people in the city do, they have so many doctors, I don't think that they would mind parting with you for a while… So… will you stay?"
Megumi adverted her eyes so that Sano wouldn't see that she was about to burst into laughter. Just seeing Sano's pleading look was almost enough for her to burst out laughter. She never thought that Sano would ever ask for such a favour from her. Truth be told, she had made her decision even before Sano had made the suggestion to her.
" So will you stay?" Sano prodded
Megumi raised her head, and nodded at him,
" I'll stay."