Breaking Point
by Kimura
Chapter 4 - Found
"You're sure you know where we heading?" Kouji asked the man they had captured, Himoto.
"I'm positive," Himoto replied. He had decided to help the Reikaku bandits willingly, regretting many of the things he'd done under Makara's leadership.
Kouji still wasn't sure they could completely trust him. But in this situation, he had no choice.
"It's just a little further," Himoto went on. "And yes, I'm positive Makara won't be there. He only goes every other day and your spies saw him there yesterday."
Kouji nodded, trying to tell himself to trust this man. If this guy is my only way to get Genrou out of there, then I've got to trust him.
He looked around at the four men he'd chosen for the mission. He didn't want to cause to much of a disturbance and force an open conflict with Makara. "You guys all know what to do, right?"
The bandits nodded. Kouji had made them go over their plans at least a dozen times.
The small cabin came into view and Himoto motioned for them to lay low.
"That's it?" Kouji asked. "It looks tiny."
"The guards live upstairs. There's enough room because there's only two of them now. A lot of it is actually underground. That's where Genrou's being kept. There's a window in his cell at the back, but if we're gonna make our move it has to be now."
Kouji nodded. "Let's go."
They moved in on the building, surrounding the front door and drawing their weapons. Kouji gave a nod to one of the other bandits, who kicked down the door. The attack was quick and efficient. The two guards were secured in seconds.
"You guys stay up here, look for clues or anything on Makara and make sure the area's safe. I'll go get Genrou."
Tyoushi threw him the keys. Kouji sprinted down the stairs.
Himoto had been right. The basement was large compared to the size of the house. There were four heavy wooden doors; two on the right, one on the left, and one at the end of the hall. The one on the left had a small window in it. He looked inside and gasped as he saw Tasuki lying on the floor.
"Genrou, hang on," he called, fumbling with the keys. "I'll have ya out in a minute." He swung the door open, but his friend did not respond. Moving closer, he saw that Tasuki was unconscious. Kouji quickly checked for pulse and breathing, sighing in relief when he found both. He knelt down and unlocked the chains that connected his wrists to the wall.
It was then that he truly saw his friend's condition.
Tasuki's face was bruised, as was the rest of his body. He had some small cuts, but none looked terribly serious, except for his shoulder, which was bleeding slowly. He had obviously lost a lot of weight. His whole body seemed to be one long tale of abuse.
Why didn't I think of this? Kouji wondered. I should've known they'd do something like this . . . fucking bastards . . .
He opened a small pack he had brought with him and started to bandage Tasuki's shoulder. Tasuki moaned, stirring a little.
"Hold still," Kouji instructed him gently.
Tasuki moaned again, opening his eyes. "K-Kouji?"
Kouji smirked, trying to lighten the situation. "The one and only."
Tasuki looked frightened. "Is it really you?"
Kouji frowned. "Of course it's me," he said reassuringly.
Tasuki closed his eyes in relief, trying to sit up.
"Whoa, hold still, Gen-chan. You're pretty badly banged up."
Again that terrified gleam reentered Tasuki's eyes. "Will I --"
"It's okay," Kouji said soothingly. "You'll be all right. We just need to get you back to Reikaku. Do you think anything's broken?"
"I-I'm not sure."
"Close your eyes and take a deep breath."
Tasuki obeyed, but started coughing after breathing in.
"Itai," he groaned, putting a hand to his side. "I d-don't know what's wrong . . ."
Kouji sighed and looked him over quickly. He assessed that there were probably no broken bones, none that were serious anyway. That's a miracle, considering how much they beat him up, he thought. They must have been careful on purpose.
"Shit, Gen, what did they do to you?"
Tasuki closed his eyes, turning his head away from Kouji, unable to move anything else without causing a lot of pain.
"Gen-chan," Kouji called again, softly.
Tasuki didn't reply.
"It's okay," Kouji said slowly, picking his words carefully. "They won't hurt you anymore."
"Where are the guards?"
"It's okay. They're being held upstairs."
"Where's Makara?"
"He's not here. He only comes every other day."
"I-I didn't notice. The days . . . they just kinda blurred together." There was a brief pause. "How long has it been?"
"Three months," Kouji answered. He had been expecting the question. "We . . . we thought you were dead. Fuck, Gen, if I'd known what they were doing to you . . ." Kouji quickly swallowed his emotions. He had to be strong for his friend.
Tasuki started to talk quietly, still refusing to look at Kouji. "I . . . I started praying every night that you'd come. I knew you wouldn't. I knew you thought I was dead. I knew I didn't have a chance. But I prayed for it anyway." He laughed shakily. "I knew it was pointless, but . . . I guess it made me feel a little better."
Kouji reached out and put his hand on Tasuki's arm, since his shoulder was injured. "I'm here now, Genrou. It's over."
Tasuki shivered.
"You cold?" Kouji asked, frowning.
Tasuki managed to shake his head.
Cautiously, uncertainly, Kouji reached out his hand to touch Tasuki's hair.
Tasuki flinched and jerked away. "Kouji, don't," he said, his voice choked. "Just don't. Leave me alone."
Kouji ignored him, putting his hand on Tasuki's head.
"Don't," Tasuki begged. "Please!"
Kouji leaned closer, seeing tears flowing freely down his friend's cheeks.
"It's okay, Gen-chan," he said, running his fingers through the tangled, flame-colored hair. "I won't tell anyone. You know that. It's just me." Being as gentle as he could, he cradled Tasuki in his arms, pulling him to his chest.
Tasuki rebelled, pulling away violently. "Kouji, fuck OFF! I don't need this!"
"It's okay," Kouji repeated.
"It's not okay! It's NOT okay! It's never fucking gonna be okay! Every single day they came for me and beat the shit out of me! Every DAY!"
"Not anymore," Kouji told him. "It's over now."
"How do I know that?" Tasuki sobbed, trying to choke the tears back. "How do I know this isn't another fucking dream?!"
"It's not a dream this time," Kouji replied, trying to calm him. He wouldn't let Tasuki squirm out of his arms. "Genrou, you're gonna hurt yourself. Just lie still."
"I don't care! Let me GO!"
"I'm not gonna let you face this thing alone."
Genrou's struggles weakened. He had tired already, since he hadn't been fed in a week. He finally allowed Kouji to hold him, laying quietly, tears still trickling down his face.
"It's okay," Kouji murmured. "It's over now."
Tasuki closed his eyes. "No, it's never over. They'll find me."
"I won't let them hurt you anymore."
"They'll come for me tomorrow . . ."
"No they won't, Gen-chan." Kouji paused. "What did they do to you?"
Tasuki's voice faltered. "I-I told you already. They beat the shit out of me."
"There's something else," Kouji said softly. "There's something you're not telling me."
"Damn it, don't read me like that."
"Tell me."
"N-No."
"Genrou . . ."
Tasuki grabbed onto Kouji's shirt, sobs suddenly coming so hard and fast that they were choking him.
"Please," he begged through the onslaught. "Please, Aniki, don't make me talk about it!"
That threw Kouji off. Tasuki hadn't called him that in a long time.
"Shh, it's all right, Gen-chan. You don't have to talk about it."
Tasuki didn't let go. "Please, don't leave, Aniki, don't leave . . ."
Kouji tightened his arms around him. "I won't, it's all right." He held him until the sobs slowed, then stopped.
There was a long silence.
"Are you all right?" Kouji asked him gently.
After a minute, Tasuki slowly shook his head, knowing that he wasn't any good at lying to Kouji.
Kouji realized it was going to take him a long time to fully recover.
But he will, Kouji vowed. Makara took him away from me once. I won't let him do it again.
"Do you think you're all right to leave now?"
"Just get me the hell out of here," Tasuki answered.
Kouji nodded and carefully picked Tasuki up off the floor.
Tasuki bit his lip to keep from crying out. It seemed like there was hardly a part of him that didn't ache. Kouji carried him out of the building and lifted him gently onto a waiting horse. The other bandits and Himoto were waiting.
"How is he?" one of them asked.
"He's badly hurt. You ride on ahead. I can't afford to jostle him."
They nodded and rode off.
"You okay?" Kouji asked.
"I . . . I think so."
"Just go to sleep, all right? It's kind of a long ride."
Genrou nodded and closed his eyes. He tried to ignore the pain coursing through him. He gradually felt his head drooping against Kouji's chest.
Kouji, meanwhile, was plotting agonizing and unpleasant ways to kill Makara. That bastard . . . why the hell did he do this? He looked down at Genrou, who had fallen asleep. He's hardly himself. I can't even imagine what they did . . . Kouji shuddered. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.
~~~
Tasuki didn't wake up until at least a full day later. He had a slight fever. Tyoushi had tended to his wounds.
Kouji had stayed with him constantly. Finally, in the middle of the night, Tasuki stirred.
He moaned, opening his eyes.
What the hell? Tasuki's fogged mind tried to work out his surroundings. I can move . . . what happened to the chains? Slowly, he opened his eyes.
There was nothing except black.
Tasuki's breathing quickened. Shit. Where the hell am I? Am I blind? he wondered. He waved his hand frantically in front of his face, but could see nothing.
Kouji . . . it was a dream . . . Tasuki laid on his side and curled into a ball. Tears trickled down his face. Fuck . . . how am I gonna get out of here?! Somebody help me!
"Genrou?"
Tasuki gasped. "Leave me alone!"
Kouji lit a lamp on the bedside table. "Genrou, it's okay. It's me. You're safe."
"K-Kouji?" Tasuki asked, squinting against the light.
"You're home, Genrou."
Tasuki looked around in the dim room, recognizing it as his own. "H-Home?"
"Yeah, we brought you back. They can't get you here." There was a long pause. "How do you feel?"
Tasuki turned away. "How should I know?"
Kouji was kind of confused. "Um, because it's your body, Genrou."
"No it's not."
Kouji blinked, then checked Genrou for a fever. He was slightly warm, but not enough to be making him delirious. He pulled the covers back over him.
"C'mon, you need some more sleep," he said softly. At least, I hope that's all you need.
Muttering, Tasuki complied, settling back down. After a minute, he was again sound asleep.
~~~
Tyoushi tapped Kouji gently on the shoulder, jolting him awake.
"It's getting late," Tyoushi said. "I thought I should wake you two up."
Kouji yawned. "Yeah, probably a good idea." Hoping that Tasuki's delusions from the night before had stopped, Kouji shook him awake.
Tasuki's eyes opened slowly. He was still unused to the idea of being home after so long.
"Ohayo," Kouji said cheerfully. "The doc wants to take a look at you, okay?"
Tasuki looked disinterested. "What for?"
"To make sure you're healing all right," Tyoushi said, stepping forward and pulling the blankets back. He looked carefully at Tasuki's bruises, then began probing at his ribs. Tasuki gasped in pain. "Does that hurt?"
"How should I know?!" Tasuki shouted.
Tyoushi blinked.
Not this again, Kouji thought. What the hell is going on?
"Genrou," Kouji said gently. "If you don't tell the doctor where it hurts, he can't help you."
"It's not mine," Tasuki replied.
Kouji motioned for the baffled Tyoushi to give them a moment alone.
"Why isn't it yours?" Kouji asked when he was gone.
"Because it's not. It's just holding me here. I could be free . . ."
"Genrou, what the fuck are you talking about?!"
Tasuki didn't reply. Kouji looked down at the tray of food that Tyoushi insisted he make Tasuki eat.
"Here," he said, putting the tray in front of him. "You must be starving."
Tasuki shrugged.
"Genrou, damn it, you're gonna eat this. I'm not gonna let you die."
Tasuki obeyed, looking bored.
Afterwards, he still wouldn't answer questions about his health. Kouji stayed with him the rest of the day, even though he was restless and moody. He managed to convince him to eat dinner, after much imploring.
Tasuki pushed away the last of the food.
Kouji sighed, deciding they had argued enough for one night. "C'mon, you need some more sleep."
"I don't want to."
"Genrou --"
"No! Quit telling me what to do!"
Kouji's patience was at an end. "I'll stop telling you what to do when you start taking care of yourself, aho!"
"I don't care about me! This isn't my --"
"Yes it is! It is your body! You're attached to it!"
"NO IT'S NOT! You want me to fuckin' prove it to you?!"
"Yes!"
Tasuki turned around and pulled up his shirt, revealing the name "Makara" carved into his back.
Kouji gasped. "Holy shit . . ."
When Tasuki turned back around, he was crying. "It's not mine. It can't be mine. It's got his name on it."
"Genrou . . ."
"I wouldn't be this weak," he said, angrily wiping at the tears. "I'm stronger than this. My body gave in. I didn't want to. It betrayed me. It's not ME! It's not mine!" He crossed his arms over his stomach, moaning.
"Genrou! What's wrong?" Kouji asked, leaning forward and putting his hands on Tasuki's shoulders.
Tasuki retched, vomiting all over Kouji and the bed.
Kouji acted quickly, pulling Tasuki to the side of the bed and redirecting it to the wooden floor. We fed him too much too fast, he thought.
Tears continued to pour swiftly down Tasuki's face. Kouji put his arm around Tasuki's shoulders, trying to calm him down.
"This isn't me," Tasuki sobbed. "I wouldn't do this!" He vomited again.
"It's all right," Kouji told him soothingly. Tasuki leaned on him, crying helplessly. Kouji stroked his hair soothingly. "Shhh, it's okay. You're sick, Genrou. You're very sick. But you're gonna get better, all right? I'll help you."
"Why? Why bother?!"
"Because . . . because I care about you, damn it! You died once! I can't let it happen again!"
Tasuki grew quiet, the sobs slowing. "Why do you care?"
Kouji sighed, leaning his head against Tasuki's. "You're my fucking best friend, Genrou. You figure it out."
Tasuki tried to laugh, but nearly ended up vomiting again.
"You gonna be sick again?" Kouji asked.
Tasuki took a deep breath, then shook his head. "I think I'm all right."
Kouji stripped the bed, then covered Tasuki with a clean blanket. "Get some sleep."
"Kouji?"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry I upchucked all over ya . . ."
Kouji half-smiled. "Don't worry about it. Just get some rest."
~~~
