Note: The name of Megumi's brother is based off Ashfae's ficcie, Spark/Glow/and one more I can't remember...At least I think it was Ashfae's...if I'm wrong, somebody let me know so I can give credit. Considering it's been more than 2 years since I've seen the series, I had to watch RK Volume 3 (subtitled, of course) just to write this. Boy, I'm surprised how much Aoshi talks...lol. And for some really odd reason, Warrior's Blue (Aoshi's theme), REALLY helps me in writing...
He studied the streets with keen eyes, detecting all movements. Several merchants were attempting to sell food and other novelties to passersby. Aoshi leaned forward on the table that served as his observation spot. He had spent most of the morning listening in on people's conversations. He had heard bits and pieces here and there, only confirming his suspicions. Those that he felt could provide more information, he had shadowed and listened in during their early morning drinking activities. He shook his head slightly. It was amazing how much a person could talk when they had sake to drink. Plenty of it. Especially before a meal.
He caught sight of Jiro purchasing some type of dessert before heading in his direction.
"Anything?" Aoshi queried as Jiro sat down.
"I was able to gain some information here and there," Jiro answered vaguely.
Aoshi remained silent.
Jiro leaned forward to whisper. "As you said, it can be absorbed many ways...ingestion, inhalation, but also through the skin. All that is necessary is a small surface cut." He hesitated. "And it was created over ten years ago, but it recently came into circulation again..."
"I heard a similar story," Aoshi murmured.
"Do you know who's responsible for it?" Jiro asked.
"No..." He frowned. "When I first brought this to Okina's attention, he mentioned that there was a drug used by a ninja clan many years ago...before I became okashira." Aoshi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Assassins would infiltrate and poison the victim. Because the drug could be absorbed in different ways, it was difficult for others to decide exactly what killed the victim..."
"I understand that symptoms are high fever, chills, profuse perspiration, and extreme discomfort. Stabbing pain at all organs of the body," Jiro said sadly.
"This drug began circulating in Aizu recently...but I have the suspicion that it started elsewhere," Aoshi said quietly.
Jiro's eyebrows shot up. "What makes you think that?"
"I cannot say what leads me to that conclusion, but...there is one way to check..."
"He is a stranger to town. And I understand that he is near those who talk. A lot. He follows them. Knows exactly what they're saying. Hoping they will say more and more so that he will gain information."
"We should do something about him. Who is he?"
"I'm not sure. But there's something very familiar about him."
"Old friend?"
"I don't know."
"Old enemy?"
"Most likely."
"What about his companion? The old man?"
"As soon as I get more details, I'll inform you."
"No. It'll only be a matter of time before the younger one discovers who we are...where we are..."
"Should I get rid of him?"
"If you like."
"Our group was never known for being confrontational..."
"So you wish to attack while he's vulnerable? Not very honorable, is it?"
"We aren't known for being honorable. We'd attack the blind if there was something to be gained from it."
A low laugh. "True indeed..."
"The clinic is only several years old...it would be impossible for it to contain records of anything farther than seven years," Jiro insisted as he directed the way to his physician's house. "Megumi-sensei would agree to help, but she would not be able to due to limited resources."
Somehow, Aoshi doubted that. He had a feeling that the woman doctor who befriended the residents of the Kamiya dojo would not be willing to assist him. Considering their past history, he could not blame her. Granted, they were civil to each other the last time he saw her in Tokyo, but that seemed so long ago.
"This is the clinic?" Aoshi looked at the two-story structure. The garden was decorated with different flowers, stone paths, and several fountains. Unlike several of the large buildings in Aizu, it was designed with Japanese architecture, very different than the Western buildings that loomed over the streets.
"Yes. This way..." Jiro slid the front door open.
At the front, a woman was sitting at a low table pushed to the side, facing a room full of cushions. The waiting room. At the sight of Jiro, her eyes widened with delight.
"Jiro-san!" she smiled in greeting. "How are you feeling?"
"Good, thank you."
"Your hands are okay? Not too much stiffness?"
"No. Actually, I brought someone to see the residing physician. I remembered that Kei-sensei is out on a house call...but is Megumi-sensei available?"
"She's with a patient, but she can assist you. What seems to be the problem?" Her dark eyes regarded Aoshi curiously, who merely studied the paintings that hung on the walls.
"My friend would prefer to speak to Megumi-sensei about it privately," Jiro said quietly.
"Medicine morning, evening, with plenty of water. Can you remember that?" a voice filtered into the room, accompanying the sound of footsteps.
"Hai, sensei!" a young voice piped up.
Aoshi and Jiro turned to see Megumi give her patient, a young boy, a pat on the head before sending him off. The boy ran between the two men before jumping out the door.
Megumi's dark eyes lifted, widening in shock at her visitors. "Jiro-san. Shinomori-san..."
Jiro's eyes widened, and he glanced between the two. "You...know each other?"
"We have a mutual acquaintance," Aoshi said quietly. "Jiro, I believe your family is arriving shortly. You should greet them at your home."
It was his way of dismissing the older man. Jiro had the strongest urge to ask how the okashira knew his physician. But at the unreadable expression on Aoshi's eyes, he decided not to press the issue.
"All right..." Jiro took his leave after glancing at the two.
Megumi felt her lips tilt in a brief smile. "It's been a while, Shinomori-san..." She smoothed back a strand of black hair, letting it fall past her shoulder. Her long hair was kept in braid, convenient during the warm weather, but several tendrils had fallen loose. Her slender frame was covered with a pink yukata and blue smock. "You look...as well as the last time...I suppose..."
He relaxed slightly. His presence was not completely unwanted, then. That would make his job much easier.
"I need to speak with you in private," Aoshi said.
Her eyebrows arched at his request. Then she cast a sidelong glance to her assistant, who was merely staring at Shinomori Aoshi as if he was the only man who ever existed. Megumi bit her lip to keep from smiling. Her assistant had not much luck when it came to finding a mate. Of course, neither had Megumi...but she was a doctor first, then a woman.
"Of course...Follow me..." She stopped at the door. "Ayu-san, if I'm needed, use the chime to summon me..."
"Yes, sensei," Ayu responded, nodding enthusiastically.
Megumi led Aoshi through the gardens outside the clinic. He didn't say anything for a while, and she wasn't completely surprised. It was only when she settled on a bench beneath a sakura tree that he finally spoke up.
"You look happier than you did three years ago," he commented, leaning against the tree, his arms crossed.
While most people would never keep their back to Shinomori Aoshi, Megumi knew that there was no danger. She was mildly surprised at his comment...she would have thought he'd immediately ask for what he came for.
"I am...thank you..." Megumi spoke softly. Then she cleared her throat. "I left Tokyo shortly after your visit...I had located my brother..."
"I see..."
"From what I understand, Ken-san and Kaoru-san are going to start a family...Yahiko is becoming an excellent swordsman...and Sanosuke is traveling the world. I receive letters occasionally. They all seem very happy," she said lightly to form conversation. But she couldn't hide the joy in her eyes as she spoke of her friends from the Kamiya dojo.
No response.
"And you, Shinomori-san? Are you happy?"
His eyes widened slightly, even though she could not see him. "I suppose..."
Megumi turned to glance at him over her shoulder. "You seem much more at peace with yourself..." She remembered the man obsessed with revenge who came to the Kamiya dojo, where she stayed while Yahiko and Kaoru went to Kyoto after Kenshin. Back then, Aoshi had been so full of rage, guilt, sorrow. A man possessed. But now...Megumi glanced at him again as he stared at a point far in the distance. The wind shifted his bangs, also shifting the beige yukata he wore. There seemed to be a quiet acceptance inside of him. "Where is Misao-chan?"
"The Aoiya is undergoing construction...we are expanding the facility. Misao stayed to help," he answered. She insisted she go along with him, but the old man mentioned something about absence and fondness growing, so Misao had decided to stay.
"Why are you here?" she asked, cutting right to the point of his visit.
"I need some information about a drug," Aoshi began quietly. "I need to check your patient files to see if you had any come into your clinic who had this drug in their system. And any patient who has received treatment in this town for the last twenty years."
Megumi's eyes widened. "Why?"
"This chemical I am investigating...can be administered in many forms...I have reason to believe that it has existed for over a decade...and it recently appeared in this town several years ago."
"No."
"What?" He arched a brow.
"No," she repeated firmly. "I will not allow you to pry into their private lives...on just an assumption. I need proof that such a thing exists here...otherwise..."
He moved towards her, his frame casting a shadow. She swallowed, determined not to be intimidated. Megumi rose to her feet, tilting her chin stubbornly.
"I'm sorry, Shinomori-san. But I cannot help you."
Something glittered in his eyes. Anger? Irritation? Regardless, she would not back down.
He briefly remembered how she and the ex-gangster would argue. When her mind was set on something, there was no changing it.
"Perspiration. Fever. Chills. Retching. Stabbing pain to organs of the body...These are just few of the symptoms this drug causes," Aoshi said harshly. "It can be inhaled...ingested...or absorbed by a simple surface cut. And I need to find out who is responsible for it. The police, like you, refuse to believe it exists unless they see evidence. A patient in agony is hardly the evidence you need, is it?"
Megumi looked away, her brown eyes clouded with several emotions. Confusion? Frustration? She avoided his gaze, debating on her decision for a long time.
He was a man with infinite patience. But time was racing against him.
Aoshi moved into her line of vision, his blue-gray eyes meeting a pair of cinnamon brown ones, wide with confusion. "Takani-sensei...it is the only lead I have."
She blew out a breath. "Very well..."
Oh yeah, and thanks for reading this far. Aoshi, Sano, and Megumi are my fave characters (not necessarily in that order)! ^_^ Thanks for your reviews, I'm not sure if I'll be able to do EVERYTHING you requested...I have a general idea of where this fic is going, so we'll see how things turn out. ^_^
He studied the streets with keen eyes, detecting all movements. Several merchants were attempting to sell food and other novelties to passersby. Aoshi leaned forward on the table that served as his observation spot. He had spent most of the morning listening in on people's conversations. He had heard bits and pieces here and there, only confirming his suspicions. Those that he felt could provide more information, he had shadowed and listened in during their early morning drinking activities. He shook his head slightly. It was amazing how much a person could talk when they had sake to drink. Plenty of it. Especially before a meal.
He caught sight of Jiro purchasing some type of dessert before heading in his direction.
"Anything?" Aoshi queried as Jiro sat down.
"I was able to gain some information here and there," Jiro answered vaguely.
Aoshi remained silent.
Jiro leaned forward to whisper. "As you said, it can be absorbed many ways...ingestion, inhalation, but also through the skin. All that is necessary is a small surface cut." He hesitated. "And it was created over ten years ago, but it recently came into circulation again..."
"I heard a similar story," Aoshi murmured.
"Do you know who's responsible for it?" Jiro asked.
"No..." He frowned. "When I first brought this to Okina's attention, he mentioned that there was a drug used by a ninja clan many years ago...before I became okashira." Aoshi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Assassins would infiltrate and poison the victim. Because the drug could be absorbed in different ways, it was difficult for others to decide exactly what killed the victim..."
"I understand that symptoms are high fever, chills, profuse perspiration, and extreme discomfort. Stabbing pain at all organs of the body," Jiro said sadly.
"This drug began circulating in Aizu recently...but I have the suspicion that it started elsewhere," Aoshi said quietly.
Jiro's eyebrows shot up. "What makes you think that?"
"I cannot say what leads me to that conclusion, but...there is one way to check..."
"He is a stranger to town. And I understand that he is near those who talk. A lot. He follows them. Knows exactly what they're saying. Hoping they will say more and more so that he will gain information."
"We should do something about him. Who is he?"
"I'm not sure. But there's something very familiar about him."
"Old friend?"
"I don't know."
"Old enemy?"
"Most likely."
"What about his companion? The old man?"
"As soon as I get more details, I'll inform you."
"No. It'll only be a matter of time before the younger one discovers who we are...where we are..."
"Should I get rid of him?"
"If you like."
"Our group was never known for being confrontational..."
"So you wish to attack while he's vulnerable? Not very honorable, is it?"
"We aren't known for being honorable. We'd attack the blind if there was something to be gained from it."
A low laugh. "True indeed..."
"The clinic is only several years old...it would be impossible for it to contain records of anything farther than seven years," Jiro insisted as he directed the way to his physician's house. "Megumi-sensei would agree to help, but she would not be able to due to limited resources."
Somehow, Aoshi doubted that. He had a feeling that the woman doctor who befriended the residents of the Kamiya dojo would not be willing to assist him. Considering their past history, he could not blame her. Granted, they were civil to each other the last time he saw her in Tokyo, but that seemed so long ago.
"This is the clinic?" Aoshi looked at the two-story structure. The garden was decorated with different flowers, stone paths, and several fountains. Unlike several of the large buildings in Aizu, it was designed with Japanese architecture, very different than the Western buildings that loomed over the streets.
"Yes. This way..." Jiro slid the front door open.
At the front, a woman was sitting at a low table pushed to the side, facing a room full of cushions. The waiting room. At the sight of Jiro, her eyes widened with delight.
"Jiro-san!" she smiled in greeting. "How are you feeling?"
"Good, thank you."
"Your hands are okay? Not too much stiffness?"
"No. Actually, I brought someone to see the residing physician. I remembered that Kei-sensei is out on a house call...but is Megumi-sensei available?"
"She's with a patient, but she can assist you. What seems to be the problem?" Her dark eyes regarded Aoshi curiously, who merely studied the paintings that hung on the walls.
"My friend would prefer to speak to Megumi-sensei about it privately," Jiro said quietly.
"Medicine morning, evening, with plenty of water. Can you remember that?" a voice filtered into the room, accompanying the sound of footsteps.
"Hai, sensei!" a young voice piped up.
Aoshi and Jiro turned to see Megumi give her patient, a young boy, a pat on the head before sending him off. The boy ran between the two men before jumping out the door.
Megumi's dark eyes lifted, widening in shock at her visitors. "Jiro-san. Shinomori-san..."
Jiro's eyes widened, and he glanced between the two. "You...know each other?"
"We have a mutual acquaintance," Aoshi said quietly. "Jiro, I believe your family is arriving shortly. You should greet them at your home."
It was his way of dismissing the older man. Jiro had the strongest urge to ask how the okashira knew his physician. But at the unreadable expression on Aoshi's eyes, he decided not to press the issue.
"All right..." Jiro took his leave after glancing at the two.
Megumi felt her lips tilt in a brief smile. "It's been a while, Shinomori-san..." She smoothed back a strand of black hair, letting it fall past her shoulder. Her long hair was kept in braid, convenient during the warm weather, but several tendrils had fallen loose. Her slender frame was covered with a pink yukata and blue smock. "You look...as well as the last time...I suppose..."
He relaxed slightly. His presence was not completely unwanted, then. That would make his job much easier.
"I need to speak with you in private," Aoshi said.
Her eyebrows arched at his request. Then she cast a sidelong glance to her assistant, who was merely staring at Shinomori Aoshi as if he was the only man who ever existed. Megumi bit her lip to keep from smiling. Her assistant had not much luck when it came to finding a mate. Of course, neither had Megumi...but she was a doctor first, then a woman.
"Of course...Follow me..." She stopped at the door. "Ayu-san, if I'm needed, use the chime to summon me..."
"Yes, sensei," Ayu responded, nodding enthusiastically.
Megumi led Aoshi through the gardens outside the clinic. He didn't say anything for a while, and she wasn't completely surprised. It was only when she settled on a bench beneath a sakura tree that he finally spoke up.
"You look happier than you did three years ago," he commented, leaning against the tree, his arms crossed.
While most people would never keep their back to Shinomori Aoshi, Megumi knew that there was no danger. She was mildly surprised at his comment...she would have thought he'd immediately ask for what he came for.
"I am...thank you..." Megumi spoke softly. Then she cleared her throat. "I left Tokyo shortly after your visit...I had located my brother..."
"I see..."
"From what I understand, Ken-san and Kaoru-san are going to start a family...Yahiko is becoming an excellent swordsman...and Sanosuke is traveling the world. I receive letters occasionally. They all seem very happy," she said lightly to form conversation. But she couldn't hide the joy in her eyes as she spoke of her friends from the Kamiya dojo.
No response.
"And you, Shinomori-san? Are you happy?"
His eyes widened slightly, even though she could not see him. "I suppose..."
Megumi turned to glance at him over her shoulder. "You seem much more at peace with yourself..." She remembered the man obsessed with revenge who came to the Kamiya dojo, where she stayed while Yahiko and Kaoru went to Kyoto after Kenshin. Back then, Aoshi had been so full of rage, guilt, sorrow. A man possessed. But now...Megumi glanced at him again as he stared at a point far in the distance. The wind shifted his bangs, also shifting the beige yukata he wore. There seemed to be a quiet acceptance inside of him. "Where is Misao-chan?"
"The Aoiya is undergoing construction...we are expanding the facility. Misao stayed to help," he answered. She insisted she go along with him, but the old man mentioned something about absence and fondness growing, so Misao had decided to stay.
"Why are you here?" she asked, cutting right to the point of his visit.
"I need some information about a drug," Aoshi began quietly. "I need to check your patient files to see if you had any come into your clinic who had this drug in their system. And any patient who has received treatment in this town for the last twenty years."
Megumi's eyes widened. "Why?"
"This chemical I am investigating...can be administered in many forms...I have reason to believe that it has existed for over a decade...and it recently appeared in this town several years ago."
"No."
"What?" He arched a brow.
"No," she repeated firmly. "I will not allow you to pry into their private lives...on just an assumption. I need proof that such a thing exists here...otherwise..."
He moved towards her, his frame casting a shadow. She swallowed, determined not to be intimidated. Megumi rose to her feet, tilting her chin stubbornly.
"I'm sorry, Shinomori-san. But I cannot help you."
Something glittered in his eyes. Anger? Irritation? Regardless, she would not back down.
He briefly remembered how she and the ex-gangster would argue. When her mind was set on something, there was no changing it.
"Perspiration. Fever. Chills. Retching. Stabbing pain to organs of the body...These are just few of the symptoms this drug causes," Aoshi said harshly. "It can be inhaled...ingested...or absorbed by a simple surface cut. And I need to find out who is responsible for it. The police, like you, refuse to believe it exists unless they see evidence. A patient in agony is hardly the evidence you need, is it?"
Megumi looked away, her brown eyes clouded with several emotions. Confusion? Frustration? She avoided his gaze, debating on her decision for a long time.
He was a man with infinite patience. But time was racing against him.
Aoshi moved into her line of vision, his blue-gray eyes meeting a pair of cinnamon brown ones, wide with confusion. "Takani-sensei...it is the only lead I have."
She blew out a breath. "Very well..."
Oh yeah, and thanks for reading this far. Aoshi, Sano, and Megumi are my fave characters (not necessarily in that order)! ^_^ Thanks for your reviews, I'm not sure if I'll be able to do EVERYTHING you requested...I have a general idea of where this fic is going, so we'll see how things turn out. ^_^