Megumi felt her shoulders sink. "No?" she repeated.
"They don't need to know," he said quietly.
Her eyes widened. "What?! They deserve to know...they're your...They're your friends and family-"
"I can't-"
"Misao-chan would want to be here for you and support you," Megumi insisted. "You need to be around those who care for you..."
"What's to stop whoever did this to me from doing this to them?" Aoshi interrupted. Then he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, conviction was evident in their blue-gray depths. "Whoever did this to me...they don't know who I am...but if they find out..."
"It might affect the Oniwabanshu. I understand," Megumi said swiftly, but gently. While her past history with this man was full of unpleasant memories, she was above petty emotions. Her compassion as a doctor had given her the generosity to go beyond the tension that had existed, to maintain a civil interaction. And that compassion was also going to help her find a way to help him. "I can at least send a message to Jiro-san...he'd like to know..."
He shook his head. "No..."
"But-"
"The person who attacked me...he knows who Jiro is," Aoshi explained wearily.
"I don't have to say who you are," Megumi responded.
"No..."
***
Megumi sighed as she began to tidy up the supplies in one of the patient care rooms. Such a stubborn man...
With so much happening, Megumi needed all the help she could get. The doctor who taught at the university offered to take care of the clinic in the mornings. Megumi made a couple inquiries to doctor friends in different cities, hoping they would know something. Aoshi had been very thorough in his research, so she had to summarize what 'disease' she was looking for to each friend. Thanks to modern technology, it wouldn't take very long for some of those letters to reach their destinations. She only hoped they would come up with something in time...
Yesterday, she had sent a message to Jiro, against Aoshi's wishes. Jiro had been out of town, so she wasn't able to determine when he would get her general message. She received a letter from her brother, who said that he'd be in town tomorrow. She was really looking forward to his return.
Aoshi ate very little...enough to sustain strength but far less than what a normal person would. She opened the door to check on him, seeing him wide awake, staring at the ceiling.
"How are you feeling today?" Megumi asked, reaching to touch his forehead, surprised at the extreme change in temperature.
"It's cold in here," he said softly.
Another symptom. Megumi turned away.
"I'll fetch you a blanket..."
Within a few minutes, she had him covered with a blanket. He turned slightly to face her.
"It's only a matter of time..."
"Aoshi...Don't give up hope," she encouraged gently. "You said yourself that you wouldn't let it defeat you..."
He sighed. "I know..." He cringed slightly.
Her eyes widened. "What's wrong?"
Aoshi breathed out slowly and with a closer look, she saw that he clutched his side.
"What is it?" She pushed the blanket aside to see that he held the area beneath his rib cage. His breathing came quicker than normal, and his teeth clenched as if he were suffering. "You have to tell me what's wrong, I can't help you otherwise..."
"Pain...as if a sword is repeatedly being-"
She touched his side and a sound escaped through his teeth. He seized her arm and she stopped her examination.
"I can give you something to dull the pain," she said.
"No," Aoshi responded.
The raw anguish swimming in his eyes told her that he was suffering a lot more than he let on. "I have to do something..." She moved to a kneeling position.
He lay back, closing his eyes, apparently needing a moment to collect himself. When his eyes opened, they were emotionless. "I don't think I should take any medication..."
"But..."
"Sensei..."
She studied him for several moments before turning away. "If that is what you wish..." She exited his room quietly.
***
The next day, Megumi's brother had arrived, much to her relief. She had explained everything that happened while he was gone. Kei then took it upon himself to see Aoshi.
"He's resting," her brother said, settling across the table from her.
"Kei-nii..." Megumi took a breath, "I don't know how much time he has left...I've done everything I could...and it doesn't feel like I've done enough..." She sighed, pushing her hair back.
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."
"I told Aoshi not to give up...I'm trying to be strong...but...nothing's come up so far..." she whispered.
He squeezed her hand. "Something will..."
"What if it's too late? I don't want him to die..."
Kei blew out a breath, his eyes full of compassion. "You've never lost a patient before, have you?"
Megumi swallowed. "No. Have you?"
"Yes. A long time ago..." Kei cleared his throat. "I doubted myself shortly after that. But...death is a part of life. We have to deal with it..."
She drew in a breath, her eyes lighting up with determination. "I know. If I knew what was used to make that drug...I could possibly counter it..."
"Sensei!" Ayu called through the hallway. "A letter from Daikaki-sensei has arrived for you!"
Megumi glanced at her brother before the two got up and hurried to the waiting room. Ayu was practically hopping on each foot in anticipation. Megumi accepted the outstretched letter and opened it.
Reading aloud, Megumi said quietly, " 'Takani-sensei, my apologies if this letter has taken time to arrive. I have been inquiring about the sickness that you have mentioned and came across a patient who passed away, carrying the same symptoms as you described. The patient fell ill in the afternoon due to unknown circumstances. His symptoms were the exact same, fever, chills, terrible pain. The patient was fully prepared to pass away, and he refused medication that would ease the pain or put him to sleep. He passed away two weeks after he fell ill..." Megumi read the rest of the letter quietly and looked up to see her brother and assistant watching her. "Two weeks?"
"What is it?" Ayu asked.
"According to Aoshi's research, the patients only lasted several days," Megumi recalled. "And each of them were either given a painkiller or a sedative..."
"You think those might react with the poison, speeding up the process of it's effects?" Kei asked.
Megumi looked away, setting the letter aside. "If that's true...he only has eleven days...at most...to live..." She took a deep breath, pushing aside a strand of hair before turning to them. "Eleven days is a long time. Anything can happen."
Kei smiled briefly. "Absolutely."
Suddenly, a sound from Aoshi's room echoed in their ears. Megumi hurried over and slid the door open, to find the okashira slumped over the window of his room.
"They don't need to know," he said quietly.
Her eyes widened. "What?! They deserve to know...they're your...They're your friends and family-"
"I can't-"
"Misao-chan would want to be here for you and support you," Megumi insisted. "You need to be around those who care for you..."
"What's to stop whoever did this to me from doing this to them?" Aoshi interrupted. Then he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, conviction was evident in their blue-gray depths. "Whoever did this to me...they don't know who I am...but if they find out..."
"It might affect the Oniwabanshu. I understand," Megumi said swiftly, but gently. While her past history with this man was full of unpleasant memories, she was above petty emotions. Her compassion as a doctor had given her the generosity to go beyond the tension that had existed, to maintain a civil interaction. And that compassion was also going to help her find a way to help him. "I can at least send a message to Jiro-san...he'd like to know..."
He shook his head. "No..."
"But-"
"The person who attacked me...he knows who Jiro is," Aoshi explained wearily.
"I don't have to say who you are," Megumi responded.
"No..."
***
Megumi sighed as she began to tidy up the supplies in one of the patient care rooms. Such a stubborn man...
With so much happening, Megumi needed all the help she could get. The doctor who taught at the university offered to take care of the clinic in the mornings. Megumi made a couple inquiries to doctor friends in different cities, hoping they would know something. Aoshi had been very thorough in his research, so she had to summarize what 'disease' she was looking for to each friend. Thanks to modern technology, it wouldn't take very long for some of those letters to reach their destinations. She only hoped they would come up with something in time...
Yesterday, she had sent a message to Jiro, against Aoshi's wishes. Jiro had been out of town, so she wasn't able to determine when he would get her general message. She received a letter from her brother, who said that he'd be in town tomorrow. She was really looking forward to his return.
Aoshi ate very little...enough to sustain strength but far less than what a normal person would. She opened the door to check on him, seeing him wide awake, staring at the ceiling.
"How are you feeling today?" Megumi asked, reaching to touch his forehead, surprised at the extreme change in temperature.
"It's cold in here," he said softly.
Another symptom. Megumi turned away.
"I'll fetch you a blanket..."
Within a few minutes, she had him covered with a blanket. He turned slightly to face her.
"It's only a matter of time..."
"Aoshi...Don't give up hope," she encouraged gently. "You said yourself that you wouldn't let it defeat you..."
He sighed. "I know..." He cringed slightly.
Her eyes widened. "What's wrong?"
Aoshi breathed out slowly and with a closer look, she saw that he clutched his side.
"What is it?" She pushed the blanket aside to see that he held the area beneath his rib cage. His breathing came quicker than normal, and his teeth clenched as if he were suffering. "You have to tell me what's wrong, I can't help you otherwise..."
"Pain...as if a sword is repeatedly being-"
She touched his side and a sound escaped through his teeth. He seized her arm and she stopped her examination.
"I can give you something to dull the pain," she said.
"No," Aoshi responded.
The raw anguish swimming in his eyes told her that he was suffering a lot more than he let on. "I have to do something..." She moved to a kneeling position.
He lay back, closing his eyes, apparently needing a moment to collect himself. When his eyes opened, they were emotionless. "I don't think I should take any medication..."
"But..."
"Sensei..."
She studied him for several moments before turning away. "If that is what you wish..." She exited his room quietly.
***
The next day, Megumi's brother had arrived, much to her relief. She had explained everything that happened while he was gone. Kei then took it upon himself to see Aoshi.
"He's resting," her brother said, settling across the table from her.
"Kei-nii..." Megumi took a breath, "I don't know how much time he has left...I've done everything I could...and it doesn't feel like I've done enough..." She sighed, pushing her hair back.
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."
"I told Aoshi not to give up...I'm trying to be strong...but...nothing's come up so far..." she whispered.
He squeezed her hand. "Something will..."
"What if it's too late? I don't want him to die..."
Kei blew out a breath, his eyes full of compassion. "You've never lost a patient before, have you?"
Megumi swallowed. "No. Have you?"
"Yes. A long time ago..." Kei cleared his throat. "I doubted myself shortly after that. But...death is a part of life. We have to deal with it..."
She drew in a breath, her eyes lighting up with determination. "I know. If I knew what was used to make that drug...I could possibly counter it..."
"Sensei!" Ayu called through the hallway. "A letter from Daikaki-sensei has arrived for you!"
Megumi glanced at her brother before the two got up and hurried to the waiting room. Ayu was practically hopping on each foot in anticipation. Megumi accepted the outstretched letter and opened it.
Reading aloud, Megumi said quietly, " 'Takani-sensei, my apologies if this letter has taken time to arrive. I have been inquiring about the sickness that you have mentioned and came across a patient who passed away, carrying the same symptoms as you described. The patient fell ill in the afternoon due to unknown circumstances. His symptoms were the exact same, fever, chills, terrible pain. The patient was fully prepared to pass away, and he refused medication that would ease the pain or put him to sleep. He passed away two weeks after he fell ill..." Megumi read the rest of the letter quietly and looked up to see her brother and assistant watching her. "Two weeks?"
"What is it?" Ayu asked.
"According to Aoshi's research, the patients only lasted several days," Megumi recalled. "And each of them were either given a painkiller or a sedative..."
"You think those might react with the poison, speeding up the process of it's effects?" Kei asked.
Megumi looked away, setting the letter aside. "If that's true...he only has eleven days...at most...to live..." She took a deep breath, pushing aside a strand of hair before turning to them. "Eleven days is a long time. Anything can happen."
Kei smiled briefly. "Absolutely."
Suddenly, a sound from Aoshi's room echoed in their ears. Megumi hurried over and slid the door open, to find the okashira slumped over the window of his room.