A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Xiaoyu and Girlquinn for their STRANGE words of encouragement, Daiji for the support and suggestions.
He needed to move around. He wasn't an invalid who would be confined to live the rest of his days in bed. Aoshi had overheard her assistant mention a letter from an unknown source. So he had pulled himself to Megumi's office.
What he heard was surprising. No...Jiro was responsible for this?
Megumi turned to see him clutching the doorframe for support. "Aoshi, it might be best if-"
"How?" he rasped.
She set the letter down and turned to her assistant. "Ayu, please excuse us."
Her assistant left to tend the waiting room.
Aoshi propped himself against the wall. The sound of his rapid breathing echoed in the room. His eyes were shut tightly, the effort to just stand cost him every ounce of energy in his body.
His eyes opened. "Tell me," he said in a quiet, but firm voice, his eyes meeting hers and holding her gaze.
Megumi moved forward to stand in front of him. "Jiro-san...in his letter...was very brief. He claimed that he created the poison a long time ago for assassination purposes. Apparently, someone else in his clan knew the formula, because it has reappeared again..." She lifted her hand to check his temperature. He let her this time, instead of flinching away.
"And?"
"Jiro-san left town the afternoon you were attacked by a smoke bomb...when he returns, he will explain everything. But...he gave me a list of the ingredients in the poison..."
"Will that help in making an antidote?"
"Possibly. But...the poison you have may be a variation of what he created. The medicine may not be strong enough," Megumi insisted. "It may not work at all. It may have a negative effect."
"Make it."
"Aoshi, you're asking me to give you something that could possibly kill you," Megumi said incredulously. "And who's to say that Jiro-san really sent this letter? It could be your attacker tricking you..."
"May I see it?"
She walked over to her desk and retrieved the letter. Walking back towards him, she held it up for his examination. His eyes scanned every inch of the parchment.
"I've already been poisoned, why would he want to kill me twice?" His eyes shut again, and he held his arm to his side. He continued hoarsely, "He and Okina have been friends for a long time...He and his clan were small, but they used to provide information and assist the Oniwabanshu. He wouldn't betray them."
Megumi bit her lip. She really was not going to debate loyalty and betrayal concerning the Oniwabanshu considering who she was addressing.
"Jiro always wrote his name a particular way..." Aoshi continued. "The paper underneath his name was a shade darker than the actual paper, and the ink he used in the letter has a greenish tint to it. Jiro always used that when sending very important messages."
Megumi tipped the letter to the light, looking for the clues that Aoshi mentioned. She sighed. "It still doesn't change the fact that the antidote could harm more than help..."
His eyes opened. "Takani-sensei." At the sound of her name and title, she was immediately drawn to the pull of his gaze. Uncertainty flickered in the dark depths of her eyes. "I will take that risk. If our situations were reversed, wouldn't you do the same?"
***
She would. And he knew it. Megumi placed the powdered mixture into a tiny cup before filling the cup with water. Stirring the mixture, she found her brother standing in the door of her office.
"Is it ready?" he asked.
"Almost. How is he?"
"He's been asleep for seven straight hours," Kei responded. "His breathing is still rapid and his pulse rate is low..."
"Certain parts of the day he calls on all his strength just so he can stand or sit up...but other times...he seems so lifeless," Megumi murmured. Then she examined the medicine. "I hope this works."
"We'll have to monitor him every hour," Kei responded. "See how he responds to the medicine."
Megumi gestured to the different jars on the table. "I made extra just in case we need to increase the dosage..."
Kei glanced at the cup that required two hands to completely hold on all sides. "That's plenty of medicine...I'll hold him up while you have him drink."
It was late, the clinic was already closed. The two physicians entered Aoshi's room.
"Shinomori-san," Kei addressed their patient. "Your medicine is here."
Aoshi shifted. Megumi reached over to touch his forehead before checking his pulse. "He's feverish again...Aoshi, can you hear me?"
The two siblings glanced at each other. Kei then seized Aoshi, holding him upright so Megumi could give him the medicine.
"Considering only one that I know of has gotten this far with the poison...it's difficult to say if incoherence is a symptom..." Megumi tipped Aoshi's chin up so that he could swallow the liquid. "Kei-nii, I'll watch over him."
"But..."
"The clinic needs at least one of us to be well-rested," she pointed out gently.
Her brother nodded.
Megumi sat back, leaning against the wall. Please, let this work. She wasn't sure what else she could do if it didn't. Considering all that happened, the effort being meaningless was the last thing she needed. The medicine and Shinomori Aoshi's will to live were all that she had.
She had fallen asleep without realizing it. And what a mistake that was.
When she woke, Megumi moved over to see that her patient was worse than before. Perspiration dotted his forehead, his eyes closed tightly as if in pain, his chest rose and fell slowly with shallow breaths. She placed two fingers on the inside of his wrist. His heart rate had increased ever so slightly. At this stage, it was difficult to take that as a good or bad sign.
He's reacting to the medicine, she thought. But not the way I had hoped...
Megumi looked at the ceiling in despair. Her fear had been right. The antidote would only make it worse. She knew exactly what certain chemicals did to the body when it was introduced. Because of her knowledge and Jiro's list, she had been able to create a mixture that she hoped would counter the poison.
No...Please don't die...
***
All the stress was taking its toll on her. She had leaned against the wall, her legs tucked to one side, promising herself not to fall asleep until he improved. But she had been taking brief naps here and there. Megumi shifted, feeling her muscles stiffen with discomfort. Something brushed her knee.
Her head lifted to see Shinomori Aoshi looking back at her. He looked as exhausted and as worn out as she did, but there was a little light in his blue-gray eyes.
"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.
Megumi moved to a kneeling position, smoothing her hair back. "I should be the one asking that..." She took a breath. "Not too long ago you looked as if the medicine was doing more harm than good..."
He focused his gaze on the ceiling. "I think it needed time to settle...given the fact that I've had the poison in my system for quite some time..."
"How are you feeling?"
"Still weak...but...the pain is gone..."
"I need to examine you again...just to be sure," she said in a professional voice.
She conducted a physical examination consisting of checking his pulse, temperature, and prodding different parts of his body to see if he was suffering from any pain. By the time she was finished, late morning sun rays began to trickle into his room. Just as a precaution, she gave him a small dose of the medicine again.
"I'm going to sleep," Megumi announced. "You should, too, if you wish to regain your strength..."
He nodded, adjusting the sleeves of his yukata.
When she turned to exit his room, she could sense his eyes following her.
"Takani-sensei?"
She turned to face him.
"Thank you," he said simply. She supposed that it was all he could say. No words could ever convey the gratitude from patient to physician.
She smiled in response, a weary smile but a sincere one.
A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a bit rushed...there's plenty in store for Aoshi and Megumi....
He needed to move around. He wasn't an invalid who would be confined to live the rest of his days in bed. Aoshi had overheard her assistant mention a letter from an unknown source. So he had pulled himself to Megumi's office.
What he heard was surprising. No...Jiro was responsible for this?
Megumi turned to see him clutching the doorframe for support. "Aoshi, it might be best if-"
"How?" he rasped.
She set the letter down and turned to her assistant. "Ayu, please excuse us."
Her assistant left to tend the waiting room.
Aoshi propped himself against the wall. The sound of his rapid breathing echoed in the room. His eyes were shut tightly, the effort to just stand cost him every ounce of energy in his body.
His eyes opened. "Tell me," he said in a quiet, but firm voice, his eyes meeting hers and holding her gaze.
Megumi moved forward to stand in front of him. "Jiro-san...in his letter...was very brief. He claimed that he created the poison a long time ago for assassination purposes. Apparently, someone else in his clan knew the formula, because it has reappeared again..." She lifted her hand to check his temperature. He let her this time, instead of flinching away.
"And?"
"Jiro-san left town the afternoon you were attacked by a smoke bomb...when he returns, he will explain everything. But...he gave me a list of the ingredients in the poison..."
"Will that help in making an antidote?"
"Possibly. But...the poison you have may be a variation of what he created. The medicine may not be strong enough," Megumi insisted. "It may not work at all. It may have a negative effect."
"Make it."
"Aoshi, you're asking me to give you something that could possibly kill you," Megumi said incredulously. "And who's to say that Jiro-san really sent this letter? It could be your attacker tricking you..."
"May I see it?"
She walked over to her desk and retrieved the letter. Walking back towards him, she held it up for his examination. His eyes scanned every inch of the parchment.
"I've already been poisoned, why would he want to kill me twice?" His eyes shut again, and he held his arm to his side. He continued hoarsely, "He and Okina have been friends for a long time...He and his clan were small, but they used to provide information and assist the Oniwabanshu. He wouldn't betray them."
Megumi bit her lip. She really was not going to debate loyalty and betrayal concerning the Oniwabanshu considering who she was addressing.
"Jiro always wrote his name a particular way..." Aoshi continued. "The paper underneath his name was a shade darker than the actual paper, and the ink he used in the letter has a greenish tint to it. Jiro always used that when sending very important messages."
Megumi tipped the letter to the light, looking for the clues that Aoshi mentioned. She sighed. "It still doesn't change the fact that the antidote could harm more than help..."
His eyes opened. "Takani-sensei." At the sound of her name and title, she was immediately drawn to the pull of his gaze. Uncertainty flickered in the dark depths of her eyes. "I will take that risk. If our situations were reversed, wouldn't you do the same?"
***
She would. And he knew it. Megumi placed the powdered mixture into a tiny cup before filling the cup with water. Stirring the mixture, she found her brother standing in the door of her office.
"Is it ready?" he asked.
"Almost. How is he?"
"He's been asleep for seven straight hours," Kei responded. "His breathing is still rapid and his pulse rate is low..."
"Certain parts of the day he calls on all his strength just so he can stand or sit up...but other times...he seems so lifeless," Megumi murmured. Then she examined the medicine. "I hope this works."
"We'll have to monitor him every hour," Kei responded. "See how he responds to the medicine."
Megumi gestured to the different jars on the table. "I made extra just in case we need to increase the dosage..."
Kei glanced at the cup that required two hands to completely hold on all sides. "That's plenty of medicine...I'll hold him up while you have him drink."
It was late, the clinic was already closed. The two physicians entered Aoshi's room.
"Shinomori-san," Kei addressed their patient. "Your medicine is here."
Aoshi shifted. Megumi reached over to touch his forehead before checking his pulse. "He's feverish again...Aoshi, can you hear me?"
The two siblings glanced at each other. Kei then seized Aoshi, holding him upright so Megumi could give him the medicine.
"Considering only one that I know of has gotten this far with the poison...it's difficult to say if incoherence is a symptom..." Megumi tipped Aoshi's chin up so that he could swallow the liquid. "Kei-nii, I'll watch over him."
"But..."
"The clinic needs at least one of us to be well-rested," she pointed out gently.
Her brother nodded.
Megumi sat back, leaning against the wall. Please, let this work. She wasn't sure what else she could do if it didn't. Considering all that happened, the effort being meaningless was the last thing she needed. The medicine and Shinomori Aoshi's will to live were all that she had.
She had fallen asleep without realizing it. And what a mistake that was.
When she woke, Megumi moved over to see that her patient was worse than before. Perspiration dotted his forehead, his eyes closed tightly as if in pain, his chest rose and fell slowly with shallow breaths. She placed two fingers on the inside of his wrist. His heart rate had increased ever so slightly. At this stage, it was difficult to take that as a good or bad sign.
He's reacting to the medicine, she thought. But not the way I had hoped...
Megumi looked at the ceiling in despair. Her fear had been right. The antidote would only make it worse. She knew exactly what certain chemicals did to the body when it was introduced. Because of her knowledge and Jiro's list, she had been able to create a mixture that she hoped would counter the poison.
No...Please don't die...
***
All the stress was taking its toll on her. She had leaned against the wall, her legs tucked to one side, promising herself not to fall asleep until he improved. But she had been taking brief naps here and there. Megumi shifted, feeling her muscles stiffen with discomfort. Something brushed her knee.
Her head lifted to see Shinomori Aoshi looking back at her. He looked as exhausted and as worn out as she did, but there was a little light in his blue-gray eyes.
"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.
Megumi moved to a kneeling position, smoothing her hair back. "I should be the one asking that..." She took a breath. "Not too long ago you looked as if the medicine was doing more harm than good..."
He focused his gaze on the ceiling. "I think it needed time to settle...given the fact that I've had the poison in my system for quite some time..."
"How are you feeling?"
"Still weak...but...the pain is gone..."
"I need to examine you again...just to be sure," she said in a professional voice.
She conducted a physical examination consisting of checking his pulse, temperature, and prodding different parts of his body to see if he was suffering from any pain. By the time she was finished, late morning sun rays began to trickle into his room. Just as a precaution, she gave him a small dose of the medicine again.
"I'm going to sleep," Megumi announced. "You should, too, if you wish to regain your strength..."
He nodded, adjusting the sleeves of his yukata.
When she turned to exit his room, she could sense his eyes following her.
"Takani-sensei?"
She turned to face him.
"Thank you," he said simply. She supposed that it was all he could say. No words could ever convey the gratitude from patient to physician.
She smiled in response, a weary smile but a sincere one.
A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a bit rushed...there's plenty in store for Aoshi and Megumi....