Oooh, so hard to write. I knew what was going to happen very clearly, but not nice things are happening. This isn't for the kiddies, but not very graphic. By far the roughest chapter. Hatori has to dress Tohru, and then visit Akito, who he can't lie to......... ------------

Ayame returned a few minutes later with all the clothes Hatori asked for and an extra towel. Hatori turned off the water and dried his arms before having Kyou and Ayame carry her onto the bathroom floor. Hatori put the towel he used under her head like a pillow. He took her hair out from under her head, letting the length of it rest above her on the tile floor. He stretched her arms above her head and pealed off her undershirt.

"Maybe we should go outside," said Kyou, grabbing Ayame's shoulder.

"No. Stay. Watch as much as you can. I won't have her accused of anything because of me."

Ayame nodded and stood at attention, watching what Hatori did with a deadly serious expression. Ayame grabbed Kyou's arm hard as Kyou tried to leave. He didn't know Ayame had that much strength in his grip.

"Do you trust us two alone with her," Ayame said quietly, "or me with any friend of mine? Hatori and I share a great many things, Kyou. Do you think nothing will happen? Can you be sure?" Kyou stopped breathing.

"That's enough, Ayame-san, I need to concentrate now." Hatori said Kyou stayed. Despite just wanting to look at her face and nothing else, he watched Hatori.

Hatori sopped as much water as he could with the second towel while her bra was on. He unhooked it and took her arms out of the straps. Without taking it all the way off, he put one of his white work shirts on her. He bunched up the shirt's back, placed it under her and slipped the arms on, buttoning the cuffs. He then pulled the back straight. Ha'ri was a foot taller than Tohru, and the shirt reached down to her mid-thighs. He did most of the buttons up, starting at the bottom of the shirt, before taking the bra by the middle and lifting it off. He did the rest of the buttons up to the top.

"Both watch this especially closely." Hatori kneeled between her knees and very clearly showed the position of his hands to them before reaching up the sides of her thighs. Without looking at her or closing his eyes he grabbed the top of her panties, and then, moving on his knees down the length of her legs, took them off and discarded them flat on the floor. He stood up and faced the other way, toward her feet, and took the pair of shorts Ayame handed him. He put her feet in them and pulled them up until the waist band hit her upper thighs. He stared at a point high up the wall he was facing.

"Lift her up, I can't get them the rest of the way on with just two hands. The other one keep watching." Ayame lifted her hips and Hatori got them on. He showed one hand, and with the other felt to see if they were properly on, as well as for for fit.

"They're too lose, they'd fall off when we carry her. I need a safety pin or something." Ayame reached into his pocket and produced a hair clip, "Would this serve?" Hatori nodded and lifted up the side of the shirt to clip the boxers tight. He stood up.

"Ayame, did I at any time touch or look at Honda-san in a way that would cause her or me shame?"

"No," said Ayame, "You didn't,"

"Do you agree and repeat that statement, Kyou?"

"Yeah, nothing sick happened."

"You both need to tell that to Momiji when he comes in."

"Why?" said Kyou.

"Witnesses. In case we can't or won't say it later. For Tohru, not Ha-san." said Ayame.

Kyou was struck by a thought, "Awwww shoot. We coulda put her in her uniform!" Hatori and Ayame shook their heads.

"The shirt's short and doesn't button, so there'd be no way to do it discreetly."

"And even if you could, there'd be nothing under that short skirt of hers. She was barely able to maintain her dignity climbing in the back way, and perhaps no one alive, save that virtuous child, could have-"

"Don't push it, Ayame, I still need you." said Hatori, and Aya bit his tongue just before Kyou would have gone off.

Momiji came in after a few minutes and he said when he first saw Tohru, "Toru-chan's wearing her shirt the way Ha'ri wears his. I don't know anyone else who buttons all the way up on his day off,"

"No," said Ayame, "Or fastens both buttons on each cuff. He used to be more..... relaxed about it when he was off duty. He was never really good at wearing casual clothing, but that was in it's own way a good thing. The air seemed almost electric with his presence when he dressed down, because of how aware of his own body he is when he's uncomfortable. He had quite a few little admirers."

Kyou couldn't imagine Hatori dressing down, let alone girls following him like they did Yuki.

"Do you think the collar's too tight on her?" Hatori said, looking down at her. His voice seemed to come from far away, almost disoriented.

Ayame looked at Hatori out of the corner of his eye, "Ha-san, she's got inches to spare, see? It's too tight on _you_. I keep trying to make you new ones, but you turn them down."

"Mmmmm. They don't look professional if they're loose."

Although he was confused about why Kyou and Aya were there at first, Momiji heard their oaths and soon understood the need for witnesses.

"Yah. No one else could have done it either. What Ha'ri did, I mean. If more than one of us did stuff like dress her or be in the shower with her, it'd damage our credibility too, especially since we aren't doctors. Right, Ha'ri?"

"Yes."

They carried Tohru out to where Momiji had set up the bed, and put her in it. Hatori tucked her in.

"She's just asleep at this point. She may wake up a little, but she'd be too exhausted to stay awake for long. If you see her wake up, say something quietly to keep her clam. Don't seem frightened or angry, and smile if you can. Momiji's best at that, so he should be the one to speak the most to her."

Momiji remembered do something, "Oh! Yuki's coming!"

"He is!?" said Kyou.

"Yah, I told him the back way was clear right now. He barely remembered it, but knew Ayame hung out back. I didn't tell him Aya was here instead, though."

"You'll have to go before he comes, Aya-san." said Hatori.

"But shouldn't I at least swear to him nothing happened before I depart?"

"Unfortunately your oath would detract from our claim in Yuki-kun's book." said Hatori.

"Yeah, he'll have a hard time believing me as it is. I might get a tooth knocked out," said Kyou.

"I'll swear nothing happened," said Momiji, "but I'll say it so he thinks I was there! Without lying, too! He'll believe me, even if I am...... little for my age." Momiji tugged at a lock of blond hair self-consciously.

Ayame seemed satisfied with the plan but disappointed. He said goodbye and walked out into the hall, towards the front door. Hatori went behind the screen and got dressed.

"I have to go out. Akito needs attention around now. When I come back, if I say something obviously strange, just follow my lead." He picked put the bag that held Akito's medicine and equipment (he used a different set of everything with Akito, because of how ill Akito could get if the instruments weren't specially cleaned each time).

"Okeh, I get it Ha'ri! Come back soon! We promise to take gook care of Tohru-chan!" said Momiji. Kyou looked darkly at Hatori's departing back.

---------

Hatori walked into the dark room. The round window was the only source of light, and the room seemed to almost be in black and white. Akito was on his mattress, bare chested. He was covered below the waist, only by a blanket and whatever he chose to wear to bed the night before.

"Don't stare at me like a pretty girl, Hatori. Be professional." Akito didn't say how he knew Hatori was there.

"I apologize for staring like that, Akito. It was rude of me. You have simply lost weight again these past few days you've been ill."

"You're right, it was rude. I've come to expect more reverence from you, Hatori. I've also always been ill, so it shouldn't be a shock. But yes, I suppose for a man of my height, every pound I lose under a hundred makes me look like a different invalid." Akito smiled a little.

"Have you eaten recently?" said Hatori, stonefaced and kneeling by the bed. He took out the stethoscope.

"It was a joke, Hatori. No, I've slept. A long time for me. I either missed or turned away my meals. I usually sleep for no more than two hours at a time, Hatori. Why would I sleep so long, I wonder?"

"It is a side effect of the medicine I gave you. You don't like it?"

"It isn't pleasant, no. Is there anything that happened while I slept that I should know about?"

"Yes. I gave Honda-san a checkup."

"I don't recall giving permission for that," Akito said softly.

"I'm sorry. I would have woken you up if I knew I needed it. You were asleep when the appointment was made."

"You always need my permission, Hatori. But no matter," Akito waved his hand dismissively, then coughed a little. When he caught his breath he said, "Was it eventful?"

"Slightly. She fell ill from allergies and lack of water. Ayame, Momiji and Kyou assisted me with moving her when I needed it. I had to call for help, but she'll be fine."

"Ayame and Momiji, eh? Where was Yuki during all this?"

"I'm not sure, he wasn't here. I would have, of course, sent him to visit you if he were."

"Of course you would have. I wouldn't expect anything different from you, Hatori."

Hatori listened to Akito's lungs. "Breathe deeply," he said. Akito did, and coughed violently when he exhaled. His chest rattled wetly.

"Does that happen every time you take a full breath? A coughing fit?"

"No, every half breath. It's a slight strain to talk, at the moment."

_Meaning most patients in this condition wouldn't make the effort because of the pain_, thought Hatori

"I see," reached into his bag for a syringe and bottle, "It's not a bacterial infection, so I can't give you antibiotics. If I do and you get a lung problem that is bacterial, the antibiotic might not help. You are already resistant to quite a few antibiotics. I'll give you something else for the cough, but anything that would be effective right now would make you sleepy."

"And which of these effective drugs is that? You always tell me why you're doing things for some reason, but I simply want to know what it is you're doing."

"It's Codeine, a narcotic, and addictive if used wrong. It'll make breathing less of an effort. You might not sleep with this, but the world will seem foggy and dreamlike, so maybe not much different from sleep. If you're hungry, you should eat now, because it suppresses appetite. Also, I was taught part of being a doctor is an open bedside manner. I simply was trying to put you at ease."

"Bedside Manner? Is that what you call what you do? You do not scare me, Hatori, so don't act as if I need to be patted on the head like a frightened child. To respond, I am not hungry," said Akito smiling thinly, "and I have told you before I do not dream." He sat up slowly to let Hatori get to his arm.

"Then this may be a first," said Hatori, who held Akito's wrist still with one hand, and gave the injection. Akito lay down again.

"Before I drift into this fog I am suddenly aware of," said Akito, "I would like to know of Honda-san's virtue."

"What about it?" said Hatori.

"Is it in tact? I would not like to think someone I allowed to be taken in was a common whore. And being a doctor, I expect you hold her highest confidence."

"She is still a virgin, from what I've seen," Hatori said, carefully phrasing his response. "Ah. Well, I trust your ever clinical gaze, Hatori." Akito said, and laughed lowly, "I wonder if it remained clinical, and how she would look at you then............ is that part of your Bedside Manner?"

"Do you need me further, Akito?" said Hatori, not reacting. Akito's mouth twitched.

"One thing. I cannot continue speaking this loudly, so lean in a little." Hatori did so. "I am acutely aware of your smell, Hatori. It is familiar to me, more than a mother or a lover would be. And so," Akito put his hand on the back of Hatori's head. Delicate and gentile as a young girl's, it pulled Hatori's ear to Akito's mouth, "I also know your hands smell like her. I can smell her on my wrist, Hatori. On my chest where you touched me. At this moment does she smell of you also? It is such an intimate memento, isn't it: that certain scent a person's skin leaves behind. Thank you for leaving that with me as well, Hatori," he whispered gently.

Hatori's hair ran through Akito's fingers Akito's his arm dropped back onto the bed. Hatori didn't move.

"You're breathing.... very heavily Hatori, perhaps you....... need some fresh air? Go, I'm..... done with............ you for now." Akito was drifting off into the medicine. His eyes weren't focusing as sharply, and his pupils had dilated.

"Thank you." said Hatori. He drew back from Akito and stood up. Hatori lingered in the doorway, staring at Akito's chest and arms before he departed.