CHAPTER 7: Hurry to the doctor! The margin between life and death!
Saito felt like his head was swimming. He tried to call out to Tokio, but he felt like he was underwater. The darkness felt heavy, and the pain swirled in it along with him. His last thought was: Don't let the Battousai get her...
Tokio sprinted through the streets, asking anyone she could find where a doctor's office was. Her body was weighed down with fatigue and she could hardly take another step forward, but when she recalled the image of Saito, hunched on the floor, vomiting blood, her strength was renewed and she could run again. There were not very many people in the area at that time. It was very late at night. Tokio ran down another street, looking for any familiar places. After about an hour of blindly sprinting, she found a small doctor's office. Tokio stumbled inside, feeling the warmth of the room embrace her.
"Can somebody help me? Hello!" Tokio called into the room. An older man came out of a door on the right side of the room and walked over to her.
"Yes. What do you need help with, young lady?" the old man asked.
"My friend, he's been stabbed through his stomach!" Tokio gasped. The old man nodded. "I see... well then, take me to him!" he said, picking up his bag and stuffing some jars inside it. "I'll be going out, Okita-san! Help yourself to whatever you want, just don't do anything too strenuous!"
"Okita-san?" Tokio asked. "Is he... here?"
"Yes... do you know Okita-san?" the old man asked, picking up his bag and sticking it under his arm.
"I do. He's my friend!" Tokio said. "If we're thinking of the same person, that is." Okita walked out of a door, holding a cup of tea, and yawned.
"Miss Tokio!" Okita gasped. "Why are you here? And so late at night?!" He set his cup on a nearby table and hurried over to her.
"Hajime's in trouble!" Tokio announced feeling a bit relieved at seeing her friend. "We have to go, Okita!" Tokio yelled and ran off, the doctor hurrying behind. They arrived at where Saito had been stabbed in less than ten minutes. Saito's skin was deathly pale.
"So... this is your friend, huh?" the doctor asked checking for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief to feel a very slow, but distinct pulse.
"Yes," Tokio replied, sinking to the ground and putting her hands on her face. She was exhausted.
"I see," the doctor nodded. "He's really got a strong will to live." Then, he pulled out a jar full of liquid and opened it. He splashed it onto Saito's bloody wound.
"Hajime... you have to live," Tokio yawned, hardly able to keep her eyes open. She touched his forehead and found that it was very cold. It made her worry even more.
"You can go to sleep, Miss. I'll take care of your friend," the doctor pulled a blanket out of his bag and draped it over Tokio's shoulders. Then, he turned back to Saito, and Tokio fell asleep.
Battousai crouched on the roof, watching the Shinsengumi woman as she slept against the side of the building. He had hoped she'd make it in time; he didn't like killing people by accident, which was what he had done.
He heard a man calling to him.
"Himura!" the man yelled. "The Shinsengumi has rescued the woman!" Battousai nodded, understanding that he was expected to join the search party. He unsheathed his sword and ran out into the street. He ran down the road and turned a corner, his sword out in front of him. Battousai's head snapped forward as he felt his sword pierce through a person's stomach. He scrutinized the man and recognized him as Saito Hajime, leader of the third squad of the Shinsengumi.
No! I... didn't mean to... stab... him... like that! Battousai's eyes widened in shock. He turned his head slightly to see the Shinsengumi woman crouched on the floor, staring at him with despair and hatred in her eyes. He attempted to bow in apology, but his pride wouldn't allow him to humble himself to a Shinsengumi woman. Battousai ran off, back to the man who had given the command, and told him that the Shinsengumi had gotten away.
Battousai shook his head. He hunched down low to the roof and ran off toward the Ishin Shishi headquarters.
Okita ran out the door after finishing his tea. He saw Tokio's figure running down the street, even farther than he had expected her to get. Okita wondered what could have happened.
"Not many people can hurt Saito-san that badly!" Okita said. His smile was no longer plastered on his face, but was replaced with a look of worry. "Except... maybe..." his eyes widened in realization. "Battousai!" Okita breathed. He felt a wave of coughs coming on and he walked back inside where he fell onto his futon, coughing.
Tokio opened her heavy eyelids. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, showering the ground with an orange glow. She rolled over, feeling the blanket slip away from her body and her hand touch the cold ground. The events from last night hit her memory hard and her head snapped up to see the doctor lying on the ground wrapped in a blanket a few feet away from Saito. Tokio stood up, rubbed her aching arms and legs and hurried over to Saito.
"Hajime?" she whispered. His face had regained some of its color, but he still looked terrible. She placed a hand on his pale cheek and found that it was warmer than the night before. She bent over and brushed her lips over his, snuggling next to him under a single blanket. She closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep, the warmth of the rising sun beating down on her. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and Hajime's lips on her own. She wrapped her arms around his stomach, losing herself in his kiss.
A/N: Um... school tomorrow. T_T...
Koneko: No. * flicks the switch on the idea light bulb * Sorry.
Saito felt like his head was swimming. He tried to call out to Tokio, but he felt like he was underwater. The darkness felt heavy, and the pain swirled in it along with him. His last thought was: Don't let the Battousai get her...
Tokio sprinted through the streets, asking anyone she could find where a doctor's office was. Her body was weighed down with fatigue and she could hardly take another step forward, but when she recalled the image of Saito, hunched on the floor, vomiting blood, her strength was renewed and she could run again. There were not very many people in the area at that time. It was very late at night. Tokio ran down another street, looking for any familiar places. After about an hour of blindly sprinting, she found a small doctor's office. Tokio stumbled inside, feeling the warmth of the room embrace her.
"Can somebody help me? Hello!" Tokio called into the room. An older man came out of a door on the right side of the room and walked over to her.
"Yes. What do you need help with, young lady?" the old man asked.
"My friend, he's been stabbed through his stomach!" Tokio gasped. The old man nodded. "I see... well then, take me to him!" he said, picking up his bag and stuffing some jars inside it. "I'll be going out, Okita-san! Help yourself to whatever you want, just don't do anything too strenuous!"
"Okita-san?" Tokio asked. "Is he... here?"
"Yes... do you know Okita-san?" the old man asked, picking up his bag and sticking it under his arm.
"I do. He's my friend!" Tokio said. "If we're thinking of the same person, that is." Okita walked out of a door, holding a cup of tea, and yawned.
"Miss Tokio!" Okita gasped. "Why are you here? And so late at night?!" He set his cup on a nearby table and hurried over to her.
"Hajime's in trouble!" Tokio announced feeling a bit relieved at seeing her friend. "We have to go, Okita!" Tokio yelled and ran off, the doctor hurrying behind. They arrived at where Saito had been stabbed in less than ten minutes. Saito's skin was deathly pale.
"So... this is your friend, huh?" the doctor asked checking for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief to feel a very slow, but distinct pulse.
"Yes," Tokio replied, sinking to the ground and putting her hands on her face. She was exhausted.
"I see," the doctor nodded. "He's really got a strong will to live." Then, he pulled out a jar full of liquid and opened it. He splashed it onto Saito's bloody wound.
"Hajime... you have to live," Tokio yawned, hardly able to keep her eyes open. She touched his forehead and found that it was very cold. It made her worry even more.
"You can go to sleep, Miss. I'll take care of your friend," the doctor pulled a blanket out of his bag and draped it over Tokio's shoulders. Then, he turned back to Saito, and Tokio fell asleep.
Battousai crouched on the roof, watching the Shinsengumi woman as she slept against the side of the building. He had hoped she'd make it in time; he didn't like killing people by accident, which was what he had done.
He heard a man calling to him.
"Himura!" the man yelled. "The Shinsengumi has rescued the woman!" Battousai nodded, understanding that he was expected to join the search party. He unsheathed his sword and ran out into the street. He ran down the road and turned a corner, his sword out in front of him. Battousai's head snapped forward as he felt his sword pierce through a person's stomach. He scrutinized the man and recognized him as Saito Hajime, leader of the third squad of the Shinsengumi.
No! I... didn't mean to... stab... him... like that! Battousai's eyes widened in shock. He turned his head slightly to see the Shinsengumi woman crouched on the floor, staring at him with despair and hatred in her eyes. He attempted to bow in apology, but his pride wouldn't allow him to humble himself to a Shinsengumi woman. Battousai ran off, back to the man who had given the command, and told him that the Shinsengumi had gotten away.
Battousai shook his head. He hunched down low to the roof and ran off toward the Ishin Shishi headquarters.
Okita ran out the door after finishing his tea. He saw Tokio's figure running down the street, even farther than he had expected her to get. Okita wondered what could have happened.
"Not many people can hurt Saito-san that badly!" Okita said. His smile was no longer plastered on his face, but was replaced with a look of worry. "Except... maybe..." his eyes widened in realization. "Battousai!" Okita breathed. He felt a wave of coughs coming on and he walked back inside where he fell onto his futon, coughing.
Tokio opened her heavy eyelids. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, showering the ground with an orange glow. She rolled over, feeling the blanket slip away from her body and her hand touch the cold ground. The events from last night hit her memory hard and her head snapped up to see the doctor lying on the ground wrapped in a blanket a few feet away from Saito. Tokio stood up, rubbed her aching arms and legs and hurried over to Saito.
"Hajime?" she whispered. His face had regained some of its color, but he still looked terrible. She placed a hand on his pale cheek and found that it was warmer than the night before. She bent over and brushed her lips over his, snuggling next to him under a single blanket. She closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep, the warmth of the rising sun beating down on her. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and Hajime's lips on her own. She wrapped her arms around his stomach, losing herself in his kiss.
A/N: Um... school tomorrow. T_T...
Koneko: No. * flicks the switch on the idea light bulb * Sorry.
