**Pechan owns nothing Ruruoni Kenshin like.
~ The Second Confrontation ~
~~At the hospital~~
Goro smoked in the waiting room. He'd never really been one to leave business unfinished, and wondered if the girl would live, or if she had lost too much blood. He was leaning against a large piano. The doctor's uncle had passed away, and left the piano for his nephew. No one really plays it, but a foreign object sure made the room look more exotic. To some extent.
A man came out, "Ah! Fujita. The victim you brought in will live."
He smiled politely, "Well, that's a relief. I'd hate to tell her father that his daughter was raped and killed."
Doctor Gisen nodded, "Yes, you seem to see more of those, these days. These peaceful days of the Meiji didn't seem to help Kyoto much, did it? Maybe I'll move to Tokyo, I hear it's a lot quieter there....."
Goro took a drag from his cigarette. "How is her condition, anyways?"
"Well, I'd say she sure is strong. Her shoulder will be fine, I suggest she doesn't use it for a month. Her ankles will heal, skin always heals, but...... her.... well, her umm, womanhood."
"The man responsible for attacking her cut her up a bit."
Gisen nodded, "Yes, I'm afraid.... that's going to take some more healing."
"I'd say a good two months before she can walk with minor pain."
"Actually, I'm more worried about her emotional state. Most women commit suicide after their innocence is broken. It's all they can have for marriage, you know."
Goro crushed his cigarette, "She didn't lose anything tonight, Gisen."
"Oh?"
Goro shrugged, "Her sanity, maybe. But, I stopped anything from..... happening."
"Ah, thank you, Fujita. I'd hate to see another woman go like that again."
Goro nodded, "Is she awake?"
"Oh, yes! Would you like to speak to her?"
Goro reached for another cigarette, thinking it was late, and maybe he should be going home. That's what he was doing. That girl just happened to be there. He just happened to be there.
**Would you rather you went home without helping her?**
He shrugged, "Well, it wouldn't hurt."
Gisen lead him to the room in the back, and held open the door. The woman was sitting in bed, watching the rain patter against the window. Her arm was in a sling, and she had one hand unconsciously clutching her blankets to her stomach. He couldn't see anything of her lower torso or legs.
Gisen bowed, and cheerfully stated, "Young lady! How are you feeling now-"
"My parents died when it was raining, you know....." she muttered.
Gisen sighed, then turned to Goro. "See?"
Goro smiled at him, "Maybe I can talk some sense to her."
Gisen crossed his arms, "I hope so. I don't want to see this one come back to me in a burial shroud." He bowed to Fujita, then left the room as a patient called out in pain.
Goro looked at the woman, looking out the window. He coughed into his hand, "I trust you're feeling better?"
She turned her head slowly to him. She looked him up and down. "Oh sh!t." she said flatly.
He smiled, "I'll say that is a rather different response I get when saving people."
Tokio closed her eyes, burying he face in her knees. "I'm in hell. God, I'm in hell." She moved her eyes to Goro, "And there's police in it."
Goro leaned against the wall. "Well, I guess you could say that. Man is damned forever, as the Christians say."
She continued to hide her face in her legs.
"At least he didn't attack your face."
She said nothing still.
He crossed his arms, "Look, I'm not big for conversation. I'm trying my hardest, alright?"
Tokio sagged her shoulders. **God, now it's talking to me....**
"I notice you get considerably unhappy when I'm around. Do I know you from somewhere?"
Tokio thought for a moment. **Okay, if you want this to go as planned, play the part...**
She sighed, lifting her chin, placing it on top of her knees, "No. I just have..... well, men rub me the wrong way."
He nodded, "Understandably so. Well, I hope you won't shun every man you see Miss."
"Why, are most good like you?" she pouted, brows furrowed.
Goro smiled at her, "And aren't YOU just charming?"
She sighed, looking out at the rain. "......... yeah well.. thank you."
"Hnh. You're welcome."
After a few more minutes of falling rain, Tokio asked, "So! Live anywhere?"
"I do."
"Where?"
"I do not give my address to every stranger I meet."
Tokio nodded, "Me too."
Goro leaned off the wall, "Well, I am sorry, but I must be getting home now."
**Uh oh. Losing the target!!**
Tokio gasped, "Wait you can't!!"
Goro smiled politely, "Excuse me, Miss?"
"What if something happens to me?"
".... such as?"
"What if they come back for me?"
He put his hands in his pockets. "You're a smart girl. Run to the police."
Goro turned away, as Tokio swung her legs over the bed, "Nnnggk, wait!"
He turned. When she tried to get up from the bed, she must had hurt herself. He saw her with her knees pulled up to her chest, teeth clenched, eyes squeezed shut, as she tried not to scream. Her ankles had been wrapped in gauze. There were bandages around her hips, and her.........
"Now really, you shouldn't be walking. You're condition seems rather painful," he reprimanded.
Tokio groaned, and slowly pulled her blanket to cover her wound again. "You're telling me. Will I see you again?"
Goro shrugged, "I work a lot, Miss, I rarely get out of my way to save damsels in distress."
Tokio sighed, "But.... but please?"
"Please what?"
"I haven't thanked you yet!"
"That is quite alright."
"I'll make you soba!! Plain, hot? Right? The way you like it!"
Goro closed his eyes, smiling, "That's very considerate of you, but-"
"Oh dammit, take the offer!! I'm rarely this nice!!" Tokio caught herself, and clamped a hand over her mouth, "U-Uh, I mean ..... umm, please?"
Goro stared at her, then shrugged, "If I have a day off, I'll pass by the hospital. And I advise you not to make me any soba. You shouldn't move that arm of yours."
Tokio nodded, "Will do!!"
Goro opened the door, letting yellow lamplight from the halls stream in.
"Wait!!"
Goro turned, "What now?"
"What's your name?"
"Goro Fujita."
Tokio cocked her head, "Fujita? Are you sure?"
He nodded, smiling, "Well, I distinctly remember my parents calling me that."
Tokio frowned. **Wait, that name isn't right.....**
"And yours, Miss?"
"Uh?"
"Do you have name?"
She gulped. "It's Tokio."
"Tokio?"
"Yes, I know, as in the city."
He smiled, "Just checking. Do you have a last name?"
She frowned. "No."
"Why is that?"
"You'll do a background check on me!!"
Goro smirked, "Would I now?"
"All police do."
He shrugged, "Okay then, I won't ask anymore."
He closed the door, and his footstep died away. Tokio frowned.
There wasn't a Fujita in the 3rd Squad of the Shinsengumi!! Oh, but he looked just like him!! Did her info come out wrong? Or was his identity changed?
~~Outside in the hall, walking home, Saito frowned. She looked familiar. He couldn't place where......
~ The Second Confrontation ~
~~At the hospital~~
Goro smoked in the waiting room. He'd never really been one to leave business unfinished, and wondered if the girl would live, or if she had lost too much blood. He was leaning against a large piano. The doctor's uncle had passed away, and left the piano for his nephew. No one really plays it, but a foreign object sure made the room look more exotic. To some extent.
A man came out, "Ah! Fujita. The victim you brought in will live."
He smiled politely, "Well, that's a relief. I'd hate to tell her father that his daughter was raped and killed."
Doctor Gisen nodded, "Yes, you seem to see more of those, these days. These peaceful days of the Meiji didn't seem to help Kyoto much, did it? Maybe I'll move to Tokyo, I hear it's a lot quieter there....."
Goro took a drag from his cigarette. "How is her condition, anyways?"
"Well, I'd say she sure is strong. Her shoulder will be fine, I suggest she doesn't use it for a month. Her ankles will heal, skin always heals, but...... her.... well, her umm, womanhood."
"The man responsible for attacking her cut her up a bit."
Gisen nodded, "Yes, I'm afraid.... that's going to take some more healing."
"I'd say a good two months before she can walk with minor pain."
"Actually, I'm more worried about her emotional state. Most women commit suicide after their innocence is broken. It's all they can have for marriage, you know."
Goro crushed his cigarette, "She didn't lose anything tonight, Gisen."
"Oh?"
Goro shrugged, "Her sanity, maybe. But, I stopped anything from..... happening."
"Ah, thank you, Fujita. I'd hate to see another woman go like that again."
Goro nodded, "Is she awake?"
"Oh, yes! Would you like to speak to her?"
Goro reached for another cigarette, thinking it was late, and maybe he should be going home. That's what he was doing. That girl just happened to be there. He just happened to be there.
**Would you rather you went home without helping her?**
He shrugged, "Well, it wouldn't hurt."
Gisen lead him to the room in the back, and held open the door. The woman was sitting in bed, watching the rain patter against the window. Her arm was in a sling, and she had one hand unconsciously clutching her blankets to her stomach. He couldn't see anything of her lower torso or legs.
Gisen bowed, and cheerfully stated, "Young lady! How are you feeling now-"
"My parents died when it was raining, you know....." she muttered.
Gisen sighed, then turned to Goro. "See?"
Goro smiled at him, "Maybe I can talk some sense to her."
Gisen crossed his arms, "I hope so. I don't want to see this one come back to me in a burial shroud." He bowed to Fujita, then left the room as a patient called out in pain.
Goro looked at the woman, looking out the window. He coughed into his hand, "I trust you're feeling better?"
She turned her head slowly to him. She looked him up and down. "Oh sh!t." she said flatly.
He smiled, "I'll say that is a rather different response I get when saving people."
Tokio closed her eyes, burying he face in her knees. "I'm in hell. God, I'm in hell." She moved her eyes to Goro, "And there's police in it."
Goro leaned against the wall. "Well, I guess you could say that. Man is damned forever, as the Christians say."
She continued to hide her face in her legs.
"At least he didn't attack your face."
She said nothing still.
He crossed his arms, "Look, I'm not big for conversation. I'm trying my hardest, alright?"
Tokio sagged her shoulders. **God, now it's talking to me....**
"I notice you get considerably unhappy when I'm around. Do I know you from somewhere?"
Tokio thought for a moment. **Okay, if you want this to go as planned, play the part...**
She sighed, lifting her chin, placing it on top of her knees, "No. I just have..... well, men rub me the wrong way."
He nodded, "Understandably so. Well, I hope you won't shun every man you see Miss."
"Why, are most good like you?" she pouted, brows furrowed.
Goro smiled at her, "And aren't YOU just charming?"
She sighed, looking out at the rain. "......... yeah well.. thank you."
"Hnh. You're welcome."
After a few more minutes of falling rain, Tokio asked, "So! Live anywhere?"
"I do."
"Where?"
"I do not give my address to every stranger I meet."
Tokio nodded, "Me too."
Goro leaned off the wall, "Well, I am sorry, but I must be getting home now."
**Uh oh. Losing the target!!**
Tokio gasped, "Wait you can't!!"
Goro smiled politely, "Excuse me, Miss?"
"What if something happens to me?"
".... such as?"
"What if they come back for me?"
He put his hands in his pockets. "You're a smart girl. Run to the police."
Goro turned away, as Tokio swung her legs over the bed, "Nnnggk, wait!"
He turned. When she tried to get up from the bed, she must had hurt herself. He saw her with her knees pulled up to her chest, teeth clenched, eyes squeezed shut, as she tried not to scream. Her ankles had been wrapped in gauze. There were bandages around her hips, and her.........
"Now really, you shouldn't be walking. You're condition seems rather painful," he reprimanded.
Tokio groaned, and slowly pulled her blanket to cover her wound again. "You're telling me. Will I see you again?"
Goro shrugged, "I work a lot, Miss, I rarely get out of my way to save damsels in distress."
Tokio sighed, "But.... but please?"
"Please what?"
"I haven't thanked you yet!"
"That is quite alright."
"I'll make you soba!! Plain, hot? Right? The way you like it!"
Goro closed his eyes, smiling, "That's very considerate of you, but-"
"Oh dammit, take the offer!! I'm rarely this nice!!" Tokio caught herself, and clamped a hand over her mouth, "U-Uh, I mean ..... umm, please?"
Goro stared at her, then shrugged, "If I have a day off, I'll pass by the hospital. And I advise you not to make me any soba. You shouldn't move that arm of yours."
Tokio nodded, "Will do!!"
Goro opened the door, letting yellow lamplight from the halls stream in.
"Wait!!"
Goro turned, "What now?"
"What's your name?"
"Goro Fujita."
Tokio cocked her head, "Fujita? Are you sure?"
He nodded, smiling, "Well, I distinctly remember my parents calling me that."
Tokio frowned. **Wait, that name isn't right.....**
"And yours, Miss?"
"Uh?"
"Do you have name?"
She gulped. "It's Tokio."
"Tokio?"
"Yes, I know, as in the city."
He smiled, "Just checking. Do you have a last name?"
She frowned. "No."
"Why is that?"
"You'll do a background check on me!!"
Goro smirked, "Would I now?"
"All police do."
He shrugged, "Okay then, I won't ask anymore."
He closed the door, and his footstep died away. Tokio frowned.
There wasn't a Fujita in the 3rd Squad of the Shinsengumi!! Oh, but he looked just like him!! Did her info come out wrong? Or was his identity changed?
~~Outside in the hall, walking home, Saito frowned. She looked familiar. He couldn't place where......
