**Pechan didn't create the Rurouni Kenshin Characters.

~ Healing, A Little ~

~~ Days later~~

"Ah! Fujita! How are you?"

Fujita bowed to the Gisen. "Very well. And you?"

"Oh, the usual patients, you know. Business is the same as ever. Did you want to check up on the tall lady?"

Goro nodded, removing his hat, "I told her I would."

Gisen lead him to the room, and opened the door.

Goro peered inside, and found a pile of paper cranes littering the floor and bed. In the midst of paper, there sat the woman Tokio. She sat cross legged, and she had her slung arm folding a crane with just her fingers, and her other good arm.

Goro stepped inside. There were fresh bandages wrapped around her hips and between her hips, and the gauze around her ankles had already been removed. There were a few red lines scabbing on her ankles.

She lifted her emerald eyes to him. Her lips twitched, and then became a smile. "Oh, it's you!"

Goro stepped around a paper crane. "I see you're making good use of your time, Miss."

She sighed, "Tell me about it. I'm bored outta my mind here," she looked back down at her crane, "but, the doctor says I'll be outta here in a week."

Goro nodded, and leaned against the wall. "Tokio, do you know the name of the man that assaulted you?"

"Gichi." She replied, tossing away her crane. She reached for another piece of paper.

"Does Gichi have a last name?"

"..... I'm not sure. His uncle's was Watanabe. I think his might have been Ikuta. Why? Is he filing a lawsuit at me for assault?"

Goro smiled, "No, I'm afraid your friend has passed on."

Tokio dropped her paper, and stared at him. "You killed him."

He stuck a cigarette in his mouth, "Would you rather I let him finish his business with you and arrest him?" He struck his match against the wall, and lit his cigarette.

Tokio looked away, "Well, I'm sure you didn't have to kill him....."

"He would have gotten the death sentence anyways if I had apprehended him. We found opium on his body."

Tokio shrugged, picking up her half finished crane that she dropped, "Yeah?"

"Would you happen to know of any other men that friends of Gichi?"

Tokio nodded, "Sure can." He glanced up at him, "I never forget a face."

"Very good. Can you walk, Miss?"

Tokio looked up at him, "Why?"

Goro placed his hat upon his head, "The police have arrested twenty six men after the death of Gichi, all we have assumed to have been accomplices in his... crimes. After his death, it appears all his threats died with him, and several women confessed they had been accosted by him and his men too."

She put down her crane.

"It would help if you can identify some of the men you saw before you were injured."

Tokio looked away, biting her lip.

"Unless of course, if you are not well....."

Tokio shook her head, looking at him. "No, I mean, yeah. Yeah, fine. I mean, I'll try."

She cautiously dipped her feet out of the bed, onto the floor. She winced with every move, until she was standing.

Goro couldn't help but smirk, and say, "Stings?"

She frowned at him, "Knock it off, I'm recovering from surgery."

"Surgery?"

"Yeah. And I sure as hell hope you're paying for this, cause I don't have the money for this."

He shrugged, "That is too bad."

She took a step, and as her toes landed, her good hand instantly went to her crotch, as she held gasped in sharp pain.

Instantly, she felt his hands on her shoulders, " Okay, obviously this wasn't a good idea-"

*He was too close.*

Instinctively, she shoved his arms away, falling back into her bed. She breathed heavy.

**Those hands stained in blood.....**

He raised his brows to her, then asked politely, "Did I hurt you, Miss?"

Tokio sighed, and sat up, "N-No..... guess it hurt more than I thought....."

Goro nodded, "I understand. I'll just see how you are in a week or so."

"What'll happen to those men?"

"They'll just make themselves at home in jail while you're healing, Miss."

He tripped his cap to her, bowing a bit, and smiled, "Good day." And left.

Tokio rubbed the spot where his gloved fingers had touched her, as if the spot burned.

~~ Days Later~~

Fujita entered the hospital, finding several of the patients, and the doctors and nurses, gather around the piano. And Goro heard the beautiful notes of the piano.

The player seemed very accomplished. The music swelled when the notes rose in pitch, and echoed softly as the music appeared to die. Arpeggios flowed slow, lulling legatos, and eventually the melody decided on a gentle, slow pace. It kept steady rhythm, like a heart beat, and Goro found it to be as peaceful as raindrops.

Fujita came around and found that Tokio girl at the seat. Her long, slender fingers curved delicately over the keys as they danced across the ivory. Tokio's eyes were closed, and her lips were rouged, and she held her chin high. Her hair was tied into a sleek ponytail, and with her face at ease with the music, Goro somehow found the picture very relaxing. He couldn't believe such a brash young girl could produce such music.

Gradually, the gentle pulse of the music slowed down, and finally, a triplet ended the ballad.

Gisen clapped, "That was wonderful, Miss Tokio! Where did you learn to play on a piano? They're very expensive!"

Tokio smiled to him, rubbing her neck, "My father used to have one."

"He must have had a very good job, then!"

Tokio nodded, "Uh huh."

Goro spoke up, "Very nice, Miss Tokio."

Tokio turned, glaring at him.

"Yare yare..... now she's angry again."

Tokio shrugged and closed the id on the piano. "So, I'm supposed to finger the suspects now?"

"Unless you still feel slightly ill." Goro nodded to her arm, "I see you can move it now."

"Oh yes, it wasn't broken after all. Just sprained. Her ankles are all better, and she's healing...." Gisen looked at her hips, "..... progressively."

Tokio looked away, "Embarrassing....." she mumbled, turning red.

Goro nodded, "Then, if I may? She is allowed to walk around, is she?"

"Well, I wouldn't recommend it, but if she doesn't do anything drastic like, like running or jumping, she'll be fine."

"I can assure you, she will not have to do so much as walk and talk."

Gisen grinned, "Good. Miss Tokio? Can you stand again?"

Tokio slowly placed her hands on the board, and stood. She took small, delicate steps, cautious of causing pain to herself again. Goro saw this, and called for the policeman behind him, "Kito, assist Miss Tokio."

"Huh? Hey wait, I can-OH!" Kito placed his hand on her shoulders.

Kito nodded, "Don't worry, I'll just catch you if you fall."

Tokio blew a lock of hair from her face, "Geez, the police always this friendly?"

Goro smiled, "Only to key suspects."

~~Later On~~

When they got to the police station, Goro had led her to the hail cells. There, were all the faces that had been following her home that night. After walking up the isle once, she announced, "Yep. They're guilty."

Instantly a chorus of robust and rude comments sprang forth from the cells.

"She's f-ckin' lyin'!! We didn't do nothin'!!"

"Lousy b!tch just wants to get paid, is what she wants-"

"-KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU WHEN I GET OUT-"

"Lady, I swear, I'd never-"

"-Gichi was nuts, he threatened to kill us-"

"-didn't do it-"

"-Please, don't kill-"

"-IN HELL, BURN IN HELL-"

"STUPID B!TCH!! I'LL KILL-"

"-PLEASE, MERCY!!"

And on and on it went. Tokio glared at them, "Yeah? You and what army?"

Goro turned to his assistant, "Move them to the execution rows."

"Sir, they're guilty? Are you sure they're yakuza?"

"Before Miss Tokio came here to testify, a few other reliable people came over confessing that they were threatened to keep their silence. Now that the leader's gone, the whole pack crumbles."

He walked out of the room, hearing tokio kick one of their bars, "PIPE DOWN, IDIOT!!"

He smirked. **She sure has no problem healing.**

~~ Ten Minutes after Fujita sat in his desk in his office~~

"Fujita!!"

Goro looked up from his desk, smoking, "What is it?"

A policeman came to him, "That woman that had pointed out the criminals, she....."

Goro stood, "Yes? Did she pass out?"

The policeman nodded furiously, "Yes, we had to send for the doctors, and they're here."

"Doctors?"

"Her......her legs!! There was blood-"

"Dammit," Goro muttered, stubbing his cigarette. He flowed the policeman. A group of policemen were huddled around Tokio, as she lay unconscious on the ground. She was bleeding profusely under her skirt, and her eyelids were fluttering.

A gray haired doctor stood, "Good Evening, Mr. Fujita. This young woman here-"

"Yes, she's bleeding. Will it stop?"

"As far as I can tell, no, I can't seem to make it stop."

Goro nodded. He turned to the policeman that had called him in, "Call for Gisen. She's his patient.

~ And in just a matter of minutes.....

"This is what happens when the young lady doesn't stay in bed when she's sick," Gisen mumbled, closing Tokio's legs. "What exactly happened here?"

"As we led one of the criminals away, one lunged for her. He was going to strike her, but she kicked him in the face. Pretty high kick, I should say. Anyways, I uhh, think she broke something...." explained one of the officers.

"Do we move her?" asked a young man.

"I wouldn't advise it. But, she must be returned to the hospital, so, one of you carry her."

"Me?" asked the policeman.

Gisen nodded, "Yes, you. Now, hurry. She's breathing rather too hard for normal." He pressed his fingers against her forehead, "Poor thing."

"Why can't you get someone else?"

"Does it matter who?" Gisen stood, "I have a really bad back. Now, someone please help this woman or she could very well die in the police station."

A shorter policeman chuckled, "Great and won't that look good for our reputation?"

He knelt, and scooped her up in his arms. Goro watched her wince.

"Careful. She's very delicate," he called out.

"Shut up, Fujita, not like I can hit you all the way from her!" she snapped, eyes closed, and she groaned again.

For some reason, Goro felt a smile coming to his lips, as he turned away.