Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and Co. belongs to Watsuki-sensei and Co. I'm just letting my imagination play with them for a little while.
Summary: Megumi begins a new life in Kyoto, but soon after she arrives, her life is threatened. Is it someone from her dark past? Aoshi is determined to protect no matter what the cost.
Author's Notes: I'm deeply grateful for all the help and suggestions that my beta reader, Eriesalia, gave me with this story. Thank you very much, S! You are the best!
Flashback sequences are in italics.
White Rose, Black RoseBy Amberle-chan
Chapter One
Megumi sighed as she closed the clinic door behind her. It should have been another exhausting day of non-stop patients demanding her medical expertise, but once again, as had been the case so many times in the last several weeks, the clinic had remained empty for most of the day. She let the melancholy that had been hovering so near all day finally descend completely, and she remembered with deep sadness the events of two months past.
"Takani-sensei! Takani-sensei! Please you have to help my little girl!"
Megumi turned to the man who had just burst through her clinic door, and saw him holding a small girl of perhaps seven or eight years of age in his arms. The little girl was unconscious.
"Here! Put her the bed!" Megumi ordered. The man laid the child gently on the bed and stood off to the side, his face anxious and frightened, as she bent over the little girl's still form. Megumi pressed two fingers to the child's forehead while her other hand wrapped lightly around the girl's tiny wrist. She had no fever, but her pulse was erratic. She opened the girl's eyelids; her pupils were dilated.
"How long has she been like this?" Megumi asked as she reached for her stethoscope and placed it against the child's chest. The child's heart beat was also irregular. "Did she fall? Hit her head?" Megumi ran her fingers around the little girl's skull looking for any bumps or open wounds leaking blood.
"It happened just a little while ago. She was playing with some other children when she just collapsed. Please help her!"
Megumi moved her stethoscope to the child's lungs; her breathing was raspy, but from the sounds she heard, she didn't think there was any fluid in her lungs. She turned to the man "Why don't you wait in the other room? I promise I'll do what I can."
"No, please, I have to stay here."
"Sir, with all due respect, you'll be in my way. Please wait in the other room!" Megumi said.
The man nodded, his pale face terrified as he backed away into the clinic's waiting area.
Megumi bent over the child again, examining her for any other signs or symptoms of her unconscious state, and after not finding any, she once more listened to the girl's heart. The beat was still erratic. The problem had to be the child's heart. Then as she moved the stethoscope further down the girl's chest, she heard the heart stop; a moment later the child's breathing rattled and then halted.
"No!" Megumi exclaimed under her breath as she bent the child's head back and placed her mouth over the little girl's lips. She watched as the child's chest rose with each breath she gave, but her fingers pressed against the child's neck told her that the heart had not resumed beating. She rubbed the little girl's chest, hoping to stimulate the heart, but there was no response. She bent down once more to breathe into her mouth. She repeated each maneuver several times. Minutes passed. Megumi finally straightened up and placed one hand gently on the little girl's hair and kissed her forehead. "Be at peace, little one," she whispered.
Megumi turned toward the closed door to her waiting room, steeling herself, gathering herself together. Telling anyone that a loved one had died was always hard, but informing a parent that their child had died had always been the most difficult task she had ever faced as a doctor.
She opened the door. The man rose from where he sat and knew instantly from the expression on Megumi's face that his little girl was gone. "No!" he screamed as he barged past into the examination room. He gathered his little girl's still form into his arms, sobbing.
"I'm so sorry," Megumi said quietly. "I think it was her heart. I did everything that I could."
"You were supposed to help her!" the man gasped as he cradled the girl in his arms. "You were supposed to make her better!"
"Sir, I know you don't want to hear this now, but I really did do everything medically possible. We know so little about the heart..."
"You were supposed to help her! My little girl is dead and it's all your fault!" the man screamed. "Murderer!"
Megumi knew in heart that she had done everything that she could to save the child. Absolutely everything, but the little girl had died despite all of her best efforts. The girl's father, a man whom she had never met before and whose name she had never discovered, blamed her and decried to everyone in Aizu who would listen that she was a "quack," and a woman who should never have been allowed to practice medicine in the first place. Practicing medicine was for men, not for women who did not know they were doing. She had heard all of these words before, back in Tokyo, when she had refused to treat someone who had been faking illness and she had been proven right through the help of her friends, but this time the evidence was against her. A little girl was dead, and none of her friends was there to support her. This time she was alone.
It took only a week after the little girl's death for someone to remember her dark past with Kanryu Takeda, and then the rumors began to circulate, that she was a woman who took pleasure in seeing people hurt instead of helping them. Within a few days, the number of patients who had come to see her regularly had dwindled down to no one, and the clinic had remained empty ever since.
The short walk back to her small house did nothing to lighten Megumi's depression. Several people passed her on the street as she went home, all of whom had once acknowledged her with bows and smiles of respect, but now they completely ignored her, pretending she did not exist. All of the good she had done, all the people she had saved had been forgotten with one death.
She stifled a sob as she entered her house and lit the lamp beside the door. She sank down into the nearest chair, letting the medicine box she always kept with her clatter to the floor. It was just not the fact that the clinic remained empty and that there were no patients demanding her attention anymore that had her depressed. It was the overwhelming loneliness. It had been almost two years since she had returned to Aizu after leaving Tokyo to search for her family and begin a new life for herself. Finding any of her family members had so far been unsuccessful, and now the life she had started to build was falling apart before her very eyes. Before the death of the little girl, her days had been filled with people who needed her, and now there was no one who needed her, no one who wanted her.
She rose from the chair and proceeded to walk to the kitchen to make her evening meal when she spotted the envelope that had been slipped under her door. She had not received any mail in several days. She stooped down and picked up the letter and a small smile flitted across her face as she recognized the handwriting. It was a letter from Kaoru Himura. She opened the envelope hastily, hoping for good news, anything to lighten her mood.
The letter was filled with the day-to-day activities of the Himura family. The number of students had grown drastically at the dojo, and with Kaoru's attention taken up with Kenji, she had finally declared Yahiko the assistant master of the Kamiya Kashin style. Kenshin was still performing the daily chores of the household and as an occasional consultant to the police department and army, but he only helped them out when he deemed it would protect other people and not hurt anyone. Kenji was growing bigger everyday. Sanosuke had also written them once since Megumi had received the last letter from Kaoru. He had not said much about his exploits in Mongolia, but had decided to move on from Asia to give his luck in America a try. Dr. Gensai sent his love.
"So everyone here in Tokyo is fine," Megumi read out loud to herself, as she scanned the last paragraph of the letter, "and we hope that you are doing well in Aizu. However, if you are not too busy, we want you to visit us very soon. Love, Kaoru."
"Tokyo," Megumi mused as she put the letter down on a kitchen counter and began to prepare a small meal for herself. Yes, it would be nice to visit the Himuras and talk with Dr. Gensai. It would be just what she needed to escape the oppressiveness that had become her life, to go where people did not care about her past, to where people loved her. "Maybe I'll do more than just visit," Megumi said aloud to the emptiness around her. There was nothing left in Aizu for her now.
A little more than a week later, she stood in front of Kamiya dojo gate. She had written the Himuras the day after their letter arrived, informing them that she had every intention to arrive on that day. She had closed the clinic temporarily in Aizu and left the care of her house to a neighbor. She had decided not to leave Aizu completely until she discovered how things would go in Tokyo.
She opened the gate and smiled. Everything looked the same as it had eight months before when she had lasted visited after Kenji's birth. She could hear the sounds of the students practicing in the dojo, Yahiko's voice loudly instructing them. Kenshin was hanging clothes up to dry in the light summer breeze. Kaoru was nowhere in sight, but then she heard Kenji's laughter float out into the yard from inside the house. These people were her loved ones. Perhaps she should never have left.
Kenshin turned around quickly when he heard the dojo gate open and he smiled as he spotted her. "Megumi-dono!" he exclaimed as he crossed the dojo yard to greet her. "I was planning to meet you at the train station, that I was."
"I decided to catch an earlier train," Megumi replied, smiling back at him. He was still so handsome in her eyes, even though his heart would never be hers. She had given up on that dream a long time ago. "I hope you don't mind."
"Don't be silly," Kenshin replied as he reached out to take her bag from her hand. He led her back to the dojo. At that moment, Kaoru appeared on the porch, Kenji cuddled close in her arms.
"Megumi!" Kaoru cried, stepping off the porch and rushing over to give her friend a one-handed hug while she transferred Kenji to the other arm. "We're so glad you're here!"
"So am I, Kaoru, so am I," Megumi breathed as her smiled widened. "I've missed you all so much."
She reached out to tickle Kenji's face with one finger; the baby gurgled and grabbed onto her finger tightly. No one could ever doubt that Kenji was Kenshin's and Kaoru's baby with his mop of dark auburn hair and blue-violet eyes.
"Come into the house, Megumi-dono," Kenshin said.
Megumi followed them back into the dojo. She was already feeling better than she had in weeks.
Yahiko joined them for tea a few minutes later after he dismissed his students for the day. Megumi was startled by how much he had grown in the last two years.
"Kami-sama, how tall are you now, Yahiko?" Megumi asked.
The young teenager shrugged. "Don't know, but busu has been having trouble beating me lately."
"Yahiko...," Kaoru growled, half a smile and half a smirk on her lips.
"And how is Tsubame?" Megumi inquired teasingly.
Yahiko tried to hide his blush in his tea cup. "Fine," he muttered.
She spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening listening to all the latest news of Tokyo and the daily lives of the Kamiya dojo family, especially little Kenji's baby antics. Then as the moon began to rise, after Yahiko had gone to visit Tsubame and Kenji had been put to bed for the night, the subject came up that she had been dreading all day long.
"And how are things in Aizu, Megumi-dono?" Kenshin asked after Kaoru had returned to them on the porch. "You have said nothing about yourself and the clinic all day, that you haven't."
Megumi sighed and smiled wanly at him. "I could never hide anything from you, could I, Kens-san?" she said wistfully. She bent her head down, letting her long, dark hair hide her face. "Things are not well."
"What is it, Megumi?" Kaoru asked quietly, her voice full of concern for her friend.
Megumi did not lift up her head, her voice nearly breaking, as she told them of her troubles in Aizu, about the little girl's death and how that one event had affected her practice.
"Oh, Megumi...," Kaoru breathed, her expression full of sympathy. Kenshin's face was just as concerned.
Megumi finally lifted her head up to look at her two friends and tried to hold back the sobs that threatened to take hold of her, but after seeing the concern and love on their faces, she broke down. The last two months had been too painful, too lacking in any warmth from another human being. She could not stop the tears from cascading down her cheeks, feeling both disappointed by a life that was not working and grateful for her friends care.
Kaoru knelt by her side and put an arm around Megumi's shoulders, trying to comfort her. "I'm...all right," Megumi finally managed to gasp after her tears lessened. "It's just that I don't know what to do now... ."
"Well, you can stay as long as you like, Megumi," Kaoru said insistently. Megumi looked up at Kenshin, who nodded his head once in assent.
"You need to find your strength again, Megumi-dono," Kenshin said sagely. "You've been alone far too long to do that. You found it here in Tokyo once before, perhaps that is why you returned here."
Megumi smiled in genuine gratitude at him, knowing that he wasn't speaking about Tokyo in general, but that small, special space in Tokyo occupied by the Kamiya dojo and the people who lived in its environs. Here she was treasured and loved, and here she would find healing once again.
Two weeks passed, and Megumi found herself settling into life at the dojo. She helped with the general chores and taking care of Kenji so that Kaoru could also teach her students. She found herself relaxing for the first time in months, contented in the company of her friends. Then after those first two weeks, she began to grow restless with a need to practice medicine again. She went to visit Dr. Gensai, who had retired, and who introduced her to the doctor who took over his practice, Dr. Hikaru Takei.
It was the middle of the morning when Dr. Gensai led her back to the old building that housed the clinic. There were already several people waiting to see Dr. Takei, all of whom smiled when they saw her enter.
"Takani-sensei!" one older woman exclaimed. "I didn't know you were back in Tokyo."
"Just for a while, Fukao-san," Megumi replied. "I came to see if Takei- sensei would like any help."
Suddenly there were three children by her side, two young girls and an older boy, clamoring for her attention. "Takani-sensei, Takani-sensei!" the two girls cried. "We missed you!"
"I missed you, too!" Megumi said as she bent down. The youngest girl hugged her. "I hope you're not sick, Kimiko-chan." The little girl smiled shyly and shook her head.
"Okaasan's going to have another baby," the boy told her. "I hope it's a boy. I want a brother!"
Megumi stood up, smiled at the boy, and then turned to Dr. Gensai. "I see it's still as busy as ever."
"That's why I'm sure Dr. Takei could use as an assistant," Dr. Gensai replied. "I'm sure that he'll take you once I've given him my recommendation."
At that moment, an expectant mother stepped out of the examination room followed by a short, bright-eyed man with dark hair touched by gray at the temples. The man smiled and bowed. "Ah, Gensai-sensei. A pleasure as always." He moved in a little closer to the older man. "I could really use a little help today," he whispered into Dr. Gensai's ear.
"That's why I'm here," Dr. Gensai murmured back. He pointed toward Megumi. "This is Megumi Takani. Megumi-san, this is Hikaru Takei."
Dr. Takei smiled and bowed. "Ah, yes," he said, smiling. "Dr. Gensai has spoken highly of you, Takani-sensei. Please come in."
He led them both into the examination room. It had not changed much in the two years since Megumi had left Tokyo. The shelves were still overflowing with bottles, jars, and books. Various instruments lay haphazardly on the tables. Megumi smiled. It seemed that Dr. Takei also possessed the same penchant as Dr. Gensai for not putting things back where they belonged. It was so familiar and comforting.
"Megumi-san's staying in Tokyo for awhile," Dr. Gensai said. "She would be a great assistant for you, Hikaru-san." He smiled broadly. "She certainly was a great assistant to me."
Megumi bowed to the older doctor, blushing slightly. "Thank you, Dr. Gensai." She then turned to the other man. "I haven't decided if I'm moving here permanently yet," she explained, "but there's a distinct possibility that I may. I've been here for two weeks now, and I would really like to start working again."
Hikaru Takei smiled. "Well, as you know doubt saw, I could use the help," he said. "And I have heard very good things about you from both Dr. Gensai and some former patients of yours." He paused for several moments thinking, his eyes staring at the closed door to the examination room. "I do need help, even if it is temporary. Very well, Takani-sensei, you can be my assistant. But," he said, cocking his head in the direction of the waiting room and rubbing his jaw, "do you think you could start today?"
"Hai," she agreed, laughing.
Another four weeks passed, and Megumi found herself enjoying life once more. Her depression had disappeared. She awoke each day looking forward to working in the clinic with Dr. Takei. He kept her very busy, and as the days passed, she began to feel useful and needed again. Dr. Takei was a wonderful doctor who lavished care and attention on his patients, something she admired deeply. He went out of his way to make sure that he could at least make his patients laugh once during their examinations, no matter how dire the circumstances. He was a pleasure to work for, and she returned to the Kamiya dojo late into the evenings tired but gratified by her work. As Megumi walked back to the dojo early one evening after spending another hectic day at the clinic, she realized that she had made her decision. She would stay in Tokyo. It was in Tokyo that she had been happiest years ago, and now she was feeling happy again. Aizu held nothing for her but sorrowful memories and an empty heart. She began to think about finding a small house for herself, so she would not overstay her welcome at the Himuras, but one that was close enough to the dojo so that she could easily visit them when she wanted. Bright dreams of her own garden filled with plants, herbs, and flowers, especially roses, were floating through her mind when she stepped into dojo yard.
A very excited Yahiko ran over to greet her. Megumi smiled in amusement at the tall teenager who, in many ways, was still a little boy. "Hey, Megumi!" he exclaimed, waving his hand at her. "It's about time you came home. We've got news! We're going to Kyoto!"
"Kyoto?" she asked as they both crossed the yard toward the house.
Kenshin, who was sitting on the porch with Kaoru at his side and Kenji squirming in his arms, nodded. "We received a letter from Misao-dono and Okina-san," he explained. "We have an invitation to visit them next week."
"The invitation includes you, Megumi," Kaoru said, taking her fussing son from his father's arms. Kenji soon quieted. "I told them that you were here. I hope you don't mind."
"No, of course not," Megumi replied as she settled down next to them. Even though she knew that the Himuras and Yahiko had been to visit the residents of the Aoiya at least once or twice in the last two years, she had not been back to Kyoto since she had gone there to treat Kenshin after his fight with Shishio. It brought back a flood of memories for her, both pleasant and unpleasant, memories that were interrupted by Yahiko's excitement.
"Okina sent train tickets for all of us," the teenager informed her
"We think that there's some special occasion happening," Kenshin said.
"Okina didn't say much in his letter, just that it was a surprise, and that he wanted all of us there." Kaoru supplied.
"Then, of course, I'll come, too." Megumi said.