Setsuna sat in the back room of the dojo looking out the window at the cherry trees. They had already bloomed months before and she had missed it. Nevertheless, the trees reminded her of that day anyway. With a glazed over look on her face she made her way over to the door leading out of the room. She slid it open and turned right, down the hall to her temporary bedroom. Her breathing became labored slightly as an anxiety attack came on suddenly. She clutched her chest and opened the door to her room with her right hand. She walked in slowly and slid the door shut behind herself.
They wouldn't take me any other way...I don't need pity from them, she thought undoing her obi bow. She let it fall to the floor in a heap and removed her yukata robe. She looked at it in her hands staring through it. Tears slid down her face and she made no effort to wipe them away. Kaoru was so happy here. Her life was perfect. She had everything she would ever need. She dropped the yukata robe without even realizing it and walked over to where she had put her few belongings. She picked up the leather holster that held all her throwing daggers and picked one out. She examined it in the sunlight that filled the room. She looked up at the window and blankly stared at it. Her face was expressionless as if she wasn't even in her body anymore. She walked over and closed the window, drawing the shade. Her body slid into a heap on the floor and she pushed back the sleeves of her under robe. She examined the pale skin she revealed.
No, not again, she thought, I won't do it again. I can't, it's wrong. She sat up off the floor and removed her under robe. Setsuna now sat in just her under garments of a shirt and a slip, her milky white arms exposed. She had pale pink cuts that ran the entire length of her arms. She traced them with the dagger in a daze. No, I can't...
There were footsteps in the hallway walking towards her room. She was so engulfed in her own world she didn't hear Kenshin calling to her through the paper door. Getting no response from Setsuna, Kenshin let himself in. "Gomen kudasai," he called then slid the door open to reveal to him Setsuna huddled under the window cutting into the flesh of her arms. The expression on her face was blank, almost like the face of a corpse.
I can't do this...it's wrong...
"Setsuna-dono! Dame!" Kenshin ran to her and grabbed the dagger from her left hand. She looked up still in her daze of near death, she stared right through Kenshin as if he weren't even there. Kenshin looked into her eyes seeing that she wasn't looking at him, she was looking at whatever nightmare was going on in her mind.
"Setsuna-dono..."
The blood ran down her arms soaking into her white slip. She stared blankly at him, tears running down her face again.
"I...can't....stop it...," she said, her eyes focusing on Kenshin, finally coming out of her daze. "I can't make it stop!" She fell into Kenshins arms and started to cry in sobs, her body shaking.
Kenshin put his arms around her returning the embrace, thoroughly worried about her mental health. Kaoru came by the room looking for both Kenshin and Setsuna, seeing only Kenshin embracing a near naked Setsuna. She didn't see the blood, only the fact that he was holding Setsuna in his arms. She backed out of the door way just as Kenshin turned his head to see who was standing there. "Kaoru-dono..."
She turned and ran down the hall, tears forming in her eyes. How could he do that to her, she thought.
Kenshin turned back to Setsuna who had calmed down a bit. "Can you stand?" She looked up into his face and nodded yes. He got himself onto the balls of his feet and helped Setsuna stand, worried more about Setsunas well-being, then of what Kaoru thought she saw moments ago.
He put an arm around Setsunas waist to steady her in case she lost a lot of blood. He helped her walk out of the room and took her down the hallway in the direction Kaoru ran in. He entered the dojos training room seeing that Kaoru had taken refuge there with tears in her eyes. She turned around and saw Setsuna covered in blood, the substance still dripping from the wounds on her arms. Kaoru let out an inaudible gasp and ran over to where Kenshin stood in the doorway. She felt incredibly stupid for jumping to conclusions like that. She took Setsuna from Kenshins arms and helped her to sit on the floor.
"I'm going to go get Megumi or Gensai Sensei," said Kenshin sprinting out of the dojo.
"Kaoru...," said Setsuna weakly looking up at her, "I wish I were dead." Kaoru didn't know how to respond, but embraced Setsuna laying her head on her right shoulder. Setsuna began to weep again bringing her hands to cover her face. Every time she thought about what she had done that night five years ago, it wouldn't let her remember peacefully. She wished that she never remembered it at all.
~~~~~
Kenshin ran down the streets dodging people as best he could without running anyone over. Luckily it was nearing sunset and most of the crowds had gone home for the evening.
He burst through the clinics front doorway, stopping to catch his breath as he leaned against the wooden frame. Megumi looked up from where she stood in the waiting room sweeping the floor. She dropped her broom suddenly running over to him, "Ken-san are you..."
"Megumi, you need to come with me to the dojo," he said cutting her off still leaning on the door frame. He wiped seat off his brow and wiped it on his hakama pants.
"What happened?"
"I'm not really sure what was going on but, I think the girl that came to the dojo today was trying to kill herself."
Megumi looked at him with a frightened sad look on her face, knowing all to well how much she had wanted to do the same after what she had done...she never wanted to make opium and it cost Sano a friend.
"I'll grab some stuff and we can get there right away." She ran to where her medical bag was.
"She cut up her arms pretty badly Megumi, I'm afraid that I may have found her too late...," said Kenshin jogging after Megumi to the back of the clinic.
She grabbed her bag, whirled around knocking Kenshin onto the floor, and ran out of the clinic toward the dojo.
"Oro...," said a swirly eyed Kenshin sprawled out on the floor. He got himself up and ran after Megumi who already had a good lead on him.
~~~~~
Setsuna passed out in Kaorus arms, her eyes puffy and red from crying. "Just hold on a little longer Setsuna-chan," said Kaoru holding her unmoving body.
Megumi exploded into the dojo yelling for Kaoru. "In the training room Megumi," she called to her as loud as she possibly could. Moments later Megumi came into the room with her face flushed from running all the way from the clinic. "Lay her on the floor Kaoru," said Megumi opening her medical bag and removed some gauze.
Suddenly they heard, "Oi! Jou-chan, you home!"
Some timing, thought Kaoru smacking her forehead. Why did he have to show up now...all she needed was him to come in here and mess something up...
"Kenshin, Yahiko! Where is everyone?"
Kenshin walked into the courtyard moments later with blood all over his kimono, presenting the same scary scene that he did to Megumi.
Sano turned around after hearing the dojos door open and saw Kenshin with blood all over himself. "Kenshin! Daijoubu," yelled Sano running over to his friend.
"It's not me who is hurt Sano. It's a long story but, we have a young girl staying with us now. She's your age I think...She tried to kill herself. I'm afraid to go into the dojo...I'm responsible for her. I was asked to watch after her...to make sure that...," he trailed off thinking that he just failed everyone. He couldn't have know though, that she was so unstable.
Megumi showed up on the porch that wrapped around the dojo, blood on her hands. She saw Kenshin talking with Sano. She smiled weakly, because she was about to send Kenshin out to go find him. Setsuna needed a blood transfusion or she would die. The only think was, was too small, Kaoru was already messed up from what happened and may go into shock, and she didn't want to use her own blood because she would be very weak from it. She had to tend to the clinic since there had been so many people coming in the past week...Sano was a big guy, he could handle it.
"Sanosuke-kun," said Megumi with a sheepish grin on her face.
"Huh?" said Sano confused, looking at Megumi like she had four heads. "Did you just call me..."
"Yes, I did you idiot now get your butt in here. I'm going to need a pint of blood to save this girl, and you just volunteered," she said walking back inside so he couldn't bring up an argument. Not that he would have. This was someone's life here.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, slipped his shoes off and grumbled all the way into the training room of the dojo. Megumi had already set up the needles and tube for the transfusion.
Setsuna lay on the floor unconscious, her arms bandaged past her elbows. Megumi snipped away part of the bandages at her right wrist, and put the needle into one of her veins.
"Sano, sit over her please," she motioned to her right, and checked the tube that was connected to the needle for any cracking. Sano acted like it was painful to do so, but was really a bit scared. He didn't want this girl to die. Kenshin had some sort of responsibility for her. It would rip him apart if anything happened to her. He sat down where Megumi told him to and removed his jacket. He sat there bare chested holding out his left arm looking straight ahead of himself so he wouldn't have to watch Megumi stick the needle into his arm. She did no more then prick his skin and he jumped, yelping at her. "That hurts!"
"Sit still you bafoon and it won't," she yelled back at him. She grabbed his arm at the elbow and just shoved the needle in not caring if it hurt or not. Sano made the same yelping noise and glared at her.
He finally looked down at the girl that lay on the floor and his eyes widened with disbelief. It was the girl he saved from that bastard in the alleyway.
Kaoru saw the look on his face and snickered. He was such a tough guy, but, he couldn't stand the pain of a needle in his arm.
Sano sat there dumb founded. He didn't know what to make of the situation. He wasn't about to jump to conclusions. He was sure Kenshin or Megumi would have a long talk with her about this after she was back to normal. Then he could panic. He just didn't want to hear from Kenshin, "Oh, some guy saved her life and she felt so ashamed she wanted to die..." Sano just hopped beyond hope that what he did earlier that day didn't cause this to happen.
~~~~~
They wouldn't take me any other way...I don't need pity from them, she thought undoing her obi bow. She let it fall to the floor in a heap and removed her yukata robe. She looked at it in her hands staring through it. Tears slid down her face and she made no effort to wipe them away. Kaoru was so happy here. Her life was perfect. She had everything she would ever need. She dropped the yukata robe without even realizing it and walked over to where she had put her few belongings. She picked up the leather holster that held all her throwing daggers and picked one out. She examined it in the sunlight that filled the room. She looked up at the window and blankly stared at it. Her face was expressionless as if she wasn't even in her body anymore. She walked over and closed the window, drawing the shade. Her body slid into a heap on the floor and she pushed back the sleeves of her under robe. She examined the pale skin she revealed.
No, not again, she thought, I won't do it again. I can't, it's wrong. She sat up off the floor and removed her under robe. Setsuna now sat in just her under garments of a shirt and a slip, her milky white arms exposed. She had pale pink cuts that ran the entire length of her arms. She traced them with the dagger in a daze. No, I can't...
There were footsteps in the hallway walking towards her room. She was so engulfed in her own world she didn't hear Kenshin calling to her through the paper door. Getting no response from Setsuna, Kenshin let himself in. "Gomen kudasai," he called then slid the door open to reveal to him Setsuna huddled under the window cutting into the flesh of her arms. The expression on her face was blank, almost like the face of a corpse.
I can't do this...it's wrong...
"Setsuna-dono! Dame!" Kenshin ran to her and grabbed the dagger from her left hand. She looked up still in her daze of near death, she stared right through Kenshin as if he weren't even there. Kenshin looked into her eyes seeing that she wasn't looking at him, she was looking at whatever nightmare was going on in her mind.
"Setsuna-dono..."
The blood ran down her arms soaking into her white slip. She stared blankly at him, tears running down her face again.
"I...can't....stop it...," she said, her eyes focusing on Kenshin, finally coming out of her daze. "I can't make it stop!" She fell into Kenshins arms and started to cry in sobs, her body shaking.
Kenshin put his arms around her returning the embrace, thoroughly worried about her mental health. Kaoru came by the room looking for both Kenshin and Setsuna, seeing only Kenshin embracing a near naked Setsuna. She didn't see the blood, only the fact that he was holding Setsuna in his arms. She backed out of the door way just as Kenshin turned his head to see who was standing there. "Kaoru-dono..."
She turned and ran down the hall, tears forming in her eyes. How could he do that to her, she thought.
Kenshin turned back to Setsuna who had calmed down a bit. "Can you stand?" She looked up into his face and nodded yes. He got himself onto the balls of his feet and helped Setsuna stand, worried more about Setsunas well-being, then of what Kaoru thought she saw moments ago.
He put an arm around Setsunas waist to steady her in case she lost a lot of blood. He helped her walk out of the room and took her down the hallway in the direction Kaoru ran in. He entered the dojos training room seeing that Kaoru had taken refuge there with tears in her eyes. She turned around and saw Setsuna covered in blood, the substance still dripping from the wounds on her arms. Kaoru let out an inaudible gasp and ran over to where Kenshin stood in the doorway. She felt incredibly stupid for jumping to conclusions like that. She took Setsuna from Kenshins arms and helped her to sit on the floor.
"I'm going to go get Megumi or Gensai Sensei," said Kenshin sprinting out of the dojo.
"Kaoru...," said Setsuna weakly looking up at her, "I wish I were dead." Kaoru didn't know how to respond, but embraced Setsuna laying her head on her right shoulder. Setsuna began to weep again bringing her hands to cover her face. Every time she thought about what she had done that night five years ago, it wouldn't let her remember peacefully. She wished that she never remembered it at all.
~~~~~
Kenshin ran down the streets dodging people as best he could without running anyone over. Luckily it was nearing sunset and most of the crowds had gone home for the evening.
He burst through the clinics front doorway, stopping to catch his breath as he leaned against the wooden frame. Megumi looked up from where she stood in the waiting room sweeping the floor. She dropped her broom suddenly running over to him, "Ken-san are you..."
"Megumi, you need to come with me to the dojo," he said cutting her off still leaning on the door frame. He wiped seat off his brow and wiped it on his hakama pants.
"What happened?"
"I'm not really sure what was going on but, I think the girl that came to the dojo today was trying to kill herself."
Megumi looked at him with a frightened sad look on her face, knowing all to well how much she had wanted to do the same after what she had done...she never wanted to make opium and it cost Sano a friend.
"I'll grab some stuff and we can get there right away." She ran to where her medical bag was.
"She cut up her arms pretty badly Megumi, I'm afraid that I may have found her too late...," said Kenshin jogging after Megumi to the back of the clinic.
She grabbed her bag, whirled around knocking Kenshin onto the floor, and ran out of the clinic toward the dojo.
"Oro...," said a swirly eyed Kenshin sprawled out on the floor. He got himself up and ran after Megumi who already had a good lead on him.
~~~~~
Setsuna passed out in Kaorus arms, her eyes puffy and red from crying. "Just hold on a little longer Setsuna-chan," said Kaoru holding her unmoving body.
Megumi exploded into the dojo yelling for Kaoru. "In the training room Megumi," she called to her as loud as she possibly could. Moments later Megumi came into the room with her face flushed from running all the way from the clinic. "Lay her on the floor Kaoru," said Megumi opening her medical bag and removed some gauze.
Suddenly they heard, "Oi! Jou-chan, you home!"
Some timing, thought Kaoru smacking her forehead. Why did he have to show up now...all she needed was him to come in here and mess something up...
"Kenshin, Yahiko! Where is everyone?"
Kenshin walked into the courtyard moments later with blood all over his kimono, presenting the same scary scene that he did to Megumi.
Sano turned around after hearing the dojos door open and saw Kenshin with blood all over himself. "Kenshin! Daijoubu," yelled Sano running over to his friend.
"It's not me who is hurt Sano. It's a long story but, we have a young girl staying with us now. She's your age I think...She tried to kill herself. I'm afraid to go into the dojo...I'm responsible for her. I was asked to watch after her...to make sure that...," he trailed off thinking that he just failed everyone. He couldn't have know though, that she was so unstable.
Megumi showed up on the porch that wrapped around the dojo, blood on her hands. She saw Kenshin talking with Sano. She smiled weakly, because she was about to send Kenshin out to go find him. Setsuna needed a blood transfusion or she would die. The only think was, was too small, Kaoru was already messed up from what happened and may go into shock, and she didn't want to use her own blood because she would be very weak from it. She had to tend to the clinic since there had been so many people coming in the past week...Sano was a big guy, he could handle it.
"Sanosuke-kun," said Megumi with a sheepish grin on her face.
"Huh?" said Sano confused, looking at Megumi like she had four heads. "Did you just call me..."
"Yes, I did you idiot now get your butt in here. I'm going to need a pint of blood to save this girl, and you just volunteered," she said walking back inside so he couldn't bring up an argument. Not that he would have. This was someone's life here.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, slipped his shoes off and grumbled all the way into the training room of the dojo. Megumi had already set up the needles and tube for the transfusion.
Setsuna lay on the floor unconscious, her arms bandaged past her elbows. Megumi snipped away part of the bandages at her right wrist, and put the needle into one of her veins.
"Sano, sit over her please," she motioned to her right, and checked the tube that was connected to the needle for any cracking. Sano acted like it was painful to do so, but was really a bit scared. He didn't want this girl to die. Kenshin had some sort of responsibility for her. It would rip him apart if anything happened to her. He sat down where Megumi told him to and removed his jacket. He sat there bare chested holding out his left arm looking straight ahead of himself so he wouldn't have to watch Megumi stick the needle into his arm. She did no more then prick his skin and he jumped, yelping at her. "That hurts!"
"Sit still you bafoon and it won't," she yelled back at him. She grabbed his arm at the elbow and just shoved the needle in not caring if it hurt or not. Sano made the same yelping noise and glared at her.
He finally looked down at the girl that lay on the floor and his eyes widened with disbelief. It was the girl he saved from that bastard in the alleyway.
Kaoru saw the look on his face and snickered. He was such a tough guy, but, he couldn't stand the pain of a needle in his arm.
Sano sat there dumb founded. He didn't know what to make of the situation. He wasn't about to jump to conclusions. He was sure Kenshin or Megumi would have a long talk with her about this after she was back to normal. Then he could panic. He just didn't want to hear from Kenshin, "Oh, some guy saved her life and she felt so ashamed she wanted to die..." Sano just hopped beyond hope that what he did earlier that day didn't cause this to happen.
~~~~~