Author's Note: Hey people! Here I am again. I'm updating from New Orleans, Louisiana. I'm here visiting a friend, and I won't be home until Saturday. I was going to update then, but because of all the great feedback I decided to do it today :). Thank you so much; you are so inspiring. I'm on Chapter 5 of the story now :). I hope you enjoy what you read today. This chapter is an "introducing of a character" chapter rather than a moving one, though. :)
Reviewer Responses:
Youkaigirl99: Lol, I see you reading and now you see me updating! :) Thanks for letting me know you're still interested chica! Take care!
Lynxzeo X: :) I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Shichinin-tai fics are rare, and I love to find new ones to read. I'll have to check your stories out :). Take care and thank you for reviewing.
Yennie-gurl: Hehehe, I thought Jakotsu being uncheerful was going to be a drag too, until I realized how much fun a grumpy Jakotsu can be. (I'm having fun torturing Bankotsu by having him deal with Jakotsu being a grouch ;) Yes, the doctor is Suikotsu. As for the shadow.... well you'll see :). Thanks for reviewing girl, take care!
Cattico: Hey chic. No prob. I updated twice in one week, which is rare for me now-a-days lol. Yes, I can tell you; the new doctor in town is Suikotsu :). Thanks for reviewing and take care. I hope you like this chapter :)
Tareacel: Dude, I checked out that story you sent me. Awesome! I want to read the long version now. Why'd it have to be so short, lol? So here's my thing: You like my story why? You are a much better author than moi. I can see why the stories not on though. They'd kick you off so fast lol! I can't wait to see more from ya! I'm glad you're enjoying Bankotsu's bottomless pit of a stomach. Just tell me when I start overdoing it, because when I find something amusing, I tend to run it into the ground. Thanks for reviewing and take care! I hope you like this chapter :).
MageofDarkness: LOL! Well...uh... geez. Don't know what to say to that :). I'm happy you like the way I'm making it necessary for Suikotsu to come into the plot. He's going to try to help Jakotsu, but Jakky's not going to be too appreciative ;). Thanks for reviewing, take care, and I hope you like this!
SpeakThaMind: Lol, yes you get to see a bloody rampage from Suikotsu and a show down between he and Bankotsu. Lots of action to come; I just have to start off slow or it might not sound right. Thanks for reviewing and take care! Hope you enjoy this one!
Lily-anime-girl-spy008: You have the longest freakin name. I know, I know, I say that every time, but it's what I think every time I type it out lol! Thank you for reviewing chic, and I hope you like this chapter!
Chapter 2
"My gods... Did you hit me, Bankotsu?" Jakotsu was moaning, holding one side of his head. He was sitting up on his futon leaning slightly forward. He cracked open one eye to gaze at Bankotsu, who was combing and braiding his long, raven hair.
"I wish I had," Bankotsu said around the bit of ribbon he held between his teeth. "Do you know what I had to miss out on last night because I had to come watch you? Oh and do you know that carrying Banryuu and Jakotsutou at the same time is damn ungainly. You owe me something, you know?"
"You always say that, Aniki," Jakotsu murmured with a sigh. "What would you like? Some face powder perhaps? Maybe some rogue?"
Bankotsu snorted and pulled the ribbon from his teeth to tie on the end of his neat braid. "Oh yeah, those things would go lovely with my new silk yukata."
Jakotsu gave a tired smile then winced and slowly laid back down on his futon, rolling onto one side and folding the pillow around his head. Bankotsu frowned at him, and Jakotsu, sensing the frown- as usual, mumbled, "Just let me lie here a little longer; I'll feel better. Promise."
Bankotsu was about to give a smart retort when someone knocked on the door. Breakfast had arrived, and Bankotsu was forced to realize that once again he was starving. He answered the door with a smile and accepted the food from a young girl who handed him a wooden tray laden with goodies. The young girl's eyes lingered on his face and his smile and grew starry.
Bankotsu chuckled to himself; looked like he had himself a fan. He threw the girl a wink for good measure and shut the door with his foot. He set the tray in the middle of the room on the floor and sat in front of it. He removed the covers from each dish and breathed in the delicious aromas. Fried eggs, sticky rice, sweet buns, tea and milk for two.
He halved the portions and served himself, eating slowly to enjoy the experience of eating good, hot food. Neither he nor Jakotsu were very good at cooking on the go, and it was hard to carry fresh supplies to make nice meals.
"Jakotsu, you should eat. I can mix up some milk and rice for you," Bankotsu nagged from his cross-legged position on the floor. "Maybe your head hurts so much, because you never eat anything, you know?"
An unintelligible reply was given.
"There's a doctor in town. The inn-keeper, uh...Mr Chin, wanted to get him last night. I could go there after I finish eating and see if he has anything for headaches. You want me to?"
Silence.
Well. Bankotsu couldn't quite say he liked people falling asleep while he was speaking to them, but since it was Jakotsu, he'd let it slide. He covered the food meant for Jakotsu back up and decided to seek out Mr. Chin to inquire about the village doctor. He was certain the man had to have some kind of medicine that would stop Jakotsu from hurting so badly.
"I'll be back," Bankotsu said, knowing he was probably talking to himself, but it made him feel a bit better when he left.
The dining hall was lively and customer rich, and Bankotsu found himself immersed in dozens of conversations in which he only understood every other word.
By the time he'd located Mr. Chin, he knew that a horse had been stolen, a house on the edge of town had fallen in on itself, Mrs. Akima was sleeping with Mr. Mouri, and little Sakura had burned the rice that morning.
He approached the small circle of men surrounding Mr. Chin locked deep in conversation.
"...slaughtered an entire family of 5."
"What monster could have done such a thing?"
"Monster indeed. One man actually saw him; he was hiding and the killer ran right by him. Said he had the face of a demon, but it was a man! He had wild hair and small beady eyes that shone with madness. He wore gloves with steel claws attached that dripped with blood."
"Where did such a man come from?"
"Is he headed in this direction?"
"Oh, hello young man!" Mr. Chin noticed Bankotsu. "Did you find your breakfast enjoyable?"
"Yes sir," Bankotsu smiled, rather disappointed that they had ended their previous conversation on his account.
"How fares your brother this morning?" Mr. Chin asked, then turned to his company. "This is the young guest that checked in last night I was telling you about. Just look at his hair, and his brother's hair is nearly as long."
Bankotsu cringed. He didn't like to hear that people discussed him behind his back. "Uh... he's still not feeling too well. Actually, I came to ask you about that doctor you'd mentioned last night."
"Oh! Dr. Kaji!" Mr. Chin beamed. "He's here, my boy. Let me introduce you to him! He comes every morning for tea! Excuse me, gentlemen."
Bankotsu allowed himself to be led. A big-boned man sat alone at a small table nursing a steaming cup of tea. He glanced up as Bankotsu and Mr. Chin approached and stood before him.
"Good morning, Dr. Kaji," Mr. Chin said cheerfully. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, Mr. Chin," the big man dubbed as Dr Kaji delivered with a polite smile. His kind eyes roved over to Bankotsu curiously.
"Dr. Kaji, please let me introduce my young guest here.... Oh, I am so sorry young man, but I don't believe you've given me your name."
"Bankotsu."
"Nice to meet you, Bankotsu," Dr. Kaji said. "What an unusual name. How did your parents ever come up with it?"
Bankotsu shrugged, not caring to explain why the name was probably chosen to a stranger. "They were just weird, I guess."
"Were?" Dr. Kaji raised a dark brow, his brown eyes delving into Bankotsu's deep blue ones.
"Were. Both my parents are dead. My brother and I travel alone."
"Really? Have you no more family to go to?" Mr. Chin asked.
Bankotsu shrugged. "Maybe, but that family didn't come looking for us after our parents died, so I doubt they'd care too much if we disappeared."
He was so very good at lying. Every town he got to fabricate a new story. It was fun. Sometimes Jakotsu helped, but Jakotsu's ideas were so fantastic and unrealistic Bankotsu usually had to discard them. He rolled his eyes inwardly, affectionately, as he thought of Jakotsu. Silly thing.
"So, what ails your brother?" Dr. Kaji questioned.
"He gets these awful headaches, so bad he can't move at times. He starts seeing spots and hearing ringing noises and getting dizzy." Bankotsu wondered vaguely if he was leaving anything out.
The doctor's brow furrowed lightly with concern. He rose, forgetting his tea, and moved toward Bankotsu. "I'll see to him now. I don't have anything planned for this morning, and I do so hate to hear about people in pain."
Bankotsu blinked. Something about this guy was rubbing him the wrong way. He didn't know why; the man was nice enough, but something about it rang false. Bankotsu tried not to stare. Instead, he put on a dazzling smile and turned on the charm.
"Thank you so very much. I really appreciate this, Dr. Kaji. Maybe you can tell us what's wrong and how to avoid having these problems in the future."
Dr. Kaji nodded and he and Bankotsu left the dining hall together with Mr. Chin waving them off.
Bankotsu entered the room first, asking Dr. Kaji to wait outside for him. He would have to warn Jakotsu about the stranger entering with him, lest he be alarmed. Jakotsu alarmed wasn't pretty; he slashed first asked questions later, and Bankotsu really didn't feel like cleaning up any blood. He'd just washed his clothes after all.
"Jakotsu?" Bankotsu peeled the thin cotton blanket away from his friend's face. Gently, he ran a hand through his damp hair, brushing a few tendrils from his face. "Hey... wake up. You have a guest."
"Mmm... go away, Aniki. I do not want a guest," Jakotsu mumbled, trying to turn away from Bankotsu and gasping at the pain the almost movement brought him. "Oh gods... Leave me alone, Bankotsu!"
"In a minute, a doctor's here to look at you. Maybe he's got something to make you feel better. Won't you give him a chance?"
"No."
"Great. I'll go get him. Behave!" Bankotsu grinned at the crude gesture he was given and skipped out to get Dr. Kaji.
"It's rather dark in here, isn't it?" was the first thing the good doctor said.
"Yeah, the light hurts his eyes," Bankotsu whispered. "And so do loud noises, so keep your voice down. Oh-- and let me warn you he's cranky."
Dr. Kaji laughed quietly and let Bankotsu lead him to the occupied futon. Dr. Kaji reached to touch Jakotsu, but Bankotsu stopped him.
"Uh... I don't know how he'll react to that. You'd better let me," Bankotsu made a face. Jakotsu didn't take well to being touched, especially by men that weren't Bankotsu. "Jakotsu, he's here. I'm going to pull off your blanket so he can see you, ok? He might touch you a little, so don't panic. I'm right where I can kill him, if he does anything you don't like."
"Aniki... please..."
Bankotsu simply sighed and pulled away the blanket completely. Dr. Kaji stared at Jakotsu a moment as if trying to figure out what he was working with. "He's tall when he stands."
"Yeah," Bankotsu scratched the back of his head. "Taller than me anyway, but I don't think he's tall as you."
He wasn't lying. The doctor was a very big man. He hadn't looked that big sitting down. Gods he was glad Jakotsu had his eyes closed; he would freak at the large man looming over his bed.
"Jakotsu? That's his name? How strange your parents were. You are older? He called you 'aniki?'" Kaji asked curiously.
"He's older, actually; I just act older and I look after him and all," Bankotsu shrugged. "He's...kind of flighty and needs to be told what to do a lot."
"Ah," Kaji nodded. "Jakotsu? Where is the pain located? Is it localized in one particular place or is it everywhere?"
"One side..." Jakotsu murmured, face still buried in his pillow.
"Is it a pounding or throbbing sensation."
"Both," he groused. "It takes turns, depending on what position I lay in."
"Your brother says the light hurts your eyes; do you sometimes see double, or is your vision hazy?"
"Hazy..."
"Are you sensitive to smells, sounds, tastes...?"
"Sound," came the whisper. "Don't care about the others..."
"Hmm," Kaji stroked his chin. "Can I touch your face?"
"No."
Jakotsu was no longer mumbling. Something inside him had snapped awake at the mention of touching coming from the lips of an unfamiliar man. Bankotsu stood ready to intervene. Jakotsu was dangerous with or without weapons. "He's not feverish or anything, Doctor. He's cold and sweaty."
"Can you pinch his skin for me?" Kaji requested of Bankotsu, who frowned at him. "Go on."
"Anywhere?" Bankotsu asked, knowing Jakotsu would probably bite him if he touched his head again.
"Anywhere."
He lifted one of Jakotsu's prone arms and rolled back the long cotton sleeve of his shirt, grimacing as he found it to be moist. Laying it back down gently, he pinched the pale skin of his forearm. Jakotsu made a soft noise of displeasure, but did not swat Bankotsu away.
Kaji leaned in close to look at it. Bankotsu's fingers had left small dents in the Jakotsu's skin that hadn't evened out and were even starting to darken into what might be a bruise later. Geez, he hadn't pinched him that hard.
"He needs water," Kaji said. "Can you feel his neck for me just under the chin? Use both hands and press down gently; you are feeling for swelling."
Bankotsu complied, applying his warm hands to Jakotsu's neck, apologizing at Jakotsu's whimpers. "Nothing."
"Any vomiting, diarrhea, loss of consciousness?" Kaji quizzed.
"Vomiting, yes, diarrhea...gross... and I don't know. Loss of consciousness, I don't think so; I can always wake him up."
"How often do these episodes occur and how long do they last? Are there reoccurring symptoms that happen just before an attack? Like does he start to hear ringing in his ears, see spots, get dizzy or become lethargic?"
"They don't happen too often, but when they do it usually lasts a day or so. He gets kind of tired and he gets dizzy right before... I think there's buzzing in his ears too and he looks like crap," Bankotsu was checking off a mental list, absently making imaginary check marks with his fingers.
Damn, how stupid was he? He should have seen it coming. Every time Jakotsu had one of his headaches one or all of the things he had told the doctor happened. "What's wrong with him? Is there anything I can do?"
Dr. Kaji held out a hand to silence him. "Relax, Bankotsu. Your brother is fine. I've seen patients like him before, and while these headaches are painful and sometimes incapacitating, it's nothing that will kill him. I can give him some medicine that can take away some of the pain, and you must get him to drink something."
Bankotsu was so busy sighing with relief that nothing was seriously wrong with Jakotsu that he'd almost missed Kaji's instructions. "Oh...yeah, yeah, sure. I'll get him to drink something."
Kaji smiled and patted Bankotsu's shoulder. "I'll have to go back to my home to get the medicine. We'll talk more about what you can do when I get back."
"Ok..." Bankotsu said, then looked up to meet the doctor's warm eyes, words freezing on his lips. There it was again, the feeling that something just wasn't right about this man. "Uh... We can't... I can't... pay you or anything, so if there's anything you need me to do for you..."
Dr. Kaji let out a rich laugh then covered his mouth with a large hand, looking guiltily over at Jakotsu who moaned at the loud noise. "Don't worry about it. I never charge for my services. I just... I just like to help people."
How very altruistic of you.
"I still feel I owe you something," Bankotsu argued.
"Take care of your brother and do everything I suggest. That will be payment enough for me," Kaji said simply.
He's making me itch he's so nice and making my skin crawl he's so... strange. There was nothing the man said or did that was out of the ordinary, besides being unbelievably sympathetic toward others, but gods did he ever just feel wrong. There was something masked in his smile, something hidden in his eyes.
Maybe he didn't want the doctor's medicine for Jakotsu after all.
Unless...
Perhaps Bankotsu was just being silly. Maybe being on the road for so long and meeting so many different kinds of people some good, most bad, had his hackles up.
No one gave something for nothing, not unless...
Ah, forget it.
Either way, Bankotsu breathed a sigh of relief when the doctor left. To say he had been making him uncomfortable was an understatement.
"Bankotsu."
"What? You want something?" Bankotsu turned back to Jakotsu.
"I didn't like that man," Jakotsu murmured. "Who did you say he was again?"
Bankotsu frowned and sat down beside the futon. "A doctor."
Author's Note: And that was Chapter 2. I hope you guys liked it :). Please review and let me know. I can have Chapter 3 up this week if you guys want it :) Take care!