Disclaimer: I do not own PMK.

Yep, the trio finally gets rescued.

Chapter 16: Rescue Finally

They had gotten a team of paramedics and a helicopter on the way when Sakamoto burst into the room yelling that poor Oki's stuck down a ravine. It was Hijikata and Susumu who raced with Ryouma back to the cliff overlooking the ravine. Following the burly biker, they soon found themselves twenty feet above Okita's precarious perch. The paramedics and mountain rescue had yet to arrive.

"Oki! How's it going?" Ryouma bellowed.

Ryouma? Now I'm sure I'm doomed. Okita was too weak to reply. It was Tetsu who yelled back. "We're freezing our butts off here! Help get us out! Okita-san's been shot real bad!"

"Hang on, we'll lower a rope!" Ryouma reassured the boy. Susumu fastened one end of the rope firmly to the safety fence. He had some training in mountain rescue back in the academy. It should hold… Then he'll lower himself down to the ledge.

"I'm going down to see what I can do for them," Yamazaki Susumu explained as he looped the rope around his waist. "Hijikata-san, Sakmoto-san, you guys steady the other end." Before he could tie it…

"I'm going!" Hijikata insisted and snatched the rope from the young man. He took the rope and clambered over the fence without fastening himself to the rope. Big mistake. He slipped on the ice and went over the edge.

"Hijikata-san!"

He fell, fell and then a firm hand caught his arm. Hijikata found himself looking at an all-too-familiar face. "Souji…"

"Toshi, where were you going without me?" Okita smiled as he gritted his teeth. He had caught his friend before he fell past their ledge. Tetsu and Suzu were holding onto to him to stop Hijikata's weight from pulling them both into the ravine. Slowly but surely, they hauled Hijikata onto their perch to relieved cheers from the observers above.

"Souji! You're bleeding!" Okita had opened his wound. "It's nothing…" Okita shrugged it off. "Toshi! You're hurt!" He saw the crimson seeping through Hijikata's bandage. They heard the chop-chopping of rotor blades. The mountain rescue team arrived.

Tetsu noticed that Suzu's face was red and there was a damp patch on his trousers. The boy had wet himself from fright when he saw the sheer drop below. He met Suzu's eyes. He opened his mouth to make a dig at the poor boy but closed his mouth as he decided to let it pass.

They first winched both boys to safety. Suzu made the trip with his eyes firmly shut. Ryouma hurried them back to the onsen where warm blankets, hot drinks and a medical team waited. Then they got Okita and Hijikata up. Susumu went to get the paramedics for Okita. Okita walked a few steps before he suddenly slumped over and crashed onto the snow. His body had finally given up from blood loss and the cold.

"SOUJI!"

Hijikata rolled the young man onto his back and felt for a pulse. None. He must resuscitate Okita. What was the procedure for CPR? He parted Okita's lips and blew in two quick puffs… then it's fifteen chest compressions, right?

A few moments passed but Okita was unresponsive. Hijikata continued working. Finally, Okita spluttered weakly as he began to breathe on his own. He opened his eyes. "T-Toshi?"

"Souji, I'm here…" He had been crying and he didn't realize it.

"Guess I owe you that ice-cream treat…"

"I never liked that stuff…"

Footsteps announced the arrival of the paramedic team.

After Okita, Suzu and Tetsu had been airlifted to the nearest hospital; the backup from the local police came to escort Maro and his followers from the onsen. Hijikata took a lift with other wounded officers to the nearest clinic to treat his wound. Okita would be later transferred to Kyoto while the boys were discharged after treatment for mild hypothermia, cuts and bruises.

Saitou and his wife stole some time alone by the storehouse before they were interrupted by Ryouma singing a love song to his Oryo, out-of-tune. Nagakura snatched a bit pf sleep on the lobby sofa before Yoko bonked him awake with her sword.

San-nan faced Yo-jisan awkwardly in the kitchen. Akesato was by his side, holding his hand in hers.

"Sorry, I failed to catch a trout..."

"You still have a day…"

"I must go back to Kyoto on Shinsengumi duty. I'm sorry I failed…" Maybe he should've taken Sakamoto's advice and bought a trout…

"You passed," Yo-jisan winked at his future son-in-law. "If you caught a trout, I'd throw you out for dishonesty…" He strolled out to feed Feathers, leaving San-nan gaping. Akesato simply hugged San-nan and kissed him with joy.

Aunt Makoto sorted the accounts and decided to send a bill for the raid damages to the Kyoto Shinsengumi HQ. Let's see… The Trio's room's trashed, so is Yamazaki's room. Toshi stubbed his bloody cigarettes on the furniture… Several bullet holes… Doors kicked in… Kondo-san will not be very pleased. Maybe he can claim it from the budget.

All over the onsen, officers were packing their bags. The Shinsengumi annual vacation was over…

Author's notes:

Yep, the annual Shinsengumi vacation is officially over. San-nan scores points with his future father-in-law. Wedding bells...

There's still one more chappie to round things up! Gym socks in coffee...