Healer
By Meii-chan
Chapter 2- Of Mummies and Men
It was a clear and beautiful day. Anyone would agree that the weather conditions were like that of a calm painting. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Megumi was making some ohagi (1) for lunch.
"Hmm…I wonder if I made too much…" she said to herself as the pile of sticky rice balls grew. Megumi carefully picked up the tray and set it down on the table in the main room.
"I just made some ohagi! You asked me about making them didn't you?" Megumi asked, attempting to sound as polite and respectable as she possibly could. After all, the entire rice merchant's family, minus the wife and baby, was there.
The daughter, Kageiro (2) picked up a riceball and sampled it. Immediately her face lit up. "I just love ohagi! Did you know that in ancient times eating them meant that you were very privileged? You're very good at making these Megumi-chan!" Kageiro rambled on in the haughtiest manner to Megumi and her eldest brother, Ichiro (3) the blunt swordsman. "I can tell you come from a wealthy background…"
Megumi sighed, slipping extra ohagi into her sleeve for later. Is social status all these people care about? "Seta-san," she said as she addressed the rice merchant, who was taking a swig of rice wine, "You shouldn't drink so much sake (4)."
"Don't mind me, I'm just drinking away my sorrow over my ill-fated wife…" No doubt about it, the guy was drunk.
"Err…right."
The aged doctor, who since then was sitting quietly over a bowl of dried herbs, spoke up. "Megumi-chan is quite correct, Seta-san. Drinking sake in excess causes serious health conditions later in life."
"It's fine. Father should be able to do what he wants." Yanosuke, the second brother told the aged doctor in a breath between smoking his pipe. "How's mother doing, Yoshimaru-sensei?"
"She's doing fairly well, in fact…" And conversation returned to normalcy. Until,
"WE NEED A DOCTOR! IS THERE ONE HERE?"
The voice from outside caused everyone to stop immediately in surprise. The entire group hurried outside the courtyard, to a scene where a few slaughtered policemen, still carrying government issued swords and guns, were piled up next to the courtyard fence.
The voice that called them out belonged to another policeman, who was not injured or falling apart. "Oh, good citizens, you must help this policeman" he told the group, indicating a faceless individual among the pile of carcasses. "It seems that he's still alive."
"I can see that," the aged doctor replied solemnly. "Seta-san, may I use your home as a place to treat him?"
The rice merchant nodded. "Every noble and righteous human being would." This would surely make him more popular, he thought.
The aged doctor then instructed Ichiro and Megumi to bring the barely living policeman into the house. When they disappeared into the house Yanosuke began to bombard the policeman with questions. "What happened here? Are we under government speculation? Are there terrorists going around? Huh? Huh?"
The policeman answered in a stoic and almost practiced way. "We sent a squad of policemen, our finest, to track down a certain rebel from the war. We believe that this man is still at large in this area. I bid you to be wary of strange individuals."
"What does he look like?"
"From descriptions from police headquarters in Kyoto, we know that the rebel was burned all over, and is therefore clothed by an immense amount of bandages. Some witnesses that have survived him tell us that he resembles some sort of demon, almost like those mummies western archeologists found in burial tombs in Egypt."
"I see, he's very good, isn't he?"
"Indeed. You can already tell that by the way he massacred almost all of our elite members. We have no idea where he's going, so we're asking everyone to take note of any strangers in town. If you can provide us with information about the rebel's whereabouts, we shall reward you very generously for your cooperation."
"Thank you, that is all I need to know for the moment."
* * * * * *
The day was not so pleasant to Soujiro. The sun was shining a bit too brightly, making the day too hot. And the black and white swallows singing from a bare birch tree sounded like they were mocking him, saying, "look, even wild birds like us have it better than you do!" And all the while, the bales of rice grew heavier and heavier as the day grew on.
As he plodded on along the dusty dirt path, he heard snippets of conversation between his two older brothers.
"Did you hear the news, Nii-san? (5) "
"About that escaped rebel from the war? Yeah, dad told me about it."
"It seems like the police are having a hard time finding him."
"I'll bet." Then Ichiro took notice of Soujiro waling by. "Hey, Soujiro!"
"Y-Yes?" he replied, dropping the bale of rice in the process.
"You've been night outside for the last few days, have you seen or heard anything? If you did, you better tell us." Ichiro proceeded to grab the front of Soujiro's faded blue gi. "If you hide anything, I'll find out!" He threw Soujiro to the ground. "It'll give me a chance to show off my sword skills. I'll kill the rebel!" And with that said, he brought his sword out of its scabbard and slashed the bale of rice on the ground. The milky grains spilled out, littering the ground.
"There you go again. You can't just wave swords around without thinking like that." Yanosuke reprimanded his older brother.
"Nevermind. What are we going to do about the rice?"
"I guess we have no choice." Yanosuke shot an evil glance at Soujiro. The he started to raise his voice. "Soujiro! You ruined another bag of rice! What a mess!" The shoji door behind them immediately opened, revealing a very drunk and equally furious rice merchant.
"What! You're not getting away with it this time!"
* * * * * *
"Sou-chan, if they always kick you around like that, why don't you do anything? All you do is smile at them, it's almost like you're encouraging them!" Megumi asked for the umpteenth time, getting annoyed that her earlier attempts had brought her no answers. She was amidst her nocturnal "patching up Sou-chan" ritual.
"What else can I do?" He asked blankly, munching on leftover ohagi.
A number of excuses Megumi had made up over the years popped up in her mind. "You can blame it on someone, say you didn't do it, say it was an accident, make puppy dog eyes, attack them…" As she listed each one, Megumi pointed to a different finger.
Soujiro's smile widened, as if he was teasing her. "I know that already. They don't work." He remembered all the times he had tried to rebel against his adopted family when he was younger. "I yelled at them and cried when I first came here, but it'll just add fuel to the fire. They'll tell me to stop talking back to them and be grateful I have a place to stay. If I ignore them, they'll eventually stop." He glanced over at Megumi. "I'm in no position to say this, but, stop looking at me like that."
"But it's evil! They're all evil demons!"
"It's not that bad…It's kind of my fault anyway."
"Humph! It doesn't matter to me whose fault it is. Everyone should be treated the same!" Megumi stated, including the idealistic principle of Takani medicine in her reply.
I know that you think idealistically. That's why you're my friend, right? "By the way, you cook really well!" Soujiro said, quickly changing the subject.
Megumi sighed, exasperated. "Not to be mean to you, but everyone tells me that. Ohagi taste good no matter who makes it. My mother taught me how to make them last year. Oh! And a squad of police officers was attacked just yesterday. One of them is alive, and we're treating him now. It turns out there's some psycho-killer around here."
"I've heard. A rebel from the war that looks like a demon covered in bandages?"
"Yeah."
"I'd really hate to be one of those policemen."
"Gee, I wonder why." Megumi replied sarcastically.
"Getting cut by a sword must hurt a lot more than just getting hit. Megumi-san, maybe it'll be better for you if you help the policeman more." Soujiro advised Megumi. Besides, it's better for you to help someone who has a real life.
"But then, what about you?"
"Don't worry. I can't die that quickly."
* * * * * *
Megumi was once again sent by the aged doctor to gather random medicinal and non-medicinal items. Now the old man was first attending to the rice merchant's wife, the policeman, never really focusing much on either one. But by some stroke of luck from the gods, both of them were alive. However, Megumi was beginning to doubt in Yoshimaru-sensei's skill as a doctor.
"Megumi-chan, you seem less energetic than usual. Is something the matter? Are you all right?" Queried the doctor. He stroked his long ashen beard with his fingers, wrinkled with age, and observed Megumi.
Megumi thought that maybe the aged doctor would be able to help her. "Yoshimaru-sensei, I can tell you, if you agree not to make this known to anyone else."
The aged doctor nodded understandably. "Very well, if you really feel that way, of course. Everyone has secrets."
The aged doctor's affirmative response led Megumi to go on. "You know, the rice guy doesn't just have two sons and a daughter. There's another one…"
"Oh, yes. Soujiro, was it?" the aged doctor cut in.
Megumi looked at the aged doctor with disbelief. "You know?"
"Why yes. Seta-san informed me when we came." He spoke resolutely. "They advised me to pay no attention to him, as my work is with the wife."
"But, but, but, don't you see what they're doing to him?!" It took every strand of willpower Megumi had to keep her voice down and not scream at the aged doctor at that very moment.
"Now, now. Megumi calm down. You'll get high blood pressure that way. Allow me to explain. From what I know, Soujiro's mother was their father's mistress. Therefore he is not of legitimate origin. Because of their social status as merchants, they have to keep a good reputation, or their business is doomed. Thus, the general public cannot be informed about Soujiro. You understand that, don't you, Megumi-chan?"
Megumi looked grim. "Even though you know this, why don't you help him? That's what doctors do, right?"
"Do people really want our help?"
She stared at the aged doctor. No, Soujiro never asked for my help. He didn't want it. But… "What about the policeman? He never told us he still wanted to live."
"No. But there are people who still want him to live on—his family, friends. Soujiro has no one. As an old man and a doctor, I know that sometimes death is better than life. The reason I chose not to help Soujiro is not because I need to stay on good terms with my customer, but because an illegitimate child has no chance for a happy life in this world. It's cruel to say this, but he'll be better off in death, where he can finally be free."
The aged doctor then changed the topic in quite a drastic way. "Megumi, will you get more bandages for policeman-san here? I saw some in a cupboard in the kitchen. Get five or six rolls please. It think he's going to bleed all over the tatami (6) mat at this rate."
"Five or six rolls?" Megumi glanced skeptically at the aged doctor and then the wounded policeman. "policeman-san" was going to look more like the rebel than the rebel himself when the aged doctor finishes him.
* * * * * *
Kageiro was sewing by a dim kerosene lamp in the main room, surrounded by her father and brothers. All she should concentrate on was the silvery thread that created her embroidered mouse. Ichiro sat across from her, polishing his sword. All was quite, save for the incessant plunk of the needle and the gurgle of sake pouring into her father's cup.
"Ow! Stupid sword." Ichiro muttered, seeing that he had sliced his own thumb.
"Again? Nice going." Kageiro quipped. "I'll go get some bandages. Next time, watch what you're doing with that thing." He left the room on her quest to the kitchen to get bandages. A moment later, she stuck her head back in. "Have any of you seen the bandages? I couldn't find them."
The replies were a homogeneous "No."
"Maybe Soujiro took them." Yanosuke suggested.
Kageiro looked at her useless brother with contempt. "I already thought of that. There's no way he could've used them all. I know we had five rolls…"
"Hey, didn't they say the escaped rebel was covered in burns?" asked Ichiro, who, for once, was using his brain.
Everyone looked at him, and after five seconds, what he or she thought was the truth, sank in. They gasped in unison.
"Soujiro you brat!"
* * * * * *
"Achoo!" Soujiro sneezed. Maybe he should have stayed in the warehouse. Or is someone talking about me? Oh well, it doesn't really matter.
He went on observing a small white butterfly that was fluttering around the herb garden. However, nothing grew in that garden, only weeds. He watched as a mouse, or what appeared to be a mouse, pounce upon the butterfly, pinning it against the ground. He saw the mouse tear the butterfly apart and then leave it as an owl flew across the sky overhead. The butterfly was helplessly flapping its white wings in the air all the while…
"Soujiro! Where are you Soujiro!"
"Areh? What do they want so late at night?" He shook Megumi's pink blanket off from his shoulders and hurried to the source of the calling voice.
What he met there was a small, furious mob, consisting of his family members.
"Soujiro!" Ichiro's booming voice hailed. "You thought you could lie to me?!" Soujiro was then knocked over by Ichiro's sword, still in its sheath.
"You disobeyed a government in this day and age?!" Soujiro's drunken father exclaimed. "You want to destroy my business!?"
"We won't let you get away with it!" They both yelled then attacked him, beating poor Soujiro with sword sheaths and garden shovels. "Spit it out! Where's the rebel?!"
Yanosuke and Kageiro smugly watched the interrogation.
Finally, Ichiro became too impatient just to beat the answer, which he didn't get, out of Soujiro, so he unsheathed his sword. He pointed the weapon at Soujiro, and there was bloodlust in his eyes. "I've had enough of this brat! I'll kill him for this!"
Kageiro decided that wasn't the wisest thing Ichiro could do. "Wait. Isn't this getting a little unpleasant?" Besides, spilling blood in front of a lady wasn't the most polite thing to do.
"Hmm? Oh, don't worry." Yanosuke reassured her. "After all, he was hiding a VERY bad man. This sort of thing is natural when one human being kills another. Just kill him Nii-san. The only place Soujiro would hide someone is in the rice warehouse. After this, all we have to do is call the police."
"Oh right!" We can tell the police that we found another victim of the rebel!" She clapped her hands together, a greedy grin spreading across her face. "We can even get a reward for helping out in the investigation!"
"This is how he repays us for all our trouble raising him? I won't let him destroy my business!" The father proclaimed once again.
"Go ahead." Yanosuke told his brother. "This is the time to show off your sword skills, like you said earlier."
"Yeah! I'll kill him!" Ichiro raised the weapon over his head for an overhand cut.
Soujiro had heard all of this. At the sight of the descending blade accompanied by a flash of lightning, he remembered the white butterfly, fluttering to death. No. I don't want to die…I don't want to die!
He quickly ran away, being pursued by Ichiro and his father.
"The brat's getting away!"
"Don't let him get away!"
"Kill the swine!"
"TASUKETE! DAREKA… DAREKA… DAREKA TASUKETE! (Help me! Somebody…Anybody! Somebody help me!)" Soujiro's screams for help sounded even over the roar of thunder of the approaching storm.
Glossary:
1) Ohagi – traditional Japanese autumnal treat. It's a riceball with bean jam.
2) Kageiro – made up name meaning Shadow Color
3) Ichiro – As I can't think of any names, all just use one that already exists! It means First Son.
4) Sake – Japanese rice wine
5) Nii-san – older brother
6) Tatami – those straw mats that Japanese people line the ground inside their house with.
Author's Notes: Ack! I can't believe I wrote what they did to Soujiro! T_T I'm sorry Sou-chan! I'll make Saitou or Megumi or Hiko or Kenshin or Sano or (fill in the blank) come punish them later!
I made Soujiro's adopted family seem a bit too nice to Megumi, didn't I? As much as I don't like them, they still are people, and they have to have some degree of civilized thinking to get them where they are socially. If they weren't all that polite to the police guy, they'll probably be bandits and not rice merchants.
And the aged doctor…He's not supposed to be heartless. He's just rather old fashioned and has a somewhat false sense of life. He's supposed to be all "life is meaningless unless you can be REAL joyful." Quite an ecclesiastical person, he's also quite ironic, with his occupation as a doctor. And no, I don't agree with him. Soujiro, along with every person in the world is better off as a living person.
As another note, I didn't bother putting the translation for Soujiro's desperate plea for help in the glossary. It just seemed more efficient if I gave the translation right there and then. But then again, I'm not quite sure with the spelling of the Japanese. It would help if I had a dictionary with me, but I don't think my school library has an English-Japanese dictionary…
If you haven't noticed, this chapter bore almost no resemblance to John Steinback's Of Mice and Men. I just liked the title and changed Mice to Mummies—almost no resemblance, except for the mouse.
So I end chapter 2 with a cliffhanger! And you know I wouldn't be that mean to kill off Soujiro so early, right? It's kind of a false threat, because I haven't even got to any plot with Shishio and Kanryuu, and I can't have Sou-chan die before then. (Unless I have him come back as a ghost…)
Thank you for the reviews people!
Twilight Sky: Adjectives are fun, aren't they? (Just when they aren't vocab words…)
Slight Imperfections: Umm…Where's Harford? I'm geographically inept! Gomen! Gomen!! Anyway…Go Sou/Meg!
Eeevee: I didn't like that poem the week after I wrote it. But I stuck it in just because I felt like it. I couldn't find any Sou/Meg fics out there to prove that you really can pair up Soujiro with any female character in RK so I made one.
Lost complex: Err…I'm not quite sure of their ages in the regular RK series so…-_-; Megumi's 12. Soujiro's 8.
Sticks: Thank you for saying that she's not that OOC, since she isn't foxy enough in the first chapter…
And don't forget to review!