Healer

By Meii-chan

Chapter 9 –Convalescence

"Sou-chan!"

No…it cannot be…but…

Megumi was petrified by the amount of blood that had already pooled around him. Just at that sight, Megumi's vision blurred and she began to sob into Kirashi's shawl.

A second later, she felt a hot, burning sting across her cheek as Yumi slapped her.

"What's that for? Leave me alone in my misery!"

"Baka. Don't be so sentimental. Bouya isn't dead yet." Yumi explained as she walked towards Soujiro, away from Megumi. "You can just sit here and cry, but that's not going to make anything right. Some doctor you are, if you just let your patients be as they are if they're critically injured. You're so useless…humph."

"…however, I guess I'm the one who has to apologize to you. I didn't do anything when…um…"

Yes…all this time…so many people have been in pain. In war…in peace… Perhaps all I did was stand by and watch. I did nothing. Nothing…

"I'll do it." Megumi said in a sudden burst of determination. "Henya-san, please get an extra tatami mat and set it somewhere in the house. Ken-san, can you bring Sou-chan inside? Here," she said, handing the fuzzy pink blanket to Kenshin, "use this so you won't get your clothes all bloody. Yumi-nee-san, go boil some water. A lot of water. And please get a clean towel. Kirashi-san, can you get smaller sewing needles and some bandages? Please hurry…"

"That's a good girl." Yumi faintly smiled at her before rushing to her task.

After Yumi had brought the boiled water, Megumi had hurriedly drenched a towel in it without any thought of how hot the water was.

"Megumi, I just took that water of the stove. Be careful." Yumi told her.

"I know. Thanks. Kirashi-san and I can handle it from here. Can you three do something about all those half-dead bandits in the yard? They'll all be fine if you carefully pull the needles and pins out."

"Ah…" Kenshin said softly, turning to go. "Take care of him, Megumi-dono."

Megumi then held the now not so scalding towel and began to clean away the blood that was already drying on Soujiro's skin.

"Itai… (1)" Soujiro murmured softly, surprising Megumi and causing her jump up.

"You're awake!?" She sputtered, clutching the dripping towel to her chest. How can anyone almost get sliced in half and still not scream if they're conscious?

"Yes…so…? I can't really feel anything right now. I think I'm going numb, so I'm alright." He started to sit up.

"Regardless, you are not getting up." Kirashi said firmly, pushing Soujiro back to the tatami mat. "Megumi-chan, give me that needle, I can sew better than you."

"Here, run it over the candle flame for a few seconds. That should sterilize it. Sou-chan, just…go to sleep."

He could remember rushing toward the giant man with a cone shaped head. He could remember how he had skewered that man's hands by using a sword with a cold, piercing edge. He could remember his relief when turned and discovered that it wasn't Kirashi-san or Megumi-san screaming in agony, but that giant, bad man.

But, there were also bad memories; those that still shocked him. Those that consisted of the man's arched blade flying toward him. Those of the corner of the metal arc crushing his ribs before ripping diagonally through his chest. And as he lied there bleeding, he could not help but remember how similar this fear and pain felt to when he was still trapped within the confines of the rice merchant's home.

But that was alright. He knew that Megumi-san, Himura-san and everyone else was with him. That's why he was still smiling.

Four hours later

"There." Kirashi said, wiping sweat off her brow. "I lost count after fifty stitches."

"That's a lot. Especially if you factor in two broken ribs and hemorrhage. Poor Sou-chan." Megumi said sadly, bandages scattered around her and tied up behind her hair to keep it out of the way.

Kirashi patted her shoulder. "That's all you can do now. Try and get some sleep, Megumi-chan. It won't help Soujiro-kun at all if you're not getting enough sleep. I'll be in the next room, so if anything happens, just tell me."

"Ah…" Megumi said, watching her go.

"Thank you, Megumi-san…"

"Sou-chan! Were you awake this whole time?" Megumi said as quietly as she could to still seem startled.

"Yup!"

"Fine! I'm going to solve your insomniac problem!"

Soujiro did not have time to say anything before Megumi sat down next to him and started singing.

"Yoru no sora ni matataku,

Tooi kin no hoshi.

Yuube yume te miageta,

Kotori to onaji iro."

In the night sky, they twinkle.The far stars of gold.The same color as the small bird,That looked up in my dream last night.

"Nemurenu yoru ni,

Hitori utau uta.

Wataru kaze to iisho ni,

Omoi wo nosete tobu yo."

In the sleepless night,I sing this song alone.Together with the blowing wind,I fly riding on my thoughts.

"Yoru no sora ni kagayaku,

Tooi gin no tsuki.

Yuube yume te saite' ta,

Nobara to onaji iro."

In the night sky, it sparkles.The distant moon of silver.The same color as the wild rose,That was blooming in my dream last night.

"Yasashii yoru ni,

Hitori utau uta.

Asu wa kimi to utaou,

Yume no tsubasa ni notte."

In the gentle night,I sing this song alone.Let me sing with you tomorrow,Riding the wings of dreams.

Megumi finished her song, convincing herself that there was no possible way Soujiro was still awake.

"That was a very nice song, Megumi-san."

"Why are you not asleep?!" she almost yelled at him, frustrated.

"It's morning." And, indeed, the dawn sun had streaked the sky with a fuzzy pink color as radiant beams peeked out from over the horizon. Somewhere in the distance, a rooster announced the beginning of a new day.

"Argh…stupid sun…"

Three days later

"Himura! What did you do to this fish?!" Yumi's angry voice rang out like a siren. "It looks like you gave it to a cat for a chew toy!"

"Fish?" Kenshin's head appeared in the doorway. "This unworthy did not go fishing yet. This unworthy one has not done anything to that poor fish." He said, noticing the mutilated animal lying on the kitchen counter.

"Funny." Yumi mused. "Especially since you're always the one who ends up bringing me the odd variations of guppies to cook!"

"Actually, I caught the fish this morning." Henya said, appearing behind Kenshin in the doorway.

"Er…I'm sorry I insulted you!" Yumi said, a giant bead of sweat rolling down the side of he head.

"But since you find the marine wildlife I caught here so unsatisfactory, maybe I should go fishing again." Henya turned to leave.

"Wait, Henya. This unworthy one can go with you!" Kenshin grabbed a fishing pole from the side of the house and raced to catch up to Henya.

Yumi watched them go from the kitchen, mind wandering off into memories. "Makoto-san, where are you now? Have you found a new life, or are you gone forever? Or maybe…" Yumi's next thoughts were interrupted by Megumi's entrance into the kitchen. "You need something?"

"Yeah. Do you know where Kirashi-san puts the tea leaves?" Megumi asked with a crafty grin on her face.

"Tea? I already made some." Yumi told her, mentioning the steaming kettle happily whistling on top of the fire. "Just take that."

"Thanks, Yumi-nee-san." Megumi replied absent-mindedly, for she was innocently pouring some white powder into a teacup. Yumi caught a glance at that action and shuddered, feeling pity for the victim of Megumi's garlic spiked tea.

Henya and Kenshin sat by the stream, wordlessly, casting the fishing lines into the swiftly flowing water until one line snagged upon a submerged rock and then the man to which the line belonged would have to recast the line.

"Himura-san, thank you for your help." Henya said.

"Oh, it's nothing. This unworthy one was obligated to help those in need."

"Yes. This morning the police chief came to thank you for your help."

"Oro?" Kenshin said, referring to either Henya's comment or the tangled fishing line he held in his hands.

"Apparently the police department was finally able to recruit a person with some sense of responsibility and sword talent. He said his name was Sawagejou Chou. He's odd; long yellow hair—it's like a broom. He likes swords, so I gave the Koketsu to the police chief to give to him. He didn't even try to prosecute me for possession of arms, it seems like the police have given up on that sword banning act already."

"Have they?" Kenshin laughed, remembering the over-zealous policemen roaming the streets as they talked. "But there's one thing this unworthy one doesn't understand. Why did you give up your family heirlooms if it was so important to protect them in the first place?"

"I only wanted to keep them until I could make a flying machine to please my ancestors."

"Oro?! Already?!"

"When I was fighting, Kirashi told me to use old fireworks like bombs against the bandits. They worked pretty well, but I also saw the force of the explosion caused an updraft which was able to lift people into the air. Maybe I can use that force to break free of the bonds of the Earth and finally soar into the sky. So, as for now, I'm satisfied."

A fish finally caught Kenshin's line and he hauled the slippery thing out of the water. "This unworthy one is too. This unworthy one thinks this fish can satisfy Yumi's standards of gastronomy."

Kirashi sat on the edge of the porch, nervously knitting a yellow scarf when Megumi walked by with a tray of tea and crackers.

I can't keep myself from worrying about Soujiro-kun. Megumi-chan said that he was always awake and that she would fix it, but if Megumi thinks she can do more than she is able…

Knitting this thing isn't helping me keep my mind off of things is it? Well, it's a good thing Yumi-chan is cooking and not me…I'll burn down the kitchen with this kind of attention span…

"Kirashi-san." Megumi said, snapping her out of a daze. "Come inside. Yumi-san made tea."

"Oh, right. But what about Soujiro-kun?" Kirashi said, following Megumi inside to Soujiro's room.

"He can have tea too." Megumi said, winking at Kirashi. "Mou, Sou-chan…if you're going to sit up, get that other blanket to your left and cover your shoulders. It's December. You're going to get sick if you don't."

"Sorry!" Soujiro rapidly apologized, and then pulled the spare blanket over himself.

"Megumi-chan, what's that white stuff?" Kirashi said, peering into one of the teacups.

Megumi quickly snatched the cup from Kirashi's hands. "It's sugar!" she laughed nervously, filled the cup and then offered it to Soujiro. "Don't drink it right away. Wait for a few seconds. It's hot."

"Isn't it supposed to be?"

"Yes, but I can't treat you if you manage to boil your insides." She quipped as she filled the other two cups with the same concoction. "Okay, now you can drink it."

"Thank you, Megumi-san." He sipped the tea and made a face while still smiling. "It's kind of bitter."

Bitter…?

"Ah…it must be that the tea's too strong. Just drink it Sou-chan." Megumi said, drinking the tea herself to convince him.

As Soujiro drained the cup, he began to feel drowsy. And in a matter of seconds, he fell asleep and collapsed unto Kirashi, who was sitting next to him.

"Soujiro-kun?! Megumi-chan, what did you do to Soujiro-kun? What was in that teacup?" Kirashi shouted impatiently at her.

"It's nothing, just sleeping powder." Megumi reassured her, even as she herself was astonished by the rapidity of the medicine. "Sou-chan's fine. He's just asleep now. There aren't any side effects, so he'll be fine once he wakes up in about five hours. Don't worry, Kirashi-san, I know what I'm doing. I won't hurt Sou-chan."

"Thank goodness." Kirashi sighed, hugging the slumbering Soujiro. "Next time, don't scare me like that. You just took off five years of my life…"

"Sorry…" Then Megumi noticed that Soujiro wasn't smiling. Thank goodness he isn't. Now I can tell whether he's feigning sleep or not. Baka Sou-chan…you didn't have to fight and get hurt. I didn't want you to get dragged into this.

"Megumi-san." Kirashi said to her with a serene look on her face. "You love him, don't you?"

"What!?" Kirashi's question came as a great shock to her and then she calmed down. "Oh, you mean like family?"

"Yes, and no."

"Eh?" Me and Sou-chan? But…he's four years younger than I am. And Sou-chan's still a kid! Ack! I don't like boys! Okay, except for my brothers. But the rest of them are stupid idiots who like to terrorize little girls! But Sou-chan doesn't terrorize little girls…

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking, Megumi-san. Soujiro-kun's eight, isn't he?"

"Yeah. What does that have to do with me? I'm so much older. When people get married, isn't the guy supposed to be older than the girl?"

"No, not in all cases. My husband's younger than me."

Megumi stared at Kirashi in disbelief. "No offense, but Henya-san's weird." Over at the stream, Henya sneezed.

"Maybe, but if you really love a person, it shouldn't really matter. But I know that you think you're very mature. Believe me. I see you fume when Yumi-chan belittles you. You're twelve, but you don't act it. Your ambitions and self-control isn't characteristic of a twelve-year-old. Heck, when I was twelve, I still screamed at my brothers for throwing my doll into the mud. But, after that initial shock of Soujiro-kun's injury, you had a deadly calm around you."

"Do you have a point?"

Kirashi sipped her drink before continuing. "Soujiro-kun's the same as you, don't you think? Hardships make people grow up faster; don't you think that's true? Yes, he looks and acts like he's eight, but the way he looks at the world is beyond mine, even now. 'It's unfair, but that's the way life is.' 'There're worse things in the world than itchy collars.' 'The government is made up of people; it's hopelessly corrupted.' Soujiro-kun said that. But that isn't something children blurt out in regular conversation and can still make sense. Children don't think that way; they rebel and try to change society's laws. That's why I asked you if you loved him, because you're sort of the same. Besides, don't you think I give you all enough maternal love to last a lifetime?"

"Ah, I guess. It's something to think about." She mused.

Kirashi decided to lighten the atmosphere. "Well, you can just forget about what I just said. It isn't that important. I don't mind if you didn't listen to me at all. I just want you to be happy."

March, Meiji 2 (1869)

"Mou, it's kind of hard to imagine all of you leaving so early." Kirashi complained when Kenshin announced their departure.

"This unworthy one is a rurouni. This unworthy one believes that this unworthy one imposed on your kindness too much." Kenshin said.

"But Megumi-chan and Soujiro-kun too…?"

"It's alright, Kirashi-san. I'll tell my parents about this and then we'll all come to visit you."

"Don't worry, Kirashi-san! I can't get into much trouble traveling with Megumi-san and Himura-san, so I'll be alright."

"I know…I only wish that Yanosuke-san and Ichiro-san were locked up so it wouldn't be so dangerous for you all here."

"But didn't you say you're all going to Hokkaido, Himura-san?" Henya asked. When Kenshin nodded in agreement, he said "Isn't it still kind of cold up north? Maybe you should wait a week or so when the mountain passes there melt."

"By the time we get there, the weather would be spring-like already." Kenshin replied without a trace of anxiety in his voice.

"But just in case…" Kirashi started, giving things to Kenshin, Megumi, and Soujiro. "Yumi-chan and I made some riceballs for you. And in case it is still chilly up there, I knitted a scarf; it's pretty long, so don't choke yourself with it. And I packed some uncooked rice for you."

"Kirashi-dono, you really didn't need to…Oro…" Kenshin gave up resisting when he realized that she wasn't even listening to his complaints anymore.

Kirashi was giving the doll stuffed with rice grains to Soujiro. "I think you know what's in this, right? And try not to get Megumi too attached to that doll, okay?"

"Okay. we'll see you again sometime Kirashi-san!" Soujiro waved happily while he walked down the road with Megumi and Kenshin.

"You can visit us whenever you want!" Kirashi shouted as Henya waved goodbye silently beside her.

"Himura! You better come back and visit!" Yumi shouted particularly at him. "That goes for you too! Megumi-chan, Bouya!"

And they exchanged farewells under they became a speck in each other's field of vision.

Glossary

1. Itai—Ouch; Ow; word expressing discomfort/pain.

Disclaimer: The song, Megumi was singing, Yoru no Uta (Night's song) comes from Card Captor Sakura and I don't own it. (Although I wish I did, it's such a pretty song.)

The Making of the Characters (Meii-chan style )

Note: I made up the ages I couldn't find. Age in Meiji 1 (1868)

Sawagejou Chou: (Age 16 in plotline, age 10 in flashback) I based him off Uzumaki Naruto from the manga/anime Naruto. Or, at least, that was what I was aiming for in the beginning. (Maybe it has something to do with the blond hair and the headband…) So I just made him the mischievous kind of kid who always got in trouble. But instead of Iruka-sensei who identified with him, another swordsman told him that he was in charge of his own destiny. (Maybe that guy could be Shishio, but that would make it a small world indeed.) And so, Chou tasted power when he used the sword to kill people, and let's just say that that was addictive.

Kariwa Henya: (Age 23) My first impression when I had to write Henya in was "what the heck is his personality like?" Then I realized his total incompetence at fighting, (Come on, he lost to Yahiko!) although his battle strategy was very well thought out. Thus, he became some variation of a rocket scientist who had intelligence, but an utter lack of social skills and physical health. (He looks like a skeleton!)

Tachikawa Kirashi: (Age 26) At first, I only included her because I needed to make up someone called Kirashi. (It has something to do with spatulas. Don't ask.) She turned out to be the pillar of this plotline, her relationship with Henya and Yumi, her problem, etc. You get the point. Kirashi replaces Yumi (age 14) as more of a mother figure to Soujiro in this fic so that he could act more like a kid (so I can develop his character and then he wouldn't be so static!) Also, if you notice, I made Kirashi older than Henya even though their married, so that should help with the uncommon age difference in the future Sou/Meg romance.

Sadojima Houji: (Age: 25) I don't get him. I just don't. Basically, I just made him the same, except he was loyal to the Meiji government back then. Apparently, I made him some politician that the Hitokiri Battousai protected in the midst of the Bakumatsu. Actually, if you factor in all the incompetent policemen in their police department, you mind understand why Houji lost faith in the Meiji government and joined up with Shishio.

Author's Notes: I'm sorry Sou-chan! T.T (Am I going to go through the whole routine like I did in chapter 2?) Gomen Gomen! (Tsubaki: Hey, at least he's not dead like I am.)

Yay! Garlic spiked tea! Another rendition of someone's (cough Trickster's Angel cough) garlic powder cookies! Gah, evil cookies. Good thing I didn't eat one.

Body count of this fanfic (Mwahahaha! War of arbitration!): squad of policemen murdered by Shishio; band of bandits murdered by Shishio…that's all…I have a feeling most of the casualties will be of random bandits and mercenaries…

Preview of the next chapter:

Tsubaki: So you make me do this too…Anyhow…Soujiro and co. are going to Hokkaido. And you know who is in Hokkaido right? Hey! Remember where I come from?

Slight Imperfections: Hey! I remember you reviewing before! I might go to Okaton next year too (That is, if I have time. ; and I get a job to get more money to but more stuff. ;; and if I do any decent art to put up in the Artshow ;;;)

Nanu-kun: I'm glad you enjoyed this fic! I hope you keep reading even though this mini plotline is done.

Lord Cirenmas: Huh? Good point about what? Sou/Mi? I also don't write Sou/Mi because Misao's hard to keep in character. (And she would get on my nerves.)

Sekihoutai: Yay! You made a LONG review! When I drew young Chou, I saw Naruto. (Blond Hair, just not like a broom.) And…it doesn't really matter who spoke with Chou. Just not Battousai, cause at that time (1862) Kenshin was…12. He was still with Hiko! You can just pretend it was Shishio, but in essence, it doesn't really matter.

Tenken's Lover: See! He's not dead! (Grins) Besides, what's the point of saving the rest of the characters if Sou-chan's not here? As for the injured part, quote my friend: "You need to instill sympathy in your readers!" (Okay, not in those exact words, but the meaning's the same.)

AngeloftheDeceased: Ah, the wonderful-ness of AU. However, I try to keep my stories as close to Meiji Japan as possible. (So far the list of conceivable pairings include Sou/Mi, Sou/Kao, Sou/Meg and Sou/Yumi)