Healer
By Meii-chan
Chapter 12—Behemoth
It was a few days after Yoshi's passing. The Juurakuu temple had burned to the ground, memories of the life before scattered like ashes to the wind. The small mountain village, once home, was now inhospitable towards Anji and the children. They were forced to find a new home elsewhere. And so, they journeyed, wandering aimlessly along rustic roads. These roads eventually led them to the prefecture of Choushuu, the heart of rebellion of the Bakumatsu.
The southern forests were already verdant and thriving in the warm sunshine. Stands of trees loomed over the path, draining dappled white flecks of light to the floor below. The ground smelled fresh as if after a cleansing rainstorm, and the damp earth yielded small puddles of water whenever it was trod upon. And as the group headed forward, only sounds of splashing water were heard, until Haru turned and faced the others.
"Stop being so quiet! It feels like you're not even here!" she snapped angrily. Some distance into the forest, a few birds flew away from the noise.
"Haru-chan, if you could just calm down…" Anji said, trying to assuage her. "Don't be frustrated."
"I'm not frustrated." Haru pouted. "It's just that all of you seem dead already!" she pointed an accusing finger at the group. "Ever since Yoshi-nii-chan died, you all are all quiet, and you're not even happy anymore! It's like…you don't have any will to live anymore! And that's what's sad."
"It's called a period of mourning. We're supposed to be quiet." Tsubaki told her. "And who are you to say? You were crying just yesterday."
"Tsubaki-nee-chan was the one who said to have more courage. But even that is pointless if you don't have hope in your life. For all we know, we could all just be walking in circles, stuck in the past. It'll never get us anywhere."
"The past isn't that bad. Where would you be without it—" Megumi asked. "Ah! Watch your step! Haru-chan!"
"Huh?" Haru stopped walking backwards just in time to notice a baby bird lying on the ground. "Tori-chan! (1)" She picked up the little bird. She glanced upwards toward the distant leafy canopy. "You fell a long way."
Suddenly, a giant hand descended in front of Haru, palm raised upwards facing the sky. Tsubaki noticed the hand's size, and then the size of the man whom the hand belonged to. Tsubaki stepped forward protectively before Haru. "What do you want from Haru?" she demanded.
"The bird. The nest is high up."
Haru reluctantly gave up the bird and deposited it into the hand. As the bird was being carried to its nest, she tugged on Soujiro's sleeve. "Do you think that it was right for me to leave Tori-chan?"
"Mmm…I guess so. Tori-chan has her own family to return to. So I guess it would be right."
Haru smiled. "Even if I only knew her for a moment, I'll miss her. I hope I can see her again someday!"
There were sounds of gunshots.
Bloody feathers rained down from the heavens.
"Tori-chan!" Haru raced off toward the direction of the shots. It was no long before she encountered the giant man, bleeding on the ground, unconscious. Scattered around him were the remnants of a bird's nest, the birds, lying on the ground, dead.
She was jerked back roughly by a police officer. "Careful! You don't know when that monster will kill you! "
"Kill me? But he was returning Tori-chan to her family…" Confused, Haru began to cry.
The policeman keeping Haru away from was swiftly knocked away by Tsubaki's fist. "What did you say to make Haru-chan cry!" she demanded, clenching her fist. "How can you do something that cruel?"
The policeman approached Tsubaki disdainfully, rubbing the sore spot on his head where Tsubaki's punch had connected. "I was trying to keep her away from that terrible monster we were trying to kill. You can't tell how long it takes these monsters to die."
"He's dead." Megumi confirmed. She sat next to the giant's enormous head; her hand lay on his neck, directly atop the jugular. "There's no pulse."
"How do you know that monsters have pulses?" the policeman inquired.
Megumi glanced at him, annoyed. "Since he's leaking blood, I'm assuming he has a heart. A heart, therefore, must beat for a living organism to continue living. Without a pulse, the organism is dead."
"Are you sure?" the policeman asked hesitantly. Megumi nodded. "All right." He called out to the other policemen. "Our work is done, let's get back to town!" Without further words exchanged, the police troop left.
As soon as they were gone, Haru ran to Megumi, next to the giant's side. "No! The nice Fuji-san can't be dead! He's too nice to die! Isn't he, Megumi-nee-san!"
"Hai, he is. That's why he's still alive."
"What? But didn't you say…?" The other children stared at Megumi in disbelief.
"Okay, so I exaggerated a bit. But it got rid of the policemen, at the very least." Megumi confessed nonchalantly, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder.
Haru brightened. "Then he's going to live?" she said optimistically.
"I never said that."
"Oh. But you're a doctor, ne? Can you make Fuji-san alive again?" Haru pleaded with Megumi.
Megumi assured the girl. "I'll try my best, and, why did you call him Fuji-san?" she asked Haru.
"Anji-oshou taught me before that Japan's tallest mountain's name is Fuji-san. And since he's the biggest person I've seen, his name should be Fuji-san!"
Megumi laughed. "Well, when Fuji-san gets better, you can ask him if he likes that name!"
Five hours later, they still remained at the clearing when "Fuji-san" lain. Megumi and Anji were trying their best to keep Fuji alive, and despite their efforts, the approaching evening dampened Fuji's chance of survival. And to make it worse, a misty drizzle made the atmosphere clammy and even more depressing.
Soujiro and the rest of the children, who couldn't help, stood around, holding umbrellas for Megumi and Anji.
"Anji-oshou, why do we have to stay here in the rain? The policemen shot him, so he's a bad person, so why are you trying to save him?" Tasuke asked, irritated by the time spent doing nothing.
"Because it's right, that's all." Anji replied calmly.
Tsubaki bonked his head with the free hand that wasn't holding Gorou. "Tasuke-kun, you little war-obsessed idiot, can't you think of anything besides judgment? We're saving him because he's not a bad person."
He stuck out his tongue in response. "What about you, Tsubaki-nee-chan? It didn't take that long to call me an idiot, did it? So you're as bad as me, then!"
Tsubaki was ready to chastise him again if it weren't for Haru tugging on the hem of her haori. "What is it, Haru-chan?"
"I'm dizzy. I want to sleep. I want Akane-chan." As if to emphasize her point, her shoulders drooped and she leaned her weight on Tsubaki.
"Um, Haru-chan, can you please try to stay awake a little longer? Fuji-san would like to thank you once he gets better, okay?" Tsubaki's words were in vain, as Haru had fallen asleep standing there. "Soujiro-kun, do you mind if you carry Haru-chan for a while until she wakes up? I can't carry both her and Gorou, and I don't want her falling into the mud."
"Areh? Oh, of course." He easily lifted Haru onto his back—it wasn't anything like carrying rice, so he didn't mind. "Hey, do you see that light?"
"Yeah, I hope those policemen aren't back to collect the body! Ah, no worries, it's just some old guy. Wow! His head is disproportional compared to his height…"
"Tsubaki, that's not very nice."
"It's true, isn't it?"
"I think he might have heard you. He's coming this way."
"He's been coming this way for the past few seconds. Maybe he can help us. Ojii-san (2)! Do you happen to know if there's a town nearby?"
The old man walked up to them before answering. "A monk and six children? What a terrific way of traipsing around the country. Got kicked out by the Meiji government, huh? What's this dead weight?" he said, poking Fuji with his cane.
"I'm sorry to take up your time," Anji greeted, "Our temple burned down, so we don't have any place to go. Is there an inn nearby where we can spend the night?"
"None that will accommodate you and your monstrous friend. But tell me, what do you hope to accomplish by trying to save this monster, it's obviously a waste of your time and efforts." The old man said.
"But he was nice to us," Megumi said, "We don't want him to die, and a little girl will be very sad if he did."
"Try to make the townspeople believe that. They'll rip you apart more fiercely than the Meiji government ever could. If you need a place to stay, you're welcome to stay at my home. My name's Saizuchi. That's all you ever need to know."
"Thank you very much, but are we just going to leave Fuji-san here?" Tsubaki queried. "We can't really move him, so…"
"Fuji, eh?" Saizuchi muttered, fingering his hoary mustache. "Well, I'll find some way of using him…moving him. Hey, fool." He called to no one in particular, "I need you to move."
A buoyant noise was heard through the forest as a rotund heap of flesh bounced through the forest. "Gufu." The heap said, grinning idiotically.
"Move that half-dead monster for me." Saizuchi commanded the rotund heap.
Iwanbo scratched his head, not hearing Saizuchi at all. "Gufu?"
"You know what I mean! Now get to it, or do I have to dissemble you?" the old man threatened with his cane.
Iwanbo took his time, yawning, as he bore Fuji away. When he arrived at a large cavern, he promptly dropped Fuji inside and bounced away, laughing his empty laugh.
It was much later when Saizuchi led the others to his lair for whatever reason he refused to reveal to them. The place was enormous, but the cluttering of and dusty tomes and a heavy medicinal smell made it seem cramped. Saizuchi simply allowed them to find room for themselves, warning them not to disturb the ancient volumes, nor to enter some random number of rooms without his permission, nor to make too much noise. Naturally, only Anji understood these terms perfectly.
After thanking Saizuchi profusely, Anji and Megumi went to look for Fuji, who they both deemed to be in critical condition, while Tsubaki led everyone else to rest and wait for Anji and Megumi.
Finding a room that was relatively uncluttered, Tsubaki ordered Tasuke to set up the blankets for the sleeping Haru and Gorou. Upon Tasuke's refusal, Tsubaki promptly slapped him over the head and shoved Gorou into his arms, completing the task herself. Relieved of his chores, Tasuke entertained himself by teasing his nee-chan.
"Tsubaki-nee-chan, you're really short-tempered-"
"I know. Shut up."
"-And sometimes when your hair is messed up, you look like an owl-"
Tsubaki threw a wooden cup at him, which clattered harmlessly against the wall.
"-And very violent for a girl-"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut Up!" Tsubaki hissed, and snatched Gorou from Tasuke, tucking the baby under the blankets.
"-And-" Tasuke started, only to be interrupted by Soujiro, who had laid Haru under the blankets as well.
"Saizuchi-san told us to be quiet, so we shouldn't fight with each other. Ne, Tsubaki-san?" he said, picking up the wooden cup which Tsubaki threw. "I'm going to go look for Megumi-san. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone, I don't really want to be the only one left here."
"Eh? Why?" Tsubaki asked. "Isn't Megumi busy with Fuji-san?"
"It's because he can't stand to be in the same room as you."
"What!"
"No, I just think that Haru-chan has a fever, so I'm going to find Megumi-san." Soujiro said.
"Haru-chan's sick? Ah, go find Megumi-chan if she's not too busy. I'm going to go look for some flowers." Tsubaki said.
"Flowers? Haru-chan's not dead yet."
"I know, but she loves flowers; she'll get better soon. I think I saw some red ones on the way here."
"This looks familiar." Megumi said as she worked at plucking out another bullet.
"Yes, we've been doing this for the entire afternoon." Anji replied, "You seem tired. If you need a break, I can still work. Why don't you have a rest?"
Megumi shook her head, bloodied hands never stopping. "I'm fine, but I meant that this is really familiar to Yoshi-kun. I worked really hard to save him, but he died anyway. I told Haru-chan he'll live…would it be worth it to go through all the trouble even though it might be a waste? Any normal person won't live through an injury like this."
"Any normal person wouldn't have lived as long as Fuji-san already did. I don't think we should judge who is to live and who is to die. A healer's job is to help the patient; whether the patient is healed or not is up to the patient and divine will to decide. But in any case, we should try, shouldn't we?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure if I'm doing this right." She looked up when something caught her eye. "Hey, isn't that Sou-chan wandering around?" she speculated.
Anji glanced in the same direction as Megumi. "Yes, it is. Soujiro-kun, we're over here!"
Soujiro sprinted forth, clutching a tattered umbrella that didn't seem to fulfill its purpose. "Anji-san! Haru-chan has a fever!"
Upon hearing the news, Anji sighed. "Not again…Megumi-chan, can I ask you to take care of Haru-chan this time?"
"But what if I do something wrong? You know so much more about medicine than me." Megumi protested.
"You'll be fine. She's usually better in two or three days. I just need you to make sure she doesn't get any worse. I can handle Fuji-san. Why don't you two get back inside?"
Tsubaki carefully picked her way through the wild garden, clutching the bouquet red flowers in one fist, holding an old umbrella with the other.
Under the gentle tinkle of raindrops falling from the canopy, Tsubaki began to feel enlighteningly alone. Everything was pale and cold, save for herself and the bright red flowers that would be dead because she had chosen them.
Glossary:
1) Tori – Bird
2) Ojii-san – grandfather, or as applied here, old man.
Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long to update (And it's short). I had to save my grades first from clutches of evil! (But now I have straight A's. Yay! I'm proud of my achievements. Don't rain on my parade!)
I don't like writing transitional chapters. I have to go through the trouble of introducing everyone only to have them not do anything later. If you didn't get it from the chapter, Megumi is supposed to feel very useless right now and Tsubaki…has problems. Internal conflict abounds! Wheeeee!
Question: Do any of you know if Hobbes is the guy who wrote Leviathan and possibly Behemoth (I think it's a book…)? If that's it, then Hobbes is going to be the model for Saizuchi (oh no, the logic! Speaking of which, I totally didn't understand the logic concept I was taught in Geometry, so that'll tell you how my brain works…).
Smiling Rose: Weird? Yes, I think that would be a good word to describe me with…
Charming Woman: Well…it'll be kind of pointless to throw all of those characters down the drain. I consider it as more practice for character development (and I apologize for altering any personality they had beforehand, a bunch of innocent kids just isn't that interesting). Unfortunately, I don't think Yoshi had enough of a personality before I killed…er…removed him from the fic…
Damsel in Distress: Thanks! I'm glad you think so!
Random Person: Thank you!