Matters of the Heart pt. 8 Life and Death
Ayumu pulled her ear away from the wall. A shocked hand covered her mouth. She's dying.. She thought worriedly.
"It wouldn't be wise to listen," Seishin murmured.
"Shh," she replied. "I won't tell anyone. Don't worry."
He nodded.
Okita's world crumbled around him. Matsumoto's words rang in his ears. He turned away tears shining in sad brown eyes.
"Megumi-chan is going to die..." He whispered.
Matsumoto stared. Chan? He wondered. Okita let out a quiet gasp.
"Uh.. -S-san.. San.. I meant -san. Megumi-san," he replied stuttering.
The doctor shook his head. He sighed.
"I can give you this," he said pulling out a small a small dark glassed jar. "It can't cure it, but it will help with some of the symptoms. Otherwise, keep clean, and make sure she stays away from Shimabara."
He took the small jar and nodded. Then, a sudden thought came to him. What if I.. Too.. He wondered.
"Anou," he began. "May I have some more of that medicine?"
Matsumoto nodded and pulled out another small jar from his sleeve. Okita took it nodding slowly. His sad brown eyes continued watching her barely slumbering form. The doctor stood and walked slowly for the door. A bitterly optimistic smile lit up his face. Sliding the door open, he walked outside.
"Minna-san," He began laughing heartily. "She's going to be o.k.!"
Cheers and hollers resounded from the men. Matsumoto let out a convincing laugh as the men slowly dissipated. Kondou walked up and patted his shoulder.
"That's good to hear, my old friend," he smiled. "Very good to hear. Thank you."
Matsumoto nodded smiling. He turned. Susumu matched his gaze. Matsumoto walked over to him. With a few silent whispers, Susumu nodded and walked off. Matsumoto let out another sigh. (Author's note: just so you know. Peacemaker vol. 3 manga. Matsumoto takes Susumu as his apprentice and teaches him and tells him everything about the patients. Thus, they both know about Okita's tuberculosis and for the fic Megumi's STD.)
"Okita-kun," she whispered. "Don't listen to him. I'm a doctor too. I'll be fine."
Okita nodded.
"Yes," he began sadly. "But sometimes it's best to have a third opinion because sometimes one doesn't want to burden others. Now lets have you take some medicine, ne?"
Megumi sighed nodding slowly as Okita prepared the medicine.
The warm sun shining through the paper screen stirred her from her dreams. Slowly, she turned feeling a cool shadow sit by her side. Okita smiled down on her.
"Good morning," he smiled.
"Morning," she smiled back. "What.. Are you doing here?"
"You passed out last night," he replied. "I wanted to be here when you woke up. So I stayed the whole night."
At her shocked and worried look, his smile grew.
"Don't worry," he lied convincingly. "I slept."
She nodded. Stretching, he stood and slowly opened the door and stepped out. He turned back with a smile on his face.
"If I start now," he grinned. "I can still make it to the bakery for the good pastries. Then, we can have breakfast together!"
He trotted out the door and made his way into town. Hijikata walked by arching an eyebrow at Okita's open kimono, pulled back hair, and his swords clacking at his side. He smirked and nodded approvingly to himself. Now if he would always dress like that, he thought. He stopped. Wait, he began again. Why is he dressed like that? He turned looking into the open room Okita had left. She laid on her futon turned away from the bright morning sun. Hijikata smirked and nodded another approving nod.
A line meandered out the bakery door. Eagerly, Okita waited just inside the door.
"Okita-san!" a small voice cried making him turn.
He smiled as a set of children walked inside.
"Okita-san can you come out and play later?" a small girl asked.
He smiled.
"I'd love to, but I can't," he smiled. "I'm getting something for someone."
"Ooh! Who?" the boy asked.
"It's for a friend of mine. Do you want to meet her?" he asked his smile growing.
"YEA!" the children cried eagerly.
Okita continued smiling as he walked up to the counter. The baker handed him a small box filled with two pastries. His smile growing, he dropped a set of coins on the counter and walked out. The children followed eagerly.
Her door stood closed. He slid the door open with a large smile on his face. She stood her back turned away dressing in a purple kimono. He blushed. Quickly, he walked over.
"Ah! You should be lying down, Megumi-san," he smiled placing a hand on her shoulder making her turn. "You need to rest."
"But I'm fine," she insisted. "I'm much better compared to yesterday."
"I know," Okita said pulling her towards her futon. "But just rest a little bit more ne?"
She chuckled nodding. A smile stayed on her face.
"Hai, hai, wakarimashita yes, yes, I understand," she replied spotting four shadows standing in her doorway. "Are they friends of yours?"
Okita turned.
"Hai," he replied motioning for the children to come inside. "They're some of the local children."
As the eager and curious children crowded around them, Megumi and Okita smiled. Okita stood and opened up a window letting warm sunlight cherry blossom petals flying into the dim room. The children grinned.
"Are you Okita-san's wife?" a girl asked smiling.
"Iie no," she replied blushing.
"Well, not yet anyway," Okita suddenly added chuckling.
Her blush darkened.
"Wow!" another girl cried excitedly. "Are you gonna marry her Okita-san!"
Okita sat at Megumi's side and took her hand in his.
"I hope to," he smiled the sadness shining in his eyes. "And I hope to have lots of children with her.. Someday.."
Her blush turned even darker. A barely noticeable sad smile grew on her pale sickly face. The innocent girls in the group of children swooned. He turned to her and smiled placing a small peck on her cheek. She let out a quiet cough. Quickly, Okita pulled the small box of pastries in his lap.
"Here," he smiled quickly unpacking a pair of warm dumplings. "I've got breakfast. Then you can get some medicine."
".. Thank you," she replied a light blush still tinging her cheeks.
Inwardly and to herself, she let out a quiet sigh. She smiled and pulled a piece off the succulent treat.
Days passed. He laid in his bed thinking as the rest of the compound slept soundly. He stared at the ceiling feeling the same foreign, destroying feeling flowing through his veins. He sighed. Another sleepless night ne? He thought to himself. He nodded.
He stayed diligently by her side following her worriedly. Matsumoto's words rang in his ears. Make sure she stays away from Shimabara, the words said running in the monologue in his head. He let out a tired yawn. He sighed spotting a small purple mark peeking out from under his kimono. Two small bottles of medicine sat on his room's desk, one the small dark glass jar, and a small clear glass jar filled with white powder. One for this tuberculosis.. and one for the sickness I got from Megumi-chan. . he thought quietly picking up the two small bottles in one hand. He looked out into the darkening twilight sky and sighed. It's o.k. I have no time for this anyway, he thought again setting down the bottles. I have too much other work I need to do, that I've neglected. No time.. No time to sleep.. No time to eat. Slowly, he stood and walked out swaying tiredly.
Blurringly, he watched a figure rush out from her room carrying a small bundle of clothing. Was that? He wondered. He swayed. Sickly, he stumbled toward her office and opened up the door.
"Megumi-chan?" he called out to the empty room as he walked inside. "She's not here.."
He swayed plopping down beside her desk and a small wastebasket. He peered inside. A shadowed figure stood in the doorway. Okita turned. Susumu stared inside.
"Where is Megumi-san?" he asked suspiciously.
Okita let out a tired chuckle.
"She's working apparently," he replied smiling as he pulled out the small dark glassed jar from the waste basket.
Susumu narrowed his eyes.
"Working where?" he asked.
Okita chuckled again.
"Well, it wouldn't be my business to say," he answered grinning.
Susumu nodded.
"Really," he replied coldly. "Well, do you realize that it is my business to make sure you both take your medicines and to make that woman stay away from Shimabara?"
Okita's eyes went wide. He gasped.
"Megumi came from a decent samurai family," he continued. "You wouldn't want her to commit seppuku. Do you?"
Susumu turned and walked away slipping his hands into the sleeves of his kimono. Okita rushed out. He stopped as Kondo walked up.
"Ah, Okita-kun," he greeted with a grin.
"Ah," he replied bowing. "Do forgive me. I believe I haven't been attending to my duties much lately."
Kondo laughed.
"Ah don't worry about it," he grinned. "You do enough for us as it is. Why don't you have a night off. The cherry blossom festival is tonight in town. Why don't you take Megumi-san? She might like that."
Okita nodded blushing lightly.
"Hai, I'll go do that," he replied smiling as best he good.
Quickly, he ran to Shimabara. He pounded loudly on the brothel door. A geisha girl answered.
"Is Megumi-san here!" he asked urgently.
"Iie, she and her apprentices left a few minutes ago," she replied smiling.
"Where are they!" he panicked.
"They all went to the Cherry Blossom festival in town," she explained her innocent smile still on her face.
Her innocent smile turned into a seductive grin.
"But I could easily entertain you just as well, Okita-sama," she purred her nails running on the edge of his loose and open kimono brushing against the creamy skin of his chest.
"Sorry!" he cried suddenly running off. "I've got no time!"
The geisha girl stared with an envious pout on her face.
"Megumi-san!" Yumi cried as she held up a flopping fish on a sieve. "Megumi-san! Look what I got!" (Author's note: this is the Japanese version of our 'toss the ball into a bowl and win a fish' game. But in Japan one catches fish with a racket like net where the paper on the racket can break easily with the water's wetness and the flopping fish. And instead of a large table filled with paper or water filled fish bowls, the fish are in a large basin or kiddie pool of water. In addition to winning fish, one can win rubber balls and small toys.)
Giggling, Megumi smiled patting the smaller girl's head.
"Congratulations, Yumi-chan!" she laughed.
"Megumi-san! Megumi-san!" Kagome cried tugging on Megumi's yukata sleeves. "I wanna try and win a yo-yo!" (Author's note: yukata kimono but not lined or layered used during summer. Made of cotton. Japanese yo-yo's are balloons filled with water and attached to what resembles a snapped rubber-band with a loop tied to the end. They sometimes are sold in malls in some of the shop stands. Game set up is similar to the fish. a large basin or kiddie pool of water but to win one must try to latch onto the loop at the end of the rubber-band with a hook and string that can once again easily break with the weight of the yo-yo and the water.)
Megumi turned and nodded. Yumi grinned at the bagged fish in her hands.
"Hai, hai," she replied standing and taking a set of small hands in hers. "I don't see why not."
"Yay!" Kagome and Yumi cried running off dragging Megumi along as she giggled.
Kagome and Yumi leaned over the edge of the pool watching balloons float by as Megumi handed the vendor a set of coins.