CHAPTER ONE: THE WANDERERS (continued1)

"Holy crap, don't go in there!" he said, hushed. "There's a really dangerous, angry guy up there!"

Vanessa tried to gather words. "Is that room a jail or something?"

He shook his head no.

"Why on earth is some scary man up there then?" she asked skeptically.

"The townspeople don't know he's so mean, he explained, and if they find out, they'll through him in jail, so don't tell anyone he's a nasty guy, okay?"

"Yeah, fine, alright," Vanessa agreed.

Vash relaxed. "I don't want him in jail because he's hurt awfully bad, and it's my fault. I need to heal him and show him there's no reason to be a criminal, you know?"

"I…guess so," she answered. "How's it your fault?"

"Um…" Vash cleared his throat and thought. "I, um, well…he's kind of my brother, and um…we got into a pretty nasty disagreement about his beliefs and mine, and we started to fight."

Vanessa gave him a look of disapproval. "With guns," she added.

Vash nodded, scratching the back of his head with embarrassment. "But, it's not like I would want to hurt him, but he was going to kill me, and I had to do something to keep him from killing…everybody…else."

Vanessa thought. "So what's his side of the story?"

"You don't wanna know," Vash muttered.

"Vash, if he's still bedridden after a whole month, I need to tend to him. Please accompany me, or something. I'm…" she hesitated. "I'm not afraid of bullies like your brother."

Vash gritted his teeth. "I know you're good at this whole bullet hole thing, but he's really violent…"

"He's been rejecting meals?" she asked. "I'll make him something he won't turn down." She went to the kitchen, rattling pans and opening cabinets. Minutes later, she came out with a tray of little sandwiches and a bowl of fruit pieces. "He'll eat this, if he's not to starve," she claimed.

Vash unlocked the door, undid the chain, and unhinged the bolt. Opening the door, he stepped in first, and kept Vanessa behind him as he closed the door and stepped towards the bed. In it, another blond man lay, his face sullen and showing a thin beard. His chest was exposed, and wrapped like a mummy. He was propped up on pillows and sat rigid as though moving hurt him greatly.

"I told you I don't want your…" he began to yell.

Vanessa peeked at him over Vash's shoulder.

"Now what the hell is this?" Knives snarled. "Bringing the trash in to stare?" He smiled wide and narrowed his steely blue eyes. "Get a good look, darling. I'll kill you soon."

Vash cleared his throat. "Vanessa, this is Knives. Knives, Vanessa. She's staying with us for a while. Try to be nice," he pleaded.

Knives snickered.

"Knives?" Vanessa asked. "That's really your name?"

"What of it," Knives snapped, his face reddening.

"Nothing," Vanessa muttered, then giggled. "You look just like Vash, only with a less bizarre haircut."

Vash grinned, rubbing the back of his spiky hair.

Knives' face grew hot in anger. "She has the audacity to mock us…" he growled in a pure evil tone.

Ignoring Knives' comment, Vanessa took the tray from Vash and walked to Knives' bedside. Vash thought frantically for words to tell her not to approach, but he felt powerless.

"I made something delicious for you, she said, placing the tray on the bedside table. And you'll waste away without food; but maybe it's best if we just let you slip away." She sighed dramatically, smiling, and went to sit on a stool at his bedside.

Knives jerked away from her, hissing, "Get away from me!" The sudden motion pained him, and he began to concentrate.

Vash turned to look at Knives' left arm, which Vanessa thankfully could not see from where she sat. Knives' skin was beginning to angel arm, and a few small blades began to peek through the surface. But the strain on the wounded man was too intense, and he was forced to subside his attack. Knives' arm went back to normal, and he gritted his teeth as he watched her stand and move away. His body remained rigid, his face twisted into a disgusted frown. He glared down at the tray, then turned to Vash. "Keep the vermin away from me."

Vash, greatly relieved that his brother was still too weak to maintain his weapons, moved to the closer stool instead, and offered Vanessa the one further from Knives. "There," he said, "Now eat up."

Knives turned to Vash. "I can't lift my arms you ass," he hissed, wriggling his fingers slightly. Then back to Vanessa, he added, "Staring at me will only make me kill you slower later."

Vash held a sandwich out to him between his fore- and middle-finger, a few inches from his face. Knives grumbled, and reluctantly craned his neck out to take it in his teeth, and swallowed it without chewing.

Vash flashed a goofy grin. Knives glared at him. Vash held out another sandwich and Knives ate this as well. He ate the entire meal with some fuss, but the goal was attained.

As he swallowed the last, Vanessa crossed her arms. "Now it's time to change your bandages – I'm quite certain there's something wrong with your healing."

Knives' face reddened from embarrassment or anger.

"Hey, Vash," Vanessa asked, "Can you fetch a bucket of warm, soapy, salty water? And some dressings?"

Vash hesitated. Should he leave her here with Knives? Good Lord, what would he say to her? What an embarrassing brother to have, he thought. "Come help me carry it all, okay?" he asked her.

She nodded. As they returned, they carefully snipped off the wrappings and carefully peeled off the bandages. Each time Vanessa's skin touched Knives, he shuddered in repulsion.

His bullet wounds were much like Vash's: one at each shoulder. But his side wound was clearly a deeper one, seriously close to vital organs. This seemed to pain him the most.

"Um," Vash mentioned, "there's one to each thigh, too." He pulled back Knives' sheets and removed the bandages to reveal these, deep and painful as well. (Note that Knives is not nude, but rather wearing shorts.)

Vanessa stared at the wounds, frowning. "This is an advanced infection. It'll require some strong medicine. For now, let's get these clean." She dunked a small towel into the soapy water, and Knives turned to glare at her. "I'm not going to let you use that," he snarled. "You're trying to poison my wounds, I bet."

"Of course not," she replied, laughing uncomfortably.

Vanessa frowned, and brought the towel to his shoulder, but Knives snapped at her hand and bit her. He then spit several times, as though a bug had flown into his mouth.

Vanessa dropped the towel back into the bucket, grasping at her bleeding hand.

Vash grabbed at her hand as well, checking the damage. The bite was deep enough to break skin, but not seriously. "Knives!" he exclaimed, "Why'd you…?"

"No, I'm okay," Vanessa insisted. She stared Knives down, and plunked her bloody hand into the bucket. The soap and salt stung her sharply. "Not poisoned," she declared.

Knives smiled, almost sweetly, with a drop of her blood rolling off his lip. He allowed them to clean his wounds, and replace the bandages. Holding his brother up to tend to the exit wounds, Vash was amazed at Vanessa, so calm even as her hand began to bruise around the sores.

Finished, they gathered up the supplies to leave. Vanessa walked to the door with hands full of bloodied bandages. Behind her, Vash lifted the bucket and smiled. "I'm not going to hurt you Knives," he said.

"Oh, really," Knives replied dryly. His voice dropped to a lower, serious tone. "Take me to a plant, Vash. There's no need for me to endure this pain, just take me to a plant!"

Vash shook his head. "I know better than that," he grumbled, then followed Vanessa out.



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