Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Peacemaker Kurogane. I do like to toture Hijikata though. He He.

Chapter Five: Kondou's Warning

Souji wrung his hands and hovered nervously at Hijikata's bedside as Ayu placed a wet cloth on the unconscious man's forehead. The shinobi brushed back her bangs and gave the Captain a reassuring smile.

"He'll be fine," she stated, placing a cup of water from her tray next to the futon. "You can leave now Okita-san, I'll look after him."

Souji stared at Hijikata's pale face and swallowed. "This is all my fault..." He looked ill. "I'm probably going to have to commit seppuku."

Ayu's eyes widened. She couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but then again, with these samurai she could never tell. It was easier being a ninja, she thought. Even if they were called heartless, at least what they said was understood instantly.

Emotion was never allowed to interfere. Her gaze wandered over to the stiff form of her younger brother sitting outside, and sadness briefly tinged at her. Quickly, she stood up, the crisp fabric of her kimono rustling as she did so.

"You won't be doing anything of the sort," she chided, giving Souji a reprimanding almost motherly look. "It wasn't your fault."

"But if he wants me to commit seppuku, well then I will."

"You idiot."

Souji's woeful expression was replaced with relief. "Hijikata-san, you're finally awake, I'm so glad!' He would have liked to have given him a hug, but considering it was he who had placed Hijikata in his current predicament, he decided against it.

"How are you feeling?" he asked instead.

Hijikata ignored him, or otherwise he didn't hear. He blinked as he waited for room to stop swimming, then glanced upwards and noticed the cloth on his forehead. Annoyed, he pulled it off and sat up.

"Not too quickly!" Ayu exclaimed, but he ignored both her and the painful throbbing of his head. Instead, he focused his blurry vision on Souji, who uncharacteristically cowered under his glare.

"What in the hell was in that thing?" Hijikata demanded, squinting at him. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"I'm sorry," Souji whispered remorsefully. "I didn't know you were allergic."

"Allergic?" Hijikata was indignant. "I'm not allergic to anything. There must have been poison in that."

"But you look much better now," Souji said helpfully. "Do you want me to bring you some tea?"

"Much better? My head is killing me!" Hijikata snapped.

Souji's lower lip trembled. Ayu cleared her throat.

Grudgingly Hijikata muttered, "Actually...tea would be good..."

Souji brightened. "I'll be right back!" he said, as he dashed out of the room.

Hijikata sighed, putting a hand to his head. This had to be one of the worst days of his life. He was filled with a lot of anger that he needed to take out on someone. Souji was out of the question of course, despite how much Hijikata longed to execute him right now.

His eyes gleamed as he wondered where a certain red headed boy was.

o-o-o-o

Tetsu looked up anxiously as he heard the shoji screen slide open, and was relieved to see his friend come out, less paler than before. "Okita-san," he started eagerly. "Is the Fukuchou going to be okay?"

"It sems so," Souji replied, glancing back as he stepped off the porch. "But he has a headache."

Not what Tetsu wanted to hear. He swallowed hard. If Hijikata had a headache, no doubt he'd bear the brunt of it.

Souji patted him on the head.

"Don't worry, it's solely my fault. I shouldn't have given the candy to him." He looked sheepish. "I thought it was going to be so delicious that Hijikata-san would become addicted to candy, but it seems he had some sort of allergy." He paused. "That Takeshi-san seemed too nice to want to deliberately poison anyone. Anyway, I have to go now to get some tea for him."

Tetsu nervously scratched his head. "Shouldn't I be the one doing that? What if he gets angry at me?"

"The only person he's angry at is me." Souji answered sadly. "You just sit here and listen to what's going on inside. If it sounds like he's dying or anything, you come run to me like your life depends on it, ok Tetsu?"

The boy nodded. "Um, ok." He watched Okita go and sighed, his eyes downcast. Today had turned out to be a more trying day than usual. Sure, Hijikata had only yelled at him once, which was a record, but he was bound to yell some more at him later. The day wasn't over yet...And that's not all, the teen thought angrily. There's that damn Susumu too...

He seethed at the thought of what the ninja had said to him, and longed to get him back. But that would have to come later...for now he had to wait until Hijikata got better.

He didn't think things would proceed very normally at the Shinsengumi Headquarters whilst the Vice Commander was still sick. He most certainly couldn't exact his revenge right now.

But just you wait Susumu, I'll get you back so bad you'll wish you were never born, he vowed silently. You'll be sorry you ever underestimated me.

o-o-o-o

Ayumu smiled at her boss as she made for the fusama screen connecting his room to the main compound.

"I'm just going to check on the kitchen," she informed him. "Harada-san, Nagakura-san and Todou-san offered to supervise, and I'd better get there quickly before something blows up." She grinned as she shook her head.

Hijikata tried to sit up, but the world still swayed before him. Scowling, he lay back down again.

"You'll be alright, won't you?"

"Of course I will," snapped Hijikata, glaring at the ceiling. "I don't need a babysitter."

Ayu shook her head, and kneeled, sliding the shoji shut in front of her.

"..Thanks," Hijikata added gruffly, as an afterthought.

"You're welcome, Fukuchou."

She inclined her head and slid the door shut.

Quickly, she hurried towards the kitchen, praying the Comedian Trio had not destroyed it already.

o-o-o-o

It was several seconds before Souji could put the tea tray back down on the table, and ask Tetsu a coherent question.

The boy's pale face and bugging eyes certainly weren't helping. Neither was the fact that Souji had told him to come to him only if Hijikata sounded like he was in trouble. Shinpachi, Sanosuke and Todou were lying passed out on the floor, having consumed too much sake during their brief time in the kitchen. Their presence was certainly no help.

"H-h-he..." Tetsu seemed incapable of speech as well.

"What's happened?" Souji squeaked. He suddenly wished he hadn't been sidetracked by Saizou trotting up to him with a cut on his snout and demanding affection. He had taken some time to dress the wound, but he didn't think Hijikata's condition would worsen so quickly, and he couldn't have just ignored the animal. Saizou was his pet pig after all.

"H-hh-he..."

Expecting the worst, Souji pushed past the paralysed page and ran towards Hijikata's room, the floorboards creaking under his frantic steps. When he finally got to the room, panting at the exertion, he found Kondou sitting outside, looking dazed, with Ayu next to him, who looked like she was going to faint any moment, and Susumu as well, who looked...well, like Susumu.

Souji slowed down, fearful of what they would tell him.

Kondou looked up and noticed his expression.

"He's not dead Souji. He's just uhhh..." He cleared his throat, his voice unusually hoarse. "It's probably best you don't go in there right now."

The captain gaped at him. "Why?"

Inwardly, Souji was filled with dread, wondering if Hijikata had broken out in hives or a ghastly rash or something. This was followed by a particularly gruesome vision of Hijikata with his limbs fallen off and shrivelled up on the floor. Okita took a deep breath, cursing his overactive imagination, and made his way towards the shoji. He could faintly hear some noise inside, but couldn't make out what it was. Maybe Hijikata was in pain...In that case entering the room could be considered suicide, but it was a chance he was willing to take.

"Souji, I think you should wait..."

"No!" Souji said vehemently. "I'm going in right now!"

Before anyone could stop him, he reached for the shoji.

Struggling a little, as it seemed to be stuck, Okita finally managed to slide it all the way open.

"Hijikata-san are you..."

Souji trailed off, his eyes widening as he froze in his tracks. He tried to speak, but his mouth was acting peculiar, making strange gasping noises. His eyes were suddenly fixated upon the sharp blade of the wakizashi beng pointed at his throat.

From behind him, he thought he could hear Ayu faintly ask if she was dreaming.

Then he looked back at the small creature brandishing the sword as best it could, it's eyes glittering with fury.

'You!' the thing screeched as it tottered about, trying to hold the sword up, and failing miserably. "YOU did this to me! I'm going to kill you!"

And that's when the world started to go swirly for Souji. With a jolt, he realised the creature in front of him was not a creature at all, but a small child. A child with spiky black bangs, and a long topknot. Wearing a dark blue yukata and an all too familiar expression on his face.

"...Hijikata-san?" Souji asked weakly.

"You're going to die! You hear me? You are going to DIE!"

But Souji was no longer standing. The ringing in his ears reached an unbearable volume and the situation had quickly become too much for the poor Captain's mind. There was only so much he could take, after all.

Thump.

"Sir, Okita-san has fainted," Susumu reported in his usual tone.

Kondou shook his head, looking every bit the long suffering commander. "I warned him not to go in there," he muttered.