I own nothing but my OC.

Previously:

"No!" Sumiko shouted, rushing over to try to stop him.

"San'nan-san!" Chizuru cried, trying to grab the vial, but they were both to late. Before they could stop him, San'nan was already swallowing the red medicine. They stood there, stunned, as they stared at him with wide eyes. San'nan only had a moment of peace before he crumpled to his feet in pain, making gagging noises, as if he were choking.

"San'nan-san?" Sumiko asked, ignoring the bad feeling she was starting to get, as she stepped past Chizuru and leaned over to check on him. "Are you choking? Can you breathe?"

"Stay… back." He managed to choke out.

"Are you all right?" Chizuru asked, concerned, as Sumiko cautiously reached out a hand to check his pulse as his hair began to fade.

"Heh." Sumiko's eyes widened when San'nan's glowing red eyes met her dark ones. "!" The next thing Sumiko knew, she was being slammed backwards onto the floor with San'nan's hands around her neck.

"Sumiko-san!" Chizuru screamed.

Chapter 18: A Cry in the Night

"Run… Chizuru…" Sumiko choked, gasping desperately for air, as San'nan tightened his grip around her throat. No matter how hard she tried to remove his hands or scratch at them, he just kept squeezing.

"Stop it, San'nan-san!" Chizuru cried, trying to pull him off with little success. "Please! It's Sumiko-san! You'll kill her!!"

"!" San'nan gasped in realization and the glow in his crimson eyes dimmed as he reeled back, pulling his hands away from Sumiko's throat as if he had been burned.

"Sumiko-san!" Chizuru gasped, falling to her knees to check on her friend.

"Hah!?" San'nan gasped again, horrified, as he watched Chizuru try to comfort Sumiko as she coughed and gasped for air, breathing deeply. "L-Looks like I'm a Failed, aren't I?" He asked "It would seem I have… even less luck than I thought."

"San'nan-san, are you all right?" Chizuru asked anxiously, looking up at the struggling man as he turned his back on them, holding a hand over his mouth and forehead, desperately trying to stay in control of himself.

"This isn't the time for you to be worrying about me, is it? Please, kill me while you can." He asked.

"Kill you!?" Chizuru gasped in alarm.

"No way!" Sumiko coughed, getting back on her feet. "You might be the worst patient ever, but you can't expect me to just kill you!"

"The medicine was a failure. My mind is almost already gone. At this rate, I'm sure to… kill you!" He said urgently as he struggled with himself.

"But… But there's no way we could do that!" Chizuru said, stepping closer.

"Stay back, Chizuru." Sumiko said urgently. "He's still dangerous!" Even if she didn't want to kill him, there was no denying that fact.

"Do it!!" He roared furiously at them as his eyes started to glow again.

"Get back!" Sumiko said, pushing Chizuru behind her, as they started backing up towards the door.

"San'nan-san?" Chizuru said, on the verge of tears.

"Even under the influence of this medicine, if my heart stops, I can die." He said, reaching past Sumiko's waist to grab the hilt of Chizuru's sword.

"San'nan-san!" Sumiko yelled, gritting her teeth, as she and Chizuru grabbed onto it too to stop him from drawing it.

"Stop it!" Chizuru cried.

"Come. Kill me now." He said, struggling against the two of them for control of the sword.

"We, can't San'nan-san!" Chizuru said.

"Stop it! Think of the others!" Sumiko snapped at him. "What are they going to do if you die!?"

"Someone! Someone, please!" Chizuru started screaming for help.

"Please… kill me." He urged them.

"Stop it!" Sumiko yelled sternly as he started to pull the sword out of its sheath a little more. "Let go, San'nan-san!"

"San'nan-san!" Hijikata shouted as he, Okita, and Saito arrived on the scene, coming to the rescue. Hijikata immediately charged into the room and delivered a hand chop to San'nan's neck, knocking him off balance, so that he was forced to let go of the sword.

CLICK.

Without San'nan pulling on it, the sword slid back into its sheath, and the girls were finally able to let go, too. Saito and Okita immediately rushed over to grab San'nan before he could recover. It took both of them to restrain him.

"Ah!" Sumiko gasped in alarm, grabbing onto Chizuru as she fainted before he head hit the floor. "Chizuru! Get ahold of yourself, girl!"

"Nn—aaaahh!" San'nan roared as he completely lost control again struggled to break free from Okita and Saito.

"San'nan-san!" Okita said. San'nan's roar faded into a miserable whine as he crumpled to his feet.

"Vice-commander!" Saito said.

"Shinpachi, take the Maekawa estate, while Harada, you take the Yagi." Hijikata order the two captains who were still waiting on standby in the hall. "Watch the soldiers' movements. Let no one approach this room!"

"Okay." Sano said.

"Saito, stand by in the garden." Hijikata ordered next. "Keep and eye on Itou's men."

"Understood." Saito replied dutifully.

"Hijikata-san, I'll stay here." Okita said, remember the promise he had made to San'nan to kill him if he became a 'Failed'.

"All right. Tonight will decide it." Hijikata said gravely as he stared down at San'nan, who was curled up on the floor. His breathing was heavily labored. "Whether he lives or dies… or becomes broken."

—∞—

"I could try giving him a tranquilizer," Sumiko offered as Hijikata carried the unconscious Chizuru while escorting her back to their room, "but I can't guarantee it'll have the right reaction with that strange medicine he just took."

"Shut up. You've done enough." Hijikata snapped harshly, surprising her.

"Wha—!?" She cried out incredulously when she found herself being shoved into the room with enough force to send her stumbling. "Hey!" She shouted indignantly as she spun around to face him, watching as he laid Chizuru down on top of her futon. "I know you're worried about San'nan-san, but don't take it out on—"

"What do you know!?" He rounded on her, glaring fiercely, as he stood. "You don't know anything! So, keep your mouth shut and wait here till I'm ready to deal with the two of you!" Sumiko stared up at him in shock. The look in his eyes… they were just as cold as they day she had first met him. It was like he was staring at a stranger. She closed her mouth. She didn't know what to say. Hijikata furrowed his brow and frowned as he turned his back on her and stalked out of the room. He slammed the door shut behind him and leaned against the wall, bowing his head. He said one word too many. He hadn't meant to make her look so hurt… but for her sake, he hoped she really didn't know anything. If she had gone in there on purpose…
He shook his head. He couldn't think about that now. He had to find Gen-san and get him to guard the girls to make sure they didn't run away while he tried to sort this mess out.

—∞—

Sumiko sat down on top of her futon for awhile, staring silently as the individual threads in the tatami mat. She wasn't sure for how long she sat there like that, but eventually she decided to pull herself together and get dressed. Sumiko put her covers over Chizuru so she wouldn't catch a cold while she was making herself look more decent. At the very least she wasn't going to sit around being interrogated in her bedclothes and messy hair. She had just finished tying up her hair when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

"…" She wanted to ask who it was, but she was almost afraid to find out if it would be Hijikata. She didn't want to admit it, because she was usually tougher than this, but being treated like that by him had hurt a lot more than she thought would. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she saw the person's profile had a topknot. "Is that Inoue-san…?" She asked tentatively.

"Ah, Sumiko-san… are you all right in there?" Inoue asked, detecting a note of anxiety in the voice of the normally unflappable woman.

"Hai." She replied a bit too quietly for his taste. "It's just very quiet in here, since Chizuru's fainted." Sumiko said a little louder, regaining some strength in her voice. "This girl's just way too delicate, unlike me."

"Haha." Inoue laughed. There, that was better.

"Inoue-san?"

"Hai?"

"How is San'nan-san?"

"… I'm sorry." Inoue replied, truly sounding it. "I've been ordered not to talk to you about that."

"… I see." Sumiko said, going quiet again. "I'll let you know if Chizuru wakes up." She lowered hung head as she pulled on a haori to keep warm while she waited for Chizuru. After a few minutes, she got up went over to the desk, pouring some water on the inkstone to wet it, and rubbed it with the stick to create more ink. She dipped her brush in it and began writing whatever came to mind on a sheet of paper:

The man I once knew,
with the eyes of a stranger,
glares fiercely at me.

It has been frozen
the warm spring within my heart
has become winter.

"Hijikata-san."

Sumiko's hand froze as she moved onto the next line when she heard Inoue speak.

"How fares San'nan-san?" He asked.

A drop of black ink fell and formed a stain on her haiku.

"We still don't know." Hijikata replied grimly.

Another drop.

"Hah!"

"!" Sumiko jumped, startled, when Chizuru suddenly gasped and shot straight up in her futon behind her. Set the brush down and turned to stare incredulously at her friend for the mini-heart-attack she had just given her.

"Where am I?" Chizuru asked, glancing around in confusion.

"You're back in our room, silly." Sumiko replied, sweat-dropping. "You fainted again."

"Eh?" Chizuru said, looking at her as the door slid open.

"Would you mind explaining this situation?" Hijikata asked coldly, fixing Chizuru with the same steely glare he had shown Sumiko earlier. Chizuru's face fell when she saw the look in his eyes.

Sumiko furrowed her brow. It would seem his mood had yet to improve. She watched cautiously as he stepped into the room. With the way he was looking at them, it was hard to tell whether or not they were still safe with him. It was like a switch had been flipped. His cold eyes met hers.

"Sit." He said sternly, gesturing for her to sit on the floor beside Chizuru's futon. Sumiko frowned.

"I'm not a dog." She retorted icily, staying right where she was.

"You'll only make things more difficult if you don't cooperate." Hijikata said, furrowing his brow, as he continued to stare at her. "For yourself, and for her."

Sumiko glanced at Chizuru before reluctantly getting up and doing as she told, glaring defiantly at him the whole way. It wasn't fair. He knew Chizuru was her weak spot.

"Now," Hijikata said, sitting down across from the two girls once Sumiko was seated, "what were the two of you and San'nan-san doing together?"

"I don't know. I woke up, and Chizuru was gone. For some reason, I felt uneasy, so I rushed off to find her." Sumiko replied rigidly as she held his gaze.

"I thought San'nan-san's arm would get better if he had medicine, so I went looking for some." Chizuru said quietly. "Then, I happened to catch sight of him…"

Sumiko glanced questioningly at her. Hijikata could tell the younger girl's answer had caught her off guard.

"Um, the medicine San'nan-san drank… is true that Dad… that my father was involved with it?" Chizuru asked. Sumiko glanced back at Hijikata, waiting to see if he would answer.

"You heard that from San'nan-san?" Hijikata asked.

"Yes." Sumiko replied grimly. "He said the medicine makes people stronger, but it destroys their wills. He said it was made by order of the Bakufu, and used on the Shinsengumi they had at hand… But I can't see Sensei going along with something like that." Hijikata sighed heavily.

"If you've already heard, it can't be helped." He said. "It's true, Koudou-san was in charge of its development, but he vanished before completing it."

"!" The girls gasped, tensing after hearing their fears confirmed. Hijikata noted that they seemed genuinely appalled.

"Those who've taken the medicine are at the Maekawa estate. They're fine so long as they're kept away from blood, but once they 'break' they're beyond help." He continued to explain.

"Like those soldiers we saw you put down that first night we were brought here." Sumiko concluded.

"Yes. This is the Shinsengumi's secret, one only our top leaders know." He said, confirming her suspicions. "But now, you've learned it."

"!" Chizuru gasped, while Sumiko tightened her fists. Hijikata stared stoically at the two girls in front of him. Chizuru began to tremble, but Sumiko held his gaze. The only thing that gave away her anxiety was the fact that she was clenching her fists so tightly in her lap, that her knuckles had turned white.

"You may be useful in looking for Koudou-san, but we won't be troubled should you disappear. Any unsettling activity on your part, and you'll be instantly killed." He stated coldly. "Keep that firmly in mind."

"Huh?" Chizuru said, raising her head. "Then, we…"

"I ain't killing you yet." Hijikata said.

"But it's still on the list?" Sumiko said grimly as she continued to stare back at him, just as Chizuru started to relax.

"After all, you can die whenever, and it'll be fine." Hijikata stated coolly, closing his eyes.

"Hai…" Chizuru said. He opened his eyes and looked at Sumiko.

"Understood." Sumiko replied curtly. Hijikata held her gaze for a moment before looking away. He stood up and crossed the room to open the door. Chizuru followed him out onto the porch, but Sumiko stayed where she was. She could hear them just fine through the open door as they continued to speak.

"San'nan-san, entrusted with looking after the medicine, continued to develop it." Hijikata told Chizuru as he stared up at the moon. "He tried to make it heal his arm while keeping his reason intact, but that was the result. You may have only know him after he'd become a bastard, but San'nan-san was very skilled, a genius. Since before there was a Shinsengumi, he's been like a big brother to me." He paused as a cold breeze rustled through the courtyard. His eyes shined in the moonlight. "We need San'nan-san. We can't lose him."

"It'll be all right." Chizuru said. He glanced down at her. "San'nan-san will definitely be all right!" She said earnestly.

"Yeah." He said after a moment, allowing his expression to soften slightly. "All we can do now is bet that his spirit will prevail over the medicine." He glanced at the door, expecting to see Sumiko there, smiling reassuringly at them. But she wasn't. He could just make out the silhouette of her form, still sitting perfectly still in the darkness, right where he had left her. She was staring at the floor, avoiding his gaze. He closed his eyes and looked away, feeling troubled again. He had pushed her too far. "Get some sleep." He told Chizuru, furrowing his brow, as he turned and walked away.

"Good night, Hijikata-san!" Chizuru called after him, smiling slightly, as she turned and walked back into their room. "Don't worry, Sumiko-san, I'm sure… S-Sumiko-san…?" She froze when she got close enough to see that the older girl was actually trembling, and tears had begun to stream down her face. Chizuru stared at her, stunned. She didn't know what to do. She had never seen her friend like this before. Sumiko never cried! "I-It's all right, Sumiko-san!" Chizuru cried, wrapping her arms around the older girl as she started to sob.

"N-No… it's not!" Sumiko cried, burying her face against Chizuru's shoulder as she clung to her. "He blames me… San'nan-san was so important to him, and I… It's my fault…!" She sobbed heavily, unable to stop herself now that the floodgates were open. "He hates me… It's all my fault!"

"I-It's not!" Chizuru said urgently, also starting to cry. Sumiko was usually so tough, but she was very sensitive when it came to the welfare of her patients and people she cared about. "It's not Sumiko-san's fault! I'm sure Hijikata-san doesn't you! H-He's just worried, that's all! D-Don't cry, Sumiko-san…!" She sobbed. The two friends continued to cling to each other as they cried together, enough to cover everything they had been holding back over the past year, or in Sumiko's case, the past three.