I own nothing but my OC.

Chapter 22: Health Inspection

"Just forget about that creep." Sumiko told Chizuru gently as she sat beside her on the porch, once they were safely back at headquarters. Chizuru stared down at the short sword resting in her lap, the one Kazama had claimed was an oni's sword. "Just because he knew your name and you-know-what doesn't mean he knows everything."

"Mn." Chizuru said somberly, still worried. She didn't know how Sumiko could be so calm about something like this… What if they really were oni?

The girls were startled when someone began coughing very loudly and violently not too far away. They peeked out from around the corner and saw Okita leaning against the side of another building for support, holding his side as his body shook with every cough. Sumiko furrowed her brow. That guy… She'd warned him before they left not to over do it! What did he think he was doing, wandering around at this time of night?

"Okita-san…" Chizuru said softly, as she watched him straighten up and walk away.

"Let's go get that fool into bed." Sumiko said, smiling wryly, as she glanced between her friend and #2 stubborn patient. Chizuru smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. Their plans to waylay Okita stopped being so fun when they reached the spot he had just been standing and saw a few small crimson splatters on the tiled walkway.

"Blood…!" Chizuru gasped.

Sumiko furrowed her brow and bit her lip. It was just as she'd feared. It was starting.

—∞—

"Ah. Good morning, Sumiko-san." Okita said, glancing up from the rice he was boiling for breakfast. "I see the assassins have failed."

"Assassins?" Saito asked, glancing up from the dish he was working on.

"What…?" Chizuru asked, blinking in confusion.

"He's still mad at me for giving Hijikata-san a heads up about his cold the other day." Sumiko replied carelessly. "Anyway, sorry, Saito-san, but I need to borrow Okita for a moment. A sick person shouldn't be breathing all over everyone else's food anyway." She said, grabbing Okita by the back of his kimono so she could drag him away, while Chizuru took his place in the kitchen.

"So, what's so urgent that you had to drag me to some deserted place first thing in the morning? What are you gonna do if Hijikata-san sees and misunderstands?" He teased, leaning closer.

"I told you to stay in bed yesterday." Sumiko said sternly, crossing her arms. She wasn't going to let him get away with changing the subject this time. Besides, it was starting to become painfully obvious that Hijikata didn't see her as a woman, not romantically anyway. He had even made a comment the other day about her being like 'the younger sister he never wanted'. "Remember what I said: if you don't want to take my word for it, that's fine. I've already admitted I don't have any experience with treating this. But I'm only giving you a couple more weeks to get a second opinion. Find yourself a more experienced doctor and start a course of treatment, before I have to tell Hijikata-san what I think you really have."

"Don't threaten me, Sumiko-san." Okita said, narrowing his eyes as his expression darkened. "It won't end well for you." What happened to that so-called 'doctor-patient confidentiality' she promised him?

"Even if you kill me, I won't let you get away with pushing yourself to death." Sumiko stated resolutely. She wasn't going to lose another patient. "Chizuru and I saw the blood."

"What?" Okita asked, furrowing his brow, as he backed off slightly.

"We saw you when you were walking around last night, and you had a coughing fit. We followed you a short distance and saw the blood. I didn't think you'd want Chizuru to see you like that if it got worse, so I made up some excuse and put off your scolding till now."

"… Thanks."

"You're welcome." Sumiko huffed. "So, anyway, remember to take better care of yourself from now on. There are people who'd be troubled if you died."

"Hai. Hai." Okita replied, smiling wryly, as he started following her back to join the others for breakfast.

—∞—

"Stop this! It's disgraceful!"

"Huh? The hell's your problem?" A rough looking samurai asked as he and his buddies stared down the girl who had just told them off. "You got somethin' to say to us pro-imperialist patriots?"

"You all are the worst!" She said, holding onto the crying child they had frightened, trying to calm him down.

"Bitch, what'd you just say!?" Chizuru heard the man demand angrily as she passed by with Saito's group on patrol. "Try sayin' that again!" Without a word, Chizuru rushed off to help. Saito glanced after her and sighed. Not again.

"You all!" Chizuru said, holding out her arm protectively in front of the other girl and little boy as he positioned herself between them and the uppity samurai, giving them a stern look.

"The hell do you want?" One of the men asked.

"Why would you be violent toward women and children?" Chizuru asked. "A samurai's job is to protect the townspeople, isn't it?"

"What'd you say!?" The first man shouted angrily as he and his friends drew their swords. Chizuru closed her eyes and flinched, but she remained where she was.

"Aah!"

WHAM! BAM!

"Fear not." Saito said when she opened her eyes and saw that he had already defeated her would-be attackers. "I used the back of my blade. Don't be reckless."

"I'm sorry." Chizuru said, bowing. "Before I knew it, I'd…"

"That's right." The girl she had tried to protect said, agreeing with Saito, as she returned the child to his mother. "I could've handled that on my own."

"Eh? I'm sorry." Chizuru said, bowing. The girl smiled.

"You're a brave one, aren't you? To challenged those rogue samurai. Thank you." She said, also bowing.

"Oh, no! We were saved thanks to Saito-san." Chizuru said humbly. The girl laughed.

"You don't have to be modest." She told Chizuru. It took guts to run in like that. "I think this happened for a reason." She said, smiling as she took Chizuru's hands in her own. "Let's be friends. Two female friends."

"Huh?" Chizuru said, taken aback.

"Oh, was it a secret?" The girl asked, smiling apologetically, as she lowered her voice. Chizuru lowered her head, feeling slightly defeated after having been seen through so easily. "By the way, what's your name?"

"It's Yukimura Chizuru." Chizuru replied quietly as she lifted her head again. The other girl's eyes widened slightly for a brief moment, but she quickly recovered and smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Chizuru-chan." She said. "My name is Sen."

" 'Sen.' Osen-chan." Chizuru said, smiling as she tested out her new friend's name.

"Yup!" Sen said brightly. "Well, let's meet again, Chizuru-chan." She said, smiling as she turned and walked away.

"Um," Chizuru said, turning to Saito, "is my male disguise that obvious?" She asked. Saito stared at her for a moment. He smiled slightly as he turned and started walking back to their group.

"Maybe." He replied.

"W-What does that mean?" Chizuru asked as she ran after him. "Um, Saito-san!"

—∞—

"Thanks for letting me come with you, Yamazaki-san." Sumiko said as they walked back to headquarters together, laden with various goods from their shopping trip. "I was starting to run really low on medical supplies."

"Yes, you bought a lot." He remarked, eyeing all the bags of medicine ingredients she was carrying. He had originally only been making a grocery run, but she had somehow managed to convince Hijikata and Kondo to let her go out and get what she needed in person. "By the way, I've heard another doctor will becoming to perform a health inspection today."

"Oh, is that so? Well, good luck to him." She said. "They only listen start listening to me after it's gotten serious, so he'll have his work cut out for him. Hopefully the men will actually listen to this one."

—∞—

Later that afternoon, while Sumiko was off working on mixing more medicine in their room, Chizuru was washing the produce that she and Yamazaki had brought back with them by the well when Itou walked by, looking visibly shaken.

"Itou-san? Is something the matter?" Chizuru asked, causing him to stop.

"Of course something is the matter!" He huffed. "As part of the troops' health inspection, that doctor, Matsumoto, tried to forcibly disrobe me!" he exclaimed, covering himself with his arms.

"Matsumoto? You mean, Matsumoto Ryojun-sensei?" Chizuru asked excitedly.

"That may have been the name." Itou said thoughtfully.

"I'll go have a health inspection, too!" Chizuru said as she dashed off to see for herself.

"Hey, wait!" Itou called after them "You…!" He smiled wryly as he watched her go. It must be someone she knew for her to be so excited.

Chizuru and ran to the room she had seen all the men filing into earlier.

"Oh!" Chizuru gasped when they reached the open doorway and saw all the men lined up, with the tops of their kimono down.

"Matsumoto-sensei…" Chizuru said when she spotted the familiar older man sitting down at the front of the line, performing the inspections.

"All right, next." Matsumoto said.

"Yeah, if you please, Doc!" Shinpachi said, stepping up for his turn. "Whaddya think?" He asked as he began flexing his muscles in different poses. "This body of mine was forged and forged again through the sword arts!"

"Yeah, Shinpatsu's body is strong and tough." Heisuke commented from further down the line. "It's his head that needs lookin' at."

"Huh?" Shinpachi said as he whipped his head around. "Talk like that, and I'll strangle ya, Heisuke!"

"Hehe!" Heisuke laughed, smirking, as he turned his back on his older friend. Shinpachi finally took a seat so Matsumoto-sensei could examine him. After checking all the usual vital points and his mouth, Matsumoto sat back and announced his verdict.

"Nagakura Shinpachi is… Okay, no problem. Next."

"Hey, Doc! You gotta give me a better look!" Shinpachi protested.

"No, not at all. You're the picture of health." Matsumoto replied.

"Shinpachi! There are others behind you, so hurry and move on!" Sano scolded him. He was even further back in the line than Heisuke.

"That ain't what I mean! There are other places you can check out, right?" Shinpachi asked. Places that were too embarrassing to show a female doctor…

"These checkups are for him to look at us, not for you to show off." Said Saito, who was right behind him. "Hurry up and move." Shinpachi reluctantly got up and stalked away, sulking, however, he paused when Sano flexed his arm as he passed by.

"Hnh!" Shinpachi grunted, striking a pose as he flexed both arms in response to the friendly challenge. The two of them began competing to see who could strike the best pose to show off their muscles. Chizuru stared at them for a moment, stunned, but then she smiled and let out a quiet laugh. Those two really were got along well, didn't they?