A/N: Sorry for the missed upload from yesterday! You know the drill: four chapters today then.
TLDR FROM LAST CHAPTER: Morino is attacked and many die. Hideki is among those still in critical condition, and the village doesn't know whether or not he'll make it due to his wounds. The castle is still fearful for the queen's absence.
Minor warning: this chapter deals with some injuries and mentions of death, as well as explicit detailing of a knife wound. Proceed with caution.
Night fell quickly on the ruined village, and with it came a soft downpour that put out the fires still burning and sizzled on the ashes.
Of those still alive, the medics were working overtime just to try and help those they could. Shizune found herself more stressed than ever, assuming the position of head medic to direct the flow of care. The mortally-wounded were first as they tried to save everyone they could.
People were still panicking and running about, tripping and stumbling over the bodies of their friends and family. In the cool rain, it was difficult to tell who was alive and dead. Still they worked, hauling people up over their shoulders and carrying them by their arms and legs. Many of those who came in were already dying, and by then all they could do was announce there was no way to help. By some miracle even more would come in, unconscious but only nursing broken bones or sprained ankles.
Each loss was another crack in the façade, however, and around the twentieth death she had to bow out due to a breakdown. She was escorted from the bunker sobbing hysterically as her hands shook, blood caked on each trembling finger and dripping from her wrists. The breaking point had been a little girl with deep green pigtails, her broken body burnt from being trapped in the fire just long enough to give a false sense of hope for her survival.
In her absence, Harako, one of the women who had helped stabilize Hideki, stepped up in her place (having had a long history of medical care in her family). She wasn't quite as skilled, but she could carry on with a brave face for her patients.
Daitan was still at Hideki's side, staring off into space as she held his limp hand. His blood had been washed off of her skin, but it still stained her clothes and clumped up her hair. She knew she had to lead, to help her people, but she was too anguished and traumatized to move. His face, horrified and pained, flashed through her mind's eye along with the disgusting squelch of the blade being pulled from his neck. She shuddered as she recalled his scream.
Aika and Aoi were in charge of counting off all who were still alive. With the panicking civilians still hiding here, there, and everywhere, along with the bodies littering the streets and once more painting them in blood, it wasn't long before Aika collapsed to her knees to sob into her hands. Aoi tried to comfort her the best they could, but even they were helpless in the face of so many dead and dying. If the village hadn't been destroyed before, this would surely be the catalyst.
"(I can't do it,)" she shakily signed through her blurry vision, "(I just can't do this anymore!)"
"I know, I know, shhh," they tried to soothe, brushing her hair away from her red face and holding her to their chest. "You're brave enough for trying. You've done enough, you should rest for now."
She hiccupped painfully and looked into their eyes, frightened and worried, looking much younger than she was. She opened her mouth, but before she could mouth anything to them, a shout went up from a large medical tent standing in the smoldering corpse of what was an inn.
"BLOOD! WE NEED BLOOD OVER HERE!" Someone exclaimed, followed by Daitan's panicked screams for help.
"PLEASE!" She was screaming. "HE'S DYING! PLEASE HELP!"
Aika stiffened when she heard the younger woman, and rose from the street shakily.
"Abe-san, please-" Aoi tried to protest, holding her shoulders tightly.
She brushed their hands off of her with a fierce look of determination, tears still streaming down her face, before turning and walking off with trembling hands clenched into fists.
They could only watch her go helplessly. "Please…"
As soon as the flap fell back down, shielding her from view, midnight struck, and the rain picked up in intensity, and Daitan's scream filled the air, followed by hysterical sobbing.
Quickly, Karin led the young woman out of the tent, her back hunched, her face hidden in the elder's chest. They felt their stomach twist when they saw all the blood splattered across the front of her top, and when Karin glanced up, they hurried to her side.
"You've done enough," she was telling the girl gently, rubbing her back. "They're taking care of him, I promise. He'll be fine."
"I- I never goh- got to tell him how- much- I love him," she blubbered brokenly, fingers gripping her sweater tightly.
"He'll be stable before you know it," the redhead continued to comfort her, though her own face was a picture of anguish. "I promise, we're doing everything we can."
Aoi could only watch as she guided all three of them to a metal bench, gnarled and twisted from the flames. How it was still standing, none of them knew, but it held all three people with only a worrying creak.
"We need to leave," Karin uttered quietly under the girl's sobbing. "As soon as we can get Hideki stabilized, we need to get out of here."
"There's no telling if they'll be back to finish the job," they agreed mournfully. "As soon as we can."
Karin spared another solemn glance at the ruins before looking them again in the eye. "Get a group together to pack. Anyone who can help."
They nodded and stood from the bench. Daitan looked up at them desperately, and for the first time their heart ached as they gazed down at her.
She was just a teenager, still practically a child.
They gently lay a hand atop her head for a moment before brushing her tears away and turning to leave before they started crying too.
