Thanks for the reviews! It really encouraged me :) And also I totally understand what you're saying about the chapter's end, PerpetualPoverty, on reading the last chapter again, it did sound like the end of the story... oops
Ten hours
Gin focused on his breathing. The cold sweat had lessened by now but the gnawing hunger had only grown stronger. He knew Kagura and Shinpachi were hungry too, they had eaten lunch several hours before the taxing fight. It was a little different for him though. His legs felt jittery, even though he was bouncing them. He felt more and more anxious as each minute passed. Where these Amanto going to kill the Shinsengumi? For all the shit he gave them, they were still friends to him. What if his decision to hide in here caused the slow dehydration death of Kagura and Shinpachi? Although, in his case, something akin to starvation could kill him first.
It was something Kagura and Shinpachi wouldn't have thought of. He himself treated it like a joke if he mentioned it at all. But after the taxing battle with an already empty stomach following a bender, it was unsurprising his hypoglycemia was starting to effect him here. Anxiety started bubbling in his chest, as tangible as the light sweat covering his body. Knowing this adrenaline and fear was merely a symptom of low blood sugar did nothing to staunch the fluttering nerves wrapping around his chest.
Shinpachi looked at him from where he was trying to get comfortable on the floor. "Gin-san? Aren't you going to try and get some sleep? There's nothing we can do for now."
Sleep? His stomach growled again, louder. His hands shook for a second before he reigned in control. If he could fall asleep, and that was a big "if." Sleeping during a hypoglycemic episode could lead to night terrors and/or screaming. So, no he wasn't going to sleep. And if the Amanto came in and he didn't wake up in time, their deaths would be on him—no, that was just the chemical imbalance in his brain speaking. "I'll pass."
His voice must have a shaken a bit when he spoke, because Shinpachi looked at him strangely. "Gin-san? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Even his friend's worry grated on his nerves. He pushed that feeling down. Symptoms were spouting up left and right, now that his mild episode was spouting into something more moderate.
Before Shinpachi could say anything, the vault door opened. Just as he was trained, Gin was up faster than his mind could process. His movement jarred his brain, and he had to resist the urge to throw up. He stopped his movement when he saw what was on the other side of the door. Half a dozen or more amanto. This time they had guns.
"Don't move a muscle, Samurai." They looked critically at Shinpachi and Kagura, who had just woken up, but not moved, but still had a dangerous look in her eye.
Gin was confident that even in his condition he could disarm at least three of them, with a push of his remaining energy and only get minor injuries. But that was if he had his sword. And he'd left it across the small room. He tightened his fists in anger and shook his head at his tensed charges.
"So we've found our captives. I must say, this is a useful place to hold you until we deal with the other rebels." The Amanto in front said.
Gin realized that his sword might help even if he couldn't wield it against them. He focused on keeping his voice steady and holding himself upright, using his most haughty voice.
"You think you can keep us in here? You've given me enough time to enter Sage Mode. It'll only take a swing of my bokuto to destroy this door!" He boasted.
The Amanto leader's ear twitched.
"He has a Sage Mode? That's pretty dangerous." One of the Amanto muttered. The head Amanto gestured to one of the Amanto behind him. "Retrieve his sword." The rhino did, handing it to him. "Earthling weapons are so uncouth. These are to primitive."
Gin flashed them a grin. "I would say something back but, unlike you, I'm not here to talk shit." The Amantos' faces turned bright red.
Finally the leader managed to speak again, grinding his teeth. "I think I will take this as a trophy. Enjoy the rest of your stay at our base." He said as he slammed the door shut and locked it behind him.
"Gin-chan, you idiot! Why did you give away your secret technique?" Kagura yelled once the footsteps had receded and she'd re-tried the door. Shinpachi's face said the same thing.
Gin couldn't resist a chuckle at their naiveté. "That was a trick. If the Shinsengumi see the Amanto using my sword, they'll know to look for us. Besides, it's no use to me right now. I don't have a secret Sage Mode, that's from Naruto…" Gin's legs abruptly collapsed from under him and he just barely managed to drop into a sitting position.
"Gin-san?"
"Gin-chan!"
His two friends rushed to his side.
"How badly are you wounded?" Shinpachi demanded, sure Gin had hidden a serious injury.
"I'm not hurt, I'm just really hungry." Gin huffed, a hand to his head, still dizzy.
Kagura and Shinpachi both leaned back a little. "Hungry?" Their faces were confused. They were all hungry. A little hunger was the least of their concerns. Although Kagura had probably been dreaming about food the entire time she'd been sleeping. Gin nodded a little miserably, feeling a melancholy mood swing come on. He owed them an explanation as to why a war-seasoned man would collapse from a few hours of hunger.
"My blood sugar's dipped pretty low by now. Honestly, I could go for a glass of strawberry milk…" He trailed off. He could practically hear the look they were giving each other.
"Your hypoglycemia? W-what happens if you don't get sugar, Gin-chan?"
Gin wondered if he should answer that. He'd guess he'd been in the throes of a hypoglycemic episode for about four or five hours, which was quickly wearing down both his endurance and health. It was a long time to be experiencing this kind of attack and someone less hardy would have been in very real danger by now. But he didn't want them more freaked out than he'd already made them. He'd prefer if they continue on like they had, arguing and peeing in a hole and napping…well, they'd all probably still pee in the hole regardless to what he told them but still…
With a little bit of difficultly, he roused himself from his thoughts. "Right now I'm having a hypoglycemic episode." It would be best if they knew because, if their rescue took too long, he could be rendered senselessly ill. His vision blurred for a moment before clearing. How many symptoms had appeared by now? "As my glucose level drops, I'm going to get sicker."
Shinpachi reacted just like expected. "What can we do to help?" His hand clutched Gin's shoulder.
Gin shook his head. "There's nothing we can do, short of pulling out a candy bar or insulin. We just have to wait for help." He wiped some sweat off his forehead, wondering if it actually would be dehydration to take him first after all. No. He pushed the morbid thoughts to the back of his mind. It wasn't him thinking that, it was his condition.
"Gin-chan, you look pale, you should lay down." Kagura urged. He complied. "Just rest for a little while." She looked scared, but he couldn't think of anything to tell her to reassure her.
So Gin is getting worse... Until next time!