After a while it became obvious that the medication Sano was on for pain was no longer helping. He grimaced at every movement or touch anywhere near an injured area. This of course made Saitou's attempts at comforting Sano fruitless since his touches only caused pain. With a frown he kissed Sano on the forehead and went off to gather Saiko from Megumi. Saiko was sitting on the floor tracing the patterns on Megumi's kimono. Saitou swore he saw a look of pain in Megumi's eyes before she noticed Saitou coming in the room.
Startled Megumi turned to face Saitou so quickly she knocked Saiko over, who had been sitting on the bottom of her kimono. Saiko's head thumped on the floor, but before she could cry Saitou had kneeled down and picked her up. He muffled her eventual cries in his police jacket. "Was she good?" Saitou asked concerned. "She was fine" Megumi muttered. Saitou shrugged his shoulders at the doctor's apathy; I thought most women liked children he thought. He nodded to her and headed back to Sano's room with Saiko. She was no longer crying but Saitou could now see that sleepy look in her eye.
When Saitou returned to the room Dr. Gensai was feeding something strange to Sano. "For the pain" he said softly before exiting. Saitou was surprised that Sano looked even more tired than Saiko. "I am going to take Saiko home, she needs a nap and I can get you some clean clothes" he said before frowning at the now brown blood stains on Sano's pants. "No" Sano said in pain. "Can't she just stay here while you go; I'm not so feeble I can't watch her sleep" the pain in his voice from more than just the physical injuries. "Well of course you are able, but shouldn't you sleep as well" Saitou questioned. Sano frowned "Please" he begged. "Fine Ahou, just don't let her fall off the bed if you go to sleep, or let the Chika girl fall in" Saitou said still annoyed with the way the young girl was acting before.
Sano stuck out his arms to accept Saiko, but was clearly hurt from Saitou's comments. Saitou rolled his eyes and set the now asleep toddler in Sano's arms. Sano grimaced as he placed her tightly on his chest. The pain had seemed to subside a little bit by the time he had situated Saiko on him in a way that wouldn't aggravate his wounds. Saitou felt a little guilty for hurting Sano's feelings, but he wanted to be clear that he would not tolerate this girl vying for Sano's attention. He sighed and began untying the knot from Sano's pants. Sano started to protest but Saitou cut him off saying "These are filthy you can just get under the sheet till I bring you some clean pants all right?" Sano nodded weakly lifting his hips so Saitou could take of the blood stained clothes. He shivered in the cold for a moment until Saitou pulled up a sheet over his legs and up to cover Saiko's as well.
Exhausted Sano fell asleep before Saitou had finished collecting the things to take to the house. He smiled at the young "dada." Leaning over he gently laid a kiss on Saiko and Sano's foreheads before quietly leaving the hospital. Saitou felt in his pockets for cigarettes but to his dismay there were none. He grimaced now he would have to go and get some cigarettes on the way back to the hospital meaning more time away from his wounded Sano.
When he got home he filled a bucket with water and decided to try and at least get the blood out of Sano's clothes. He almost dunked them in before remembering to check the pockets, the Ahou always had something in them. He almost cried when he pulled the two objects out of Sano's pants. In one hand was a fresh pack of cigarettes, stained a little from Sano's blood in the other was a delicately decorated flower shaped hair clip. Saitou finally realized why Sano left the Akabeko the day before; to buy presents for his family.
A hole developed in the pit of his stomach as Saitou comprehended what had caused his lover's pain and suffering. He dropped the now empty pants in the water and fished out a cigarette from the stained pack. Saitou lit the cigarette as he walked to the porch, sinking to the ground using one of the columns for support. The sleepless night was catching up to him so after he finished the well needed cigarette he let his eyes close and slept.
While Saitou was sleeping Sano woke back up rubbing his eyes with the hand from his uninjured arm. Saiko was sleeping softly and drooling a little on his chest. He smiled and brought his hand to her hair. He let his fingers gently become entangled in the toddler's locks as he whispered to her "Saiko you and your daddy are never allowed to leave me alone again. I just miss you both too much." Dr. Gensai smiled from the doorway, he was going to check on Sano's bandages, but he figured it was best to let him enjoy the time with his daughter.
A few hours later Saitou jerked awake violently. The sun was already starting to set and he was still sitting on the ground outside. He cursed himself for allowing so much time to pass and hurriedly dusted of his clothes. Walking over to the water bucket he looked at Sano's pants. A lot of the blood had already come of the clothes so the water had become a pinkish color. Saitou poured some of the soap by the bucket in and harshly scrubbed the pants. After he washed them he could feel his back starting to ache. This is hard he thought reflectively.
Saitou tucked the cigarette pack and the hair clip in his pocket and hung up Sano's pants on the line. Then he went inside to pack Sano pants, a fundoshi, and a shirt to wear. With a grin he also grabbed the little rooster doll he bought Saiko so long ago and packed it into Saiko's bag with the rest of the things for Sano. He was almost out of the house when he captured a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Saitou dropped the bag and went to the bathroom to fix his sad looking hair. Thinking of the new hair clip Saitou also grabbed Saiko's baby brush and slipped it in his pocket.
In the hospital Sano shivered under the covers holding Saiko tightly. He had given up and slept on his bad shoulder to keep pressure off his stomach wound so he could get some real rest. Saiko was facing him with her left thumb in her mouth. Sano smiled pulling the sheet up over her up to her chin. He patted her head softly hoping she was all right with all the excitement that had been happening. At first she scrunched up her nose at the pat, but seemed to fall back asleep. It was not long before she woke up for real inhaling deeply and feeling incredibly safe so close to her father.
Sano was watching her sleepy eyes flutter as she woke. Saiko turned her head up and smiled at him mischievously. "Was nigh nigh dada?" she cooed. "Not yet Sa-chan just a nap" he responded. She smiled and kissed his chest happily. Sano laughed as the toddler had tickled him with her kiss.
With a struggle Sano managed to sit up, pulling Saiko into his lap over the sheet. He felt pretty self-conscious wearing only a fundoshi in the hospital room, the last thing he needed was Saiko pulling up the sheet and flashing the young girl nurse. "Boo boo dada?" Saiko asked quietly, lightly poking the bandages on Sano's stomach. Sano swallowed hard worried that if he said too much it might upset Saiko make her cry. Before she could repeat herself Sano explain softly trying not to sound concerned "Yes Saiko it is a boo boo, a bad man gave dada two bad boo boos but dada will be better soon okay?" She nodded still prodding the bandage making Sano wonder if she thought it looked like the time she skinned her knee and Sano had overreacted and bandaged it heavily a few months prior.
"She is so adorable Sano-senpai" Chika's unwelcome voice called out. Sano sighed Saitou would be back soon and just get mad at him again. "Yes she is Chika-San, but you really need to go home it is past visiting hours you know?" he lied trying to trick the girl into leaving. "Your daughter is here" she said disappointed. "It's not the same and you know it" he retorted. "Well I guess you don't have anyone else to watch her" she said as seductively as a fifteen year old could manage. Sano just sighed not feeling like fighting with her.
"I am not staying, though I do not understand why you hate me so!" she said getting a little angry. "I just wanted to ask you when you would be going home" she finished. "Tonight" he finally said not really caring why she wanted to know. She crept up to the bed slowly while Saiko eyed her confused. Saiko could tell Sano was not happy and curled up on Sano's lap pressing her face in Sano's bare chest. "Are you sure I cannot just fluff your pillows or something Sano-san I feel like I owe you my life" Chika said sweetly. Sano sighed defeated finally obliging her "Find me another sheet, I don't know what happened to my jacket." Chika smiled happily and left to fetch a sheet deciding that sweetness had to be the way to Sano's heart.
It was pitch black outside by the time Saitou had gotten a carriage to take him to the hospital and he had to share it with another fare first before he could go to the hospital, he just hoped Sano and Saiko were still sleeping since they both were so worn-out. Saitou lit another one of the cigarettes from the blood stained pack and inhaled it along with the cold night air.
Lost in the hospital Chika went to Megumi's office to ask for a sheet. While Megumi was fishing one from the linen closet Chika asked "Miss Megumi, do you think Sano-san would ever take an interest in me?" Megumi blushed refraining from saying "not unless you become a man." Instead she took the older wiser approach and said "Chika-san you are much too young to worry about love" and left it at that. Disappointed Chika took the folded sheet and walked back to Sano's room slowly.
Sano was playing with Saiko's hair happily when Chika returned and barely nodded at her presence. Resigning to work on her new plan Chika let the sheet unfold and wrapped it around Sano's shoulders leaving him to adjust it as he felt necessary. She was about to leave when she heard "Thank you Chika-san, I am very glad you are safe and want to thank me, but you are so very young please remember that." She blushed before nodding and heading out the door.
Saitou finally made it to the hospital about thirty minutes after Chika left and went straight to Dr. Gensai's office. The doctor gave Saitou the forms to sign for Sano's release and packed the medicine Sano would need for the next few weeks including a sheet with all the instructions. The carriage was waiting still so Saitou hurried Dr. Gensai along wanting nothing more than to get his family home safe in bed, after eating a hefty meal of course, for even Saitou was starving at this point.
When Saitou made it to the room "dada and sa-chan" were in the middle of an intense game of raspberry. Sano would blow on Saiko's stomach till she laughed hard then Saiko would to the same on Sano's chest. Saitou blushed thinking how hard he could make Sano laugh if he timed a raspberry right.
Sano had stopped the game after he noticed Saitou and it was a few raspberries before Saiko realized it. She turned and clapped yelling "da e da e!" Saitou smiled and gave both of them a soft kiss on the cheek. "Can you walk at all Sano?" Saitou asked as he started unpacking the bag. Sano nodded before Saitou pulled out the pants, fundoshi, and the shirt. He then grabbed the brush and clip out of his pocket and set them on the bed. Sano blushed realizing Saitou found his presents. Saiko was so interested in playing with the clothes she did not even see the hair clip.
Saitou winked at Sano as Sano slipped his hand over the clip and hid it behind his back. "Sa-chan would you like your present?" he said joyfully. Her eyes lit up and she dropped the fundoshi she was putting on her head. Saitou could not help but chuckle at the sight of her with Sano's underwear on her head. She crawled up closer to Sano and smiled "Pwease" she said happily. Sano smiled and brought his hand from his back opening it slowly and showing it to her. The clip was just a size bigger than Saiko's hand. It looked like an origami flower made of metal, but it was painted bright red with sparkly patterns on the petals. "Pwetty" she said having no idea what it was. "It is a hair clip Sa-chan, want dada to put it in your hair." She nodded happily and as if Saitou had read Sano's mind he handed Sano the brush.
Even with her hair brushed and the red flower shaped clip locking her unruly locks down closer to her head Saitou still thought she looked just like Sano. "Come on Rooster let's go home" Saitou said with a genuine smile. "Come on little chick" Sano replied to Saiko who smiled and laughed happily patting the clip in her hair. Saitou scooped up Saiko so Sano could slowly and painfully get dressed. With Saiko and the bag in one arm and Sano leaning on the other Saitou slowly got them both to the carriage.
As the carriage slowly made its way back to the Sagara house Saitou held Saiko close to his chest in the freezing cold wrapping her the best he could underneath a side of his jacket. Sano was laying on the bench taking up the whole seat sleeping with his mouth wide open. Saitou just stared at his poor lover until he felt a soft kiss on his chin and he looked at Saiko with a small smile. "Da e, Dada no be lone?" she whispered. Holding her even tighter he responded lovingly "no Saiko Dada no be alone anymore."
A/N: Extra long since I haven't updated in a few days ; Plus I did not see a better place to break it up. I hope you all like it.