Shigure, Yuki and Kyo hovered at the end of Tohru's pink bed as Hatori examined his patient. She alternated between shivering and moaning as he tried to find any causes for this illness. He half turned to ask the boys of the house, "Have you noticed her acting unusual lately? Complaining of pain or anything?" Kyo snorted, "You know as well as we do that Tohru never complains about anything. She just smiles and goes on like it doesn't bother her, even when it does."
The frown on Hatori's face deepened as he checked her temperature. "She has a dangerously high temperature. We may need to admit her to the hospital." Yuki straightened up and pivoted on his heel, "I'll get some ice. That has always helped before." Kyo fidgeted and wished Hatori would tell him something he could do to help make Tohru feel better. Remembering something that Kazuma used to help him feel better, he turned to his room stating, "I've got some liniment that Kazuma used when I was feeling bad."
This left an anxious Shigure moving closer to his best friend's elbow. There was no playfulness in his voice as he asked, "She's really that sick? Isn't there anything you can do to help?" Hatori pulled a vial out of his black bag and prepared to give her a shot of antibiotics and vitamins. His deep voice hummed as he worked, "I think this might help a bit, but if her fever doesn't go down within the hour we will be forced to hospitalize her. I don't want her here if she starts convulsing from the high temperature."
After administering the shot, Hatori sat gently on the side of her bed and brushed the sweaty bangs away from the feverish girl's forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned a watery gaze to the two men. She managed to whisper, "I'm sorry they called you. I told them not to. I was going to take care of it myself…..Saturday…. clinic…" her voice faded off to nothing as she barely registered that they were there.
Kyo and Yuki returned in time to see her laying there with her eyes partly open and the boys offered their remedies. Shigure affected his happy, there's-nothing-wrong-here pose and ushered the boys out of the room stating Hatori needed to finish his examination. In the quiet that followed, Hatori explained that he was going to listen to her heart and lungs, then push on her stomach. It was a routine they had established from the many times he had been called to treat this unique girl among the boys of Shigure's house. Truthfully, only Akito and Rin got sick as often as Tohru. But, then a small smile broke out on Hatori's face as he thought to himself, but she is a much better patient and a joy to treat.
As he placed the stethoscope back in his bag, he noticed that Shigure had returned to the room. So far, he could find nothing to indicate the source of her fever. This was not the usual over-worked fever that he had seen her develop before. This seemed more serious. Shigure's concerned voice questioned from behind him, "So, have you found anything yet?" It wasn't often that the dog let his concern show, but it was obvious that he did feel something for the girl other than as just someone he was using to his own ends.
Hatori shrugged and stated, "Well, her lungs are clear and her heart is beating normally, although a bit sluggishly. I've ruled out an upper respiratory infection. My next thought was possibly appendicitis." After saying that, the doctor moved to place his hands on her abdomen and began gently pushing down in several places. He used the pattern he had been taught in medical school instead of going straight for the possible problem. He didn't want to overlook any other possible source of her problems.
She did not flinch when he depressed the area of her pelvis which housed the appendix. But he did get a pained reaction when he compressed the area around her spleen. His frown deepened. Shifting to a better position on the bed, he moved his hands up to her neck and felt for and found swollen lymph nodes. With more of a purpose now, he withdrew a tongue depressor and light from his bag and looked into her throat. He turned to address Shigure, "Has she been complaining about a sore throat?"
Shigure tapped his hand on his chin as he was thinking. "No, she didn't say anything. But, come to think of it, she was been drinking a lot of herbal tea with honey and lemon. I didn't think about it, but that is what she made me when I had a cold and sore throat."
Hatori reached into his bag again and pulled out a syringe and tube. He leaned over Tohru to get her attention. "Tohru, I need to take some blood for tests to see exactly what is wrong. I'll try to be gentle, okay?" Her sweaty face turned to him and she smiled a ghostly imitation of her usual sunshine smile. "Okay. Don't worry. I'm tough."
As Hatori was drawing blood, Shigure shuddered and tried to focus on her face and say something to distract her. "You know, Tohru, if you wanted a break from housework, you could have just asked. You have worked so hard lately that there is nothing left to clean." But, he did not get the reaction he wanted. Instead of laughing at his silliness, tears formed in her beautiful eyes. She stuttered, "No, no.. I don't want a break… I love it here… I want to do my part….you have been so kind to let me stay…and I just cause problems and say things I shouldn't." She turned her face away from the men, "I didn't mean to make you mad with my questions."
Shigure scoffed, "Silly Tohru, no one is mad. You asked a very good question that I didn't have an answer to. That's all. I'm not mad." Hatori added his thoughts, "Truthfully, Tohru, I enjoy hearing your ideas. You have a refreshing way of looking at the world and its problems. No one had ever thought to look at the other members of the Zodiac for powers like mine. I relish the thought of not being unique in this sense. Though I'm a bit disturbed to think that Akito could have the type of powers that you've noticed and been using them on us while we were unaware. But, sometimes the people involved are too close to a problem to see the true answer. After your question, it caused me to stop and think about this like an outsider. I think you might be correct."
Shigure's attention shifted a bit from playful teasing to serious contemplation. He explained to the confused girl, "After your comment, I called Ayame and Hatori to pool our collective intellect to consider what you had said. He was going to check the back files on the other members of the Zodiac for evidence of such powers."
Hatori placed a bandage on the arm where he drew blood and placed the vials gently in his bag. Turning, he smiled back to the sick girl and commented, "Yes, and there have been a few strange incidents that were notated in the files. Some of the Zodiac from past generations had the power to heal, to read minds, to influence the feelings of others, and the power of superhuman strength. One ancestor might have been able to spit acid but the notes were smudged and unclear. Mostly the records reflected numerous personality disorders similar to Hatsuharu's. I found a journal that an old doctor kept, and he surmised that there were two separate personalities in some of the Zodiac members. He guessed that one was the Zodiac animal, and the other the natural spirit of the host body."
Tohru's eyes grew even larger than they were normally. She squeaked, "You mean, I was right? That's amazing." Then her enthusiasm overtook her discomfort and she clapped her hands eagerly, "Oh, then we need to figure out what everyone's powers are, somehow! Oh, how exciting! I bet Kagura's is the superhuman strength!" and a giggle escaped her sore throat.
Shigure admonished, "Now, now, Tohru. You aren't doing anything until you are feeling better. I won't have you jumping around making yourself worse." She looked property contrite as she calmed down and glanced back at the handsome doctor who was looking at her with a quiet smile.
Hatori commented as he stood from her bedside, "I think your fever may be going down. I'll check again in a few minutes. Then I'll get these tests run on your blood. You may have Mononucleosis but I won't know for sure until I receive the test results."
Shigure scrunched up his nose and held his hand before his mouth in mock shock. "Tohru! My little sweet flower has the kissing disease! Who have you been kissing? Oh the horror." Her face went up in flames of embarrassment as she started stuttering and trying to proclaim her innocence. Hatori smirked but then spoke crossly to his friend, "Shigure, you know as well as anyone, that mono can be transmitted in ways other than kissing. And you should be ashamed of yourself for embarrassing a sick girl. Her face is already red enough from the fever." He stopped and looked at the ceiling, "Of course, if she does have mono, I'll have to administer shots to all of you in this house. Hmm, now where did I put that extra large needle."
It took a minute for the scene and the look of horror on Shigure's face to register in her sluggish brain, but when it did, she couldn't help but giggle at Hatori's way of handling the taunting from the Shigure. Sometimes she wondered if all of this was a strange act and these men were some unique kabuki actors. Or, maybe she was trapped in a manga and would wake up some day to find she was asleep in her bed with a book on her chest and all this had been a dream.
Sleep drifted over her aching body and she decided this once not to fight against it. It was not time to start dinner, and like Shigure had commented, she was so far ahead in housework that she'd have to dirty something just to have something to do. Still, it amazed her how much dirt and clutter three unmarried males could produce.
Some day, she was sure she could 'housebreak' them to where they cleaned up after themselves. Kyo was the best, since he had been in charge of feeding and cleaning while living with Kazuma. Shigure was the worst with his tendencies to drop books wherever he left them, and leaving food and plates in his office. Hadn't someone once told her that cats were much easier to keep as pets than dogs because cats took care of themselves? Dogs were always requiring attention and care. Yes, that surely described the differences between Shigure and Kyo.
Downstairs, four males gathered about the kotatsu to discuss Tohru's health. Hatori sipped at a cup of tea that Kyo had provided and explained, "I believe Tohru may have mononucleosis but I won't know conclusively until the tests have been completed. As such, she must absolutely not do anything physical or strenuous. With mono, the spleen can become inflamed and easily damaged by exertion. You must make sure she rests, and watch her for signs she is worsening. Call me immediately, no matter what time of day it is if she develops a fever above 102 degrees or difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, severe headache, yellow discoloration of the eyes or skin or weakness in the arms and legs. You should call an ambulance immediately if she develops sharp, sudden or severe abdominal pain, or significant difficulty breathing or swallowing or a stiff neck or severe weakness. This could be a very serious illness and we need to be aware of that, and not let Tohru's usual ability to hide symptoms mask her distress. It may be several weeks before she is back to normal, and it is up to us to make sure she recovers. That means," he pointed his finger at Shigure, "no teasing her, or asking her to clean or cook for you." Then he turned accusing eyes to Kyo and Yuki, "and you two will have to learn to stop fighting. You will not be upsetting her while she is so ill. If you need to compete, join a sport!"
Hatori finished his tea and carried the cup into the kitchen. Then, he headed back to his patient for one more check on her temperature before he decided if she should stay here or be admitted to a hospital. He shook his head in wonder. No telling how long Tohru had been feeling poorly but didn't let anyone know because she didn't want to be burden. Well, she would have to get over that way of thinking. Family helped family; even if they were a burden. Ritsu and Kyo being a perfect example of that. And hadn't he and all his cousins unburdened themselves to her? That was part of her charm and appeal. She was a wonderful listener and had a natural insight into the human soul that she used to provide healing to their emotional wounds.
As he entered the room of his sick little patient, he wondered how life would have been different if the head of the Sohma family had been someone like Tohru Honda. Akito's life had been difficult and hard, but Tohru's hardships eclipsed Akito's tenfold. The main difference had to have been the unconditional love that Tohru had received from her mother. He glanced at the picture of the smiling woman who went everywhere with Tohru and wished he could have met her. Shigure had told him of all the stories Tohru had relayed to him about her past. As he gently shook the girl to rouse her from sleep to check her temperature, he smiled kindly and thought, 'what a wonderful girl to have fallen into our undeserving family.'