Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin
AN: Previous chapters have been revised.
It had taken a night and a day, to lay Hyottoko and Shikijou in proper graves. He never knew it would come to this. They had deserved the proper battle that was denied them, not a death by that insane man. The clearing did have a beauty in the gentle glow of moonlight across grass, with the swaying of the trees.
The three of them stood before the unmark graves, keeping a silent vigilance. A question, not meant to be said. What now?
They had fought Battousai and lost. Lost two men, for a moment of glory.
Aoshi faced the matter of Misao. Stunned by her nearly miraculous appearance, if not for her…He did not think on it. But glanced at Hannaya and Beshimi, who were craving names in the stones.
His eyes were open, his mattered calm, as he looked over the graves. An emotion rose stark within. How he wished he could give them that title. The title that they would have earn. The strongest. Yet, Battousai was a man of principle. He cared nothing for the title, but Aoshi couldn't simply take it. Aoshi would not lie to himself, nor his men.
There was one matter before. Someone whom they all loved. He would honor his men, and bring the little girl they left behind so many years ago, to her home. How old was she now? The years had been hard to follow, yet he still remember her birthday. And why had she been alone?
Motioning for Hannaya and Beshimi to flow, he turned away from the stones. A last farewell fluttered in the wind.
It was moments, long after they had travel far from the clearing, before he broke the silence.
"Hannaya," Who perhaps had the friendliest relations with the former samurai, "look in on Misao."
"Hai, Okashira." Aoshi nearly felt Hannaya's smile.
Sunlight, warm against her face, rose her from the recess of sleep. Her eyes opened to an unfamiliar ceiling. Not in Kyoto. Glancing at the wall, she noticed a shadow on the screen, only to disappear a moment later. Hannaya? Misao shock her head, she must still be dreaming.
She tried to sit up, only to have her shoulder feel as if it were bursting in flames. Grimacing, she placed a hand to it. Recoiling in surprised by the warm blood that stained her fingers. Turning her head, she saw that her uniform was torn, one of the sleeves replaced by soaked bandages.
What happened? She felt useless just lying there. Where was she?
The door slid open to her left. A lady with dark long hair, and brown eyes, but she carried the tray of tea with practice.
"I thought you would be getting up by now." She placed the tray gently to Misao's side. "You almost slept for the two whole days." Her eyes narrowed at Misao's shoulder. She reached into a box case and grabbed a handful of bandages and moved towards her.
"Who," Misao nudge back a little, only to be halted by the sharp pain in her shoulder.
"Don't move, stupid girl. You're only causing the wound to bleed more and after all that time I spent sewing you back up this morning." Megumi scowled, but pleased; it was right to treat people. Instead of…She closed her eyes, pushing those thoughts back.
"I wouldn't, if you told me what's going on." Lifting her voice a little, she attempted to glare at the doctor.
"You have a bullet wound in your right shoulder. The bandages need to be changed. You're lucky your lung was punctured." She settled her hands in her lap. "Now do I need to call for assistants or are you going to let me work?"
"Yes." She was Oniwanba, she could tolerate the pain. But still a punctured lung, Jiya would have fits when he heard. She almost groaned at the thought, he would not tolerate her running off alone again after Aoshi.
Aoshi…
"There all done…"
Misao jolted to a sitting position, before the doctor could finish her sentence.
"Aoshi! Please is Aoshi alright?" Her hold was desperate on the doctor's hand.
The doctor stilled. Her eyes turned gain a fearful edge to them. But she straightened, herself out. And offer a bitter smile.
"I do not know." Megumi had no wish to distress her patient, despite the girl's unknown ties with that cold man. But such was the plea in the girl's eyes, the same that Megumi felt when it came to news of her family.
"But," Megumi would never hold any love for the man who let her be kept prisoner, yet this girl. "Sir Ken, said that his wounds were not severe."
"Thank you." Misao smiled. She had found him. It had not been a dream, at last she had found him. For just a moment.
"Now then, I haven't even introduced myself, and it is peculiar treating a patient before learning their name." Megumi set the tea before her patient.
"I'm Misao… Makimachi, Misao." She had no room for a more proper introduction, just a name.
"Tanaki, Megumi."
This chapter was difficult. How would Megumi react to Misao if she meet her under this condition? And how would she be a doctor to Misao? So I made her sympathetic. Don't worry. She'll get back to the teasing fox soon. Hope you enjoyed!