Title: Disease.
Series: "Samurai Deeper Kyo"
Disclaimer: Akimine Kamijyo owns.
Warnings: N/A.
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Hotaru, Shinrei, Akari.
Rating: PG
It starts out as a light-headedness. Then it escalates to a dizziness coupled with darkening vision around the edges, as if he had stood up too quickly after sitting down for a long time. Finally, his lungs fail for several seconds before his body kicks into overdrive and he coughs hard until he sees a splatter of blood against his palm.
Immediately after finding the blood, Shinrei drags him (kicking and screaming) to the hospital to see Akari. Several tests later, the shaman turned doctor is hesitant in giving a prognosis.
Hotaru, blunt as ever, diagnoses himself. "It's the Death Disease, huh?"
Beside him, Shinrei stiffens, his mind flashing to his father's dissolving body, seeing Hishigi-sama die in Fubuki-sama's arms, then finally Fubuki-sama's body turning to dust, only to scatter an instant later in a passing breeze. "Don't say that, Keikoku!" He orders sharply. He turns to Akari. "It could be consumption, right?"
Akari grimaces, shaking his head. "I doubt it. According to Hishigi's medical files, there hasn't been a case of consumption in a Mibu for seven hundred years. Besides, where would be pick it up?" His expression is pale and strained as he gives his friend a death sentence. "...It is the Death Disease."
Stubborn, Shinrei shakes his head. "He's been out of the country for four years – he's been to three different continents! He could have picked it up anywhere!"
Hotaru looks to his half-brother, face as blank as ever. "Did you know denial isn't just a river in Egypt?"
Not getting the joke, Shinrei snaps angrily, "What?"
"I don't want to die like this," Hotaru tells him abruptly, lips twisted in a frown. He remembers the brief terror and desperation that shot through him years ago when he saw Kyo cough up the blood from Mibu Kyoushirou's diseased body moments after Hishigi succumbed to both the disease and his own suicidal attacks and shudders slightly. He turns back to Akari. "Options?" He asks, surprising the elder males with his straightforwardness.
Akari suddenly smiles. "Thanks to Hishigi and Lulu-chan, I have finally developed a cure – though it hasn't been... hasn't been tested," he trails off softly, eyes troubled. "I've been hesitant to test it on a person."
"Oh." Hotaru blinks. "Gimme the shot," he tells him.
Surprisingly, it's Shinrei who speaks up before Akari can gather his bearings. "Didn't you hear her?! It hasn't been tested."
"So? Akari-chan has to test it on someone sometime. Why not me?" He counters smoothly. "Stupid."
While Shinrei sputters, trying to come up with a come back, Akari smiles at Hotaru. "You sure?" He asks, because he likes Hotaru and would always give him an option, unlike with Bon or Akira, wh he'd just do it to. When Hotaru nods firmly, he retreats to another room to retrieve the hypodermic. Moments later, he returns and takes Hotaru's arm in his free hand, inserting the needle into the vein. He depresses the plunger, watching as the liquid vanishes into Hotaru.
"Now what?" Shinrei asks, handing Akari a cotton ball wetted with alcohol when prompted.
Akari is quiet for a moment before shrugging. "Dunno. Wait and see? Hotaru, how much time is between the coughing fits?"
Hotaru blinks and frowns. "Two, three hours?"
"Everyday?" Hotaru nods. "Okay, come back in a week – that should give it enough time to go either way, okay?"
"Sure." Hotaru slips off of the examination table and slips on his geta. "Thanks," he says and leaves the room, Shinrei following behind. As they leave the hospital, Hotaru asks him, "Were you worried?" in a teasing tone.
Defensive, Shinrei curtly says, "No way. You're too stubborn to die – like a cockroach!"
Halting, Hotaru turns back to him, his lips curved into a sly smirk. "You were worried," he accuses.
Shinrei sputters indignantly. "Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
They continue their argument all the way to Yuan's home, just in time to see Anna deck Anthony with a rice bowl as they prepare for dinner.
Started heavy, ended light. Nice. I like it. I'm surprised there isn't more fics that deal with the Death Disease. (Uh, is there any?)