Author's Note: Once again (*) is used for words or phrases of historical or
anime specific use that may require expalantion.
kuraireikan
Fishing for Fiends II
What you must do will take no more than an hour but it is imperative that you make no mistakes. Any deviation from the plan could mean the end of everything.
The thought of killing once again brought her up short, the lightheartedness of the moment ending rather suddenly along with it. Seeing the change in her mood, Okita also managaed to curb his humor long enough to ask if she was alright.
"No, I'm afraid not," she said again, and admitted that she had twisted her ankle trying to take a shortcut through the field.
At her admission Hijikata all but lunged in her direction, causing her to nearly fall backwards in surprise.
"Easy," said Okita, to them both, as he steadied her while Hijikata resettled himself with a grunt. "Hijikata-san was a travelling medicine man once upon a time. He just wants to have a look at your ankle," and the smile that had been so playful only a moment before had become comforting.
Just how many faces did he have?
"Hijikata-san?" she tried on the sound of it as though she'd never heard it before.
"Yes," replied the smiling young man at her side, "and I'm Okita Soujirou. But you can call me Souji. Everyone calls me Souji."
"Takeshi Miori," she told them.
It was the name she and the widow had chosen as part of her disguise and while she had practiced using it often in this past week, she was still surprised at how easily it rolled off of her tongue.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Takeshi-san," and with this Souji bowed as low and as formally as he could, considering that he was sitting on the ground.
Once again Hijikata approached—much more slowly—and this time Akiko allowed him to examine her ankle with little fuss. Though she found herself blushing terribly at having these men handling her in such a way, considering why she had lured them here.
"Mm," murmured Hijikata as he gently turned her ankle this way and that, pressing ever so gently on the swollen area and asking how much it hurt.
Afterward, "It's a sprain, but not a bad one. You'll be fine if you keep your weight off of it for a few days. We can get you to the orphanage up the road and they'll give you a lift into town from there. Is there anyone you can send to an apothocary for the makings of a poultice? You're going to need it to take the swelling down," was Hijikata's rather professional assessment, after which he stared at her in such an overtly frank manner that it made her stomach turn.
Fortunately the sprain was painful enough that any discomfort on her part could be easily explained away. But he was still waiting for an answer.
"Well, no. I live alone at the moment, but I have a few herbs that are good for reducing pain and swelling at home," and with this she waved her hand behind her in as nonchalant a manner as she could muster given the scrutiny.
She had made a point of choosing this place; just shy of halfway between her house and the orphanage, so that if they were going to carry her anywhere, it would be to her own home. Not only would it be a longer walk to the orphanage, but what would be the point of carrying her at all, if only to take her in the wrong direction?
"Oh, you live in the inbetween!" exclaimed Souji with an almost childlike giddiness.
"I'm sorry, the what?" she found herself asking.
Souji was entirely too happy with himself at that moment and simply repeated, "the inbetween!" prompting Hijikata to smack him in the head before explaining, "He calls it that because it's the house in between the two sets of rice fields."
"Ah, I see,"she said, "and yes, it is...in between, I mean," and she tilted her head and smiled somewhat cleverly at Souji, who all but fell over and rolled with laughter.
Akiko was feeling quite pleased with herself, until he began to cough.
And couldn't stop.
It was a horribly deep and wet sound, that cough, punctuated by wheezing and whistling during the rare instances that he was able to catch his breath. And, it persisted for a good three minutes.
Consumption!*
She'd seen it before, but never in one so young.
The widow hadn't mentioned this. Had she known?
"That sounds terrible," she couldn't help herself, it just slipped out. Souji winced and the look Hijikata threw her way said he wanted to eat her alive. And would have were he not so busy tending to Souji.
"I have herbs at home for coughs and colds, if that would help," she offered by way of apology.
"I have medicine," he replied with an almost caustic sneer.
"I see," she said, in a rather caustic tone of her own as she settled herself with her arms crossed.
"And of course you thought to bring the water and kettle with which to brew it," she shot back at him. "Where exactly might you be hiding them, I wonder?" and swept him with a look that was so openly appraising as to make a lesser man blush.
It rendered him speechless.
It rendered them both speechless, as Souji's coughing had finally quieted and his breathing had evened out.
"Well?" she asked impatiently.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment then back in her direction.
"Would you like to try out for the Shinse—, ow!" the blow to the head Souji received this time was considerably harder than the first had been.
"Shut it, imp," was all Hijikata said before bowing low from the waist. Then, "We gratefully accept your offer of assistance and ask that you allow us to escort you home and tend to your injury as a token of our appreciation," he finished before raising himself back to his full sitting height to find both Akiko and Souji staring at him.
This time it was their turn to look to each other then back at Hijikata in disbelief, wearing identical wide eyed expressions.
o0o0o
All preparations for the tea must be completed before they arrive. No last second sleight of hand will go unnoticed by men like these. They have an animal instinct for survival and eyes like the hawk. Let them do as much of the work for you as possible. It raises less suspicion.
Once the shock had worn off all around—more like Hijikata knocked it out of Souji—They began preparing for the little trip to her house.
"Would you please stop hitting me!" Souji had wailed after the last cuff across the head he'd received.
"Would you please stop acting as though I'm a boorish moron with no manners at all," Hijikata replied as he handed Akiko's pack over to Souji.
Although Akiko found his manner of proving this point somewhat telling.
"Forgive me," the younger man said with a small bow as he took the offered pack. "I've never really seen you in a position to be humble before. You caught me off guard."
Apparently it was as rare for the one to be serious as it was for the other to be humble.
Hijikata scrutinized Souji carefully, looking for the tell-tale smirk.
There was none.
"Hnh," was the only reply as Hijikata knelt down and took her into his arms with far more grace and gentleness than she would have expected. He was also considerably stronger than she had expected as he managed to lift her as easily as he would have a baby.
Not that she was large or any such thing, but she had been working with patients in one form or another for almost four years now. Part of her job consisted of bathing and cleaning a variety of people, all of whom she'd had to lift or carry at some point. She imagined herself to be far more muscular—and therefore heavier—than most of the woman this man dealt with on a regular basis.
Which apparently made absolutely no difference to him whatsoever.
She decided to take advantage of this and asked Souji if he would allow her to carry some of the packages. She explained that she felt odd having to be catered to like this and wished to be of some help, even if only in token form.
Souji let her have the smaller packages that they had been carrying, which transfered the weight of those items from him to Hijikata; a fact that Hijikata himself did not miss. They were really only a few parcels of sweets, but given his condition, and the added dampness and chill in the late evening air now that the sun was behind the trees, every little bit would be helpful.
The sun had fully set while they were walking to her house even though it had taken them practically no time at all to get there. But with sunset came an even deeper chill. Based on the pain in his joints, one of the older shop owners in town had predicted snow for early morning.
Akiko knew that if she didn't play this just right, they would find an excuse to leave before her task was completed; for the sake of Souji's health if nothing else, and she would be at a loss to stop them.
As they entered through the little gate she took a small lantern from its hanger just inside. She made sure this one was always lit to assure anyone passing by that the place was not abandoned. She didn't need any unexpected visitors.
"Would you mind if we light the yard lanterns?" she asked while still in Hijikata's arms, and here she made a point of casting her eyes down a bit, "They help to chase away the shadows."
Let them believe she kept it lit for this reason. The thought of her being afraid of the dark would make her seem weak and help to put them off their guard. And certainly it was to be expected of a woman living alone in these times
"I can do that if you like," said Souji, "that way Hijikata-san can get you into the house and start tending to that ankle."
"Thank you," and she gave him a small bow of her head.
"No," Hijikata replied, "I want you both inside. Then you can get a fire going while I light the lanterns."
End of discussion.
Souji took the lantern and began moving toward the house where he stepped aside as Hijikata carried her in through the front entrance and set her down on the hall landing. He then waited as Souji lit the two lanterns in the hall before taking the gate lantern from Souji and heading back out, closing the door tightly behind himself.
"Kitchen?" asked Souji as he took the small parcels from her. She pointed him to his left. He set them down next to the kitchen door and turned again to her. And with every bit as much gentleness as Hijikata, he removed her shoes before helping with her coat.
After placing both of their shoes near the door and hanging their coats on the hooks provided, it was his turn to lift her as he said, "Where to?"
"Please don't! What if you should start coughing again?" she blurted out without thinking. Something that she dearly needed to stop doing if she intended to survive this night.
"I'm stronger than I look," was his reply—in a colder tone than she'd heard him use so far—as he headed toward the door opposite the kitchen.
"I'm heavier than I look," was hers—in the most apologetic tone she'd used so far—as she reached out and slid open the door to the room across from the kitchen.
His grin was once again impish but he held his tongue on that point and instead asked about wood. He went about collecting it and one of the hallway lanterns, before using them to set a cozy fire going on the hearth.
Souji sat down next to her as they both began to warm their hands. Eventually he asked her quietly, "Do I really seem that frail?" with a look in his eyes, not of fear exactly but something...
Just then Hijikata returned with a pail of water from the small well outside. After removing his shoes and coat he retrieved the small packages by the kitchen door and headed inside. His sudden appearance had caused Souji to jump and after having gathered himself he made a point of sitting straighter, taller, and smiling more.
So that was it, she realized. He didn't want to worry his friends. And seeing it she once again began to wonder if this was the right course of action.
However, in for a penny, in for a pound, she'd once heard a westerner say. He'd had to explain it to her then, but she knew it fit her situation now.
Notes: * Consumption was the name used in that era for what is now known as Tuberculosis.
