It had been a hard day already and it wasn't even noon.
Hijikata Toushiro could feel a hard lump in his neck, giving him a migraine. He massaged it a bit while walking through the streets of Kabuki-chō. It was a lazy Sunday morning and most of the shops and restaurants were still closed. Such a peaceful day and for a second, he could have almost been swayed by it. But these drug dealers were still on the run and causing trouble in the shadows. Unforgivable. He needed to catch them soon. When did they get so good at covering tracks, he wondered.
The officer was walking his usual route, alone. He had been a policeman for so long, he knew every nook and cranny of the city. Today, he chose this part of Shinjuku deliberately. The last months, a lot of yakuza activity had been reported here, near Tocho-mae, and he knew that they were hiding somewhere out here. He wasn't going to do something stupid. He was just patrolling, observing, hoping to stumble on the last piece of the puzzle. They needed to find them as well as their storage. He couldn't wait to lock these bastards away for good.
A sigh and he cracked some bones in his neck while scanning all of the civilians carefully. Most of them were inconspicuous: older women bringing out the trash, young women on their way to an event, delivery men on duty or craftspeople repairing damage to some houses. There were some strange guys in between, but they just stared at him as he went by. So, he didn't bother with them.
Working had always helped him suppress his feelings, deal with unpleasant situations. It helped him forgetting this whole ridiculous situation he was in. All the bad things that had come out of it. He didn't want to be reminded either. They would just be solved by time. At least that's what he told himself.
Yesterday, Sougo had come home late. He had given him a thorough report of his surveillance, filled with an abundant number of details no one cared about. When he had finally talked about Gintoki, he had made sure to tell him exactly what would worry him most. But Hijikata had expected that, so he wasn't swayed as much. He knew what asking this guy for a favor meant. Especially when it involved things that were important to the Vice Commander. He just bore with it, knowing that Gin was safe with him. And this was the only thing that mattered.
Even though Sougo still tried to kill and torture him at every chance he got, Hijikata trusted him. He trusted him to take good care of Gintoki. Of course, his second in command would deliberately do the exact opposite of everything Hijikata believed in and stood for. But in the end, he would make sure the drugged teenager was safe from the yakuza. And the Vice Chief was sure that they would target him eventually. No way in hell would they just let him walk.
He tried not to go there. The thought alone made his heart shiver in fear. Instead, he focused on the work at hand, keeping his cool-headed demeanor as much as he could. There wasn't much he could do otherwise. Gin didn't want to see him, and he wouldn't force himself on him. For now, he just bore with the fact that this teenager hated him. And hopefully, with time, the drug would wear off and his memories would come back. And then everything would be over…
But first, he needed to bust this freaking drug ring and drag every last one of these bastards to prison.
.
As he was walking down the road, the street became livelier. There was a pachinko hall nearby, disrupting the peaceful low chatter with its ear-shattering rattling whenever the automatic door opened to let a customer in. There was a housewife airing the family futons at the upper window while shouting at her kids not to bother the neighbors too much. There were two dogs barking at each other while their owners tried to calm them down in a futile attempt. There was a silver-headed teenager swinging some money in front of an older man with a big scar on his face as if to persuade him to give him something in return.
Wait? What?
Blinking, the officer stared back to the last civilians he saw, only some yards away from him. He couldn't understand their words, but the situation was easy enough to read. A young man with silver locks and a simple white summer yukata with short sleeves and shorts was shuffling some money. The bored look in his eyes was innocent and unfazed. In contrast to the other, older man facing him. The scar was only the first hint, the black yukata, sword and tattoo on his hand the other ones. His short black hair was put in an undercut and a long pipe was stuck between his lips as he accepted the money and counted it.
Wait a second… this couldn't be. This just couldn't be…
As the teenager picked his nose, the dangerous looking man grinned and nodded. He was making an inviting gesture, and both started moving, heading towards a dark alley further down the road.
Hijikata couldn't move.
He was utterly frozen.
No way. No way in hell!
This must have been an illusion. Maybe just his imagination. A prank pulled by this sadistic coworker of his. No. No way! He couldn't be…
Then the two men cut the corner and were sucked in by the twilight of the high towering buildings. The rest of the street was peaceful. But Hijikata Toushiro couldn't be swayed. He just couldn't believe what had unfolded before his eyes.
Had Gin honestly been involved with the yakuza just now? In broad daylight? Buying drugs?! While these exact criminals were out looking to get him?! What the hell! And where did he even get that money from?!
His mind was blanking, and he started panicking. Before he even realized it, he was already starting to run.
That idiooooot!
"Wow, it's exactly as shady as depicted in all those movies."
Gin seemed bored as he looked around. They had walked the long path of a back alley right into what looked like a spacious backyard. It was quite dark here, even though the sun was up high. The buildings were old and worn down, an array of old balconies and awnings was cascading down to spend shade in the heat of the last summer days. Some part of him felt uncomfortable, watched, but his teenage self wasn't aware of this. He kicked some pebbles as he walked by and wrinkled his nose.
His personal convoy stopped in front of the last house which looked particularly run down. Two men were already waiting there, swords on their belts and a silent aggressive aura engulfing them. They nodded to their leader and positioned themselves next to him as he turned towards the teen.
His deep, raspy voice matched his edgy grin perfectly. "So, as you were saying, boy…"
A sway of his hand and a bored look was all he elicited from him. "I don't care what you give me. Crack, ecstasy, heroine or just a joint. Doesn't matter. You probably have something nice, don't you? I'm not picky. I just wanna make the most of my youth. Hit me, old man."
A chuckle and he scrutinized him from head to toe. "Really, now? Well, that's interesting."
"C'mon! Don't be a bore." The teenager complained while picking his ear. "I have enough old men trying to tell me how to live my life. I gave you a lot of cash, so now keep your end of the bargain. Got something nice for me?"
"Well… I certainly do." The man snickered again and puffed his pipe. "You know who I am, right?"
"Urgh… please don't go introducing yourself without me even asking…"
"My name is Tetsujin." He continued as if he didn't hear him. "And I'm in charge of this district. All these nice drugs come directly from me. I'm your trusted local juvie-dealer. But you probably remember me from the party, right?"
"The what now?" Gin's face showed pure pain by how bored he was. "Listen, old man. I don't know what you're talking about and as much as I love to go to parties, I don't know where I should know you from. Can we, like, get this over with already? I just want some nice marihuana, ok? Just enough to chill for the next days. You may look like a villain, but you probably keep to your word, right?"
Tetsujin seemed pretty amused by all of this and closed his eyes. "Ahhh, well, I forgot. You probably don't remember a thing, hm? Even though you little bastard destroyed all of my stockings at the wedding. You glutton. But don't worry, I'm not mad. You already paid me back, after all."
"Oi, oi, oi!" Unnerved, the teenager glared at him. "Don't pull that crap on me! Don't pretend my money will pay back some debt I never even heard of. Give me my hash already!"
"Sure, whatever you want." A contented smile as his eyes drifted away for a second as if to check something. Then a short nod moved his head and his eyes started blinking. "Once we're finished here, that is."
Out of nowhere, steel plunged through the shadow and scraped the air right next to Gin's throat. A sword softly cut his skin as one of the two yakuza stepped forward. Tetsujin's smirk was triumphant now as Gin's face showed the first sign of fear.
"Who would've known that I could kill two birds with one stone today."
The teenager gulped and hissed at him, desperately clinging to anger in order to resist the rising panic. "What the fuck, man? I came here to have a good time, and honestly, I feel so attacked right now!"
The drug dealer came closer and raised his finger, slightly pressing the blade closer to Gin's throat so that the steel started drawing just a hint of blood. "Drop the act already, Gin-san. Not that I cared about your hairy ass for one bit. But after you've messed with me, I did a little research…"
Gin gritted his teeth and glared at him, not being able to move at all. The air between them got colder and Gin's senses were too blurred to realize the movement happening in the back alley they had emerged from earlier. Tetsujin smirked but was not taking his eyes off of him.
"…And it looks like you've made my job easier. Eradicating a little pest that's been following me around for a while, that's it."
"TESTUJIN!"
.
The piercing shout hit him like a truck. Blinking, Gin's eyes shot to the side to find out what the hell was happening. As he realized whose voice it was, however, his heart dropped a beat.
At the exit of the alleyway, a full ten yards away, a policeman stood. His sword was drawn and dripping with blood, the path behind him filled with half a dozen men writhing in pain. The black-haired man's eyes were hard and filled with anger.
It just made the drug dealer smile. He glanced at Gin and patted his shoulder. "Well, who would've known? Just remember this, kid. Getting involved with the police is dangerous…"
The teenager shivered under the bellowing laugh and couldn't decide where to look. His heart was racing faster as he started to realize what all of this meant. Unwillingly, his eyes darted back to the officer standing at the edge of the yard, not moving even one inch.
"Oh my! What a nice surprise!" Tetsujin rejoiced, raising his hands in delight as he faced Hijikata. "And you even remembered my name! How very sweet of you. Even though we never even met. Am I getting famous now? Famous enough for the demonic Vice Chief to notice me?"
A growl that could even be heard from the distance. Hijikata's eyes were smoldering like lava, but he didn't say a word. His look alone would strike fear in every sane human being. But Tetsujin wasn't impressed in the least.
His henchman dragged Gin backwards, buried his hands in his perm and placed the blade directly on his throat. The teenager shivered and fought the fear trying to subdue him. He bit his lip and helplessly watched the situation unfold. The yakuza grinned and waved, inviting the cop to come closer.
"I must say, I'm honestly surprised. I knew you were full of yourself, but patrolling our streets alone? Don't you think you're getting a little too cocky, huh? Or is it you just panicked because you saw your honey being taken in by us?"
No reaction, not even a blink. Gin wondered why. He didn't understand the situation, didn't understand how fast things went south. Why was this guy even here? He was the last person he wanted to see. Painfully, Gin clenched his teeth and stared at the officer, trying to make sense of this whole mess.
"I mean…" Tetsujin grinned as the shadows around the place began to move. He didn't take his eyes off the Vice Chief and puffed his pipe from time to time. "…I always knew the Shinsengumi was a squad full of faggots, but I honestly didn't expect this. I mean… the Demonic Vice Commander of the Police… having a boyfriend? Don't make me laugh. We're not in a yaoi drama here."
"Kch." He seriously couldn't understand how calm this guy could be. Gin was fueling his fear into something less productive and that was annoyance. "So, you're using me to provoke him, huh? Well, nice try but it's useless. I dumped his sorry ass. 'Got nothing to do with him, so feel free to kill him or whatever. Just leave me out of this!"
The grin he got from the yakuza was sadistic. He came closer and squeezed his cheeks together. "Oh, you poor one. Of course, I totally believe you."
"I don't care about this guy one bit!" Gin spat back. "I came here to have a good time and you're ruining it, man! Let me go and then do whatever you want with him!"
"Doesn't matter what you think, boy." The man with the black undercut nodded towards the other side of the yard. "He cares for you and that's why you'll stay exactly where you are."
Gin was fuming, ignoring Hijikata as much as possible now. Meanwhile, Tetsujin turned to the cop again and gave a short hand sign.
"Anyway, back to business. I don't like dealing with fags, but I'll make an exception for you, Vice Chief-sama. You've stalked us long enough. Let's end this here and now."
Blood was still dripping from Hijikata's sword, as he stood in the shadows and stared at them. His demeanor was calm, it seemed, though the ice-cold rage was conspicuous in his eyes. He was surrounded from all sides now, men pointing their guns at him from the balconies while others readied their swords in the yard below. He was heavily outnumbered.
"Is that so? Well, then there's not much left to say, is there?" Hijikata focused on the drug dealer as if he was setting his target, tightening the grip on his sword handle. "Your days as a yakuza end today, Tetsujin. I'll make sure you'll get what you deserve."
.
And just like that, he dashed forward.
Gunshots ripped through the air, but all bullets plunged into the ground. First, Hijikata was sprinting forward into the group of yakuza blocking his way. With two broad swings, he knocked the swords of two men out of their hands while two others suffered injuries on their arms. Before the blades could reach his neck, he crouched down and dealt another hit, immobilizing one through a well-placed strike to his calves. This time, his sword was blocked, however, and four others used the opportunity to launch an attack at him.
Skillfully, the policeman dropped back and got hold of an enemy, using the momentum of his movement to shove him right onto the sword that was aiming for him. As the blood was gushing out and a painful moan filled the air, Hijikata's sword was plunging out from behind, cutting right through a sword hand. Three down already. He felt a swing from the side, blocking it with the hilt of his sword. Then the gunshots sounded again. Those would be difficult to deal with.
A roaring man ran into him and the cop evaded his assault while knocking the sword out of his hand with a well-placed kick. As he pushed the man into the attackers in front of him, he gripped hold of the sword and threw it blade-first into the nearest gunman. It hit bullseye and filled the yard with a horrified scream.
Shots began reigning down on him again and the black-haired man knew he had to take cover. So, he quickly dashed into his enemies once more, using them as shields while staying low and slashing at their feet. He wasn't trying to kill them. He just needed to immobilize them. Just a dozen left on the ground…
A bullet hit his arm as he took down the next enemy. Three attacked him at once now and he had to dance to evade their constant slashes. While they cornered and surrounded him, he had close-combat on his side. With the swift movement of the hilt of his sword, he broke somebody's nose and used the gained space to pierce his blade right into an abdomen. Blood was spurting on him and drained his vest. He couldn't evade the next attack and steel ripped a shallow wound in his side. Instead of retreating back, though, he rushed forward right into the attack, dealing a fatal blow to his opponent.
Kicking the man with the broken nose to the ground, the last enemy of the vanguard took him head-on. Hijikata overpowered him with a single hit to his stomach, ramming him down into the ground and pinning him there with a hand on his head and a blade near his neck. Then there was silence. A terrifying silence broken only by heavy huffing, moaning and suppressed groans. Hijikata Toushirou's sword was blood-stained and his eyes were glowing.
"I don't intend to kill any of you bastards. I'll let you rot in prison and torture you until you won't even remember your own names. Unless… you cooperate and tell us the names of your higher-ups. Then I might go easy on you…"
.
He had taken out the vanguard like it was nothing. Twice as many people remained, but they didn't dare to approach him in this very moment. Fear was slithering through the ranks and froze them to the very spots they stood on. Everybody knew he wasn't joking around.
Tetsujin gulped and a thin drop of sweat rolled down his temple. But he grinned either way. "Keh… you really are a demon, Vice-Chief. But it doesn't matter now. You can't keep this up forever. You're heavily outnumbered…"
He didn't care. At all. Instead, he pulled back the man's hair, making his neck bend and expose more skin to his anticipating blade. Hijikata's eyes, however, were solely fixed on the drug dealer.
"And you're running out of men, Tetsujin."
Panic was creeping up inside of him, but the yakuza didn't surrender to it. He was grinning like a lunatic instead. "Doesn't matter. We took extra good care of you. All of our blades are poisoned. And some of the bullets will hit you eventually. You will die here, pig."
"You clearly underestimate me." Was the only, dry response.
Violently, Hijikata crashed the man's head into the ground so he would lose consciousness. Then he stood up, drawing his sword unfazed by threats, numbers or odds. Instead, he was locking Tetsujin as his target. His eyes were radiating cold like a blizzard, no mercy left in them. He was ready to kill. Only five yards separated them now. The air between them grew thinner by the second.
"D-don't fucking joke around!" His opponent screamed and pulled a gun, shooting at the cop without even so much as a warning. A shower of bullets began raining down from above as well.
Hijikata was running already. Most of the bullets missed their target, except for four of them, ripping through his flesh. Two dug themselves into his leg and calf, one pierced through his torso and the last one hit his shoulder. Blood was spurting, and he lost his balance, tumbling forward as he continued to run. Sword drawn, eyes fixed on his enemy, he didn't yield. Like a true demon, he pressed forward, paying no heed to his injuries.
Tetsujin tumbled backwards as Hijikata's sword was trying to reach him in a broad swing. His other henchman jumped forward instead and diverted the cop's dash. A metallic 'cling' ripped through the air as their swords clashed. For a moment, the policeman lost sight of both Tetsujin and Gin. His opponent was more skilled than the others and from time to time, Hijikata had to evade another bullet. His leg injuries further weakened his stand and mobility, but he still used his enemies own weight against him. He didn't have time to deal with more of these henchmen. So, he slipped through the next attack and dragged the blade along his opponent's stomach in the process. Blood gushed on him as he attempted to use the motion to reach his goal.
But as soon as he set eyes on his target again, he had to stop.
The drug dealer had retreated a few steps and so did his other bodyguard with Gin in tow. The teenager was now cornered from two sides. The sword of the henchman on his throat and the drug dealer's gun on his head. Tetsujin was howling, violently shoving his weapon into silver locks.
"Don't fucking move or I'll blow his brains out!"
.
And that was the moment Hijikata finally came to a halt.
Quietly panting, strained by combat, he stared at the drug dealer as if he would turn into a wild beast any second now. Then, his gaze wandered off to the teenager, who had been caught up in this whole mess.
The terror in his eyes was overwhelming. Gin was staring at him like a frightened child. Like someone, who had never seen such a fight, so much violence before. Like someone, who had never feared for his life before. Gin was screaming for help without a single sound leaving his dry throat.
And Hijikata just couldn't bear it.
"Ha ha… Hahaha…. Hahahahahaha!" Tetsujin's eyes were torn open now while his finger was pressed tightly against the trigger. "Gotcha, you bastard. Surely, you couldn't bear to watch your boyfriend die in front of you, right? So, don't fucking move, or you'll be able to pick up pieces of his brain."
"He's not my boyfriend anymore." Hijikata replied calmly, averting his gaze now and locking in on the drug dealer instead. His face was consumed by resentment, but he still managed to stay calm. "…He's just a teenager, who got himself tangled up in your dirty business."
"So what?! You're a fucking cop, amiright? And I will slaughter this fucking civilian! Drop your fucking weapon!"
He gritted his teeth, sword hand coiling around the hilt until his knuckles went white. There were still more than a dozen men left, waiting to attack. And he could already feel the burning pain from the poison entering his system. The cop just wished the reinforcements he ordered would arrive already. He needed to buy more time. And Tetsujin wasn't really interesting in killing Gintoki. He only wanted him, after all.
Still, it was a hard letting go of his katana.
Though not as hard as seeing Gin paralyzed by fear.
"NOW!" The yakuza screeched, thrusting the gun violently into silver locks.
And so, his sword dropped. But the real threat was still there, burning inside Hijikata's eyes like hellfire. He raised both hands to surrender.
With a diabolic grin, Tetsujin acted as fast as lightning. He didn't intend to waste any more time. Rashly, he pointed his gun at the cop and shot.
.
.
A scream disrupted the heavy silence in the yard.
But it wasn't Hijikata Toushiro who writhed in pain. It was Tetsujin. With tears in his eyes, he went down to his knees, holding his shoulder as his shooting arm was bent backwards and cracking under the angle. His arm had been broken and the weapon knocked out of his hand. It was a silver-haired teenager pressing his limb backwards and thrusting his shoe into the yakuza's calf.
His eyes were bloodshot. "Shooting an unarmed man… you scum…"
The drug dealer was screaming even louder as the silver head used his whole strength to kick his face into the ground. The henchman who had been taken care of Gin before laying in a puddle of his own blood. The teenager gratefully took care of his sword, dropping down to one knee to reach for it.
"You all wanna fight…? I'll give you a fight, you bastards…"
Hijikata was holding his breath. Gin's gaze was shrouded as if he was in trance. He wasn't himself anymore. He was moving on instinct and buried fighting experiences alone, Hijikata knew. And it frightened him. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
"I will kill every last one of you…" Gin whispered with a diabolic smile and then rushed forward, hunting them down.
Cursing, the cop got down to take hold of his sword as well. And then he began to run.
His whole body was hot, sweaty, steaming. He could feel a thick liquid running down his neck, his arms. A sour, metallic smell was in the air and his hair felt sticky. Suddenly, everything was so bright. As if a black haze had engulfed him, slowly scattering now. There was something in his hand. A sword? A strange sound coming from afar. Moaning, pleading, distant screaming. Gin shook his head to clear his mind. Where was he?
The last thing he remembered was… looking at that cop. He had his hands up to surrender. And then this drug dealer had been moving and… everything went blank. He must have blacked-out somehow. Now, he was standing in front of a corpse, blood dripping from the sword in his hand. And not just there. His whole white yukata was drenched in red.
Horrified, he let go of the sword and stumbled backwards. His head shot left and right in order to gain an overview of the situation. There was a deadly silence filling up the place. All around, there were men writhing in pain, lying in their own blood. It must have been two dozen. Every single one of them stricken down or dead. He didn't understand the real scope of what happened yet. He turned around when he heard someone wheezing.
The officer was on one knee, his sword thrust into the ground to help him keep his balance. As he leaned against it, blood was staining his vest and dripping to the ground. A wound on his head caused the black strands of his hair to stick to his skin.
He looked at him out of exhausted eyes, struggling to keep his balance. "Gintoki…"
The silver head instinctively moved, running towards him and dropping to his knees as well. Terror had his heart in its ugly grip and he made his pulse go out of control.
"Hey, you alright?"
He put his hand on Hijikata's shoulder to support him, only to realize it got dyed in blood instantly. With a horrified look, he retreated a bit and scanned his body for more wounds. There was so much blood.
"…you hurt?" The cop whispered under his breath, clearly at his limit.
The sole question was leaving the teenager baffled for a second. He quickly checked, though, just to make sure. But as he padded his whole body, he couldn't find a single scratch. So, he growled back at the policeman.
"Not as hurt as you are, for fuck's sake!"
"Hah…" He coughed and closed his eyes. "…'ll come… need to… here…"
"Can't understand you, pal, so stop talking!" Gin was panicking a bit as he remembered the poison Tetsujin had spoken of. He didn't know what to do! He didn't even know the number of the ambulance, let alone where he would get a phone now.
"Uh…" Suddenly, Hijikata collapsed and fell forward. Gin could catch him in his arms in time and felt his heavy weight pressing against him.
Completely panicked now, he turned him around to see his face. The policeman was still breathing but seemed to have lost consciousness. The teenager shook him as if to wake him up. "Oi! Oi, oi, oi, oi! Don't fucking die on me now, you shitty stalker! Don't you dare! I'll make you pay, bastard!"
His body was lifeless, and blood was still trickling out of his wounds. Gin was trembling uncontrollably now, feeling his heartbeat going crazy.
"Open your eyes, dammit!"
The panting got worse with every step he took.
As he entered through the automatic door into the sterile lobby, he almost felt his strength fade altogether. People were staring at him in shock, hiding their terrified gasps behind their hands. Blood was dripping down on the white floor, staining his clothes and feet. When he finally saw the woman behind the counter running towards him with an alarmed look, he couldn't take it anymore. His weak, shaking legs gave in and he dropped to his knees.
The woman helped him secure the man he had been carrying on his back, taking the unconscious policeman into her arms. Other people were already flocking towards her and she screamed something at someone. Gintoki didn't really hear what it was. He was too tired to take in anything else. The sound around him was drowned out by the raucous beating of his heart in his ears. His gaze rested on Hijikata, who wasn't moving anymore, just lying there as if he was mocking him. Gin's lips pressed firmly together. He tightened his fist.
The nurse talked to him and for some reason, he answered. He didn't even think about it, words just poured out of his mouth. She asked him about Hijikata's injuries and he told her the ones he remembered. She asked for his state and he told her about the poison. Then she asked him about his own injuries and he just shook his head.
All of this happened unconsciously as if he wasn't in control of his self anymore. His conscious mind just stared at the policeman getting stripped of his jacket and vest. He was being taken care of now. There wasn't anything else he could do. This guy would be fine. This guy would be fine. Would be fine… fine...
As Hijikata's body was put on a stretcher, Gin finally breathed out. His eyelids dropped, and he felt the strength leaving his body. The nurse was beside him, supporting him with a hand on his shoulder. She talked to him, but he didn't respond anymore. As if his unconscious self had submerged again. He tried breathing normally, trying to calm down. Carrying this guy to the hospital had really sapped all of his strength. Lucky that he had known the way. Why, he couldn't answer anymore.
The nurse started patting his body now, checking if everything was okay. He opened his eyes and saw blood everywhere. His hair, his white yukata was almost completely dyed in red. It made his heart shake in despair.
Everything after that seemed to happen in a flash.
He was taken to a small room close to the reception, offered a glass of water and checked by some doctor. They asked him a few questions he didn't know the answer to. Then they said that the cop was being treated and that there was nothing left for him to do here. He should go home and wash the blood off of his skin. And that's what he did.
When he returned 'home', he bumped into the China girl who was in shock seeing him like this. She was screaming at him, demanding to know what had happened. But he didn't answer, didn't even glance at her. Instead, he walked into the bathroom, took some new clothes from the closet and locked the door behind him. The annoying girl was hammering against it, blaring at him to answer her. But he undressed, threw the bloodstained clothes into the laundry basket and turned on the shower.
As the hot water soaked his hair, he scrubbed clean his whole body. Blood was running down his shoulders and swirling into the drain. When it finally stopped, he climbed into the steaming bathtub and curled up into a ball, resting his head against his knees. His whole body was shivering, even in the heat of the water. He couldn't stop himself from shaking.
Shit. Shit. Shit… shit…