Chapter Four

"Kaoru-san, you're bleeding."

Tomoe turned on her heel to disappear into another room, presumably for a towel, while Kenshin knelt in front of her. Exasperation softened the leftover frown on his face, and he reached for Kaoru's chin even as she continued to stare petulantly off to one side.

"What were you thinking, Miss Kaoru? You've only hurt yourself."

Blue irises peeked at him, then dropped to her lap where her fingers were tugging against one another. Sighing, he caught the line of blood running slowly down her throat with his thumb, and in the process felt the suppressed jerking of her muscles at the contact. When he spoke again, his voice was soft.

"Thank you." Black lashes swept upwards, and he smiled at the look of obvious relief on her face. She had hidden it well, but she had been scared. "But, let's get you taken care of before you start taking care of anyone else, alright?" A hesitant nod agreed.

Tomoe returned shortly with a damp rag, and wiped gently at the blood dribbling off the metal plate under her chin. Trying so forcefully to speak had torn something open inside her mouth, and the light frown on Tomoe's features spoke of concern.

"First thing's first. Let's get you in the bath." Dark eyes averted to Kenshin. "I imagine it will take a while, with her hair in the state it's in. Afterwards, I'm going to take her over to the radiology room for some x-rays. You can wait if you like, but if you have some other business, I'll have a guest badge left for you at the front desk."

I do need to give my landlord a call and let him know I won't be able to make it into work today. "I'd rather stay for now, unless you have any errands I can run for you."

Thin fingers abruptly latched themselves onto his sleeve, causing him to jump, and Kaoru shook her head desperately in denial. Curling his own fingers around her shaking grip, he smiled in reassurance.

Tomoe smiled as well. "It would probably be best if I did the clothes shopping for her, but you could think of some things she might need while you wait. It does not appear she will be comfortable if you left immediately."

It was some time later before they reemerged from the bath tucked away behind the rec room. Adjacent to the bath was a small toilet room, and across from both was a bedroom with a single cot. The setup was familiar to Kenshin, but he tried not to dwell on such thoughts.

At one point, Tomoe came out alone looking for a pair of scissors. A slight frown on her brow marred her perfect features as she explained Kaoru's hair could not be completely salvaged. Clean now, and minus the wildness of her mane, Kaoru appeared even smaller than before. What hair that had been saved feathered around her face and shoulders in uneven cuts. Now that it had been washed, he realized that it also had a bluish tint. Although it was darker than her eyes and mimicked the midnight blue just at the end of eventide.

A small bag in Tomoe's hand was deposited next to him with the clothes that he had lent to Kaoru the day before. Instead, she now wore a pair of shorts and a long-sleeved shirt that was closer to her size. Unfortunately, they still hung from her tiny frame in a sad reminder that she was a mere skeleton of her normal self. Even her skin, though now clear of dirt and debris, was dull and dry. Despite her pitiful appearance, she smiled from the wheelchair at the sight of him, and worked the wheels with her fragile-looking hands so that she could be closer.

Infected by her good mood, Kenshin smiled in return and patted her head. "Do you feel better?" A happy nod conveyed her agreement.

"She became a bit dizzy in the bath. I'm going to set her up with an IV to fast track some of the fluids and nutrients that she needs, then we need to get her into radiology. Her thigh is very purple and bruised this morning."

Tomoe performed multiple x-rays and a few ultrasounds in the small radiology room. Luckily, Kaoru did not appear to suffer from deep vein thrombosis, but did have a hairline fracture of her left femur. Evidence of callus formation confirmed that the fracture was approximately three weeks old, but Kenshin suspected she had been unable to stay off the leg during that time. Which meant it had been unable to heal as fast as it should have. The fact that she was malnourished also played a heavy hand in its continued inflammation. Tomoe assured him that she would heal now that she would be off the leg and on some antibiotics. With her feet and her leg taken care of, they were finally able to turn their attention to the metal pin in her mouth.

Imaging confirmed that there was indeed a metal post speared all the way through her tongue, the bottom of her mouth, and out the underside of her chin. It was quite thick as well, so it was not a fragile or even temporary punishment. The way it was melded onto the plate and ball also created a problem, as it would not be easy to remove without hurting her in some fashion. However, the most alarming aspect about the pin only became known when Tomoe decided to perform a CT scan on it to get an idea of the tissue damage in the surrounding area.

"What is that?" A side view revealed what appeared to be a lighter design wrapped around the metal of the post.

"Oh… my." The concern in Tomoe's voice gave her away as she scrolled quickly to the next view. A soft gasp pulled past her throat, and she sat back in the chair. Kenshin leaned forward.

"Is that… some kind of symbol?" I haven't seen something like this since the war.

"It's a seal, but I… I don't know what kind. It's much too intricate. I've never seen one like this before."

"What's it sealing?"

Black eyes glanced over the top of the screen at Kaoru lying so patiently on the radiology table. "Whatever it is, we can't remove that pin until we figure it out."

X

It was afternoon before Megumi came back to check in. With a printed version of the film in hand, the interest written on her face seemed to brighten the longer she stared at the clear image of the symbol. She, however, did not know what kind of seal it was either, but Kenshin suspected that was why she was so excited about it. It worried him, in more ways than one.

"Did you do a full body scan?"

"No, Megumi-sensei. I focused on the immediate areas of concern first."

"Do a full body scan. If there are any other seals, we need to know about them."

"Why would there be more than one?" Tomoe seemed confused, but Megumi was actually smiling as she stared at Kaoru who was once more scribbling away on a piece of paper.

"I don't know, but wouldn't it be fascinating?"

"Fascinating isn't the word I would use." Kenshin's tone was ill-tempered. I don't like this. I've seen that expression before.

"It's alright, Himura-san." The gentle tones that resonated in Tomoe's voice worked to soothe his ire. "It would be dangerous to operate under any misconception. The more we know, the less chance there will be of harming Kaoru-san unintentionally."

Sighing, Kenshin let his lashes fall. She's right. I shouldn't let my bias affect me like this.

"Ken-sama, your phone is making a racket." Pulled from his thoughts, Kenshin reached for his back pocket as Megumi continued to complain. "Please turn it off while you're in here. It interrupts my thought process."

It's the landlord. I did call to let him know I couldn't make it. "Sorry, I need to take this." Hurrying into the other room, Kenshin answered to the noise of chaos.

"Hello?"

"Himura-san! You need to get here now!" Indistinguishable shouting could be heard in the background.

"I'm very sorry, sir, but I'm in the middle of something important…"

"NOW, Himura-san! Or you will be homeless and without a job!" The line went dead, and Kenshin was concerned. I've never heard him so upset before.

"Is everything alright?"

A glance up revealed Tomoe in the doorway, and he took a breath. "I've got to go. Something's happened at the restaurant. Will you…?"

"I'll take care of Kaoru-san."

"Thank you." Her normally passive features dipped slightly, but then she bowed her head to accept his gratitude. Preoccupied with his own situation, Kenshin hurried past her to explain his absence to Kaoru.

To say she was less than happy about him leaving was an understatement, and even seemed ready to leave with him. She only shakily conceded when Tomoe promised that she would stay with her until he came back. Quite frankly, he would not be able to stay with her all of the time, anyway. Allowing her to get used to others and discovering that she could trust them as well as herself would be beneficial to her in the long run. Even as he left, though, he found himself working out a way to get back as quickly as possible.

The distance between the lab and his apartment required almost an hour by foot and train. When he arrived at the restaurant it was to discover that the chaos had not died down. If anything, it had spiraled out of control. The owner, who was also his landlord, pulled him hastily through the back door, and straight to the front where a young man was standing right outside the entrance and shouting for all to hear.

"This establishment employs a fire demon! Despite everything the fire demons did to almost destroy this world, the owner of this restaurant is putting your lives in danger by allowing him to live and work here! Don't you know how unstable their powers are?! What if he loses control?! He could turn this entire city to ashes! How is his life more precious than yours?! And what about your children?! His mere presence is a danger to us all! It's not safe for him to be here!"

The young demon making such loud and dramatic claims had pale blonde hair, and an array of white and orange scales along his jawline and forearms. His eyes were perfectly round and the purest black, and just above each corner of his mouth were two long white whiskers.

"My phone has been ringing off the hook all afternoon, accusing me of harboring a war criminal." The landlord crossed his arms and looked quite annoyed. "And all of the customers left as soon as he started making claims about a fire demon working here. He was saying earlier that you hurt his friends as well. Is any of this true, Himura-san?"

Ah, I recognize him now. The young man was strangely alone, but Kenshin finally remembered his face. Though he had said little during their only encounter, and had left the talking to his large friend and the one who had laughed like a hyena. Taking a deep breath, Kenshin bowed his head somberly. There was no point in denying his origin now. "Yes, sir. It was not malicious, but I did cause harm to two of his friends yesterday. And… it is true that I am a fire demon."

Something akin to fear drained the color from his landlord's face so fast that it was startling, but it was not totally unwarranted. While fire demons were seen as a bad omen, it had much to do with the role they had played in the war against the humans. Too much of the world had been scorched by their powers, and now lay barren and unlivable.

"I-I'm sorry, Himura-san, but you need to leave." While trying to keep his stern tone, he started backing his way into the restaurant. "I can't have you working here i-if you scare off my clients. Please pack your things and vacate the apartment tonight."

"Yes, sir. I understand." Bowing low, he stayed bent as the owner rushed back inside.

"Look! There he is! Did I not tell you?!" The koi demon was pointing at him now, and Kenshin sighed, smiled, and turned to walk around to the small set of steps leading up to his apartment.

"Running away, fire demon?! Shouldn't you take responsibility for lying to all of these good people and putting them in harm's way?!"

The koi demon followed him to the stairs, and Kenshin paused for a moment before turning around. Defensively, the young man's hands came up, but Kenshin merely sat on the second step up and continued to smile.

"You seem to have quite a lot of free time. I usually enjoy a good dry sauna when I have the chance. Your hobbies seem much more stressful to me."

"Hobby? This is more of a public service!" He was still speaking much too loudly, as if trying to make a scene. Unfortunately for him, most of the people still passing by only quickened their steps to get past them faster.

"I see." Nodding his head slightly, as if understanding his stance, Kenshin abruptly brushed it off as unimportant. "Then what do you do for a hobby? Surely you would rather be doing something you enjoy instead of standing out in this blessed heat."

The young man was still bristling, but Kenshin could tell that he had been caught off guard by his questioning.

"I don't have any hobbies." The statement was almost haughty, and his nose even went up slightly as he said it. As if hobbies were beneath him.

"Ah… you haven't found something you love do yet. I understand. It's not always an easy feat."

"I have something I love doing." The words must have escaped him, because he stepped back after they rushed from his mouth.

"That's good." Kenshin's smile was more genuine. "I'd like to hear about it."

"Why?" Uncertain and guarded, the koi demon looked at him like he was crazy.

"It's good to talk about what you enjoy." Kenshin's response was more than reasonable, and slowly but surely the tension in the young man's body was dissipating.

"You'll laugh."

Red brows lifted, and he blinked honestly. "If it's something you enjoy, it should never matter if someone laughs." His smile softened. "But rest assured, I will not."

Round, black eyes appeared unsure of his intentions, but he must have decided that he was at least being sincere. "I like… dancing. But… you know, performative dance."

"Ah, kabuki?"

"Noh mai." His response was immediate this time.

"Noh mai," Kenshin repeated, and his tone was impressed. "That takes a lot of discipline and balance. Do you practice often?"

"I used to." His blonde head turned to the side, and there was a sad pull to his features. "My father said it's a waste of time."

"I see." Kenshin stood and dusted off the seat of his pants. "Well, why don't you come up and have some tea? You can tell me more inside."

"But…"

Kenshin was already up the stairs and purposefully left his front door standing open while the young demon outside made his decision on whether or not to follow. About a minute later, he did as Kenshin was pouring water he heated himself into the teapot.

"My name is Kenshin. I'm afraid I forgot to ask yours."

"Oh, um… it's Yutaro."

"Have a seat, Yutaro-kun." Kenshin indicated the only cushion next to the small table.

"Uh, sure." The scribbled-up piece of paper on its surface was eyed skeptically. "Do you have a kid?"

Surprised, Kenshin darted a look over his shoulder, and chuckled when he caught sight of the drawing. "No. A friend of mine left that here." The vague explanation seemed to confuse the young man, but Kenshin left it at that.

"Have you spoken with your father about wanting to continue dancing?" The teapot was settled onto the table, and Kenshin knelt across from him.

"I've tried… but he wants me to help him with the family business." Petulance was now the main emotion tugging harshly at the lines between his eyebrows. "He won't listen to me at all."

Taking his time to respond, Kenshin took a sip of the tea. "Have you listened to him?"

"Of course, I have! He never lets me talk!"

"So, you've been helping him with the business?" Kenshin knew the answer. If he was busy, he would have never had time to harass others on the street as he and his friends had done the day before.

"Well, no. Why should I? He doesn't even care what I want to do."

"But if you haven't been helping him and you're also not doing what you enjoy… doesn't that seem like a waste?"

"Maybe." His agitated tone had quieted, and he stared into his teacup as if embarrassed.

"Would you be willing to take some advice from an old timer like me?" There was a tease in the question, and Yutaro's mouth twitched on a grin. He was a good kid. No doubt just trying to look tough in front of his friends and find his place in the world.

"I guess."

"Why don't you ask your father what he'd like you to help with? If you can prove to him that you can be responsible and practice your dancing at the same time, I'm sure he'd be more open to talking to you about it. You never know, you might even enjoy helping him out."

"But… my father used to be so cool, and now he's just some shop owner. Half of his clients make fun of him." The idea of watching others belittle his father was obviously humiliating for him, and no doubt Kenshin would have hated it just as much.

"But isn't he just doing what he loves?"

Shock was the predominant emotion that froze the young man's face, but it lasted barely a second before he dropped his head onto the table with a bang. "Ah, you're right!"

Kenshin's hands steadied the small table, but he smiled when the young man started to laugh.

"I never thought you'd be such a good listener." Suddenly his eyes scrunched shut. "Sorry I got you fired."

It was Kenshin's turn to chuckle. "Don't worry yourself on my account. It was time for me to move on. But you should probably cut back on making trouble for others going forward. If your father is a merchant it will reflect badly on him."

"Right." His response was sheepish.

"By the way, Yutaro-kun, how are your friends doing? I hope their injuries were not severe." The somber question softened his tone, and Yutaro's enthusiasm quieted.

"They're alright. The burns weren't that bad, and the hospital took care of them pretty fast. I-I'll go ahead and take care of the bills. You don't need to worry about it."

He really is a good kid. "I told you not to worry yourself on my account. I am the one who injured them, so I'll take responsibility and pay the bills."

Yutaro scratched his head, but nodded. "Alright."

"Instead, why don't you give me a call when you get good enough to put on a live performance. I have a friend who I think would enjoy it very much."

"Really? It's a deal!"

True enthusiasm was always a delight, and Kenshin smiled as the sullen looking boy he had seen earlier on the street appeared to be a different person altogether. He had found that being kind to others, even when they refused to be kind in return, was way more gratifying and productive than the alternative. I am glad that he has found a path that he can be excited about, but now I have a new problem to solve. A glance out the window revealed the lowering angle of the sun, and Kenshin sighed. "I'd enjoy speaking to you longer, Yutaro-kun, but I need to pack my things before evening. Of course, feel free to give me a call if you would like to talk again another time. You still have my card, I assume?"

"Oh." Reality seemed to come back to him, and he sat back. "Do you… need some help packing up? It's the least I can do."

Pleasantly surprised, Kenshin nodded. "I would appreciate that. It shouldn't take too long, as I don't have much." Now, where am I going to stay while I look for a new place? Kenshin did not have many friends, which unfortunately limited his options. I suppose I could stay at the lab for now, but I'll have to store my things in the meantime. That should make Kaoru happy, at least.

"Actually, I bet my father knows some people that might be leasing apartments. If you're interested."

Hmm, perhaps this was better fortune than I first realized.

X

A/N: Thanks for the advice on where to look for inspiration on my characters. This isn't really going to strictly follow one way or the other on them being yokai, but I will reference some of the traditional yokai, just for fun. For example, I'm not sure if I've given enough information just yet on who Yutaro's dad might be, but when I came across the yokia inspiration I knew immediately that I wanted to use him. It also fit pretty well for Yutaro as an original RK character. As I mentioned previously, I want to try to use characters I'm not strictly used to in this story, so there might not be a few of the usual characters. Or they won't be playing large roles, at the least.

I'm enjoying these shorter chapters, since I'm able to get them out much quicker than I'm used to with my other stories. I realize they are probably frustrating as a reader, but they make me happy as a writer, lol. The trade-off is some regularity for you. Please bear with me, and let me know if you still enjoy how this is going. Thanks for reading!