AIKO'S POV
I was helping Ieyasu with a few patients, who were some of Masamune's men, they were on patrol until they were attacked by rogue monks. I tightened the bandage on the soldier's leg and I said to him.
"Try not to put too much strain on it, stay off your feet for the next few weeks to keep the weight off it."
"Arigato, Aiko-sama."
The soldier said with a hint of blush on his cheeks. Ieyasu looked impressed when he saw my handiwork along with the other patients I attended to.
"Nicely done, Aiko, you're a fast learner."
"Well, I did plan to become a doctor before coming here, so this a piece of cake for me."
"Don't get too cocky now, by the way, how's Akira doing?"
"Hmm...she's been better but, Masamune has been visiting her a lot lately not to mention they've been hanging out a lot too, do you think there's something going on between them?"
I asked Ieyasu after cleaning up my hands.
"How should I know? but, if you ask me, she better not fall for him, he's a bit wild and-"
"Odd? crazy?"
"Exactly."
Ieyasu and I looked at each other and we both chuckled a little.
'Weird, I always thought Ieyasu was cold-hearted like Nobunaga but, he's not a bad guy once you get to know him a bit better.'
I thought to myself as I tended to my next patient.
MEANWHILE...
AKIRA'S POV
"*Cough! cough!*"
I coughed out blood for the tenth time today while Masamune rubbed my back gently as I spat it out.
"How are you feeling now? any better after getting it out of your system?"
"A bit yeah..."
I said while wheezing a little. I wiped my mouth and I sat up properly on the porch. Masamune placed his hand on my forehead and he said to me.
"You're burning up a little, have you taken any of the medicine Ieyasu gave you?"
"Not yet, besides, what's the point? ...it's not gonna make me feel any better."
"I know that, but, you've got to at least take it to make it look like you're on the road to recovery to your sister, speaking of which, have you told her?"
I looked away from Masamune and I said to him.
"No, besides, it's not easy to tell her something big like this."
"I know it's hard but, sooner or later you've got to tell her, who knows much the infection has done to your lungs."
"You think I don't know that!!"
I yelled angrily and then Masamune looked at me shocked. I sighed a little and I said to Masamune.
"...Sorry, I didn't mean to snap."
"No, it's fine, it's my fault for pressuring you like that."
"I don't know what to do, half of the time, when I feel like I've got the words I can't just can't seem to let them out but, on the other hand, I'm worried how she'll react, I'm at a loss here Masamune."
I said as I lowered my head and then Masamune rubbed my shoulder.
"I know it's hard but, you've got to tell her and soon before it's too late."
I sighed a little when Masamune told me this and I knew he was right.
"But even so, she'll hate me for it *cough! cough!*"
"She won't hate you."
"*Cough! cough!* you don't know her like I do."
I said while clearing my throat after coughing like that.
"Hmpf, funny, it was only yesterday that our lives were normal, me working during the day while Aiko was in school studying hard to become a doctor and then at night, I had the dinner ready for her when she came home after a long study session with her friends...and now look at us, I'm going through a slow painful death while Aiko is unaware of my situation and she's continuing to study with Ieyasu."
"Don't worry, I'm sure things will get better for Aiko once...well you know."
"Will it? because I'm not sure, I've been thinking a lot about my condition, once I'm gone, who's going to look after Aiko?"
"Don't you two have any other relatives back where you're from?"
"No, Okaa-san ran out on me and Aiko when we were little, Otu-san is dead because he died of the same illness that I'm suffering right now and because of this, Aiko and I had to move out our old home to prevent further infections, we barely know any of our neighbours where we were living so..."
Masamune understood what I was telling him.
"I see, that is going to be a problem."
"Exactly, Aiko is gonna have to choose between the modern world or this one, she'll more than likely head for the modern world because that's where we're originally from but, we don't have any other relatives there..."
I then decided what I have to do before this illness kills me. I slowly stood up onto my feet but, I was feeling slightly weak in the legs, literally. I rested my body against the wall and then Masamune asked me.
"What's going on? where are you going?"
"I need to speak to Nobunaga about this...he has to know what's been going on with me and...*cough! cough!*"
"Well you're not getting anywhere fast at the rate you're going, come on, I'll give you hand."
Masamune said before he knelt down with his back towards me. I stood there confused and he said to me.
"I'll carry you to his room, it's fast this way."
"All right...thanks Masamune."
I said with a smile and I got onto his back before he stood up with me on his back, like I didn't weigh a thing. I hugged Masamune's neck and he carried me to the Tenshu.
"Masamune...why are you trying to make me feel better? you know that I don't deserve all of this sympathy."
"Rubbish, you do deserve something and it's not sympathy, it's happiness, I'm trying to help you forget about the pain you're going through and make you happy so that way you can enjoy what little life you have left."
I hugged his neck a little tighter and I buried my face in the back of his shoulder.
"As I said, I really don't deserve all of this..."
"Oy, don't you start crying again."
"I'm not going to cry again...I've already spilt enough tears already."
Masamune chuckled when I said this sarcastically. We finally reached the Tenshu and then Masamune puts me down on the ground. I rested my body against the wall and then Masamune slid open the door.
"Sorry to bother you, Nobunaga-sama, but, Akira needs to speak to you."
"That's a rare visit, let her in."
"All right."
Masamune lets me rest against his body as he helped me into Nobunaga's room. I knelt down on the ground and then Masamune said to me.
"Do you need anything else before I go?"
"No, I'm good, thanks Masamune."
"No problem, see ya."
Masamune left Nobunaga's room and I sighed a little. Nobunaga looked at me before sitting across from me at his desk.
"So, what made you decide to visit the one person who gave your sister a job as one of my healers?"
"Believe me, I didn't wanna come here but under the circumstances, I had no choice, *cough! cough!* besides...there's something I need to talk to you about and it's a serious one regarding my sister *cough! cough!*"
I lowered my head as I covered my mouth while coughing. Nobunaga looked at me surprised and he asked me.
"Are you all right? that cough sounds bad, here drink some of this."
Nobunaga gives me a drink of cold water and I gulped it down after my coughs have settled down.
"*Sighs* sorry about that."
"Don't apologise, but, how have you been since the last time we spoke?"
"I've been better but..."
I looked away from Nobunaga and I glanced at the balcony.
"Do you mind if we talked on the balcony instead?"
"Sure."
Nobunaga helped me onto my feet and once we were outside on the balcony, I rested my folded arms on the railing and I felt the gentle breeze on my warm skin. I opened my eyes and I looked at the horizon and it looked amazing.
"This is quite a view you've got here, I can see why you chose this room."
"Hmpf, wait until you see it at night, it'll be something you'll always remember."
"Always remember huh? well, that's gonna be a problem for me since I won't be around much longer."
Nobunaga looked at me surprised and confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Nobunaga, there's a reason why I needed to talk to you, it's about my illness and Aiko."
I explained to Nobunaga about my illness getting worse and what happened before we came to this time period. Nobunaga looked shocked when I told him that I was dying.
"I don't believe it, all this time you've been putting on a tough act and you did well to hide the truth."
"I'm sorry I kept quiet about my illness getting worse, I didn't know what to say to Aiko, to you or the others."
"What's changed? why have you decided to tell me this now?"
I looked at the horizon again and I said to him.
"You're not the first person I've told this to, Masamune knows, that's why he's been hanging out with me, in a way, he's trying to make me enjoy the little life that I've got left in me but, what made me realise is Aiko, she's got no one except for me, I'm the only family member who's been looking out for her since Okaa-san ran out on us including Otu-san."
"Oh?"
"*Sighs* back in the future, we've had no one else but each other, however, now that my illness has gotten so bad, Aiko is going to have no one in her life, she'll be lonely and I don't know what she's gonna do after I'm gone, I don't know if she's gonna stay here or go back to the future after three months have passed, so that's why I wanted to talk to you."
I looked at Nobunaga and I said to him.
"Nobunaga, I need you to promise me something."
"What is it?"
"Promise me you and the other warlords will look after Aiko once I'm gone, she's got no one else in the future but, here, she's got friends and people who care for her and as much as I hate to admit this but, she and Ieyasu get along so well."
Nobunaga looked at me with a surprised look on his face and then he smirked at me.
"All right, I promise and I'll make sure my vassals will make sure Aiko is well looked after before your illness kills you."
"Arigato Nobunaga, *cough! cough!*"
I fell onto my knees when I started coughing badly again. Nobunaga knelt down and he rubs my back as I spat out more blood than usual. I wheezed a little and then Nobunaga said to me.
"You weren't joking when you said your condition has gotten worse."
"Yeah...I can feel myself getting weaker and weaker every day...my body refuses to move sometimes, I feel out of energy, I get anaemic, I vomit sometimes and now, I'm losing a lot more weight than usual."
"I can tell, your bones are starting to show."
Nobunaga said as he looked at the collarbone which had begun to show. I fixed my kimono and I said to him.
"I'm so sorry you have to see me in this state...I guess one of your lucky charms isn't so lucky after all."
Nobunaga chuckled as he patted my head.
"That may be true but still, Aiko needs to know the truth."
"I know, I'll take her into town and treat her for a little while and then I'll tell her I'm dying, that was the original idea before I came here."
"Sounds like a plan, here."
Nobunaga gave me a coin purse and he said to me.
"Spend as much as you like with Aiko, it's the least I can do."
"Thank you."
I put away the coin purse and then Nobunaga helped me onto my feet.
"Come on, let's get you back to your room, you're gonna need all the rest you can get."
"Thanks again Nobunaga."
I tried to leave the room but, my legs were weak that I nearly fell if Nobunaga hadn't caught me in time.
"Oh sorry, I guess lying around in bed all day might have taken away the strength in my legs."
"Hmpf, now I know why Masamune helped you to get here, looks like I need to same."
"What do you mean by- eek!"
I shouted as Nobunaga picked me up like a bride. Nobunaga smirked at me and he said to me.
"That was a cute sound you made."
"Only because you picked me up so suddenly! it took me by surprise!"
"*Chuckles* you're so easy to tease whether you're deathly ill or not."
"Don't say that out loud when my sister is around."
"Understood."
Nobunaga said as he carried me back to my room.