Sara pov:
"Looks like that's the last of the medicine boxes," Harada san said as he shoved a woven box into the storage shelves.
"Yup, that's the last one," I agreed with a satisfied nod while looking around the infirmary that we had just finished setting up along with Heisuke – being the same age as me, he insisted on dropping the formal Todou san title I usually referred to him with. "This place looks really well organized now. Thank you for helping, Harada san, Heisuke. Ah, and please give my thanks to the men who cleaned up this room too."
Harada san and Heisuke were a great help in setting up the infirmary, all the more because they were strong and had amazing stamina and took care of lifting the heavy stuff and keeping things away in the higher shelves that I could access only with a stool. Now that the infirmary was ready to put to use, I plopped down on the floor with a slightly tired sigh to take a breather. Heisuke joined me but Harada san stayed standing with a hand on his hip and watched me with a raised brow.
"Tired already?" he teased. "Although, I guess it's not surprising considering the injury you have in your shoulder."
I twitched at his words and smiled awkwardly. Goodness, I had forgotten all about the wound on my shoulder that was supposed to still be healing! Thankfully, Harada san had insisted in doing most of the work – I was curious as to why but I understood now that he had mentioned the most important thing that I had stupidly forgotten about – thank goodness he hadn't given me the chance to make it obvious that my wound was healed. I had to make sure I remembered that I was 'still healing' for the next week at least.
"I am a little tired but I don't feel too strained because you guys helped so much," I said, smiling.
"And I'm famished!" he replied. "I'm sure lunch is ready so let's go eat, hmm?"
"That sounds good," Heisuke replied and was already rushing out the door to the dining room to meet up with the others.
Chuckling, Harada san and I followed him out and down the hallways to the dining room. The other Shinsengumi members were gathered there already with low height tables of food placed in front of them. Two seats were empty and Harada san and I took our respective seats with me between him and Kondo san.
"Are you done setting up the infirmary?" Kondo san asked as we ate.
"Yes, Kondo san. Harada san and Heisuke did most of the work though," I answered, sending the two of them an apologetic but thankful smile.
"It's obvious we wouldn't make you work hard when you're hurt!" responded Harada san with his mouth full. "Besides, it's a man's responsibility to protect and take care of women and children so you should leave all the tough work to us guys."
"That's a very admirable ideology, Harada san."
"Oi oi! You're trying to get in her good books first, aren't you?! That's unfair, Sano!" Nagakura san hollered while pointing his chopsticks accusingly at Harada san. "All of us are just as admirable!"
I raised a brow noticing him steal a piece of yakizana fish from Heisuke's table after that which stirred a quarrel between them. Heisuke was yelling at Nagakura san for what he had done though the latter merely said that he should be eating more because he was older and bigger in build. Heisuke retaliated by saying that he should be eating more because he was still growing. With that, he tried to steal food from Nagakura san's plate but it didn't work because he was easily pushed away and ended up losing some more of his yakizana. While Harada san, Okita san and Kondo san laughed at the bickering, Hijikata san looked annoyed, Saito san looked like he didn't care about what was happening and Sannan san looked like he'd rather skip this ruckus. Chizuru was looking at the fighting pair and me, laughing awkwardly, and not quite sure what to do about the whole situation, though probably didn't find this to be anything new.
As lunch progressed after the bickering had quelled, general conversations were exchanged. I looked between those who spoke but didn't say anything myself. I stayed alert though when Kondo san mentioned that the Shinsengumi had only recently joined hands with a man named Itou Kashitaro who was a well-known scholar and skilled swordsman in Edo. He was the head of the Itou Dojo where Heisuke had learnt Kenjutsu and was now the Military Advisor to the Shinsengumi. Not many seemed to like him though because of his cocky attitude but he was an ally that Kondo san didn't want to let slip away during these unstable times. In fact, Itou san was to visit the headquarters sometime next month for some important discussions over tea and I was to meet him as well and offer my services as a doctor to his men too, if they ever needed it.
I was also told not to mention anything about Sannan san to anyone and Itou san during our meeting since he was actually believed to be dead. He had turned into a Rasetsu himself after taking a special medicine and had been put down, so to say. He was the leader of the Shinsengumi's Rasetsu unit but he was in hiding for now, researching the Ochimizu to find ways to improve the way it affected the humans who consumed it.
"But...the Rasetsu I met the other day didn't have control over themselves," I said, eyeing Sannan san uneasily.
"The Ochimizu gives humans Oni-like abilities – extreme regeneration and an increase in physical strength. Its severe side effect is that it makes the one who has consumed it bloodthirsty and weak in the sunlight. However, I have been trying to improve it and remove the side effects," Sannan san explained. "I have managed to make it possible for Rasetsu to move around in the sunlight without feeling any fatigue but the bloodlust still remains."
"Oh...so the Rasetsu will lose their mind if they see blood? That's what the two who attacked me kept saying – they kept asking me for blood," I said in a soft voice.
"That's right." Sannan san had his eyes closed in mild displeasure but he sighed and looked up with a smile soon enough, "No matter though – I will come up with a way to upgrade the Ochimizu to a medicine without those side effects soon."
I nodded slowly and thought of another thing that he had mentioned that had piqued my interest. He mentioned that the Rasetsu had Oni-like powers...was that a figure of speech or was a comparison to real Oni that existed in this time period? I didn't get a chance to ask or think about it more because Kondo san spoke up.
"We're counting on you, Sannan kun," he said with confidence. "I suppose we can wrap up these discussions for now. Let's spend the rest of lunch without any heavy topics."
"That sounds like a good idea!" Nagakura san cheered before voraciously eating his second helping of rice.
The rest of lunch passed by pleasantly – I took the chance to request everyone to be less formal with me in between – and everyone dispersed to their respective jobs after that. I was escorted to the infirmary by two of the Shinsengumi's men who were designated to guarding me at all times – more like keep an eye on me – and I got to know that their names was Fuuji san and Nishiro san. When I reached the infirmary, the two men I had identified as unwell were sitting on the floor waiting for me to arrive and give them treatment. I greeted them with a smile, which they returned with a bow.
"Kondo san asked us to receive treatment from you at the earliest, Sensei," one of them said.
"I understand. Can you please take off your haori so I can examine you better?" I asked and took a seat in front of the man who had the congestion in his lungs.
He seemed a little awkward to do so but took off his haori nonetheless. I proceeded with doing basic check-ups first – I checked his pulse at the base of his neck, his eyes and his tongue. I then placed my hand on his chest while closing my eyes to make a mental map of what was going on in his body by noticing his breathing pattern and even the slightest variations in the way his body felt.
"U-um, Sensei?" he spoke up. I twitched upon noticing that his heart was beating fast. I opened my eyes and saw that he was blushing, quite flustered to have a woman touching him so casually.
I laughed and pulled my hand away from his chest, "I don't want you to feel embarrassed when I'm treating you because right now, I am you doctor. If you want to heal properly, I have to know exactly what is wrong and to do that, I will have to check your breathing, your heart beat and pressure points in your body. So while you are being treated, don't see me as a woman – see me as only a doctor."
"A-ah, I understand, Sensei. I apologize for my rude behavior," he said with a chaste bow. I went ahead with a few more check-ups after that before getting some medicines.
"As I said before, you have congestion in your chest that has to clear out before you can get back to training. If you push yourself in this condition, the congestion will only get worse and you probably won't be able to get back to your samurai lifestyle ever again. We don't want that to happen so I want you to do exactly as I say, okay?" I said and he nodded. "Good – here's some medicine that should help with dissolving the congestion. Take it twice a day – one pill after breakfast and one after dinner. When you can, I want you to put a warm compress on your chest and neck because the heat will make releasing the congestion easier and faster. Make sure you drink warm water and eat hot food too. You can come to see me again in five days so I can check on how you're healing."
"I understand. Thank you, Sensei," he said, bowed and walked out of the infirmary with the medicine in his hand.
I then turned to the other guy and said, "Can you tell me where you feel pain during training?"
"Usually on the right side of my lower back," he answered.
"Okay – can you take off your haori and lie on your front, please? I'll need to examine your back."
He did as he was told and I pressed different points on his lower back. He grunted when I pressed one particular point on his back and the muscle there was sore and swollen. He had probably fought in a weird angle, with unbalanced pressure on his right side. I had noticed that his posture wasn't all that good during practice so it was only aggravating the soreness of his back.
"The strain in your back isn't serious but is probably being worsened by your bad posture," I explained as he sat up and put on his haori. "I'll give you a salve to ease the soreness temporarily but the only way you can get better is by working on your posture. You should do A and B exercises that will help align your spine and correct your overall posture – you should be able to see the difference in a month."
"Can I still train?" he asked tentatively while taking the porcelain box of salve I was holding out to him.
"You can but try not to do too many twisting movements or lifting anything heavy. I would suggest not going out on missions either. Once your posture has been corrected, you can resume rigorous movements."
Thanking me, he too bowed and left the infirmary with the porcelain box of salve in his hands. I got up with an exhale and put away the medicines in their respective storage places before stepping out onto the hallway in front of the infirmary. I took a seat on the elevated hallway and swung my legs lightly while looking over the greenery in the courtyard, all while ignoring Fuuji san and Nishiro san who stood just a few feet away from me. I leaned back, supporting my weight on my arms as I lifted my gaze to the cloudless twilight sky – it was a brilliant shade of orange and the cicadas had already begun to call out in the distance. The air was clean and fresh, the pace of life slow and leisurely and I was enveloped in tranquillity.
How long had it been since I spent an evening like this in silence, alone and actually feeling serene?
I don't know how or why I had come here or how long I would be here but I suppose it was alright for me to consider this as a break from the hectic lifestyle I had been living in all these years. Sure, I was the doctor of the Shinsengumi now and if there was a serious clash between them and the enemy – whoever they were – I would be loaded with work and responsibility of the lives of the men. But it was a change from the pressure I felt at QWE Hospital and from my father's high expectations for sure – and I would make good use of it.
I smiled just a bit at my thoughts and closed my eyes to enjoy the gentle breeze that caressed my face. I stayed as I was until I heard footsteps down the hallway. Opening my eyes, I looked to my left to see Nagakura san walking up to me. When he was close enough, he held up a hand in greeting and grinned. I also noticed that he was carrying a small woven basket in his free hand with fruits in it.
"Hey, Sara! I just thought of sharing some persimmons with you!" he chimed. He then plopped down next to me with the basket in his lap. "They're really sweet and I'm sure you'll like them!"
He held out one of the red-orange fruits to me. I thanked him with a smile as I took it. It looked fresh and was surely pesticide-free. I didn't hesitate to take a bite. It was really sweet and I couldn't help but hum in happiness as I ate it.
"They are really sweet, Nagakura san," I said when I had finished one. "Thank you for sharing them with me."
"Not at all! Here, have another one," he offered and then held up the basket to Fuuji san and Nishiro san. "You guys have some too!"
"I can't believe you guys are eating persimmons without us," I heard a voice. I looked to my other side only to find Okita san, Harada san and Heisuke there watching us with frowns.
"What kind of question is that? I bought these persimmons and I wanted to share them with Sara – I don't have to tell you three when we're eating persimmons," Nagakura san muttered.
However, he yelped when Harada san and Heisuke tackled him to the floor. He fell back and yelled as the basket of persimmons was snatched from his hand. Harada san and Heisuke began digging in while commenting on how tasty they were. Okita san caught three of the fruits that were thrown at him as his share and he too dug in without hesitance.
I laughed as they bickered – well, three of them were bickering while Okita san was watching the scene in amuse. He stood a few feet away from them, clearly not interested in getting into the scuffle where rather painful hair tugging and shoving was happening. He took a seat next to me with one leg upright and the other dangling off the raised hallway.
"Yare, yare...aren't they an unruly bunch? You're going to see a lot of such bickering between these three during your time here, Sara san."
"I figured," I replied with a laugh. "But it's kind of fun to be around such...lively people."
"I'm glad you think so," he responded, laughing as well, and we continued to eat our share of persimmons while the three of them still struggled to get the maximum share of whatever was left.
By the time everyone was done eating the permissions, rendering the basket empty, Harada san, Nagakura san and Heisuke were exhausted. They sat lazily, leaning against the wall with their legs stretched out in front of them and their hair quite a mess from their hustling. Harada san's was the worst though – it was sticking up on the side rather funnily and Okita san and I laughed as we looked at him.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked with a raised brow.
"They're laughing at you because you looked like an idiot fighting over persimmons," hollered Nagakura san, "and you made me look like an idiot too! I was trying to make a good impression in front of Sara!"
"Ha! You would have made a good impression if you just offered us some persimmons too when we asked you about it!" Heisuke retorted.
"Heisuke's right!" agreed Harada san. "But they seem to be laughing at me in particular...why are you two laughing at me??"
"Because of your hair, Harada san. It's sticking up on the side," Okita san pointed.
"Are you serious?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" he said and tried to set his hair right in vain.
"Actually, it's a little to the right," I pointed and he shifted his hand. "No, no, not there, the other side...um, lower. Ah, wait, let me help."
I shifted closer to him and reached out to run my fingers through his hair to set it down. It didn't work though and I casually removed his hair tie. I ran my fingers through his hair again, managing to set it right this time. I moved back after that smiling at my handiwork but faltered when I noticed that he was watching me with slightly wide eyes. I glanced at the others around me and blushed seeing that they too were watching me in surprise and all except Okita san were even blushing a bit.
It took me a moment to realize that it was probably unusual for a girl to be so casual with a guy. It flustered me as well, sending my heart rate up. My cheeks felt warm and I put some distance between us immediately.
"O-oh my goodness! I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward! I was just trying to help!" I hollered, holding my hands up. "I'm just really used to caring for people as a doctor so I just involuntarily-"
"Heeh...well, aren't you lucky, Sano," teased Nagakura san, breaking into a Cheshire grin. "Darn, now I wish I had let you mess my hair up more. Then Sara would have helped me too."
"S-shut it, Shinpachi!" retorted Harada san, holding up a fist threateningly. He didn't look very threatening with the rather dark blush dusting his cheeks though.
Aww man...why did I do something so embarrassing??
While Nagakura san and Heisuke went on teasing Harada san who desperately tried to make them stop by yelling at them, I couldn't help but notice that the latter looked really...attractive with his hair down. His hair was straight and looked smooth and the way it framed his face made him look really masculine. His golden eyes glistened and the light blush made him look...cute.
I bit my lip to hold back a smile that wanted to escape but a cold chill went down my spine when I met Okita san's gaze. His expression was passive but his eyes were narrow and scrutinizing. I averted my eyes almost immediately and mentally scolded myself for doing so – it probably made me look really suspicious. I exhaled deeply though before looking back to the three captains again who had finally given up on bickering...but Nagakura san and Heisuke still looked smug and Harada san was still mildly embarrassed.
"I'm really sorry for being so impetuous," I apologized again, making the three of them look at me. "I should remember to step out of my doctor shell when I'm not treating people."
My gesture wasn't actually because of my role as a doctor, though was heavily influenced by it. Caressing the head of patients in pain or holding their hands to give them reassurance were very common gestures I did on a daily basis, though the former was more so for kids than adults. As a result, I learnt to be overly caring to anyone around me, regardless of whether they were people I knew or not or whether they were patients or friends. I usually didn't receive any reprimanding for it but did receive comments on how I was motherly. I had been here for a few days and everyone had been so friendly that I hadn't felt any hesitation to openly show my caring side just now.
"You don't have to apologize, Sara! I'm sure Sano san liked it," Heisuke said, still grinning.
"Would you two give it a break?? Jeez!" muttered Harada san but he smirked after a moment. "On second thought, I think I figured out why you two are being such jerks – you're jealous, aren't you? You're jealous because Sara paid more attention to me than to you guys."
"Oi oi, we're not jealous!" defended Nagakura san.
"Ha! You're just saying that," Harada san said smugly and, much to my surprise, put an arm around my shoulders in an overly friendly gesture to pull me close to his side while grinning wide. "Thank you for worrying about me, Sara. Your care is much appreciated."
"H-haha...y-you're welcome..." I mumbled awkwardly. I wasn't feeling as much flustered by what I had done as I was by being held so casually by a man...who was kind of shirtless no less.
"Tch, stop being such a womanizer, Sano," scolded Nagakura san. He stood the next moment and smiled at me. "Let's share persimmons again sometime, Sara, without these pigs around."
"We're not pigs! You were the one pigging out on a whole basket of persimmons first!" Heisuke retorted.
Harada san laughed and finally let me go so we could stand. He put his arms around Nagakura san's and Heisuke's shoulder as he walked away with them, down the hallway after a word of goodbye to me. I placed a hand on my heart that was beating a little faster than normal. I sighed deeply when they were out of sight, glad that I was spared from further embarrassment.
"That was quite sly of you, Sara san," Okita san said from behind me, startling me a bit.
I almost forgot that he was with us the whole time and hadn't left yet. Swallowing thickly, I turned to look at him. He was smirking but his gaze was icy, making the hair on the nape of my neck stand. He stepped closer to me to lean down to my level, bringing his face close to mine. I cringed and bent back a little while averting my eyes nervously. I think out of all the Shinsengumi captains I had interacted with in these few days, I found Okita san and Sannan san to be the most intimidating. Something about them was cold and menacing and I knew that they did not trust me one bit unlike the others.
"You're being awfully friendly despite being here for just five days," he said coolly yet with a hint of suspicion. "What are you up to, hmm?"
I met his sleek emerald eyes. He was too close to comfort so I cleared my throat as I attempted to step back and put some distance between us. I was stopped, however, by him taking a tight grip on one of my wrists. He tugged my hand up so it was beside my head. He squeezed my wrist and I resisted a wince as I continued to look into his eyes, not ready to let my intimidation be visible.
"I-I don't see what's wrong in being friendly with all of you – I am going to be staying here so I shouldn't be hesitant to talk to everyone, all the more since I'm the Shinsengumi's doctor now," I defended, though my voice was a little weak. "Besides, my gesture was mostly involuntary – I just wanted to help him."
He hummed in response, his smirk widening a bit. He let go of my wrist while straightening up. I straightened up as well while narrowing my eyes slightly at him.
"I see...well, that's really nice of you, princess," he said casually though his words didn't sound entirely honest.
He walked away in the same direction that the other three had gone in after that, leaving me confused. I pressed my lips into a thin line as I watched his retreating figure. I frowned though when he broke out into a coughing fit just before he took a turn at the corner. When his coughing got worse and he sunk to the ground, nervousness sparked within me. I hurried to his side when he began to hack, sounding choked.
"Okita san!" I said worriedly when I was close to him. I reached out to his shoulder but froze when he moved so quickly that I barely saw him unsheathe his katana and point the tip of his blade dangerously close to my neck.
"Don't touch me," he hissed through an expression of pain and with beads of sweat running down the sides of his face.
"But, Okita san, you don't look good. Let me see what's wrong," I requested. I didn't move in fear of him hurting me with his unsheathed katana but met his narrow emerald eyes still worried.
"You don't have to concern yourself with me, princess, because I have a hunch about what's wrong with me. It's my body after all," he said. Gasping, he slowly moved his katana away from me.
"That may be but you should still let me check once," I pressed uneasily. "I could treat you and make you feel better if you'd just let me."
"I don't trust you, princess," he said, sheathing his katana, "and I will never trust you with my life. I'd rather stay sick than have you treat me."
"Why are you treating me like this?" I questioned, furrowing my brows, irked by his attitude towards me. "I know everyone is still wary of me and they don't entirely trust me but they're giving me a chance to prove myself. But why do you dislike me so much? What have I ever done to be treated so coldly by you?"
"I won't ever let you deceive Kondo san or any of the others of the Shinsengumi – Kondo san is a kind man and he's letting you stay here out of the goodness in his heart. I won't let you misuse that to start trouble...under the orders of the Choushu or whatever clan you work for."
"I'm not a spy! How many times do I have to tell you that? I'm a doctor who's just had a really good teacher in Kenjutsu and Taijutsu. So, stop trying make me look like a bad person," I snapped with furrowed brows.
"Whatever the case," he replied, standing and gave me a wolfish smile, "watch your step, princess."
He walked away after that, leaving me in disbelief. I looked to the side and scoffed, annoyed. But when I thought about it, what he was doing wasn't entirely wrong. This was a delicate era I was in with lot of instability among the masses – no one could say who was an ally, who was an enemy and there was no way to say if one would remain loyal to who they served or whether they would turn their backs on them after having received something more favorable from the enemy. But Okita san didn't have to be so harsh right to my face...
I shook my head with a sigh and walked back to the infirmary. I looked around the room once and then at the sky that had now gone dark.
"I guess it's almost time for dinner," I mumbled to myself.
I headed to the room where we usually ate dinner, Fuuji san and Nishiro san escorting me as usual. I spotted Chizuru setting up the tables when I reached. I offered to help her and soon, with all the tables arranged, all of the Shinsengumi's captains walked in, ready to fill their grumbling tummies.
As usual, I took my seat between Harada san and Kondo san. Harada san was in high spirits and he spoke to me enthusiastically, taking Nagakura san's and Heisuke's teasing without any fluster anymore and merely agreeing that he was lucky that a beautiful girl had taken care of him. The two of them seemed mildly upset that their teasing wasn't as effective as before and I could only chuckle at their childishness.
In the midst of eating, I glanced at Okita san who was eating silently alongside Saito san. He looked up from his food and our eyes met – I twitched but didn't avert my gaze. I gave him a barely visible bow with my head and a small smile when he smirked at me. He still had the obvious mistrust and sharpness in his gaze but I couldn't think of it as anything bothering anymore. I only felt more determined to prove to him that I was someone he and all the others of the Shinsengumi could trust.
I looked away from him to Kondo san when he asked me how his two subordinates who had come to me for treatment were doing. I answered him with a wholehearted smile and settled comfortably into the pleasantness of the evening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aww, Nagakura san and Harada san are such sweethearts! One offers persimmons and the other gets totally flustered by a simple gesture from Sara XD Heisuke is adorable too, in a little brother way, I suppose ^^ But Okita san...why are you so mean to Sara? *pout* And you should let her help you!!! T^T
Anyway, it's good to see that Sara has settled in well for the most part.
...
Or is it the calm before a storm?
XD
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:D