tampered | Log; Ongoing

Current Mood: worried
Current Location: Subway Entrance, near Cathedral
Current Music: The Ramones - You Sound Like You're Sick

Log; Ongoing

When; November 30th; Following this
Rating; PG
Characters; Sakata Gintoki [

ginironosora], Takani Megumi [

foxy_physician], Kamiya Kaoru [

notatanuki], Himura Kenshin [

crossshapedscar]
Summary; Gintoki carries out Mission: Rescue Megumi!! after she's infected by the T-Virus, and later meets/is helped by Kaoru-san.
Log;

As the silver-haired samurai arrived at the subway entrance, breathing heavy as he ran, he looked around frantically. It hadn't been far from the apartment building to the cathedral-- they were close by, really-- but he'd never seen the subway entrances before and it took him a while to find it, even with the map. A good twenty minutes had gone by and he just hoped she was all right.

Maybe someone else had seen her and tried to help. That'd be nice, but unlikely, with all the rushing around because of the fires and the injured pouring in.

But then he was sure he spotted her-- that long thick hair and lavender haori were hard to miss. He rushed forward, calling out to her. "Megumi-san!! Is that you?!"

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Her vision ran red, and it was both so hot and so cold all at once . . . She was shivering, wasn’t she? She couldn’t tell . . .

Her throat was parched, and her head was aching, but it didn’t matter—she was home . . .

She had an awful dream . . . a City, was it? Fire . . . Just like . . .

Aizu . . .

Opening bleary eyes to see a starlit heaven, she was mildly surprised. Had she fallen asleep outdoors? Such a thing was impossible . . . There was something bothering her, pressing against her conscious, but she couldn’t recall at the moment—all she knew was that the breeze blowing against her drenched skin both soothed her and made her tremble . . . oh, it hurt . . .

Vaguely she heard someone call out her name. Was it Sanosuke again?

She reached out, blindly, seized by compulsion, until her vision cleared and she saw the image of a silver-haired man before her, his concern written on his features.

It was a dash of coldness that reminded her of exactly where she was.

“G-G-Gintoki - s a n?” she rasped, her voice garbled by the fever that was making her convulse. “Oh—please--Gintoki-san!” she cried brokenly, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

He knelt next to her quickly, propping her up off the ground as he tried to pull off his yukata one-handed-- but it only took a brief flail to shake it off. He'd been in such a hurry to leave, he'd barely pulled it on over his shirt and pants as he dashed out the door.

"Megumi-san, it's okay!! Are you hurt? What's wrong?-- Here--" He pulled his yukata around her shoulders, trying to quell her shivering. Was she sick? She felt so hot, even through all the layers. Was it a fever? You were supposed to sweat those out or something, right?

He looked around for a bit of help-- maybe an informant or another doctor or something, but saw no one.

It had taken longer than Kaoru had expected to find the 'subway entrance'; she had asked for directions, and of course everything was so chaotic from the destructive fires that it was even harder than usual to find a new place...

She had been taking a brief rest from helping, and wore the clothes she normally wore for training. Her bokken was also with her; you never could be too careful, especially with all the strange people that lived here.

Upon arriving and catching sight of Megumi, she felt relieved. "Megumi-san, I'm he--!" She trailed off.

Who was that, near her? She didn't recognize him, so what was he doing? Kaoru immediately became first wary, then enraged. "GET AWAY FROM HER!!"

Assuming the worst, she immediately raised her bokken, running at him for a successful attack.

Megumi allowed Gintoki to ensconce her in his yukata, grateful for the extra layer; she was shivering so hard—though somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew that her body would not take the extra heat well. But still, it felt better . . .

“G-Gintoki-s-san, I’m . . . fever,” she whispered, pulling him down to her, “c-c-cold . . . but burning—I’m—” She suddenly let out a cry as a particularly strong seizure surged through her, making her arch her back. “,” she mumbled, her voice thick with tears.

She heard a familiar voice once again, and her eyes fluttered shut. “Ka . . . s a n !”

The dark light overtook her once again, and so did the visions . . . “?” she trailed off, her head lolling.

Gintoki lowered his head obligingly, turning his head slightly to listen better-- she sounded so quiet, so weak. "It is a fever? I-- I'm sorry, I don't really know what to--"

And then she jolted in his arms, arching her back, and he almost lost his grip on her. He readjusted her, getting a better hold on her, but careful not to hurt her. "Meg-GAHH!!"

He crouched over her as he was attacked from behind, beat over the head with what felt like, nostalgically enough, a wooden sword. "WHO THE HELL--" His hand twitched, as though ready to draw his sword, but he remembered both that he didn't bring it, and also that if he moved that arm, Megumi would plop back down on the cement.

"........Who are you?! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW RUDE IT IS TO ATTACK A GOOD-HEARTED MAN HELPING A WOMAN IN DISTRESS?!"

Despite the circumstances, it actually felt good to have her bokken in her hand again, and actually attacking something--er, well, someone. But she didn't have time to dwell on that thought.

"GET OFF OF HER RIGHT NOW!!" Kaoru yelled when he didn't let go. "I'm her friend, but I don't believe I've ever met you before!" She raised the weapon again, threateningly. "I suggest you put her down right now, or else I'll have no choice but to force you to do so!"

He moved quickly, based on what Megumi had said. He had never been to the Cathedral before, but one didn't live in a place for five months without getting the lay of the land. He had been worried that he had misunderstood what she'd said and that he wouldn't find her before it was too late--and then his attention was caught by a very familiar, very loud, and very angry voice.

As he came around a corner he instantly saw her, boken raised and about to attack a man bent over a figure on the ground. Megumi-dono.

"Kaoru-dono!" He rushed forward, unsure what was happening, ready to fight if necessary. "What's happening de gozaru ka!?!"

When he was only a few feet away he got his first good look at the man.

White hair...

The commotion cut through the hazy fog of her fever. Visions of blood streaked her closed eyes—she could see the burning Aizu in the distance, and she fell to her knees on the grassy slope—the dying gasp of the doctor she had worked under in Tokyo as he was stabbed—she let out a whimper, clutching Gintoki tighter.

A tickling feeling emerged in her throat, and she squirmed. "’m . . . h u n g r y . . ."

She took the hem of Gintoki’s yukata into her mouth, sucking the cloth between her lips. A wan yelp escaped her as it grazed the open cuts on her cheek.

She could hear Ken-san’s voice. Was he here? Was he still injured? Kami-sama, she was so tired; the travel from Tokyo to Kyoto was long . . . And the ground was moving beneath her . . . Piercing her skull . . .

The redheaded man that appeared behind his assailant seemed to catch her attention, and Gintoki took the chance to slip his other hand under Megumi's knees and gently lifted her, frowning as she stuck part of his yukata in her mouth-- what was she doing? He took a step back, and two and three, turning towards the two newcomers.

He glared faintly, raising a brow. "So... you're both friends of Megumi-san's? I am too-- I met her when I first came here not too long ago. I just wanna help her, so-- so don't attack me or anything."

Personally? He thought they were all crazy. The girl that attacked him reminded him of a younger version of Tae-san, and he still wasn't sure what to make of the redheaded one, but his eyes quickly landed on the sheathed katana at his side, and he took another step back.

Kaoru glanced nervously to Megumi. She didn't look well at all, and Kaoru wanted to get her somewhere safe where they could get her the medicine she needed as soon as possible. So she was quite relieved when Kenshin came.

...That is, until she heard him say her name. Well, how he said her name.

"Kaoru-dono?!" she exclaimed, shooting him a glare. "I thought we were passed that!" But, now wasn't the time to bring all that up.

Kaoru pointed accusingly at the white-haired man. "I came here and found him leaning over her! I've never seen him before! Have you?!" Her voice was loud from anger, and it was apparent that she didn't want to waste time dealing with the stranger anymore.

His explanation did little good. She looked even more suspicious. "Of course we're friends! But why should we believe you?" Seeing him take a step back made her even more anxious.

"...Kenshin, make him put her down!"

"Later de gozaru," he near whispered to Kaoru's question. He knew it had hurt her when he attached the honorific back onto her name, but he had decided it was safer in general to keep the air of distance around others--just in case. Not that they won't be able to tell anyway, baka, he chided himself.

But at the moment his eyes were glued on the man holding Megumi. Kenshin couldn't quite get past his appearance. The white hair... the shape of the face... in ten years this could easily be the grown form of the boy he'd seen at Toba-Fushimi...

No. If that was Enishi the last thing that would be happening right now is a stand off over who was going to help Megumi-dono de gozaru yo... he chided himself again. Even so, his eyes held a slightly haunted look as he tried concentrate on the task at hand.

"This unworthy one and Kaoru-dono," he could almost feel her flinch when he said it, "are from the same world as Megumi-dono de gozaru yo. He noticed the man's eyes dart at his sword followed by an apprehensive step backward. "Daijoubu," Kenshin said in a calming manner, taking the hilt in his left hand so that it was obvious he wasn't drawing it to fight and unsheathed it by a few inches so the man could see the reversed blade. "This unworthy one carries a sakabatou de gozaru." He sheathed the sword again and took several steps forward, passing Kaoru. "We all want to help Megumi-dono and if we stand here mistrusting each other all that is going to happen is that she is going to become more ill de gozaru yo. This unworthy one's name is Himura Kenshin," he motioned to Kaoru. "This is Kamiya Kaoru-dono de gozaru yo. We need to take Megumi-dono to somewhere safe and get her the medicine broadcast over the network de gozaru yo."

Megumi felt herself being lifted into someone’s arms, and it felt as if she were shifting and sifting through visions and time—flashes of heat and color and wind flitted through memory and sight, and she wanted to expel everything, just vomit out the toxins and the hurt and the reveries—but at the same time, she was getting hungry . . . The cloth of the yukata was cool against her lips and tongue, soothing, but it did little to ease the beginnings of the ravenous hunger that was unfurling in her stomach . . . What was she hungry for? Hurts . . . Every time she shivered it hurt . . . Itchy . . .

The voices of those around her pierced her swirling thoughts, and she forced herself to open her eyes, to focus—

Gintoki-san. Kaoru-san. Ken-san. She could still understand what they were saying, after all. A surge of will broke through her, and she made to speak, despite the fact that she was trembling so hard that it took effort to articulate.

“s-san,” she whispered, hoping that her garbled speech was still understandable. “P-P-Ple” She gathered her strength, using what was left of her crumbling will to still her most of shivering so that she could speak properly. “H-Hotohori-san n-needs h-elp. Temple. M edicine. O negai!” her words ended with a broken cry.

The burst of strength fading from her, the malignant pyrexia once again taking its course, she let her head loll back against Gintoki’s arm, one hand curling into his shirt trustingly.

The silver-haired samurai looked down at his charge as she spoke, looked up at the two in front of him, and sighed, an exasperated hint to it. Megumi had seemed aware of who was around her, and as her hand grasped his shirt, he knew he could trust the two in front of him-- Kaoru and Kenshin, as they introduced themselves. 'The guy carries a sakabatou... those are practically EXTINCT.'

"WELL... I never could turn down a girl in distress, and... you say there's medicine for this.. whatever she has?"

He looked down at Megumi again, and, stepping forward, he gave a brash grin. "Anyways. I'm Sakata Gintoki, freelancer extraordinaire. Where're we headed, and where can we get the meds?"

And then, after a moment's consideration, murmured, "...An' who the heck's Hotohori?"

Kaoru crossed her arms, trying to hide the fact that she was hurt by Kenshin going back on his word. She also felt horrible, for even thinking about something like that at a time like this.

And Megumi seemed to be getting worse.

"They said there was on the network," Kaoru replied. "Though I don't know where to get it from..." She looked worried. "Let's take her back to her apartment in building 10."

However she wasn't sure about the other question. "Hotohori...?" She looked to Kenshin, wondering if he knew.

He shook his head at the mention of the name. "This unworthy one has not heard the name before de gozaru... Perhaps it was someone she was treating de gozaru ka?" He started to move. "Kaoru-dono is right, we should take her to her apartment and find out where to get the medicine de gozaru."

He turned slightly to Kaoru seeing what he was afraid to. Kuso... But if she had any idea what had gone through is mind when he first glimpsed Sakata-san... Sumanu, Kaoru...

Megumi listened to the familiar sound of their voices, allowing their words to wash over her. She felt safe, and she knew that she could trust them--she always had. Ghosts still flickered in and out of her sight, and she knew with the part of her mind that remained rational that her fever still was rising; dreamily, she knew that she was undergoing seizures again, and they hurt . . . But still, she had to put her faith in her friends . . . She needed to give Hotohori that medicine . . . Itchy . . . The yukata was not tasty at all . . .

Itchy . . . Hurts . . .

Hu gr . . .

"Sounds like a plan. She has a computer there, anyways, and that's always handy." He walked up to stand beside the two, adjusting his hold on Megumi, her head resting on his shoulder. "But let's hurry, wherever we're going, eh? She feels like she's getting hotter."

'She said Hotohori's at the temple... or at least, I think that's what she said. Maybe we can find out on the network. Was it a patient she was treating with the same symptoms?'

Kaoru turned, trying not to panic. "It's this way." She headed off, leading the others in the direction of building ten.

"Someone should try and find out where we can get the medicine from in the meantime. It would save time, and Megumi-san needs it as soon as possible." She glanced over her shoulder. "Want me to go?"

"Daijoubu, this unworthy one will go de gozaru. Demo, let's get Megumi-dono settled and double check where the stores of the medicine are de gozaru. He is pretty sure it was the hospital demo it would be better to be positive de gozaru." He glanced at Megumi. She did not look good. "And we should find out who this Hotohori-san, he may need treatment as well de gozaru yo."

Megumi let out a muffled moan of pain as Gintoki shifted his hold on her. Her bones just hurt so much it felt like they were being slowly torn from their sockets . . . heavy . . . And her skin itched. It itched like fire, and she wanted so badly to scratch, but she couldn’t . . . too weak, too difficult, too feverish . . . Even the smell of her own blood coming from the open cuts on her cheek almost smelled nice . . . Flashes and streaks of fire and dark and sleep . . .

From where she had her head laid on his shoulder, she could see Gintoki-san talking to Kaoru-san and Ken-san . . . His voice rumbled soothingly over her torn nerves . . . He felt so nice . . . He was so nice . . . So sweet . . . Maybe tasty too . . .

HY . . .

Unwittingly she tilted her head back, pressing what seemed to be an open-mouthed kiss along his neck, laving her tongue along the smooth and delicious skin. Her lipstick drew streaks upon his flesh, and she let out a mmm of approval.

t As Y.

He stopped in his tracks, an unreadable expression on his face as she licked the side of his neck. Slowly, ever so slowly, his eyes turned down to look at her, and after a long pause, he said.

His cheeks reddened, and the blush quickly spread to his neck and ears. SHE JUST TASTED HIM!!! WH---... WHAT THE HELL.

But in the back of his mind, he briefly wondered if he tasted like strawberries.

Kaoru nodded curtly, wanting to make sure that Kenshin knew she was angry at him. Very angry. She faced forward again and continued on. However, it wasn't that long before she quickly turned her whole body around when Gintoki yelled out.

"W-what did you say?!" she exclaimed, looking freaked out. "Megumi-san...tasted you?!"

What was wrong with her?!

Oh, yes. Judging by that look he was probably going to be sleeping in Xanadu for a few days. It was okay. He deserved it.

"Sakata-san, she's probably hallucinating, it is one of the symptoms de gozaru. We should move quickly, the building is just up ahead de gozaru." When they reached building 10 he moved forward to get the door for the others. "Apartment 30 de gozaru yo."

All the shouting stabbed through her spine, making her wince and shy away. It hurt to the degree that she wanted to flay her own flesh, to vomit all of her internal organs just so that the pain and the itch and the hunger would stop.

Suddenly, she felt an irrational rage welling up in her, rising to a crescendo, shrieking pitch—she was so frustrated, and the reason was pressing down on her heavily, like guilt and helplessness—she could remember that she had a promise to keep, but what was it? She squirmed, trying to escape the feelings, but they were there, assaulting her senses—

Rts . . . ICHy . . . o HUNgrY!

And suddenly, the world teetered on an edge and snapped.

She lashed out, flailing wildly in Gintoki's arms, reaching for Kaoru—her hands ripped through the younger girl's sleeve as she yanked the material to her, pulling violently on the girl's wrist and sucking the tender flesh into her mouth.

"tAs Y!" she laughed, the words curling inwardly into the back of her throat until they were a sickening, grating scrape.

She opened her mouth wide, ready to bite—

The silver-haired man tottered as his charge began to flail, trying to get a grip on her again. "OKAY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!! Calm down!!"

She yanked Kaoru close and seemed about to bite her, and Gintoki took a few stumbling steps backwards, pulling her away. "Wh-what the hell's gotten into her?!"

He pulled at the neck of the yukata and shoved it in her mouth, sighing.

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Log; Ongoing

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