Dec 24, 2007 12:06
Hitsugaya left the chapel no less frustrated than before. The head doctor once again had chosen not to hide his face, yet promised he would be making an appearance at some time in the near future. He didn't like being patient, but there wasn't much choice. Either the head doctor would show his face, or he wouldn't. Renji had already seen him,
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raine,
kyon,
qui-gon jinn,
edward elric,
lust,
mousse,
orihime,
sam winchester,
jade,
allen,
miku,
luke fon fabre,
zex,
tamaki,
ai,
claire bennet,
shana,
peter parker,
luxord,
signum,
artemis,
rena,
hikaru,
aya,
subzero,
usopp,
ken,
heiji,
yohji,
tear,
phibrizzo,
edgar,
farfarello,
zoro,
okita,
masaru,
hitsugaya,
kadaj,
haseo,
bridget,
sanji,
rhode,
rinali,
obi-wan kenobi,
kenshin,
nami,
gumshoe,
malik,
sora,
heiderich,
saetan,
luffy,
ashton,
seishirou,
leon (so2),
birkin,
reno,
albel,
claude,
keman,
ami,
oriya,
kikyo,
rukia,
edgeworth,
sousuke,
max,
roland,
dean winchester,
hughes,
celes,
m,
ren,
argilla,
kenren,
guy,
kimbley,
armand,
hinamori momo,
nadine,
roy,
wesker,
valyn,
cloud,
leon magnus,
sai,
schuldig,
daemon,
aidou,
kaoru,
gluttony,
eddie brock,
shadow,
scar (tlk),
rangiku,
jean,
subaru
Taking a small bite of rice and relishing the relatively plain taste, he realized how much he'd missed plain food. He hadn't eaten much since coming to this place merely because the flavors and amount of grease had upset his palette terribly.
Resting his elbow on the table, Okita rested his cheek against his fist and sighed. "It was such a nice day and then all that rubbish had to happen."
Okita didn't feel like mentioning Heiji wasn't the only one injured at the moment. Laughing and even breathing was a difficulty today - the wounds that mismatched woman had given him still burned like nothing else. He wanted to judge Heiji's wounds for himself, walk around the table and inspect him, but that would probably be a little too forward. Pushing a bit of sausage away from the rest of his food, Okita began cutting bits of fruit up into smaller bites. "But in that chair, you'll have a hard time tonight, won't you?" Violet eyes slid across the table, falling onto the wheels that certainly couldn't climb stairs. "I was hoping you could come play with the rest of the History Club tonight, too."
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"Nah, it won't be an issue!" He said, waving his hand as if to wave the possibility of him having difficulty navigating the hallways with broken ribs away. "Really, my nurse wheeled this thing in, and I just thought, 'No way am I being seen in one of those!' It's not even necessary, I can totally stand up!"
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Okita had bruised his ribs, ripped his chest open, and he could still fight. If Heiji showed the same tenacity that he had when they sparred in town, he had no doubt that Homura would approve. In Okita's mind, Heiji's grin and his dismissal of his injuries began to overlap with another familiar face and the swordsman paused. It seemed wherever he went, he couldn't help but remember.
Laughing away his thoughts, Okita continued eating and smiled at the detective. "Good, because tonight we're going to be busy. You proved yourself to me, Heiji-kun, but now it's time to impress someone else."
Homura was waiting on another appointment and Okita could see him out of the corner of his eye. The man was quickly moving into position of leader and while a part of him balked at the thought of following anyone other than Hijikata, another part wondered if this wasn't a good thing. Without someone to curb his instincts, he could severely injure the other patients and would likely have killed himself or Kenshin in his attempts to avenge his friends' future deaths. Sliding his gaze back to the boy in front of him, Okita started on his fruit. "What is that thing you're in anyway? If you can stand, why is it necessary?"
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Heiji also wasn't too keen on being someone's lap dog--not when he'd been his own force back in Osaka. He wasn't exactly a good little soldier, neither was he ready and willing to lay down his life for a guy he hadn't even met yet. Part of it didn't sit well with him. Maybe he was better off as a wild card...
He could think about this later.
"Sounds great! Jus' lemme know where and when, and I'll show up to this little party," He continued eating, wondering what was going on inside Okita's head. What was going on inside the History Club? Gah, later Hattori. Later.
"Oh, uh," Heiji was somewhat caught off-guard when Okita asked about the chair. He thought they were past that subject. "You know these crazy biddies--something about how I'll make my injuries 'from yesterday'--" Heiji used air-quotes on that one. "--Worse. Like I haven't had worse before. I was friggin' shot before I came here!" He rolled his eyes.
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Okita smiled as absently as he could manage and speared another bit of fruit on the end of his fork. These utensils were certainly useful for some things even if they shouldn't be used with rice. "We haven't picked a place to gather yet, but you can come to M63 if you'd like. I have to change before I head out anyway. And don't worry, Heiji-kun, we're not a bad group of people."
It was disappointing to be back in these restricting Western clothes after feeling the freedom of his uniform again. He almost wanted to wear the kimono out and about, but he doubted that would be a smart thing to do. The staff had missed its presence in the morning, but drawing attention to it would likely get it stolen away.
It seemed Heiji had missed the point of his query, too, and Okita laughed. "I assumed it was something about that, but what is it? I've never seen one before and I can only assume it rolls?" There was a slight pause as his mind caught up with what else Heiji had said. "...you were shot?"
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This institute was starting to get to him. He had to snap out of it. "But yeah, I'll meet you at your room and we can go from there. I think I remember the way well enough. I haven't had a chance to map anything out."
Heiji blinked at Okita's next question, "Oh! Sorry, yeah. These things are used for people who can't or shouldn't walk by themselves. Sometimes they're used after operations, uh... women who have just given birth, people who are born unable to walk... things like that...
"Huh?" Heiji blinked again, "Oh yeah. Here," He pointed to his left shoulder. "This woman emptied out her six-shot revolver while I hid behind a table, then I attacked and she pulled a single-shot pistol on me. Hurt like a bitch," the teen grumbled.
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Kenshin knew that agenda all too well.
"But it's best if we find strength in numbers, don't you think?" Okita reached into his waistband, pulling out his copy of the maps Homura had given him. Holding the slips of paper between his middle and forefinger just out of sight of the nurses. He flashed it long enough that Heiji could see what it was and then quickly tucked the papers away again. "They come with handy benefits, after all. I'll make you a copy of these and have them ready for you to pick up should you come tonight."
After listening to Heiji's explanation, Okita felt the same sense of wonder he had when he first arrived here. The future was an amazing thing, even if it was a little terrifying. The idea of guns being used in regular combat, however, was more than a little disconcerting. Okita had witnessed the power of a revolver when Sakamoto Ryoma had shot his men in the legs as he escaped. To be shot in the shoulder... "Ara...that sounds like it must have been painful. Does getting shot happen often to you?"
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"Do I get shot often? Nah. Guns're pretty rare where I come from, but they pop up from time to time when y'deal with criminals. 'Specially desperate ones. I can usually get the criminal before they shoot me, but this time was an exception. I guess I was kinda careless, but I had no idea that chick was ambidextrous!
"Fortunately, medicine's progressed t'the point where even if y'get shot, some people can be saved before bleedin' out or whatever. That must've been what happened before I got here--'cause when I woke up," He shrugged, "No gunshot wound. I just got it," He thought for a moment, "I got here two days ago, so... not three days ago! And it's friggin' gone..." Heiji shook his head and downed some juice. "Not a clue. No idea how that happened."
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Okay, so that last bit was a lie, but Heiji's presence would certainly keep Okita from going completely out of control. Or so he hoped. If he could focus his attention on training Heiji, improving his swordsmanship, then maybe he wouldn't spend so much time thinking about the Battousai. And speaking of the Battousai and these guns... "We'll work to arm you soon, so would you prefer small knives or a sword? The sword may take awhile, but I have some knives you can borrow until we obtain better supplies."
Now to think that medicine had gone that far! Sakamoto hadn't shot his men anywhere vital and still it had put them out of commission for quite a while. The fever that accompanied the bullet wounds hadn't helped the men any, either. "I believe they can do some amazing things here with their medicine, but not all of it makes sense. I'm not entirely certain it's not just magic or something."
He hadn't coughed once since coming here. No signs of the disease or any lingering effects of having his chest nearly crushed by Yoshida. If it wasn't magic, then Okita had no idea how it had all happened and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
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Okay, he had to calm down and think rationally. Okita wouldn't had invited someone that would fight back if the intention was just to torture, maim, or kill him. And what would be the point of that, anyway? This place was pretty screwy--who really knew?
"Oh, uh," Heiji said, snapping out of his thoughtful grin, "I've got a pipe. S'about a meter long, so that'll work until we get me a... wait, a sword? From the, uh, Cooking Club, right?" Where these people got their hands on such weapons, he had no idea. "But anyway, a sword would be best, but I could use the knives. Jus' have more training with a sword." It was true--Heiji's mom had taught him a great deal of ninjutsu and general combat technique, so he was handy with quite a few weapons.
Heiji was quickly becoming uncomfortable with the topic of medicine--mostly because it included the topic of Okita's historical death. He really shouldn't have mentioned it. "Yeah, it doesn't make a whole lotta sense, really. But I doubt it's magic--just technology!"
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If Heiji already had a pipe, then that combined with the metal Okita had stashed away might be enough to get him what he needed. "Don't loose that pipe, Heiji-kun. That might be your ticket to getting armed just that little bit faster." And it would keep Okita from the disgusting mess in the bathrooms. If it was a sword the boy wanted, then it would be a sword he got. He just needed to report the matter to Homura.
Okita glanced up from his plate and tilted his head to the side. Heiji looked...at odds. Had something he said about medicine hit the wrong nerve? "Technology? Can the future heal anything with these strange machines everywhere?"
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"Yeah! I haven't met too many people either, so it should be interesting. Especially if these people are specially picked by you and, uh, the other guy." He didn't think Okita had mentioned his name... if he had, Heiji didn't remember it.
He grinned, "'Course I won't lose it! That'd be awful, considering it's my only weapon. Well, besides the closet rod. I pulled that down the first night I was here." Come to think of it, he could probably use that to get around later tonight, should he need it... "But yeah, I'll bring it, o'course."
"Eh?" Heiji looked a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Okita to stick to medicine. "Uh, no of course not! I mean, there are machines that'll keep your heart beating, but it's not really living, y'know? Kind of like living for the sake of staring at a hospital ceiling--empty," He shuddered, "It's a creepy thought."
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Okita pointed over to where the war god sat and went back to eating. It still didn't feel right to call Homura his leader. Hijikata, Kondou and Yamanami were his leaders, his superiors and friends. Homura was...his friend and an ally, but...
He wasn't Shinsengumi.
He was fairly impressed that Heiji had managed to pull the curtain rod down. It had taken him a few tries before Okita had given up on it, going instead for the lighter and easily concealed pens instead. It was probably a good thing, considering how handy those pens had been so far. "Good, and I'll still gift you the knives should you want them. If not, I believe I may be on task to find more and we can get you your own set."
Machines that could prolong life by keeping the heart beating. Okita wondered the same as Heiji - whether it was worth it. He couldn't imagine lying in a sick bed beyond his time, staring at nothing but an empty room with maybe a hanging in the tokonoma to pass the time. It had only been a cold combined with blood getting into his mouth from when he cut Yoshida though. That had to be it, right? After all, he wasn't sick now and the doctors had just said they cured his cold so obviously he was right.
"It's so amazing to me, really. Thinking about the advances in science and medicine. Hijikata-san would be happy to know that such things existed, even if they aren't from Japan." He paused and pushed the remnants of his toast about on his plate before moving to dump the potatoes in the syrup as well. Laughing to brighten the mood, he tested his newest food and decided everything was better with the sticky maple substance on it. "I wouldn't want to end up like that, though. Stuck useless in some room, just waiting to die. Where's the fun in that?"
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The blond was eager to eat after all the running around he had done the night before, so he didn't waste any time in collecting a tray of breakfast food before turning to the cafeteria at large and looking for a place to sit.
When he spotted Heiji, the kid from last night, seated in a wheelchair and talking to Okita of all people, there was no question as to where he would be spending his meal. Things had gotten pretty crazy with that child he had run into last night, and he wanted to know what exactly had happened to Heiji and if he was okay.
Guy made his way over to the table where the two were sitting and remained standing as smiled down at them. "Hey."
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At the mention of more weapons, Heiji's smile widened--if that was even possible. "Hey sure! I c'n always use knives! If you're sure you won't need them, that is. I don't wanna take something y'need..."
The boy nodded, swallowing before opening his mouth to verbally agree with Okita's point. "Exactly!" Heiji said, "I really hope I die doing something that I love doing, instead of rotting away hooked up to machines." He shook his head and took a bite of his sandwich. Of course, he didn't hope that he would be killed while chasing someone down... that would be really bad.
He looked up when he noticed Guy's presence. "Hey man!" He swallowed quickly, "Glad to see you're okay--things kinda blacked out after that whole thing with the kid. Sorry I couldn't help much. Hey, have a seat! You guys know each other after all!" Kicking out a chair, Heiji grinned at Guy, encouraging him to sit.
"I met yer roommate last night, Kaa-san. Lucky for me, this guy was there when I needed help getting back to the patient blocks. If I'd gone alone, I might not be here now~"
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Like last night when that thing had ripped his sword away. He only had three, but if he could give one to Heiji, then the boy could use them as he had. It was always better to be safe than sorry when dealing with the unnatural monstrosities here. Tilting his head to the side, Okita pushed the sausage patties away and went back to his rice, the syrupy sweetness finally getting to him.
"I hope to die in battle," he said, tone as light as if he were talking about the weather. He scooped up a small mound of rice and looked at it, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. "If I can die defending his ideals, then there is no better death."
Okita turned when he felt someone approaching and beamed when he realized it was his roommate. It was a relief to see the man doing well, considering how Okita hadn't laid eyes on him in awhile. After listening to Heiji's explanation, he nodded his head in thanks to his roommate. The man was standing as if waiting for an invitation, so Okita motioned to the chair that Heiji had kicked out and said, "Hello there, Guy-san. Please join us and thank you for finding him. I'd be quite sore if he had disappeared on me."
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