Hard Choices
"Megumi-dono-- Megumi--"
She barely heard Kenshin, drowned out in white noise, eyes fixed in terror on the measuring expression that Aoshi levelled on her from across the room. There was a day, not so long ago, where a man in glasses and a pristine suit screamed into her face so closely that she could still feel the wet splash of his saliva if she thought on it too long, his fingers twisted through her hair and shaking her back and forth like a ragdoll. And the hurt, and a long knife, spinning across a stark floor.
That's your tanto. I'm giving it back to you.
Machine gun fire and an endless run through dark corridors and fire, and this man looming out of the dark, splattered in blood-
You have nothing to look forward to-
Times changed. Instead of running for the back door, Megumi's fingers fisted around a scalpel, unaware of the high sound of distress she made in the back of her throat. God knew she couldn't hope to even lay a scratch on him, but anything was better than just standing there like a frightened rabbit and waiting for the axe to fall.
She wasn't aware Kenshin had moved until her attempt to lunge toward Aoshi was arrested by the simple weight of his hand wrapping around hers, pushing it firmly down, and she flinched, trying to pull away.
Kenshin plucked the scalpel out of her grip and tossed it across the bench, gripping her by the shoulder instead and interposing himself between the two. "Megumi-dono, it's all right!"
"How can you say that!?" she shrieked. "He's a killer! And he hates you! Don't you remember what he--"
"The situation has changed." Aoshi's words were quiet, but they cut through her panic like a knife. "I'm not your enemy."
"He's not mine either," Kenshin said apologetically, then shot a withering glance over his shoulder at Aoshi. "You couldn't just wait outside?"
Aoshi shook his head, calm unruffled by Kenshin's irritation. "Chou reported in to Soujiro on the network. Soujiro has ordered him back here to take Takani into custody once you're done."
The reality of the here and now overwhelmed her, and Megumi stiffened, face white. After their interrogation and now this-- "That's ridiculous! I haven't done anything wrong!"
Kenshin gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, frowning at the news. "He's testing me."
"Yes." Aoshi shifted to look back at her, expression unreadable, and she recoiled. "You need to leave the clinic."
"And go where?" she demanded hotly, more rattled than she cared to admit that this advice was coming from Aoshi. "I don't--"
"Megumi-dono, there are several places we can take you." Kenshin took a step back to look her full in the face, eyes kind. "Will you trust me? I promise, you will be able to return here."
"With your enforcement division breathing down my neck?" she snarled, glaring at them both. She thrust a finger in Aoshi's direction. "And with him? Isn't he part of ED One?"
"He's working with me." At the outraged look she shot him-one that bordered on utter betrayal-Kenshin straightened and shook his head before adding firmly, "Megumi-dono, he's the one that told me about the botched run. He's on our side."
"He once swore he'd kill you! He works for Kanryuu!"
"Only because it's convenient."
"But--"
"There are better times to have this conversation," Aoshi interrupted with a faintly puzzled frown as if they hadn't just been yelling about him, fingers touching the base of his ear. He was wearing an earpiece, she realised. Of course. They all did. "Chou's given an ETA of four minutes."
"Four...?" Kenshin blinked, meeting the other man's gaze for just a moment, and she had the strong impression she'd missed something. "You're right."
Then he turned wide, violet eyes on Megumi once more. And said nothing. He'd leave this up to her, she realised, and she felt a faint tinge of annoyance under the fear. As if she had a choice. But...
…if she stayed, she'd be bundled right back to Kanryuu in the end. Aoshi... didn't have to give her an out. He could've kept his mouth shut. And she’d always been a survivor.
"...I'll pack a bag," she said faintly. "Ken-san, pack up the board for me? I don't want to leave my records behind."
Kenshin gave a nod, and then spun away to cross the room. Aoshi raised an eyebrow at her. "A bag?"
I don't trust you. She’d rather pretend he had never walked into her clinic at all. But rationally, she knew Kenshin wouldn't be working with him without good reason, given their history, and as long as he didn't leave her alone with Aoshi, she would manage. Just for a short time. What other chances did she have? "I'm still a medtech, and you're trying to help three people who could be badly hurt by now.” Her voice was still unsteady, but she was beginning to calm down. “Better that you bring them to me instead of getting some other medtech in trouble as well."
Aoshi blinked at that, glancing to Kenshin as the redhead neatly compacted Megumi's software and slipped it into his jacket. If he wanted to ask another question, she didn't give him the chance, re-opening the cabinet to empty it shelf by shelf into her rucksack. Including the last of the beer; two bottles.
It didn't belong to her. She'd confiscated it from Sano that morning, when he had drunkenly thumped on the door to her surgery and demanded a good luck kiss. Idiot.
He didn’t even remember.
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else, Megumi-dono.” Kenshin spoken plainly in response, she realised, to her shot at Aoshi. “You’re one of the best medtechs I know. I don’t believe Kanryuu understands the true worth of what he lost that day.”
He smiled warmly at her, and Megumi looked away. Her fingers curled briefly on the strap of her bag, before she slung it over one shoulder and tried to look as if she had intended all along to walk out the door with two people who should rightfully be her enemies. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Aoshi nodded once, and then stepped back out onto the street, and Kenshin offered her his arm. “It’ll be all right.”
You can’t promise that.
But she nodded anyway, and let him pull her gently out onto the street.
She barely heard Kenshin, drowned out in white noise, eyes fixed in terror on the measuring expression that Aoshi levelled on her from across the room. There was a day, not so long ago, where a man in glasses and a pristine suit screamed into her face so closely that she could still feel the wet splash of his saliva if she thought on it too long, his fingers twisted through her hair and shaking her back and forth like a ragdoll. And the hurt, and a long knife, spinning across a stark floor.
That's your tanto. I'm giving it back to you.
Machine gun fire and an endless run through dark corridors and fire, and this man looming out of the dark, splattered in blood-
You have nothing to look forward to-
Times changed. Instead of running for the back door, Megumi's fingers fisted around a scalpel, unaware of the high sound of distress she made in the back of her throat. God knew she couldn't hope to even lay a scratch on him, but anything was better than just standing there like a frightened rabbit and waiting for the axe to fall.
She wasn't aware Kenshin had moved until her attempt to lunge toward Aoshi was arrested by the simple weight of his hand wrapping around hers, pushing it firmly down, and she flinched, trying to pull away.
Kenshin plucked the scalpel out of her grip and tossed it across the bench, gripping her by the shoulder instead and interposing himself between the two. "Megumi-dono, it's all right!"
"How can you say that!?" she shrieked. "He's a killer! And he hates you! Don't you remember what he--"
"The situation has changed." Aoshi's words were quiet, but they cut through her panic like a knife. "I'm not your enemy."
"He's not mine either," Kenshin said apologetically, then shot a withering glance over his shoulder at Aoshi. "You couldn't just wait outside?"
Aoshi shook his head, calm unruffled by Kenshin's irritation. "Chou reported in to Soujiro on the network. Soujiro has ordered him back here to take Takani into custody once you're done."
The reality of the here and now overwhelmed her, and Megumi stiffened, face white. After their interrogation and now this-- "That's ridiculous! I haven't done anything wrong!"
Kenshin gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, frowning at the news. "He's testing me."
"Yes." Aoshi shifted to look back at her, expression unreadable, and she recoiled. "You need to leave the clinic."
"And go where?" she demanded hotly, more rattled than she cared to admit that this advice was coming from Aoshi. "I don't--"
"Megumi-dono, there are several places we can take you." Kenshin took a step back to look her full in the face, eyes kind. "Will you trust me? I promise, you will be able to return here."
"With your enforcement division breathing down my neck?" she snarled, glaring at them both. She thrust a finger in Aoshi's direction. "And with him? Isn't he part of ED One?"
"He's working with me." At the outraged look she shot him-one that bordered on utter betrayal-Kenshin straightened and shook his head before adding firmly, "Megumi-dono, he's the one that told me about the botched run. He's on our side."
"He once swore he'd kill you! He works for Kanryuu!"
"Only because it's convenient."
"But--"
"There are better times to have this conversation," Aoshi interrupted with a faintly puzzled frown as if they hadn't just been yelling about him, fingers touching the base of his ear. He was wearing an earpiece, she realised. Of course. They all did. "Chou's given an ETA of four minutes."
"Four...?" Kenshin blinked, meeting the other man's gaze for just a moment, and she had the strong impression she'd missed something. "You're right."
Then he turned wide, violet eyes on Megumi once more. And said nothing. He'd leave this up to her, she realised, and she felt a faint tinge of annoyance under the fear. As if she had a choice. But...
…if she stayed, she'd be bundled right back to Kanryuu in the end. Aoshi... didn't have to give her an out. He could've kept his mouth shut. And she’d always been a survivor.
"...I'll pack a bag," she said faintly. "Ken-san, pack up the board for me? I don't want to leave my records behind."
Kenshin gave a nod, and then spun away to cross the room. Aoshi raised an eyebrow at her. "A bag?"
I don't trust you. She’d rather pretend he had never walked into her clinic at all. But rationally, she knew Kenshin wouldn't be working with him without good reason, given their history, and as long as he didn't leave her alone with Aoshi, she would manage. Just for a short time. What other chances did she have? "I'm still a medtech, and you're trying to help three people who could be badly hurt by now.” Her voice was still unsteady, but she was beginning to calm down. “Better that you bring them to me instead of getting some other medtech in trouble as well."
Aoshi blinked at that, glancing to Kenshin as the redhead neatly compacted Megumi's software and slipped it into his jacket. If he wanted to ask another question, she didn't give him the chance, re-opening the cabinet to empty it shelf by shelf into her rucksack. Including the last of the beer; two bottles.
It didn't belong to her. She'd confiscated it from Sano that morning, when he had drunkenly thumped on the door to her surgery and demanded a good luck kiss. Idiot.
He didn’t even remember.
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else, Megumi-dono.” Kenshin spoken plainly in response, she realised, to her shot at Aoshi. “You’re one of the best medtechs I know. I don’t believe Kanryuu understands the true worth of what he lost that day.”
He smiled warmly at her, and Megumi looked away. Her fingers curled briefly on the strap of her bag, before she slung it over one shoulder and tried to look as if she had intended all along to walk out the door with two people who should rightfully be her enemies. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Aoshi nodded once, and then stepped back out onto the street, and Kenshin offered her his arm. “It’ll be all right.”
You can’t promise that.
But she nodded anyway, and let him pull her gently out onto the street.