What Need Not Be Said
                            by Takani Megumi X

Part II:  ...Often Go Unheard.

    Megumi looked up at him, blinking in surprise.  Aoshi had turned a little bit away, and she couldn't help but to wonder.  What kind of an answer was that?  "Yes, I would like to find out if I have any family left.  It isn't likely," she said as she resumed walking, "but I'd at least like to try."
    Aoshi followed her in silence, unsurprisingly enough.
    It took them several more minutes to arrive at the restaurant to find the place in pre lunch rush preparations, with a little added excitement.
    "Megumisan!  Hurry, please!  The lunch rush is starting and Omasu's gotten burned!"  Kuro rushed out to meet them as soon as he saw them coming.  "Aoshisama!  Welcome back," he said.  "Please, Megumisan, hurry!"
    "I'm coming, I'm coming!  How did it happen?"  She hurried after the big man as Aoshi vanished off into the kitchen.
    "While she was cooking, one of the customers called to her and she dropped the pot."
    "Well, it was heavy!  Besides, I wasn't burned that badly."  Omasu made a face as she held out her hand.  "Really, you do fret over the most ridiculous things."  She smiled, but the doctor had already noticed the tightness around her eyes and mouth that spoke clearly of pain.
    "Well, no wonder.  Have you never gotten burned before?  Cold water please, and hurry!"  She snapped out instructions for Kuro to bring the water and some clean cloths before turning to her patient.  "Omasusan, did you learn nothing when I trained you?"  Her scolding tone was softened slightly by her smile though the reprimand was clear.
    "As I recall, sensei, you were more concerned with sprains, cuts, and bruises than with burns."
    "That's as may be, but I know I went over the basic treatment."
    "So where were you all morning?" Omasu asked.
    "I went for a walk with Aoshisan."
    "Ah.  I see."
    "You say that as if there were something to be seen."
    Omasu shook her head.  "It's nothing.  Sorry., Megumisan.  No more than wishful thinking or my imagination, I'm sure."
    "What's your imagination?" Kuro wanted to know as he handed the water basin and cloths to Megumi.  She took them from him and dipped one into the water, dripping cold water carefully over the reddened skin which showed signs of a few blisters already forming.
    "Here, like this.  Omasusan was speculating on what Aoshisan and I were up to when we went for a walk this morning," she said primly as the large man followed her example.
    "Megumisan says nothing happened."
    "Well, you two were gone all morning," Kuro said slowly.
    Megumi felt the slight throb at her temple and knew her scar must surely show red, though she managed to keep the rest of her face from growing warm.  "There was nothing to happen.  You know of my decision."
    "Hai, sensei.  You don't plan to get involved with anyone since Himura's wedded Kaoruchan."  Omasu sighed.  "Besides," she continued more breezily as she watched the two take turns dousing her burn, "if Aoshisama were not so good, we'd doubtless get to hear her complain, so I guess he's -- mmph!"
    "You poor thing.  It must be hard to talk with a mouthful of wet rag," Megumi smiled sweetly.
    Omasu had to concede the point as she removed the fabric.  "I deserved that.  So when are you planning to go back to Aizu?"
    Megumi looked at her, exasperated.  "Does everyone know about that?  Amazing.  Nothing is secret here!  I suppose if I were to have been improper with Aoshisan then you'd all know about it regardless!"
    "And say nothing, then.  We're not fools, Megumisan."  Kuro smiled at her.
    "Then you should have no trouble bringing me my medical kit," she smiled back.
    "Hai!"  Kuro sped off in the direction of their living quarters.
    "We fully support you and Aoshisama, if you should decide that --"
    "There's nothing to decide!  Now do I have to tell you again how to care for this arm, or do I have to teach you from scratch?"
    "Oh, I think I can remember.  Keep it clean and dry, change the bandage twice a day, and just a light coating of the salve," Omasu recited as Kuro returned with the medicine kit.
    "Well enough," the doctor said as she dabbed the ointment on her patient's arm and wrapped the injury carefully.  "No playing the invalid, now.  We've all got work to do."
    The two women walked back to their room so that Megumi might dress to serve in the restaurant.  She'd taken on a part time role as waitress to help her friends, but there were many who thought the added attraction of a beautiful woman to good food was a great idea.  Okina, of course, was the leader of that faction.
    "Megumisan!  So glad you're here today!"  The old man bounced up cheerily.
    "Jiya, I'm always here," she said with an exasperated smile.
    "Not when you're making your rounds," he pointed out drily.  "Are you going to wear the outfit I bought you?"  His eyes sparkled with rapture at the thought.
    The doctor shook her head, smiling fondly at the old letch.  He'd gone out and bought skimpy little black dresses and white frilly aprons for all the women to wear, without much luck.  So far, the closest he had come to achieving that goal was a while back when Kamatari had been filling in for Shirojo, when he'd broken his arm...  "Shall I invite Kamatari to cover as well, Jiya?"  The doctor's own eyes twinkled with mischief as the old man nearly fell over.
    "No, no, that's all right, really!  I'm going to go see if Aoshi needs anything now..."  He moved quickly towards the kitchen, followed by Megumi's delightedly evil laugh.
    The facade was short-lived.  Her earlier preoccupations weighed heavily once more on her mind.  She dressed slowly, her body going through the motions though her mind was miles away and long ago...


    Burning.  Everything was burning death and destruction...  It seemed nothing was left standing; there was no hope in the smoking ruins.  No signs of life appeared to buoy the young girl's devastated spirits...  Her family was gone, almost certainly dead.  Perhaps, just perhaps, somewhere among the flames where she couldn't see, a spark of lief remained.  As she was dragged away, however, she wasn't given the chance to see...  She knew only that she must survive.
    "Megumisan?"  Ochika appeared in the doorway.  "Are you okay?" she asked as she saw the other woman's face, her tone going from casual to concerned and alert.  "Did something happen?"
    Megumi looked up, caught off guard.  "Hm?  Daijoubu.  I was just thinking," she said softly.  "Come.  Let's get to work, and not waste time gabbling like a couple of old hens.  We can leave THAT to Jiya, ne?"  She smirked as a stifled protest came from the old man who'd been hovering outside the door.
    Ochika grinned back and nodded, following the doctor outside and into the restaurant proper.
    Working gave Megumi something to keep her mind off the morning's events and her musings.  The lunch rush seemed busier than usual, and Shirojo had been heard to remark that maybe Jiya was right.  Megumi was grateful to Ochika for pinching the man, even if he had come whining to her about it, wanting to be patched up.  She'd told him he deserved it, and that he was perfectly capable of applying his own ice to the bruise that was more to his ego than his arm.  He'd lodged a good-natured complaint and gone on his way, grumbling merrily.
    It seemed forever before things quieted down, though Megumi was glad of the distraction provided by the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant.  Still, when she returned to her rooms to resume her more familiar kimono and jacket, as opposed to the pale blue kimono she'd worn to work the restaurant, her thoughts returned to the morning's events.  She began to wonder about his strange behavior.  He'd never been so mysterious, in some strange way, for all he'd seemed more open and approachable, somehow.  Secretly, she began to wonder if the rest of the Oniwa Banshu were right about their leader's interest in her.  It seemed so impossible, thinking about it, that she dismissed the thought as pathetic and frivolous.  She had more important plans to begin making, she told herself, but as soon as she thought about when and how to return to Aizu, her mind balked.
    She knelt in front of her desk to compose a letter to Genzaisensei, as she often had.  It was her way of keeping a diary; instead of the more traditional journal most girls seemed to use, she would compose letters to her lost friend and burn them.  She didn't exactly believe that her words would be carried in that way to his kami, but it could never hurt.  She'd never fancied herself as a very religious woman, but she wasn't a disbeliever.  It was simply that, to her, the world was more physical and not so completely ruled by spirits.  She defied death all the time, healed wounds that once no one could believe would be healed at all.  Religion was a comfort, a luxury, and one did not indulge in too many luxuries or one became soft and forgetful...  Takani Megumi would never allow herself to truly forget.  It wasn't revenge she wanted, but closure.
    She had written several pages, pouring out her confusion and concerns through the intricate and carefully drawn characters, when a soft footstep sounded in her doorway.  "Megumisan?"
    She straightened slightly, startled out of her near reverie.  "Hai?  Kurosan, is everything all right?" she said as she saw his expression.
    "I didn't mean to startle you, Megumisan.  I just wondered...  Do you have a moment?"  He looked a little confused and saddened.  "We don't want you to leave."
    She sat back, turning to face him and beckoning him in.  He sat across from her, looking just a little bit lost.  "Shiro told us all what you said this morning, about going back to Aizu.  I know you're not planning to go yet," he said, cutting off the protest she was about to raise, "but you have a home here."  His words came out slowly, almost as if he was afraid of what her reaction might be.  For all he was a big man, he felt very small as she regarded him.
    "I know, Kurosan, and I don't wish to seem ungrateful..."
    "But you're not comfortable here."  Omasu appeared in the doorway, still favoring her arm.  "It's obvious to all of us," she added.
    A flare of the old indignant pride roused itself within Megumi's breast.  "Am I a book, then, to be read so clearly as the silly country girl?" she snapped, dark eyes flashing as she tossed heavy black hair over one shoulder.  Kuro glanced nervously at his colleague, but Okon seemed unfazed.
    "You know full well that isn't it, Megumisan," the fighter reminded the doctor.  "Do you remember how it was when you all came to visit, and you and I were training each other?"  Kuro looked surprised and confused.  He'd never heard anything about that, but he wasn't so foolish as to ask just now.  "You told me, in among all the lecture about healing, that part of fixing a wound is easing the inner pain, and hat some of the clearer signs were that someone needed help that no bandage alone could fix.  Give me credit for being a better student than that, at least."
    Cowed (inasmuch as Megumi could ever be cowed), she nodded.  "I remember, Okon.  Nonetheless, there's nothing any of you could really do to stop me."
    "No, there isn't," the other woman agreed.
    "Nor would we try," Kuro pitched in.  "The Oniwa Banshu knows about strength of will," he added with a wry smile.
    None of them were aware of a tall, silent silhouette outside the wall of the room, not far from the window.  Shinomori Aoshi listened for a few more minutes.  It seemed this morning had not gotten through.  He began to wonder if more direct measures would need to be taken...  Did Megumi have any idea it was he who had sent that note?


Go on to Part III   Go back to my Fanfic page      Go back to my Main page