[FFML] [fic][oneshot][ruroni kenshin] A Doctors Perogitive

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I lack the grace to say I am sorry
I lack the power to say you are right
I lack the will to try and fight
I lack the love to be apart

I closed and locked the door to my clinic, the purple hinted sky of the evening
closing about me like a cool blanket. It had been a long, rough day. At eight o'clock this
morning, three thugs, escorted by the police, had been brought in with broken bones and
contusions. Two of them were serious enough to be left with permanent scars from their
encounter with whatever had hit them. They had kept mumbling something about "It's
the evil, it's the evil" over and over. After fixing their wounds, I remanded them to the
police, putting the half remembered thought that I should recognize that phrase out of my
mind, then continued to fill out paperwork.

Thinking my day would go slowly after the early morning excitement, I settled
down for my normal patient load. It was good to see the elderly gentlemen who always
seemed to stop by with a general ache or pain, the young mother who's daughter had
fallen and hurt herself, or the young men who had a strain from working to hard here or
there. It was shaping up to be a totally normal day, until, at ten thirty; the police again
visited my shop, this time carrying one of their own. Evidently, whatever or whoever had
taken out the thugs this morning was not going to discriminate between police and
criminals.

With a sigh, I set about fixing the young officers broken fingers, and splinting up
his fractured ribs. Giving him some herbs, I set him on his way, but not before again
hearing the mutterings about some "spiky haired idiot" who had done this to him.

Chuckling quietly to myself, I remembered a time when I had known someone a
lot like that. Always fighting, and brawling, not to mention getting himself into trouble,
he was never nice to anyone who crossed him. It had been years ago, however. He
hadn't been around in, well, I don't remember how long. Pushing old memories and pain
to the back of my mind, I set out on the day's run for medicine components.

Walking down the street toward the ginza, I passed by the bar the men from this
morning had been forcibly ejected from. They were still cleaning up the mess, and if the
damage was any estimate, it had been quite a brawl. The bartender, a young man by the
name of Tendo stopped me for a moment, and warned me to beware, as they had yet to
catch the person who had caused this damage, and that I should keep my eye out for a
tall, dark haired man, with, as he put it, "Killer Eyes." Thanking Tendo-san for the
information, I finished my shopping, then retired to a local shop for some tea and sushi.

Upon returning to my clinic, I was amazed to see one of the local 'Casanovas,' to
use the American term, sitting outside my shop holding his privates and moaning in pain.

Figuring he had again become fresh with one of the local girls, I nodded to him to
come in, and handed him an ice pack to help him relieve some of the pain. Knowing that
he was more likely to play his pain off for an 'examination' than anything else, I got him
on his way, but not before he told me to be careful, as there was a 10' monster with a
blood red bandanna on his head running around molesting poor innocent people. Stifling
the urge to ask about any other 'little monsters' running around causing the local
population trouble, I let him go.

I finished my afternoon with a house appointment with a local family whose
youngest had been sick with fever for several days. They were a poor family, living well
outside the normal borders of the town, and it's implied protection. They had been
samurai at one time, but, like everything in the Meiji era, they had become simple
citizens. Stripped of authority and disliked by the local population, they lived a meager
existence as farmers. As a doctor, it was my job to protect and heal all the wounds that I
could. I knew they could not afford the medicines that they needed, but it had not
stopped me from treating the small child. She had recovered so far, and this was to be
my last visit. I did not feel the need for the family to repay me; I was doing what I did
best, for the people who deserved it more than anyone else, in my opinion. That is why I
was surprised to see Jiro, his wife, Tai, and their youngest, the one I was here to treat,
waiting as I came up the path that lead to their small home.

"Jiro-san, Tai-san, it is nice to see you." I said politely as I reached them.
Bending down, I examined young Kaede for a moment, noting her clear eyes, and large
smile, I sighed happily to myself, then straightened.

"I see that she has recovered quite well. It is good to see her up and about."

"Yes, it is, we wanted to speak with you of your fee, Isha. Could you come inside
for a moment?" Motioning me in, we sat down and quietly sipped tea for several
moments until Jiro spoke up."

"The medicine for my daughter, it seems quite expensive. Up until today, I had
despaired of how to pay you for your time and generosity. Unexpectedly, however, I met
a man on the road. He wore a simple white dogi, and when he passed me, he dropped
this into my hand, only saying that he knew where it should go." After handing me a
small pouch, he disappeared."

Noting that the pouch contained a large sum of yen, I attempted to hand it back.

"I canno�" I began, only to be interrupted by Tai.

"You visited , brought us, and our daughter hope. Not because you felt obliged,
or because you had anything to gain, but because you knew it was the right thing to do.
For that, we are eternally grateful to you, and we wish to give something in return. It is
not much, but it is what we have to give. Please accept it."

Clenching my fist about the coin bag, I look down into little Kaede's eyes, then
back up into Jiro's.

"Very well, I will accept this on the condition that you all come and visit me on
occasion. It gets quiet in my home, and I always like company. Is that understood?"

"Very well, Isha, we shall do that." Pausing for a moment, Jiro added. "I think
Kaede would like that very much, in fact. Thank you again."

*****

I reflected on my day as I strolled down the small road to my home. Yes, it had
been quite a busy day. I was also reminded of Jiro and my conversation with him. It had
been many years since I had entertained guests in my home. I was fairly sure the last
time had been when Kenshin and his family had come up for a visit. Kenji had run
around, causing nothing but a general stir when he had suddenl� I stopped dead in my
tracks. Someone was watching me. I could feel it as the hairs on the back of my neck
raised, and my eyes started scanning around instinctively. Hearing a sound behind me, I
quicken my pace, and move towards the safety of my small home, set in the brightly light
strip of the ginza.

Just as I was about to reach it, a shape loomed out of the darkness of the
buildings. Standing less than two feet in front of me, I am unable to stop, and run
headlong into his arms.

"You know, Fox-lady, you haven't changed in five years!" The shape teasingly
states as I attempt to thrash and bite him. Wait. Fox-lady? No one had called me that
in� Looking up into the smirking face above me, the soft moonlight falling through his
sharply spiked hair, down his long, thin feature, all the incidents from today seem to click
into my mind. The fighting, the fearful cries of "the evil." The rough goodness, and the
white dogi. It all makes sense, now. Silly man. He should have just come and visited
me, not tried to tear my hometown apart beforehand.

Realizing that I am still in his arms, and that now he has his arms gently holding
me in an embrace rather than trying to restrain me, I can't help but be content, until I
realize that his right hand has wandered MUCH lower than it should�

*****

Well, it's not like treating one more person today isn't going to hurt me," as I
bandage the silly rooster heads much-violated skull�

Fin

Author's notes.

Hey, don't yell at me, it just came to me one night�
I also wanna thank Kaneda

JB 1/22/04