𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐤𝐢 [ON HOLD]

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟏𝟔

"keiko, can i come in?"

"yes..." her voice croaked out. the door cracked upon, revealing the light from outside. chizuru walked in and let out a gasp.

"what happened?!" she kneeled down next to the girl who was sprawled on her back. there was blood on her night robe and her breathing was slow.

"my... stomach." keiko tried to point to her stomach, but her hand fell back to her side. "it hurts... i tried to get up to get help..."

"doctor! i need to get doctor matsumoto! hold on, okay!" chizuru stumbled out of the room and down the hallways. she ran past the meeting room where some of the captains were with the door open.

"chizuru, what's the matter? why are you running and making a racket?" hijikata asked.

"i need a doctor!"

"what's wrong? are you hurt?" shinpachi asked, standing up.

"no. it's keiko! she needs help, right now!"

"i'll find the doctor." saito said and heisuke ran out the room to keiko's. his two friends glanced at each other, worriedly, then followed after him.

"keiko?!" he dropped by her side and clutched onto her hand.

"hey..." she mumbled, her chest rising slowly.

"are you in pain?"

"no, heisuke, i'm just bleeding out." she tried to laugh, but let out harsh coughs. "shit. it hurts so bad."

"i'm sorry." he cried and rubbed soothing circles on her hand.

"it's alright." she replied as the others and matsumoto arrived.

he kneeled by her side and at the sight of the blood sweeping through her clothes he said, "we need to move her to the medical room."

"i got her." sanosuke said. he put one arm under her legs and the other around her shoulders. she let out a wince as he lifted her up and followed the doctor to the room.

"careful." matsumoto warned as he placed her onto a futon. he lifted her shirt up slightly to reveal the deep gash.

"all of you should leave." chizuru said, trying to usher the boys out the room. "i'll stay."

"no. wait. i need people to hold her down." he said as he pulled out a box of coal.

"hold her down?" heisuke asked.

"we need to cauterize the wound."

keiko's eyes shot open, scared. she had seen this happen to kondou and it looked extremely painful.

"wait. i'll heal. i'll be fine. there's no need."

"no. it has to be done or you'll get infections." matsumoto told her as he began lighting the fire.

she looked, panicked, at chizuru who sent her a nervous smile. "don't be scared. it'll be alright. i'll hold your hand."

"you said you heal faster than humans. shouldn't you have healed by now?" hijikata asked, standing by the corner of the room.

"i should have. i don't know why i'm not." she groaned, wanting to curl up into a ball.

"two of you hold her arms down, please." matsumoto said as he brought the hot stick closer and lifted up her shirt again.

keiko's breathing quickened when shinpachi and sanosuke held her arms down so she wouldn't move and ruin the procedure. she unknowingly grabbed onto heisuke's hand and chizuru squeezed her other hand.