Kids Will Be Kids by kingfishers_game

Chapter 16: Omens From the Universe Only Appear When You Look for Them

Sougo wasn't sure how long Sadaharu had been running from the guards at the capital, but the sun's position in the sky had advanced enough for him to assume it had been several hours. Once again he'd been surprised at how intelligent the dog was. At the moment—presumably in an effort to confuse anyone pursuing them through the woods—Sadaharu was wading down a shallow river in the shade with Kagura, Sougo, and the packages still on its back.

"We should stop," Sougo told the dog. At least there was no one conscious around to hear him talking to it. "By now we should be far enough away from the Guard. I need to try to treat her."

Sadaharu barked in reply and climbed onto the riverbank into a forest clearing alive with flowers, insects, and other wildlife. There was a conveniently-placed copse of trees next to a rocky overhang where they could stop. Kagura needed shade, after all...though right now, the sunlight was the least of her worries. Sougo took off his jacket and laid it down on the grassy floor before gently sliding Kagura off Sadaharu's back and laying her down her over it.

He had to do something about her injury, but what? His limited knowledge of first aid didn't cover what to do to save someone with a literal hole in their stomach. No human being could have survived this. Only because Kagura was a Yato was her pulse still present, though it was disturbingly fluttering and weak. He'd barely lifted his hand from her neck as they rode earlier, making sure that she was just unconscious, not dead.

Sougo crouched down next to her and looked at the wound. It was festering, surrounded by flaky smears of dried blood... Fuck. Fuck. What could he even do? Cleaning it would be the first step, but how? And would that even help?

Sadaharu whimpered at the sight of his master on the ground. He lay down next to the policeman and licked her face worriedly. Then, his ears perked up and he bit Sougo's sleeve to get his attention.

"What?" asked Sougo, still spellbound with disgust at the sight of the wound.

Sadaharu yipped and motioned with his head to the packages on his back. Sougo looked up and pulled them down from where they'd been tied. Just shopping bags from Kagura's expedition in the capital city, right? He paused as he uncovered a familiar suitcase. No, wait. Not just shopping bags.

This was his—the suitcase he'd brought with him when he left Edo. The one the Umibouzu had recovered. Sadaharu had been carrying it around this whole time? He patted the dog on the head.

If he remembered correctly, he'd packed a small first aid kit. Nothing fancy, just a standard-issue Shinsengumi kit that was given to every officer on an extended mission. It wouldn't even be close to enough to give Kagura the treatment she needed, but it could help.

Now that he had a purpose, he got to work. China was wearing a simple one-piece dress with slits up the sides like a qipao, and he'd have to take it off if he wanted to treat her. He tore the fabric remorselessly—not like it's not ruined already—and put it aside in case he needed something to boil and use for bandages later. With the help of the first aid kid, he did his best to clean the wound, sterilize it, and wrap it with clean bandages.

Once the main injury was dealt with (as well as it could be), Sougo sat back and assessed Kagura's condition. She was covered in wounds, but he knew better than to worry about broken ribs and fractured legs at this point. None of those were life-threatening. They would heal on their own. Anyone who got in as many fights as she did should have dozens of scars, but aside from the evidence of her recent battle, Kagura's skin was smooth and unmarked. Funny that the Yato's healing ability—part of what made them such fearsome warriors—also gave Kagura the appearance of an average girl, one who'd never seen battle, one who'd never known pain...