◇INDIGO◇ (Inosuke x OC)

Chapter 20

"We go through this every day!" The stern voice of the girl taking care of us shouted, waking me up.

"Saying you're in bad shape is an understatement! Take your medicine this second!" She yelled as Zenitsu screeched in protest. I think her name is Aoi.

"Tanjiro, here's your medicine." The girls gently gave the boy his medicine as he quickly thanked them and drank it without complaint.

"HEYY! I SAW THAT MEDICINE GO DOWN MUCH EASIER! IS IT DIFFERENT THAN MINE?!" Zenitsu screamed, and I quietly sat up, running a hand through my hair.

"Good morning, Kazumi." One of the smaller girls greeted me, and I smiled in return.

"Here's your medicine." Aoi handed me a warm cup as Zenitsu continued screaming. I nodded in thanks before bringing the cup to my lips and drinking the sweet medicine.

"WAIT! SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE ENJOYED THAT! FAVORITISM! I CALL FAVORITISM!" Zenitsu continued to lose his mind over the medicine as I sighed softly.

"Zenitsu! Settle down, this is a hospital ward!" Tanjiro tried to get Zenitsu to stop screaming, but the loud boy ignored him. Inosuke stayed silent. His breathing patterns told me he was awake, he was just being unusually quiet.

"You all seem lively!" A familiar voice sounded from the door, and I perked up. Was that the other Demon Slayer from the forest?

"Murata!" Tanjiro called out, and the boy chuckled.

"Hey!" He replied. I could sense his arm move, so I assumed he was waving.

"Woah, your face!" Murata suddenly gasped, and I looked away.

"Hello." I replied, feeling embarrassed already.

"So how have you been doing?" Tanjiro asked, and the boy walked over to sit at the foot of his bed.

"I came this close to getting melted down. I survived, somehow. I heard you guys got banged up pretty good though." Murata replied. Speaking of which, my shredded up shoulder had a dull ache, and my head still thumped in pain.

"Yeah, it's going to take us awhile to bounce back." Tanjiro replied.

"What was it that happened to you, boar kid?" Murata asked, clearly curious. Inosuke didn't reply, and Murata hummed in confusion. "Is he sleeping or something?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No. His fight roughed him up quite a bit. Physically and mentally." I replied, and Murata sighed.

"He went through a lot. You should just let him be." Tanjiro sheepishly chuckled.

"But for him of all people to be quiet..." Murata muttered, finding the behavior odd.

"Hey guys," Zenitsu spoke up. "Who... is this?" The boy asked.

"He fought with us on the mountain. He's a friend." Tanjiro replied.

"I'm Murata, nice to meet you." He introduced. "What happened to your arms?"

"My limbs shrunk down, because I was almost turned into a spider." Zenitsu pouted, and Aoi shoved some medicine in his face.

"And that's why you need to take this medicine!" She demanded, but Zenitsu only squealed in response.

"BUT IT TASTES SO GROSS! THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH GROSS A PERSON CAN TAKE!" Zenitsu yelled, trying to crawl away from the girl.

"Don't come crying to me when your limbs don't go back to normal!" Aoi snapped back, getting back in his face. The two continued to fight loudly as I listened in silence. Zenitsu suddenly shot up and jumped across Inosuke's bed, landing on mine.