| [Sep. 27th, 2013|10:15 pm] |
Ten minutes after Ryouma and Kakashi left the infirmary, Genma lifted green-glowing hands from Katsuko’s collarbone. She could still feel the throb of the break, but the bite of pain had dulled to a low-grade ache. It felt like Genma had packed a couple weeks of natural healing into the space of minutes. She grunted thanks and tried to sit up, only for Genma to pin her in place with a narrow look.
“I’m not done with you yet,” he said, and pointed. “Lie back down.”
Katsuko slumped back onto the sheets. “Can’t you take care of the rest on the boat, lieutenant?” She glanced over at the screen that separated Fujiyama from the rest of the room.
"I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything serious."
Katsuko made a vague sound of acquiescence and dragged her gaze back up to the ceiling. The fingers of her good hand drummed restlessly on the blankets.
What did you say to a man whose daughters you’d picked up piece-by-piece from underneath the tatami? ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t change the fact that all Fujiyama had left of his old life were three bodies and a cold, empty little house only fit for ghosts. If Team Six had gotten there sooner--
But there was no use thinking about if. If Katsuko hadn’t been late coming home on that dark night six years ago, she’d still have a normal chakra system and ordinary, boring, run-of-the-mill nightmares. If she’d gone with her genin team on the day of the Fox, she’d be one of the names on the Stone. Thinking about if drove you insane.
“Maybe the Quartermaster will finally give us armored shoulderpads,” she mused. “I want mine in orange.”
“Subtle,” Genma said dryly, poking at the bandage on her forehead.
Katsuko lifted her good hand and twiddled her fingers at him in a wave. “Orange shoulderpads. With the Konoha symbol on them done in rhinestones.”
"Because the thing you need most in life is to be more visible on the battlefield," Raidou said, coming back from his conversation with the civilian doctor. "Almost done here?"
Genma nodded. "I'll do some more work once we're on the boat. How are your shoulders doing?"
"They'll keep," Raidou said dismissively. He offered Katsuko his hand. "Come on, rhinestones."
Katsuko let him haul her to her feet. “Ram and our little snow blossom should be back by now, right?”
As if in answer, two familiar chakra signatures flared an instant before the door to the infirmary swung open. Ryouma stepped through first. “The mayor says the boatmen are ready, taichou.”
Genma straightened slowly, like an old man, and pulled his mask back into place. “I’ll make sure Hisa-san is ready to be moved.”
The rushing swoop of chakra returning to Katsuko’s system interrupted what she’d been about to say next. The bunshin’s memories flooded her own, settling in as Katsuko automatically analyzed and catalogued the necessary information. What she saw in her mind’s eye made the corner of her mouth hitch up. “Taichou? My clones have the queen’s head. They’re waiting by the village gate.”
Raidou nodded. "Okay, good. I want that head on the boat. Ram, Hound, Rat, go get loaded up. Our agreement with the Traders is that we'll help if they need it, and stay out of the way otherwise. Hound, do your best to be polite." After a beat, Raidou added, "Same for the rest of you. The lieutenant and I will follow up with Hisa-san."
Katsuko considered the logistics of getting a giant demon insect queen’s head onto a merchant boat without anyone having the vapors or falling into the river. Maybe it would have been easier just to take a picture of the queen’s corpse. “I’m gonna go find some tarp. I’ll meet you at the boat.” |
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