A night during Okita's Tuberuculosis

[Mibbie.]

The night was quiet, and the moonlight shined on a certain man's long silky, purple hair. He was sitting on the stairs to the shinsengumi, holding his little pig. He was looking down, with sad eyes, obviously deep in thought.

Souji: 'What am I going to do...it just won't stop...'

He strocked his pig's back gently, comforting the little animal, trying to make the pig feel better, since he didn't. About an hour ago, he kept on coughing, and eventually, blood came out. It was horrible. And Souji could do nothing about it, it stopped soon enough, but deep down, Okita knew it would just come back, in either days, weeks, months...minutes, or even seconds...

Souji just sighed closing his eyes.

[Umeko]

Tetsu was on his way to the Vice-Chief's room with a cup of very tasteless tea as usual when he spots a familiar figure on the stairs.

"Okita-san?"

At the sound of the page's voice, Saizou buhied and glared at the lad.

[Mibbie.]

The man gasped and looked at Tetsu surprised. He wasn't expecting to see him. At first his face was saddned, but then he put on a fake smile the best he could.

Souji: Hello Tetsu, something wrong...?

By that, Saizo huffed and tried to get out of the man's arms, but Souji ignored it, petting him again. and hoping to God that his sickness won't act up when Tetsu is right near him like this.

[Umeko]

Tetsu: Er, nothing, Okita-san. Can you train with me tomorrow please? It's been a while since we sparred...

[Mibbie.]

Souji's smile slightly went away, but now left a more gentler one. He looked at tetsu with reasurment.

Souji: Of course...

He smiled his usual smile again and spoke up again as well, still stroking Saizou.

Souji: You should back to Mr. Hijikata...you don't want to--

The man's eyes went wide as he emitialtly stopped. He stopped petting saizo as the pig jumped off of his lap, looking up at him from the ground.

Souji covered his mouth with both hands, his eyes now tight shut. In less than a few moments, a few drips of blood seeped thru his fingers. He was trembling, and he hunched over, his bangs covering his eyes as he choked out more blood, still covering his mouth.

[Umeko]

Tetsu: OKITA-SAN!

The boy spotted the few drops of crimson that escaped Okita's hands. He dropped the tea-tray, spilling the tea all over the floor

Tetsu: OKITA-SAN!

Tired of waiting for his tea, Hijikata was wondering where on earth his sorry page had gone to when he heard the boy's cries. His heart sank as he recognized the figure coughing,

Hijikata: Souji...

[Mibbie.]

The distressed man couldn't stop. No matter how much he wanted to...His coughs grew alittle louder, and soon his head felt light from how much blood he was coughing out. He hunched over more (he was facing the floor), until he was parctically on the floor, but his elbows supporting him as he still 'tried' to cover his mouth.

The blood fell onto the floor, causing it to slightly mix in with the tea. Souji could feel the pain sting in his stomach and in his throat, also, his throat feeling gurgly, and he was having a hard time breathing in air, since he was breathing in blood on accident.

Souji never really wanted Tetsu, or anyone else for that matter to see him in this kind of condition, so naturally, tears fled from his eyes, letting them sparkle behind his dark bangs that rested in the newly formed puddle of blood.

Saizo jumped up and down, enraged, but not really knowing what was going on, he was so confused. He hoped up the stairs to Souji's side, rubbing against one of his arms, demanding for him to play with him. But the little pig got no answer, just coughs. Saizo looked at Souji with painful eyes and sat down looking staright at him, not being able to do anything.

[Umeko]

(Anyone playing Hijikata, I apologize for RPGing him for a while.)

Hijikata: Tetsu go get the doctor! GO!

Tetsu: HAI!

[Mibbie.]

The man still leaked out blood. Never ending. The etars in his eyes fell even faster, out of despair, and somewhat coming from pain. It hurt so much, like his stomach was being cut open and exploding up into Souji's mouth.

Souji opened his tearful eyes slightly, by the cuase of Hijikata's voice. They were still slightly closed, but his vison was all grey and black from the amount of blood he was loosing. Right now...he felt so pathetic in this state.

Souji: 'Mr. Hijikata...!'

In some weird way, Souji was sort of crying for help from his thoughts, that maybe the V-commander would hear him someway.

Souji coughed more, and more, and more. It was useless to cover his mouth, becuase his hands were already molre that covered in blood, and more just gushed out between the cracks. Souji closed his eyes all the way, just waiting for this to be all over, that is, if he lives through this night long enough...

The thought haunted the man, but he knew deep down that there was no denying it.

[Umeko]

Hijikata watched the page run for a doctor. He helped the still-coughing man to his feet.

Hijikata: Let's get you inside, out of the cold night air.

[Mibbie.]

Okita was so wrapped up in the blood, the coughing, the tears, the pain that he didn't even notice Hijikata had helped him up. Souji's coughing stopped slightly, but blood still came between his fingers as he looked at Hijikata weakly. His vision of him was only a blurry figure, but he was still there, and thats what counts.

The little pig,Saizo, jumped up and down, angry that no body would play with him, and still trying to get the man's attention.

By hearing Hijikata's foggy and distant words, Souji nodded once, while he started coughing again. It amazed the man. This is the longest attack he's had yet, it was never THIS painful. Most of the time he would just a a few coughs, and that was it.

[Umeko]

Hijikata was more relieved when he finally got Okita into his room and out of the cold night. What was taking that stupid boy so long to get a doctor? He had given Okita some privacy to clean up if he wished. Still he could hear the coughs through the closed shoji. With a sigh, he waited for the doctor.

[Mibbie.]

In the room, the agonized man saw a nearby cloth, he slowly grabbed it, his coughing stopped slightly again, and not as much blood came out, but it still hurt like hell. First, he wiped his mouth/jaw, which was dripping with phlegm. Then, he wiped his hands carefully, and trembling all the way.

It was like at that point, he was in his own little world. Seconds seemed like hours, his head was banging in pain, and also felt hot. His eyes were creasent, and his face got paler and paler. He was now leaning one shoulder on a wall, his long hair drooping over his face.

He had to wipe his mouth continuously, becuz like always, the blood still came out. Souji thought that he had almost choked out all of the blood in his body, or, thats what it seemed. But soon, his arm just wouldn't rise that high, his body was giving out.

He didn't shed anymore tears, what was the point? Tears don't get you anywhere. his raspy breathing got heavier as the blood slid down the side of his jaw, and after alittle more time, he closed his eyes painfully, and lightly fell all the way to the floor, unconcious.

[Umeko]

Outside, Hijikata heard the soft thud. With a sinking heart, he shoved open the door to Okita's room...

"Souji!"

[Mibbie.]

The 'sleeping' man's hair was covering his eyes, so you could not see his expression. His mind just gave out and couldn't take it anymore to be awake. It was now only a matter of seconds, minutes, or hours...