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Silent as the grave

Chapter Twenty Three

"It's no good, its going to have to come off."

"What?" he almost hissed out through pain.

Mika rolled her eyes, motioning with her hand to him once again, "take your shirt off. You don't want to go to hospital then I'm going to have to look at your ribs."

He couldn't believe how forward the raven haired woman was however he supposed that it was to be expected from those of this generation. Slowly he let his coat slide from his shoulders before carefully taking off his shirt, wincing as he moved it over his head, coughing almost violently as his ribs ached him further. Already a dark bruise had formed across the right side of his pale chest.

Mika couldn't help but appreciate the handsome man in front of her, the dark bruise the only thing against his beauty. Fighting off a blush, she gently touched his ribs, watching his reaction until she reached the bruise and he jumped, a hiss of pain passing from his lips.

"Third rib is probably cracked and your fourth rib is obviously broken. You really should go to a hospital."
"No," he almost growled out in annoyance, "just pass me...my bag. There's some bandages...in there."

She sighed and reluctantly did so, watching as he dug round before drawing out a roll of white bandages, Mika couldn't help but notice a few blood stained ones also in there. Frowning, she silently wondered just how often he got injured from just living. Before she could ask though her grandmother returned.

"Here you are darling," she smiled warmly at the Kusuriuri as she handed him a glass of water and several painkillers, "my, you are younger than I imagined."

"Thank you," he muttered as he took the painkillers gratefully.

As Mika's phone rang she left the room to answer it leaving him and her grandmother alone for the moment.

The Kusuriuri replaced his shirt, still wincing with every movement before leaning back against the comfortable sofa with a sigh.

"Well I must admit this was a surprise," the old woman chuckled as she sat down also, "when I first heard Mika tell me about you I thought she was merely imagining things. If it hadn't been for Kenshin claiming to have seen you too I wouldn't have believed it."

At this he looked at her curiously, "where is...Kenshin?"

If the sad look in the woman's eyes weren't enough, Mika chose that moment to appear, leaning in the doorway with a guarded look in her eyes.

"He's dead," her voice was oddly emotionless in a way that made him narrow his eyes slightly, "I need to nip out for a minute, make sure he doesn't go running off to get himself killed in some alley, grandma."

"I'm sure he will do no such thing," said woman replied, "was that Sergeant Hugue?"

Mika nodded, "seems three guys were killed not far from here."

Oddly the Kusuriuri was on his feet in seconds, "I am coming."

"Not in your state," she replied just as quickly.

"Those three that were killed," he looked at her evenly, "were they those that attacked me?"

She crossed her arms but said nothing before looking at her grandmother who chuckled lightly, holding up her aged hands.

"I'll have dinner ready by the time you two get back."

The ashen haired man looked back in surprise but she merely patted his arm lightly as she passed, "I won't take no for an answer, young man. You look like you need a good meal or two."

Sighing, Mika turned for the door as he slowly followed behind.

"You've changed quite a bit," he observed as they walked down the streets, the Kusuriuri slightly limping as the painkillers took affect.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," she replied offhandedly, "suppose that comes with growing up."

"How did you brother die?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

His blue eyes narrowed suspiciously but knew to drop the matter as they neared the crime scene. Telling him to wait in the gathered crowd, she slipped through, flashing her badge to the officers keeping the crowd back before being let past. Immediately her boss, Mathew Hugue was walking towards her.

"Sorry to pull you back to work so quickly but I thought this was a little too close to your home to be cautious."
"Its no problem," she looked over his shoulder, "I'd like to know if there's a murderer running round my home."

To say she was surprised by the severity of the murder was an understatement. She did indeed recognise the three men that lay in pools of their own blood, their throats slashed viciously and blind eyes staring in unseen terror at the sky. Mika's eyes widened and she froze.

"There was another reason," Mathew looked at her worriedly, "these murders reminded me of those that happened a few years ago. The day your parents and brother died."

For a moment it felt like she was going to hyperventilate as her eyes fell onto their bodies, not seeing them but three others. Her mother. Her father. Her older brother.

"Mika...Mika!" Mathew's hands on her shoulders snapped her attention back to his worried face, "this was a mistake, you should go home. Take a few days off."

"B...but sir," she started to argue weakly but he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Hesitantly backing out through the crowd, for a moment she thought the Kusuriuri had vanished only to find him stood to the side with narrowed eyes, a familiar scale balanced on a rubbish skip next to him and it was trembling lightly. That couldn't be a good sign. It would have been a lie to say she wasn't shaken up from the murder and it worried her.

"This was done by a Mononoke," he spoke up as she neared, "and this is not the first time it has struck."

"No...no it isn't," she answered truthfully before leaning against the wall, running a hand over her face before whispering, "why is this happening to me?"

"I need you to tell me the truth."

"At least let me have dinner first."

"Itadakimasu," Mika announced as she dug into the beef curry that had been prepared.

Her grandmother smiled in answer before urging the Kusuriuri to also help himself. Although he preferred to hear the truth from Mika, his stomach was almost begging for him to eat, and he didn't regret it as he tasted the food. It was the first cooked meal he had had in a long time and it was more delicious than he could recall a curry being. Mika smiled slightly as he ate gratefully.

"So tell me, do you go by any other name than Kusuriuri?" her grandmother asked as she ate her own curry.

"I have no other name or title," he answered honestly, after all it had been so long since he had had company other than his other self, it was a welcome change to have someone to converse with, "although I can no longer sell my medicines."

"You have a point, we shall have to find you a new name then. Have you ever wanted to be called something?"

He paused mid bite to stare slightly surprised before setting his fork down slowly, "I...have never thought about it."

"What about Makoto?" Mika offered with a small smile.

Despite himself he felt his lips curl upwards in response as he repeated the name that meant 'truth' to himself. Of course her grandmother frowned, wondering aloud if he would have been better with an English name however he had replied it was fine. In truth he quite liked the name. He was surprised by the kindness offered in the household, giving food and a bed that the two inhabitants refused to let him leave without, Mika's argument being that he'd get himself killed in an alley if he left. However there was the still lingering question about what had happened today...the truth of what had happened to her brother that linked with those murders that day. She was proving quite adept at hiding her emotions however he was well experienced in seeing beneath people and their guards. With the meal over, her grandmother bidding them goodnight, Mika showed him to where he could sleep. Immediately as the door was opened, noticing how she hung back slightly, he knew it was her brother's old room even if the photos on the wall were not enough of an indication.

"Well, goodnight Makoto," she smiled slightly at his new name however paused at his look as he stopped her from leaving.

"You have yet to tell me the truth."

"It wouldn't be a very nice bedtime story," he noticed how her eyes avoided his.

"Mika," she almost jumped as his hand tilted her face so that she met his eyes, "if you are in danger from this Mononoke I won't be able to help."

Staring at him with tired blue eyes she finally sighed and gave up. Hesitantly wandering into the room, she sat by Kenshin's desk while he observed her from his standing position. For a moment she said nothing, merely held the pendant round her necklace.

"When I was fifteen my parents and older brother were killed. We were still living in Japan at that point, my parents were going to take us on holiday soon to celebrate Kenshin's top marks in college. It was just like any other day," Mika gripped the pendant tighter in her hand, "Kenshin had given me his protective charm necklace that night because I was scared of the dark...I can't explain it but I knew something was there, something waiting to attack and it did. All I remember is the screams of my parents before Kenshin ran into my room. He blocked the doorway but it did nothing, he protected me...I was alone in the darkness but it couldn't come any closer. It was this damn charm necklace, it had actually protected me but it should have originally been Kenshin's and I hated myself for it for years. When the police finally came it was too late, all three of them were dead, their throats slit and an eye carved into their chests, staring at me...and I was the only one left," Mika took a calming breath as her hands shook lightly, "my grandmother picked me up from custody a few days later and we moved to America, she's always been a believer of Mononoke and demons that's why there's hidden talismans around the whole house...but its back, I know it. It's come back for me and I'll never forgive myself if it hurts my grandmother because of me!"

He stared at her evenly for a while as she tried to calm herself, clearly affected from just the memory. Slowly he knelt in front of her, taking the pendant between his fingers to examine it. The pendant itself didn't look too out of the ordinary, a simple pendant of a white tiger which looked uncannily like a certain feline he once recalled. Was it possible he still protected the memory of Mia? Was Byakko really looking over this woman? He swore he noticed the amber eyes staring up at him flash for a second. Letting go of the pendant he looked up at her eyes.

"I am sorry..."

Oddly she smiled back at him tiredly, "you know it really was...nice to see you again. Even though grandmother takes care of me everything feels a little lonely without a familiar face."