Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Incomplete ❯ Brother? ( Chapter 5 )

*SMALL NOTE*

 

There is a small fault on the last line, I did not write `TOhHHHHDNBFGISDBGJWSBGV sacdjcbsajbcsa' please try to ignore it. Arigato.

 

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“He should be alright now.” Said Hatori reassuringly as he removed the needle from Koutsu's arm. Tohru was kneeling with Koutsu's head on her knees, holding an icepack to his forehead.

 

“What was it for?” asked Mikaku, who had been sitting from a distance observing.

 

“Just something to bring his temp down and ease his breathing difficulties.” Said Hatori looking at Koutsu.

 

“He…has quite a lot wrong with him doesn't he?” Mikaku giggled.

 

“Good `ol Koutsu! Anything to be a bother…I know he may not look it…but he's actually very sickly.” He said, kneeling down beside him and rubbing his arm. Mikaku didn't claim to be very close to Koutsu, but there was a bond. Tohru removed the icepack and stroked his hair.

 

“Will he be okay Hatori-san?” She asked timidly. Hatori smiled and nodded, he then squinted at Koutsu's left hand and took it in his own.

 

“This isn't bandaged very well…and it's filthy. Do you mind if I change it?” he asked Mikaku. He frowned for a moment and then shook his head.

 

“I…um…don't recommend it. If I'd known it was that bad I would have changed it myself.” He said, scratched his cheek. But Hatori wasn't paying attention, he was already unwrapping the bandaging to reveal the hand.

 

“Uh!” Mikaku squeaked, trying to stop him, but he had already revealed the hand, and a nasty wound. Hatori stared at the deep gash on Koutsu's hand, and then he brought his medical kit closer to him, rummaging in it for something. He retrieved a small glass bottle with a milky liquid, a cotton pad and bandages. He rubbed on the liquid with a cotton ball and then applied the cotton pad. Mikaku was staring in grief at Koutsu.

 

“What…have you been doing to yourself…?” He murmured quietly. Tohru gently laid Koutsu's head down and stood, walking over to Mikaku.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“If…if anything happens to the symbol on our hands, we can't transform. It's only temporary though, it will always heal, no matter what we do to it. He even tried to burn it off once…” Tohru brought her hand to her mouth, horrified that someone could so that to themselves.

 

“But…But why?” she asked, quietly.

 

“It's…sort of difficult. You see, Koutsu-san has been…abused quite badly in the past. His parents were unloving to him, but his older and young brother were both given much love and praise. It hurt his self esteem considerably. He was…how you say…the `runt' of the litter, so they just disowned him. It's because he was weak and needed special care, they couldn't cope. So anyway, his older brother was…well…to say the least soul destroying. He would tease him, say horrible things to him, and force him to watch or hear things that scared him. Koutsu-san had a healthy fear of spiders when he was younger, and for fun, his brother collected hordes of garden spiders and released them into a small closet, and then he forced Koutsu-san into the closet and locked it. We could hear him screaming from the shrine….” Whispered Mikaku, his face was pained and pale. Tohru felt tears welling in her eyes; she couldn't understand how his own brother could do such a thing.

 

“The disturbing thing was that when he found him he was pressed against the door, howling with laughter. It was…sad. When we got Koutsu-san out he was never the same, he didn't speak for 2 weeks after it, and hardly ate. He faints when he sees spiders now. But…that's not the worst thing his brother has ever done. The reason for hating his Zodiac form…was also caused by him. He…well first he made him transform, and then he grabbed him by the tail and threw him violently across the room, he had done it five times before anyone came to see what all the noise was about. He broke almost every bone in his body. Something happened to his tail…we're not sure what, but now when he transforms it drags limply…something to do with severed nerves apparently.” He said in a ponderous tone, his eyes still locked on Koutsu.

 

“And…” he began. “That's…not the only thing. You see, his brother is our family doctor- I know, having him as the one who helps us seems ironic -but anyway, we used to call him here for Koutsu-san because he gets sick a lot. There was something he did…we don't know what…but whenever he was alone with him he did something, and when he self Koutsu-san would be mortified. He begged us never to call him again. He never tells us what his brother did all those times, I suppose it's up to him whether he tells or not…”

 

“But…why does he hate his form?”

 

“It makes him feel vulnerable and weak, he gets afraid and goes berserk when he transforms, and it's not pretty…”Mikaku yawned and walked over to Koutsu, kneeling down and holding his now bandaged hand. He looked up at Hatori wearily and smiled.

 

“He'll be okay right?”

 

“Hai, he'll be fine. There was a minor infection in the wound, but the antiseptic I put on it should take care of it.” He said smiling, he then turned his attention to Tohru, walking to her and placing his hand on her head.

 

“You've grown taller, Honda-chan.” He said giving her a small pat. Tohru smiled widely and nodded.

 

“A little.” Hatori looked back to Koutsu for a moment and then turned back.

 

“Is he the Dragon of the Zodiac?” he asked gently. Tohru cried out happily, If Hatori feels that he's the Dragon child, and then it must be true!

 

“Hai, he is. He's not especially proud of it though.” Whispered Mikaku, trying not to wake him. Hatori looked slightly confused by this, but decided it was best not to ask. Beads of sweat had begun to form on Koutsu's forehead, his skin was clammy and his cheeks pink. He moaned.

 

“Oi, he doesn't seem to be much better.”

 

“Hai…the fever is quite bad. He'll just need to ride it out; I've done all I can.” He said flatly, moving away from Tohru. He then stopped and looked up, turning around and giving Tohru a small card with number on it.

 

“It's my home phone number, just in case you need help and I'm not at the surgery.” Tohru took it from him and smiled, showing him out of the house.

 

 

 

“How long…was I out for?” asked Koutsu groggily. It had been almost a day since he collapsed. A lot of people had been over to see him, for him being as unloved as Mikaku had described. Koutsu rose slowly, holding his throbbing head.

 

“I hate…summers…” he said dizzily. Tohru knelt down beside him and smiled, feeling his forehead.

 

“You're temperature is away now.” She said still smiling widely. Koutsu stared at her for a moment and averted his eyes.

 

“Why…are you here? Why did you come back?” he asked quietly, almost as if he were asking himself.

 

“I needed to make sure you were alright, I was…I'm sorry.” Koutsu turned to her, slightly shocked.

 

“Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong.”

 

“I…just feel responsible. I'm sorry if…I made you angry-or I gave the wrong impression! Kyo is just a friend, he's married actually.” She said. Koutsu locked his eyes onto hers, surrounding them in a deep dark mist, only able to see one another.

 

“Why are you stating this to me? Did you think I was jealous or something?”

 

“I…I was just concerned, you…were looking at us strangely.”

 

“Hai…I thought that maybe you were a couple…it…saddened me.”

 

“Wh-Why?”

 

“I'm not sure, but when I saw you two together it made me feel sort of lonely.”

 

“I see! Well, we're not together, and, I'm lonely too!”

 

“So…?”

 

“It means we can be lonely together!”

 

“Don't you mean `we can be in good company together' Tohru-san?” The illusion was suddenly broken, the mist surrounding the two fading, so that the light seeped into their vision. The voice Tohru had heard belonged to Senji, who was standing in the doorway of Koutsu's room. He grinned and sat down in front of Koutsu.

 

“I got you gra-a-apes!” he exclaimed happily, shoving the bag of fruit in front of Koutsu's face.

 

“I hate grapes, you know I hate grapes.”

 

“Eh? Oh well! More for me!” he said as he began to consume the small round fruit.

 

-Idiot

-He he, he's funny though

 

-No he's just dumb

 

-Koutsu-san, calm down, you'll get another fever.

 

“Oi! These are great! Next time you get sick I'm definitely going to get you these again!” TOhHHHHDNBFGISDBGJWSBGV sacdjcbsajbcsa