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Chapter Text

Kochou's short figure stood motionless, her pale, purple gradient eyes seemingly staring through the window of the Butterfly Mansion. To the eye of an observer, she'd seemingly be admiring something outside, why else would she be staring at a window? But in reality, well, Shinobu was basically staring into the abyss. She was waiting for something to happen, perhaps she would be sent on a mission or something of the sort, she might even be getting a patient. But, for now, almost nothing was on Kocho's mind. Well, nothing but the pain that she was constantly thinking about already.

Climbing over the fence around the back of the Butterfly Mansion, Muichiro tried to clear his head.
Go to the manor and ask for help, Muichiro kept repeating his mind. Normally he would have walked around to the gate but time was of the essence. Praying that Shinobu was not home, he landed on the slick wet grass. It was hard enough to need help. It would be worse if a fellow pillar had to see him like this. If luck was on his side, it would only be the butterfly staff. Hell, maybe no one would be home and he could simply take what he needed and do it himself. The moon was high, the weather cold and damp as he walked.
The cold damp wetness of the world lay in sharp contrast to the hot sticky blood running down onto green blades of grass, staining them a rich crimson. Unwillingly, he dropped to his hands and knees a few feet from the door. The world spun before Muichiro as he saw drops of blood drip from his mouth to the earth.

Shinobu's eyes immediately began to focus, seeing movement linger along the window.
Who was here? What were they doing? Upon closer inspection the Pillar noticed that it wasn't just a random Demon Slayer.. that was Muichiro Tokitou the youngest hashira. Those blue-ish tips definitely separated him from others, it made it easy for Kocho to distinguish who he was.
What is he doing here? Does he perhaps need something from me? Shinobu's question was immediately answered when the figure illuminated by the moon toppled over onto the porch of the Mansion. He was in horrible condition. A gasp escaped her lips, there was no time to be wasted, especially when it was a Hashira in this condition.
Shinobu practically ran out the door, prying it open and escaping to the hallway. She was shocked, she had never seen Muichiro in such a state. Other Hashira had been through severe injuries, but for the most part the Mist Pillar had held his own. Even with his young age, he always managed to avoid serious injury during battle. What had happened to him?
Nevermind that, she'd have to ask him once he had recovered. There was almost no one else occupying the mansion at the moment, no one to see Shinobu running through the hallways.

Finally reaching the entrance of the mansion, Shinobu practically busted the door open, kneeling down to Muichiro. She could only try to carry him on her own, but if trying was the only thing she could do, then she'd do it. She would force her weak arms to hold him, she had to be able to carry him, there wasn't anyone else around.
"Tokitou-Kun, Tokitou-Kun??"
She shook the kneeling figure, trying to see if he could respond to her in his current state,
"Muichiro, can you hear me???"

Who is speaking? Muichiro thought. The world slid in and out of focus like a penglem on a great clock. The only time he could make sense of anything was right in the middle. The swaying world, however, rarely stayed mercifully still. Uh, there was that talking again. Who was that? Looking down at his torn clothes he saw the wound going straight through his chest. He would have liked to say his trouble breathing was only due to the wound and not the memory of how he got it. Aggressively he began to try and wipe the blood that was not his own off him. It burned like hot coals on his skin. Unaware that, perhaps, the burning was from him scratching at a massive open wound that was desperately trying to close itself, he continued.
Hands from an unknown source grasped him in an attempt to get him to stop. He tried to fight against them but found they were way too strong for him.

Applying pressure to a wound would help the bleeding stop, obviously, but Muichiro was basically just rubbing dirt into it. Kocho firmly held his hands away every time he clawed at the gaping wound, "Quit it. You're going to get it infected." Her tone was serious, an absolute "I will take no shit from you" tone, but it didn't take away from the strong look of worry on her face,
"Take deep, sharp breaths. Don't suck in too much air, and if you do on accident, breathe out slower. Focus on your breathing, don't let the burning from the wound get to you."

The iron grip he perceived was not, in reality, strong at all; he was, simply, very weak. For a few more moments he struggled, uncharacteristically uncoordinated, against his perceived captor. Eventually, his will to fight failed and Muichrio slumped down accepting the will of whoever was holding him.
After calming a bit, he became aware that the kind but distant voice he heard was coming from the mouth of the person who held his arms. Slowly he lifted his gaze till his misty blue eyes met the gaze of an ally, Shinobu Kocho. A million things raced through his mind to say. Did he apologize for acting so embarrassingly or ask for help? Maybe he could brush this off and get her to leave. All he managed to say however was,
“Kocho,” and cough specks of blood in her direction.

She carefully slid one of his arms onto her shoulder, wrapping it around her neck.
"Tokitou-Kun, please. This is very concerning for me, I've never seen you in a state like this before. Is it okay for me to begin moving? Nod or shake your head, don't speak if it hurts."

Shinbou was saying something, he was sure of it, but she might as well have been talking in another language. Did she have to have been here? He had full intention to get out as soon as possible but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. She wanted him to move. He wanted nothing more than not to move. Every motion sent a spike of pain into him and he was trying very hard not to puke on her beautiful butterfly haori.
Assuming that Muichiro couldn't do even as much as move his head, Shinobu assumed that she might as well just try to get back to the recovery room. Shinobu re-entered the Mansion, closing the door as best as she could behind her- even though both of her arms were being weighed down by Muichiro.
The door was left extremely loose, but she'd just have to come back and close it later. Shinobu sighed, she knew she was basically talking to a brick wall, but she still liked talking, regardless of lacking a response.
"By the small chance you can hear me, I'm glad that you came here, even if you wanted to avoid me. Please, don't by any means think that this is embarrassing. I'm always happy to help. And, I will keep your injuries- no matter how severe- between us, if possible."
Of course, Shinobu didn't know if that was actually the case, but considering how she had been previously avoided by some of the other Hashira out of embarrassment, it wasn't completely out of the question. It was rare that she got to treat the Hashira, and that was one of the reasons why. Shinobu's words and thoughts seemed to fill the empty hallway she carried Muichiro.
Trying to get his legs to cooperate he attempted to get his footing. The ground below appeared to just be moving too fast. Clearing his mind he remembered something vital, breathing techniques. Pushing off of Shinobu he began to use Mist form one. It did not matter which one he used as he was not trying to fight; he was trying to stand up. Almost immediately he felt its effect. Wobbly though he may be, he was on two legs. With all the dignity he could muster while looking like a strong breeze could annihilate him, he stated, “Sorry to bother you but I need a bit of...help. I am fine though if you are too busy.”
The last bit slurred a little as if his words themselves were trying to make fun of him saying he was fine.

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“Muichiro, using breathing techniques like this is not sustainable. While it's good that you're standing up on your own, eventually you'll just collapse again, please use me for at least a little bit of support."
Shinobu gave a light smile, looking over at him. She was quite surprised that Muichiro could even use breathing techniques in such a state, perhaps his lungs were untouched despite the hole being in his mid-chest area, "And, I'd be happy to help you. Please, rely on me anytime, I heavily doubt that I'll be busy," it did make Shinobu a little happy though, he had openly asked for help from her.. that was a big step up from his previous actions of clawing at his wounds.
Feeling the power of his technics coursing through his body Muchiro felt much less vulnerable. He decided that Shinobu was clearly wrong and he could do this for however long he pleased (with no repercussions).
"Thank you for the offer of help, but I will be fine. I just need to borrow a couple of your things then I will be on my way." His voice was borderline patronizing. He spoke to her like she was the child in this situation. Standing at a whopping five foot three inches with the stature of a twig, this interaction would have been comical had he not been currently staining her floor with his blood.
"If you would not mind, do you think you could have my uniform washed and mended? I have heard that Takada is an absolute master at patching up these things."

He quickly and un-carefully removed his uniform keeping on the simple pants he wore underneath. Dropping the bloody, dirty, and ripped garment on the ground like it was covered in poison, his wound was finally revealed. A large hole straight through his lower lung area appeared to still have a large wooden spike looking to be crudely carved by a demon as a weapon. Both ends of the once much longer stake were severed cleanly (no doubt by the mist hashira's blade). Around this, however, was a cobweb of poorly healed wounds, scars and scabs; clearly treated by an un-artful hand with no medical experience. Some of the old wounds still had carelessly placed stitches in them that had practically become a part of the patchwork that was his body. Muichiro was under the impression that this was just fine and Shinobu might just let him go on his way now that he was standing on his own. All he prayed was that she would help him remove the scent of another's blood from his body and clothes.

"Listen here, Muichiro. I'm only going to say this once, and I'm going to say it nicely. I'm not your 'clothes washer' or delivery girl, I'm a pharmacist and medic. You're going to sit down and let me help you, or you're going to end up bleeding out and being found dead, you are not going to be on your way until I let you go." With a nonchalant smile on her face, her voice was laced with a sweet tone dripping with poison, perhaps the Wisteria poison she used to kill demons. Shinobu didn't quite like threatening people- especially her peers but it was, at times, necessary especially for rather stubborn people like Muichiro,
"You will collapse again when you reach your stamina's limit, please be sure to crawl to the recovery room so I can help you. Oh, and by the way, would you mind cleaning up my floors while you're at it? Since you're completely fine walking like this and all." Shinobu was miffed at Muichiro’s attitude. Here he was seriously injured but acting all high and mighty.

The shift her tone took was clear to Muichiro and a hard lump of guilt settled in his throat. He became painfully aware that he insulted Shinobu, despite her showing him more kindness in the last couple of minutes than many had shown him in his whole life.
“I am sorry, please forgive me Kocho-senpai,” he bowed deeply, forgetting his wound.

One half of him loved the care she was showing him, a tenderness gone from his world since his mother’s death. The other part of him just wanted to bury his face and run away in shame.

“Please direct me to where you would like me to sit. I was wrong to direct you to tell your staff to do anything for me.” he conceded.
“When you give the ok I will simply burn my uniform. I will ask my crow to send a formal request for a new one. I...do not wish to be near it any longer.,” Muichiro confessed. He would have finished this statement with a bow had he not begun to already feel his breathing power fading.

Shinobu did feel a little bad about her words, her smile had faded for a split second, but she was quick to cover it up and clasp her hands together.
"Thank you for listening, Tokitou-Kun. I do appreciate your cooperation dearly.."
A moment of silence passed by, Shinobu's smile sitting on her face while she patiently stared at Muichiro, before reaching down to grab the clothes that he had dropped on the floor. Setting them on the side of the bed, Shinobu glanced back at Muichiro,
"Please lie down here, I'll treat you from here on. It may sting a little bit, but please try not to flinch or move when I begin." She paused, "I apologize for being a bit harsh with you, what I said was a little bit uncalled for," it was rare for Shinobu to apologize, but she did feel like it was appropriate in the current situation.

He made an attempt not to recoil when the clothes were placed next to him on the bed but knew that he was not very subtle at that moment. With a hiss he lay on his back. His anticipation felt much worse than any pain Shinobu’s care could cause. Ever since becoming a pillar, unbeknownst to many, he had treated every wound he had received in battle himself. He wondered if she could tell that his ability to dress and clean was amature at best. Whether it be laying on a dying fire to cauterize a bleeding wound on his back or stitching a deep cut he had once got while sparring with Sanemi he had treated everything himself up to this point. He felt vulnerable, and way out of his depth.

The hole in Muichiro's chest, upon closer inspection, was a mess. A half-assed job was made to heal it either that, or it just wasn't done by someone professional, to say the least. Oh well, as soon as she treated it, she was sure that Muichiro would be feeling a lot better. Stepping away for a second, Shinobu returned with a damp rag. She lightly applied pressure; she was, unfortunately, required to press down in order to suppress the bleeding, though she was going to do it as gently as possible.
"It's going to hurt, again, sharp breaths,"

“Thank you for the warning Kocho but, I know it may be hard to see,” his voice strained slightly, “There is a wooden stake in there and I...couldn’t get it out on my own. I tried to pull it out but ended up just having to cut myself free of the longer ends and come here.”
He tried not to let the panic he faced when receiving this wound seep into his voice.
“I just couldn’t pull myself free.”

While Shinobu was surprised to hear this, her face remained the same, her patient smile beamed down on Muichiro. She wanted to at least try to prevent him from feeling stressed. It was good that he had told her. She would've noticed eventually,
"Please tell me how all of this happened, from the very beginning.." Her plan was to hope that talking would distract him from the pain it'd take to pull the stake out. Hopefully, it would work. Usually, Muichiro was oblivious to most things, so perhaps this wouldn't be too bad.

An almost imperceptible hint of defensiveness entered his voice,
“I was fighting a demon and they stabbed a large wooden weapon through me into the ground. I got careless, that is all. The demon hung around to taunt me unaware of how close today it was. I used my blade to cut a tree letting the light in and the demon died. After that, I tried to pull myself loose and could not. I then cut both ends of the stake and made my way here.” He told the story very bluntly and shortly.
“Is that all you needed to know?” He looked back into her ever-smiling face.

For a second, Shinobu wondered if Muichiro was telling the truth or not. She decided that it didn't really matter. This was just to draw his attention away, and she needed a bit of a longer response from him,
"In-depth, please... Tell it to me as if you were telling me a bedtime story," she said as she inspected the wound to see where the stake was. Ah, it was right in the center. The stake was bigger than expected. About the size of the palms of Muichiro’s hands, Shinobu could barely see it due to all of the blood. Even for an unshakable pillar, it was a bit hard to take in. It was really deep in there and too big to be removed by tweezers. She would have to pull it out with her hands. Slowly hovering over the wound with one of her hands, Shinobu waited for Muichiro to continue before she began pulling.

The slight hint of defensiveness increased till it was no longer slight as he spoke,
“I told you what happened already, do you really need another recount?” Muichrio would rather talk about pretty much anything but the full truth of what happened after the sun rose that day. He would rather explain in great detail the story of any of his other wounds. This was just not something he wanted to remember, let alone talk about. Was she asking this because she knew he told only half the truth? Her great big moonlike eyes gave him no clue of what she was truly thinking.
“The demon was not too powerful. It was very large but not very fast. It is dead and was not strong enough to be close to Muzan.” He hoped these extra facts about the demon would satisfy her and she would stop asking questions.
“I was just careless, that is all.”

Muichiro did have sort of a reason to be annoyed, so Shinobu didn't let it phase her much. Only listening to what he had to say from then on, she made sure to take advantage of it when he began speaking.
Slowly, she began pulling the stake from his chest, continuing even after he had finished talking,
"Please keep your eyes up at mine. If I recall, you were only injured from a tree that had been cut during battle? And, thank you for the additional information involving Muzan.. it's always good to mark encounters with demons that may or may not have potential relation to Muzan," She spoke, continuing to pull the stake.
Just continue to run your mouth. Continue the conversation, no matter how forced it may be. Shinobu repeated in her mind.

"No, I was injured by a demon who used large stakes as weapons. I cut a tree to let the sunlight in after I got injured and while the demon was…” Muichiro never finished his sentence as pain exploded in his chest. Shinobu’s delicate hands had drifted down to his wound and were now removing the stake.

Immediately, he involuntarily tried to get away, flailing un-coordinately under the bite of the pain. A high-pitched, wild scream filled his ears. Unaware this scream was his, he tried to focus on Shinobu’s eyes like she had told him to. Every time he felt like he was holding her gaze black dots scurried across his vision. He could feel cold sweat pouring off him as he desperately continued his unwinnable battle with consciousness.

Chapter Text

It truly did hurt to watch Muichiro flailing around, but she did have to get the stake out if she didn't want the wound to worsen. She wished she could say that this was hurting her to do this as much as this was hurting him, but that would be a lie and she knew it.

"Keep talking to me.. Deep breaths, control your focus... focus on me.." She paused for a split second trying to think of what might draw his focus,
"My mistake, I may have misheard you. Though you do need to be more careful, you did say that this demon wasn't close to Muzan. So it couldn't have been an Upper Moon,"
Shinobu yet again paused, still pulling slowly at the stake but also giving him a chance to respond or, at least, take in what she was saying.
"What happened? Was there anything giving you a disadvantage that caused your injury?"

“I told you I just was careless and didn’t notice him,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
“I am not as skilled as you or the other pillars. I was clumsy and stupid...I...” he was once again cut off by a scream.

By now any pattern to his breathing was gone. Tears of pain and panic brimmed his eyes. Trying unsuccessfully to calm himself he coughed up tiny splatters of blood onto her porcelain doll-like face.

Immediately, Shinobu stopped. Moving her hands to the sides of the wound rather than continuing to pull at it she grabbed a cloth. (not the soaked one she used to suppress his wound's bleeding)
She wiped her hands, and face, off before setting it back down. Her hands moved up to Muichiro's face to gently wipe his tears away.
She had expected a little too much from him. He was oblivious, yes, and a strong young boy but he was also still a child.
He made that fact easy for the other pillars to forget with his stoic airheaded nature and fighting skills.
“You aren't clumsy and stupid, Muichiro... You are the Mist Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. No matter how “clumsy and stupid” you may see yourself, it doesn't take away from how strong you had to be to achieve such a rank. Let Alone in two months! The other Pillars and I have gone through training much, much longer than you.
You are just as skilled as us, if not more," Shinobu paused, staring at him for a second. The smile she usually had fallen off her face, but Muichiro didn't seem to notice.
Without her knowing, Shinobu quoted her sister’s wisdom,
“You are only human, you aren't a Demon who can instantly grow back a limb or two.
Embrace it, you are a strong, strong human"

This reprieve had given him a chance to recoup and breath. Shinobu’s kind words plunged him deeper into guilt.
Would she say the same thing if he told her the truth? Would she even still want to help him?
Muichiro pushed this to the back of his mind for something much more pressing was taking up his thoughts. The massive stake was now about halfway out giving him room to grip it with his hands and yank it free.

Shinobu’s gentle hands were still holding his face, purple eyes locked to his.
The thought of that blood-soaked stake in him for any longer was torture. He was going to take it out.

Muichiro’s hands, slightly shaking, wrapped tightly around the wood. Eyes still locked with Shinobu’s calming face, he spoke,
voice monotone and flat,

“Please grab the rag Kocho-senpai.”
With those words and a great effort, he abruptly yanked it free.

Shinobu was a little shocked, seeing as Muichiro had just yanked the stake out.
Almost without a reaction, he was like a completely different person than before. No, not like a person at all. It was like he shut his mind off.

At least it was out now. Nodding, Shinobu pulled her hands away and grabbed the rag, placing it back over the wound,
"Is it alright for me to press down?" she wanted to make sure, she always wanted to make sure.
Regardless of if what Muichiro said was the truth, Shinobu didn't lie in her words; she wanted to help him. Even if what he said wasn't true, that didn’t discard the fact that he became a Hashira so quickly and fought demons with such skill.

“Yeah you probably should press down, I think I may pass out soon.” He said this in a strangely calm voice, “There was one more thing I thought was important to tell you but I can’t remember what it was.” A slight chuckle escaped his lips,
“I guess it was not that important, huh.” Even now he could feel blood pouring freely out of his wound and soaking the bed below him.

He supposed it had not occurred to him that the stake was keeping the blood in and if he had just pulled it hours ago, he would have bled out on the spot. He also became aware of just how violently he had pulled at the wood now laying in a puddle of his blood on the floor.

“M-Maybe I should have let you do that,” he slurred. Quickly getting distracted and losing his train of thought he asked,
“Do you think you could burn my uniform for me? That would be nice.”
Shinobu was talking again, but it sounded like she was deep underwater, or maybe he was underwater and she was talking to him? Muichiro could feel a frostbitten feeling in his limbs, consciousness began to slide away from him.

He could almost feel the freezing blue on his lips and fingers.
Muichiro felt incredibly nauseous and cold, it was like he was trying to grab fog with his hands. This time he felt that he would for sure go to sleep.
What was she saying, was sleeping going to hurt him? Was it bad?

Something about Muichiro was off.
He was definitely passing out from blood loss.
“Shit!” Shinobu would have to work a little faster than before. Nodding in response to his first words, Shinobu began pressing down on the wound, the rag immediately wet with hot, sticky blood. It was good that Muichiro was brave and all, but he really shouldn’t have done so without her help!
"Don't worry about your uniform, I'll take care of it. Relax a bit, try breathing, please." Shinobu went into a bit of a panic, not enough to where it would reduce her performance, but to where the thought of, “What if he really didn't wake up after this?” crossed her mind.

No, Shinobu was right about her words earlier, she was confident in her medical skills. Muichiro is strong, and she is a professional.. that's why things will be alright. Looking back at the rag, it was completely soaked.
Shit, that meant the bleeding was a lot more intense than what she initially thought. It was a large wound, but she genuinely didn't expect such fast bleeding from it.
Perhaps it was due to Muichiro's impatience when pulling the stake out.
Either way, she'd deal with it.

Right, it was nothing she couldn't handle. Getting a different, clean, rag and pulling a liquid bottle from her desk, Shinobu poured it on the rag. Similar to a sort of disinfectant like polyhexanide it also helped stem the bleeding.
Since Muichiro had slipped unconscious while she worked, he probably wouldn't feel the burning of the liquid when it disinfected the wound. Shinobu at first hovered over the exposed flesh before beginning. Lightly patting it over and over the blood was being absorbed slower than before, good. That could mean that the bleeding was slowing down, or, at least, being suppressed for now.

Chapter Text

Eyes now completely shut, Muichiro felt so tired. Shinobu was still speaking, but it felt ever so far away. Muichiro, now letting his mind wander through the dark, slipped away from the conscious world.
Vaguely, he could feel some pain but it was far off as if it was happening to someone else.
His weird dream-like trance began as vague shapes and colors dancing and swirling around. They dipped and swayed as if in a ritual of some sort.
Slowly, a large tan and black shape formed out of it, it was beginning to get closer to him. All of the other colors sunk into the background as the approaching colors morphed into a shape, a face. The shape that was now a face smiled a gentle smile and laughed a gentle laugh. It wasn’t a laugh to make fun of him, it was just very soft, soothing. This face, it was friendly, helpful, and in pain?
The expression was beginning to morph into one of anguish, the happy expression seeming to melt like ice.
Now above Muichiro, blood poured from its mouth and from the dark vacuum of air that formerly represented the sky above.
Muichiro thought he was temporarily saved. The sun emerged from the horizon, causing this thing to fade into dust and it crumbled, like a demon. But it was not a demon. It’s skin burned and curled like paper screams filled the air. The crimson blood began to dry and clump up becoming a sticky, thick goo trapping him down.
It was pulling him down, it was crushing him. He couldn’t get out. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t get out!

Vaulting up over the side of the bed, Muichiro vomited harshly. Blood and bile mostly came up as he wretched. Not much more escaped from the boy’s blue lips. Blue of cold, but also blue of fear.
His expression was one of pure terror; he was petrified. Muichiro was left shaking and sweating from the nightmare. He was trying his best to regain his breath, to calm down, to not worry Shinobu.

"..!”
Frozen, Shinobu was frozen in place. Muichiro had regained consciousness, yes, but at what cost? The rag was immediately yanked away, seeing that Muichiro had awoken.
Shinobu didn't want to cause him further pain than he had already endured from the disinfectant in case that was what had woken him up. Though it probably wasn't needed any longer anyway, she probably had held it down for long enough. The rag had soaked up blood, but it wasn't completely soaked, so it told Shinobu that Muichiro was probably ready for stitches. Shinobu still thought that she should wait though he had literally just thrown up. Shinobu reached over to maybe tap his shoulder, but her hand stopped, instead just hovering over him.
"Are you alright, Muichiro? Please take a second to relax, I won't continue until you've calmed down."

Muichiro was still shaking intensely. His hands had balled into such tight fists his knuckles were white. Normally he didn’t dream, let alone have nightmares with such vivid, vivid terrors.
With his eyes widened, having sort of a feral look to them, Muichiro could still feel the heavy pressure on his chest. The horrid sound of gasping was replacing his breathing altogether. His hands reached to his throat, trying to prevent himself from coughing. Calming down seemed impossible until the sweet, sweet voice of Shinobu broke through his panic. He was slowly able to begin to ground himself. The recovery room slowly came back into focus. That’s right, he was with Shinobu at the butterfly mansion, safe, away from that thing he had seen.
Slowly, he released his fists, noticing several shallow half-moon-shaped cuts from digging his nails into his palm, oops. Muichiro felt like he really had to stop acting like this in front of her. It wasn’t like he was some six year old, he was a Hashira for the love of God. His breathing was now normal.
Well, as normal as someone with a hole in their chest could breathe. He parted his lips, only now beginning to speak again
“Thank you for your patience. Sorry for making a mess on your floor... again.”

"Take your time to get yourself together. It isn't a problem at all, Muichiro." That smile of hers grew back like a weed... It was rare to see her take it off, but you'd miss it if it wasn't on. Though, her look was a bit toned down, soft... As if it were meant to bring others at peace. It wasn't as forced as most of her other smiles, but it did show genuine care for Muichiro. Personally, Shinobu saw nothing wrong with the other's behavior. He was severely wounded, and his body probably wasn't reacting too well to it. It wasn't inappropriate or embarrassing, because everyone was going to have moments. It was inevitable, but Shinobu didn't know if speaking up about it would make things better or worse.
Perhaps he was feeling just fine right now too, and she was just making assumptions. Who knew... for now, Shinobu was just going to keep things on the low.

“I guess it does not matter,” Muichiro began, “but do you think you will be stitching this or cauterizing it?” Despite still reeling from his nightmare, something about Shinobu made him feel safe. The adrenaline his dreams had given him was quickly wearing off. Pain and exhaustion crept back into panic’s place. Somewhat against his will, his head lulled against the pillow below him. Despite laying back his eyes remain open. He had no intention of going back to sleep.
“Kocho-senpai do you think you could not let me fall back to sleep again?”

"I will be stitching the wound. And, you'd like me to keep you up? I'll try my best to do so without disrupting you too much."
What had happened to him when he fell unconscious? Something about Muichiro's eyes... no, in Muichiro's eyes. They reeked of fear, he might even look terrified. Something told Shinobu that if he did fall asleep again he would wake up immediately. The look of fear in his unnaturally dilated pupils sent chills down Shinobu's spine, it worried her quite a bit.
What did he see? Whatever he saw, Shinobu would try her best to make sure he didn't see it again.

“Thank you,” he began, “I appreciate it. Is there anything else I can do to make this easier for you?”
It had been some time since he had stumbled into her backyard and the horizon began to show a lighter hue. For a demon slayer, the sun was a respite and safe haven from the terrors of the night. You would think the sun would bring Muichiro comfort as well but all it brought was a reminder. Sometimes words do not need to be spoken for communication to be made. Eyes retreating to pinpricks his hands gripped the bloodstained blanket below him. Shinobu was no longer right beside his bed; he felt the lack of her soothing presence. Despite her only being a few feet away grabbing the items she needed to stitch up his wound, he wished she would return.

"Don't worry about anything, just try your best to stay still during the stitches, okay?" It wasn't too long before Shinobu returned to Muichiro with the materials she required to stitch him up, along with some bandages to cover it after.
Similarly, Shinobu had noticed the sun rising as she had a better view of the window than Muichiro. She simply admired the orb rising from the horizon before her attention turned back to Muichiro.
"Let me know when you're comfortable enough for me to begin,"

"I am ready to begin right now," fake confidence filled Muichiro's voice, "There is no point waiting."
A shiver hit him once again and he shook slightly. It felt like ice was growing on his fingers and toes. The weather could not have been that cold but he felt freezing. Wanting to ask Shinobu for a blanket, he instead remained silent. Not wanting to see the sun he focused his eyes down to his lap.
Shinobu quickly picked up on other's movements. How cold he seemed. She decided, to herself, that she'd hand the other a blanket once she was finished. But for now, she was only getting started.
Using a thin needle, Shinobu pricked the skin around Muichiro's wound and began the process of stitching. She moved rather quickly, but not quick enough for her to mess up.

Amazed by Shinobu’s incredible deftness and skill, Muichiro barely felt the needle sewing closed his wound. Every stitch was perfectly even in size and quick as lightning. It was mesmerizing to watch and he felt like he could behold her skill forever had he not been interrupted by an involuntary shudder. He could feel the needle catch as he shook. Trying to not shiver he found his pulse to be very fast. His brow was damp with sweat despite feeling cold as ice.

“Kocho-senpai,” he said quietly,
“I have felt this way before, not as severely, but it still was kind of bad. Sorry, I know you must know this already but I just kind of feel better saying it.” With this he paused, brows knitted together like he was trying to think. Eyes shut but still fully awake he spoke,
“I think I am going into shock.”

Chapter Text

Shock? No, it couldn't be.
Shit!
A mental panic was set off by default, hearing the mere word “shock.” Shinobu didn't expect things to get this bad, for it to even get near this bad. There was a name for this. A name that only Shinobu, due to her medical training, was familiar with.. Hypovolemic shock. How could she be such a fool! Shinobu didn’t have the faintest clue how long he had been bleeding! Due to this lack of knowledge, she didn’t know exactly how much blood he had lost..
Just what the hell had happened that caused him to bleed so much?
She thought that the bleeding process slowing down would have been enough to help. The gushing of blood when he yanked out the stake must have sent him over the edge. At least she had already finished stitching up his wounds.
Shinobu rushed to a cupboard for a second, returning with a thick blanket and a pillow.
"Tokitou, please raise your ankles a bit. I'll need to elevate your legs above your heart," Shinobu said, before covering him with the blanket. She had noticed the other's shivering previously, but she was already in the middle of stitching him up.
"And, please don't try to push the blanket off, you'll have to keep it on. Please, in the future, tell me when you're feeling ill in advance." Despite the rush of adrenaline Kocho felt, no, she still kept her calm demeanor as if she had the situation completely under control.
She didn’t.
She had only dealt with situations like this once or twice before. She was a lot more of a pharmacist rather than a medic, she felt out of her depths.
But, she would try to help Tokitou with the knowledge that she had.

Muichiro was thankful for the blanket and would never dream of pushing it off- somehow, he had expected to feel warmer right away. Daylight poured into the pleasant room, but he still felt as cold as ice. As Shinobu put a small pillow under his legs, he tried to lift them up to follow her directions. Despite his efforts, he knew that he had done nothing in helping move them. All of his limbs felt heavy as led. He trusted Shinobu, or at least he thought he did.

Feeling so weak was not a predicament he enjoyed. Despite her never giving him any reason not to wholeheartedly trust her, he still felt scared and weak.
Like a child.
Every time his eyelids drooped and fell closed, the blanket turned into something much less benign. It felt like an oppressive crushing pressure. He wanted so desperately to stay out of the reach of his nightmares, it got to the point that his eyes shot back open. The threat of sleep was strong enough to make Muichiro believe he might lose to it.
He could feel panic rising in his voice as tears welled up in his eyes, not yet to fall. Fearing the darkness more than humiliation he asked,
“Shinobu... I don’t want to fall asleep. Please don’t let me fall asleep!”
Now simply tilting his head up, tears silently ran down his cheeks. They made trails and lines as they washed away dirt on his face.
“Shinobu...” he began.
This he never finished, as he dropped silent to let more tears fall down his face.

"Please try to relax, I won't allow you to sleep… I promise. Though I can only do so much to try and keep you awake, I don't want your body temperature to drop any more,"
Shinobu figured that keeping him awake would be better anyways. She didn't yet believe it was safe to sleep just yet. Also he had such a terrible nightmare last time he had thrown up no doubt aggravating his wound.
“Don't panic, Muichiro, I promise I'm here for you. From now on, I will be here to help you. There's nothing to worry about." Her gentle, soft hands began to wipe his face.
Shinobu didn't care that her hands had now gotten covered in dirt and some blood.
"Tell me if you need anything, and I mean anything. I will do everything I can to help you. Lie down and rest, you won't fall asleep, I won't let you," It was likely better to not question what Muichiro had gone through in his sleep. What had made it so traumatic? Why was he behaving this way?

Chapter Text

Without a sound, Muichiro listened to her words. He leaned into her warm, gentle hands as they wiped his tears. It was like he could feel life emanating from her touch. Now, his whole face was nuzzled towards Shinobu, he still couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth- he himself was too upset to think about it.
Muichiro was still cold, but not as freezing as before- he could feel how expertly his injury was closed. It felt much better now that it was stitched by someone professional, rather than himself. For a bit, he just laid there. He really was enjoying her soothing voice and touch. Shinobu really was chasing away his fears and doubts. He really wondered how she was so good at it. Warmth had spread from his face to the rest of him slowly, He spoke softly,
“Thank you Kocho-senpai for all of your help. I really mean it.”

Shinobu still sat beside him, keeping him safe. She was so helpful, friendly... and kind. His misty eyes that had been wandering the room filled with fear and locked to her face above his. Right above his face... The sun illuminated her from behind. He could practically see her blood seeping and dripping down on top of him thick and hot.
Having not properly slept in several days was not helping. Could his nightmares reach him even while awake?
Her very life was being torn away and he was chosen as the sole audience member to witness it.
Jolting up and away from her, tossing blankets as he did so, he stared at her with a wild intensity. There was no blood on her face but the damage was already done.
He could hear his heart screaming in his chest as he gripped at the blankets under his hands. Hunched slightly over he breathed far too quickly with an open mouth. It felt like no matter how hard he breathed he couldn’t get any air. A blurry circle of white and gray gathered around his vision. Unaware this was due to his panic and borderline syncopal condition; he continued to spiral deeper into his fears, no doubt worsening everything.

"Muichiro, please relax- I'm right here!" Shinobu tightly grabbed Muichiro by his shoulders, shaking him gently, trying to get something out of him.
It probably would be better for him to sleep at this point. Paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, and panic or whatever was controlling his fear in sleep, it was reaching him here, too. Shinobu understood that he must've had a pretty horrible nightmare, but maybe he could have a peaceful sleep this time.
She couldn’t bear to see him panic anymore, to cry, to fear. Sleep was essential, regardless of how he felt and now that it was safe to do so he should.
She was originally going to allow him to stay awake, but things were only seeming to get worse and worse as time passed.

What was happening to him? What was tormenting him? Whatever it was, the most she could do was try to comfort him through it.

Tightly, Shinobu pulled Muichiro into a hug, in her best attempt to comfort the boy.
At first he resisted, weak and uncoordinated, she was much more powerful than him at the moment so he was forced to stop. Her arms relaxed a little once she had managed to properly pull him in. She didn't have any intention of letting him go. She simply held him. Muichiro being slightly taller than Shinobu, it was a bit awkward but not enough for her to let go.

"Please lie back down, Muichiro. There's no need to panic, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay? I'm here for you. I'm here to help you. I'll always be here to help you. Take deep breaths..." she softly spoke. Praying her words would soothe him, she wasn't going to stop until she made sure that he was okay.

Steady arms pulled Muichiro into a hug. At first, he fought quite viciously against their pull but soon accepted his fate. Heart still roaring and adrenaline pumping through him he tried to settle his breath.
Every time his rationale would try to take hold, images of Shinobu’s body bleeding out, draped over him, and oozing blood upon him, would rear their ugly heads plunging him back into his panic.
Despite his mind's unwillingness to let him down from this terror, his body was unable to sustain this heightened state. His head dropped down onto Shinobu’s shoulder, all tension leaving him as his adrenaline rush ended.
Now almost completely still, save his panting, his swirling thoughts were interpreted. He could hear her heartbeat calm, steady, and alive.
She would not die. Muichiro would not allow it. Her care and kindness toward him made her vulnerable in his eyes.

“But she is a Hashira! She can keep herself safe and take care of you,” his heart argued to him.
The part of him that needed how kind she was to him wanted so badly to simply let himself be cared for and held like a child. However no matter how strongly he felt his fear was stronger. He was not going to let her help him anymore than a professional doctor would m a patient they had never met. He was not going to let her put herself in danger for him. His mind made and panic subdued he closed himself off to her warmth and love. Still freely offered, he no longer let himself feel her peace. Despite telling himself it was to keep her safe from danger, it was really to keep him safe from his fear and guilt.
Now awareness returned to him. He was still leaning into her chest head draped over her shoulder. He became embarrassingly conscious of the fact he was resting upon a damp patch of his own drool on her haori from breathing so hard with his mouth open.
Had he not been so pale his cheeks would have flushed a deep red. Muichiro also realized that his throat and mouth were painfully dry. Still unmoving he spoke. Muichiro’s voice was raspy, void of emotion, and borderline inaudible due to the vomiting and breathing in a way that would likely be classified as panting or gasping. Had he not been resting his head on her shoulder she probably would not have even heard his request,
“Kocho-senpai may I have some tea or water? My throat… hurts.”

"Of course... Please lie back down while I cover you up with more blankets. We need to keep your body temperature up, okay?" Kocho spoke sweetly, guiding him back to the pillow behind him. While releasing him from her arms, she gave him a bit of a squeeze before completely letting him go.
Was she getting a little attached? Maybe, but that wasn't going to stop her. Kocho followed that up by picking up the blanket that Muichiro had accidentally tossed off, laying it back on top of him gently.
"Oh, and, I'll be back with some soup too. It’s been a while since we've begun, so I think it'd be best if you ate.” Right before Kocho walked off, she had realized that her haori was damp with some drool.
Instead of mentioning it, she simply folded it and set it to the side for now. Rushing off to get what Tokito had requested Kocho was quite quick to return with a few things.

Chapter Text

Shinobu brought another blanket, tea, and as she had stated before, hot soup. Setting down the tea and soup on a side table, Shinobu laid another blanket on top of Muichiro. After doing so, she followed up by setting the soup on his lap leaving the tea on the side table.
It was close enough for Muichiro to reach out for it, but if he needed her to grab it for him, then that was no issue either.
After providing Muichiro with what she had brought back, she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Please eat, and do it slowly. If you'd like me to hand the tea to you, or place the soup back down, let me know."

The mere thought of trying to eat anything almost made Muichiro gag. He declined the soup but was quick to take the tea. It was in a lovely off-white cup with intricate details around the round body. His cold hands wrapped weakly around the hot glass, the glass quickly heating up Muichiro’s palms. His eyes followed steam that slowly drifted from the top of the drink. It reminded him of mist.

As if time had stopped, Muichiro was completely frozen- simply staring down at his tea. Had his eyes not been open, Shinobu would have believed him to be asleep- maybe even dead.

He had full intention of drinking the tea, but he was only now aware of how long he had been staring at the glass. Color brushed his formerly pale cheeks as he pictured what a weirdo he must have looked like- staring down the tea for so long. Gripping the cup a bit firmer, Muichiro began to take tiny sips from the white glass. He would’ve liked to drink more, but this was all he could stomach at the moment. The tea was an absolute wonder to drink; it warmed him up and soothed that parched mouth of his. It mostly tasted of mint and chamomile, but there was a very faint medical taste to the liquid.. Despite not particularly caring, Muichiro decided to ask-
“What did you put in it?”

While he waited for Shinobu’s response, he had spaced out. The drink had almost entirely slipped out of his hand, preparing to spill on not only his lap, but also Shinobu’s wooden floors. This went unnoticed by Muichiro- he was only focusing on Shinobu at the moment.

"There's nothing in the tea. Please don't accuse me of such ill intentions. It's just standard, medicinal tea," She bloated her words a bit- obviously, she wouldn't hesitate to slip anything in there. However, she knew that she had to lie if she didn't want Muichiro to flip out. Keeping him from any panic was crucial, his condition was only now getting better.

"Tokito-Kun, I do hope that you realize that you will eventually have to eat- I don't mind feeding you by the spoonful, really."
Kocho spoke, her words were very lighthearted and airy, but also clear of her intention of getting him to eat.

If Muichiro was less tired, he would’ve noticed how defensive Shinobu was when he asked about the tea as odd. But at the moment, he didn’t think anything of it.
“I wasn’t accusing you of anything, I’m just curious. And, don’t try to spoon-feed me,” The last bit was laced with a small bit of indignance.

Ah, he was going to drop his cup... Shinobu's hands wrapped around Muichiro's, pulling them back up to a safer, spill-free level.

"Please be cautious, I can see that you're very tired." She spoke. Speaking of exhaustion, well, that was sort of how Shinobu had modified tea. She had added a painkiller to the tea, hence the medicinal smell. It wasn't something that would make him go to sleep, per say, but more something that would allow him to rest a bit easier without panic or nightmares.

“I’m not going to fall asleep.” Muichiro retorted with a slight slur to his voice. Somehow oblivious to the absurdity of his plan, he had decided just not to sleep. Perhaps the fact he was so tired contributed to this blatant stupidity.

Persistently, Shinobu lightly bit back at Muichiro.
“Spoon feeding isn't bad, I've actually wanted to try it. But, I'm sure you can eat on your own, right?" she teased a bit, smiling at the other who was still holding his cup,

"Not to mention, you almost dropped your teacup a moment ago. Are you sure you don't need me to feed you, Tokitou?" This time, her words were serious. She suspected that Muichiro might genuinely not be able to eat on his own in his current state.

Shinobu was speaking but he didn’t notice or quite frankly care- sleep was pulling him down now. His thoughts were beginning to blur- eyelids falling shut.

And suddenly,

Smack!

Raising his free hand up, he quite literally smacked the sense back into himself. His thoughts were slowly beginning to return, his eyes wide open.

Just as Shinobu was going to pick the bowl up Shinbou's head snapped to the direction of the sound.
"Don’t be so harsh with yourself, Muichiro,” out of concern, she chastised him. “I understand that you're tired, but, hurting yourself isn't the right way to stay awake-"

“I don’t want your help!” he interrupted her before she finished speaking, “I just want to leave!” A frown had etched its way onto his face as he sat there contemplating his biting words. All of the clarity he had briefly received from slapping his cheek was melting away. Why was he so mean to Shinobu? He was in pain. Despite not feeling like he was freezing to death any longer he still was suffering. Muichiro wanted to yell at Shinobu, scream at her, say he was so sorry, run away, and stay by her side.
Guilt scorched his insides as he bit his lip. He was so angry at Taiga and at Shinobu. He was angry at, no, he was angry with himself.
Intense pain, exhaustion, and harrowing guilt won. He felt his head fall onto what he thought to be Shinobu’s shoulder again. Unable to entirely tell due to tears streaming down his face, Muichiro sobbed. Large tears splashed down and his grip on the cup ceased entirely causing it to tumble out of his hand.

Eventually, he stopped crying because he had unwillingly fallen asleep. While free from nightmares, it was a far cry from peaceful rest. Face still contorted in agony, stray tears dropped even as Muichiro slept.

There was a moment of silence, and that was before Shinobu realized that Muichiro was out cold. He was really emotionally pent up, wasn't he?
Poor thing. She wasn't offended by his remarks, not in the slightest, but she could feel every ounce of pain that Muichiro had let spill in those words. Someone like him, feeling such heavy emotion. It sometimes seemed like he was emotionless but the truth is no one was.
Shinobu knew this. She knew damn well. She wasn't made of stone, either. Shinobu out of all people knew damn well that putting on a facade didn't mean that you didn't have feelings at all.
Trying to hide your feelings only worked for so long.
There was always someone who knew you, who could read you like a damn book.

"Kocho-Sama, are you angry?" The words still rang in Shinobu's ears.
Yes, Shinobu was angry. She always felt angry. And one of the few things that melted that anger away was helping people. Helping people who had strong emotional and physical pain- like her, like Muichiro.
Shinobu looked down at the now sleeping pillar, picking up a cloth and lightly wiping his face off.
"Sorry, Muichiro-Kun." She spoke softly, somberly, even though she was well aware that she was talking to herself.

Chapter Text

Gently, Shinobu moved Muichiro off her shoulder, placing him back down on the pillows resting behind him. Her shirt was soaked with tears and it was clinging desperately onto her shoulder.
A memory dug back into Shinobu’s brain- taking her back in time...

She was in this very room, watching Kanae hold Kanao- treating Kanao. Kanao was weak and incredibly sick. She had caught some sort of illness and had been behaving strangely for days. During this time, her sister sat on this exact same bed… Kanae held Kanao in her arms- she didn’t even have to rock the girl, and she had fallen asleep. Kanae was amazing. So gentle, so sweet- Shinobu’s heart was breaking again. She couldn’t handle the thought of Kanae.

She wanted to smack herself.
Get over it.

The memory faded away, it was like the end of a song- all of it fading into the distance. She was slowly brought back into reality- the present, with Muichiro… Not Kanae.

Shinobu knew that Muichiro would be out for a while, it was a blessing and a curse. But for the most part, the longer he rested, the better. She prayed that the painkiller she had dissolved in the tea would be enough to have him rest soundly. That was all she could ask for other than his survival at the moment. Blood was everywhere, their hands, the bedsheets, their hair.

Shinobu took a deep breath, beginning to clean the area around her with one of those towels of hers. She had to make this a better, proper clean area, considering she had a lot of work ahead of her. Shinobu began with removing the blood-stained sheets, replacing them with a fresh set, even though Muichiro still hadn’t cleaned himself. For now, Shinobu was just worrying about him having a clean place to rest.
Next, she used a cleaning and disinfecting solution to thoroughly clean the wound- she generously applied it to both the sides and top of the stitched wound. Shinobu didn’t possess too much physical strength, but she could prop the boy up. It gave her just enough access to thoroughly clean the area where the bandage would wrap around him. Now that it was clean, Shinobu rubbed ointment onto the stitches, the ointment was supposed to soak up and ooze through the stitches- barely touching the wound. Looking at the wound in front of her and how it had affected Muichiro, Shinobu's mind wandered.

Given the severity of this wound, if Muichiro had arrived any later, or if he didn't have the strength of a Hashira, he surely would’ve been dead before the light of dawn. Shuddering, the image of a heavily damaged Muichiro unable to get to the porch of the Butterfly Mansion invaded Shinobu’s mind. The boy would limp and fall in the woods, not a single soul around to hear him. Exhausted, Muichiro would be lying there… Just out of her reach. Would he be afraid? Would he call for help before dying? Would he just accept his fate?
Or, what if Muichiro just tried to yank the stake out of his chest? Hot, crimson blood would’ve brutally gushed out of the wound- he wouldn’t be able to make it in that scenario, too. He would’ve died cold... Alone, god knows where. How long would it take for the Corps to notice his absence? When would they begin their desperate search of him? His crow, perhaps, would alight upon his corpse. She would try to rouse him, until the realization that his body was still and cold hit. How long would the bird try? Would she scream and cry at his body before returning to the master? She would have to break the unfortunate news of the Mist Pillar’s death. But, would they find Muichiro in time for a proper burial? There’s always the possibility of a filthy demon emerging from the shadows. Devouring a meal it didn’t even have the chance to kill. Savoring the decomposed, rotting flesh that had been left out in the sunlight. Leaving so little of his body behind to the point where Muichiro would simply be too bloody, disfigured, and dismantled to be recognized. What i-

Shinobu was snapped out of her trance of “what if” because of a small groan coming from her patient. Muichiro was here, and he was alive. None of that had happened, none of that will happen.

As long as she was alive, Shinobu wouldn’t let anything happen to Muichiro.

A soft hand brushed Muichiro’s cheek... he settled once again. This wasn’t a nightmare, it was just his body reacting to the pain he was in.
Quietly humming to herself, Shinobu continued to work. Spilled tea and untouched soup were returned to the kitchen- those were dishes to clean later. She had cleaned him up as best she could without waking him. Seeing how filthy Muichiro was, Shinobu knew he’d have to take a bath. She wondered how difficult it’d be, or how resistant he might be to bathing. In the light of this knowledge, Shinobu selected a bandage that would seal water out of the wound. While she wrapped the bandage around his torso, she truly realized what poor condition his body was in. Muichiro was covered in muscle, yes, but also as thin as a rail. Ribs jutted out against his skin which was littered with small cuts, along with bruises, and unprofessional half-assed attempts at medical care. Hahira had plenty of access to ample funds, so why didn’t he go to a doctor? Even if it wasn’t Shinobu, Muichiro should’ve seen a professional.
Even back-alley doctors would shame anyone who let their patients run around like this.
Come to think of it, Shinobu had never actually seen him without his long-sleeved uniform on. This patchwork was not obtained in a day. This must have been a combination of poor care, skipping meals, and a general lack of regard for one's own health, taking place for at least a year.

Now lifting his uniform off the side of the bed, Shinobu noticed a few strange details about the uniforms. It was wet all over like he had swum in it. Partially washed away blood had soaked the outfit. The water didn’t wash all of the blood off, as the blood appeared to have dried into the thick fibers of the uniform. By giving the garment a quick sniff, using a bit of logic, and assessing the sheer volume of blood, she deduced that the majority was not Muichiro’s. It wasn’t the blood of the Hashira, nor was it the blood of a demon. It was a human’s blood.
“What happened to you?” Shinobu questioned, not really caring that her words fell upon deaf ears.

Shinobu was sure of one thing, and it was the fact that Muichiro wasn’t telling the truth.