Bad Medicine

DISCLAIMER LISTED IN FIRST CHAPTER.

She was making dinner when the doorbell rang. Beef stew for the family, broiled cod and salmon riceballs to be packed up for Kyo. Before she could react, Shigure sang out, \"I\'ll get it!\"

The sound of muffled greetings were heard, followed by Shigure chiding someone, \"Don\'t be ridiculous! You\'ll stay for dinner – it\'s almost ready anyway, and you know Tohru would never forgive herself if she knew you were here and she didn\'t get the opportunity to feed you.\"

\"Do we have a guest, Shigure?\" she called from the kitchen. Shigure pushed Hatori in front of him into the kitchen as a response. \"Oh! Hatori! How wonderful to see you! Do say that you\'ll stay for dinner. It\'s not much, I know, but Shigure and Ayame tell me that you don\'t remember to eat, and this is absolutely the least I could do for all the care you\'ve given me over the years.\"

Hatori held up his hand to forestall her from continuing on her normal rant cycle. \"I\'ll stay. Your cooking is one of the true blessings we Sohmas have received from knowing you. One of many.\" He smiled kindly at her, then turned back around to face Shigure.

\"And when do you plan to open your invitation?\"

Shigure gave a ½-grimace and said, \"Hm. An invitation from Akito. Let\'s see… Do you think that I could get away with never?\" He saw Hatori roll his eyes. \"No. I guess not.\"

He tore open the envelope and pulled out a gold-embossed invitation.

\"Your presence is requested – more like required! – at a final goodbye jyuunishi banquet to be held this Sunday at 2pm at the main house. And Akito has even hand written a note: As this is the last event I will be alive to attend, I must demand that you attend. Have no fears, this will be the most memorable of all the banquets you attend in your life. Shigure, I promise you, that if I survive this event, I will willingly give up my position of family head if the jyuunishi members present require that of me once it is all done.\"

He paused and looked up at Hatori. \"Did yours say that, too?\"

\"No. Mine said that he promised that at the end of the banquet, one way or the other, he would not be requiring my services anymore, and that he would make sure that I was rewarded for all my years of service over the years.\"

Tohru finished up the dishes to bring to the table and said, \"Um, perhaps we should take this to the dining room?\" And pushing past them, she carried the food to the table for dinner. Behind her, Shigure and Hatori exchanged glances. There was no curiousity on her part, no hesitation, and no sense that any of this was a surprise to her.

Sitting down at the table, Hatori said, \"Miss Honda, there\'s an invitation for you as well.\" Shigure raised one eyebrow as Tohru took the envelope from the doctor with a simple, \"Thank you, Hatori-san.\"

She opened it, and read aloud her note, \"Miss Honda, as much as I\'ve tried to keep you from becoming a part of this family, it is apparent that nothing I say or do can sever your ties to us. Therefore, I must demand your presence at this banquet as well. Your previous requests to me – to be a part of this family – will be officially approved at the banquet. Do not fail me, and I will not fail you.\" She smiled and held it to her heart, as a single tear escaped her eye. Then she looked at Shigure and Hatori. \"I\'m so happy that I\'ll finally be a part of this family.\"

They exchanged glances again, then followed her lead and began to eat – although no one felt truly hungry just then.

After the quiet dinner, Hatori handed Shigure the invitation to give to Yuki after he got home from his evening class, then departed to deliver the remaining invitations.


X x x x x . x x x . x x x x

As Yuki waited at the breakfast table in the kitchen while Tohru reheated some stew for his dinner, Shigure handed him his invitation.

\"Yuki, over the years you have seen me as the source of all your torment. For that, I truly am sorry. As this will probably be the last time you see me alive, I would request that you attend. I promise to give you something that you\'ve truly been wanting for a long time. However, I suggest you take it and treasure it, because I cannot guarantee that it will last beyond the night – and again, for that I am sorry.\"

He looked up at Shigure questioningly. \"Sorry, I can\'t explain. It seems Akito\'s notes to all of us are… mysterious.\"

Tohru set the bowl of stew in front of Yuki and said, \"I think Akito just wants to give a proper goodbye. And maybe set things right while that\'s still possible. It has to be hard knowing… death is on the way.\" She gave them her biggest smile, and excused herself to go up to her room.

They watched her go, each with a bemused smile. She always found the best way to look at everything.

X x x x x . x x x . x x x x

She pulled out some paper, and began writing her goodbye notes. She started with the easiest one.

\"Dear Akito, I do not have enough words to express my gratitude to you for allowing me to become a member of your wonderful family.

\"I am also grateful that you allowed me to know your deepest secret, and that you\'ve allowed me the ability to try to help in breaking my adopted family free from the curse. I want you to know that regardless of how it turns out, I will remain happy in the knowledge that at least I was able to try to help you all.

\"The whole Sohma family is so dear to me. If the ritual does work, then I won\'t have died in vain. I will make sure that the family knows that you did not want to do this, that it was the only way, and that I volunteered. I only want to make sure that you are finally able to live the life that you should have lived.

\"And if it does not work, then I have a request to make of you: try to enjoy the last days that you have on this life. Let your family know that you love them, as I know you do. Allow yourself to be vulnerable to them. They won\'t disappoint you. Deep down, they all love you dearly.

\"Be well, Akito-sama. That is my final wish for you. Your servant, Honda Tohru.\"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Now for Uo and Hana. This was going to be a long night.

X x x x x . x x x . x x x x


The day of the banquet came with nothing to mark the day as particularly special. Tohru left the house early saying that she had some errands to attend to prior to the banquet and that she’d meet Yuki and Shigure there.

The train into town deposited her not far from Hana’s house. As she placed the envelope in the mailbox, she smiled up at Hana’s window. ‘I wish I could hug you goodbye one last time, Hana, but you’d know something was up, and I can’t let you stop me from doing the most important thing in my life. I love you, Hana.’

As she turned to leave, she thought she heard Hana’s voice on the wind, “I love you too, Tohru. Do not worry. I understand. And I will always love you.”

“Oh, Hana!” She cried and ran down the street to catch the next train that would take her to Uo’s stop.

X x x x x . x x x . x x x x


She placed the note in Uo’s mailbox, then rang the doorbell. It was always good to see Tohru, but without warning set off alarms for Uo.

“Tohru! What’s wrong? Did one of those boys do something?”

Tohru smiled at her friend. “No, nothing like that. I was just passing by as I was running some errands for the Sohma family banquet that I’ve been invited to tonight, so I thought I’d come see you for a few minutes.” She glanced down at her watch and her eyes got wide. “Oh dear! It’s gonna have to be only just a hi and bye, I guess… I’m running really late!”

Uo hugged her. Tohru’s spaceyness was almost legendary. That’s why she needed Uo and Hana so much to watch over her. And honestly, it was good to feel needed.

She smiled at her friend, “Well okay! Too bad. Would have been nice to go get some tea or something.”

Tohru smiled up at her friend sadly and said, “Yes. I’d have liked that.” Then she shook her head to clear it and knocked on it with her knuckles. “Guess I still need to work on my planning.”

She hugged her friend again and said, “I’m so lucky to have a friend like you, Uo.”

“Right back atcha!” Uo said, and hugged Tohru. “So you’ve got a banquet at the Sohma’s?”

Tohru smiled sadly and said, “Akito is finally inviting me to officially become a member of the family.”

“Well! It’s about time! Let me know how it goes, okay?”

Tohru just smiled, then held Uo’s hands. “Well, I better run. I don’t want to be late!”

“Ok. Have fun.” Uo waved cheerily at her friend, and Tohru smiled at her and then turned and ran so that Uo wouldn’t see her cry.

‘Forgive me for not telling you, Uo. I love you.’ She ran all the way to the station, and by then, she had her tears back under control.