Samurai's Blossom - A Hakuouki Fanfic [HAITUS]

Chapter 10 - Surgery

Just a picture of our dear Sara again ^^

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Sara pov:

"You're going to perform a surgery on him?" Itou san asked when Yuuji san had left.

"Yes, it's the only way there is to save him," I answered, my voice shaky.

I stood up and bowed so I could prepare for the surgery I was about to do, though mentally cursed myself because of all the things I had to take into consideration. I was about to leave the room but Harada san took a firm hold on my wrist to stop me. I met his gaze, noticing that his eyes were narrow and swirling with worry.

"I need to talk to you," he said. He didn't wait for my permission to drag me behind him, out of the room and to one of the courtyards so we were out of any possible earshot. He let go of my hand and faced me, "Are you really going to perform a surgery on him? You said it was complicated – what if something goes wrong?"

"I have to try, Harada san. If I don't do something, that man will die," I explained, my voice pleading.

"That's not the point! Don't you realize that if he dies despite you treating him, Itou san will kill you? That damn fox has never believed that you're a doctor and he's trying to use this as a chance to get rid of you! He has this intense dislike for the way the Shinsengumi works, he's itching for control and he wants to get rid of all the people he thinks are useless pawns! He has the upper hand at the moment and if his man dies-"

"I know, Harada san, that's why I have to try," I insisted. "If I don't heal him, he'll try to get rid of me without anyone knowing and if I fail, he'll execute me in public. Either way, I don't have any other choice besides performing a surgery if I want to live! I have to prove that my knowledge and skills are valuable."

Harada san cursed under his breath, a look of pure rage coming to his eyes. But he inhaled deeply to control himself and not do anything impulsive like he usually did when he lost his temper. He then met my eyes again, "I suppose what you said is true. So, how do you plan on doing this? How complicated is this, exactly?"

"Extremely," I answered, now feeling intense anxiety bubble in my chest. "In my time, we have many advanced equipment to use during such surgeries – machines to direct the blood out of the heart when we're working on it and then pump it back in when we're done. And we have better CPR equipment and-"

What the heck was I thinking, agreeing to do a heart operation?? There's probably no way it would be successful without all the advanced technology!

"Things don't look too good for you, Sara," Harada san said. "Maybe I should take you away from here and hide you somewhere. That's the only way to keep you safe and alive."

I closed my eyes for a minute to think though before I answered Harada san. I had performed several surgeries in this world already, all of them without the modern equipment I was so used to using. Sure, heart surgery was much more complex than general surgery but the steps that I had to go through for it to be successful were playing out in my mind. I just had to be really really careful, focused and precise, all while minding time, and I could probably be successful.

"I'll be fine," I said, my voice now calm and strong. I opened my eyes to look into Harada san's golden orbs with a smile, "I can do this...I will do this and I will be successful. I will prove that I have the knowledge and skills required to save a person's life and Itou san will take back his words of insult."

"I seriously hope you know what you're doing," he said, still sounding worried. He looked over me hesitantly for a moment but reached out to push some strands of my hair out of my face. Caressing my cheek with his thumb, he said, "Good luck – we'll be cheering you on but if I find Itou san to be a threat to you, I'm taking you away to somewhere far away and safe."