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Maki pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. The bright light temporarily blinded her.
What the hell had happened?
She remembered fighting with a special grade curse alongside Megumi. Megumi had been injured and Maki had tried to dissuade him from fighting any further. The last thing she remembered was Megumi summoning his Demon Dog and charging the curse, then nothing.
Maki looked around. She could hear the river flowing somewhere close by. Based off the way her body ached and her ribs screamed in pain, Maki guessed that she had been tossed through the forest like a rag doll. Maki pushed herself upright and looked around. Her heart almost stopped.
Megumi was laying motionless a few feet beyond her. His back was to her, so she wasn't certain how badly he was injured. Maki crawled over to her younger cousin. Her hand hesitated over his shoulder before she decided not to shake him.
“Megumi?” Maki hissed as she moved to his front to get a better look at whatever injuries he might have.
He didn't respond.
She wasn't surprised as soon as she saw his front.
Meugmi's school coat was stained a shade darker by blood. The buds growing out of Megumi's stomach were much larger. The way they writhed almost looked like his intestines had come to life and burst out of him. Blood steadily leaked out of Megumi's mouth to join the growing puddle underneath him.
Maki gingerly peeled back Megumi's school coat to get a better look. It did nothing save affirm that Megumi was badly injured. One of the buds giggled at her before ducking back into Megumi's abdomen. Megumi groaned softly and his body went rigid. A wet cough was torn from his lips and the air was peppered by a fine cloud of blood. It was clear that the cursed buds were sucking the cursed energy out of him and with it, his life.
Maki growled in frustration. She had no way to help her cousin. She contemplated dragging Megumi upright to get him back to the school, but she knew that it would likely only make Megumi's condition worse.
As she sat there wondering what to do, she heard something come stomping through the forest towards them. She looked around. None of her weapons were laying within sight so she settled on the next best thing. She grabbed a thick tree branch and prepared to use it as a weapon. The bushes parted to reveal Yuji and Toudou. They seemed just as surprised to see her as well.
“Oh, hello Maki!” Yuji smiled blindingly, “Did you see the move that Toudou taught me to do?”
Maki growled at the perpetual ray of sunshine.
“No and I don’t care,” she snapped.
Yuji blinked, clearly a little offended and intimidated. Then he noticed Megumi.
“Fushiguro!” Yuji gasped, “What happened to him?”
“The plant curse got him,” Maki sighed, “We need to get him to Shoko.”
Yuji frowned. He and Megumi were about the same size, so that clearly wasn’t going to help in this situation.
“I can carry him,” Toudou offered.
Maki nodded sharply.
“Do that,” she commanded.
Toudou picked Megumi up as gently as possible. All three jujitsu sorcerers shuddered when Megumi gave a little whimper as he was moved. Megumi was nothing if not stoic. Any expression of pain was out of character for him.
Toudou started off towards the school at the fastest pace he dared to go with his injured charge. Maki struggled after them. Broken ribs really sucked. Every time she caught sight of Megumi’s limp body in Toudou’s arms, her heart clenched. She wasn’t really into the whole caring family thing, but Megumi felt like an annoying little brother and so seeing him injured made her want to punch something.
<><><><><>
Gojo felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It might have been the nagging suspicion that his hollow purple hadn't completely wiped out the special grade curse. Fidgety as always, he began a headcount as the students began trickling back to the main complex of the school. The uneasy feeling still didn't go away. In fact, it only compounded when Yuji ran up to him.
"Sensei!" Yuji panted, "Megumi's hurt bad. He’s -"
Gojo didn't even wait for Yuji to finish speaking. He warped straight to the infirmary. His entrance to the infirmary was barred by Principal Yaga.
“Let me through. I need to see Megumi,” Gojo demanded, trying to use his height as an intimation factor.
Principal Yaga wasn’t the least bit fazed.
“Let Shoko finish with him,” Principal Yaga sighed.
Gojo knew the older man was right. If he barged in now, that would likely distract Shoko from her work. Besides, Principal Yaga was likely to put him in a headlock if he tried anything. After making a show of grumbling at Principal Yaga, Gojo decided to pace the halls.
Finally, Shoko came out, her gloves and attire splattered with blood. Megumi’s blood. Gojo swallowed, trying not to think about that.
“How is Megumi?” Gojo asked in a rush.
“Not well. The curse technique nearly killed him, Saturo,” Shoko was blunt as ever.
Gojo's frown deepened.
“Will he be alright?” Gojo asked.
“Hopefully?” Shoko shrugged, “The curse had deep roots. I'm not sure that I got it all. You can go in and see him, if you want.”
Gojo did just that.
Megumi was laying on one of the cots. He was deathly pale and still unconscious. Gojo rested a hand on Megumi’s forehead, not at all liking the clamminess of the skin.
“Don't scare me like that kid,” Gojo sighed, his heart rate slowing for the first time since he learned of Megumi’s injury.
Megumi didn't stir, but that was fine. Wrapped in the blanket of unconsciousness, Megumi would be unable to protest Gojo’s attention and boy did Gojo intend on showing him all the attention. After all, Megumi was his stubborn, injured kid.