From: WildWyrick@aol.com

	"Hey, what's going on in here?"  Sano flung the door open, hitting the
sergeant in the back and sending him sprawling on top of Kenshin.  The street
fighter took in the scene at a glance.  "You take care of those three, 
Yahiko,"
he said, motioning to his right.  "I'll get the rest."  Sano sprang into 
action, his
fists flying.

	The Russians were totally unprepared for this sudden onslaught.  Sano
and Yahiko fell on them like a wave, sweeping them aside.  Kenshin struggled
with the sergeant, trying desperately to keep the revolver pointed away from
both of them.  The man's hand tightened and the gun fired, sending a bullet
whizzing past Sano's head.

	"Hey, Kenshin!"  Sano ducked beneath one of the sailors' punches,
landing a solid blow in his opponent's stomach.  "What do you think you're
doing?"  He spun and kicked, sweeping the legs out from under two more.

	"I...can't...help...it..." Kenshin grunted.  The sergeant was 
unusually
strong.  And he was not very sportsmanlike when his game turned against him. 
Kenshin could see the veins bulging in his forehead as he strove to turn the
revolver in Kenshin's direction.

	The gun fired again, this time sending a bullet into the floor near 
Sano's
feet.  "Can't you take care of one of them, when I've got ten here to deal 
with?" 
A sailor grabbed Sano's arm, and the street fighter flung him into the wall. 
There was a heavy thud and the man's unconscious body slid slowly to the
floor.

	"No!"

	"I've got him," Yahiko yelled.  He brought his shinai down sharply on
the sergeant's head.  The man crumpled on top of Kenshin, the revolver falling
out of his hand with a thud.

	Sano stepped back as his last opponent went down and surveyed the
carnage with a satisfied smile.  Brushing his hands together, he turned to
Kenshin and Yahiko.  "Pretty smooth, huh?  I haven't had a workout like that
since..." the words trailed away and his smile vanished as he looked at 
Kenshin. 
"Shit!  You look terrible!"  He moved swiftly to his friend's side.

	"That's strange," Kenshin said, "I feel better than I have all day."  
He
smiled up at Sano and Yahiko, wincing a little.  His eye was beginning to 
swell
shut and he could taste his own blood, but his smile was genuine, joyful. 
"You're both alive.  I could hardly hope for such good luck."

	"We thought maybe you were dead, too," Yahiko said.  "I'm so glad..." 
His eyes misted and he looked away.

	"Hey!"  Sano put his hands on Yahiko's shoulders and propelled the
boy in front of him.  "Let's get these guys tied up, then talk."  He winked at
Kenshin as Yahiko brightened and they both set to work.

	Kenshin sat quietly, watching them as they efficiently bound and
gagged all the sailors.  "How did you get here?"

	"We found your balloon on the beach," Sano said as he stuffed one of
the sailor's handkerchiefs into his mouth.  "It wasn't hard to follow your 
trail."

	"Then we heard the gunshot and ran here as quick as we could." 
Yahiko tied the sergeant's hands tightly behind his back and set to work
binding his ankles.

	"What happened to Kitsune?"  They looked at Kenshin blankly.  "The
man who took Yahiko prisoner?"

	"Oh, him."  Sano shrugged.  "I guess he wasn't in the mood for a 
fight. 
Or maybe now that we've found some people he's decided to try his own luck."

	"That's what worries me."  Kenshin pressed his hand firmly against the
wound on his thigh, but it continued to bleed.  He looked down at it with a
scowl.  "Saitoh said he was a spy, that he stole important military plans.  
If he
sells them to the Russians..."

	 Sano finished tying the last unconscious sailor and moved back to
Kenshin's side, stepping carefully over the bodies that littered the floor. 
"Forget about him, Kenshin.  Where's Jou-chan?"

	"She and Saitoh are on the gunboat."

	"What?"  

	Kenshin flinched slightly at the dismay in Yahiko's voice.  He opened
his mouth to speak, to tell Yahiko everything would be fine, that Kaoru was 
his
teacher and he should believe in her.  But Sano spoke first.

	"We'll get her back.  Don't worry.  But first," he squatted beside
Kenshin and put his friend's arm over his shoulder, "we have to get you fixed
up and think of a plan."  

	Kenshin gritted his teeth as Sano lifted him to his feet.  "Is it 
safe to go
outside?"

	"No one was around when we came up.  I think everybody went back
to the ship except these guys."

	Light flooded through the open door into the dark room, warming
Kenshin's face.  He stumbled out into the world like a man emerging from a
tomb.  A few minutes before the door of the lodge had separated him from
everything he cared about.  Now it seemed insignificant, a barrier that had 
only
existed in his mind.

	He glanced up at Sano, and was surprised to see that his friend's
expression was unusually serious as well.  "You know, Kenshin," he said,
"being this close to you, I mean carrying you and all, makes me realize
something about you I hadn't noticed before."

	"What's that?'

	"You sure could use a bath.  I mean, you're really, really filthy.  
Ouch!"

	Yahiko shook his head, smiling, as he trudged ahead of them.  He 
didn't
look back.

#

	"There!"  Sano lowered Kenshin carefully onto a cot and stepped back,
surveying the room.  It had probably once been a meeting hall for the 
fishermen
who built the village, but now it was a barracks for the Russian sailors.  
"Just
rest.  I'll go look for some food and see if I can find out what's going on."

	"Water would be even better."

	 "There's some of that over here!"  Yahiko had been searching for
supplies on the far side of the hall.  He came toward them between the rows of
cots carrying a large bucket.  Water slopped over its sides as he walked.  "I
think it's clean, but it isn't very cool."

	"Doesn't matter."  Kenshin drank from his cupped hands, not caring
that the blood on them tainted the taste.  He couldn't remember when he had
last had water to drink.  He was certain it had been days.

	"Are you going to be all right while we look around?"

	Kenshin nodded, not even looking up at Sano.  He plunged his hands
back into the water.

#

	While they were gone, Kenshin stripped off his clothes and washed.  He
scrubbed both dirt and bruises without pity, assessing the damage his body had
suffered with a cool, appraising eye.  His ankle was swollen and discolored, 
his
sides ached when he breathed, but the gash in his leg troubled him the most. 
As soon as he washed away dried blood, it was replaced with fresh.  He 
sighed. 
Something would have to be done about it.

	He wrapped a blanket around his waist when he heard Sano and
Yahiko at the door.  They barged in without ceremony, each carrying an
armload of supplies.  Kenshin's greeting froze on his lips as he looked up 
into
their faces.  Yahiko was staring at him with dismay.  Sano's face had darkened
to a dangerous hue, his jaw tight.

	"Oro?"

	"Shit, Kenshin!  If I'd realized they'd beaten you so badly, I'd 
have--" 
Sano broke off, fuming.

	"What?  Oh."  Kenshin looked down at his torso, at the mottled
bruising that covered his chest and stomach.  "The Russians didn't do this."

	"Then how--?"

	"I fell out of the balloon."

	They stared at him, wide-eyed, as he related what had happened.  When
he finished, Sano laughed.  "I think you must be a kami, or maybe an oni, to
have survived that!  What luck!"

	"Maybe," Kenshin said, "but my luck wasn't so good with the Russian
sergeant.  Only one chance in six that his gun would fire!"  He checked the
wound on his leg and shook his head.  "I still can't get it to stop bleeding."

	"I found some medicines while I was looking around." Yahiko opened
a large wooden case he had been holding.  "Maybe one of these will help."

	"Hmm."  Kenshin examined its contents carefully, leaning over the side
of the cot.  "This is what I need."  He pulled out silken thread and a long,
curved needle.  His hand trembled slightly as he held them up.  "Sano, will 
you
help me?" 
 
	Yahiko watched as Sano threaded the needle wordlessly and passed it
back to Kenshin.  The street fighter then settled at the end of the cot, 
bracing
Kenshin's leg between his hands.  

	"Do you want me to do it?"  Yahiko's question stopped Kenshin just as
he was about to make the first stitch.  He looked up at Yahiko, startled.  
Then
he smiled.

	"Come here, and I'll show you how."  As Yahiko knelt by Kenshin's
side, he wished for a moment he hadn't made the offer.  He shifted nervously. 
"Don't worry," Kenshin said, "it isn't hard.  Just pass the needle through 
like
this, and be sure not to pull the thread too tightly."  He made another 
stitch, his
head bent low in concentration.  "If you do, the skin will pucker and it won't
heal correctly."  He demonstrated with three more stitches, then looked up at
Yahiko.  "Ready to try?"

	Yahiko nodded and took the needle.  Kenshin lay back, staring up at
the ceiling.  "Go ahead," he said gently, sensing the boy's hesitation.  
"I'll be
fine."

	Gingerly, Yahiko made the stitch.  He glanced nervously at Kenshin,
but his patient gave no sign of discomfort except for a slight tightening of 
his
fist.  Sighing with relief, Yahiko turned back to his task.  Maybe it really 
wasn't
so difficult after all.

	"I'm going to go look around again," Sano announced.  He released
Kenshin and stood up, stretching.

	"But you're supposed to be helping me!  You can't go!"

	"Baka!"  Sano brought his hand down lightly on Yahiko's head.  "I'm
not doing anything except sitting here.  He hasn't moved a muscle in that 
leg." 
He leaned over Kenshin, grinning.  "You're boring."

	Kenshin smiled.

	Yahiko was not amused.  "No!  Don't leave me!"  He forgot about the
thread he was holding and reached out to grab Sano's sleeve.

	Kenshin gave a tremendous flinch and bolted up.  "Yahiko!  Pay
attention to what you're doing, please!"

	"I'm sorry!  I'm sorry!  Just lie down and I won't do it again."  He
pressed his hands against Kenshin's bruised chest.

	"Ouch!  Yahiko!"

	"Sano!"  Yahiko's appeal was tinged with desperation.  He turned wide,
pleading eyes toward the street fighter.

	"No way," Sano laughed.  "You two are on your own.  Just try not to
kill each other before I get back!"  And with that he left the room.

	He paused on the other side of the door, listening.  He could still 
hear
Yahiko apologizing.  Then Kenshin's voice broke in, low and reassuring.  Sano
smiled and stepped out into the sunlight, hands in his pockets.

#

	He was gone for quite a while.  When he returned, Kenshin and Yahiko
were both asleep.  The boy was curled up in the center of one of the cots, his
head buried under a pillow.  He was snoring softly, but the sound was muffled
by the material over his face.  Sano's gaze flickered over him, but he quickly
turned his attention to Kenshin.

	He felt uneasy as he approached his friend's sleeping form.  Usually
Kenshin would wake up if someone were so near.  It was a testament to his
current state of exhaustion that he didn't even stir.  Looking down into his
friend's face, Sano hoped he wasn't developing a fever.  Kenshin's breathing
was shallow, and there was a tightness around his lips that spoke of pain.  
Yet
when he touched Kenshin's forehead it was cool beneath his fingers.  Sano
sighed, relieved.

	"Kaoru?"  Kenshin opened his eyes, bewildered to find himself looking
up into Sano's face.

	"It's just me.  I brought you some food."  Sano sat down carefully on
the side of the cot.  "Don't talk too loud.  Yahiko's asleep."

	"Oh.  Thanks."  Kenshin sat up slowly, accepting the bread Sano
offered.  "Poor Yahiko," he said around a mouthful.  "He's exhausted."  His
gentle, amused gaze rested on the sleeping boy.  "I feel sorry for him, 
having to
deal with such a bad patient."

	Sano snorted.  "You're the one I feel sorry for."

	Kenshin shook his head.  "Don't.  He did a good job, once he calmed
down."  He felt his leg through the blanket.  The wound had been carefully
bandaged, and was already less painful.  "What time is it?"

	"Late afternoon."  

	Kenshin made no reply but he chewed thoughtfully, his expression
suddenly serious.

	"You're thinking about Jou-chan, aren't you?"

	Kenshin nodded.

	"I was wondering when you'd remember her.  What's going on between
you two, anyway?  You usually go crazy when she's in danger."

	"I know," Kenshin sighed.  "And that's how I feel now, inside.  But 
she
told me to believe in her, so that's what I'm trying to do."

	Sano stared at his friend.  "I can't believe you took her seriously.  
She
probably just said that so you wouldn't worry."

	"If you had been there, Sano, if you had seen her... you would have
taken her seriously, too."  The memory of flashing eyes and warm, demanding
lips against his own filled Kenshin's mind.

	Sano regarded him skeptically.  "So you're not interested in saving 
her,
then?"

	"I didn't say that."

	"Good!  'Cause I've got a plan that can't fail!"  Sano whipped open 
the
bundle he had brought with him and displayed its contents before Kenshin's
wondering eyes.

	"What in the--?"

	Sano was holding up a Russian lieutenant's uniform.  Gold braid 
flashed
on the sleeves.  Gold epaulets adorned the shoulders.  

	It looked as if it would fit Sano perfectly.  

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