Sano's hoarse shout sounded just as Kaoru reached the door to Yahiko's
room. She entered to find him rubbing his shoulder and cursing at
Megumi.
"Chikusho! What are you trying to do to me, Fox Lady!? Che,
that hurt!!"
"Really?" Megumi's voice was dry. " It feels better now, doesn't it?"
Sano gave her a disgusted look, too stubborn to admit she was right.
The pain had almost subsided, and the nausea was fading.
"Megumi-san," Kaoru said, interrupting the tense silence before they
could begin another round of name-calling, "is Sanosuke all right?"
"Yes. He's got some scrapes and bruises, but he'll be fine." For
a moment Megumi's eyes softened as she looked at the disgruntled Sanosuke.
"He's lucky. His shoulder was dislocated rather than broken."
She turned again to Kaoru. "He said Ken-san did this?"
Kaoru nodded. Slowly she and Sanosuke related what had happened.
"I managed to get him to go back to bed after Sanosuke left. He's
sleeping again now." Kaoru hesitated a moment, then continued, "He
seemed to be Kenshin again, demo, I still don't think he really
recognized me." He couldn't remember my name when he told me goodnight,
she thought. "Onegai, could you check on him?"
"Of course, that's why I'm here. Or it would be if only this fool
could stay out of trouble." Megumi whapped Sano lightly on the head
as she spoke.
"Hey! It's not my fault! I didn't do anything!"
"Hai, hai," she responded, already on her way out of the room, her tone
clearly indicating she was just humoring him.
"Hey!!" Sano turned to Yahiko. "It wasn't my fault!"
Yahiko simply shrugged in response. "Che... Kenshin no baka!"
Kenshin slept, and sleeping dreamt. Finding and replaying his
fondest memories and quiet hopes, his subconscious delighted in the image
of a beautiful girl, her hair dark as midnight, her blue eyes sparkling
with joy. Images comprised of sunlight and laugher, moonshine and
quiet moments flitted through his mind.
"His fever's broken." Megumi's voice was relieved. "It's
going to be all right now, Kaoru-chan." To her surprise, Kaoru's
arms came around her, hugging her as she stuttered relieved thanks.
Megumi hugged Kaoru in turn when she felt the tears that accompanied the
girl's relief. "Shhhhh. It's all right," she repeated.
Once Kaoru had calmed down, Megumi ordered her to take a bath and get
some rest. "I'll take care of Yahiko-kun, Ken-san and the rooster
head." At first Kaoru protested, but then Megumi unfairly -- to Kaoru's
way of thinking -- pointed out that Kenshin would be upset if he found
out she'd exhausted herself taking care of him. Looking reproachfully
at the doctor one last time, she left the room.
Megumi turned back to Kenshin, reaching out to gently adjust his covers.
He stirred slightly, mumbling Kaoru's name, his heavy eyelids fluttering.
Soothingly, as she'd done once before, she whispered to him to sleep and
dream of Kaoru. Unlike before, he smiled in response, at ease with
whatever visions his memory and imagination chose to display, the demons
that had disturbed his sleep before now gone. She wondered if Battousai's
fight with Sano had anything to do with that. It was almost as if
the fever had abated simply because the nightmares had stopped, rather
than the other way around.
"Kenshin!" her sweet voice called his name, and she tugged gently
at his sleeve, attempting to hurry him along. "Hurry up! We're
going to miss it!"
"Kaoru-dono, we still have plenty of time," he laughed, lagging behind
on purpose, teasing her.
"Mou!! Kenshiiin!" She pouted a little, tugging harder
although her eyes laughed with him. A moment later those eyes widened
in surprise as the thin material of his sleeve tore, sending her stumbling
backwards to land on the hillside with a soft thump. She looked
woefully at the scrap of material she held in her hand, and then up at
him, stuttering an embarrassed apology.
"Ororo?!" He said, exclaiming his own surprise, and then convulsed
with laughter when she blushed and offered him his missing sleeve.
"Yare yare...."
In the morning, Megumi examined both Yahiko and Sanosuke. Although
his cold was gone, Sanosuke was granted another day of rest due to his
battered and bruised body. He was grateful, since he suspected Kaoru
would make repairing the kitchen wall his first order of business once
Megumi decided he'd recovered.
Yahiko, on the other hand, was pronounced ready to be up and about.
He protested a little, knowing that "up and about" probably meant "cleaning
the dojo", but the young doctor didn't fall for his antics.
Kaoru was informed that her youngest patient had recovered, and soon the
rhythmic pounding of footfalls could be heard as he raced up and
down the wooden floors, dust cloth in hand.
He watched as Kaoru and Yahiko practiced, noting that the boy was
improving. Kaoru remarked on it as well, and basking in their praise
Yahiko turned cocky. Kenshin mentally shook his head, knowing the
cockiness would earn the boy a turn or two cleaning the floors. Sure
enough, Yahiko soon spouted off a little too much, his comments liberally
laced with words like "hag", "old" and "ugly".
Whack! Kaoru's bokken struck Yahiko on the top of his head.
"Yahiko!" her voice lashed out, laden with anger. Almost before Kenshin
had time to blink, Yahiko was busy running back and forth, polishing the
already spotless dojo floor.
"Mou!" With a thunk, Kaoru collapsed on the floor next
to him, flopping back to lie looking up at the ceiling. Surveying
her quietly, Kenshin replaced Yahiko's description with his own:
Sweet, spirited, beautiful.
Kaoru stood in the open doorway to Kenshin's room, needing the sight
of his peacefully sleeping form to reassure her that all was well.
Megumi had said there was nothing left to worry about... but somehow, she
couldn't stop herself. She wanted to hear him say her name, see his
eyes light with recognition.
She sighed, continuing down the hall to her room, knowing he would wake
only when his body and mind were ready.
Soon, she thought. Let it be soon.
He paused to close the dojo gate, the laughter of the others carrying
to him as they made their soggy way inside. They'd gone to the Akabeko
for dinner, and been caught in the rain on the way back. Now that
they were home again, the rain had lessened to a gentle patter instead
of the steady deluge they'd run through to get to the dojo. Of course.
Yare yare...
He turned to find Kaoru still standing in the yard, watching him
lock up for the night. Her wet kimono clung to her in interesting
ways... Better not to think about that, he told himself. "Kaoru-dono,
you should change before you catch cold. Would you like me to get
a bath ready?"
She smiled at him, at his thoughtfulness. "No, I'm fine." Her
voice was soft, barely audible. "I'll change in a minute." As she
spoke, she tilted her head back, letting the rain dance lightly over her
face, smiling at the tickling sensation.
He found himself smiling with her, then felt the smile dissolve as
the storm picked up again, the previously gentle rain falling with battering
force, the wind pushing at him where he stood.
Kaoru bit her lip nervously as she knelt beside Kenshin's futon.
Worried that he still hadn't awakened on his own, she'd sent Yahiko to
fetch Megumi. The boy had returned without the doctor, but with instructions
for Kaoru to wake him herself.
"It won't hurt him. It's been three days... he needs to eat something,"
was the message Yahiko relayed.
Nevertheless, now that she'd been given permission to wake him, Kaoru
was a little afraid to do so. What if he still doesn't remember
who he is... who I am? Hesitantly she shook him, pushing gently
at his shoulders. When that had no affect, she shook harder, her
hesitation gradually fading as she began to get annoyed at his lack of
response. Kenshin no baka! Cooperate, why don't you?
she thought. Leaning forward she took hold of his shoulders and shook
him as hard as she could, simultaneously calling his name. Finally!
she thought with satisfaction as his eyes snapped open in response.
He blinked at her a moment, confused by the abrupt transition from dreams
to reality. She waited, hoping, and then he smiled at her.
"Ohayou, Kaoru-dono," he said, his voice rasping in his dry throat.
"No...." Kaoru gently shook her head. "Good afternoon you mean."
"Oro?" The violet eyes were shocked.
"Mmm." She nodded. "You've been asleep for quite awhile."
She felt the tears welling up in her eyes and blinked them away in annoyance.
There was nothing to cry about. Megumi had been right... everything
would be fine now. "Almost three days, to be exact," she told him.
Kenshin noticed the tears and her dismissal of them, but his mind focused
on her words. The violet eyes widened. Three days?
She nodded at the unspoken question. "You came down with a fever.
Megumi-san gave you something to make you more comfortable, and to keep
you calm until it passed." Well, it's not that far from the truth....
and she certainly couldn't tell him that. He'd feel guilty,
and then worry that something similar might happen again, even though none
of it -- not the delusion, not Battousai's anger -- had been his fault.
She made a mental note to make sure Sanosuke fixed the wall in the kitchen
before the day was through. Otherwise Kenshin was bound to ask questions.
Kenshin frowned, sensing there was something she wasn't telling him.
The last thing he remembered was doing the laundry...
"Are you hungry?" Her voice was hopeful, as if this was some sort
of test.
"Hai, de gozaru," he responded, slowly sitting up. She smiled
brightly, and he decided he must have passed. Something happened
while I was asleep. She'd been anxious as she spoke to
him, watching him as if expecting to find someone else in his place.
Slowly the tension seemed to be draining from her, replaced by an abundance
of relief. Yes, something happened. But will she tell me
what?
"Kenshin." He stirred from his contemplation to find her offering
him his lunch.
"Thank you, Kaoru-dono." He paused, trying to decide if he should ask
her for the details of the last three days. Her blue eyes begged
him to leave it alone. Sighing, he let it drop, and turned his attention
to his meal.
Eating proved an effort, his system still recovering, his body still
tired. When he finally finished, exhaustion reasserted itself with
a vengeance. He fought it as Kaoru cleared away the dishes, certain
there was something he needed to tell her, but unable to remember what.
She returned from the kitchen and tucked him back into bed, her fussing
making him smile. There was something vaguely familiar about that,
though he couldn't think what.
"Wait..." he whispered as she smoothed the covers one last time, and
made as if to rise and leave. "Wait." Obligingly she settled
beside him again, waiting for him to gather his fuzzy thoughts. What
was it I wanted to tell her? he asked himself. He raised
heavy lids, turning his head to meet her gaze, the worry beginning to gather
there finally answering his question.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching a hand out to touch her cheek.
"For making you worry... I'm sorry."
Kaoru closed her eyes, remorse washing through her, uncertain how to
erase this concern she'd unwittingly impressed upon him. "Daijoubu,"
she whispered in return, "you don't need to be sorry. Everything
is fine. I promise." She smiled a little then, taking his hand
in her own and squeezing it once, reassuringly. She opened her eyes
to find he'd already slipped away into sleep again. "Oyasumi, Kenshin,"
she whispered. He smiled sleepily in response, her voice, if not
her words, finding him in the midst of his dreams.
Kenshin slept, and sleeping dreamt.
By the riverbank, between the spreading roots of a sheltering tree,
he sat with Kaoru cuddled against him. Worries, fears, painful memories...
all were washed away by the warmth of the small smile playing across her
lips, echoing the one he felt spreading across his own. He
dipped his head, resting his cheek against the silk of her hair, more than
content just to be in her presence.
Kenshin slept...
Author's Notes:
Studies have shown, some fanfic may cause tooth decay.
Or at least sugar shock.
Index of Japanese words/terms:
-
Yare, yare - similar to "Oh well"
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