Life's second chance

Kenshin staggered slightly, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Despite the slightly cold wind, he felt unusually warm. I've been through many things…Fought in a lot of battles… but this is unbearable… He thought to himself bitterly as he trudged along in the dark.

Looking ahead exhausted, consciousness slipping away from him, Kenshin stumbled and fell forward, his face meeting briefly with dirt.

Groaning softly, Kenshin pushed himself up to his knees with his hands, he sat there, tired, weak and feeling miserable. "What am I going to do now?" He asked himself as he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, hoping to get warm from the sudden chill that caught him off guard. He shivered slightly and laid his head on his knees and closed his eyes. "Its okay, no matter what happens to me I'll do whatever I can to protect you…. I promise…."

Sanosuke yawned and tied his bandanna around his head then walked towards the door. A bit uneasily, the knock was so soft he barely heard it.

He opened the door and met with a pair of dull violet eyes. Taken by surprise, Sanosuke blinked, thinking that the haunting image was only a illusion, but the eyes were still the same; lifeless, tired, dull, and full of secrets. The hair that covered them was dirty and unbrushed. "Kenshin? What the? What happened to you?" He replied concerned.

The violet eyes widened slightly then closed as the smaller boy fell forward into Sanosuke's arms.

"Its alright Kenshin. I'll help you.." Sanosuke said as he lifted the battousai up and cradled him in his arms gently carried him inside and laid him on his bed then walked into the kitchen to use the phone.

"Kaoru?"

"Yes?" Came the reply.

"I found Kenshin…."

There was silence for a moment as Kaoru calculated the tone of Sano's voice. "I'll be right over Suke."

Satisfied at the answer Sanosuke put the phone back and walked into the bedroom sitting beside his friend, gently moving stray hairs out of his face. "What happened to you Kenshin?" He asked the still form, expecting the unconscious boy to answer. Finally he gave up his attempt and sighed. "Never mind…"

"Sanosuke?" Kaoru called softly from the door; she let herself in as usual.

"In the bedroom." Sanosuke called back.

Kaoru slid the door shut and walked into the other room, stopping at the doorway, looking at Kenshin on the bed with worried eyes. "Is he alive Suke?"

"Yeah he's alive, just unconscious…" Sanosuke answered as Kenshin began breathing heavily. "I wonder what's wrong with him? He hasn't said a word."

Kaoru cautiously walked over to the bedside and placed a hand gently on Kenshin's forehead, then pulled away with a slight gasp. "He burning up with a fever, we need cold cloths."