She knew that he was Battosai, and she knew that he was virtually unequalled in skill, but lying there pale and unmoving, she found herself doubting. Immortal, it was said. Unbeatable, it was said. She covered her eyes with her shaking hands, and sobbed quietly into them quite without meaning to. He quite clearly wasn't. He'd beaten Shishio, true, but he'd nearly killed himself in the process. She wanted to punch him hard when she had seen him approaching on that day after the battle, but he wouldn't have known even if she had. He'd made her worry by being so late, and for a moment there she felt such huge relief that tears fell down her pale cheeks. But then she noticed, as she ran closer, that Sanosuke was supporting him entirely. He wasn't moving, he was barely breathing. The only sign of life was the blood still pouring from his prone form, and that precious life was hitting the ground in frequent drops. She stared down at them as they soaked into the parched ground, leaving a redish stain on the dusty road. Sanosuke kept walking, calling to Okina for a doctor. She barely heard him. She watched the violent red of Kenshin's hair as Sano led him towards the oncoming doctor, willing him to stand up straight and turn around with that rurouni smile. She'd pummel him if he did, but she wished he would. She reached out to his back, which was bleeding badly from a deep wound. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a small squeak came out. Misao quickly closed her own mouth and ran to catch Kaoru as she swayed dangerously. With Misao's comforting, strong hand on her arm, Kaoru was led behind Sano and Kenshin, with a doctor buzzing around him, to the Shirobeko.
They were soon up the stairs into the rooms that Kaoru had prepared for their return. She knew there would be injuries… But never for one moment did she believe Kenshin would be… No, she refused to let herself think of it. Sano pulled Kenshin into a room and Misao tried to lead her away, but when Kaoru realised she was no longer following that familiar red hair she stopped stubbornly. Misao looked at her uncertainly.
"Kaoru… Himura wouldn't want us to go in there while his wounds are being dressed. He'll be fine and up and around before you know it. Let's give him some privacy." Kaoru nodded slightly, knowing that Misao was indeed right. As the shoji slid shut behind the doctor, however, she panicked. The thought that Kenshin might not pull through was so strong that she yanked her arm from the unready Misao and slid open the shoji with such violence that the doctor shied away from her and Sano leapt to his feet. She ignored them both, and looked to the pale, broken man who was lying on an already blood-soaked futon.
"Ken…Shin…" She muttered, and Sanosuke sighed in resignation. There was no way she'd be moved now, and he didn't have the heart anyway.
"Oi, Jou-chan. You keep out of the doctors way. Kenshin will be fine, he's Kenshin after all. I'm going to send a mail." She nodded as he left, but hadn't listened to a word he spoke as she knelt beside Kenshin's still form, shifting slightly whenever the doctor bustled around her. She didn't even notice the sound of footsteps behind her until Yahiko fell to his knees beside her, staring at Kenshin with tear-filled eyes. She knew it must be hard for him. His idol, his father-figure, was lying here after saving Japan, and he wasn't even able to smile at them. To see him so vulnerable left a hollow, empty feeling inside her, and she knew it was much the same ache that hurt Yahiko now, more even than the wound on his back.
"Kenshin… I did what you told me. I protected the Aoiya. I defeated one of the Jupongatana. I did it, Kenshin. You beat Shishio too. Sanosuke told me. I knew you would. You did it Kenshin... We did it."
Kaoru felt tears brimming over her eyes and down her cheeks once again, and she reached a hand out, pulling Yahiko close. She half expected him to pull away and insult her, but was grateful when he leant into her side and sobbed quietly. She smiled despite her own gripping fears, and hugged him tightly. They didn't agree on much, but when it came to Kenshin, they were united.
Kaoru soon realised she couldn't stay by his side forever, and after a few days of Sae bringing her food, she was convinced that she would need to leave to earn her keep. Even with Yahiko working again, she knew she couldn't rely on him, and he was as worried for Kenshin as she was. Misao came in to check up frequently, but otherwise she stayed by Aoshi's side or was looking into her contacts for signs of the remaining Juppongatana. Kaoru sighed. She knew Kenshin would fight his hardest. He'd promised to go back to Tokyo after all, but she couldn't help feeling like something was wrong. The doctor entered the room with a slow opening of the shoji every morning, lunchtime and evening, and Kaoru was starting to notice his concern growing. She knew something was wrong. He'd never slept like this before. He didn't stir, his chest barely rose and fell. When the doctor touched him, his closed eyes didn't even flicker. She wanted to go and help Sae and Yahiko downstairs, but she couldn't bring herself to leave him, not like this. Not when it was so uncertain whether or not he'd ever look up at her with those beautiful, deep violet orbs again.
The shoji clacked open so ferociously that Kaoru turned out of her reverie with a jolt so fierce that she was on her feet before she realised. She barely acknowledged the blur of purple as it passed, and turned to see a familiar head of hair and doctor's uniform leaning over her battered Kenshin.
"Dear Ken-san!" Megumi acknowledged before hurriedly removing his yukata and looking over the bandages, through which crimson stains were already appearing. Sanosuke appeared in the doorway, and decided to leave the women to it. He stalked away to get some lunch and relay the vixen's arrival to Yahiko and Sae.
Megumi had been working on Kenshin for several minutes when Kaoru felt a cold trail form over her right cheek. She pulled her hand heavily from her side and felt the cheek in question. Tears? She had been crying a lot over the last few days, she knew, but she wasn't crying for Kenshin now. No, she was glad. She was glad that Megumi had come to Kenshin's aid. Without a word, she turned and left the room, pulling the shoji closed without a second look back. Megumi paused in her actions, smiling as tears of her own formed on her lashes and dripped onto Kenshin's bandaged torso. She knew that Kaoru leaving was a sign of her trust. She finally felt it was safe to leave Kenshin, trusting in Megumi to keep him alive. Indeed, over the next few days Megumi did work hard on Kenshin's wounds, and soon he was looking much less pale. Kaoru still came to sit by his side whenever she wasn't working, and it was at one of these moments when he stirred. She leant closer as his eyes flickered beneath his closed lids.
"Kenshin?" She whispered, but he didn't reply. She looked down to his hand, contemplating taking it, when it twitched. She blinked, had she imagined it? It clenched into a fist and her eyes flew up to Kenshin's face, to his expression. She flinched. What was that? Pain. She knew he was having a nightmare, and took his hand without a second thought. It was good he was conscious enough to dream, but a nightmare was a different matter. Sweat began to form on his cloth-covered forehead and Kaoru turned it over so the cool side rested against his skin. He flinched and clenched her hand
tight before lashing around, grunting and crying out. Kaoru felt her heart wring itself out in her chest. He was in pain. He was fighting. And yet, there was nothing she could do for him. He threw her hand aside, and continued to thrash around on the futon. Soon the covers were wrapped constrictively around him, despite Kaoru's best efforts to smooth them out. Megumi slid the shoji open violently when she heard his thrashing, and quickly ran to Kaoru's aid. Together they took his hands and tried holding him down, but this seemed to make his convulsions worse, so they quickly released him. Kaoru put a hand on his chest, making the sleeping Kenshin pause a moment before continuing harder than before. She laid her ear against his chest and shushed him quietly. "Kenshin… You need to stop that now. You'll hurt yourself and undo all Megumi's hard work. You need to rest, Kenshin. You need to trust that you're safe." Kenshin's convulsions slowed, and then stopped, and both ladies sighed in relief. Kaoru looked up to Megumi with a smile, only to see her frowning. "Megumi? What is it?" Megumi was looking at Kenshin's chest. His yukata had fallen from his shoulders and blood was seeping through them quickly. Too quickly.
"I think he pulled the stitches. Hurry and get some boiling water. Bring me some more bandages too." Kaoru ran from the room without a word and Megumi quickly set to work undoing the offending bandage. Sure enough, the stitches the previous doctor had sewn were falling out, a few ripped from his skin. She swore under her breath. It would be hard to stitch over that. Kaoru was back by her side, and Megumi set to work, with Kaoru doing her best to be of help.
Soon though, the bleeding had lessened and he was safely stitched up once more. Kaoru was looking pleased, but once again Megumi was frowning. "He needs to drink, Kaoru. He'll need food before long as well, but water comes first. Please fetch a fresh pot of tea. We'll see what we can do." Kaoru, though, was staring at Kenshin's face. Megumi followed her gaze, and sighed. He looked in pain, and for a moment she feared he would have another nightmare. She lifted herself from the floor and left to get the tea herself. She could do little for him, whereas Kaoru seemed to be able to quell his fears, even in sleep. She wiped a small tear from her cheek as she left, and Kaoru leant closer to Kenshin, preparing to comfort him. Instead, she felt a hand on the back of her own, resting by his side. She jumped and looked down to it, and sure enough his hand was resting over her own. There was no grip, but as she looked back up to his face she gasped. His eyes were open. Those wonderful, deep, loving violet orbs that Kaoru wished would stay on her forever.
"Kenshin…" Kaoru smiled as he attempted to smile at her, and took his hand in her own. "I'm so glad…" She felt tears drip onto her hands, and then gasped as a warm hand brushed her cheek. A moment later, Kenshin's hand felt back to his stomach with a soft thump. He was too weak to comfort her. He tried to smile at her again, and wanted to tell her that she was the reason he was there then, but he didn't have the strength. Kaoru smiled widely, clenching his hand tighter. She wanted him to stay, but she knew he had to sleep. She nodded as he shut his eyes, still smiling. His hand went limp in hers and she carefully moved her hands from his, laying it by his side and then slowly rising to her feet. She turned and opened the shoji, glancing back at her red-haired rurouni for a moment before sliding it shut once again. She ran down the hall, careful to stay silent in case she should wake him, and bounded down the stairs several at a time. She misjudged a step and fell to the bottom in a heap, Sae, Sano, Yahiko, Megumi, Misao and Okina turning to look at her with concerned expressions. Megumi moved to run up to Kenshin, but the smile on Kaoru's face was easily readable. Megumi was only just able to slip her hand over Kaoru's mouth before she let out an ecstatic yell of happiness, just stifling it enough that Kenshin wouldn't be able to hear from his room
even if he was awake. They all broke out into cheers, and thus the party began. Megumi sighed as she was handed a glass of sake, and blinked as Kaoru chinked their portions together in a westernised toast.
"To you, Megumi, for saving Kenshin, and to everyone here, for saving the Aoiya. To Sanosuke, for saving Kenshin," She raised her eyes to the ceiling "And to you, Kenshin, for saving Japan!"