Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin

"Lets sign off and get out of here" my boss Nam shouted and I sighed a relief as my fingers logged off my work station.

"Stats are on target everyone, thanks for all your hard work have a good weekend and take care" Nam shouted to our retreating backs and we all smiled and waved back, it was always nice to be appreciated for a hard days graft.

"Have a nice weekend Kaoru"

"You too, enjoy and take care" I smiled back at my work colleagues as we all rushed out of the building as though desperate for fresh air, it was always a nice feeling leaving work though especially on a day like today, a Friday.

The beginning of the weekend always gave me high hopes, but as usual I would retreat to my flat in London and veg out in front of the sofa, then the typical routine of spending the next day shopping, meeting mother or friends for lunch and then Sunday would be spent cooking something special for myself after I had been for my jog and then chill out on my flat balcony reading a mills and boon slush book.

I had a good life, easy in fact when I thought about the 5 days of 7 that I worked to earn a living and then relax in my flat enjoying friends and families company letting the world dissolve around me. Nothing in life was worth worrying over, that's of course if it wasn't too serious. My friend Misao was a constant worrier but she had her reasons to be, her mother had been carefree like myself and I used to enjoy going round to the Makimachi`s for a Friday night feeling which included a dvd and a take out.

But that was all good and well until Misao`s mother was diagnosed with a brain tumour, it had been an agonising time for Misao as her mother Mitasu had already been a survivor of breast cancer, but the spread to her brain had not been detected and it had been too late to continue therapy as it was the cancer named astrocytoma which was rapidly fatal and the doctors had only given Mitasu a few months left to live. This tore Misao apart, she was losing her best friend and her mother. From that day on Misao had never been the same, she was only ever aware of the wrong in people, the negativity of Misaos thoughts concerned doctors but Misao stood firm and declined all medication and counselling. I stood by her as she was still my friend and the only person left she had to turn to.

That was until she had met her love Aoshi. I remember her telling me of the times she used to get freaked out about her frequent customer. Misao had taken over her mothers succesfull jewellery store and Misao enjoyed the tranquility of sitting quietly amongst her mothers most admired possesions. That was all enjoyable until he arrived, the tall dark and handsome man who had terrified Misao at first, she had assumed instantly that he was after more than jewellery and was on the defence immediately, keeping focused on him she eyed his every move when he wandered into the shop, Misao even timed his arrival and his exact duration of stay until he left, according to Misao he would arrive 12pm on the dot and leave no later than 12:30pm. I told Misao to talk to him and after that I didn't hear from her, she thought I was being too carefree, just as her mother had been. It had been 3 years since Mitasu had passed away but still Misao was suffering.

Eventually Misao confronted her friend and found out that all along he had been visiting the shop so he could get to see Misao, a rather sweet thought and surprisingly Misao thought so too. And so with the silence broken she agreed to dine with the handsome man she soon found out was a doctor in London's general hospital. Aoshi Shinomori was 28years of age and had resided in London all his life, but his ambition was to move to America to further his studies in medicine, he was a fully qualified cardiologist but wanted to advance his skills by studying the brain and nerves to acquire the title of neurologist. Aoshi had no children, had never been married and owned his own apartment on the outskirts of London. In all Aoshi sounded every woman's dream, and when I was invited to meet him one night he was most charming in booking a table at the snazziest Indian restaurant and all night I was taken in by his charm and intelligence.

In ways I was jealous of Misaos happiness as everyday passed the loved up couple fell more and more in love, but I was happy that she was finally at peace and there was someone to fill the whole left behind by the passing away of her mother.

I smiled privately to myself as I let myself into my home and the silence enveloped me, it was moments like this I was just happy being by myself. I wont deny at times the loneliness did get to me, but I knew my time would come when I would find someone to share the moments in life so many couples treasured.

"Its freezing" I muttered to myself as I rushed to switch on the fire, then retreat to my bedroom to undress and smother myself with my lush dressing gown. Then when I was snug in my gown I got down to brewing up a hot chocolate. Hot chocolates were a thing I always enjoyed when the fire was roaring and the rain could be heard hissing outside as it drenched the few people on the streets, it warmed you up instantly. I decided I would treat myself with a few marsh mellows to melt on the top of my hot chocolate.

Life was good and I wouldnt change anything, I had my friends, my mother and my little flat in London.

*

I waited inside the cafe for a good hour, constantly ringing her mobile, flat and shop number but no answer, I even rang Aoshi but with no luck. I hated being stood up by friends, especially when it was so easy to send a simple text or call and cancel. I furiously drank up my coffee and decided shopping couldnt be so bad alone.

But it did, especially since it was the Christmas period and everyone was fretting over presents and the holiday period. Children cried and screamed, mothers shouting in frustration, boyfriends husbands and dads mopping behind exhausted due to the weight of the shopping bags, shoppers panicking and rushing around, the whole mall was a nightmare. This was typical for Christmas, and I decided since I already had my gifts safely nestled in my wardrobe I would pick up a take out on the way home and veg in front of the sofa with a DVD.

I noticed a message on my answer phone machine as I kicked off my shoes and hung up my coat and scarf. Walking over to it I pressed the button which indicated only one message had been left, and in listening I walked into the kitchen to prepare my take out.

"Kaoru its me Aoshi, I don't mean to panic you but I`m at the general hospital with Misao, theres been an accident. Shes doing fine but I think it would be best if you came down" throughout the message I had dropped my take out all over the floor and was frozen to the spot, but as soon as it had finished I flung on my shoes and coat rushing straight to the hospital.

*

"Misao Makimachi" I gasped as I ran up to the reception desk at the general hospital, the nurse quickly led me to a quiet room and sat me down advising she would inform Dr. Shinomori of my arrival.

I felt as though I had been sitting in the chair for eternity, my mind was in fast forward mode as I thought over Aoshi`s words on the answer phone machine. 'Accident' the very word made my stomach shrink and I felt tears of panic spring to my eyes.

"Kaoru" his voice made me jump up and I threw my arms naturally around his neck and held onto him for support as my tears turned to gasps, he held onto me giving me the wall of support I needed.

"Please tell me she`s alright" I sobbed desperately trying to pull myself together.

"Only time will tell but for now shes in a stable condition" his face was sympathetic but behind the tired eyes I knew he was worried sick.

"May I see her?" my voice shook as I felt my eyes fill.

"Of course, follow me" and soon I was rushing to keep up with his long stride as we marched down corridor after corridor. On our way Aoshi informed me of what had happened, it had been a hit and run. Misao had left to die on the side of the road but passersby had come to her help, the first to the scene had been the police and from what they had witnessed the car had skidded on ice mounting the pavement and hitting Misao.

"Thankfully Misao had only been hit, not crushed or lodged under the car, she only has minor injuries but the blood loss is our concern and you have my word ever possible action will be taken to make sure she pulls through" his firm voice echoed through the halls and I knew I could trust him.

"Misao" my voice croaked as I spoke out when Aoshi had opened the door with Misao inside. She looked old and fragile hooked up to machines and her still body was deathly pale. I walked beside her and this time the silence I loved to hear at home was nothing comforting when hearing the silence in a hospital room. The only sound was the constant beeping of machines indicating any infrequency's in the body. I sobbed quietly as I wrapped my hand around Misaos cold fingers, Aoshi put a hand on my shoulder telling me he was needed on another ward but wouldn't be long.

I pulled up a chair as I cried for my friend, the feeling you receive at the thought of losing someone you love was something new for me, I had never felt such dreaded thoughts of loss and the tears didn't hold up.

After a while Aoshi did return and I breathed an anguished sigh rubbing my face and taking a deep breath as I stood.

"Would you like a coffee?" I was asked and I silently nodded a yes.

And that's how the conversations continued, apart from when doctors gathered in the room every so often to check over Misaos condition and I demanded to know if there was anything wrong, which Aoshi quickly replied comforting me with the knowledge that if any interruptions occured I would be the first one informed.

The beeping of the monitors was beginning to weigh on my mind, the sound seemed to be the only thing I could focus on, as though I was waiting for some wrong pitch or an alarm to go off signalling something dreadful. I decided I needed to clear my mind and so I went for a walk around the hospital.

I walked past rooms, halls leading to theatres, wards filled with recovering patients and the waiting rooms full of anxious people being informed of the news whether it be good or bad. The smell of the hospital was overwhelming, everything smelt as though it had been disinfected and cleansed. I grabbed another cup of coffee on my wander to clear my thoughts and I glanced into rooms seeing children, friends and relations gather round the beds of their ill families or of the families that had just extended with newborns. Hospitals were all 50/50, you always arrived in pain or discomfort, but whether or not you left in good health was all down to fate.

I had got all too deep in my thoughts that I didn't realise I`d walked into an unfamiliar room, and when I looked up my eyes grew wide at the sight of a blooded man led on a bed being cleaned up by several nurses, and Aoshi pinning up blood packs and attaching the pipes to needles, with this he injected the red haired man and my eyes followed the blood that slid down the pipe and into the pained man.

"Aoshi" I gasped and everyones eyes flew in my direction, the man let out a low growl and I stared in horror and somewhat fascination.

"Kaoru is everything alright?" Aoshi walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulder turning me away from the bloody man, he led me out into the corridor and shut the door hastily.

"I`m sorry, before I realised I`d wandered into the wrong room it was too late" I stuttered over my words as my thoughts reeled back to the man in the room.

"I think you should go home and rest Kaoru, Misao has been heavily sedated to let her body heal naturally and under my surveillance if anything goes wrong I will immediately inform you" he once again assured me, and I agreed to come back first thing next morning.

*

Back home I had called my mother to tell her of the bad news, and she was both shocked and upset, and we both decided to visit Misao the next morning together.

I slept rather easily as my eyes were so sore they closed almost automatically when I rested my head against my soft pillow and my body fell into a deep slumber as I pulled the duvet around me.

Morning soon came and I didn't have time for anything to eat as my mother picked me up early and we set off back to the hospital. Once again in the hospital the smell and atmosphere made me queasy, but the sight of Misao made me sigh in relief as she didn't look half as bad as she did last night. The bandages had been redressed and her complexion looked a lot healthier with her cuts cleaned up. Aoshi greeted us with a tired smile, he later confessed to only grabbing a few hours sleep in the staff beds located in the hospital for paramedics use on standby but his crumpled uniform and scruffed hair made him look as though he hadn't slept in months.

Misao had taken well to a blood transfusion and medication and was on the path to a quick recovery. Her only set backs were a broken rib, wrist and leg which would need more time to heal but plaster had been set on the leg and wrist to aid the bones in recovering back into a normal position.

I was relieved to hear Misao would be alright and the exhaustion hit me like a smack in the face, last nights emotions had worn me out and I was only now beginning to feel the effects of it.

"Do you fancy a brew?" my mother asked and I stood nodding.

"I`ll get them" and walked out already know how my mother liked her coffee, I slowed to the room that I had accidentally walked into last night and my thoughts crept back to the red haired man I had disturbed. I wanted to see him again more out of curiosity than anything else, because the more I thought of him and our meeting the more he seemed to weigh on my mind, as though last night hadn't been the first time I had seen him.

But when I opened the door the room was empty and the bed was clean of any blood indicating that last night may have been a figure of my imagination, I knew this was an excuse as Aoshi had led me out and instructed me home.

Once coffee had been collected I returned to my mother who was sitting by Misao holding her hand and talking softly to her, I smiled and thanked the gods that Misao would soon be coming home with us.

*

2 weeks later Misao was allowed home and Aoshi and I decided that it would be best if she stayed at my flat, due to Aoshi`s long hours at work and my mother would keep Misao company during the day.

"I`m home" I shouted into the flat as I returned home from work one night with my bag and supper.

"Were have you been!" Misao moaned as I wandered chuckling into the kitchen to prepare the food.

"The take out was very busy, everyones having Christmas work parties so there a little over run" I explained the reason for my late return.

"I`m starving, I nearly resorted to hobbling over to your neighbour for food and company" Misao complained but this made me frown as I walked into the living room were Misao lay on the sofa with her leg still plastered up propped onto the arm of the sofa.

"I dont have a neighbour" I informed as I handed Misao her food and I settled in the opposite chair with my own plate.

"Well you do now, he was creating a load of racket today I went out for a nosy and he`s moving in this weekend" Misao smiled with a mouthful of food.

"Wow, that flats been empty since I moved in" I was quite suprised at this little bit of news.

"So whats he like?" I asked.

"Hes very handsome, and very talented it seems he had a grand piano delivered" Misao raised her eyebrows in approval of this.

"I hope he doesnt make too much noise" the thought of mozart blaring out of his flat at all hours was not a pleasant one.

"Although I must say he had the most shocking red hair i`ve ever seen on a man before, very dare devilish"

To be continued...