Chapter Four

Exposed

Kaoru's POV

Four hours. Four long, grueling hours Kaoru spent reevaluating every inch of Sano Sagara's intestinal wounds. She had diligently worked through the night examining every part of his insides. Looking for any small tear she may have missed. Eventually she decided to close him up, but only when she was satisfied with her work. Her final diagnosis was feeble, but that was all she had that could explain such an enamel. Kaoru decided that he had accidently torn open his wound, which would have caused an assortment of pain that could have defiantly sent his body into shock. It was one of the natural ways your body dealt with high amounts of pain. She wasn't happy with the outcome. However, there was no other way this incident could have been explained. Kaoru thread the surgical needle through his marred skin one last time. Pulling the stitches tight. Then with a snip and a quick knot she was finally done. For the first time in the last four hours she could relax. Falling back against her chair Kaoru released a sigh of relieve. She had managed to save him.

Grabbing a roll of gauze from a nearby table, Kaoru began to gently dress his wound. She couldn't afford for those stitches to get infected. She worked in silence. Carefully rolling the bandages around his belly. Over his toned stomach, under his back, and then back up his side. Again and again she repeated this until she ran out of gauze and had to tie it off "There you go Sano." She whispered in the dim candle light "All patched up again." She forced a smile. How could she let something like this happen? Dipping a clean cloth into a bowel of lukewarm water, Kaoru rung out the excess liquid, and dabbed the rag across his forehead. The convulsions he had went into was quite a strain on his body. So the perspiration that slid down his temple was normal.

"Will he be okay?" Ayame asked as her hands clenched tightly into her kimono sleeve. She had been such a good nurse throughout the entire surgery. Ayame had brought Kaoru her instruments almost as soon as she asked for them, and had shed as much light as she could for the doctor to work more efficiently. Kaoru honestly couldn't ask for a better assistant. Her dedication was above and beyond anything the young doctor had expected.

Nodding Kaoru replied with a soft "Yes." The girl automatically relaxed just a tiny bit. Like Kaoru, she had been on edge the entire four hours.

Again the room fell into a peaceful silence. Nothing but the distant sound of croaking frogs and the soft breathing of resting men filled the space between them. It was defiantly something Kaoru could get used to. "Miss Kamiya, may I ask you something?" The doctor turned her attention curiously to her assistant, nodding her head silently. Ayame pursed her lips as if she wasn't quite sure how to ask her question "Well… I was just wondering…" She began slowly "Where did that bruise come from Miss Kamiya."

Kaoru's blue eyes widened as her hand quickly covered her marking. In all of the chaos she must have lost her bandage "You shouldn't worry about this Ayame." Kaoru replied bluntly, yet old tears still stung the corners of her eyes. Should she tell Ayame about Shishio? After all the girl didn't look all to convinced, and the worry that plainly showed on her face said it all. She wanted answers. Kaoru turned her gaze to the floor, taking a deep, steadying breath. Bracing herself to relive the pain of last night, she latched on to the sides of Sano's cot "Okay…" She whispered. Ayame took a step forward as she recognized the broken nature of Kaoru's voice. She genuinely seem concerned for the doctor. Perhaps that's what made all of this a little bit easier for Kaoru "Last night, while I was washing my tools by the well," Easing back in the chair she went on "A man a-attacked me." She explained hoarsely.

"Miss Kamiya…" Ayame dropped a reassuring hand on Kaoru's shoulder "Who was it?"

No. She couldn't answer that. She just couldn't. What would she say? That one of her recent patients attacked her like a feral animal? No. Kaoru wouldn't be able to bear the insanity of it all. Tears threatening to escape her eyes Kaoru murmured "I don't know." Maybe one day she would tell Ayame the truth, but not today. The pain of it all was just too fresh right now. "I didn't see his face, it was too dark."

Ayame didn't seem to believe her, but she said nothing of it. Instead she focused on the evidence of the event "May I see?" She asked pushing softly at Kaoru's hand. Without a word Kaoru complied and dropped her hand to her side. Ayame frowned deeply as she skimmed her fingers over the dark purple and blue bruise "Is this the only one?" She asked quietly.

Kaoru shook her head "No, they're all over my body. Down my side, across my waist..." She shouldn't have been, but Kaoru felt so ashamed of what had happened. Almost as if it had all been her fault. As if she had somehow just asked for these bruises, but she hadn't. So why did she suddenly feel as though she had?

"Kaoru, you need to tell Katsura."

She panicked "I can't do that."

Ayame knelt down to her level, and looked her dead in the eye. It was the first time Kaoru had ever seen her so serious "Some horrible man attacked you right here at the base. Right under Katsura's nose. This is his army, and he takes his position very seriously Kaoru. If your attacker is one of his men Katsura will make sure he is taken care of." Everything she said was the truth, but Kaoru still couldn't stand the thought of having to tell Katsura about this problem. She was the first female doctor to ever join the army. How would it look if she had to admit that within only a month she had been assaulted by one of her male patients? No. She wouldn't have her reputation ruined like that. She couldn't.

For a long time Kaoru didn't say anything. Unsure of what she should say. Finally she spoke "Ayame, I can't. He has so much to worry about… Something like this, something I can handle on my own, shouldn't be bothered with Katsura. He's too busy of a man."

It was obvious that Ayame didn't much care for her reply, but again she bit back any protest she was about to make. However much she disliked Kaoru's decision she would let the doctor work this out. Nibbling on her bottom lip Ayame sighed softly to herself "Okay, but at least allow me to treat your bruising. Sometimes we get customers at the Tea House who are a little rougher than they should be…" She explained as she pulled a small jar from her kimono sleeve "An older geisha had made a remedy for these instances." Ayame popped off the lid and dipped her fingers into a sticky, thick cream "This should help your bruises heal much faster."

"Thank you Ayame."

She finished smoothing the medicine across her blemished skin "Your welcome." Silently she fitted a bandage over the marking, and taped it down. Ayame stood gracefully and laid the little remedy jar in Kaoru's lap "It's not much, but take this with you. Apply it to the other areas. It should take affect within the next couple days or so." And with that said Ayame turned on her heel only to pause for a millisecond "Please be careful Miss Kamiya. The man that attacked you last night was looking to really hurt you." Then she was gone.

Kaoru sat there for quite a while, just simply looking at the small jar in her lap. Timidly she traced the lid with the tip of her finger. It truly was little, probably not much bigger than a pickled plum. It was a hard thing to believe that something so small was capable of something so amazing. Ayame said that this tiny jar of cream would speed up the healing process of her bruises. In a couple of days even. Kaoru smiled sadly at the container and tucked it away in her kimono sleeve. Thank you Ayame...

Battousai's POV

He had stationed himself under a huge cherry blossom tree nearly a half hour ago, watching in complete silence as pink petals floated lazily about the air. There was something almost, peaceful, about seeing those little petals make their long journey from the top of the tree to the cold hard ground. Kenshin settled into the trunk of the tree with his faithful katana propped against his shoulder. For the most part he was hidden within the shadows of the pink canopy. It was sort of like a safety zone for him. Being hidden in the darkness. It was the only place that he could efficiently shield himself away from the rest of the base. Everyone inside would eye him carefully. It was as if they didn't trust him. Of course with a violent past such as his why should they trust him? He had ended many lives, and most times in horrid ways. Ways that most only ever dreamed of in their worst nightmares… So he could certainly understand why people are wryly around him. He was in complete essence of the word, dangerous. Yet he wasn't. Battousai had control over his abilities… that is for the most part. He knew when it was necessary to hold back. Such as he did with Tomoe. He had made her death quick and painless. Something he rarely did with traitors, but she was a woman. Even he knew that her murder would have to be treated carefully.

She deserved worse… Said something deep inside of him. Kenshin closed his eyes and willed away that taunting voice. He had heard it many times before. Especially when he was in battle. It would tell him to keep going, to teach them just who they were dealing with. Sometimes that taunting little voice in the back of his head would get to him, and just sometimes he would allow it to carry him away with the chaos of war. Other times, after the battle is over, and when he is the last man standing the slayer would look in horror at what he had done. It was moments like that when a man could fully comprehend his power. Part of him hated all the death that he had brought, but another part of him—a darker, more dominate part of him-loved it. This scared him. Anyone who had an ounce of humanity should mourn for those who are lost to the cause, enemy or not. However, lately, the Battousai had simply found a sense of pride in his victims. He had feared that he would lose his humanity to this war, and sure enough ounce by ounce he was. He had fought in this Godforsaken war for three years. Three hellacious years he had waded through the blood and the death. His heart slowly building a wall of immunity as he went. Now the wall was nearly finished, and he would soon be consumed by his growing bloodlust.

Fluttering long red lashes open to gaze into the warmth of the sunrise. Behind the peaks of a huge mountain range, a force greater than anything else in this world made its appearance pronounced. In an explosion of gold and red the sun announced its presence in the grandest way possible. Never one for humility. Battousai thought as he studied the sky in all its splendor.

"Himura, may I join you?" There was only one man whom knew his true name. The only one who had ever been brave enough to ask—Katsura. Kenshin Himura glanced up at his commander through golden eyes, and curtly nodded his head in a silent greeting. Take his nod as confirmation Katsura sat down beside the conflicted assassin, folding his arms into his gi sleeves "It's a bit chilly this morning." He muttered.

Kenshin turned back to the sunrise in the distance "You didn't come to talk about the weather." He commented in that monotonous way of his. Always to the point, Kenshin had never been a fan of small talk.

Katsura smiled guiltily at having been figured out so quickly. He shrugged "No, no I did not." He agreed simply. Kenshin just nodded again waiting patiently for his commander to continue "You never have like much conversation." Katsura sighed, obviously upset about being brushed off "Alright then I need you to take care of a little business for me." He paused to gather his bearings and then began again "You remember the new doctor?" Ah, the new female doctor. Kenshin had heard quite a bit about her around the dining room. She was something of a miracle worker according to the men that she had worked on "She has been attacked Himura." This indefinitely caught his attention. Kenshin glanced to Katsura curiously, willing him to go on "I have no idea as to who has done this, but my informant tells me whoever it was may not be finished with our doctor." A flare of justice lit the samurai's molten eyes. Something about men who were weak enough to pray on innocent women didn't sit well with him "I need you to keep a close eye on her Himura, do not let her out of your sight for a moment. I suspect that this man is the same one who has injured many of our working girls as well."

Kenshin had seen many of the injuries to the Tea House women. Bruises, some broken bones, and deep cuts-a few needing stitches. He had been aware of this problem for a long time. It had been bad enough that this dishonorable man had hurt their girls, but for him to target the doctor. His reputation has took a hard blow. The geisha's could, for the most part, take care of themselves in situations like this. However, the doctor is a pure woman, she couldn't possibly have the slightest idea of how to protect herself "She will be watched." Kenshin agreed.

Katsura grinned happily "I'm glad. That little doctor is growing on me."

A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter very much, so I hope you really liked reading it :) Thank you for reading and please comment any thoughts below!