Megumi wiped tired hands across her kimono, leaving faint streaks of sweat as she stood and faced a very worried rurouni. 

"Hai, it's definitely the same mystery disease, Ken-san."


Kenshin's violet eyes were pleading as he watched Megumi pack up her satchel.  "Are you sure, de gozaru ka?  Couldn't she just have passed out from exhaustion today?"

Megumi shook her head sadly.  "Gomen ne, Ken-san, she has the exact same symptoms as the patients filling up the clinic."

"How do you know, you checked her over so quickly?"

"Any one-eyed apprentice can recognize a fever and a rash, Kenshin."

"If you knew it was contagious, why did you allow Kaoru-dono and Misao-chan to work there without protection?"

"I didn't, they wore heavy gloves and I wouldn't let them go near the severely ill patients.  Misao was kept busy making her special tea, and Kaoru helped the newcomers get situated.  Neither of them should have had any harmful exposure at all."  Megumi sighed and placed a hand upon Kenshin's shoulder.  "Gomen nasai, there's nothing more I can do for her until we figure out what causes this sickness.  Keep her well packed in futons and hot bricks, have her drink a cup of the tea each time she wakes, and try to see if she can stomach a bowl of hot soup."

Kenshin nodded and smiled at Megumi.  "Arigatou gozaimes, Megumi-dono, I'm sorry if I snapped at you, I was just worried about Kaoru-dono."

Megumi gave his shoulder a comforting pat before picking up her satchel and nudging the foot of Sanosuke, who was dozing in the corner.  The ex-gangster blinked and sneezed, easing himself up to a sitting position as he rubbed his bleary eyes.

"Kitsune, the smell of those damn herbs are making me crazy."

"Oh, it's not the herbs, Tori-atama.  You've always been a little off.  Get your lazy self up, we're going to the clinic."

Sano yawned and scratched his hair.  "We?"

"Yes, as in me, the doctor, and you, the basin boy.  Dr. Genzai is too old to be staying up all night."

"Aw, Kitsune…" 

"Oyasumi nasai, Ken-san.  If there's any drastic change in Kaoru's condition, send Misao to the clinic right away.  And stop worrying so much," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.  "Kaoru's a big girl and she'll pull through this."

Kenshin didn't answer, smiling and bowing as Megumi left the dojo, followed by a loudly complaining Sano.  As soon as the two were out of sight, the smile left his face and he closed the gate with a sigh.  Of course Kaoru would pull through this, she was a strong, energetic girl with a stubborn nature and a will to live. 

Chotto matte, will to live?  Why would Kaoru need such a thing?  This was just an unnamed sickness that would pass over soon, nothing serious about it, ne?  Kenshin pulled his hair in frustration.  How could he determine the seriousness of a disease he didn't even understand?  How could he tell Kaoru she would be alright, and that it was nothing that couldn't be cured?  How could he know for certain that this disease was not fatal?

Kenshin blanched.  The thought had not yet crossed his mind.  Fatal.  Such an ugly, foreshadowing word. 

No, Megumi-dono said nothing of the possibility of fatality.  She said not to worry, and she should know, ne?  She's a doctor.

But she has never seen this disease, and she has others to take care of.

I will take care of Kaoru-dono.

"Yes, I will take care of Kaoru-dono.  Nothing bad will happen to her," he spoke aloud, trying to force as much confidence into the statement as he could.  The cawing of a crow seemed to mock his words in the still, empty heat of early morning.  Kenshin shook his head and straightened his shoulders, walking back to the dojo with a heavy load on his mind.  He was so preoccupied with thoughts of Kaoru and the mystery disease that he had barely time enough to register the fact that someone had quite suddenly bumped into him and now the two of them were sprawled across the floor. 

"Oh, Kenshin, I didn't see you there.  You're so quiet, Himura!"

Kenshin rubbed his head ruefully and stood up, offering a hand to Misao.  "And you are up very early this morning, Misao-chan.  Is something wrong?"

Misao got to her feet and rearranged the armful of cloth she carried, checking to make sure she wasn't missing any pieces.  "Iie, I couldn't sleep very well.  I was worried about Kaoru so I woke up and checked in on her."

Kenshin smiled and took the burden out of her arms.  "You're a great help to us, Misao-chan, but you needn't worry about Kaoru.  Megumi said she should be fine if we can keep her fever down."

"Hai, but I wanted to check anyways.  Megumi's busy with all her patients at the clinic, but we only have Kaoru to look after."

"Does she look better than yesterday?"

"I dunno, Himura, maybe you should check yourself if you're so keen on her appearance," Misao suggested with a jaunty wink. 

"Oro…Misao…"

"I'm just kidding, baka, she's still sleeping and she looks fine.  Her head still felt hot, though, so I'd better make some more tea for when she wakes up."

"Arigatou gozaimes, Misao-chan, I'll start breakfast after you're done in the kitchen."

Misao nodded and waved him off.  Kenshin hesitated for a moment with one foot in the doorway and one foot set towards Kaoru's room.  Did he really need to see her?  Yes, he did.  He needed to reassure himself that she was okay, to see her sleeping peacefully and without pain.  He set his right foot in motion and headed down the hall, sliding the shoji door open ever so carefully.  His sandaled feet made next to noise at all as he crept into the silent room and set down the bundle of sheets next to the slumbering figure encased in futons.  Kaoru did look peaceful as she slept, her long lashes resting atop ivory cheekbones.  A faint stain of red covered the tops of those porcelain cheeks, evidence of the fever that had set in overnight and refused to budge.  Kenshin kneeled down next to her and rearranged the futons that had slipped to the side, exposing the pale limbs and plain white yukata.  Kaoru stirred in her sleep, moaning softly as she tossed her head to the side.  Kenshin froze with his hands in midair, fearful lest she wake and brain him for being so close to her bed. 

"Ken…shin…" Kaoru sighed and turned over again, her back now facing the motionless rurouni.  He kept stationary a few moments before tugging the top futon down and sitting back on his heels, intent on waiting to make sure she didn't awaken.  Kaoru made no more noise and her body was still except for the steady rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed without disturbance.

For now, in this peaceful sanctuary of silence, Kenshin was more than happy to simply sit and watch his best friend and companion, bathed as she was in the early morning sunlight.  The soft glow caught the blue highlights in her raven black hair, accentuating the gentle slope of her cheek and the firm curve of her jaw.  Many people in the town thought Kaoru was too much of a tomboy to amount to anything as a woman, but Kenshin thought she was absolutely perfect, a cheerful youth that just happened to be skilled in kendo.  She was cute when mad and beautiful when she smiled, almost enough light to chase away the darkness in his tainted soul.  Every fiber in his body longed to reach out and brush away the dark bangs that fell across that china face, but every bit of common sense kept his hands to himself.  Kaoru was sweet and sensitive and special, too special to be dirtied with the love of a murderer.

Kenshin's wistful sigh broke the almost-holy silence in the room, a gusty exhale that had somehow escaped his guarded self-control.  His eyes widened as Kaoru's opened, sapphire orbs blinking in confusion as she struggled to remember how she had ended up in her own bed last night.

"Kenshin?"

"Ohayo gozaimes," he said with a fake cheerful smile.  Kaoru tilted her head, eyes still fuzzy with sleep.

"Ohayo, Kenshin.  What time is it?"

"Very early, de gozaru yo.  You should go back to bed." 'Back to bed, koishii…'  He stood up to go.

"Aa.  Ano…Kenshin?"

The redhaired man turned in midstep, his heart still banging wildly in his chest.  "Hai?"

Kaoru smiled sleepily and sat up on the tatami.  "I just wanted to tell you…"

"H-hai, Kaoru-dono?"

"Hare heta yo."

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Maa maa, sorry it's so short!  I know I haven't updated in a long time, but school is a bitch.  _  Anyways, feel free to tell me what you think of it!  R&R, onegai!