O_O Wow, Eleven reviews already? *giggles* Oh, and about the sunlight thing - they'd been looking for him all night but Sanosuke found Kenshin just around dawn. Sano's not know for his innate pathfinding skills, or so I've been told.

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

dono - means 'Miss', I think.

Feel free to correct me at any time!

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Today was the day. Kenshin felt excited but forced himself to remain composed. If he got all worked up it might convince Dr. Genzai to keep him wrapped up even longer. He was already sick of not being able to move.

'Or see. Yes, I definitely would have preferred to see even if I couldn't move my fingers.'

Dr. Genzai had kept his eyes bandaged most of the time, and when he had changed the bandages the room was so dark Kenshin couldn't make out more then a vague moving blur where the doctor was. It always gave him a very disturbing feeling.

Another effect of the bandages was that he had to be fed by one of the others for every meal. It was common sense after all - and it reduced the risk of Kenshin getting third-degree burns from trying to eat hot food. Sanosuke had teased him mercilessly about it but in a way Kenshin liked getting hand-fed.

'Yahiko probably put it best when he said I was getting spoiled.'

The memory made him chuckle softly, then wince as the motion tugged too hard on parts of his still-healing body. Still, he was right to be happy. He'd been getting slightly stir-crazy in here, although Kaoru-dono and the others all visited there were long times in between visits when all Kenshin could do was sleep or think. The thing he thought about the most was that last battle. He still couldn't figure out what sword style the cloaked stranger had been using. It was fast like his Hiten Mitsurugi, and yet it kept making him think of the Kamiya Kasshin. Whatever it was, the man's father had been wise to use a reversed blade on his sword.

Further thought on the matter vanished when Kenshin heard the door slid open, then mostly shut again.

"Well now, I'll bet you're happy today aren't you?"

Dr. Genzai chuckled as he saw the big, goofy grin on Kenshin's face.

"Well, I am very happy to go outside for a change. I think this room got smaller the longer I was in here, I believe it did."

"Well then, let's not keep you waiting any longer! Oh, and you might want to keep your eyes shut at first. The door's a little bit open and they'll be sensitive to the bright sunlight for a while after being under wraps."

Of course, the second the bandages were off his face Kenshin opened his eyes wide.

"Ow! That really is bright!"

"Well, he warned you didn't he?"

Kenshin squinted to see a big shape sitting outlined in the doorway. It wasn't easy, considering Kenshin's face was covered by his hands, and his eyes were watery from the stinging.

"Sanosuke?"

"Yep. Better get used to the light quick now Kenshin!"

With that barest warning Sanosuke kicked the door the rest of the way open. The effect was instantaneous.

"IEEEE!"

Kenshin didn't even try peeking through his hands this time. At least, not until he heard the other footsteps.

"Sanosuke! What are you - Kenshin!"

Miss Kaoru and Yahiko had come by to check on the commotion. Kenshin squinted as hard as he could through his hands, trying to make out the scene before him. Judging by the sounds, Sanosuke had punched Yahiko affectionately in the head while Miss Kaoru was slapping both of them using her wooden sword. While Dr. Genzai continued undoing bandages as if nothing unusual was going on, Kenshin tilted his head to the left just enough to avoid getting hit in the head by the previously mentioned wooden sword. The last thing he wanted now was another injury.

"And that's the last of them! How does that feel now Kenshin?"

Kenshin tried wiggling his toes, then with his eyes tightly shut he stretched out his arms and swung them, then wiggled the fingers.

"It feels great now Dr. Genzai, that it most certainly does! Um, except for…"

"Well, go sit outside for a while and your eyes should adjust more quickly," Dr. Genzai said smoothly. "Here, let me help you up."

To Kenshin's delight his legs held him easily, as if they had never been injured before in his life. Dr. Genzai helped him past the three-way brawl between Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Kaoru.



It took a while, but finally seeing was no longer so painful and Kenshin could look around properly.

'That's strange. Why is it so dark looking if it's just past the middle of the day?'

Everything seemed darker, and all washed out. It was very disorienting. Kenshin looked at his hands. They looked far more pale then they should have. Finally, he looked over where Dr. Genzai was watching him. The bright colors of the doctor's clothes seemed almost drab, and his outline was a bit blurred around the edges. The dojo was a bit blurry as well.

'What is going on?'

"Kenshin, is something wrong?"

He looked up to see the strangely distorted shape of Kaoru-dono, followed by a bruised looking Yahiko and Sanosuke, standing in front of him. All three of them looked worried.

"It is as I feared."

All four of them turned to face Dr. Genzai.