Title: A New Beginning
Author: Charismatic Angel
Email: charismatic_angel@msn.com
Rated: PG 13
Chapter Date: October 4, 2003
Chapter 28: Be Strong
Kaoru escorted Miss Megumi to Kenshin's room. Miss Megumi closely followed as her heart pounded in her chest. Megumi knew little of Kenshin's previous life. She knew that he left Japan because of something he did there, but what it was she wasn't quite sure. Sano knew more than her, but trying to get information out of Sano was like getting blood from a turnip.
Kaoru stopped in front of the last door and slowly turned the knob. The room was dimly lit. A small bedside lamp gave off the only light. Kaoru moved aside to let Miss Megumi in first. With her medical bag in hand, Megumi raced forward to her patient, who was lying half unconscious on the bed.
Megumi gasped, "Sir Ken!", she put her hand over mouth. Megumi analyzed the various cut and gashes covering Kenshin's weak frame. Never in her life had she seen wounds of this caliber. 'What caused this?' Megumi thought to herself.
Miss Megumi removed Kenshin's shirt so she could get a better look at his wounds. Her face contorted slightly as she examined a deep cut on his side. "Kaoru I am going to need you to boil some water. I will also need all the clean towels you can find." Kaoru nodded her head and quickly left to fulfill the tasks.
On her way to the kitchen, Kaoru passed Sano, who was still standing in the middle of the living room. She could obviously see that he was dumbfounded and a bit confused, in response to the recent events. "Sano." Kaoru spoke, breaking his trance. "I need you to find as many clean towels as you can find and bring them to Miss Megumi.", she said hoping that he would snap out of it already.
"Wha?" Sano said, only hearing part of what she said. Kaoru walked towards him and grabbed his hand pulling him behind her and into the kitchen. "I need you to find every clean towel you can find and bring them to Miss Megumi. Start looking in here and then look in the hallway closet by the bathroom. You need to hurry because she needs them fast. Do you got that?" she finished, looking him directly in the eye.
"Yeah, okay let's get started." Sano nodded. Kaoru put a kettle on the stove and filled it with water. Sano pulled out every clean towel he could find and. He kept searching until he could carry no more.
He found the room where Megumi and Kenshin were and stepped inside. Sano dropped the towels at Megumi's feet and brushed his hands together. "SANO!" Megumi snapped, "I need clean towels, get them off the floor!" Sano blushed as scurried to the floor and picked up the towels. "You don't have to get so touchy fox, the floor looks clean to me." "Sanitization is everything Sano when you are working with a patient. Megumi reprimanded. "Is Kaoru boiling the water I asked her to?" she asked. "As far as I know." Sano replied. Megumi gave Sano a stern look and pursed her lips together. "Can you please check on her? I need to attend Sir Ken's wounds as fast as possible." She said in an irritated voice.
Sano gave Megumi a salute and replied with "Ay, Ay captain.", before he turned to leave. "Hey Missy are you almost done in there?" Sano called out. "Yes Sano, just a couple more minutes." She hollered back. Megumi called from the back room and told her to bring the water as it was. Kaoru took the boiling water off the stove and slowly walked back to the room.
Megumi motioned for Kaoru to set the water on the floor beside the table with all the towels. "Is there anything else I can get you Miss Megumi?" Kaoru asked, hoping that she could aid Kenshin in some small way.
"No, I have everything." Megumi replied. Sano popped his head in from the doorway. "Is he going to be alright fox?" Sano inquired. Megumi's teeth grated in her mouth, she was sick to death of Sanosuke's favorite endearment, which was "Fox." "None of his wounds seem to be life threatening, although he did lose a lot of blood." She said in a matter of fact voice.
Kaoru moved to Kenshin's bedside, kneeling beside his bed and intertwined his limp hand with hers. "Kenshin please be alright." She said, as a single teardrop slid down her cheek. Kenshin's eyes slid halfway open and his hand slightly squeezed hers. "Kaoru, it would be better if you and Sanosuke waited somewhere else. There isn't enough light in here for me to see as it is and plus I will be able to work better alone. It's for the best." Megumi reassured.
Kaoru reluctantly untwined her hand from Kenshin's and slowly stood up. She silently walked out the door and shut it quietly behind her. "Sano do you really think he'll be all right?" Kaoru asked worriedly. "Fox knows what she is doing. Anyways you heard her, 'none of his wounds are life threatening.'" Sano said, as he put his arm around Kaoru's shoulders. "Come on, let's go in the living room and sit down. She's right we would only be in the way, if we were to stay in there."
Sano and Kaoru sat silently in the small living room. He didn't want to admit to Kaoru that he was still a little scared about Kenshin's condition. The poor girl had been through enough stress the past few days; she didn't need any more to worry about.
"Sano." Kaoru whispered, breaking the silence. "About Kenshin, did you know he could use a sword?" Sano let out a deep breath of air and ran his hands through his spiky brown hair. "Listen Missy, I think I know what you are getting at. Kenshin's past is still somewhat sort of a mystery to me. He left Japan because of something he did, and what it is, I don't know. What I do know is, that he's a simple man with a complex past. I am not the person to tell you about his life story, he is."
"I see." Kaoru replied a little disappointed. "How are you feeling? I got a little caught up in the excitement, that I guess I forgot to ask." Sano smiled. "I'm okay, I wasn't hurt or anything." Kaoru replied.
"No, I don't mean physically, but how are you feeling otherwise?" Kaoru sat silently thinking to herself. She didn't want to talk about herself, not while Kenshin was lying in bed hurt because of her foolishness. Sano whistled, "Earth to missy, YO!" he said snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. Startled, Kaoru jumped and blinked her eyes a few times.
"How are you feeling?" Sano repeated. "Sano, I don't really feel like talking. Can we just sit here, and not talk." Kaoru asked. "Ya, we'll do whatever you want."
It seemed like forever. The minutes on the clock ticked away as the night passed on. Sano fell asleep sometime during the early morning hours. Kaoru watched intently watched the window, as the early morning rays of the sun began to peak behind the horizon.
Suddenly, the doorknob clicked to the back room, signaling that Megumi was finished. Kaoru's ears perked up as she heard Megumi's soft footsteps draw near. Megumi came around the corner, drying her hands off with a small white towel. "You're still up Kaoru?" Megumi said a little shocked. "Yes, I couldn't sleep." Megumi noticed the dark rings around Kaoru's eyes and became a little worried. "Is Kenshin all right?" she asked. "He is fine." Megumi said, giving her a small smile. "You should get some rest. It's not good for someone in your condition." "I will be fine Miss Megumi. Thank you for helping Kenshin." Kaoru said, giving her a tender smile.
"Kaoru, can I talk to you alone?" Megumi said motioning towards the kitchen. Kaoru took the hint and followed Miss Megumi. "You need to stop acting so foolish. If you don't take care of yourself, then who will? The fight Kenshin had took a deep toll on his body. He is only human and can take so much. I am afraid that if he fights again, like the night before, that he will not live. You need to be strong for him.", Megumi took Kaoru's hand. "He cares for you, for what reasons I do not know. You two have got to stop hurting each other and start telling the truth."
Tears began to pour from Kaoru's eyes. "I'm sorry Miss Megumi. I haven't been such a good person lately. It's all my fau…" She was cut off. "STOP DOING THAT!" Megumi said, as she grabbed Kaoru's arm. Megumi composed herself once more. "You need to be strong, for yourself and Kenshin's sake. You're going to be a mother Kaoru. Now is a better time as any to start." "I understand." Kaoru replied. Megumi let go of Kaoru's arm and left her alone with her thoughts.
"Come on Sano wake up." Megumi said shaking him. "Five more minutes mom." Sano mumbled. "Come on you stupid rooster-head, wake up!" "Just five more mintues…" Megumi became frustrated and whacked Sano over the head. "Ouch! Ouch! Wha did you do that for?!" Sano said, immediately waking up. "Come on we are going!" Megumi ordered. "You didn't have to hit me." Sanosuke wined. Megumi lost all patience; she was in no mood to argue with him. She pinched Sanosuke's ear and picked him up by it. "OW, OW, OW." Was all that could be heard as Megumi led him out the door by his ear. "Make sure Sir Ken gets plenty of rest." Megumi shouted over her shoulder before she shut the door behind her.
Kaoru watched out the window as the two got in their car and drove off. Then she turned her attention to the sun which was now high above the trees. "I will be strong Kenshin, for you, for me, and our baby."
End of Chapter 28
Okay, I know this isn't much. I have been so bad at updating. I can't blame any of you for being mad at me. This unworthy author does not deserve such great reader's as yourselves.
I now have two stories up and running. The second story in called "INNOCENCE LOST." If you have time check it out. It's a bit different than "A New Beginning." I decided that I need a change, in order to get some ideas to complete this fic.
I hope all of you have a fun weekend! If you're not too mad at me, please leave a review. Thank you for reading!
~*Charismatic Angel*~