oh shit! Disclaimer! I don't own Kenshin, though god knows I wish I did. Um...shuffles feet sorry I'm mean to kenshin cowers please don't hit me.

Chapter two: Illness

"Kenshin wake up!"

Kaoru had been drawn to the room by Kenshin's restless cries. Yahiko slept like a log and of course didn't hear anything, but the night was quiet and her main room, where she had been sitting up with her stitching, was connected to Kenshin's.

She hesitated to touch him, but placing herself in between Kenshin and his sakabato she gently touched his forehead and pulled her hand back instantly, "You have a fever. Oh Kenshin please wake up, come on."

"KAORU! NO!" Tears poured down his pale cheeks.

"Kenshin I'm here, please wake up. Yahiko! YAHIKO!"

The former Bottosai's beautiful eyes opened, but he didn't seem to be out of his nightmare.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru questioned.

"Kaoru?"

She smiled, "Yes Kenshin, it's me."

He raised a hand and touched his scar in panic, "I killed you all. I…it was me…I…Kaoru."

She stroked his forehead, "It's okay, I'm here. You're going to be okay. You didn't kill anyone. YAHIKO!"

"What is it?" the boy asked, standing in the doorway, rubbing at the sleep in his eyes.

"Go get Megumi-san, quickly. Kenshin's really sick."

Yahiko was fully awake now, "Yeah, okay I'm on it. I'll bring her right here."

"Good," she pried Kenshin's hand away from his scar and held it tightly in her own, "Hold on my love. It's okay, I'm right here."

The swordsman coughed a dry, rough cough, covering his mouth with the blanket, his body heaving, "Kaoru, I'm sorry."

"It's okay Kenshin, It's okay." His eyes were clouded and she couldn't really catch his gaze. He was pale and trembled in her arms, she pulled a blanket up over him. He coughed into the covers some more.

"Kenshin," she lay him back down, "I'll go get you some water, I'll be back okay?"

He groaned, holding his chest, "I'll be all right, that I…uhn…will."

"Okay, you just lay there, I'll be right back," she kissed his forehead and ran for the well.

Megumi met her there, "Kaoru, how is Ken-san?"

"Pretty sick. He has a bad fever…" she turned to go back into the dojo, but Megumi held an arm across her chest, "No. Wait."

"I have to help him Miss. Megumi. He's sick."

Her beautiful face was resolute, "That why I can't let you in. If someone as healthy and strong as Ken-san is sick…it might be something serious. Now stop being stupid and tell me his symptoms."

Kaoru looked at Yahiko who was staring at the Dojo, "Well, high fever, he coughed a couple of times…"

"Wet or dry?"

She thought a moment, "Dry…and he held his chest as if it hurt him."

"Did he cough up anything?"

"No…why?" Kaoru was starting to panic.

"Calm down, has he been ill at all, in the last few weeks?"

"No, I don't think so…"

"He was sick, you didn't know," Yahiko spoke up, "He hasn't been moving as quickly, and I noticed him coughing or blowing his nose, when he thought no one was looking."

Megumi looked down at him, "A cold would you say?"

"Yeah, probably. Didn't seem too serious, but who knows?"

"I know what he has."

Kaoru was getting more and more scared, "What is it Miss. Megumi?"

"Pneumonia. There was a cold rain a couple of days ago, I assume he was out in it?"

"Yes," Kaoru said, in tears, "He was bringing the laundry in. I told him to. What's Pneumonia?"

"Don't blame yourself Kaoru. It's a lung infection, it's very dangerous, and if he's going to have any chance of survival, he needs our help NOW."

"What can we do?"

"First of all, I have to quarantine this Dojo. He's contagious and we can't risk it spreading. If we catch it, we're healthy enough that we should survive, and so should Ken-san, though he's been weakened by the cold, so he's in more trouble than we are," Megumi took a handkerchief and tied it tightly around her mouth and nose, "I'm going in to check on him, you two see if you can find any paint. You need to paint a quarantine sign on the doors. Then bring me two buckets of water and clean cloth."

"Right, come on Yahiko."

"Do not come in the house, you got that?"

"Yeah, we got it," Yahiko said.

"Okay."

Kaoru stopped and touched Megumi's arm, "Wait, can I help you? I don't want to leave him alone."

"He wont be alone, I'll be there."

"I know, but…"

"Alright Miss. Kaoru, if you really want to. Cover your mouth and nose and follow me," she looked to Yahiko, "I'm counting on you."

…

Kenshin was laying on his back staring at the ceiling, he turned his head to look when Megumi and Kaoru entered. He tried to smile, but it wasn't very convincing.

"If getting sick is all it takes to get you out here to visit, I should get sick more often."

"Don't say that Ken-san. It isn't funny," Megumi said kneeling at his side and touching his forehead.

Kenshin looked past her to Kaoru, "Miss. Kaoru, I have to tell you something…" he coughed and choked.

Megumi took a metal pan out of her bag, "Spit it into this."

He spit out a reddish-brown mass of lung tissue and blood, then fell back on the futon exhausted.

"Kenshin!"

"Miss. Kaoru I would ask you to go outside if you can't contain yourself."

"Sorry Megumi."

She ignored the apology, "Tip his chin up gently, very slightly. We need to make his airway as open as possible, he's going to have trouble breathing."

Kenshin did seem to be struggling for air, but he could speak, "Megumi-san? What's wrong with me?"

"Here's the water Megumi!" Yahiko called through the screen.

"Thank you Yahiko. Go gather your things and set up in the shed okay?"

"Yeah Okay. Get better Kenshin."

"Thank you Yahiko," He managed to rasp.

"You have pneumonia Ken-san," the lady doctor lay a wet towel on his forehead.

He looked at her sharply, "You're sure?"

"Yes."

"So this is how I die, that it is."

Kaoru shook her head, "Don't say that Kenshin."

"I've seen pneumonia at work Miss. Kaoru, I don't think I'm going to make it through this."

Megumi touched his shoulder, "I've seen many people survive it as well. You just need to rest."

"You have to live Kenshin, we need you."

He gave them a tiny smile through his pain, "I will do my best for you Kaoru."

Megumi stood up, "I have to go mix a medicine. If you find you can't breathe Ken-san, just relax and don't panic. This medicine should make it so the swelling in your throat goes down."

He smiled at her, "Yes ma'am, I understand."

Once Megumi had gone Kaoru touched his forehead gently, "Kenshin…can I tell you something?"

He nodded slightly, his voice quiet and pinched, "Of course Miss. Kaoru."

She blushed, "I…I love you."

His smile was large, and genuine this time, "Why thank you Kaoru. And I as well…I mean I love you as well…" he coughed.

"Oh Kenshin lay still. You shouldn't move, you probably shouldn't talk either."

He coughed up more infection into the metal pan, then he gasped and the breath rattled in his throat, he touched his neck with pale fingers.

Kaoru jumped up, "I'll go get Megumi, Kenshin, just hold on."

He nodded and she ran for the doctor.

I appoligise for the next chapter ahead of time, my villians are lacking. sorry again.