Author's Notes: Chapter 3 is up and running yay! I would like to thank all the luvverly reviews that did review my humble fic. I am eternally in your debt. bows low o()o

So, I shall repay my debt…by updating!

Disclaimer: I did not create and therefore do not own Rurouni Kenshin. In light of this some of the characters will probably be OOC. But isn't that what fanfics are all about?

Fever Days and Sleepless Nights

Chapter 3

Megumi was right, thought Kaoru exhaustedly as she ran to fetch Sanosuke's third cup of tea. Sano had behaved himself while the fox doctor was here, but as soon as she returned to her clinic his demands had gradually increased. Kaoru catered to his every whim in light of his burning fever, but she wished his throat wasn't quite so dry, and that he didn't constantly require a cold cloth, or alternate between hot and cold so that she was forever fetching and carrying blankets. If he had been well, she would have brought her bokken for a well-deserved meeting with the baka's head, but instead she exercised her frustration on Yahiko, which wasn't really fair.

Of course, Kenshin was a complete angel, which made life a lot easier and should have taken a load off her mind. Instead she was still forever worrying about him, convinced that he was hiding his pain like he had done so many times before, in order to prevent her worrying. He insisted he was fine, but she wished she could watch over him all the time and not have to answer to Sano's demands.

"Kenshin? I brought you some tea," said Kaoru softly, walking into Kenshin's room carrying the cup. The sick rurouni was lying on his side on his futon, his back facing her, but when he heard her voice and picked up her ki he turned over, and opened his beautiful violet eyes.

"Thank you, Kaoru-dono," he said hoarsely, with a sweet smile. Weakly he struggled to raise himself into a sitting position, and gratefully took the tea. Weary herself, Kaoru sat down on the floor beside him and stifled a yawn. Not much got by Kenshin, however, sick or not, and he looked at her with concern over the rim of the cup.

"You look exhausted, Kaoru-dono," he said anxiously. Kaoru could tell he was worried about being a burden to her. Baka Kenshin! He's always thinking about everyone else…

"I'm fine," she said, quite sternly. "You're definitely worse off than I am."

"Sessha is fine, that he is," Kenshin said impatiently. "Has Sano being keeping you on your feet all the time Kaoru-dono?"

"Yeah, he's even more demanding when he's sick, and his appetite doesn't seem to have diminished any," Kaoru admitted.

"You should fetch Megumi-dono, that you should," Kenshin advised her, his eyes twinkling. "She would sort him out, and she could give you a hand."

That sounded a good idea, so Kaoru had Yahiko fetch Megumi, provided she wasn't too busy. Apparently she wasn't, as she came straight away, maintaining that business at her clinic was slow. Kaoru was sure, however, that she just wanted an excuse to come and swap insults with Sano. She was glad to let Megumi have her fun, while she kept an eye on Kenshin.

When she returned to Kenshin's room after Megumi had set Sano straight, Kenshin was sleeping uneasily, turning over frequently and frowning in his sleep. Idly she wondered what was going on inside his head. No doubt his demons were back to haunt him. Kaoru went over and placed a cool hand gently on his burning forehead, and his frown lessened a little. She wished she could do more than just ease his fever. It was clear the pain ran deeper than what met the eye.

It was peaceful and quiet in Kenshin's room, and sitting with her back to Kenshin's wall Kaoru could keep an eye on him without having to exert herself. Soon however she found her eyelids slowly closing as she drifted off into sleep.

She was shaking awake by Megumi about half an hour later.

"Kaoru. Kaoru!" said Megumi sharply.

"Hm? Wha?" Kaoru asked sleepily, opening her eyes.

"Kaoru no baka! You look awful! Get yourself to bed this instant!" ordered Megumi.

"But I've got to stay up for Kenshin and Sano's sake!" protested Kaoru.

"You need to get some sleep too once in a while. If I can manage that tori-atama I can definitely look after Ken-san," said Megumi. Normally Kaoru would have stubbornly insisted she stay and keep watch over Kenshin, but she was so, so tired…

"Can I sleep in Kenshin's room?" she asked tiredly, not realising until after she said it the implications of what she'd asked. Megumi let out her trademark fox laugh.

"Ohohohohoho! Of course you can!" she said wickedly, a gleam in her eye.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Kaoru protested hastily. "But I want to make sure Kenshin's okay."

"Of course you do," said Megumi, in the same way, a wicked grin on her face. But after a death-glare from Kaoru, she helped her move her futon and some blankets into Kenshin's room, where Kenshin was still sleeping fitfully. While she was at it, Megumi felt Kenshin's forehead. She looked worried.

"His fever is still very high, it hasn't gone down like the rooster's," she said anxiously. She gave Kaoru some medicine for Kenshin before saying she had to get back to the clinic. Kaoru lay wearily down on her futon and instantly fell asleep.

More Author's Notes: Well that was a kind of non-entry, but you get good ones and you get bad ones. You might've liked it anyway, and an update is an update, right? The next one'll probably be more eventful.